Hand in hand, the two passed by the grocery store. Ji Nanchan deliberately scanned the area, but unfortunately, she didn’t spot that group of bratty kids.
Otherwise, she could’ve knocked a bump on each of their heads to vent a little anger for the nanny. ┅
Leng Bingqin also craned her neck to look around. Through the grocery store window, she saw that extravagant bucket of cotton candy still there. She tightened her grip on Ji Nanchan’s arm, secretly thrilled.
Back home, Leng Bingqin pulled Ji Nanchan onto the sofa and, with great ceremony, placed the phone box on the coffee table.
Ji Nanchan tilted her head to look at her. The overly serious expression was actually kind of amusing. “No need to be so formal, is there?”
Leng Bingqin nudged her with an elbow, then leaned close to her ear and whispered, “Nanchán, you turn it on. I’ll give you my first time.”
Why did that sound so weird?
Ji Nanchan took out the phone, inserted the SIM card, and immediately saved her own number in the contacts. She earnestly instructed, “From now on, if you run into any trouble, call me first, got it?”
“Mm!” Leng Bingqin held the phone, unable to put it down, but soon she tugged at Ji Nanchan, who was about to leave, calling out, “Don’t go.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Let’s take a photo together.” Leng Bingqin pleaded, batting her big eyes again.
“What do you need a photo for?”
“For my wallpaper! When I miss you, I can just look at my phone.”
The longer they spent together, the more couple-like interactions popped up. Sooner or later, the truth would come out. Ji Nanchan felt like slapping herself.
Unable to resist Leng Bingqin’s coquettishness, she obediently sat down beside her and forced an extremely unnatural smile for the camera.
“Your smile looks like I’m holding a knife to your back. Can’t you smile a little happier?” Leng Bingqin nudged her arm again. “Let’s try again.”
This time, she nestled into Ji Nanchan’s embrace, holding the phone with one hand and wrapping the other around her neck. The moment she pressed the shutter, she planted a fleeting, dragonfly-touch-like kiss on Ji Nanchan’s chin.
Startled by the sudden kiss, Ji Nanchan froze, not daring to move, and turned into a boiling, steaming kettle again. Flustered, she stood up and headed toward the yard. “I’m going to feed the animals. You play by yourself.”
Leng Bingqin giggled at the sight of her reddened ears and cheeks. “Nanchán, are you shy?”
Don’t say it out loud, ah! Ji Nanchan ignored her and hid in the yard.
Leng Bingqin happily set the photo as her wallpaper, swinging her feet, and bounced out after her.
Ji Nanchan was facing a pillar, lightly bumping her head against it again and again. It seemed she was still struggling internally over that gentle kiss.
Leng Bingqin wrapped her arms around her waist and slowly snuggled into her embrace, leaning against the pillar so she could get a close-up view of her girlfriend’s adorable expressions. “Haven’t we been together for a long time? How come you still get shy over a kiss?”
Ji Nanchan raised a hand to stop her from getting closer, taking a step back as she flusteredly explained, “I’m not! I just.” Ah, so annoying!
Leng Bingqin pressed against Ji Nanchan’s chest, refusing to let it go. “Just what?”
“I’m just afraid you’ll pass your cold to me. What if I get sick too? Who’s going to take care of you, you little pest?” Finally finding an excuse to brush it off, Ji Nanchan spoke with feigned confidence.
“Then I’ll take care of you~” Leng Bingqin cooed mischievously, clinging to Ji Nanchan and refusing to let go.
Cupping Leng Bingqin’s chilled cheeks, Ji Nanchan seemed to enjoy squeezing her face into a pout. “You? You don’t even fight back when kids bully you. Let’s just forget it.”
Leng Bingqin pouted stubbornly. “I can do it!”
The late autumn sunlight scattered lazily over their shoulders, offering little warmth.
The clumsy little sun before her, tugging at a beam of light, had somehow intentionally or not squeezed her way into Ji Nanchan’s world.
“President Lu, here’s the guest list for the auction that night. Please take a look.” A subordinate stood before the desk, handing over the documents.
Lu Zhimo skimmed through the list and was surprised to spot a name at the end Duan Chengpeng.
Setting the list aside, she leaned back into her leather chair, fingers pressed to her lips as she sank into deep thought.
Duan Chengpeng was the leader of the Numa Gang. For someone like him, showing his face in public was hardly a good thing.
“Did he participate in the bidding that night?”
“Apologies, Rongzhi Company refused to provide the bidding records, citing the need to protect client privacy.”
Dissatisfied with the reply, Lu Zhimo let out a deep sigh. “Investigate. I need to know what he bid on and whether Miss Su was one of the auction items. If she was, the answer will reveal itself.”
“I’ll look into it right away.”
Watching her subordinate leave, Lu Zhimo sorted through her thoughts. If Miss Su had offended Duan Chengpeng during the auction, the outcome was no longer just a disappearance whether she was alive or dead had become an unsettling mystery.
The situation was growing more complicated. Lu Zhimo picked up her phone, intending to update Xiao Leyao, but hesitated and set it back down. She needed to wait a little longer.
Knock, knock, knock.
“Come in.” Lu Zhimo glanced toward the door. Bai Qingrang stood there holding a gift box, a hint of unease in her expression. “I hope I’m not interrupting your work.”
“Of course not.” Lu Zhimo stood to greet her, her face as composed as ever, though her tone carried a note of pleasant surprise. “Please, have a seat. Would you like something to drink?”
“A client is opening a new factory nearby. I went to take measurements and realized I wasn’t far from you. Since I was passing by, I thought I’d stop by for a visit.” Bai Qingrang explained her reason for coming, though it sounded a bit like protesting too much.
Lu Zhimo brewed a pot of hot tea and smiled without commenting on the explanation.
Soon, a mischievous urge to tease arose within her. She sat down beside Bai Qingrang and asked, “So, field work requires bringing butterfly pastries from Yongle Residence? I heard the line there takes at least an hour.”
“Well, when visiting a client, of course, you bring a gift so I bought extra.” Bai Qingrang trailed off mid-explanation, easily exposing her own slip-up.
“Visiting the client is true, and suddenly realizing you were near me is also true?” Noticing the faint blush spreading across Bai Qingrang’s cheeks, Lu Zhimo leaned closer, whispering near her ear to expose the hidden meaning behind the “I wanted to see you” excuse: “I also heard that Yongle Residence limits each person to one box of butterfly pastries.”
“My assistant and secretary waited in line together. I should probably let you get back to work.” Bai Qingrang’s reply grew increasingly flustered as she made to stand and leave.
Lu Zhimo gently held her arm, softly urging her to stay. “Don’t go. Give me a chance to talk properly.”
Only seven or eight hours had passed since morning. Finding an excuse to appear in a remote factory area just to deliver a box of butterfly pastries Lu Zhimo could sense the complex, conflicting emotions stirring within Bai Qingrang.
Bai Qingrang tried to pull her hand back, but Lu Zhimo used a clever force, she struggled in vain yet felt no pain.
“Meal buddy, weren’t you going to treat me to a meal? The weather’s nice today, and we’re both free. Why wait for another day?” Lu Zhimo said with a laugh, growing increasingly shameless.
“Let go of my hand first.”
“OK~” Lu Zhimo raised both hands in surrender, her eyes reflecting Bai Qingrang’s clear figure.
Bai Qingrang felt a bit troubled, rubbing her forehead as she explained, “That restaurant hasn’t prepared the ingredients yet. They might not open today.”
“So, the location of this restaurant wouldn’t happen to be in the Linxitai Villa District, would it?” Clever as Lu Zhimo was, how could she not guess that the place Bai Qingrang had so warmly invited her to was her home?
“I…” Bai Qingrang was at a complete loss for words.
Lu Zhimo leaned in close, just a kiss away, and unusually acted coquettishly. “Sis, I want to eat your cooking. I’m hungry.”
Shoving the gift box into Lu Zhimo’s arms, Bai Qingrang only wanted to flee in panic. “If you’re hungry, have some palmiers.”
“Palmiers aren’t as delicious as Bai Qingrang.” With that one teasing remark, Lu Zhimo sent the woman beneath her into a flustered frenzy.
“Get off! This is the office behave yourself.” Bai Qingrang raised her hands to push her away.
“It’s 4 p.m. now. We have plenty of time to buy ingredients, and that great restaurant can open on schedule.” Lu Zhimo laid out the plan matter-of-factly, leaning close to Bai Qingrang’s ear to whisper temptingly, “Right?”
Unable to resist such intimacy, Bai Qingrang had no choice but to agree. “If you get off, I’ll open.”
Satisfied with the answer, Lu Zhimo sat up, trying hard to conceal her growing joy. “That’s more like it. Let’s go.”
.
“Did that guy pay you back for the tires?” Lu Zhimo asked suddenly, carrying two large bags of groceries as she followed behind Bai Qingrang.
Bai Qingrang pushed the door open and, upon hearing this, turned to glare at her in annoyance. “He paid. I’ll transfer the money for the tires to you later.”
Lu Zhimo changed into slippers, looking puzzled. “Why give it to me?”
“You were the one who helped me change the tires, so of course the money should go to you. Otherwise, I’d feel too embarrassed freeloading four tires.”
“Freeloading? It’s fine. I’ll let you freeload, however you want.” Lu Zhimo laughed and headed toward the kitchen.
“I’m only now realizing how cheeky you are.”
“Maintaining a bit of humor is a good way to bridge the distance.” Taking off her jacket, Lu Zhimo rolled up her sleeves and stood with her back to Bai Qingrang, organizing ingredients on the counter. “I’ll assist just tell me what to do.”
Bai Qingrang poured two glasses of water and watched the tall, busy figure in front of her. The distinct lines of shark gills began to stir mischief in her mind again.
Receiving no response, Lu Zhimo turned to look at the dazed Bai Qingrang. “Young one, what are you thinking about?”
“N-nothing! Let’s have some water and take a break first.”
Lu Zhimo leaned against the counter with her glass, watching Bai Qingrang take small sips of water. Her throat moved, tracing the lines of her slender neck, and Lu Zhimo unconsciously swallowed as well.
Strolling over to her, Lu Zhimo couldn’t restrain herself. She wrapped her arms around that delicate waist, letting the sudden embrace drown out the unfamiliarity between them.
Bai Qingrang was startled by the disturbance, yet such an embrace was too intoxicating to resist. She lowered her slightly trembling lashes and voiced the conflict in her heart, “I’ve been thinking all day is this kind of relationship good or bad?”
“Is it that you can’t accept the fact that the person sharing intimacy with you is a woman, or is it that you can’t handle the pace of this relationship moving too fast?” Lu Zhimo cut straight to the root of the issue, just as she had done the day before, lifting Bai Qingrang and settling her onto the desk.
Bai Qingrang didn’t answer immediately. Her slender fingers traced the contours of Lu Zhimo’s brows and eyes, slowly drifting down to her lips. Finally, unable to hold back any longer, she cupped Lu Zhimo’s face and pressed a kiss to her lips, a kiss she had been suppressing all day long.
Lu Zhimo tilted her head back slightly, savoring the damp heat of their entangled tongues, a sensation that spiraled out of control, igniting a desire to claim everything.
She, too, had been restless, leaving all initiative to Bai Qingrang. Even though she knew this fragile relationship could shatter at any moment, she still wanted to delve deeper. “I hope that every time I hold you, you won’t push me away.”
In the brief pause as she steadied her breathing, Lu Zhimo leaned her forehead against Bai Qingrang’s and whispered a plea, a rare tenderness in her voice. It seemed the memory of being pushed away in the bathroom that morning still lingered in her mind.
Bai Qingrang wrapped her arms around Lu Zhimo’s neck, one hand sliding down to grip her arm, their fingers slowly intertwining until they were locked tightly together.
Perhaps this was her silent agreement.
Seeing their hands clasped so firmly, Lu Zhimo couldn’t wait any longer. She captured the lips of the woman pressed against her and, holding her waist securely, guided her toward the living room.
“I glanced at the menu every dish, written horizontally or vertically, reads ‘Bai Qingrang.’ Tell me, did you do this on purpose?”
“Huh?”
“I want to eat ‘Poached Qingrang.’ Will you let me have a taste?”
“Lu Zhimo!”