Chapter 9
After a moment of silence, Mu Wanyan walked over and sat on the sofa opposite her. When she looked up, she happened to meet Su Xingwei’s teasing gaze.
Su Xingwei was lounging against the armrest of her chair, as if she were watching a good show.
“Chairwoman Su, is the pressure okay?”
Luo Xi asked ingratiatingly while massaging her shoulders.
Su Xingwei’s eyes remained fixed on Mu Wanyan, the corners of her lips lifting slightly.
“Very good.”
Mu Wanyan lowered her lashes, unwilling to look anymore.
“Lift your head.”
Su Xingwei said unhurriedly, “If you don’t look, how are you supposed to learn?”
Mu Wanyan took a deep breath and did as she was told, raising her head. The mockery in the other woman’s eyes only deepened, as though she were playing a game of cat and mouse.
Su Xingwei looked at her obedient expression and smiled in satisfaction.
“Go print the documents and hand them out to the various departments.”
She turned to Luo Xi and spoke more coldly.
For the entire day, Mu Wanyan was left out in the cold, watching the two people across from her laugh and chat. Su Xingwei handed all of the assistant’s work to Luo Xi, even praising her warmly for being efficient and seeming very satisfied with this new assistant.
By quitting time, the employees in the building had gradually left; the hallways grew quieter and quieter. After Luo Xi got off work, only Mu Wanyan and Su Xingwei remained in the building.
“If there’s nothing else, I’m leaving first.”
As she spoke, Mu Wanyan got up and walked toward the door. Just as her hand touched the handle, Su Xingwei moved first and pushed the door shut.
Mu Wanyan turned back in surprise, nearly bumping into Su Xingwei. The two of them were standing very close. Su Xingwei did not retreat; instead, she stepped forward again and again. Mu Wanyan was forced back into the corner until her back hit the wall and she had nowhere else to go.
“What’s wrong?”
Su Xingwei’s tone was almost innocent. “Upset?”
“No.”
Mu Wanyan turned her face aside, deliberately avoiding her gaze.
But Su Xingwei had no intention of letting her off. She reached out and turned Mu Wanyan’s face back toward her.
“Then why are your eyes red?”
Su Xingwei leaned close to her ear and asked softly, “Are you jealous?”
Mu Wanyan blinked, her lips pressed tight, her breathing slightly uneven.
Seeing this, Su Xingwei let out a soft laugh and coaxed her in a gentle voice. “Don’t be angry. I still care about you most in my heart. As long as you nod, I’ll make her leave right away.”
Mu Wanyan abruptly looked up and met Su Xingwei’s eyes. They were red-rimmed, faint anger flickering within them.
“Do you always treat other people like this?”
The smile faded from Su Xingwei’s face, and her expression suddenly turned serious. “No. You’re the first.”
Mu Wanyan swallowed. The two of them remained deadlocked like this, neither willing to back down.
She knew very well that Su Xingwei had countless ways to make her nod.
No one knew how long passed before Mu Wanyan finally grew tired and gave in. “Fine, I agree.”
“That’s more like it.”
After saying that, Mu Wanyan turned around, picked up the car keys from the table, and said, “I’ll take you home.”
The car once again entered that old residential complex. Just as Mu Wanyan got out, she caught sight of Su Xingwei getting out after her as well.
Su Xingwei locked the car and said as if it were only natural, “Aren’t you going to invite me up for a sit?”
Mu Wanyan glanced at her but said nothing, turning and walking into the building.
There was no elevator in the building. The lights were dim, large patches of wall had peeled away, and the handrails had lost most of their paint.
The rental apartment was only forty square meters, with one bedroom and one living room; the kitchen and bathroom were both especially cramped, but it was clean and tidy.
Su Xingwei looked around and finally sat down on the living room sofa.
“You live here?”
Mu Wanyan poured her a cup of hot water. “It’s close to the subway station, and the rent is cheap. I live alone; there’s no need to be too particular.”
Su Xingwei suddenly said, “I’ll get you a new place.”
Mu Wanyan smiled. “No need. I’ve already gotten used to it.”
In her previous life, her parents had passed away early, and she had always lived alone. This body’s family background was actually quite similar to her old one.
Su Xingwei didn’t push the matter. After a few seconds, she looked up at Mu Wanyan. “I’m hungry. Make me something to eat.”
Hearing that commanding tone, Mu Wanyan was startled. In the end, she still didn’t argue with her and turned into the kitchen.
There was barely anything left in the fridge: only an eggplant, a little tomato, and some eggs.
Su Xingwei stared at the busy figure in the kitchen and, for some reason, felt a moment of daze, as if she had seen someone else again.
She quickly looked away. She couldn’t explain what was wrong with her; she was restless and unsettled, always able to see another person’s shadow in this unrelated woman before her.
An hour later, Mu Wanyan brought the finished dishes to the table. There were only two ordinary home-style dishes: braised eggplant and tomato scrambled eggs. Though simple, they looked pretty good.
Standing by the table, Mu Wanyan said awkwardly, “There wasn’t much in the house. Please bear with it?”
Su Xingwei picked up her chopsticks, tasted a piece of eggplant, chewed twice, and frowned; then she couldn’t help but study Mu Wanyan again.
She couldn’t say exactly what was similar about the taste, but it made her instantly think of the past. Gu Xi often stayed late at work with her and would occasionally cook a few home-style dishes.
Was she going crazy?
Seeing her distracted, Mu Wanyan thought the food didn’t suit her taste and hurriedly asked, “Is it not good?”
Su Xingwei came back to herself. “No. Your cooking is very... good.”
She picked up another bite of tomato and egg, eating slowly and carefully, as if savoring some delicacy.
Mu Wanyan sat down across from her. The two of them ate in silence, neither saying another word; in the living room, only the sound of bowls and chopsticks clinking together remained.
After the meal, Mu Wanyan went to the kitchen to wash the dishes. From time to time, she looked back toward the living room and found that Su Xingwei was still sitting on the sofa, showing no intention of leaving at all.
After a moment of silence, Su Xingwei’s voice suddenly came from behind her.
“Where am I sleeping tonight?”
Mu Wanyan’s hand slipped; she nearly tipped the bowl into the sink. She hurriedly caught it and finally let out a breath.
“You’re staying here?”
Su Xingwei leaned on the sofa armrest and nodded openly, as if it were only the most natural thing in the world.
“We’re lovers now.”
Her voice wasn’t loud, but it sounded as if she were deliberately reminding Mu Wanyan.
“Is there a problem with me staying here?”
Mu Wanyan looked toward her bedroom. “But I only have one bed.”
In her memory, Su Xingwei was absolutely not the kind of person who would share a bed with anyone else.