BSG - Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Lu Yunshu left. Because her girlfriend was still at home waiting. And because she could chat with Shen Wenxin and the other two tonight anyway, there was no need to say too much here. She left, but she left Yun Youqing with a very friendly impression. Even one that could be described as... motherly. Friendly in that she said to Yun Youqing: "You two are very well-matched." Motherly in that she also said: "I hope you'll take good care of our Wenxin." Clearly a peer, yet she managed to make it sound like meeting the parents. The result, of course, was Shen Wenxin elbowing Lu Yunshu and telling her to get lost.

Anyway, the two of them looked nothing like sworn enemies who wanted each other dead. Yun Youqing was now sitting in her chair, looking very pensive. Because Shen Wenxin had told her they had buried the hatchet. The Shen and Lu families had reconciled. Lu Yunshu especially liked Jin Hanshuang, and the two were very much in love. Shen Wenxin was also aware of it. Tao Fangran's intel was outdated. Outdated for a very, very long time. And she herself had agonized over this matter for days... Fate truly loved to toy with people.

Shen Wenxin placed the coffee shortbread in front of Yun Youqing, and under the table, her black boot lightly nudged Yun Youqing's white one. Yun Youqing snapped back to attention. Shen Wenxin looked at her intently, concern in her eyes. "What are you thinking about?"

Yun Youqing spoke. "Ah, it's just... I always thought you two were at odds."

"Lu Yunshu?" Shen Wenxin lifted her coffee. "You could say that, too. I'm just used to saying a couple of snarky things whenever I see her. I guess that counts as 'at odds'?" They had reconciled, but their banter mode hadn't switched off.

Yun Youqing was speechless. "...Okay." She thought for a moment and scratched her cheek. "Then when did you find out Lu Yunshu and your stepmom were together? Was it this year? After the party?"

"—Last year." "!" Yun Youqing's eyes widened in shock. Shen Wenxin thought again. "Or the year before? Can't remember exactly. It's been a long time, anyway." Even more shocked, Yun Youqing: "Ah?! That long ago! And I thought, I— Ah!" She started gesturing wildly, attempting to express her chaotic feelings through sign language. Shen Wenxin didn't understand but found it amusing. She held Yun Youqing's hands, speaking patiently and softly. "Don't rush. Take your time. What did you think?"

Yun Youqing exclaimed, "I thought you didn't know about it! That day at the party, I saw Lu Yunshu come to pick up your stepmom, and she even kissed her. It startled me. I thought you still didn't know and didn't know how to tell you—afraid you'd be angry and upset if you found out... And it turns out you already knew! —Then it's nothing." Yun Youqing calmed down the moment she finished. Shen Wenxin knew; that was the end of it. "If I'd known, I would have asked you sooner. Wouldn't have had to agonize so long."

"Agonize over what?"

"Agonizing over whether you'd be unhappy if I told you." Yun Youqing held Shen Wenxin's hand back and sighed very lightly. "You and your stepmom are so close, but she ended up with someone you hate. I was afraid you'd be unhappy if you found out..." Remembering her probing that night, she said, "Before, I had just asked you, 'What if someone you like got together with someone you don't like?' And your expression immediately darkened. I couldn't bear to say anything."

Shen Wenxin frowned, not recalling. "When did you ask that?"

"The night you gave me the hand warmer."

Shen Wenxin remembered, somewhat surprised. "What? That night, you were talking about... this?"

Yun Youqing also frowned. "What? You were thinking about something else that night?"

Shen Wenxin was honest. "I thought you were about to tell me you were going to fall for Liu Zhao."

Yun Youqing: "?" Yun Youqing: "... " She had a sudden realization. "No wonder you looked like you didn't like Liu Zhao afterward!" It was jealousy. So Shen Wenxin had been jealous over her back then! Shen Wenxin had already fully accepted her stepmom being with her nemesis at that point; naturally, she didn't think in that direction. Of course, she also hadn't expected Yun Youqing to know about this and mistakenly think she was in the dark.

Yun Youqing couldn't help but laugh at the thought that they'd been on completely different wavelengths. Laughing, yet also feeling the sweetness. Every time Shen Wenxin was jealous over her, she found it adorable. "You don't still dislike Liu Zhao, right?" Yun Youqing said gently. "She's a good person. Don't dislike her, okay?"

"I don't dislike her. She didn't end up with you," President Shen said very fairly and justly. "I only dislike love rivals." After a thought, she added, "Or rather, envy." Back then, the moment she thought Yun Youqing might truly end up with Liu Zhao, her heart felt swollen, as if something wanted to burst through the fragile flesh and surge out regardless. She even felt resentful and frustrated—You clearly liked me first. How could you be with her? And now, she could finally see her past self clearly.

"I would be envious of anyone who could be with you," Shen Wenxin fixed her gaze on Yun Youqing, her eyes both affectionate and serious. "And I also despise anyone who, lucky enough to be with you, doesn't know how to cherish you properly. For example, that ex of yours." The moment she mentioned her, Shen Wenxin's mood soured. In the order of life's entrances, Tang Yue had held every advantage. She was even Yun Youqing's white moonlight. White moonlight—three words with immense weight and lethal power, the kind that could make Yun Youqing yearn for years. Yet she trampled on Yun Youqing's sincerity. She wasn't worthy of being Yun Youqing's moon. She didn't deserve, for the rest of her life, for Yun Youqing to spare her another glance.

Shen Wenxin's hand was suddenly taken by Yun Youqing. Yun Youqing lowered her head and kissed her knuckles. She placed her face in Shen Wenxin's palm and looked at her adorably. "She's no good. Let's not think about her. Think about happy things instead. Like..." Yun Youqing's lips curved, her smile super sweet. "Like how you and your stepmom are both very happy. And like, how you have a super cute and super devoted girlfriend~"

Shen Wenxin paused upon hearing this, then the next second, she broke into a smile. So absurd. Who consoles someone like this? Even more absurd was the fact that she actually smiled. Shen Wenxin cupped her girlfriend's face with both hands and rubbed it lovingly again and again. "So cute, Yun Youqing. How can you be this cute?" This indeed made her happy. How could she not be? The person with Yun Youqing right now was her. She didn't need to envy anyone; only others could envy her.

Being praised made Yun Youqing happy, too, and she continued releasing sweet, adorable rays at her girlfriend. As long as her cuteness didn't die, she'd be cute for her girlfriend until the end of time!

"Youqing, let's get this to go and eat at home," Shen Wenxin suddenly said. Yun Youqing blinked. "What for?" Shen Wenxin gave her a flirtatious smile. "Want to be bitten on the mouth by little sister."

Yun Youqing: "?" Yun Youqing: "Waiter!"

---

Night descended upon all of A City, stars studding the full expanse of the sky. Yun Youqing linked arms with Shen Wenxin and walked into the elevator with her, heading to Jin Hanshuang's home. Inside the elevator, Yun Youqing watched the floor numbers climb steadily and unconsciously hugged Shen Wenxin's arm tighter. She worried, "Will your stepmom... not like me?"

Shen Wenxin: "?" She turned her head to look at her girlfriend, then suddenly chuckled softly, raising her hand to stroke her face. "No. Don't be nervous. Just treat her like an older sister." Even though she called her "Xiao Ma" (stepmom), she actually treated Jin Hanshuang like an older sister. Jin Hanshuang was only seven years older than her—completely the age of an older sister. It was fine for her, and naturally, it was fine for Yun Youqing as her girlfriend.

"Lu Yunshu is there, too. Don't feel you have to listen to everything she says," Shen Wenxin added. "She'd die if she went a day without trying to take advantage of me." The moment she encountered Shen Wenxin, Lu Yunshu always had a thousand and one annoying antics to pull. Lu Yunshu—the most dog-like person in the world.

Yun Youqing obediently responded, "Oh, okay." She could sense it: Shen Wenxin's dislike for Lu Yunshu was clearly different from her dislike for Tang Yue. Toward the latter, Shen Wenxin genuinely wanted her to drop dead. Toward the former, Shen Wenxin only verbally told her to drop dead. Ah, so her girlfriend and her stepmom's girlfriend had a "bickering duo" script.

"Ding—" They arrived. Yun Youqing followed Shen Wenxin out of the elevator and stood nervously before Jin Hanshuang's door. Meeting the parents—this was a first for her.

"Ding-dong." Shen Wenxin pressed the doorbell. As if they had been waiting, the door opened very quickly. The Jin Hanshuang who had once dazzled Yun Youqing at the party appeared before her eyes once again. She was wearing comfortable home clothes, her soft, long hair casually pinned up with a claw clip. Relaxed and at ease, still as beautiful and poised as ever. Behind her was Lu Yunshu. At her feet, a little dog. "Woof, woof!"

Yun Youqing was drawn by the barking and looked down. The puppy, which had been tiny last year, had grown quite a bit. Its raised tail was fluffy and soft, wagging left and right, enticing like a fox's tail. "Xiaoba!" Yun Youqing instinctively started to crouch down and pet him. Her knees bent halfway, then stopped. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, she slowly straightened back up. Mustering her courage, she flashed a sweet smile at Jin Hanshuang. "Hello. My name is Yun Youqing. I'm Wenxin's girlfriend." So awkward... How could I not greet her first and look at the dog... So awkward, help...

Then she saw Jin Hanshuang smile at her, very gently and softly. "That's wonderful. Miss Yun really likes our little dog." And then she watched as Jin Hanshuang bent down, scooped up the fluffy bread loaf of a dog, and held it out toward her. "This little one is very cute, isn't it? Come, pet him. He loves being petted the most."

Yun Youqing was slightly stunned. Her taut heartstrings finally relaxed. Her smile became much more genuine. She obediently reached out her hand. "Let me pet him... I love little dogs the most." Ah, thank goodness. Stepmom didn't hold it against me. Jin Hanshuang placed Xiaoba into her arms. "Hold him."

Yun Youqing couldn't have asked for more. "Yes, yes, yes!" Jin Hanshuang's smile grew even more tender. Shen Wenxin just watched from the side. Watched her girlfriend unconsciously radiate cuteness. Yun Youqing held the dog she hadn't seen in so long. Nuzzled by the pup twice, she was overjoyed. She lifted her eyes to the friendly Jin Hanshuang and spoke. "Thank you—" She choked. Didn't know what to call her. Calling her "Sister" would make her and Shen Wenxin different generations. Calling her "Auntie" felt a bit weird, too; the lady wasn't that much older than her. Calling her "Mom" seemed too soon—the lady might not be able to accept that. Calling her "Mrs. Shen" would be too rude to Lu Yunshu. Then... "Miss Jin"?

Jin Hanshuang saw her dilemma and said gently, "Just call me Xiao Ma, like Wenxin does."

Yun Youqing said gratefully, "Thank you, Xiao Ma!"

Jin Hanshuang looked at her tenderly. "Oh my, what a good child~" So cute. No wonder her kid liked her.

Yun Youqing's eyes darted and suddenly met Lu Yunshu's gaze. Lu Yunshu's eyes even held a hint of expectation. She was waiting. Waiting to take advantage of Shen Wenxin. Yun Youqing: "President Lu."

Lu Yunshu was instantly regretful. Shen Wenxin snorted a laugh. She had won.

Yun Youqing had a very pleasant time at Jin Hanshuang's home. Jin Hanshuang was wonderful—very gentle, very beautiful, spoke softly, and was very considerate of others' feelings. After spending time with her, Yun Youqing really couldn't help but mentally scream: Mommy! What is this sapphic icon, Mommy?! Mommy being a lesbian is truly a blessing to the entire sapphic community! Oh, wait, Mommy is taken. Mommy's partner is also a sapphic icon. Long hair, gold-rimmed glasses, looks cool and beautiful—definitely an icon. Only when she's not annoying her Wenxin. Her Wenxin is also a sapphic icon. Her very own dish. Hehe.

It was getting late. Yun Youqing and Shen Wenxin had to go home. Taking with them their temporary tenant, Xiaoba. They loaded all of Xiaoba's things into the trunk, and the two plus the dog returned to the car.

Yun Youqing spoke. "Your Xiao Ma is such a wonderful person. Truly like an older sister." Although she really wanted to call Jin Hanshuang "Mommy," it wasn't like she actually saw her as a mother. When she interacted with Jin Hanshuang, she felt like a younger sister. She hadn't come to meet a parent; she'd come to meet an older sister.

Shen Wenxin smiled. "So you can feel completely at ease interacting with her. No need to worry she'll be difficult like an elder."

"Are Uncle and Auntie difficult?" Yun Youqing suddenly asked.

"Don't know," Shen Wenxin also asked, "Is Auntie difficult?"

Yun Youqing curved her lips. "I don't know, either."

Shen Wenxin: "Then let's try it together next time."

Yun Youqing paused for a moment. Then she smiled. "Okay. Let's try it together next time."

Shen Wenxin smiled and gently stroked her girlfriend's face. Xiaoba sat on Yun Youqing's lap, mouth open, tongue lolling, looking like he was smiling at them, too. He was familiar with both of them, used to car rides, and wouldn't make a fuss right now—incredibly well-behaved. After stroking her girlfriend's face, Shen Wenxin reached over to ruffle the puppy's head, then leaned in and bent down to kiss his ears. "Good dog." She straightened up and found Yun Youqing staring at her intently.

"What is it?"

"Me, too," Yun Youqing suddenly said these two words. Shen Wenxin didn't understand. "What?"

Yun Youqing smiled and crooked her finger at her. When she leaned closer, Yun Youqing whispered in her ear, "I'm also my sister's good dog."

Shen Wenxin: "?" She looked at Yun Youqing. Yun Youqing was smiling super happily. —She was deliberately teasing her. She narrowed her eyes. "Playing this big, are we?"

Yun Youqing: "Yes. Playing super big." Seeing that Shen Wenxin had been thrown off for a second, a mischievous thrill took over. She spoke boldly, "I know other games, too. I'll show you later~" After saying this, she pushed her smiling face forward, waiting for Shen Wenxin to pinch her. Old routine; she was used to it.

But this time, Shen Wenxin didn't pinch her face. Instead, she let out a laugh and leaned close to her ear. Warm breath ambiguously kissed her ear. "Alright. Show me later."

Yun Youqing: "...?" Her ear tips blazing red, she stammered, "I-I was just joking!"

"Doesn't matter," Shen Wenxin smiled, looking utterly beautiful. "I took it seriously."

Yun Youqing: "... " Oh no. Her bold talk had come back to bite her. Why wasn't she following the script?!

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