Pats Little Shrike's Tail - Chapter 41

Chapter 41

This sleep was more comfortable than any Shen Qingyi had had in months.

The warm quilt, the soft bed, and even the breathing of the person next to her became white noise that helped her sleep, allowing Shen Qingyi to sleep soundly until the alarm rang.

Waking up on a winter morning was always difficult. Fortunately, neither Shen Qingyi nor Shan Ling needed to get up exceptionally early. They leisurely got out of bed at 8 o’clock and went to the bathroom to wash up together, even sharing a towel.

Shan Ling stretched on the balcony, looking at the morning sun rising from the east. Outside the balcony, one could see the forest park with a lake across the way, as well as the traffic flowing on the wide road.

Taking a deep breath, Shan Ling felt the warmth of the sun and finally understood why so many people working away from home desperately needed a private room to live in.

This was much more comfortable than the company dormitory.

“What are we having for breakfast this morning?” Shan Ling asked loudly while watering the flowers, addressing Shen Qingyi, who was still getting dressed.

This scene made Shan Ling feel content, and it made Shen Qingyi feel something strange.

It felt a bit like a young couple who had just moved in together.

Shen Qingyi, wearing a black cashmere coat, was styling her long hair. She said, “It’s getting late. Let’s eat on the way. What about your work uniform? Should I drop you off at the dorm first, or go straight to the mall?”

“I asked Taotao to bring my uniform, so I can change in the bathroom. Let’s go straight to the mall,” Shan Ling happily walked over and helped her adjust the cuffs and belt of her coat.

Shen Qingyi looked at Shan Ling, once again feeling that the two of them really resembled a new couple living together. She didn’t want Shan Ling to leave at all.

“It’s still early. We don’t have to rush out,” Shan Ling noticed Shen Qingyi staring at her and smiled. “Let’s eat downstairs. I saw a breakfast shop yesterday. Let’s have breakfast there before I head back.”

“Okay,” Shen Qingyi smiled back at her. “After breakfast, I’ll drive you to the mall.”

Shan Ling put on the new winter coat she had bought yesterday. The large, warm new clothes made Shan Ling energetic. She ate two baskets of small steamed buns in one go. Finally, after they finished breakfast, Shan Ling insisted on paying, feeling she shouldn’t freeload on food and sleep.

Shen Qingyi didn’t argue with her. Arguing over a ten-odd kuai breakfast was pointless, and watching Shan Ling pay was quite amusing.

It gave her a feeling of being supported by a younger girl, which was rather pleasant.

After dropping Shan Ling off at the mall, before Shan Ling got out, Shen Qingyi reluctantly kept the car door locked. She just stared at Shan Ling and said, “I want to bring Jiaojiao out to play this weekend.”

“That’s great,” Shan Ling said. “I haven’t seen Jiaojiao in a long time either. Bring her here to play with me.”

“Mhm.”

Shan Ling fiddled with the door handle. Since it was still locked, she looked back at Shen Qingyi in confusion. “What’s wrong?”

“…Nothing,” Shen Qingyi’s eyes held a touch of loneliness. After unlocking the door, she said, “Then I’ll come find you again this weekend.”

“Mhm!” Shan Ling opened the door, got out, and ran off, waving carelessly at Shen Qingyi.

Seeing the person she cared about suddenly disappear, Shen Qingyi felt a sense of emptiness. She sat in the car for over half an hour before driving to the mall they visited yesterday and found the trench coat fur Shan Ling was reluctant to buy.

“Did you visit yesterday? You look familiar,” the enthusiastic sales associate said to Shen Qingyi. “It seems you and your friend were also looking at this coat yesterday.”

Shen Qingyi nodded, took the coat from the rack, and said, “Please wrap this up for me. I’ll pay by card.”

With her new phone, Shan Ling added everyone she knew in the following days, even adding the distant Nuonuo. They exchanged a rose emoji, which served as their greeting.

On Friday, the entire mall was undergoing a comprehensive inspection, so the shops had to close an hour earlier than the usual 10 p.m. closing time.

“Sister An Xin asked if we want to go to her place for dinner tonight,” Xu Wentao said, holding her phone and leaning over to Shan Ling, who was tallying the day’s accounts. “Should we go up and find her later?”

“Sounds good,” Shan Ling said after finishing the accounts with her head down. “What is Sister An Xin treating us to?”

“I don’t know,” Xu Wentao said, swaying her hips with her hands in her pockets. “Whatever Sister An Xin treats us to, we’ll eat. I’m not picky.”

Shan Ling happily packed her things and thought for a moment. “Is it okay for the two of us to go empty-handed?”

Xu Wentao felt the same way. A light bulb went off in her head, and she said to Shan Ling, “I remember there’s a place selling sugar-roasted chestnuts in the alley behind the mall. It shouldn’t be closed yet. I’ll go buy some, and then I’ll meet you guys later.”

“Great!” Shan Ling also loved sugar-roasted chestnuts. She said to Xu Wentao, “Get a large portion!”

Xu Wentao gave an ‘OK’ sign. “No problem.”

Dividing their tasks, Xu Wentao went out to buy chestnuts, and Shan Ling finished tidying up and went upstairs to find An Xin.

Since it was a rare early closing at 9 p.m., the mall employees seemed to be in exceptionally good moods. When Shan Ling arrived at ‘A Bowl of Porridge,’ she heard An Xin chatting with someone, her face full of smiles.

“Sister An Xin~”

Shan Ling bounded over and said at the cashier counter, “What are you laughing about? I heard your laughter as soon as I came upstairs.”

“Xiao Ling,” An Xin came out from the back, gave the unsold porridge to the shop’s only employee, and then said to Shan Ling, “I’m done tidying up here. Where’s Taotao?”

“She went to buy sugar-roasted chestnuts. I came to find you first,” Shan Ling watched An Xin close the shop and then asked, “Did you give all of today’s porridge to the auntie?”

“Yes, the auntie said her family really loves the porridge I make, so I packed it all for her,” An Xin walked beside Shan Ling and rode the escalator with her. She said, “I’m cooking tonight. Is there anything you two would like to eat?”

“Taotao and I aren’t picky. We’ll eat whatever you make, Sister An Xin,” Shan Ling said with a smile. “Though, it would be even better if we had spicy hot pot, Sichuan-style spare ribs, or braised chicken cubes!”

An Xin chuckled. “Eating something that spicy late at night? Aren’t you afraid of an upset stomach? My friend brought me some cured meat from my hometown a few days ago, and I also just bought a lot of fish and vegetables. I’ll make you something delicious later.”

“Should we buy some drinks then?”

“Yes, let’s buy some juice and coconut milk. Carbonated drinks upset the stomach when you get older.”

“Alright, I’ll buy the drinks.”

Shan Ling and An Xin bought drinks at the small convenience store outside. They met up with Xu Wentao, who had bought a bag of sugar-roasted chestnuts, and the three walked toward the apartment complex together.

After entering the complex and making a few turns, they reached An Xin’s building. Although Shan Ling had been here a few times, she had never actually gone up.

Xu Wentao seemed to be visiting for the first time too. Gnawing on a chestnut, she looked up and said, “Sister An Xin, is your apartment a duplex?”

“It is,” An Xin said as she entered the building corridor. The motion-sensing lights immediately turned on, brightly illuminating the staircase.

“A duplex is a duplex. Even the light bulbs are brighter than the ones in our dorm,” Xu Wentao commented while eating a chestnut.

An Xin smiled. She lived on the second floor. After opening the door and turning on the lights, she said, “The house is a bit messy. I haven’t tidied up in a long time. You don’t need to change your shoes when you come in.”

Shan Ling and Xu Wentao entered, one holding juice and the other holding chestnuts, both surprised by the bright and clean house.

“It’s so clean! Is this what you call messy?” Xu Wentao commented. “Sister An Xin, your apartment is so big and beautiful! Did you renovate it?”

“I renovated it when I first bought it,” An Xin took off her coat and turned on the house’s heating. She said, “Come in, everyone. Why are you standing at the door?”

“It’s too clean. We don’t want to mess it up,” Xu Wentao and Shan Ling walked in together, smiling. “Our dorm is a mess, like a doghouse. It takes a moment to adjust to being in your home.”

“Alright, the heating will warm up soon. You two watch some TV. I’ll go to the kitchen and see what I can cook.”

“Should we help you?”

“No need, no need. I can manage food for three people quickly,” An Xin said. “When I used to work as a nanny, I had to prepare a whole table of dishes alone.”

Shan Ling looked at her upon hearing this and asked, “Sister An Xin used to be a nanny?”

“Yes,” An Xin didn’t think much of it. Rolling up her sleeves, she said to the two, “I didn’t have much schooling. I came to the city to work when I was young. I’ve served plates, swept floors, prepped vegetables in the back kitchen, and worked as an assistant. Later, I worked as a nanny for one family for six years. I didn’t learn much else, but I did get quite good at cooking.”

Xu Wentao exclaimed, “Sister An Xin, you’re amazing! How many years did it take you to save up for this apartment? Was it a full payment or a down payment?”

An Xin seemed particularly sensitive to the topic of the apartment. She didn’t answer directly, only smiled and said, “Saving money isn’t easy, and buying an apartment in the city is even harder. I won’t chat with you anymore. You two watch TV. I can handle the kitchen alone.”

Watching An Xin enter the kitchen and start working, Xu Wentao tugged at Shan Ling’s clothes for some reason, hooking her finger to signal a whisper.

Shan Ling put down the juice she was holding, sat on the sofa, and looked at Xu Wentao with curious eyes.

“Xiao Ling, don’t you think Sister An Xin is acting strange whenever the topic of the apartment comes up?” Xu Wentao said. “The first time we met, when I complimented her on being able to afford this apartment, her expression was weird. And today, when I brought up the apartment again, she changed the subject. Xiao Ling, do you think there’s something wrong with this apartment?”

Although Shan Ling felt there might be some truth to what Xu Wentao was saying, she still covered Xu Wentao’s mouth with her hand, leaned in, and said, “Taotao, you must never say this in front of Sister An Xin. She’s so nice to us, and she even invited us to her home for dinner. We shouldn’t talk nonsense.”

Xu Wentao pulled Shan Ling’s hand away, smiling. “I know. I’m not stupid. I’m only telling you this. It’s enough that Sister An Xin is a good person. I promise not to talk nonsense next time.”

Saying that, she placed the sugar-roasted chestnuts on the coffee table, got up, and called out to An Xin in the kitchen, “Sister, can you manage alone? I’ll come and assist you!”

An Xin turned around to see Xu Wentao entering and said resignedly, “Are you really going to help me?”

“Of course! My cooking isn’t as good as yours, Sister An Xin, but I can peel garlic and chop onions without a problem.”

“Alright, then help me peel these few potatoes, cut them into rough wedges, and soak them. I’ll blanch the spare ribs first. Shall we make cheesy spare ribs and garlicky potatoes today?”

“Sounds great! Sounds great~”

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