Fell In Love With My Older Sister’s Friend - Chapter 48

“Oh?” Lin Qingyue glanced at Xu Luzhi, her tone dangerous, “How did I bully you?”

“J-just bullied me,” Xu Luzhi replied with a blush, her voice so soft it was almost unrecognizable. Unable to voice her true feelings, she skirted around the issue. “Sister’s cooking was too awful, that’s bullying me!”

Lin Qingyue hummed a laugh. “If it’s that bad, why did you keep eating it?”

Her slender fingers picked up a grape and popped it into her mouth, her red lips moving slightly as she said casually, “Oh dear, I don’t know which little kid it was just now, eating up a whole basin of fried rice, couldn’t be stopped.”

“I was just…” Xu Luzhi almost blurted out that she was being stubborn/sulking, quickly clamping her hand over her mouth and swallowing the words back down.

“Doing what?” Lin Qingyue’s gaze was sharp, immediately spotting her slip-up.

“Nothing,” Xu Luzhi played dead stubbornly. She couldn’t admit she was sulking, or she’d seem so childish!

Seeing that Lin Qingyue had finished the grape in her mouth, Xu Luzhi quickly grabbed another one from the basin and stuffed it into Lin Qingyue’s mouth, stating decisively, “Anyway, Sister is bullying me!”

“Fine then,” Lin Qingyue tilted her head, feigning innocence. “If you say I’m bullying you, then I guess I am?” She smiled nonchalantly, “Since that’s the case, does that mean I can legitimately bully you now, little kid?”

Xu Luzhi: “!” She realized she had walked right into a trap again.

Darn it, Sister has improved, knowing to go along with what I say just to turn the tables on me!

“That won’t do,” Xu Luzhi firmly shook her head.

“But you said I’m bullying you. If I don’t bully you a little, won’t I have an undeserved reputation?” Lin Qingyue rested her chin on her hand, asking with feigned confusion.

Xu Luzhi was instantly choked for words. The unrestrained and vibrant Lin Qingyue before her was a bit too much; with a little gentle guidance, she could easily lose her bearings. Even knowing it was a trap, she was willing to jump in.

“Then…” Xu Luzhi licked her lips and tentatively asked, “Can you go easy on me, Sister?”

The young girl closed her palm and waved it repeatedly towards Lin Qingyue, like a waving Maneki-neko (lucky cat), looking incredibly cute.

“That depends on my mood,” Lin Qingyue’s mood instantly brightened. She got up, walked to the refrigerator, and placed a box of yogurt on the table.

“Still hungry?”

Xu Luzhi stared at the yogurt it was the white peach flavor they had shared last time, her favorite brand. She nodded, unconsciously swallowing a gulp. The fried rice was truly awful; even though she ate it, it felt like she hadn’t eaten at all. She really was hungry.

“Drink it,” Lin Qingyue opened the lid for her and handed her a spoon. She then looked at the white residue stuck on the yogurt lid and couldn’t resist sticking out her tongue to lick it clean. The lid instantly became spotless.

Xu Luzhi couldn’t help but applaud, “Sister is so amazing!”

Lin Qingyue waved her hand modestly, “It’s nothing, just talk.”

Xu Luzhi obediently nodded, but her mind started to wander. Being licked so skillfully by such a tongue must feel very pleasant. She smacked her lips, forcing herself to stop thinking about such things, and began drinking the yogurt.

However, Xu Luzhi intentionally wanted to put on a show for Lin Qingyue. After taking two spoonfuls, she couldn’t help but exclaim, “Sister, watch me!”

“What is it?” Lin Qingyue looked down. The girl sitting obediently at the table waved her spoon excitedly and shyly, as if something important was about to happen.

Xu Luzhi winked mysteriously, “I learned it too!”

“Learned what?” Lin Qingyue asked, intrigued, a guess already forming in her mind.

“Look, Sister, watch closely!” Xu Luzhi looked up and smiled at her, her eyes curving into a crescent, looking exceptionally cute. Then, she scooped a spoonful of yogurt, brought her lips close, and with a quick flick of her tongue, she sucked and licked.

In an instant, the entire spoonful of yogurt was swept into her mouth, leaving the spoon completely clean, not a trace remaining.

Xu Luzhi triumphantly held up the spoon and cheered as if she had won a competition, “Yay!” Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Lin Qingyue, “Sister, am I amazing?”

Lin Qingyue was momentarily stunned, feeling a mix of amusement and helplessness. But the girl’s sparkling eyes, full of eagerness for praise and compliments, meant she could only praise her.

“Yes, very amazing,” Lin Qingyue nodded her chin. “Did you practice specifically for this?”

It was just a casual question, but Xu Luzhi nodded vigorously, showing off, “I practiced for a long time!” As if unable to suppress her feelings any longer, she started rambling: “My sister said I’d never learn, but I tried so many, many times, and even researched some physics concepts, and finally, I mastered it!”

Under the light, the girl’s eyes were bright, her tone serious and excited, as if she hadn’t just learned a new way to eat yogurt, but had achieved something truly great.

Her voice suddenly softened, a murmuring laugh escaping, her words filled with obsession: “Sister… Zhi Zhi is trying hard to get closer to you.”

Even with such a trivial thing, she couldn’t help but want to be like Lin Qingyue. Closer, and then even closer. One day, she wanted to truly press against Lin Qingyue, intimately and without distance.

After speaking, Xu Luzhi’s lips parted slightly, a hint of milky white residue lingering at the corner of her mouth. Her long eyelashes fluttered as she looked at Lin Qingyue with an expression of yearning. It was as if she was waiting for a bestowal.

Meeting her gaze, Lin Qingyue’s heart fluttered, and acting on a whim, she reached out and gently stroked the top of her head, letting her hand linger for a moment.

Xu Luzhi happily nestled into Lin Qingyue’s palm, overjoyed like a little puppy being petted. Leaning against Lin Qingyue’s palm, close to her arm, she softly called out, “Sister…”

“Mm,” Lin Qingyue responded softly.

Xu Luzhi wasn’t satisfied and whined softly, “Praise me, Sister~”

“Zhi Zhi is very capable,” Lin Qingyue said sincerely, feeling a warmth in her heart she hadn’t known before. It was like honey melted by the sun sweet and warm, almost sickeningly so. Even knowing that this small gesture didn’t carry much weight, someone was willing to practice and ponder over it again and again, just to be a little closer to you. Such earnestness and frankness, without any scheming, was like the fresh, bold, and open fragrance of a gardenia. Even without a response, she would keep moving forward with a smile, step by step.

Lin Qingyue couldn’t help but lean down and hug Xu Luzhi, resting her chin lightly on the top of her hair. Her breath softly brushed against her ear, but the words that came to her lips were silent ones: “Then hurry up and grow up, Xu Zhizhi.” If only you were already grown up. I wouldn’t have to endure this so painfully.

Xu Luzhi and Lin Qingyue finished sharing the yogurt. After lingering a little longer, Xu Luzhi reluctantly stood up at the door. She looked back, her figure tall and slender, “Sister, can I come visit you again?”

Lin Qingyue slowly put on her shoes. “As long as you pay.”

“Ah?”

“Our boss is very stingy,” Lin Qingyue smiled slowly. “If you want to come listen to me play the guzheng, you’ll need a ticket.”

“Then can’t I just wait for you to get off work here?” Xu Luzhi asked with innocent naivete.

“And will I have hot food waiting for me when I get home?” Lin Qingyue countered.

Xu Luzhi: “…Seems not.”

Lin Qingyue curved her lips, “Then that settles it.”

Xu Luzhi pouted, starting to get annoyed with herself for never doing any chores and not even knowing how to cook. Then, she suddenly thought of something and boldly invited, “Then, Sister, do you want to come to my house for dinner?”

“We have lots of food at my place, too much to eat every day,” Xu Luzhi blinked, pleading earnestly. “And my parents are on a business trip recently, so it’s just my sister and me.”

Lin Qingyue showed a flicker of interest and asked, “Is Weiwei cooking?”

“Of course not,” Xu Luzhi couldn’t stand hearing Lin Qingyue use an intimate term of address for others, even her own older sister. “It’s Aunt Lin.”

“Oh” Lin Qingyue dragged out the sound, realizing it must be a nanny or housekeeper. She smiled, Right, looking at that grand villa and courtyard, and the setup at the birthday party, the kid clearly lives a life of luxury, she just hasn’t realized it herself.

“Then I can’t,” Lin Qingyue said.

“Why not?” Xu Luzhi hurriedly added, “Aunt Lin’s cooking is delicious! Really, better than a master chef!” She hugged Lin Qingyue’s arm and pouted sweetly, “And the house is too big, it’s too cold and deserted with just two people. Sister, please help me eat some so it’s not wasted!”

Lin Qingyue tapped her nose, finding it slightly amusing. The little girl was now concerned about wasting food how could she truly understand the meaning of waste?

“Okay,” Lin Qingyue replied casually, taking Xu Luzhi’s hand. “It’s getting late, I’ll walk you home.”

“Yay!” Xu Luzhi was overwhelmed with joy, letting her hand be held, a small flower blooming in her heart. “Then Sister has agreed to my invitation?”

Lin Qingyue shook her head, noncommittal. “Coming to your house for dinner is okay, but only if little Zhi Zhi cooks for me.” She tilted her head back, her long hair flying, a smile full of meaning, “I’m very picky, I don’t eat food cooked by others.”

Xu Luzhi was captivated by her gaze and nodded vaguely. It took her a moment to process the words: “But… but I don’t know how to cook yet.” Although she had a fleeting thought about learning to cook before, she ended up giving up after a few days. The most successful dish she made was scrambled eggs with tomato, and she was only responsible for the last two stirs. Xu Luzhi suspected that if she cooked, it would be ten times worse than Lin Qingyue’s fried rice. She couldn’t help but shiver and said earnestly, “Sister, please don’t make your stomach suffer, really.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Lin Qingyue smiled carelessly, her voice captivating, “As long as it’s made by little Zhi Zhi, no matter how bad it tastes, it’s fine.”

Looking at the woman’s bewitching smile, Xu Luzhi’s mind went blank, and she vaguely agreed. She couldn’t say no; faced with such trust from Sister, she could jump into a sea of knives and flames with a smile, let alone cook.

Xu Luzhi’s heart felt sweet, as if she had heard some grand vow. She softly hooked her finger around Lin Qingyue’s pinky, “Then, Sister, I will work hard to learn!” No matter what, she couldn’t let Sister eat bad food; she had to work hard to learn how to cook!

Xu Luzhi counted on her fingers she had to maintain her hair, study, go for that chest development, and now she had to learn to cook! Chasing a Sister turned into becoming an all around talent it was too much effort! But, it wasn’t tiring at all. One smile from Sister would completely enchant her!