After Becoming a Spare Tire, I Got Together with My White Moonlight - Chapter 41

“I’ll handle it.”

Jiang Xuehe reached out and touched Yan Guiqiu’s face, getting a whiff of medicinal scent on her fingers.

Yan Guiqiu’s face scrunched up. Jiang Xuehe chuckled and said, “Sorry,” but she had also calmed down.

“It’s fine, I’ll handle it.” Jiang Xuehe repeated slowly, her tone gentle yet carrying a resolute determination that left no room for argument. “Don’t worry.”

On the other side, Gu Yuyin made a face as if she’d tasted something sour, but after a moment of silence, she didn’t press the issue further.

Since Jiang Xuehe had said so, all she could do was wait and see.

After all, it was a family matter.

Once the medicated wine was rubbed in, Jiang Xuehe stood up and went out to make a phone call.

The two left in the living room absentmindedly watched TV.

Gu Yuyin glanced out the window but didn’t see Jiang Xuehe, so she lowered her voice and asked the person beside her, “What if her mom really comes to cause trouble for you?”

Yan Guiqiu kept her eyes on the TV and said, “Then I’ll just call Sister Xuehe back to protect me.”

Gu Yuyin nudged her arm. “I’m being serious.”

“It’s fine.” Yan Guiqiu smiled nonchalantly. “If she has the guts, let her come. Sooner or later, this day was bound to happen.”

When Jiang Xuehe confronted her parents and brother, Yan Guiqiu would undoubtedly stand firmly by her side.

Gu Yuyin pursed her lips. “You really are something.”

Yan Guiqiu thought for a moment and said seriously, “As the saying goes, even an ugly daughter-in-law must eventually face her in-laws.”

Gu Yuyin: “…”

Was that even the same thing?

But it was clear Yan Guiqiu already had a plan in mind. Gu Yuyin looked at her and swallowed her worries.

Worried as she was, she knew Yan Guiqiu was more than capable of handling it.

From the time they had met until now, aside from the lingering rumors about her crush on Qin Xiangxi that never quite cleared up, there was nothing else that had ever truly stumped Yan Guiqiu.

Given Yan Guiqiu’s far more exaggerated tendency to attract trouble, the fact that she had managed to live such a “normal” and “ordinary” life up to now was at least 90% thanks to her own ability to handle situations.

Usually, before any of her friends even noticed a problem, Yan Guiqiu had already resolved it herself, turning back as calmly as if nothing had happened.

Gu Yuyin silently turned her head away and consciously dropped the subject.

Jiang Xuehe spent nearly half an hour on the phone outside. When she returned, her expression was as calm as ever, but the two in the living room were dozing off in front of the TV, their heads leaning together as if they were about to fall asleep.

The TV was still playing a rerun of a melodramatic idol show. The male lead was sobbing and shouting about how deeply the female lead had hurt him, while the female lead covered her ears and screamed. The second male lead tried to mediate, only to end up nearly starting a fight.

It was more chaotic than a marketplace.

Somehow, the two of them still managed to doze off.

Half-asleep, Gu Yuyin sensed an invisible chill. She squinted and looked up, meeting Jiang Xuehe’s faintly smiling face. Instantly, she jolted awake, straightening her spine.

Jiang Xuehe sat down beside Yan Guiqiu.

As if equipped with a built-in radar, Yan Guiqiu, nudged by Gu Yuyin, accurately leaned into Jiang Xuehe’s embrace and wrapped her arms around her waist.

Jiang Xuehe carefully placed Yan Guiqiu’s injured hand outside the blankets, gently patting her back while picking up the remote to mute the television volume.

She didn’t change the channel, watching the actors’ exaggerated performances through subtitles instead.

The plot had reached a point where the male supporting character punched the male lead, declaring him unworthy of blaming the female lead. He then recounted past events, how the female lead had left without saying goodbye because the male lead’s mother sabotaged her job and threatened her critically ill family. Forced to flee the city with her family, she worked odd jobs while seeking medical treatment, constantly harassed by the male lead’s mother’s lackeys, forcing her to move repeatedly over the years, enduring immense hardship.

The male supporting character, ever the devoted “backup option,” indignantly voiced the female lead’s grievances, while she stood silently nearby, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Jiang Xuehe’s attention drifted, not because the drama reminded her of anyone in real life, but because her thoughts wandered to the recent phone call.

She’d heard Jiang Xueyang had been quite idle at the company lately.

Her train of thought was interrupted when she felt her hand being grasped.

Looking down, she met Yan Guiqiu’s drowsy eyes. Without a word, Yan Guiqiu crawled out of her embrace and pointed behind them. Jiang Xuehe turned to see Gu Yuyin already asleep on the sofa.

Having stayed up nearly all night chatting with Song Anchen, Gu Yuyin had forced herself awake in the morning, but now her energy was completely spent. Her legs were twisted awkwardly against the floor, head knocked against the sofa armrest, yet even in such an uncomfortable position, she didn’t stir to adjust herself.

Not that there was much room to maneuver on the crowded sofa anyway.

Yan Guiqiu yawned and stood up, rubbing her eyes until fully awake, then pulled Jiang Xuehe to their feet to make space for Gu Yuyin.

After shifting Gu Yuyin’s head from the overly high armrest, she remained asleep, instinctively curling into a more comfortable position that now claimed the entire sofa. Yan Guiqiu draped a light quilt over her before leading Jiang Xuehe out.

They didn’t go far after leaving, both unconsciously slowing their pace. After a stroll around the neighborhood, they found another shopping mall and settled into a dessert shop.

The shop was relatively empty, most tables unoccupied. Yan Guiqiu took two menus and sat by the glass wall, yawning again before finishing her order.

“Didn’t sleep well last night?” Jiang Xuehe asked. “Stayed up secretly?”

Yan Guiqiu shook her head. “Maybe my nerves were too overexcited. Poor sleep quality.”

“Oh!” Jiang Xuehe briefly wondered about the cause of such excitement, then instinctively lowered her gaze to the menu.

“Let’s not go too far today,” Yan Guiqiu suggested. “How about just exploring nearby?”

Jiang Xuehe had no objections. “Sitting here basking in the sunlight sounds nice too.”

The dessert shop was well-positioned, one side faced a tree-lined path, the entrance opened onto a central square with a fountain and statue. Recent decorations for some event included clusters of balloons, and with few people around at this hour, the scene carried a quietly charming tranquility.

Yan Guiqiu finished ordering, propped her chin on her hand, and squinted out the window as if about to doze off again. But moments later, she suddenly raised her hand and tapped the glass beside her, pointing toward the square with a tone of surprise. “A rabbit.”

Jiang Xuehe looked for a while before spotting the white decorative piece hidden in the grass.

“It’s quite cute,” Yan Guiqiu said, pulling out her phone to take a picture.

Jiang Xuehe watched Yan Guiqiu’s profile and softly hummed in agreement.

Her previously restless heart gradually calmed.

At this moment, the matters of the Jiang family seemed distant and insignificant.

Those issues couldn’t be resolved overnight anyway. This was a rare break, a rare moment of solitude, and she didn’t want it to be overshadowed by those vexing concerns.

By the time she snapped back to reality, the desserts had arrived, one of them shaped like a little rabbit.

Yan Guiqiu’s eyes lit up, and her drowsiness vanished instantly.

Jiang Xuehe had only ordered a simple fruit mille-feuille and had already quietly eaten half of it.

After taking a few photos with her phone, Yan Guiqiu noticed Jiang Xuehe’s change in preference. “Sister Xuehe, are you trying out sweets now?”

Jiang Xuehe smiled. “Lately, I’ve found them quite enjoyable.”

As she spoke, her gaze lingered on Yan Guiqiu gentle and tender, blending with the light and shadows like a piece of art.

Yan Guiqiu hesitated for a moment with her phone before raising it to take a picture of her.

Jiang Xuehe slightly lifted the corners of her mouth and made a V-sign toward the camera.

Yan Guiqiu happily put her phone away, comparing the photos for a long time before finally choosing one as her new wallpaper. As she set it down, she deliberately placed it screen-side down.

Jiang Xuehe caught a glimpse of the new wallpaper, smiled, and didn’t call her out on it. Instead, she took out her own phone and called Yan Guiqiu’s name.

Yan Guiqiu instinctively looked up.

Click.

The shutter sound captured her slightly bewildered expression, freezing it on the screen.

Perhaps it was the light-colored outfit she wore that day, but in the photo, Yan Guiqiu looked younger than her actual age. Without her usual sharpness, her features appeared soft and gentle, giving off an innocent, well-behaved vibe.

Jiang Xuehe knew it was just a fleeting illusion, but that didn’t stop her from admiring the photo. After a moment, she set it as her wallpaper as well.

She placed her phone on the table, performing the entire operation right in front of Yan Guiqiu, who naturally saw everything.

Yan Guiqiu: “…”

Defeated.

Yan Guiqiu silently lowered her head and used a small spoon to cut off the dessert rabbit’s tail. The ears were about the same size as the two red dots used for the eyes.

“Sister Xuehe, is there anywhere else you’d like to go?” Yan Guiqiu asked after finishing half of the little rabbit, changing the subject. She glanced at the time. “It’s still early. After lunch, we can go anywhere you’d like in the afternoon.”

She was worried Jiang Xuehe might find the trip lacking.

But for Jiang Xuehe, just looking at Yan Guiqiu was satisfying enough. As she ate her dessert, she chatted idly with Yan Guiqiu about the culture and scenery of Ningcheng.

Truth be told, Yan Guiqiu wasn’t all that familiar with the city either.

After a moment’s thought, Jiang Xuehe made a decision. “Let’s visit your school.”

Yan Guiqiu was slightly surprised. “My school?”

“Not convenient?” Jiang Xuehe asked.

“Not exactly inconvenient,” Yan Guiqiu shook her head. “But there might not be much worth seeing. I only attended elementary school here before moving to the neighboring city for middle school.”

Although the neighboring city wasn’t far, and the Meng family was still there at the time, Yan Guiqiu ultimately spent much less time in Ningcheng. Aside from holidays when she would explore the city with her younger sister or friends, her genuine childhood memories were largely confined to the small area around the Yan family home.

The elementary school wasn’t far, but after Yan Guiqiu graduated, she heard it had undergone several renovations and eventually even changed its name.

After walking a short while, Yan Guiqiu saw the school

Yan Guiqiu began to sense something amiss as she listened. She nodded in acknowledgment a couple of times before cautiously asking, “How did you know about this, Teacher Zhang?”

“I ran into your younger sister last time, and she mentioned you were attending Yunhua University,” Teacher Zhang explained. “My legs aren’t what they used to be, so I was heading to the hospital for a follow-up. She kindly offered me a ride, and we chatted along the way.”

Before Yan Guiqiu could fully relax, Teacher Zhang added, “Oh, and I just got a call from Xiangxi earlier, she was asking about you.”

“Xiangxi?” Yan Guiqiu paused for a moment before recalling who that was.

“Qin Xiangxi,” Teacher Zhang clarified, assuming she had forgotten. “She was your classmate back then, even sat next to you. You even ended up in the hospital after getting into a fight with some boy from another class because of her, don’t tell me you’ve forgotten that.”

Whether such an incident had actually occurred, Yan Guiqiu couldn’t quite recall.

But she did remember Jiang Xuehe standing nearby at the time.

“You must be mistaken, Teacher,” Yan Guiqiu denied with a serious expression. “Getting into fights is something my sister would do. I would never brawl with someone over an ordinary classmate.”

Even if it had happened, it was definitely nothing more than self-defense.

And it absolutely had nothing to do with any other woman.

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