I Don't Want to Have Little Mushrooms with You - Chapter 36

Qu Lingyue paused as she saw Chen Ling and Wang Luo approaching.

Taking advantage of the moment, Song Tai forcefully pushed her away, pursing her lips as she felt the lingering ache and numbness on her tongue from the intense sucking.

She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, a hint of disdain in her voice. “Is this all you’ve got? Your kissing skills are pathetic.”

Qu Lingyue brushed off the insult, replying sincerely, “But I still kissed you.”

Song Tai: “……”

She’s insane.

Qu Lingyue’s gaze lingered wistfully on Song Tai’s lips.

If she had a choice, she would never have let go of Song Tai.

Two slaps for a kiss? A bargain. Some people would kill for that opportunity.

She glanced at the two women before her, their faces grim, and couldn’t help but smile knowingly.

She had released Song Tai only because Chen Ling and Wang Luo were there. She knew she couldn’t take them both on at once.

However, she subconsciously overlooked the fact that she couldn’t defeat either of them individually, let alone both.

Still… she looked at the pair, her gaze lingering on them with a hint of confusion, as if trying to confirm something.

The last time Chen Ling and Wang Luo had met, Chen Ling’s strength had far surpassed Wang Luo’s. Yet, after just a few days apart, Wang Luo had already become so formidable?

Does Song Tai actually like this?

Her gaze swept over Wang Luo with scrutiny.

What’s there to like about this pathetic cat? She’s so short and all she does is play the victim.

The next moment, Qu Lingyue adopted a pitiful tone. “Did I bite you too hard?”

She had learned this trick from Qu Fengyue. Though Qu Fengyue was a useless fool, she wasn’t entirely without merit. Song Tai seemed particularly susceptible to this act.

Qu Lingyue’s sudden shift in demeanor made Song Tai narrow her eyes suspiciously. Her guard didn’t lower; instead, she became even more wary.

What madness is she planning now?

Can someone with such an unstable mental state really be a public figure? Song Tai remained skeptical.

And does Qu Lingyue have some kind of contagious disease? How else could she make me feel so agitated?

Before returning, Song Tai had never imagined she would physically attack Qu Lingyue, let alone with such force.

Just as she hadn’t anticipated how Qu Lingyue’s flamboyant confession would infuriate her so deeply. If it had been someone else—Wang Luo, for example—she probably wouldn’t have been nearly as angry, perhaps even…

The two slaps had been delivered with full force, leaving her palms numb from the impact. She clenched her hands, trying to ease the tingling.

Wang Luo, ever perceptive, noticed her subtle gesture and gently took her hand, massaging it.

But the immediate priority remained cleaning up the mess Qu Lingyue had created.

Before Song Tai could speak, Qu Lingyue’s manager greeted her with a warm smile. “Miss Song, is it?”

She then proposed her solution: Song Tai should proactively announce their relationship, or at the very least, make a joint announcement.

Otherwise, it would make Qu Lingyue appear too humble, and a significant portion of her fans were deeply invested in her public persona.

Moreover, the manager couldn’t believe Qu Lingyue would be so pathetic. There had to be another motive behind her actions.

If all this fanfare had been orchestrated just for a kiss…

The manager trailed off, at a loss for words. She should probably take Qu Lingyue to see a psychiatrist.

Song Tai glanced up at her but remained silent.

Sensing a glimmer of hope, the manager pressed on. “Of course, I understand this might be asking a lot. But we’re prepared to offer compensation. Qu Lingyue…”

She paused mid-sentence, glancing up at Qu Lingyue beside her.

While she was busy racking her brains for a solution, Qu Lingyue remained aloof, acting as if she had nothing to do with this mess.

Song Tai frowned, irritated by her words.

Chen Ling interrupted coldly, “Quite the elaborate fantasy.”

The manager, unfazed by the rebuke, maintained her professional smile. She deserved this, having to deal with such a difficult artist.

If Chen Ling hadn’t spoken up, the manager might have forgotten about the two people trailing behind Song Tai.

Her gaze swept silently over them, her professional instincts kicking in as she tried to gauge their personalities.

Chen Ling seemed like someone you wouldn’t want to cross.

Wang Luo, on the other hand, appeared more approachable but clearly lacked any real authority.

Song Tai tugged at Chen Ling’s sleeve, but before she could speak, Chen Ling cut in with a faint smile, “I could never agree to such a condition.”

“What does Qu Lingyue’s madness have to do with us?”

With that, Chen Ling turned back to Song Tai, smiled, and patted the back of her hand.

With Chen Ling handling the situation, Song Tai instantly felt a wave of relief. She had grown accustomed to relying on Chen Ling since childhood.

Chen Ling would never agree to such an absurd condition.

However, the manager wasn’t being so bold. She was merely testing the waters, stating her position first before negotiating.

After all, most people would compromise. By starting with an outrageous demand, she lowered expectations and could then gradually negotiate downward.

But Chen Ling proved far more difficult to deal with than she had anticipated, completely rejecting her tactics.

Chen Ling was only willing to waste time arguing to persuade Qu Lingyue to delete the photos.

As the scandal escalated, inaction would inevitably drag Song Tai into the mess, potentially disrupting her daily life.

She would never agree to any other conditions.

Chen Ling’s utterly uncooperative attitude was driving the manager to the brink of despair.

Of course, she understood Chen Ling’s position was justified. If she were in Chen Ling’s shoes, she might be even more inflexible.

Their side was clearly in the wrong, and Qu Lingyue seemed to have lost her mind.

But the problem was, she was the manager. Even if she wanted to quit, she couldn’t.

The smile on her face faltered as she braced herself to continue haggling with Chen Ling.

Qu Lingyue suddenly spoke, “I’ll delete that photo, but I won’t delete the others.”

She turned to Song Tai. “I told you this was my sincerity. Every word I’ve said is genuine.”

“I also guarantee that Miss Song won’t be affected. I’ll handle everything on my end.”

The manager glared at Qu Lingyue, who remained composed. If you could handle it, why didn’t you say so earlier? I was practically being tortured to death by Chen Ling’s glare!

Qu Lingyue paused. “Let’s treat these posts as promotion for my new song. I’m already prepared. Don’t worry.”

With that, she turned to Song Tai, her gaze lingering softly on her lips.

The manager: “……”

Why are you wearing that wistful expression?

She mentally scoffed, Pathetic. One kiss and you’re like this? If you two ever sleep together, will you be so happy you’ll die of joy?

Since Qu Lingyue claimed to have a solution, they might as well try it.

The manager snapped impatiently, “Then hurry up and get to work! Stop dawdling.”

After speaking, Qu Lingyue couldn’t help but feel a secret thrill. When had she ever spoken to these band elders like this before?

Ha ha.

Suppressing her inner satisfaction, the manager maintained a calm facade, addressing the other band members with a businesslike tone: “Please cooperate as well.”

Qu Lingyue’s social media accounts were already in chaos, flooded with every kind of bizarre comment imaginable.

After deleting the photo, Qu Lingyue remained unhurried, sharing her plan with the others.

The manager turned to the lead singer: “Have you ever been heartbroken?”

“Channel that half-dead, listless energy you had when you were heartbroken.”

The lead singer opened his mouth to speak.

The manager cut him off: “Oh, right, I forgot. You’ve never even been in a relationship, just had a secret crush, right?”

“Then channel that yearning—that desperate longing to be with someone you can’t have, that burning desire to cook, clean, and raise kids for a straight, married woman.”

The lead singer: “……”

Qu Lingyue stubbornly turned to Song Tai.

The manager’s resentment at being dragged into overtime late at night was practically overflowing as she glared at Qu Lingyue.

If Qu Lingyue backed out—if she dared—the manager would stab her with a knife right then and there.

Noticing Song Tai’s gaze, Qu Lingyue smiled and said, “Alright, let’s get to it.”

This place was originally the Umbrella Fungus Band’s usual practice space, complete with a small recording studio and all the necessary equipment—essentially their workshop.

About an hour later, a new track was released under Qu Lingyue’s account.

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t a formal release but rather a practice session snippet between band members.

The difference this time was that the band members had swapped roles in the clip.

The video’s caption simply read: “Inspiration struck suddenly. Teaser for a new song.”

This vague caption was all about maintaining an air of mystery.

By making their stance clear, they left the rest to the fans’ speculation.

Song Tai had witnessed the recording process earlier but was unsure how it would translate to video. Now, like most fans, she opened the video—

The song’s style was oppressively melancholic, incorporating several classical instruments to create a mournful and powerless atmosphere. It seemed to tell the story of someone’s desperate pleas going unanswered. As the rhythm gradually intensified, the drumbeats accelerated, and the originally sorrowful tones sharpened into a subtly piercing edge. The music transformed from a lament into a brooding howl, sending an inexplicable chill down the spine.

Though the video lacked polish and felt somewhat improvised, it was undeniably a groundbreaking innovation in the band’s style.

Many fans had already doubted Qu Lingyue’s sincerity in making those controversial statements. After watching the video, they immediately felt they had received a satisfactory explanation.

However, some fans remained skeptical. Could Qu Lingyue really have orchestrated such a massive spectacle just to write a song? Her “simp” comments had sounded so genuine and heartfelt. Even for pre-release hype, this seemed excessive.

Still, the song was undeniably good. Qu Lingyue’s vocal debut added a fresh element, and her voice had a pleasant timbre.

Despite lingering doubts, most fans chose to believe her—or rather, they wanted to believe her. After all, even if they didn’t, the band had solid work to back them up, not just fleeting popularity.

Thus, the controversy was temporarily quelled.

Song Tai felt utterly drained.

On the way back, Song Tai pinched the bridge of her nose wearily.

Wang Luo turned to look at her, saying solicitously, “You can lean on me and rest.”

Song Tai shook her head. “I’m fine.”

Wang Luo insisted warmly, “Come on, come on.”

Song Tai was genuinely tired, and after a moment’s hesitation, she leaned against Wang Luo.

She hadn’t intended to fall asleep, merely to close her eyes and rest briefly. But leaning against Wang Luo with her eyes closed, she drifted off almost immediately, likely due to exhaustion.

Wang Luo stared intently at Song Tai’s breathing, watching as it slowed and deepened into sleep. Once she was certain Song Tai was sound asleep, Wang Luo reached out and gently touched her eyelashes, whispering, “Slow down, Cai Cai’s asleep.”

Chen Ling, driving steadily, noticed the movement and frowned irritably. She glanced at Wang Luo through the rearview mirror, signaling her to stay still.

Coward, Wang Luo thought inwardly, deliberately ignoring Chen Ling’s glare. She leaned closer, lowered her head, and tentatively brushed her lips against the corner of Song Tai’s mouth.

Perhaps feeling safe in familiar surroundings, Song Tai was deeply relaxed and showed no reaction.

Wang Luo leaned in further, trying to coax Song Tai into holding her like before. But she wasn’t a cat anymore.

It used to be Song Tai who held me and kissed me, Wang Luo thought with a hint of displeasure. Now she can’t even hold me anymore.

Kneeling on Song Tai’s lap, Wang Luo leaned forward, awkwardly wedging herself into Song Tai’s arms.

Then, she tilted her head back and affectionately nuzzled her chin with the tip of her nose, rubbing her scent onto Song Tai’s skin to completely mask the lingering traces of that detestable woman.

She thoroughly rubbed her scent all over Song Tai’s body, feeling utterly satisfied.

She had longed to do this for ages, but Song Tai would never have allowed it.

Only now, while Song Tai slept, could she finally claim her in this way.

Her gaze slowly swept down, examining her handiwork. Suddenly, she realized there was one place she hadn’t yet marked with her scent.

She lifted her head and stared intently at Song Tai’s lips.

Song Tai remained completely unaware, her eyes closed, thick lashes resting against her cheeks. Her lips were slightly parted, a soft breath escaping.

That detestable woman had even dared to stick her tongue into Song Tai’s mouth and bite her.

Wang Luo leaned in swiftly, her nose twitching. She could smell Song Tai’s breath, but her own scent was still absent.

Song Tai remained asleep.

Wang Luo’s throat bobbed, her pupils narrowing into thin slits as she fixed her gaze on those gently exhaling lips.

She lowered her head, first licking the corner of Song Tai’s mouth, then tentatively biting her lips before deftly sliding her tongue inside.

The soft, wet sensation made her pupils contract and dilate rapidly with excitement. Cupping Song Tai’s face in her hands, she couldn’t resist probing deeper.

Song Tai had a dream. In it, she was back in the same scene, Qu Lingyue gripping her wrist and kissing her forcefully, leaving her breathless.

She tried to push Qu Lingyue away, but the other woman only pressed closer, refusing to release her tongue.

Song Tai groaned softly, tears welling in her eyes, angered by the kiss.

But what infuriated her even more was the physical arousal Qu Lingyue’s kiss stirred within her. Her mind recoiled, yet the forceful act stimulated her body, her brain flooding with dopamine, leaving her trembling slightly in her abdomen…

She wanted Qu Lingyue to continue.

The car braked sharply, the sudden jolt snapping Song Tai awake.

She slowly opened her eyes, dream and reality merging in an instant. She hummed softly, the lingering sensation on her lips reminding her: someone was kissing her.

But this kiss was different from Qu Lingyue’s. The tongue currently exploring her mouth felt rough, like it had barbs, scraping against her lips and tongue with a stinging sensation, as if trying to lick her skin raw. She instinctively wanted to pull away.

Sensing her awakening, Wang Luo reluctantly withdrew, her barbed tongue lingering over Song Tai’s lower lip before releasing her.

Song Tai was disoriented, still trying to process what had happened. She looked up and met Chen Ling’s pale gray eyes.

Chen Ling stared at them with a grim expression.

Song Tai froze, then glanced down at Wang Luo, who was now sitting in her lap. She immediately pushed Wang Luo away, her mouth opening and closing helplessly as she stammered, “Chen Ling, I—”