Chapter 42

An hour after Shen Lihuan left for school, You Changqing slowly woke up.

With the curtains drawn, the room was dim, making it hard to tell whether it was morning or noon, giving her an almost dreamlike sense of disorientation. In a daze, You Changqing reached out beside her, only to touch nothing.

She suddenly snapped awake, lifted the blanket, and as expected, Lihuan was no longer there.

Feeling a little disappointed, she turned over and sat up, resting her upper body on the blanket, her entire posture exuding a sense of dejection.

After sulking for about two minutes, You Changqing finally got out of bed, slipped on Shen Lihuan’s slippers, and padded into the bathroom to wash up. She scanned the bathroom with the gaze of a hostess—Lihuan had thoughtfully prepared a new toothbrush for her. Pleased, she picked up the blue-handled toothbrush and began brushing her teeth.

After rinsing her mouth with warm water and wiping away the foam from her lips, she hesitated briefly in front of the towels. She decided to use a new one—Lihuan had a strong sense of personal territory, and she might not be comfortable sharing a towel just yet. Taking down a fresh towel, You Changqing washed her face thoroughly, the lingering sleepiness vanishing instantly.

After finishing her morning routine, she walked out of the bathroom and spotted a sticky note left by Shen Lihuan on the bedside table. Reading Lihuan’s reminders, she couldn’t help but smile, the corners of her lips curving slightly. At least you have a conscience and left me a message.

Changing out of her nightgown, You Changqing stepped out of the room. The long hallway was eerily quiet, making her grateful it was daytime—otherwise, her mind would have been flooded with scenes from the scariest horror movies she’d ever watched.

As she turned the corner and descended the stairs, General and Overlord—who had been watching TV downstairs—instantly perked up at the sound of footsteps. Remembering the mission their owner had entrusted them with, they abandoned the dramatic climax of their show and dashed upstairs to greet their young mistress.

“Oh? Are you two here to pick me up?” You Changqing playfully covered her cheek with one hand and asked jokingly. To her surprise, General and Overlord actually nodded, as if affirming her words.

“Really? That makes me so happy.” You Changqing’s eyes widened in surprise before she laughed, her eyes crinkling with joy. “You two are just too adorable.”

As the trio made their way to the living room, the TV blared, “XX, listen to me! It’s not what you think!”

“I don’t want to hear it! I don’t want to hear it! You heartless bastard!”

Watching General and Overlord’s bright, eager eyes, You Changqing fell silent. So, this is your taste in TV dramas…

At that moment, two maids entered the living room, pushing a dining cart laden with a fruit platter and pastries. “Miss You, the young lady instructed us to prepare fruits and snacks for you when you woke up. We hope you like them.”

“Thank you for the trouble.” You Changqing watched as they set the food on the table and expressed her gratitude.

“It’s no trouble at all. Please enjoy. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”

The maids bowed slightly before wheeling the cart back to the kitchen.

Hugging General, You Changqing settled down and began watching the melodramatic idol drama, something she rarely indulged in before.

As she watched, her mind started replacing the male and female leads with herself and Lihuan. If Lihuan forcefully kissed me and said, “I want the entire Green Nation to know that you’re my woman,” how could I possibly resist? I’d gladly surrender, melting under her passionate kiss.

Hehehe, just imagining it makes me shy… A silly grin spread across You Changqing’s face as she covered her cheeks, now burning hot.

But then… Why does it feel like I’ve actually kissed Lihuan before? That sensation of her soul nearly being sucked away, of her toes curling from sheer pleasure… It felt so real, as if she had already experienced it. But weren’t we just sleeping under the same blanket, talking innocently?

Unable to figure it out, You Changqing shook off the absurd thought and refocused on the drama. As she watched, she mentally jotted down notes in an imaginary notebook:

1. Be romantic with your girlfriend—give her surprises from time to time; she’ll love you even more.

2. Frequently express love—tell her, “I love you,” “I need you,” “I can’t live without you,” so she knows how important she is to you.

A surprise, huh?

Lihuan was such a calm and composed person—what would truly surprise her? Should I gift-wrap myself and present myself to her? No, that would probably be more of a shock than a pleasant surprise…

Absentmindedly stroking General’s fur, You Changqing suddenly had a lightbulb moment. That’s it!

Lihuan seemed to have a thing for legs—every time she saw hers, her gaze lingered for longer than necessary. I should make a photo book featuring only my legs and give it to her!

She’d definitely love it—maybe even…

Hehehehe. She giggled mischievously, narrowing her alluring eyes with an almost villainous smirk. I’m such a genius. If Lihuan won’t make a move, I’ll tempt her until she does.

Time passed, and You Changqing estimated that Lihuan should be returning soon. Feeling particularly domestic, she brewed a pot of tea, ready to serve the moment she arrived.

Before long, the sound of footsteps reached her ears. Her eyes lit up as she turned to the entrance with a beaming smile.

“Lih—… Uncle Shen!”

—

The moment class ended, Shen Lihuan rushed home, wondering if Changqing had been bored alone.

When she had asked her homeroom teacher, Ye Lan, for Changqing’s leave of absence, the teacher had looked surprised. “Why are you requesting leave for Changqing?”

Shen Lihuan glanced at her. “We went out for lunch together, and Changqing accidentally fell. She’s at my house now, so I’m here to ask for leave on her behalf.”

“At your house?” Ye Lan raised her voice slightly.

Shen Lihuan frowned in confusion. “Yeah, is there a problem?”

“…Nothing.”

Ye Lan recalled the rumors floating around the class. She had initially wanted to remind Shen Lihuan to focus on her studies even if she was dating someone, but thinking about it, both girls were calm and composed by nature, and their grades were consistently top-tier. Saying anything would be pointless. With a resigned sigh, she simply waved Shen Lihuan off, letting her return to class.

Shen Lihuan: “……”

Was it really that strange for Changqing to be at her house? Even the homeroom teacher got so startled she broke her voice…

She hurried home in just twenty minutes. As soon as she stepped inside, she heard the crisp sound of Go pieces being placed on the board.

Was Changqing playing Go by herself out of boredom?

She quickly walked into the living room and saw You Changqing sitting with a straight back, her posture impeccable, playing Go with Shen Jiashu.

Smiling, she walked over and sat down. “Dad, Changqing, I’m back.”

“Sit and wait for a bit, Lihuan. Let me finish this game with Uncle Shen first, and then we can talk,” You Changqing glanced up at her before lowering her head again, focusing on her next move.

“If you’re thirsty, help yourself to some fruit or tea. Dinner is already being prepared in the kitchen. If you’re hungry, have some snacks to tide you over,” Shen Jiashu added before placing a white piece on the board with a crisp pa.

Shen Lihuan watched the match with great interest. Both Shen Jiashu and You Changqing played well, but in the end, the cunning old fox Shen Jiashu won by a margin of 2¾ points.

“Uncle Shen, your Go skills are truly impressive. I must admit defeat,” You Changqing conceded with a smile. Even if her skills surpassed Shen Jiashu’s, she wouldn’t dare win against him—after all, she couldn’t afford to offend her future father-in-law.

“I just have the advantage of age,” Shen Jiashu replied with a smile, not taking it too seriously.

“Dad, when did you get back?” Shen Lihuan asked curiously, spearing a piece of mango with her fork and popping it into her mouth.

“Not too long ago. I saw that Changqing knows how to play Go, so I couldn’t resist playing a round with her.”

Shen Jiashu took a sip of his tea. Shen Lihuan nodded, then turned to You Changqing. “How’s your knee? Feeling better?”

“Much better, though it’s still a bit sore when I walk,” You Changqing replied truthfully, rubbing her knee.

“That’s good. I’ll give you another massage later,” Shen Lihuan said as she picked up a piece of dragon fruit and fed it to her. You Changqing’s eyes curved with delight as she bit into it, savoring its incredible sweetness.

With some time before dinner, Shen Lihuan took out her textbooks and studied with You Changqing. Since new material had been covered in math and physics that afternoon, she patiently explained the lessons to her.

You Changqing rested her chin on her hand, staring at Shen Lihuan’s captivating profile and listening to her mesmerizing voice, feeling restless inside.

Before dinner, Gu Qinglan also returned home, and the four of them enjoyed a warm and lively meal together.

After dinner, Shen Lihuan took out a bottle of medicinal ointment, carefully massaging You Changqing’s knee to disperse the bruising before gently applying the medicine. “There, your knee should be fine by tomorrow.”

Shen Lihuan looked up and smiled at her. You Changqing touched her knee. “That’s great! I really don’t want to stay cooped up at home all day.”

Gu Qinglan sat on the side, flipping through documents, occasionally glancing at the two of them. Seeing their close interactions, she nodded in satisfaction.

“Oh, right, Changqing—Jade Auction Week is coming up in a few days. I want to check it out. Do you want to come with me?”

Remembering the upcoming event, Shen Lihuan invited You Changqing to join her.

“Jade Auction Week? Are you planning to gamble on raw jade, or are you just going to observe?” You Changqing wasn’t too familiar with the event, but she had heard about jade gambling before.

“It’d be a shame not to gamble a little while I’m there. Are you interested? Do you want to try?” Shen Lihuan’s main goal was to bet on jade—she was looking forward to making some money.

“If you’re going, then I’ll go,” You Changqing answered without hesitation.

“Then it’s settled.” Shen Lihuan grinned and ruffled her hair.

Around 7 p.m., Shen Lihuan drove You Changqing home. On the way, she passed by a dessert shop and, feeling in a great mood, bought a box of macarons and three servings of taro coconut sago pudding.

When she got home, she cheerfully took out her purchases. “Ta-da! Dad, Mom, I bought taro coconut sago pudding on the way home. One for each of us!”

“Thank you, sweetheart,” Gu Qinglan said, pinching her daughter’s cheek.

Shen Jiashu wasn’t particularly fond of sweets, but he could eat them, so his portion still found its way into his stomach.

“Lihuan, was it you who dealt with Gu Qingrong?”

Thinking of Gu Qingrong’s miserable state earlier that day, Shen Jiashu felt thoroughly refreshed.

“Dad, what do you think?” Shen Lihuan bit into a macaron. “Do you think I did it?”

“What did you do? And how does this involve Gu Qingrong?”

Gu Qinglan looked between the father and daughter with a puzzled expression. What kind of riddle were they playing?

Shen Lihuan laughed and slung an arm around her mother’s shoulders. “That Gu Qingrong grew three tumor-like lumps on her face, each one as big as a human face. Now she’s too embarrassed to go outside.”