I Wish To Never Leave Your Side - Chapter 5

Twenty-four-year-old Qiu Yan was at the market buying ingredients for her patron.

Although this arrangement wasn’t quite what she had imagined, Qiu Yan didn’t dare slack off, Mo Lishen seemed even more intimidating than she’d anticipated.

After haggling with the vendor, Qiu Yan handed over a crumpled hundred-yuan bill.

As the vendor counted out her change, two impeccably dressed young women walked past. Qiu Yan glanced at them, then calmly accepted her groceries and the returned coins.

By now, she no longer had the energy to feel sorrow or shame.

Returning home early, Qiu Yan began preparing the meal.

Worried that Mo Lishen might have dietary restrictions, she stuck to safe, conventional dishes. With a variety of options, she hoped at least one would suit Mo Lishen’s palate.

As she sliced a cucumber for her final dish, smashed cucumber salad, a pair of arms wrapped around her waist from behind.

Qiu Yan stiffened, startled, nearly dropping the knife. The familiar, rich scent of cold perfume enveloped her, Mo Lishen had arrived.

Mo Lishen held her from behind, resting her chin on Qiu Yan’s shoulder, her hands making no further movement.

It felt more like an embrace devoid of desire.

After a moment, Mo Lishen released her, turning Qiu Yan around to face her.

Qiu Yan looked up and finally couldn’t resist asking, “Is my cooking too loud? I never notice when you arrive.”

Mo Lishen chuckled softly, reaching up to trace the teardrop mole beneath Qiu Yan’s eye. “Perhaps.”

In truth, Mo Lishen moved silently, she could slip behind anyone unnoticed, ready to reveal the slender blade concealed in her ring. But that was a story for another time.

“There’s just one more dish to finish. You can wait in the living room, the kitchen’s full of oil smoke.” Whether it was the earlier embrace or something else, Qiu Yan found herself speaking more freely in Mo Lishen’s presence.

Mo Lishen nodded and left the kitchen.

Once the final dish was on the table, Qiu Yan stood dutifully beside Mo Lishen.

“Sit.”

Only then did Qiu Yan take her seat, silently praying that none of the dishes would cross any of Mo Lishen’s unspoken boundaries.

Mo Lishen eyed the spread but didn’t pick up her chopsticks.

Just as Qiu Yan grew puzzled, a pair of chopsticks was handed to her.

“Taste every dish,” Mo Lishen said evenly, her expression unreadable.

Qiu Yan paused, then understood, Mo Lishen was using her as a food taster.

Of course, it made sense.

She accepted the chopsticks and sampled each dish.

Only after watching her finish did Mo Lishen take a fresh pair of chopsticks, casually picking up a bite and eating it unhurriedly.

“Eat with me.”

Chopsticks in hand, Qiu Yan’s mind wandered, preoccupied with how to ensure Mo Lishen stayed the night.

Fortunately, Mo Lishen didn’t seem to notice her distraction, quietly eating her meal.

Qiu Yan was an excellent cook, Yuanyuan always devoured her food with puffed cheeks and exaggerated praise.

Mo Lishen tasted every dish as well, only setting down her chopsticks once her bowl of rice was empty. She dabbed her lips slowly with a napkin.

Had Qiu Yan known her better, she would have realized Mo Lishen had eaten nearly twice her usual portion.

“Thank you. It was delicious.” Mo Lishen’s gaze lingered on Qiu Yan, fixed on her teardrop mole.

Qiu Yan looked back at her and unexpectedly read a trace of sorrow in her eyes.

She nodded. “As long as you don’t mind.”

Qiu Yan placed the dishes and utensils into the dishwasher, washed her hands, and then sat down beside Mo Lishen on the sofa.

Mo Lishen was looking at documents on her tablet and paid no attention to Qiu Yan, who had sat too close.

Qiu Yan took a few silent deep breaths, mentally preparing herself, and reached out to hook her pinky finger around Mo Lishen’s.

Mo Lishen looked up, puzzled, as Qiu Yan gently placed her hand on her own thigh, her head bowed low, the other hand clenched tightly into a fist at her side.

Mo Lishen set the tablet aside and used one hand to lift Qiu Yan’s chin, forcing her to look up.

Qiu Yan’s face flushed a deep red, like peach blossoms bathed in rain, tempting to be plucked.

Mo Lishen withdrew her hand from Qiu Yan’s thigh and placed it on her waist, pulling her close so that Qiu Yan leaned against her. She tilted her head to inhale the girl’s fragrance.

After just that one gesture, Mo Lishen picked up the tablet again and resumed reading the documents.

Qiu Yan looked up at the woman’s beautiful profile, then lowered her head again and asked anxiously, “Why won’t you take me?”

Hearing this, Mo Lishen turned to look at her, raised her hand, and gently tucked the stray strands of hair behind the girl’s ear before stroking the teardrop mole at the corner of her eye.

Before she could say anything, a tear fell onto the back of Mo Lishen’s hand.

Qiu Yan immediately turned her head and wiped away the tears haphazardly, repeatedly apologizing, “I’m sorry.”

Mo Lishen pinched her cheek, forcing her to face her.

Qiu Yan, overwhelmed with shame, couldn’t bring herself to meet Mo Lishen’s gaze.

Mo Lishen, of course, understood what the person before her wanted. Her thin lips parted slightly. “How much money do you want?”

Over the years, countless women had exerted themselves in her bed, all for this very reason.

But it didn’t matter, she was willing to pay, and they were willing to sell their bodies.

It was just a transaction, nothing to make a fuss about.

Qiu Yan, disregarding her pride, swallowed hard. “Three hundred thousand.”

She had added an extra hundred thousand, just in case Yuanyuan’s surgery wasn’t successful, at least she would have some money to fall back on.

Mo Lishen gently wiped away the tear stains at the corner of Qiu Yan’s eyes with her thumb, then covered Qiu Yan’s hand with her slightly cool palm, softly stroking it. “Don’t worry, Bai Hua will bring the money tomorrow.”

Qiu Yan hadn’t expected this reaction from Mo Lishen. She stared at her in stunned silence.

Mo Lishen’s gaze was clearly icy, yet even this feigned tenderness was something no one had ever offered her before.

Mo Lishen pulled Qiu Yan into her embrace, closed her eyes, and breathed in her scent.

“Where do you work?” Mo Lishen asked, gently nuzzling Qiu Yan’s ear with her forehead.

Qiu Yan told her truthfully.

“I’ll pick you up tomorrow evening,” Mo Lishen said, opening her eyes and stroking Qiu Yan’s teardrop mole once more.

Qiu Yan noticed that she seemed to really like her teardrop mole.

That night, Mo Lishen did not stay over, but Qiu Yan couldn’t sleep.

The next morning, as Qiu Yan was reheating the leftovers from the previous night, there was a knock at the door.

This time, the door didn’t open from the outside as it usually did, instead, it remained closed until Qiu Yan went to answer it.

It was indeed Bai Hua.

“Miss Qiu,” Bai Hua nodded.

“Please, come in,” Qiu Yan replied with a polite, faint smile.

“No need. I’m just here to deliver something. I’ll be leaving right away.” Bai Hua took a card from her bag and handed it to Qiu Yan.

“There’s five hundred thousand in this card. The password is the same as last time.”

“Five hundred thousand?” Qiu Yan thought she had misheard. She distinctly remembered telling Mo Lishen it was three hundred thousand last night.

“There’s no mistake, Miss Qiu. I’m following President Mo’s instructions,” Bai Hua said, closing her briefcase. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave now.”

After Bai Hua left, Qiu Yan stood frozen in place, staring at the bank card in her hand, her heart filled with indescribable emotions.

Soon, Qiu Yan snapped out of her daze, quickly put on her clothes, and rushed to the hospital.

The surgery fees were finally covered, and the weight in Qiu Yan’s heart felt half lifted. The hospital had scheduled the surgery for next Saturday. For now, Yuanyuan’s only task was to eat well and stay relaxed.

At noon, Qiu Yan took Yuanyuan out for hot pot, ordering a mild broth.

It had been a long time since Yuanyuan had hot pot, and she was overjoyed. When she smiled, her two little canine teeth showed, making her look utterly adorable.

Qiu Yan sat beside her, cooking the meat for Yuanyuan, blowing on it to cool it down, then placing it on a spoon and feeding it to her.

Since Yuanyuan’s mouth was small, she couldn’t finish some of the meatballs in one bite. She’d take a half-bite, and the juices would spill everywhere. Qiu Yan laughed as she wiped Yuanyuan’s mouth with a tissue.

After swallowing her food, Yuanyuan sneakily glanced around before leaning in to whisper to Qiu Yan, “Sister, you look so pretty today.”

Though young, Yuanyuan had a sweet way with words.

Qiu Yan couldn’t help but laugh. “Sister looks the same every day. Why do you say I look pretty today?”

Yuanyuan, acting like a little adult, placed two fingers on her chin as if deep in thought. “It’s different.” she said, while giving Qiu Yan a deliberate once-over.

Qiu Yan gently poked Yuanyuan’s cheek. “Are you only saying that because I brought you to eat hot pot today?”

Yuanyuan widened her eyes seriously, correcting her with a stern expression. “Don’t say that. Yuanyuan isn’t a materialistic child.”

Hearing this, the smile on Qiu Yan’s face froze.

Of course, Yuanyuan wasn’t materialistic, but she was. She was materialistic enough to become someone’s mistress, even to offer herself willingly.

Noticing the change in Qiu Yan’s mood, Yuanyuan quickly stood up and hugged her neck. “What I meant was, you’ve been smiling a lot today. Yuanyuan loves seeing you smile. You look beautiful when you smile.”

A smile returned to Qiu Yan’s face as she settled Yuanyuan back into her chair. “It’s because Yuanyuan will soon be able to come home and stay with me. That makes me very happy.”

Yuanyuan immediately broke into a radiant smile. “Yuanyuan is very happy too.”

After the meal, or more accurately, after Yuanyuan finished eating, Qiu Yan had been so busy taking care of Yuanyuan that she barely ate anything herself.

Qiu Yan brought Yuanyuan back to the hospital, reminding her to listen to Aunt Liu and eat well.

After leaving the hospital, Qiu Yan headed to the film set.

The production was nearly wrapped up, and Qiu Yan could hardly get any screen time anymore. But since she had given Mo Lishen this address, the night before, she thought she might as well spend a few hours helping out with odd jobs.

At five in the afternoon, Qiu Yan received a message from Bai Hua.

[Come outside and walk 200 meters east to the convenience store.]

Qiu Yan did as instructed, but she didn’t recognize Mo Lishen’s car. When she reached the convenience store, she began looking around.

“Miss Qiu,” Bai Hua called out, standing beside a car and waving to her.

Qiu Yan approached the black business vehicle, instinctively trying to peer inside through the window. Her heart was as tense as the first time she met Mo Lishen, yet beneath the nervousness, there seemed to be a faint trace of quiet anticipation.

Bai Hua opened the car door for Qiu Yan, and indeed, Mo Lishen was sitting in the back, holding documents in hand.

Seeing Qiu Yan arrive, Mo Lishen looked toward her, a smile gradually spreading across her face.

Qiu Yan got into the car and stole a glance at Mo Lishen.

Mo Lishen wore light makeup today, looking exceptionally beautiful.