The Devious, Seductive Older Woman Has Been Plotting to Get Me for a Long Time - Chapter 6

Chapter 6: I’m Waiting for You at Home

In the weeks that followed, Xiang Shuxing behaved herself.

She stayed busy, juggling the workload of making up missed credits while cramming for make-up exams, a schedule that was both exhausting and fulfilling.

Behaving herself didn’t mean she was afraid of Chu Yingqiu’s warnings; it was just that her academic future was her own priority. Once this busy period was over, she planned to go find Fu Jin for some fun.

As late autumn arrived, the weather grew colder. The bedding in her dorm was thin, so Xiang Shuxing decided to go home for the weekend to bring back a thicker quilt. She left late and didn’t arrive home until dusk.

As she looked down for her keys, she didn’t feel much of anything. Ever since her mother passed away, their spacious house felt empty, and she no longer felt any anticipation about coming home.

Xiang Shuxing pushed the door open and entered. Their villa had a minimalist layout, and the living room was visible from the foyer. She glanced up inadvertently, only to find a figure sitting on the leather sofa in the living room.

She looked familiar.

Frowning, she walked closer. The woman on the sofa was staring at her laptop screen without looking up. “You’re back?“

“Yeah,” Xiang Shuxing responded subconsciously. “Aren’t you usually not living here?“

Back when Chu Yingqiu had people move things in, she hadn’t seen the woman stay there afterward. She had assumed Chu Yingqiu wouldn’t be coming over.

Chu Yingqiu said calmly, “I don’t usually live here, but since you were coming back to get things this weekend…“

Xiang Shuxing froze. She had mentioned it briefly to the woman on WeChat a few days ago, but hadn’t received a reply until now. So, she had seen it.

“I thought you hadn’t seen it at all.“

Chu Yingqiu ignored her muttering, glanced at the time, and saw it was nearly dinner time. She closed her laptop and asked softly, “Do you want to go out to eat?“

Xiang Shuxing looked around, puzzled. “Isn’t Aunt Wu coming today?“

Usually, Aunt Wu came to cook. Before she returned, she had expected to be greeted by a table of hot food.

Chu Yingqiu replied, “Aunt Wu is busy these few days and can’t make it.“

Xiang Shuxing let out an “Ah,” and immediately pulled out her phone to order takeout. Seeing her quick movements, Chu Yingqiu frowned slightly. “Ordering takeout every meal isn’t healthy. You should eat at home.“

Xiang Shuxing raised an eyelid. “I don’t know how to cook.“

“I do.“

Xiang Shuxing paused for a long time, confirming that those two words had truly come out of the woman’s mouth.

“What? Do I not look like the type who can cook?” Chu Yingqiu smiled, unable to resist teasing her.

Xiang Shuxing let her gaze rest on the woman’s upturned lips for a second before looking away. She really doesn’t look like it, she thought. Someone as cold and elegant as Chu Yingqiu seemed like the type who had been well-raised since childhood and likely, like the Xiang family, always hired others to cook.

Chu Yingqiu seemed to know what she was thinking. “You forgot, I studied abroad for a few years.“

“Oh.” Xiang Shuxing suddenly realized, then watched as the person beside her stood up and headed straight for the kitchen. She followed closely behind, but it was clear that Chu Yingqiu didn’t need her guidance; she moved with familiarity, as if she knew the entire layout by heart.

Xiang Shuxing was skeptical, but she didn’t pour cold water on her, choosing instead to stand silently to the side and observe. Chu Yingqiu took out the vegetables prepared in the fridge and deftly tied up her hair, revealing a beautiful, sharp jawline.

The setting sun’s glow filtered in through the window, sprinkling over them. Xiang Shuxing clutched the corner of her shirt, pretending to have nothing to do, when in fact, her peripheral vision was fixed entirely on the person across from her.

From this angle, she could only see Chu Yingqiu’s profile. Those cold, beautiful eyes were slightly lowered, revealing an expression of focused intent. Her gaze moved down to the woman’s fair, slender hands carefully washing the vegetables. The water in late autumn was much colder than before, and as it splashed down, a faint redness soon appeared on the backs of the woman’s hands.

Xiang Shuxing leaned in the corner, exhaling silently. Chu Yingqiu was busy over there, while she had nothing to do. Feeling bad about it, she stepped closer and asked softly, “Is there anything I can help you with?“

“If you don’t mind, help me tie my apron.“

“Oh, okay.” Xiang Shuxing agreed without thinking and fetched the apron.

Chu Yingqiu watched her run over “pitter-patter” like a little rabbit and return just as quickly, her lips curling upward imperceptibly. Xiang Shuxing looked down, fidgeting with the apron in her hands, and stopped in front of Chu Yingqiu, only to find the woman staring at her without blinking.

“Turn around,” Xiang Shuxing instructed. “Lift your arms.“

The person in front of her obeyed her every word. Seeing this, Xiang Shuxing raised her eyebrows in surprise.

“Aren’t you going to tie it?” Noticing the person behind her hadn’t moved for a while, Chu Yingqiu tilted her head slightly to ask.

“Almost there.” Xiang Shuxing answered quickly. She mentally prepared herself for a moment before moving closer. Her hands reached around the woman’s slender, soft waist, trying to minimize contact as much as possible, yet her body was unconsciously leaning forward.

As she got closer, she smelled a familiar perfume. It was no longer fresh and pleasant, but instead made her feel a bit dizzy in that moment. Her heart beat rapidly. Xiang Shuxing lowered her eyes, her fingertips pinching the fabric tie to tie a flexible knot, and then she took half a step back to pull away.

“Done.” A calm voice sounded from behind. The sunset glow outside lengthened their shadows. Chu Yingqiu watched their shadows go from touching to separating, her eyelashes trembling slightly.

Xiang Shuxing tried to steady her racing heart and casually found a topic: “Didn’t you study abroad for several years? How are you still so familiar with the house?“

Chu Yingqiu said coolly, “Because I remember everything.“

She suddenly lifted her eyes, her gaze lingering on Xiang Shuxing’s face. “I remember it perfectly.“

A strange feeling flashed through her heart. Xiang Shuxing met her gaze. Those eyes were still cold and calm, like a tranquil lake. Yet, at this moment, they seemed to be hiding other emotions. Unable to decipher the meaning, Xiang Shuxing looked away.

Neither of them spoke for the rest of the time. Chu Yingqiu’s movements were skilled, as if she didn’t need help, so Xiang Shuxing tactfully left the kitchen. Back in her room, Xiang Shuxing pulled out her thick quilt, but her mind was elsewhere.

She was still thinking about their conversation. She had been busy dealing with her mother’s funeral, and then Mingchen had become embroiled in a public scandal, so she hadn’t had time to think it through properly. At the time, Chu Yingqiu seemed to have only stayed here for a year. Why was she so familiar with everything in the Xiang house?

Xiang Shuxing frowned, trying to recall, but the memories from that period seemed completely missing, as if they had vanished entirely. The more she tried to recall, the more her temples began to throb with pain. After a long while, she chose to give up. It was at that moment that she noticed the sound of chopping in the kitchen had suddenly stopped.

After a moment of hesitation, she walked over and poked her head into the kitchen, feeling uneasy. Chu Yingqiu was standing with her back to her, head lowered, busy with something.

“What…happened?” Xiang Shuxing’s tone faltered, her sharp eyes catching the wound on Chu Yingqiu’s hand. There was a bloody cut on her fingertip, blood bubbling out, yet the woman seemed not to feel the pain, simply holding the wound under the faucet.

The ice-cold water, just thinking about it made her wince. Xiang Shuxing walked over, not noticing how tightly she was furrowing her brows. “Are you alright?“

Chu Yingqiu shook her head, her tone as calm as ever. “I’m fine, it’ll be better in a moment.“

Xiang Shuxing was silent for a moment before coughing lightly. “I have Band-Aids there. Do you need one?“

“Are you worried about me?“

“Definitely not,” Xiang Shuxing quickly denied. “I’m just doing it because you’re cooking for me.“

After saying that, she didn’t wait for Chu Yingqiu’s reaction and turned around, digging through a pile of medicine in the drawer to find a Band-Aid. “Here.“

Chu Yingqiu didn’t take it, instead lifting her hand to show it was wet and inconvenient. Xiang Shuxing pursed her lips, tore open the Band-Aid, and carefully applied it to the wound.

“I’m telling you, I’m not worried at all. On the contrary, I hate you—I hate the rules you’ve set.“

Fu Jin had sent several invitations over this period, and she had rejected them with all sorts of excuses, none of which worked, eventually causing Fu Jin to call and ask what was wrong. Xiang Shuxing couldn’t explain it; if Fu Jin knew she was this submissive to Chu Yingqiu, she’d definitely laugh at her.

Thinking of this, Xiang Shuxing hummed, harboring some thoughts of revenge, and pressed down hard on the wound. Seeing the woman’s eyebrows knit together slightly, she curled her lips and asked deliberately, “How is it? Does it still hurt? President Chu?“

Chu Yingqiu coldly withdrew her hand.

Xiang Shuxing thought for a few seconds and leaned in. “I’ve been very well-behaved for these two weeks. I can make up my credits and exams soon. When will you agree to let me go do my internship?“

Chu Yingqiu saw through her thoughts instantly. “We’ll talk once you’ve made up your missed hours.“

Xiang Shuxing curled her lips and turned to leave.

An hour later, they finally sat down to eat. Perhaps out of frustration, the person in front of her kept her head buried, only focused on picking up food, not once looking her way.

Chu Yingqiu withdrew her gaze, her mind filled with Xiang Shuxing’s words: “I hate you.“

The young Xiang Shuxing had been mischievous, but there were times when she was warm and sensible. She had always been someone who spoke her mind, saying exactly what she thought. She wondered how much she had changed now. Or perhaps, she had never changed at all.

Chu Yingqiu lowered her eyes, staring at the cartoon Band-Aid on her fingertip.

Silence fell, and neither spoke. Xiang Shuxing kept her head down, feeling indignant. If Chu Yingqiu would just soften her stance a little, agreeing to the internship or not restricting her late-night returns, she could have stopped being angry immediately.

But the woman in front of her seemed to be deliberately wearing her down. She didn’t speak, and Chu Yingqiu didn’t speak either.

Finally, a minute later, Xiang Shuxing said with a cold face, “I’m going back to school tomorrow.”

Chu Yingqiu didn’t have much of a reaction. “Okay.”

It seemed this person didn’t care at all about how long she stayed or when she left; no wonder that message hadn’t received a reply until now. Xiang Shuxing tightened her grip on her chopsticks unconsciously. She had always been someone who spoke her mind and didn’t like keeping things hidden.

“The message I sent you, why didn’t you reply?”

Chu Yingqiu was startled. “I didn’t?”

She took out her phone. Perhaps the signal hadn’t been good at the time, and her reply hadn’t been sent. Looking at the low-bowed face in front of her, Chu Yingqiu sighed helplessly and pushed the phone toward her.

“Take a look.”

“What?” Xiang Shuxing glanced at it, and saw the reply that hadn’t been sent.

“Okay, I’m waiting for you at home.”