Close Enough To Pluck the Stars” (GL) - Chapter 26

Chapter 26

“Stop just saying ‘mmh.’ If you have something to say, say it. What’s so hard to talk about?” Liang Ke urged Little A.

“X! You’re so oblivious. You’re wasting my gossiping soul for nothing. When I find the chance, I’m going to ask your leader directly,” Little A huffed and hung up the phone.

“Hello? Hello?”

Liang Ke was baffled, but she didn’t dwell on it. She returned to the living room to rummage through her backpack.

“What are you looking for?” a pleasant voice asked.

“Dinner. Are you hungry? I’ll give you half.” Liang Ke pulled out the box of mixed noodles, holding it up toward the sofa with a smug expression.

Shu Qingchen gave a brief “oh” and got up to go to the study. Liang Ke followed her, clutching the noodles.

“‘Anyone but her.’ ‘Specifically not for Liang Ke to eat,'” Liang Ke repeated the words back to her petty-mindedly.

Shu Qingchen turned around and looked at her.

“You said that, didn’t you?” Liang Ke cocked an eyebrow.

“Yes.” Shu Qingchen made no attempt to hide it, nor did she offer any further explanation.

This caused Liang Ke a moment of panic. She had thought Shu Qingchen was just joking; she hadn’t expected the woman to be serious. After the embarrassment came a sense of grievance, and after the grievance came defiance. Liang Ke let out a deliberate, heavy sigh, slumped her shoulders, and turned to leave while muttering things like, “And here I was being so good to you. Big Bosses are always heartless.”

Shu Qingchen didn’t speak again, nor did she follow her out. She continued to slowly and calmly organize her books.

Liang Ke walked to the dining table, opened the noodle box, snapped her chopsticks apart, and started eating. Outside the window, it was more than ten degrees below zero with snow fluttering down. Although the room wasn’t cold, the food was ice-cold.

“If you’re going to eat it, heat it up first. The microwave works,” Shu Qingchen reminded her from a distance.

Liang Ke didn’t even look up.

“Liang Ke.”

Silence.

More silence.

“I told you not to eat it.” Shu Qingchen’s tone turned dark.

Normally, Liang Ke would have been scared, but today she was being stubborn. For reasons unknown even to her, she couldn’t vent her strange mood. So, she was a bit braver than usual. She gave a sycophantic smile and explained to Shu Qingchen: “It’s a gift from the leader; it would be a waste not to eat it. Besides, it’s rare for you to care about me.”

The moment the words left her mouth, Liang Ke regretted them. It sounded like a complaint, but it was actually a childish plea for attention that made no sense. Taking care of Shu Qingchen was just a task assigned by the organization—what “reward” was she expecting? Why should the woman care about her?

But if she doesn’t care, why did she go out specifically to buy lunch? You bought every single ingredient the noodle shop owner recommended, didn’t you? High-IQ fat sheep… you deserve to be fleeced.

Liang Ke chewed the cold food while her thoughts were scalding hot. Sure enough, she choked. She stood up to get water, offering a small smile as she passed Shu Qingchen.

She figured she should show weakness when necessary; she couldn’t afford to offend her boss. Although the first thing in the New Year was a demotion, being passive was not the way to go. She still needed to maintain her professional ambition.

“You should head back.”

“Huh?”

“Be careful on the road.”

Shu Qingchen handed her the water.

A blunt and clear dismissal.

Liang Ke stared at the glass until her palms felt numb.

It must be because I ate cold food, she thought. She took the water and drained it in one gulp.

She turned back to the living room, grabbed her backpack, swung it over her shoulder, and left. Opening and closing the door was one fluid motion.

Although Liang Ke moved quickly, she didn’t dare make a loud noise. In front of Shu Qingchen, she did her best to suppress even her anger.

She walked out of the courtyard with her head down. The goose and the child were still there, huddled together playing in the snow, but Professor M’s wife was nowhere to be seen.

Liang Ke strode past without looking, but after ten meters, she turned back and asked the girl: “Where’s your mom?”

“Looking for Daddy.” The child looked very unhappy and began to cough.

Her down jacket didn’t fit well and let the wind in, and the scarf her mother had given her was lying dirty on the snow.

Liang Ke forgot her fear of the goose. She knelt down, patted the girl’s back, and asked, “Do you have a phone number? Or maybe you have one of those… children’s smartwatches?”

The child stared at her with wide eyes.

Liang Ke was out of options. She looked up internal contact info and called Professor M directly.

The phone rang several times before it was answered. M sounded extremely impatient.

Liang Ke first identified herself, then explained the situation.

“Tell her to wait a moment. I’ll be there to pick her up soon,” M said, about to hang up.

“The child is freezing,” Liang Ke emphasized.

“I know, I know. Thank you.” M seemed to be suppressing his own anger. He gave a stiff thanks and hung up.

Liang Ke used her own scarf to wrap around the child and the big white goose several times, though it looked more like she was tying them up rather than bundling them.

Imitating M’s wife, she rubbed the girl’s head and summoned all her courage to poke the goose’s head, comforting them: “Your dad is coming soon. Wait here and don’t run around.” With that, she stood up.

The girl continued to look up at her.

Liang Ke gave a nod to the security guard.

The guard was a heavy smoker. Out of kindness, he hadn’t let the child inside the booth, but he indicated he would ensure her safety.

Liang Ke expressed her understanding and gratitude, then started walking toward the subway station.

The streets were quiet and the wind was biting. Without her scarf, Liang Ke had to tuck her neck into her coat. She thought about how Shu Qingchen had reflexively reached out to wipe sweat from her forehead earlier. She had taken that unexpected encouragement as a sign to say or do something more, only for it to fall apart over a bowl of noodles. She felt truly suffocated.

She walked even faster, almost running home. The moment she entered, she dove into the tool room, grabbed her cleaning gear, and started scrubbing.

When it came to the master bedroom, Liang Ke hesitated but didn’t go in. Thinking about how Shu Qingchen would move out of her house and they would only have a professional connection from now on, she felt a tightening in her chest. She went to the balcony to get some air and saw someone releasing Kongming lanterns. Because there were so few and the wind was harsh, they looked lonely in the winter night rather than warm and prayerful.

Lost in thought, she eventually fell asleep and almost late the next day.

Liang Ke hopped out of the taxi and ran toward the Institute gate, her backpack clattering. Because she hadn’t slept well, her stamina was low. She was running a bit slower this time and was intercepted at the gate.

“Oh, it’s Sister Little B,” Liang Ke greeted.

“Mmh.” B’s face was ashen, and she said in a low voice, “Come with me.”

“Is it urgent? I’m going to be late for work.” Liang Ke stood there hesitating.

B didn’t say another word. She grabbed Liang Ke and strode toward the back street.

Liang Ke had been running and hadn’t even caught her breath yet. Thinking B wasn’t a bad person, she gave up struggling and followed her to a street corner.

“You—”

Just as she was about to ask what was wrong, she was served a shoulder throw. Her recently healed head thudded against the curb.

Luckily, the accumulated snow acted as a buffer. Just as she was thinking this, she was hoisted up by her collar into a sitting position, facing B’s eyes—which could only be described as ferocious.