Chapter 61: Busy People Don’t Say They Miss Me. Part 2

“Ah! Huan!” The girl hugged her, smiling so wide her eyes disappeared. “I’m! Back!”

Yue Chengqi reached up and pinched her cheek.

Because they were in public and Su Ye was a “celebrity” who had appeared on TV and in newspapers, they couldn’t linger. They quickly caught up to the aforementioned Ms. Lin and decided to hitch a ride.

The person who should have been able to lounge in the back seat but was now forced into the passenger seat expressed that she was “okay”—she was fine, she just felt like crying a little.

Meanwhile, the two in the back seat were inseparable, feeding each other snacks.

Su Ye: “These are big apples I brought back from the Frontier. Try one?”

Yue Chengqi: “I figured you’d be craving sweets, so I brought a box of milk candies.”

…

This torture finally ended three hours later. When Lin Qining stepped out of the car, her steps were shaky, her entire being despondent.

But the girl who had also been sitting on a hard train seat for several days showed no signs of fatigue. She entered the house, did a quick tidy-up, and soon rushed out again carrying a bath bag. This left Lin Qining—who was digging frozen meat out of a snow pile by the door—staring in daze.

“Big Sis,” Qining scratched her head as she came inside. “Why haven’t we considered installing a shower here? It’s so pitiful; she has to go so far in the dead of winter.”

“There’s no drainage, and no heating,” Zhang Mingfang took the meat. “If you install a shower, are you just waiting for the pipes to freeze and burst?”

“Then why is Su Ye in such a rush to go bathe?”

The two actual adults said in unison: “No idea.” How could they possibly know why Su Ye was in such a “feverish” rush?

Lin Wanjia couldn’t help but ask, “Has Lin Shenghui really not planned to arrange a marriage for you? She’s okay with you being single for life?”

Otherwise, how could she be twenty-five and still so clueless? All she knew was how to be arrogant and enjoy herself; she couldn’t even read the most basic emotional needs.

But those who don’t understand, simply don’t. Lin Qining took a bite of a piping hot roasted sweet potato and said indistinctly, “Mama said it’s not necessary; she’s got plenty of life left in her. With my health, it’s better to stay home than marry out. It’s no big deal, Big Sis. Before Mama passes, we’ll just raise Youle to be capable. Then we can all go out and travel together. I think you’d look great with cold-brown hair; you should come dye it with me later! Sister Zhang would suit light gray, though the one who suits light gray most is Little Huan.”

Lin Wanjia smiled bitterly, yet couldn’t quite manage it, so she just shook her head and went back to tidying up.

On the other side, Yue Chengqi was preparing dinner.

Su Ye wanted mutton and onion dumplings. She didn’t have time to fold dumplings, but she had prepared the filling that morning. Now, she just needed to knead some dough to make flatbreads to go with white porridge; it would have to do.

Running the shop alone made her so busy her head was spinning; she had no time to prepare anything too elaborate.

The door opened, and the scent of soap mixed with the crisp, sweet smell of snow wafted in. The energetic girl dashed into the washroom to put her things away and soak her laundry. Only then did it seem like her internal spring had wound down. She dragged her feet step by step until she threw herself onto the table, staring blankly at Yue Chengqi.

“So tired… it’s finally over. I can finally sit down and rest.”

She tugged at the person making the flatbread. “Ah Huan, you haven’t even praised me.”

Yue Chengqi thought to herself: I clearly have. Her smile was practically reaching her temples. She liked Su Ye so much it was unbearable. She… she was just making bread! If she didn’t focus, it would burn!

But the other person wasn’t planning on letting her off. Su Ye tugged at her sweater. Since she was wearing a turtleneck today, the tugging almost choked her. She hurried to flip the last bread, turned off the heat, and placed the steaming plate on the table. Before she could even stand straight, she was pulled down to sit on Su Ye’s lap.

The young woman’s voice carried a hint of grievance, but her eyes were full of mirth.

Yue Chengqi gently pinched her nose. “Troublemaker! Eat first, it won’t taste good once it’s cold.”

“No. I missed you so much, but our ‘busy person’ won’t even say she missed me.”

Yue Chengqi laughed.

Which ‘busy person’ was so busy they didn’t even have time to voice their longing? It certainly wasn’t her.

Su Ye simply hooked her arms around her neck and leaned in, kissing her cheek. “Does the ‘busy person’ miss this?”

Yue Chengqi thought: She craves the next thing even more. But not yet; they couldn’t be that hasty.

As for now, without being told, Su Ye leaned in. Starting from the corner of her mouth, she traced the shape of her lips inch by inch.

In this moment, this incredibly vibrant person was the dominant one in the relationship. One hand pressed against the back of Yue Chengqi’s head while the other encircled her waist, chasing after the girl who couldn’t help but tremble and lean back. She sucked on her lips, one breath at a time.

It was passionate and urgent.

She was also quite “polite”—her tongue tapped against Yue Chengqi’s teeth. It wasn’t enough for the owner to open the door; she had to be personally greeted before she would enter. Then, she pulled her back to her own “home” to play, sliding in and out, letting out soft, involuntary hums.

Longing that words couldn’t express was poured out. She instinctively let go of the reddened lips to lightly suck on the jawline, and when the woman couldn’t help but tilt her head back, Su Ye kissed her neck. Through a thin layer of flushed skin, she could feel the increasingly rapid breaths in the windpipe and the pounding of excited pulses.

Before things went any further, Yue Chengqi pressed a hand against her, panting. Her eyes were misty with an inexplicable haze as she looked at her. Su Ye was in no better state, her eyes filled with fog and desire, but she could still see the slight curve of the woman’s lips.

“Ah Huan…” she groaned softly.

Yue Chengqi relaxed, burying her face in Su Ye’s shoulder and hugging her tight. She whispered with a laugh, “The annoying honeymoon phase… this clingy, sappy honeymoon phase.”

It was a honeymoon phase belonging only to twenty-year-olds—the most vigorous and vital first love of a lifetime. It was their happiness.

They washed their faces and brushed their teeth again. They didn’t do a full cleanup yet—knowing they would surely kiss more later—and sat back down at the table together.

The flatbread was still hot, bursting with juices at the first bite.

Su Ye squinted her eyes. “Wow, Ah Huan, you’re so good at seasoning the filling. It’s delicious, so tender!”

“This is what you taught Yue Wenfeng, and then Yue Wenfeng taught me.”

“Then you should teach me now!” Su Ye looked at her excitedly.

The girl cast aside all other messy thoughts and nodded. “Okay, I’ll write it down for you later. Just eat.”

As for things like whether this was a historical loop, or whether it was a warning of a future separation…

They weren’t afraid. Because there was love. Love was precious, and because she cherished it, she no longer feared any so-called “loops.”

If it came, let it come. She wasn’t afraid anymore—not at all.

She only wanted to cherish this moment, the time they still had together, and this wondrous journey through 1998.

That was enough.

After dinner, while Yue Chengqi was washing the dishes, the person who had intended to go lie down in the room couldn’t help herself. She walked out and gently hugged the woman’s waist from behind, leaning against her back with a smile. “Clingy honeymoon phase.”

Being apart for two weeks only deepened their “clinginess”; it wouldn’t lower the temperature of their love.

Before Yue Chengqi could even dry her hands, the girl impatiently turned her around, whimpering for another kiss.

“Aren’t you tired?” Little Yue looked at her helplessly, pinching her nose. “Go lie down first, okay? You can’t just work your bones to the limit just because you’re young.”

“But I am young.” Su Ye pressed her hands against the countertop, trapping the woman in a small space. She tilted her head up with a rogue-like smile. “Young people should do young people things.”

“It’s the clingy honeymoon phase; I need kisses. Ah Huan, kiss me~”

Yue Chengqi’s waist was pressed against the counter. Hearing this, she laughed helplessly, gently tilted the girl’s chin, and leaned down. Starting from the tip of her nose, she began to kiss her softly.

She wasn’t as direct as Su Ye—likely due to her nature. Her kisses were restrained, slowly tracing the outer lips before moving inward. It was slow and tender, leading Su Ye to gradually quiet down with her.

The quiet sound of the kiss mingled with the crackling of the firewood like a small stream flowing through time and the years.

After tidying the room and the luggage, cleaning themselves up, and adding one last shovel of coal to the stove—enough to keep it burning until dawn—the two finally lay down peacefully.

To prevent them from kicking each other awake while fighting for the blanket—mainly the energetic Su Ye kicking people and then rolling over to crush Yue Chengqi’s chest like a chubby cat—they had brought out two separate blankets. This made the already small bed feel even more cramped, but it was much warmer.

Su Ye rolled herself into a burrito and shuffled halfway over, staring piteously at Yue Chengqi. “Ah Huan~”

The person who had her back turned while fastening her pajama buttons under the glow of the small lamp paused. “What is it?”

“When can we be like the couples in those books?”

“Are you really not tired, Sister?” Yue Chengqi smiled, flicking her nose before pulling back the covers to lie down. “We have to wake up early tomorrow. Can we please sleep, my little sun?”

“Fine…”

A head flopped over, resting on Yue Chengqi’s shoulder. “Goodnight, Ah Huan.”

The light was switched off. The light from the snow reflected through the window, keeping the room fairly bright. It was a nocturnal glow, a translucent silver that replaced moonlight in the Northwest night.

Not long after, a certain someone whispered, “Can’t we kiss just one more time?”

This wasn’t a question; it was a notification. She had already thrown back her blanket, pulled the sleeping girl over, and pressed her down, holding her chin. “The last time for today.”

The last time for today. Tomorrow would have a new count.

Yue Chengqi smiled, slightly tilting her head to meet this kiss framed against the moonlight.

Like falling snow—dense and colorful.

***

They spent every spare moment kissing passionately, because the coming days were bound to be incredibly busy.

Final testing was nearly complete. With the pre-sale period approaching, publicity had to be put on the schedule.

But publicity inevitably brought conflict—especially from those who had recently bought Red Sun appliances from Su Ye.

Although business was usually “buyer beware” with no returns after the sale, consumers would inevitably feel their rights were being violated. Any merchant with a brain wouldn’t use that logic to drive away their potential customer base.

“You should have said earlier that you were going to carry Qining’s stock! And don’t think I don’t know—Red Sun’s production line has been upgraded too! For those of us who just bought this stuff at the start of winter, aren’t we just being treated as suckers?!” A woman slammed her hand on the table and screamed, “Refund! Su Ye, I treated you like a neighbor, but you treat me like an idiot, don’t you? Refund! Give me my money back right now!”