When The Harem Novel’s Heroine Meets The Tragic Heroine - Chapter 10

Bei Qiuqiu watched as the other girl’s gaze remained fixed on her waist. A flicker of secret delight rose within her, the pride of a small scheme succeeding—but her joy lasted only two seconds.

The person opposite her suddenly stood up. Like a strict parent, she uttered a sharp “Dress yourself properly” before reaching out and fastening the buttons on Bei Qiuqiu’s chest, one by one.

Bei Qiuqiu: “…”

As if that weren’t enough, Yu Qingling lowered her hands to untie the knot at the young girl’s waist. In the process, her fingertips accidentally brushed against the delicate skin of Qiuqiu’s small waist.

The texture was incredibly soft. Yu Qingling’s heart skipped a beat; she hurriedly withdrew her hand, followed immediately by a wave of annoyance at herself.

They were both women! The other girl had exactly what she had! Why was she overreacting?

But then again… her own waist wasn’t this soft. She only had abs that were elastic but lacked this level of suppleness.

Still, she shouldn’t have felt that instinctive cowardice just now, should she?

Something was wrong!

She was very much “wrong”!

Was it true, as the noble ladies used to whisper in private, that spending too much time in the military camp had subtly influenced her into thinking she was a man?

Is that why she reacted that way when she unintentionally touched that soft patch of skin?

Yu Qingling’s expression grew solemn, and the look in her dark eyes turned sharp.

Seeing this, Bei Qiuqiu stuck out her tongue. Under Yu Qingling’s stern gaze, she untied and refastened the waist knot herself.

The sense of defeat was overwhelming.

However, she was never one to be easily discouraged by setbacks. At the very least, she was now officially wearing a “couple’s outfit” with Yu Qingling.

Returning the jacket and leaving immediately was, of course, out of the question. Any opportunity to stay and spend more time with her “Sister” to build their relationship had to be seized.

Bei Qiuqiu sat down nearby and asked, “Sister, have you had lunch yet?”

Yu Qingling shook her head. She looked out the window at the drizzling rain, then at the mountain of instant noodles and potato chips on the table. She was hesitating over whether to invite Bei Qiuqiu to gnaw on dry rations with her when she saw Bei Qiuqiu clutching her phone.

“I haven’t eaten either. Let’s order takeout together.”

Yu Qingling pulled back her hand, which had been reaching for the instant noodles. Order takeout?

It was yet another novelty she knew nothing about. Yu Qingling tilted her head slightly, looking toward Bei Qiuqiu’s phone, silently memorizing every move she made.

“What does Sister want to eat today?” Bei Qiuqiu opened the delivery app and turned to look at Yu Qingling. Seeing that the other girl was watching her screen, she naturally scooted her buttocks closer, placing the phone between them.

Yu Qingling gave her usual answer: “Anything is fine. You decide.”

Bei Qiuqiu smiled. “Then I’ll take charge for you!”

Bei Qiuqiu had the type of physique that never gained weight. In the few years since she had transmigrated into this book world, she had tasted almost all the delicacies it had to offer.

She tapped directly into a restaurant she knew tasted great, picking dishes while asking for the opinion of the person beside her.

Yu Qingling was not a picky eater and had no dietary restrictions; she nodded in agreement to every dish Bei Qiuqiu suggested.

After placing the order, Bei Qiuqiu looked at the cold beauty beside her and entered small-talk mode.

“Sister, what do you like to do in your spare time?”

“Practice with blades and spears.”

Bei Qiuqiu burst out laughing.

This caused Yu Qingling a moment of embarrassment. This hobby of hers had once been a laughingstock among the noble ladies of the capital during their leisure hours.

However, Bei Qiuqiu’s reason for laughing was different from theirs.

“Sister, are you telling the truth? Or are you just trying to make me happy?”

Yu Qingling’s expression was very serious. “Of course it’s the truth.”

Bei Qiuqiu glanced around the room and raised a doubt. “Then where are your blades and spears, Sister?”

Yu Qingling: “…”

Her blades and spears hadn’t transmigrated with her. As a martial arts coach, the original owner’s only teaching tool—a pair of nunchucks—had already been snapped in half by her.

Bei Qiuqiu teased her, “Sister, are you using mops and brooms to replace swords and spears?”

Yu Qingling thought for a second and nodded.

Although she hadn’t used them before, she felt she could try using them to practice in the future.

Recalling the cool way Yu Qingling had kicked that person flying earlier, Bei Qiuqiu’s voice turned sweet as honey. “Sister, you are so amazing.”

This time, there was no hint of mockery; Yu Qingling could see genuine admiration in her eyes.

This was perhaps the first time Yu Qingling had received such recognition from a peer of the same sex. Her heart beat a little faster, and the corners of her lips curled up involuntarily.

Bei Qiuqiu looked thoughtful and tested the waters jokingly: “It seems like for your birthday, I should give you a real broadsword?”

Anyone else might have thought she was looking for a fight, but Yu Qingling’s eyes lit up. She then asked solemnly, “What gift would you like for your birthday?”

This was a tacit acceptance of Bei Qiuqiu’s idea of giving a sword as a gift, and she was already planning her reciprocal gesture.

Bei Qiuqiu just smiled. “Will you give me whatever gift I want, Sister?”

“To the best of my ability.”

“Then I’ll tell you when I think of something.”

“Okay.”

At this, Bei Qiuqiu was overjoyed.

Not only did she know Yu Qingling’s address and get to wear her clothes, but she also knew Yu Qingling’s birthday was coming and had secured a promise to exchange gifts. Today’s harvest was truly massive.

After enjoying a pleasant lunch together, Bei Qiuqiu glanced at the persistent drizzle outside and sighed. “When will this rain ever stop?”

Yu Qingling looked at the sky. “Not much longer. Leave after the rain stops.”

Bei Qiuqiu suppressed her joy at being asked to stay. In her imagination, the next step should be the two of them watching a drama together or browsing Taobao for a shopping spree—things she often did with friends back home.

The reality, however, was this: After telling Bei Qiuqiu to “make yourself at home,” Yu Qingling turned on the TV and began watching the boring news.

This was a shortcut Yu Qingling had recently discovered to quickly understand this world.

She watched with great interest. At first, Bei Qiuqiu sat beside her with her chin in her hands, watching along. But after a while, she began to yawn incessantly.

By the time the news ended, Yu Qingling realized the person beside her had fallen asleep while sitting up.

Her head was nodding toward Yu Qingling, and her mouth was slightly pouted—she looked indescribably cute.

Yu Qingling turned off the TV, helped her lie down comfortably, and found a thin blanket to gently cover her.

When Bei Qiuqiu woke up, the sky outside had already begun to darken, and the rain had stopped at some point.

She scanned the room, only to find Yu Qingling sitting quietly cross-legged nearby. Her eyes were closed; she seemed to be asleep.

Bei Qiuqiu wanted to admire the “sleeping beauty,” but the light in the room was too dim. She had to sneak closer just to see her clearly.