PSMD – Chapter 84

Shen Ningruo hadn’t heard that line before. Even the one she said to Qiu Yang was something she’d seen by chance and quietly memorized, planning to use it at a suitable moment.

Now was a suitable moment, and she said it, but then Qiu Yang turned it back on her. This was unexpected.

Shen Ningruo blinked, licked her lips, and smiled: “Didn’t I say it?”

Qiu Yang: “…You did.”

Qiu Yang was amused by her expression, and her mood improved slightly: “It sounded quite nice.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

“You weren’t bad either.”

Qiu Yang’s earlobes quietly turned red. She glanced out the window, then looked back and started unpacking the new phone Shen Ningruo bought her. It was the same brand she always used, but she didn’t replace electronics often. The stolen one was two years old; she kept using it as long as it worked.

She had seen the latest model online before, but it was quite expensive, so Qiu Yang hadn’t really considered it. One of her habits was saving money; she only felt secure when money was in her account.

Only large service halls could replace the SIM card. Fortunately, it wasn’t far, and they got out of the car quickly. However, one step in the replacement process required providing recent contact numbers. Besides Shen Ningruo, Qiu Yang couldn’t remember any others.

Shen Ningruo, standing beside her, pulled up Qu Yan’s and Ke Yezi’s numbers: “Have you contacted these two?”

“Yes, I have.” Qiu Yang immediately added them. Luckily, they only needed three.

Fortunately, Shen Ningruo was there, otherwise, Qiu Yang wouldn’t have been able to complete the process smoothly.

Shen Ningruo had already called Qiu Yang’s old phone on the way, but the thief had turned it off. Now that the card was replaced, Qiu Yang inserted it into the slot.

Only Yue Chu sent a message saying she was about to leave. Everything else was quiet.

Qiu Yang breathed a sigh of relief. She was afraid she had missed something, but her life was like this now, no more waves would rise.

She had escaped the past, hadn’t she?

Just after she replied to Yue Chu, telling her about the stolen phone, she received a new message.

It was from Shen Ningruo, who was standing right beside her: 【You actually memorized my number?】

Shen Ningruo was also slow to realize that Qiu Yang was able to call her despite losing her phone. This small detail was magnified in Shen Ningruo’s heart, a feeling she couldn’t quite describe.

Especially when she compared herself; she had just taken advantage of Qiu Yang getting her card replaced to memorize Qiu Yang’s number.

That seemed fair.

Qiu Yang received the message, turned her head to look at her, and smiled faintly: “Isn’t that the most basic thing?”

Shen Ningruo raised an eyebrow, and finally couldn’t resist cupping Qiu Yang’s face, exclaiming involuntarily: “Cute.”

Being liked by Qiu Yang was an extremely fortunate thing, and this was proven once again.

Because Qiu Yang would hold you dear to her heart.

Qiu Yang accepted Shen Ningruo’s praise, her dimples deepening. After Shen Ningruo withdrew her hands, she stood up: “Alright, let’s go now.”

“Okay.”

After leaving the service hall, Qiu Yang realized something: “That…”

“Director Shen, it’s not your off-duty time yet.”

Shen Ningruo knew what she was going to say: “You’re the most important. Leaving an hour early won’t matter.”

Shen Ningruo looked at Qiu Yang, smiling: “Besides, you called me first in this situation. If this hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t have known you remembered my number. Xiao Yang, you’ve shown me again what it feels like to be cherished.”

“I really like it, thank you.”

Shen Ningruo spoke very seriously and affectionately. Qiu Yang thought of what Shen Ningruo had told her about her mother before, and what Lao Yu had told her. Qiu Yang felt like someone had covered her mouth and nose, making it hard to breathe.

“You’re welcome.”

There was still a dinner appointment, but because of the stolen phone, Qiu Yang couldn’t go back to feed the cat first, or she would be late.

She didn’t want to be late, so she simply went with Shen Ningruo. However, Yao Yao wouldn’t arrive for a while, so Shen Ningruo thought it over and decided to sit at a table by herself, quietly waiting for Yao Yao.

Meanwhile, Qiu Yang and Yue Chu were already face-to-face, and they had ordered their food.

Shen Ningruo sat two tables behind Yue Chu, facing away. She could see Qiu Yang, and their occasional eye contact made her smile.

This scene felt like…

…like when people from Qiyao and Wanming companies ate together.

Qiu Yang didn’t show her feelings too obviously. She put away her thoughts and focused on talking with Yue Chu.

Yue Chu was just as Shen Ningruo said; she knew Qiu Yang’s words that night were due to overwhelming emotions and couldn’t be controlled, so she didn’t take it to heart: “Yangyang, it’s okay. I know you were like that because you were sad. Actually, I’m very happy that you could call me out at that time and tell me all of that.”

“It’s okay, don’t blame yourself or feel guilty. It’s all in the past.” Yue Chu’s expression and voice were very gentle as she said this.

Qiu Yang felt a bit emotional. She could understand and process what Shen Ningruo and Yue Chu were expressing, but she put herself in their shoes and thought about it. If she heard someone she cared about say such things, it would be almost impossible not to be sad or hurt.

She could only say she was very lucky that Yue Chu genuinely cared for her. Otherwise, if it were someone else, they might have already gotten angry and blocked her.

“Okay.” Qiu Yang’s eyes were slightly red.

More customers entered Xinhao Hotel, and the lobby became more crowded and noisy.

Yue Chu used the serving chopsticks to put a piece of meat in Qiu Yang’s bowl. She sighed worriedly: “I just worry you didn’t take my words to heart.”

“What words?”

“You deserve everything better, Yangyang.”

Qiu Yang sniffed. Yue Chu handed her a tissue and asked in a rarely forceful tone: “Did you hear me?”

“I heard you.” Qiu Yang nodded in reply.

Shen Ningruo didn’t know what Qiu Yang and Yue Chu were talking about, but she saw Qiu Yang’s expression clearly and couldn’t help but worry. She hated seeing Qiu Yang look like that.

Just as she was hesitating whether to go over, Yao Yao arrived and called: “Hello? What table number, Ruoruo?”

“17.” Shen Ningruo gave the number. The next second, she received a reassuring look from Qiu Yang.

Shen Ningruo pursed her lips.

When the waiter led Yao Yao in, Qiu Yang happened to be looking down eating, so she didn’t see Qiu Yang, or Yue Chu sitting opposite her.

Shen Ningruo had ordered the dishes in advance. After knowing Yao Yao for so many years, she still knew her taste.

“Director Shen, how do you have free time to treat me to dinner today?” Yao Yao first picked up a glass of water and drank, then asked Shen Ningruo with a smile.

The dishes on the table were all served. Shen Ningruo didn’t order excessively; for two people, she ordered three dishes and one soup.

“Not afraid of water anymore?” Shen Ningruo looked up at her and asked directly.

Yao Yao was startled: “Why ask that suddenly?”

“When I was learning to swim, I asked you to come along, and you said you were a landlubber,” Shen Ningruo said while serving soup into her bowl, her tone flat. “I saw you at the swimming pool the other day.”

Yao Yao’s expression froze for a moment, then she relaxed after Shen Ningruo finished speaking. She tossed her hair, looking smug: “I’m a landlubber, but my girlfriend isn’t. She said she wanted to swim, so I had to follow, right?”

“Girlfriend?” Shen Ningruo’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Yao Yao nodded, picking up a piece of green pepper: “Yes, of course, she’s my girlfriend.”

She looked at Shen Ningruo: “Is that strange?”

“Not strange. Congratulations.”

Shen Ningruo certainly didn’t find it strange; she just felt envious. She and Qiu Yang were now at the stage of having broken through the ‘paper wall’, but how should she bring it up?

Besides the fake overtime, she also had to explain that meeting Qiu Yang wasn’t a coincidence. Otherwise, if Tao Sixian caused trouble again and Qiu Yang learned the truth from someone else, then…

Shen Ningruo didn’t dare to think about it.

“Wait, Ruoruo, do you have something else to tell me?” Yao Yao frowned. “I just feel like something’s not right. This dinner tonight is a bit strange anyway. We usually don’t do this.”

Both of them were relatively busy. They kept in touch normally but didn’t meet unless necessary, especially now that Shen Ningruo had Qiu Yang, and Yao Yao herself had Yue Chu.

Shen Ningruo’s expression was calm: “Of course I do.”

Yao Yao put down her chopsticks, becoming serious: “Then please tell me.”

“Do you know who Yue Chu’s junior is?”

“Which junior?”

“The junior with the cat, the owner of the cat you cried about being less important than.”

Yao Yao shook her head: “I don’t know. How would I know? I didn’t ask.” After Shen Ningruo asked, she thought carefully: “Are you suddenly asking me this because you know who this person is?”

Shen Ningruo chuckled: “What do you think?”

Seeing her expression, Yao Yao reacted the next second, her eyes widening: “No way!”

“How could it be Yangyang!”

“Then I was jealous for nothing!”

“And I was lectured for nothing!”

Shen Ningruo covered her face: “…You don’t need to say that last part out loud.”

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