TNSFC – Chapter 54

Gu Shanxue’s thoughts paused for a moment. By the time she came back to her senses, the sweetness of the cake had already spread throughout her mouth.

She remembered this was the piece Que Yining had just eaten.

Heat instantly crawled up her spine. Gu Shanxue pretended to be calm, picked up her coffee, and took a sip to hide her unease.

She glanced up at Que Yining, only to see her smilingly looking back.

“Is it good?”

Gu Shanxue nodded, her expression somewhat stiff. Suddenly, she felt restless.

“I think it tastes pretty good too.”

Que Yining put another spoonful into her own mouth, her tongue licking the small silver spoon.

The rich, soft sweetness lingering on their lips was shared in that moment, a subtle and tenderly romantic connection.

Gu Shanxue had already lowered her head, no longer meeting Que Yining’s gaze. Seeing her like this, Que Yining couldn’t stop laughing inwardly.

Miss Gu is really so cute.

Que Yining didn’t tease her further. She finished her pasta and dessert, then rubbed her stomach.

“Are you full?”

Gu Shanxue wondered if she should order something more for her, not wanting Que Yining to go hungry just to maintain her figure.

“I’m full. Let’s go. Shanxue, do you have any plans?”

Gu Shanxue pursed her lips. “Work from home.”

Her voice carried an imperceptible hesitation. After saying it, she felt a pang of regret.

It made her sound like a workaholic with no zest for life. Although, most of the time, she was indeed like that. But compared to the bright and lively Que Yining, her life seemed too bland. So much so that when she said it, she worried if Que Yining would find her constant work habits boring.

Que Yining said, “Okay, this kind of weather is perfect for staying indoors. I was originally thinking of going to your place to see Ningning, but in that case, I won’t disturb you.”

Gu Shanxue immediately replied, “It’s okay. I’ll be in the study.”

“Alright then, I’ll take you up on that.”

Que Yining nodded readily, smiling brightly at Gu Shanxue.

The faint white puff of her breath dispersed into the air, yet in that instant, it captivated one’s eyes.

Que Yining’s heart was singing. Looking at Gu Shanxue’s profile, she felt even more confident.

Although she couldn’t be sure if Gu Shanxue was already a little smitten with her, at least she now held enough sway in Gu Shanxue’s heart to influence her.

This was a good sign; for Que Yining, it was a precursor to her own successful conquest.

Gu Shanxue took Que Yining back to her home. Just as they arrived, Que Yining received a call from You Lanqing.

You Lanqing said, “Why didn’t you come home after returning to the city? I came to your place to see you, but no one answered the front door. Are you not home?”

“Yeah, I’m not home. I’m at a friend’s place. Mom, you go home first. I’ll come home tonight to be with you and Dad, okay?”

Que Yining leaned back on the sofa as she replied, watching Gu Shanxue pour her a glass of hot milk. She mouthed “thank you” to her.

You Lanqing asked, “Which friend’s place? Xiao Qiao?”

You Lanqing wasn’t actually very familiar with her daughter’s circle of friends; she only really knew Qiao Yuchu.

“No, it’s a friend you haven’t met. A very, very good person.”

Que Yining emphasized, looking at Gu Shanxue, who was holding the cat, and rubbing Ningning’s tail with her toes.

You Lanqing became alert, remembering that the last person her daughter had praised so much was Fu Wenjing. She immediately asked, “Male or female?”

“A girl. She’s very beautiful and outstanding. Anyway, I couldn’t praise her enough even if I talked for three days and three nights. I’ll tell you more when I get home tonight, okay?”

While Que Yining was on the phone with her mother, her foot was restlessly rubbing against Ningning.

As she kept rubbing, her foot eventually brushed against Gu Shanxue’s leg. She kept her eyes down, looking at the sofa while talking on the phone, as if she hadn’t noticed her own actions.

Winter clothes were made of thicker fabric, and Que Yining’s movements were very light. Yet, Gu Shanxue distinctly felt that subtle touch, like the wind brushing past a newborn sprout after the rain—so light it might go unnoticed, yet unforgettable once perceived.

She absently stroked Ningning in her arms, but her gaze fell on Que Yining’s feet.

Que Yining was wearing boots today, with a pair of thick cotton socks that looked soft and cute, like white clouds.

After Que Yining finished her call, she very naturally retracted her foot and placed her phone aside.

She leaned towards Gu Shanxue, pressing close against her.

Her slender, fair hand rested on Gu Shanxue’s leg, stroking the obediently lying Ningning.

Ningning let out a contented purr, tilting its head in Gu Shanxue’s arms, exposing its chin and belly.

Que Yining unceremoniously stroked it, resting her chin on Gu Shanxue’s shoulder and rubbing Ningning’s fleshy belly.

Gu Shanxue had already stiffened. With Que Yining pressed close and little Ningning in her lap, her arm propped on the sofa, fingertips pressing against her lower lip, her gaze somewhat unfocused.

Que Yining petted Ningning until it was comfortable. The little tomcat, even more affectionate after being neutered, purred and held Que Yining’s hand, licking the back of it.

The sensation of its barbed tongue brushing against the back of her hand was a bit itchy. Que Yining leaned against Gu Shanxue, being licked by Ningning, and mimicked cat meows to tease the cat.

Que Yining’s imitation wasn’t very accurate; Ningning didn’t even look up. But Que Yining’s target wasn’t Ningning. She tilted her head towards Ningning’s owner.

The owner’s ears, hidden by her hair, turned even redder. Her fingers curled by her side, moved unconsciously, and then rested on Ningning.

Ningning, unaware of the subtle games the two women stroking it were playing, licked Que Yining for a while before continuing to groom its own fur.

Without saying a word, Que Yining had achieved her goal. She sat up, smiling, and picked up the milk on the table.

“It’s sweet.”

She licked the corner of her lips and drank half the glass.

“Mm, there’s more there.”

Gu Shanxue put Ningning down, went to the kitchen, washed her hands, and then brought the small thermos for Que Yining, placing it on the coffee table.

She turned and went into the study, returning a moment later with something she placed on the sofa.

Gu Shanxue said, “This is a laptop and a tablet. Use whichever you want. I’ve already disabled the passwords.”

“Okay,” Que Yining waved her hand. “You go to the study. I definitely won’t disturb you.”

Gu Shanxue said, “If you need anything, just let me know.”

Que Yining replied, “Okay, I know.”

After watching Gu Shanxue walk into the study, Que Yining slumped onto the sofa.

She found a comfortable position to lean back, opened Gu Shanxue’s laptop, and started working.

The sky unknowingly darkened. Que Yining turned on a light, washed an apple for herself, and picked up her phone to check the news. She discovered that Qiao Yuchu had actually sent her several messages earlier.

They were all blank or just periods, enough to show Xiao Qiao’s inner emptiness and stupor.

【Que Yining】: ?

Que Yining simply typed a question mark, but the other side asked her what was wrong.

【Que Yining】: When I type this question mark, it’s not because I have a problem, it’s because I think you have a problem. Did you need something earlier?

【Qiao Yuchu】: I did, but not anymore.

【Que Yining】: What do you mean?

【Qiao Yuchu】: My family’s stuff. They argued again today during New Year. So annoying.

【Qiao Yuchu】: What kind of New Year is it if they argue every year? It’s better if we don’t even meet.

As Qiao Yuchu mentioned this, related memories surfaced in Que Yining’s mind.

Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.

Not all business marriages are unhappy from the start. Qiao Yuchu’s parents married first and fell in love later, subsequently having Qiao Yuchu and her younger brother. Qiao Yuchu’s father, doting on his wife, even voluntarily got a vasectomy, becoming a model of a loving couple in their circle.

But this loving relationship didn’t last long. When Qiao Yuchu was in high school, her father let himself go. Since he couldn’t get other women pregnant anyway, he cheated brazenly. When Qiao Yuchu’s mother found out, he righteously declared that the family assets wouldn’t be left to outsiders; they all belonged to Qiao Yuchu and her younger brother, and he definitely wouldn’t produce any illegitimate children.

When Qiao Yuchu told the original owner about this, she had said with full sarcasm how “moved” she was by her father.

After that, the affection between husband and wife naturally dwindled. Qiao Yuchu’s mother didn’t divorce him, unable to swallow her pride. It was as if they’d given up on a hopeless situation, each going their separate ways. They usually lived apart, only getting together for holidays, and when they did, arguments were inevitable.

【Qiao Yuchu】: I’m bored to death at home. Are you home? Can I come find you?

【Que Yining】: Not home. Don’t come.

【Qiao Yuchu】: Then are you at your parents’ place? Or did you actually go to Gu Shanxue’s house on the second day of the New Year?

【Que Yining】: You guessed right.

【Qiao Yuchu】: …

Que Yining crunched through the rest of the apple, wiped her hands, and continued typing.

【Que Yining】: Why don’t you go find your little girlfriend?

【Qiao Yuchu】: We broke up.

【Qiao Yuchu】: Just like you said, the money counts as me lending it to her. After that, it’s not that kind of relationship anymore.

【Que Yining】: Huh? Weren’t you unwilling to let go before?

【Qiao Yuchu】: Once we talked it out, there was nothing to be unwilling about. I wasn’t the one who brought it up; she did.

【Que Yining】: You don’t like her anymore? So calm?

【Qiao Yuchu】: I’ve just come to terms with it. I might really like her a bit, so I don’t want to hold onto her. She’s still so young, about to go to university, her future path is so long. And me? I’m pretty much set like this.

【Que Yining】: Allow me to remind you, you’re only twenty-four.

Qiao Yuchu on the other end didn’t reply with words, just sent an emoji sticker.

【Qiao Yuchu】: From now on, just call me Gangan, just a heartbroken fool.jpg

Que Yining was about to say that it was good she had come to terms with it, but then she saw Qiao Yuchu was still typing, and then a few voice messages came through.

“Ningning, do you know what she said to me before she left? She said she hoped I liked her, but not under these circumstances and in this way. She said one day she would appear before me with dignity, and then make me like her. How long do you think that would take? Kids are just naive.”

Qiao Yuchu’s voice held a faint melancholy. The last sentence was said with a laugh, but it sounded bitter.

Who doesn’t wish to appear sparkling before the person they love?

“She didn’t ask me to wait for her, and I don’t know if I will. I’m afraid if I wait too long, I’ll start to hate her.”

“Ningning, tell me, how can you like someone for so long, and then be able to detach so quickly?”

Que Yining didn’t reply, because she hadn’t detached; the original person was already dead. She also didn’t know if her soul still existed in this world; perhaps in some corner, it had also continued to live on, just like her.

“By the way, have you expressed your love to Gu Shanxue…”

Gu Shanxue’s legs appeared in Que Yining’s line of sight. Que Yining’s mind went blank for a moment, and she pressed the power button on her phone.

The sound playing from the phone stopped abruptly, just like Que Yining’s currently held breath.

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