37

Lan City was experiencing yet another snowy winter, with temperatures dropping steadily and snow falling multiple times. Cen Lingqiu's hands never seemed to warm up, and she was becoming more sensitive to the cold. Her body felt increasingly frail, as if it was deteriorating with time. She frequently caught colds, and even though Yu Mingjiao's warm hands were often holding hers, she found it difficult to feel truly warm.

No one knew that Cen Lingqiu's heart was shrouded in a dense fog; she felt lost and confused about many things. She had accidentally uncovered many hidden truths that were hard to face, leaving her heart as cold as a handful of embers, with an overwhelming sense of chill.

The weather had finally cleared up over the past few days, and Wen Zhi suggested a trip to a nearby ancient town, taking advantage of the rare good weather. Cen Lingqiu had been feeling oppressed lately, and the prolonged damp and cold had left her feeling down, so she agreed, hoping to relax and clear her mind.

After finishing her phone call with Wen Zhi, Cen Lingqiu noticed Yu Mingjiao, who had been working on a drawing, lift her head and ask, "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to visit an ancient town," Cen Lingqiu replied.

"Can I come with you?" Yu Mingjiao asked quietly, her gaze steady.

Ever since recovering from her allergic reaction, Yu Mingjiao had become almost pathologically clingy, wanting to be wherever Cen Lingqiu was. On weekends, if Cen Lingqiu had work to do, Yu Mingjiao would wait nearby until she was done.

Whenever Cen Lingqiu thought about the reasons behind Yu Mingjiao's clinginess, she felt a headache coming on. It wasn't that she found it annoying or bothersome—Cen Lingqiu had lived nearly thirty years and, despite never having been in a romantic relationship, she wasn't completely oblivious to feelings of love.

She had been momentarily shocked by Yu Mingjiao's feelings, but beyond that, she felt a deep sense of confusion and sadness.

She felt lost, anxious about a future with no clear ending for the two of them. She felt sad, worried that someone might get hurt, leading to uncontrollable feelings of sorrow.

She found it difficult to be happy.

She simply couldn't be happy, but she didn't want to make Yu Mingjiao unhappy.

Seeing the hidden anticipation in Yu Mingjiao's eyes, Cen Lingqiu suppressed her inner bitterness and smiled, "Of course, Jiao Jiao."

Yu Mingjiao smiled, her lips curving slightly, a smile so beautiful it was almost unbearable. Lately, she had been smiling more and more at Cen Lingqiu.

The more beautifully Yu Mingjiao smiled, the sadder Cen Lingqiu felt.

Unable to resist, she reached out to touch Yu Mingjiao's hand, but stopped herself due to some invisible restraint in the air. Yu Mingjiao noticed her hesitation and obediently leaned her head into Cen Lingqiu's hand, placing her hand on her own hair, her clear, calm eyes gazing up at her.

Her eyes were moist, like those of a puppy.

Cen Lingqiu couldn't help but laugh and gently stroked her hair.

"You're too cute," Cen Lingqiu muttered to herself, almost as if talking to herself.

_

Wen Zhi had invited two or three friends from her band, so they all drove together in one car while Yu Mingjiao and Cen Lingqiu took another.

It took two or three hours to drive to the ancient town, and soon after arriving, they checked into a pre-booked guesthouse.

Wen Zhi originally wanted to share a room with Cen Lingqiu, but with Yu Mingjiao around, she knew they would stick together. They had been almost inseparable recently, doing everything together. Wen Zhi teased them, "You two are like a couple; even real couples aren't as clingy as you."

Cen Lingqiu just smiled, her eyes distant, and her smile a bit forced, saying nothing.

After the long drive, they were all a bit tired, so they decided to rest for a while and head out for dinner later.

When Cen Lingqiu and Yu Mingjiao entered their room, they were surprised to find it was a cat-themed guesthouse. A silver tabby cat was lying obediently on the carpet, its green eyes staring up at them.

Cen Lingqiu hadn't always been fond of cats, but after her mother Zhang Li adopted one that was particularly cute and loved to cling to her, she had started to like them too. Besides, every time she saw a cat, she couldn't help but think of Yu Mingjiao.

Seeing the cat, Cen Lingqiu felt a bit better. She put down her bag and picked up the cat, playing with it for a while.

The cat was very docile and even licked the back of her hand with its tongue, making Cen Lingqiu's eyes curve into a smile.

"You like cats?" Yu Mingjiao asked calmly.

"I do," Cen Lingqiu said, holding the cat up in front of her. "Isn't it cute?"

Yu Mingjiao wasn't particularly interested in pets, especially cats and dogs, no matter how cute they were. But looking at Cen Lingqiu's gentle smile, she suddenly found the cat in her arms a bit more endearing.

Yu Mingjiao reached out and lightly petted the cat. "If you like, we could adopt one together."

Her words were simple yet filled with a certain intimate promise, like a declaration that they could share anything together.

A shadow flickered across Cen Lingqiu's eyes. She smiled faintly and deflected, "We can talk about it later, there's no rush."

Yu Mingjiao, always sensitive, immediately sensed the avoidance in her words. Her expression faltered for a moment, unsure of what Cen Lingqiu was thinking.

She responded softly with a simple "Hmm," and said nothing more.

The room fell into an eerie silence.

Cen Lingqiu continued to stroke the cat's soft fur, her eyes downcast, lost in thought.

Yu Mingjiao sat by the window, silently staring outside. Despite the clear weather, the temperature was still low, and the wind was cold and dry.

The wind made her face pale as she sat there, silent, as if she were sulking.

She looked just like the silver tabby cat in Cen Lingqiu's arms—aloof and quiet.

Cen Lingqiu couldn't bear the silence any longer. She put the cat down and walked over, adjusting Yu Mingjiao's loosely draped scarf.

"Do you want to take a nap?" Cen Lingqiu asked, "You must be tired from the drive."

"Will you stay with me?" Yu Mingjiao asked.

Cen Lingqiu hesitated for a moment, then chuckled, "Why do you like clinging to me so much? Are you a child?"

Yu Mingjiao wrapped her arms around Cen Lingqiu's waist, her voice muffled. "I don't care."

"Stay with me."

Cen Lingqiu stroked her silky hair, her eyes misty and filled with sorrow. She didn't say anything, just gazed at Yu Mingjiao's long black hair.

If only...

If only she were really Lin Qiu.

Cen Lingqiu thought absurdly.

The group planned to have dinner at the guesthouse before heading out. On the way to the restaurant, they passed a garden where a middle-aged woman was sitting, her expression vacant and hollow. She was surrounded by pink flowers, which, upon closer inspection, were actually artificial, as it was winter.

The scene had an eerie quality.

One of their companions whispered gossip, "Hey, I heard that woman is the wife of the guesthouse owner. Their daughter drowned herself in the river here, and she couldn't cope, so she sits here every day. The fake flowers are because her daughter loved pink flowers."

Wen Zhi frowned, "Where did you hear that?"

"I don't remember where, maybe it's just a rumor."

They were all tired and didn't dwell on it.

After dinner, two of the men in their group couldn't resist having a few drinks. Wen Zhi had a couple of drinks too, so they decided to stay at the guesthouse and play some games instead of driving. Cen Lingqiu and Yu Mingjiao didn't mind either; Yu Mingjiao was content as long as she could be with Cen Lingqiu.

While the others were drinking, Yu Mingjiao leaned against Cen Lingqiu's shoulder. They were dining at an outdoor restaurant with a fire pit nearby. The air was fresh, and they could see the stars.

Yu Mingjiao slipped her hand into Cen Lingqiu's pocket, holding her cold hand. Cen Lingqiu stiffened for a moment but didn't push her away.

With one hand holding Yu Mingjiao's, Cen Lingqiu took a sip from her wine glass with the other. The wine was homemade by the owner, and it was quite good.

"I want to try," Yu Mingjiao said.

"I'll get you a glass," Cen Lingqiu offered, but as she tried to pull her hand away, Yu Mingjiao held on. "Too much trouble."

She took Cen Lingqiu's glass and took a small sip, wrinkling her brow and sticking out her tongue. "Too sweet."

She handed the glass back to Cen Lingqiu.

Cen Lingqiu: "…"

If she wasn't mistaken, Yu Mingjiao had just drunk from the same spot she had.

Was it intentional, or…

Cen Lingqiu glanced at her, and Yu Mingjiao innocently met her gaze.

Alright, it was intentional.

Cen Lingqiu saw through her little trick and felt a twinge of pleasure.

She wasn't sure what her feelings for Yu Mingjiao were. It was something difficult to grasp, something she couldn't fully understand.

All she knew was that she didn't reject Yu Mingjiao's twisted affection.

She even felt a secret thrill.

She was both excited and terrified.

These extreme emotions made it impossible for her to fully comprehend.

Wen Zhi noticed their behavior and marveled, "Ling Qiu, could you two be any more lovey-dovey?"

The guy sitting next to Wen Zhi laughed, "Wen Zhi said you two were like a couple, and you know what? You really do look like one. At first glance—" He made a frame gesture with his hands. He was a bit drunk, so his words were unfiltered. "You two really fit together, haha. Too bad you're both women."

"That's narrow-minded," another guy argued. "What's wrong with two women? Aren't they both human? What's wrong with dating?"

Wen Zhi rolled her eyes, "You two, talking nonsense when you're drunk."

"Yu Mingjiao, don't mind them. They're just talking nonsense," Wen Zhi explained to her, worried that she might be offended.

Yu Mingjiao shook her head, "It's fine."

In fact, she wished they would say more.

Dating.

What does it feel like to be in a relationship? Could she and Cen Lingqiu be in a relationship?

Is that even possible?

Just thinking about it made Yu Mingjiao's heart race with an inexplicable excitement.

Thump thump thump—

Her heart was beating fast.

Cen Lingqiu interjected, "You guys are drunk, stop talking nonsense."

Wen Zhi agreed, "Did you hear that? Stop it, once you start drinking, you start saying all kinds of things."

Yu Mingjiao's eyes darkened, and she lowered her gaze, her hand tightening around Cen Lingqiu's.

The group drank until midnight before heading back to rest. Yu Mingjiao couldn't handle alcohol well and got dizzy after a few drinks. As soon as she lay down on the bed, she groggily pulled Cen Lingqiu down with her. Cen Lingqiu, caught off guard, fell on top of her, her nose bumping into Yu Mingjiao's sharp chin, nearly bringing tears to her eyes.

"Lin Qiu."

Yu Mingjiao's voice was soft and slurred as she called out to her.

Cen Lingqiu froze.

"Don't ignore me," Yu Mingjiao murmured, wrapping her arms around her neck. "Give me more love."

"I don't hate you anymore. Can you stay with me forever?"

"I want…"

Cen Lingqiu asked, "What do you want?"

"I want to live," Yu Mingjiao whispered, "If you're by my side, I don't want to die."

"Let me live, Lin Qiu." Yu Mingjiao nuzzled against Cen Lingqiu's neck.

Cen Lingqiu blinked, and for some reason, her eyes suddenly stung. She asked, "Do you really need me to stay alive?"

Yu Mingjiao sluggishly nodded.

"But Jiao Jiao—" Cen Lingqiu's voice was hoarse and soft as if she didn't want her to hear. "Is it Lin Qiu or Cen Lingqiu that you need?"

Yu Mingjiao had fallen asleep, her pale cheeks tinged with red, her long eyelashes fluttering slightly. Her silky black hair spread out on the bed, her sleeping face serene and beautiful.

Cen Lingqiu stared at her for a long, long time.

Finally, she gently pinched Yu Mingjiao's cheek.

"Jiao Jiao, I can't promise you that."

Cen Lingqiu didn't sleep all night. Early the next morning, she left to fetch breakfast, and as she turned a corner, she bumped into a woman.

The woman had long pink curly hair and was wearing a mask, only her eyes visible.

Those eyes were calm, devoid of emotion.

They looked exactly like Yu Mingjiao's eyes.

Cen Lingqiu froze, murmuring unconsciously, "Jiao Jiao?"

The woman nodded slightly at her before walking past her.

Cen Lingqiu snapped out of it, realizing she had mistaken the woman for someone else. The woman only had eyes that resembled Yu Mingjiao's.

Was she overthinking things about Yu Mingjiao?

Otherwise, how could she see someone and immediately think it was her?

After breakfast, they all went to explore the ancient town.

Along the way, Yu Mingjiao kept feeling like someone was following her and kept looking back.

Cen Lingqiu noticed her unease. "What's wrong?"

Yu Mingjiao frowned, "Someone's following me."

"Really?" Cen Lingqiu looked around but saw no one.

"Could it be a mistake?"

Yu Mingjiao shook her head, her voice cold, "Impossible."

The ancient town was crowded, and before long, they had lost track of each other. They decided to each go their way and meet up for lunch.

Cen Lingqiu pushed Yu Mingjiao to a less crowded street. Nearby was an old bridge over flowing water, and ancient buildings with a sense of history lined the streets. With the approach of the Lunar New Year, various lanterns were hung all over the street.

They were wandering aimlessly when a commotion broke out behind them. Cen Lingqiu glanced back and saw that a girl had been hit by an electric scooter. The scooter's owner was angrily grabbing the girl's sleeve, cursing loudly.

The girl looked cold and impatient, her eyes darting around as if searching for someone. When she met Cen Lingqiu's gaze, she seemed startled and quickly looked away.

Yu Mingjiao followed Cen Lingqiu's gaze, and her expression darkened when she saw the person.

Cen Lingqiu asked, "She seems to be in trouble. Should we help her?"

Yu Mingjiao's expression remained indifferent. "Let's go."

She started to push her wheelchair forward.

Yusui An saw her sister leaving and struggled out of the man's grip, limping towards Yu Mingjiao.

"Sister—"

Yusui An's knees were scraped, and running made them hurt, but she seemed not to notice as she ran straight to Yu Mingjiao.

She blocked Yu Mingjiao's path, her eyes pleading, "Sister, please don't leave."

Yusui An had grown taller and thinner, with her face scratched and her clothes torn. She reached out to stop Yu Mingjiao, looking pitiful.

Yu Mingjiao wanted nothing to do with her and tried to push past her.

The scooter owner caught up and grabbed Yusui An's collar, cursing, "You dare to run? You rushed out and damaged my scooter. How are you going to compensate me?"

Yusui An didn't want to embarrass herself in front of Yu Mingjiao and snapped, "How much? Just say the amount."

The man named a price.

Yusui An sneered, "Why don't you go rob someone, you idiot?"

The man glared, "You dare to curse—"

The man saw Yu Mingjiao and heard Yusui An call her sister. Judging by her appearance, she must be rich, so he changed his target.

"You're this girl's sister, right? Your sister damaged my scooter. How do you plan to settle this?"

Yusui An was furious, "Don't bother her! You ran into me! I was just walking normally! And now you have the nerve to hassle my sister!"

Yu Mingjiao was growing annoyed, and as more people gathered around them, she just wanted to leave quickly.

"How much?" Yu Mingjiao's voice was icy.

"Wait," Cen Lingqiu suddenly spoke up, "We'll pay, but let's call the police first. It will be fairer that way."

She glanced around, "There should be surveillance cameras here, right?"

The man had thought Yusui An was young and easy to trick, but the two women before him were both cold and mature, clearly not easy targets. Realizing he was in the wrong, he slunk away.

After the man left, Yu Mingjiao didn't spare Yusui An a glance and continued walking. Yusui An followed her dejectedly.

Since they were tired from walking, Cen Lingqiu took Yu Mingjiao to a nearby tea house to rest.

Yusui An followed them, but she didn't dare sit with them and just stood nearby, watching them.

Cen Lingqiu found her behavior strange, like she was afraid they would bully her, and asked Yu Mingjiao if she could join them.

Yu Mingjiao sipped her tea and said calmly, "As you wish."

With that, Cen Lingqiu motioned for Yusui An to join them. She eagerly ran over and sat across from them.

"Have some," Cen Lingqiu offered her a cup of tea.

Yusui An, noticing the close relationship between Cen Lingqiu and her sister, thanked her politely, "Thank you, Sister."

Yusui An held the cup, glancing nervously at Yu Mingjiao.

"It was you, wasn't it?" Yu Mingjiao suddenly asked.

"Ah." Yusui An sat up straight.

"The person following me," Yu Mingjiao said, glancing at her coldly.

Yusui An bit her lip and nodded reluctantly.

Yu Mingjiao sneered, "A lingering ghost."

Yusui An's eyes immediately filled with tears.

Cen Lingqiu tried to smooth things over, "Why were you following her?"

"Because…" Yusui An bit her lip, "I miss my sister. After Dad drowned, I haven't seen her. I… I got into Q University, majoring in history…"

She seemed to want to report her achievements to Yu Mingjiao, hoping for a reaction, but Yu Mingjiao continued to eat her pastries, occasionally accepting bites from Cen Lingqiu, without sparing her a glance, as if she didn't exist.

Yusui An had expected this reaction but found it hard to accept.

She had grown up and understood that her childhood actions were unforgivable, and she would never be forgiven by her sister.

But she didn't want to give up on the only family she had left.

Even if that family didn't see her as a sister.

Yu Mingjiao choked on a bite of food, and Cen Lingqiu gently patted her back, her actions tender. Their relationship seemed harmonious and peaceful.

Yusui An couldn't help but say, "Lin Qiu Sister, you're my sister's first friend. I've never seen her treat anyone so kindly, not even me."

Her last words were said so softly.

Cen Lingqiu smiled slightly, "Is that so?"

Yusui An nodded.

So she was still the only one?

Cen Lingqiu felt a wave of emotion.

"Be quiet," Yu Mingjiao's voice was calm, devoid of any emotion. "Finish your drink and go home. Don't come looking for me again."

Yusui An's lips trembled, "Sister, please don't send me away. I… I want to take care of you. Your mobility is limited, and I can take care of you. No one can care for you your whole life. I'm your family. I can."

"There will be," Yu Mingjiao said, her eyes fixed on Cen Lingqiu. "There will be someone to care for me."

Cen Lingqiu, feeling guilty under her gaze, lowered her head to pour tea, avoiding her eyes.

Yu Mingjiao's expression darkened.

Avoiding me again.

Why is she avoiding me again?

Yusui An sensed the tension and quickly fell silent, lowering her head to drink her tea.

Cen Lingqiu felt the pressure from beside her and inwardly sighed.

She wasn't avoiding Yu Mingjiao; she just couldn't give her the answer she wanted.

The atmosphere grew tense and silent.

Just then, a waiter brought over a plate of osmanthus cakes, and Cen Lingqiu said, "We didn't order this."

"I did," a lazy, melodious voice came from behind. A pair of hands rested on Cen Lingqiu's arms, playfully brushing her cheek with fingers adorned with black nail polish.

The woman smiled brightly, her pink hair slightly curled, and said with a grin,

"It was me, Ning Jia."