Fell In Love With My Older Sister’s Friend - Chapter 88

Xu Luzhi snorted, a little sourly, and carried the big orange cat out, handing it to Lin Qingyue.

Lin Qingyue curiously stroked the soft little creature in her arms. In just a few days, it looked completely different from when it was a stray, almost unrecognizable.

Its long fur had been washed clean and blown fluffy and soft, making it feel like a ball of orange-yellow cloud in her arms. It had also gained weight, its belly round and plump, and its little paws were washed, leaving it fragrant and soft all over.

Lin Qingyue buried her face in its back and couldn’t help but take a deep sniff. The big orange cat purred happily to welcome her, showing no fear of people at all.

The person and the cat looked extremely affectionate. Lin Qingyue fed the big orange cat some dried fish, and the cat slyly rested its paws on Lin Qingyue’s thigh, looking completely innocent. Its whiskers kept brushing against her dress, and it crunched away on the dried fish without any hesitation.

Xu Luzhi, with a cold face, picked up the big orange cat, abruptly interrupting the harmonious and warm scene. The big orange cat turned its head in dissatisfaction and hissed at her, but a stern glance from Xu Luzhi made it obediently shut up.

However, it kept looking toward Lin Qingyue, its eyes full of longing and reluctance to part.

What a manipulative, “green tea” cat! I brought you home to be an assistant, not to replace the owner!

Xu Luzhi expressionlessly tossed the big orange cat back into the cat tree. Lin Qingyue asked her, confused, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, it was just brought back, it can’t eat too much,” Xu Luzhi smiled softly, telling a white lie. “It’s sleepy now too, let it rest for a while.”

“Okay.” Lin Qingyue understood, half-crouching down, and waved at the big orange cat on the cat tree. The cat eagerly scratched at the glass, wanting to come out, but Xu Luzhi swiftly pulled the curtain in front of the cat tree closed.

The big orange cat, plunged into darkness and unable to see Lin Qingyue: Listen to me say thank you.

Facing Lin Qingyue, Xu Luzhi completely changed her demeanor and began to sweetly beg, “Sister, praise me!”

“Praise you for what?” Lin Qingyue chuckled lightly, comparing the clingy girl before her with the big orange cat just now, noting a surprising similarity in their expressions.

As expected of a cat mimicking its owner.

Xu Luzhi didn’t answer, but instead led Lin Qingyue to tour the neatly stored cat food, bowls, litter box, and the countless cat toys.

It was clearly meticulously arranged, showing preparation for long-term care.

Lin Qingyue nodded and praised, “Very thoughtful.”

Xu Luzhi’s expression became a little proud, and she smiled reservedly, “I brought the big orange cat home.”

“So… Sister, I will be responsible for it.”

As she said this, Xu Luzhi solemnly placed her hand over her heart, her round eyes filled with devotion.

Her serious look didn’t seem like she was just talking about raising a cat.

Lin Qingyue felt a slight panic, her eyes darted away, but they happened to meet Xu Luzhi’s clear, transparent eyes, pure and clean, filled only with her own reflection, leaving no room for anything else.

Meeting Xu Luzhi’s calm gaze, Lin Qingyue’s body softened. She suddenly realized that she had nowhere left to escape.

The delicate-minded girl had waited for this day for far too long, and suppressed herself for far too long.

She could vaguely see the spark in the other girl’s eyes, just waiting for a slight touch to erupt into a raging fire, consuming her beneath it.

Seeing Lin Qingyue’s evasiveness, Xu Luzhi smiled faintly, not rushing, but walking to the other side and beckoning Lin Qingyue over.

Lin Qingyue looked up. The other side was an entire wall of bookshelves, completely filled with various honors Xu Luzhi had received from childhood to the present. Each item represented an excellent resume, and this was only her achievement up to the age of eighteen.

Xu Luzhi looked at her and softly called out, “Sister.”

Today was her eighteenth birthday. The young girl, in a flowing dress, was radiant and bright. Her elegance was tinged with a hint of assertiveness. Though she was like a noble goddess, she adopted a posture of looking up from a subordinate position.

“Lin Qingyue, I am an adult now.” Xu Luzhi spoke word by word, her sweet and pleasant voice falling on Lin Qingyue’s ears and heart, causing the roots of her ears to involuntarily turn red.

As if caught by the eyes, Lin Qingyue instinctively wanted to step back, but in the end, she just let out a low laugh, “Mmm, happy birthday.”

Xu Luzhi took a step closer, emphasizing again, “I’m not a child anymore.”

The sweet scent on her person rushed over faster, and Lin Qingyue felt a bit overwhelmed by the warmth. She took half a step back, closed her peach blossom eyes, and resignedly waited to hear what came next.

How could she not be willing to sink into it, yet she was afraid of sinking?

“Sister, what do you mean by that?” Xu Luzhi found it somewhat amusing. The clarity in her eyes reflected Lin Qingyue’s slightly pained expression, which only sparked a bit of playfulness in her; she wanted to tease her “Sister” properly.

She had endured for too long.

It must have been really hard; did Lin Qingyue know?

Lin Qingyue felt a warmth wash over her eyes. Xu Luzhi was already right in front of her, looking up at her quietly, her breathing even, her breath caressing her cheek, so close as to be unavoidable.

“Xu Luzhi!” Lin Qingyue called out softly, feeling inexplicably annoyed at her presumption and rudeness.

“Is Sister that scared?” Xu Luzhi asked curiously, pressing forward until she cornered Lin Qingyue against the wall, trapping her in her embrace, before finally licking her lips with satisfaction.

“Sister, do you find it annoying if I confess my feelings?” The girl’s voice was light and soft, sounding pitiful, but her face was full of smiles, like a predator facing a prey about to be caught, wanting to torment it to death before taking the bite.

Lin Qingyue closed her eyes, her long lashes brushing gently against her eyelids. Her heart softened instantly, and she murmured, “Not annoying.”

How could she dislike Xu Luzhi? She was just afraid to get close, afraid she wasn’t worthy of such fervor.

“Then Sister is scared?” Xu Luzhi asked with interest, her fingertips gently caressing Lin Qingyue’s cheek, feeling the skin she had coveted for so long, soft and smooth, which made her heart flutter.

Lin Qingyue said nothing, nor did she pull away, seemingly tacitly admitting it.

After a while, she finally spoke in a low voice, “It must cost a lot of money to raise a cat like this, right?”

The topic was abrupt, her expression casual, as if she genuinely just wanted to change the awkward preceding topic.

Xu Luzhi gave her no opportunity to escape, admitting generously, “Yes, it cost quite a bit.”

Lin Qingyue’s peach-blossom eyes curved slightly, and she smiled faintly, “I can’t afford to support one.”

“So Sister was worried about that.” Xu Luzhi couldn’t help but lower her head and laugh. After a long moment, she commanded Lin Qingyue, “Open your eyes.”

Lin Qingyue obediently opened her eyes, facing the girl’s clear gaze, persistent and pure, reminding her of the plum blossom she had seen in the snow that day.

Unforgettably stunning.

“Sister, I think you have a bit of a misunderstanding about yourself,” Xu Luzhi said, suppressing a smile, with a newfound air of composure.

She stood on her toes, gently patted Lin Qingyue’s head, and smiled, “Silly Lin Qingyue, it’s not you who raises me; it’s me who will raise you.”

“I’ve grown up, and I will use all my strength to give you the best.” As the words fell, Lin Qingyue realized that Xu Luzhi had unconsciously grown taller again, only slightly shorter than her, an almost negligible difference.

If she wasn’t wearing heels, strictly speaking, Xu Luzhi was actually a little taller than her.

The girl who still had a touch of childishness last year had now blossomed into a graceful young woman this year, capable in various competitions, with a bright future, even covering her cat-raising expenses with scholarships.

Lin Qingyue was slightly lost in thought. She had always known Xu Luzhi was working hard, but without realizing it, Xu Luzhi had achieved much more than she imagined.

Such a good, excellent Xu Luzhi, who had genuinely liked her for so long.

From every angle, the girl had successfully proven herself worthy and capable of starting a relationship, a very serious one at that.

“Sister,” Xu Luzhi sounded slightly displeased by Lin Qingyue’s distraction, calling her with a bright smile, “Do you believe me or not?”

Lin Qingyue’s gaze was drawn to the girl’s slightly raised chest. She flinched in expression and hastily replied, “Of course, I believe you.”

No one would doubt Xu Luzhi; just one look was enough to see how dazzling and bright she was.

Xu Luzhi smiled contentedly, like a big cat’s pre-feast ritual. She leaned in further, bending down to press against Lin Qingyue’s neck.

She had been craving Lin Qingyue’s snow white neck for a long time; it was slender and straight, like jade bamboo, and she really wanted to leave a mark on it.

Lin Qingyue, instead, relaxed. The thing she had been worrying about had finally happened, and the result was far less terrifying than she had imagined. She crossed her arms composedly, resting her long legs casually, and gave a lazy smile: “Why are you getting so close?”

The woman’s peach blossom eyes lifted, and her enchanting look instantly mesmerized Xu Luzhi. She swallowed hard and obediently took a tiny step back just a tiny bit the result being that the two of them still appeared pressed tightly together.

Unable to create distance, Lin Qingyue simply studied the girl before her, calmly waiting for her next words.

Xu Luzhi always managed to surprise her, perhaps she should be a little braver too.

Trying something she had never considered might not be a loss.

“Doing nothing,” Xu Luzhi suddenly went down on one knee, showing no concern for dirtying her dress.

She looked up at Lin Qingyue, smiling, and extended her hand. At this close distance, the tip of her nose was almost touching Lin Qingyue’s leg: “Sister, I don’t think I can get up.”

“Will you give me a hand, okay?”

“However, I think I was about to confess my feelings just now, so if you pull me up, you have to agree to be my girlfriend.” Xu Luzhi finished in one breath, staring at Lin Qingyue with a brilliantly bright smile, staying completely still, like a knight waiting for a princess’s decree.

Well, I’ve laid out the terms, I’m definitely not tricking Sister into falling for it, right?

Lin Qingyue’s hand instinctively reached out, but paused halfway as she realized what was happening, stuck in a dilemma unable to move forward or back.

The girl’s sharp little chin was fair and tender. She took hold of it, playing with the soft flesh on her chin, looking at Xu Luzhi’s slightly parted cherry red lips, which were impossibly beautiful.

At this moment, Xu Luzhi had shown the greatest sincerity she could muster, simply to clearly say “I like you.”

Lin Qingyue suddenly pouted, showing a hint of coquetry: “Why should I agree to be your girlfriend?”

She murmured low, “You haven’t even said you like me.”

Xu Luzhi looked startled, realizing what she had missed. She puffed out her cheeks and said earnestly, “I like you, Lin Qingyue.”

“The first time I saw you, I liked you. For the entire year after that, I have liked you continuously.” As Xu Luzhi spoke, she realized she was crying.

She was not one to cry easily. The few times she had shed tears were all in front of Lin Qingyue. It was embarrassing, but she couldn’t stop it.

It had been too long, the pressure had coiled the spring so tightly that it was about to snap, resulting in a choked voice as soon as she opened her mouth, unable to speak clearly.

She was still kneeling on one knee, one hand outstretched to Lin Qingyue, the other hanging by her side, watching helplessly as tears rolled down, reached her lips, and then dampened the hand of Lin Qingyue, who was holding her chin.

Wetting the black nail polish on Sister’s fingers.

“I like you so much, Lin Qingyue, I really, really like you so much.” The emotion seemed to have broken free from a floodgate; it couldn’t be hidden no matter what. The usually logical Xu Luzhi completely broke down, confessing incoherently, yet feeling it was too improper, trying to hold back the tears, but there were only more.

She had made this decision when she was only seventeen, burying a seed deep in her heart, persisting for so long, until it grew into a towering tree.

She was really amazing, wasn’t she?

Even if Lin Qingyue didn’t accept her confession, it didn’t matter anymore. Xu Luzhi felt completely fulfilled. In the long and grand secret crush of her youth, she had justified herself.

“So, Sister, could you perhaps like me too?” Xu Luzhi looked up, her vision blurred by tears, blinking hard, trying to make the woman in her eyes clearer.

A year had passed, and Lin Qingyue was still as beautiful and moving, enough to captivate anyone at a glance, beautiful in every aspect that she loved.

As long as Lin Qingyue liked her a little, she would be satisfied just a little was enough.

Lin Qingyue quietly watched the helpless girl before her, and a sudden, indescribable pain bloomed in her heart.

The Xu Luzhi she knew had always been calm and self-possessed, intelligent and well-behaved, only crying occasionally in front of her.

But she was, after all, just a child who had recently grown up, already shouldering so much responsibility.

While her peers were still playing around on college campuses, she was already planning her coming out, busy in the lab every day, while still making time to spend with her.

What right did she, Lin Qingyue, have to accept such a serious and ardent love?

She had been struggling, hesitating, contemplating whether to accept this affection, but completely forgetting that Xu Luzhi’s psychological pressure was infinitely greater than hers.

This led to her being unable to control her tears in such a confession scene.

Lin Qingyue’s heart felt as if it had been viciously scratched by a cat’s paw, a searing, heartbreaking pain that made her immediately lean down without hesitation and kiss Xu Luzhi’s lips.

Xu Luzhi froze there. The force of Lin Qingyue lunging forward was too strong, and she instinctively wrapped her arms tightly around Lin Qingyue’s waist, holding her close in her embrace, as her lips met Lin Qingyue’s soft ones sweet as pomegranate, soft as clouds.

One taste felt like gently licking the moon.

This intoxicating flavor, Xu Luzhi would never forget it in her lifetime.

The kiss ended abruptly. Before Xu Luzhi could even fully regain her senses, Lin Qingyue had already sharply pulled her lips away, being extremely stingy by only allowing her to hold on.

In the woman’s misty peach-blossom eyes, clear affection was overflowing, a love that could no longer be restrained.

Xu Luzhi’s gaze darkened. She raised her hand and fiercely wiped away her tears, lifting Lin Qingyue up while still holding her.

Downstairs, the birthday banquet was bustling with toasts, but the birthday girl was nowhere to be seen. Upstairs, in the large room, filled with the cries of the cat, the girl pressed the woman down, unable to hold back, and they kissed frantically until the world spun.