Qiu Yang scrutinized Shen Ningruo carefully: “Do you think I’ll agree?”
“Yes.”
Qiu Yang didn’t ask why; she knew Shen Ningruo would explain.
“Because you’re bored.” Shen Ningruo confidently turned her head and tried throwing another ring.
This time she missed, but she showed no change in emotion, adding, “I happen to be bored too.”
Qiu Yang wanted to leave.
She had never been so speechless in her life.
But Shen Ningruo looked at her again, or rather, her gaze locked onto her.
Qiu Yang didn’t back down and met her gaze.
The children nearby didn’t know what was happening; they were still discussing the toys on the ground, guessing which one would be ringed next.
Various childish voices sounded in their ears, a bit noisy, but also like a natural barrier, separating her and Shen Ningruo into another world.
Someone rode a bicycle past on the road, a burst of bell sounds drifted into the air, heading towards the sunset.
It felt like a long time had passed before Qiu Yang agreed, answering with a single word: “Okay.”
“That doll just now doesn’t count.” Shen Ningruo showed no surprise at all upon hearing her agreement. She immediately counted the remaining rings, gave half to Qiu Yang, and said, “Consider it me treating you to a little game.”
The children all looked over again. They were all locals, their skin slightly tanned from growing up under the sun here, which made the purity of their eyes even more striking by contrast.
Being stared at by several pairs of curious eyes, Qiu Yang felt a strange sense of pressure.
Her eyelashes fluttered slightly. She took the rings and held them in her left hand.
She had actually never played ring toss before and had no confidence at all, feeling a bit nervous inside.
But since she had agreed, she would try her best.
Even though what Shen Ningruo said made no difference.
To prevent people from crossing the line, the owner had also set up a rope; players’ bodies couldn’t touch it.
The two of them stood outside the rope, one on the left and one on the right, looking at the various toys placed in front.
“Any distance is fine, no strict requirements on the toys.”
“If you ring it, it counts.”
“Throw one ring each time, then it’s the other person’s turn, in order.”
Shen Ningruo added the rules, then tilted her head, her gaze falling on Qiu Yang’s DSLR camera: “Will the camera affect you?”
It was quite heavy hanging around her neck.
Qiu Yang looked straight ahead: “No.”
Her tone was calm and composed: “You go first.”
“Okay.” Shen Ningruo didn’t hesitate. She estimated the distance and threw the first ring.
She missed.
Qiu Yang breathed a sigh of relief; otherwise, the pressure on her would have been immense.
She pursed her lips tightly, then threw a ring herself, watching it hit the corner of an Ultraman box and fall to the side.
“What a shame,” Shen Ningruo said, but the corners of her lips curved higher than before.
She was gloating.
Missing by just a little bit makes it feel more regrettable, doesn’t it?
Qiu Yang glanced at her sideways and coolly announced, “It’s your turn.”
The children watching seemed to hold their breath, some even covering their mouths, afraid of disturbing the two players.
Before long, the game ended.
Their scores were tied; they each ringed three toys and distributed them among the other children present.
However, there were only five children, and one toy was left over.
It was a rattle drum.
The drum surfaces on both sides had bear patterns, looking a bit silly.
Shen Ningruo shook the rattle drum; the sound it made was a bit muffled, not crisp.
She tilted her chin towards Qiu Yang: “Here, you can have it.”
“We’re tied.” Qiu Yang naturally wouldn’t take it; she wasn’t a child. She simply said calmly, “So the bet doesn’t count.”
“Why doesn’t it count?”
“If the scores are tied, doesn’t that mean half the time in your room and half the time in my room?”
Shen Ningruo’s eyes widened slightly, her face showing a look of complete certainty.
Qiu Yang: “…”
Qiu Yang couldn’t help it and called Shen Ningruo by her full name for the first time: “Shen Ningruo.”
“Hmm?” Shen Ningruo raised an eyebrow slightly.
Qiu Yang opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, she was interrupted by Zhao Mingfen’s voice: “Xiao Qiu, Xiao Shen.”
The group had returned. Zhao Mingfen spotted Qiu Yang and Shen Ningruo at a glance and quickly called out to them warmly.
Qiu Yang suppressed the restlessness in her heart, quietly glanced at Shen Ningruo again before turning, and then walked away.
It was simply a waste of time.
Left behind by Qiu Yang again, Shen Ningruo chuckled.
It seemed she was getting used to it.
“Xiao Qiu, you have a DSLR.”
“Are you a photographer?”
Zhao Mingfen’s eyes lit up immediately as she asked Qiu Yang.
“No,” Qiu Yang shook her head, not mentioning her profession. “I’m going back to my room first, Auntie Mingfen.”
“Okay.” Zhao Mingfen noticed the displeasure in her eyes and didn’t press her further about photography.
Shen Ningruo also walked back slowly, her expression much more cheerful than Qiu Yang’s.
Zhao Mingfen quickly asked with concern, “Xiao Shen, what’s wrong with Xiao Qiu?”
“She’s welching on a bet,” Shen Ningruo blurted out, looking towards the guesthouse corridor where Qiu Yang had just closed her door.
Zhao Mingfen nodded, half understanding. Shen Ningruo didn’t stay there any longer: “Auntie Fen, I’m going back to my room too.”
“Go ahead.”
Shen Ningruo returned to her room, sat on the sofa, and placed the rattle drum on the coffee table.
She stared at the small toy for a while, then picked up her phone and called Yao Yao.
Yao Yao answered after about ten seconds: “Director Shen, I was just in a meeting. Why are you calling me out of the blue?”
Shen Ningruo was startled and checked the time: “You haven’t finished work yet?”
“No, I’m working overtime.”
“The first quarter is almost over, and the company’s performance this year didn’t start well. I was just talking things over in there, and your call came through.”
“Then you should continue your meeting first.”
“I’ll call you back later.”
Yao Yao immediately laughed: “Is that necessary?”
“But wait a minute, I’ll tell them to finish up now, we’re almost done talking.”
“Okay.”
Shen Ningruo didn’t wait long, just about two minutes, and Yao Yao’s voice came through the receiver again: “I’m back in my office.”
“Alright, what’s up?”
“Nothing anymore,” Shen Ningruo lowered her eyelids.
Yao Yao was instantly amused: “Shen Ningruo, being so coy isn’t like you. Hurry up, spill it.”
“I’ve been left hanging several times.” Shen Ningruo poured herself a glass of water, held it in her hand, and gently swirled it without drinking, just watching the water ripple inside.
Yao Yao was stunned, then burst into laughter: “So you finally got yours, Director Shen.”
“You’re always the one leaving others hanging; now you’re finally getting your comeuppance.”
Shen Ningruo didn’t say anything; she also felt it was retribution.
She shouldn’t have become curious about Qiu Yang, or she wouldn’t be getting mocked by Yao Yao like this now.
Yao Yao and Shen Ningruo were childhood friends who grew up together; there was no need to mention how close they were.
Only Yao Yao would be so unrestrained.
“But looking at it this way…” Yao Yao suddenly became serious, “This girl was hurt quite badly?”
Shen Ningruo recalled seeing Qiu Yang and, after a few seconds, hummed in agreement.
Yao Yao sighed: “Let her heal on her own, Ruoruo.”
“This can only be left to time.”
“Didn’t you say there’s a new love interest?” Shen Ningruo said, then tilted her head back slightly and took a sip of water.
“That’s true.”
“But she also needs to meet a new love interest. If she had joined a tour group for young people, there might be a chance since everyone would be around the same age and could get to know each other. But you’re in a Sunset Glow Travel Group; there are no young people besides the two of you.”
Shen Ningruo touched her other ear: “You’re starting to nag again.”
“Shouldn’t I? Stay away from her; you don’t even like women.”
Shen Ningruo didn’t continue on this topic, instead saying, “Gotta go, I have something to do.”
“Have fun. It’s rare for you to feel like playing.”
“I know.”
After the call ended, a faint sigh escaped Shen Ningruo’s lips. Her gaze rested on the little bear rattle drum, and the image of Qiu Yang looking like she didn’t want to interact with anyone popped into her mind.
Stay away from Qiu Yang?
Shen Ningruo’s fingertips tapped softly on her knee, one tap after another.
Qiu Yang didn’t know Shen Ningruo was thinking about her. She sat down on the sofa and scrolled through a few photos she had taken today on her camera.
The composition and colors were good, but even better was the expressiveness of Shen Ningruo and those children.
This scene was very harmonious and beautiful.
Qiu Yang liked children, except, of course, for bratty ones.
The expectant eyes of the children watching were the main reason she agreed to play the game with Shen Ningruo. The toys they ringed would be given to these children. For Qiu Yang, this matter was meaningful.
She didn’t have dolls when she was little; she only bought herself a toy after she grew up. Qiu Yang still remembered the feeling of owning her first toy, even though she didn’t need it anymore by then.
The phone on the coffee table vibrated twice again. Qiu Yang turned off her DSLR, put it aside, and unlocked her phone.
It was still from Tao Sixian.
Tao Sixian:【Why did you change the lock?】
Tao Sixian:【I miss Pingzi.】
Since breaking up with Tao Sixian, they hadn’t met. Qiu Yang had changed the door lock a long time ago, precisely because she was afraid Tao Sixian would come back.
However, Tao Sixian was busy getting married and hadn’t thought about coming back this past week.
They used to live together in the apartment Qiu Yang rented; both had keys.
And now Tao Sixian was here saying she missed Pingzi, which was complete nonsense.
Because sometimes when she wasn’t working, she would just stay at home and didn’t really play with Pingzi. She wasn’t even willing to cook meat for the cat; she insisted on waiting until Qiu Yang came back.
Furthermore, when Pingzi was bought, Tao Sixian didn’t contribute a single cent, but Qiu Yang let her name the cat.
Thinking about it now, the person who paid for the cat should have been the one to name it.
She was too naive back then, thinking she would be with Tao Sixian forever.
Qiu Yang looked at these two lines of messages, her brow twitching.
Just as she was about to press back, Tao Sixian sent another message:【Yangyang, come back to me, please.】
Qiu Yang’s fingertips paused, and she felt even more furious.
The four words “come back to me” were truly jarring.
Was it her who didn’t want Tao Sixian?
Was it her who voluntarily left Tao Sixian?
Was it her fault?
No.
None of it was.
If Tao Sixian hadn’t gotten engaged to someone behind her back, if Tao Sixian hadn’t told her only when she was about to get married, if Tao Sixian hadn’t confessed that her frequent disappearances were actually because she was going to sleep with her fiancé…
Qiu Yang was certain she would still be by Tao Sixian’s side.
Yet, when they first got together, Tao Sixian had said she didn’t like sexual activity and hoped Qiu Yang would have a spiritual connection with her rather than a physical one.
Therefore, over these three years, the number of times they kissed was countable on one’s fingers; most of the time, it was just a peck.
Qiu Yang had gotten used to this mode of relationship. She thought it wasn’t bad, and even if she occasionally had desires, they weren’t impossible to suppress.
She was a human, not an animal.
But the truth turned out to be that Tao Sixian simply didn’t want to be intimate with her.
Memories flooded back, and Qiu Yang felt a little breathless.
Three years wasn’t a long time, but it was enough to leave her bruised and battered.
This was the longest relationship she had in her 25 years of life. She once thought this three years would double.
She would be with Tao Sixian for many more three-year periods.
In the end, it was just a joke.
She took a deep breath to suppress the surging tears. Tao Sixian’s message made her feel even more ironic.
Her mind was chaotic for a moment. She forced herself to clear her head, then stood up and walked to the door.
She looked at the room card in the slot, hesitated for a moment, then decisively pulled it out.
The corridor wasn’t wide; it only took two or three steps to reach Shen Ningruo’s door.
Qiu Yang clenched her hands into fists. She struggled for a final moment before softening her breathing.
She raised her right hand, bent her index finger, and knocked on Shen Ningruo’s door. The two knocks echoed in the quiet corridor.
Resonating in her heart.
In just a few seconds, Shen Ningruo opened the door. Seeing Qiu Yang, she was a little surprised, but she asked, “Have you thought it through?”
She was referring to the matter of splitting the time.
Qiu Yang’s hand hanging by her side squeezed the hem of her clothes. She was a little nervous, but she still met Shen Ningruo’s gaze, her lips parting and closing—
“Have you figured out how you’re going to pursue me?”
