For The Rest Of Our Life – Chapter 54

Xianxian, don’t reject me, okay?

Lin Xian and her classmates have one of the latest winter breaks among all the majors at the school. After enduring the most dreadful final exam week in university, they finally welcomed the break, which was only about ten days away from the Spring Festival. As soon as the break began, Zhou Qin considerately urged Lin Xian to go home. In every company and department, the workload gets heavier and busier towards the end of the year. Zhou Qin wanted Lin Xian to come back quickly and not cause any trouble for Xiao Wanqing. With the school on break, they couldn’t eat in the cafeteria anymore. Xiao Wanqing is also a meticulous person, so if there is overtime at the magazine company, she would probably worry about Lin Xian’s dinner arrangements.

However, Lin Xian confidently and self-righteously stated that she wanted to stay for two more days and return home on the weekend. If Auntie Xiao’s company really had overtime, not only could Lin Xian take care of herself, but she could also prepare a late-night snack for Auntie Xiao when she returned from work.

Zhou Qin scoffed, “Go ahead and boast. Lin Xiaoxian, can you even tell which one should go into the pan first, the vegetables or the oil?”

Lin Xian pouted, feeling underestimated. She snorted and couldn’t be bothered to argue with Zhou Qin. Instead, she gave another more convincing reason, saying, “Mom, I want to wait until the weekend to go shopping for some New Year goods with Auntie Xiao. After buying the Spring Festival couplets, then I’ll come back.” She paused for a moment, her voice becoming softer. “You know, Auntie Xiao definitely wouldn’t want to spend Chinese New Year at our house. She’s all alone this year. I can’t stay for the New Year, but at least I can accompany her to buy some New Year goods. I’m afraid that if she’s alone during the New Year, she’ll end up just hastily dealing with it.” Although she really, really wanted to stay and spend the New Year’s Eve with Xiao Wanqing, deep down she knew it was impossible. Not to mention that her grandparents would come to their house for the New Year, and it was a big family gathering. She couldn’t be absent from that. Even if it was just about Xiao Wanqing, she was certain that she would never allow Lin Xian to stay.

If, if Auntie Xiao was willing to let her stay, then she would stay against all odds.

Unfortunately, Auntie Xiao was a person who understood etiquette and boundaries. She would definitely not agree.

Zhou Qin couldn’t help but feel a bit sad when she thought about her little sister. She let out a long sigh and agreed, “Alright, then wait until the weekend to go shopping with Xiao Wanqing before coming back. I’ll pick you up in the evening and bring some things from home.” After a moment of contemplation, she added, “Be careful when shopping and don’t buy any nuts, shrimp, crab, or lamb meat for Auntie Xiao. I’ll bring all of those when I come.”

Before hanging up the phone, Zhou Qin couldn’t help but remind Lin Xian once again, “Don’t cause trouble for Auntie Xiao these few days. If she’s busy with work, take care of your own meals and don’t create a mess.”

Lin Xian responded irritably, “I know! What kind of image do I have in your mind? Am I really that immature?”

Zhou Qin firmly replied, “One should know oneself!” and hung up the phone without mercy.

Lin Xian was so frustrated that she was itching to the core. After hanging up, she went to Xiao Wanqing, who was hanging clothes to dry, seeking comfort and tearfully received a basket full of comforting words from Xiao Wanqing in a soft voice.

Upon hearing that Lin Xian wanted to wait until the weekend to accompany her in shopping for New Year goods before going back, Xiao Wanqing immediately understood the thoughtful intention behind the girl’s decision. She watched as the girl gracefully tucked her loose strands of black hair behind her ear and bent down without hesitation to pick up a damp piece of clothing from the basket to hang together. In that moment, a warm current flowed through Xiao Wanqing’s heart, spreading through her entire being. She gently responded, “Alright, let’s go shopping together on Sunday. I also want to pick a new outfit for you as a Chinese New Year gift. I didn’t want to disturb you earlier when I saw you busy studying. I was worried that you would rush back and we wouldn’t have the chance to go together. I hope the outfit I choose will fit you and meet your preferences. It would be great if we could go together.”

Lin Xian’s hand, which was in the process of hanging clothes, paused slightly. She turned her gaze to Xiao Wanqing and reflexively felt embarrassed to refuse. “Auntie Xiao, you don’t have to spend money. I’m not a child anymore. I don’t fuss over having to buy new clothes for Chinese New Year.”

Seeing that Lin Xian still had her hands resting on one of Xiao Wanqing’s shirts, halfway through hanging it, Xiao Wanqing couldn’t help but lovingly rub her nose and smiled affectionately, saying, “This is not just a Chinese New Year gift, but also my way of showing gratitude.”

Lin Xian hesitated and asked, “Gratitude?”

Xiao Wanqing, rarely playful, blinked her eyes and nodded, “Yes, to repay my little heater that always warms me with kindness. I also want to make my little heater feel even cozier.” She lightly bit her moist red lips with her bright white teeth and gazed into Lin Xian’s eyes. It seemed like there were ripples of water shimmering, a hint of a coquettish tone that even she hadn’t noticed. “Xianxian, please don’t reject me, okay?”

The soft and tender words entered Lin Xian’s ears as if carrying warmth. It traveled all the way, scorching into her heart. Lin Xian gazed at Xiao Wanqing’s unintentionally enticing appearance, and her heartbeat suddenly accelerated as if it wanted to burst out of her chest.

Xiao Wanqing surely didn’t know how difficult it was for Lin Xian to refuse someone like her.

Lin Xian dared not look at Xiao Wanqing anymore, fearing that her expression would unintentionally reveal something. She lowered her gaze, swallowed with some difficulty, and nodded gently. Her heart pounded like a drum as she accepted Xiao Wanqing’s gift.

I can’t resist…

On Sunday morning, after having breakfast together and watching some TV in the living room to aid digestion, they set off. Xiao Wanqing had already made a schedule: in the morning, they would go to the mall to buy clothes for Lin Xian. After buying the clothes, they could conveniently have a meal on the upper floor of the mall. After the meal, they could continue choosing clothes. If they finished choosing clothes, they could directly go shopping for New Year goods and also buy some ingredients for the dishes they would prepare that evening. They would return home to have dinner and wait for Zhou Qin to come and take Lin Xian home. Everything was just right.

Lin Xian naturally had no objections. After the initial embarrassment, in fact, when she thought about Xiao Wanqing earnestly selecting clothes for her, it felt like… like a scene of tender affection when a wife chose clothes for her husband, just like when her mother picked clothes for her father. In her heart, she couldn’t help but feel a burst of joy.

However, she never expected that when they arrived at the mall, Xiao Wanqing completely shattered her imagination—Xiao Wanqing wasn’t like a gentle wife choosing clothes for her loved one. Instead, she was like a domineering CEO bringing his wife to buy clothes.

And she, Lin Xian, was the little wife brought along by Xiao Wanqing.

Whenever her gaze lingered on a piece of clothing for a few seconds, she could hear Xiao Wanqing reaching out to take the clothes from the rack, and in a gentle voice by her ear, she would say, “This one suits Xianxian well too. Try it on, and if it fits, we’ll take it.” While speaking, she would continue to examine other clothes.

If she glanced at a shirt, Xiao Wanqing would take it down and immediately help her find a matching sweater or jacket. If she glanced at a sweater, Xiao Wanqing would take it down and then start selecting a suitable skirt for her…

If this were Zhou Qin taking her out to buy clothes and being so generous and straightforward, Lin Xian would definitely be overjoyed. But this was Xiao Wanqing, her beloved. Lin Xian felt a sweet sensation in her heart as if it had been coated in honey, but at the same time, she couldn’t help but feel distressed and reluctant.

She considered her family’s financial situation to be more than enough. Although Zhou Qin and Lin Zhan had imposed some restrictions on her, they had never deprived her of anything. She had always been financially comfortable. Therefore, she had never felt a pang of heartache for money before. When her parents bought her clothes or toys, she appreciated it happily without feeling any heartache. She knew that what they could give her was something they could afford.

She had previously expressed understanding and gratitude for her parents’ hard-earned money and their generosity. However, in her perspective on consumption that she developed since childhood, earning money was for the purpose of improving the family’s quality of life, striving to spend money to enhance their living standards. It was also considered a natural obligation of working hard to earn money.

This is the first time in her life that she felt heartache for money. Even if Aunt Xiao could afford it, she felt that it shouldn’t be so. It wasn’t because she was embarrassed, but she inexplicably felt distressed.

She hung back all the clothes that Xiao Wanqing had taken down in piles, pretending to be displeased, and teasing her, “Aunt Xiao, are you trying to be lazy so you let me choose whichever and you say it looks good? That way, you don’t have to make an effort to carefully pick out the best outfit for me.”

Xiao Wanqing chuckled helplessly, poking Lin Xian’s little face and said with a smile, “No, I really think they all look good.” With admiration in her eyes, she sincerely complimented, “Xianxian has a natural talent for wearing clothes. Every piece she puts on looks like it’s tailor-made and beautiful.”

The salesperson on the side took the opportunity to chime in. “You…” She hesitated for a moment, unsure if Lin Xian had just addressed Xiao Wanqing with the respectful term “Aunt” or if the pronunciation of her name had been muddled into sounding like “Aunt.” After all, this slightly older woman, who was at most twenty-six or twenty-seven, was quite beautiful. After considering for a moment, she chose a safe form of address and tried to sell to Lin Xian, “As your sister said, it’s been a while since we’ve seen anyone with such a great figure. Any random piece you choose will look good. Actually, there’s a discount going on right now, and with the prices and additional discounts, it’s very cost-effective to buy a few more suitable ones.”

Lin Xian completely ignored what the salesperson said afterward. She simply happily stared at Xiao Wanqing’s gentle and beautiful face, and suddenly mischievously teased her, “I don’t care, Sister Xiao…” She elongated the end of “sister” and acted spoiled, saying, “I want you to seriously pick out the best outfit for me.”

Xiao Wanqing didn’t pay much attention to the salesperson’s address, but when Lin Xian called her with an unclear and sweet voice, she inexplicably felt her ears turn slightly warm. When they first met, Lin Xian jokingly said that she could only be called “sister,” but Xiao Wanqing didn’t mind. Later on, many people joked about it, but she never took it to heart. At this moment, for the first time, she pondered the term “sister” in her heart. It seemed as if these two words spoken by Lin Xian carried a strange enchantment, brushing past her ears and deeply imprinted in her heart.

Lin Xian was still playfully calling out to her, sweetly and affectionately saying, “Sister Xiao, okay? Sister Xiao…”

For a moment, Xiao Wanqing gazed at Lin Xian and even felt that there was something different about this young girl who called her sister.

If Lin Xian really was calling her sister, if Lin Xian really was her peer…

However, as if subconsciously resisting such a dangerous thought, before she could dwell on it, Xiao Wanqing quickly regained her composure. What’s the use of thinking about “ifs” in life? She helplessly tapped Lin Xian’s smooth forehead and playfully scolded her, “Don’t take advantage of me. Call me Aunt…”

As soon as the word “Aunt” left her mouth, Xiao Wanqing’s previously confused and inexplicable emotions suddenly calmed down, instantly bringing peace to her heart.

Sister Zhou Qin is so fortunate to have such an adorable and lovable daughter.

Xiao Wanqing gently rubbed Lin Xian’s head, who was still playfully causing a fuss, and indulgently thought to herself.