Online Love, Based on the Real Object - Chapter 63

Qi Ning never expected Chu Yunjing to ask such a question so suddenly. With a look of shock, she exclaimed, “How should I know? I have never kissed anyone before!”

She spoke with righteous indignation, but immediately after the words left her mouth, she remembered being kissed in the small cubicle earlier. Her face turned crimson instantly, and her confident expression lost all its momentum. Her gaze unconsciously drifted to the other woman’s lips.

They were a soft pink. Even though the previous kiss had been as brief as a dragonfly skimming the water, she could still remember the soft, warm sensation, which was entirely different from anything she had felt before.

“Practice leads to true knowledge.” Chu Yunjing noticed Qi Ning staring at her lips and allowed a faint smile to play at the corners of her mouth. “Do you want to try?”

Qi Ning froze. Her first instinct was not to refuse, but to ask, “Are you serious?”

Chu Yunjing did not answer. Bracing herself on the bedding, she gradually leaned her face closer. Her movements were slow, providing Qi Ning with more than enough time to back away. As they drew closer, Qi Ning met her eyes. Seeing the smile reflected in Chu Yunjing’s gaze, Qi Ning felt as though she were under a spell. She remained motionless, unable to move or offer a rejection. She could only feel the other woman’s face getting closer and closer until she could feel the warmth of her breath against her skin. Qi Ning’s heart hammered against her ribs.

She opened her mouth, intending to say something to change the subject, but she found herself at a loss for words and ultimately remained silent. It seemed there was no retreat now.

Chu Yunjing observed the conflicted look in the other woman’s eyes, which was identical to the one she had seen before. This time, however, she saw no desire to refuse. She paused for a moment and finally pressed a fleeting kiss against the corner of Qi Ning’s mouth before pulling back. She watched her quietly and asked with a smile, “Is it soft?”

Qi Ning blinked. Because the kiss had only landed on the corner of her mouth, she felt a sudden, inexplicable sense of disappointment. Realizing she was thinking such a thing gave her a fright. It was a startling realization.

“It is quite soft,” she whispered after a long silence.

Seeing Chu Yunjing retreat into the covers to go back to sleep, Qi Ning quickly regained her senses. “Wait! You still have not told me!”

“Told you what?” Chu Yunjing played dumb.

“Your first kiss!”

“Oh, that.” Chu Yunjing stared up at the mosquito net. “What do you want to ask?”

“Who did you give it to?”

“Does that question really matter?”

The counter-question left Qi Ning dazed. Did it matter? In the past, she would have asked out of gossip, and if the other person refused to answer, she would not have pried. But now, she felt a desperate need to know, even if she had to get to the bottom of it.

“It matters.”

“Hmm.” Chu Yunjing appeared to be thinking. After a long while, she finally spoke. “I gave it to the person I liked.”

Qi Ning was speechless. She had no idea Chu Yunjing liked anyone. Was it really that person she had met through online dating before?

Qi Ning fell silent, but Chu Yunjing seemed to have opened up. She took the initiative to speak more about her first kiss. “It was a night with many stars. We were having dinner together, and then she took the initiative to kiss me.”

Chu Yunjing was about to continue, but Qi Ning turned over to face away from her, burying her head in the blankets as if she did not want to hear another word. “I see. Let us go to sleep,” Qi Ning said coldly.

“You do not want to hear the rest?” the person behind her asked.

“I do not. Shut up,” she replied.

Chu Yunjing pressed her lips together to hide a smile and lay back down. She moved closer and wrapped her arms around Qi Ning’s waist from behind, burying her face in the crook of her neck. The movement was identical to how they used to huddle together on a single bed during the winter when they were students.

“It is so cold,” Chu Yunjing topped.

“I hope you freeze to death,” Qi Ning retorted, yet she made no move to push her away. They slept through the night in that embrace.

They were woken the next morning by the sound of a rooster crowing. Qi Ning had slept quite well, and when she opened her eyes, she found herself nestled in Chu Yunjing’s arms. Chu Yunjing was still asleep, her long eyelashes casting faint shadows on her eyelids. Footsteps sounded outside the door, followed by another crow. When Chu Yunjing’s eyelashes fluttered, Qi Ning instinctively closed her eyes to pretend she was still asleep.

“Xiao Chu, Xiao Qi, are you awake?” Grandma Yu’s voice called out from the doorway.

“We are up,” Chu Yunjing replied immediately as she opened her eyes.

On the table sat a pot of white porridge, a plate of scrambled eggs, some pickled vegetables, and several large white steamed buns. This was breakfast at Grandma Yu’s house. Usually, Grandma Yu would simply make two buns for her grandson and settle for a bowl of porridge herself. Because guests were visiting, she had specifically fried eggs and vegetables. Fearing they might not like the food, she had even bought a bag of pickles from a neighbor.

At home, Qi Ning did not care for white porridge because she found it tasteless. Now, as she sat at the table, she saw that Grandma Yu had already served two bowls. Not wanting to offend the elderly woman’s kindness, she braced herself and took a sip of the porridge accompanied by the pickles.

Chu Yunjing picked up a steamed bun, tore off a piece, and popped it into her mouth. It tasted exactly as she remembered. She turned to see Qi Ning struggling with the pickles. “These pickles are so salty,” Qi Ning whispered with a frown.

“They go well with the porridge,” Chu Yunjing said. She tore off another piece of the bun and held it to Qi Ning’s lips. “It is also good with the bun. Try some.”

Qi Ning ate the piece of bun and chewed thoughtfully. “Oh! This is actually quite delicious. It tastes like the buns sold by the people on bicycles outside the school gates in the past.”

“These are traditional sourdough buns. It is rare to find them outside anymore.”

Qi Ning looked at the half-bowl of porridge remaining and then at Grandma Yu, who was watering vegetables in the yard. “I will eat the bun. You can have this porridge,” she whispered. After all, it would be wrong to waste food.

The two exchanged their breakfasts, and Grandma Yu walked inside after finishing her chores. “I am so sorry that I do not have much to entertain you with. Please do not take offense.”

“Not at all!” Qi Ning said, her mouth still full of bun. “Grandma, the buns you made are delicious!” Paired with the fried eggs, they were truly savory.

“Is that so?” Grandma Yu smiled happily. “Then on the day you leave, I will make more for you to take on your journey.”

While Qi Ning continued to chat with the elderly woman, Chu Yunjing finished a bowl and a half of porridge. She wiped her mouth and, noticing a crumb on Qi Ning’s lip, reached out to brush it away. The conversation came to an abrupt halt. Qi Ning glanced at her companion and then continued talking.

After breakfast, Chu Yunjing brought the items she had carried over the previous night to the table. She explained what each item was to Grandma Yu and gave her instructions on how to use them. She seemed to remember something as she looked at the old jacket Grandma Yu was wearing. “Grandma, did you not receive the clothes I sent someone to bring you recently?”

“I did. The clothes are wonderful. Thank you.”

“Then why are you not wearing them? Those clothes are fleece-lined and very warm.”

“Yes, the fabric is very good and thick.” Grandma Yu’s face took on a look of embarrassment. “They must have cost a lot of money.”

The elderly woman was accustomed to being frugal. As long as a piece of clothing was not completely unwearable, she would continue to wear it. Even if a garment was truly finished, she would cut the fabric to make something else. She would not waste a single scrap.

After much persuasion, Grandma Yu finally agreed to wear the new clothes. The thick jacket fit her perfectly and made her look more energetic. Grandma Yu touched the cuffs of the sleeves, her eyes welling with tears. Ever since her daughter-in-law passed away, no one had bought clothes for her.

The grandmother sighed. “My old bones will be in the ground in a few years. There is no need for me to wear such nice things.”

“Please do not say that!” Qi Ning said, feeling a pang of sadness. She had heard her own grandmother say similar things. “Xiao Bao is still so young. He has not even grown up or gotten married yet. You still have a long way to go!”

When they left Grandma Yu’s house, Qi Ning’s eyes were red. She had been holding back her emotions, but now that they were outside, she could no longer contain them. Chu Yunjing knew she was thinking of her own grandmother, who had passed away two years ago.

She pulled Qi Ning into her arms, stroking her hair. “Go ahead and cry if you need to. Do not hold it in,” she said softly.

Qi Ning did not actually cry. She simply buried her head in Chu Yunjing’s embrace for a long time. Eventually, she sniffed and the redness in her eyes began to fade. “Let us go find the others. It is time to set off, and we should not keep them waiting,” she said in a muffled voice.

Chu Yunjing gave a soft affirmation and took her hand to lead the way. Qi Ning allowed herself to be led, watching the back of Chu Yunjing’s head. Though she was being led passively at first, her fingers instinctively curled to interlace with the other woman’s. Sensing this, Chu Yunjing turned her head and offered a gentle smile. Qi Ning quickly looked down and said nothing, following her toward the village chief’s house.

The weather was quite nice today with the sun coming out, though the temperature did not rise. As the two walked forward, their long shadows stretched out on the ground, connected in the middle.

When they were changing earlier, Chu Yunjing had refused to let Qi Ning wear her fashionable but poorly insulated clothes. She had practically forced her into a thick down jacket, the windproof trousers she had previously despised, and the gray scarf she had called ugly. Qi Ning had wanted to refuse, but she gave up after her protests proved ineffective. Now, she had to admit it was quite warm.

By the time they reached the village chief’s house, the group had mostly gathered. Today, they were going to visit the only primary school in the mountains. The children from the nearby villages all attended school there. The mountain villages were scattered, and some children even came from other mountain peaks.

The primary school was not close to where the convoy was currently stationed. They had to cross a mountain. The shortest walking route took an hour, while the fastest driving route involved a detour that also took an hour.

An hour and a half later, the cars arrived near the school. From a distance, they could see the rusted gates with the words Lianshan Primary School written on them. Classes were in session when the convoy arrived. Fortunately, there was no welcoming ceremony involving the children like there had been last year.

The principal and the volunteer teachers came out to greet them. The group got out of the cars and exchanged warm greetings. A new group of volunteer teachers had arrived, with only one remaining from the previous year.

Most people who manage to leave the mountains never return, yet the children in the mountains still need an education. This is why the state initiated the volunteer teaching program. Volunteers not only have to endure the harsh conditions of the mountains, but the pay is also very low, amounting to only a few thousand yuan a year. Many volunteers end up spending their own money to support themselves. Chu Yunjing greatly admired these volunteer teachers.

They unloaded the supplies from the cars. The volunteer teacher’s eyes grew moist with emotion at the sight of these familiar faces. “Thank you for coming to see these children every year.”

This volunteer was very young. She had come to teach immediately after graduating from university and was now in her third year. Her skin had been weathered by the cold, yet she remained passionate about her work.

After a brief greeting, the principal led them on a tour. The classrooms were already equipped with the desks they had donated previously. There were over a hundred children in the school. Even the shortest commute took thirty minutes on foot. In harsh weather, being outside was very dangerous.

Consequently, they had donated a batch of bunk beds so the children could stay at the school. However, because the space was small, the number of beds was limited.

“The beds you donated previously have been set up, but we do not have enough space for many of them,” the principal said with a sigh. “The number of children needing to attend school has increased, and our school will soon be unable to accommodate them all.”

“You should build another floor. That would allow you to take in many more students,” Wang suggested. “Surely you can apply for a subsidy for that?”

“We have been applying constantly, but there has never been any news,” the principal replied.

Building another floor required a significant amount of money. Most of the people in this group were ordinary office workers. While buying supplies was within their means, donating a building was beyond their financial capability. The principal did not dwell on the subject and moved on to other matters.

It was nearly time for lunch, and the group began to find tasks to do. Most of them headed toward the kitchen. Qi Ning also chose to help in the kitchen. She could help wash vegetables or serve food. Chu Yunjing was standing at the kitchen door talking to He Hao. After a while, she walked in alone to find Qi Ning.

“We are going to talk to the principal about some matters. Do you want to come along?”

“What would I do there?” Qi Ning thought they were likely going to discuss the donation, and she would have nothing to contribute. She waved her hand. “You go ahead. I will stay here and help.”

Chu Yunjing said nothing more and left. With several people helping, the vegetables were washed very quickly. Qingqing washed a cucumber, broke it in half, and handed one piece to Qi Ning. “Do you want some?”

Qi Ning took it and thanked her. Since they would not be the ones doing the actual cooking, the two of them sat on small stools and munched on the cucumber.

“Is this your first time in the mountains?” Qingqing asked.

“It is my first time,” Qi Ning replied.

“What made you want to come?”

“Oh, I came to accompany Yunjing.”

“So you two knew each other before this?”

“Yes, we did.”

Qingqing smiled. “I thought you had only recently met. You two have such a good relationship.”

“Friends come and go, but best friends are forever,” Qi Ning said with pride.

“I was quite struck when I first met Yunjing. I thought she seemed so cold and distant. I wondered if she could adapt to life here,” Qingqing said. “I was surprised by how well she adapted. She is actually quite easygoing and especially gentle with the children.”

“She is very gentle with adults as well,” Qi Ning corrected her.

“Haha, that is probably just with you,” Qingqing said.

Qi Ning smiled and said nothing. Of course, she was gentle with her. Her Yunjing was very good to her.

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