Come Sit At My House - Chapter 19

Chapter 19

With no way to escape, Luo Qingmeng had no choice but to stay.

In the morning, Qiu Shuxue called for a cleaning service. When the cleaning lady saw the mess on the floor, her eyes held a complicated expression. Luo Qingmeng immediately shook her head and pointed at Qiu Shuxue, saying, “This isn’t my house.”

The cleaning lady probably thought they had a wild party, so she just gave them a complex look and continued working.

Luo Qingmeng complained to Qiu Shuxue, “If you had bought a cake, the auntie would have known, and she wouldn’t have looked at you like that.”

Qiu Shuxue thought for a moment and asked, “Do you want to eat some?”

Luo Qingmeng was actually a little tempted. “Not really. I don’t have a big sweet tooth.”

Luo Qingmeng had a very good memory of money. After the cleaning lady left, she immediately reminded Qiu Shuxue, “Remember to make Li An pay for it.”

After two cleaning services had come and gone, Qiu Shuxue held her phone and sent a message to Li An. She thought for a moment and said, “Should I call another one to clean up your place too?”

Luo Qingmeng usually kept her apartment very clean. She wasn’t born with a lowly fate, so why wouldn’t she enjoy a good life? That afternoon, another cleaning lady came, and Luo Qingmeng opened the door to let her in.

With both apartments cleaned, everything looked neat and tidy. Luo Qingmeng asked, “Do the people at your company all hate Li An?”

“I told you last time. With his background, he has no competitiveness at our company, especially in our department. He’s just old, and no one finds him attractive. His looks aren’t good, his salary isn’t good, and he’s sloppy,” Qiu Shuxue heated up two cups of milk tea. She took a sip and handed one to Luo Qingmeng. “Some interns with low salaries can easily be fooled.”

Luo Qingmeng felt like she was implying something about herself. At that time, she really thought Li An was a good person: a gentleman with a stable job and high income, someone she couldn’t find anywhere else. Fortunately, Qiu Shuxue changed the subject in the next sentence. Qiu Shuxue said, “The main thing is that this man is too bad. What you did yesterday actually helped a lot of girls.”

“Huh?” Luo Qingmeng was confused.

“Once this matter spreads, he’ll lose face. Everyone will think he was fooling around in my apartment when all the colleagues were there and accidentally got chili oil on him. Then it turned into this. He reaped what he sowed.”

Oh, right.

Luo Qingmeng nodded hard.

She had done a good deed.

With Qiu Shuxue’s praise, Luo Qingmeng didn’t go back and stayed at Qiu Shuxue’s place to continue having fun.

In the middle of the day, Luo Qingmeng was so bored. Looking at Qiu Shuxue’s clean kitchen, she went in and cooked a meal. Luo Qingmeng had sworn countless times that she would never cook for anyone but herself, but she couldn’t resist the starry-eyed look in Qiu Shuxue’s eyes. She showcased her cooking skills and made several dishes, filling the table.

“Thank you, sister,” Qiu Shuxue said with a smile. She was clearly very happy, as if today were her actual birthday.

Luo Qingmeng suddenly felt a sense of empathy. Luo Qingmeng also loved celebrating her birthday, but she usually did it by herself. Ever since she was a child, no one had paid attention to her. Only on her birthday could she feel that she was different, that she had a special and important moment that belonged to her.

Watching Qiu Shuxue eat the food with gratitude, she thought, Sure enough, you need a cake to have an atmosphere.

“Let’s eat,” Luo Qingmeng said as she picked up a dish. Qiu Shuxue hummed in agreement.

Qiu Shuxue was different from those stinky men. She was very enthusiastic about doing chores with Luo Qingmeng. When Luo Qingmeng was cooking, she would stand by her side, busy with everything: tying her apron, washing vegetables, and handing her plates. Even though there was a dishwasher, she didn’t use it. She would personally and willingly wash the dishes herself, and she always seemed to be in a great mood.

After eating and brushing their teeth, Qiu Shuxue started acting crazy again, wanting to do it with her. Luo Qingmeng didn’t let her and pushed her away, looking very angry. Qiu Shuxue could only sigh. About twenty minutes later, the doorbell rang. Qiu Shuxue went to open the door, and a cake was delivered.

Qiu Shuxue carried the cake over. “Did you send this, sister?”

Luo Qingmeng was sitting on a cushion behind the coffee table, her back against the sofa. She shook her head. “No.”

“Oh. Then why does the cake say ‘Happy Birthday, Luo Qingmeng’?”

“How is that possible? Did the bakery make a mistake?” Luo Qingmeng immediately went to get her phone.

Qiu Shuxue’s eyebrows slightly fluttered. Her eyes looked as gentle as water, with an undisguised joy underneath.

Luo Qingmeng’s mouth was stubborn, but her heart was actually very soft. Oh, wait, Luo Qingmeng’s mouth was also very soft. Qiu Shuxue walked over and immediately squatted down and kissed Luo Qingmeng’s lips. Luo Qingmeng was stunned for a moment, then she nudged her away with her elbow. “Anyway, I didn’t send it.”

Qiu Shuxue kissed her again, completely holding her lips. Luo Qingmeng frowned but didn’t resist. After touching her lips, Qiu Shuxue started to unbox the cake.

The cake was very beautiful: a main pink princess cake with five small rose cupcakes on the side. It was exquisite and beautiful.

The chocolate plaque also said, “May Qiu Shuxue get rich and be wealthy.”

Qiu Shuxue held the cake knife for a long time without cutting it. Luo Qingmeng glanced at her and asked, “What are you doing now?”

“I can’t bear to cut it,” Qiu Shuxue said, undecided.

“You’re acting as if no one has ever celebrated your birthday before. All those people came to your place yesterday. Were they just air?”

Qiu Shuxue pursed her lips. “But no one brought me a cake.”

Luo Qingmeng blinked in confusion.

“I mean, everyone came, but no one brought me a cake. It was all just for show. No one truly felt that a birthday should be celebrated or genuinely wished me well,” Qiu Shuxue said. “Can you understand? A holiday isn’t a holiday if it doesn’t have a sense of ritual.”

Luo Qingmeng understood.

She was a person who valued a sense of ritual. If someone wanted to celebrate a holiday with her, they were always in a hurry, saying, “I’m here, I’ll keep you company,” but in reality, they were in a rush to leave. If that were the case, it would be better for them not to come at all. They weren’t being sincere.

Luo Qingmeng held her wrist and helped her cut the cake. “It’s not your only birthday. If you cut it, you can cut it again next time.”

Qiu Shuxue nodded. “What you said makes sense. There will be more.”

Luo Qingmeng scoffed, “You’re really like a child.”

She must have been mistaken last night, thinking she was like an older sister. Qiu Shuxue was terribly childish. Luo Qingmeng dipped her finger in the cake’s cream and smeared it directly on Qiu Shuxue’s nose.

Qiu Shuxue cut a slice for her. The two of them sat on the floor cushions and ate. Qiu Shuxue asked her, “Is there any movie you want to watch?”

Luo Qingmeng picked up the remote control and used the voice command. “Search for Animal Farm. This one’s pretty good. We can watch this.”

The cream was sweet but not greasy, and the bread had fruit in it. It was soft. Luo Qingmeng rarely ate cake. For the first 18 years, no one was willing to buy her one. For the next 10 years, she wasn’t willing to buy one for herself. This was also the first time she had properly bought a cake, and it felt so awkward eating it with someone.

But it was quite worth it.

Maybe it was because she was in a good mood. Luo Qingmeng suddenly had a thought. How did Qiu Shuxue get involved with Li An? That kind of disgusting person, would Qiu Shuxue really fall for him?

Could it be that she was also very young and got tricked when she was an intern? And then she fell for him, just like how she’s obsessed with me?

She felt that this whole thing was a little complicated now.

Luo Qingmeng was about to ask Qiu Shuxue when Qiu Shuxue’s fingers reached over, and she smeared some cream on her chest.

Luo Qingmeng scolded her. “Don’t waste it.”

“Okay.”

Qiu Shuxue nodded, leaning in and licking up all the cream with her lips. Qiu Shuxue ate most of the cream on the cake. At first, Luo Qingmeng would use her hand to block her, but after a while, she tasted the sweetness on her own lips. She just pretended that nothing had happened, just like in the morning, holding back and tensing up. This time, she had made progress. She didn’t cry.

She used to be a depressed ostrich. Now, she was an ostrich who indulged in pleasure.

Because she turned a blind eye, she eventually sat on Qiu Shuxue’s lap, and she felt that something was wrong when Qiu Shuxue held her and they watched TV.

Sigh.

This was just too awful.

Luo Qingmeng also really liked it. That sense of admiring the strong came back. To be precise, it wasn’t about admiring the strong. Qiu Shuxue was excellent, but Luo Qingmeng was no longer chasing excellence to feel a sense of vanity. Instead, she was enjoying the satisfaction of being coddled and praised by an excellent person. It made her unable to resist, always exuding a sweet and satisfied feeling.

She could scold Qiu Shuxue during their intimate moments, saying that this and that about Qiu Shuxue wasn’t good. Qiu Shuxue always went along with her. When Qiu Shuxue asked her if she was comfortable, she could also deliberately show her disgust, saying that Qiu Shuxue wasn’t doing enough.

Anyway, she could do whatever she wanted.

Even though she knew deep down that she was the one being bullied, she never hated it.

Luo Qingmeng didn’t seriously tour her apartment, but she went to every corner. The most profound impression was the window, where she had been pushed against several times.

Qiu Shuxue held her in her arms. Luo Qingmeng was too lazy to resist no matter how much she bothered her. The movie Animal Farm was played three times before they finally managed to watch the entire content. The pigs’ rule was overthrown by other animals. Luo Qingmeng also pushed away the clingy Qiu Shuxue and whispered, “It’s not like that. The novel is different.”

Qiu Shuxue hummed, kissed her ear, and said clingily, “I love you so much.”

No one could imagine how charming Luo Qingmeng was. She was a large-sized toy that could be played with in the palm of one’s hand. But unlike a toy, she would give very obedient, cute, and captivating responses.

As long as Qiu Shuxue said to her, “Sister, you’re prettier like this.”

Luo Qingmeng would obediently say, “Oh,” and then do exactly as she was told. She was so innocently cute and very wifely. Her eyes were always red, as if she were about to cry. She looked so wronged, which made people unable to resist and want to make her cry. Qiu Shuxue would always kiss her eyes.

Her voice was also very pleasant to listen to. She would tightly purse her lips, and when she couldn’t stand it, she would slightly part them to let out a sound. The most lethal thing was her consistent shyness.

Luo Qingmeng stayed at her place for a long time. Qiu Shuxue always had a way to lead her to where she wanted to go. With just a few words, she would want to look at this and that. At first, she was very resistant, but when she chose to turn a blind eye, she started to get used to it. It was terrible.

In the end, Luo Qingmeng ran away because she had made a mess on the floor. She thought Qiu Shuxue was going too far, and Qiu Shuxue thought she was too beautiful. The two of them couldn’t see eye to eye.

She sneaked away, secretly cursing the pervert in her heart.

Luo Qingmeng returned to her room and remembered the thing she had promised Qiu Shuxue. She had to choose a gift to give to Qiu Shuxue. Luo Qingmeng didn’t have as many books as Qiu Shuxue, but they also took up a whole bookshelf. Most of her books were sample copies from the bookstore. Sometimes, the boss would say they were too old and tell her to deal with them herself. Some were books she liked so much that she would buy a new, sealed copy to put on the shelf. She was now choosing from her own bookshelf.

She didn’t have any hardcover books because she always rented apartments. It was inconvenient to carry books with her wherever she went. She had a limited budget and couldn’t afford to buy very good books. The ones she brought were her favorites that she would read over and over again. Even the ones she bought for her collection would become old books over time.

She thought about what to give Qiu Shuxue. Qiu Shuxue was a translator. Should she give her a foreign book like 1984, Animal Farm, or another Nobel Prize winner? After thinking for a while, she settled on a book in the corner of her bookshelf: Mr. Toad Goes to See a Psychologist.

Why was it a good fit?

Luo Qingmeng remembered how Qiu Shuxue had talked about her pitiful life before. Qiu Shuxue said no one in her family cared about her, that the nanny gave her cold leftovers, and even brought her own child to her house, letting her child live a good life while she suffered.

Qiu Shuxue’s strange personality was probably related to her childhood. She felt that Qiu Shuxue should read this book. Not to heal herself or to forgive anyone, but to just make peace with herself and her childhood.

Luo Qingmeng had taken a lot of notes. Because it was a book she read when she was a student, the handwriting was much messier than it was now. This book had accompanied her throughout her high school years and had been with her through a decade of ups and downs in the city.

Whenever she was tired, she would take it out to read. The notes were both new and old.

She put the book in a dust bag and then ordered a hardcover edition of The Wind in the Willows from a mini-program. Luo Qingmeng felt that it wasn’t good to just give an old book. How could she give someone a used item for their birthday?

After a night of rest, she went to work early the next day. She didn’t wait for Qiu Shuxue’s car and took the subway. The swaying motion on the way there made her feel very uncomfortable and strange.

When she got to the bookstore, she went to scan the voucher and pick up the book.

She stood on her tiptoes and then realized.

She seemed to be broken.

Chen Xin was putting books on the shelves. She saw her standing there motionless and felt that something was off. Her skin tone and complexion were very good. A few days ago, she was so gloomy.

Luo Qingmeng went back to the cash register. Chen Xin came over, took her headphones off, and put them in her own ears. Luo Qingmeng frowned and looked at Chen Xin unhappily. Chen Xin said, “Tsk,” and asked her what she was listening to. Then she said, “Oh, English. I’ll find you some materials. My roommate is a business English major.”

Luo Qingmeng was about to get mad at her for taking her headphones, but she thought about the materials she was offering and said, “Thank you.”

“I can recommend some movies. Short British animations. They’re simple and useful. I used to watch them a lot when I was taking the CET-4 and CET-6.”

“Thanks.”

Chen Xin didn’t ask her why she was learning this. Luo Qingmeng thought, It’s probably because the whole world is going crazy with self-improvement. It wasn’t strange for her to learn something new.

On Chen Xin’s first day of work, she had a high opinion of her. She always felt that she was hiding her talent, that she was a “gold nugget.” She always told her to find a job with room for promotion, like a junior manager, so she could directly become a manager or store owner in future interviews.

Sometimes, she even told her to take the civil service exam. If that didn’t work, she could apply for a small position at a public institution. A contract worker was also a good option.

Luo Qingmeng wasn’t stubborn and unwilling to change. She just really loved books. Chen Xin, a talented student who hadn’t entered the workforce yet, probably wouldn’t understand her desire for a stable and simple life.

More importantly, she didn’t have a place to live in this city and hadn’t settled down. Now, everything was completely different from what she had originally envisioned. Marriage had turned her life upside down.

Who knew where she would wander after turning 28, 29, and 30? Would she still be in this city?

“Sister, are you divorced or not?” Chen Xin started gossiping again.

Luo Qingmeng looked at her, sitting in her chair. Now that she had bought a book, she could take free gifts. They were just bubble stickers that children and college students liked. She took the bubble stickers and put them in a box, then took some postcards, planning to give them all to that childish ghost.

Chen Xin watched her package the gifts. “Giving a gift…”

“Why are you so nosy?” Luo Qingmeng retorted.

“I’m just curious,” Chen Xin said. “Mainly because last time, you only told me half of the story, and I don’t understand what’s going on. And… that Qiu Shuxue hasn’t come either.”

Luo Qingmeng looked up, her eyes fixed on her. The second half of what she said shocked her. She couldn’t understand how Chen Xin realized this. She thought the three of them were connected.

Did she show it so obviously?

That’s not right either…

Now that Chen Xin had said that, it was difficult for her to respond. It was bad if she didn’t say anything, but it would seem like something was going on if she did. They should have a clean slate, but there was indeed something improper between them.

“Mind your own business. Stay busy,” Luo Qingmeng said, lowering her head and pulling out a postcard from the store’s freebies. She looked at Chen Xin and glared at her. After Chen Xin left, she held the pen and started writing on it.

Happy Birthday, full of blessings.

She added another line: May you be filled with joy and have long days.

As she was writing, she suddenly remembered. Qiu Shuxue was probably 25, which meant last year was her birth year. In Luo Qingmeng’s experience, the birth year itself was usually okay, but the year before and the year after it were bad luck.

At noon, Luo Qingmeng went out for a quick stroll and bought a red pendant with Qiu Shuxue’s zodiac sign, a small tiger.

Qiu Shuxue doesn’t look like a tiger.

She looks more like a little snake.

Luo Qingmeng was a dog. She thought she wasn’t fierce at all, but… she was pretty good at biting.

She put the red string in the box as well. It was about 20 yuan and came with a box. Luo Qingmeng didn’t have much money, but she had a gentle heart and a strong sense of ritual. Since she had promised someone, she had to give a proper birthday gift.

Even though it was very strange to give a gift to a mistress!

Luo Qingmeng was torn between why she should give a gift to a mistress and the fact that the mistress’s birthday was on March 31, and she would move out in April.

To strengthen her resolve to move out in April, she asked another colleague, Xiao Tang, “Are there still apartments for rent in your area?”

The two of them weren’t very close. She didn’t like Xiao Tang’s way of doing things, so she definitely wasn’t planning on getting a roommate with Xiao Tang. Xiao Tang nodded. She was willing to help with a small favor. After putting a few books on the shelf, she said, “Yeah, I saw one yesterday. It’s the owner’s own apartment. You can rent directly from the landlord and avoid the middleman. It has three rooms, so you can find a roommate.”

Then she added, “The price seems to be 2200. The reason it’s so cheap is because it’s on the sixth floor without an elevator. See if you can handle it. The environment is pretty good. I’ll tear off a flyer for you later.”

“Okay, thanks.”

Sixth floor with no elevator was a bit tiring, but if she thought about it, she would only have to climb it once a day. When she was in school, her dorm was on the sixth floor, and she climbed it every day.

She could endure hardship.

“Oh, right. If you decide to move in April, the landlord’s parents will be gone in the middle of the month, so your first month’s rent is free.”

Xiao Tang said as she took out her phone, clicked on the photos, and showed her the pictures she had taken. Luo Qingmeng carefully looked at the words on them and asked her to send the pictures to her. She had only rented from her current landlord for one month. If Li An didn’t give her the money, she couldn’t afford to rent it anymore. The landlord also didn’t allow her to get a roommate. The problem here was that this apartment also required her to find a roommate.

“Why are you moving so early? Haven’t you already moved once?” Xiao Tang left right after work every day. She probably didn’t know about her story as a deadly poisonous widow. Luo Qingmeng just said she had met a pervert and had to move out as soon as possible.

“Moving is so tiring,” Xiao Tang said, long-pressing the screen, ready to send it to her. She suddenly remembered. “Sister, we haven’t added each other on WeChat yet.”

Luo Qingmeng hummed. She opened her WeChat. Xiao Tang scanned the QR code to add her. Luo Qingmeng clicked “Accept.” Under Xiao Tang’s friend request, she saw a new friend request with a message.

Qiu Shuxue: I’ll pick you up tonight. Do you want to go out for grilled fish, or should I come to your place to cook?

Cook?

Luo Qingmeng frowned.

Luo Qingmeng replied to her: Let’s go out for grilled fish!

After sending it, under Xiao Tang’s gaze, she accepted Xiao Tang’s friend request. Xiao Tang asked nosily, “Who are you going with? And where? That new Su Yu Auntie place? Don’t go there. It’s tailored to the local taste, so it’s completely bland and has a fishy smell. Suzhou people’s food is supposed to be sweet, but I’m done with it. Do you understand? The fried tofu they gave me as a side dish was so sweet. It’s speechless.”

Luo Qingmeng was dumbfounded.

She thought, Why am I going to eat fish with a mistress?

Why?

Did I lose all my morals? Didn’t you call me “wife” before? Why are you calling me “mom” now? I’m too young. Don’t scare me.

P.S. “May you be filled with joy and have long days” is from the Classic of Poetry, “Mountain with a Pivot.”