Chapter 90 A Mother's Curiosity
Chapter 90 A Mother's Curiosity
What Zuo Qinghuan feared most was waiting the kind of waiting that stretched into an agonizing eternity. She had no idea how long she'd been crouched there, lost to the world, nor when the sky outside had faded to black. She didn't want to switch on a light, preferring the room to remain swallowed in an unnerving silence, as if no one were even there.
The sudden shrill of her phone shattered the stillness. Heart leaping, Zuo Qinghuan's fingers scrambled to answer.
"What are you doing?" Qin Wanshu's voice, soft and melodic as a celestial song, drifted through the speaker. Her voice always had a way of soothing Zuo Qinghuan's frayed nerves.
"Thinking of you," she murmured.
Zuo Qinghuan tried to stand, but a jolt of realization shot through her: her legs had gone completely numb from being cramped for so long. Sharp, tingling needles pricked at her flesh. She bit back a groan, enduring the pins and needles. Compared to the ache in her heart, the physical discomfort was almost a welcome distraction, a twisted form of self-soothing.
"I miss you too," Qin Wanshu replied, a smile warming her voice, a sudden wave of longing washing over her. It seemed the weight of this person in her heart was heavier than she'd realized.
"Qin Wanshu, do you love me?" Zuo Qinghuan asked, the question wrenched from her, a strange ache blooming in her chest.
A beat of silence. Then, Qin Wanshu answered, her voice quiet but firm. "I do."
Zuo Qinghuan managed a faint smile, but stayed silent for a long moment. No matter what decision Qin Wanshu ultimately made, she wouldn't hold it against her. Even if she ended up being left behind, she felt, strangely, that it would have been worth it. In that moment, Zuo Qinghuan finally understood the helpless weakness Zuo Yan and Li Xin had displayed when it came to love.
"Grandfather asked me to stay with him for a couple of days. I'll be back soon," Qin Wanshu explained, wanting to ease Zuo Qinghuan's worry.
"Qin Wanshu, I don't want to be a burden to you. Whatever you decide, I'll support you," Zuo Qinghuan said slowly, carefully keeping her voice light.
"Silly girl, trust in the one you love." Qin Wanshu's heart ached for Zuo Qinghuan. She knew it wasn't about trust in her, not really. It was that Zuo Qinghuan couldn't believe she could possibly hold such a significant place in Qin Wanshu's life.
"I'll wait for you to come back," Zuo Qinghuan whispered, tears finally escaping and tracing hot paths down her cheeks. Finally, there was someone who wouldn't abandon her, no matter what.
"I will. Shall I play something for you?" Qin Wanshu asked, reluctant to end the call. Sweet talk wasn't her way; her love was always quiet strength, not flowery words.
"Yes, please." Zuo Qinghuan nodded, a tearful smile trembling on her lips.
Qin Wanshu set the phone down and gently rested her fingers on the cool ivory and ebony keys. A delicate melody began to weave through the phone line, wrapping around Zuo Qinghuan's ears. A warmth bloomed in Zuo Qinghuan's chest. Qin Wanshu had to be the most perfect, most romantic lover in the world.
Qin Wanshu played with intense focus, as if she could feel Zuo Qinghuan leaning against the wall, watching her with rapt devotion. In those moments, Zuo Qinghuan's gaze was only for her, and Qin Wanshu's heart felt utterly full. When you were in love, you should never let yourself, or your partner, feel alone.
Zuo Qinghuan closed her eyes, picturing Qin Wanshu's elegant profile, her long, graceful fingers dancing across the keys. The woman she was so completely, hopelessly infatuated with every smile, every tiny detail was burned into Zuo Qinghuan's memory.
Lin Jingxian had slipped into the room sometime during the music, unnoticed. She watched her daughter at the piano, a soft, contented expression on her face, one she'd never witnessed before.
The happiest time of Lin Jingxian's life had been marrying Qin Wanshu's father, a kind and honorable man. Her greatest joy was bearing him three children, and her deepest pride was in Qin Wanshu, her daughter. Her only wish now was for all three of her children to find happiness.
From the moment Qin Wanshu was born, she had been different. Aside from a robust cry at birth, she rarely fussed or wailed, an unusually placid baby. Unlike other babies who drained their mothers, people said Qin Wanshu was a child who spared her mother hardship. Lin Jingxian had always felt an inexplicable swell of pride looking at her strikingly beautiful infant daughter.
As Qin Wanshu grew, that pride only deepened. Her exceptional nature was almost unbelievable, but it came tinged with a subtle regret. Under the rigorous hand of her grandfather, the already well-behaved child became even more emotionally reserved, to a point that sometimes pained Lin Jingxian. Qin Wanshu was obedient, but never overly affectionate, which left her mother with a faint sense of loss.
This was the first time Qin Wanshu had ever truly rebelled, firmly declaring her intention to be with a woman. Lin Jingxian found herself unable to deny her daughter's first real desire, but why did it have to be another woman? The question gnawed at her, a deep worry taking root.
Qin Wanshu stopped playing and glanced at her watch, surprised to see how much time had passed. "I played for too long," she murmured into the phone, "I must have tired your ears." She knew that even something wonderful could become overwhelming in excess.
"No, it's lovely. Just hearing your voice makes me calmer. I won't have to lie awake alone tonight," Zuo Qinghuan said, a watery laugh escaping her, still clutching the phone tightly. It had grown warm against her ear, but she couldn't bring herself to hang up.
"It's late. Go to sleep. Promise me you'll take care of yourself these next two days. I want to see a radiant Zuo Qinghuan when I get back," Qin Wanshu said, a smile in her voice.
"Okay," Zuo Qinghuan agreed, nodding into the phone. The least she could do was take care of herself.
After ending the call, Qin Wanshu noticed her mother still in the room. "Mom, how long have you been standing there?" Qin Wanshu asked. Her mother, who usually retired early, was still up, clearly preoccupied.
"Not long. When you were little, I often wondered what kind of boy could ever be good enough for my Wanshu. When you brought Shibin home, I thought he was… fine, but something always felt missing. Now I understand Shibin could never bring out that tenderness in you. Tell me about the girl who's captured your heart. What's she like?" Lin Jingxian asked, her voice soft with curiosity.
"She has an almost otherworldly beauty, even with her hair so short now. If you didn't know better, you'd think she was a fairy who'd wandered down from the heavens. She can be a little willful and sensitive, but she's also incredibly thoughtful. Being with her… it just feels easy, and freeing. She'd probably be shy around you at first, but I think you'd come to adore her. She had a tough childhood, lacked a mother's love, but she's strong, optimistic, always pushing herself. If she'd grown up in a family like ours, she'd be every bit as exceptional as I am," Qin Wanshu described Zuo Qinghuan, an uncharacteristic tenderness coloring her words.
"Is that so?" Lin Jingxian mused. "I would like to meet her someday." Listening to her daughter, Lin Jingxian still didn't fully grasp the nature of Qin Wanshu's relationship with this girl, but the warmth and affection in Qin Wanshu's voice sparked a genuine desire to meet Zuo Qinghuan. She sounded… endearing. Perhaps, Lin Jingxian thought, she might even wish for a daughter like Zuo Qinghuan, someone who seemed more openly loving and close than Qin Wanshu, whose emotions were always more carefully guarded, whether in love or with family.
"There will be a chance," Qin Wanshu said, a small smile playing on her lips. She knew Zuo Qinghuan would likely want her hair to grow out a bit longer before meeting her mother. The girl was surprisingly self-conscious about her current appearance.
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Sorry for the delay.
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