A sudden intrusion forced their tightly clasped hands apart.
The moment their hands separated, Su Qingmo’s brows furrowed. A strange sense of unease washed over her, a premonition that something unpleasant was about to happen.
She looked up at the person who had burst in, her gaze darkening.
“Sister Xiaoyu!” Lin Qian exclaimed in surprise once she saw who it was. “Aren’t you abroad? When did you get back?”
Chu Xiaoyu replied, “I just got back this afternoon. I haven’t even had the chance to tell you yet! I’m accompanying a colleague back to our alma mater for a visit. I didn’t expect to run into you here.”
“I came here for a concert,” Lin Qian said. “This is my friend, Su Qingmo.”
Only then did Chu Xiaoyu notice the person standing beside Lin Qian. She greeted her with a polite, “Hello.”
Su Qingmo remained cold and distant, offering a slight nod as a response.
Lin Qian continued the introductions: “This is the friend I grew up with—the one I mentioned to you before—Chu Xiaoyu.”
Su Qingmo nodded. “I know.”
An awkward silence fell over the trio. No one spoke for a moment.
Su Qingmo discreetly scanned Chu Xiaoyu. She was wearing a floral dress, a high ponytail, and white sneakers. Every gesture exuded youthful energy; her smile was bright and generous. Though no longer a student, she looked exactly like a popular upperclassman on a university campus.
What’s the meaning of rushing over and hugging someone else’s wife? Su Qingmo huffed inwardly.
While Su Qingmo was sizing her up, Chu Xiaoyu was doing the same.
Standing next to Lin Qian, Su Qingmo was a head taller. Her slightly curled long hair draped over her shoulders, and her tall figure was accentuated by a purple dress that gave her an air of noble elegance. However, there was a coldness in her eyes—or rather, hostility.
After their mutual inspection, a tacit understanding formed: neither liked the other. It was a natural repulsion, yet both kept it under the surface.
Chu Xiaoyu spoke up, “Not bad, my Qianqian has made new friends.”
Lin Qian scratched her head and gave a shy smile.
Su Qingmo’s brow twitched. Your Qianqian? Who exactly belongs to your family?
As they spoke, Chu Xiaoyu reached out and affectionately pinched Lin Qian’s nose.
Su Qingmo’s face darkened. She stared at Chu Xiaoyu with a gaze so icy it felt like she was trying to bore a hole through her.
Sensing the unfriendly stare, Chu Xiaoyu glanced sideways. Su Qingmo narrowed her eyes, making no effort to hide her hostility, her expression laden with threat and warning.
Chu Xiaoyu frowned. They had just met; why did this woman look like she had a personal vendetta against her?
Just then, Lin Qian looked over at Su Qingmo.
The instant Lin Qian’s eyes met hers, Su Qingmo’s expression transformed. Her gaze softened, and a faint, gentle smile played on her lips.
Chu Xiaoyu: “?”
The speed of that “face-changing” was enough to leave one speechless.
Chu Xiaoyu laughed. “Your friend is quite interesting.”
Su Qingmo returned the smile. “You seem quite intriguing as well.”
They faced each other with calm smiles and polite words, but the air between them was thick with tension.
Chu Xiaoyu pulled her gaze away from Su Qingmo and looked back at Lin Qian. “We haven’t seen each other in nearly two years. You—”
Before she could finish, Su Qingmo took a subtle step—precisely enough to position herself right between Lin Qian and Chu Xiaoyu.
Chu Xiaoyu: “…”
Lin Qian, looking at the person who had suddenly blocked her view, asked, “What’s wrong?”
Su Qingmo remained perfectly composed as she patted Lin Qian’s shoulder. “There was a leaf on your shoulder.”
Lin Qian didn’t see anything and assumed Su Qingmo had brushed it off. But from Chu Xiaoyu’s angle, it was clear as day: there was no leaf. She was literally patting thin air.
Chu Xiaoyu looked at Su Qingmo with annoyance. What is wrong with this woman?
Su Qingmo eventually stepped aside, but by then, the physical distance between Chu Xiaoyu and Lin Qian had widened.
Lin Qian didn’t think much of it and was about to continue her conversation when someone shouted from across the street.
“Xiaoyu! Let’s go, let’s go! Manager Liang is waiting outside!” It was Chu Xiaoyu’s colleague.
“Okay, coming!” Chu Xiaoyu turned to Lin Qian. “I have things to attend to, so I have to head out now.”
“Go ahead then,” Lin Qian said, feeling a bit regretful that they couldn’t talk more after being apart for so long.
“I’ll be staying for a long time this trip. I’ll contact you soon so we can get together,” Chu Xiaoyu promised.
Lin Qian beamed. “Okay!”
With the people across the street still rushing her, Chu Xiaoyu had to leave.
Su Qingmo watched her walk away—watching as she turned back to smile at Lin Qian—and the coldness in her eyes deepened.
When Lin Qian looked back at her, Su Qingmo instantly retracted her sharp expression.
“Let’s go,” Lin Qian said, sensing nothing unusual.
Su Qingmo gave a stiff “Mm” in response.
Lin Qian felt a bit puzzled and stole a cautious glance at her. Was she unhappy?
“I am not unhappy,” Su Qingmo said suddenly.
Lin Qian blinked, then let out a soft “pfft” and started laughing.
Su Qingmo stopped in her tracks and turned to her. “What are you laughing at?”
The streetlamp glowed directly above Su Qingmo, the orange light casting a soft, hazy aura around her.
Lin Qian suppressed her laughter and cleared her throat. “You are clearly unhappy.”
Su Qingmo didn’t deny it. “Oh? You can tell?”
Lin Qian couldn’t help but tease, “President Su, what are you going to do when you actually fall in love? You’re this jealous over a friend; if you have a partner in the future, are you going to lock them up?”
Su Qingmo raised an eyebrow.
Lin Qian turned serious. “President Su, you are my friend, and so is she. I cherish both of you.”
“I know,” Su Qingmo said, before pivoting sharply. “Then, which of us do you like more?”
Lin Qian: “…”
Su Qingmo added, “Forget it, pretend I didn’t ask.”
Lin Qian felt both amused and helpless. Truly, she couldn’t answer that. Who did she like more? There was no “more”—she cared for and liked them both. She cherished everyone who was willing to be her friend. If someone treated her with sincerity, she wanted to return it in kind.
The street ended at a man-made lake where lotus flowers bloomed and white birds glided across the water, creating ripples. A bridge spanned across the center.
The two stood side by side on the bridge, their hair and skirts fluttering in the breeze.
Lin Qian took a deep breath of the air, which was fragrant with the scent of green grass. The scenery was beautiful, reminding her of her college days. Her school had a lake too, but it wasn’t as large or as lovely as this one.
She usually stayed at home, rarely venturing out unless it was for work. She felt that home was the safest, most comfortable place, but seeing the world like this occasionally felt quite nice.
Su Qingmo tilted her head back to look at the night sky. Lin Qian followed her gaze. The stars were scattered like jewels, and a full moon hung high.
“The moon is beautiful tonight,” Su Qingmo said.
Lin Qian froze. The moon is beautiful? It sounded like that famous, subtle way of confessing love. But she quickly shook her head, thinking she was overthinking things.
“Yeah,” Lin Qian replied. “The moon is so bright; tomorrow should be a very sunny day.”
Su Qingmo withdrew her gaze from the sky and fixed it on Lin Qian.
Sensing her stare, Lin Qian looked back. They gazed at each other in silence. The wind was light and soft, carrying the scent of earth and grass. Her heart seemed to settle into the quiet of the surroundings.
Su Qingmo smiled. Lin Qian didn’t understand why, but she found herself smiling back.
It was late by the time they headed home. Sitting in the passenger seat, Lin Qian’s eyes drifted open and shut, heavy with sleep.
“Sleep for a bit if you’re tired,” Su Qingmo said. “I’ll wake you when we get there.”
Lin Qian wanted to decline, but she was truly exhausted. Her eyes disobeyed her and stayed shut; soon, her breathing leveled out. She told herself she would just nap for a little while. Just a tiny bit.
Su Qingmo turned up the air conditioning slightly and slowed down, driving so steadily that there was hardly a bump.
When they reached the apartment complex, Su Qingmo parked by the curb. She turned to look at the sleeping girl, a smile touching her eyes.
Not long ago, whenever Lin Qian sat in her car, she sat bolt upright, looking incredibly tense and restless. Now, she could sleep this soundly. It was proof that the effort of the past few days hadn’t been in vain. Lin Qian no longer felt like a stranger; she had become close enough to feel safe.
Su Qingmo would be lying if she said this change didn’t make her happy.
Unwilling to wake her, Su Qingmo watched her quietly, her gaze tender. After a while, she instinctively wanted to lean closer, and then closer still—but she restrained herself, forcing herself to pull back.
Lin Qian smacked her lips slightly in her sleep. Su Qingmo tilted her head, her smile widening.
Would it be uncomfortable to sleep with glasses on? Su Qingmo reached out, intending to help her take them off.
Beep!
A large truck passed by, honking its horn.
Lin Qian’s brows furrowed, and she slowly opened her eyes. Her mind was a fog. She took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes.
It took a moment for her to remember where she was. She hurriedly looked over. “Are we here? Why didn’t you wake me up?”
She had only intended to blink, but she had fallen into a deep sleep.
“We just arrived. I didn’t have time to wake you before you woke up on your own,” Su Qingmo said.
Lin Qian patted her cheeks to fully wake herself up. “Thank you for driving me home. Then… I’ll head up now.”
Su Qingmo nodded. “Alright, go on up.”
Lin Qian pushed the door open, waved goodbye, and turned to walk away.
“Xiao Qian.”
Lin Qian turned back at the sound of her name. Through the car window, she looked at the woman inside.
Su Qingmo smiled gently. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
Lin Qian left, but Su Qingmo didn’t look away for a long time. It was only after Lin Qian had completely disappeared from sight that she reluctantly withdrew her gaze.
Su Qingmo sighed. She had only just left, yet she already missed her.
Ttap, tap, tap.
The sound of hurried footsteps.
Su Qingmo looked toward the sound and saw Lin Qian—who had already walked away—running back toward the car.
Su Qingmo’s eyes lit up the moment she saw her, but she quickly suppressed her joy. “Why did you come back out?”
Lin Qian caught her breath from the run. “I just wanted to tell you… I had a really great time going out with you today.”
Before Su Qingmo could react, she added hurriedly, “I’m going now! I’m so sleepy, I’m going home to sleep. Be careful on the road, and text me when you get home.”
With that, she ran off again. It happened so fast that Su Qingmo didn’t have a chance to say a word.
Watching the “little rabbit” run away, Su Qingmo couldn’t help but laugh.
Lin Qian didn’t stop until she turned the corner. Once she was sure Su Qingmo couldn’t see her, she let out a long breath. Her face was burning. She didn’t know what had come over her. Why did she suddenly run back to say that? Was it absolutely necessary?
Yes, it was.
She simply wanted Su Qingmo to know that she was happy today—because Su Qingmo had accompanied her to the concert. Because of the concert, and because of her.
Once she got home, she had been exhausted, but after washing up and getting into bed, she was wide awake. She tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Her mind drifted from Su Qingmo to the news of Chu Xiaoyu’s return. Her brain was too active for rest.
Ding-dong.
Her phone chimed.
Lin Qian grabbed it quickly, but it was just an advertisement. She felt a pang of disappointment. Hasn’t Su Qingmo reached home yet? Didn’t we agree she’d text? Why hasn’t she sent anything?
Lin Qian bit her lip, debating. Her thumb hovered over the keyboard. Should she ask if she made it back safely?
Ding-dong.
Lin Qian scrambled to look. It was a message from Su Qingmo. She sat up instantly and tapped the notification.
Su Qingmo: I’m home.
A wide grin spread across Lin Qian’s face. She started typing a reply, but before she could finish, another message popped up.
Su Qingmo: I had a very happy day today, too.
Lin Qian’s fingers froze. Thinking about how she had run back specifically to tell Su Qingmo she was happy, her face began to burn uncontrollably again. She touched her cheeks, trying to cool them down, though it didn’t help.
She had worried that telling her was a bit random, but Su Qingmo had actually given her a response.
Su Qingmo: Go to sleep early. I’m going to sleep now, too.
Lin Qian: Okay.
Lin Qian tossed her phone aside and rolled around on her bed, twisting and turning. Though she still couldn’t sleep, she was in an exceptionally good mood.
At noon, sunlight filtered through the half-drawn curtains, landing on the white bedsheets. Lin Qian’s eyelashes fluttered as she groggily opened her eyes.
Perhaps because she had stayed up so late with insomnia, she didn’t wake up until 12:00 PM. She felt weary. Yawning, she made her bed and went to the bathroom to wash up. Afterward, she went to water her cactus.
Looking at the few scattered needles on the cactus, something crossed Lin Qian’s mind, and she smiled, her eyes crinkling with warmth.
From next door, the aroma of cooking drifted through the window. Lin Qian sniffed the air. It was the scent of potato and beef brisket and it smelled delicious. Her stomach let out a loud growl. Having slept until noon, she was starving. However, she did not feel like cooking and ordering delivery would take too long. She decided instant noodles would have to do.
She had just boiled the water and prepped the noodles when there was a sudden knock at the door. Lin Qian frowned. Who would be knocking at this hour? She cherished her solitary weekends. Being disturbed without warning, regardless of who was outside, sparked an instinctive sense of resistance. She walked to the door and asked softly, “Who is it?”
A clear, bright voice came from the other side: “You are home! It is me.” Recognizing the voice, Lin Qian hurried to open the door. Chu Xiaoyu stood there with her signature high ponytail and dimpled smile. After their brief encounter last night, Lin Qian had not expected her to show up today.
“How did you get here?” Lin Qian asked.
“I called but you did not pick up, so I just came over,” Chu Xiaoyu said. “Luckily you are in, otherwise I would have made the trip for nothing.”
Lin Qian looked at her phone on the table. “I just woke up and my phone was on silent. I am so sorry. Please, come in.”
Once inside, Chu Xiaoyu scanned the room. “It has been two years, but the layout of this place has not changed a bit.”
“I am used to living like this,” Lin Qian replied. “There is no need to change it.”
Chu Xiaoyu made herself right at home, sitting comfortably on the sofa. “Would you like something to drink? I will go pour it,” Lin Qian offered.
“No need, I brought my own,” Chu Xiaoyu said, lifting a plastic bag. “Barbecue! I brought it specifically to eat with you.” She then spotted the bowl of instant noodles on the coffee table. “Looks like I arrived just in time, or else you would have settled for that for lunch.”
Lin Qian cleared the noodles away as Chu Xiaoyu laid the skewers out on the table. “An occasional bowl is fine, but you cannot eat instant noodles all the time.”
“I do not usually,” Lin Qian explained. “I was just feeling lazy today.”
Chu Xiaoyu handed a beef skewer to Lin Qian. “I remember you liked these.”
“Thanks,” Lin Qian said, taking it.
“What are you thanking me for? Do not be so formal with me.”
Lin Qian scratched her head. Despite their online chats, seeing her in person after two years brought a slight, lingering sense of unfamiliarity. Chu Xiaoyu took a bite of grilled squid. “I have finished up my work abroad. I will likely stay in the country long term now.”
“You are not leaving? That is great,” Lin Qian said, pleasantly surprised.
Chu Xiaoyu looked at her. “And you? How have you been these past two years?”
“Pretty good. Everything has stabilized, and I have settled into my job.”
“That is good to hear. I was worried about you when I first went abroad. You have always been so introverted.” Chu Xiaoyu set down a skewer and asked casually, “That friend from yesterday, how do you two know each other?”
“We are at the same company,” Lin Qian answered.
Chu Xiaoyu nodded thoughtfully. “A colleague.”
Lin Qian did not correct her. The boss counts as a colleague, right?
“You went to a concert together,” Chu Xiaoyu probed. “Are you two very close?”
Lin Qian thought for a moment and nodded. “Yes, very.”
“Closer than you and I?”