Qiu Yang was somewhat agitated by Shen Ningruo’s phone call and was a bit distracted during dinner. Gu Lan noticed immediately but didn’t ask directly.
If it was about a breakup again, there really wasn’t much point in asking.
Gu Lan had been in several relationships before and understood the state of being heartbroken. For someone like Qiu Yang, who was determined to focus on her career, it was better to avoid mentioning her ex.
She pretended not to know anything and continued to keep the mood light on the way back to the company.
Qiu Yang listened to her jokes and smiled along, but as soon as she returned to her desk, her smile faded.
She hadn’t immediately agreed to Shen Ningruo’s request, instead asking for some time to think.
Just last night, they had talked about the weekend, but now Shen Ningruo was impatiently moving the time up to today.
Today was only Wednesday.
Qiu Yang held her forehead, staring at her computer screen, which displayed the calendar she had opened.
She looked at it for a while, her thoughts still feeling blocked, unsure of what to do.
Her rational mind told her that settling the “debt” tonight would definitely still affect her.
But the reality also told her that the sooner she slept with Shen Ningruo, the sooner this relationship, which she felt was somewhat improper, would end.
Shen Ningruo asked for an answer before she got off work. Qiu Yang used her lunch break to finally make up her mind, but she didn’t rush to send the text. It wasn’t until ten minutes before five o’clock that she sent Shen Ningruo a single word:
【Okay.】
It meant she agreed.
Shen Ningruo didn’t reply instantly, but after a few minutes.
Communication nowadays was mostly through WeChat, and few people still used text messages. When Qiu Yang opened the text message thread, she felt a strange, indescribable feeling in her heart.
It was as if she and Shen Ningruo were secretly making some kind of deal.
Uh, no, wasn’t that exactly what she and Shen Ningruo were doing?
Thinking of this, Qiu Yang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. When she opened the text message from Shen Ningruo, she couldn’t laugh or cry. She didn’t know what expression she should make.
Shen Ningruo had sent the hotel address and room number, telling her to arrive by 6:30 PM, without any hint of subtlety.
The meaning was very clear, more direct than those few days in Xicheng.
Qiu Yang’s lips pressed into a thin line, her fingertips paused on the screen for a few minutes. Just before the 5 PM quitting time, she replied with a single word: “Okay.”
Unlike getting off work yesterday, Qiu Yang felt her steps were much heavier now.
It wasn’t because work had tired her out, but simply the thought of briefly continuing this interaction with Shen Ningruo.
It was rush hour, and the roads were jammed.
Qiu Yang didn’t know if she would be able to come back tonight. Not long after getting home, she cooked dinner for Pingzi. Her mind was still a mess, so she just squatted beside Pingzi, watching him eat his dinner clean from the bowl.
A slight smile touched her lips. She stroked Pingzi’s head and confided in him, “Xiao Ping, Mom probably won’t be back tonight. Be a good boy at home.”
Pingzi didn’t resist Qiu Yang’s petting and even comfortably flopped onto the floor, letting out a “meow.”
Qiu Yang sighed repeatedly inwardly, but because she still owed a debt, she had to leave on time.
Shen Ningruo wanted her to arrive by 6:30 PM. She had already packed her things, pulled out her fluorescent green suitcase, and left the house.
Inside were the clothes and pants she would wear tomorrow, as well as cosmetics and skincare products. She didn’t trust hotel towels either, so she brought her own.
Fully equipped.
Just as she reached the door, she ran into Miao Yi, who had just returned from work. Miao Yi was surprised to see her with a suitcase. “Yangyang, are you going on another trip?”
Qiu Yang swallowed with difficulty. Lying wasn’t her strong suit, but now she had to casually come up with an excuse. “No, I’m just taking something to a friend.”
Miao Yi felt relieved. “Okay.”
“Are you coming back tonight?”
“No, I won’t be back. I’ve already fed the cat.” Qiu Yang tried hard to make her smile look relaxed. She also checked her watch and said to Miao Yi, “It’s almost time, so I’ll head off.”
“Okay,” Miao Yi nodded.
After entering the elevator, Qiu Yang’s heart rate returned to normal.
Before going to Xicheng, her friend Miao Yi had told Qiu Yang to be careful and protect herself, the implication being to avoid any romantic encounters.
But Qiu Yang had actively sought out Shen Ningruo at that time.
Now she began to regret not listening to Miao Yi’s words.
It was precisely because of this that Qiu Yang felt very guilty when facing Miao Yi just now.
Not only did she have a romantic encounter, but she was also being chased for a debt by the person she had that encounter with.
Qiu Yang pulled the handle of the suitcase a bit forcefully, her gaze falling on the changing floor numbers.
Soon, she reached the first floor.
It was only a twenty-minute taxi ride from her residential area to the hotel Shen Ningruo had booked. When Qiu Yang arrived, she presented her ID card. The front desk called Shen Ningruo, verified the information, and then checked Qiu Yang in.
This hotel was five-star. Qiu Yang had searched for it on the way, and the four-figure room rate made her eyebrow twitch.
Okay, Shen Ningruo isn’t short on money. She is.
Led to the room door by the attendant, it was exactly 6:30 PM. The carpet underfoot was of high quality, and the keypad lock in front of her looked expensive too.
Qiu Yang felt a bit dazed. She hesitated for a few seconds, but ultimately still entered the password.
The room was large and spacious, with all sorts of amenities. As soon as the door opened, the curtains automatically drew back, revealing a full wall of floor-to-ceiling windows.
The sky was quickly being swallowed by darkness, and the view here was excellent, allowing her to see Yuncheng’s bustling streetscape.
Qiu Yang wasn’t in the mood to appreciate it. She changed her shoes, pulled the suitcase inside, and sat on the sofa, unscrewing a bottle of water and gulping down about half of it to ease her nervousness.
She didn’t know when Shen Ningruo would arrive and didn’t want to call and ask.
It would be best if she came later, or even better, couldn’t make it at all due to something unexpected. Only then would Qiu Yang feel that this March wouldn’t be so terrible.
Unfortunately, just a few minutes later, Shen Ningruo’s phone call came in.
Qiu Yang looked at the caller ID. She didn’t really want to answer, but she had a strong sense of being in debt.
She stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, her gaze looking towards the distant brightly lit tall buildings. They were too far away; at most, she could see the gilded logos at the top. She shifted her attention here before answering Shen Ningruo’s call.
Qiu Yang spoke first, wanting to take the initiative. “Are you almost here?”
“Yes,” Shen Ningruo was even more relaxed, her voice rising at the end. “Have you been waiting long?”
Qiu Yang immediately deflated and couldn’t pretend to be cheerful. She put on a pained expression and hummed in response. “Not long.”
She had only just arrived a few minutes ago.
“Okay.”
“I’m downstairs.”
Shen Ningruo hung up the phone after saying that, without any hesitation.
Qiu Yang lowered the hand holding her phone. Facing the transparent floor-to-ceiling window, she took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
After doing this a few times, she heard the sound of the password being entered at the door.
Her ears perked up, and her head turned mechanically towards the door.
She felt like a criminal awaiting judgment, and Shen Ningruo was the one coming in to announce the verdict.
This short time it took for the door to open felt agonizing to Qiu Yang, until Shen Ningruo fully entered her line of sight.
Compared to the suit she wore for the meeting yesterday, Shen Ningruo looked a bit more casual today. She wore a light-colored blazer over a dark T-shirt, not a single button fastened. She paired it with a pair of casual pants on her long legs. It was very comfortable attire.
Standing at the door, tall with long legs, she really looked like she had come to collect a debt.
“Have you had dinner?” Shen Ningruo asked Qiu Yang as she stepped inside.
Qiu Yang came back to her senses, watching Shen Ningruo take off her high heels and change into slippers, only then replying, “No.”
“Then I’ll order takeout,” Shen Ningruo began taking off her jacket. The temperature in the room was just right; wearing just a T-shirt wouldn’t make one feel cold.
Qiu Yang’s lips parted slightly. “No need.”
“I’m not hungry.”
Shen Ningruo looked at her. “I just got off work.”
Qiu Yang: “…Oh.”
Then she must really want to be slept with, rushing over as soon as she got off work.
As if she had read her mind, a faint smile appeared on Shen Ningruo’s lips. “Did you think I was pretending when I said I wanted to sleep with you?”
“No.”
After asking that question, Shen Ningruo was already standing in front of Qiu Yang. Facing each other, Shen Ningruo saw Qiu Yang’s slightly awkward expression clearly.
“Want rice noodles for takeout?” Shen Ningruo asked for Qiu Yang’s opinion. As she spoke, she raised her hand again. This time Qiu Yang didn’t dodge, letting her flick her earlobe.
But her ear, unhelpfully, turned red with just that one touch.
Even without touching it herself, Qiu Yang could feel it.
Because of Shen Ningruo’s closeness, she had already softened her breathing. The person in front of her was simply too exquisite, and her gaze was a bit sharp. As soon as Qiu Yang met her gaze, she felt a sense of danger.
“Okay,” Qiu Yang replied, then frowned slightly and couldn’t help but ask, “Had enough fun?”
Shen Ningruo was exactly the same as in Xicheng, she liked playing with her ear.
“It’s really fun.”
“…”
Qiu Yang ignored her and walked over to sit on the sofa herself. Just as she was about to drink some more water, the spot beside her gradually sank a little.
Shen Ningruo sat down beside her, which immediately made Qiu Yang alert, but she chose to drink water to distract herself and didn’t want to stop halfway.
Holding the water bottle, Qiu Yang tilted her head back and drank some more.
Shen Ningruo, who was opening the takeout app beside her, just glanced up and saw Qiu Yang’s beautiful jawline and elegantly curved neck.
Watching Qiu Yang’s neck move as she drank, for some reason made her feel a bit aroused.
Her neck was very soft and smooth. Shen Ningruo had just been ‘visiting’ here a few days ago, and she clearly remembered the sensation.
Shen Ningruo felt something was off with herself.
She might really be thirsty.
So, while Qiu Yang had just finished drinking and hadn’t yet brought her head back to a level position, she propped one hand on the sofa, leaned over, and gently pressed her lips against Qiu Yang’s Adam’s apple area.
Qiu Yang didn’t react in time, her body made a swallowing motion, which she clearly felt. Before Qiu Yang could push her away, her lips voluntarily pulled away.
Qiu Yang had almost dropped the water bottle just now because of Shen Ningruo’s sudden move.
“Xiao Yang,” Shen Ningruo still maintained the posture of being close to Qiu Yang. The two of them were extremely close. She called out to Qiu Yang.
The redness on Qiu Yang’s earlobe hadn’t faded yet. She didn’t know if it was because of the air conditioning, but she felt herself getting hotter and hotter now.
Shen Ningruo’s voice was very pleasant. Calling her softly from such a close distance, her heart skipped a beat.
The light in the room was bright, yet soft, directly covering both of them.
Qiu Yang saw Shen Ningruo’s brown pupils again.
“What is it?” Qiu Yang asked, only then realizing her throat felt a bit dry, meeting Shen Ningruo’s gaze.
Shen Ningruo’s eyelashes were long and slightly curled. She blinked, like a butterfly flapping its wings.
Qiu Yang difficultly moved her throat again. At such a close distance, her breath seemed to intertwine and linger with Shen Ningruo’s in the air.
This gaze lasted for about ten seconds, and the atmosphere instantly became ambiguous.
Shen Ningruo moved her body forward a bit more, basically leaning against Qiu Yang. And her lips naturally pressed against Qiu Yang’s.
Her lips, having just drunk water, looked very pink and moist under the light. Shen Ningruo stirred with anticipation, and only then made a move.
“I’m thirsty.”
“Let me borrow some water first.”
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