PSMD – Chapter 75

Gu Lan: “…”

Uh, that’s not what she wanted to ask.

She wasn’t blind; of course, she could see that the relationship between Qiu Yang and this Director was unusual. Did she really need to ask such an obvious question?

Sitting in the middle, Qiu Yang glanced sideways at Shen Ningruo upon hearing this and coolly debunked her: “Xiao Lan, she’s not.”

Gu Lan: “?”

How did things turn out this way? So, their relationship wasn’t like that after all?

This time it was Shen Ningruo’s turn to be speechless, but she didn’t get discouraged and quietly added: “Not yet.”

The word “yet” conveyed a wealth of meaning.

Gu Lan: “Mhm.”

She was tired. She should have known not to ask. But this made her even more shocked. The person in front of her, who looked so wronged and pitiful, was actually that aloof Director.

Gu Lan knew that some people kept their work and personal lives very separate, and their demeanor at work might be completely different from when they were off duty. But she hadn’t expected Shen Ningruo to be practically like someone with a split personality.

Doesn’t she get tired? Gu Lan was a little curious.

But this time, she chose not to ask, just in case something unexpected happened again.

Shen Ningruo didn’t know what Gu Lan was thinking, and she didn’t care about other people’s thoughts; she only cared about Qiu Yang’s.

Qiu Yang’s denial just now was like a bucket of cold water, but what Qiu Yang said was actually right. Even if they had kissed many times and slept together many times, as long as they hadn’t explicitly said they were together, they would never be considered lovers.

Becoming lovers requires a process; it’s not something that’s assumed just by kissing or sleeping together.

Shen Ningruo was very clear about this, but she didn’t know when the right time was, and she wasn’t sure if she could give Qiu Yang what she needed, which was why she had been hesitant.

What’s more, she had made Qiu Yang angry this time, and the matter hadn’t been completely resolved. If Qiu Yang hadn’t been soft-hearted, she wouldn’t be here at all right now.

Thinking this, Shen Ningruo sighed inwardly. This was all her own doing and had nothing to do with Qiu Yang.

“I’ll go check on Pingzi.” Gu Lan couldn’t sit still and got up to go back to the examination room, leaving Qiu Yang and Shen Ningruo sitting side by side.

The three cats at the pet hospital were all awake. The receptionist let them out. Qiu Yang waved at them, and the three cats wagged their tails and walked towards Qiu Yang.

Shen Ningruo’s nerves tightened. She wasn’t afraid of Pingzi because it was so gentle, but she didn’t know what these three cats were like. If they bit her again, her psychological trauma would deepen.

Qiu Yang knew this, and her gaze softened considerably. She stroked the heads of the three cats one by one before speaking softly: “These three cats are named Yiyuan, Liangmao, and Sanfen respectively.”

“They are stray cats rescued by the pet hospital before. Because they were all injured at the time, no one wanted to adopt sick cats, so the pet hospital kept them. They are all a little smaller than Pingzi. When they first arrived, they all had some injuries.”

“Can you tell at all now?”

Shen Ningruo looked at Qiu Yang’s profile and slowly nodded: “Mhm, they’re well cared for.”

“They’re very gentle, they don’t bite, and their claws are trimmed.” Qiu Yang turned her head to look at her and hesitated before saying, “Want to pet them?”

Since Qiu Yang said that, how could Shen Ningruo not pet them? She slowly extended her hand, and the calico cat named Yiyuan came over, touched her fingertip with its nose, and then nudged her palm with its head.

Shen Ningruo’s lips curved into a smile.

Soon after, Pingzi finished its check-up. It had been excited on the way here, but now the whole cat was listless, looking a bit doubtful about cat life, curled up in the carrier looking pitiful.

Qiu Yang felt a pang of heartache seeing it, but said, “There’s nothing we can do, it’s time for your check-up.”

They could go back after getting the check-up results. The receptionist smiled at Pingzi again, saying they were welcome to come again next time.

Pingzi didn’t even want to look at her, burying its face in self-pity.

Next time? It wished it would never have to come again in this lifetime!

After leaving the pet hospital, Gu Lan didn’t continue following them: “Then, Qiu Jie, I’ll head back on my own.”

“Stay a bit longer.” Qiu Yang’s lips were a little pale, and her energy was still not very good. She had already lost several pounds due to the breakup, and now being sick made her chin look even sharper.

Gu Lan sighed: “No, you should just rest well.”

“Tomorrow is Monday again, you still have to work.”

“Okay.”

“Then be careful on your way back.”

Gu Lan said goodbye to Pingzi through the carrier again, then turned and walked in the opposite direction, as the subway entrance was that way.

The cat carrier was being carried by Shen Ningruo on her back—no, held in her arms. She held it in front of her, looking every bit like a qualified cat parent.

Qiu Yang was still sick now, and since she was right there, of course, she would handle everything. If she still let Qiu Yang do these things at this time, Shen Ningruo wouldn’t be able to forgive herself.

As soon as Gu Lan left, Qiu Yang quieted down, her lips pursed with no intention of speaking.

Shen Ningruo would turn her head to look at her every few steps, until they entered the residential complex entrance, when Qiu Yang finally couldn’t help it.

“What are you looking at me for?”

Shen Ningruo was startled for a moment, then smiled and replied, “Of course, I’m looking because you’re beautiful.”

“…” Qiu Yang didn’t say anything, just walked forward silently.

Shen Ningruo’s answer was completely unsatisfactory.

They continued like this until they reached the door, and Qiu Yang’s expression hadn’t softened. Shen Ningruo, holding Pingzi, didn’t dare to say anything more. She had no idea what was going on and didn’t know why Qiu Yang had suddenly become so cold to her again.

Could it be because she said she was her partner in front of Gu Lan?

Shen Ningruo’s brows furrowed slightly, and she began to feel that trying to figure out someone’s thoughts was so difficult. She had no idea what Qiu Yang was thinking.

Only after entering the door did Qiu Yang speak again: “You should go back.”

“I need to rest.”

Pingzi had already been let out by Qiu Yang. It had seen the scenery along the way and was no longer upset, completely forgetting the “humiliation” it had suffered at the pet hospital. It was a lively little cat again.

Shen Ningruo licked her lips, and her hands hanging by her sides clenched her clothes. She was both nervous and awkward. She tentatively asked, “Now?”

“Yes.” Qiu Yang said one word, lowering her eyelashes.

Now that she was completely sober, she felt she had been too good to Shen Ningruo.

She shouldn’t, she shouldn’t, she shouldn’t; she needed to give Shen Ningruo the cold shoulder for a bit longer. Moreover, Shen Ningruo hadn’t explained lying to her about “working overtime.”

The score hadn’t been settled yet.

Did she have to remind her of this too?

Of course not.

So Qiu Yang decided that she would be nicer to Shen Ningruo only when Shen Ningruo explained. Otherwise, all the suffering she had endured would be in vain.

If Shen Ningruo didn’t realize this, she wouldn’t speak up to remind her like she did when she wanted Shen Ningruo to coax her. Anyway, the one suffering more now definitely wouldn’t be her.

After speaking, Qiu Yang turned around and walked into the bedroom without hesitation, leaving Shen Ningruo with a brief view of her back.

The door closed. Shen Ningruo didn’t have the ability to see through walls. She stood in the living room and gently let out a breath.

Pingzi seemed to pity her, walked over and rubbed against her calf, then left to eat its cat food.

Shen Ningruo’s gaze fell on the living room. She looked at the balcony, then at the sofa, and finally settled on a bag on the coffee table.

She was very familiar with this bag; it was the same kind Qiu Yang had used to pack photos for her to take back before, only this time it wasn’t sealed.

Shen Ningruo’s eyes narrowed slightly, and she walked over to sit on the sofa.

In her haste about Qiu Yang’s matter that morning, she hadn’t thought carefully. Only now did she notice the difference in this bag.

Her lips tightened, and she opened the bag.

The first thing she saw was a box, followed by two photos attached to the side of the box.

Shen Ningruo held her breath and took out the photos first. These two photos were different.

One was the family portrait she took that Wednesday night, and the other was a photo Qiu Yang had taken with her DSLR before, of her playing with Pingzi. At that time, she had praised Qiu Yang as a photographer, and they had even kissed.

Qiu Yang wouldn’t have gone to Qiyao to find her for no reason; she must have wanted to give her something. This was something Shen Ningruo had thought of before.

Now that this item appeared before her eyes, Shen Ningruo unconsciously softened her breathing, and her eyes felt warm.

Qiu Yang could always touch the softest spot in her heart.

Shen Ningruo looked at the two photos over and over. Pingzi seemed to notice itself in the photos, stood on the sofa, pawed at the photos, and meowed twice.

Shen Ningruo rubbed its head, then took a deep breath herself, stood up, walked to the bedroom door, and twisted the doorknob again.

When someone is unhappy, they definitely need to be coaxed. That morning, Qiu Yang had asked her why she wasn’t coaxing her yet. Did she have to ask again?

Shen Ningruo didn’t think she was that stupid.

Qiu Yang was still facing away from her, seemingly asleep, but she didn’t care about that. Just like when she first arrived in the early morning, she got into bed and hugged Qiu Yang from behind, only this time she knew she had to speak and not be silent.

“I just saw the printed photos.”

“Thank you, I really like them.” This was a message she had sent to Qiu Yang before. At that time, they hadn’t added each other on WeChat and communicated via text messages.

Qiu Yang didn’t respond. Then she heard Shen Ningruo say softly, “My mom used to love taking pictures of me and would put my photos in frames. Even on the day she left, she was actually reluctant to leave me, otherwise, she wouldn’t have been holding my photo in her hand.”

“It’s just…”

“It’s just that she still left me and went away.”

When Qiu Yang heard this, she pressed down on the back of Shen Ningruo’s hand, about to offer comfort, but Shen Ningruo continued speaking: “My parents married for love, but she was completely unhappy after marriage, so unhappy that she developed severe depression. Only when she faced me would she show a slight smile and say that I was her eternal pride.”

“My home used to be very warm too. Although my dad wasn’t great, my mom was very good at decorating. At least when my classmates came over, they would think I was in a harmonious and wonderful family and would be very envious of me.”

“My mom also knew it was all an illusion. She had deceived herself for so many years, and she just couldn’t keep deceiving herself anymore.”

Shen Ningruo’s tone was calm, as if she was talking about something insignificant. Qiu Yang’s eyelashes trembled slightly. At this moment, she felt Shen Ningruo’s forehead resting on her shoulder.

“So when you said my home was desolate, I didn’t really feel anything. I’ve gotten used to it over the past eleven years.”

“But because of you, Xiao Yang, I have warmth again.”

“Thank you, I really like it.”

“I really like you.”

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