That afternoon, Lin Qimian and Xu Yueliang lounged on the sofa, chatting at length about their respective careers.
Lin Qimian rarely vented to others about work. It wasn’t really that hard for her anyway. Ever since graduating, she’d had a clear grasp of what work truly was: a trade of time and effort for the necessities of life, spiced with a dash of personal fulfillment.
But Xu Yueliang had opened the floodgates. She explained what live streaming entailed—the dynamics between streamers and platforms, the bizarre viewers and cutthroat rivals she dealt with, how she hardly ever took a day off even though her streams brimmed with cheerful energy while she was bone-tired behind the scenes.
She described her voice going hoarse, the month her ligaments were torn when she invented dances that only moved from the waist up, and the discrimination that came with the job. Then, her face full of guilt and looking utterly pitiful, she apologized to Lin Qimian for ditching her, ruining her trip, and leaving her with a cold.
Lin Qimian secretly chuckled to herself. It really was Xu Yueliang’s fault.
After each story, Xu Yueliang would pause and gaze at Lin Qimian, her chin propped on a throw pillow, head tilted expectantly.
Lin Qimian responded in kind, naturally sharing her own side of things.
She unpacked her everyday frustrations, and by the time she’d said her piece, work did seem like an utterly tedious and loathsome ordeal.
Now they had a common foe, their goals aligned as they railed against the evils of capitalist bosses.
When thirst struck, Xu Yueliang sipped from her array of fancy drinks, while the “sick” Lin Qimian made do with plain water.
They talked until the sun dipped low in the sky. Xu Yueliang sprang to her feet. “Do we really need that many dishes?”
Lin Qimian shrugged. “Enough for the two of us is plenty.”
Xu Yueliang beamed and praised her. “Recalling past hardships to savor the sweet—learning thrift and no waste! Lin Mianmian, you’re a star pupil after all!”
Lin Qimian raised an eyebrow. “You’ve really gotten the hang of that name.”
“Ah!” Xu Yueliang clapped her hands over her face and scampered off.
For dinner, Xu Yueliang still prepared a generous spread, covering nearly half the items on Lin Qimian’s menu.
The only trouble was that every spicy dish was chili-free, and all the seasonings skewed mild. Lin Qimian ate with a vague sense of loss.
Fortunately, the person sitting across from her was sweet enough to make up for it. Xu Yueliang waited on her hand and foot—plucking bites for her chopsticks, passing tissues—doing everything short of chewing and swallowing for her.
Lin Qimian savored her meal alongside Xu Yueliang’s radiant smile, discovering a flavor all its own.
After dinner, Xu Yueliang steadfastly refused to let Lin Qimian lift a finger. She ushered her into the bedroom to rest, then set about cleaning up herself.
Sounds drifted from the kitchen as Lin Qimian pulled out her phone and returned Huang Xiaoyi’s call.
“Why’d it take you so long to call back?” Huang Xiaoyi sounded frantic. “How’s it going? You two hitting it off? Is Moon doting on you? Did you put everything I taught you to perfect use???”
Lin Qimian replied succinctly, “Good. Doting. Perfect.”
Huang Xiaoyi fell silent. “…”
Lin Qimian pressed on. “How’d you end up adding Lin Zixuan’s contact?”
“Lin Zixuan?” Huang Xiaoyi sounded baffled.
Lin Qimian clarified, “My sister.”
Huang Xiaoyi gasped. “Ohhh, right! I add everyone I meet—more friends, more open doors. You have no idea—that Moments post I sent you? So many people hounding me for dirt on you. We could’ve staffed a whole Lin Qimian fan hospital…”
Lin Qimian stayed quiet. Huang Xiaoyi caught on mid-sentence. “Holy shit, Lin Zixuan didn’t blab to your family and crash your romantic getaway, did she?”
Lin Qimian confirmed it. “Mm. She showed up herself.”
Huang Xiaoyi wailed, “She didn’t even grill me about it!”
Lin Qimian shot back, “Does she need to?”
Huang Xiaoyi groaned. “Shit, shit—my bad! Sorry, sorry, sorry! I deleted that Moments post right after reaching out to Moon. I never imagined…”
Lin Qimian cut her off. “No need to apologize.”
Huang Xiaoyi blinked. “Huh?”
Lin Qimian smiled faintly. “She showed up at just the right time.”
Huang Xiaoyi yelped. “Whaaat?”
Lin Qimian cleared her throat. “The main reason I’m calling is to let you know…”
She lowered her voice. “You’re swamped with that project tonight.”
Huang Xiaoyi, lounging idly at home, was perplexed. “???”
Lin Qimian elaborated. “The kind of busy where you’re dead to the world and can’t handle anything else.”
“I… oh my god…” Huang Xiaoyi whispered back. “Is she staying over tonight?”
Lin Qimian murmured, “I’ll make it happen.”
Huang Xiaoyi put on a mock whimper. “Eeee, don’t tease me like that—you’re making me blush…”
Lin Qimian sighed. “…”
Lin Qimian said flatly, “Hanging up now.”
Huang Xiaoyi protested, “Hey, my reward!”
Lin Qimian paused. “?”
Huang Xiaoyi demanded, “Spill every detail afterward. Don’t skip a single one.”
Lin Qimian ended the call.
Huang Xiaoyi kept howling on WeChat for a good while, firing off a barrage of “fans losing their minds over this ship” emojis.
Lin Qimian ignored her and opened her phone’s app store to make a purchase, the corners of her lips curving upward uncontrollably.
By the time Xu Yueliang returned from tidying up the kitchen, Lin Qimian had burrowed under the covers and was reading a book.
Her long hair spilled loosely over her shoulders, the bedside lamp cast a warm, cozy glow, and the cup of cold medicine on the nightstand was nearly empty.
Xu Yueliang sat down beside her with an apple and a paring knife.
She didn’t disturb Lin Qimian but kept her head lowered, peeling the apple leisurely from the top, taking it slow with one careful curl after another all the way to the bottom without a single break.
“Yay…” Xu Yueliang murmured softly in delight. She pinched the impressively long strip of peel between her fingers, eager to show it off to Lin Qimian, but then remembered she was reading. Her smile froze mid-air, along with her gesture.
Lin Qimian glanced over almost immediately, though, and praised her with a smile. “You’re amazing.”
“Hee hee hee.” Xu Yueliang twisted her body bashfully and grinned.
Lin Qimian went on, “How are you so good at this? Your cooking’s already top-notch, and now you’re a pro at peeling apples too. How do you keep it from breaking after all that?”
Xu Yueliang scooted her little stool closer and explained, “It’s all about going slow and watching your angle. This apple’s skin is pretty thin, too…”
She went into a full tutorial, and Lin Qimian nodded along eagerly, her expression saying she’d just gained the wisdom of a decade from a single conversation.
Once she’d finished showing off, Xu Yueliang held out the peeled apple. “Here, have an apple. It’ll keep the viruses away.”
Lin Qimian shook her head. “I can’t eat a whole one. Let’s split it—half each.”
Xu Yueliang quickly divided it, and they each munched on their half.
“So sweet,” Xu Yueliang sighed, her eyes crinkling happily.
“So sweet,” Lin Qimian echoed. They were eating from the same apple, after all, tasting the exact same sweetness.
The apple-munching interrupted Lin Qimian’s reading. She set the book aside and didn’t pick it back up.
“Bored?” she suggested to Xu Yueliang. “Want to watch some TV? Got any shows you’re following lately?”
“Yeah, yeah!” Xu Yueliang nodded enthusiastically. “There’s this web drama about fairies falling in love. It’s really good.”
“Fairies falling in love…” Lin Qimian paused. “Sounds intriguing.”
Xu Yueliang tilted her head and glanced at the book resting on Lin Qimian’s lap: Jellyfish and Snail: A Biologist’s Notes.
“Doctor Lin, wanna watch TV with me?” she asked. “No more reading?”
“Nope.” Lin Qimian threw back the covers and climbed out of bed. “Let’s go watch some fairy romance.”
Xu Yueliang trailed after her. “You don’t have to watch TV just to keep me company, Doctor Lin.”
Lin Qimian laughed. “It’s not keeping you company. I love binging dramas too—all kinds of them.”
Xu Yueliang blinked in surprise. “Really…?”
They reached the living room, and the projector screen descended. Lin Qimian handed the remote to Xu Yueliang.
Xu Yueliang fiddled with a few buttons and asked, “How do you usually watch your shows, Doctor Lin? Projector at home, or on your phone?”
Lin Qimian shrugged. “Whichever’s handy.”
Xu Yueliang pressed her lips together in a smile and tapped a few more times. “You’re fibbing, Doctor Lin.”
Lin Qimian blinked. “????”
Xu Yueliang pointed out, “The TV doesn’t even have any video apps installed.”
Lin Qimian fell silent.
Xu Yueliang installed the apps for her, pulled up the web drama she wanted to watch, and burst out laughing again. “Doctor Lin doesn’t even have a video membership…”
“Impossible,” Lin Qimian huffed indignantly.
How could she be someone without a membership? She was a vvvip super-duper high-tier member on Orange Live!
“Hold on,” Lin Qimian said. “I usually just cast from my phone.”
Xu Yueliang’s “Oh” dripped with skepticism.
Lin Qimian grabbed her phone and scooted a bit farther away, making sure Xu Yueliang couldn’t peek at the screen. Then she frantically downloaded apps from every major streaming site.
She recharged yearly memberships, super memberships, premium cinema passes—you name it, a whole mess of memberships she didn’t even know she needed.
Thankfully, the internet was blazing fast, and the payment gateways were capitalist-engineered for maximum efficiency.
In no time, Lin Qimian announced, “All set,” and cast the fairy romance drama to the screen.
Xu Yueliang’s eyes widened. “Whoa!”
Lin Qimian smirked. “Told you I binge dramas.”
The next second, a pop-up ad flashed: [New Member Exclusive Perks—blessings and bargains galore!]
Xu Yueliang: “…”
Lin Qimian: “…”
Xu Yueliang doubled over, howling with laughter. “Hahaha, Doctor Lin! Hahaha—hic!”
Lin Qimian took one look at her doubled-over hysterics and couldn’t hold back her own laughter.
The little ad vanished quickly, and the TV skipped the opening straight into the episode. Xu Yueliang put away her smile and focused on the drama, while Lin Qimian watched as well—half her attention on the female lead, outwardly aloof yet inwardly warmhearted, secretly in love with the male lead but too stubborn to confess; the other half on Xu Yueliang’s face, flickering in the glow of the screen, her brows knitting or her lips curving upward with every twist in the plot.
They made it through half the episode before the story cut away for an in-show ad break.
Lin Qimian remembered the pile of memberships she’d just bought. “…There are still ads?”
Xu Yueliang scooted closer, grinning. “Doctor Lin, let me tell you a little secret. During Double 11, these yearly memberships go for half off~~”
“Really?” Lin Qimian was thrilled, readily admitting it. “Then I really got ripped off today.”
Xu Yueliang chuckled. “Hee hee hee, I should’ve warned you ahead of time, Doctor Lin. I have a membership for this site—it has the biggest library of sources, so that’s why I got one. I should’ve just logged into my account…”
Lin Qimian shook her head. “Use mine from now on.”
Xu Yueliang turned to stare at her, momentarily stunned.
Lin Qimian unlocked her phone screen and waved it around, showing a full page of video apps. “I bought them all just now. I admit I’m not much of a TV watcher—this money can’t go to waste.”
Xu Yueliang hesitated, her eyes dropping as she avoided Lin Qimian’s gaze. “I couldn’t possibly…”
Lin Qimian smiled. “There’s a trade involved.”
Xu Yueliang blinked. “Huh?”
Lin Qimian explained, “Share your shopping cart with me during Double 11. I can never figure out all those buy-more-save-more discounts.”
Xu Yueliang burst out laughing. “Doctor Lin isn’t bad at math—you’re just too lazy to bother. But you’re right, it’s not worth your time. Deal! I’ll handle it all for you. Just tell me what you want to buy in advance, and I’ll snag the best deals!”
“You’re the best,” Lin Qimian praised her.
“Without you, I’d have overpaid by so much over the years,” she added sincerely.
Thanks to Lin Qimian’s super membership, they binged several more episodes of the advance previews.
By the time the latest update wrapped up, night had fallen deep.
The TV’s chatter cut off abruptly. Xu Yueliang jabbed randomly at the remote a few times before setting it aside. “Doctor Lin, you should get some sleep.”
Lin Qimian leaned lazily against the sofa back, gazing at her. “Mm.”
Xu Yueliang rose to her feet. “Then I’ll…”
Lin Qimian cut her off. “Xiao Yi took care of me all day and pulled overtime—she’s beat and won’t make it over.”
Xu Yueliang sighed. “Aw, Senior Sister Xiaoyi works so hard.”
Lin Qimian continued, “I spiked a fever in the middle of the night last night. Not sure if it’ll flare up again tonight.”
Xu Yueliang hurried over a couple of steps. “How are you feeling right now?”
Lin Qimian replied softly, “Like being sick means I shouldn’t be home alone.”
Xu Yueliang’s face fell at once, her eyes growing misty as she looked at her.
Lin Qimian buried half her face in her knees, peeking out only with her eyes. “Is Moon heading out?”
“No way,” Xu Yueliang said, shaking her head emphatically. “It’s just… Doctor Lin, you look so pitiful.”
Lin Qimian murmured, “Mm, so pitiful.”
Xu Yueliang lifted her hand and rested it on Lin Qimian’s arm.
She gave it a gentle pat. “Don’t be scared. I’ll stay with you~~”
Ding dong. The doorbell rang.
Xu Yueliang whipped her head around. “Huh? Who’s coming at this hour? Senior Sister Xiaoyi?”
Lin Qimian practically leaped off the sofa. “No, I’ll get it.”
Xu Yueliang protested, “I’ll go—Doctor Lin, you stay put…”
Lin Qimian insisted, “I’ll go.”
Xu Yueliang repeated, “I’ll go, I’ll go.”
Lin Qimian grabbed her arm, holding her firmly in place.
“Stay right there,” Lin Qimian commanded.
Xu Yueliang stood frozen, then murmured after a beat, “Doctor Lin, you’re… really strong…”
Lin Qimian opened the door to find someone in a property management uniform holding out a large box.
She took it from them. No words were exchanged—just a quick glance, and the handover was done.
She shut the door. Xu Yueliang hadn’t budged from her spot, afraid to move her feet, so she craned her neck instead. “Who was it? What’s that you’ve got there, Doctor Lin?”
“Nothing much.” Lin Qimian carried the box into the cloakroom. “Some specialty pickled vegetables a colleague sent.”
She unpacked the pickles and stowed them away.
Circling back from the other direction, she slipped into the guest room.
The guest room saw little use, but the housekeeper kept it immaculate. Still, the bedsheets and duvet were a dull gray, giving it a stark, unwelcoming chill.
Lin Qimian looked around inside before emerging and closing the door behind her.
Xu Yueliang was still standing there. Without glancing her way, Lin Qimian said, “Go ahead and wash up. It’s getting late.”
“Oh, right.” Xu Yueliang’s feet finally stirred.
Lin Qimian said, “Use the big bathroom—you can take a bath there. Clean towels are under the vanity, and underwear’s in the walk-in closet, section C, fifth drawer from the top. It’s all new; help yourself.”
“……Mm,” Xu Yueliang replied.
“You’ll sleep in the side bedroom next to the study,” Lin Qimian added.
“Okay.”
“Good night.”
Xu Yueliang hadn’t expected the farewell to come so soon. She paused for a beat, then quickly chimed in, “Good night, Doctor Lin~”
Lin Qimian slipped into her bedroom.
Xu Yueliang stared at the closed door, exhaling a quiet sigh of relief even as her heart gave an inexplicable flutter.
She headed to the walk-in closet and pulled open the fifth drawer in section C, just as instructed.
Her face turned scarlet in an instant.
The drawer was filled with underwear—pale pinks, yellows, blues, and greens adorned with strawberries, polka dots, stripes, and tiny florals. Adorably cute little pieces.
A flicker of surprise ran through Xu Yueliang, though it quickly felt perfectly logical. The loungewear she had on was the same style, after all.
But she had no idea if Doctor Lin simply favored this aesthetic or kept a wardrobe ready for every taste, tailored to whatever friends might visit.
Perhaps the fourth drawer held something edgier.
Maybe the sixth was a touch sexier.
Xu Yueliang had seen fashion in every style imaginable, but she didn’t dare peek into the others.
She couldn’t just rummage through Doctor Lin’s private things. Their connection was still too new, nowhere near that intimate.
She selected a pink pair and shut the drawer.
Doctor Lin preferred matching sets, after all, so pink it was.
Fresh from her bath, Xu Yueliang carried the same delicate fragrance as Doctor Lin.
She sniffed at her arms, left then right, as if candy-colored popping beads had dissolved into her veins—each one bursting now and then, sending her pulse into joyful disarray.
She pushed open the door to the side bedroom and flicked on the light. If her reaction in the closet had been a sensible startle, this was pure, unadulterated shock.
Doctor Lin’s home was a masterclass in understated luxury: artistic, tasteful, swathed in elegant grays. And yet, here was a side bedroom draped in pink sheets and a duvet cover.
Vibrant, baby-soft pink.
Pink edged with white star-shaped lace.
Pink that demanded big bows to crank the cuteness and whimsy to 11.
Pink that suited Xu Yueliang to a T, inside and out.
“Ah…” Xu Yueliang sank to the floor.
She buried her face in her hands, and for a long, long while, the flush refused to leave her cheeks.
