You Should’ve Said Earlier that you’re Such a Little Flirt! - Chapter 46

After returning home, Xu Qingqiong found it a bit difficult to fall asleep.

It had been a long time since she had felt this level of excitement. Even though it was just a small matter, she was looking forward to it intensely. It was like the primal, irrepressible joy and anticipation a primary school student feels before a spring field trip.

The room was quiet. Lin Konglu’s arm was draped around her waist, her face pressed gently against Xu Qingqiong’s shoulder. Xu Qingqiong could hear her steady, quiet breathing; it felt like a butterfly fluttering its wings, landing softly by her ear over and over again.

In the past, when she was livestreaming, she liked interacting with all sorts of people. She worked very hard to keep herself happy. But now, she didn’t have to think about anything else—happiness came to her effortlessly.

It was wonderful. And she loved the feeling.

She wanted to turn her head to look at Lin Konglu, but she hadn’t expected that her slight movement would wake her.

Lin Konglu stirred from her light sleep. Thinking Xu Qingqiong was having a nightmare, she placed her palm against her back and stroked it gently.

“What’s wrong? What did you dream about?”

Xu Qingqiong shook her head. “I just haven’t fallen asleep yet.”

Lin Konglu didn’t say anything but moved a bit closer. “Hmm?”

Xu Qingqiong looked up at her, hooking her arms around her neck and resting her forehead against her chest. Her hand suddenly brushed against the back of Lin Konglu’s neck, touching the scar there.

Lin Konglu’s body stiffened slightly.

Xu Qingqiong had actually always been a little curious. She couldn’t help but ask, “How did you get the scar here?”

Lin Konglu hesitated for a moment before whispering, “A car accident.”

Xu Qingqiong raised the arm that bore her own scar and said in surprise, “What a coincidence, me too.”

“Yes.” Lin Konglu lowered her eyes, staring at that scar. For a fleeting moment, her expression was filled with sorrow. “Did it hurt…?”

Lin Konglu leaned down, her lips pressing a gentle, lingering kiss onto the scar. She kissed her with such earnestness.

It was warm, itchy, and so tender that it was almost overwhelming.

Xu Qingqiong pulled her arm back awkwardly. “…Actually, it was okay.”

“After all, I don’t really remember the details, and it happened so long ago. It stopped hurting ages ago.”

Xu Qingqiong gently touched the scar on the back of Lin Konglu’s neck and changed the subject. “What about you?”

Lin Konglu nodded, gripping her hand tightly. Her voice was very soft. “It hurt. It hurt very much.”

Xu Qingqiong was stunned, and she hugged her tightly out of heartache.

Lin Konglu looked down at her.

In truth, the pain didn’t come from the wound itself, but from the memory that played repeatedly in her mind. It was mixed with the tone Xu Qingqiong had used to comfort her back then, replaying over and over. Every time it surfaced, she would wonder if Xu Qingqiong had been in a lot of pain… it was like a dull knife carving into flesh, a repeated, slow torture.

Initially, she had felt a trace of “resentment” over why Xu Qingqiong didn’t remember her. But later, she suddenly felt that it was for the best that Xu Qingqiong forgot.

These memories bearing the weight of wounds—these painful memories—were enough for her alone to remember. Xu Qingqiong only needed to be happy.

Lin Konglu caught her fingers and leaned in to kiss them.

Perhaps the light was too dim to see clearly, or perhaps her gaze was simply too mournful—like a lake that appeared calm on the surface but harbored surging currents beneath.

Xu Qingqiong felt an inexplicable wave of sadness infect her as well. She pursed her lips and blinked hard to shake the emotion from her mind.

She deliberately steered the conversation away. “Tomorrow, I’m taking you to a breakfast shop.”

Lin Konglu: “Okay.”

Xu Qingqiong: “It’s delicious. Sister Rui recommended it to me.”

Lin Konglu: “Okay.”

Xu Qingqiong: “…Is ‘okay’ all you can say?”

Lin Konglu: “…No.”

Xu Qingqiong: “Then give me a kiss.”

Lin Konglu: “Okay.”

Xu Qingqiong: “Hahahaha.”

The internal strife within SES began as mere industry rumors, but clues soon began to leak out, making it impossible to hide. The stock price fell, and within just one week, all sorts of chaotic news broke.

What started as insider gossip among industry professionals quickly fermented until almost anyone with a slight interest in the business could discuss it in detail. Two days ago, it had even made the financial news.

Lin Konglu had worked diligently at SES for so many years—long enough for her to understand the company inside and out. This was exactly why the internal collapse of SES happened so rapidly.

It was also because Lin Shuhai was too arrogant and controlling. He thought everything was within his grasp and never imagined he would be brought down by a junior.

But Lin Konglu wasn’t paying much attention to that matter anymore. Xu Qingqiong’s attention wasn’t on it at all, either.

The two had completely synchronized their schedules, reaching an unprecedented level of intimacy.

They woke up together, ate breakfast together, and went to the art museum together. After work, they gave up driving to walk home hand-in-hand, strolling along the streets, and falling asleep in each other’s arms at night.

At first, colleagues would tease her, saying, “Qingqiong, bringing your family member to work again?” Eventually, they grew used to it, and occasionally, when things got too busy, they would even pull Lin Konglu in to help.

Life was like calm water.

Xu Qingqiong had heard a saying before: when a person is happy enough, they feel that time moves faster, because happy emotions are not as easily etched into deep memory.

She knew very well that this was because she had Lin Konglu by her side.

On this day, the two of them walked home together as usual.

The distance from the art museum to their home was only a few kilometers—about a thirty-minute walk. Walking those roads alone might have felt boring, but walking together hand-in-hand made everything feel joyful, even if they did nothing at all.

The flowers and grass by the roadside, the pedestrians, the occasional clouds drifting by—suddenly, everything became interesting and vivid.

The two of them slowly observed the shops on both sides of the street.

Xu Qingqiong suddenly stopped and pulled on Lin Konglu. “Look over there!”

Lin Konglu looked in the direction she pointed. It was a cat café. Through the transparent glass window, they could see a small kitten lying by the ledge.

The two of them leaned their heads together, looking at the kitten through the glass.

A small tabby cat looked up, its tiny paws treading the ground, its short tail standing stiff and straight. It watched them with wide, rolling black eyes.

Xu Qingqiong extended a finger and wiggled it to tease the kitten. The kitten immediately became lively, stretching out its paws to pounce left and right following her finger, as if it had discovered a wondrous new toy.

As Xu Qingqiong played happily, a young shop assistant wearing an apron noticed them. She stepped out of the shop and asked with a smile, “Are you two looking to adopt this kitten?”

Xu Qingqiong froze for a moment, only then noticing a sign hanging next to the kitten. It read: Stray cat, awaiting adoption…

The clerk asked gently, “Have you ever raised a cat before?”

Xu Qingqiong looked toward Lin Konglu. Lin Konglu shook her head.

“If you haven’t raised one before, you can’t adopt it for the time being,” the clerk explained carefully after a moment of reflection. “The kitten is too small right now. If you’re novices, it’s quite easy for things to go wrong.”

“We can exchange contact information. After all, taking care of a small life isn’t that simple; you can take some time to consider it carefully. If you’re absolutely certain about adopting, I can hold it for you. Once the kitten is a bit older, you can take it home.”

Then, the clerk enthusiastically invited them inside to see the kitten. The kitten looked up at them and proactively pressed its head against Xu Qingqiong’s palm, letting out two small “meows.”

Xu Qingqiong was delighted. She whispered Lin Konglu’s name and pulled her hand over so she could feel the kitten’s soft fur as well.

“Isn’t it cute?” By the time they left the cat café, Xu Qingqiong was completely captivated and had already decided she wanted to adopt. “How about we adopt it?”

Late autumn had arrived. The trees along the sidewalk were shedding leaves, which crunched under their feet. She hadn’t noticed it before, but the weather seemed to have turned cold all of a sudden. As Xu Qingqiong spoke, her exposed fingers felt a bit numb from the cold, and she subconsciously curled them inward.

Lin Konglu reached out to hook her fingers around Xu Qingqiong’s and nodded. As their palms met, the warmth spread instantly.

“Then we’ll pick it up and bring it home next month.”

But before next month could arrive, the music festival did.

The festival was on a weekend. They had planned ahead, checking the guest list and reading “Beginner’s Guides to Music Festivals.” Though there weren’t any specific artists they were obsessed with, they approached it with a relaxed attitude, just wanting to experience it.

Just as they were preparing to head out, Xu Qingqiong suddenly received a call from a colleague. The colleague’s voice sounded frantic, saying there was a problem with an exhibition.

It involved an artist they had been coordinating with—someone with a typical “painter’s temperament.” The exhibition was supposed to open today, but for some reason, he had gotten into a conflict with the gallery staff. The artist was so furious that he refused to communicate and was unwilling to show his face for the scheduled meet-and-greet with visitors. The staff were in a panic.

Sister Rui had been the one handling him alongside Xu Qingqiong, but Sister Rui was on leave and likely already out of the country… After thinking it over, the colleague had no choice but to call Xu Qingqiong.

This was a matter that had to be resolved immediately.

Xu Qingqiong hesitated for a few seconds, looking tentatively at Lin Konglu. Their original plans were definitely going to be disrupted.

Lin Konglu said, “It’s okay. I’ll go with you to help resolve it first.”

Xu Qingqiong shook her head. “No…”

While they could enter the music festival at any time, the singer Sister Rui liked was the second performer in the morning slot. If they went to the art museum first, they definitely wouldn’t make it to the festival in time.

She checked the time and said hesitantly, “How about you go first? I’ll handle this and get there as fast as I can.”

That painter wasn’t a bad person; he was just very blunt and a bit stubborn, with very high standards for his exhibitions. He wasn’t the type to throw a tantrum for no reason. Xu Qingqiong guessed that some detail in the exhibition had dissatisfied him, leading to this situation. Once the situation was clarified, it should be fairly easy to fix.

She comforted Lin Konglu, “It’ll be very quick. I’ll rush over the moment I’m done. I won’t make you wait long!”

She hurried to the art museum. After glancing around the exhibition hall and not finding anyone, she rushed to the conference room.

However, the moment she reached the room, she sensed something was wrong with the atmosphere. Xu Qingqiong subconsciously paused in her tracks. She looked up and saw a familiar person sitting in the room.

—Lin Shuhai.

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