Giving You Dawn and Dusk (GL) - Chapter 20

It took Liang Shi a good while for her heart to return to its normal rhythm.

Just as she reached the doorway, Xu Qinya cast an ambiguous glance at her, accompanied by two “tsk-tsks.”

It was somewhat sarcastic.

But there was also a hint of teasing in it.

It made Liang Shi feel quite awkward.

It felt a bit like when she was in school and got a little too close to a boy, and everyone would whistle or give playful looks.

But back then, she only felt embarrassed; now, there was a touch of… delight.

She categorized this emotion as—the joy of wanting to cuddle with a beauty.

Liang Shi slid open the metal cover of the keypad lock, pressed the villa code, then stepped aside, letting the Xu Qingzhu sisters enter first.

Xu Qinya was quite familiar, not at all polite, and was the first to enter the house.

But as soon as she stepped inside, she gasped.

“What’s wrong?” Liang Shi asked.

Xu Qinya looked shocked, pointing at the house and asking, “Sister, has your house been robbed?”

Liang Shi: “…”

“That shouldn’t be, this area is a rich villa district, who would dare to steal here?” Xu Qinya said, completely oblivious to the fact that Xu Qingzhu’s expression behind her had changed.

Liang Shi just peeked inside and immediately understood what was going on.

The mess from that day hadn’t been cleaned up.

The first floor was still covered in the remnants of a party.

It had been left for several days, and the smell had turned sour.

It was like an uncleaned crime scene.

Liang Shi’s expression subtly changed. She coughed lightly. “No, it wasn’t a thief. It was… I had a party with friends that day, and then went out with your sister. No one was home to clean up.”

This blame was firmly placed on her shoulders.

“Where are your house servants?” Xu Qinya asked. “Does cleaning a house require the owner’s command? Why don’t you quickly fire such unobservant servants? Are you waiting to keep them for New Year’s? Or…”

Xu Qinya paused. “You didn’t hire any servants when you got married? My sister cleans this whole big villa?”

Liang Shi: “…”

At this moment, she was willing to call Xu Qinya “Holmes-Ya.”

“How could that be?” Liang Shi denied with a strained smile. “Even if I did it myself, it’s impossible for your sister to do it.”

Xu Qinya sighed with relief. “Exactly. My sister, well, don’t look at how pretty she is; she’s actually just a pretty face. She doesn’t do anything at home. Since she was little, her only two strong points were good grades and being pretty. You must have known that when you married her, right? If you let her clean, I’m afraid your precious porcelain might not survive.”

Liang Shi: “…”

She looked at Xu Qingzhu.

Xu Qingzhu timely lowered her head, not even meeting Liang Shi’s gaze, but said irritably, “That’s enough, you talk too much. If you have so much energy, why don’t you clean it yourself?”

“Sister Liang’s house isn’t without servants,” Xu Qinya said, hands in her pockets. “And I can’t do it either.”

Liang Shi now seemed to somewhat understand why Xu Qinya was so surprised when Liang Shi mentioned that Xu Qingzhu was very gentle during their previous meeting.

It turned out the original owner had never truly tried to understand Xu Qingzhu.

When Xu Qingzhu married her, her humility and subservience were merely due to feeling indebted.

Unable to offer money or her body, she forced herself to do many things she wasn’t actually capable of.

It was hard to imagine how a pampered young lady, accustomed to luxury since childhood, could learn to do these things in such a short time.

She must have paid a high price.

When Liang Shi first learned to do housework, she often bumped into things and made mistakes.

This probably also explained why Xu Qingzhu was so skilled at bandaging wounds.

She must have been injured often, becoming a doctor through prolonged illness.

Her gaze towards Xu Qingzhu was slightly complex, and Xu Qingzhu avoided her compassionate gaze.

Liang Shi sighed inwardly, whispering, “No need. I’ll have someone come clean now.”

When she called the housekeeper, she felt anxious, genuinely worried the housekeeper would say the original owner had dismissed all the servants.

But thankfully, the original owner wasn’t that deranged.

Some servants still lived in the small two-story building behind the villa. The housekeeper quickly brought people over to clean.

Liang Shi and the Xu Qingzhu sisters waited outside for a while.

Xu Qinya played on her phone, not interacting with them the whole time.

Xu Qingzhu, with a furrowed brow, was worried, deep in thought about her family’s affairs.

Liang Shi just stood there, and seeing nothing else to do, she started playing Snake.

The snake moved nimbly across the screen. She didn’t put much thought into playing, just used it to clear her mind a bit.

The servants worked very efficiently, and in less than half an hour, the house was sparkling clean. The housekeeper stepped forward, bowing slightly, and asked, “Miss, would you like to have a meal?”

Liang Shi put away her phone and nodded. “Yes, just something homely, as soon as possible.”

The housekeeper took the order and called people to busy themselves in the kitchen.

They were all professionally trained; their movements were very light, almost inaudible from the living room.

Liang Shi stood in the living room, waiting for Xu Qingzhu to assign rooms.

They had agreed to separate rooms on the way here, but given the current situation, it seemed impossible.

If they were to live in the master bedroom upstairs, where would Xu Qinya stay?

“You stay downstairs, in that room,” Xu Qingzhu pointed to the second room on the right. “Pack your things, then come out to eat.”

Xu Qinya had no objection. “Okay.”

After speaking, Xu Qingzhu turned and walked upstairs.

She was still going back to the master bedroom. As she went upstairs, she turned back and asked, “Are you coming?”

It was a very soft inquiry, but spoken in her cool tone, the end of the sentence slightly upturned, carrying a hint of allure.

Liang Shi was startled, pointing to her own nose in disbelief. “Me?”

Xu Qingzhu nodded slightly.

Xu Qinya had already comfortably settled on the sofa, her phone playing a dance video with a very lively BGM. She raised her arms and waved. “Don’t mind me, okay? Just pretend I’m not here. This is your home, make yourselves at home, don’t be polite.”

She was quite at ease.

But what she said was quite pleasing.

Liang Shi treated her like a younger sister, jokingly teasing, “Then you make yourself at home too.”

Xu Qinya shrugged. “Did I act polite with you?”

Liang Shi chuckled lightly. “That’s good.”

“Alright,” Xu Qinya said, standing up. “I’m going back to my room. If you two want to whisper sweet nothings, go back to your room too. I won’t be your third wheel. You two…”

She gave them an ambiguous wink, “Enjoy your time together.”

Liang Shi: “…”

••••

The room was still the same as before.

That day was Xu Qingzhu’s estrus, and she had thrashed around on the bed for a while, so the white sheets were wrinkled.

The entire room had a very luxurious style; even the chandelier was gilded.

The luxurious carpet felt soft underfoot and was a light color. The room’s decor was quite good.

This was the only time Liang Shi approved of the original owner’s taste.

After closing the door, Xu Qingzhu went to collect the bedsheets. Her movements were quite nimble, but she seemed less skilled when trying to put on new ones.

Liang Shi immediately stepped forward to help.

She was a person unaccustomed to others interfering in her life and had lived alone for many years.

Suddenly having to share a room with someone felt quite uncomfortable.

Even if the other person was a stunning beauty.

Perhaps because of this, her sense of repulsion wasn’t as strong, but she felt a heavy psychological burden.

Tonight… how am I going to sleep?

Most likely, she’d have to sleep on the floor, right?

Liang Shi glanced at the carpet; it looked reasonably clean.

But things that were stepped on, no matter how visually clean, harbored many bacteria.

Her cleanliness obsession made her unable to accept it.

It would be better to remove the carpet and lay down a bedroll.

While thinking, she and Xu Qingzhu finished making the bed. After they were done, Xu Qingzhu looked a bit tired, sitting on one side of the bed, slightly panting.

She was wearing a high-necked, fitted black sweater. Her fair face had a faint dusty pink blush, and her eyes were bright. When she lowered her gaze, her thick eyelashes cast deep shadows. Her hair was casually tied in a bun, with many wisps around her forehead, yet it didn’t look messy at all.

Perhaps due to too many worries, or her personal constitution, she was very thin.

Even sitting in a tight sweater, there was no excess flesh on her abdomen.

She was barefoot on the soft carpet, her fair toes like a natural painting against the carpet.

“Sorry,” Xu Qingzhu said after recovering some strength. “I broke my promise. I couldn’t convince my sister to go back. I’ve caused you trouble these past few days.”

“Huh?” Liang Shi had accidentally zoned out while looking at her. By the time she snapped back, she only heard “trouble.”

Liang Shi lowered her head, feeling a little embarrassed. “What did you say?”

“I’m sorry,” Xu Qingzhu repeated patiently, in her cool, clear voice, like melted snow from a glacier, yet it failed to cool Liang Shi’s body. “I’ve caused you trouble. My family’s situation isn’t good right now, so I can only disturb you.”

“Oh, it’s fine,” Liang Shi said. “These are small matters, and… we’re family. Your family is my family too.”

Xu Qingzhu looked up at her.

She had just licked her lips; they were glistening, like jelly sprinkled with glitter.

Liang Shi turned her face away, not daring to look anymore.

“Xu Qingzhu,” Liang Shi felt it necessary to reiterate. “What I said in the ward earlier, it’s all true.”

“Mm?” Xu Qingzhu asked softly, her voice carrying a cool, distant intimacy. “Which parts?”

“About not hurting you again, I was sincere,” Liang Shi said. “Whatever wrong I did to you before, it’s in the past. I know I can’t shamelessly ask for your forgiveness; after all, harm is irreversible.”

“But…” Liang Shi paused, then said sincerely, “I will change. This isn’t just empty words.”

Xu Qingzhu looked at her, then suddenly curved her lips and smiled.

Her lips curved into a perfect arc, her eyes half-closed, her fair face looking rosy and tender, like cherry blossoms falling.

Liang Shi even smelled the scent of spring at that moment.

She felt like Xu Qingzhu had some kind of enchantment about her.

She immediately turned her face away.

But Xu Qingzhu said in a low voice, “I believe you.”

The end of her sentence still lifted, like a small feather, tickling the softest parts of one’s heart.

“However… I still have to apologize,” Xu Qingzhu stood up. “It’s polite.”

“Alright,” Liang Shi sighed a little in relief. “I’m just stating that this will be your home from now on. You can arrange it as you wish; there’s no need to ask for my opinion. Of course… if…”

She coughed lightly, “If you’re in a good mood, you can occasionally listen to my opinion.”

Xu Qingzhu was silent for a moment, then chuckled softly.

“I’ll try,” Xu Qingzhu said. “Dinner should be ready soon. Let’s go down and eat.”

“Wait,” Liang Shi stopped her.

“What is it?”

Liang Shi stared at the carpet and asked, “Are there any new carpets? Or can we just remove the carpet?”

She really couldn’t stand sleeping on a carpet full of bacteria.

“There are some,” Xu Qingzhu said. “Let’s change it after we eat.”

“Okay,” Liang Shi readily agreed.

She reached out to open the door. Xu Qingzhu was right behind her. Xu Qingzhu moved slightly forward, once again very close to her.

Afraid of being overheard, Xu Qingzhu lowered her voice and said, “You sleep on the bed tonight.”

Liang Shi: “…”