Leave warm memories in every corner
At the end of June, the school’s organizational elections wrapped up, and Xia Zhijin successfully campaigned to be the president of the student council. Lin Xian, now in her second year of undergrad, planned to spend more time on social practice, so she only aimed to take up the role of debate team captain. But she did ask for Xiao Wanqing’s opinion and, considering the priority issues when converting a preparatory party member to a full-fledged one, she ended up campaigning for the position of vice president of the student council too.
Come early July, Lin Xian breezed through her last exam, daunting though it was, and stepped into the lengthy summer holiday. There was a time when she couldn’t wait for the winter and summer breaks, but now, they became the times she dreaded the most—she had to part with her dear Xiao Panpan again.
Fortunately, Zhou Qin didn’t come back from a week-long academic exchange trip to another province. She verbally nudged Lin Xian over the phone to head home and not be a bother to Xiao Wanqing, but when Lin Xian whined, “If I go home, dad will just eat in the school cafeteria; I still need to figure out how to fend for myself. Can’t you let me mooch off Auntie Xiao for a few more meals?” Zhou Qin’s heart softened, and she stopped urging her.
Zhou Qin asked Lin Xian to hand the phone to Xiao Wanqing, and with a gentle laugh, she thanked her for the trouble and said they should skip the formalities—she invited her out for a meal once she gets back.
Xiao Wanqing’s voice quivered slightly with guilt and conscience as she spoke, not as steady as usual. Swallowing hard, she tactfully tried to decline, “Sis, it’s okay, you’ve been so busy…” She knew Zhou Qin was currently swamped with preparing materials for a new doctoral subject application at the institute; not even the holidays granted her peace. But feeling guilty as a thief, Xiao Wanqing thought twice, fearing her repeated refusals over the past six months might seem too strange and abrupt. So she took a roundabout approach, “Sis, Wen Tong might be back at the end of the month; let’s wait and have a get-together then, all three of us.” A gathering with three people would be a tad more comfortable than just her and Zhou Qin, and, after all, it might give her a bit more breathing room.
Zhou Qin didn’t suspect a thing and agreed to postpone their meeting without hesitation.
After hanging up the call, Xiao Wanqing’s fingers clutched the phone tightly as she started to zone out. For the first time, she seriously questioned herself: Should she keep deceiving Zhou Qin like this?
When she agreed to Lin Xian’s proposal, despite feeling guilty, she had thought that maybe Lin Xian’s fascination was just a whim. Perhaps after being together for a while, Lin Xian would grow tired of her, tired of their relationship. Then, this fleeting romance could just remain as an unspoken secret between Lin Xian and her. As long as Lin Xian was happy and needed her, she could strive to continue being Zhou Qin’s good little sister and Lin Xian’s good auntie. And if Lin Xian ever needed her to leave, she was prepared to vanish from their world.
But now, she realized that Lin Xian was more serious than she had initially thought, and that she herself was much greedier than she had admitted.
What if… What if they could last for a long time…
Xiao Wanqing looked up at Lin Xian, who was looking at her with concern, and suddenly her heart was in turmoil.
Lin Xian stepped forward and wrapped her hands around her shoulders, asking softly, “What did my mom say?”
Xiao Wanqing suppressed the torrent of thoughts in her heart, reminding herself not to indulge in wishful thinking. She shook her head and forced a smile, teasing Lin Xian lightly, “Your mom wants me to continue feeding the little pig for a few more days.”
Lin Xian immediately pretended to be aggrieved, her hands sliding down to tickle the soft flesh around Xiao Wanqing’s waist, playfully prodding her and jesting, “Xiao Xiaowan, answer properly, who are you calling a little pig?”
Xiao Wanqing was extremely ticklish; Lin Xian had only gently poked her twice before she couldn’t help but burst into laughter, her voice soft and melodically pleading, “Xianxian, stop it, stop…”
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“It’s me, it’s me, I’m the little pig…” In that moment, she seemed no longer to be Xiao Wanqing, the constantly self-disciplined Chief Editor, or Auntie Xiao, but just a woman playfully nestled in her lover’s arms.
Lin Xian absolutely adored this more relaxed demeanor she displayed when facing her after her birthday. She ceased her tickling and embraced Xiao Wanqing warmly, their heads leaning together. After a moment, her hands lowered to Xiao Wanqing’s slender waist and she said with concern, “Since the start of summer, you seem to have lost more weight.”
Xiao Wanqing reassured her without concern, “My appetite just diminishes a bit in the summer. It’s nothing, it’ll pick up again in the fall.”
Lin Xian pursed her lips, kissed her tenderly, and whispered, “I have the week off and will be at home, so let me prepare the meals. How about I make you some light, tasty snacks?”
Hearing Lin Xian refer to her place as “home” so naturally, Xiao Wanqing smiled lightly with downcast eyes. Without any pretense, she lifted her head to lightly kiss Lin Xian’s ear, agreeing, “Okay.”
Xiao Wanqing initially thought Lin Xian meant just the evening meal when she mentioned cooking, but it turned out to be all three meals starting from the morning.
Her cooking skills were still a bit rough around the edges, and she wanted to mix it up a bit for Xiao Wanqing, so she often had to consult the cookbook while cooking, and even do some online searches for recipes. Instead of enjoying a sleep-in during her holiday, Lin Xian ended up getting up even earlier than her usual class days. Xiao Wanqing felt sorry for her, so the next day Lin Xian woke up early, Xiao Wanqing followed suit. Lin Xian had no choice but to agree to hand back the breakfast duties to Xiao Wanqing.
On the third day of her vacation, during a lunch break, Xiao Wanqing had just eaten and returned to her office when she got a call from Lin Xian: “Xiao Xiaowan, I’m across from your company, can you come down for a sec?”
Xiao Wanqing tensed up, worried that Lin Xian showing up unannounced meant something serious had come up. She asked anxiously, “What’s wrong? Did something happen? I’m coming down now.”
Lin Xian quickly reassured her, “No worries, everything’s okay. Just take your time coming down, I just popped by to drop something off for you.”
Xiao Wanqing descended to the first floor, exited the building, and immediately spotted the girl standing by the flowerbed across the street, her eyes brimming with smiles as she looked at her. She stood there casually yet became the most striking sight in Xiao Wanqing’s eyes amidst the crowd.
The weather was hot, yet Lin Xian hadn’t tied up her hair. Just the other day, complaining of the heat, she had cut her long hair to shoulder length. Her already petite face seemed even more delicate now. She wore a loose white T-shirt stylishly tucked into navy blue high-waisted shorts, her fresh and pretty look dissipating much of the summer’s irritability for Xiao Wanqing with just a glance.
Xiao Wanqing quickly crossed the street to the girl. As Lin Xian saw her, her eyes curved into a warm concern, “Did I interrupt your lunch break?” Even though she asked that, she had actually been waiting for a while. She timed her call right after seeing Xiao Wanqing return to the company with her colleagues.
Of course, Xiao Wanqing shook her head. Lin Xian instantly felt relieved.
In her hurry, Xiao Wanqing had come down with nothing but her phone. Without a care, she gently wiped the sweat from Lin Xian’s forehead with her own hand, softly asking, “Why didn’t you bring an umbrella?”
Lin Xian dodged Xiao Wanqing’s hand, awkwardly wiping her own face as she said, “I must be all grimy, huh? I was in such a rush to get out, I forgot my umbrella.” She looked up at the scorching sun and felt a twinge of heartache for Xiao Wanqing, who had also come down without an umbrella. Deciding to cut to the chase and wrap things up quickly, Lin Xian handed over a big bag full of items.
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“I just made some summery, refreshing snacks. If you get thirsty or hungry this afternoon, feel free to nibble on some. Although, if they aren’t kept cool, they might lose some of their zest after a while. I made extra, so if you don’t mind, you could share them with your office mates,” she said with a smile. These past few days, she’d been fishing for information and found out that Xiao Wanqing often couldn’t enjoy her greasy midday meals outside during the summer. Her original plan was to deliver lunch every day, but she worried that being too clingy might stress Xiao Wanqing out, so she settled for a compromise.
Xiao Wanqing’s eyes softened even more deeply as she took the bag, a torrent of moved and tender feelings clogging her throat, leaving her speechless. Before she could say anything, Lin Xian urged her, “The sun is blazing; you better head back up. I’m going to head back now.”
The girl tilted her head and waved at her before turning around to leave.
Watching the girl’s slender figure make her way alone in the fierce sun, Xiao Wanqing glimpsed the light glistening off the fine sweat on the delicate, snow-white nape of her neck amidst her flowing hair. A sharp pang of distress pierced her heart.
She spoke up, her voice as crisp and refreshing as ever, “Xianxian!”
Lin Xian stopped in her tracks and turned around, a puzzled look on her face.
“Why don’t you come rest in my office for a bit? It’s too hot right now; how about heading back later?” Xiao Wanqing stepped closer, one foot after the other.
Lin Xian’s eyes widened in disbelief and quickly filled with joy the next second. She thought Xiao Wanqing wouldn’t want her anywhere near the company again.
But she shook her head, a smile playing on her lips, “No need, the bus stop is just up ahead, and I don’t have much of a walk from there.” She gazed at Xiao Wanqing, whose eyes were as tender as a calm sea, really wanting to plant a kiss on her, but she restrained herself in the end.
As she helped Xiao Wanqing brush a stray lock of hair from her face, Lin Xian turned to leave, basking in the gentle gaze that saw her off.
Lin Xian felt content knowing Xiao Wanqing made the offer willingly; she didn’t want to weigh her down with worries.
She had picked up on Xiao Wanqing’s hints the last time about avoiding a meet-up with her mom if possible. Hence, she decided to head home the day before Zhou Qin’s trip ended.
In the two days before her departure, Lin Xian passionately kissed Xiao Wanqing in every corner of the house—the kitchen, living room, bedroom, study, even in her bathroom. Sometimes, Xiao Wanqing would get so hot and bothered only to play it cool, a mix of sweet torment.
That last time, pinned against the washbasin, Xiao Wanqing couldn’t take it anymore and playfully bit Lin Xian’s annoyingly adorable tongue, dodging her continued eager advances. In a hoarse voice, she asked, “What’s gotten into you these days?”
With a mischievous grin by her ear, Lin Xian teased, “I’m afraid that once I’m gone, you might forget to miss me. So, I want to leave behind some passionate memories in every nook that’ll make you helplessly think of me.”
“Ow, ow, ow…” Lin Xian murmured softly, though a beaming smile adorned her lips. Xiao Panpan had nipped her ear again in embarrassment and annoyance.
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Just as her soft whimpers faded, the gentle and attentive kisses from the woman soothed her ear, which—thankfully—bore no actual mark of the bite.
Lin Xian’s heart melted.
What to do? She really, really liked this woman. So much.
At the end of July, Wen Tong finally wrapped up all her work at Xinchao and made her exit official. She accepted the repeated invitations from Shixing Group, returned to Anjiang City, and joined a new media company under Shixing.
As per tradition, it was Xiao Wanqing who went to the airport to pick up Wen Tong.
“You seem kinda different now.” That was the first thing Wen Tong said with a furrowed brow, remarking sharply upon seeing her after nearly half a year when she emerged from the airport.
LP: She got kisses ♡︎🐼