Chapter 37
A dozen thoughts flashed through Lin Yuewei’s mind at once: old fox, shrewd and calculating, sly and deep. Every one of them fit her mother perfectly. Who would have thought she could come up with such a devious scheme to keep someone here?
Not only had Lin’s mother made Gu Yanqiu drink; Lin Yuewei herself had also drunk, so there was no way she could send Gu Yanqiu home.
Gu Yanqiu did want to stay, but Lin Yuewei was practically radiating resentment beside her. Gu Yanqiu sighed inwardly; in the end, she still politely declined. “Auntie, I can have my assistant come pick me up.”
“Isn’t it Sunday today? Your assistant needs a day off too. You can’t exploit your employees just because you’re the boss.” Lin’s mother blinked at her.
“I’ll give him extra pay.”
“Your assistant has a girlfriend and a family; that wouldn’t be very nice.” Lin’s mother rubbed her hands together. “Don’t you think so?”
Gu Yanqiu smiled, about to keep arguing with Lin’s mother, when Lin Yuewei had already turned and gone upstairs.
The living room fell quiet.
Gu Yanqiu watched her retreating back disappear and said with a wry smile, “Auntie, you can see she doesn’t welcome me. I can’t shamelessly stay on.”
Lin’s mother also let out a sigh. If Lin Yuewei truly didn’t want this, she couldn’t knock the girl out and force the two of them to lie down together. “Then call your assistant and ask. If it’s inconvenient for him, I can quickly make up a guest room for you.”
Gu Yanqiu thought to herself that Lin Zhi generally wouldn’t be inconvenienced; he was a local, and by now he should have finished dinner. Coming over to pick her up shouldn’t be a problem.
Unexpectedly, the least likely thing was exactly what happened to her.
“Miss Gu?”
“I’m outside having dinner. I’ve had some wine and can’t get back now. Do you have time to come pick me up?”
Before Lin Zhi could answer, another voice came through the phone. “Who is it?”
A bright, crisp female voice.
Lin Zhi said, “My boss. She wants me to go pick her up.”
The girl huffed. “Then I’m canceling the movie tickets.”
Lin Zhi coaxed her, “Don’t be mad yet. I’ll step aside and take this.”
Only then did Gu Yanqiu catch on. “You’re out on a date with your girlfriend?” That made sense. It was the weekend; surely young people should be allowed to go out for dinner and a movie. If she and Lin Yuewei were truly husband and wife in the real sense, today they would have been dining at her in-laws’ home.
Lin Zhi gave a soft, guilty sound of acknowledgment.
Gu Yanqiu said, “Go keep your girlfriend company.”
Lin Zhi said, “Sorry about that. How about I find a friend to pick you up instead?”
“No need, I’ll find someone myself.” Gu Yanqiu was very guarded by nature; she did not trust others easily. Unless she was in a hurry and had absolutely no choice, she didn’t even take ride-hailing cars; she would rather drive herself.
“Then I’m going?”
“Go ahead.”
Gu Yanqiu put away her phone. Lin’s mother, who had listened to part of the call from the side, understood what was going on. Since she no longer had matchmaking on the brain, she said, “I’ll call our driver and ask, but he also has to spend Sundays with his family.”
“No need, Auntie.”
“Then what other way do you have?”
“Which room is the guest room? I’ll go tidy it myself. Sorry to trouble you, Auntie.”
“How can that be polite?”
“Back when I was studying abroad, I always had to clean up and cook for myself; I’m used to it.”
“Then I’ll help you tidy up,” Lin’s mother said, then glanced upstairs. “Don’t mind her. Yuewei’s just throwing a little childish tantrum.”
“I won’t.” Gu Yanqiu smiled gently.
“Although I’m trying to bring you two together, I’m not going to set you up recklessly. I’ve never asked you this before; what do you think of her? Do you think there might be a future?” Lin’s mother asked with complete seriousness.
“Auntie, these things depend on fate.” Gu Yanqiu’s expression remained as warm as before; nothing of her real emotions showed.
Lin’s mother could tell she was dodging the question, but the fact that she hadn’t refused outright meant there was still hope. She only hoped the girl wasn’t saying this out of consideration for her feelings.
“Are you living alone now?” Lin’s mother asked.
“Yes.”
“If you have time, come sit here more often. Her father is on business trips, and Yuewei will probably only get busier and busier in the future. You saw it this time too; she hasn’t come home once in four months. If you don’t mind, I can treat you like my second daughter.”
“You’re too kind, Auntie. Just for all the help you’ve given me, I’ll definitely come often. I only hope you won’t mind.”
“How could I mind? I’d be delighted for you to come.”
“What about Miss Lin?”
“No need to worry about her.” Lin’s mother waved a hand. “Anyway, she doesn’t come home often. At worst, I’ll just pick times when she isn’t here.”
Gu Yanqiu hesitated for a moment, then still smiled and nodded.
A question flickered through her mind like a passing spark: why was Lin’s mother so good to her? And why was her effort to bring them together so much greater than that of an ordinary parent? Even though she and Lin Yuewei were still in a state of mutual frost, Lin’s mother’s attitude had never changed.
At times, that kindness even made Gu Yanqiu feel as though she was being recruited.
Was Lin’s mother... trying to win her over?
Gu Yanqiu dismissed the thought. She had nothing to her name right now; what would there be to recruit? The Lin family and the Gu family had always cooperated with each other. This marriage alliance was only the icing on the cake, adding chips to her hand. Even without Gu Yanqiu, the Lin and Gu families were already business partners.
***
Lin Yuewei went back to her room and lay on the bed for a while. Unable to help herself, she sneaked back out and hid by the upstairs hallway to listen for movement below. She hadn’t heard the earlier part of the phone call between Gu Yanqiu and Lin Zhi; she only heard that the two of them were going to tidy up the guest room together.
Was the guest room upstairs or downstairs?
Lin Yuewei looked around once, then again. Since neither of them came upstairs, she confirmed that Gu Yanqiu was planning to stay in the downstairs guest room. Her family only kept relatives from far away overnight during the New Year; the guest room was otherwise just for collecting dust. Cleaning it up would probably take quite a while.
Her mother was just making trouble for no reason, insisting that someone drink; now she was getting a taste of her own medicine.
She wasn’t going to help. Rude or not, so be it.
Five minutes later, Lin Yuewei appeared at the guest room door. Inside, the two people who had already “fully armed” themselves and were respectively sweeping and wiping the desktop both looked over. Lin Yuewei asked, “Is there anything I can help with?”
Gu Yanqiu blinked. She was a guest and didn’t answer.
Lin’s mother wasn’t polite at all. “Go get the bedding out of the cabinet.”
“Got it.”
“Wait. If you take it out now, it’ll get dusty. Go wipe the bedside table.”
Lin Yuewei glanced at the bedside table. It wasn’t even that big of an area. Tch.
“Miss Lin?” Gu Yanqiu was shoved out of the guest room by Lin Yuewei without discussion, and her rag was taken from her hand.
“Guests should just sit on the sofa. I’ll handle this.”
Lin Yuewei threw herself into the work. Even Lin’s mother was stunned by her energy and clicked her tongue. “Why don’t I ever see you clean your own room with this much enthusiasm? You leave everything to Auntie.”
Lin Yuewei shut the guest room door and shrugged with a smile. “Auntie wasn’t here, was she? I could only do it myself.”
Lin’s mother gave her a suspicious look.
Gu Yanqiu sat obediently in the living room, sliding the Buddhist prayer beads from her wrist into her palm, then back from her palm to her wrist, her eyes lowered and quiet.
“Cough, cough, cough.” Lin Yuewei opened the door to air out the room and came out covered in dust.
Gu Yanqiu moved slightly, suppressing the urge to stand up from the sofa.
After sweeping and mopping, after making the bed, Lin Yuewei squatted down so that her gaze was level with the top of the bedside table. The pads of her fingers brushed over the surface; not a trace of dust remained. Satisfied, Lin Yuewei stood and stretched. Work finished.
“Sorry to trouble you, Auntie.” Gu Yanqiu thanked Lin’s mother.
Lin Yuewei shot her a glance.
Gu Yanqiu looked back at her, saying nothing.
Lin Yuewei: “...”
Why was she only thanking her mom and not her?
Gu Yanqiu formally moved into the guest room. Lin’s mother’s plan had only been half successful; claiming she was sleepy, she retreated to her own room before nine o’clock, leaving space for the two young people.
Before she left, she specifically reminded Lin Yuewei, “If Yanqiu doesn’t understand something or needs anything, you’re in charge of explaining and helping her.”
Lin Yuewei and Gu Yanqiu stood facing each other. Lin Yuewei said, “I’m going upstairs. Call me if you need anything.”
“Okay.”
Ten minutes after Lin Yuewei went upstairs, Gu Yanqiu’s phone call came through.
“What is it?”
“How do I adjust the hot and cold water in the bathroom?” Gu Yanqiu stood helplessly in front of the bathroom. No matter how she adjusted it, only cold water came out. Luckily, she hadn’t taken her clothes off before going in.
“Wait for me. I’ll come down right now.”
“Okay.” Gu Yanqiu hung up.
This was the second time Gu Yanqiu had called her. Lin Yuewei stared at the string of digits for a few seconds and took the chance to save it. When she was entering the contact name, she hesitated a little; her lips puffed out unconsciously, and she typed in a few words.
After checking it once to make sure both sides were cold water, Lin Yuewei said, “Maybe it’s broken because it hasn’t been used in too long. How about you—”
As she said that, she looked up and happened to meet Gu Yanqiu’s dark, deep eyes.
For some reason, Lin Yuewei panicked for a second, her heart pounding like a drum. After a beat, she found her sense again and smoothly finished the rest of her sentence. “How about you go wash in my mom’s bathroom?”
Gu Yanqiu: “...”
Lin Yuewei read a trace of grievance from her deer-like, clear eyes.
Her heart suddenly felt as though a small hand had grabbed it, giving it a light squeeze. It didn’t hurt much, but it was sour and lingering. Lin Yuewei coughed and quickly changed her words. “Just kidding. Go wash upstairs instead. You don’t have pajamas, right? I have some. Of course, you can wear my mom’s too, haha.”
Gu Yanqiu still didn’t answer. She simply looked at her, and her long eyelashes lowered, casting tiny shadows over her eyes and hiding that almost imperceptible hint of happiness.
Lin Yuewei felt like she’d brightened up.
She couldn’t help wondering if she was overthinking everything. The other woman hadn’t said a word, hadn’t even changed expression, yet she’d imagined all kinds of things on her own. Wake up, Lin Yuewei told herself; hadn’t this person said five or six times before that she wasn’t interested in you? Had she already forgotten it? She remembered the bite and forgot the pain.
Lin Yuewei’s expression paused slightly. The surface of her heart had stilled. She took the lead and stepped out of the bathroom. “Come with me.”
“No.”
“Huh? No what?”
“I don’t want Auntie’s pajamas.” Gu Yanqiu pressed her lips together and said seriously.
Lin Yuewei couldn’t help laughing.
Lin Yuewei taught her how to use the switches in her own bathroom once through, then brought over the pajamas she had worn at noon. “For toiletries, use mine. As for brushing your teeth—right, brushing your teeth. I remember there are spare toothbrushes at home. You shower first; I’ll go find one for you.”
Lin Yuewei hurried downstairs again.
Gu Yanqiu watched her back, the corners of her lips lifting slightly as her eyes narrowed a little.
Author’s note:
There’s no way they’re sleeping in the same bed. Even though I want that too, Miss Lin isn’t someone who gives in so easily; the only person who can currently share a bed with her is Jiang Congbi ╰(*°▽°*)╯
Jiang Congbi: Why are you dragging me out to take the heat for no reason? I’m still just a baby TUT
Take a guess—what nickname did Lin Yuewei save for Miss Gu, hahaha →_→