“Ruoling, why are you here?” Zhu Qingjia took a few steps forward and came to her side.
“I sent you messages, but you didn’t reply, so I came into the campus to look for you.” Gu Ruoling’s gaze drifted over her shoulder, looking back toward the spot where the other person had already vanished.
Zhu Qingjia turned on her mobile data, and sure enough, two WeChat messages from Gu Ruoling popped up.
“Ru… ahem, Little Sister Gu, you don’t mind me calling you that, right?” Yinzi rubbed the tip of her nose, feeling incredibly guilty.
“I don’t mind,” Gu Ruoling shook her head. “But what were you two just doing?”
Naturally, it was a scene highly unsuitable for children.
“I…”
“We were looking at ducks!” Yinzi grabbed Zhu Qingjia’s arm and said without blinking an eye, “I’ve been craving roast duck lately. The ducks on campus look pretty plump, so I asked Qingjia to help me see if we could catch one.”
Zhu Qingjia: ?
Yinzi exchanged a few more pleasantries, asked about Gu Ruoling’s health, and then seized the perfect moment to take her leave.
The remaining two walked side by side, slowly making their way toward the campus gates.
“I didn’t think you’d like coming to a school.” Zhu Qingjia glanced at her. Unable to attend school due to her health, Gu Ruoling must feel quite sad about it.
Moreover, her healthy and beautiful younger sister was also a student here.
“I do like it, but my family doesn’t allow it. I can’t stay at school for long periods anyway, my body gets too exhausted,” Gu Ruoling said flatly, treating it like a perfectly ordinary matter.
Not far off, Auntie Zhang was waiting for them.
Gu Ruoling was never allowed to go out alone because an solo excursion meant variables, and variables meant danger.
“But I really am curious about what you were looking at just now. There aren’t any ducks in that spot.”
Zhu Qingjia didn’t think too much of it. “Someone was kissing.”
Great. Now neither of them spoke.
Even after they got into the car, a quiet stillness hung between them.
Once she settled down for the evening, Zhu Qingjia felt she needed to get some exercise. Running back and forth between school and home these past few days, coupled with her poorly managed diet, had caused her abdominal lines to become less defined.
She found an indoor workout video and began an endurance routine on the open floor space of her room.
The audio from the video was a bit loud, and it wasn’t until she wiped away a layer of sweat that she caught a faint sound behind her.
Standing up from the floor, sweat dripping down her jawline, she saw Gu Ruoling squeezing herself into the doorway, blinking rapidly.
To make exercising easier, Zhu Qingjia was only wearing a utility tank top and shorts. Because of the heat during her planks, she had rolled up the hem of her tank top, exposing her waist and abdomen.
Her skin was slightly flushed from the exertion, and her hair, pinned up on top of her head, looked soft and fluffy.
She had long arms and legs, and her physical presence felt somewhat imposing as she approached.
“Need something?” Zhu Qingjia wiped herself down with a towel, radiating heat.
Gu Ruoling’s gaze remained fixed on her toned stomach. “It’s time for my medicine, but I forgot how much I’m supposed to take.”
“Give me ten minutes.” With that, Zhu Qingjia grabbed her pajamas and headed into the bathroom.
Since she hadn’t been asked to leave, Gu Ruoling stayed. She rarely came into this room; this was her first time entering since Zhu Qingjia had moved in.
There were clear signs of daily life on the desk and bed. While Zhu Qingjia owned very few belongings and only a handful of clothes, everything was arranged neatly. It must be highly inconvenient for her to pack a change of clothes every time she traveled back and forth.
Gu Ruoling sat down at the study desk. Laid out on the surface were Zhu Qingjia’s academic notes. The handwriting was beautiful with distinct, sharp strokes, not entirely matching her usual demeanor.
On the surface, Zhu Qingjia was enduring and gentle, appearing as though she would never lose her temper. In reality, that wasn’t quite true. She was highly accommodating, but it wasn’t unconditional; she would observe, and she would strike back.
From this perspective, Zhu Qingjia could provide the emotional validation Gu Ruoling needed, but she could also retract it without a moment’s hesitation.
Gu Ruoling began to ponder the nature of their relationship.
A scent carrying the damp mist of a fresh shower hovered behind her neck. Zhu Qingjia looked down. “Are you interested in this?”
Gu Ruoling shook her head and looked up at her. “Right now, I am interested in you.”
She wanted to know if there was anyone in this world who could love her, even if her lifespan was short, even if she might go mad or fall ill. This mathematical proof, which had failed countless times before, was about to begin a brand-new round of verification.
Zhu Qingjia’s hand paused mid-wipe. The towel slid down the ends of her hair, absorbing the remaining droplets of water.
To Zhu Qingjia, Gu Ruoling resembled a ragdoll cat that had just received a new toy. It was precisely because she had never owned one before that she became interested, and because she had suffered from deprivation in the past, she now wanted to claim exclusive possession.
What if she obtained more new toys in the future?
She would grow tired of the old and crave the new, for that was human nature. There was no such thing as a definitive favorite, only something one liked even more.
The bond between them was fragile, easily severed without needing any external force.
“I need some time to think about it,” Zhu Qingjia said.
Gu Ruoling was caught off guard, though only for a fleeting second. “I’ll give you time. Is a week enough?” Sitting in the chair as she uttered those words, she bore a striking resemblance to a high and mighty ruler. Despite her youth, her gaze and posture were remarkably sophisticated.
Some things could only be passed down through blood lines, and an innate aura was one of them.
That night, Gu Ruoling suffered from insomnia, and Zhu Qingjia didn’t fare much better.
Because the young heiress had requested her presence in bed.
Bah! To sleep alongside her… no, that wasn’t right either.
In short, Zhu Qingjia had moved into Gu Ruoling’s bedroom.
However, she was sleeping on a makeshift pallet on the floor by the bedside.
They didn’t open their hearts for a late-night chat because neither wished to speak of their past. One found it too difficult to voice, while the other found it impossible to explain away coherently.
Zhu Qingjia rolled over, turning her back to the bed. Hearing the movement, Gu Ruoling asked, “Can’t sleep?”
“Mm,” Zhu Qingjia hummed softly from her throat. “I heard there’s a type of sleep-aid aromatherapy. Using it at night can induce sleep and works wonders.”
The young heiress stared at the ceiling in the darkness. “Oh. Then buy one.”
“I’m not buying it.” There was a trace of annoyance in Zhu Qingjia’s tone.
If you’re not buying it, you’re not buying it. Why throw a tantrum?
“Why? You just said it works really well,” the young heiress asked, genuinely puzzled.
“I don’t have the money.” The words slipped past her teeth in a helpless, tight whisper. Zhu Qingjia was entirely clear-headed: “I am very poor.”
She had seen that brand of imported Italian aromatherapy in the shopping mall; it easily cost hundreds or thousands of yuan, which was far beyond her current budget.
“True,” the young heiress affirmed.
Zhu Qingjia’s mind hadn’t stopped racing during the first half of the night. She kept turning over her relationship with Gu Ruoling. As she thought, her reflections spiraled out of control, drifting into the distant future. She imagined working at a financial firm and coming home every day to have dinner with her. By then, she would probably be making a decent living.
The thoughts grew increasingly absurd, prompting Zhu Qingjia to slap herself across the face.
Gu Ruoling, who had just drifted into a light slumber, was startled awake. Her voice was weak and faint. “What’s wrong?”
Zhu Qingjia rubbed her cheek. “A mosquito.”
There couldn’t possibly be mosquitoes in this room, it was merely a clumsy excuse.
The next morning, Zhu Qingjia got up early and spent the entire day at the university library. It wasn’t until evening, when Master Li, the driver, called to prompt her, that she slowly packed up her things and headed back.
The one-week consideration period felt like a sword hanging over her head, urging her to find an answer quickly. Zhu Qingjia had never expected Gu Ruoling to be serious; she had only anticipated that the young heiress would be incredibly difficult to handle.
At dinner that evening, Auntie Zhang brought over a large, elegant box and placed it before her. “Miss Zhu, this is a gift from the Young Mistress.”
Zhu Qingjia glanced at Gu Ruoling, who seemed entirely detached, already picking up her chopsticks to eat.
The box was exquisite and heavy. Zhu Qingjia undid the two clasps on the side, revealing its contents.
It was the sleep-aid aromatherapy she had mentioned the night before. However, such a large box contained only a single unit, alongside a chaotic assortment of glass bottles and miscellaneous items that didn’t look particularly useful.
Zhu Qingjia blinked. Packaging truly was an art form; presented this way, it certainly looked high-end and incredibly expensive.
“You don’t like it?” Seeing her silence and lack of expression, Gu Ruoling assumed she had chosen the wrong style. “Then throw it away and buy a different one.”
As expected, her gift-giving was driven by whim rather than affection.
“It’s not that I don’t like it, it’s just a bit sudden.” Zhu Qingjia closed the lid and set the box aside. “I haven’t tried it yet. Let’s use it together tonight.”
The following day was the weekend, meaning no classes. After completing her morning run, Zhu Qingjia returned to find Gu Ruoling still asleep. She ate breakfast alone and retreated to her room to revise a short academic paper.
Over an hour later, Auntie Zhang called her downstairs.
The spacious living room was now filled with quite a few uniformed individuals. Gu Ruoling sat at the absolute center of the sofa, a look of annoyance on her face.
She detested crowds.
“You’re here. Take a seat.” Gu Ruoling nodded toward her.
Auntie Zhang nodded to the staff, signaling that they could begin.
Thus, a bewildered Zhu Qingjia watched as two models, matching her own height and weight, walked out from the back showcasing coordinated outfits and accessories.
It was a parade of top-tier luxury brands, presented in quiet, attentive service.
“See anything you like?” Gu Ruoling asked.
“What is all this? Selecting clothes for me?”
Gu Ruoling nodded. “Shopping is too exhausting, so I simply had them make a trip here. If anything catches your eye, you can select it directly.”
The clothes were gorgeous, the shoes stunning, and the bags beautiful, yet Zhu Qingjia felt an unsettling sensation creep over her.
This didn’t feel like the beginning of a genuine relationship, rather, it felt as though she were being kept as a mistress.
Prior to this, Gu Ruoling had never displayed this side of herself. She possessed immense wealth, able to summon a crowd of attendants with a mere wave of her hand. Perhaps she possessed power as well, capable of executing whatever she desired within her sphere of influence.
The young heiress had never been in a relationship and had no idea that her actions were pushing the other person further away.
Zhu Qingjia wanted to earn a lot of money, and she had even envisioned spending the heiress’s money, but facing the reality of it brought only a deep discomfort.
The class divide looming between them was so stark, the chasm so vast, that it couldn’t be ignored simply because they sat together in the same room.
Perhaps she had miscalculated, and Gu Ruoling merely wanted a plaything.
That was the ultimate humiliation, leaving her entirely speechless.
It wasn’t until the models had completed three or four rounds of presentations without Zhu Qingjia selecting a single item that Gu Ruoling sensed something was amiss.
She waved her hand to dismiss the staff and actively approached Zhu Qingjia. “You don’t like them? These are the brands I use most frequently. I thought you would like them too.”
“It’s not a question of the brands.” Zhu Qingjia looked her directly in the eyes. “If I didn’t misunderstand you the other day, you wanted us to try being together. Is that correct?”
“Yes,” Gu Ruoling confirmed. She had discovered the stirrings of desire within herself; Zhu Qingjia’s face had begun appearing in her hazy dreams, and she could clearly recall the sensation of her body heat.
She felt a ravenous urge to tear her apart, to claim her entirely.
“But your actions over the past two days don’t look like someone trying to start a relationship with me.” Zhu Qingjia thought of the scented candle they had lit the previous evening. It smelled wonderful, yet it had provided no sleep-inducing effect for her whatsoever.
An item that lost its utility possessed no meaning for its existence.
An unequal love was destined to collapse.
If so, why even begin?
She harbored no masochistic tendencies.
“I want us to be equals in this relationship, to feel comfortable around one another. If I make you uncomfortable, you can tell me, and if you make me uncomfortable, I will point it out to you as well.” Zhu Qingjia took her hand, wrapping her warm palm around Gu Ruoling’s icy fingers.
Gu Ruoling longed to grasp this warmth, craving it deeply, and so she agreed.
“So, I am not allowed to buy you aromatherapy or clothes?” Gu Ruoling frowned. “I merely noticed you didn’t have many changes of clothing at home, and with the change of seasons, I thought you could use some new pieces.”
“Of course you can. You have every right to do so. But you could inform me beforehand, ask if I need it, and see what thoughts I might have. Your actions today made me feel like an accessory. You didn’t even give me a heads-up, making me feel entirely out of place.” Zhu Qingjia gently rubbed her wrist. “Or perhaps you can tell me, is it me you want, or an accessory?”
“I want you.” The moment the words left her mouth, Gu Ruoling finally turned shy, lowering her head. “I didn’t know I needed to consider your feelings. No one has ever spoken to me like this before. The people around me always just do as they please without any other considerations.”
When they deemed her a burden, she was sent away without a second thought. When they required her presence, she was brought back home just as abruptly, without anyone even showing up in person.
Gu Ruoling had assumed this was how people interacted. She had gifted items to her foster parents before, and they had always expressed absolute satisfaction because they showed joy no matter what she gave them.