Come Sit At My House - Chapter 20

Chapter 20

When Luo Qingmeng was about to get off work, Qiu Shuxue arrived. This time, she didn’t have a book to pick up. She just waited quietly outside and didn’t go in to bother Luo Qingmeng. Chen Xin glanced at her and immediately clicked her tongue.

Some people were good, and some were bad. Luo Qingmeng was so annoyed by Chen Xin’s constant teasing. When she was dating Li An, Chen Xin wasn’t like this.

Luo Qingmeng’s ears felt hot from Qiu Shuxue’s gaze. Several times, she used the action of running her hand through her hair to cool down her poor ears. She had switched shifts with another colleague last time, so she could get off work early today. She took off her apron and took her tote bag out from under the cash register. Just as she was about to leave, the store manager called.

The store manager said, “Don’t go back yet. I have something to talk to you about.”

It was already after work, and someone was waiting for her outside. Luo Qingmeng didn’t want to spend extra time “helping” the store manager with her extra work. She said, “What is it? I’m already out of the bookstore. If it’s not urgent, you can talk to Xiao Tang and the others.”

“I can’t talk to them about this. It’s like this: you know that new mall that opened in Xingzhou Plaza, right? The main store plans to set up a branch there. Currently, they need a store manager and a bookstore manager. Do you have any interest in this? I’d like to recommend you to go try it out. You can manage it for a week or two, and if you don’t adapt, I’ll transfer you back.”

Luo Qingmeng was shocked to hear about such a good opportunity. She immediately said that she was a good fit for the job.

“Should I wait for you at the bookstore, then?” She could just find a place to eat nearby. The fourth floor was the food court. She heard from Xiao Tang that the spicy fish was pretty good.

“I’m too lazy to go over there. How about this? Give me a video call later. I’ll explain the process to you first. Tomorrow, I’ll find some time to go over and talk to you. Once it’s confirmed, we’ll find a time to have dinner with the people from the main store. We can at least get to know each other,” the store manager said.

“Okay, okay, okay! Thank you, boss!” Luo Qingmeng was a little excited. “Thank you, boss. I’m so grateful!”

“No problem. You’re busy. I’m going to go check on my child’s homework.”

If it weren’t for her poor education, Luo Qingmeng would have told the boss that she would help her with her child. After hanging up the phone, Luo Qingmeng felt like she had been hit by a shooting star. She put her phone away and walked out with her bag. Her eyes were filled with a bright smile that momentarily dazzled Qiu Shuxue. Luo Qingmeng said, “I was just on the phone.”

“It was the store manager.” Luo Qingmeng laughed again as she said this because it wasn’t confirmed yet, and she didn’t know how the interview would go.

She was afraid of being disappointed, so she didn’t plan on telling anyone.

“She calls you after work?” Qiu Shuxue’s mood was sometimes very good and sometimes very bad as she looked at her smile.

“Mhm.” Luo Qingmeng held the paper bag in her hand and put her phone in her jacket pocket. “Where do you want to eat?”

Qiu Shuxue said, “Do you have a place you want to go?”

This was the biggest mall in the area, so there was no need to go anywhere else. Although the restaurants here were all chain stores, she said, “The fish and bullfrog restaurant upstairs?”

Luo Qingmeng said as she started walking upstairs.

Qiu Shuxue walked behind her, showing a hint of unhappiness. The two of them went into the restaurant and sat across from each other. Luo Qingmeng looked at the menu and asked her what she wanted to eat.

Qiu Shuxue said, “Order whatever you want to eat. You can order everything and try it all.”

Luo Qingmeng cooked for herself, so she rarely ate out. She was used to being frugal, and even though she wanted to spend the mistress’s money, she believed she shouldn’t waste food.

Qiu Shuxue kept looking at her. The waiter came to bring them some appetizers, peanuts and kelp. The waiter told them to scan the QR code on the table, saying that if they checked in on Dianping, they could get another plate of century egg with tofu.

Luo Qingmeng asked, “Can we just get the century egg with tofu to go?”

The waiter said they could.

Qiu Shuxue asked her, “Did you do the same when you went out with Li An?”

Luo Qingmeng glanced at Qiu Shuxue, thinking she was implying that she was cheap. She said, “I’m planning to order a two-flavor dish. The century egg with tofu here has a very good reputation, and it’s a huge plate. We definitely won’t be able to finish both the fish and bullfrog, so we won’t waste the century egg with tofu.”

Qiu Shuxue explained, “I was just curious. If you were so good at managing your household with him before, then I would be a little jealous.”

Luo Qingmeng’s brows furrowed. The number of times she had eaten out with Li An was very few. Most of the time, she cooked for Li An. She didn’t know what she was thinking at that time, but she always felt that cooking together and staying in the same space was romantic. Now, she just felt that she was too stupid and naive.

Luo Qingmeng didn’t answer the question because it highlighted her past naivete in love. She put the tote bag on the table and slid it toward her.

“Here, happy birthday.”

Qiu Shuxue wanted to look at it.

Luo Qingmeng was a little embarrassed. “Can’t you open it when you get back?”

“Okay.” Qiu Shuxue placed it next to her bag. Just then, two college students walked past them. One of them nudged the other’s arm and said, “Hermès.”

Luo Qingmeng also glanced at it. It was different from the bag she was carrying last time. She felt that something was not right. Qiu Shuxue seemed to be very wealthy and didn’t lack money. Was a white-collar worker’s salary really that high? Or was she just paying off loans in installments?

The waiter came to serve their food. Qiu Shuxue picked up her chopsticks. Luo Qingmeng said, “Wait until the steam comes out before you eat. It doesn’t taste good when it’s cold.” She used the serving chopsticks to turn the food over on her side and then on Qiu Shuxue’s side. She also poured her some juice and told her to put on the disposable bib so she wouldn’t get her clothes dirty.

“Okay.”

When the food was ready, the two of them started to eat. Qiu Shuxue would occasionally talk to her, and Luo Qingmeng would respond, but because of their relationship, talking was always a little awkward.

As Luo Qingmeng was eating, she couldn’t help but think, I’m never going to eat out with her again.

After they finished eating, Luo Qingmeng handed the to-go century egg with tofu to Qiu Shuxue. Qiu Shuxue asked, “Is this for me?”

Luo Qingmeng hummed in agreement. She saw Qiu Shuxue carrying a Hermès bag and held the century egg with tofu in her own hand.

The two of them strolled around upstairs. It had been a few days since Qiu Shuxue’s birthday, but she still accompanied her for a walk. However, Luo Qingmeng didn’t really like walking together with her. It wasn’t because of the secret and forbidden relationship they shared, but because of the class difference between them.

Qiu Shuxue wore luxury brands. One of her bags was several years’ worth of her salary. It was as if class was pressing down on her, and the shadows could create a long chasm. Even if it were just for friendship, she wouldn’t be friends with someone like this. It would make her feel annoyed and have an invisible sense of inferiority.

It was already April, and hiding her face in her clothes would be too hot. Qiu Shuxue said, “Should we go watch a movie?”

Luo Qingmeng shook her head. “I have something to do.”

“Okay, what is it?”

Luo Qingmeng said, “Work. It’s very important. I need to have a video call with the store manager.”

Qiu Shuxue said, “Oh,” her tone very light, so light that it was a little cold. “How important can it be? You have to have a video call with the store manager after work. Isn’t that taking up too much of your time? That’s a little excessive exploitation.”

Qiu Shuxue didn’t know the whole story, nor did she know how important this was to Luo Qingmeng. For Luo Qingmeng, this was a breakthrough in an industry that everyone considered to have “no room for promotion.” Now that she had a chance to move up, Luo Qingmeng said seriously, “It’s a very important matter. I need to go back. I don’t want to get home too late.”

It wasn’t that late. The bookstore hadn’t closed yet.

Qiu Shuxue held the book and went down the escalator with her. Her tone was a little sour. “Sister, you’re not being very ritualistic. You seem very busy and in a hurry.”

Luo Qingmeng didn’t fall for it. She said, “You’re too greedy. You’ve had your birthday for four days now.”

On her birthday, they slept. For the next two days, they tirelessly played with her. Today, she gave her a gift, but she still felt it wasn’t enough and wanted more. She was just a childish and very greedy little kid.

Qiu Shuxue said, “But you said you’re not a gift with a red ribbon tied on it.”

This was too bizarre.

Luo Qingmeng didn’t know if it was because they had been fooling around for a few days and nights, but she felt like she was getting a little smarter. She felt that Qiu Shuxue was saying strange things. She tugged at her jacket and ran her hand through her hair, putting the knot on her shoulder to cover her face.

“So…”

“No ‘so’! Whenever you talk, you sound like a pervert!”

Luo Qingmeng didn’t want to discuss this with her. She had a feeling that Qiu Shuxue wanted to tie her up, to be bound by those red ribbons, and then lie there helplessly to be admired by Qiu Shuxue. What would she do then? Would she struggle? She probably couldn’t. And what if she was praised, and she… she…

But, she also couldn’t say that she was a gift. If she did, Qiu Shuxue would think she belonged to her, that she would lose her autonomy, and Qiu Shuxue would start playing with her however she wanted again.

Qiu Shuxue said leisurely, “It’s only been half a birthday.”

Luo Qingmeng clenched her hands. She was so annoyed. She wanted to hit this girl. Unfortunately, she had never been in a fight, and she would cry whenever she argued.

She walked forward with a straight face.

This was why she said she shouldn’t have gone out to eat with the mistress. She was the ex-wife. Qiu Shuxue was the one who was in the wrong. She should be arrogant.

She couldn’t explain what was happening. At the ground floor exit, Luo Qingmeng felt extremely uncomfortable. She knew Qiu Shuxue was deliberately playing the victim, using her “I’m so pathetic” state to gain her sympathy. She should have remained indifferent and just mocked her. But instead, Luo Qingmeng actually felt a sense of guilt. She stopped, put her hands in her pockets, and glared at Qiu Shuxue, asking, “Is there anything else you want?”

Qiu Shuxue was holding the gift she had given her. She glanced at the “Lao Feng Xiang” jewelry store on the first floor. Luo Qingmeng frowned. She didn’t have that much money. See? I shouldn’t be so nice to her.

Qiu Shuxue kept looking at the jewelry stores. After a long while, her eyes moved up to the second floor. She said, “There’s nothing to buy on the first floor. Let’s go to the second floor.”

Luo Qingmeng followed her back. On the second floor, she bought a small chick doll with a pacifier. The chick was wearing a little hat. She squinted her eyes as she looked at it. Qiu Shuxue put it in the paper bag, and a smile finally appeared on her face. She asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Are you a momma’s boy?” Luo Qingmeng asked seriously.

Qiu Shuxue looked back at Luo Qingmeng. Since the first time they met, Qiu Shuxue had never thought Luo Qingmeng was an ugly woman. On the contrary, she thought she was extremely beautiful and clean. She was very warm. Her hair wasn’t tied up high. She didn’t speak loudly. She didn’t wear dark clothes and always wore the bookstore’s apron.

Sometimes, the corners of her lips would suddenly curl up, and no one knew what she was laughing at.

Qiu Shuxue came back to her senses and said, “Maybe. I used to be very envious of other people’s families and wanted a mom to hold and kiss me. But I don’t like the definition of a mother because my mother is very cold-blooded.”

Luo Qingmeng said, “You should read that book I gave you. It might help with your symptoms.”

“Is that so?” Qiu Shuxue said again. “More than a momma’s boy, I want to know if I can cure my ‘wifey’ complex. I prefer wives.”

Luo Qingmeng was speechless, but she was even more speechless that she had a big mouth. She actually continued to ask, “Then why do you like wives? Is it because you’re a pervert?”

Liking moms was understandable, but liking other people’s wives was very hard to understand. Was it some kind of strange fetish? This was much more serious. Qiu Shuxue pursed her lips, as if she had planned to tell her, but she swallowed it back. Qiu Shuxue started laughing, with a hint of an unknown meaning that made Luo Qingmeng’s scalp tingle.

They talked as they walked. When they got to the parking garage, Qiu Shuxue took out her car keys.

Luo Qingmeng went to open the back door. Qiu Shuxue opened the driver’s side door and called her over. “Sit in the front. Put the century egg with tofu on the center console so it doesn’t get on the seat.”

Luo Qingmeng moved to the front seat. She lowered her head to put on her seatbelt and suddenly remembered something. “What brand is your car?”

Luo Qingmeng didn’t know much about cars. Li An had a car that cost about 200,000 yuan. Li An would boast about it in front of her. At that time, Luo Qingmeng thought 200,000 yuan was very expensive. One time, she was sitting in the back and felt so stuffy that she couldn’t help but say something. Li An said it was because she had never been in such a good car and that she wouldn’t feel so stuffy if she rode in it a few more times.

Luo Qingmeng thought about it now.

Did Li An think she was a cheapskate back then?

Qiu Shuxue said, “It’s a regular brand, a generic one.”

Luo Qingmeng said, “Oh.” She knew a few car brands, but she had never seen Qiu Shuxue’s. She just asked, “Are there such good generic brands?”

She didn’t hear what Qiu Shuxue said because her phone rang. Luo Qingmeng immediately lowered her head to look at her phone and replied to the store manager’s message. She didn’t want to lose this opportunity.

The store manager sent voice messages, so she put on her headphones.

She replied the whole way back.

When they got to the community, she thought she saw Li An by the back door. Qiu Shuxue’s car quickly went into the garage, so she couldn’t be sure.

She was a little curious about what happened to Li An afterward. She wanted to know if Li An had been humiliated at the company because she was planning on asking him for money. Luo Qingmeng was about to ask when Qiu Shuxue stopped the car and unbuckled her own seatbelt. Then, she held the hand that was unbuckling her seatbelt.

“What are you doing?” Luo Qingmeng watched her warily.

“Kissing…” Qiu Shuxue leaned over.

“I…” Before Luo Qingmeng could finish her sentence, Qiu Shuxue bit her lips. Luo Qingmeng pushed her in a muffled voice. “I don’t want to kiss…”

“I do.” Qiu Shuxue was about to kiss her again.

Luo Qingmeng hit her shoulder hard and said, “I have work. If you do this… I’m going to get angry.”

Qiu Shuxue reflected on herself. “You’re right. What I’m doing is bad.” She parted Qiu Shuxue’s lips and said, “Then I’ll go to your place and wait for you. I’m sorry, sister. I’m not being very obedient today.”

Luo Qingmeng scoffed. Qiu Shuxue let go of her hand and helped her unbuckle her seatbelt. Luo Qingmeng pressed the voice message button to reply to the store manager. “I’ll be home soon.”

After getting out of the car, Luo Qingmeng walked and replied to the message. Qiu Shuxue reached out from behind to press the elevator button for her. After they got in, she pressed the floor number.

When they got to the front door, Luo Qingmeng entered the password. She suddenly felt that something was not right, but she couldn’t say what it was. She immediately looked at Qiu Shuxue, who was waiting beside her.

Qiu Shuxue stood with her arms crossed, looking thoughtful. She said, “Maybe it’s because you didn’t take the century egg with tofu.”

Luo Qingmeng remembered and nodded. She also felt that wasn’t it, but before she could continue thinking, Qiu Shuxue grabbed her hand and pushed the door open. She squeezed in behind her. She said, “I’ll answer the question you were so curious about before, about why I like wives.”

Luo Qingmeng was even more curious about the answer, so her struggle was useless. She turned on the light and walked from the entryway to the living room, ready to listen to her answer. But as soon as Qiu Shuxue finished, she immediately regretted it.

Qiu Shuxue, who was behind her, spoke in a serious, objective, and philosophical tone. She said that infancy was a period of being breastfed and protected, where one could depend on their mother for milk. However, after the age of three, five, or ten, one must leave this state and become independent. But with a wife, she can play the role of a mother, allowing an adult to also breastfeed whenever they want. She can maturely satisfy an adult’s dependence and gently satisfy the ordinary adult’s desire for warmth and to be loved.

Luo Qingmeng couldn’t move. Her ears were burning up. She asked her to explain, not to explain it like this! Qiu Shuxue was truly a pervert.

She also realized something else. Why did she let Qiu Shuxue into her apartment?

“Right, sister…?” Qiu Shuxue lowered her head slightly, took off her headphones, and asked in her ear, “Wives can be eaten.”

“Isn’t that the truth?”

She wanted to turn her sister into a gift.

A sister who couldn’t object was too pitiful, and too cute.