WRR – Chapter 29

It was no exaggeration to say Xu Shi was blushing all the way to her neck.

She immediately lowered her head, just thinking of an excuse to leave for a moment, when Yu Lingshan, who was sitting opposite her, stood up.

“I’ll go get the soup.”

Before she said this, it seemed like she had smiled. Xu Shi wasn’t sure if she had seen it correctly.

Once Yu Lingshan went into the kitchen, Xu Shi quickly escaped to the restroom.

Then she looked at her face in the mirror. It was ridiculously red.

“How could I have fallen for you, Xiao Zhi.”

Xu Shi fanned her face with her hand, not daring to think too deeply about what that sentence meant.

It probably didn’t mean that.

Right?

Xu Shi touched her forehead and screamed for help in her mind.

After she calmed down a bit and went out, Yu Lingshan had already brought out the soup. Not only that, but she had also served the rice.

Xu Shi pulled out a chair and sat down, hearing Yu Lingshan say, “This fish isn’t undercooked, is it?”

After speaking, she picked up her chopsticks and poked it a couple of times.

Xu Shi also poked it twice with her chopsticks, then pulled apart the fish’s flesh.

Traces of blood were visible to the naked eye.

Yu Lingshan: “…”

Xu Shi comforted her, “It’s a small problem. It just wasn’t steamed long enough. Another ten minutes should do it.”

As Xu Shi spoke, she was about to stand up to deal with it, but Yu Lingshan pointed at her on the spot. “Sit down.”

Xu Shi sat properly.

Yu Lingshan: “Don’t move. I’ll do it.”

Xu Shi smiled.

Yu Lingshan looked at Xu Shi. “Are you laughing at me?”

Xu Shi immediately shook her head.

And so, Yu Lingshan picked up the fish, muttering, “It’s not easy making a meal for Xu Xiao Zhi, and the little brat doesn’t even appreciate it.”

With that, she turned and left, leaving Xu Shi sitting there, secretly laughing, without giving her any chance to explain.

Yu Lingshan put the fish in the steamer, set the timer, and came back out.

“Where do you usually eat lunch?” Yu Lingshan asked as she sat down.

Xu Shi: “If I’m working, I eat in the company cafeteria. On weekends, I eat at home.”

Yu Lingshan asked, “Do you know where my studio is?”

Xu Shi’s mouth moved a couple of times, but no sound came out.

“Hm?” Yu Lingshan was amused. “Is this question so hard to answer?”

Xu Shi shook her head. “No,” she coughed. “I know.”

Yu Lingshan: “Ah~ so you care about me a lot.”

Xu Shi: “It’s in your Weibo bio.”

Yu Lingshan rested her chin on her hand. “That’s not right. My Weibo bio only has a website and Tingting’s work email.”

Yu Lingshan said this with a smile, as if she knew how Xu Shi had found out and what Xu Shi would say next.

Xu Shi felt herself blush. “Right, it’s on that website. It’s in there.”

It wasn’t like the address was right there when you opened the website. You had to scroll down, find the company profile, click on that, scroll down again, and the specific address was at the very bottom.

Mm, that’s right…

Yu Lingshan’s smile deepened, and Xu Shi grew increasingly nervous. She had already braced herself for Yu Lingshan to put her on the spot, but unexpectedly, Yu Lingshan let it go.

“Our workplaces are quite close,” was all Yu Lingshan said.

Xu Shi: “Yeah.”

Yu Lingshan: “So if I ask you to lunch, will you turn me down?”

Xu Shi thought for a moment. “I only have a two-hour lunch break.”

Yu Lingshan’s smile vanished instantly. “Oh.”

Xu Shi: “No, no, I mean, if there’s enough time, I’ll definitely join you.”

Yu Lingshan: “Don’t force yourself.”

Xu Shi: “I’m not, I’m not.”

---

In ten minutes, one could eat a lot of food. This referred solely to Xu Shi.

She had already slowed down a lot for Yu Lingshan’s sake, but by now, her bowl was empty, while Yu Lingshan seemed to have only taken a couple of bites.

The plate of fish was brought out again. Yu Lingshan picked out the most tender piece from the middle and placed it in Xu Shi’s bowl.

“This one isn’t salty,” Yu Lingshan said.

Xu Shi smiled. “The other dishes are delicious too. They’re a little salty, but it’s not a big deal.”

Yu Lingshan: “Too late.”

Xu Shi smiled again.

It seemed she was starting to understand a tiny bit more of Yu Lingshan’s temperament.

No matter how slowly Xu Shi ate, she was still much faster than Yu Lingshan. She stacked her rice and soup bowls to the side, rested her hands on the edge of the table, and watched Yu Lingshan eat.

Yu Lingshan was already a slow eater, and now she was struggling with her fish.

Yu Lingshan had bought a type of fish with many bones. Xu Shi had noticed when she picked it out, but since Yu Lingshan’s reason for buying it was that it was the most unique-looking one, Xu Shi didn’t want to spoil her fun.

“Let me,” Xu Shi couldn’t watch anymore. “You eat the other dishes first.”

Yu Lingshan didn’t stand on ceremony with Xu Shi and directly moved the piece of fish from her bowl to Xu Shi’s plate.

The fish was bony but tender. Xu Shi’s father used to love this kind of fish, so Xu Shi had developed a knack for deboning it.

After her father passed away, her mom had even joked while buying fish that they could finally eat boneless fish, but in the end, she still bought this type of fish for a long time.

With something to do, Xu Shi wouldn’t be bored. For convenience, she eventually brought the entire plate of fish over to her side.

She seemed to realize, however, that being alone with Yu Lingshan wasn’t as awkward as before. If it hadn’t been for this plate of fish just now, it seemed it would have been fine for her to just sit there.

“Do you like my cooking?” Yu Lingshan asked after a while.

Without even thinking, Xu Shi said, “I do.”

Yu Lingshan laughed. “Who are you kidding? You answered so quickly.”

Xu Shi laughed too. “No, I’m not, I really do like it.”

Yu Lingshan: “If you dare use your company’s PR spiel on me, you’d better think about the consequences.”

Xu Shi said helplessly, “I’m not.”

Yu Lingshan laughed. “Why am I so hard to please? I don’t want to hear the truth when you say it, but when you say something nice, I think it’s fake.”

Xu Shi lowered her head and smiled, continuing to work on the fish, her expression saying something like, As long as you know.

Yu Lingshan: “If you like it, come over again next weekend. I’ll cook for you again.”

Xu Shi thought for a moment, then nodded. “Okay.”

Yu Lingshan smiled. “Ah~ so you really do like it?”

Xu Shi: “I said I liked it, you’re the one who didn’t believe me.”

Yu Lingshan: “Not bad, you’re talking back now.”

Xu Shi stuck out her tongue a little.

Xu Shi didn’t know what was so funny, but Yu Lingshan suddenly laughed.

A few seconds later, she laughed again.

It made Xu Shi want to laugh too.

What was that about?

Just as Xu Shi was about to finish deboning the fish, her phone suddenly rang. She picked it up and saw it was a call from He Yi.

Xu Shi immediately sat up straight, cleared her throat twice, and answered the phone.

“Hello, Senior. Mm, mm, okay, okay.”

After Xu Shi hung up, she found Yu Lingshan watching her, chewing on a chopstick.

She then realized that Yu Lingshan had been watching her like that during the entire phone call.

“What’s wrong?” Xu Shi asked, putting down her phone.

Yu Lingshan raised an eyebrow. “Is that how you always answer the phone?”

Xu Shi: “How did I answer the phone?”

Yu Lingshan imitated her, immediately sitting up straight, clearing her throat, and furrowing her brow. “Hello, Senior.”

Xu Shi: “…”

“Do you have social anxiety?” Yu Lingshan asked.

Xu Shi: “I don’t know. Maybe a little.”

Yu Lingshan: “Are you like that when you answer my calls?”

Xu Shi shook her head. “I don’t know.”

Yu Lingshan actually called her right then and there, even gesturing with her chin for Xu Shi to pick up.

Resigned, Xu Shi swiped to answer. “Hello.”

Yu Lingshan: “Have you eaten?”

Xu Shi smiled. “I have.”

Yu Lingshan: “What did you eat?”

Xu Shi said something she knew would make Yu Lingshan happy: “I ate a meal cooked for me by a fairy.”

As expected, Yu Lingshan immediately started laughing. She hung up and reached out her hand.

“Come here, little face.”

Xu Shi leaned her face closer.

Yu Lingshan gave it a gentle pinch. “You’re quite the smooth talker, Xu Xiao Zhi.”

---

He Yi had called to tell her about the evening class—what she needed to bring, not to be late, and the location.

Xu Shi relayed the contents of the call to Yu Lingshan, but Yu Lingshan didn’t seem very interested, only nodding a couple of times.

Xu Shi thought for a moment and decided to ask the question on her mind. “Did you sign me up for it?”

Yu Lingshan smiled. “Me?”

Xu Shi shook her head. “Ah, never mind. Just asking.”

After the meal, she and Yu Lingshan cleared the table together. Thinking she would be staying for dinner that evening, she decided not to go home.

Later, Yu Lingshan lowered the projector screen in the living room, drew the curtains, and put on a movie.

Xu Shi hadn’t been very sleepy, but the environment was just too perfect for drowsiness to set in. Before long, leaning against the sofa, she started to feel lethargic.

Yu Lingshan went to her bedroom to take a shower and came out having changed into her pajamas—a slip dress.

This inevitably made Xu Shi afraid to open her eyes and look at Yu Lingshan.

So, in her peripheral vision, Yu Lingshan flicked her hair and walked over, but just as she was about to reach the sofa, she turned back and headed for the kitchen.

Xu Shi snuck a peek and saw Yu Lingshan take a green canned drink from the fridge, then go to her wine cabinet to get some red wine.

The woman seemed to have run out of hands, so Xu Shi quickly stood up.

As she walked over, Yu Lingshan was just getting a wine glass. Xu Shi took the can tucked between her arm and waist, freeing up a hand for her to grab the glass.

Yu Lingshan turned her head and smiled at her.

In that one moment, it had to be said, Yu Lingshan was truly beautiful.

She had put on a slow-paced movie, and the jazz soundtrack playing at that moment perfectly complemented her attire.

For a split second, Xu Shi understood what Xiao Yu had meant when she said, “Is Yu Lingshan really good at this?”

“This is for you,” Yu Lingshan said, looking down at the can in Xu Shi’s hand. “Green apple flavor. You drank a beverage with this flavor a few days ago.”

Xu Shi hadn’t expected Yu Lingshan to notice such things, and her heart suddenly felt warm.

Xu Shi: “Thank you.”

She picked it up and glanced at it. “Is this Korean?”

The text was all in Korean.

Yu Lingshan hummed in agreement and didn’t hide it from her. “It’s a fruit wine. The alcohol content is very low. Is that okay?”

Xu Shi hesitated, holding up the drink. “It’s alcohol?”

Yu Lingshan: “Mm-hm.”

Xu Shi thought for a moment. “But, after I drink, I… that…”

The corner of Yu Lingshan’s eyebrow twitched up. “That what?”

Xu Shi: “I don’t know,” she said weakly, glancing cautiously at Yu Lingshan. “Every time I drink, you get angry.”

Yu Lingshan pushed the drink toward Xu Shi. “I’ve never been angry at you. It has nothing to do with you.” Her tone was full of invitation. “It’s really delicious.”

Xu Shi: “Then, I’ll… try it?”

Yu Lingshan walked toward the living room. “It’s up to you. If you don’t want it, there are other drinks in the fridge.”

Xu Shi glanced at the giant green apple on the can. “I’ll try it.”

Walking ahead, the corner of Yu Lingshan’s mouth curved up.

The movie had already been playing for a while, but Yu Lingshan showed no intention of rewinding it.

Yu Lingshan didn’t sit on the sofa. After setting down her drink, she sat on the rug. “Have you seen this movie?”

“No,” Xu Shi shook her head. “But I’ve heard of it.”

Yu Lingshan knelt on the rug to open her wine. “I watch this movie often.”

Xu Shi: “You like it?”

Yu Lingshan shook her head. “No. It puts me to sleep.”

Xu Shi laughed and nodded in agreement. “It is pretty sleep-inducing.”

Yu Lingshan: “So if you get sleepy later, just go to sleep.”

Xu Shi: “Okay.”

The atmosphere as Yu Lingshan opened her wine also suited the movie. Due to the color palette, the living room was filled with a warm yellow glow. Xu Shi sat just behind and to the side of Yu Lingshan, watching her bite her lip as she struggled to twist the cap, and then watching her raise an eyebrow as it came open.

Yu Lingshan poured her wine, and Xu Shi opened her can. The two of them clinked their drinks.

Xu Shi did have a preference for green apple-flavored drinks. The tart, astringent taste was delicious. Sure enough, the first sip stimulated her taste buds, and she shrugged uncontrollably.

“Is it good?” Yu Lingshan asked.

Xu Shi nodded. “Is this really alcohol?”

Yu Lingshan: “Mm-hm, the alcohol content isn’t high.”

Xu Shi said, “Oh.”

It didn’t taste like alcohol at all; it was more like a sparkling drink.

Perhaps because it was so delicious, Xu Shi couldn’t seem to stop. When Yu Lingshan drank, she drank. When Yu Lingshan wasn’t drinking, she drank by herself.

Later, as the movie reached a new point, Yu Lingshan suddenly leaned against her.

Xu Shi was also leaning against the edge of the sofa. Gradually, Yu Lingshan shifted half her body weight onto her.

A soft, cool breeze filled the living room, but Xu Shi felt a little hot.

The only thing that could cool her down was the drink in her hand, so before long, the can was empty.

Yu Lingshan pushed herself up a little, supporting herself on the rug, and looked at her. “Is it that good?”

Xu Shi nodded. “It’s delicious.”

Yu Lingshan blinked. “Not sleepy yet?”

Xu Shi: “A little.”

Yu Lingshan suddenly reached out and touched Xu Shi’s cheek with the back of her hand. “Your face is a little red.”

Xu Shi touched her own face as well.

Yu Lingshan didn’t pull her hand back. Instead, she moved it, placing it on Xu Shi’s chin.

The speakers in the living room were filled with soft music from the movie, and Xu Shi’s eyelids gradually grew heavy.

Yu Lingshan was a little lower than Xu Shi at that moment. She looked up at Xu Shi, her thumb stroking Xu Shi’s chin, tracing circles.

“Xu Xiao Zhi,” Yu Lingshan called out.

Xu Shi: “Hm?”

Yu Lingshan’s fox-like eyes blinked, and then her gaze fell upon Xu Shi’s lips.

Xu Shi couldn’t help but lick her lips.

Yu Lingshan was just inches away; Xu Shi could even smell the scent of wine on her breath.

Yu Lingshan suddenly moved a little closer, startling Xu Shi.

But perhaps her mind was a bit sluggish, because her startled reaction was just a blink of her eyes, with no other extra movements.

Yu Lingshan raised her eyes to look at hers again. The distance was so close that Xu Shi’s breathing became heavy and unnatural.

Their eye contact didn’t last long, perhaps not even two seconds, before Yu Lingshan moved closer again. She tilted her head, letting their noses brush past each other.

Xu Shi seemed to know what Yu Lingshan was about to do, but at the same time, she felt it was impossible. So she just let Yu Lingshan get closer and closer.

And then, Yu Lingshan really did kiss her.

She- she- she- she kissed her?!

In that instant, Xu Shi forgot how to breathe.

Her eyes slowly widened, the taut string in her body was instantly snipped, and Xu Shi abruptly pulled back.

Just like that, Yu Lingshan’s hand on Xu Shi’s chin was left holding air, and her lips were left empty.

Xu Shi was stunned.

Yu Lingshan was stunned too.

But Yu Lingshan reacted faster. She sat up straight, and as if she’d thought of something, she turned and picked up the can Xu Shi had been drinking from to examine it.

Then she closed her eyes and gave a helpless laugh.

“Damn it.”

I grabbed the wrong one.

This really is just a damn soda.

---

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