Fell In Love With My Older Sister’s Friend - Chapter 44

Catching sight of the little girl’s expectant expression, Lin Qingyue lazily teased her, “I’ll only keep them if they bloom beautifully.”

“Oh.” Xu Luzhi pouted, staring at the pot of gardenia.

This was a small sprig she had anxiously dug up with Aunt Lin’s help before going out last time. Once she confirmed it was alive, she had carefully hidden it on her person and sneakily left it behind unintentionally.

Pretending it was a gardenia spirit that had sprouted on its own.

However, it seemed Lin Qingyue had seen through it at a glance it was something she had left behind. And she had taken good care of it. After all these days, the stem had thickened considerably, the leaves were rounder and fuller, and a few buds had blossomed into snow-white, abundant, and beautifully shaped flowers.

The small pot, placed there, added a touch of vitality to the entire room, filling it with a refreshing fragrance.

Xu Luzhi reached out, her fingertips gently touching the delicate, dew kissed petals, and whispered softly, “Did you take good care of Big Sister?”

The petals trembled slightly, as if answering her question.

Xu Luzhi nodded with satisfaction, saying solemnly, “So good. I’ll give you fertilizer next time.”

Lin Qingyue clearly saw Xu Luzhi leaning by the bay window, talking to the potted plant, and couldn’t help but curve her lips, finding it amusing.

Her heart suddenly softened a bit. If there was such a young girl in the house, it would probably be much livelier, right? It wouldn’t be so cold and quiet every time she came home from work.

“What do you want to eat?” Lin Qingyue asked in a low voice, not even realizing how exceptionally soft her tone was.

Xu Luzhi answered resolutely, “I like whatever Big Sister makes!”

Lin Qingyue tied up her hair in a low ponytail, then pulled out an apron and tied it around her waist. She turned back with a smile, “Let me say this first, my cooking is terrible.” Otherwise, she wouldn’t be eating the employee meals made by the proprietress every day.

Xu Luzhi stared blankly for a moment, but all her attention was fixed on Lin Qingyue.

It was quite magical; Lin Qingyue was wearing a short top and hot pants, which didn’t look domestic at all, but once she put on the cute little bear-patterned apron and tied up her long hair, she seemed to gain a touch of gentleness, giving off the aura of someone prepared to cook a home-cooked meal.

She couldn’t help but trail after her, following her right into the kitchen.

Lin Qingyue tossed her a carrot to wash. The faucet was running with a rushing sound, and Xu Luzhi washed it intermittently, her thoughts drifting. She would steal glances at Lin Qingyue from time to time.

The woman stood right next to her, very close, holding a bunch of green vegetables under the running water. Her slender fingers were faintly visible among the translucent leaves, and the water droplets clinging to the back of her hand were crystal clear and round.

Her fair and delicate hands, where one could even vaguely see the veins beneath the skin, seemed too precious for washing vegetables.

Xu Luzhi looked up at Lin Qingyue’s profile. Her peach blossom eyes were lowered, her long lashes trembling slightly. Her face held a faint expression, her red lips exquisitely curved, outlining a face that was stunningly beautiful.

Looking again, beneath the wrapping of the cotton apron, through the thin layer of fabric, were curves that were prominent and impossible to ignore. Below the apron, a pair of long legs were straight and snowy white.

Xu Luzhi’s brain suddenly and uncontrollably thought of a new term she had just come across a few days ago: the “seductive apron.” At first glance, both of Lin Qingyue’s arms and legs were exposed, with only the middle section covered by the apron. But if the space under the apron was empty… when she turned her back, then…

Xu Luzhi blushed, casually plucked a grape and popped it into her mouth, forgetting that the bunch of grapes hadn’t been washed yet. The sweet grape juice burst in her mouth, accompanied by the slight astringency of the skin. She completed the second half of her analogy. In that scenario, Big Sister would be like a grape on a vine, free for her to pick at will.

She secretly glanced at Lin Qingyue’s back again, it was fair and exquisite, with a deep groove along her spine that made her want to trace it from top to bottom with her tongue.

Xu Luzhi felt more and more perverse. She kept wanting to stick out her tongue to express her affection, but she couldn’t help it Big Sister was too alluring. This allure was constantly emanating from her, and today, at this very moment, it felt slightly different.

The usual Lin Qingyue was a charming, bewitching fox, making her want to prostrate herself at Big Sister’s feet and kiss her fair instep. But the Lin Qingyue who patiently cooked right now possessed a touch more gentleness and mildness, resembling a [person] who had been “disciplined” for a few years beautiful and yet someone one wanted to tease. It forcibly gave rise to a sense of aggression, making her want to see her softly crying under her, desperately seeking a way to escape, yet only being confined in her arms, unable to break free from the cage.

Xu Luzhi licked her lips, feeling she was becoming increasingly perverse.

“Zhizhi, are you done washing?” Lin Qingyue urged her. One carrot had been washed for so long that the skin might be peeled off soon.

“Done, done.” Xu Luzhi’s mind was in a turmoil, afraid her intentions would be discovered. She kept her eyes down as Lin Qingyue gently took the carrot from her hand. The moment their fingers unavoidably touched, her heart pounded forcefully.

Lin Qingyue glanced at the dazed girl, assuming she was nervous because she rarely worked in the kitchen, blushing just from washing a carrot. She shooed Xu Luzhi out, “I’m about to add hot oil, be careful it doesn’t splash you.”

Xu Luzhi obediently responded, taking the large basin of washed grapes to sit on the sofa. The glass basin was pleasing to the eye, and she couldn’t help but eat one, and then another.

The kitchen door was closed tightly, and the aroma of food continuously wafted out, accompanied by the sizzling sound of the wok. Xu Luzhi narrowed her eyes, suddenly feeling very secure. It seemed that Big Sister at this moment had more of a human, worldly charm, more approachable than when they interacted in the hotel. Although there was less mystery, it also meant she was flesh and blood, tangible and reachable.

Xu Luzhi thought this way, her tongue filled with the sweetness of grapes. She ate until she was full, stretched contentedly, and sighed. If only she could come over for a free meal every day.

When Lin Qingyue came out with the basin of fried rice, Xu Luzhi was gone from the sofa. The spacious, bright one-bedroom apartment offered no sign of the little one as she looked around.

She paused, then called out, “Zhizhi!”

The room was silent, only that small pot of gardenia swaying gently, as if responding to her call.

Lin Qingyue put down the steaming rice and quickly walked to the bay window, bending over to look closer. Although she knew it was absurd and ridiculous, a thought flashed through her mind in an instant: Could the girl, who resembled a gardenia, really be a flower spirit?

“After all that effort to follow me back, is she now going to sleep inside the petals?”

Lin Qingyue lost herself in thought. Her peach blossom eyes were cast down, veiled with a misty haze, making it impossible to tell what she was feeling.

While in a daze, her fingertips suddenly touched something. She looked down to see a fair, soft little hand gently gripping hers. If Lin Qingyue didn’t have such a strong composure, she might have thought she had run into a ghost.

But she instinctively squeezed the other person’s hand, and in the next second, she watched as Xu Luzhi transformed and appeared right in front of her, smiling proudly, “Big Sister, I’ve sprouted!”

Lin Qingyue took a deep breath, feeling a flicker of annoyance, but it died down abruptly in the face of the young girl’s bright and innocent smile. She didn’t speak, just looked at Xu Luzhi, wondering what trick the little one was up to now.

Xu Luzhi gently shook Lin Qingyue’s hand, asking cheerfully, “Big Sister, am I pretty?”

Lin Qingyue didn’t speak, but nodded gently. Pretty, of course she was pretty. The girl with her pure and beautiful features, a small, fair face, bright, dark eyes, a straight nose, bright red lips, and long hair framing her snow white neck anyone who saw her would be captivated.

She emphasized her tone and praised earnestly, “Zhizhi is a little beauty.” For now, she was only at the level of a high school campus beauty, turning heads wherever she went. In another couple of years, she would be a standard great beauty.

Xu Luzhi accepted the compliment, yet felt a bit shy, as being praised by the great beauty Lin Qingyue was quite embarrassing. She couldn’t help but squeeze Lin Qingyue’s hand and subtly moved closer, sniffing with her nose. It was strange; after cooking for so long, there wasn’t the slightest smell of cooking fumes on Big Sister it was still that fresh, sweet fragrance that was captivating.

“Then… Zhizhi is very pretty, and I sprouted suddenly.” Xu Luzhi shook Lin Qingyue’s hand, her voice soft and sweet. As soon as she finished speaking, she shyly dropped her eyes, but she still subtly swayed Big Sister’s arm in a suggestive manner.

Lin Qingyue was startled and suddenly remembered what she had said when they first came in. I’ll only keep them if they bloom beautifully. So, the young girl had secretly hidden herself away just to suddenly appear to let her…? The answer was obvious.

“Big Sister…” Xu Luzhi’s voice was incredibly soft, perhaps due to eating too many grapes, her voice now tender enough to wring out water, shimmering like a pool that might spill over at any moment. She looked up, her appearance incredibly obedient, pitifully bringing Lin Qingyue’s hand to her chest to hold it: “Keep me, please”

Such a plea momentarily confused Lin Qingyue’s senses. It was as if her heart had been struck by something, and she stood frozen, unable to bring herself to refuse sternly.

Her smoky voice was low, her breath fragrant like orchids, “How will I keep you?” There was a hint of a smile in her words. Unconsciously, the distance between them had closed extremely tight; with just a slight movement forward, she could almost press Xu Luzhi beneath her.

Xu Luzhi’s voice grew even quieter, as if afraid of disturbing something, “Just water me… I’m very easy to keep, Big Sister…”

Gardenias were indeed easy to care for just water and sunlight, and Lin Qingyue hadn’t worried much. But could such a large “Zhizhi” really be kept alive by just watering her?

As Lin Qingyue’s mind wavered, she forgot to refuse and forgot to question further, simply breathing softly, allowing Xu Luzhi to bring her hand to her lips, so close that she could almost kiss it.

Watching intently, she saw Xu Luzhi bravely plant a kiss, very light and quick, on the back of her hand, her eyes serious and devout, as if treating something priceless.

Then Xu Luzhi let go of her hand, tilted her head, and smiled, “Or, if you don’t water me, you can treat me to a meal.”

After saying that, she skipped briskly to the kitchen to get chopsticks, moving as naturally as if the previous intimate scene had never happened.

Staring at the girl’s long, slender back, Lin Qingyue stood rooted to the spot, then let out a self-deprecating smile after a long moment. What a beautiful conclusion clean and decisive, not lingering at all, as if everything that had just happened had vanished without a trace.

The residual touch of Xu Luzhi’s lips still lingered on the back of her hand, unbelievably soft, like the finest crystal jelly a brief touch that withdrew immediately, leaving behind a slight damp spot.

Such pure admiration, an entire being depending solely on you, yet this noble and elegant young woman was willing to bow down to you. Few people could resist getting dizzy.