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“What are you looking at?” Qian Cancan tossed her luggage aside and quickly downed a glass of water.

Zhu Qing was standing in the house, looking around for ages without sitting down; the whole of her was an awkward sort of at a loss, as if she didn’t know where to put her hands or feet.

“Oh, nothing. I was just taking a look,” Zhu Qing said, staring at the little swing, clearly tempted to sit on it. “I didn’t expect the place to be decorated so warmly. I thought Li Lan would live in some huge villa or a luxury flat.”

Qian Cancan flopped onto the sofa and laughed. “Right? I thought so too at first. This place really is a bit small. I only understood after you told me the inside story.”

Zhu Qing turned to look at her. “What inside story?”

Qian Cancan hooked a finger at her, smiling with mischief. “Come here. I’ll tell you.”

Zhu Qing walked over in small steps and bent down. “Go on.”

“Say something nice first.”

Zhu Qing’s expression didn’t change. “Your outfit today is perfect, fully showing off your curves from working out and your amazing taste.”

That satisfied Qian Cancan. She patted Zhu Qing’s shoulder and said slowly, “Li Lan was a little hard-luck kid just like you when she was young. Everything she has now was built step by step on her own two feet; she doesn’t like luxury or extravagance.”

Zhu Qing froze mid-rise. “A little hard-luck kid?”

Qian Cancan blinked, wearing a full-on gossip expression. “She’s an orphan.”

Zhu Qing sat down slowly beside Qian Cancan and repeated, “An orphan?”

“Yeah. The welfare home she was in was really poor too; she started working in her teens,” Qian Cancan said seriously. “Back then she was at the absolute edge, the very bottom of the entertainment industry. She suffered every kind of hardship and only managed to get to where she is now after a lot of struggle. Those were your exact words.”

Zhu Qing didn’t speak for a long while.

She and Qian Cancan had grown up in a small town. Her parents had made a lot of money years ago mining stone, but they lost it all very quickly. When they had no money, they could only work for other people; still, they never held any job for long. As soon as they saved a little, they’d use it to start another business.

Zhu Qing didn’t really know how their business had gone later. Maybe they’d made money; maybe they’d gone back to working for others because they couldn’t make ends meet. Either way, it had nothing to do with her.

It seemed to have been ninth grade, or maybe even earlier, when her parents left her behind and went to another city to do business. They never came back and never sent money home. Still, because Qian Cancan’s living expenses were so generous, Zhu Qing never lacked for food or drink.

Truthfully, Zhu Qing felt she really couldn’t compare herself to Li Lan, so she honestly shook her head. “Compared to her, I’m basically a happy-child poster case.”

Qian Cancan laughed. “Forget it. That’s called a factual orphan; most factual orphans have it worse than real orphans.”

Zhu Qing thought about it and said earnestly, “Li Lan really is amazing.”

She thought of her meeting with Li Lan at the law firm.

Li Lan actually had a very strong air of someone in power. It was a kind of high-handed control that didn’t seem out of place or overbearing, wrapped in a composed and measured exterior.

For a time, that made Zhu Qing think Li Lan looked a lot like the heir to a wealthy family.

No; more like the person actually in charge of that wealthy family.

But now it seemed Li Lan really was rich, and really did mean what she said.

This comfortable life had been something Li Lan built entirely with her own hands. Zhu Qing glanced at the house, then at the car from earlier; all of it was hard-won success. Yet she herself could have these things without doing anything at all.

At that thought, Zhu Qing felt an indescribable mixture of emotions; for a moment, she couldn’t tell whether she felt undeserving or simply overwhelmed.

Qian Cancan patted the sofa and stretched. “I’m heading back. When you get the chance, talk to Li Lan again.”

Zhu Qing felt inexplicably down and nodded without saying anything.

Just before leaving, Qian Cancan suddenly turned back and pinched her arm.

“Uh, anyway, if you talk, then talk properly. Even if you break up, it’s fine; I’ve got money too. If you two split, I’ll support you.”

Zhu Qing froze, then met Qian Cancan’s slightly awkward expression and gave a soft “mm” before smiling for the first sincere time since losing her memory. “Thank you.”

After closing the door and returning to the room, Zhu Qing felt that she really was lucky. Even though she had lost her memory and didn’t know when she’d gotten married, her spouse was Li Lan, who had money and looks; and her best friend had always been by her side.

That was the courage and confidence she needed to start over.

Zhu Qing was a little hungry and remembered she hadn’t eaten dinner yet.

She wanted to find something to eat, only to discover that other than a wilted pineapple and a head of broccoli that looked completely dispirited, there was nothing in the fridge.

Yes, nothing at all.

Zhu Qing took the pineapple and broccoli out, leaving the fridge looking brand-new and empty.

She had only ever seen a fridge this bare in hotels.

With no choice, she went downstairs to the supermarket and bought some vegetables and fruit, then filled the fridge back up.

She’d eaten too well during the past two days in the hospital, so Zhu Qing made garlic stir-fried lettuce, sweet and sour pork with pineapple, and cold broccoli salad, planning to cut some grease.

Just as she set the food on the table, the fingerprint sensor at the door suddenly chimed, and the door opened right after.

Zhu Qing, chopsticks in hand, looked toward the entrance and widened her eyes. It was Li Lan.

Li Lan stood in the entryway. As soon as she came in, she kicked off her thin high heels and took off the oversized windbreaker that fell to her calves. Just as she was about to hang it up, a pair of hands reached out.

“Do you need help?” Zhu Qing asked softly.

Li Lan’s hand paused midair.

She had just finished work; fatigue made the crease in her eyelids look even deeper. When she looked down from above, it was as though a layer of blurred glass filtered over her face, giving people the illusion of gentleness.

Zhu Qing felt that her mood should be pretty good right now.

“When did you get home?” Li Lan asked softly, handing over the coat.

Her voice was a little hoarse, the sound pressed low in her throat, yet it still sounded very nice.

Zhu Qing hugged the coat. “Two hours ago.”

Li Lan nodded and let her gaze rest quietly on Zhu Qing.

Zhu Qing could feel her looking at her and got a little nervous; but before a few seconds had passed, Li Lan withdrew her gaze and said calmly, “You were just discharged. Remember to rest early.”

Then she brushed past Zhu Qing and headed toward the bedroom.

Zhu Qing looked at her back and wanted to say something, but considering Li Lan’s rather unfamiliar attitude, she didn’t know what she should say.

Just like Qian Cancan said, although she had temporarily delayed the divorce process, the conflict between them was still there; the cracks in their relationship weren’t the kind that could just disappear because someone wished it so.

Even living under the same roof, they would still have nothing to say to each other and avoid one another.

While Zhu Qing was hesitating, Li Lan had already pushed open the bedroom door.

Zhu Qing suddenly caught sight of something and hurriedly said, “Wait!”

Li Lan paused at the door.

Zhu Qing took two steps in three and stopped in front of Li Lan, pointing at the document in her hand. “What’s that?”

If she wasn’t mistaken, what Li Lan was holding was that divorce agreement that supposedly needed to be “carefully considered.”

Li Lan glanced at the thing in her hand and said nothing.

Zhu Qing’s heart rose to her throat. Didn’t they say they’d think it over carefully? Why had Li Lan brought the agreement back home again?

Was she planning to study it in the bedroom herself, hurry through the property division, and then bring up the divorce with her!?

Zhu Qing reached out and pinched the corner of the agreement, saying very seriously, “Can I take a look?”

Li Lan frowned for a moment, then let go.

Zhu Qing snatched the agreement into her arms, planning to flush it down the toilet later.

But before Zhu Qing could say anything, Li Lan’s cool voice rang out. “If you have clauses you want to add, you can tell the lawyer yourself.”

Zhu Qing stared blankly. “What?”

But Li Lan had already looked away and said nothing more. In the light, the line of her profile looked a little cold.

“I’m not planning to add anything to this,” Zhu Qing said, still not understanding. She told the truth, “Weren’t we already in agreement? We’ll talk about it later; there’s no rush.”

Li Lan’s brow eased slightly, and her gaze slid toward Zhu Qing, carrying a faint suspicion and appraisal.

The atmosphere felt a little awkward. After thinking about it, Zhu Qing invited sincerely, “Have you eaten dinner tonight?”

-

Five minutes later, Li Lan, now changed into home clothes, sat at the dining table and stared blankly at the dishes on it.

Zhu Qing came out of the kitchen and served her a bowl of rice.

“I don’t know how much you eat,” Zhu Qing said. “If you can’t finish it, just leave the rest.”

Li Lan took the rice, packed down firmly until it still peaked over the top, and after two seconds said, “Did you cook too much rice?”

Zhu Qing, whose compulsive need to leave not a single grain in the rice cooker if there wasn’t much rice left, blinked. “Ha, haha.”

“Well then, let’s eat,” Zhu Qing said, changing the subject. “These are dishes I’m pretty good at. Try them and see how they taste; whether they suit you.”

Li Lan picked up her chopsticks. Her long, slender fingers flexed as she picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork and put it in her mouth.

Zhu Qing asked expectantly, “How is it?”

Li Lan half-lowered her eyelids and gave a slight nod.

“Very good.”

Zhu Qing was instantly pleased and pushed the whole plate of sweet and sour pork in front of Li Lan. “Then eat more.”

Li Lan took another bite. Her chewing was very careful, as if she were seriously savoring every trace of flavor.

But after a moment, she suddenly set down her chopsticks and lowered her head.

Zhu Qing asked in confusion, “What’s wrong?”

Li Lan kept her head down and said nothing; from Zhu Qing’s angle, she could only see the slender, pale line of her jaw tensing slightly, as if she were trying hard to suppress something.

Zhu Qing quickly took a bite of the sweet and sour pork herself, wondering if she’d somehow stirred sugar with salt instead of using salt when cooking. Otherwise, why would it have such a big reaction?

But when she put it in her mouth, it tasted fine. It was just normal, nothing unusual.

Did Li Lan think it was too hard to eat?

Or did she not like sweet food?

Just as Zhu Qing was about to ask, Li Lan picked up her chopsticks again and looked up, saying, “It’s nothing; I just..."

Zhu Qing asked, “Just what?”

Li Lan pressed her lips together, then shook her head. “Nothing.”

She just couldn’t help it a little.

It had been so, so long since she’d eaten food Zhu Qing made.

TL Note:

“小苦瓜” (little bitter melon) is affectionate slang for a pitiful, unlucky kid (“hard-luck kid" in the text)

“事实孤儿” (fact orphan) is a social term for someone whose parents are alive but effectively absent