Online Love, Based on the Real Object - Chapter 12

Chu Yunjing placed her laptop on the armrest of the sofa, unconsciously softening the sound of her keystrokes.

The living room was unlit, with the curtains drawn tightly, creating a dimness perfect for sleep.

After finishing another email, she turned her head to look at the one resting on her lap.

Qi Ning was sleeping on her side, and from Chu Yunjing’s angle, only her profile was visible. The contours of her face were striking, a well-defined jawline and long, curled lashes.

In sleep, she looked utterly harmless, her docile appearance a stark contrast to her usual mischievous and teasing self.

Chu Yunjing found herself staring at Qi Ning’s sleeping face, lost in thought, until she snapped out of it. She reached for the throw blanket draped over the single-seater sofa and gently covered Qi Ning with it.

Her hand lingered for a moment, brushing through the sand gold strands of hair before she returned to her work.

Though Chu Yunjing often acted exasperated with Qi Ning on the surface, the depth of her affection was something they both understood implicitly. She would never forget who had stood by her side, offering encouragement during the most grueling and near-breaking point of her entrepreneurial journey.

It had been Qi Ning only her.

Qi Ning trusted Chu Yunjing the most, and the feeling was entirely mutual.

Words were unnecessary; everything was felt in the heart.

When Qi Ning woke from her nap, she didn’t feel the slightest chill. As she sat up, the throw blanket slid off her body.

Still groggy from sleep, she hugged the blanket to her chest and turned to look at Chu Yunjing. The other woman had long since finished her work and was now resting her head against the sofa, eyes closed in a light doze.

Glancing down, Qi Ning noticed a faint red mark on the thigh that had served as her pillow. It must have gone numb after being pressed on for so long. A pang of guilt struck her.

Carefully, she unfolded the blanket printed with little yellow ducks. As it fluttered open, the faint scent of lavender laundry detergent wafted through the air.

She draped it over Chu Yunjing, who stirred the moment the fabric touched her, her eyes fluttering open.

“Did I wake you?” Qi Ning asked. “You should go sleep in your room.”

Chu Yunjing checked the time, and as she lifted her wrist, Qi Ning caught sight of her watch. The leather strap, worn from years of use, had begun to fray slightly, revealing a patch of the original tan beneath the black surface.

The flaw was subtle, but Qi Ning’s sharp eyes caught it. She chuckled. “You’ve been wearing this watch for years. Aren’t you going to replace it?”

“You’re a CEO now. Isn’t it a bit embarrassing to still wear a watch that only cost a few hundred bucks?”

Qi Ning teased her, but there was a reason behind her words she had been the one to gift the watch. Back then, Qi Ning had just graduated and couldn’t afford anything extravagant. Buying this watch had pinched her wallet for a long time. By today’s standards, it was cheap, outdated, and frankly, tacky.

At least, for someone of Chu Yunjing’s status.

Through her work, Qi Ning had met plenty of executives not just CEOs, but even department managers who wore watches priced in the five-figure range. To the average person, a watch might just be a tool to tell time, but among these “elites,” it was a different story. Watches and cars were symbols of status.

A watch worth a few hundred yuan was indeed a bit shabby for Chu Yunjing. A single handshake would instantly reveal the disparity to discerning eyes.

Chu Yunjing simply turned her wrist, glanced at the watch strap, and said nonchalantly, “Just change the strap then.”

Qi Ning wore a completely baffled expression: “…” So what were you being so stubborn about??

“I’m going to bed,” Chu Yunjing said as she lifted the air-conditioning blanket and got up from the sofa, heading toward the bedroom.

Qi Ning noticed her walking posture was slightly off, it seemed her arm really had been pinned for too long. A tiny bit more guilt crept into Qi Ning’s heart.

With Chu Yunjing gone, Qi Ning was left alone in the living room. After sitting on the sofa for a moment, she decided to make Chu Yunjing a summer dessert soup as a small token of appreciation.

The dessert didn’t require complicated steps. There were still some macaroni and mung beans left in the cabinet. Qi Ning washed them, poured them into the rice cooker with an appropriate amount of water, and turned it on. That was all it took.

After finishing, Qi Ning sat back on the sofa and pulled out her phone, intending to continue reading her novel.

But her mind wandered. After a few pages, she exited the app and instead opened a shopping platform, typing “watches” into the search bar.

There were countless brands, styles and most strikingly vastly different price ranges.

The well-known watch brands were usually exorbitantly expensive. Qi Ning casually added a few options to her list, only for the displayed prices to nearly suffocate her.

Now she finally understood the saying, “The poor play with cars; the rich play with watches.”

Biting her nails, Qi Ning browsed the watches with intense focus. After much deliberation, she settled on a mid-to-high-range model. The price made her heart clench and her flesh ache, just as it had five years ago.

The combined value of everything she owned including her phone couldn’t match the price of a single watch!

She wasn’t sure how it would look on the wrist, though. She decided to visit a physical store before making a final decision.

When Chu Yunjing emerged from her nap, Qi Ning was still on the sofa, staring at her phone with the same eerie smile she’d glimpsed the night before in her half-asleep state.

“What are you looking at?” Chu Yunjing couldn’t contain her curiosity. She’d never seen Qi Ning so absorbed in her phone, grinning like that and it didn’t seem like she was watching videos either.

Qi Ning coughed awkwardly, quickly closed the novel, straightened up, and deflected, “Uh, I made mung bean soup. Want some?”

After cooking the dessert, Qi Ning had cooled it in cold water. She’d set a bowl in the freezer earlier, and now it was perfectly chilled not frozen solid, but cool and refreshing with every spoonful, ideal for beating the summer heat.

“You could’ve at least served me a bowl too.”

Sitting across from each other at the dining table, Chu Yunjing eyed Qi Ning’s bowl of icy mung bean soup and then her own lukewarm one, craving the chilled version even more.

Qi Ning grinned mischievously and scooped up a spoonful, holding it out to her. “Here, have a taste.”

“Give me that bowl instead.” After one bite, Chu Yunjing wanted more and pushed her luck.

“No!” Qi Ning immediately hugged the bowl protectively, as if afraid Chu Yunjing might actually snatch it away.

In response, Chu Yunjing rolled her eyes, picked up her own room-temperature bowl, walked to the fridge, and placed it in the freezer compartment.

Seeing her settle back on the sofa, Qi Ning asked, “You’re not eating anymore?”

“I’ll have it later.” Chu Yunjing picked up a book from the coffee table and began flipping through it. When it came to sweet desserts like this, she only enjoyed them chilled. She’d rather wait than compromise her taste buds.

“Hey.” Qi Ning got up with her bowl of sweet soup, eating as she walked, then sat down next to her on the sofa. “Why are you so picky?”

She knew this person definitely wouldn’t want to eat it at room temperature, so she’d scooped quite a lot into this bowl more than she could finish alone.

Chu Yunjing raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

Qi Ning gulped down a few mouthfuls before handing her the rest. “Here, you can have it.”

“Why do you always make me eat your leftovers?” Chu Yunjing complained verbally, but her hands were honest as she took the bowl.

Waking up from a nap had indeed left her a bit thirsty.

Qi Ning laughed heartily, leaning her body sideways to rest her head against Chu Yunjing’s shoulder. She looked up at her with bright, smiling eyes that held a hint of mischief.

“It’s not like I haven’t eaten your leftovers plenty of times either.”

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