There was a saying: brine curdles tofu—one thing subdues another.
It fit perfectly between Lu Zhixia and Shen Wanqing.
The Lu Zhixia who had stormed out, slamming the door behind her, was led back by Shen Wanqing. Yan Fanghua turned away to wipe her tears.
This time, even without Shen Wanqing saying a word, Lu Zhixia felt her heart ache for her mom. When Shen gave her a push, she walked forward on her own and stood behind Yan Fanghua, towering over her by more than a head.
She murmured an apology. Yan ignored her, so she tugged at her mom’s clothes.
Lu always had some clever way to wheedle her way back into people’s good graces—tugging pitifully at the hem while speaking in a soft, hesitant voice.
How could Yan Fanghua stay mad at her own child? She had only been upset for the moment. She pried Lu Zhixia’s hand away. “None of that now.”
At least she was talking. That was a good start.
Shen Wanqing mediated and pieced together what had happened. She even recounted the scene at the interview herself.
She wasn’t making excuses for Lu Zhixia—Time Magazine had breached the contract first. “The Shen Family’s ties with Time Magazine won’t be shaken so easily,” Shen Wanqing reassured her. “You can rest assured.”
As for the follow-up clarification, the mother and daughter huddled together, whispering back and forth while treating Lu Zhixia like she was invisible.
Her stomach growled loudly from hunger, and she couldn’t make out a word they were saying. Impatient, she edged closer.
Shen Wanqing turned and caught her at it. Lu froze, pretending to look off in another direction.
“Alright, don’t worry. I’ll take care of it,” Shen Wanqing concluded. Yan Fanghua, her eyes still red, shot Lu Zhixia a glance and grumbled, “Look at that stubborn streak of hers. No one can talk sense into her when she gets like that. If she starts throwing tantrums at you down the line, just give her a good thrashing.”
Lu Zhixia was baffled. Shen Wanqing visited often enough—how had she talked her mom around?
Jiang Menglai’s call came in then. Upon hearing that Shen Wanqing was there, she invited everyone out for a meal together.
Yan Fanghua locked up and they headed straight across the hall.
Shen Wanqing sat to Lu Zhixia’s left, Yan Fanghua to her right, and Qin Zheng beside her.
In a group like this, Qin Zheng was always the quietest one. She kept stealing glances at Lu Zhixia out of the corner of her eye.
Maybe it was because Shen Wanqing was there, but Lu no longer had that low, anxious edge from their phone call earlier. She looked positively cheerful.
Qin Zheng had been staring when she suddenly met Shen Wanqing’s cool gaze. She quickly looked away and focused on her food.
Conversation inevitably turned to the hot search trending online. Jiang Menglai suggested verifying the facts first and pursuing legal action if warranted.
Yan Fanghua was still fuming and inclined to press charges. “People like that need to be hit hard the first time,” she said bluntly, “or they’ll just do it again.”
Qin Zheng could tell that the real players in this mess didn’t seem interested in pursuing it.
Lu Zhixia’s temper wasn’t exactly even-keeled—the girl had blown up right there at the interview—but now she was just quietly shoveling food into her mouth.
Jiang Menglai passed her some tissues. Lu paused, set down her chopsticks, took them, and placed the pack between herself and Shen Wanqing.
She picked up her chopsticks and resumed eating. Shen Wanqing had a small appetite; she only took a few bites here and there, mostly sitting up straight and listening to the chatter while occasionally using the serving chopsticks to dish out food for Yan Fanghua and Lu Zhixia.
They kept discussing it, but the one most involved might as well have been a world away. Every few bites, Lu would sneak a glance at Shen Wanqing.
Shen Wanqing never looked her way. Lu blinked, withdrew her gaze, and kept eating, a deep smile tugging at her lips.
Qin Zheng excused herself to the restroom and finally spotted the truth—they were pulling a fast one right under everyone’s noses.
The ever-poised Shen Wanqing was holding hands with Lu Zhixia under the table. No wonder… A sour feeling twisted in Qin Zheng’s chest.
In the end, it was Yan Fanghua who asked Lu Zhixia directly whether she wanted to take it further.
Lu turned to Shen Wanqing. “What do you think, Sister?”
The way she said “Sister” so sweetly and obediently drew twin tsks from Yan Fanghua. “Now that’s a rare sight—you being all polite and actually calling her Sister.”
“We’ll clarify things for now and hold off on pursuing it,” Shen Wanqing said. She didn’t want to tie up public resources. “Time Magazine and the Shen Family go back a ways. Let them sort out their own house.”
Lu Zhixia nodded along in agreement.
Her mood had done a complete one-eighty. She’d been just as furious before, and now she was just as elated.
Shen Wanqing was spoiling her rotten—slipping her candy earlier outside, and now holding her hand right here.
For someone in the throes of their first romance, every bit of intimacy was like popping candy.
Sweetness bursting on the tongue, impossible to get enough of.
After dinner, Yan Fanghua brought the two of them back and headed off for a shower.
The living room was empty now except for them. Lu Zhixia scooted over and wrapped her arms around Shen Wanqing. “Don’t be like that,” Shen murmured.
Lu Zhixia wasn’t intimidated in the slightest, grinning ear to ear. Shen Wanqing pinched her slim waist. Lu let go with a dramatic yelp, clutching at the spot. “Y-you—you actually attacked me!”
Shen Wanqing laughed and called her a drama queen. “Always pulling stunts like that—and you sell it pretty convincingly too.”
She reached for the phone, and Lu Zhixia handed it over, leaning in close. “Sister, after you post on Weibo, can you send me those photos we took at your place the other day?”
Shen Wanqing could feel the alpha’s body heat radiating toward her, so she shifted a little to the side. “Later.”
Lu Zhixia scooted even closer, resting her chin right on Shen Wanqing’s shoulder. “Sister, can I come over to your place and take some pics of the luxury car?” As she spoke, her chin bobbed up and down, tickling Shen Wanqing’s shoulder.
Shen Wanqing remembered something and turned to look at her. They were so close now.
Suddenly, Lu Zhixia leaned in and playfully nipped at her with those soft lips. Shen Wanqing pulled back, cheeks flushing as she huffed, “Getting a little too bold, aren’t you?”
“Sister.”
“Pouting won’t work.” Shen Wanqing finished posting on Weibo and, right in front of Lu Zhixia, started scrolling through her direct messages. Casually, she added, “I heard from Jiang Menglai that you want to buy a car?”
Lu Zhixia nodded. Reading between the lines, Shen Wanqing clearly meant she shouldn’t. “We have cars at home. You can just drive one of those for now.”
“But those are all yours.”
“So whose are you?” Shen Wanqing tilted her head slightly, fixing her with a steady gaze.
Lu Zhixia grinned mischievously and leaned in for a kiss. Shen Wanqing pushed her chin away. “Hmm? Whose little dog are you?”
“I’m yours, Sister.” The little dog lifted her chin proudly. “But,” she said, taking hold of Shen Wanqing’s hand and drawing nearer, “I’m pursuing you, so we need to be on equal footing. That means not only will I not use your car, but I’ll pay back everything I owe you from before.”
Shen Wanqing wasn’t having it. She swatted her away and kept scrolling through Weibo, letting out a little hiss.
Lu Zhixia leaned in to peek. It was a message from back when that clip of her translation had gone viral and fans had flooded her DMs.
Her follower count had exploded back then—millions in just a few days. At first, she’d been thrilled, but soon enough, it all felt numb.
She wasn’t big on Weibo anyway, and her fans were always begging for selfies. Lu Zhixia only replied to the fun ones.
Some fans showed their sincerity by sending her a bunch of photos first—a ten-for-one trade.
Lu Zhixia had been bored that day and clicked into one. The girl was pretty cute.
The fan had showered her with over-the-top compliments, the kind that made even Lu Zhixia blush at how excessive they were.
Girls liked pretty things, after all, and who didn’t enjoy a little flattery?
Lu Zhixia had replied politely, returning the compliment with an emoji for good measure.
Now, with Shen Wanqing seeing it, she felt mortified. “Sister, let me explain.”
“Not listening.”
“Come on, listen.”
“Not listening, not listening.”
“Sister, please.”
“La la la, I’m not listening—it’s just turtle chanting prayers.” Shen Wanqing had picked that one up from Lin Xuan, who used it to shut down relatives nagging her about marriage. It always left them speechless.
Lu Zhixia was in the middle of her whining and cajoling when Yan Fanghua emerged from the bathroom, catching the tail end of it.
“Listen to what?” Yan Fanghua asked, puzzled. “Speak like a grown woman, for heaven’s sake. How old are you to still be acting like a spoiled kid?”
Then, turning to Shen Wanqing, she added, “Don’t let her age fool you—she’s twenty going on teenager. If she steps out of line, you keep her in check. Don’t indulge her.”
Shen Wanqing promised she would, all sweetness and light. Lu Zhixia stood by with a beaming smile.
“What’s so funny?” Yan Fanghua snapped, still fuming over how Lu Zhixia had slammed the door on her way out earlier.
“Nothing.” Lu Zhixia loved it when Shen Wanqing took charge like that. What she feared most was being ignored.
Once Yan Fanghua had retreated to the bedroom, Lu Zhixia hurriedly whispered her explanation. “I was just being polite. I couldn’t very well ignore someone praising me.”
“Really?” Shen Wanqing tapped into her Weibo profile, giving her a sidelong glance. “And you just happened to post a selfie too.”
“Ah, hehe.” Lu Zhixia threw her arms around Shen Wanqing. Suddenly, a click sounded from behind them, startling her into letting go and whipping around.
It was just Yan Fanghua shutting the bedroom door. Lu Zhixia let out a breath of relief. Shen Wanqing watched her coolly, then went back to scrolling. “If you’re such a scaredy-cat, maybe don’t do bad things.”
While Shen Wanqing kept browsing, Lu Zhixia launched into a deep self-analysis. Truth be told, she’d posted the photo mostly out of vanity—it was just too gorgeous and badass not to share.
The flood of compliments had been icing on the cake, leaving her feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.
Lu Zhixia’s phone gallery was full of the usual: food pics, scenic shots, selfies, and photos from competitions or events.
It was peak young-person aesthetic, but she didn’t post much. Shen Wanqing finished scrolling in no time.
Up front were a few shots of her puppy back in the day—the Czech wolf dog as a clumsy, adorable pup.
Shen Wanqing shoved the phone back at her and pulled out her own. She reposted Lu Zhixia’s Weibo.
Lu Zhixia’s handle: Czech Wolf
Shen Wanqing’s handle: Extreme Queen
Czech Wolf: @Extreme Queen Sister, don’t we need to clear up that hot search thing?
Extreme Queen: @Czech Wolf, hello everyone. This is my nominal little sister. But even if she’s just nominal, I won’t tolerate anyone shooting off their mouth about her. From now on, if there’s any news about me, verify it with me personally before you post it. Otherwise, don’t blame me for not holding back.
Lu Zhixia seized the opportunity to scroll through Shen Wanqing’s Weibo, and what she found left her utterly blown away.
Shen Wanqing was a master at every extreme sport Lu Zhixia had ever heard of—or even those she hadn’t. She never showed her full face in any photos. She was either decked out in gear or simply letting her killer figure shine through during the action.
She darted between jagged snowy peaks, surfed the wildest waves at the heart of the storm, plummeted from the skies on the wind… Every single shot was breathtakingly beautiful, but heart-stopping all the same.
“Aren’t you scared?” Lu Zhixia asked, tapping on one animated GIF. In it, Shen Wanqing was nearly swallowed whole by a massive wave, only emerging diagonally from its curling barrel after what felt like forever.
“Scared of what?” Shen Wanqing took advantage of Lu Zhixia’s scrolling to dive back into her own memories.
“You could get seriously hurt. Hell, you could lose your life.” Lu Zhixia suddenly pointed at another GIF. “Whoa, check this out! The race car was going so fast, there were sparks flying!”
“Heh.” Shen Wanqing let out a light chuckle. “Thrilling, right?”
“And this one!” Lu Zhixia tapped another. In the dynamic photo, Shen Wanqing was rock climbing at breakneck speed, with swirling mist far below her feet. It was the kind of view that made your stomach drop. “Do you always go by yourself?”
“Mm-hmm.” Shen Wanqing nodded for her to keep scrolling.
As Lu Zhixia flipped through more, she couldn’t help sighing. “This is way too dangerous.”
“So?” Shen Wanqing replied coolly.
Lu Zhixia looked up at her, dead serious. “From now on, you have to take me with you. I’ll protect you.”
She didn’t sound like she was joking at all. Her dark eyes sparkled with determination and a hint of a smile. “Don’t worry, I pick things up fast. I’ve got some basics in stuff like skiing and surfing already. For the things I don’t know? You can teach me.”
Shen Wanqing froze for a few seconds. Lu Zhixia nudged her with an elbow and grinned. “Teacher Shen, in bed and out of it—please take good care of me.”
Shen Wanqing lowered her gaze and curved her lips into a smile.
For the first time, someone had seen her life laid bare and hadn’t tried to stop her. Instead, they’d said, I want to join you.
Shen Wanqing bumped her shoulder against Lu Zhixia’s and gave her an appraising once-over, her eyes burning with intensity.
Lu Zhixia squirmed under the scrutiny, scratching her head. “What?”
Shen Wanqing smiled. “Do you like me?”
Her heart pounded like crazy, heat flooding her cheeks, but she answered firmly. “Yes.”
She leaned in closer. “Can I?”
“No.” Shen Wanqing’s refusal was swift and straightforward. Lu Zhixia’s face fell, the light fading from her eyes.
Shen Wanqing planted a kiss on her forehead, her voice soft and coaxing. “Saying you like me is easy. But I want you to decide after you really know all of me.” Her warm breath tickled Lu Zhixia’s earlobe as she teased, “Okay?”
Lu Zhixia’s brain short-circuited on her behalf and issued the command. “Okay.”
