TNSFC – Chapter 85

“I’m here.”

Gu Shanxue heard the soft call and answered in a low voice.

Que Yining didn’t speak further. She hugged Gu Shanxue, inhaling her scent, then let out a soft breath and looked up at her.

Her gaze traced Gu Shanxue’s features, a smile curving her lips.

She had always felt that the Gu Shanxue in the original owner’s eyes and the Gu Shanxue she faced were two different people, but just now, she suddenly realized she was mistaken.

In fact, at the very beginning, the Gu Shanxue from that space and the Gu Shanxue from this space were the same Gu Shanxue, with identical memories and personalities. It was just that they encountered different people, made different choices on their life paths, and thus had different outcomes.

That Gu Shanxue met Fu Wenjing, while this Gu Shanxue met her. This created new possibilities, leading them to become distinct individuals.

It wasn’t that she had met a different Gu Shanxue; rather, Gu Shanxue had become different from the person in the book because of her.

Que Yining suddenly felt happy again. A flower, nurtured by joy, swayed gently in her heart.

“Seeing you really does make my mood better.”

Que Yining’s voice was light and cheerful. She cast off her earlier melancholy, her coaxing, soft tone lilting upwards.

Gu Shanxue simply smiled and continued to show concern about the issue Que Yining had just mentioned.

“Why did you suddenly faint? Are you still feeling unwell?”

“It might be because I was quite busy before, and I encountered some things, but they’ve all been resolved. I’m not uncomfortable anymore, I’m doing well, and my leg is recovering nicely too.”

Que Yining patted her bed, inviting Gu Shanxue to sit down.

She didn’t plan to tell Gu Shanxue about those things; they had nothing to do with her.

When Gu Shanxue met her, she saw her, completely unrelated to the original owner. If it became necessary in the future, Que Yining would tell her.

She had already let go of her past. All the hatred and entanglements had vanished with that fire. The Que Yining of the past was already dead; now, a wholehearted Que Yining was living happily.

“That’s good, but you still need to pay attention to resting. I brought back some scar removal cream this time, but it’s in my bag, in the car.”

Seeing that Que Yining’s complexion looked fine, Gu Shanxue believed her words and breathed a sigh of relief, then brought up another topic.

The scar on Que Yining’s face was already very light, but it hadn’t completely disappeared.

“Okay, no rush. You look like you haven’t rested well. You should sleep for a while and regain your energy. Aren’t you taking me out to relax tomorrow?”

Que Yining grabbed Gu Shanxue’s arm and firmly made her lie down.

Gu Shanxue’s eyes were bloodshot, and the fatigue hadn’t left her brow; it was clear she had rushed back in a hurry.

Que Yining wasn’t very concerned about the scar on her face anymore; sometimes she even forgot it was there.

This was something that would have been impossible for her former self, who cherished beauty as much as life. But now, well, Miss Gu didn’t mind it and still thought she was incredibly beautiful. Being loved made her more confident, and she didn’t dwell on minor flaws as much.

Gu Shanxue had wanted to say she wasn’t sleepy, but lying next to Que Yining, smelling her faint fragrance, she unknowingly fell asleep.

Que Yining’s body had slept for a whole day, so she was exceptionally awake now. She took out her phone, snapped a couple of photos of Gu Shanxue’s sleeping face, and treasured them in her album.

After saving them, she began to handle her day’s affairs.

After approving several important documents, Que Yining reviewed the content of the new game she was about to take on.

Unlike strategy MOBA games like Galaxy Watch, the new studio she was preparing to sign specialized in casual puzzle games.

Que Yining didn’t intend to bite off more than she could chew. Her current main focus, or rather, the company’s resource allocation, would definitely be on Qingyun Studio. Only after this game was well-established would she have the energy to manage the next flagship game. In the interim, promoting high-quality casual games was an excellent choice, and they could also have cross-promotions.

Que Yining wrote down the general content and sent it to the planning team of the newly signed studio, asking them to conceptualize and refine the details. After finishing this, she checked on the progress of the building renovations.

Que Yining had her eye on two buildings: the slightly larger one to serve as the company headquarters, and not far from it, the Qingyun Studio headquarters. After reviewing all this, Que Yining began to look at the company materials her Papa Que had just sent her.

Her own business was, of course, her top priority, but she also had to give the Que family’s affairs her utmost attention. With Que Linyang watching covetously from the sidelines, it definitely wouldn’t be easy.

It wasn’t until three in the morning that Que Yining felt a little drowsy. She put down her phone and lay down on the bed.

Gu Shanxue was still asleep, her breathing steady. Her posture hadn’t changed at all compared to three hours ago.

Gu Shanxue was a very still sleeper. Que Yining had discovered this during the few nights she had pestered Gu Shanxue to share a bed with her. She really could stay completely still, her hands neatly placed by her sides.

She slept neatly, but Que Yining was not. However, because of her leg, she couldn’t easily turn on her side, otherwise Que Yining would have hugged her long ago. But this didn’t stop her hands from wandering.

She held Gu Shanxue’s hand and drifted off to sleep.

The next day, the door to the hospital room was pushed open.

The elderly couple, Que Hanyi and You Lanqing, had tossed and turned, unable to sleep for half the night. They couldn’t close their eyes, so they got up early in the morning. Although they knew someone else was in the hospital room, You Lanqing couldn’t resist taking a look, not quite knowing what she was hoping for.

When they saw Gu Shanxue, they were both startled for a moment and exchanged a glance. The suspicions they had long held were now mostly confirmed.

You Lanqing had been unsure before. After all, it was normal for two girls to be a bit close, one could only say it was normal. But if the intimacy went too far, it would inevitably arouse suspicion. You Lanqing had previously thought that as long as her daughter was happy, it didn’t matter if she liked a man or a woman. Now that she knew someone else was in that body, she felt even more strongly that gender didn’t matter; the girl could love whomever she pleased.

You Lanqing and her husband moved very quietly, but Gu Shanxue still heard the sound and opened her eyes.

She looked at the Uncle and Auntie standing there watching her, then at Que Yining lying beside her. That feeling of guilt welled up again, and warmth unconsciously spread across her back.

“Good morning, Uncle, Auntie.”

Gu Shanxue greeted them in a whisper, thinking it was fortunate they were under the same blanket, their clasped hands hidden from view.

You Lanqing nodded, gestured for her to continue sleeping, and left the room with her husband.

However, Gu Shanxue was no longer sleepy. She carefully removed Que Yining’s hand, lifted the blanket, and got out of bed.

When Que Yining woke up, it was already broad daylight outside.

Gu Shanxue was sitting at the desk working. Her expression was its usual cool composure as she focused intently on the computer. Sunlight streaming in from the window illuminated her hair, turning it a warm gold.

Que Yining stared at her for a while. Sensing her gaze, Gu Shanxue turned.

“Awake? I brought you breakfast; it should still be warm. We’ll leave at three this afternoon.”

Gu Shanxue stated the day’s plan and walked over to help Que Yining.

“Three in the afternoon? That late?”

Que Yining was a little surprised by this departure time. Although it was almost summer, with long days and short nights, leaving at three o’clock to visit a factory still seemed a bit late.

“Yes, there are some things to take care of first.”

Gu Shanxue nodded, her expression calm, showing no sign of anything unusual.

Que Yining didn’t doubt her. After returning from washing up in the bathroom, she saw the still-warm breakfast Gu Shanxue had taken out from a thermal container.

The rice noodle rolls were filled with shrimp, their skins thin, soft, and translucent. Drizzled with sauce, they looked appetizing. The hot soy milk had its characteristic rich flavor. After finishing her meal, Que Yining contentedly wiped her lips and was immediately discharged from the hospital.

She was fine anyway and didn’t need to stay in the hospital any longer.

The Que family had already left. Since her identity had been revealed, Que Yining didn’t go back to the Que family home, nor did she plan to go to the company. Because she was going out with Gu Shanxue in the afternoon, she took Gu Shanxue’s car to Gu Shanxue’s home.

As soon as the door opened, she saw Ningning pacing at the entrance.

Ningning seemed extremely lonely. Upon seeing his owner return, he started to act cute, spinning a few times before flopping onto the ground, tilting his head to expose his chin and belly in a frantic display for attention.

“Cute.”

Que Yining said with a smile, bending down to rub Ningning’s belly as Gu Shanxue helped push her wheelchair through the doorway.

Ningning meowed sweetly twice, rolling around as he was petted.

Gu Shanxue picked Ningning up and placed him on Que Yining’s lap.

Ningning had gained quite a bit of weight after being neutered. He was chubby and felt good to touch. Que Yining’s hand sank into his soft fur as she stroked his belly. Ningning, comfortable from the petting, squinted his eyes and held onto Que Yining’s hand, refusing to let go.

Gu Shanxue was in the kitchen pouring water. Seeing Que Yining smiling and teasing the cat, her lips curved into a smile as well.

Because they both had matters to attend to, Gu Shanxue prepared a computer for Que Yining. They shared the study, each busy at their respective computers.

The sunlight warmed the air. In a corner of the study was a cat bed, where Ningning lay leisurely, sunbathing and grooming his fur.

Lunch was rather late. Gu Shanxue made seafood congee. Que Yining ate half a bowl, and under Gu Shanxue’s gaze, ate another half, then rubbed her full stomach.

Gu Shanxue: “You eat too little.”

“But I’ve already gained weight.”

Que Yining mumbled, touching her soft belly.

Her firm, flat abdomen was gone, replaced during her recovery period with a soft, slightly pudgy layer.

“Didn’t you notice in the photos before? I’ve gained a lot of weight, even my collarbones are almost gone.”

Que Yining was wearing a blouse. She raised her hand, undid three buttons, and used her fingers to part the fabric, showing Gu Shanxue that she wasn’t exaggerating.

Of course, she didn’t just want to show Gu Shanxue that; the point was a little lower down.

Her fair skin, like snow or jade in the light, glowed with a delicate sheen.

The sight of her generous cleavage, like rolling hills and deep ravines, dazzled Gu Shanxue’s eyes.

She subconsciously lowered her gaze, unable to look, a ripple of emotion in her eyes.

This appearance made Que Yining chuckle. Seeing Gu Shanxue’s earlobes gradually turn bright red, she wanted to tease her even more.

“Shanxue, what’s wrong? Why aren’t you looking at me?”

Que Yining leaned closer, her voice soft and drawn out, full of a seductive allure.

Because of her movement, that swaying vision of pale allure entered Gu Shanxue’s eyes, and with it, the inescapable, unavoidable web of affection named ‘Que Yining’.

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