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In the end, Jin Hanshuang didn’t agree to or refuse Lu Yunshu’s request. And she couldn’t bring herself to send away the younger woman.
Instead, they went on a walk.
They strolled along the path just outside the neighborhood, shoulders nearly touching.
The night breeze carried the scent of fresh grass.
“Where’s your new meimei?”
Lu Yunshu spoke first, asking about the subject she cared the most.
“She’s playing games with my friends.”
“You’re not going to keep her company?”
“No.”
Jin Hanshuang added, “I had something to do.”
“Then shouldn’t you go take care of it first? We can continue our walk afterward.”
Lu Yunshu believed her.
Jin Hanshuang couldn’t help but laugh.
So serious and earnest. She actually believed it.
“It’s fine. I can deal with it later.”
When Lu Yunshu heard this, she understood something and felt a small burst of happiness bloom in her heart. “You don’t like her?”
If she liked this mysterious younger woman, why would she rush back for something that could have been handled later?
Jin Hanshuang corrected her. “It’s not that I don’t like her, it’s just that I don’t have feelings for her. But we can still be friends. She’s a very nice girl. Talkative, interesting, and beautiful.”
Lu Yunshu asked, “More beautiful than me?”
Jin Hanshuang smiled helplessly. “You…”
This kid never missed the chance to compete for first place in her heart.
“A different kind of beautiful,” Jin Hanshuang said. “You both wear glasses, but hers are black and yours are gold. Very different.”
Lu Yunshu’s lips curved. “Got it. You like me.”
Jin Hanshuang looked at her.
Lu Yunshu met her gaze, her eyes carrying a playful smile.
“I already know. You like gold-rimmed glasses.”
Jin Hanshuang was surprised. “How did you know?”
“You said so in your Moments.”
“?”
“It was a few years ago. You posted a pair of gold-rimmed glasses on a desk and wrote that they were beautiful. If you weren’t complimenting the glasses, what else would you be complimenting?”
Jin Hanshuang had posted so many things that she had no recollection of this one.
But Lu Yunshu wasn’t wrong.
“That’s right, I do like this style of glasses. I also like seeing pretty girls and beautiful women wear them.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the beautiful woman beside her stopped walking. Lu Yunshu leaned forward, her bright and beautiful eyes hidden behind a pair of gold-rimmed glasses.
“What about me?” she asked. “Does jiejie like to look at me too?”
She was also beautiful, wasn’t she? She even wore glasses that Jin Hanshuang favored, so couldn’t Jin Hanshuang watch her for a little longer and like her even more?
Jin Hanshuang stared at the breathtakingly beautiful Lu Yunshu in front of her. Now, not only was her mind full of Lu Yunshu, but her eyes were too.
Then she realized, “Wait, don’t tell me you bought those glasses because of me?”
Lu Yunshu smiled charmingly.
“Yes.
“Do you like them?”
Jin Hanshuang was stunned.
So that was it. She always wondered why this kid, who wore plain and boring glasses, one day came up with a new style.
Turns out that Lu Yunshu had been hiding her feelings for so long.
She really liked her…
The secret love she kept in her chest for many years was finally exposed, and she stubbornly presented it before object of her affection, surprising an incredulous Jin Hanshuang, but also unknowingly softening her heart.
Jin Hanshuang sighed. “I never thought anyone would like me for so long…”
This was a love beyond her imagination. She was starting to feel powerless about it.
Lu Yunshu gently took her hand.
Their fingers intertwined, soft and delicate.
On the younger woman’s wrist shimmered the bracelet Jin Hanshuang had once gifted Lu Yunshu as a friend.
She heard Lu Yunshu say, “Hanshuang is worth it.”
Lu Yunshu placed Jin Hanshuang’s hand on her face and gazed into Jin Hanshuang’s eyes with extraordinary tenderness.
Jin Hanshuang was the only thing in her eyes.
“…”
Jin Hanshuang didn’t respond.
After a while, her finger moved slightly and gently grazed Lu Yunshu’s cheek, the faintest of touches.
“Is it done? Is it done?”
Le You’s voice burst with excitement through the phone’s speaker.
Though no one could see her, Lu Yunshu shook her head. “No.”
Fan Jia said, “But she touched your face!”
“Yeah, she touched your face!” That was Xiao Fanfan.
Lu Yunshu remembered the scene and smiled helplessly. “Mm, she touched my face.”
Jin Hanshuang had touched her face.
Jin Hanshuang did not reject her.
And yet? And yet, nothing had come of it.
Just when she thought something was going to happen, Jin Hanshuang had simply smiled at her and told her to go home.
“I need to take care of something.”
Those were the words Jin Hanshuang used at the time.
Lu Yunshu didn’t know what that ‘something’ was, but she couldn’t keep Jin Hanshuang.
All she could say was, “See you next time.”
Jin Hanshuang gently patted her arm and turned to leave.
Lu Yunshu was left standing in the evening breeze.
The warmth of Jin Hanshuang’s touch lingered on her skin, deep and unforgettable.
So…could she like her? At least a little?
The next evening, Jin Hanshuang invited Du Mengying out for drinks.
They sat in the corner seat at their usual place. There was no one else around and no live music. It was a peaceful, quiet atmosphere perfect for talking.
After listening to everything Jin Hanshuang had to say, Du Mengying smiled and poured her a glass of alcohol.
She uttered three words. “You are doomed.”
Jin Hanshuang lifted her eyes and glanced at her before reaching for the bottle. She tilted her head back and downed the drink in one go.
Yes, she was doomed.
Of course, she already knew that.
She had fallen into the hands of Lu Yunshu, this kid!
“What are you going to do now?” Du Mengying asked. “Date her?”
Jin Hanshuang froze while pouring another drink.
Date? Lu Yunshu?
How strange. This was her daughter’s mortal enemy.
And yet…her heart was looking forward to it.
She didn’t want to refuse anywhere.
“I don’t know…”
Jin Hanshuang finished another glass of wine in silence. She muttered under her breath, “So annoying. Stinky little puppy.”
If only Lu Yunshu had confessed earlier.
If only Jin Hanshuang hadn’t dismissed her flirtatious comments as jokes to begin with…
“What do you think?”
She threw the question back at her friend.
“What do I think?” Du Mengying thought it was funny. “Who cares what I think? Look at yourself.”
“What about me?”
“Because you like Lu Yunshu, you can’t wait to finish all the booze here.”
“Hey, I’m distressed.”
“Distressed, because of how much you like her.”
“…”
“This is serious.”
“Very serious, because you like her so much.”
Jin Hanshuang kicked Du Mengying under the table.
Du Mengying laughed.
Then she sobered up and said, “To be honest, if you like her, just go for it.”
Jin Hanshuang just looked at her.
Du Mengying asked, “Are you worried about Wenxin?”
Jin Hanshuang didn’t deny it.
Du Mengying continued, “She really can’t accept Lu Yunshu?”
Jin Hanshuang responded slowly, “Well…it’s not that.
“Their relationship is complicated. They dislike each other, but not out of pure hatred.”
It couldn’t even be called a voluntary hatred. They had merely followed in their fathers’ footsteps in seeing each other as rivals.
Sometimes, they would even defend one another in front of others.
For example, when Lu Yunshu told Jin Hanshuang that her cheating would upset Shen Wenxin. Or when Shen Wenxin scolded some boys in high school for gossiping about Lu Yunshu behind her back, calling them “Toads commenting on humans.”
If you said they harbored a mutual dislike for each other, it was true that they competed with one another every day.
But if you said they despised each other and wished for one another’s demise, that wasn’t entirely true—they would still protect the other person.
It was a very complicated relationship between rivals.
“It’s hard to describe. Sometimes, I think they’re both like children.”
Then Jin Hanshuang’s expression also grew complicated.
Despite all this, there was one thing she was sure of.
“But if Wenxin finds out that Yunshu and I are together, it will definitely be a shock.”
“Then…what if you just don’t let her find out?”
“?”
Du Mengying said, “She’s never cared about your love life before, as long as you don’t introduce anyone to her. Isn’t that freedom enough?”
Jin Hanshuang narrowed her eyes. “What are you saying?”
Du Mengying smiled. “Date Lu Yunshu in secret. See how long it lasts.
“For all you know, you two might break up before Wenxin even finds out.”
“…”
Jin Hanshuang let out a small laugh. She rubbed her forehead. “Who thinks about breaking up before they even start dating…?”
“Then I wish you two a long and happy relationship.”
“…”
“May you be deeply in love forever, bounded by fate, and destined to grow white hair together. Happy New Year, Happy Mid-Autumn Festival?”
“You are crazy.”
Jin Hanshuang was so angry she smiled.
Suddenly, Du Mengying clasped her hands together. “But who knows? Maybe when Wenxin finds out you conquered her archnemesis, she’ll think, ‘Damn, my mom is awesome!’ and tell you to toy with Lu Yunshu as much as you like!”
Jin Hanshuang frowned. She didn’t know whether to be speechless or amused. “Now you’ve done it. My family’s Wenxin is not that kind of person!”
Her Wenxin was a good kid.
…And so was Lu Yunshu.
“So, what now?” Du Mengying smiled. “Are you going to reject Lu Yunshu?”
Jin Hanshuang fell silent.
She slowly leaned back in her chair, tilting her head up to stare at the ceiling.
After a long time, she finally said, “What should I do…? This time, I really don’t want to say no.”
She poured herself another glass of wine.
Jin Hanshuang was drunk. Or half-drunk, at least.
Her mind was caught in a haze, but she still knew what she was doing.
She was thinking about Lu Yunshu.
Again.
Recently, the little puppy who likes to play the pity card has been running circles in her mind.
She suddenly felt the urge to see her.
Du Mengying took out her phone. “I’ll call a driver for you.”
They had both been drinking, so they couldn’t drive home themselves.
Jin Hanshuang nodded slightly. But she suddenly remembered something and reached out to press down on Du Mengying’s arm. “Wait.”
She fell silent again.
After a while, “I know someone.”
Ten minutes later.
Du Mengying stared at Lu Yunshu standing in front of them. “…”
She had to hand it to Jin Hanshuang.
Here she was under the impression this grown woman was calling a driver, but it turns out she was calling her love interest instead!
She was speechless. Truly speechless.
Lu Yunshu didn’t expect Jin Hanshuang to call her either.
The older woman had asked if she was free.
Then she asked if Lu Yunshu was willing to pick her up.
And so, Lu Yunshu drove to the bar. Only to find out that Jin Hanshuang was drunk.
She turned her gaze on Jin Hanshuang.
Jin Hanshuang was waiting very quietly. She stared at her wine glass without saying a word, her gaze clear and bright. She didn’t look drunk at all.
Lu Yunshu looked at Du Mengying, a silent question in her eyes.
Du Mengying explained, “She’s half-drunk. Her mind is still somewhat clear.”
Lu Yunshu understood.
Du Mengying smiled. “Sorry to trouble you, President Lu. I’ll leave her in your care. Don’t forget to ask her for the driver’s fee later.”
Then she turned to Jin Hanshuang and said, “Go home and get some sleep. My ride’s here. I’m leaving now.”
Jin Hanshuang waved. “Bye, bye~”
Lu Yunshu nodded politely at Du Mengying. Then she took Jin Hanshuang and walked out of the bar. Even though Jin Hanshuang was only half-sober, she was still steady on her feet.
—But her hands weren’t so well-behaved.
Jin Hanshuang couldn’t help holding Lu Yunshu’s warm palms. She even switched between the left and right hands as if she was holding a hand warmer.
Lu Yunshu didn’t pull away, letting Jin Hanshuang do as she pleased.
“Are you cold?” she asked softly.
“A little.”
Jin Hanshuang tightened her grip on Lu Yunshu’s hand, unconsciously seeking her comfort.
She seemed to have lost her restraints after drinking—or perhaps drinking had made her more honest with herself…
“Then let’s hurry back to the car.”
“Okay.”
The night breeze swayed as it passed, carrying the faint scent of Lu Yunshu’s fragrance.
Jin Hanshuang murmured, “You smell so good, like body wash…Did you just take a shower?”
Lu Yunshu made a noise of confirmation. “When I got your call.”
Jin Hanshuang smiled. “Oh? Then I guess I’m the one at fault—making our dear President Lu leave the house right after a shower.”
“It’s okay.” Lu Yunshu gently draped an arm around Jin Hanshuang’s shoulders, a gentle smile in her eyes. “President Lu is very happy.”
“Happy to see me?”
“Yes.”
Lu Yunshu mimicked Jin Hanshuang’s playful, flirty tone.
Jin Hanshuang thought:
So cute.
How could she be so cute even when she was mocking her?
Lu Yunshu suddenly asked, “And what about jiejie?”
“Hmm?”
“Are you happy to see me?”
Jin Hanshuang smiled at first, raising her eyes to look at Lu Yunshu.
Only to fall into Lu Yunshu’s mesmerizing, star-like gaze.
Those eyes, only for her.
In the past. In the present. All for her.
She kept looking and looking…until her inebriation overcame her sobriety, and the pounding of her heart defeated all rationality.
Her feelings spilled from her lips.
“I’m very happy…happy beyond words.”
As soon as her voice fell, the wind rustled, and the moonlight shone above their heads.
And in that fleeting moment, Lu Yunshu finally heard an echo for the love that belonged to her.
The author (热到昏厥) has something to say:
Good night~