Chapter 77
On their first day together, the two of them had a brief argument, then made up.
Gu Yanqiu was backed against the bedroom wardrobe, one arm around Lin Yuewei’s nape and the other around her waist. Their foreheads were touching, and both of them were a little breathless.
Although their technical skill hadn’t improved much in such a short time, they could both faintly feel the wonder of kissing. Lin Yuewei had developed a taste for it and clung to her without letting go, sneaking in kisses from time to time.
Gu Yanqiu had long since stopped being angry. The two of them lingered in the corner for a while, and Gu Yanqiu pinched Lin Yuewei’s wrist as she reminded her softly, “If we don’t leave now, we won’t make it to dinner.”
Lin Yuewei buried her face in her neck instead and hummed, “I don’t want to go.”
Gu Yanqiu said, “No, you’ll get hungry.”
Lin Yuewei openly inhaled her scent and said, “I’m used to it. I’m not hungry.”
Gu Yanqiu said, “I mean I’ll get hungry.”
Lin Yuewei was about to blow up on the spot when Gu Yanqiu added unhurriedly, “You already agreed to me just now, and today is a day worth remembering. You can’t be lazy.”
Lin Yuewei pretended to be angry and said, “If you’d said that a little later, you’d be seeing my wrath right now.”
Gu Yanqiu’s brows drew together slightly. “Why?”
In the less than two hours since they had gotten together, Gu Yanqiu had frowned more times than she usually did in an entire week. She had too many things she didn’t understand, and in every matter she liked to ask why.
If it were someone else, she probably wouldn’t ask, and wouldn’t care about most people’s hidden thoughts. But Lin Yuewei was different. She was Gu Yanqiu’s girlfriend, and also the closest person to her now and in the future, if nothing unexpected happened.
She wanted to understand every thought Lin Yuewei had, and the motive behind every thought. And what she believed was the best and most proper way to do that was to ask directly.
But she had overlooked one thing: human feelings weren’t something you could reason through. In certain situations, some people didn’t need communication at all; in fact, they found it extremely annoying.
Lin Yuewei glanced at Gu Yanqiu, who was all seriousness, and said, “Why do you always have so many whys?”
Gu Yanqiu answered honestly, “Because I don’t understand.”
Lin Yuewei wanted to explain that she was just being a little tsundere, wanting Gu Yanqiu to coax her a couple more times; ideally, to soothe her, kiss her, and then she’d obediently go eat. Since it was such an important day, Lin Yuewei certainly wouldn’t let it pass by so carelessly.
But as the words surged to her lips, she grew embarrassed. If everything were laid bare on the table, what would be left of romance? Sometimes you needed that half-hidden, half-understood tacit connection.
Come to think of it, Gu Yanqiu had such perfect tacit understanding with her when they played games, but when it came to this sort of thing, she was so straight-faced it was almost ridiculous.
Of course, Lin Yuewei didn’t think she was some flawless perfect girlfriend either. She wasn’t that narcissistic. So weighing one against the other, she decided Gu Yanqiu was forgivable. Lin Yuewei patted her cheek and smiled. “Nothing. Let’s go eat.”
She tugged at Gu Yanqiu’s hand, but it didn’t move. Turning back, she found Gu Yanqiu deep in thought about something. Lin Yuewei sighed. “Do you have to be this serious? I was only joking. Aren’t you hungry? Let’s hurry up and eat.”
Gu Yanqiu looked at her and followed her downstairs.
Lin Yuewei was forgetful enough that by the time they reached the bottom of the stairs, she had already thrown away even that not-quite-pleasant, not-quite-unpleasant feeling between them. She hung both her own and Gu Yanqiu’s bags on her own arm; when Gu Yanqiu looked over, Lin Yuewei immediately smiled and said, “From now on, whenever we go out together, I’ll carry your things.”
Gu Yanqiu’s lips moved, but she said nothing. From her expression, Lin Yuewei guessed she probably wanted to ask why; fortunately, she didn’t say it out loud, or Lin Yuewei might not have been able to resist pinching her face hard.
Gu Yanqiu opened the front passenger door for Lin Yuewei, bracing a hand on the junction between the car door and the roof as she watched Lin Yuewei get in, then walked around to the other side and took the driver’s seat.
“So where’s this restaurant?” Lin Yuewei asked as soon as she got in.
Gu Yanqiu gave her the address. “You’ve been there before. The one Gu Feiquan took us to last time. There aren’t many people, and it’s quiet.”
“Oh.” Lin Yuewei answered, then turned to look at Gu Yanqiu without blinking, from her full forehead to her high nose bridge, and then to her lips, whose color had been made vividly red by kisses.
Gu Yanqiu felt awkward under her gaze and asked, “What are you looking at?”
Lin Yuewei answered without thinking, “Looking at my girlfriend.”
The only feeling she had when she said that was pure satisfaction. This openly not-having-to-secretly-like-someone feeling was just too good. Was dating always like this? Why hadn’t she started dating earlier? She’d wasted so much time.
Gu Yanqiu pressed her lips together and said nothing.
Shy? Lin Yuewei thought.
It was only the first day; better to be reserved, so as not to scare her. Thinking that, Lin Yuewei withdrew her gaze.
Gu Yanqiu’s straight back finally relaxed against the driver’s seat.
Yanning’s evening rush hour lasted a very long time, and the western restaurant was in the city center. Halfway there, they unsurprisingly ran into traffic. Lin Yuewei sat up and looked ahead. The cars in front stretched all the way around a winding bend to an intersection two hundred meters ahead; there was no way they’d get through anytime soon.
She turned to Gu Yanqiu. “Your hand.”
Gu Yanqiu held out her right hand. Lin Yuewei took it and placed it on her own lap, trapping both of Gu Yanqiu’s hands above and below as she stroked the back of it and sighed, “Your hands are so smooth.”
Gu Yanqiu narrowed her eyes slightly, then let go of the steering wheel with both hands and turned sideways to place her other hand there as well. Four hands in all, stacked together.
They looked at each other, and Lin Yuewei smiled.
“Hey, I suddenly remembered something,” Lin Yuewei said.
“What?”
“Just...” The car in front moved forward a meter, and Lin Yuewei broke off. “Go forward first, or someone’s going to cut in.”
Gu Yanqiu withdrew one hand, controlled the car, and moved forward exactly one meter, maintaining the same distance as before.
Lin Yuewei turned her hand over in her own and kneaded it, then smiled a little sheepishly. “Back when we were in Gaoshan County, when we went out for dinner at night, do you remember that couple who walked past us?”
“I do,” Gu Yanqiu said. “You kept watching that young couple until they held hands, then turned back with obvious regret on your face, looking all envious.”
“...” Lin Yuewei said, “Hey, when was I ever looking enviously?”
If Gu Yanqiu could tell she was envious, would she have had to wait until today?
Gu Yanqiu stared ahead and said in complete seriousness, “I inferred it backward from the result that you liked me.”
Lin Yuewei pinched the back of her hand. It didn’t hurt, so Gu Yanqiu had no reaction, only turning to look at her.
Lin Yuewei looked back at her, then suddenly curved her lips and held up her hand, pressing a kiss to the spot where she’d just pinched her.
Gu Yanqiu was at a loss for words. “You..."
Lin Yuewei kissed her again, with a crisp smack.
Gu Yanqiu’s heart itched from the kisses, and she made to lean over. Lin Yuewei’s voice suddenly rose. “Quick! Someone’s going to cut in!”
Gu Yanqiu hurriedly looked ahead. The car in front hadn’t moved at all. When she turned back, Lin Yuewei was leaning against her seat and laughing hahahaha.
Gu Yanqiu drew her hand back.
Lin Yuewei said, “Why are you being so petty?”
Gu Yanqiu said frankly, “You’re not telling me anything I don’t already know.”
The corners of Lin Yuewei’s mouth lifted as she rubbed her nose.
“Not only am I petty, I also hold grudges,” Gu Yanqiu said. Once she’d finished, her two liberated hands made a ferocious little “super fierce” gesture.
Lin Yuewei laughed so hard she could barely stop.
Gu Yanqiu said, “Enough.”
Lin Yuewei tried to stop for a moment, then burst into laughter again. “Hahahahaha.”
Gu Yanqiu helplessly shook her head, the corner of her mouth lifting.
The whole way there, Lin Yuewei was laughing. No matter what Gu Yanqiu did, it could hit her funny bone: whether it was the way she skillfully and methodically eased the car forward with the rhythm of traffic, or the way she waited at red lights and occasionally lowered the window to glance at the night view outside.
By the time they reached the restaurant, Gu Yanqiu found a place to park. Lin Yuewei rubbed the muscles of her face, which had gone stiff from smiling, and said, “I think I’m a little excited.”
“I noticed,” Gu Yanqiu said, turning off the engine and getting out first before walking around to the passenger side.
Lin Yuewei bent out of the car and asked, “Aren’t you excited?”
“I’m all right,” Gu Yanqiu said. She closed the passenger door, then went to the back seat for the bags.
Her greatest excitement had been when they’d just gotten home in the afternoon, when Lin Yuewei had kissed her fiercely on the sofa. Her heartbeat had been so intense she’d almost thought it might stop. After that, it had just been happiness; the peak of excitement had already passed, so naturally she couldn’t stay excited. Besides, she was the driver, and they’d run into traffic. It was just as well that she wasn’t excited; if she had been, she and Lin Yuewei might not have arrived safely.
Lin Yuewei: “Mm.”
Gu Yanqiu carried two bags in one hand and naturally took Lin Yuewei’s hand with the other, leading her inside.
Lin Yuewei lowered her head to look at their joined hands. Her fingers struggled for a moment, then spread the five fingers apart and threaded them into the gaps between Gu Yanqiu’s before tightening her grip. Gu Yanqiu’s steps paused almost imperceptibly, then continued on.
The restaurant’s outer glass had been wiped so clean it shone like a mirror. Gu Yanqiu glanced up by accident and could hardly believe the person inside, grinning so widely her mouth almost reached her ears, was her.
And then she looked at Lin Yuewei. Lin Yuewei wasn’t doing much better than she was. Gu Yanqiu felt balanced all at once; they were both in the same boat.
So she was very excited too.
Gu Yanqiu and Lin Yuewei walked into the restaurant with their fingers interlaced, gave the reserved name and phone number, and were led by a waiter to their booked table. Coincidentally, it was the same table Gu Feiquan had reserved last time.
The two sat down facing each other, and when their hands separated, they both felt a little reluctant.
Lin Yuewei estimated the length of the table and concluded that no matter what, they couldn’t reach each other’s hands from under it.
She coughed lightly.
Gu Yanqiu looked at her. “What is it?”
Lin Yuewei extended her hand and placed it flat on the tabletop without saying anything. After hesitating for a moment, Gu Yanqiu put hers on too; they just happened to touch, and Lin Yuewei immediately took Gu Yanqiu’s hand.
The waiter’s eyes were full of: oh my god, are they about to perform a life-and-death farewell? After that, he didn’t know where to look.
Until Lin Yuewei said, “Order.”
The waiter instantly displayed his professional polish, presenting the menu that looked very high-end and making all kinds of enthusiastic recommendations.
Lin Yuewei raised one index finger to interrupt him, then opened a page with her free hand and asked Gu Yanqiu, “What do you want to eat?”
Gu Yanqiu said, “The lamb chops you ordered for me last time; have another serving.” Lin Yuewei had personally cut them up for her, but because of Gu Feiquan, she hadn’t gotten to eat them.
Lin Yuewei said, “Okay. Then I’ll have the same as you.” Wasn’t that called a couple’s meal?
Gu Yanqiu said, “You can order something different, and then we can swap and eat each other’s.”
Lin Yuewei thought about it and immediately realized that was a good idea. When she ate with Jiang Congbi, they occasionally ordered different things for each other too; one person couldn’t finish too many varieties, but two people were different.
How could Gu Yanqiu be so smart? As expected of her wife and girlfriend.
Lin Yuewei smiled at her and ordered five or six items in one breath. Gu Yanqiu said softly, “That’s enough; you won’t be able to finish it.”
Lin Yuewei added two different soups, closed the menu, and said to the waiter, “That’s all, thank you.”
The waiter seized the gap and said, “Since National Day is coming up soon, our restaurant has a couples’ event recently.”
Gu Yanqiu: “...”
Wasn’t a couples’ event supposed to be related to Qixi? Since when did it have anything to do with National Day?
Lin Yuewei hadn’t heard what the waiter said clearly; the only word in her head was “couples.” This waiter really had a good eye, spotting at once that they were a couple.
Lin Yuewei said, “Yes, yes, good, yes, yes.”
The waiter left happily.
Gu Yanqiu sighed. “Do you know what you just did?”
Lin Yuewei said, “No.”
Gu Yanqiu didn’t say it outright; she only looked at her with pity. “You’ll know in a moment.”
Lin Yuewei: “Huh?”
Whatever it was, it didn’t matter. She was happy today, so anything was fine.
It wasn’t until the dishes they ordered were brought over that the two of them reluctantly let go. They cut the meat on their plates separately, then took turns feeding each other bite after bite, occasionally gazing at one another with overwhelming sweetness.
Lin Yuewei was practically floating. So this was dating. Was this syrupy feeling, sweeter than spilling a whole jar of honey, really real? Compared to this, Gu Yanqiu’s straightness was practically insignificant, okay?
By the end, they were a little too full, but with love propping them up from below, they still finished everything they’d ordered.
After resting for a bit, Lin Yuewei said, “Check, please.”
It was the same waiter from before, who brought over the bill and several forms. Gu Yanqiu turned her head away, trying to hide the curve of her smile.
Lin Yuewei pointed at the stack of forms. “What’s this?”
Did this restaurant make paying that complicated?
The waiter set the papers neatly in front of her, then pulled a pen from his chest pocket and said, “Please fill in your personal information and our membership card will be registered. The membership card gets you 8.8% off; it’s very quick.”
Lin Yuewei stared blankly. “What membership card?”
The waiter wore a standard smile. “It’s the couples’ event our restaurant launched. You can choose the card design yourself; there are some very cute couple designs.”
Lin Yuewei: “Huh?” She looked at Gu Yanqiu. Had she agreed to this just now?
Gu Yanqiu nodded, trying hard not to laugh.
Lin Yuewei: “........”
As the distinguished Miss Lin, she naturally wouldn’t go back on her word over a mere membership card, so she could only grit her teeth and apply for it. Twirling the pen between her fingers, she looked down at the form and asked casually, “How much credit does your membership card have?”
The waiter rattled off several numbers, from low to high.
Lin Yuewei, who had already prepared herself for the high spending of a western restaurant: “........”
Why didn’t they just rob her?
Was it too late to regret it now?
Gu Yanqiu knew Lin Yuewei didn’t have much money right now, and still owed her three million. Although she had just taken on a lot of jobs, the money probably hadn’t been paid out yet. Just based on the spending level here, the lump sum needed for the membership card would empty more than half of Lin Yuewei’s little private stash.
Gu Yanqiu reached out to take the form from Lin Yuewei and offered to smooth things over for her. “I’ll do it.”
Lin Yuewei pressed down on the form under her hand.
Gu Yanqiu frowned. Lin Yuewei let go again and said, “You do it.”
Gu Yanqiu filled it out in a flash. The waiter led them to the front desk to handle the final formalities, then finally pulled out more than a dozen membership cards in different styles from a drawer; some were high-end and grand, some were understated and luxurious, and some were cute and pink with girlish charm. Gu Yanqiu let Lin Yuewei choose. Lin Yuewei picked one with two chibi girls and asked, “You don’t mind, do you?”
Gu Yanqiu said, “If you don’t mind, then I don’t mind.”
Lin Yuewei said, “Then this one.”
Gu Yanqiu handed the card and its packaging to the waiter. “This one.”
After the waiter settled the bill, he asked, “Would you like to scan to join? If there are any new promotions, we’ll notify the group.”
“No, thank you.” Lin Yuewei nudged Gu Yanqiu’s arm just as she was about to take out her phone.
Gu Yanqiu smiled at the waiter.
“Have a nice day.” The waiter beamed and escorted them all the way to the door.
Lin Yuewei pulled out her phone. “I’ll transfer you the money.”
Gu Yanqiu asked, “Why are you transferring money?”
Lin Yuewei said, “I was the one who got carried away and agreed to get this membership card.”
Gu Yanqiu said, “Then aren’t you going to come here and eat in the future? 8.8% off seems pretty worthwhile to me. Besides, why didn’t you let me scan just now? We can come when there’s a promotion and save another chunk of money.”
Lin Yuewei was getting dizzy from her logic. “What?”
“What what?” Gu Yanqiu didn’t understand.
“What what what?” Lin Yuewei frowned. She’d agreed to the membership card, so of course she should pay for it. Even brothers settled accounts clearly; they should split what needed splitting.
“What what what what?” Gu Yanqiu frowned along with her.
Just when Lin Yuewei thought they were going to go on asking what until the end of time and was starting to lose patience, Gu Yanqiu suddenly hugged her.
Lin Yuewei: “???”
She looked front, back, left, and right; nobody was around.
Lin Yuewei gently patted her back and asked in a soft voice, “What are you doing?” She was clinging to her like some huge pet.
Gu Yanqiu said, “Nothing. I just don’t know what to say anymore.” If she kept going, she was afraid the two of them would start arguing, and anyway, she wasn’t taking her money.
Lin Yuewei: “........”
Lin Yuewei said, “You didn’t know what to say, so you hugged me?”
Gu Yanqiu poked her chin against Lin Yuewei’s shoulder twice.
Lin Yuewei said nothing. After a while, she tightened both arms around her waist, used some force, and lifted her off the ground, saying, “What if I insist on paying?”
“Then I’ll keep hugging you.”
“Someone will see.”
“Let them see.”
“Aren’t you shy?” Lin Yuewei was a little surprised.
“I am shy, but they can’t see my face,” Gu Yanqiu said, burying her face a little deeper in Lin Yuewei’s neck. “They can see you, and then you’ll be seen. Famous actress Lin Yuewei openly hugging and holding on to a—”
To a what? She stalled for a moment, then decided to skip it. “Hugging and cuddling in public; completely improper.”
Lin Yuewei laughed. “Who’s a famous actress? I’m just a nobody. The kind of person most people wouldn’t recognize if I walked down the street.”
Gu Yanqiu said, “I traveled here from the future.”
“Fine, fine.” Lin Yuewei rubbed her back and said, “Let’s go home. Clinging to each other here all the time isn’t proper either. Even if I’m a nobody, what if someone recognizes me? That wouldn’t be good.”
Gu Yanqiu still wouldn’t let go. “The membership card money...”
Lin Yuewei said helplessly, “I won’t pay.”
At worst, when she earned money later, she’d repay her in another way; maybe give her a piece of jewelry or something.
Gu Yanqiu let go readily and was back to dignified seriousness in a second. “Let’s go. Home.”
Lin Yuewei marveled at how quickly she could change faces. Gu Yanqiu had walked only a couple of steps before noticing she hadn’t followed, so she looked back, one brow lifting in mild confusion. Lin Yuewei chased after her in three quick strides.
“Let’s go.”
After being excited for several hours, and then sitting steadily in the car, the saying “food coma” came to mind; Lin Yuewei looked at the road ahead for a while, and her eyelids began to wrestle with each other, pulling together in a lingering, affectionate struggle.
When Gu Yanqiu glanced to her side for a moment, Lin Yuewei had already fallen asleep, her face turned toward her, breathing soft.
Gu Yanqiu lifted her eyes to look around, then parked by the roadside after driving a while. She unfastened her seatbelt, moved to Lin Yuewei’s right side, and lowered the seat. Lin Yuewei stirred midway through, as if she’d opened her eyes to glance at her, then closed them again.
“Are we there?” Lin Yuewei asked dazedly.
Gu Yanqiu was sure she had opened her eyes. “Twenty more minutes.”
Lin Yuewei kept her eyes closed. “Why is it still so far?”
Gu Yanqiu thought: You fell asleep as soon as you got in the car, so of course it’s still far.
She lightly patted the back of Lin Yuewei’s hand. “Sleep. I’ll wake you when we get there.”
“Mm.”
Gu Yanqiu studied her face for a while, then lowered her head and brushed Lin Yuewei’s lips with her own before sitting back upright.
Lin Yuewei asked her, “Did you kiss me?”
Gu Yanqiu replied, “Mm.”
Lin Yuewei also said “Mm,” then added, “That was nice.”
It really was nice.
There was no more tension or unease, only the quiet, flowing calm of time, and the small, ordinary happiness that could be clearly felt from the steady heartbeat in her chest.
Gu Yanqiu turned left and drove back onto the proper road.
By the time they were almost home, Lin Yuewei woke up on her own, adjusted her seat, and sat up, yawning repeatedly.
“Sleep when we get home,” Gu Yanqiu said, unable to bear it.
“Okay.”
At night, they naturally didn’t dare take an “mandarin duck bath”; Lin Yuewei was very sleepy and in a rush to sleep, so the two of them washed up separately in their own rooms. When Gu Yanqiu opened the door and came in, Lin Yuewei was already under the covers, her eyes narrowed to slits, drowning in sleepiness. “It’s too late today. Tomorrow during the day, move your things over here. My place is big.”
Gu Yanqiu agreed and took off her shoes to get into bed.
Lin Yuewei reached a hand under her neck, using it as a pillow, and pulled her close in one motion, kissing her firmly once before saying, “Good night.”
“...Good night.”
Gu Yanqiu looked at her several more times, then lifted her head and slowly drew out the arm Lin Yuewei had tucked under her nape, slipping her own arm under instead before contentedly hugging Lin Yuewei properly.
Lin Yuewei felt something pressing against her neck, forcing her whole head back at an angle and making her look a bit elevated. But she was too sleepy to bother opening her eyes, so she let it press against her.
Until she felt her forehead bump into someone’s nose, warm breath fanning over her cheek, ticklish.
Too sleepy, but unable to sleep.
Lin Yuewei really had no choice. She opened her eyes to find herself already completely wrapped in Gu Yanqiu’s arms; the thing pressing against her neck was Gu Yanqiu’s long arm.
Lin Yuewei was instantly awake, while Gu Yanqiu clearly hadn’t been asleep at all.
In a flash, the two of them stared at each other.
Lin Yuewei glared at her, and Gu Yanqiu, a little baffled, glared back without backing down.
Author’s Note: Lin Yuewei/Gu Yanqiu: I think you’ve got heatstroke.jpg [Huannong Brothers face]
Let me explain the psychology during the crush phase: having someone to hug is already pretty good; who cares who’s hugging whom, and what more do you want a bike for? \﹁_﹁
Two chapters of sweetness already; starting tomorrow the plot begins, and this is a daily-life novel, a daily-life novel, a daily-life novel. Important things are said three times. I thought everyone who’s followed my work knew what style Pomegranate writes in.
If you didn’t know, you do now \﹁_﹁