Chapter 71 A Quiet Grief, a Budding Love
Chapter 71 A Quiet Grief, a Budding Love
The funeral ended quickly, and Zuo Qinghuan realized that from today onward, she was an orphan. If she were to die one day, would her funeral be even lonelier than her mother's? Thinking of this, Zuo Qinghuan felt a pang of sorrow in her heart.
"Are you okay?" Qin Wanshu was worried as she noticed Zuo Qinghuan's persistently low spirits.
"I'm fine. I'll be better in a few days." Zuo Qinghuan suppressed her gloomy emotions and offered a smile to Qin Wanshu. She was someone who was adept at concealing her feelings and disliked burdening others with her negativity.
Qin Wanshu looked at Zuo Qinghuan's serene smile and pulled her into an embrace. Zuo Qinghuan rested her chin on Qin Wanshu's shoulder. She had long known that Zuo Qinghuan was a strong woman, seemingly ordinary but with an exceptionally resilient heart.
"Qinghuan," Qin Wanshu whispered softly into Zuo Qinghuan's ear, a level of intimacy that had never been there before, making Zuo Qinghuan's heart itch slightly, as a warm current flowed through her.
"Hmm?" Zuo Qinghuan loved it when Qin Wanshu called her name without her surname. "Qinghuan" sounded extremely intimate, especially when spoken in Qin Wanshu's gentle voice, adding a unique flavor to it.
"Still, I think this name isn't good," Qin Wanshu said with a laugh.
Even though she had just called her name so intimately, she still claimed it wasn't good. How contradictory.
"By the way, won't there be any problems with you accompanying me these past few days?" Zuo Qinghuan asked with some concern. Qin Wanshu had been by her side for the past two days, and Zuo Qinghuan was worried it might cause trouble for her.
"I told my family I went out of town to relax, so you don't need to worry about me," Qin Wanshu replied. She made it a habit to take a few days off each year to travel, so her family wasn't surprised. Even Qin Zheng thought his granddaughter was nursing a broken heart and had chosen to go away to recover. Qin Zheng believed Qin Wanshu was deeply hurt, which only made him more resentful towards Han Shibin.
"Does that mean you don't have to go back for a long time?" Zuo Qinghuan's mood lifted at the thought. Spending day and night together was something she hadn't dared to dream of.
"Yes," Qin Wanshu replied, though it would be best to avoid public places to prevent running into acquaintances. "Do you want to go on a trip together?" she asked, thinking it might be a good idea to help Zuo Qinghuan cope with her grief and also to avoid her family and Han Shibin.
"Sure, I'll make arrangements at the café tomorrow, and we can leave tomorrow," Zuo Qinghuan nodded. As long as Qin Wanshu was by her side, she wouldn't feel lonely no matter where they went.
"No need to rush. Where do you want to go?" Qin Wanshu asked.
"Wherever you go, I'll follow," Zuo Qinghuan said earnestly, leaning into Qin Wanshu's embrace.
"Aren't you afraid I might sell you off?" Qin Wanshu raised an eyebrow, her fingers running through Zuo Qinghuan's hair. She seemed to enjoy touching Zuo Qinghuan's hair long, soft, and carrying a faint fragrance, a sensation she couldn't find in men. Sometimes, Qin Wanshu wondered if she was naturally inclined to prefer women, but aside from Zuo Qinghuan, she didn't feel the same desire to be close to other women.
"I'm not afraid," Zuo Qinghuan murmured softly, burying her face in Qin Wanshu's chest.
"Zuo Qinghuan, why do you like women?" Qin Wanshu asked curiously.
"It's not about men or women. I only like you," Zuo Qinghuan replied. After all, she couldn't find the same feeling Qin Wanshu gave her in anyone else a woman who was both strong and gentle, truly a rare find.
"I think you like me because you lacked maternal love growing up. Your longing for it makes you seek that feeling in me," Qin Wanshu analyzed seriously.
"I also lacked paternal love!" Zuo Qinghuan wasn't satisfied with this analysis. She had never felt any attachment to her mother, Zuo Yan, believing her mother had never been as mature as she was. Some people never grow up.
Having seen too many disappointing men in her line of work, Zuo Qinghuan had never held much hope for them. Even Han Shibin, who was considered an excellent man, didn't stir any feelings in her she didn't trust men subconsciously. However, Qin Wanshu didn't voice this analysis, as neither of them liked to bring up Han Shibin these days.
"Qin Wanshu, if you had a child, you'd be a great mother," Zuo Qinghuan had thought about this before. If she hadn't come between Qin Wanshu and Han Shibin, even if Qin Wanshu didn't love Han Shibin, they would have been a respectful couple. But if Qin Wanshu had a child, she would pour all her love into that child, who would undoubtedly be the happiest in the world. Just thinking about it made Zuo Qinghuan jealous.
"Silly, who can say for sure about hypotheticals?" Qin Wanshu said with a smile. She knew Zuo Qinghuan's insecurities Zuo Qinghuan feared disrupting her life, but at the same time, wasn't she also influencing Qin Wanshu?
"What's wrong? Did Han Shibin catch you two and now you're on the run?" Li Xin came to the café and noticed Zuo Qinghuan's low spirits. She meant to show concern, but her words came out flippant, which was why Yan Ruoyin often disapproved of her casual demeanor.
"My mom died of cancer. Qin Wanshu is accompanying me to avoid Han Shibin, and we're planning to go out of town to relax," Zuo Qinghuan said calmly.
"My condolences," Li Xin said. Perhaps because she was a doctor, she had become somewhat numb to life and death, often feeling that many things were fated. Like patients meeting good doctors it was also a matter of fate. Though this was an unscientific mindset, even Newton believed in God, so she had no reason not to believe in fate.
"Life always moves forward, doesn't it? No one can escape birth, aging, sickness, and death. It's just that her time came a bit earlier. Besides, her life was hard," Zuo Qinghuan said, her mood having stabilized with Qin Wanshu's company.
"That's the right attitude," Li Xin patted Zuo Qinghuan's shoulder as a form of comfort, though she wasn't particularly skilled at consoling others.
"How about you? How are things with Yan Ruoyin? How did the surgery go?" Zuo Qinghuan asked in return. Li Xin had been very busy lately and hadn't had much time to visit the café.
"The surgery was successful. She promised to divorce him, but she needs time to handle it," Li Xin said, her mood also dampened when talking about Yan Ruoyin. After dinner that night, Yan Ruoyin had refused to let her take her home, insisting on staying at the hospital to take care of Qian Shaowen. Though it was a matter of seeing things through, it still left Li Xin feeling uneasy.
"Congratulations, your hardships are finally paying off," Zuo Qinghuan said with a smile.
"Don't make it sound like I'm Wang Baochuan. I'm not that pitiful," Li Xin retorted unhappily.
"By the way, do you think her serious demeanor would make her a good mistress?" Zuo Qinghuan asked curiously.
"Hard to say. She'd probably treat it like a task. You know how there were always a few overly obedient students in class who diligently completed every assignment the teacher gave? I think she's like that," Li Xin said. Though Yan Ruoyin didn't understand Li Xin, it didn't stop Li Xin from understanding Yan Ruoyin. The thought of Yan Ruoyin earnestly learning how to be a mistress was amusing, and Li Xin couldn't help but laugh, her mood lifting.
"You look so lecherous when you smile. Being your lover must be exhausting, always worrying you'll go out and flirt with others," Zuo Qinghuan said, looking at Li Xin's seductive smile. She really didn't have the look of a proper woman, which made men uneasy and reluctant to marry her. Fortunately, Li Xin liked women.
"It's not my fault I look like this. Do you think I wanted to? I wish I looked as prim and proper as you. Does appearance really matter that much?" Li Xin frowned, suddenly remembering that her first love had broken up with her because of her looks, saying she was too flirtatious and it made her insecure. So, her first relationship ended prematurely. Thinking back, her first love had been an ordinary-looking woman who had inexplicably attracted her. No wonder people used to say her taste was strange. But even though she was such a beautiful woman, she had been dumped by someone so plain. However, Yan Ruoyin was much more outstanding than her first love, so she should be confident and not feel pressured by her looks, right? Li Xin didn't realize she was overthinking things hadn't even progressed that far yet.
"By the way, have you and Qin Wanshu done it yet?" This had always been Li Xin's main point of interest.
Zuo Qinghuan had no intention of sharing this with Li Xin. Some things were best kept to oneself, even from close friends.
"If you haven't, you'd say so. Not answering means you have. What's Qin Wanshu like in bed?" Li Xin was extremely curious.
"What's Yan Ruoyin like in bed?" Zuo Qinghuan raised an eyebrow and countered. If Li Xin was willing to share, she might be more generous.
"She..." Li Xin was about to say something but quickly shut her mouth. She didn't want to tell anyone. Despite Yan Ruoyin's conservative appearance, she was a hidden gem, utterly enticing.
"Can I at least ask who's the top and who's the bottom?" Li Xin asked, her gossip spirit undiminished.
"I'm done with your nonsense. Qin Wanshu and I are going on a trip tomorrow. I've already briefed the café staff. Come by if you have time; if not, that's fine too," Zuo Qinghuan said hurriedly before leaving the café, eager to return home. She left Li Xin alone in the café, lost in wild thoughts. Li Xin was extremely curious about who was the top and who was the bottom between Zuo Qinghuan and Qin Wanshu. Most likely, they switched roles, given that Qin Wanshu was thirty and her latent sensuality had been awakened, giving her the potential to be a wolf, while Zuo Qinghuan was a wolf in sheep's clothing. As Li Xin pondered others' affairs, her thoughts quickly turned to herself. It had been a long, long time since she'd last tasted the pleasures of the flesh.
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