Who could refuse Lin Qing’s request?
A few days later, the day of departure finally arrived.
Qiao Yu followed her parents to the airport to meet up with the other four people, and couldn’t help but click her tongue in amazement at the sight of their numerous large and small bags, remarking that indeed, when there are more women, there tends to be more luggage.
While everyone was waiting for the plane, Qiao Yu felt a bit dazed. Lin Qing leaned over with concern to ask her what was wrong, and Qiao Yu shook her head in response.
“I initially thought Auntie Cong might pull out a private jet or something…”
“…Hmm… I don’t think Auntie is quite that wealthy yet.”
Indeed, it was the novels and movies Qiao Yu had seen that had limited her thinking; if there really had been a private jet, she wouldn’t have known how to react. Fortunately, President was not that rich.
Although President Cong didn’t have a private jet, she could still afford to book first-class seats for them.
Experiencing such luxury for the first time, Qiao Yu sank into the comfortable seat, curiously looking around. Lin Qing, acting nonchalantly, lifted the armrest between them and leaned over to fasten Qiao Yu’s seatbelt.
“Ah, thank you.”
The sudden closeness and the fragrance that came with it made Qiao Yu stiffen all over. Lin Qing’s hair brushed past her nose, and Qiao Yu embarrassingly swallowed hard, hastily leaning back, thanking Lin Qing while maintaining a safe distance.
Lin Qing gave her a slight smile before leaning back, leaving Qiao Yu feeling oddly empty. A pointed whistle came from Cong Ye seated next to her, but before Qiao Yu could turn her head to scold him, a glare from Mother Cong seated in front of him quashed his bravado.
The first-class cabin afforded everyone ample space, yet Qiao Yu couldn’t help feeling restless. Normally seated in front of her, Lin Qing was now beside her, and Qiao Yu constantly felt at a loss, as if Lin Qing’s fragrance and warmth were emanating from her side, acutely reminding Qiao Yu of her presence.
…This won’t do; they had only just boarded the plane.
They would be spending all day together for a whole week, so showing weakness now wouldn’t do!
Frowning, Qiao Yu kept mentally coaching herself, repeatedly reminding herself to stay calm, to keep a calm mind. If necessary, she would maintain a slight distance from Lin Qing… To conceal her feelings, there was simply no other way.
Not long after, the airplane started its engines, and Qiao Yu felt a sudden tightness in the hand resting at her side.
It was Lin Qing who had reached over to grasp her hand. When Qiao Yu turned to look, Lin Qing gave her a somewhat distressed smile.
“I’m flying for the first time and am a bit nervous… May I hold your hand?”
“…Of course! Certainly!”
How could anyone possibly have the heart to say no? In an instant, Qiao Yu cast away the resolve she had mustered just minutes ago to the back of her mind, feeling it was her duty to firmly hold Lin Qing’s hand. Noticing that the other’s hand was a bit cold, she frowned and used her palm to warm it for her.
“It’s alright, we’ll arrive soon, don’t worry.”
Qiao Yu softened her voice to comfort Lin Qing, hearing her respond with a low hum, and Lin Qing’s hand gripped back. At this moment, Lin Qing’s expression relaxed, and her dark eyes looked over with a subdued light, causing Qiao Yu’s heart to skip a beat, daring not to look again.
From the seat diagonally in front, President Cong who had been surreptitiously watching the two, took a leaf out of their book (imitate) and held the hand of the person next to her, Mother Lin. However, she was met with her concerned inquiry, “What’s wrong? Are you scared?” to which President Cong silently turned her head away in embarrassment.
Even after the plane had successfully taken off, the hands of Qiao Yu and Lin Qing remained clasped together. Qiao Yu couldn’t find the right moment to let go, and Lin Qing seemed to have no intention of releasing her grip at all.
Qiao Yu felt her arm growing stiff, fearing that too much strength or sweat from her hand might make Lin Qing uncomfortable. But since Lin Qing did not speak up, Qiao Yu wasn’t sure if she was still afraid, so she conscientiously took on the responsibility to hold on carefully.
She inadvertently caught a glimpse from the corner of her eye; Cong Ye had already put on an eye mask and was fast asleep, snoring softly. She felt a surge of irritation—why did this guy live so self-centeredly! He totally lacked the self-awareness of a male lead—at this moment, it should have been him—
…Hmm? Speaking of which, why weren’t Cong Ye and Lin Qing sitting together?
The boarding pass was handed to her with this seating arrangement, but it wasn’t until now that Qiao Yu belatedly realized she seemed to have, once again, unwittingly taken the male lead’s spot. She had been utterly oblivious, a clear sign her mind was in complete disarray.
Perhaps it was her selfishness that was too great. Qiao Yu silently reflected in her heart.
After takeoff, the airplane was devoid of conversational noise. She and Lin Qing didn’t speak, simply quietly intertwining their fingers.
If it were Cong Ye sitting next to Lin Qing, would she also hold his hand like this?
Qiao Yu was acutely aware of how inappropriate her thoughts were at this time, yet found them uncontrollably surfacing in her mind.
Probably, after all, Lin Qing liked him—
A foreign emotion roared within her chest like a ferocious beast, clawing to break free. Qiao Yu held her breath, her eyes drooping, casting a shadow beneath her long eyelashes.
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…Ah, could this actually be jealousy?
At an altitude of ten thousand feet, dark emotions and unspoken thoughts all passed by like fleeting clouds, unseen.
Since they had opted for convenience and only departed at noon, it was already nightfall by the time they reached their destination’s inn.
It was Father Qiao’s connections that came into play for the accommodation, grandly booking an entire hot spring hotel through one of his well-off friends.
“This is the annex, there are originally only ten guest rooms. I figured since our group would need five or six rooms anyway, why not just book the whole place, and it’s at a friend’s rate, not expensive at all.”
Although Father Qiao put it that way, Qiao Yu glanced around at the luxurious and quaint interior design, feeling certain that his idea of ‘not expensive’ definitely differed from her own understanding of the term.
The room assignments were such that everyone except for Father Qiao and Mother Qiao got their own room. When Qiao Yu arrived at her own room, she felt a bit at a loss in the unfamiliar environment.
She sat on the bed in a daze for a while before she heard a knock on the door. Opening it, she saw Lin Qing standing there.
“It’s time for dinner; let’s go.”
Thus, Qiao Yu and Lin Qing headed to the main hall together. On the way, they passed by Mother Lin’s room, just as the door happened to open, and out walked Mother Lin and a comfortably dressed Mother Cong.
“…Hm?”
Qiao Yu blinked in confusion; she remembered that Mother Cong’s room was at the far end, a good distance from here.
“Hmm? Can’t I be here?”
Mother Cong’s gaze started to drift away as she stiffly defended herself, even though Qiao Yu hadn’t asked anything yet. Mother Lin, who had just closed the door, couldn’t help but laugh. She gently chided her, “Why be so fierce with the child?”
Qiao Yu shrugged, indicating that Mother Cong could stay wherever she wished, and sighed, “You two seem to get along so well.”
At those words, the sternness on President Cong’s face could no longer hold, and her expression softened immediately. She walked over, put her hand on Qiao Yu’s shoulder, and led her forward, while pretending to be nonchalant and saying, “Well, it’s okay, not particularly great.”
“Ha… What would ‘particularly good’ look like, then?”
“That’s not something you should be thinking about at your tender age.”
“…Does being on good terms have anything to do with being young?”
As Qiao Yu was led away by Mother Cong, step by step, Lin Qing furrowed her brows, intending to go and rescue Qiao Yu but was held back by Mother Lin, who was oblivious to the situation.
“How’s your room, Qingqing? Are you getting used to it?”
With no choice but to abandon the idea of following, Lin Qing listened to the conversation between Qiao Yu and Aunt Cong drifting from ahead. Distractedly, she replied, “The room is quite pretty, I’m getting used to it I guess…”
“Mmhm, it seems like Qingqing is a good child who can adapt well, not like your Aunt Cong.”
“…”
Lin Qing’s wandering thoughts were yanked back by Mother Lin’s casual chatter. She glanced at Aunt Cong’s retreating figure, and remembering the sight of the two of them heading out together earlier, blinked thoughtfully.
The dinner was lavish, and even Lin Qing, who usually ate the least, found herself reaching for a few more bites with her chopsticks.
Qiao Yu was fine, but Cong Ye had eaten until his stomach was perfectly round. After dinner, he got up with a stagger, clutching the wall as he walked back to his room. As Qiao Yu was opening her room door, Cong Ye squeezed in through the door crack and sat down on the sofa next to her, massaging his belly.
“…Why did you come to my room?”
Qiao Yu, looking utterly confused, walked in. Lin Qing, who had intended to return to her own room, silently followed suit upon seeing this, and the three of them settled down in Qiao Yu’s room.
“What’s the point of going back to your own room right after dinner? It’s too boring—oh, Qiao Yu, this is pretty nice. The bed looks so comfy; can I lie down on it to try it out?”
“Of course not. Go lie down in your own bed.”
Qiao Yu stood in front of the bed with her arms crossed very fairly. Her room was probably originally a double room; the bed was indeed wide and large. Upon hearing her words, Cong Ye’s expression turned to one of disappointment, but he quickly got distracted by something else in the room. He stood up from the sofa, walked over to the desk, rummaged through, and found a box of playing cards. Turning back around, he held them up high as if he had discovered a treasure.
“Shall we play?”
So, the three of them teamed up and began to play poker. For the first night of an overseas trip, it was really quite dull.
“What are we going to do tomorrow? Pair of threes.”
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“I heard we’re probably going to go shopping… Rocket.”
“Qiao Yu, are you sick?!”
Regarding the travel arrangements for their trip, they were essentially equal to all being free to do as they pleased.
The parents’ attitude towards this trip was more about relaxation than tourism. This was also why Father Qiao chose this hotel, which was reportedly famous for its hot springs, looking as though he planned to settle there for a whole week.
Qiao Yu also had no objections. She had come to a realization that whatever was meant to happen would happen, and there was no need for her to push events along in a flustered haste, just like with the current game of poker—just let things take their natural course.
After a few rounds, Cong Ye was losing miserably, and Qiao Yu couldn’t help but find joy in his furrowed brows.
“Ah, if only I had known, I would have bet something—”
“What are you so smug about? It’s Lin Qing who’s winning, not you!”
Faced with Cong Ye’s indignation, Qiao Yu unflappably turned her head away, while Lin Qing shuffled the cards and chuckled softly, adding, “It’s fine. After all, if I win, it’s the same as her winning.”
Cong Ye’s furrowed face instantly relaxed, his expression peculiar as if he was trying to decide whether to smile or not. In the end, he couldn’t help but grin broadly, showing off a mouthful of pearly white teeth.
“Ah, you two have such a great relationship—”
“Don’t talk nonsense! It’s because we’re playing Fighting the Landlord1, alright!”
Qiao Yu’s face flushed red with indignation as she leaped up and indiscriminately drew an “X” on Cong Ye’s face with a pen.
Consequently, the game evolved into one with punitive measures, where the loser would have something drawn on their face by the winner. Lin Qing continued to win more than lose, and both were gentle with her—only Lin Qing and Cong Ye played their cruel tricks on each other. In the end, Cong Ye returned to his room with a face too tragic to witness, while Lin Qing only had a small heart drawn and a few faux beauty marks, looking relatively unscathed as she bid Qiao Yu goodnight before closing her door.
Frustrated, Qiao Yu furiously rubbed her forehead where Cong Ye had written the name “Lin Qing,” regretting that she had impulsively drawn a heart on Lin Qing’s face.
After a great deal of effort, Qiao Yu finally managed to clean her face. After showering and completing her nightly routine in her room, she lay in bed, tentatively touching her sore forehead, and couldn’t help but worry if any traces remained.
Therefore, Qiao Yu couldn’t fall asleep early. Eventually, unable to resist, she turned on the bedside lamp and decided to check the mirror again—as any marks left until the next day would be even harder to clean. After all, it was Lin Qing’s name—if it couldn’t be cleaned off, it would surely suggest something more.
As she anxiously peered into the mirror, she suddenly heard a gentle knock on the door.
It was already bedtime, and Qiao Yu felt a surge of confusion, wondering who would come looking for her at this hour.
She glanced around at the surrounding Japanese-style decor; though not one to believe in ghosts or spirits, Qiao Yu couldn’t help but feel drumming trepidation in her heart due to the unfamiliar environment. Nervously licking her lips, she walked over to the door. Before she could speak, a familiar voice came from outside.
“Qiao Yu? Are you asleep?”
“No, not yet.”
Qiao Yu swiftly pulled the door open and squinted her eyes at the sight of Lin Qing in pajamas.
…Oh no, too cute.
Lin Qing’s pajamas were fuzzy with little animals on them, striking a contrast to her usual composed image that deeply affected Qiao Yu.
She dared not look too much and quickly asked, “What’s wrong?”
Lin Qing, uncharacteristically bashful, seemed to be nervously fidgeting with her sleeve cuff, her cheeks tinged with a shy hue as she started to speak.
“…I’m not quite used to this place, and I’m having trouble sleeping…”
As she spoke, Lin Qing raised her bright eyes to look at Qiao Yu, appearing delicate and vulnerable.
“…Can I come and sleep with you?”
Qiao Yu lay in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
This is really bad, truly bad.
Her hands were placed neatly together in front of her chest, not daring to move an inch.
“Mmm…”
A soft grunt came from beside her, and Lin Qing rustled as she turned over, facing her way. Qiao Yu immediately held her breath, only her eyes moving helplessly.
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Fortunately, it seemed that Lin Qing had already fallen asleep. The sound of her regular and light breathing reached Qiao Yu’s ears who, after listening for a while, finally relaxed her tense body, feeling as though she had gone numb.
…This is really, really bad.
Qiao Yu screamed inwardly, wishing she could go back to an hour ago and reconsider her response to Lin Qing’s request to sleep together.
But deep down, she knew all too well that even if given another chance, she would end up in the same predicament. I mean, who could refuse Lin Qing’s request?
This was truly a case of digging one’s own grave, suffering in silence, swallowing one’s own broken teeth and blood. Who asked her to harbor unspeakable thoughts about Lin Qing?
Embracing the likelihood of a sleepless night, Qiao Yu silently closed her eyes and tried counting sheep.
One sheep, two sheep—ah, Lin Qing’s shampoo smells so good. Is it really the same one she uses in her room?
She couldn’t focus at all.
With a sense of despair, Qiao Yu turned her head to the side, but couldn’t prevent the persistent fragrance from wafting over like a shadow.
The bed was clearly 1.8 meters wide, yet for some reason, she felt Lin Qing’s breath as if it was right beside her, almost as though it would land on her shoulder with just a little more proximity.
Trembling on the edge of the bed, Qiao Yu felt that one more move would send her tumbling off, and confusedly chalked it up to her own delusions.
Alas, it must be because her improper thoughts were too deep.
Carrying a sense of guilt towards Lin Qing, Qiao Yu spent the first night of the trip with trepidation.
Footnotes
- Fighting the Landlord or Dou dizhu is played among three people with one pack of cards, including the two differentiated jokers. The game starts with players bidding for the “landlord” (地主) position. Those who lose the bid or do not bid enter the game as the “peasants” (农民) team competing against the landlord. The objective of the game is to be the first player to have no cards left. The landlord wins by removing all their cards first. The peasants win if one of them removes all their cards first.
