A pitiful little girl whose fragrance was stolen by a wandering prodigal son
The soft and warm touch on the forehead still felt hot, and the sensation followed the smooth fingers of Xiao Wanqing, sending a shivering electric current down to every limb of Lin Xian. Lin Xian widened her moist eyes in disbelief, involuntarily curving her lips, and gazed blankly at the tender and gentle Xiao Wanqing in front of her.
In her heart, it felt like fireworks were blooming one after another.
They were dazzling and captivating, making it hard to look away and overwhelming to the point of confusion.
She listened to Xiao Wanqing’s softly spoken inquiry and slowly snapped back to reality. Unable to resist, she raised her hand and covered the smooth forehead that Xiao Wanqing had kissed, gently caressing it with her fingers. After a while, she bit her lip, revealing adorable white teeth, and hesitated, “But, but the Kongming lanterns are supposed to be released together at ten o’clock. It’s already past the time, isn’t it?” She had been standing here since nine o’clock after cooking millet porridge, and at quarter to ten, she had glanced at the clock once but then started feeling drowsy. With her mischievous thoughts, she also guessed that it must have been past the time.
Xiao Wanqing paused for a moment, then belatedly raised her fair wrist to check the time on her watch. Sure enough, it was already half past ten. Her initial reaction was, how long had she made Lin Xian wait alone in loneliness?
Xiao Wanqing’s eyes dimmed, expressing remorse, “I’m sorry, Xianxian. Rarely do we get to celebrate Lantern Festival together, and I… couldn’t accompany you properly and didn’t leave you with any good memories.”
Lin Xian showed a relieved smile, shook her head, and empathetically said, “Being able to celebrate Lantern Festival with Aunt Xiao is already the best memory. Besides, Aunt Xiao, you also prepared a sumptuous dinner. It’s work that affected our dinner, Aunt Xiao. You had no choice.”
Xiao Wanqing knew that it wasn’t the case. She looked at the girl, who fully trusted and cared for her, and felt even more guilty and sorrowful. She stammered, trying to say something, but for a moment, she couldn’t find the right words.
Lin Xian had been feeling a bit aggrieved lately.
Gradually, she had noticed that since Aunt Xiao had become busy with work, her whole demeanor seemed to be tensed up, and she appeared somewhat restless and sensitive. If it were in the past, she thought, no matter what, Aunt Xiao wouldn’t leave her alone during dinner, even if it was out of politeness. But then she reassured herself, thinking that Aunt Xiao now treated her as her own, which was why she truly let herself go and didn’t overly think about herself.
After all, family members and guests are different.
It is only with close people that one can be uninhibited.
But no matter how much self-comfort Lin Xian did, sitting alone in front of a table full of food and a steaming hotpot, even if it was delicious, it still felt tasteless. After Xiao Wanqing left, she only ate a few bites hastily, then put down her chopsticks, cleaned up the pots and pans, and sorted out the leftovers. She returned to her bedroom.
She buried her head in the pillow and felt that everything was different from what she had expected and imagined.
The more she looked forward to it, the more disappointed she felt.
Zhou Qin sent a text message asking how she was doing after dinner and how it was at Aunt Xiao’s house for the festival.
For this Lantern Festival, she had firmly and resolutely stated that she wanted to celebrate it with Xiao Wanqing. Zhou Qin helped her cover it up and dealt with both sets of elders.
Lin Xian turned over and looked at the deep night outside the window. She furrowed her brows and replied to Zhou Qin, “We’ve eaten. Aunt Xiao cooked many dishes, and we’re now watching the Lantern Festival Gala together.”
After receiving the reply, Zhou Qin felt relieved and reminded her, “You, don’t keep Aunt Xiao up too late since she rarely gets weekends off from work.”
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Lin Xian chatted with her mother for a while but didn’t receive any further messages, so she returned to the home screen. She checked the time on her phone, thought about how Xiao Wanqing had only eaten a few bites, and left her phone behind as she hurriedly went to the study. She wanted to ask Xiao Wanqing if she wanted something to eat.
But unexpectedly, her concern received a impatient rejection from Aunt Xiao for the first time, saying, “Xianxian, wait until I finish work.”
Actually, it wasn’t harsh at all. Aunt Xiao was too gentle. Even her worst tone was just a lack of gentleness. But to Lin Xian’s ears, it felt like a sharp blade, piercing her heart.
Lin Xian’s hand, raised to knock on the door, froze instantly. The tenderness and sweetness in her heart seemed to be doused by a bucket of icy cold water. Along with the accumulated sadness from feeling neglected in recent days, an unbearable sense of grievance surged up in her heart, making her eyes well up with sour tears.
Liking someone, perhaps, can make a person inexplicably fragile yet also inexplicably strong.
In the end, she still worried about Xiao Wanqing’s health, her delicate stomach. She wiped away the teardrop of grievance that slid down her cheek, sniffed her nose, and replied with a “okay” to Xiao Wanqing. Then, she turned and went to the kitchen, preparing millet grain porridge for Xiao Wanqing.
Alone in the kitchen, with her back facing the dim light, she washed the rice, and the tears couldn’t help but fall, pitter-pattering. Clearly, Xiao Wanqing didn’t say anything excessive, and her tone was just slightly colder, but Lin Xian felt particularly sad and wronged.
In her heart, she grumbled and complained about Aunt Xiao, calling her good and bad, especially bad. Aunt Xiao had never been so caring and kind to someone, but she didn’t know, she didn’t appreciate it at all. She didn’t know how difficult it was for Lin Xian to stay and spend the Lantern Festival with her, she didn’t know how much Lin Xian was looking forward to this Lantern Festival.
But she also knew that Xiao Wanqing didn’t do anything wrong. Aunt Xiao didn’t even know that she liked her, and even if she did, Aunt Xiao wasn’t obligated to respond with the same enthusiasm. It was her own fault, being too sensitive.
But now, all the grievances and sadness disappeared in Xiao Wanqing’s warm kiss and gentle stroke. Lin Xian even forgot how sad she was just now. Listening to Xiao Wanqing’s apology, all she wanted was for her not to furrow her brows, not to feel guilty.
She wanted to change the subject, so she forgot about the disappointment and pain of being rejected just now and asked Xiao Wanqing again, “Um… Aunt Xiao, are you hungry? Would you like to taste my cooking?”
Xiao Wanqing looked at her with soft eyes, a smile forming on her lips. “Of course.”
In the dining room, Lin Xian filled two small bowls with pleasantly warm porridge and placed them on the table. Facing Xiao Wanqing, she watched as she picked up the spoon, scooped some porridge, and put it in her mouth.
After a moment, Xiao Wanqing swallowed and relaxed her expression, praising her as she had hoped. “Delicious. Xianxian, your culinary skills are getting better and better. You’re proficient in all eighteen cooking techniques.”
Lin Xian felt satisfied and a bit shy. She covered her eyes with both hands, rare modesty in her voice. “I’m not as skilled as Aunt Xiao says.” She paused and then softly said, “But if you don’t mind, Aunt Xiao, can I cook for you more often in the future?”
In Xiao Wanqing’s eyes, there were glimmering waves like ripples in water. She lowered her gaze, softly agreeing with the girl. “Okay, then thank you in advance, Xianxian.” She took another sip, tasted the red bean, and curiously stirred the millet porridge with her spoon. She asked Lin Xian, “Xianxian, how come there are so many grains and cereals at home?”
Lin Xian proudly grinned and confessed, “After you went to work with a stomach ache that day, I looked up recipes for nourishing the stomach and bought them at the supermarket.” She pouted slightly, with a hint of complaint. “But later, Aunt Xiao, you were worried about my hands and didn’t give me a chance to show it.”
Xiao Wanqing unexpectedly heard this comforting answer and gazed at the girl’s beautiful and pure face, feeling her heart melting.
What virtue or ability did she possess to receive such care and thoughtfulness from Lin Xian?
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In her pale life, being able to meet someone as beautiful and pure as Lin Xian again and add a vibrant and colorful brilliance to her life was already considered a favor from destiny.
Even though she didn’t have the qualification to love Lin Xian, the fact that Lin Xian was so kind and willing to treat her as such a close elder, wholeheartedly considerate like this…
To her, a lowly and shameless secret admirer.
It was already generous and kind enough.
Xiao Wanqing’s nose felt a bit sour, her voice choked with suppressed emotions, sounding hoarse. She softly replied to Lin Xian, her voice low, “Xianxian, there’s no need to worry about it. Stomachaches are just occasional minor issues.”
Lin Xian immediately retorted, displeased, “How can you say that health issues are minor matters!” She paused for a moment, restraining herself from asking a question she had been holding back for days. With a hint of hesitation, she finally asked, “Aunt Xiao, did you… Did you have stomachache that day because you ate the dish I cooked and stored in the refrigerator?”
Xiao Wanqing, still caught up in her emotions, heard Lin Xian’s abrupt question and suddenly felt like a mischievous child caught doing something wrong. She felt both startled and embarrassed. She unconsciously flicked her hair near her ear, denying awkwardly, “No… That’s not it.”
Compared to her usual pretense, this time her denial was not very convincing. Lin Xian immediately sensed the hesitation in Xiao Wanqing’s tone and burst into laughter, affirming, “Aunt Xiao, you’re lying!” She sighed and said, “I already know. Were you afraid that I would feel guilty, so you didn’t tell me?”
When she was having lunch that day, she opened the refrigerator to heat up the leftovers she had cooked the previous day, only to find that they had disappeared. Her first reaction was to check the kitchen trash bin. Sure enough, scattered remnants of her hard work from the previous day lay inside.
She squatted beside the trash bin, overwhelmed with a sense of grievance and sadness. There were only two people in the house, so it could only have been Xiao Wanqing who disposed of them. But after just one night, was that the fate awaiting the food she had prepared with so much effort?
Lin Xian’s nose felt sour as she looked at the discarded remnants of the meal in the trash bin, as if she were looking at her own heart that had been abandoned by Xiao Wanqing. But as she looked, she gradually felt that something was off. Why did the portion of each dish seem incorrect?
Great sorrow and great joy, it’s just like that.
Later, fearing that Xiao Wanqing would feel embarrassed, Lin Xian had been holding back and refraining from asking. But today, she couldn’t resist anymore. Speculating that the sweetness was too overwhelming, she couldn’t resist herself. She still wanted to hear a definite answer from Xiao Wanqing’s mouth, to solidify her feelings and savor this sweetness.
Xiao Wanqing, seeing that Lin Xian had already guessed, pursed her lips and reluctantly admitted, “Well, I… I got a little hungry in the middle of the night and decided to eat.” She finally had the chance to say what she owed Lin Xian as praise, “It was just so delicious that I couldn’t help but eat a bit more, which caused the stomachache.”
She teased Lin Xian, saying, “I guess it’s your fault, Xianxian. How could you make it so delicious?” Her long fluttering eyelashes, like soft brushes, gently brushed against Lin Xian’s restless heart.
Lin Xian was innocently blamed, but she didn’t feel the slightest bit angry. Instead, she resembled a satisfied little puppy, rubbing her belly contentedly, almost wagging her tail.
She gazed at Xiao Wanqing’s lips, glistening with a captivating shine under the light, swallowed, averted her gaze, and looked at Xiao Wanqing’s fair cheeks. She thought of the unprecedented kiss that Xiao Wanqing had placed on her forehead, the slender fingers that repeatedly gathered and released, placed on both sides of the porcelain bowl. Unable to suppress her inner longing any longer, she gathered her courage and stood up.
Under Xiao Wanqing’s perplexed gaze, Lin Xian walked over to her with a mischievous smile. Then, to Xiao Wanqing’s astonishment, she suddenly embraced her soft body, teasing playfully, “Aunt Xiao, you’re so greedy and adorable.” As her heart pounded like a drum, she lowered herself, quickly planted a kiss on Xiao Wanqing’s tender cheek, leaving a warm mark.
The sensation of her lips touching skin was truly wonderful.
Perhaps the longing in her heart had been too intense and prolonged that even though she had only kissed Xiao Wanqing’s cheek, Lin Xian felt herself trembling and quivering all over, her legs, and even weakening.
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She felt Xiao Wanqing’s body tremble as if she were startled, and then a visible crimson blush quickly spread across her cheeks, turning her pitiful little ears bright red.
Xiao Wanqing stiffened her body, like a pitiful little girl who had her fragrance stolen by a prodigal son. She stammered helplessly, softly calling out, “Xian… Xianxian…”
Lin Xian held her in her arms, her heart melting and overwhelmed.
She thought to herself, how lucky she was—
To be able to fall in love with someone so gentle and adorable.
She could even privately own Mount Fuji with her love.
The pain and suppression of unrequited love that she had to endure in the past, present, and even in the future, what did it matter?
With a heart filled with gratitude, she had no regrets.
