Beautiful Woman, You Have Another Express Delivery! (GL) - Chapter 20

“It’s over, the manager is definitely going to fire me now…” Liu Shuhan collapsed in the passenger seat and wailed miserably.

Cheng Qiuyi was true to her word, and somehow, she managed to precisely locate Liu Shuhan, who was out delivering packages. In short, Cheng Qiuyi suddenly appeared in front of Liu Shuhan and pulled her into the car without giving her a choice.

“Cheng Qiuyi, what exactly do you want!” Liu Shuhan glared at Cheng Qiuyi with deep resentment, wanting to bite her.

Cheng Qiuyi laughed, “Shuhan, you can’t blame me for this. Blame your manager for being like a ruthless exploiter. If I didn’t take drastic measures, we would never be able to go out and have a proper trip together in this lifetime.”

Liu Shuhan was amused. “Oh, you pseudo-foreigner who has lived abroad for so many years actually knows about the ruthless exploiter? Not bad, not bad. At least you haven’t forgotten our ancestors’ traditional culture.”

Cheng Qiuyi heard the sarcasm in her tone but wasn’t angry. She said softly, “It’s a three-hour drive. You can sleep for a while, and I’ll wake you up when we arrive.”

Liu Shuhan was completely swayed by Cheng Qiuyi’s approach. Her gentle words warmed her heart, and all her anger disappeared. If she lost her job, she could find another one, but if she lost her wife, she would be truly gone. Therefore, her job was far less important than spending time with her wife! Liu Shuhan comforted herself this way and mumbled, “I’m not sleepy. Let’s chat. Where are you taking me?”

Liu Shuhan was worried that Cheng Qiuyi would be bored driving alone for hours. Cheng Qiuyi knew this, and she smiled, “Okay. Are you hungry? How about we grab a bite to eat before getting on the highway?”

Liu Shuhan shook her head. “I’m not hungry. Are you?”

“I’m not either.”

“Oh…” They said they wanted to chat, but suddenly Liu Shuhan had nothing to say. She tried hard to recall various interesting anecdotes she encountered while delivering packages. Cheng Qiuyi occasionally responded to her, and the car continued on the highway for over an hour.

“It’s too dry in the car. Have some water.” Cheng Qiuyi handed a bottle of water to Liu Shuhan.

Liu Shuhan was parched from talking so much. After drinking some water and resting for a while, she remembered that Cheng Qiuyi still hadn’t told her where they were going.

“Qiuyi, where exactly are you taking me?”

“You’ll know when we get there.” Cheng Qiuyi kept her guessing.

Liu Shuhan was annoyed and turned her head to look at the scenery outside the window.

Although Liu Shuhan said she wasn’t sleepy, in less than ten minutes of silence, her eyelids drooped completely. Her head rested against the car window, shaking with the car’s movement.

Cheng Qiuyi glanced at her through the rearview mirror, freed one hand to gently steady Liu Shuhan’s body. Liu Shuhan then leaned into Cheng Qiuyi’s arm, her entire upper body resting on her arm, and began to snore lightly.

Cheng Qiuyi was driving with only one hand on the steering wheel and didn’t dare to go too fast. She stopped at the next rest stop, gently pulled her hand out of Liu Shuhan’s embrace, and reclined the seat so she could lie down more comfortably.

“Are we there?” Liu Shuhan asked groggily, rubbing her eyes.

“Not yet. Go back to sleep. I’ll wake you when we arrive.”

“I’m not sleepy. I’ll stay up and keep you company…”

“Be good.” Cheng Qiuyi touched Liu Shuhan’s forehead. “It’s only an hour away. Go to sleep.”

Cheng Qiuyi’s voice had a peculiar hypnotic effect, and Liu Shuhan indeed fell into a deep sleep.

They set off in the afternoon. Although it was still hot during the day after autumn began, the evening breeze brought some coolness, and the sky darkened much earlier than in summer. It was only around six, but night had already fallen.

When Cheng Qiuyi got off the highway, she couldn’t help but sigh at the unpredictable nature of things. The city had developed too quickly. In less than ten years, Cheng Qiuyi could no longer recognize its former appearance. She looked at Liu Shuhan, who was sound asleep, and felt a wave of relief. Fortunately, her silly Log hadn’t changed; she was still the same silly Log from nine years ago.

Cheng Qiuyi only gently woke Liu Shuhan after parking the car. Liu Shuhan opened her eyes and saw the dark surroundings, momentarily confused about the time and place, until she saw Cheng Qiuyi’s face above her and remembered that Cheng Qiuyi had abducted her in the car.

“Are we there?” Liu Shuhan asked.

“We are.” Cheng Qiuyi smoothly unbuckled Liu Shuhan’s seat belt and helped her sit up.

“Where is this? Why is it so dark?”

“The hotel parking lot. Get out of the car first. Let’s go eat dinner.”

“Wait!” Liu Shuhan’s mind was a little muddled. “We’re not going back tonight?”

“Who said we were going back?” Cheng Qiuyi said matter-of-factly, “We’ll be staying here for several days.”

Liu Shuhan resignedly got out of the car. Well, now it was clear that work and her wife were mutually exclusive.

It wasn’t until they reached the hotel entrance that Liu Shuhan finally realized something was amiss. This… wasn’t this her hometown, City Z? Liu Shuhan still remembered this hotel. She used to pass by here frequently when she was in high school. After all these years, it hadn’t closed down; instead, business seemed to be booming.

“Cheng Qiuyi, I thought you were taking me somewhere nice. Did you just bring me back to City Z?” Liu Shuhan’s parents were both in City Z, and she returned at least twice a year. What was Cheng Qiuyi up to?

“I haven’t been back for almost ten years. Recently, I don’t know why, but I just really wanted to come back and take a look.”

“No, why stay in a hotel when we’re in City Z? Come on, come on, I’ll take you home.” Liu Shuhan grabbed Cheng Qiuyi’s hand, trying to lead her away, but Cheng Qiuyi stood rooted to the spot. “What’s wrong?” Liu Shuhan asked.

The wind was strong at night, and Liu Shuhan’s hand was cold. Cheng Qiuyi enclosed her hand in her palm. “Shuhan, if you take me back, have you thought about how to face your parents?”

Liu Shuhan was momentarily stunned. She had never considered this question.

Liu Shuhan’s parents were traditional intellectuals. Letting them know that their daughter was a lesbian… Liu Shuhan couldn’t imagine the consequences. Moreover, her father’s health had declined in the past two years, and he couldn’t handle such a shock. But if she lied and claimed Cheng Qiuyi was just a friend, Liu Shuhan couldn’t bring herself to say it. It would be too unfair to Cheng Qiuyi.

Cheng Qiuyi saw Liu Shuhan’s hesitation and reassured her casually, “It’s fine. I didn’t bring you back for that this time. Shuhan, let’s go eat. I’m starving from driving all afternoon.”

“Qiuyi, I’m sorry.” Liu Shuhan had apologized to Cheng Qiuyi many times. With every apology, she wondered, was Cheng Qiuyi wrong to choose to be with her? Cheng Qiuyi had lost many things for her. Cheng Qiuyi had to endure open and subtle ridicule from outsiders because of her. By being with her, Cheng Qiuyi lost the right to become a mother. Even now, while they were openly in a relationship, Liu Shuhan could only hide it from her parents.

Liu Shuhan’s profile flickered beautifully in the twinkling lights of the night. Cheng Qiuyi wanted to kiss Liu Shuhan, but considering the people passing by the hotel entrance, she ultimately held back. She interlaced her fingers with Liu Shuhan’s, her eyes curved in a smile. “Log, if you don’t take me to dinner now, I’ll starve to death. If I starve to death, no one will be here to make you happy tonight.”

“…” Liu Shuhan pulled her hand away and walked ahead with her head down.

Why was she angry again? Cheng Qiuyi helplessly pinched the bridge of her nose, quickly caught up, and held Liu Shuhan’s hand again. Then, she felt that the other person had quietly and actively held her hand back. Cheng Qiuyi tightened her grip and grinned.

Liu Shuhan and Cheng Qiuyi were destined to face many difficulties together. Liu Shuhan only felt that she had made Cheng Qiuyi lose a lot, but this silly girl didn’t know that she herself had also lost just as many things. Yet, they both gained a lot from each other. Liu Shuhan was slow and unaware, but Cheng Qiuyi treasured everything, piece by piece. They still had a long future ahead, 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 former high school. The area around the school was usually a gathering spot for various delicious snacks. They were either small stalls pushing tricycles or greasy little eateries with dirty tables and chairs. Who knew about the hygiene, but the food tasted genuinely good.

Students called the street with the most food near the high school “Back Street.” No one knew who came up with the name, but it had been passed down through generations.

Liu Shuhan’s favorite was the beef noodle shop at the intersection of Back Street. In previous years when she returned to City Z to see her parents, she would always go there a few times. Of course, she had to take Cheng Qiuyi to try it today.

The busiest time on Back Street was between five and six o’clock. When they arrived, it was already past seven, and there weren’t many people left. The noodle shop owner’s wife was cooling off at the entrance. She greeted Liu Shuhan from afar, “Little Liu, you came at the wrong time this year.” She then noticed Cheng Qiuyi following Liu Shuhan and smiled. “You usually come alone. Why did you bring a companion today?”

“I was missing your beef noodles, Boss’s wife, so I brought someone special to support your business. How about it, isn’t she beautiful?” Liu Shuhan smiled and greeted the noodle shop owner’s wife, then shouted to the chef inside, “Brother Li, two bowls of beef noodles, extra beef!”

There was no air conditioning in the noodle shop. Four electric fans on the walls whirred, and the blades were covered with a layer of dust from not being cleaned for who knows how long. Liu Shuhan didn’t mind. She found a table near a fan and sat down, waving to Cheng Qiuyi. “Qiuyi, sit down too. The beef noodles here are delicious. I guarantee you won’t forget them after one bite!”

Cheng Qiuyi hesitated for a few seconds, staring at the dust being blown by the electric fan, then looked at the greasy tables and chairs. She gritted her teeth and sat down opposite Liu Shuhan, her bottom only slightly touching the stool, feeling utterly uncomfortable.

The environment of this noodle shop wasn’t great, but the taste was indeed excellent. After finishing the noodles, Liu Shuhan wasn’t in a hurry to leave and chatted with the owner’s wife while Cheng Qiuyi quietly listened by her side.

“Little Liu, I’m not criticizing you, but you should think about your parents while earning money outside. Your father’s arthritis flared up again last month. Ru Yun (her mother) took him back and forth to the hospital, and there was no one to help out. What kind of situation is that?” The owner’s wife fanned herself, her tone somewhat critical.

Liu Shuhan was shocked. “What did you say? My dad’s arthritis flared up again? Is it serious?”

“It’s not very serious; he’s almost recovered. It’s just troublesome going back and forth to the hospital. Your mother was afraid you’d worry, so she insisted I not tell you.”

Liu Shuhan didn’t hear what the owner’s wife said afterward. Her mind was filled with the thought of her father being ill. She quickly bid farewell to the owner’s wife and was in a daze all the way, several times trying to say something to Cheng Qiuyi, but stopping herself.

Back at the hotel, Cheng Qiuyi sighed, “I’ll take you home.”

“Home? Which home?”

“To your parents’ place. Your uncle is sick. As his daughter, you should go back and see him.”

“Then you…”

“Don’t worry. I’ll just drop you off at the community entrance. I won’t go in.” Cheng Qiuyi stroked Liu Shuhan’s head.

Liu Shuhan became anxious. “Qiuyi, I didn’t mean that!”

“I know.” Cheng Qiuyi soothed her. “Shuhan, now is not the time to talk about this. It’s important to go back and check on your uncle’s condition first.”