The Premeditated Seductress Childhood Friend - Chapter 30

Chapter 30: A Dream

Whether it was a pity or a blessing that Xu Qingyu hadn’t heard her, Song Yixi wasn’t sure. She still needed time to be certain.

But back in the car, she had undeniably felt something for Xu Qingyu. And she felt it now, too. It wasn’t just the urge to kiss. Holding hands felt right, hugging felt right; even just sitting by Xu Qingyu’s side and watching her smile felt like something. It was a feeling of wanting to possess Xu Qingyu, yet also wanting to protect and take care of her.

It was different from the simple desire to cling to Xu Qingyu when they were children.

Song Yixi wondered if it was because of that lecture. Things she had never considered before were now constantly flooding her mind. She feared she might just be caught up in the novelty of it all—wanting to try dating a girl simply because Xu Qingyu happened to be there. She felt that line of thinking was wicked and unacceptable. It was too insulting to Xu Qingyu.

She needed more time to confirm her feelings.

Slowly, Song Yixi let go of her hand. “Here, give it a try.”

King of Fighters was a fighting game. Song Yixi’s memories of it were years old, and she wasn’t very practiced. she operated the controls slowly, searching her memory as she experimented.

“Yeah, that’s it. Hit me.”

She was teaching Xu Qingyu, but Xu Qingyu couldn’t hear a thing. Song Yixi only realized this after her character was beaten to death. She glanced sideways at Xu Qingyu’s hands. Despite it being her first time, Xu Qingyu’s fingers were remarkably agile on the controls. She had learned the basics in just a few minutes.

She looked like she was having a lot of fun.

Song Yixi, however, felt a pang of sadness. If not for her poor health, Xu Qingyu could have experienced all of this a long time ago. She was so smart and a quick learner. It was such a pity.

Not wanting her own emotions to dampen the mood, Song Yixi turned back and focused on playing the game with her. They sat there and tried every game Song Yixi had loved as a child. They played the whole evening away.

It wasn’t until the arcade was about to close that Song Yixi led Xu Qingyu home. On the way back, Xu Qingyu fell asleep from exhaustion.

When they pulled into the driveway, Song Yixi didn’t wake her; she planned to carry her upstairs. However, just as she reached the passenger side, her mother came storming down the stairs from the garage.

“Song Yixi! It’s one thing not to tell me you’re home, but staying out ’til midnight messing around? Are you trying to worry your old lady to death on purpose?”

Song Yixi quickly made a “shushing” gesture. “Keep it down! You’ll wake Qingyu.”

“Don’t use Qingyu as an excuse…” Her mother was about to continue her tirade when she saw a figure emerge from the passenger seat. She squinted and saw it really was Xu Qingyu. Instantly, her fierce expression transformed into a beaming smile.

“Oh, Qingyu! You’re the one who took Yixi out to play? Where did you go? Are you tired? I made some poached eggs with brown sugar water; come have some.”

Song Yixi rolled her eyes in silence. She had grown used to this over the years. Though she occasionally wondered who the biological daughter actually was, she didn’t feel jealous knowing her mom treated Xu Qingyu well. In fact, she was happy about it. She felt everyone should be good to Xu Qingyu.

Sighing, she turned to Xu Qingyu. “Want some?”

Xu Qingyu shook her head. Having been startled awake, she wasn’t in the best state; her face was slightly pale. Song Yixi immediately supported her.

“Did you take your medicine today?”

Xu Qingyu shook her head again. She had been having so much fun with Song Yixi that she’d completely forgotten about her medicine. Song Yixi pursed her lips, instinctively wanting to scold her. But the image of Xu Qingyu looking aggrieved flashed through her mind, and the unkind words were immediately swallowed back down.

Without saying a word, she simply swept Xu Qingyu up into a princess carry. Xu Qingyu was very light; as she looped her arms around Song Yixi’s neck, Song Yixi could barely feel any weight. At times like this, she felt another wave of heartache for her.

Suppressing her emotions, she said to her mother, “What are you standing there for? Go brew the medicine.”

One second, Mom was admiring her daughter’s “boyfriend-level” strength; the next, she wanted to smack her. “How dare you talk to your mother like that?”

“Bleh.” Song Yixi stuck her tongue out and strode upstairs with Xu Qingyu in her arms.

Placing her on the bed in her own room, Song Yixi fluffed the pillows and helped her lie down. “My mom isn’t reliable with the medicine brewing. I’ll go keep an eye on it and bring it up to you in a bit.”

Xu Qingyu’s eyes were full of tenderness. “Okay.”

Song Yixi set a glass of water on the nightstand before heading back downstairs. Her mother had already gone next door to get the herbs and started brewing them. Song Yixi noticed two bowls of brown sugar eggs sitting nearby. She took the ladle from her mother’s hand and nudged her aside.

“Go eat your eggs. I’ll watch the stove.”

“I made those for you,” Mom said. “You look like you’ve lost weight again since you went back to school.”

Song Yixi laughed. “Is your cooking even edible?”

Her mother gave her a playful knock. “Even if it’s not, you’re eating it.”

“Fine, fine, I’ll eat.” Song Yixi picked up a bowl and finished it in a few gulps.

Seeing her finish, Mom said gossipily, “You and Qingyu seem much closer this time. Before, you were so cold to her. You wouldn’t admit you were fighting, but I guess you settled your differences at school, huh?”

“We weren’t fighting. There’s nothing.” Song Yixi didn’t dare look at her mother, fearing she’d be found out. In her heart, she felt she wasn’t lying. There was no conflict—just a tiny misunderstanding.

But thinking of that misunderstanding… Song Yixi paused for a few seconds, remembering why she had ignored Xu Qingyu for the past few years. It was because she mistakenly thought Xu Qingyu was dating someone.

To ignore the girl next door for years for a reason like that… why did it seem so absurd? Unless… she really did like Xu Qingyu.

Song Yixi lowered her head, not daring to follow that thought. Her mother, eating the other bowl of eggs, watched her daughter looking guilty and picking at her cuticles.

“It’s strange. Every time I mention Qingyu these past few years, you get this ‘guilty thief’ look on your face. What exactly did you do?”

“What do you mean ‘what did I do’?” Song Yixi refused to admit anything, counter-attacking instead. “And where do I look like a thief? How can you say that about your own daughter?”

Her mother let out a cold laugh. “You looked exactly like this when you broke the neighbor’s window as a kid and were too scared to admit it.”

Song Yixi immediately shut up. Although her mother could be flighty, she knew her daughter better than anyone most of the time. She lowered her head and focused on the brewing medicine. Her mother didn’t press her, simply standing by and finishing her eggs.

Once the medicine was ready, Song Yixi carried it up to Xu Qingyu. Her mother waved her off, saying, “Drop that ‘stubborn as a dead duck’ act and take good care of Qingyu.”

Song Yixi pretended not to hear. At her bedroom door, she paused, checking herself over before entering. She was afraid of letting something slip again.

Setting the medicine on the nightstand, she sat on the edge of the bed and gently shook Xu Qingyu’s shoulder. Xu Qingyu seemed to have fallen asleep and didn’t respond. The medicine was still scalding hot, so Song Yixi didn’t rush to wake her. Instead, she lay down beside her for a moment.

Before long, Song Yixi drifted into a daze and fell asleep. In her dream, someone was holding her hand, leading her through a vibrant, blossoming spring.