Chapter 4

Lin Yuewei scooped up a spoonful of congee and absentmindedly brought it to her mouth, glancing over at Gu Yanqiu now and then to watch her movements.

Gu Yanqiu went into the kitchen and sorted through the groceries, putting some in the fridge and some in the sink. It looked like she was planning to make lunch.

She filled a kettle and boiled water.

Then she went to the adjoining washroom to wash her hands before drying them carefully with a towel.

After that, she returned to the kitchen, stood at the sink, and started washing the vegetables.

She was quiet and composed, and even her movements were light and careful. Apart from the sound of running water, she made almost no noise at all. Lin Yuewei lowered her head and glanced at the shadows beneath Gu Yanqiu’s feet. Mm, there was a shadow, so she wasn’t a ghost.

The two of them occupied their own spaces. Somehow, the scene was rather harmonious.

Lin Yuewei looked away and kept drinking her porridge at an unhurried pace. But porridge always ran out.

Gu Yanqiu placed the washed bok choy into the draining basket. Her beautiful fingers, soaked through, had wrinkled slightly. She shook the water from her hands, then her ear twitched and she slowly turned her head back.

Lin Yuewei unconsciously softened both her movements and her breathing. In a low voice, she said, “I’m done eating.”

Gu Yanqiu said, “Just leave the bowl in the sink.”

“How could I do that? I’ll wash it myself.”

Gu Yanqiu met her eyes for a moment, then looked away just as quickly and stepped aside. She removed the Buddhist beads from her wrist, held them in both hands, and moved the prayer beads one by one between her fingers.

Lin Yuewei’s scalp prickled as she stood there: “...”

She was just washing a bowl; why did it feel like she’d been respectfully seen off by a high monk?

“It’s washed.”

Lin Yuewei rinsed it a second time, then set the bowl down and hurried off, looking for all the world like she was fleeing in defeat.

Gu Yanqiu tilted her head, a faint smile tugging at her lips. Then she gently shook her head, picked up the bowl Lin Yuewei had left behind, wiped off the remaining water droplets, and neatly put it away in the cupboard.

“Mom.” Lin Yuewei went upstairs and called for her mother.

“Mm? Good girl, you miss Mom already?”

“No.” Lin Yuewei said, “Are you familiar with Gu Yanqiu?”

“So soon and you’re already interested in her?”

“Can you put something else in your head? You spend all day trying to pair your daughter off. I’m a woman, and your son-in-law is also a woman. Even if we wanted to have a child, it’d be impossible. Please wake up.”

“Hey, as long as you’re willing, nothing is impossible. Even if I have to turn the world upside down, Mom will get you a child. Don’t worry.”

Lin Yuewei couldn’t keep talking to her at all. “If you keep this up, I’m hanging up.”

Lin’s mother immediately turned serious again. “Not familiar.”

Lin Yuewei: “Huh?” For a moment, she didn’t even understand what Lin’s mother was saying.

“I answered your question,” Lin’s mother said. “Didn’t you ask whether I’m familiar with Gu Yanqiu? I answered you: not familiar.”

Lin Yuewei nearly choked. “You’re not familiar?! And you still married me off to her?”

“This pink one is nice; it makes me look younger. I’ll go with this one.”

Lin Yuewei could no longer tolerate it and roared at her mother, “I’m talking to you about the rest of my life, and you’re getting a manicure!”

Since Lin’s mother had already moved the receiver a little farther away, the sonic assault had no effect on her. She calmly brought the phone back to her ear and cooed, “Oh dear, I’d already made an appointment for nails. How was I supposed to know you’d call right then?”

“Talk properly!”

“Certainly, President Lin. What are your orders?”

The salon employee looked at the elegant lady in front of her and marveled at her ability to change expressions on a dime.

Lin Yuewei’s head hurt from anger. “What was I just saying?”

Lin’s mother repeated it back to her. “You asked whether I’m familiar with Gu Yanqiu; I said no, and then you cursed me out for getting a manicure for no reason.”

Lin Yuewei took a deep breath and showed remarkable tolerance for this shameless twisting of facts, forcing a smile through gritted teeth. “Fine, not familiar. Then why are you so calm? Aren’t you worried I’ll be cheated out of my money and my virtue?”

“You’re such a grown woman. How could you be so easily tricked? Besides, who’s cheating whom is still up in the air.” Lin’s mother sighed. “This isn’t something I can explain over the phone. I’ll tell you in detail next time you come home, all right?”

“I have one more question.”

“Go ahead.”

“Did you tell her my food preferences and daily habits?” Lin Yuewei had completely lost her smile. Did her mother even understand the freedom to choose a partner or her right to privacy? Even blind dates weren’t this much.

“Huh? The signal’s suddenly bad here. What did you say?” Lin’s mother pouted. “Beep-beep-beep—”

Lin Yuewei said, “Hello—”

And she was even doing her own sound effects?

Beep-beep-beep—

This time, it really did hang up.

Lin Yuewei: “...”

Gu Yanqiu finished washing the vegetables and checked the time; it was eleven in the morning. Lin Yuewei had only finished breakfast half an hour ago, so it was probably too early for lunch. She went back to her room to get her laptop, then sat on the living room sofa to work.

The living room had an entire wall of floor-to-ceiling windows, and sunlight poured in generously. The bright light would improve her mood, one way or another.

She replied to a few work emails, rolled her sore neck, then lowered her gaze and saw the Buddhist beads on her wrist. Her eyes slowly went distant. She absently stroked the scripture carved into the beads, her lips moving soundlessly.

Suddenly, the sound of a door slamming rang out beside her ear—bang, loud enough to yank her attention straight back to reality.

Then there was silence.

“Miss Lin?” Gu Yanqiu heard the sound from upstairs.

No response.

Out of basic humanitarian concern, Gu Yanqiu set the laptop on her lap aside, followed the sound upstairs, and stopped outside the other woman’s room. She pressed her lips together and raised a hand to knock lightly.

“Miss Lin?”

“I’m fine.” Lin Yuewei had slammed the door at first to vent her anger, and incidentally to be angry with Gu Yanqiu downstairs. But after slamming it, she regretted it. She didn’t need to think to know it had all been instigated by her mother; the other party was only doing it because she had something to ask of Lin Yuewei’s family and couldn’t refuse her.

She must have been in a difficult position too.

Gu Yanqiu paused outside the door for two seconds, intending to turn and leave.

Squeak.

The door opened from the inside.

Lin Yuewei poked her head out and looked at the woman standing at the door, graceful as bamboo. Rather awkwardly, she said, “Wait a moment.”

Gu Yanqiu conveyed her question with her eyes.

Lin Yuewei said with a hint of annoyance, “You don’t have to listen to what my mother says. She’s just bored.”

Gu Yanqiu said, “Does Miss Lin mean... what she said about trying to match us up?”

She was so direct that it suited Lin Yuewei perfectly; if she had been evasive, it would have made it seem like Lin Yuewei had something to hide. “Yes, that. Don’t listen to a single word she says. She’s going through menopause and spends all day thinking about how to find me a partner.”

“Auntie is doing it for your own good.” Gu Yanqiu smiled faintly.

Lin Yuewei blurted out, “Let her do it for your own good, then. If you had a mom like that, you’d know—” Her voice cut off abruptly. She wanted nothing more than to seal her too-fast mouth shut. The former Madam Gu’s bones hadn’t even gone cold yet.

She looked at Gu Yanqiu and, as expected, saw the other woman’s gaze dim slightly.

Lin Yuewei said, “I didn’t mean that. I’m sorry.”

Gu Yanqiu shook her head lightly and smiled with closed lips. “It’s fine.”

Lin Yuewei said, “Um, what I just told you...”

“I understand.” Gu Yanqiu said, “I never took that matter to heart in the first place. Breakfast was only a small favor. You don’t have any plans to date, and neither do I; on that point, we’ve already reached a consensus.”

“Oh, then that’s good. So there’s nothing between us anymore, right?” Lin Yuewei pointed at Gu Yanqiu, then at herself.

“Yes, nothing.” Gu Yanqiu said.

“Then I’m going back to my room. Oh, and next time, don’t do any more little favors on the side. I can take care of myself.” There was one more thing Lin Yuewei didn’t say, grumbling inwardly: so I don’t get the wrong idea again.

“All right.” Gu Yanqiu nodded, her voice even.

Lin Yuewei closed the door and leaned against it, frowning.

She had clearly received the other woman’s affirmation, and it was also the answer she had wanted. Yet Lin Yuewei suddenly felt as if she’d been slapped in the face. She had said so much, and in the end the other person hadn’t taken any of it to heart at all; it made her look like she was wishful, as if she were the one overthinking things.

Lin Yuewei walked to the washbasin and looked at her reflection in the mirror. This was, after all, a face gorgeous beyond measure; her skin was delicate enough to break at a touch. Not interested in her? Then why did Gu Yanqiu keep staring at her in a daze?

Forget it. It was better if Gu Yanqiu didn’t like her anyway. She wasn’t some irresistible delicacy that everyone had to like. Gu Yanqiu was that beautiful too, and she still couldn’t make Lin Yuewei fall for her, could she?

With that thought, Lin Yuewei felt better. Let her mother perform a one-woman show by herself. Since neither of them was paying any attention, could she still force the two of them to be together?

Lin Yuewei flopped onto the bed, crossed her hands behind her head, and closed her eyes for a fake nap.

***

Gu Yanqiu glanced at the time in the lower-right corner of her computer. One o’clock in the afternoon. She shut down the laptop, removed her Buddhist beads and placed them on the coffee table, then rolled up her sleeves and went into the kitchen.

More than half an hour later, the aroma of food had seeped from the kitchen into the dining room, filling the space.

Gu Yanqiu lifted the lid of the pot. The water had been added just right; the rice grains were plump and white. She naturally picked up two bowls, but when she set them on the counter, her eyes narrowed slightly. With a teasing curve of her lips, she put one back.

Lin Yuewei came downstairs drawn by the smell, sniffing as she walked and thinking in confusion: why was there such a difference between rich young ladies? This food smelled so good; it even smelled better than what the housekeeper made at her own home.

Gu Yanqiu was still as proper as ever, seated upright at the dining table, her beautiful, slender fingers holding bamboo chopsticks as she ate in a measured, unhurried manner.

Lin Yuewei hadn’t even been that hungry at first, but the moment she saw Gu Yanqiu eating, her stomach started rumbling.

She rubbed her starving belly and walked instinctively toward the kitchen.

“Miss Lin.”

As Lin Yuewei passed by Gu Yanqiu, the other woman called out and stopped her.

“What is it?”

Gu Yanqiu feigned surprise. “You want to eat lunch?”

“Or what?” Lin Yuewei lifted a brow.

“Sorry, Miss Lin.” Gu Yanqiu set down her chopsticks. Genuine apology showed in her dark eyes as she said, “A moment ago, you told me not to keep doing little favors, so I didn’t make your portion.”

Lin Yuewei: “...”

Author’s note:

Mini scene, Lin Yuewei: Are you really having fun being this petty?

Gu Yanqiu: I am, yes :)

Rong Rong, wavering between whether Lin should be the top or Gu should be the top →_→

President Gu: Thinking you can cut ties with me? Impossible ╭(╯^╰)╮