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On New Year’s Eve, Wen Tong showed up at Xiao Wanqing’s place as promised, bringing along several times more ingredients to fill up Xiao Wanqing’s refrigerator, leaving Xiao Wanqing amused and exasperated.
Wen Tong’s cooking skills were not bad, but watching Lin Xian and Xiao Wanqing working together in the kitchen with such harmony, she felt like there was no room for her to join in. She grabbed a chair and sat by the kitchen door, leaning back against the chair, crossing her legs, looking like a leisurely madam waiting for food.
Xiao Wanqing heated up the pan, poured in oil, then added the chopped garlic strips to stir-fry and enhance the flavor. The garlic strips still had water stains from not being completely dry after washing, causing tiny splatters of hot oil as soon as they hit the pan.
In the kitchen, this was nothing out of the ordinary, but Lin Xian happened to be washing mushrooms nearby. Upon hearing the sizzling sound, she quickly took a big step forward, pulling Xiao Wanqing behind her.
She reached out and took the spatula still in Xiao Wanqing’s hand, while stirring and saying with concern, “Be careful not to get splattered. Let me handle the parts with oil, you were splashed with oil when you fried calamari a few days ago, and those water blisters still haven’t healed.”
Xiao Wanqing curved her lips into a soft smile, affectionately brushed her forehead against Lin Xian’s shoulder, and softly replied, “Sure.”
This was a casual interaction in their lives, but Wen Tong felt a sourness in her teeth from watching. She rested her chin on her hand, with a playful gleam in her deep-set eyes, jokingly said to them, “I haven’t even started dinner yet, and I’m already full from eating your dog food. Can you take care of this lonely old woman?”
Lin Xian chuckled without looking up, nonchalantly replied, “Aunt Wen, have you obtained Aunt’s consent for labeling yourself as a lonely old woman?”
Xiao Wanqing cut an orange for Wen Tong and handed it to her, joining in the banter, “Even my parents followed along what people called them, and you’re still throwing a tantrum?”
“Xiao Xiaowan, let’s not talk about her today.” Wen Tong furrowed her brows, pretending to be angry.
Xiao Wanqing pondered for a moment and said, “Oh, by the way, a couple of days ago when I was discussing work with President Shi, she asked about you.”
Wen Tong took small bites of the orange and couldn’t help but be curious when she heard Xiao Wanqing speak half and leave half unsaid. She blurted out, “What did she ask you?”
Xiao Wanqing mischievously responded with a teasing “Hmm?” with a hint of a smile, mocking Wen Tong’s hidden intentions, while Lin Xian burst into laughter in the kitchen without mercy.
Unable to keep her composure, Wen Tong clicked her tongue disapprovingly and stood up, leaving in annoyance. She couldn’t hold back her embarrassment and turned the situation around, saying, “Sticky and muddled! Inconsistent! What a disgrace! I’m going to the living room to wash my eyes with the children’s channel!”
Amused by the situation, Lin Xian laughed heartily, turned off the stove, and watched Wen Tong’s back as she left. She casually commented to Xiao Wanqing, “Is this the same overbearing Aunt Wen I knew before? Why is she becoming more gullible? Looks like Aunt Shi has been teaching her well.”
Before Wen Tong could walk far, she overheard everything and instantly became furious, turning around and snapped, “Lin Xiaoxian!” With that, she strode back in with an imposing manner and demanded, “What did you say?!”
Lin Xian couldn’t help but cover her stomach as she laughed and playfully hid behind Xiao Wanqing, saying sweetly, “Panpan, what’s wrong with Aunt Wen? I’m just telling the truth. I’m so scared, please protect me quickly.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll protect you,” Xiao Wanqing replied with a straight face, trying to hold back her laughter.
“Ew!” Wen Tong’s eyes widened, hands on her hips, looking at Xiao Wanqing and Lin Xian who were teasing her, feeling extremely irritated. These two frivolous women were ganging up on her alone!
As they argued, the doorbell suddenly rang outside, ringing three times in a calm and steady manner. Xiao Wanqing furrowed her brows and listened attentively, then called out to Wen Tong, “Let’s stop for now. It sounds like the doorbell at my house, right?”
Wen Tong nodded.
At this moment, who could it be coming? After a brief consideration, Xiao Wanqing had a guess. A mischievous smile gleamed in her eyes as she dismissed Wen Tong, saying, “Since we can’t leave, would you mind helping to open the door?”
Without much thought, Wen Tong obeyed and headed towards the door, but she hesitated and asked them, “What if it’s someone I don’t know?”
Xiao Wanqing and Lin Xian exchanged a glance, and Lin Xian, understanding from the unspoken look in her lover’s eyes who the visitor was, took Xiao Wanqing’s arm and with a mischievous smile, followed Wen Tong out of the kitchen. They reassured Wen Tong, “It’ll be fine, you definitely know this person, Aunt Wen.”
Before the word “sure” could even leave her mouth, Wen Tong was already silenced the moment she opened the door and saw the familiar face standing there—Shi Jinglan was at the door, staring at her intently.
She seemed to have intentionally changed into a new outfit after work, rare for her to let down her usually neatly tied long hair which now cascaded smoothly over her shoulders, adding a touch of charm to her typically solemn face.
Wen Tong raised her eyebrows slightly, not making way to let Shi Jinglan come in, and coldly asked, “Why are you here?” This workaholic, shouldn’t she be working at the office, on a plane, or anywhere else where she can work overtime at this time?
Shi Jinglan slightly curled the corner of her lips and in a low, pleasing voice replied, “I’m here for dinner. Xiao Wanqing and I have already discussed it.”
Wen Tong’s face stiffened. This scheming person! Xiao Wanqing clearly knew that she and Shi Jinglan were in a cold war, more accurately, it was her who unilaterally declared a cold war against Shi Jinglan.
Last month, she and Shi Jinglan had just resolved the issue of Shi Jinglan falsifying hospital reports, reconciling as if nothing had happened. However, not long after, new conflicts arose.
Clearly having experienced a great fright, even though it wasn’t life-threatening, the accumulated minor issues from years of fatigue were still alarming. Shi Jinglan had managed to successfully appease her fears, but after that, she returned to her hectic lifestyle of working non-stop, neglecting her own well-being. She knew that Shi Jinglan was worried that Shi Man, as the only one in charge, couldn’t control the other ambitious wolves in the family, but Shi Jinglan’s body and energy were no match for those of a younger person, and some adjustments were needed. However, no matter how many times she reminded her, she always accepted humbly but refused to change. In the past, even though Wen Tong was worried in her role as a lover who wanted to grow old with her, she would restrain herself from bringing it up, feeling undeserving. But maybe things had changed now, and Wen Tong, as someone who aspired to grow old together with her, couldn’t help but feel dejected.
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Wen Tong didn’t like feeling restrained in this way, so she simply turned a blind eye, restoring the distant yet indifferent relationship she had with Shi Jinglan before. But relationships inevitably change, and this approach didn’t feel right anymore, gradually leading to Wen Tong unilaterally choosing not to acknowledge Shi Jinglan, which had evolved into a cold war.
Wen Tong furrowed her brows and searched for Xiao Wanqing, her dissatisfaction evident.
Xiao Wanqing, no longer able to indulge in gossip, met Wen Tong’s gaze as if she wanted to kill her, calmly wearing a sweet and innocent smile to conceal the turbulent undercurrents between the two. She pretended not to notice their private conflicts and quickly stepped forward to greet the guest, “Sister Jinglan, come on in, it’s just in time. No need to change your shoes, we’ll be doing a major cleanup in a few days.”
Sister Jinglan? Since when were they on such familiar terms? Wen Tong looked at Shi Jinglan, who seemed very familiar with Xiao Wanqing and smiled like a cunning fox, and her expression darkened a bit.
Xiao Wanqing thanked Shi Jinglan for bringing the aged red wine and exquisite snacks, innocently explaining to Wen Tong, “This is what I was trying to tell you earlier, but you were in a bad mood and didn’t listen. I mentioned you to Sister Jinglan that day and somehow we ended up talking about having a small gathering today. I had to pluck up the courage and invite Sister Jinglan, and surprisingly, she graciously accepted.”
In reality, Shi Jinglan had subtly inquired about whether Wen Tong had been in contact with her recently. Her questions were restrained and her tone calm, but Xiao Wanqing, having spoken with Wen Tong over the phone a few days ago, knew that their relationship had hit a rough patch and easily picked up on her underlying message.
Wen Tong had given up on dealing with these two, so she walked straight to the living room, turned on the TV, and connected the game console that Lin Xian and Xiao Wanqing had left out after playing. She sulked in silence, burying herself in the game with a cold demeanor.
Xiao Wanqing invited Shi Jinglan to sit on the couch, brought them some fruit, and asked her to wait a moment as dinner would be ready soon. Afterward, she considerately left them alone for some private time.
Shi Jinglan crossed her legs elegantly, sitting with perfect posture, and watched her lover intently engrossed in playing the game. A faint, indulgent smile played on her lips.
After a long while, she couldn’t resist speaking up to remind Wen Tong, who had died countless times in this level and seemed to be dying faster each time, “You always forget to kill the one in the top right corner, it keeps spawning new monsters.”
Wen Tong’s figure stiffened for two seconds, and in the next moment, she cleanly exited the game and selected another one from the main menu.
Shi Jinglan’s eyes softened, a trace of helplessness in her smile. She uncrossed her legs, moved next to Wen Tong, sat down on the floor like her, and reached out from behind to embrace her, resting her head on Wen Tong’s shoulder, sighing softly, “Wen Tong, tell me, what are you angry about?”
Wen Tong remained silent, not speaking. She couldn’t see it, but in Shi Jinglan’s eyes, filled with a touch of fatigue from work, there was no hiding the tenderness.
Shi Jinglan wasn’t angry either, just earnestly and gently said, “Wen Tong, I haven’t been doing well lately.” She paused for a moment before continuing, “I’ve been pondering, now that we are partners, should we change the way we communicate, be more honest with each other?” Her voice was unusually soft, like a feather brushing against Wen Tong’s heart.
In all the years they had been together, this was the first time Wen Tong heard the usually proud Shi Jinglan speak to her in such a gentle tone, and it was the first time she heard Shi Jinglan, who was accustomed to hiding her emotions, show such vulnerability and speak her heart so candidly.
Her once hardened heart suddenly softened, and she couldn’t help but reflect on herself. She had always felt that Shi Jinglan was too proud and self-absorbed in their relationship, and had even occasionally suspected that Shi Jinglan’s desire for her was merely a conquest that she couldn’t attain, hence she was more unwilling to be tamed. But now, thinking about it, wasn’t she also too proud and self-absorbed?
The usually haughty and arrogant Shi Jinglan seemed to have learned to bow her head for her. In the end, who was the one taming the elephant? Wen Tong involuntarily felt her heart melt. She gradually relaxed her body, leaning into Shi Jinglan’s embrace, allowing Shi Jinglan to hold her more comfortably.
Shi Jinglan noticed her movements, and deep within her ancient and profound eyes, there were gentle ripples like a serene pool, tightening her arms around Wen Tong’s waist.
Lin Xian came out once, wanting to offer the freshly cooked shrimp balls to Wen Tong and Shi Jinglan. Halfway there, she saw the sight of Shi Jinglan and Wen Tong sitting closely together in the living room, whispering softly to each other. Sensing the intimate moment, she discreetly turned back without disturbing them.
During dinner, Wen Tong and Shi Jinglan sat together. They didn’t have much direct communication and weren’t particularly affectionate in serving each other food, but Xiao Wanqing could clearly see that Wen Tong’s attitude towards Shi Jinglan at that moment was completely different from before.
Wen Tong was a magnanimous person, not easily angered, but if she did get upset, she would truly remain silent for a long time. Xiao Wanqing couldn’t help but jokingly think to herself that President Shi was quite skilled at coaxing people.
After dinner, Xiao Wanqing refused to let the guests help and together with Lin Xian, they tidied up the dishes. They then returned to the coffee table to bring out the precious tea leaves for their guests.
Brewing and enjoying tea, warming the body and spending quality time together.
Shi Jinglan was someone who appreciated good wine and tea. Seeing the antique and elegant tea set, feeling the delicate texture, she was captivated. Lin Xian warmed the cups and brewed the tea, each step was skillfully and beautifully executed, filling the living room with the aroma of tea. Shi Jinglan admired the tea set and Lin Xian’s graceful movements, couldn’t help but praise and jokingly said that Manman should come to be her apprentice and learn the art.
Lin Xian was no longer the child she used to be, sitting among the three of them with a calm and composed expression, modestly saying, “It’s all thanks to Panpan’s skill, I have unknowingly learned a little from her by observing. Manman may not be incapable, she just doesn’t like it.” She took out a box of new tea from the drawer and said with a smile, “This tea was given to me when I visited Director Zhang Shou. Aunt Shi, if you like the taste of this tea, I have another box here.”
She spoke casually, with a familiar tone between close people. Shi Jinglan didn’t refuse politely, gladly accepting it.
Wen Tong jokingly teased Lin Xian, “Lin Xiaoxian, I like it too. Do you have another box to give me?” She clearly saw that there was no more box of the same type of tea leaves in the drawer, deliberately putting her in a difficult spot.
Xiao Wanqing wanted to help Lin Xian out, but before she could speak, Lin Xian smiled back and retorted, “Aunt Shi’s tea is also yours, isn’t it? I’m sorry, but I really don’t have any left.”
“Oh, you’re playing favorites,” Wen Tong teased.
“You can consider me as one.” Lin Xian smiled mischievously. She refilled Shi Jinglan’s empty tea cup and half-jokingly said, “This is a bribe. In the future, Aunt Shi will be Panpan’s business partner, so I have to be a wise helper and help Panpan manage relationships well.” She subtly shifted the conversation to her Xiao Panpan.
Wen Tong scolded her, “Lin Xiaoxian, why are you so practical?”
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Shi Jinglan took a sip of tea and calmly chimed in, “Xianxian is not practical enough, so she probably doesn’t know the power of a pillow talk.”
(LP: For those who don’t know; pillow talk – private conversation, endearments, or confidences exchanged in bed or in intimate circumstances between spouses or lovers.)
Xiao Wanqing, Lin Xian, and Wen Tong were all slightly stunned. In the next moment, Xiao Wanqing and Lin Xian couldn’t hold back their laughter, both teasingly looking at Wen Tong. Wen Tong glanced at the poker-faced Shi Jinglan in annoyance, then couldn’t help but lower her head and laugh.
After the laughter, the conversation successfully shifted towards the project of collaboration between Xiao Wanqing and Shi Jinglan – Shi Jinglan was planning to invest in the self-media platform managed by Xiao Wanqing.
In recent years, Shi Jinglan has been intensifying her layout in the entertainment industry, aiming to create an online literary empire so that intellectual property can directly connect with her entertainment section, gaining more control. Wen Tong, with Shixing’s marketing network, was more inclined towards the entertainment field, while Xiao Wanqing’s self-media platform had projects directly connected to online literature, with a substantial audience and a highly mature integrated commercial marketing process. Xiao Wanqing needed more funds to expand operations and complete phased transformations, while Shi Jinglan needed this relatively mature platform and a trustworthy operator. When the two met, Shi Jinglan originally intended to invite Xiao Wanqing to serve as the chief editor of the publishing group. Later, the topic naturally came up in conversation, and they immediately decided to start a deep collaboration.
As they discussed the later-stage planning for this platform, each of the four individuals had their strengths and different perspectives, freely expressing their thoughts and gaining insights. Lin Xian, who had immersed herself in the entertainment circle for 7 years, also had her unique insights. As Xiao Wanqing looked at her beloved, elegant and composed, she couldn’t help but feel proud and content once again.
“When it comes to The Decade Chronicles currently…” Wen Tong was about to talk about one of the accounts in detail when Lin Xian suddenly interrupted, “The Decade Chronicles?” She repeated the name in surprise, then looked towards Xiao Wanqing next to her, her clear, big eyes filled with affection, burning like they could sear into Xiao Wanqing’s heart.
She knew this Weibo account and public account.
This account had once uniquely posted several long articles defending her when she was under attack by online trolls due to offending someone. It had received a lot of criticism for it but successfully helped guide some of the uninformed crowd eating melons to think rationally. She had thought that the account was just trying to grab attention and capitalize on the hot topic by siding with her. But later, she observed that it seemed to genuinely favor her. It recommended her books, wrote reviews for her films and TV shows, even wrote author specials for her, a unique treatment among online authors.
Lin Xian was curious at one point, wondering if the mastermind behind this account was her secret admirer. Now, it finally became clear.
Indeed, only her Xiao Panpan could write such reviews that pierced her heart, only her Xiao Panpan could understand her like this and put in such heartfelt efforts for her.
Wen Tong was puzzled and followed Lin Xian’s confusion, asking, “Yeah, what’s going on?”
Xiao Wanqing knew exactly what Lin Xian was thinking, but just turned her head and smiled gently at her.
Lin Xian felt like her heart was melting in Xiao Wanqing’s smile. Her eyes were full of tenderness, and without answering Wen Tong’s question, she half-complained and half-playfully said to Xiao Wanqing, “You didn’t even tell me.”
Xiao Wanqing held Lin Xian’s hand, placing it on her knee, and softly and innocently said, “There’s nothing much to say about it.” In her watery eyes, there was a reflection of the small Lin Xian, full of Lin Xian.
Despite her loving and caring actions, she spoke so lightly, as if it was insignificant. Lin Xian’s eyes welled up with tears, touched and softened to the core.
It turns out, she was never fighting alone.
It turns out, all her growth and achievements, Xiao Panpan had accompanied her through it all.
Lin Xian looked at Xiao Wanqing, her throat twitched slightly, and in her bright eyes, moisture began to gather, full of affectionate gazes…
Wen Tong and Shi Jinglan didn’t understand the cryptic hints being exchanged between them, but they both noticed that the atmosphere between the two suddenly became tense. Wen Tong glanced at her watch and silently communicated with Shi Jinglan.
With other guests present, Xiao Wanqing hesitated to directly comfort her little girl. Luckily, Lin Xian quickly realized her emotional outburst and struggled to contain her feelings.
The conversation awkwardly returned to normal, but it didn’t last long before Wen Tong and Shi Jinglan politely took their leave.
After seeing Shi Jinglan and Wen Tong off, Lin Xian closed the door and reached out, pulling Xiao Wanqing, who was just a step away, into her arms.
Xiao Wanqing was unprepared, taking small steps back in surprise before falling into Lin Xian’s warm embrace. She turned around, puzzled, wanting to ask Lin Xian what was wrong, but the soft, gentle kiss from the girl landed on her lips, entwining her and causing her to gradually lose her composure.
The girl had unknowingly undone the button of her pants, Xiao Wanqing was losing her composure, but the girl showed no signs of letting her go.
She clung to the girl’s shoulder, softly pleading her to go back to the room, and the girl lifted her up, kissing and nibbling her jaw and neck as they moved inside. Eventually, they only stopped by the sofa ten steps away.
The girl gently set down Xiao Wanqing, considerately taking off her own long coat to place it under Xiao Wanqing’s body, then lifting her own clothes and leaning down over her once more.
It was the first time in a place outside the bedroom like this, the scorching light on the ceiling made the night as bright as day, her every move and action exposed openly to the girl’s eyes. However, Xiao Wanqing felt that the girl really liked her…
So, she suppressed her shyness, biting her lip as she yielded to her lover. With one hand grasping her own clothes, and the other playing with Lin Xian’s long hair, she unconsciously looked at the sofa where Wen Tong and Shi Jinglan had sat, feeling increasingly ashamed and yet increasingly passionate.
Outside the window, moonlight flowed like water, while inside, the room was filled with a sense of intimacy.
After a long time, clouds quietly covered half of the moon. Lin Xian pulled up her jacket to wrap around her lover’s snow-white skin, adorned with faint red marks, before carefully lifting her and walking towards the bedroom. She affectionately traced Xiao Wanqing’s features with light kisses and softly asked her, “Panpan, how many secrets do you still have that I don’t know, how much sweetness that I am unaware of?”
Xiao Wanqing looped her arms around Lin Xian’s neck, feeling so tired that she just wanted to close her eyes and sleep, but she couldn’t resist the gentle voice and tender gaze of the girl, not willing to fall asleep. She leaned in to kiss the corner of the girl’s lips, her voice husky with a soft and charming smile as she said, “Can I tell you the latest thing? How about that?”
Lin Xian, intrigued, responded, “Hmm?”
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“Let’s go see the snow, walk hand in hand until we have white hair full of snow.” The voice grew lower, almost a whisper.
Lin Xian abruptly stopped in her tracks, her heart fluttering with joy and surprise. She lowered her head, wanting to seek further confirmation, but all she saw was Xiao Wanqing leaning on her shoulder, long lashes fluttering, lips curved in a slight smile as if she had already drifted off to sleep, tired.
This naughty woman, Lin Xian chuckled silently. How could she fall asleep after hinting at such a romantic plan?
Maybe it was her fault for making her too tired, Lin Xian reflected. She held Xiao Wanqing tighter, quickened her pace back to the bedroom, and carefully placed the sleeping beauty back on the bed.
Just as she tucked Xiao Wanqing in, Xiao Wanqing stirred uneasily. Suddenly, her cleanliness and compulsiveness kicked in, and she opened her misty eyes, sounding a bit aggrieved, struggling as if to get up, “I can’t sleep yet, the dishes haven’t been washed.”
Lin Xian’s heart melted, feeling a mix of amusement and affection. She gently pressed down Xiao Wanqing’s movement, placed her arm back under the covers, and soothingly reassured, “I’ll go wash the dishes now, and I’ll clean and put away the tea set too.”
Afterwards, fearing Xiao Wanqing’s refusal, Lin Xian turned off the bedside lamp without a word, casting the room into dimness. She gently touched Xiao Wanqing’s soft cheek, placed her hand over Xiao Wanqing’s eyes, and tenderly coaxed her like a child, “You can sleep peacefully, be obedient.”
In the dimness, Xiao Wanqing felt the tenderness between her brows and eyes, a sweet feeling engulfing her heart. Eventually, unable to resist the drowsiness, she unknowingly drifted off, losing consciousness.
Lin Xian quietly tiptoed out of the bedroom, closing the door behind her. She tidied up the tea set, with Xiao Wanqing’s words, “Let’s go see the snow, walk hand in hand until we have white hair,” echoing in her ears.
Growing old together, mere imagination, yet the sweetness in her heart felt as if it was about to overflow…
Lin Xian lowered her head, closed her eyes, and kissed the rim of the cup Xiao Wanqing had used. Suddenly, she knelt before the bright moon and stars outside the window, offering a sincere thank you to the various deities she had prayed to and sought guidance from in all the years when she felt lost.
Perfection is hard to come by in life, but Lin Xian felt no regrets in this lifetime.