She took one deep breath, then another, and another, finally managing to suppress her tears.
Over such a small thing such a trivial, insignificant matter, she refused to cry.
If she’s not coming, she’s not coming. I’ll just consider it a feast for myself. Eating alone is fine. I’ll eat the leftovers tomorrow, and if I still can’t finish them, I’ll throw them out. Oh, right. I’ll save this pork knuckle for Big Fatty.
In short, show up or don’t. I don’t care.
Lin Qian let out a long exhale. Her self-soothing session was complete; she had made peace with it.
She took out her phone, intending to browse while she ate. But the moment she unlocked it, it lagged again, and then the screen went black.
“No way, is it broken?” Lin Qian tapped the phone against her palm.
The screen flickered back to life.
It seemed broken, yet not entirely.
As she focused on the screen, she noticed something bizarre. Why did the date say 1996?
Lin Qian: “?”
She looked closer and realized with a start that the year and month were completely scrambled. If the date was wrong, then the time…
Lin Qian jerked her head up toward the clock hanging on the living room wall. It clearly read 11:50.
She looked at the 2:30 on her phone, then back at the 11:50 on the clock. She froze.
Huh?
What?!
It was only 11:50 AM? It wasn’t noon yet, let alone 2:30 PM.
What kind of junk phone was this? A single drop on the floor and the time had leaped back to 1996? Talk about a cruel joke.
Lin Qian looked at the table, where she had already picked apart nearly half of the dishes. She panicked.
As the saying goes, “When it rains, it pours.” At that exact moment, there was a knock at the door.
Knock, knock, knock.
Lin Qian’s limbs went stiff. It’s over. Su Qingmo is here.
As much as she had been looking forward to her arrival earlier, she now wished with all her heart that she hadn’t shown up.
Lin Qian forced herself to calm down, walked over, and opened the door.
Su Qingmo stood there, having traded her usual professional suit for a long dress featuring elements of traditional Hanfu. She was so stunning it was hard to look away.
Lin Qian’s eyes lit up. This outfit suited her perfectly!
But, right now, that wasn’t exactly the point…
Seeing Lin Qian just standing there at the door like an idiot, Su Qingmo said amusingly, “Aren’t you going to let me in?”
Lin Qian gave an awkward laugh, her scalp tingling with nerves.
The last time she provided “poor hospitality,” it was an emergency. What was this? The guest hadn’t even arrived, and she had already started eating? She was going to serve the CEO leftovers?
Kill me now.
Lin Qian was so embarrassed she wanted to curl up into a ball and disappear.
“Come… come on in,” Lin Qian stammered, inviting her inside while her brain frantically scrambled for an explanation.
How could she explain the half-eaten meal without making Su Qingmo think she was mentally unstable?
“It smells wonderful. What did you make?” Su Qingmo’s gaze landed on the table.
An eerie silence filled the room.
“I…” Lin Qian was tongue-tied.
She didn’t know how to explain. Finally, she bit the bullet and told the truth. “I dropped my phone and didn’t realize it malfunctioned. The time got all messed up. I thought it was 2:30 PM and assumed you weren’t coming, so… I started eating without you.”
Su Qingmo looked at her flustered state and laughed. “You were so tense, I thought something serious had happened. It’s fine if you started eating. It really doesn’t matter.”
Lin Qian looked at her, filled with guilt.
Su Qingmo moved to sit down.
Lin Qian hurriedly tried to stop her. “These dishes are cold now, and I’ve already touched them. Let’s just go out to eat instead.”
Su Qingmo ignored her. She picked up a pair of chopsticks, took a bite of a dish, and nodded. “It’s delicious.”
Lin Qian was at a loss.
Su Qingmo sighed, took her by the hand, and sat her down. “The food is already made; why go out? What’s the point of being so formal between friends? So what if it’s a bit cold or half-eaten? I don’t mind at all. Just relax, it’s okay.”
Lin Qian felt even guiltier. She was the one who had messed up, yet she was the one being comforted.
“I’m sorry,” Lin Qian said, biting her lip.
Su Qingmo chuckled. “No need to apologize. The food is great. I’ll definitely come back next time—just don’t get sick of me visiting too often.”
Lin Qian said quickly, “I won’t! As long as you want to come, I’ll cook for you.”
Su Qingmo pondered for a moment and then said, “Then I’ll have to come less often.”
Lin Qian: “?”
Su Qingmo gestured to the spread. “Making a huge feast like this takes so much time. Isn’t it exhausting? A simple bowl of noodles is enough. If you make it this grand every time, treating me like a formal guest, I’ll feel too guilty to come back.”
Lin Qian: “But…”
Su Qingmo: “No ‘buts’.”
Su Qingmo continued to eat, praising every single dish she tasted. Her compliments were so varied she never repeated herself once.
The guilt in Lin Qian’s heart began to dissipate, replaced by a shy bashfulness. “You’re exaggerating your praise a bit too much.”
Su Qingmo laughed. “How so? I genuinely think it’s delicious. Am I not allowed to say so?”
Lin Qian was teased into a smile.
Seeing her smile, Su Qingmo felt relieved and smiled back.
This meal had started with a massive blunder, but in the end, Su Qingmo was happy, and Lin Qian… was happy too.
After finishing, Lin Qian gathered the dishes to wash them.
Su Qingmo snatched them away. “I’m not a guest. Friends should help out. I’ll do the dishes.”
Lin Qian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Unable to win the argument, she stood to the side and watched.
“Do you even know how to wash dishes?” Lin Qian asked skeptically.
Su Qingmo found it funny. “What is that supposed to mean? Do I look that incompetent?”
Lin Qian shook her head quickly. She had always imagined Su Qingmo as someone whose hands never touched “spring water” (manual labor); it seemed more natural for her not to know how to wash dishes.
Su Qingmo gave her a playful, mock-offended look. “I can wash dishes and I can mop the floor. I can even feed myself without help. Pretty impressive, right?”
Lin Qian burst out laughing.
Su Qingmo shook her head with a smile.
Amidst the joking, the distance between them closed further. Lin Qian felt much more relaxed in her presence.
“Since you thought I wasn’t coming, why didn’t you send me a message to check on me?” The sound of the running water from the faucet accompanied Su Qingmo’s voice.
The smile on Lin Qian’s lips faltered. “I… I didn’t think there was a need to ask. If you really weren’t coming, I’m sure you had your reasons. Eating alone is no big deal anyway.”
“But I think you should have asked,” Su Qingmo stopped washing and looked at her. “If you’re upset, you should send a message right away. Something like, ‘Are you coming or not? If you don’t show up, don’t ever come back again!'”
Lin Qian was stunned. Is it appropriate to send such an aggressive message?
Lin Qian: “If I sent that, wouldn’t you be angry?”
Su Qingmo: “If you are the one who is angry, why are you worrying about whether the other person will be angry?”
“I wasn’t angry… just a little unhappy and… hurt?” Lin Qian felt a bit awkward. If she told her that she had actually cried, it would be a total embarrassment.
Su Qingmo looked into her eyes. Her next words sounded like a casual comment, but felt like a vow: “We made a deal. I gave you my word, so I will not break it. If I said I’m coming, I will definitely be here.”
Lin Qian stared at her, then blinked. “The sink is full. If you don’t turn off the tap, it’s going to overflow.”
Su Qingmo: “…”