Opening the door was out of the question.
To avoid any future hassle, Lu Zhixia had deliberately locked it.
Ignoring her WeChat messages, she lay on the bed pretending to sleep as knocks sounded at the door.
Knock knock knock—the rapping climbed an octave, urgent and insistent. Lu Zhixia burrowed deeper under the covers.
“Little Xia, open up,” came Yan Fanghua’s voice.
Lu Zhixia sat up and heard Yan Fanghua mutter, “She can’t have gone to bed this early.”
“…”
“Come on, Little Xia, before Mom goes hunting for the key.” Mom always knew how to handle her unruly cub. With a sigh, Lu Zhixia opened the door and faked a yawn.
“Why on earth did you lock the door?” her mom scolded lightly. “Little Xia, switch rooms with Wanqing tonight.”
“Why?” Lu Zhixia leaned against the doorframe. Her mom clutched fresh bedsheets for the swap, but Shen Wanqing trailed behind her, saying, “It’s fine if we don’t switch.”
“Wanqing isn’t used to that room.”
“Neither am I,” Lu Zhixia shot back, half-convinced she must be the stepmom’s kid.
“You slept in that room your whole childhood. What’s not to get used to?” Yan Fanghua called her bluff, but Shen Wanqing insisted, “Auntie, really, no need to change the sheets.”
Yan Fanghua turned to the sulky figure by the door. “You come over here and switch.”
“No way.” Lu Zhixia huffed. “Do I have toxic pheromones or something? My bedding’s spotless—I even aired it in the sun this morning.”
The new sheets Yan Fanghua had dug up were ancient relics from the bottom of the storage chest: loud reds and greens, tacky as could be. In the end, they skipped the swap.
“Wanqing, just make do here for the night,” Yan Fanghua said as she straightened Lu Zhixia’s bed without so much as a backward glance. “I’ll fix up the second bedroom properly later—get all the furnishings it needs. Come stay whenever you want.”
Lu Zhixia hovered awkwardly in the doorway like a stranger, realizing her old nest was no longer hers. She called out, “Have fun messing around. I’m outta here.”
“Sis is upset,” Shen Wanqing said, watching the figure vanish from sight. “I’ll go check on her.”
“Go ahead.” Yan Fanghua, keen to mend fences between the sisters, offered some advice. “She melts for kindness but digs in her heels against force. Just coax her along.”
Shen Wanqing followed and found a long-limbed form sprawled stiffly on the bed, slippers still dangling off her feet, pale legs stretching out from her short pajama bottoms.
Assuming it was her mom come to soothe her, Lu Zhixia mumbled into the pillow, “You always take her side. She’s the real daughter; I’m the stray you picked up. Hmph.”
Shen Wanqing knelt by the bed and slipped off her slippers. Lu Zhixia kicked her legs in protest. “Who does this? I’m trying to sleep, and you raid my nest like it’s nothing.”
Her tone was all puffed-up indignation, childish as could be. Shen Wanqing pressed her lips together and stood quietly beside her.
“Mom, listen up—I don’t care about your arranged marriage schemes. Just don’t drag me and Shen Wanqing into it.” Lu Zhixia’s fingers scratched idly at the bedsheets as she warned, “That’s grown-up business. Leave us kids out of it.”
Flat on her stomach, Lu Zhixia vented at length. The gist was this: she was herself, Shen Wanqing was Shen Wanqing. They couldn’t let Wanqing’s family background color their intentions toward her. Lu Zhixia stood on her own two feet, leaned on no one—not even a nominal big sister.
Shen Wanqing listened from the sidelines. Growing weary of her position, Lu Zhixia wriggled across the bed like an enormous caterpillar, finally unfurling into a carefree starfish sprawl.
She let out a contented sigh, humming smugly. “I don’t wanna call her Big Sister. Don’t make me in the future. Besides, she probably doesn’t even want the job—you keep pushing, and she’s too polite to say no.”
Lu Zhixia yawned hugely, her voice dropping to a sleepy murmur. “This room’s so comfy and cool. How could anyone not sleep well here?” Then, softer still: “Mom, close the door for me. My jet lag must’ve flipped—I’m wiped out.”
Shen Wanqing draped a nearby blanket over her and slipped quietly out.
Yan Fanghua emerged from the master bedroom just then, smiling. “All settled?”
“Mm, she’s asleep.” Shen Wanqing apologized, “Sorry about that. I have a bit of OCD—if a room’s missing basics, I just can’t settle.”
“No trouble at all.” Yan Fanghua waved her inside. “The second bedroom only needs a wardrobe and desk. Back when Little Xia stayed here, she had her own study and never bothered with a wardrobe—didn’t have many clothes, and hangers did the trick.”
Yan Fanghua took Shen Wanqing’s hand, her tone earnest. “Little Xia can be immature. I’ll have a word with her. You be patient, too.”
Shen Wanqing shook her head firmly. “Auntie, don’t speak ill of her. She’s wonderful, just…” She paused, a soft smile blooming. “A bit childish and stubborn, always pushing back—but so endearing.”
“Yes, exactly.” Yan Fanghua sighed in fond exasperation, brow furrowed with worry. “She’s been a wild one since she was small, sharp-tongued and grudge-holding to boot. But her heart’s in the right place.”
Yan Fanghua told Shen Wanqing about the old Lu Zhixia—how she’d play the hero, get herself banged up so badly she had to be hospitalized; how she’d hoard good food for other kids instead of eating it herself; how she’d help the old lady who picked through trash, coming home reeking to high heaven…
“The craziest time was when someone tried to steal a dog. She didn’t care if she lived or died.” Yan Fanghua still shuddered at the memory. “The dog ate some poisoned scraps someone tossed out and started foaming at the mouth. Lu Zhixia bit the thief’s hand and got beaten bloody. She shook her head with a sigh. “She ended up in the hospital, but the dog still didn’t make it. She cried for days.”
They chatted idly for a few more moments before Yan Fanghua stood. “It’s getting late. You should get some rest.”
The room fell quiet, the air laced with the faint scent of Ambergris Pheromone.
Shen Wanqing lay in bed, her breaths drawing in the soothing aroma as the stirrings of her impending Heat Period gradually settled.
But for her slowly awakening gland, the mild fragrance was nowhere near enough to hold back the growing ferocity of the heat.
From past experience, the real Heat Period would hit tomorrow night or the night after. She’d always endured it alone at home before—a misery she’d never want to relive.
Shen Wanqing rolled over onto her stomach. The thickening scent of Ambergris Pheromone clung to the sheets, and she let out a long, relieved sigh.
She wasn’t sure how much time passed—maybe a while—as she lay there plotting her next work assignments. Then the door creaked open.
She turned her head slightly, peering through the dim glow of the bedside lamp. It was Lu Zhixia.
Head down, rubbing her eyes, Lu Zhixia shuffled slowly to the bed and flopped right down beside her.
Shen Wanqing watched her without blinking. Lu Zhixia’s lashes cast soft shadows on her eyelids.
Lu Zhixia’s hand fumbled toward Shen Wanqing’s last remaining gland, rummaging around as she mumbled something under her breath. She was clearly fast asleep.
Shen Wanqing listened to the steady rhythm of her breathing right by her ear. Slowly, she raised her hand, her fingertip hovering just an inch from that face—tracing its exquisite, sculpted contours in her mind. No makeup needed; perfection all on its own.
Suddenly, Lu Zhixia’s head nudged forward, nuzzling right up to Shen Wanqing. Her nose twitched.
Shen Wanqing’s lips curved into a smile. She really did look like a little dog.
The little dog seemed to catch a whiff of her favorite scent. She scooted even closer, wrapping her arms around Shen Wanqing and burying her face against her with a contented murmur. “Smells so good.”
Shen Wanqing rolled onto her side and hugged Lu Zhixia back, her fingers lightly stroking her ear. In a whisper soft as silk, she asked, “Does the little dog like it?”
Woof! I like it very much! 😂