Fell In Love With My Older Sister’s Friend - Chapter 45

Xu Luzhi lingered in the kitchen for a long time, fiddling with the bowls and chopsticks. She was a clean person, so she first rinsed the chopsticks meticulously under the faucet. While washing, her mind finally became unsettled.

Then, she quietly scooped up a handful of water and splashed it on her face to cool down her burning cheeks.

Water droplets traced the curve of her chin and slipped into her collar. A tiny, small drop, yet impossible to ignore, meandering down her skin, feeling ticklish.

Xu Luzhi closed her eyes, the delicate touch of Lin Qingyue’s hand still lingering on her lips cool, like a piece of white jade, making her wish she could never let go.

She longed to leave a tiny bite mark on that milky, beautiful skin.

But in the end, she only dared to give it a small kiss, and then swiftly, very swiftly, licked it with the tip of her tongue.

Xu Luzhi unconsciously licked her lips. Her face was too hot, and the water droplets dried quickly. She stayed lost in thought for another half day before slowly bringing out the bowls and chopsticks.

Lin Qingyue was already seated at the table, occupying the spot Xu Luzhi had just vacated. She had taken off her apron and was idly examining a plump grape held between her fingers. Then, she rolled her tongue, quickly swallowing it.

A small dimple formed on her cheek as she chewed, and her lips were stained with glistening grape juice, showing traces of moisture, making her look exceptionally alluring.

In her relaxed state, Lin Qingyue had dropped all her guard towards strangers. She sat leisurely on the edge of the sofa, her long legs dangling, her fair feet swinging back and forth, making Xu Luzhi dizzy.

She forced herself not to look at the color of her sister’s toenails, redirecting her attention to the dining table. She handed the bowls and chopsticks to Lin Qingyue one by one, her gaze shifting to the basin of fried rice.

The fried rice was rich in color, strictly adhering to principles of healthy eating: red carrots, green vegetables, yellow corn kernels, as well as ham, eggs, peas, and more. The rice itself was off-white with a slight scorch, but it smelled very fragrant, which didn’t detract from it.

Even though some time had passed, the fried rice hadn’t gotten cold yet. Xu Luzhi rested her chin on her hand, unable to shake the feeling that this dinner was a bit too simple.

She pointed her spoon at the fried rice and asked cautiously, “Sister, do you usually just eat this for dinner?”

Without waiting for an answer, Xu Luzhi quickly blurted out, “I don’t mean that fried rice is bad, I was just asking.”

Lin Qingyue seemed unconcerned, lifting her eyelids slightly. She lightly tapped the rim of her bowl with her spoon: “I eat the staff meal.”

She licked her lips with some recollection. The proprietress’s cooking was excellent; apart from the occasional late timing, it had no drawbacks. Within a week, the days she cooked for herself were few and far between.

“Okay…” Xu Luzhi took a deep breath and tentatively scooped a large spoonful of fried rice, about to place it into her own bowl. At least it has two out of three color and aroma so the last part probably won’t be too bad, she thought.

Seeing the young girl being so appreciative, Lin Qingyue resignedly admitted, “After all, my cooking really is terrible.”

Xu Luzhi: “…”

She stole a glance at Lin Qingyue; the other woman’s expression was completely open, showing no sign of embarrassment.

Xu Luzhi’s heart tightened. She knew Lin Qingyue generally didn’t lie or bother with falsehoods, so what her sister said was very likely true.

However, in the next second, Lin Qingyue curved the corners of her lips and lazily praised her, “If you like it, you can eat more.”

The woman looked languid and alluring, propping her chin on her hand, her red lips slightly parted, her low voice filled with pleasure: “It seems this is the first time someone has actually liked my cooking.”

Xu Luzhi, whose hand was still hesitating over putting the fried rice in her bowl, froze. As soon as the words landed, her hand trembled, and a large spoonful of fried rice perfectly filled half of her small bowl.

And the Lin Qingyue she yearned for had bright eyes, staring at her without blinking, looking very expectant. Under such hopeful eyes, Xu Luzhi couldn’t bring herself to refuse.

When hospitality is so earnest, especially from the sister she has adored for so long, what choice does she have?

She smiled sweetly, a few light words escaping her, yet they seemed as captivating as snow in the wind, utterly bewitching. Xu Luzhi closed her eyes, steeled her resolve, took a deep breath. Forget the fried rice; even if it were a mountain of knives and fires, she would swallow it down in one go!

She gritted her teeth, lowered her head, and stuffed a large mouthful into her mouth. She chewed haphazardly a couple of times and hurried to swallow, but her throat was too narrow, and she couldn’t manage it. She suddenly started coughing violently.

Lin Qingyue thoughtfully passed her a glass of water and gently rubbed the young girl’s back, sighing softly, “Good girl, spit it out.”

Xu Luzhi resolutely shook her head. She used that glass of water to force down the fried rice in her mouth. As soon as she swallowed, she drank another large glass of water to dilute the taste in her mouth.

“How was it?” Lin Qingyue looked at the girl in front of her somewhat nervously and asked with concern.

Xu Luzhi’s small face was flushed red from coughing. With her eyebrows drooping, she managed to squeeze out after a long pause, “Sister, it really tastes a little… not good…”

She used “a little” and “not good” to save Lin Qingyue some face, but in reality, it was extremely bad. Perhaps her palate had been spoiled by Auntie Lin everything tasted worse than home-cooked food. But no matter what, this basin of fried rice definitely didn’t deserve the label “delicious.”

Xu Luzhi sighed, staring at the crystal bowl holding the fried rice. The table and tableware were pleasing to the eye, but sadly wasted.

Lin Qingyue understood, blinking innocently, “I just said so.” She spread her hands helplessly, looking a bit guilty, “Being able to nail two out of three color and aroma is already quite good…”

Xu Luzhi didn’t reply. She stared at the fried rice, pondering a painful question: Was the power of love not strong enough? Otherwise, why couldn’t she even force down a basin of her sister’s terrible cooking?

“Zhizhi…” Lin Qingyue called her name with guilt, but saw the girl looking over with a distant gaze. “Sister, what did you eat before you came to Lincheng?”

“Work meals,” Lin Qingyue added. “Meng Fan was responsible for making them.”

Xu Luzhi: “…” Great, not only is her cooking bad, but she’s also spawned a rival who eats with her every day!

As if to explain something, Lin Qingyue added, “He made them for the entire band.”

“Oh.” The sound was drawn out, revealing the young girl’s unhappiness.

But the past couldn’t be changed no matter what; only the present could. She took a deep breath and calmly asked Lin Qingyue, “How much is the meal allowance to eat at the folk music shop?”

Lin Qingyue slightly lifted her peach-blossom eyes and asked her, “Do you play an instrument?”

Xu Luzhi shook her head. If playing the keyboard counted as an instrument, then she was quite proficient.

“Then that won’t work. The proprietress said she only serves employees, not customers,” Lin Qingyue said, a hint of schadenfreude in her expression.

Fine. Xu Luzhi pouted, glancing sideways at Lin Qingyue with a bit of grievance, “Sister, you’re bullying me.”

Giving her bad food to eat, and then mocking her for not playing an instrument! I shouldn’t be friends with my sister in the whole world!

Lin Qingyue tilted her head to look at her. “Huh? Didn’t you insist on trying my cooking yourself?”

A smile slowly spread across her face, carrying a hint of provocation, as if deliberately taking revenge. Xu Luzhi stared blankly at Lin Qingyue’s peach blossom eyes for a moment before realizing that she was getting back at her for the kiss earlier.

Xu Luzhi had kissed Lin Qingyue’s hand and then acted as if nothing had happened and ran off. So, Lin Qingyue was now returning the favor.

“Sister is so childish,” Xu Luzhi mumbled, “Quarreling with a child.” Every time, no matter what advantage she gains, Lin Qingyue has to get it back; she never lets me off easy. Bullying the younger one, aren’t you ashamed!

Lin Qingyue nodded her chin, unable to help but praise her, “The child is very smart.” She figured out my intention and even knows how to use reason to argue her case.

It’s a pity she is just this kind of person, completely unable to learn courtesy like Kong Rong giving away pears; she is very selfish.

Lin Qingyue’s peach blossom eyes were filled with smiles, like peach petals in March brewed into a pot of intoxicating wine.

She gently extended her index finger, tapping Xu Luzhi’s forehead lightly, and slowly pressed against it. The distance between the two suddenly closed slightly. Lin Qingyue’s beauty was infinitely magnified. Suddenly, she curved her lips into a smile, wild and unrestrained, slowly breathing out: “Yes, I am quarreling with you. So what?”

So what about it? Nothing much, except that Xu Luzhi’s heart rate suddenly sped up significantly, amplified tenfold in the silent room thump, thump, thump striking her breast with every beat. Xu Luzhi even began to suspect that her heart might smash through her chest and fly into Lin Qingyue’s hand to be toyed with at will.

“Sister…” The young girl’s expression crumbled, her defenses slowly broken down, utterly routed by the enemy’s successive invasions. She even wanted to sob. She gently tilted her face up, gazing at the woman before her like a puppy, hiccupping: “Then… you have to take responsibility.”

Xu Luzhi said it very softly and vaguely, not specifying what she needed responsibility for. The last few words were barely audible.

Lin Qingyue’s pupils widened, and she nodded gently and tenderly: “Good girl, what do you want to eat?”

The ambiguous atmosphere was instantly shattered. Xu Luzhi was instantly pulled back to square one, feeling so wronged she almost wanted to cry. Bad sister, relying on being likable, you can freely manipulate my happiness and sorrow, even making me wish I were dead.

The topic immediately returned to food. Whether Lin Qingyue was truly dense or pretending to be, the answer was obvious.

Xu Luzhi pouted and whispered, “I’m not hungry.”

“Should I order takeout for you?” Lin Qingyue asked, her voice soft. “What do you want to eat?”

Xu Luzhi shook her head, stubbornly saying, “Not hungry anymore.”

Lin Qingyue began looking through her phone on her own, searching for suitable takeout options.

Xu Luzhi simply gave up on herself, pulled the entire basin of fried rice towards her, and aggressively stuffed a large mouthful into her mouth. It tasted terribly bad. As she chewed bit by bit, the greasiness, excessive saltiness, and strange texture all her personal triggers made her instinctively want to vomit in the first second.

But miraculously, Xu Luzhi managed to swallow the entire mouthful of fried rice with difficulty, without choking or spitting it out. She repeated once more: “I’m not hungry.”

Then, spoon by spoon, she started shoveling the fried rice into her mouth out of spite, like a robot. The light shone on her, reflecting in her eyes, making it impossible to discern her expression, only seeing a faint redness at the corner of her eyes. Xu Luzhi ate with a blank face, holding back tears multiple times, forcing them down. Zhizhi, don’t cry. Zhizhi is the strongest and most rational. It’s just a rejection; there will be many more times in the future. It would be abnormal if I agreed to everything.

But why did her small heart feel a little painful? Why did Lin Qingyue, who was still smiling gently before her, suddenly seem so very, very far away? So far that she couldn’t reach her.

Xu Luzhi suddenly found the answer. The power of love might not have been enough to make her eat this terrible fried rice. But the sorrow that had spread to the bottom of her heart could.