Hedgehog's Belly - Chapter 55

Chapter 55

The summer nights in Lingyang were fervent, and the sea breeze was quite pleasant.

“Yan Yu, it’s burnt, it’s burnt!” Ye Nanqiao held up a skewer, staring anxiously at the chicken wings on the grill. The young lady, who had never stepped foot in a kitchen, stared at the blackened skin with a very conflicted expression.

“Nanqiao-jie, the charcoal fire hasn’t even fully started yet.” Yan Yu hurriedly moved the raw skewers aside and used fire tongs to separate the red-hot charcoal.

Luo Daier was skewering meat, her gaze calmly observing every move of these two fools. Two children who had been extremely pampered all their lives—she wondered if they could even distinguish between raw and cooked.

“There are many mosquitoes here; I brought some ointment.” Yan Qingzhu skillfully took a tube of ointment from her bag, squeezed a small amount onto her fingertip, leaned down slightly, and applied it to the red, swollen spots on Luo Mu’s calves.

Luo Mu lowered her head, gazing at her familiar movements, and then asked: “Do you specifically carry ointment with you all the time?”

“Not all the time, at least not before.” After confirming the ointment was applied everywhere, Yan Qingzhu took out mosquito repellent from her bag and sprayed it.

Luo Mu was confused: “What do you mean?”

Before… when was “before”?

Yan Qingzhu pursed her lips and knelt on one knee in front of Luo Mu, placing her hand on her own knee, the corners of her mouth turning up inadvertently: “Why do you think Song Chenxi wanted you to go to the Koi Pond back then?”

“The Koi Pond?” Luo Mu was stunned. It took her several minutes to remember that her first meeting with Yan Qingzhu was at the Koi Pond, not far from the temple. It was precisely because of the insects that she and Yan Qingzhu had that awkward beginning.

“So, you also knew there were many mosquitoes there, right?” Finally learning the truth behind that farce, Luo Mu gave Yan Qingzhu’s shoulder a playful, half-joking shove.

Yan Qingzhu gazed at her with a calm, faint smile, then shook her head: “I didn’t know. It was only when Xiao Song specifically mentioned it to me that I realized.”

“Whose idea was it for Song Chenxi to have me stay there?” Luo Mu’s gaze gradually became sharp, her pupils reflecting Yan Qingzhu’s face. The other’s eyes were clear and gentle.

“Qingzhu, this wasn’t a coincidence, was it?” Luo Mu raised her eyebrows slightly, every word filled with a sense of probing.

Back then, Song Chenxi had indeed explicitly told Luo Mu to meet her friend, but to this day, Luo Mu didn’t feel it was an accident. Why would someone introduce their friend to a person they weren’t well-acquainted with for no apparent reason?

Luo Mu couldn’t tell if, from beginning to end, she had fallen into a game designed by someone else—even if no one was hurt in this drama.

“Luo Mu.” Yan Qingzhu’s voice was soft and slow, instantly pulling Luo Mu back to reality. Yan Qingzhu saw it; this hedgehog-like girl in front of her was destined to find it difficult to let go of this self-tormenting way of calculating every step.

“Things aren’t that bad.”

Yan Qingzhu pressed Luo Mu’s hand against her own face and closed her eyes. She felt the warmth of her lover’s palm, a tenderness that felt as if nothing else in the world could compare. At this moment, Yan Qingzhu let down all her defenses before her.

Yan Qingzhu’s face moved slowly, her lips touching Luo Mu’s palm. Feeling extremely comfortable, she dropped a kiss there.

“At least, it let me meet you.”

Yan Qingzhu’s deep voice was like clear drops of water dripping from the eaves in midsummer, falling onto Luo Mu’s heart word by word, like a dream.

She spoke very seriously.

And the other listened very seriously.

Luo Mu remained silent for a while, then pulled Yan Qingzhu into her arms. The sea breeze blew the stray hairs on her forehead as she calmly felt their mutual heartbeats.

Perhaps, even if she was inside a “game,” Luo Mu was willing to indulge in the gentle world of the person before her. At least she could feel the taste of being favored. It was love that allowed her deathly thoughts and paranoia to be put on hold.

Perhaps, it was a good thing.

“Eh? We agreed to come play together, so why are we the only ones seriously grilling skewers?” Three pairs of eyes stared directly at the two of them. Ye Nanqiao spoke with a thoughtful sigh.

“When we go into the sea later, let’s just throw those two in.” Luo Daier arranged the skewered meat neatly, her expression serious, which made Ye Nanqiao burst out laughing.

Yan Yu raised her hand, using her other hand to support her elbow: “This subject concurs!”

The barbecue campsite on the coast was dazzling with colorful lights. Strings of lights were pulled along the edges of the sunshade tents, emitting a warm yellow glow. Looking into the distance, people were dancing around a bonfire, temporarily casting aside the trivia of life amidst the noise and alcohol. The night was deep, and those under the lights hoped the flame would never be extinguished.

“Ahhh, it’s burnt again!” Ye Nanqiao couldn’t master the heat; she moved the skewers away, shouting every now and then.

“How many points would a Food Science major lose in a final exam for burning ingredients?” Yan Qingzhu teased while eating watermelon.

“I don’t have to test on this for my finals!” Ye Nanqiao puffed out her cheeks. Under Yan Yu’s guidance, things improved, and she then muttered: “Besides, I’m doing very well in my professional courses!”

“A-Qing.”

Yan Qingzhu was about to make a few more quips when Luo Daier bumped her arm, signaling her not to bring up the matter again. Yan Qingzhu instantly understood her meaning, laughed naturally, and took a few sips of the wine in her glass.

“What’s wrong?” Seeing this, Luo Mu leaned close to Yan Qingzhu and asked in a low voice.

Yan Qingzhu tilted her head toward her ear and replied softly: “Ye Nanqiao’s major went against her family’s choice. She spent a lot of time and energy back then to resolve that matter.”

“Later on, she actually didn’t want too many people to know she had chosen Food Science.”

Luo Mu frowned in confusion and asked back: “But isn’t this her preferred choice?”

If it was her preferred choice, why couldn’t she openly show her passion for it?

“Some people don’t make choices just for themselves.” Yan Qingzhu refilled Luo Mu’s glass with juice and handed it to her. Luo Mu didn’t see Yan Qingzhu’s quiet anxiety. Yan Qingzhu just smiled slowly, her voice carrying a hint of helplessness: “Some things can only be felt as painful by those inside the situation.”

“Not everyone can make a choice with a clear conscience.”

Luo Mu’s brain felt a bit muddled; she didn’t quite understand the underlying meaning of Yan Qingzhu’s roundabout way of speaking.

Seeing that she was in the dark, Luo Daier placed a plate of grilled meat in front of them and explained: “Behind her is the support of powerful capital. What she has to do is nothing more than become a pawn on the chessboard of that capital.”

“And when the manipulator realizes the pawn in their hand has deviated from the intended path on the board, they will certainly use more decisive means to put it back on track.”

Luo Daier remained calm and serious in her choice of words. In a moment when the light flickered, Luo Mu noticed her pupils frozen with a look of unbearable pain—it must have been a sorrow like a knife twisting in her heart.

Luo Daier didn’t stay between the two of them for long; instead, she kept her eyes on Ye Nanqiao and Yan Yu’s laughing and playing, and then helped those two fools clean up the aftermath.

Luo Mu was lost in thought, her gaze fixed on the three people by the grill for a long moment.

So, not everyone could choose to be themselves.

“What are you thinking about?” Yan Qingzhu reminded her softly, holding up a wine bottle in front of Luo Mu. Luo Mu picked up her juice glass, and there was a crisp clinking sound.

Luo Mu gazed at the warm yellow light and shadows on the campsite tent and smiled faintly: “I thought that as long as I worked hard, I could live the life I wanted.”

The cruel part of fairy tales is that they strip away real life to present an illusion of beautiful longing. Compared to life, fairy tales are far too naive.

“Some planted foreshadowing acts upon the future. It’s just that at that time, one was too boastful and unwilling to admit it.” Yan Qingzhu peeled a grilled shrimp from the tray and handed it to Luo Mu.

“After all, if the idea that ‘hard work leads to success’ can actually happen, it’s already considered very lucky.”

Luo Mu didn’t want to bring up this heavy topic again. Her gaze fell on the wine bottles on the table, and she teased: “If you get dizzy from drinking later, I won’t dare take you to the seaside.”

“The alcohol content is very low, and I haven’t drunk much.”

Yan Qingzhu leaned her head on Luo Mu’s shoulder, making Luo Mu momentarily mistake the sea breeze for carrying a fresh orange fragrance. The warm light shone against the deep night. Luo Mu twined Yan Qingzhu’s hair around her fingertips, her heartbeat crackling like the charcoal in the grill.

“When we go to the seaside later, hold my hand. I’ll be very good; I won’t act crazy while drunk,” Yan Qingzhu murmured softly, her expression appearing a bit dazed. Her fingers intertwined with Luo Mu’s, the warmth of their palms spreading. The heat and noise of the summer sea breeze was nothing more than this.

Luo Mu lowered her head and placed a kiss on Yan Qingzhu’s forehead: “It better be.”

The waves surged and rolled toward the shore, the splashing spray wetting white skirts. The summer night was no longer quiet, mixed with the laughter of children; the brilliant lights gradually took on a unique meaning in this space.

Luo Mu closed her eyes and felt the wind occasionally slip through the gap in their palms, carrying a slight scent of the sea. In the distance, lighted fishing boats drifted and bobbed, calm and solemn.

“Muzi-jie,” Yan Qingzhu walked slowly along the beach with her, leaving layers of footprints. Her gaze, rendered by the moonlight and the lights of the fishing boats, appeared hazy and infatuated. “I always feel that I am very happy right now.”

Friends never left, and her lover walked side by side with her—even the moonlight made this love visible. At this moment, Yan Qingzhu only wanted to hold her in her arms, unwilling to turn her gaze elsewhere, wanting to spend eight hundred lifetimes just like this.

It was very happy; the moonlight shone, and the tides roared. Even when they grew old, it would be very happy.

Luo Mu looked up at her. At this time, the arrogance had faded from Yan Qingzhu’s pupils; she was no longer aggressive, as clean as a fresh spring.

“I know,” Luo Mu smiled faintly and nodded with relief.

“A-Qing, save me!”

“Yan Yu, you’re still spraying me!” Ye Nanqiao shouted, then aimed her water gun at Yan Yu, her face full of indignation: “Don’t run, I want to return the favor!”

Yan Yu looked back and said: “Only a fool wouldn’t run!”

Those two still had the temperament of children. Luo Daier, on the other hand, was like an old mother—disdainful in speech but holding clean towels in her hands, afraid they would catch a cold from the wind.

It wasn’t until near midnight that the crowd gradually thinned and the nearby lights slowly went out. Yan Qingzhu stared at Yan Yu, who had changed clothes, and couldn’t help but frown: “I didn’t expect you to play with water until you were soaked to the bone.”

“I’m not an adult yet, why don’t you talk about Nanqiao-jie?” Yan Yu pouted, drying her damp hair with a towel, then whispered: “Don’t tell Mother.”

Yan Qingzhu didn’t bother with her, but she did nod. Luo Mu leaned close to Yan Qingzhu and carefully tugged at her collar.

“Hmm?” Yan Qingzhu looked down at her.

Luo Mu slowly stood on tiptoe and whispered into Yan Qingzhu’s ear: “Nanqiao and Daier came all the way from Huahai to Lingyang; are they staying in a hotel tonight?”

Rushing from the north straight to Lingyang was a long journey. If they didn’t have a place to rest, she feared it would be a breach of hospitality.

“Ye Nanqiao is originally from Lingyang,” Yan Qingzhu explained, taking a thin jacket from her bag and draping it over Luo Mu. “Besides, President Ye will certainly have someone looking after her, don’t worry.”

Luo Mu looked at those two again. They had been by Yan Qingzhu’s side since high school, noisy and bickering for several years. A beautiful curve appeared at the corner of her mouth; entering the chapter of their twenties together from their teenage years was truly lucky.

Luo Mu asked again: “Then what about Daier?”

“Not a couple, yet more than a couple.” Yan Qingzhu didn’t say it clearly, but Luo Mu understood instantly.

They were together.

In a daze, Luo Mu burst out laughing. The summer wind inadvertently revealed secret loves, while the muddled fools wrapped in that love remained slow to realize it.

Walking out of the coastal area, several tall, sturdy men wearing sunglasses and black suits bowed to Ye Nanqiao. Ye Nanqiao dropped her silly act, waved her hand expressionlessly, her gaze cold and sharp. This couldn’t help but shock Luo Mu. Looking around at the others, they didn’t have much of a reaction, as if they were used to it.

“Daier-jie, let’s go back.” Ye Nanqiao showed a brilliant smile again, pulling on Luo Daier’s arm, her voice gentle. She didn’t forget to look back and wave goodbye to Yan Qingzhu and the others: “Let’s get together again later; I was very happy today!”

Luo Mu saw a hint of something in her pupils.

Perhaps things would never be as simple as they appeared on the surface.

Perhaps everything seen now was just an illusion she wanted them to see.

Ye Nanqiao hugged Luo Daier all the way, making exaggerated gestures to tell Luo Daier how she fought Yan Yu with the water gun and how she finally made Yan Yu surrender. Until the butler who usually served her called out from behind: “Miss Ye.”

The air instantly froze, turning all emotions to a freezing point.

Ye Nanqiao sighed and chose silence. When the group reached the car, Ye Nanqiao smiled playfully: “Daier-jie, you get in the car first. I have something to say to Uncle Zhang.”

Luo Daier didn’t speak, her eyes full of worry.

Ye Nanqiao comforted her: “It’s fine.”

The temperature in Lingyang had dropped significantly in the early morning; the sea breeze felt cold against damp clothes. Ye Nanqiao was cold, her gaze like that of a negotiator facing an enemy, harboring endless sharpness.

Ye Nanqiao held out a hand in front of the butler and asked dismissively: “Where are my cigarettes?”

The butler bowed slightly and said seriously: “Miss Ye, Miss Luo is still in the car. If she asks, I’m afraid it will be hard to explain.”

“Does she believe me or you? Give them here.” Ye Nanqiao instantly pulled a pack of cigarettes from the butler’s suit pocket, lit one quickly, and then exhaled a puff of white smoke.

Ye Nanqiao looked up at the deep night; there weren’t many stars tonight. She just didn’t know why a wave of emptiness suddenly surged in her heart.

“Miss, what the Young Master promised you has been done. As for Miss…” The butler didn’t forget to remind her of an important matter, afraid she might forget.

Ye Nanqiao flicked the ash with her index finger, glanced at the butler, and replied disdainfully: “Uncle Zhang, I will keep the promise I made to my brother. However…”