Waiting for You for a Long Time, But You Haven't Arrived - Chapter 53

She deceived Jiang Qionghua and left.

“Yishu, if I truly am as you say—not a real person at all—then I am indeed unworthy of your sincerity. After all, if everything is an illusion, the emotions accumulated over these years are nothing more than a yellow millet dream,” Jiang Qionghua murmured, embracing Ming Yishu from behind and resting her head lightly on her shoulder. “You say I am fake, but why then do I love you so much? I love you to the point of sleepless nights. This feeling is too real; I cannot understand why it is so.”

Being caught and held, Ming Yishu remained motionless.

Jiang Qionghua observed her quietly and found that Ming Yishu seemed completely frozen. Her eyes, which once shone with brilliance, had lost all color, giving way only to a profound sorrow.

“Once you return to your hometown, I will no longer be a burden to you. I do not know how many more years I can accompany you,” Jiang Qionghua said, her voice bitter and heavy with sadness. “After you leave, I will dissipate entirely. Before that happens, can you stay with me a little longer? Treat it as fulfilling the final wish of a person already dead.”

Jiang Qionghua spoke with such weakness and desolation—a tone of desperate pleading that Ming Yishu had never heard from her before. Ming Yishu’s heart trembled, and her shoulders tensed.

“Is that alright, Yishu…?”

Suddenly, Ming Yishu heard a trembling sob near her ear. She instinctively reached back to touch Jiang Qionghua’s cheek; the other woman’s face was already wet with tears.

Is Jiang Qionghua… crying?

“Fine. I promise you,” Ming Yishu said, gently closing her eyes.

“I will cherish this,” Jiang Qionghua replied, instantly reining in her tears. A faint smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth—she had succeeded. She realized that playing the victim was incredibly effective in front of Ming Yishu.

Ming Yishu’s heart was still soft for her. The other woman must still have lingering affection; Jiang Qionghua would seize this opportunity to win her back.

Jiang Qionghua breathed a silent sigh of relief and looked down greedily at Ming Yishu. Since Ming Yishu could not see her expression from that angle, her gaze grew bolder, as if she wanted to hide Ming Yishu inside her own body.

Her gaze traveled downward, reminiscing about the posture Ming Yishu had taken when she reached back. Her sleeves were wide and soft; when she raised her hand to touch Jiang Qionghua’s face, the fabric had draped down to reveal a section of snowy-white wrist—so fair and smooth that it would look even more beautiful with a few kiss marks upon it.

Even though she hadn’t completely changed Ming Yishu’s mind yet, Jiang Qionghua was already looking forward to the beautiful days ahead. She would cherishedly kiss every inch of Ming Yishu’s body, leaving marks everywhere…

Ming Yishu’s resolve had softened. Jiang Qionghua believed it wouldn’t be long before they were reconciled.

“Yishu, look back at me once more. I already know I was wrong. This time, I only want to spend my days with you; I won’t trick or deceive you again,” Jiang Qionghua said. “I know you are a person of deep feeling. When you ate that box of pastries, you only liked the stunning taste of the first bite. You said that even if other pastries tasted better later, you wouldn’t like them; no amount of wonderful flavors could shake the status of the Golden Osmanthus Crisp. That is the unique privilege of a ‘first encounter.’ If a mere sweet can receive such treatment, I believe you will feel the same for me, right?”

Jiang Qionghua no longer cared what the truth was; she was intent on rewriting reality to make the decision most favorable to herself.

“I want to eat Golden Osmanthus Crisp,” Ming Yishu said suddenly while leaning in Jiang Qionghua’s arms. She added, “I haven’t tasted it for a long time. I miss that flavor, and I miss the way you put your heart into bringing me pastries back then.”

“Fine, I will send someone to buy it,” Jiang Qionghua said with joy. Seeing that Ming Yishu seemed inclined toward forgiveness, she immediately prepared to summon her people.

Ming Yishu said, “I want to eat it now.”

The Duanhua Residence where they were staying was quite far from the capital. It would be difficult for anyone to return quickly with the pastries. But Jiang Qionghua could not let Ming Yishu’s wish go unfulfilled. Now that the other woman had finally relented and decided to forgive her, how could she let her down?

“I will go learn how to make it for you immediately.”

Jiang Qionghua had no idea how to make Golden Osmanthus Crisp, and she didn’t even have the ingredients on hand, but she agreed instantly.

No problem was too difficult. She could consult her subordinates who had served as cooks on how to make the pastry crust. If ingredients were missing, she would have her men ride fast horses to find them. She could stay in the kitchen indefinitely—even if she failed, at least Yishu would see her sincerity.

Overjoyed, Jiang Qionghua got up at once to order the search for ingredients.

Soon after, she went to the kitchen to awkwardly learn the steps. To ensure Ming Yishu could eat the pastry as soon as possible, Jiang Qionghua dispatched almost all of her subordinates. The Duanhua Residence suddenly became much quieter.

Jiang Qionghua stayed in the kitchen for the latter half of the night. She followed Aunt Xu’s instructions over and over, failing repeatedly. While waiting for the osmanthus filling, she had already invested several hours. As dawn approached, Jiang Qionghua finally emerged from her uncontrollable joy and felt a hint of exhaustion.

After all, she was not the same as she was ten years ago. Now that she was entering her thirties, she did indeed feel tired after extreme labor. But she dared not sleep; she feared Ming Yishu’s disappointment and feared that the small wish Ming Yishu had finally voiced would come to nothing.

Driven by this conviction, Jiang Qionghua forced herself to stay awake until morning. However, the people she sent out were too slow. She didn’t know why those items were so hard to find, but no one could return in time. After waiting another half-day, she finally became anxious. Because Aunt Xu was more knowledgeable, Jiang Qionghua sent her and the remaining staff out as well.

The vast Duanhua Residence was finally left with only her and Ming Yishu.

As the second evening approached, Jiang Qionghua leaned her head on her hand, feeling weary. At dusk, a shadow fell by her feet. Jiang Qionghua looked back and was instantly delighted: “Yishu, have you come to see me?”

“If you are tired, take a rest first,” Ming Yishu offered a brief word of concern, though she did not force the issue. “I’m going back for now. When you are finished, bring the Golden Osmanthus Crisp to my room to see me.”

To her room to see her privately? Jiang Qionghua immediately thought of many possibilities, and the joy in her heart became harder to suppress. She wished she could conjure a Golden Osmanthus Crisp out of thin air so she could stay overnight in Ming Yishu’s room.

“I am not tired. I am waiting to make the pastry for you,” Jiang Qionghua said, her eyes burning as she looked at her, unable to stop smiling. “Yishu, will you stay and accompany me?”

Ming Yishu did not answer but simply asked, “Would you like some tea?”

The question was a bit abrupt. Jiang Qionghua thought about it for a moment, keenly suspecting that there might be something wrong with the tea. After all, the secret guards watching the residence had all been sent away. If Ming Yishu chose this moment to leave, it would be much easier than before.

Jiang Qionghua dared not rest, dared not close her eyes, and certainly dared not drink the tea Ming Yishu brought. She shook her head, indicating she would just wait in the kitchen.

Ming Yishu did not press her and left with the tea.

The night grew deeper. Jiang Qionghua had not rested properly for several days. Waiting was tedious, and in the silence of the night, a heavy drowsiness washed over her again. She was afraid Ming Yishu would leave, so even sitting in a chair, she remained extremely uneasy.

After an unknown amount of time, Jiang Qionghua leaned her head on her hand and fell into a light sleep. She was a deeply suspicious person; even while sleeping, she remained mindful of her surroundings.

She was only thirty percent asleep but feigned being eighty percent unconscious. Gradually, a figure approached from outside, their footsteps light—very much like her Yishu. Jiang Qionghua’s breathing thinned as she paid attention to what the other intended to do. Was she going to drug her and leave? Or do something else once she was asleep?

Since the “forgiveness” had been obtained through her act of misery, she was incredibly uneasy. Even if Ming Yishu came, she had to stay alert to find a way to keep her.

But Ming Yishu said nothing when she reached her side. She simply draped a garment over Jiang Qionghua’s shoulders and left.

A surge of warmth rose in Jiang Qionghua’s heart. She realized she had overthought things. Her Yishu had come to care for her; she had added a layer of clothing for fear she would catch a cold. Jiang Qionghua chided herself for being too suspicious by nature, actually doubting that the other wanted to leave.

Yes, her Yishu never lied. How could she use such base thoughts to judge her?

Jiang Qionghua, filled with joy, pulled the garment on her shoulders tighter, her heart feeling increasingly sweet. She gradually drifted into a dream, carrying with her sweet expectations.

Jiang Qionghua woke up once in the middle of the night. It was nearly dawn, and still, no one had returned to the residence. She saw Ming Yishu keeping watch over her alone, staring blankly at a cup of tea.

In the silence of the night, the other woman looked like a deity under the moonlight; even her hair seemed gilded with light—so pure and clean, it made one yearn for her.

Ming Yishu set down the cup and asked, “Awake? Thirsty?”

Jiang Qionghua’s eyes fell on the tea cup. There was a mark of Ming Yishu’s lip rouge on it, like an eternal kiss. And Ming Yishu’s lips remained red and moist. Jiang Qionghua could even imagine the soft breath from those lips. Her throat moved. Seeing only one cup on the table and Ming Yishu asking if she was thirsty, she assumed Ming Yishu intended to pour her tea. If she agreed—she would likely be drinking from the same cup.

That lip print was so enticing. Without a second thought, Jiang Qionghua agreed: “I am indeed a bit thirsty. May I borrow the cup?”

Ming Yishu looked down, appearing troubled. She seemed to realize she hadn’t brought a second cup, creating this awkward situation.

“There is no need for a new cup,” Jiang Qionghua said quickly. “I will just use yours.”

“I will go find a new one,” Ming Yishu did not agree, standing up to take the cup away.

Jiang Qionghua hurriedly dodged the hand reaching out. Like a child snatching a favorite toy, she grabbed the cup first. Seeing there was still tea inside, she didn’t mind at all. She drank the remaining hot tea, pressing her lips directly against the mark Ming Yishu had left.

Ming Yishu: “You…”

Seeing Ming Yishu’s expression of “I don’t know what to do with you,” Jiang Qionghua triumphantly turned the cup to show her, as if boasting that she had kissed that lip print.

This moment was so perfect. Jiang Qionghua was so happy that she ignored many things—for instance, how cold Ming Yishu’s expression actually was, and how violently the drowsiness was surging back.

Ming Yishu watched with her own eyes as Jiang Qionghua fell asleep. Once she confirmed that the woman was truly drugged, she turned and left the Duanhua Residence.

She was going.

This was the best time.

She had deceived Jiang Qionghua. It hadn’t been easy to lead her into the trap, but in the end, she had succeeded.

Ming Yishu dared not stay a moment longer. She had to be heartless and leave. The previous breakdown and despair had all been an act for Jiang Qionghua. Regardless of how much the other believed or how long she had played along, Ming Yishu didn’t care. As long as she could leave, nothing else mattered.

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