Silent Testimony - Chapter 80

In the early morning, the wind and rain outside had ceased. A pale yellow sun hung in the sky, looking as exhausted as if it had been worn out by the previous night’s storm. Inside the room, it was quiet. Tao Ling, driven by her biological clock, turned off her alarm before 7:00 AM. She tried to move carefully, but was caught off guard when the person to her left reached out and wrapped an arm around her waist.

“Sleep a bit longer,” Li Hewei’s voice carried the lazy rasp of someone half-awake.

Tao Ling turned around to gaze at the face so close to her own, her ears turning a slight shade of red. “I need to get up and make breakfast.”

“Let’s eat out today.” Li Hewei opened her eyes, a smile playing on her lips after a rare night of good sleep. “In the future, I’ll be your assistant whenever you cook.” She knew Tao Ling loved preparing food and respected the girl’s passion.

“I’m fast, actually…”

Li Hewei interrupted her, feigning offense. “Oh, are you saying I’d just be in the way?”

Tao Ling explained hurriedly, “No, not at all.”

Seeing her get flustered and red-faced, Li Hewei reined in her playfulness and said seriously, “I understand. But I hope that whatever you do, I can participate as much as possible.”

Tao Ling was moved, her heartbeat thundering in her ears. “Okay.” As she had grown older, she had come to view marriage as a fortress that trapped women, and thus expected nothing from romance—she only wanted independence, her own money, and distance from her family. Later, after Cheng Yingqiu introduced her to the concept of same-sex love, she slowly realized she liked Li Hewei. While troubled by it, she had simultaneously lost herself in the other woman’s meticulous tenderness.

She had even dreamed of them being together, releasing long-suppressed desires in a brief indulgence. Now that her wish had come true, it still felt like a dream.

Li Hewei’s voice pulled her back to reality: “So, when I want to sleep in, shouldn’t you stay with me?”

“Yes.” Tao Ling’s dark, clear eyes shimmered. “How much longer?”

Li Hewei didn’t withdraw her hand from Tao’s waist; instead, she pulled her closer. “Let’s not sleep. Let’s talk.”

Though the increasing intimacy made Tao Ling’s face flush, she didn’t retreat. Biting her lip almost imperceptibly, she took the initiative: “Did you rest well last night?”

“Exceptionally well.” With a smile in her eyes, Li Hewei asked for her consent. “So, can I bring some of my daily things over later? I’d like to sleep here from now on.” The previous night, she had begged Tao Ling to talk to her, then dropped hints about the cold weather and her inability to sleep alone, successfully convincing Tao Ling to stay.

Tao Ling lowered her eyelids, unsure how to respond.

“You already gave me the jade bracelet you were supposed to wear for your wedding. Isn’t sharing a bed only natural?”

Tao Ling’s voice was soft and shy. “Sister Wei…”

Li Hewei knew she was embarrassed, but she loved this side of Tao Ling. She pressed further: “Since you’re not shaking your head, I’ll take that as a yes?”

Tao Ling buried her face in Li’s arm, finally squeezing out a sentence: “What will Yingqiu think?”

“Her? She’s dying to run over to Sister Qiu’s place every night. You moving in here is actually helping her out.”

“Is that so?”

“Why don’t you go get your toiletries and test her reaction?” Li Hewei reached out and tapped Tao Ling’s nose. “Time to get up.” She rolled out of bed and walked to the bathroom in her slippers. Five minutes later, Tao Ling stood beside her holding a small bag.

“Give it to me. Go change your clothes?” Li Hewei arranged things proactively, knowing Tao Ling was still getting used to this.

“Okay.”

When Tao Ling finished changing and returned to the bathroom, Li Hewei had gone to the living room for water. Tao Ling looked at the toothpaste already squeezed onto her toothbrush and felt her heart soften with affection.

Suddenly, Cheng Yingqiu’s startled voice came from nearby: “Eh? I’ve been robbed!”

Li Hewei responded calmly, “What robbery?”

Cheng Yingqiu walked out of the bathroom, clutching her own toothbrush, her face bare of makeup. “Tao Ling’s toiletries. They were right next to mine, and now they’ve vanished into thin air.”

Li Hewei took a sip of water. “They moved to my room.”

Cheng Yingqiu’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. “You? You two?”

“Mhm. Exactly what you’re thinking.”

Cheng Yingqiu dashed toward the master bedroom and poked her head into the bathroom. She saw Tao Ling frozen in place, her cheeks blooming with a deep red. Cheng Yingqiu’s expression shifted instantly into a grin as bright as March peach blossoms. She shouted, “Sister-in-law!”

Tao Ling burst into a coughing fit, taking a long time to recover. “Yingqiu, just call me by my name.”

Cheng Yingqiu leaned against the doorframe. “It’s just an extra title.” She started gossiping: “So my sister confessed and you just said yes? Did she give you a gift?”

Li Hewei patted her shoulder as a reminder. “Go finish getting ready.”

Cheng Yingqiu cupped her hands to whisper to her sister: “Sis, you move fast. Straight to a home run?”

“What nonsense are you talking?”

Cheng Yingqiu rolled her eyes. “Don’t tell me it was just ‘talking under the covers’?”

“Right back at you. Someone was sitting on the sofa sighing late at night, not daring to go knock on Sister Qiu’s door.”

Cheng Yingqiu retreated, huffing with a pout. “So you’ve been watching me every night? Some ‘anxiety’ you have—it seems Sister Tao Ling is your only cure.” She quickly added, “Send me your ID number. I’m buying plane tickets.”

“Tickets for what?”

Cheng Yingqiu stood at the sink, squeezing toothpaste. “To see Taylor Swift in Shanghai. Did I not tell you?”

“No.”

“Well, now you know. Send me the info so I can buy them together.” Cheng Yingqiu muttered, “You have no idea how hard it is to get these tickets. I owe a friend a big favor for this.”

“Okay, I’ll ask for her schedule first.”

“Whoa, so indulgent.” Cheng Yingqiu beamed. “Sis, I sent three red packets to my sister-in-law. Remind her to accept them.”

“You just started working and don’t have much money. You don’t need to do that.”

“My sister-in-law just started working too, and she sent me one.” When Tao Ling found out Cheng Yingqiu was in a relationship, she had immediately sent a 200-yuan red packet. Cheng Yingqiu raised an eyebrow. “I accepted 1,199 from you guys; is it so wrong to send 600 back? It’s for her, not for you.”

“Alright, you little rascal.”

Li Hewei returned to the room. Tao Ling wasn’t in the bathroom; following a rustling sound, she saw a small figure by the bed tidying the quilts. She walked over and waited for the girl to stand up before asking: “Are you free next Saturday and Sunday?”

“Yes, and the draft has already been sent for review.”

“Good. Send me your ID info.”

Tao Ling grabbed her phone from the nightstand. “What for?”

“A concert in Shanghai. Yingqiu got four tickets.” Li Hewei let out a soft sigh. “It’s a shame Disney hasn’t opened yet.”

“Disney?”

“According to the timeline, Shanghai Disneyland shouldn’t open until next year.”

Tao Ling searched for it on her browser and showed her: “It’s there. It opened in February this year.”

“Is that so?” Li Hewei was pleasantly surprised; it seemed the two worlds didn’t correspond perfectly in every detail. She checked the ticket information, her voice warm and pleasant. “I’ll take you to Disneyland.”

After some discussion, it was decided that Cheng Yingqiu would book the flights while Li Hewei handled the hotel and Disney tickets. Once the itinerary was set, Li Hewei looked up to see Tao Ling’s eyes looking dark and deep, like an ancient pool shrouded in mist.

“What’s wrong?”

Tao Ling hesitated before speaking: “Sister Wei, I’m looking forward to the trip, but the money you’re spending…”

Seeing the girl’s furrowed brow, Li Hewei reached out and smoothed her eyebrows. “Tao Tao, I understand your concerns, but I hope you understand my heart.”

“Who was the one saying we should cherish every minute together last night?”

“But…”

As the words hung on her lips, her phone chimed. She looked down to see a transfer notification.

[15,291 yuan.]

“This is everything I have. From now on, you’re in charge of the savings and expenses. As long as I’m here, we are a family. If I leave, these…” Li Hewei swallowed the rest of the sentence. From the moment they got together, while she craved “forever,” she was also preparing for the possibility of disappearing at any time.

“Sister Wei…” Tao Ling understood. Those unspoken words felt as heavy as a thousand pounds on her heart. She silently accepted the transfer, pulled open a drawer, and took out an account book, adding 15,291 to the existing 9,837.

Seeing that Tao Ling had taken her words to heart and acted on them, Li Hewei whispered, “Do you think I’m being too bossy?”

“No.” In her heart, Tao Ling prayed for Li Hewei to successfully complete her mission, yet feared the day it would end. She leaned her shoulder against the woman’s. “I understand your feelings, but I can’t help feeling it’s a bit much. I’ve heard other couples go 50/50 on everything.”

“They are them, and we are us. Besides, the camera Sister Qiu bought for Yingqiu cost over ten thousand. Feelings can’t be measured in money; it doesn’t matter who has more or less.” Li Hewei pulled Tao Ling into a light embrace and teased, “Silly girl.”

Standing outside the door and seeing the clock hit 9:00, Cheng Yingqiu finally couldn’t help but speak up: “Sisters, you’re going to be late!”

“I… I need to go get my things from the other room.” Tao Ling pulled away and fled the scene.

Once they were ready, the three of them left and entered the elevator. Cheng Yingqiu sent a photo of the couple to Qiu Wan, who was at the grocery store: [I’m cold too, I want a hug.]

Qiu Wan: [Hug.] Cheng Yingqiu: [A bit perfunctory.] Qiu Wan: [I bought you lunch.] (Attached two photos) Cheng Yingqiu: [Ah! Spicy chicken! My favorite!] Qiu Wan: [I’ll bring it over to you in a bit.]

Cheng Yingqiu watched the two women in front of her and snapped a quick photo, sending it privately to Li Hewei: [Sister, you’re a dark horse. So proactive! Here’s a photo of you two holding hands, don’t mention it.]