PSMD – Chapter 60

Hearing the satisfactory answer, Shen Ningruo finally lowered her hand and followed the flow of people towards the exit, no longer waiting outside the safety barrier.

Peng Kaimiao’s gaze darted between Shen Ningruo and Qiu Yang. He was too surprised—

So Director Shen of Qiyao and Qiu Yang were actually friends?

He opened his mouth, unable to suppress his curiosity, wanting to ask Qiu Yang, but Qiu Yang spoke a step faster than him: “You guys head back first, someone is here to pick me up.”

At this moment, this person was standing about two meters away, watching Qiu Yang talk to her colleagues with a smiling face.

Qin Tian and Chen Chen hadn’t been on the project team before and didn’t know Shen Ningruo’s identity, so they just nodded: “Okay.”

“We need to report on the work at the company tomorrow morning at nine. Thanks for your hard work, everyone,” Qiu Yang added.

Today was Friday, so reporting tomorrow, Saturday, meant overtime. However, they had also spent the afternoon having fun, which more or less balanced it out.

Peng Kaimiao finally suppressed his curiosity and also responded with an “Okay.” Then he looked at Shen Ningruo and nodded with a smile as a greeting.

Shen Ningruo returned the same gesture and watched Peng Kaimiao turn around and leave with the other two colleagues, pushing and pulling their suitcases.

A female voice on the broadcast was announcing flight information, and some people from tourist spots were asking visitors if they needed a ride.

It was noisy all around, with all sorts of sounds.

A girl nearby met her long-unseen lover. Upon seeing him, she jumped straight up, leaping onto him like a rabbit. They hugged tightly, crying and laughing. The boy gently stroked the girl’s hair, his face full of affection.

Qiu Yang saw this scene, quietly moved a little to the side, and pushed her suitcase over to Shen Ningruo: “Let’s go.”

“Okay.” Shen Ningruo’s eyes curved into a smile. After walking a couple of steps away, she looked back and saw the couple still embracing. She softly sighed, “They look so young and vibrant.”

“Youth is determined by mindset,” Qiu Yang said, looking straight ahead. She was trying hard to appear calm.

In fact, the moment she saw Shen Ningruo, she found it a bit hard to stay composed.

She had sent Shen Ningruo a message before takeoff, but only saw a single “Okay” after landing. She thought Shen Ningruo would be busy with work and wouldn’t come.

She didn’t expect her to come after all, didn’t expect her to already be at the arrival gate.

She didn’t expect her to call, didn’t expect her to ask her to say what she wanted to hear.

“You’re right,” Shen Ningruo said, lifting her eyelids. Her gaze fell on the suitcase between her and Qiu Yang.

Qiu Yang was holding the handle. The ground was smooth, so it didn’t take much effort to push the suitcase forward.

The wheels still made a dull echoing sound. Everything registered in Qiu Yang’s ears, but she had no time to care about anything else right now. Her mind was replaying the words she had just said: “I missed you a lot.”

…She could actually say something like that to Shen Ningruo? Qiu Yang felt a bit dazed.

Although it was true, saying it out loud was another matter. Now that Qiu Yang had processed it, she didn’t know how to face her.

Moreover, that sentence of hers seemed to contain a hint of acting cute.

Shen Ningruo seemed to have seen what Qiu Yang was thinking. She raised an eyebrow, but didn’t push her luck. She simply lifted her right hand and placed it on the back of Qiu Yang’s hand.

Qiu Yang was pulled back from her wandering thoughts by Shen Ningruo’s action. She tilted her head slightly and saw Shen Ningruo looking at her: “You were so sleepy you could barely stand just now. Let me help you with this.”

“Looks like it’s Driver Shen again today.”

On the back of Qiu Yang’s hand, she could feel the real warmth of Shen Ningruo’s palm. It wasn’t cool like usual; on the contrary, Qiu Yang felt a burning heat, scorching the back of her hand and spreading throughout her body.

After saying that, Shen Ningruo first held Qiu Yang’s wrist, making her let go of the suitcase. Then, pulling the suitcase with her right hand, she waited for Qiu Yang to take a step forward, then moved around to stand on Qiu Yang’s right side, and naturally took Qiu Yang’s free right hand with her left.

Shen Ningruo’s movements were smooth and seamless. The hoodie she was wearing today had a pocket, and she led Qiu Yang’s hand into the pocket.

“Do you know what this is called?” Shen Ningruo asked, her eyebrows lifted in a smile, glancing at Qiu Yang.

Qiu Yang hadn’t expected Shen Ningruo to do this. She was still a bit stunned. Then Shen Ningruo threw another question at her. How could she possibly know?

Her mind wasn’t working properly right now.

“It’s called ‘picking up a sheep along the way’,” Shen Ningruo revealed the answer. After saying it, she started laughing herself, and the hand holding Qiu Yang’s gently squeezed hers. (Note: This is a Chinese idiom meaning to take advantage of an opportunity to steal something.)

Qiu Yang understood and couldn’t help but chuckle. The awkwardness and stiffness also dissipated a bit because of this. She looked at Shen Ningruo’s profile, finally emerging from her muddled state.

“Does Driver Shen want payment today too?” Qiu Yang asked.

Shen Ningruo glanced sideways at Qiu Yang. The fatigue in Qiu Yang’s expression didn’t escape her eyes, so she replied with two words: “To be discussed.”

Leading Qiu Yang to the parking lot, Shen Ningruo put the suitcase in the trunk. Qiu Yang was already sitting in the passenger seat, buckling her seatbelt.

Shen Ningruo opened the car door and got into the driver’s seat. While buckling her seatbelt, she said, “Sleep if you’re tired.”

Qiu Yang’s eyelids were subtly starting to droop, but she felt she couldn’t fall asleep right away.

“Where are we going?” Qiu Yang asked softly. Her right hand still seemed to hold Shen Ningruo’s lingering warmth. She rubbed her palm with her fingertips.

It felt ticklish.

Shen Ningruo turned her head to look at her: “Your place.”

“Okay.” Qiu Yang got her answer and closed her eyes contentedly, tilting her head slightly to the side.

Shen Ningruo pursed her lips and drove the car out of the parking lot.

Yuncheng’s airport was remote. It took about forty minutes to drive to where Qiu Yang lived. Shen Ningruo drove steadily the whole way, not letting Qiu Yang experience any bumps.

It was almost 9:30 when they finally reached their destination.

Qiu Yang still had her eyes closed, showing no signs of waking up. Shen Ningruo glanced back at her from time to time, hesitating whether to wake her.

Shen Ningruo knew that sleeping in the car wasn’t that comfortable, but Qiu Yang was sleeping so soundly now. Maybe she could wake her up a bit later?

Shen Ningruo was thinking and struggling with the decision, but soon another car needed to exit the underground parking lot. As if afraid others wouldn’t know, the driver honked the horn before driving away.

Qiu Yang woke up because of that horn.

She opened her eyes instantly.

Shen Ningruo: …

It would have been better if she had woken Qiu Yang up herself.

“Are we there?” Qiu Yang adjusted for two seconds, then looked at Shen Ningruo.

Shen Ningruo: “Mm.”

“Let’s get out.”

Saying this, she opened her own car door and went to the trunk to get the luggage, as if she really were a driver.

Qiu Yang was still sleepy. She even yawned twice. When she stood under the light, Shen Ningruo could still see the moisture gathering in her eyes.

It wasn’t late now, and it was Friday, so there were other people waiting for the elevator with them.

The elevator arrived quickly. Everyone went in one after another, with Shen Ningruo and Qiu Yang standing a bit further inside.

They stood shoulder to shoulder, with the suitcase in front of them creating some distance between them and the others.

Qiu Yang yawned again, then looked at Shen Ningruo with a hint of confusion: “I don’t know why I’m so tired.”

“Overthinking.”

People got in and out of the elevator, but it didn’t take long to reach the floor where Qiu Yang lived.

Shen Ningruo pulled the suitcase, and Qiu Yang took out her key to open the door.

The door opened, the lights turned on, but Pingzi wasn’t there.

Pingzi was still at Yue Chu’s place.

Qiu Yang felt a slight emptiness in her heart. In the past, no matter how late she came home, Pingzi would come rub against her when he heard movement.

“Go get ready and go to bed,” Shen Ningruo said, dragging the suitcase towards the bedroom, as if this were her own home.

Qiu Yang followed behind her, yawning again.

She probably really had been overthinking, which was why her body was telling her it was time to rest. There was no point in forcing herself to stay awake.

Qiu Yang sat on the edge of the bed. She didn’t let herself lie down, otherwise, she felt she would fall asleep immediately.

Shen Ningruo walked over and stood in front of her, cupping her face in her hands. After examining her carefully for a few seconds, Shen Ningruo asked, “Do you want to go pick up Pangpang tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

Shen Ningruo’s thumb gently stroked Qiu Yang’s cheek and softly asked, “Then do you want me to go with you?”

“Yes.”

Qiu Yang was currently drowsy. Shen Ningruo didn’t even know if she understood what she was asking or answering.

But it didn’t matter.

Shen Ningruo only knew that being able to hold Qiu Yang while sleeping tonight would be enough.

---

If you’d like to read ahead and support me, you can request extra chapters or get the full novel as an EPUB.