Zhai Qing, acting as if she had not noticed Cheng Luo’s stiff movements, glanced down at the clothes on the floor and said, “They were originally in the bag. They must have been flung out. Help me put them away.”
Cheng Luo spotted the organizer bag Zhai Qing usually used inside the suitcase. Taking a deep breath, she picked up the items by the shoulder straps with two fingers and stuffed them haphazardly into the bag, not caring if they were neatly arranged.
Not daring to touch Zhai Qing’s clothes any further, Cheng Luo made a quick excuse and ran up to the second floor to find Nono, leaving Zhai Qing standing there alone.
Cheng Luo stayed to have dinner with them before preparing to leave. She still had to return to her hotel, as she was supposed to arrive at the resort with the film crew the following day.
However, Nono seemed a bit unsettled by the unfamiliar environment. Seeing that Cheng Luo was about to leave, the girl’s eyes immediately welled up with tears. She looked at Cheng Luo with a “don’t leave” expression that was utterly pitiful.
Cheng Luo instantly pulled her into an embrace, comforting her softly, “I will come to see you very early tomorrow morning, okay?”
“I do not want you to go,” Nono said, her voice muffled as she wrapped her arms around Cheng Luo’s neck and buried her face in her shoulder.
“I promise you will see me as soon as you wake up tomorrow.”
“After you come tomorrow, can you stay here with me and Mama?”
“Let me see how the accommodations are tomorrow, okay? If I am not staying in a villa, I will come and stay with you both. How does that sound?” Only then did Nono let go, sobbing as she insisted that Cheng Luo must come early.
Cheng Luo gave her daughter several firm kisses on the cheek before setting her down on the sofa. She grabbed her car keys and prepared to head out.
Zhai Qing, who had been silent the whole time, finally spoke up, “Put on a coat. It is cold outside. Do not catch a cold.”
Cheng Luo was about to refuse, but seeing Nono’s expectant eyes, she could only nod and put on Zhai Qing’s coat.
Sitting in the driver’s seat, she could smell Zhai Qing’s scent on the jacket. To be honest, there was not much of a scent, but she felt it was different; it carried a hint of steady, cool air.
“Hey, Cheng Luo, why are you just getting back? Where did you go?” As soon as she entered the hotel, she saw Jiang Wei in the lobby, busy with something.
“I just went out for a stroll.”
“Have you packed your bags? We are heading out tomorrow. Which bus are you taking? I will go with you.”
Cheng Luo said with some hesitation, “I am not going with everyone tomorrow. I am driving myself and leaving a bit earlier.”
“Why?” Jiang Wei asked in surprise.
“I have not driven in a while, so I want to get used to the car. Besides, it is not far, only about a thirty-minute drive. I wanted to go check it out early.”
“How do you know it takes thirty minutes? And why drive yourself when there is a bus?” Jiang Wei was very confused, but since she did not want to leave Cheng Luo’s side, she asked, “What time are you leaving? I might as well go with you.”
“5:30.”
Jiang Wei asked blankly, “5:30 in the afternoon?”
Cheng Luo shook her head.
Jiang Wei gave up. Waking up early was far too difficult. She was not going to torture herself. She decided to stick with the film crew.
After saying goodbye to Jiang Wei, Cheng Luo returned to her room. Her luggage was already packed, so she could leave as soon as she woke up.
The next morning, Cheng Luo woke up before her alarm went off. After a quick wash, she grabbed her keys and set out. Because it was so early, there were hardly any people or cars on the road, and she reached the resort without any delays.
Zhai Qing had registered her fingerprint yesterday, so she was able to enter directly. The villa was still dark. Cheng Luo changed her shoes quietly and crept up to the second floor.
Having noted which room Nono chose yesterday, she walked straight to that door. She turned the handle gently, terrified of making a sound that might wake the person inside.
When the door opened, she saw that the heavy curtains were drawn tight, letting in no light at all. Without changing her clothes, Cheng Luo lay down on the outer edge of the bed. Reaching out, she felt Nono’s small body.
Cheng Luo fell asleep almost the moment she lay down. She also struggled with early mornings. If it were not for Nono wanting to see her, she never would have gotten up so early.
The sounds of breathing in the room gradually intertwined, eventually merging into a single, inseparable rhythm.
Cheng Luo was woken up by an itching sensation on her face. Opening her eyes, she saw a magnified hand touching her face incessantly, pinching her nose one moment and poking her eyebrows the next, clearly having a great time.
Cheng Luo closed her eyes and caught the mischievous hand, pretending she was going to eat it. Nono covered her mouth and giggled, then clung to her affectionately, refusing to let go like a nursing infant.
“What time is it?” Cheng Luo’s voice was raspy from sleep. Her throat felt dry and parched, and she wanted to know if it was still early.
Hearing this, Nono rolled over and soon dragged something over. In the dim room, Cheng Luo could not see clearly what it was until Nono tapped it twice. The faint blue glow of a smartwatch illuminated the faces of the mother and daughter, and also revealed a distinct, large hand.
Cheng Luo thought to herself, “Why is there a third person in this bed?”
“Mommy, it is only seven o’clock. You can stay in bed a bit longer.” After saying that, Nono heartlessly pushed Zhai Qing’s arm away, not letting her stay between her and Mommy.
Cheng Luo could not stay lying down anymore. She propped herself up and looked toward the other side of the bed. Sure enough, there was a clearly visible bulge under the covers.
Seeing that Nono was no longer sleepy, Cheng Luo picked her up and walked quietly out of the room.
“Why is your mother not awake yet?” Cheng Luo asked curiously.
“Because we came out to play, Mama had to do a lot of work.” Nono had not heard a bedtime story from her mother in several days. She usually fell asleep before Zhai Qing even got home.
“Oh. Then let us not disturb her. Shall Mommy take you to wash up?”
“Okay!”
Cheng Luo braided a very intricate plait for her daughter. When Nono’s hair first started growing, Cheng Luo had been very enthusiastic about learning various braiding techniques. However, she had left before Nono’s hair was fully grown. Fortunately, she had not forgotten what she learned all those years ago, and today she could finally put those skills to use.
Nono stood vanity-stricken in front of the mirror, looking at herself from every angle, her face beaming with pride. She turned around and struck a pose for Cheng Luo. “Mommy, take a picture for me! I want to record this!”
Cheng Luo complied, only stopping once Nono was satisfied. After playing for a while, they both got hungry. Cheng Luo checked the fridge and found that all the ingredients and tools were provided.
She put on a cartoon for Nono, told her to wait on the sofa, and then donned an apron, planning to show off her skills in the kitchen.
When Zhai Qing woke up, the space beside her was empty. Last night, Nono had insisted on her sleeping there. She checked her watch. It was nearly eight o’clock. She pinched the bridge of her nose tiredly. To make sure she did not fall behind on work before this trip, she had worked relentlessly for a week to get everything settled. She was exhausted and had unexpectedly slept quite late.
Once fully awake, Zhai Qing got out of bed. Opening the door, she heard the lively sounds from downstairs. Without washing up, and with her hair slightly messy, she walked down.
She saw Nono lying on the sofa with her feet up watching TV, and sounds were coming from the kitchen. Without saying a word, she walked silently to the kitchen doorway.
The pink apron made the person inside look lively and adorable. The ties accentuated a noticeably slender waist. Her hair was gathered in a casual bun, with a few stray strands falling loose, adding a touch of domestic serenity to the scene.
When Cheng Luo turned around to wash a plate, she jumped in fright. A living person was standing silently behind her. As their eyes met, there was a look in the other woman’s eyes that seemed almost nostalgic.
“Let me help you wash that.” Zhai Qing did not show a hint of awkwardness at being caught. Instead, she smoothly took the plate from Cheng Luo’s hand, looked down at the sink, and began washing it seriously.
Cheng Luo, still annoyed from being startled, grabbed a stack of tableware from the cupboard as if in retaliation. “These need washing too.”
Zhai Qing did not question her. She compliantly took them. Her fingers moved over the plates with quick, elegant motions. If the setting were different, Cheng Luo might have thought she was creating a piece of art.
Cheng Luo watched her unconsciously for a while, only snapping out of it when she smelled something burning in the pan. She quickly returned to her cooking duties.
One washing dishes, the other cooking. Within those few square meters, they were unexpectedly harmonious. They looked like an ordinary couple living a simple, warm life together.
It took Cheng Luo two hours to finish. Nono had come in countless times because she was hungry, sneaking bites of the finished dishes. By the time she actually sat at the dining table, she did not even have time to talk, burying her head in her food.
“Slow down. No one is going to take it from you.” Cheng Luo wiped a grain of rice from the corner of the girl’s mouth.
Nono stuck out her tongue. “It has been so long since I ate Mommy’s cooking. It is so delicious, the best in the world!”
Hearing the praise, Cheng Luo flashed a satisfied smile. Is the point of cooking not for someone to enjoy it? Seeing this, she did not feel tired from the morning’s work at all. She peeled a few more shrimp and placed them in Nono’s bowl.
Zhai Qing, now cleaned up and wearing loose loungewear, watched the interaction between the two. She spoke up for the first time, “The food is very good. Thank you for your hard work.”
Cheng Luo’s expression shifted slightly, and she replied coldly, “Oh, the rice was made by the rice cooker. If you like it, you can check what brand it is.”
Zhai Qing said, “The side dishes are very good too.”
“The ingredients were already in the fridge. If you like,” before Cheng Luo could finish, Zhai Qing interrupted her, speaking clearly in a calm voice.
“What you made is delicious. It has nothing to do with the pot, and nothing to do with the ingredients.” She paused for a second and added precisely, “It has nothing to do with anything else.”
It only had to do with you. It was delicious because you made it.
The corner of Cheng Luo’s mouth twitched upward almost imperceptibly, but she maintained her cool tone. “Oh. If I make it delicious, there is nothing I can do about that.”
Anyway, you did not cherish it back then.