Once things were spoken openly, the mood lightened.
The next day happened to be free of classes, so Lou Qing helped her move her luggage.
When Wei Jia saw she was leaving, she was extremely reluctant. “Now there will only be two of us left in the dorm. It’ll feel so empty.”
Lu Huan didn’t have much luggage, just one suitcase and a large bag were enough.
“Let’s go eat together,” Lou Qing said to Wei Jia and Wu Xinyu.
Wei Jia nodded happily. “Sure, sure!”
The four of them got into the car. As Lou Qing turned the steering wheel, she asked, “What would you like to eat?”
Although Wei Jia was usually carefree, she knew this meal was in Lu Huan’s honor, so she leaned over from the passenger seat and asked, “Huanhuan, what do you feel like eating?”
Lu Huan said, “Didn’t you two mention wanting to try that hotpot place last time? Should we go there?”
“Great!” Wei Jia exclaimed, looking excitedly at Wu Xinyu, who also nodded in agreement.
The restaurant was crowded and bustling, filled with the steamy aroma of hotpot. Just smelling it made Wei Jia feel hungry.
A server led them to a table in the corner. “You can order by scanning the QR code.”
Lou Qing scanned it with her phone and handed it to Lu Huan. “You and the others can order whatever you like.”
“Okay,” Lu Huan replied, squeezing in next to Wei Jia. As Lu Huan and Wei Jia browsed the menu, Wu Xinyu studied Lou Qing.
Noticing her gaze, Lou Qing asked, “Is something wrong?”
Wu Xinyu inquired, “How many girlfriends have you had before?”
Lu Huan, sitting nearby, hadn’t expected Wu Xinyu to ask such a question. It was like stepping on a landmine. Just as she was about to change the subject, Lou Qing answered calmly, “Huanhuan is my second.”
Wu Xinyu pressed further, “Can you tell us why you and your first girlfriend broke up?”
Lu Huan tugged at Wu Xinyu’s sleeve and said to Lou Qing, “Sister, let’s go to the restroom.”
Lou Qing replied in an even tone, “She was straight. After graduation, she completely disappeared.”
Wu Xinyu was taken aback, not expecting Lou Qing’s first relationship to have ended so poorly.
“Straight?” Wei Jia chimed in. “A straight girl pretending to be gay? That’s just asking for trouble! Sister Lou, how long were you two together? Didn’t you realize she was straight during that time?”
Seeing her roommates repeatedly touch on sensitive topics, Lu Huan immediately stood up, took Lou Qing’s hand, and said to Wei Jia and Wu Xinyu, “We’ll be right back, we’re going to the restroom.”
Once they reached the restroom, Lu Huan apologized anxiously, “Sister, are you okay?”
Seeing the girl’s worried and apologetic expression, Lou Qing’s heart softened. She gently pinched Lu Huan’s cheek and smiled. “Do you think I’m that fragile?”
Lu Huan shook her head. “I just don’t want you to feel upset.”
Lou Qing flicked her forehead lightly. “I’m actually happy because your friends care about you.”
After all, she hadn’t known the girl for long, so it was natural for her roommates to be concerned. Moreover, with a ten-year age gap between them, it was easy for others to assume that she, being older and more experienced, might take advantage of a student like Lu Huan.
So, when she saw how cautiously the girl’s roommates questioned her, she didn’t feel offended at all.
“Let’s go back. Your roommates might be waiting anxiously.”
When the two returned, Wei Jia and Wu Xinyu were whispering to each other. As soon as they noticed Lu Huan and Lou Qing approaching, they quickly stopped their conversation.
The rest of the meal proceeded normally. Wu Xinyu and the others didn’t bring up the earlier topic again, which allowed Lu Huan to breathe a sigh of relief.
Even though her sister didn’t seem to mind, being asked about exes was inevitably uncomfortable.
After the meal, Lou Qing dropped Wu Xinyu and Wei Jia off at school before driving Lu Huan home.
They tidied up briefly, and since it was still early, Lou Qing took her to the supermarket to shop. They bought a lot of groceries, filling the refrigerator to her satisfaction.
Lou Qing said, “Send me your class schedule later.”
“Huh?” Lu Huan blinked, then nodded.
In the evening, while Lou Qing was preparing dinner, Lu Huan wanted to help but was gently pushed out of the kitchen. “Go watch some TV. Dinner will be ready soon.”
“Okay,” Lu Huan replied without insisting.
Just as she turned on the TV, a message popped up on her phone. It was from a WeChat group with only a few people, her sister’s friends.
Cui Lin: Little Huanhuan, I heard you’re living with that Lou Qing now?
Song Meixi: Little Huanhuan, did that woman trick you? Did she sweet-talk you into moving in with her?
Tao Hai: A woman’s heart is as deep as the ocean. Better safe than sorry.
Looking at their messages, Lu Huan chuckled and typed a reply.
Lu Huan: Sister would never trick me. She’s cooking dinner for me right now.
She followed up with a photo she had secretly taken of the woman’s back in the kitchen.
Cui Lin: Tsk tsk tsk, what a devoted homemaker.
Song Meixi: With such a sweet Little Huanhuan, I’d cook delicious meals every day too, trying to fatten you up a bit.
Lu Huan found their comments both amusing and exasperating.
When Lou Qing came out carrying the dishes, she saw the girl holding her phone and laughing happily, which made her smile too. “What’s so funny?”
“It’s Sister Cui and the others,” Lu Huan said, running over to her and showing her the phone. “They’re talking about your past exploits.”
Lou Qing glanced at the screen just as Cui Lin was complaining about how wild she had been in middle school, recalling how she had once beaten up the school bully from the neighboring nursing school until he cried.
Seeing this, Lu Huan asked with a laugh, “Sister, were you really that amazing? Did that bully actually cry?”
“Aren’t you scared?” Lou Qing was both amused and surprised that the girl wasn’t frightened but seemed genuinely interested. It seemed this well-behaved girl had a hidden fighter’s spirit.
Lu Huan said, “When I used to get bullied, I’d fantasize about beating those people up until they cried, but I never dared to actually do it.” She felt a little embarrassed after saying this.
Lou Qing looked at her, then gently pinched the back of her neck. “Good girl.”
Every time she thought about how helpless and vulnerable the girl had been during those bullying incidents, her heart ached. But she kept that pain hidden, not wanting to remind Lu Huan of those unpleasant memories.
“Dinner’s ready. Let’s eat.”
“Okay.”
Lou Qing had prepared two dishes and a soup. The food was so delicious that Lu Huan ended up eating an extra bowl of rice, leaving her uncomfortably full. It was the first time she had ever eaten to the point of feeling stuffed.
Seeing her leaning back in her chair with a pained expression, Lou Qing felt both sympathetic and amused. “If you like it, I’ll cook for you every day. Now, get up and walk around a bit. I’ll get you some digestive medicine.”
“Okay,” Lu Huan nodded obediently, standing up from her chair and slowly pacing around the room.
The weather outside was too cold, so Lou Qing let the girl wander around inside the house. After a while, she finally relaxed a bit.
Lou Qing affectionately pinched the girl’s nose and said, “You.”
After finishing their meal, the two freshened up. Since it was still early, Lou Qing asked, “Want to watch a movie?”
“Sure.”
The movie was recommended by Cui Lin and the others. Lou Qing pressed play and went to the kitchen to prepare some fruit. Just as she sat down, before she could even settle, a ghostly face suddenly appeared on the screen. She screamed in fright and immediately clung to Lu Huan beside her.
Lu Huan was taken aback for a moment but quickly reacted, wrapping her arms around Lou Qing and patting her back reassuringly. “Don’t be scared, sis. The ghost is gone.”
“Is this a horror movie?” Lou Qing asked belatedly, her mind blank and her body trembling slightly, clearly still shaken.
“Seems like it,” Lu Huan replied. She had only been watching for two minutes and hadn’t expected such a jump scare so early.
Seeing how frightened Lou Qing was, Lu Huan suggested, “Let’s watch something else.”
“Aren’t you scared?” Lou Qing asked, still unsettled, holding the girl tightly as if seeking a sense of security.
Lu Huan shook her head. “I’m not afraid of these things because they’re not real.”
Lou Qing insisted she couldn’t handle it, even knowing it was fake. “You watch, and I’ll just listen,” she said, still holding onto the girl.
“Okay,” Lu Huan agreed, adjusting her position so they faced each other while embracing. She faced the screen while Lou Qing turned her back to it. As the movie played, Lu Huan narrated the scenes to her.
Finally, the movie ended, and Lou Qing breathed a sigh of relief. Even though she hadn’t watched it, just the sounds had terrified her.
Lu Huan didn’t tease her. Instead, she patted Lou Qing’s back and comforted her gently, “Don’t be scared, sis, don’t be scared.”
The girl’s tone was as soothing as if she were comforting a child. Lou Qing found it both amusing and touching that someone ten years younger was treating her like this. “I’ve been afraid of these things since I was a child. Every time I watched one, I couldn’t sleep for days.”
“We won’t watch them again,” Lu Huan said. “I don’t like them either. Let’s find something else to watch, maybe a comedy.”
“Okay,” Lou Qing nodded.
After the comedy, it was already 11 p.m. Instead of feeling sleepy, they were wide awake. Since it was late, they lay in bed and chatted.
Lou Qing shared many stories from her childhood.
When her father was still alive, he had doted on her immensely. Although her mother was addicted to gambling, Lou Qing grew up surrounded by her father’s love. It was only after his passing that her personality began to change, becoming more rebellious.
Back then, if she hadn’t toughened up, her mother would have bullied her endlessly. Every night, she missed her father dearly, especially after being beaten by her mother.
Later, whenever her mother tried to hit her, she would run away to internet cafes, to Cui Lin’s house, or to part-time jobs. Anywhere was better than going home.
Lu Huan moved closer, holding her arm, and said, “Sis, I’ll always be with you.”
“Okay,” Lou Qing replied, tucking the blanket around her.
They chatted for a long time, not knowing how late it got or when they finally fell asleep. When they woke up the next day, the sun was already high in the sky.
Fortunately, neither of them had anything urgent to do, so they allowed themselves to laze in bed a little longer.
That afternoon, the two of them sat together on the balcony painting.
Lou Qing usually hand-drew all the tattoo designs for her clients, and over the years, she had gained quite a reputation in the industry.
She had a painting studio in her workspace, which Lu Huan had visited several times and seen many of her works.
Although Lou Qing’s painting skills weren’t as refined as Lu Huan’s, and their artistic styles differed Lou Qing wasn’t professionally trained they still connected deeply when discussing art. They even collaborated on a painting together, which Lou Qing later framed and placed in the entryway, so it was the first thing anyone saw upon entering.
Due to her change in major, Lu Huan’s classes had also shifted.
Jiang Wenshu was unaware of this. When she didn’t see Lu Huan in class on Monday, she asked Wei Jia and the others and found out that Lu Huan had actually switched majors. After class, Jiang Wenshu went to Lu Huan’s new classroom and blocked her path directly.
“Lu Huan, I want to talk to you,” Jiang Wenshu said, looking straight at her.
Standing at the back door and blocking the way, Lu Huan had no choice but to say, “Let’s talk over there.”
“Okay.” Jiang Wenshu breathed a sigh of relief, glad that Lu Huan was finally willing to spare some time to speak with her.
But as soon as they reached the corner, Lu Huan got straight to the point: “Jiang Wenshu, can you please stop coming to find me?”