Pats Little Shrike's Tail - Chapter 128

Chapter 128

When Shen Qingyi arrived at the subway entrance, she saw Shan Ling and Nuo Nuo walking towards her, arm in arm.

Shan Ling was wearing a camel-colored trench coat today. The long cashmere coat reached her calves, paired with black skinny pants and small leather shoes, giving her the air of a sophisticated city woman.

The sky had already darkened, and the streetlights shone on Shan Ling, reflecting tiny sparkles that almost made Shen Qingyi unable to look away.

She didn’t know when it started, but Shan Ling had completely shed her initial appearance and become so beautiful.

The first person to spot Shen Qingyi’s car was Nuo Nuo. She happily told Shan Ling something and raised her hand to point in this direction. Shen Qingyi then drove the car slightly closer, rolled down the window, and asked the two of them, “Finished work?”

“Yes, we’re done~” Nuo Nuo replied naturally, smiling at Shen Qingyi: “Did the manager come to pick up Xiao Ling?”

“That’s right,” Shen Qingyi said with a gentle smile. “I just got back into the city, so I made a detour.”

“That’s so nice,” Nuo Nuo said enviously, watching the two of them. She reluctantly retracted the arm she had looped with Shan Ling’s and said, “Then I’ll just take the subway home myself. You two enjoy your date. I won’t be a third wheel.”

Shan Ling’s cheeks flushed slightly at her words. She looked at Shen Qingyi, then Nuo Nuo, and said, “Go on then, be careful on the way.”

“You two too, drive safely,” Nuo Nuo waved her hand and darted into the subway entrance.

Shen Qingyi watched Nuo Nuo disappear into the subway before turning to Shan Ling and saying, “Get in.”

Once Shan Ling got in the car, she noticed the Nüshu book placed on the passenger seat.

“You brought it back?” Shan Ling looked curiously at the contents of the bag, gently placing it on her lap before buckling her seatbelt.

“Mhm,” Shen Qingyi replied, but couldn’t help recalling Hu Ai’s face, and her expression darkened slightly.

However, Shan Ling’s attention was completely captivated by the book, and she didn’t notice Shen Qingyi’s sullen expression. She asked with curiosity and excitement, “Can I open it and look?”

Shen Qingyi thought for a moment and said, “Better not. This book is very fragile. Let’s look at it when we get home.”

Shan Ling thought that made sense and nodded in agreement.

The two of them didn’t take any detours on the way. There were still plenty of vegetables at home. Shen Qingyi and Shan Ling didn’t eat much anyway, and compared to vegetables, Shan Ling preferred fruit. The refrigerator was stocked with a layer of various fruits to satisfy the little canary’s sweet tooth.

The night was gradually setting in, and the streetlights on both sides of the road began to turn on.

The sky had been bright when they left work, but it was almost completely dark by the time they arrived home.

Shan Ling was curious about the book the entire way. She had heard Shen Qingyi talk about Nüshu before and had looked up some information online with her. She found that the script was indeed very valuable and naturally became curious about it.

But Shan Ling also knew that giving a book that could almost be put into a museum to Shen Qingyi showed how much she was valued, and she absolutely couldn’t cause trouble just because she was curious. She had to be obedient.

After safely arriving home, Shan Ling watched Shen Qingyi turn on the lights, change her shoes, and take off her coat, her eyes practically glued to her, unable to tear away.

“Alright, alright, I’ll let you open it and look in a moment. Don’t keep staring at me like that,” Shen Qingyi said helplessly, reaching out and flicking Shan Ling’s small nose. But she didn’t immediately open the box; instead, she pulled the person into her embrace.

Shan Ling was slightly stunned by being pulled into her arms, only reacting when Shen Qingyi buried her head into her shoulder.

“What’s wrong?” Shan Ling held her in confusion, not understanding what had suddenly happened to Shen Qingyi. She had seemed perfectly fine outside just now.

Shen Qingyi had just taken off her coat, and her body still felt very warm. Holding Shan Ling made her feel as if she was hugging a small furnace.

The warm little furnace made Shan Ling’s heart burn, both hot and comforting, causing her face to slightly blush.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?” Shan Ling gently stroked Shen Qingyi’s head and asked softly, “Did someone bully you outside?”

Shen Qingyi felt that she probably had been bullied. Although that Hu Ai kept saying she was ‘just friends with Shan Ling,’ Shen Qingyi wasn’t blind and could see Hu Ai’s interest in Shan Ling.

That kind of look felt so familiar it made Shen Qingyi numb, because her own eyes had held that exact look at the beginning.

Her gaze would follow Shan Ling’s body, watching her skip and jump, watching her joyful face. These things were very precious in Shen Qingyi’s eyes back then, no less valuable than her collected books.

So, Shen Qingyi was very jealous right now, so jealous she didn’t need any dipping sauce for her dumplings.

“Yes, I was bullied today,” Shen Qingyi took advantage of the situation and said to Shan Ling, “How are you going to comfort me?”

“Comfort you how?”

Shan Ling looked down at Shen Qingyi, who was nestled in her arms. It was the first time she had seen the other woman like this. Could it be that she was truly wronged outside and specially came to her for comfort?

Thinking this, Shan Ling suddenly found Shen Qingyi very cute, like a small animal bullied outside, returning home with a wronged, tucked-in appearance.

Shan Ling chuckled lightly, gently stroking Shen Qingyi’s ear, and said to her, “How about a kiss?”

Although they had already kissed when she went out this morning, no one stipulated that they could only kiss once a day.

Shen Qingyi seemed very satisfied with this suggestion. She slightly narrowed her eyes, straightened up, pulled Shan Ling into her arms, and captured her lips.

The warm kiss carried a familiar heat. Shen Qingyi held Shan Ling’s waist, exchanging breaths with her.

The light that turned on in the living room cast long shadows of the two people at the doorway. The air gradually grew thin. Shan Ling wrapped her arms around Shen Qingyi’s shoulders, actively deepening the kiss.

They were both very familiar with each other’s kisses. In the time since they confirmed their relationship, such behavior was not uncommon.

Everyone expresses love differently, but there are only three things that cannot be concealed in this world, and that overflowing love is one of them.

Love for a person cannot be hidden.

Kissing so unrestrainedly at the entrance was a bit undignified. Although no one would criticize what they did behind closed doors, Shan Ling was thin-skinned after all. After kissing for a few minutes, she pushed the person away, her face flushed, and she was unwilling to continue.

“That’s enough…”

Shan Ling’s lips were slightly shiny. She looked at Shen Qingyi with reddened eyes and lowered her head shyly, asking, “Are you… feeling better now?”

The indoor light sometimes felt so dazzling that it stung one’s eyes when turned on late at night. And now, Shen Qingyi also felt that light was so glaring.

It should have been dimmed, so that the two of them might have kissed longer in the dark.

But Shen Qingyi only thought about these things. Shan Ling had already pulled away from her embrace and gone to the kitchen with a flushed face, tying her hair into a ponytail while asking, “I’ll start cooking the rice. What do you want to eat tonight?”

Shen Qingyi only felt a tickle in her throat. She paused for a long time before saying, “Anything is fine.”

They simply stir-fried some vegetables in the evening. While Shan Ling was busy in the kitchen, Shen Qingyi leaned against the kitchen doorway, watching her idly.

On a whim, Shen Qingyi asked, “Xiao Ling, what is the lifespan of you little fox spirits, generally? Do you live to be a hundred?”

Shan Ling looked at her strangely and wondered, “Why would you think that?”

“I’ve just seen too many literary works, so I’m curious,” Shen Qingyi leaned against the doorframe, glancing back and forth between Shan Ling’s back and legs, and asked casually, “Today, I saw the books Professor Hu has collected for many years at his house. Then I wondered, if you all could live to be a hundred, wouldn’t you not have to work so hard?”

“We are actually not much different from you. Longevity is relative, and the difference shouldn’t be too great.” Shan Ling carried a plate of stir-fried greens out, walked around the obstructive woman, and placed it on the dining table.

Shen Qingyi smelled the familiar scent of greens. She ate both meat and vegetables but preferred healthy greens.

And Shan Ling obviously had similar tastes, so the two of them always ate well together.

Shan Ling then brought out her homemade spicy and sour lotus root slices and bean curd sheets from the kitchen, and then a steaming bowl of winter melon and pork ribs soup, completing their simple dinner.

“I bought these ribs yesterday. I stewed them for over an hour, so they should be tender. Have a taste.” Shan Ling served the soup and placed it at Shen Qingyi’s usual seat, then set out her bowls and chopsticks.

Shen Qingyi sat down, smelling the fragrant food, but didn’t pick up her chopsticks immediately.

Shan Ling felt that Shen Qingyi was acting strange today and didn’t take the first bite either.

Her light-colored eyes looked curiously at the person in front of her, wondering what was wrong with her now.

Starting from the entrance door, Shan Ling had felt Shen Qingyi’s emotions were off. It didn’t seem like anger, and she said she had been wronged, but Shan Ling couldn’t figure out who could possibly bully her now.

“Yiyi,” Shan Ling held her chopsticks, looking at her attentively. “Do you have something you want to say?”

Shen Qingyi raised her eyes and looked at Shan Ling, shaking her head. “You’re overthinking it. I don’t have anything to say.”

“But you’ve been acting very strange all evening,” Shan Ling frowned. “I thought I had done something wrong to upset you.”

“It’s not because of you.” Shen Qingyi sighed helplessly, then looked at Shan Ling and smiled, “I just recalled some things about Professor Hu. I originally wanted to tell you, but then I remembered you’re afraid of them, so I won’t.”

“Professor Hu?” Shan Ling looked at her in surprise, then thought for a moment and asked, “Is it about the book?”

“Something like that.”

Shen Qingyi picked up her bowl and chopsticks, took a slice of lotus root, and said, “Starting tomorrow, I’ll be working in the study. I won’t have as much time to spend with you during that period.”

“That’s okay. I can go find Nuo Nuo. She’s pretty bored alone at the shop too,” Shan Ling smiled at her. “I can go keep her company often.”

“Good,” Shen Qingyi also chuckled softly. “Then I’ll pick you up and drop you off from work on time every day. As for what you two want to do, that’s up to you to decide.”

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