Chapter 106

It was not yet six in the morning. Lin Yuewei accompanied Gu Yanqiu back to her room to sleep, and Schrödinger trailed after them with a light, jaunty step, its round little rump wiggling as it went. It looked like it was still trying to barge in and cause trouble.

When they reached the bedroom door, Gu Yanqiu lazily turned her head to glance back. One of Schrödinger’s paws, already halfway over the threshold, froze in midair.

Lin Yuewei felt its fluffy fur shiver.

Gu Yanqiu slid a foot under Schrödinger’s belly, lifted it up, and carried it straight back outside before closing the door.

The familiar scratching at the door started again. Cats were full of energy in the morning; Gu Yanqiu had long anticipated this and stopped Lin Yuewei from softening. She said briefly and concisely, “An indulgent mother spoils the child.”

Lin Yuewei: “……”

Gu Yanqiu was forced onto the bed and had several more marks sucked into her skin before Lin Yuewei finally let her go. Lin Yuewei said in disbelief, “How come I never noticed before that your mouth was so obnoxious?”

Gu Yanqiu said, “I’m quoting the wisdom left by our ancestors.” In her own view, that didn’t count as being obnoxious.

“You—” Lin Yuewei was about to “abuse” her again, but Gu Yanqiu begged for mercy. “I’m so sleepy.” As she spoke, tears welled up at just the right moment in her eyes and spilled down.

Lin Yuewei said fiercely, “Then sleep already.”

Gu Yanqiu blinked at her. “Aren’t you sleeping?”

“I am.” Lin Yuewei rolled off her and lay down, saying, “See? I’m sleeping now, aren’t I? You were the one making trouble; you kept saying you were sleepy while refusing to settle down.”

Gu Yanqiu immediately closed her eyes. “I’m asleep, asleep. Good… morning.”

“Good morning.” Lin Yuewei bent down and pressed a light kiss to her lips; the touch was incredibly soft and warm.

They lay side by side. Gu Yanqiu lifted Lin Yuewei’s nightshirt with one hand and rested her palm against her waist and abdomen. The heating at home was running strong; Gu Yanqiu’s whole body was warm, and so was her hand.

Lin Yuewei’s nerves tightened for a moment as she thought: They say morning desire is the strongest. Was Gu Yanqiu trying to do something? Schrödinger was scratching at the door outside, so there was no way it could get in; should she refuse?

She was half delighted, half amazed. She never would have expected Gu Yanqiu to be this kind of Gu Yanqiu.

Lin Yuewei closed her eyes and waited for Gu Yanqiu. After a while, she heard the other woman’s steady, even breathing. She opened her eyes and turned her head; Gu Yanqiu had already fallen asleep. So that was all it was—she only wanted to sleep close to her, and after last night, she’d advanced to sleeping close without a layer of clothing between them.

Gu Yanqiu’s move itself was nothing much to her, but it hooked the little fishhook in Lin Yuewei’s heart, setting her mind wildly galloping out of control.

Exhausted from her own fantasies, she covered the back of Gu Yanqiu’s hand with her own, adjusted herself into the most comfortable position, and slowly fell asleep too.

Schrödinger scratched at the door for a while on its own. Seeing that its papa and mama had no intention of paying attention to it at all, it gave up and went down the stairs with quick little steps to find its cat food.

After breakfast, Schrödinger exercised of its own accord in the living room for a while; this showed just how strict Gu Yanqiu had been with it, since even a lazy cat would work out unsupervised to maintain a perfect figure. When it was done exercising, Schrödinger went to sit in the kitchen’s soup pot—not because it liked iron pots, but because sitting in one let it see the scenery outside.

It was another bright, sunny day. Schrödinger narrowed its sapphire-blue eyes contentedly and licked its fur with its pink tongue.

It just didn’t know when papa and mama would wake up.

***

Papa and mama slept right through breakfast. Lin Yuewei dreamed that she and Gu Yanqiu continued what they had left unfinished last night; the process was extremely detailed and, naturally, extremely lingering.

This time, she was finally woken by Schrödinger after it was over.

Schrödinger? Schrödinger!

Why was it here again?

Lin Yuewei cut off her “sage time,” woke up drenched in sweat, took a few heavy breaths, and met the puzzled eyes of Gu Yanqiu beside her.

It took Lin Yuewei two seconds to realize this was reality, not a dream, because Gu Yanqiu’s clothes were properly on, neat and meticulous. She’d already spent a huge amount of energy in the dream, so she propped herself up on an elbow to reach for the water on the bedside table.

That movement felt off. Why was she suddenly so chilly? She looked down; the front of her nightshirt had come undone halfway.

Lin Yuewei: “……”

Her pajamas were usually pullovers, but not the one she’d worn last night. While doing her research, she’d discovered that unbuttoning clothes in certain moments was very much that kind of thing, so she’d deliberately worn this set. It had indeed become very that kind of thing now, but…

She’d gone to sleep fine before bed last night; why was it like this now? Who had done it?

She cast a suspicious look at Gu Yanqiu. Gu Yanqiu held up both hands innocently and said, “Not me. You did it yourself.”

“Me, me, me?” Lin Yuewei nearly bit her tongue.

Gu Yanqiu couldn’t help laughing softly. “I watched you take it off yourself.”

Lin Yuewei wanted to play dead on the spot, but avoidance wasn’t her style, and besides, how could she lose to Gu Yanqiu, a blank sheet of paper, when she had studied so many materials in advance?

So Lin Yuewei forced herself to stay calm, took a sip of water, and said, “Right. I had a dream. Dreamed about you. The very intense kind.”

She was so blunt, but Gu Yanqiu couldn’t be as thick-skinned as she was. The line she’d blurted out last night in the heat of passion was probably the boldest thing she’d said. A hint of shyness showed in her eyes, but she also wanted to know what Lin Yuewei’s dream had been like.

So she pressed her lips together, a conflicted look crossing her face. In the end, blushing, she asked very softly, “How… intense?”

Lin Yuewei felt as if a string in her brain had snapped with a crack. The dream and reality overlapped; she ground her back teeth together as though enduring something, then said through clenched teeth, “Schrödinger isn’t here now.”

Gu Yanqiu said, “Huh?”

Before Lin Yuewei kissed her, she said, “So no one will interrupt us anymore…”

The rest of her voice was swallowed up between their lips.

Lin Yuewei was so passionate it seemed she might burn the whole room down. Gu Yanqiu raised a hand to her shoulder; at first Lin Yuewei thought she was being coy and resisting while yielding, but later, judging from the force, she realized Gu Yanqiu really was trying to stop her.

Gu Yanqiu slipped out of her arms, tidied up the nightshirt that had been tugged half-open, and a faint pink spread over her face. “It’s daytime.”

Lin Yuewei buried her face in the pillow and rolled from side to side before sitting up. “Fine.” Anyway, she’d already dreamed it; counted together, that was practically success. There was no need to rush this little bit or that little bit.

They went to wash up together. After Gu Yanqiu spat out her mouth rinse, she suddenly said, “Let’s go to the supermarket tonight.”

Lin Yuewei was baffled. “Huh? What for?”

Lin Yuewei had been a young lady from childhood to adulthood. If she wanted something, she only had to say the word. Going to the supermarket was a pretty novel experience for her. She only went once a year, when they bought New Year goods, and she went with her mother. Miss Ran Qingqing placed great importance on the atmosphere of the New Year.

Gu Yanqiu looked down at the sink, turned on the faucet, and washed her hands again even though they’d already been washed once. “Buy some things.”

Lin Yuewei said, “Buy what? I can look online for you later. Supermarkets are too crowded; you even have to queue to pay. And even though I’m not that famous right now, if I get recognized, it won’t be good for either of us…”

She was reluctant to go, when she suddenly heard Gu Yanqiu murmur something under her breath.

Lin Yuewei blinked. “What did you say?”

Gu Yanqiu raised her voice a little, her tone resigned. “Couple stuff… and the like.”

Gu Yanqiu pointed at the cup. “This one, for example. We could buy a pair.”

Then Lin Yuewei understood. The surge of happiness rising in her almost couldn’t be controlled, so she simply stopped trying to control it. She wrapped Gu Yanqiu in her arms and kissed her hard.

Couple stuff!

A couple!

Lin Yuewei felt like she was losing her mind. She and Gu Yanqiu were going out to buy couple things; matching cups, matching slippers, matching towels—everything in pairs. Just thinking about it was thrilling.

What was a supermarket, anyway? They’d go! Even if it meant walking until her legs fell off, they’d go. Even if the checkout line stretched all the way to the Meridian Gate, they’d go!

Lin Yuewei quickly washed her face and went to the wardrobe to change. With her back to Gu Yanqiu, she asked, “What do we need to buy? Let’s make a list, or we’ll forget things. We can make it on the way. Which supermarket are we going to? The one near our place doesn’t seem big enough; if we’re going, we should go to the biggest one, otherwise we won’t be able to buy everything.”

She talked to herself for a while, then had herself neatly sorted in a few quick motions and looked at Gu Yanqiu, who was still wearing her pajamas. “Why aren’t you changing?”

Gu Yanqiu said, “I have to go out this afternoon. It’s only eleven in the morning right now.”

Lin Yuewei: “……”

Her rising happiness dipped a little, though not too much. She still said cheerfully, “Then when will you be back?”

Gu Yanqiu said, “Depends. Probably before six.”

Lin Yuewei rubbed her hands together. “Okay, okay. Then I’ll make the list at home first; when you’re back, you can see if there’s anything to add.”

Gu Yanqiu smiled and nodded. “Okay.”

Warmth filled Lin Yuewei’s chest. She leaned closer; Gu Yanqiu closed her eyes and shared a green-tea-flavored kiss with her. Once they were done, neither of them wanted to separate, so they kissed again and again. Perhaps because of last night and this morning, their hands crossed boundaries with practiced ease.

Lin Yuewei thought of how long ago she had merely touched her waist through her clothes and been met with such fierce opposition; compared to now, it was night and day, and she couldn’t help but want to laugh.

The two of them, breathing a little fast, separated and straightened each other’s clothes before smiling at one another. Gu Yanqiu said, “For lunch, do you want to eat out or at home?”

Lin Yuewei asked, “Do we have vegetables at home?”

Gu Yanqiu said, “I need to go downstairs and see what’s in the fridge.”

There were ingredients in the fridge, especially the freezer; there was quite a bit of meat. Gu Yanqiu took out the beef, then fetched a few potatoes from the upper shelf. After checking them carefully, she let out a breath of relief. “Good thing they haven’t sprouted. I bought them several days ago.”

After Gu Yanqiu stood up, Lin Yuewei hugged her from behind and pressed her forehead against her ear. “Thanks for your hard work.”

Gu Yanqiu had a fairly regular routine. If she wasn’t out socializing and unable to come back, she wouldn’t buy groceries she didn’t plan to cook herself.

Gu Yanqiu touched the hand around her waist and asked, “Can you cut potatoes?”

Lin Yuewei said, “I can’t shred them, and my strips are very thick; I can cut slices and chunks.”

Gu Yanqiu said, “Chunks are fine.”

Schrödinger, who had been hunkered in the kitchen for an entire morning, heard the sound of the kitchen door moving and tilted its head, only to see a familiar demon claw reaching toward it. Before it could make a sound, it had already been tossed out of the kitchen.

Schrödinger: “……”

Was this even okay anymore! Ever since mama came back, papa had grown more and more rough with it.

Lin Yuewei and Gu Yanqiu, meanwhile, paid Schrödinger’s feelings no mind at all. Schrödinger waited by the door for a while on its own, then ran off to curl up on the sofa. If this place would not keep me, there is another place that will.

Lin Yuewei handled the potatoes while Gu Yanqiu dealt with the beef. Lin Yuewei finished quickly, but didn’t want to leave the kitchen; she stayed there watching Gu Yanqiu’s long, fair hands work through the ingredients. It was a pleasure to look at.

Being admired the whole time, Gu Yanqiu was fine for the first few minutes; after that, it stopped being fine. She cleared her throat and said, “Go wait outside. The kitchen fumes are heavy.”

Lin Yuewei had already noticed her embarrassment and deliberately said, “It’s fine. The range hood is pretty good; I can’t even see much smoke.”

Gu Yanqiu said, “There are plenty of things the naked eye can’t see.”

Lin Yuewei put on a surprised face. “Is that so?”

Gu Yanqiu nodded very seriously. “It is.”

“Very harmful?”

“Very harmful.”

“Okay. Call me if you need anything.” Lin Yuewei obediently went out. Sometimes you did have to give your wife a little face; there was no need to expose everything all the time. It was good for the long run.

What a brilliant line. Lin Yuewei praised herself again in her heart. What had gotten into her lately? Not only were her sweet-talk skills off the charts, she’d also completely internalized the art of being a couple.

Lin Yuewei was getting a little floaty. She walked toward the sofa in the center of the living room, where Schrödinger was lying on its stomach. After Gu Yanqiu, Lin Yuewei once again stretched out her demon claws toward Schrödinger.

Schrödinger, resigned to its fate, thought helplessly that it was about to be tossed again. Was there really no place in all heaven and earth for a tiny cat like it to rest its head?

But no. Lin Yuewei wrapped both arms around it and set it on her lap, rubbing the fur on its head and back.

Although Gu Yanqiu was a strict father, she treated Schrödinger very well in everyday life. Its fur was soft and loose, clean as snow, with no odor, and even carried a faint fragrance. Maybe because it stayed around Gu Yanqiu for so long, Lin Yuewei always felt that Schrödinger also smelled faintly of agarwood.

She half-stroked, half-combed its fur, then couldn’t help burying her face in it and taking a deep breath.

It was Lin Yuewei’s first properly serious cat inhalation, and once she started, she couldn’t stop.

It wasn’t until Schrödinger could no longer stand it and began struggling in her hands that Lin Yuewei finally stopped. She scooped up the little thing before it could run, then took an intimate selfie with it.

The aloof, beautiful ragdoll cat and the beauty with sharp brows and eyes, smiling with warmth in her gaze, made for a very harmonious picture.

Lin Yuewei, driven by the mindset of I really want to show off my wife right now but I can’t so I’ll settle for showing off the cat, posted the photo on Weibo. Aside from her and Schrödinger, everything else was mosaicked out; there wasn’t even a crack left.

Lin Yuewei rarely posted her daily life on Weibo; most of her posts were work-related. This was the first time she’d shared something so personal, and fans immediately came flooding in. Fans from survival shows had very strong attachment; as long as the idol herself didn’t flop so hard she disappeared without a trace, they generally wouldn’t mass unfollow. Lin Yuewei had been away filming for several months, but once she posted this Weibo, fans still surfaced one after another.

Lin Yuewei V:

[Mom loves you [heart] [photo of Schrödinger and Lin Yuewei]]

【Wild Grass: AHHHHHHHHHHHH a catttttt ahhhhhhhh Weiwei ahhhhhhh】

【The weeds won’t burn out: The cat is so pretty! Baby is even prettier!!! Mommy Weiwei loves you!!!】

【Raise a Shiba Inu for you: For a moment I actually don’t know whether I should be envious of the cat or envious of Weiwei, I’m deep in thought】

【lyw’s little sweetheart: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH there’s actually a cat, let me absorb it】

【Lin Yuewei Charge!: First row, question! What’s the cat’s name?】

Shao Yasi, who probably had special follow alerts turned on, rushed over quickly and replied with a tone of accusation: 【I’ve known you this long and you never told me you had a cat! I want to pet the cat!!!】

Lin Yuewei was free and scrolling Weibo, so she replied quickly: 【When are you free? Come by and DM me [eating melon]】

The fans rolled around and acted cute under Lin Yuewei’s reply, crying and wailing that they wanted her WeChat ID. Of course, that was all in jest; whether they could get her WeChat ID, they still knew the answer in their hearts.

As for Shao Yasi, Lin Yuewei’s solo fans had complicated feelings. First of all, the two fanbases really did tear into each other mercilessly, but the relationship between the actual idols was genuinely good, with no room for fakery. Especially during program recording, no one’s fans could deny that they were each other’s best friend; solo fans could only choose to ignore it and focus on replying to Lin Yuewei, leaving everything else alone.

As for the CP fans, under Lin Yuewei’s reply they were restrained in their confessions, but once they returned to their own fan community they were once again in full groundhog-committee mode: they had never seen a CP with after-sales service this good! Lin Shao was definitely real. Lin Yuewei replied to every one of Shao Yasi’s Weibo posts whenever Shao Yasi wasn’t filming, and Shao Yasi always replied too, no matter how much time had passed.

If that wasn’t real, then there was no real CP in the entertainment industry!

The two of them had debuted from the same show, signed with different agencies, and were now taking drama roles separately, each building her own career. In the end, they would join hands at the summit; even a novel couldn’t write something this sweet.

It was really true, though; just true as sisters.

After Shao Yasi and Lin Yuewei moved their conversation to WeChat, Schrödinger, having been used and cast aside, curled up on Lin Yuewei’s lap and pawed at her hand, its two blue eyes round and bright as it curiously watched the phone screen.

Lin Yuewei teased it. “Little Schrödinger, can you understand this?”

Schrödinger swatted her hand in protest with its paw.

Lin Yuewei indulged it. “Fine, fine, look all you want. Why is your temper so explosive? Just like me, obviously, haha.”

When Gu Yanqiu came out and saw the scene of one person and one cat playing with a phone on the sofa, Lin Yuewei’s ears were sharp enough to catch the corners of Gu Yanqiu’s mouth lifting. She turned her head and happened to catch that smile, and she smiled too. “Done cooking?”

“Not yet.” Gu Yanqiu walked toward the fridge as she spoke. “I’m getting a few other ingredients.”

“Want me to help?”

“No need.”

“Shao Yasi says she’s coming over this afternoon to pet the cat. Is that okay?”

“Okay.” Gu Yanqiu’s mood smoothed out pleasantly, because of the natural way Lin Yuewei said “our place” and the tone she used to ask for her agreement.

“You’re not jealous anymore?”

“I am.” Gu Yanqiu said mock-seriously, “So I’ll feed you some vinegar later, otherwise that wouldn’t be fair.”

Lin Yuewei laughed. “Haha, I like vinegar.”

Gu Yanqiu shot her a light glare and went back into the kitchen.

Shao Yasi’s danger level in her heart had been completely cleared. Now, just like Jiang Congbi, she was listed among the girlfriends who could keep Lin Yuewei company when she wasn’t around, so naturally Gu Yanqiu wouldn’t be angry.

Lin Yuewei and Shao Yasi settled on the time for her visit: between two and five in the afternoon, only three hours. Shao Yasi cried out that it wasn’t fair; she’d hardly ever get to come over to your place, and you won’t even keep me for dinner, sob sob sob?

Lin Yuewei coldly refused: I still need some private time with my wife. Where am I supposed to entertain you for dinner?

Shao Yasi: You two have so much time together normally, can’t you spare me a little? Can’t you sympathize with a single dog’s feelings?

Lin Yuewei: You’re a single dog, can’t you sympathize with the feelings of a couple wanting to be together? Go find your manager tonight; she’s definitely free.

Shao Yasi: Hmph.

Lin Yuewei had just said that on a whim. Shao Yasi probably liked that manager of hers. A manager-and-artist combination was generally not looked upon favorably; the web of interests involved was too complicated, especially for someone like Shao Yasi, who was heavily dependent on others. If she ever had a falling-out with her manager, things would be awful; both her relationship and her career would suffer a huge blow.

If it were another friend, Lin Yuewei would definitely advise her to face reality and not mess around with her manager, especially that manager named Ji Han, who looked like no simple character at all. Shao Yasi was basically walking a sheep right into a tiger’s mouth. But Shao Yasi was a little dim-witted and had already developed dependence on Ji Han; Lin Yuewei instead couldn’t intervene too much and could only let things take their course, stepping in to pull her back if it really came to that.

She regretted saying it as soon as it came out. At the very least, she shouldn’t have been the one pushing things along.

Lin Yuewei sent Shao Yasi another message to stop her, but unexpectedly, despite being a professional lightning-fast replier, Shao Yasi didn’t answer for several minutes, only sending back a string of hahahahahas.

Lin Yuewei knew at once that something was wrong.

Shao Yasi: Hanhan really is free! She’d said she had to work overtime tonight, but when I asked her, she said she was free. Hanhan is so good. She wants to come with me.

Lin Yuewei: !!!

Shao Yasi: Don’t panic; I turned her down. This is your home, one person is enough; if there’s one more, I won’t feel at ease.

Lin Yuewei: If I and Ji Han fell into the water at the same time, who would you save?

Shao Yasi: ……

Lin Yuewei: Just answer me.

Lin Yuewei had a bad feeling. Sooner or later, Shao Yasi was going to be so hopelessly enchanted by her manager that she might even sell Lin Yuewei out.

Shao Yasi: Save you…

Lin Yuewei let out a breath of relief. Good; for now, Ji Han still hadn’t surpassed her in Shao Yasi’s heart.

Shao Yasi: Ji Han can swim, and in situations like that she’d definitely let me go first. Of course I’d choose to save you.

Lin Yuewei: ……

She couldn’t keep talking to her. Shao Yasi’s thought process was different from most people’s, and Lin Yuewei found herself once again astonished by how lucky she was. A person with such a pure temperament had actually walked this far down the road, and she would surely go even farther in the future. Lin Yuewei could never be that pure herself, but that didn’t stop her from wishing Shao Yasi could always keep her original heart.

As for that Ji Han…

Lin Yuewei typed her name into the browser. Managers were the people pulling the strings behind the scenes, so her information was very sparse, with nothing of value at all.

Lin Yuewei fell into thought.

Schrödinger hadn’t seen her move for a long time. It slowly withdrew from her lap, walked onto the back of the sofa, then sprang onto Lin Yuewei’s shoulder. Lin Yuewei, completely unprepared, had one shoulder sink under the sudden weight, nearly tipping sideways onto the sofa. She reflexively scooped Schrödinger up and poked its forehead while lecturing it, “You trying to murder your own mother? Looks like I really need to punish you.”

She flicked Schrödinger’s forehead several times with her finger; she hadn’t used much force, but Schrödinger immediately let out a pitiful meow at her, its acting skills top-notch and perfectly matched to its looks.

Lin Yuewei softened at once and gave up on punishing it. Not long after, Schrödinger pushed its luck further and climbed onto her head, once again proving Gu Yanqiu’s point: an indulgent mother spoils the child.

Schrödinger was busy pawing at Lin Yuewei’s head when Gu Yanqiu came out of the kitchen. It leaped down in a fish-like motion, nearly twisting an ankle on the way, then shot under the coffee table like a gust of wind.

Gu Yanqiu withdrew her cold gaze and looked at Lin Yuewei, giving a helpless smile. Lin Yuewei made a pitiful face at her.

Gu Yanqiu said, “Indulgent mother, there’s one dish left; we can get ready to eat.”

Lin Yuewei called out and trotted over. “Coming.”

Aside from the potato and beef brisket, Gu Yanqiu had also prepared two other dishes and a soup; all of them were home-style cooking.

Gu Yanqiu said, “I have to head out later, so the brisket hasn’t been braised until it’s completely tender. Try it; if it’s not soft enough, I’ll simmer it again.”

Lin Yuewei had just put a hot piece of brisket in her mouth. The flavor lingered between her teeth and cheeks; she didn’t have a spare mouth to speak, so she only waved her hand. After swallowing, she said, “No, no, it’s perfect. It’s so good.”

Gu Yanqiu used her chopsticks to add another piece to her bowl. “That’s a bit exaggerated.”

Lin Yuewei’s sweet-talk switch was on intermittently, and she said with perfect righteousness, “Is it exaggerated when I’m praising my own wife? I even think I’m not praising you enough.”

Gu Yanqiu was speechless from her sudden sweet talk. Her lips parted, and an irresistible smile spread through her brows and eyes as she said softly, “Then eat more.”

Lin Yuewei lowered her voice and suddenly called to her with deep feeling, “Wife.”

Gu Yanqiu lowered her eyes, her cheeks faintly red, and said nothing.

Lin Yuewei smiled and pressed her advantage, teasing her, “Why aren’t you answering me?”

Gu Yanqiu dodged the issue: “Eat. The dishes are getting cold.”

Lin Yuewei rested her chopsticks on the celadon chopstick holder beside her and said, “If you don’t answer me, I won’t eat.”

Gu Yanqiu: “……”

Now she was even threatening her.

Lin Yuewei cleared her throat. “Wife.”

Gu Yanqiu: “...Mm.”

She lowered her head and said quickly, “Hurry up and eat; it really is getting cold.”

Author’s Note:

I don’t know if you all still remember that President Gu once posted Schrödinger with a burner account; warning, the disguise is about to fall off ╰(*°▽°*)╯

I’m waving the flag for the Forbidden City; charge!