After Becoming a Spare Tire, I Got Together with My White Moonlight - Chapter 53

Yan Guiqiu heard Jiang Xuehe let out a soft chuckle.

A wave of tingling warmth tickled her ear. Distracted, Yan Guiqiu thought to herself that she really wasn’t very good at kissing. Lacking experience, she hesitated, tentative and unsure of how to proceed.

In the end, it was Jiang Xuehe who reached around the back of her neck, tilting her head slightly to close the distance.

This time, it wasn’t a forceful or head-on collision like before, but a gentle, reassuring series of soft kisses.

Yan Guiqiu suddenly felt as though she were the one who was drunk; she soon became lightheaded, losing all sense of time and place. It was a pleasant feeling, possessing a kind of addictive magic.

As Yan Guiqiu’s mind drifted, the kisses slid from the corner of her lips down to her neck, accompanied by a warm, lingering breath. Suddenly panicked, she instinctively reached out to push back, but before she could, she felt a weight settle on her shoulder.

Startled, she turned her head to find Jiang Xuehe leaning against her with her eyes closed. Her breathing was steady and deep; she had fallen fast asleep.

“…” Yan Guiqiu couldn’t quite describe the feeling in her heart.

A sense of relief was mixed with a trace of disappointment. She sat there in a daze for a moment before touching the corner of her mouth. The slight sting of the broken skin brought her back to reality.

“Did you do that on purpose?” Yan Guiqiu poked Jiang Xuehe’s cheek lightly, not daring to use much force. Eventually, she laid her back down on the bed and settled in beside her.

With her eyes still closed, Jiang Xuehe extended an arm and pulled Yan Guiqiu into her embrace, holding her like a body pillow. Yan Guiqiu didn’t dare struggle. She simply lay flat on her back, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling.

After a long while, she slowly moved her fingers to reach the switch by the bed. With a click, the lights went out, plunging the room into darkness save for a small lamp on Jiang Xuehe’s side. The dim, amber glow was soft and intimate.

Yan Guiqiu didn’t know how long she lay there before her heartbeat finally began to steady. She sank a little deeper into the mattress, burying herself in the covers. Jiang Xuehe held her tighter, as if afraid she might run away.

A muffled, gentle “Goodnight” drifted into her ear.

“Goodnight,” Yan Guiqiu whispered back.

The rest of the night passed in silence.

To her surprise, Yan Guiqiu slept quite well. She woke up naturally the next morning, though the sky outside was still dark. Checking the time, she saw it was just after 8:00 AM, but the forecast predicted rain; the overcast sky explained the gloom.

Jiang Xuehe was still asleep. Yan Guiqiu spent a long time moving very carefully to untangle herself from the other woman’s arms, eventually stuffing a pillow into Jiang Xuehe’s embrace as a substitute.

The sketchbook lay on the floor, neglected for the night.

Yan Guiqiu sat at the foot of the bed and slowly flipped through the remaining pages. As she neared the end of the thick book, the progress in the young Jiang Xuehe’s skill was obvious. The later portraits featured distinct personal styles, making the subjects easily recognizable.

Yan Guiqiu felt a pang of heartache and a sense of melancholy. However, she didn’t feel like asking why a family that was once so close had become what it was today. She had experienced something similar herself, and while the reasons for Jiang Xuehe’s family might be different, they didn’t really matter.

She didn’t need to understand why Jiang Xuehe’s family had changed their hearts; she only needed to know that they had already hurt her. Moving forward, she would make sure it never happened again. Yan Guiqiu lowered her eyes, masking the intensity in her gaze.

As the sound of rain began to patter against the window, the bed behind her shifted. Jiang Xuehe struggled to a sitting position, glancing first at the rain hitting the glass and then at Yan Guiqiu sitting at the foot of the bed.

“Why didn’t you wake me?” Jiang Xuehe’s voice was slightly raspy.

“You’re not going to the gallery today, so I thought it would be nice to let you sleep in.” Yan Guiqiu closed the sketchbook casually and turned to smile at her. “Good morning, Sister Xuehe.”

“Morning.” Still a bit groggy from sleep, Jiang Xuehe ran her fingers through her messy hair. She looked around the room as she gathered her thoughts. “Didn’t you say you had things to do at school today? I’ll drive you back in a bit.”

With that, she tossed back the covers and got out of bed, grabbing a hair tie from the nightstand to pull her hair into a simple ponytail. Before leaving the room, she looked back at Yan Guiqiu. “Is porridge alright for breakfast?”

Yan Guiqiu stared at her, mesmerized by this rare glimpse of Jiang Xuehe in such a domestic state. It took a second prompt for her to react, nodding frantically. “Yes, sounds good.”

“Go brush your teeth and get changed first,” Jiang Xuehe said. “Do you need to go back and get anything?”

Yan Guiqiu shook her head, getting off the bed to follow her out. “I just have a class meeting this afternoon. It’s nothing urgent.”

“Alright.” Jiang Xuehe nodded, stifling a yawn as she headed into the kitchen to wash the rice.

Yan Guiqiu finished her morning routine and wandered into the kitchen. She found Jiang Xuehe tearing small lettuce leaves into a basket. She leaned in and gave Jiang Xuehe a quick peck on the cheek.

Jiang Xuehe paused and turned to look at her. Her gaze swept over Yan Guiqiu’s face before settling on the small cut on her lower lip.

“Last night—”

Before she could finish the sentence, Yan Guiqiu cut her off. “A morning kiss, just a morning kiss! Is there anything I can help with, Sister Xuehe?”

Jiang Xuehe swallowed the rest of her sentence and pointed to the pot. “No need. Just come keep an eye on the pot once you’ve changed.”

They had eaten a lot the night before, so Jiang Xuehe explained that it was better to have something light today. Yan Guiqiu, of course, could only nod in agreement. As she turned to leave, she instinctively touched the corner of her mouth and couldn’t help but hiss in pain.

Jiang Xuehe’s lips curled into a slight smile. Yan Guiqiu pinched her own burning ears and ducked back into the room to change.

It was nearly lunchtime by the time Jiang Xuyu returned the car, and naturally, he stayed for a meal. The man possessed absolutely no self-awareness regarding his role as a “third wheel.” He made a point of recounting his adventures from the previous night when he had joined the elderly crowd for square dancing.

“You actually went?” Yan Guiqiu was shocked.

“Of course. I happened to pass a park plaza on the way,” Jiang Xuyu said with a hint of regret. “But it was so late that I didn’t get to chat for very long.”

“You certainly are dedicated.” Yan Guiqiu’s lip twitched; she truly admired his decisiveness. Though he seemed unreliable at times, his initiative was impressive. He wasn’t just talk; he clearly intended to get things done.

“It was nothing, just on the way,” Jiang Xuyu said modestly. “But since it’s raining today, I doubt many people will be out tonight.” He sighed, then pulled out his phone. “Fortunately, I managed to get the contact information for a few of the elders last night.”

“…” Yan Guiqiu, who had been about to offer some words of comfort, shut her mouth. After a moment of silence, she turned to Jiang Xuehe and remarked, “Sister Xuehe, you’ve really found a treasure in him.”

She meant every word. Jiang Xuehe smiled, listening without interjecting. She focused on peeling shrimp, placing the meat into Yan Guiqiu’s bowl once finished.

Yan Guiqiu noticed and quickly placed the shrimp back into the other woman’s bowl. “You should eat too, Sister Xuehe. I’m not a three-year-old child.”

Jiang Xuehe took a bite from the chopsticks, then waved her off. “I don’t particularly like seafood.”

Had she not noticed earlier that Yan Guiqiu seemed to enjoy it, Jiang Xuehe wouldn’t have ordered the dish. Realizing this, Yan Guiqiu chewed on the remaining shrimp, her happiness visible to the naked eye.

Across the table, the ignored Jiang Xuyu covered his face in mock agony. Only now did he seem to realize the situation. “Am I disturbing you two?”

Jiang Xuehe took his sarcasm as a statement of fact. She looked at him and asked, “You’re only realizing this now?”

Jiang Xuyu: “…”

Women in love truly are unreasonable.

Jiang Xuyu shut his mouth and increased his eating speed. As soon as the two across from him set down their chopsticks, he immediately stood up to take his leave.

“I have things to do, so I’ll go pay. This meal is on me; please, don’t be formal with me.” Without waiting for a response, he hurried out of the private room.

The remaining two looked at each other for a moment before deciding not to argue with him. Jiang Xuehe pulled a tissue from her bag and handed it to Yan Guiqiu. Just as she was about to stand up, her phone rang.

Being close by, Yan Guiqiu could faintly hear the voice on the other end. It was Xiao He, the assistant at the gallery. She reported that someone was causing trouble again, mentioning the name “Qin” and the middle-aged couple who had visited before.

Once Jiang Xuehe hung up, Yan Guiqiu asked worriedly, “Is it those people from Qin Xiangxi’s side again?”

“It’s fine. They went there this morning, found out I wasn’t there, and left,” Jiang Xuehe said. “I’ll head to the shop in a bit, but I’ll drop you off at school first.”

“Did Xiao He say what it was about?” Yan Guiqiu asked.

Jiang Xuehe shook her head. “No, they just asked if I was in. Qin Xiangxi wasn’t with them.”

Yan Guiqiu frowned. “Why are they so persistent?”

Jiang Xuehe patted her shoulder and opened her umbrella, gesturing for her to come closer. She didn’t seem particularly worried. “With people like that, you lose the moment you care too much. Don’t worry, I’ll call the police if anything happens.”

Yan Guiqiu nodded. Aside from being difficult and unreasonable, the Qin family didn’t really have the courage to do anything illegal. In the original story, they occasionally spoke up on their daughter’s behalf but never caused any real waves. In reality, they were just a nuisance.

But being a nuisance every day was undeniably a hassle. It was quite possible that before Jiang Xuehe even had to act, they would manage to bankrupt themselves.

Lost in thought, Yan Guiqiu got into the car. The restaurant was only about ten minutes from the school, just enough time for a short conversation. Jiang Xuehe pulled over to the curb and handed the umbrella over first.

Yan Guiqiu said her goodbyes and stepped out to open the umbrella. Just as she reached the sidewalk, Jiang Xuehe called out to her. She turned back and returned to the car.

Jiang Xuehe rolled down the window and beckoned her closer. Yan Guiqiu leaned down, and Jiang Xuehe reached out to hook a hand around her neck, kissing the corner of her mouth.

Rainwater dripped from the edge of the umbrella onto Yan Guiqiu’s hair, but she didn’t notice.

“Call me when you’re done, and I’ll come pick you up,” Jiang Xuehe said.

Yan Guiqiu smiled, nodded, and stepped back toward the curb. Just as she straightened up and began to wave goodbye, she felt a strange gaze from a distance.

She instinctively turned her head and found herself locked in the panicked gaze of Qin Xiangxi at the intersection.

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