Undoubtedly a Sweet Morning Worth Savoring.
That night, Yu Xi slept at Yuan Yue’s house.
Yuan Yue didn’t remember if she had invited her, but in the end, the two of them were lying in the same bed, hugging each other, chatting with a rare lack of distracting thoughts1. They talked until Yuan Yue yawned, and Yu Xi gave her a goodnight kiss before they both fell asleep.
Even rarer was that this time, Yuan Yue woke up before Yu Xi. It was as if to make up for last time’s regret; she could quietly admire Yu Xi’s sleeping face. The more she looked, the more she liked it, and she couldn’t help but move her hands and feet2.
Yu Xi’s eyelashes were thick and long, curling up slightly like a butterfly flapping its wings. Yuan Yue very carefully used her finger to brush them, the ticklish sensation bringing on a wave of tingling numbness. Finding it fun, she was about to touch somewhere else when Yu Xi suddenly woke up.
When that pair of enigmatic and profound eyes looked at her, Yuan Yue was completely defenseless. She sheepishly withdrew her hand, her voice soft and mushy, “Good morning.”
Having just woken up, Yu Xi was a bit softer than usual. She smiled at Yuan Yue, her voice hoarse as she said, “Good morning.”
Then they fell silent, quietly looking at each other.
As they looked and looked, the distance between them slowly closed, and their lips pressed together of their own accord in a lingering, passionate kiss.
Only after the kiss did they remember they hadn’t brushed their teeth, yet neither seemed to mind. Looking at each other’s lips, rosy from the kiss, they both started to laugh.
After lazing in bed for half the day, the two of them finally dawdled their way out of it.
Yu Xi found her toiletries in her suitcase and took the opportunity to wash up at Yuan Yue’s house. There was nothing to eat in the fridge besides fruit and yogurt, so Yu Xi used these two ingredients to make two fruit salads. It was a simple breakfast, but it was exceptionally refreshing on this scorching summer day.
Last night, in order to brush off Sun Wenya, Yu Xi had said, “I’m her girlfriend”—perhaps casually, perhaps with ulterior motives. Yuan Yue hadn’t refuted it at the time, nor had she corrected it afterward. Both of them tacitly left it unmentioned. Although they hadn’t done anything too excessive, their relationship seemed to have suddenly become much closer.
And this morning, for them, was undoubtedly a sweet morning worth savoring.
After finishing breakfast together, Yu Xi had to go to work, and Yuan Yue said she was going to check on the shop.
Because they had woken up a bit late, to avoid making Yu Xi late, Yuan Yue, for the first time since heaven was smashed open3, went out without makeup. She followed Yu Xi’s advice, parted with her beloved high heels, and changed into a pair of flat, comfortable sneakers. Once they were ready, they left the house arm in arm, just like a normal couple.
Since it was on the way, Yuan Yue didn’t drive her own car. She sat in the passenger seat of Yu Xi’s car, enjoying Yu Xi’s attentive service.
Yu Xi drove straight to the parking lot closest to the gym. Before getting out, she said to Yuan Yue, who was unbuckling her seatbelt, “I’ll come find you after I get off work.”
“Okay.” A smile bloomed on Yuan Yue’s lips as she leaned over and gave her a kiss.
It was originally meant to be a simple farewell kiss, but Yu Xi felt it wasn’t enough. She hooked her arm around her neck, and the two of them couldn’t help but share a deep, wet kiss in the car.
The air in the car was nearly squeezed dry. When they separated, a wave of dizziness washed over them. Yuan Yue lowered her eyes, her face red as she unbuckled her seatbelt and jumped out of the car.
Watching her hastily fleeing back, Yu Xi couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Yuan Yue walked to the hot pot restaurant with a spring in her step.
It wasn’t even nine o’clock yet. When Yuan Yue stepped into the hot pot restaurant, Xiao Min’s sharp eyes spotted her. She rubbed her eyes in disbelief and said, “Am I seeing things? Yueyue, you actually came over so early in the morning?!”
Yuan Yue’s schedule used to be irregular; she often slept until high noon and would only come to the shop to check on things when she had nothing better to do. For her to arrive today before the hot pot restaurant had even opened was no wonder Xiao Min was surprised.
Yuan Yue hadn’t expected to be able to wake up early either. She was in a great mood and patted Xiao Min’s shoulder, striking up a familiar conversation with her, “Xiao Min, did you have fun during the Mid-Autumn Festival4?”
Xiao Min’s face fell. “Not fun,” she said listlessly. “I didn’t get enough sleep.”
“Don’t tell me you slept for all three days?” Yuan Yue feigned surprise and teased, “A young girl like you shouldn’t always coop yourself up at home. When you have time, you should get out more. Maybe you’ll find a boyfriend.”
Listening to her ramble on, Xiao Min looked at her as if she’d seen a ghost5, “Why are you suddenly so concerned about my love life today?”
“Is there a problem with a boss caring about her employee?” Yuan Yue said, as if it were a matter of course.
“No problem, but something feels weird.” Xiao Min scratched her head, her gaze locking onto Yuan Yue’s face, which was filled with the delight of a spring breeze6. She asked suspiciously, “Yueyue, don’t tell me you’re actually in love?”
Yuan Yue raised an eyebrow in tacit agreement.
Xiao Min’s eyes lit up, and she couldn’t help but gossip, “For real?! Who’s the boyfriend? Is he handsome? How tall? Is he rich?!”
“Secret,” Yuan Yue tossed out the word lightly. Of course, she couldn’t possibly tell Xiao Min that her current love interest was a woman.
Her appetite thoroughly whetted, Xiao Min was dying of curiosity. She pestered her endlessly, “Come on, tell me. I’ll definitely keep it a secret for you.”
Yuan Yue glanced at her, unmoved. “I already said it’s a secret. If it’s a secret, how can I tell you?”
Xiao Min was scratching her heart and clawing at her liver7 wanting to know.
But Yuan Yue just wouldn’t say. “Alright, alright, hurry up and get to work. Don’t delay our opening time.”
After sending Xiao Min away, Yuan Yue didn’t know what to do.
If it weren’t for the wonderful atmosphere this morning, she wouldn’t have let her head get hot8 and said she wanted to leave with Yu Xi. Now look at her. It was bad enough that she had nothing to do, but it hadn’t even been that long since they parted, and she was already pathetically missing Yu Xi a little. But she didn’t want Yu Xi to know how bored she was, so she resisted the urge to bother her and took a stroll through the kitchen instead.
Everyone who saw Yuan Yue had the same reaction as Xiao Min. Seeing that everyone was busy, Yuan Yue, with nothing to do, also helped out with preparations for the upcoming opening.
They were busy until around ten o’clock when they finally opened for business. As the doors opened, the hot pot restaurant welcomed its first customer of the day.
Xiao Min went out to greet the guest, asking with a well-trained smile, “Miss, please come in. Are you dining alone?”
The Mid-Autumn Festival had passed, but the morning sun was still fierce. The person took off her sunglasses, smiled at Xiao Min, and said, “I’m here to find someone.”
Xiao Min paused for a moment, then asked again, “Miss, who are you looking for?”
The woman’s gaze swept roughly over the shop as she said flatly, “I have an appointment with your Boss Yuan. He told me to wait for him in the shop.”
Someone was here to see Yuan Xi so early in the morning, and she hadn’t heard Yuan Xi mention it before. Xiao Min didn’t know if it was true or not. Remembering Sun Wenya, who had come looking for Cheng Nuo9 in tears last time, Xiao Min was wary, but she didn’t dare to be neglectful. She sized up the woman before her and said cautiously, “Miss, may I ask your honorable surname?”
“Dispense with the ‘honorable’, my surname is Zhuang10.”
“Miss Zhuang, is it? Please, have a seat inside and drink some tea. I’ll go inform him for you right now.”
Not yet clear on the situation, Xiao Min temporarily led the customer to a seat inside, poured her a cup of tea, and turned to leave.
Yuan Yue was in the break room, bored and filing her nails, when Xiao Min ran in and said to her, “Yueyue, there’s a Miss Zhuang outside who says she’s looking for the boss. Do you want to go take a look?”
Zhuang?
The name didn’t ring a bell.
Yuan Yue asked nonchalantly, “What does she want with my gege11?”
Xiao Min shook her head. “I don’t know. I didn’t ask, and she didn’t say.”
Yuan Yue paused, put away the nail clippers, and said, “I’ll go see.”
It was still early, so besides the staff, there was only one unfamiliar woman in the shop. Yuan Yue and Xiao Min walked out side by side, and Xiao Min pointed at the woman, whispering, “That’s her.”
The woman was leaning against the window, in the same spot where Sun Wenya had sat when she came looking for Yuan Yue last time.
Yuan Yue looked at the woman from a distance. At first glance, she seemed quite attractive, but it was hard to tell her exact age under the makeup. Yuan Yue was puzzled. Why would such a flamboyantly dressed woman be looking for Yuan Xi so early in the morning?
Long, black, wavy hair, heavy makeup, sexy clothes—Yuan Yue felt like she had seen this woman somewhere before, but she couldn’t recall where.
The woman seemed to sense someone watching her. Her eyes swept over casually and, unexpectedly, met Yuan Yue’s gaze.
Yuan Yue returned a polite smile and walked straight toward her. When she reached her, Yuan Yue gave a slight bow and asked, “Miss Zhuang, is it?”
The woman looked at her impassively. “I am. And you are?”
“My name is Yuan Yue, Yuan Xi’s younger sister.” Yuan Yue maintained her smile. “I heard from Xiao Min that you’re looking for my gege, Miss Zhuang, but he hasn’t arrived yet. May I ask what it’s about?”
The moment the woman heard she was Yuan Xi’s younger sister, she immediately stood up. With a brilliant smile, her previously cold and arrogant attitude vanished. “So, you’re Miss Yuan. Hello, my name is Zhuang Xiaochen12.”
Yuan Yue looked at the hand extended toward her and gave it a symbolic shake.
Zhuang Xiaochen pointed to the empty seat opposite her and said with sudden enthusiasm, “Please sit, Miss Yuan.”
Yuan Yue sat down opposite her.
After she sat down, Zhuang Xiaochen’s gaze never left Yuan Yue’s face. When their eyes met, she didn’t look away. After a moment’s hesitation, she said, “Miss Yuan, have we met somewhere before?”
“Have we?” Yuan Yue’s eyelashes fluttered. She took it as a pleasantry and said half-jokingly, “It’s probably because I have a common face13, so Miss Zhuang must have mistaken me for someone else.”
Zhuang Xiaochen laughed along cooperatively. “Miss Yuan, you’re very humorous.”
Dealing with people wasn’t Yuan Yue’s strong suit. Although the person opposite her was being polite, her two eyes had been shamelessly staring at Yuan Yue’s face ever since she appeared, which made Yuan Yue very uncomfortable.
The superficial pleasantries couldn’t last long. Afraid she wouldn’t be able to handle it and the filling would leak out14, Yuan Yue said, “Miss Zhuang, you already have an appointment with my gege, right? How about this, you sit here and have some tea, and I’ll call to hurry him along for you.”
Zhuang Xiaochen looked as if she wanted to say something but stopped.
Without waiting for her response, Yuan Yue stood up, took out her phone as if it were a matter of great importance, and called Yuan Xi. At the same time, she said politely, “Please, sit, Miss Zhuang. If you need anything, just call Xiao Min over.”
Zhuang Xiaochen nodded slightly, the smile on her lips ambiguous.
Just then, the call connected. Yuan Yue said eagerly into the phone, “Ge, Miss Zhuang is already at the shop. When are you coming?”
She walked away as she spoke, with no time to turn back and see Zhuang Xiaochen’s reaction behind her.
As Yuan Yue walked further away, the smile on Zhuang Xiaochen’s face vanished. Her eyes, under their heavy makeup, narrowed into a thin line, and her thoughts began to drift.
No wonder she found Yuan Yue somewhat familiar. Wasn’t this Yuan Yue one of the members of that les couple she had run into on the highway yesterday?
Although Yuan Yue wasn’t wearing makeup today, a closer look still revealed a familiar outline. The way Yuan Yue had made an excuse and fled in a panic seemed like she was trying to avoid her, which made Zhuang Xiaochen even more certain of her guess.
Interesting.
Having knocked about and crawled her way through society for so many years15, while she couldn’t be considered to have seen much and had wide experience, Zhuang Xiaochen had come into contact with the homosexual community to some extent. However, she had previously had more contact with the gay scene. Yesterday on the highway was the first time she had seen real-life lesbians. Not only that, but she had also witnessed the entire process of that les couple kissing passionately as if no one else was around16. It had been quite shocking at the time.
Before meeting Yuan Yue, Zhuang Xiaochen had actually dealt with Yuan Xi several times. She knew that Yuan Xi was already married and had two adorable babies, and she had also heard that Yuan Xi had a younger sister he had doted on since childhood.
Every time she heard Yuan Xi talk about his two children, his face would be brimming with a happy smile. But when he spoke of his younger sister, Yuan Xi would always sigh long and short17, saying that he, as an older brother, was incompetent, causing his sister to remain single even at her age.
Looking at Yuan Yue in the distance, who had her back to her and was pretending to be on the phone, Zhuang Xiaochen propped up her chin and couldn’t help but wonder: If Yuan Xi knew that his precious younger sister was actually a les, what would his reaction be?
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