Living with My Aloof Ex-Wife After the Apocalypse - Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Should I Help Her Wipe It?

Fan Hua took the lead to set the first challenge.

“Xia and I have known each other for five years.”

Fan Hua was only 23, while Chen Xia was 27. One was an elite graduate of the National Police Academy, and the other a top student from the Communication University of China. How did two people who seemed to have nothing in common meet over five years ago? That was a question for the “behind-the-scenes fan,” Ms. Chen Xia.

Xing He didn’t care how they met; she only knew that this little brat choosing this topic was playing right into her hands.

“Qing Meng and I have known each other for over ten years.”

Though she tried to sound nonchalant, the slight rise in her pitch betrayed her delight. “I assume having more years counts as a win, right? We just happen to have met two years before you did. Sorry about that.”

Fan Hua: “…”

The smugness on Xing He’s face was unmistakable. If it were anyone else, Fan Hua would have described her as “a villain achieving success.” But ever since she discovered that while Xing He looked like a reliable older sister, she was actually a blank slate in romance, Fan Hua felt a protective, almost maternal instinct toward her. She couldn’t bring herself to use such a harsh description.

After all, knowing someone for over ten years was impressive, and Xing He’s joy was clearly genuine. Fan Hua could only concede defeat while internally wishing they’d “break the bed” soon.

In this round, Xing He and Qing Meng won.

Throughout the game, Qing Meng remained quiet. Only when Xing He spoke did she take the opportunity to openly watch her profile under the guise of the game. As the night grew darker, a hazy filter fell over everything, but Xing He’s smile remained bright.

Even though her mood had been low, Qing Meng found herself smiling along, caught up in the atmosphere. She wanted to share in Xing He’s happiness and was willing to endure the bitter sweetness of unrequited love.

Xing He, enjoying the skewers, accidentally got some chili powder on the corner of her mouth.

Should I help her wipe it?

Action preceded thought. By the time Qing Meng realized what she was doing, she had already reached out.

Her left hand lifted Xing He’s chin, and her right hand used a tissue to gently wipe away the red powder. Her fingers inevitably brushed against those tempting lips.

So soft.

This wasn’t their first contact; not long ago, those same soft lips had pressed against Qing Meng’s forehead. Like a forbidden switch being flipped, Qing Meng’s heart began to hammer like thunder, making her feel dizzy.

At this near-zero distance, she could smell the scent of Xing He’s body wash and see every micro-expression on her face. Xing He looked surprised for a moment, but she didn’t seem to find the proximity ambiguous; she simply stared blankly at Qing Meng.

It was just like their years of marriage. Xing He did everything a partner should do, yet she had never touched or kissed her like this. Compared to a “real partner” who sleeps in one’s arms and satisfies physical desires, Xing He felt more like a friend who refused to ever cross the line.

The romantic tension vanished instantly, replaced by bitterness. Qing Meng’s hand faltered, and she sat back with restraint.

Xing He had never been this close to Qing Meng before. She had seen her slender neck, the partially open V-neck shirt, and the collarbones slightly protruding beneath the fair skin. It was an aura unique to Qing Meng: sexy yet self-possessed.

Before she could recover, Qing Meng had pulled away. Meeting Xing He’s dazed gaze, Qing Meng’s voice was as flat as a glass of water.

“There was something on your face. I wiped it off.”

The woman sat back upright, primly and meticulously wiping her own hands as if someone else entirely had just made that boundary-crossing move.

Fan Hua and Chen Xia each drank a cup. The turn came back to Xing He. She suddenly remembered the meal Qing Meng had cooked for her it wasn’t incredibly delicious, but it had a mystical sense of “home.”

“I have eaten a meal cooked by Qing Meng.”

Fan Hua immediately countered: “I eat meals cooked by Chen Xia every single day.”

Xing He saw the look of disdain in Fan Hua’s eyes, which clearly read: Pa-the-tic.

True, they lived together; eating together every day was normal. But in the past, Qing Meng didn’t know how to cook. No matter how hungry she was, she would only order takeout. Worried about her nutrition, Xing He had even hired a housekeeper to cook for her. She had never eaten Qing Meng’s cooking back then, so she naturally viewed it as something precious.

“Please drink, sisters,” Fan Hua laughed happily, handing them the cups.

Qing Meng took the cup first, her movements possessing their usual grace. She tilted her head back slightly, and the liquid flowed down. Xing He didn’t hesitate either, draining her cup in one go.

In the third round, the initiative returned to Fan Hua. This time, it was Chen Xia’s turn to pose a challenge. After thinking for a moment, she offered a simple yet profound one.

“From March 16th of last year until today, we have seen each other every single day.”

Only Fan Hua and Chen Xia knew that was the day they started living together.

“That’s right, every single day,” Fan Hua smiled sweetly, patting Chen Xia’s head like she was comforting a puppy.

Qing Meng finally realized something was “off” about the atmosphere between the two. They weren’t just friends or even best friends—they were lovers. Normally, she wouldn’t be surprised by a stranger’s relationship status, but Fan Hua’s matchmaking and Chen Xia’s earlier answers had led her down a completely wrong path.

Now that she thought about it, the signs were everywhere. They weren’t trying to hide it; those “ambiguous” punishments were just them messing around. But because Qing Meng’s eyes were only on Xing He, she had missed the obvious.

In her life, Qing Meng had only experienced twice where she had lost before the opponent even made a move. The first was her divorce from Xing He. The second was thinking Chen Xia liked Xing He.

Qing Meng hated losing control, which was why she calculated every move. Xing He was her only exception. But knowing no one was going to steal Xing He away… that was enough.

Xing He didn’t notice the person beside her relaxing. She was currently frowning. The first time she’d seen Qing Meng in six months was just a few days ago. Chen Xia looked so honest, but she turned out to be the one who knew exactly how to twist the knife in one’s heart.

Since Xing He and Qing Meng were silent, Fan Hua knew they were out of moves and handed them two more cups of wine. After draining the cup, Xing He felt a bit defiant. There were plenty of things she and Qing Meng had that Fan Hua and Chen Xia didn’t.

Most of them just weren’t fit to be said out loud. Like… having been on the same household register, or having a divorce certificate.

In the fourth round, the initiative was Xing He’s. She passed the turn to Qing Meng. Xing He waited expectantly, curious to know what Qing Meng considered a precious thing only they shared.

“Xing He and I have raised a cat.”

Xing He kept a straight face but was inwardly confused. During their years under the same roof, they had never had a cat. Was Qing Meng the type to lie to win a game?

Glancing at Qing Meng, she saw a peaceful expression, serious eyes, and even a hint of nostalgia. In that instant, Xing He knew Qing Meng wasn’t lying. They had raised a cat.

Xing He searched her memory frantically. Cat… cat… cat…

The stray!

That was back when Qing Meng was in university. Xing He had gone to visit her mentor’s house and, since she had to pass the school, she waited at the gates to take Qing Meng home. It was raining that day. Qing Meng didn’t come out for a long time, so Xing He went in to find her.

She found Qing Meng crouching by the road with her umbrella. Underneath the umbrella was a tiny, crying kitten. Xing He had found a box and taken the kitten and Qing Meng to a pet shop to buy food, a bottle, and a bed. Because they were so late, they both got a scolding from Qing Meng’s father.

Xing He went back to her unit the next morning. When she saw Qing Meng again, the kitten was gone. She assumed Qing Meng had given it away and eventually forgot about it.

Qing Meng actually remembered…

They say the three essentials for a lesbian couple are: living together, raising a cat, and seeing the sea. As a veteran “shipper,” Fan Hua looked disappointed that she lost on the cat point. She and Chen Xia indeed hadn’t done it because Chen Xia was allergic to cat hair.

Accepting the loss, they both drank a cup.

Fan Hua’s turn again. She thought for a moment and came up with a brilliant idea.

“Xia and I both have girlfriends.”

Seeing the glint in Fan Hua’s eyes, Xing He struggled to maintain a smile while gritting her teeth. “Oh, then we lose.”

Another cup of wine each.

The initiative returned to them. Xing He hadn’t thought of a topic yet and turned to Qing Meng for help. Qing Meng’s face was a bit flushed—perhaps from the alcohol. Without much thought, the topic slipped out:

“Xing He has whistled at me.”

Fan Hua: “…So tacky.” Chen Xia: “…Like a street thug.” Xing He: “…Huh?”

That was even further back. A young, ignorant Xing He had learned how to whistle using a leaf from the old soldiers in her unit. Thinking Qing Meng had never seen it, she picked up a leaf by the road to show off.

She hadn’t expected Qing Meng to bring that up. The “elderly” Xing He was embarrassed, her ears turning red. Noticing the strange looks from Fan Hua and Chen Xia, she tried to act calm.

“What? Can none of you whistle?”

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