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墨書 Inktalez
"That's it, I'm definitely getting fired by the manager now..." Liu Shuhan collapsed in the passenger seat, wailing.
Cheng Qiuyi kept her word; it was unclear how she had so accurately found Liu Shuhan while she was delivering for Courier. In any case, Cheng Qiuyi suddenly appeared in front of Liu Shuhan and pulled her into the car without explanation.
"Cheng Qiuyi, what on earth do you want to do!" Liu Shuhan glared at Cheng Qiuyi with deep resentment, wishing she could bite her.
Cheng Qiuyi smiled and said, "Shu Han, you can't blame me for this. If you want to blame someone, blame your manager for being so stingy. If I don't take some decisive action, neither of us will ever get to go out and have fun."
Liu Shuhan couldn't help but laugh: "Wow, this fake foreigner who's been abroad for so many years still knows about being stingy? Not bad, not bad; at least you haven't forgotten our ancestral cultural traditions."
Cheng Qiuyi recognized the sarcasm in her words but wasn't offended. She gently said, "We still have over three hours of driving ahead. Why don't you take a nap? I'll wake you up when we arrive."
Liu Shuhan was particularly fond of Cheng Qiuyi's gentle approach; her soft-spoken words warmed her heart, and all her anger dissipated. Losing a job could be remedied, but losing a partner was irreversible. Therefore, Liu Shuhan comforted herself by thinking that nothing was more important than being with her partner. She murmured, "I'm not sleepy. Let's chat instead. Where are you taking me?"
Liu Shuhan was worried that Cheng Qiuyi would be bored driving alone for several hours. Cheng Qiuyi understood this and smiled, saying, "Alright then. Are you hungry? How about we grab a bite to eat before we hit the highway?"
Liu Shuhan shook her head. "Not hungry. Are you?"
"I'm not hungry either."
"Oh..." Although she had suggested chatting, Liu Shuhan found herself at a loss for words and had to wrack her brain for interesting stories from her time delivering for Courier. Cheng Qiuyi occasionally responded to her comments as they drove along the highway for over an hour.
"It's too dry in here; have some water." Cheng Qiuyi casually handed a bottle of water to Liu Shuhan.
Liu Shuhan realized she was parched and took a sip of water before remembering that Cheng Qiuyi still hadn't told her where they were going.
"Qiu Yi, where are you taking me?"
"You'll know when we get there," Cheng Qiuyi teased.
Liu Shuhan, frustrated, turned her head to look out the window at the scenery.
Though Liu Shuhan claimed she wasn't sleepy, within less than ten minutes of silence, her eyelids drooped, and her head rested against the car window, shaking gently with the rhythm of the vehicle.
Cheng Qiuyi glanced in the rearview mirror and reached out with one hand to adjust Liu Shuhan's position. Liu Shuhan instinctively wrapped her arms around Cheng Qiuyi's arm, resting her upper body against it and softly falling asleep.
With only one hand on the steering wheel, Cheng Qiuyi didn't dare to drive too fast. She stopped at a rest area ahead, gently pulled her hand from Liu Shuhan's embrace, and reclined the seat to make her more comfortable.
"Are we there?" Liu Shuhan mumbled sleepily as she rubbed her eyes.
"Not yet. Keep sleeping; I'll wake you when we arrive."
"I'm not sleepy; I'll get up and keep you company..."
"Be good," Cheng Qiuyi said, stroking Liu Shuhan's forehead. "We still have an hour to go. Just sleep."
Cheng Qiuyi's voice had a unique soothing effect, and Liu Shuhan indeed fell into a deep sleep.
The two of them had set off in the afternoon. Although it was still hot during the day after autumn had arrived, the evening breeze brought a hint of coolness. The night fell much earlier than in summer; by around six o'clock, darkness had already descended.
As Cheng Qiuyi exited the highway, she couldn't help but reflect on how unpredictable life was. The city had developed so quickly that in less than ten years, she could hardly recognize its former appearance. She looked at the peacefully sleeping Liu Shuhan and felt a wave of relief; thankfully, her silly friend hadn't changed and was still the same silly person from nine years ago.
After parking the car, Cheng Qiuyi gently woke Liu Shuhan. As Liu Shuhan opened her eyes and saw the dark surroundings, she was momentarily disoriented until she recognized Cheng Qiuyi's face above her.
"Are we there?" Liu Shuhan asked.
"We're here." Cheng Qiuyi quickly unbuckled Liu Shuhan's seatbelt and helped her sit up.
"Where is this? Why is it so dark?"
"This is the hotel parking lot. Let's get out and go have dinner."
"Wait a minute!" Liu Shuhan felt a bit confused. "Aren't we going back tonight?"
"Who told you we were going back?" Cheng Qiuyi said matter-of-factly. "We're going to stay here for several days."
Liu Shuhan resignedly got out of the car. Well, it seemed that work and her wife really couldn't coexist.
It wasn't until they reached the hotel entrance that Liu Shuhan finally noticed something was off. This... wasn't this City Z, her hometown? She remembered this hotel; she used to pass by it frequently when she was in high school. It hadn't closed down after all these years; in fact, business seemed to be thriving.
"Cheng Qiuyi, I thought you were taking me somewhere nice, but you brought me back to City Z?" Liu Shuhan's parents lived in City Z, and she had to come back at least twice a year. What was Cheng Qiuyi thinking?
"I haven't been back in almost ten years. Recently, for some reason, I've really wanted to come back and take a look."
"No, why stay in a hotel when we're in City Z? Come on, let's go home." Liu Shuhan grabbed Cheng Qiuyi's hand, trying to lead her away, but Cheng Qiuyi stood still, not moving an inch. "What's wrong?" Liu Shuhan asked.
The wind was strong at night, and Liu Shuhan's hands felt a bit cold. Cheng Qiuyi wrapped her hands around Liu Shuhan's. "Shu Han, if you take me home, have you thought about how to face your parents?"
Liu Shuhan paused for a moment; she had never considered that question.
Her parents were traditional intellectuals. The thought of them knowing their daughter was a lesbian... Liu Shuhan couldn't imagine what the consequences would be. Moreover, her father had not been in good health over the past two years; how could he handle such a shock? But if she lied and said Cheng Qiuyi was just a friend, Liu Shuhan couldn't bring herself to say it; that would be too unfair to Cheng Qiuyi.
Cheng Qiuyi noticed Liu Shuhan's hesitation and pretended to be relaxed as she comforted her, "It's okay, I didn't bring you back for this, Shu Han. Let's go eat? I've been driving all afternoon and I'm starving."
"Qiu Yi, I'm sorry." Liu Shuhan had apologized to Cheng Qiuyi many times before, and each time she wondered if it was a mistake for Cheng Qiuyi to be with her. Cheng Qiuyi had lost a lot for her sake; she had to endure both overt and covert ridicule from outsiders because of Liu Shuhan. Being with her meant Cheng Qiuyi had lost the chance to become a mother. Even now, while they were openly dating, Liu Shuhan could only hide it from her parents.
Liu Shuhan's profile was beautifully illuminated by the flickering lights of the night. Cheng Qiuyi wanted to kiss Liu Shuhan but held back due to the people coming and going at the hotel entrance. She held Liu Shuhan's hand tightly, her eyes crinkling with a smile. "Wood, if you don't take me to eat soon, I'll starve to death. If I die of hunger tonight, no one will be there to help you have fun."
"..." Liu Shuhan pulled her hand away and walked ahead.
Why is she angry again? Cheng Qiuyi sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, quickly catching up to hold Liu Shuhan's hand again. She felt that Liu Shuhan quietly returned the grip. Cheng Qiuyi tightened her hold and smiled broadly.
Being together meant that Liu Shuhan and Cheng Qiuyi would face many difficulties. Liu Shuhan felt that she had caused Cheng Qiuyi to lose so much, while this foolish girl didn’t realize that she too had lost a lot. Yet they both gained so much from each other; Liu Shuhan was oblivious, while Cheng Qiuyi cherished every little thing. Their future was still long, and as long as they were together, those so-called difficulties wouldn’t seem like difficulties at all.
The hotel was very close to their old high school, which was usually a gathering place for various delicious snacks. There were small stalls pushed by tricycle vendors or dingy restaurants with dirty tables and chairs. The hygiene was questionable, but the food tasted great.
Students referred to the street near their high school as Back Street; it was unclear who named it that, but it had been passed down through generations.
Liu Shuhan loved the beef noodle shop at the corner of Back Street. Whenever she returned to City Z to see her parents, she would always go there a few times. Today, she naturally wanted to take Cheng Qiuyi to try it.
The busiest time on Back Street was around five or six o'clock, but by the time they arrived it was already past seven and there weren’t many people left. The Boss Lady of the noodle shop was cooling off at the entrance and waved when she saw Liu Shuhan. "Xiao Liu, you’re not here at the right time this year." She then noticed Cheng Qiuyi behind Liu Shuhan and smiled, "You usually come alone; why did you bring someone with you today?"
"Isn't it because I missed your beef noodles? I brought someone along to support you. What do you think? Is she pretty?" Liu Shuhan greeted the Boss Lady with a smile and called out to the chef inside, "Li Ge, two bowls of beef noodles, extra beef!"
The noodle shop didn’t have air conditioning; four electric fans on the walls creaked as they turned, their blades covered in dust that hadn’t been cleaned in ages. Liu Shuhan didn’t mind and chose a table close to a fan before waving at Cheng Qiuyi. "Qiu Yi, sit down too! This place’s beef noodles are delicious; I guarantee you'll remember them after just one bite!"
Cheng Qiuyi hesitated for a few seconds as she watched the dust blowing from the fan and looked at the greasy tables and chairs. Gritting her teeth, she sat down across from Liu Shuhan but barely touched the seat as if sitting on pins and needles.
The environment of this noodle shop wasn’t great, but the taste was indeed good. After finishing their noodles, Liu Shuhan didn’t rush to leave; instead, she chatted casually with the Boss Lady while Cheng Qiuyi listened quietly beside them.
"Xiao Liu, I'm not saying this to criticize you, but while you're out there making money, you should think about your parents. Last month, Old Liu's arthritis flared up again, and Yun had to take him back and forth to the hospital. There wasn't even anyone to help. What do you call that?" Boss Lady fanned herself, her tone carrying a hint of reproach.
Liu Shuhan was taken aback. "What did you say? My dad's arthritis flared up again? Is it serious?"
"It's not too serious, he's almost better now. It's just the hassle of going back and forth to the hospital. Your mom was worried you'd be anxious, so she insisted I not tell you."
After that, Liu Shuhan didn't hear much of what Boss Lady said; her mind was filled with thoughts of her father's illness. She hurriedly bid farewell to Boss Lady and felt dazed all the way back. Several times she wanted to say something to Cheng Qiuyi but hesitated.
When they returned to the hotel, Cheng Qiuyi sighed, "I'll take you home."
"Home? Which home?"
"Back to your parents'. Your uncle is sick; as his daughter, you should go see him."
"What about you…"
"Don't worry, I'll just drop you off at the entrance of the community and won't go in." Cheng Qiuyi patted Liu Shuhan's head.
Liu Shuhan became anxious. "Qiu Yi, that's not what I meant!"
"I know," Cheng Qiuyi reassured her. "Shu Han, now is not the time for that; it's more important to check on your uncle's condition first."
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