Lin Qian was stumped. Why did they both keep comparing themselves to each other? Was this what happened when you had more than one friend? Was this the burden of a social life?
Chu Xiaoyu waved it off. “Forget it, let us eat. Oh, I bought beer too. Here, have a can.” She pushed a beer toward Lin Qian. Lin Qian hesitated. She did not drink, nor did she particularly like the taste.
Chu Xiaoyu cracked one open and took a long, refreshing gulp. “Ah, that is better.” Seeing Lin Qian hesitate, she laughed. “No way, you still do not drink? You need to practice! These days, friends are made at the dinner table. It is not like school anymore. Work inevitably requires social drinking. You cannot get by if you cannot drink at all.”
Lin Qian thought it over, opened the can, and took a sip. She winced. Beer really did taste terrible.
“Cheers!” Chu Xiaoyu said.
“Cheers,” Lin Qian echoed.
By the time she finished the can, Lin Qian’s neck and face were flushed crimson.
“Whoa,” Chu Xiaoyu said, startled. “You get a red flush that easily? It was only one can.”
Lin Qian glanced at the mirror on the wall. The person reflecting back had a face as red as a tomato.
“Your tolerance is hopeless,” Chu Xiaoyu teased. “Drunk after one beer. You really need to work on that.”
Lin Qian held her head, feeling dizzy. Her tolerance was indeed pathetic.
“Ugh,” Chu Xiaoyu flopped back onto the sofa. “I am so tired.”
Lin Qian shook her head, trying to clear the fog. “What is wrong? Work stuff?”
“Yeah,” Chu Xiaoyu sighed, taking another sip. “So much nonsense at the office. But I am used to it. That is just work.”
As if on cue, Chu Xiaoyu’s phone rang. She checked the screen. “See? Speak of the devil. I finally get a day off and they will not leave me alone. I will go take this.”
Lin Qian nodded, patting her face to try and shake off the intoxication. Her phone buzzed. It was a message from Su Qingmo.
Su Qingmo: Are you awake? What are you doing?
It took Lin Qian a long time to process that simple sentence. She wobbled to her feet, took a photo of the table, and sent it over.
Su Qingmo: Are you drinking?
Lin Qian: Just a little bit.
Su Qingmo: Stop drinking. I am coming over now.
Lin Qian: Coming over?
Perhaps because of the alcohol, her brain was sluggish. The dizziness intensified, and her neck began to feel itchy. She put the phone down, faintly hearing Chu Xiaoyu’s voice on the phone outside. Slowly, her eyelids grew too heavy to hold up. She slumped onto the table and fell asleep.
“I have already sent the templates to you. If I have to teach you every single step for something like this,” Chu Xiaoyu’s voice trailed off as she saw someone approaching. It was Lin Qian’s friend from the school the previous night.
Chu Xiaoyu frowned. Why is she here?
Su Qingmo looked grim. Ignoring Chu Xiaoyu, she walked straight past her and into the apartment. Chu Xiaoyu bit her lip and said into the phone, “I have to hang up. Something came up, I will call you back.”
Su Qingmo hurried to Lin Qian’s side and called softly, “Xiao Qian.”
Lin Qian opened her eyes blearily and gave a goofy smile. “Two Su Qingmos. Stop swaying. You are making me dizzy.”
Su Qingmo looked at the beer can. She drank a whole can. She grabbed Lin Qian’s hand to check for a rash, then gently pulled back her collar to check her neck.
“What are you doing?” Chu Xiaoyu’s voice rang out from behind her.
Su Qingmo confirmed there was no rash and that she did not have a fever, finally breathing a sigh of relief. Chu Xiaoyu stepped closer. “I am talking to you. Why are you ignoring me? What were you just doing to her?”
Su Qingmo’s brow furrowed, her voice deep and heavy. “She is allergic to alcohol. Her face and body are this red. Cannot you tell?”
Chu Xiaoyu was stunned. She had assumed it was just a normal flush. Her phone rang again. She hesitated, then answered. “Did not I say I would call you back?” The work issue seemed urgent. She paced back outside to deal with it.
Su Qingmo ignored her and began feeding Lin Qian the allergy medication she had brought. “Be good, take your medicine. You will feel better soon,” Su Qingmo coaxed tenderly.
Lin Qian complied and swallowed it. Su Qingmo then helped her to the bed to rest. Ten minutes later, Chu Xiaoyu finally ended her call, but she was in a rush. “Um, could you look after her? I have an emergency at work, I have to leave right now.” She gave Lin Qian a worried glance. “She will be fine, right?”
Su Qingmo did not hide her coldness. “Just go.”
“I am counting on you then,” Chu Xiaoyu said. Her phone rang yet again, and after a few hurried instructions, she dashed off.
Su Qingmo stood by the window, watching the woman leave while still talking on the phone. Her brow deepened into a scowl. When Su Qingmo was checking Lin Qian for allergies, Chu Xiaoyu had been so wary, asking what she was doing as if she were protective. But now, she had abandoned a drunk, allergic Lin Qian to a relative stranger just because of a work emergency. How did she dare? Did she even know Su Qingmo? What if she was not a good person? Did she care about Lin Qian’s safety at all?
Of course she does not, Su Qingmo thought. If she cared, she would not have hurt her back then. As a friend, Chu Xiaoyu was a failure. As anything else, she was worse. To Su Qingmo, this woman was a ticking time bomb. There was zero benefit to Lin Qian being near her.
Su Qingmo had witnessed Chu Xiaoyu break Lin Qian once before. She had seen Lin Qian’s heart shatter into dust. It was so fine it could not be pieced back together. Su Qingmo had stayed by her side for years to help her walk out of that shadow. This time, she would not let her be hurt again.
On the bed, Lin Qian began to mumble. Su Qingmo turned back and sat on the edge of the bed, leaning in to hear.
“Sister Xiaoyu,” Lin Qian mumbled.
Su Qingmo’s heart skipped a beat. A sudden doubt gripped her. Does the current Lin Qian already like Chu Xiaoyu? No, she could not have remembered the timeline wrong. At this point, Lin Qian should only see her as a friend.
“Da Pang,” Lin Qian mumbled next.
Su Qingmo exhaled in relief. It was not just Chu Xiaoyu’s name. She was calling for her cat, Da Pang, too. That was good. It meant Chu Xiaoyu was not special. Since you called the cat, Su Qingmo thought, is it not time to call my name? You should be fair to everyone.
Su Qingmo waited with bated breath, but after a long silence, she was about to give up when Lin Qian suddenly bolted upright. Startled, Su Qingmo watched as Lin Qian began rummaging through the bedsheets.
“What are you looking for?”
“Phone.”
Su Qingmo handed it to her. Lin Qian took it happily. She was not exactly sober, but she was not entirely out of it either, as she managed to mumble a thank you. As Lin Qian fiddled with the phone, Su Qingmo peeked curiously. She seemed to be messaging someone. Once the message was sent, Lin Qian tossed the phone aside and fell back into a deep sleep.
Just then, the phone in Su Qingmo’s own pocket vibrated. She pulled it out. It was a message to her “Qing” account from “Gui Yin.”
Gui Yin: Xiao Qingqing, I am not doing the dungeon anymore. Do not wait for me. I am going to sleep.
Su Qingmo was speechless. Even drunk, she did not forget to tell her gaming buddy she was logging off. Talk about a strong sense of responsibility. Even though that gaming buddy was Su Qingmo herself, she still felt a twinge of jealousy. She stared at the sleeping Lin Qian.
She waited and waited. With a desperate, stubborn hope, she prayed Lin Qian would utter her name in her sleep. A cat, a gaming friend, everyone was remembered except her. This was unfair.
But Lin Qian remained silent, having fallen into a profound slumber. Su Qingmo pouted, looking at her with frustration, before finally sighing in defeat. As she stood up to leave, her wrist was suddenly caught.
Su Qingmo froze, then a smile bloomed on her face. Was she afraid of me leaving? She sat back down and tenderly stroked Lin Qian’s cheek. Lin Qian’s mouth moved, and Su Qingmo immediately leaned in, ears perked.
“Fragrant,” Lin Qian murmured.
Su Qingmo was confused. What was “Fragrant”?
Lin Qian chuckled in her sleep, as if caught in a happy dream. “Su Qingmo… Fragrant.”
Su Qingmo froze. Once she processed the words, a wide smile spread across her face and her eyes crinkled with joy. She leaned in closer, hoping to hear more, but unfortunately, there were no further words.
“It itches,” Lin Qian murmured, reaching up to scratch her neck.
Su Qingmo caught her hand just in time.
Lin Qian narrowed her eyes in dissatisfaction, trying to pull away. “I am itchy.”
Su Qingmo soothed her. “You have taken medicine. It will stop itching in a while. Do not scratch.”
Lin Qian let out an “oh” and obediently closed her eyes to sleep. Su Qingmo released her hand, but the moment she let go, Lin Qian seized the opportunity. She pulled open her collar and scratched frantically.
“You!” Su Qingmo was caught off guard and quickly grabbed her hands again.
Looking closer, the skin on Lin Qian’s neck was already raw and broken. She was mumbling about the pain. Su Qingmo felt a pang of distress seeing the injury.
“If you keep acting up, I am going to tie your hands together,” Su Qingmo said, her voice dropping into a stern tone.
Lin Qian blinked her large eyes as if she understood the threat and finally settled down. She rolled over, causing her collar to slide down and reveal her snow-white skin. Further down…
Su Qingmo stared fixedly, her gaze deepening and her breathing growing heavy. Finally, she stiffly averted her eyes. She closed them for a moment, then opened them to help pull the fallen collar back up.
Lin Qian pouted and pulled the collar back down.
Su Qingmo went silent for a moment before she pressed her lips together and said, “Lin Qian, I have no self-control when it comes to you. If you keep doing this, I cannot guarantee what I might do.”
Lin Qian blinked back, looking puzzled.
“Sleep,” Su Qingmo commanded.
“Oh,” Lin Qian replied.
She said “oh,” but her eyes remained wide open with no intention of sleeping.
“I know you,” Lin Qian said suddenly.
Su Qingmo raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue.
“You are Su Qingmo,” Lin Qian said.
“Good, you still recognize people,” Su Qingmo laughed helplessly.
Lin Qian stared at her and said, “You are pretty.”
Su Qingmo tapped her nose. “You are pretty, too.”
Lin Qian gave a silly, happy giggle.
“Still looking? Not sleeping?” Su Qingmo asked.
Lin Qian shook her head. “Pretty. Not sleeping.”
Su Qingmo asked, “Do you like it?”
Lin Qian answered without thinking, “I like it.”
Su Qingmo cleared her throat and raised an eyebrow. “Since you like it, how about being your wife?”
Lin Qian tilted her head and thought about it. Finally, she shook her head. “No.”
Su Qingmo was dissatisfied. “Why not? I thought you liked me.”
“Su Qingmo is my friend,” Lin Qian said firmly. “Not a wife.”
“She can be both,” Su Qingmo suggested.
Lin Qian was persistent. “She is not.”
“Sleep!” Su Qingmo’s voice turned cold and hard.
Lin Qian slumped her shoulders. “You are mean. I am ignoring you.”
Su Qingmo felt a mix of irritation and amusement.
In her daze, Lin Qian felt her hand squeezing something soft. It felt like a ball of dough and was quite nice to touch. She opened her eyes to see a face inches away from hers. It had sharp features, a clear jawline, long eyelashes, and very pale skin.
It was Su Qingmo.
Lin Qian blinked, thinking she was dreaming. Why else would Su Qingmo be in her bed? But what was that soft dough she had just been squeezing?
She looked down and her eyes widened. She froze for half a second before pulling her hand back as if she had been burned. Even if it was a dream, this was…
Lin Qian’s face turned so red that if steam could come out of her head, she would be covered in it. She quickly realized this was not a dream. Su Qingmo was actually sleeping next to her, and she had actually touched…
Su Qingmo tightened her arms, pulling Lin Qian firmly into her embrace. Lin Qian’s body went rigid.
What was going on? Last night she was eating barbecue with Chu Xiaoyu. She drank some beer and got drunk, but after that, she remembered nothing. When did Su Qingmo arrive? Why were they sleeping together? What had happened in between? She could not remember.
Being in Su Qingmo’s arms made her feel a bit uneasy. She tried to move away, but the embrace only tightened, making it impossible to stir. The nearby fan was whirring loudly, but it was still hot. Being held was like being wrapped in a thick quilt. It would be warm in winter, but in this weather, she was burning up.
Lin Qian was afraid of waking her, so she moved with extreme caution. Just as she had managed to half-detach herself and was about to fully escape the hug, Su Qingmo scooped her back in. She held her even tighter than before.
Lin Qian was speechless. Was she being treated like a giant doll? Su Qingmo would not let go. Was she not hot? Lin Qian felt like she was about to explode from the heat. Should she wake her up?
Lin Qian debated with herself back and forth but ultimately did not wake her. She stayed obediently in her arms, even though she felt a layer of sweat forming on her back. She took a sniff and realized she could clearly smell a pleasant, faint scent like lemon on Su Qingmo. Was it body wash or perfume? She could not tell, but it smelled lovely.
After an unknown amount of time, Lin Qian no longer felt the heat. She had adapted to the embrace and her body gradually relaxed.
Su Qingmo’s long eyelashes fluttered and she slowly opened her eyes. Lin Qian felt nervous and bit her lip. Seeing their tangled position, she awkwardly thought about pretending to sleep, but she decided against it.
“You are awake. Morning,” Su Qingmo said with a shallow smile. She did not seem to find the situation strange at all. Instead, she acted as if it were natural and expected, as if they woke up embracing every morning.
Her natural demeanor helped most of Lin Qian’s embarrassment melt away. “Morning.”
Su Qingmo released her. Lin Qian had desperately wanted to escape the embrace earlier, but now that she was free, she felt a strange sense of reluctance.
Lin Qian asked, “Was I not eating with Sister Xiaoyu? Where is she?”
Su Qingmo sat up. “You were drunk. She seemed to have an emergency at work, so she left first.”
Lin Qian nodded blankly. “Then, why are you here?”
“I saw that you were drinking, so I came over. This was my fault, though. I should have remembered to remind you about drinking after the last time.”
Lin Qian looked at her, confused.
“You are allergic to alcohol. Did you not know?” Su Qingmo asked.
“I am allergic?” Lin Qian truly did not know. Growing up, she never drank. Firstly, she did not like the smell of alcohol, and secondly, she was always well-behaved and would not touch it. Aside from the company dinner and yesterday, she had no experience. Each time she drank, she got a red face and felt dizzy and itchy, but she assumed those were just normal reactions to being drunk.
“Do not drink anymore,” Su Qingmo said.
Lin Qian nodded. “I understand.”
Su Qingmo got out of bed. “Does your head hurt?”
“It is okay,” Lin Qian replied.
“I will go make you some honey water. You will feel better after drinking it.” With that, she left the room and went straight to the kitchen.
She boiled water skillfully, took honey out of the fridge skillfully, and found a cup skillfully. Her familiarity with the place stunned Lin Qian for a moment. For a second, she almost thought this was Su Qingmo’s house rather than her own.
Soon, Su Qingmo returned with the honey water. Lin Qian took it, thanked her, and took a sip. It was delicious. The temperature was perfect and it was neither too sweet nor too bland. After finishing the cup, her dry throat felt much better.
“Are you hungry?” Su Qingmo asked.
She had only eaten some barbecue the entire day yesterday, so she should have been hungry, but her appetite had not quite returned yet.
“You must eat even if you are not hungry. You have not eaten for a whole day. I checked the fridge and there are not many ingredients. How about noodles? You made egg noodles for me last time. Do you want to try my cooking? My egg noodles are quite good too,” Su Qingmo said.
Lin Qian’s expression was dazed, as if her brain was still sluggish from the hangover. Su Qingmo took the empty cup from her hand. “I will go make the noodles. Wait here.”
Lin Qian realized this did not seem right. she put on her shoes and ran to the kitchen. “Let me do it. I should not have you cooking for me.”
Su Qingmo was busy but glanced at her. “My hands are itching to show off my skills. You cannot deny me the chance.”
Since she put it that way, Lin Qian could not say anything else. “Then let me help you.”
“No need. Go sit on the sofa. I will be done soon,” Su Qingmo said. Lin Qian wanted to speak again, but Su Qingmo interrupted her. “Go sit down. Be good.”
Be good? Lin Qian was startled. Then, she actually obeyed and went to sit on the sofa. She kept looking back at the kitchen every now and then.
Lin Qian scratched her head. Why did it feel like Su Qingmo knew the kitchen layout so well? Even she had to think about where things were sometimes, yet Su Qingmo was more familiar with it than she was. It was as if she had lived here for a long time.
Do all big bosses have such good memories? She had only washed dishes in the kitchen once before. Could she really remember where everything was placed from that one time?
Before Lin Qian could wonder for too long, Su Qingmo arrived with two bowls of noodles. A fried egg sat on top of the noodles with two pieces of green vegetables. The broth was milky white and topped with chopped green onions. It looked very appetizing.
“Eat,” Su Qingmo said, sitting across from her at the small table.
Lin Qian picked up her chopsticks and bit into the egg. It was a soft-yolk egg and very fragrant. “It is delicious,” she praised.
Su Qingmo smiled. “This is what you taught me last time. Putting the noodles in boiling water turns the egg soup milky white.”
Lin Qian finished the egg in a few bites, nodding as she ate. “It is delicious.” She could not think of any other words besides “delicious.” The egg was delicious, the noodles were delicious, the soup was good, and even the vegetables were delicious.
While eating, Lin Qian looked up at the person opposite her. Su Qingmo ate slowly and methodically. Lin Qian swallowed her food, feeling a strange warmth in her heart. For a brief moment, she felt like the person sitting across from her was someone she lived with family who would never leave.
For a moment, she suddenly did not feel lonely anymore. She no longer felt like she would always be alone.