She Said She Has Feelings For Someone - Chapter 43

Chapter 43: Living Together — Her scent.

Exposed in her secret regarding the door lock code, Lu Shuyu practically fled the scene.

She didn’t dare imagine what Xia Leshuang’s expression was like. Regulating her breathing, she gritted her teeth and tapped open her chat.

— President Min, care to explain the password? [Smile]

As if waiting to gossip, Min Wutong replied instantly.

— How was it? I put a lot of thought into that! You two were born in the same year; a “couple’s code” is so easy to set up! — How did Teacher Xia react? Was my assist top-tier or what?!

Lu Shuyu took a deep breath. She wanted to curse, but this was her boss. But if she didn’t say anything, she’d burst from anger! She could only send two “smiling” emojis to express her passive-aggression.

Min Wutong quickly replied: Oh, come on. Our scandal lasted way too long. I figured I should clarify things from the side so Teacher Xia doesn’t misunderstand.

Lu Shuyu let out a cold laugh. It was obvious Min Wutong was the one who wanted to clear her own name as soon as possible, yet she was pinning the blame on Xia Leshuang.

— I thank you. [Smile]

Ding—

The elevator reached the first floor. Stepping out of the building, the early summer breeze hit her face, and her irritation dissipated.

Thinking about it carefully, it really was time to explain her relationship with Min Wutong. Ten years was a long time; even she didn’t remember Xia Leshuang’s old number, yet Xia Leshuang remembered hers. The reason behind that was hard not to overthink. Especially after learning about Xia’s family, she understood why the other woman hadn’t contacted her all those years.

A bright smile played on Lu Shuyu’s lips. She really needed to find a natural, appropriate time to clear the air about Min Wutong.

Her old apartment was nearby—less than ten minutes away. Xia Leshuang’s things had been packed into sealed boxes by Chen Qian; you couldn’t tell what was inside from the exterior. She bypassed the boxes to pack her own daily essentials. When she reached for her pajamas, she paused, realizing she and Xia Leshuang had different builds; her clothes might not fit the other woman.

A thought suddenly popped into her head, and her lips curled up slightly. She only packed two sets of clean pajamas and headed to the mall.

When she returned to the new home, an hour had passed.

“Teacher Xia?”

The moment she called out, Xia Leshuang appeared as if she had teleported, reaching out to take the shopping bags. Lu Shuyu jumped slightly and lifted her hands to dodge her. Although she had tried to ignore them for the past two days, the red marks and bruises on Xia Leshuang’s wrists were still there.

“It’s fine,” Xia Leshuang said casually, showing her hands. “It’s not serious, they’ve faded a lot.”

“Still no,” Lu Shuyu shook her head and placed the bags on the shoe bench.

“Speaking of which,” Xia Leshuang asked curiously, “What did you tell the doctor?” Those marks were suspicious, after all.

“…” Lu Shuyu rubbed her nose. “I said you tied yourself up to stop yourself from caving in and eating while dieting.”

“My image is getting a bit strange, isn’t it…” Xia Leshuang took a sharp breath.

Lu Shuyu rolled her eyes, not wanting to elaborate, and began rummaging through the bags. Besides the two sets of old pajamas, she had bought two sets of everything new for their daily needs.

“Chen Qian packed your boxes too well; I didn’t want to dig through them. My stuff was getting old anyway, so it was a good time for a refresh. Plus, it was convenient to buy the same items in different colors.”

A triple-threat explanation. Lu Shuyu sounded more righteous the more she spoke. She didn’t look at all guilty about buying “couple’s items.”

As if.

Lu Shuyu’s heart was racing, but Xia Leshuang didn’t seem to notice anything, saying sincerely, “Thank you, that must have been a lot of work.”

Lu Shuyu sighed internally, pulled the two sets of pajamas from her backpack, and handed one over. “The new ones need to be washed first. These are mine—they’re clean, but might be a bit small. You’ll have to make do for now.”

Xia Leshuang took them, a faint blush creeping up her face. “Okay.”

Lu Shuyu pushed her slightly. “Go take a shower first.”

…

The moment the bathroom door closed, Xia Leshuang finally exhaled. In her hands was a set of orange pajamas with a cute orange print. These were clothes Lu Shuyu had worn…

Possessed by a sudden impulse, she lifted them and sniffed gently. She smelled a fresh, somewhat warm fragrance. It was familiar. Upon closer inspection, it smelled like green apples.

Xia Leshuang couldn’t help but laugh. Is there actually a laundry detergent that smells like green apples?

When the bathroom door opened, Lu Shuyu looked over. As expected, the sleeves and pant legs were a bit short on Xia Leshuang. She smiled and said, “As soon as the new clothes are dry, swap into those!”

Xia Leshuang smiled back but didn’t speak.

“Perfect,” Lu Shuyu stood up. “I’ll wash the clothes you just took off.”

Entering the laundry room, Xia Leshuang immediately saw a green bottle of detergent with a green apple on the label. It really was green apple-scented.

“There’s actually green apple detergent?” she couldn’t help asking.

Lu Shuyu laughed. “Of course.” She uncapped it and held it to Xia’s nose. “Doesn’t it smell good?”

Xia Leshuang sniffed it. It was slightly different from the pajamas—stronger and cooler. “It smells great,” she nodded.

The washing machine started up, and they left the laundry room. “What do you want for dinner?” Lu Shuyu asked. She listed their usual places, then suddenly turned serious: “No KFC. Nothing too heavy. You need to recover properly these next few days.”

Xia Leshuang’s eyes crinkled. “Okay, I’ll follow orders.” Seeing Lu Shuyu pick up her own change of clothes, she nudged her toward the bathroom. “I’ll order, you wash.”

Before the door closed, Lu Shuyu added, “Don’t order too much. Watch your portions.”

“No problem!” Xia Leshuang pulled the door shut.

Lu Shuyu looked around the bathroom. It had already been tidied up; not a single stray hair remained. The ventilation was on, and the steam was dissipating. But the scent and warmth of Xia Leshuang still lingered.

Belatedly, Lu Shuyu’s heart skipped a beat. Heat rose from her chest and bloomed on her face. She stood frozen for a moment until she heard footsteps outside, jolting her back to her senses.

…

Xia Leshuang ordered Jiangnan cuisine—light and palatable, perfect for her current state.

“How are you so obedient today?” Lu Shuyu was pleased but also worried. “Did the KFC for lunch make you feel unwell?”

Xia Leshuang felt guilty; she couldn’t admit she had only ordered it to see Lu Shuyu’s reaction. After a pause, she explained, “I just dreamed about when I was seven or eight. My grandmother took me to the amusement park, saw other parents taking their kids to KFC, and took me too. After she passed away, no one ever took me again.”

Lu Shuyu’s brow furrowed slightly before she smiled. “No wonder you’ve been acting so silly and childish these past two days. I thought you’d been possessed by a bratty kid.”

Xia Leshuang propped her chin on her hand. “Is there a bratty kid as well-behaved and cute as me?”

Lu Shuyu rolled her eyes. “Just eat.”

Halfway through the meal, Xia Leshuang glanced at the kitchen. It was fully equipped. “What?” Lu Shuyu noticed. “Want to cook?”

Xia Leshuang nodded. “Have you been living on takeout all these years?”

“Yeah. After coming to B City, I was too busy. I wanted to guarantee my sleep every day, so I gave up cooking. It’s been so long, I’m probably rusty.”

Xia Leshuang smiled brightly. “I can cook. I’ve done it for years. I’ll cook for you. My grandmother was a great cook, and I’m not bad myself.”

“When did you learn? I never knew.” In high school, she definitely couldn’t cook.

Xia Leshuang looked a bit sheepish. “Well, I didn’t ‘learn’ formally, but it’s in the blood. I ate her food for so long, it can’t be that bad.”

“Alright,” Lu Shuyu nodded. “I’ll look forward to it.”

“Don’t… don’t look forward to it too much.” Lu Shuyu laughed and served her some fish soup. “Eat up.”

…

After dinner, they tidied up. “You rest and go to bed early,” Lu Shuyu said. “I’ll go down to take out the trash and walk a bit.”

Xia Leshuang wanted to go but didn’t want to make her worry. “Okay.”

When Lu Shuyu returned an hour later, the foyer light was on—left for her by Xia Leshuang. The rest of the lights were off, leaving only the dim glow of the baseboard lights. It felt strange. This wasn’t her first time living with someone, but because of the new home or the light left for her, she felt a special sense of fulfillment.

She noticed the shopping bags and the old slippers were gone. Only her new slippers remained—green ones with a tiny apple silhouette. Lu Shuyu smiled. Beyond the doors nearby, there was another breathing soul. And that soul was Xia Leshuang.

She tiptoed to Xia Leshuang’s door and listened. It was quiet; she was asleep.

“Goodnight,” Lu Shuyu whispered.

…

The next morning, she received a message from Min Wutong. — I’ve found out most of what happened with Teacher Xia.

Lu Shuyu got up and checked on Xia Leshuang. She was still asleep. She left a note on the door with medical tape: Going to the office to handle some work.

At the office, Min Wutong was full of curiosity. “How was it? The first night of cohabitation with your secret crush?”

Lu Shuyu rolled her eyes. “Business first.”

“Fine,” Min Wutong’s expression turned serious. “Get ready. Based on what I’ve gathered, the blacklisting by Star Universe and the suppression by Xia Ye are both true. And then there’s Zhou Hongcai. I didn’t realize he had a hobby of sticking his nose into other people’s family business. He played a major role in what happened to Teacher Xia.”

Lu Shuyu was angry and confused. Xia Ye’s suppression might stem from a parent’s desire for control. But why Zhou Hongcai? “Is it because of that failed blind date?”

“I thought so too,” Min Wutong tapped the table. “But now I think there’s more. To verify, I went to see Tan Zhou yesterday.”

Tan Zhou was a wealthy heir who had dominated the headlines five years ago by marrying a top actress. He was also the man Zhou Hongcai had set Xia Leshuang up with.

Min Wutong explained that five years ago, only Tan Zhou and Zhou Hongcai were present besides hotel staff. Since Tan Zhou’s relationship with Zhou Hongcai had soured recently, he was willing to talk.

Lu Shuyu braced herself. It turned out that for years after winning her award, Xia Leshuang had been under her parents’ total control—escorted everywhere, with no friends. In her junior year, Zhou Hongcai tried to push her toward Tan Zhou. When she finally agreed to meet him, Zhou Hongcai had arranged the meeting in a suite with guards at the door, intending to force them into a compromising situation to seal the deal.

Lu Shuyu’s breath hitched. It sounded like a trashy novel. She realized that the “blind date” was actually a long-planned transaction.

“Tan Zhou wasn’t stupid,” Min Wutong continued. “He saw it was a forced sale and tried to leave. But Zhou Hongcai’s men blocked the door. And then…” She looked excited. “Teacher Xia really can take on ten people! She fought them off and cleared a path for him. Those are Tan Zhou’s words.”

Lu Shuyu sighed. “She probably did it for herself, not him. But if she’s that strong, why would she…”

“No ‘why’,” Min Wutong waved her hand. “I’m not curious.”

Lu Shuyu knew the answer. No matter how strong Xia Leshuang was, she was vulnerable to the people she loved. She had been tricked back this time by the lie of her mother being ill.

“So, what’s the plan?” Min Wutong asked.

Lu Shuyu smiled. “The plan is—to go home and help Teacher Xia move tomorrow.”

…

When she got home, she heard a flurry of activity in the kitchen. Xia Leshuang was busy, still wearing Lu Shuyu’s pajamas and an apron. It looked slightly ridiculous, but it made her feel more “real.”

“Shuyu? You’re back without a sound?”

“You just looked so cool from behind,” Lu Shuyu winked.

They had a meal of familiar S-City dishes. Xia Leshuang was nervous about her cooking, but Lu Shuyu was genuinely impressed. “It’s amazing. Much better than I could do.”

Later that night, they ordered takeout and watched the new episode of Silence is Gold. The episode ended with them singing under a rainbow.

“It’s filmed so well,” Xia Leshuang mused. “Even without a stage, it looks professional.”

Lu Shuyu pointed at the screen. “It’s because you sang so well.”

Xia Leshuang looked at the scrolling comments. Suddenly, she looked tense and started tidying up the boxes. “I want to go for a walk.”

Lu Shuyu saw the comment that had triggered her: Does anyone else think Xia Leshuang’s singing sounds like Eryu?

Lu Shuyu smiled and turned off the screen, pretending she saw nothing. They walked through the summer night, their shadows side by side. Lu Shuyu remembered their night run in L-City where they had been so far apart. Now, they were so close.

“Xia Leshuang.” She stopped.

Xia Leshuang turned to face her under the bright streetlamp.

“Back then, I was too impatient. I wanted to go back to how we were, where we could say anything. I was curious and worried about why you changed.”

Xia Leshuang looked like she wanted to explain. Lu Shuyu smiled and shook her head.

“I won’t ask or pry anymore. Like I said in the hospital, I just want you to be healthy and happy. No matter how much you’ve changed…”

Lu Shuyu looked into her eyes.

“You are still Xia Leshuang. You are the bright, spirited, and successful Xia Leshuang from my memories.”