Cheng Qiuyi and Liu Shuhan rummaged through the garbage heap all night, turning the entire dump upside down, and finally found Liu Shuhan's precious box. By the time they emerged from the dump, the sky was already bright, and both of them were covered in a lot of foul-smelling unknown substances. Cheng Qiuyi could barely stand upright and just wanted to go home for a hot shower.
Liu Shuhan, satisfied with her little box, walked back without even glancing at Cheng Qiuyi. Cheng Qiuyi, knowing she was in the wrong, dragged her feet behind Liu Shuhan, not daring to make a sound.
Once home, Liu Shuhan couldn't care less about herself and immediately took a towel to carefully wipe down the box. Cheng Qiuyi, unable to tolerate the stench on her body, dove into the bathroom for a shower, pondering how to cheer Liu Shuhan up while washing.
Cheng Qiuyi used shampoo five times and body wash four times, only feeling like she had cleaned enough when her skin was wrinkled from the water. After rinsing off the bubbles, she emerged wearing a bathrobe. Just as she tied the robe, she remembered that Liu Shuhan was still angry and pulled at the collar to adjust it. They had tossed and turned all night; Cheng Qiuyi had several scratches on her back and shoulders from Liu Shuhan's playful antics, and there were marks on her collarbone and chest from Liu Shuhan's kisses. With such an open neckline, her fair skin made the love bites appear particularly vivid. Cheng Qiuyi looked at herself in the mirror, still feeling it wasn't enough; she deliberately opened a slit in the hem of her robe, revealing glimpses of her long legs before finally feeling satisfied enough to walk out.
Liu Shuhan wiped down the box until it was clean and found a new place to hide it. Sitting on the floor with her arms crossed, she grew angrier as she thought about it. Not to mention that important things were hidden in her closet; how could Cheng Qiuyi act like this? Just throw things away without even saying goodbye? How would they get through future days like this? Today they were lucky to have found the box, but what if they couldn't find it next time? This matter could not be easily forgiven.
As Liu Shuhan fumed over these thoughts, she heard movement coming from the bathroom. She looked up to see Cheng Qiuyi stepping out with steam rising around her. Her mind went blank for a moment as all she could see was Cheng Qiuyi's bare chest and long legs; all thoughts of anger vanished.
"You... why did you come out dressed like that?" Liu Shuhan cleared her throat and awkwardly turned her head away from Cheng Qiuyi. They had just been intimate not long ago, and Cheng Qiuyi still bore traces left by Liu Shuhan. Liu Shuhan felt her face heat up while also struggling to suppress a smile.
"It's hot in the bathroom," Cheng Qiuyi casually said as she dried her hair and walked over barefoot. She intended to sit next to Liu Shuhan on the floor but found Liu Shuhan too smelly. Holding her nose, Cheng Qiuyi pushed Liu Shuhan toward the bathroom. "If you don't wash up soon, you'll get fleas! Hurry up and take a shower; if you don't come out smelling nice, you're not allowed out."
Liu Shuhan's mind was still in a daze; it wasn't until after her shower that she realized she hadn't brought any clothes.
"Qiu Yi, help me get my clothes," Liu Shuhan shouted from the bathroom.
"Where are your clothes?"
"How would I know where you put them? Didn't you throw away all those clothes before?" The memory made Liu Shuhan even angrier. Right, she almost fell for Cheng Qiuyi's charm just now; this woman was too cunning—this time she couldn't let her get away with it so easily.
After waiting for a while in the bathroom without seeing any sign of Cheng Qiuyi, Liu Shuhan called out again: "Cheng Qiuyi, are you still there? Did you find them?"
"I'm coming," Cheng Qiuyi replied as she opened the bathroom door and walked in.
Liu Shuhan let out a scream and covered her chest with her hands, wide-eyed as she exclaimed: "What are you doing?"
"Here to deliver your clothes, Miss," Cheng Qiuyi said helplessly, raising the garments in her hand.
"Why didn't you knock on the door?"
Cheng Qiuyi chuckled, "What part of you haven't I seen?"
Liu Shuhan, realizing she couldn't win against Cheng Qiuyi's teasing, ignored her and snatched the clothes from her hands to put them on.
Once Liu Shuhan was dressed, Cheng Qiuyi said, "By the way, I found something in the pocket of your clothes from last night, Shu Han. Do you want to see it?"
Liu Shuhan felt a sense of foreboding. "What is it?"
Cheng Qiuyi held up a lingerie strap with two fingers; it was unmistakably the one Liu Shuhan had hastily stuffed into her pocket during the chaos last night.
"Shu Han, how come I didn't know you had such a big chest?"
Liu Shuhan's eyes darted around. "What are you talking about? I don't understand."
"It doesn't matter if you don't understand." Cheng Qiuyi waved the small item in front of Liu Shuhan's eyes. "Shu Han, remember when I said my house was robbed? Well, I've caught this little thief. Can you guess who it is?"
"How would I know?" Liu Shuhan snatched the offending pieces of fabric from Cheng Qiuyi's hand and said gruffly, "You wore these yesterday and got them dirty. Just put them down and wash them later."
As she turned to leave, Cheng Qiuyi extended her arm to block Liu Shuhan's path against the wall and looked down at her. "Shu Han, if I catch this little thief, how do you think I should punish her?"
Trapped between Cheng Qiuyi and the wall, Liu Shuhan noticed that Cheng Qiuyi's bathrobe was already loose at the neckline. As Cheng Qiuyi leaned in closer with a smile on her lips and her eyes sparkling, she asked playfully, "Shu Han, how do you want me to punish you?"
Liu Shuhan realized she couldn't hide anymore and leaned back against the wall, feeling defeated. "Qiu Yi, am I really that perverted?"
"I know I'm quite perverted too, but I just can't help my hands," Cheng Qiuyi said as she pulled Liu Shuhan into her embrace and kissed her randomly before sighing. "Silly girl, I'm right here and you're not coming over. What do you need those things for?"
Liu Shuhan buried her head in Cheng Qiuyi's arms, not answering.
Cheng Qiuyi sighed again, "Shu Han, what can I do to make you believe that I love you?"
Liu Shuhan didn't speak, but Cheng Qiuyi already had the answer. The shadow left by her sudden departure was far greater than she had imagined. Liu Shuhan felt that she couldn't hold onto Cheng Qiuyi, so she could only try to keep some things related to Cheng Qiuyi. Cheng Qiuyi always thought that their love was so natural—Liu Shuhan loved her, and she loved Liu Shuhan; it was a perfect match, so fair.
It was not fair at all, Cheng Qiuyi thought. Otherwise, why would Liu Shuhan be so afraid and so carefully accommodating to everything about her?
"Qiu Yi, if you don't want me next time, please tell me, okay?" After a while, Liu Shuhan spoke while buried in Cheng Qiuyi's arms. They were pressed tightly together, and her voice penetrated Cheng Qiuyi's skin and bones, knocking against her heart with every word, causing a dull pain in Cheng Qiuyi's chest.
Cheng Qiuyi's hand on Liu Shuhan's waist dropped down to grasp Liu Shuhan's hand, turning it over and intertwining their fingers. She wished she could merge Liu Shuhan completely into her body. "Shu Han, it was my fault before; I regret it so much. But this time, I will never let go of your hand."
Liu Shuhan nodded, but Cheng Qiuyi knew she didn't believe it. "Shu Han, I know you don't believe me right now. That's okay; let me prove it to you this time."
The gap between Liu Shuhan and Cheng Qiuyi was nine years. Life couldn't be as if they were meeting for the first time again, but Cheng Qiuyi wanted to be with Liu Shuhan and use the rest of their lives to make up for those lost nine years bit by bit.
"Qiu Yi." Liu Shuhan looked up at her with sparkling eyes. "Does this mean you're not angry with me anymore?"
Cheng Qiuyi smiled. "When have I ever been angry with you?"
"Then does this mean I won't be punished anymore?"
"Well..." Cheng Qiuyi's hand slipped under Liu Shuhan's nightgown. "A deal is a deal; the punishment you deserve cannot be lessened at all."
"Don't... I still have to go to work later..."
"Let your boss go to hell." Cheng Qiuyi's lips slid down from Liu Shuhan's shoulder.
...
The two of them didn't sleep all night. Cheng Qiuyi felt fine and happily "punished" Liu Shuhan, while Liu Shuhan, whose physical condition couldn't compare to Cheng Qiuyi's, ended up fainting from exhaustion.
Liu Shuhan breathed steadily in bed, while Cheng Qiuyi, worried that she might be uncomfortable, carefully cleaned her body and held her close as they both fell asleep.
They slept soundly until dinner time, and Liu Shuhan hadn't had such a good sleep in a long time. Upon waking, she felt completely refreshed. She glanced at the still-sleeping Cheng Qiuyi and quietly got out of bed to prepare a meal for her.
It was only when she was cutting potatoes that Liu Shuhan remembered that she had originally intended to confront Cheng Qiuyi for almost throwing away her most treasured possession. She should really teach her a lesson.
However, after thinking it over, Liu Shuhan felt relieved. Her most treasured possession was Cheng Qiuyi herself; with Cheng Qiuyi right there beside her, what was the point of clinging to inanimate objects?
Cheng Qiuyi awoke to the aroma of cooking and realized how deeply she had slept. She usually had light sleep and would wake at the slightest noise, but this time she hadn’t even dreamed.
The person she loved most was right there, personally preparing food for her; it was her greatest dream come true, no wonder she hadn’t dreamed at all.
She got dressed and prepared to get out of bed when her phone received a message from Ye Jing.
[Qiu Yi, I’m really jealous of that woman named Liu Shuhan. What do you think I should do?]
Cheng Qiuyi's expression darkened, and her good mood for the day vanished.
Ye Jing and Cheng Qiuyi were taught by the same master and were fellow disciples. Cheng Qiuyi knew a bit about Ye Jing's temperament. That woman had always been ruthless in pursuing her goals; even before she took control of the Ye Family, she had dared to set traps for Cheng Qiuyi. Now, compared to her past tricks, she would likely be even more cunning.
If Ye Jing were only targeting Cheng Qiuyi, she could still give her some face due to their master-disciple relationship. But if she dared to lay a hand on Liu Shuhan... Cheng Qiuyi tightened her grip on her phone. Did Ye Jing really think that her years in A Country were just for sightseeing?
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