When Xiao Muyu walked into Shen Qingqiu’s room with a bowl of noodles, she found Shen Qingqiu sitting on the bed, smiling brightly at her.
The moment Shen Qingqiu saw Xiao Muyu, her eyes seemed to light up. She leaned forward to look at the bowl in Xiao Muyu’s hand, taking a deep breath and saying, “It smells so good.”
Xiao Muyu didn’t say anything. She placed the bowl on the small table beside the bed and, after noticing the empty cup, finally spoke, “Get up and eat the noodles first, then take your medicine.”
“Medicine?” Shen Qingqiu was a bit puzzled. Where did the medicine come from?
“They had it. I just sent a message to Chen Kaijie and asked him to bring it over.” Xiao Muyu explained. Initially, she planned to go out again, but there were few pharmacies nearby. Since Chen Kaijie had some medicine on hand, she asked him to deliver it.
Just as she finished speaking, there was a knock at the door. Xiao Muyu handed the chopsticks to Shen Qingqiu and went to open the door.
Shen Qingqiu could hear the conversation between the two outside. Finally, Chen Kaijie raised his voice and called out, “Miss Shen, take good care of yourself. We will come to see you tomorrow.”
Shen Qingqiu found it amusing but didn’t respond. Most of her attention was drawn to the bowl of noodles Xiao Muyu had made.
Considering that she was unwell, Xiao Muyu had made the noodles very light, but they were in no way perfunctory.
The noodles were topped with a bit of shredded meat, a few slices of green vegetables, and a white poached egg. It smelled delicious.
She took a sip of the soup, finding that despite its clear appearance, it tasted surprisingly good. The seasoning was just right, and the broth was very fresh, not the cloying taste of synthetic flavors. Even though she wasn’t feeling well, the bowl of noodles still whetted her appetite a bit.
When Xiao Muyu came back, Shen Qingqiu was just putting a bite of noodles into her mouth. Seeing her bending over, holding her hair back with her left hand to keep it from falling, Xiao Muyu found it a bit inconvenient.
After thinking for a moment, Xiao Muyu untied her own hair tie and walked over, carefully gathering Shen Qingqiu’s loose hair.
The action was so natural that Shen Qingqiu turned her head, staring at her in surprise.
Xiao Muyu deftly gathered the hair around Shen Qingqiu’s temples with her long fingers, pulling it to the back and tying it into a simple ponytail.
With her hair tie now free, Xiao Muyu’s long, black hair cascaded down as she lowered her head, creating a picturesque scene with her delicate eyebrows and dark eyes.
In her heart, Shen Qingqiu had often used poetic descriptions for Xiao Muyu. In reality, when Xiao Muyu’s hidden charm and grace were revealed, it indeed resembled a painting.
Before straightening up, Xiao Muyu glanced at Shen Qingqiu and then quietly sat down nearby.
Shen Qingqiu touched her hair, feeling a sudden tug at her heart.
In the past, Shen Qingqiu would have taken this opportunity to make a cheeky comment, but this time, she surprisingly remained silent, lowering her head to eat another bite of noodles.
The handmade noodles were very chewy, and the fresh flavor of the broth blended into the noodles, cooked to perfection. The poached egg was soft and slightly runny, delicious without being too raw.
“How is it? Does it suit your taste?” Eventually, Xiao Muyu broke the silence.
Shen Qingqiu nodded vigorously, smiling at the bowl of noodles. “This is the best bowl of noodles I’ve had since entering Tianwang.” With that, she took another big bite.
Xiao Muyu watched her, a faint smile in her eyes. “Eat slowly.”
“You don’t need to stay here with me. You haven’t eaten yet, and the noodles will get soggy if you wait too long.”
Xiao Muyu shook her head. “I’m not hungry. Is your stomach still hurting? Does eating make you uncomfortable?”
Shen Qingqiu shook her head. “It doesn’t hurt anymore. It felt much better just now.”
Xiao Muyu didn’t ask further. After Shen Qingqiu finished eating, she asked, “Are you full?”
Shen Qingqiu nodded. Xiao Muyu had thoughtfully made just the right amount for her.
“Give me the bowl.”
Shen Qingqiu stepped aside, smiling. “You already cooked for me. I should wash the dishes. You should rest.”
“Sick people need more rest.” Xiao Muyu’s tone was gentle, but her actions left no room for refusal.
Unable to argue with her, Shen Qingqiu stood by the kitchen door, watching as Xiao Muyu washed the dishes, her eyes full of laughter. Xiao Muyu noticed and asked, “Why are you smiling?”
Shen Qingqiu lowered her head slightly, a smile on her lips. “Nothing, I just think you’re such a good housewife.”
Xiao Muyu rolled her eyes at her. “A good housewife is just a fancy term for your maid. Tonight, I’m doing this because you’re not feeling well, but don’t think you’ll get out of cooking in the future.”
Shen Qingqiu spread her hands, laughing. “To be honest, other than boiling water, I’m not good at anything else.”
Xiao Muyu gave her a sidelong glance, almost laughing at her exasperation.
“Take your medicine. I’m going to take a shower.” Xiao Muyu handed her the medicine Chen Kaijie had brought, then went to the bathroom.
Shen Qingqiu looked down at the medicine in her hand, taking two pills and swallowing them without expression.
The intense pain had passed, leaving only a deep sense of fatigue.
Staring at the card, her mind was a chaotic mess, unable to make sense of her thoughts. One thing was clear to her: the appearance of this ghost was no coincidence, and this secret must be kept. This card, which did not conform to the system’s settings, was like a bug. Or rather, it was the last pure land in the Tianwang world.
Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t notice when Xiao Muyu entered the room until she sat beside her and asked, “What are you looking at?”
Shen Qingqiu snapped out of her reverie and turned to look at Xiao Muyu, who had just finished bathing and was wearing a blue silk nightgown. Her hair was still damp, and she was tilting her head to one side, using a towel to dry it.
Shen Qingqiu looked at her for a long time before handing over the card. “This card… I feel like it’s not simple, but I can’t figure out who brought the ghost out and what their purpose is.”
Xiao Muyu took the card but glanced at the medicine on the table instead. “Are you still in pain?”
“No, after eating the noodles, I don’t feel uncomfortable anymore.”
She moved over, reaching out to take the towel from Xiao Muyu’s hand. “Let me dry your hair.”
Xiao Muyu didn’t refuse. One sat at the edge of the bed, while the other sat on it. Shen Qingqiu carefully dried Xiao Muyu’s hair, her expression serious and focused.
After experiencing a dangerous instance, they returned home, and a quiet warmth pervaded the space between them.
However, as this closeness continued, the atmosphere between them grew inexplicably strange. Shen Qingqiu tilted her head to look at Xiao Muyu, unable to suppress her inner longing, and softly said, “Muyu, I have something to ask you.”
Xiao Muyu glanced up, “What is it?”
Shen Qingqiu suddenly felt nervous. She put down the half-dried long hair, and Xiao Muyu naturally turned her head to look at her.
Looking at the person in front of her, Shen Qingqiu’s brow furrowed in struggle, but she finally took a deep breath, her grey eyes filled with hesitation, unable to meet Xiao Muyu’s gaze. “The things you said in the instance, do they still count?”
Xiao Muyu was slightly taken aback, her eyes showing confusion. “What things?”
Shen Qingqiu became anxious, “You said before leaving, that…” She didn’t know why, but she couldn’t get the words out, words she usually said so easily when teasing Xiao Muyu.
Xiao Muyu continued to stare at her, a probing look in her eyes, seemingly waiting for her to speak.
Shen Qingqiu’s face turned red with frustration. She straightened up in defeat but noticed out of the corner of her eye that Xiao Muyu had smiled, and she immediately understood.
Shen Qingqiu was very good at reading people, especially Xiao Muyu. Seeing this, she leaned closer and whispered in a soft, seductive voice, “Before you left, you kissed me, saying I owed you, but you took more than I owed. You said I could ask you to return the favor later. Now that I’m out, I want to know if it still counts?”
Xiao Muyu’s eyes didn’t move, but the smile in them lingered. She didn’t answer Shen Qingqiu’s question, instead speaking to herself, “I once said I wasn’t interested in women, and that’s true. But later, I said I wasn’t interested in you, and that wasn’t true.”
Shen Qingqiu’s heart started to race, her eyes fixed on Xiao Muyu.
At this moment, Xiao Muyu sat up straight, facing Shen Qingqiu, and very lightly but firmly gave her answer, “So, to answer your question, yes, it counts.”
Shen Qingqiu’s mind was filled with those words. She looked at the person so close to her, her eyes hot, her heart surging with emotion.
Even though they were just sitting, her chest was heaving noticeably. After a moment, she swallowed and murmured, “Then I…” But the words got stuck in her throat.
Shen Qingqiu felt that Xiao Muyu was exuding temptation from every pore. She had already surrendered without Xiao Muyu having to try. When she came to her senses, she was already leaning in, kissing Xiao Muyu softly on the lips. Unlike her usual teasing manner, Shen Qingqiu seemed incredibly innocent at this moment.
She lightly kissed Xiao Muyu’s lower lip, and Xiao Muyu didn’t move away, nor did she show any sign of displeasure. She just looked down at her.
Shen Qingqiu’s heart was beating wildly. Once her inner desire was unleashed, it couldn’t be stopped. She wanted to restrain herself but couldn’t. She closed her eyes, attempting to move slightly closer, her movements cautious, a stark contrast to her usual boldness.
Love is restraint, Shen Qingqiu embodied this phrase perfectly.
Xiao Muyu felt a tingling sensation in her heart, but at the last moment, she pulled back slightly, pressing her finger against Shen Qingqiu’s lips to stop her.
Shen Qingqiu opened her eyes in a panic, momentarily lost, until she heard Xiao Muyu’s low voice asking, “I once said that when you put me in your heart instead of your mind, I would consider it. I admit I can’t refuse you, and I can’t resist the feeling of being drawn to you. But I still want to know, Shen Qingqiu, what do you want? What do you intend to do?”
Shen Qingqiu’s expression changed several times before she finally said firmly, “No matter what I wanted before, no matter what I intended to do, it doesn’t matter anymore. All you need to know is what I want now and what I intend to do from now on.
What I want is you, and what I intend to do is to protect you. Although we haven’t known each other for long, this feeling is as if it’s been building for lifetimes. I’ve resisted, struggled, but I can’t change it, and I don’t want to. I know how you feel, and I believe you understand my feelings, don’t you?”
Xiao Muyu’s eyes were like a deep lake, glistening with tiny sparkles.
“I understand, so I…” She didn’t say anything unnecessary, just turned her head and kissed her.
Shen Qingqiu’s soft, cool lips were nothing like her usual self, tender beyond imagination.
Xiao Muyu was evidently more straightforward than Shen Qingqiu’s tentative approach. Shen Qingqiu had no time to prepare before she was completely overwhelmed. After her initial daze, she responded with even greater intensity.
This was their first true kiss, yet they fit together perfectly, knowing instinctively when to advance, when to retreat, when to entangle, and when to chase. It was seamless.
Familiar to the core, addicted to the core.
Author’s Note: Happy Children’s Day! I went out today and came back very late, so this update is delayed. Wishing all the big and little babies a joyful Children’s Day!
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