The two of them stared at each other until they caught the camera in their peripheral vision, then both turned away at the same time.
Song Lingshu sat back down, her face flushed. “Master, just drive steady. We’re not in a hurry.”
“I’m really sorry about that. A delivery scooter suddenly swerved in front of us,” the driver said.
“Mm-hmm, just be more careful next time.” As she spoke, Song Lingshu stole a glance at Guan Yue. Seeing her resting her head on one hand against the window, staring straight ahead as if completely undisturbed, Song Lingshu silently scolded herself for having such dirty thoughts. She’d actually felt a little stirred, while the other woman sat there perfectly composed and righteous!
What she didn’t notice, however, was that the hand propping up Guan Yue’s head was secretly pinching her ear, trying to cool down its burning heat.
Someone else was still in the villa. Female Guest #4 had been left alone all day after failing to get a date, feeling quite desolate. When she heard noise outside, she curiously watched the door.
Seeing Guan Yue and Yu Qin enter together, she looked behind them for a moment. Finding no one else, she asked in surprise, “It’s just the two of you? Who were you on a date with?”
Song Lingshu: “Chen Yueming.”
Guan Yue: “Yu Zhe.”
“So… where are they?” Female Guest #4 pressed.
“No idea.” Song Lingshu carried a bunch of shopping bags upstairs. “Maybe they went to play together.”
Female Guest #4: “…” That was just ridiculous. She’d never seen such a scene before.
Song Lingshu put her things away and came to the living room to ask what they wanted to eat. Female Guest #4 said she’d already eaten instant noodles and went upstairs to rest. Song Lingshu then asked Guan Yue for her opinion. Guan Yue said, “I’m not picky.”
“I love beauties who aren’t picky.” Song Lingshu smiled and went to cook.
Guan Yue stood to the side, replaying the phrase “love beauties” over and over in her head.
Half an hour later, the two were eating steak. Song Lingshu poured two glasses of wine and said contentedly, “Come on, cheers.”
“Thank you for dinner. It was delicious,” Guan Yue said.
She rarely cooked for herself—she almost always ate out, and when she was home, she’d just throw something together or wait for the aunt to come cook for her. She hated wasting time and energy in the kitchen, with all its oil smoke and the trouble of cleaning up afterward, so she’d always avoided it.
But these past few days, watching Yu Qin cook with a smile on her face as if it were the most enjoyable thing in the world—and seeing her beam even brighter when praised, just like her own mother at home… ahem, getting off track.
Anyway, she no longer felt so repulsed by cooking and even wanted to help occasionally. Watching Yu Qin cook made her feel like the woman was a musician, with pots and pans as her instruments, tossing and stirring out one movement after another. What came out of the kitchen was both the warmth of daily life and the perfect song of the human world.
“I know you like eating, but don’t stuff yourself,” Song Lingshu said.
“I’m not full.”
Song Lingshu: “Still not full? You’ve almost finished the second serving of pasta.”
Guan Yue: “I’m afraid I won’t get to eat such good food again.”
There was only half a month left until the end of filming.
“How could that be? We can keep in touch from now on, and I’ll keep cooking for you.” Song Lingshu looked at her with curved brows and eyes. Having her food appreciated made her so happy.
“Really? Then it’s settled.” Guan Yue finally put down her chopsticks, but couldn’t help thinking—if only she could eat like this for a lifetime.
After dinner, Guan Yue volunteered to wash the dishes. Song Lingshu supervised from the side, and seeing her stiff movements, she knew it was her first time. She suggested Guan Yue put on an apron.
Guan Yue, hands full of foam, looked at her helplessly.
Song Lingshu held up the apron. Guan Yue leaned forward and poked her head through it like a gopher popping out of its hole. The sight made Song Lingshu laugh, and on impulse, she bumped her own head against Guan Yue’s. “Whack-a-mole!”
They both froze, then looked up at each other. Their gazes met, and their breaths felt tangled together. Song Lingshu had no idea why she’d been so bewitched, and she stammered an explanation.
Guan Yue smiled. “Help me roll up my sleeves.”
“Oh, sure.” Song Lingshu immediately rolled up Guan Yue’s sleeves, her hands rubbing against the woman’s arm so much they nearly sparked—sparked with the fire in her heart.
“Are you two flirting over there?” Female Guest #4, who had come downstairs to get water and witnessed the whole scene, couldn’t help teasing.
The two of them jumped a step apart, instantly widening the distance to a meter.
Song Lingshu also felt the atmosphere was off. She made an excuse to go back to her room and immediately started hammering the System.
Song Lingshu: 【Help!!! Is there anything good in the system mall that can detect heartbeat value?】
System: 【There is, but it’s not in our department.】
Song Lingshu: 【Another department has it?】
System: 【Mm, the strategy department has one. It’s specifically for detecting the target’s heartbeat value.】
Song Lingshu: 【Go get me one right away! I want it too!】
System: 【Can’t. We have strict rules: no cross-department interference.】
Song Lingshu: 【That’s your problem to solve! I want it now! Otherwise, I’ll report you to your boss for slacking off at work and farting after hours!】
System: 【I do not!!】
Song Lingshu: 【I recorded everything! You even secretly cursed the main god, saying they’re brain-damaged for having 996 with no machine rights!】
System: 【……】
In the end, the System risked disciplinary action and privately borrowed a heartbeat detector from a colleague. Cursing under its breath, it activated the device for Song Lingshu and reminded her, 【This is borrowed—you have to return it soon!】
Song Lingshu: 【Okay, okay, I know~ Boss is the most considerate boss in the world~】
System: 【Hmph!】
System: 【Instead of wasting time flattering me, you should finish the side quest. Today’s mission is to write a letter to Zheng Haonan.】
Song Lingshu took the mission perfunctorily and then started studying the detector. According to the instructions, after activating the device, the next step was to select the target, obtain a strand of their hair, and provide the DNA.
Song Lingshu was about to act when she suddenly froze—wait, wasn’t she supposed to test her own heartbeat, to see if she had feelings for Guan Yue? How had it turned into checking Guan Yue’s heartbeat?
Just then, Guan Yue returned to the room. “What are you spacing out for?”
“Nothing.” Song Lingshu snapped back to reality, sized Guan Yue up, and suggested, “Do you want to wash your hair? I can help you!”
Guan Yue: “?” What kind of trap is this now?
Without waiting for an answer, Song Lingshu pulled her into the bathroom. But the bathroom was awkward—it would be tiring if Guan Yue had to keep her head lowered. So she gave up.
“Why aren’t you washing it now?” Guan Yue asked.
“Because your hair isn’t oily.” Song Lingshu pretended to casually run her fingers through Guan Yue’s hair.
Guan Yue stood perfectly still, staring into Song Lingshu’s eyes. Suddenly, she frowned. “Why did you pull out my hair?”
“Oh, I saw a white hair and plucked it for you.”
Guan Yue frantically tried to look at her own white hair, but Song Lingshu said she’d already thrown it away. It was nowhere to be found.
Guan Yue was devastated. Downcast, she said she wanted to take a shower, then spent half an hour in front of the mirror picking through her hair for more whites.
When it was Song Lingshu’s turn to shower, she checked whether the detector was bound. Curious, she asked: 【How do I know if it’s activated?】
The System was slacking off again and didn’t answer.
After showering, Song Lingshu instinctively climbed onto Guan Yue’s bed. The other woman was reading, occasionally casting a cool glance her way.
So cold, Song Lingshu thought.
But just then, the detector suddenly reacted: 【Ding—Target’s heartbeat value +78】
Song Lingshu: “Eh?!!!”