Chapter 23 "Do you want your younger brother to help you?"...
It was all Yu Xin's fault. Shen Mengqing spent a long time tidying herself up in the dressing room before she finally left looking normal.
She switched her shoulder bag to the other shoulder and changed the direction of the side of her clothes, hastily trying to cover up the traces he left behind, which seemed a bit like trying to hide something obvious.
Before she came out, Yu Xin was still leaning against the door, his hands in his pockets, and he didn't look at her again.
Hearing the rustling sounds of her tidying up, he asked, "Where are you going later?"
"..."
This question hit her right where it hurt. She had agreed to have lunch with Li Qinghe, but with Yu Xinren watching her closely, she dared not get into Li Qinghe's car.
“Go home,” she said angrily.
Li Qinghe and Zhu Shaoming were chatting in front of the car. After Shen Mengqing came out, she saw Zhu Shaoming smoking a cigarette and didn't really want to go over.
Seeing her arrive, Li Qinghe pointed to his car, indicating that she should get in first. Shen Mengqing quickly waved her hand and said loudly, "Excuse me, something suddenly came up, I have to go first. I've already called a car."
Li Qinghe paused for a moment, then walked towards her and said, "Are you in a hurry? Where are you going? How about I take you? It'll be faster."
At this critical moment, Yu Xin strolled out lazily, stopped beside the two, and squinted at Zhu Shaoming not far away. He looked calm and composed, as if he didn't care about the two at all.
Shen Mengqing caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of her eye, tugged at the corner of her mouth, and forced a smile: "No need, canceling the order now will incur a penalty."
Li Qinghe's attempts to persuade him failed, so he had no choice but to give up regretfully.
A few minutes later, the ride-hailing car stopped by the roadside. Shen Mengqing waved goodbye to the others and got into the car under the midday sun, holding an umbrella.
The air conditioning in the car was very strong, and Shen Mengqing's bare legs felt a bit cold. She covered her knees with the umbrella, which was better than nothing in terms of blocking the cold wind. Her phone was buried in the layers of the umbrella, and she had to rummage around for a while to find it.
The screen lit up, and Yu Xin called.
Shen Mengqing still held a grudge, and the mere sight of him annoyed her. With a flick of her finger, she ruthlessly hung up the phone.
A few seconds later, he called again, still unwilling to give up, but Shen Mengqing hung up again.
After dialing and being turned off four or five times, Yu Xin finally gave up and the phone went silent again.
The driver glanced at Shen Mengqing in the rearview mirror and asked, "A scam call?"
“No,” Shen Mengqing replied.
"I see, you're pursuing me," the driver said with a knowing look. "You're quite persistent."
Shen Mengqing smiled, too lazy to deny it, put her phone on silent, leaned against the car window and closed her eyes to rest.
She had been racing cars all morning without eating, so she was exhausted and starving. She even felt carsick in the back seat. She closed her eyes but couldn't fall asleep, and felt listless all the way to her apartment complex.
Once inside, she changed out of her clothes, which were damp with sweat. It was too hot, so she grabbed a simple white lace-trimmed tank top and grey cotton shorts. Looking in the mirror, Shen Mengqing saw the red marks on her shoulder and couldn't help but mutter a few angry curses under her breath about Yu Xin being worse than a dog.
There were still some leftovers in the refrigerator, so she planned to just cook a couple of simple dishes to get by for lunch.
Heat oil in a wok, and Shen Mengqing skillfully pours the batter-coated meat pieces into the wok for deep-frying. After they are cooked, he deep-fries them again. He then adds pineapple chunks, tomato sauce, and green and red peppers and stir-fries them. He reduces the sweet and sour sauce, and a plate of sweet and sour pork with pineapple is ready. He also boils a lettuce and drizzles some soy sauce on it. The two dishes are quickly served.
She had just set out the dishes and was about to take a picture to show Jiang Yu when the doorbell rang.
Shen Mengqing put down her phone, slipped on her slippers, and went to open the door. When she saw Yu Xin's cold face, she instinctively wanted to close the door.
Yu Xin reacted quickly, reaching out to brace himself against the door, his posture resembling a half-hug around Shen Mengqing.
He lowered his eyes and said calmly, "So you're really home."
"?"
Shen Mengqing released the door handle, crossed his arms, and sneered, "Here to check up on me?"
Her tone was like a firecracker, full of fiery temper. Yu Xin stopped blocking the door and stood tall in front of her, asking knowingly, "Are you angry?"
Shen Mengqing glanced at him, turned and went into the house. Yu Xin followed him in and closed the door behind him.
The room was filled with the aroma of food. Shen Mengqing sat down at the dining table and ate by herself. Yu Xin sat down opposite her, spreading his legs wide open and stretching his feet out to both sides of her seat.
As she ate, Shen Mengqing couldn't ignore Yu Xin's gaze. Even the most delicious food stuck in her throat, and she couldn't swallow it. She put down her chopsticks, met his gaze, and said, "What are you doing here?"
"If someone knocks on the door, are you going to go and open it wearing this?" Yu Xin asked coldly.
Shen Mengqing looked down at her clothes. Although they were quite revealing, showing off her curves, it wasn't unusual in the summer.
She said speechlessly, "In this sweltering heat, do you expect me to put on a down jacket before opening the door?"
Yu Xin knew he was in the wrong, so he looked away and fell silent.
When they had almost finished eating the dish, Shen Mengqing realized that Yu Xin was probably also hungry, so he asked him, "Do you want to eat something?"
Yu Xin replied quickly: "No."
Shen Mengqing ignored the stubborn man, put the dishes in the sink, and turned on the tap. Suddenly, someone grabbed her waist, startling her so much that her arm hit the water pipe, splashing water everywhere. A few dark drops of water got on her clothes, and she felt a slight chill.
Yu Xin lowered his head, gave her a light kiss on the shoulder, and whispered, "Do you want me to apply some medicine?"
Shen Mengqing was washing the dishes when she laughed angrily, "What medicine are you applying?"
"Anti-inflammatory medicine," Yu Xin said with a hint of seriousness.
Shen Mengqing said, "What, are you afraid I'll get rabies?"
Seeing that her anger had been reignited, Yu Xin was speechless for a moment, tightened her grip on her arm, and then said, "Why didn't you answer my calls?"
"It's muted." Shen Mengqing said matter-of-factly.
"..."
After washing the dishes, Shen Mengqing wiped the stove clean with a rag. Seeing that she was finished, Yu Xin took the opportunity to turn her over so that she was facing him directly.
"Could we add each other back as friends?" He spoke in a very low voice, which sounded like he was begging for mercy to Shen Mengqing.
Shen Mengqing raised a finger and poked his chest, then gently pushed him away, saying in a serious tone, "No way."
As she walked toward the living room, she added fuel to the fire, saying, "Go chat with Lily, she'll definitely answer your call."
Hearing this, Yu Xin chuckled and grabbed her thin wrist, preventing her from leaving: "I'll delete her right now."
"Delete what?" Shen Mengqing turned around and glared at him. "Do you just like deleting people? Besides, even if you delete her, who knows if you still have Vivi or Kiki in your friend list?"
After saying this, Shen Mengqing regretted it somewhat.
What right does she have to argue with Yu Xin about this? They're not a couple; they're just two lines that occasionally stray from their original paths and intersect, only to drift apart again afterward.
"Whatever you want." Her tone turned indifferent.
A dark cloud drifted across the sky, obscuring the bright sunshine and darkening the kitchen. Shen Mengqing didn't turn on the air conditioner. Yu Xin's large figure was close to her, his hot hands still gripping her wrist. The room temperature kept rising, making her feel unbearably hot.
Just as she was about to ask Yu Xin to let go, Yu Xin released her wrist and slid his hand up her smooth arm, stopping at the nape of her neck.
He ran his thumb along her pink lips a few times, then gently placed a kiss on her lips.
Completely different from his behavior in the morning, he now followed Shen Mengqing's pace with great patience, as if afraid of hurting her and carefully protecting this delicate flower nurtured in a greenhouse.
It had been a long time since they had been intimate, and Shen Mengqing was surprisingly a little nervous, her heart pounding wildly in her chest like a lost fawn.
The lace trim on her dress was lifted up as Yu Xin picked her up. Shen Mengqing's eyes widened, and the sudden increase in height made her involuntarily hug Yu Xin back. The two switched positions and kissed passionately, as if fighting, and followed the wall into the bedroom.
After placing her on the bed, Yu Xin rested his elbow next to her face, leaned close to her ear, and said in a low voice, "Do you want your brother to help you?"
After realizing the meaning of his words, Shen Mengqing's face instantly turned red, the blush spreading to the tips of her ears. She patted Yu Xin and said shyly, "No."
"Really don't want it?" Yu Xin asked her, his tone seductive and wicked.
Shen Mengqing said firmly: "No!"
Yu Xin raised an eyebrow: "Okay."
He opened the bedside table, and all the cigarettes inside were gone.
As he unwrapped the packaging, he said with a smirk, "You actually threw it away?"
Shen Mengqing said, "I just hid it. It's all money, and I'm not going to waste it. It's all because of you, causing me trouble for no reason."
"Put it back, I've quit."
Shen Mengqing didn't believe a smoker would say they had quit. Just as she was about to retort, Yu Xin leaned down and silenced her with a kiss, silencing all her words.
...
When I opened my eyes again, it was already evening. The sunlight had become less intense and shone down gently, setting the stage for the warm, watery night.
The neighborhood was filled with the sounds of pots and pans clattering together, as every household prepared dinner, and if you sniffed carefully, you could also smell the aroma of food wafting through the air.
Shen Mengqing turned around, and Yu Xin was also awakened by her movement, gazing at her leisurely.
Seeing Yu Xin's cold face, she had a sudden thought and reached out to pinch him. Surprisingly, he felt quite nice to the touch; although he looked as hard as an ice block, his face was surprisingly soft.
Yu Xin's face stung, her brow furrowed, and she gritted her teeth as she forced out, "Shen Mengqing, take your hand away."
Shen Mengqing stubbornly insisted, "No."
"very good."
Yu Xin raised both hands and scratched at her ribs. Shen Mengqing surrendered and wrapped herself in the quilt.
She was curled up like a rice dumpling, and Yu Xin couldn't bring herself to touch her. She could only retaliate by covering her mouth with her thumb and forefinger and pinching her cheek. Unexpectedly, although her face looked round, there was hardly any flesh when pinched.
"It's hard to squeeze." Yu Xin withdrew his hand.
Shen Mengqing blinked, and seeing that he was helpless and had no way to retaliate, she grinned mischievously.
She had almost completely taken the blanket, and Yu Xin, wearing only a plain black T-shirt and nothing to cover himself with, was like a moth drawn to a flame, not minding the heat. He leaned forward and hugged Shen Mengqing, using her as a hand warmer.
After a while, Shen Mengqing couldn't hold back any longer. She kept saying that she couldn't take it anymore, and kicked off the blanket because of the heat, lying on her back with her legs spread wide.
Yu Xin triumphantly raised his hand, hooked her chin, and kissed her tenderly again.
After all that fuss, Shen Mengqing's stomach was growling with hunger, urging her to get up and eat.
She was too exhausted to cook anymore, and nudged Yu Xin, saying, "I'm hungry."
Yu Xin sat up in bed, swiped her phone screen, and said, "Let's go out to eat then."
"Wait a minute."
Shen Mengqing looked at him and then noticed a dark patch at the end of his hair on the back of his head. She touched it and found it was a long-dried bloodstain.
She immediately stood up and asked Yu Xin, "How did you get injured here?"
Yu Xin frantically grabbed at the wound for a while but couldn't find it. Shen Mengqing then took his hand and guided him to touch the injured area.
"Oh," he said casually, "my dad smashed it."
Shen Mengqing said with an exaggerated expression, "Your dad is abusive? Didn't you say he was sick? How come he still has so much strength?"
How bad must Yu Xin's relationship with his father be for him to resort to violence against his own son at such a vulnerable time as when he is sick?
"I'm used to it." Yu Xin quickly changed the subject, saying, "Shall we go out?"
"I haven't changed my clothes yet."
The clothes she wore that morning had already been thrown into the washing machine, so she could only pick out one more to wear. Shen Mengqing opened the wardrobe door and moved the hangers around, picking out clothes. The hangers made a crisp sound as they collided. Yu Xin sat on the bed with her hands on the floor, legs spread apart, watching her pick out clothes.
As her fingers brushed against the white dress she wore on her blind date with Li Qinghe, a dark glint flashed in Yu Xin's eyes, and he asked her in a deep voice, "Why did your family make you go on a blind date?"
Shen Mengqing said in a relaxed tone, "A mother worries when her son travels a thousand miles. My mother is always afraid that I will suffer alone in Beicheng. She wants someone to accompany me, otherwise she will not feel at ease. It just so happens that she knows Li Qinghe's father, and that's how we met."
Yu Xin: "Is she in a hurry for you to get married?"
Shen Mengqing sighed: "You probably can't understand how much pressure a 28-year-old woman is pressured by her family to get married."
Yu Xin: "But you can't just meet with anyone."
She pursed her lips, too lazy to argue with Yu Xin, this young and promising sapling.
After spending a long time picking out clothes, Shen Mengqing suddenly felt that she had wasted too much time, so she grabbed a T-shirt and jeans at random. When she turned around, Yu Xin was still staring straight at her.
She gestured with her chin toward the door: "Get out, I need to change my clothes."
Yu Xin was silent for a few seconds, then said, "Not wearing a skirt?"
Shen Mengqing thought he had lost his mind, so she put her hands on her hips and kicked him out of the room.
The two went downstairs, where Grandpa Qian and his wife were sitting under the shade of a tree at the entrance of the building. When they saw the young and beautiful couple come out, they greeted them with a smile.
Shen Mengqing didn't know what was wrong with her. Despite being over twenty-eight years old, she felt ashamed as if she had been caught having a relationship in school when she was seen walking with Yu Xin by these grandpas and grandmas. She had never felt this way when she was dating Lin Xiangyang. She guessed it was because Yu Xin was younger than her.
As she walked, Shen Mengqing spotted something familiar by the roadside. She reached into the grass, picked a small yellow flower, and said, "So you picked it here."
Yu Xin glanced at him smugly, then pretended not to understand and continued walking forward.
His car was still parked at the entrance of the residential area. Shen Mengqing decided to register his license plate with the property management next time to avoid having to pay huge parking fees to the people who manage this commercial street every day.
After getting into the car, she placed the wildflowers in front of the windshield, adding a bright yellow touch to the all-black car, like a little elf that had accidentally wandered in.
"Where should we eat?" Yu Xin asked as he started the car.
Shen Mengqing thought for a moment: "I want to eat hot pot. I know there's one nearby."
She pointed out the way to Yu Xin, and they arrived in just a few minutes by car. The hot pot restaurant was located in a shopping mall. It was sour and spicy, which was quite appetizing in the summer. Paired with a bowl of fruit-flavored shaved ice, it was especially refreshing.
The two sat down in the store, and a clerk quickly handed them a flyer, smiling as he said, "Hello, beautiful lady and handsome gentleman, our store is having a Qixi Festival event. As a couple visiting the store, you can participate in a lucky draw. The winning rate is 100%, and you have a great chance to win a 23% discount!"
"ah."
Shen Mengqing looked at Yu Xin, hesitating whether to deny their relationship and refuse to participate in the event. Yu Xin's gaze also fell on her, his eyes seemingly saying that he didn't care if she wanted to play.
"Well, even a 23% discount is still money," Shen Mengqing thought, picking a fortune stick from the box the clerk was holding. Unfolding it, she saw it read:
"A 10 yuan coupon plus a Polaroid photo."
She returned the slip of paper to the clerk, intending to say that she could use the coupon but didn't need the photo, but the clerk immediately said, "Okay, we've won a ten-yuan coupon and a free Polaroid photo. Would you like to take the photo now or after you've finished eating?"
Shen Mengqing winked at Yu Xin, indicating that she didn't want to take a picture with him, but Yu Xin didn't look at her. He quickly turned his gaze to the shop assistant and said coldly, "Now."
"?"
Shen Mengqing stared at him in a daze, not expecting him to agree.
The shop assistant set up the Polaroid camera and checked Yu Xin and Shen Mengqing's positions through the viewfinder, repeatedly telling them to move closer and not be too cramped.
Shen Mengqing's heart inexplicably became chaotic, like a drum that couldn't find its rhythm. Although she and Yu Xin had done almost everything that couples do, they were not in a relationship at all. Even after so many nights of physical intimacy, when their hands accidentally touched now, she still felt a strange yet fresh feeling.
Even though no one around them noticed them, she felt nervous, as if she were being egged on to be with her ambiguous partner. She unconsciously swallowed, and the instant the flash went off, she reached out and pinched Yu Xin's face, grinning.
Feeling the sharp gaze from Yu Xin, Shen Mengqing coughed guiltily and took the unprocessed photo from the shop assistant.
She held the photo in her palm, warming it by breathing on it, and the image gradually changed from a blurry dark gray to colorful.
The moment captured in this photo is perfect. She smiles sweetly and brightly, her eyes sparkling with the light reflected from the lamp, while Yu Xin looks indifferent with a slight upturn at the corner of her eye as she looks at the camera. She originally had a cool and aloof look, but the way she pinches her cheek breaks that image, making her appear somewhat arrogant and cute.
However, there was still a small regret. Shen Mengqing pouted and said, "If I had known, I would have really worn a skirt. Our T-shirts look like the Black and White Duo."
Yu Xin glanced at the photo, raised his hand to snatch it from her hand, but Shen Mengqing hurriedly stuffed it into her pocket, afraid that he wouldn't like the moment his cheek was pinched, and threw away the precious photo.
"Let's order, let's order."
Shen Mengqing distracted him by pushing the menu in front of him.
After ordering the food, Shen Mengqing glanced at the receipt. She had chosen 80% of the dishes. Yu Xin had just picked out two or three items as if he were picking leftovers. Shen Mengqing looked up at him and asked, "Don't you have any appetite?"
Yu Xin nodded, the overhead light illuminating his sharp nose and deep-set eyes.
"But you didn't eat lunch either."
Shen Mengqing recalled that when she used to make wontons and noodles for him, he wasn't this anorexic. If she had such a poor appetite every day, she didn't know how many pounds she would lose.
She pictured Yu Xin's thin, slightly muscular body, showing signs of training, and asked curiously, "You don't eat anything, how did you build those muscles?"
“It’s innate,” Yu Xin paused, then added, “It could also be from doing too much other exercise.”
It was a perfectly normal sentence, but it took on a different meaning in the ears of Shen Mengqing and the young girl serving the dishes. Seeing the girl's face turn bright red, Shen Mengqing gritted her teeth and kicked Yu Xin under the table.
Yu Xin shrugged innocently; he meant no harm.
After taking only a few bites of meat, Jiang Yu sent Shen Mengqing a message. She sent a photo of herself eating at a Western restaurant and said:
"I came to a restaurant with my parents, but all around us were couples celebrating Qixi Festival. I hate it."
Shen Mengqing deliberately slapped the hot pot on the table, and Yu Xin's hand inadvertently appeared in the corner.
"I'm eating out too," she said.
Soon, Jiang Yu sent several messages.
"?!"
"Why is there a man's hand here!"
"You betrayed me and got a boyfriend? When did this happen, and why didn't you tell me?"
Shen Mengqing ignored Jiang Yu for more than ten minutes, until countless messages popped up asking who was on the other end of the line, before she leisurely replied:
"The male model I requested, are you coming?"
Jiang Yu: "?"
"You've got a problem with male models."
After a while, she said again:
"Do you have any good options? Send me their contact information."
Shen Mengqing: "No, this is the only one I know."
She burst out laughing, put her phone away, and stopped checking the messages.
-
August passed quickly. The daily heat made even the sales department staff reluctant to go out for fieldwork. They stayed in the office with the air conditioning on, and they would handle things by phone whenever possible. They found it troublesome to move even one extra step.
Shen Mengqing became the busiest person in the department again, all because Yu Sheng developed a new type of mosquito repellent this summer. Liang Jun spent a long time typing in the meeting, glancing at everyone, and finally assigned Shen Mengqing to be in charge.
My aunt's son got into a university in Beicheng this year and plans to come over a few days early at the end of the month. In order to take those days of annual leave, Shen Mengqing took on this job. Without Qi Shuying to help her with the work, she was often so tired from traveling that she fell asleep in the taxi, just like the tourists who came to visit. She would sleep in the car and stay in one place for a while before leaving.
My cousin took the train to Beicheng on August 23rd, and it was already 8 pm when I picked him up.
Shen Mengqing's house has an extra room, which she usually uses to store miscellaneous items. This time, she specially cleaned it up and put a folding bed in it, adding several soft mattresses. It's not much different from a regular bed, at least it's better than the bed in the dormitory he's going to sleep in.
My cousin's name is Hao Qisi. His parents divorced when he was young, and he took the surname of Shen Mengqing's third aunt, which is the same as his mother and aunts.
Hao Qisi looked like he'd grown a bit taller since the Dragon Boat Festival trip back home; he was probably over 1.8 meters tall, though shorter than Yu Xin. He was dark-skinned and muscular, sporting a perm popular at their age, a large logo T-shirt, and bright Nike sneakers—he seemed to be trying too hard to incorporate every trendy element into his outfit.
Shen Mengqing helped him push his suitcase into the room, leaned against the door and said, "You'll sleep here for the next three nights. I'll take you to school on the afternoon of the 26th."
"Thank you, sister."
As soon as Hao Qisi entered the room, he put down his bag and was about to close the door when he saw that Shen Mengqing was still there. He said, "Sis, don't worry about me. I'm going to log on with my classmate first. I don't want to bother you."
"..."
Shen Mengqing sensed a deep generation gap and closed the door for him with mixed feelings.
The next morning, Shen Mengqing got up early to cook a bowl of noodles for Hao Qisi. Eighteen or nineteen-year-old boys are at the age of rapid growth, and their appetites are like black holes. Hao Qisi ate two bowls before he was full.
He felt a little embarrassed and wanted to help Shen Mengqing wash the dishes and pots, but in her cramped kitchen, Hao Qisi's size took up too much space, making it difficult for Shen Mengqing to even pass by him to change a dishcloth. So he asked him to go outside and wait.
With nothing else to do, Hao Qisi wiped the table for her, then threw the napkin into the trash can with the motion of shooting a basketball.
Just then, the doorbell rang. He finally found something to do and called out to Shen Mengqing, "Sister, I'll go open the door!"
Hao Qisi jogged a few steps and opened the door. After seeing the handsome, cold-faced man standing in the doorway, he was stunned.
Hearing the commotion, Shen Mengqing came out while wiping her hands and immediately saw the two of them looking at each other in silence.
Hao Qisi turned around first, a gossipy glint in his eyes, and winked at her, asking, "Sis, who's this?"
"This is……"
Shen Mengqing's brain started working at lightning speed: "This is the tour guide I found for you."
-----------------------
Author's Note: An extra chapter today for National Day! Have a great holiday everyone!! [Sprinkling flowers]
Xinzi's attempt to help others was unsuccessful; she'll try again next time, hehe [newbie dog emoji].
Aqing: He's a tour guide.
Xinzi: ? How many jobs are you going to assign me?
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