Pats Little Shrike's Tail - Chapter 49

Chapter 49

Shan Ling had a dream where she was sleeping soundly in her soft home in the village.

The mattress at home was fluffy and soft, and the down comforter was light. She was sleeping sweetly, hugging a pillow, when a knock came at the door.

Her mother called out to her: “Xiao Ling, it’s time to get up. We have to make new down comforters today.”

Shan Ling, hugging her pillow, asked: “Why are we making down comforters?”

Her mother said: “Because your feathers look very soft. Plucking them will be enough for at least two comforters. Keep one at home, and the other one you can give to Shen Qingyi.”

Shan Ling paused, but didn’t find anything wrong with it. She hugged her pillow and muttered, “Will Shen Qingyi like a comforter made of my feathers?”

The person mentioned in the dream opened her eyes in confusion in the bed.

What on earth?

Shan Ling’s sleep-talking was strangely nonsensical.

Shen Qingyi felt someone hugging her tightly. She turned her head and saw Shan Ling sleeping soundly, buried into her shoulder. One of Shan Ling’s hands was hooked around her waist, burrowing into her arms while mumbling something about “down comforters.”

Warm breath misted the side of Shen Qingyi’s neck, making her feel drowsy.

It was strange, but Shen Qingyi wasn’t someone easily swayed by lust, yet she felt a particularly strong desire to be with Shan Ling. She felt this person possessed a magical charm; no matter how anxious she was or how much her head hurt, as long as she slept next to her, all problems vanished.

It was as if she replenished something from Shan Ling’s body.

Shen Qingyi glanced out the window. It was just starting to get light, and there was no noise in the corridor. She assumed it wasn’t time to wake up yet.

She had slept exceptionally well yesterday and felt a rare desire to stay in bed. She reached out and hugged Shan Ling tightly, and while she was sleeping, gently kissed the exposed side of her neck.

After the kiss, Shen Qingyi realized how daring she had been. If Shan Ling suddenly woke up, she wouldn’t know how to explain kissing her neck.

But looking at how soundly Shan Ling was sleeping, Shen Qingyi felt a little annoyed.

Was this person too oblivious?

Shen Qingyi held Shan Ling, closed her eyes, and thought: She doesn’t even know when someone takes advantage of her.

I’ll have to keep a close eye on her in the future, so no one bullies her.

When the alarm clock rang, Shan Ling was still holding Shen Qingyi. She opened her eyes, looked at Shen Qingyi’s face, and was momentarily confused, unable to tell if she was at home or in the city. She lay in bed blankly, still half-asleep.

The dream scene of her mother asking her to pluck her feathers to make a down comforter was still vivid, and now that she thought about it, it was quite terrifying.

Shan Ling’s alarm woke Shen Qingyi up as well. The two met eyes on the bed and sat up.

“Good morning,” Shan Ling saw Shen Qingyi and remembered the down comforter. She rubbed her head and asked, “Do you want to use the bathroom first, or should I?”

“You go,” Shen Qingyi said. “After you wash up, go to the restaurant for breakfast, then go back to change into your uniform. I’ll rest for a bit longer.”

Shan Ling nodded, put on her slippers, and went to the bathroom to wash up. A few minutes later, she poked her head out and asked Shen Qingyi, “How do I get breakfast at the restaurant?”

Shen Qingyi lay in bed with her eyes closed, hands folded over her abdomen, and said calmly, “Just give them the room number.”

“Okay!” Shan Ling was eager, putting on her padded jacket and saying, “Then I’m going to eat. You rest well!”

Shan Ling ate the most luxurious breakfast she had ever had in her life. It truly was a five-star hotel—the breakfast buffet was dazzling. Shan Ling took a little bit of almost everything and returned to the dorm with a full belly.

Xu Wentao had the day off today. As soon as she heard the door open, she looked up at Shan Ling, squinting: “Aha, so young and already up to no good, staying out all night!”

Shan Ling chuckled twice, then secretly placed two eggs she had sneaked out from the breakfast buffet beside Xu Wentao’s pillow. She crouched by the bed and said, “Tao Tao, look, I brought you breakfast.”

“You think two eggs can smooth things over?” Xu Wentao wasn’t buying it. She stared at Shan Ling and said, “Yesterday, you took that call from the one surnamed Shen and ran out, then didn’t come back all night. Tell me, what were you doing with her?”

“We weren’t doing anything,” Shan Ling said. “Shen Qingyi said her head hurt, so I helped massage it. Then it started snowing. You know it snowed outside, right? It snowed all night, the snow is really thick.”

“Get to the point.”

“Then, because it was snowing, driving wasn’t safe, and I was afraid of coming back and disturbing you, so I stayed outside with her for the night.”

Xu Wentao narrowed her eyes into a slit and repeated every word: “Stayed. For. The. Night?”

Shan Ling blinked: “What’s wrong? I really just stayed with her for a night. She paid for the room. I don’t have money.”

“Did you take a King-sized bed room or a twin room?”

“King-sized.”

“My sister!” Xu Wentao looked at her, exasperated and indignant: “Don’t you know that Shen person clearly has ulterior motives? She grabbed your hand the first time she met you, and now she’s taking you out to a hotel, and in a King-sized bed room!”

Xu Wentao asked her: “Do you know Shen Qingyi is trying to pursue you?”

Shan Ling didn’t believe it: “No way. She’s beautiful and rich. Why would she be interested in me?”

“Then what do you think she’s after, loading a 10,000 yuan card, visiting you every now and then, and taking you to a hotel?” Xu Wentao said. “Is she after your cluelessness?”

“You must be overthinking it,” Shan Ling said. “Miss Shen is nice and beautiful. Yesterday, she was genuinely feeling unwell, which is why I stayed out with her. Besides, if something were actually happening between us, I would tell you immediately.”

Xu Wentao sneered twice, sat up with her arms crossed, and said, “Fine, whatever. You’re an adult now, and I can’t control who you make friends with. Today, I’m off. I’m going to see Sister An Xin in a bit and go look at storefronts with her. You go to work and do your job properly, understood?”

“Understood,” Shan Ling said happily. “Then, when you come back, can you bring me some dessert? I haven’t had pastries in ages.”

Xu Wentao pouted: “Don’t always eat sweets. It’ll ruin your teeth.”

“Not too much, not too much.”

“I’ll bring it, I’ll bring it. Stop pestering me. You’re going to be late for work. Hurry up and change!”

Perhaps because it snowed last night, there weren’t many children at the amusement park today. The mall was also quiet.

Near noon, the last child was taken away by their parents for lunch, and the lunch they had ordered arrived for Shan Ling and her colleagues.

Shan Ling had barely taken two bites when she felt someone staring at her. She turned her head and saw Shen Qingyi walking over, seemingly rushing through the wind.

She was still wearing the same black coat as yesterday, her hair loosely draped behind her head, and her makeup-free face looked especially refined.

“Yiyi~”

Shan Ling waved her chopsticks at her, and when the person got closer, asked, “Did you have lunch yet?”

Shen Qingyi shook her head, looking at her staff meal and asking, “Is this what you usually eat?”

“Yes,” Shan Ling whispered secretly, “It’s free. No reason not to eat it.”

Shen Qingyi curved her eyes and smiled.

Shan Ling loved watching Shen Qingyi smile like that. Sure enough, beautiful women look good no matter how they smile; it was particularly pleasing to the eye.

“Is your headache better?” Shan Ling asked with concern. “If it still hurts, you should go to the hospital. Many things can cause headaches, and you need to take it seriously.”

“It doesn’t hurt now,” Shen Qingyi said. “I’m just a little hungry.”

Shan Ling blinked, asking suspiciously, “Do you want to eat my staff meal?”

“Can I?” Shen Qingyi teased her.

Shan Ling looked at the food she had just taken one bite of, handed her the chopsticks, and said, “I only ate a bite of rice. I haven’t touched the vegetables. If you’re hungry, you eat first. I ate a lot this morning and am not hungry at all.”

Shen Qingyi noticed the missing bite from the rice but didn’t seem to mind. She found an empty seat and sat down.

Shan Ling sat beside her and started instructing her on what to eat: “This one, this one. Eat this braised beans and pork. I don’t know how the chef made it, but it even tastes a bit meaty, which I can’t do.”

Shen Qingyi didn’t stand on ceremony, took a bite, and said, “It does taste like braised pork.”

“Right~”

Shan Ling said happily, “Then eat slowly.”

Shen Qingyi glanced at her and said, “You don’t have to watch me like that. I’ve already ordered takeout for you. It will arrive soon. But I am genuinely hungry, so I’ll eat first, and you can eat when your food arrives.”

Shan Ling’s eyes lit up. She leaned closer and asked, “What did you order for me? Is there meat? I don’t really like chicken, and I don’t eat pigeon either.”

Shen Qingyi found the chatter distracting but was enjoying her meal, which was rare.

Halfway through the meal, the takeout arrived.

Shan Ling could smell the delicious aroma through the insulated box and was drooling. She opened it up. The package was heavy and substantial: a large grilled fish.

“Is this the same grilled fish we ate last time?” Shan Ling asked in surprise. “Why did you order takeout from them? Is it very expensive?”

“It’s alright,” Shen Qingyi said. “Don’t you like it?”

“I love it,” Shan Ling carefully divided the grilled fish, then broke open her chopsticks, picked up a piece of fish, put it into Shen Qingyi’s staff meal box, and said, “You take the first bite.”

Shen Qingyi noticed Shan Ling’s peculiar obsession with the first bite. It was milk tea before, and now it was grilled fish.

Since the first bite seemed to be reserved for the person she cared about, Shen Qingyi felt quite pleased.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome~”

The two ate the fragrant grilled fish, drawing curious glances from their colleagues. However, Shan Ling was stingy. Since Shen Qingyi ordered the grilled fish for her, she wanted to keep it all to herself.

Since there were no customers during lunchtime, and the mall was quiet due to the snow, Shan Ling and Shen Qingyi chatted for a while after eating, enjoying the leisure.

The mall’s heating made everyone drowsy. Shan Ling had gone to bed late last night and let out two consecutive yawns, almost bringing tears to her eyes.

Shen Qingyi looked at her and said, “Are you very sleepy? Do you want to rest for a while?”

Shan Ling shook her head. Her job basically didn’t have a fixed break time; it depended on how many customers there were.

“It’s okay. I’ll just go to bed early tonight,” Shan Ling rubbed her eyes and told Shen Qingyi, “Aren’t you going back? You didn’t get much sleep last night either, did you?”

“I slept quite well yesterday,” Shen Qingyi said truthfully. She really had a very good and restful sleep yesterday and felt refreshed and energized today.

It felt like her magic was recharged.

Just as the two were chatting, they saw Xu Wentao walk over in plain clothes, looking annoyed.

“Today is really unlucky. What kind of people did I run into?” Xu Wentao put her bag on the table and complained to Shan Ling, “I went with Sister An Xin to look at storefronts today. On the way back, a woman suddenly jumped out, inexplicably scolded me, and then dragged Sister An Xin away.”

Xu Wentao looked at Shan Ling and said indignantly, “Why are people so unreasonable these days!”

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