Meng Po Gave Her a Bowl of Soup (GL) - Chapter 23

— “Hurry up! Didn’t you say your promise was as good as gold, Miss Xu?
”

Song Wanyue, with a half-smile, urged her, secretly amused by Xu Ruying’s nervous and awkward appearance.

In truth, she wasn’t seeking Qin Xiao’s tears to confirm that Xu Ruying was her Mingyu. Her heart had already made that decision long ago. She wouldn’t mistake it. She just wanted to see her.

She was obsessed with the thought, and Mingyu was stingy, never appearing in her dreams.

She just wanted to see her.

Xu Ruying’s heartbeat raced. It was a subtle feeling. In the past, her first time with Wanyue had been a mix of nervousness and shyness, tinged with a bit of confusion.

At that time, the mutual empathy was shared equally.

She felt that way, and so did Wanyue.

As novices, their mutual exploration reduced the awkwardness and discomfort.

Later, as they grew more familiar with physical intimacy, Mingyu’s firm belief that she was the dominant one was due to Wanyue’s shyness whenever she snuggled into her arms and whispered flirtatious things.

But now…

What was this reversal of circumstances?

Why did Song Wanyue’s gaze seem so seasoned, urging her on like she was Huang Shiren?

Xu Ruying knew Wanyue well.

Although Wanyue could be a bit mischievous and occasionally a little black-hearted, and sometimes not very nice, she was mostly upright and kind-hearted.

For someone studying art, nude painting was a transcendent experience. One should not view it through a biased lens; that would be desecrating art.

“Do you need my help?”

Wanyue was so considerate. Seeing Xu Ruying standing still for a long time, she gently smiled and began to suggest.

Xu Ruying had goosebumps and quickly shook her head. “No… No need, I’ll do it myself.”

After all, Wanyue didn’t know she was Mingyu.

So, she didn’t understand the shyness of undressing in front of a lover’s gaze.

She was already embarrassed; if Wanyue touched her… Xu Ruying didn’t know if she’d be able to control herself.

To ensure she could see every part of Xu Ruying’s body clearly, without leaving scars, Song Wanyue had turned on all the lights in the house.

The room was brightly lit.

Xu Ruying, wearing a dress, had her hands raised behind her, elegantly curving as she pulled down the zipper. Her pale back gradually became exposed to Song Wanyue’s gaze.

As she moved her arms, Xu Ruying’s body twisted slightly, and her delicate palms were already full of sweat.

Xu Ruying’s body was something she had seen countless times…

It was definitely on par with hers.

Xu Ruying suddenly thought of a question.

Wanyue was a woman, and the woman she liked was also a woman.

Would she be emotionally moved upon seeing her body?

Thinking of this, Xu Ruying looked at Song Wanyue. When she saw her, she was momentarily speechless.

Song Wanyue, Miss Song, and Teacher Song, was squinting her eyes, as if she were an old person struggling to see clearly without glasses, carefully observing her body.

It didn’t seem like passion or preparation for painting; it felt more like a game of finding faults, as if she had to find something wrong with her.

The excitement and shyness vanished instantly, and Xu Ruying’s expression grew colder. She stared at Song Wanyue. “What are you looking for?”

Song Wanyue was serious. She was focused on making sure that the blood didn’t go to waste, so her gaze moved like a scanner, just finishing scanning Xu Ruying’s legs.

The calves were fair and firm, indicating regular exercise with no scars, noted.

The thighs were long and slender, also without scars, noted.

••••

Xu Ruying, who felt overlooked: “…………………”

This… Did she not hear her speak?

Feeling this frustration, Xu Ruying yanked the zipper of her dress all the way down, no longer hiding. The silk dress slid down her delicate skin, and she puffed out her chest, holding her head high as she looked at Song Wanyue.

A woman, no matter her age, is still a child.

Everyone hopes for praise for their beauty.

Although this body wasn’t hers, Xu Ruying felt that with Mingyu’s soul within, she shouldn’t have to be looked at by Teacher Song with the expression of an old man on the subway looking at his phone, should she?

The scanning Song Wanyue hesitated for a moment. She looked up at Xu Ruying, and when their eyes met, she was momentarily stunned but then smiled.

Ah, my Mingyu.

So cute and so delightful.

Wanyue had always kept a secret from Mingyu.

Compared to the feeling of being beneath her, she preferred having complete control over Mingyu.

She loved seeing Mingyu’s disheveled hair, her dreamy eyes, her crimson lips, and her uncontrollable state.

In those moments, Mingyu lost her usual aloofness and became as soft as a kitten, making Wanyue want to tease her at will.

•••

“What are you doing?”

Xu Ruying looked at her coldly. Song Wanyue smiled slightly. “The underwear isn’t off yet.”

Xu Ruying: “…”

Always disrupting her rhythm, she couldn’t maintain her commanding presence.

Naturally, she couldn’t be controlled.

Even if she changed her guise to a little dog, a kitten, or a bunny, Song Wanyue wouldn’t let her escape her grasp.

She was her beloved, someone she had shared many years with. With just a glance, she could understand what was going on.

Song Wanyue was inherently sensitive and meticulous, unlike Xiao Mingyu, who was all about work.

From the moment she and Mingyu decided to elope, her eyes had been solely on her.

Mingyu was her everything.

With her hands behind her, Xu Ruying, feeling somewhat shy, bit her lip. “The light… the light…”

She wanted the light dimmed a bit.

Song Wanyue smiled. “What about the light?”

Xu Ruying looked at her with a hint of annoyance, feeling that this teacher, Song, knew exactly what she was hinting at but was making her say it out loud.

The competitive spirit in her flared up.

With Xiao Mingyu’s soul in her, and the inherent dominance, she no longer cared. With a firm grip, she released the final restraint and tossed her hair, creating an even more alluring atmosphere than the female stars on TV, looking boldly at Song Wanyue.

This time, it was Wanyue’s turn to blush. She quickly dimmed the lights a bit.

Indeed…

The figure was great.

Skin as white as a lotus, solid and elegant lines…

But it was still far from Mingyu.

If it weren’t for Mingyu’s former proud glance—“Am I beautiful? Why haven’t you praised me?”—she wouldn’t be blushing and might even find it glaring.

No matter how beautiful.

If she wasn’t Mingyu, it meant nothing.

The best she had seen, everything else was just imitating.

Song Wanyue hadn’t painted in a long time. Her hand trembled slightly as she held the brush but couldn’t stop.

Her gaze continued to scan Xu Ruying’s skin, inspecting every area carefully, afraid of missing anything.

At first, Xu Ruying was quite nervous, but with the rain and the quiet sound of the brush, like a cocoon swallowing leaves, her nerves slowly relaxed.

Her gaze shifted between Wanyue and the rainy night outside.

Rainy days always made people feel melancholic.

Xu Ruying couldn’t help but think of the day of separation, with various emotions churning in her heart.

In the past, she always felt that the saying from Meng Po—“If someone finds out that you are Xiao Mingyu, your soul will scatter into reincarnation, with no way to reverse it.”—was a constraint that kept her from recognizing her lover.

But now, thinking about it, it might have been a form of divine consideration.

If…

Wanyue knew she was Mingyu.

Perhaps, they would embrace and weep, cherishing the year together.

And then?

If Wanyue gained and then lost her again, wouldn’t she be a heartless executioner, cutting her lover’s heart one slice at a time?

— Hi, joyous drums beat out annual happiness.

Beautiful dances bring daily cheer.

••••

Today was a good day.

Everything she wished for could come true.

Tomorrow would be a good day.

Open the door and welcome the spring breeze.

••••

Xu Ruying: “…………………………”

Her legs gave way slightly, and she almost lost her balance. Forget about sadness; she felt dazed. “What are you doing?”

Just a moment ago, Song Wanyue had been seriously painting with an artist’s demeanor. Now, she turned to her with a smile. “Feeling a bit tired. Let’s play some cheerful music to unwind.”

She had noticed the sorrow in Xu Ruying’s brows.

She couldn’t reach out to smooth her brow, but she couldn’t bear to see her looking so desolate.

She wanted to hold her Mingyu, to tell her.

She wanted to be with her without needing eternity.

No matter how long her return might take, this reunion was a divine blessing.

As for the future, she didn’t know how she would cope with losing her again, but these days together were enough to savor for the rest of her life.

After an hour of painting, Song Wanyue stretched her neck. “I’ve got a rough sketch done.”

Xu Ruying looked at her. “Are you tired?”

It wasn’t that she was tired, but Wanyue was concerned Xu Ruying might be too exhausted. “Yes, let’s take a break and continue later.”

Xu Ruying frowned. “Continue later? Aren’t you supposed to be in the competition? You need to persevere.”

Song Wanyue: “………”

Tsk, tsk, tsk.

As expected of her Mingyu, look at this perfectionism.

Persevere?

If it were before, Song Wanyue would definitely persist, but now, she had something more important to do.

Qin Xiao had said that her blood worked best at night, and once absorbed by the skin by the next day, it would lose its effect.

Now, approaching midnight, it was the best time.

Song Wanyue quickly packed up the painting. “You should rest for a while. You’ve worked hard today. I’ll take you out for a meal later.”

Xu Ruying hesitated and tentatively asked, “You’ll… take me out to eat?”

Song Wanyue stiffened, staring intently at Xu Ruying. Taking a deep breath, she said, “We’ll eat out, not cooked by me.”

Xu Ruying finally relaxed, relieved. It was good to know; she had been startled by the idea.

As she was speaking, Song Wanyue suddenly leaned closer, allowing Xu Ruying to catch a faint fragrance from her.

Instinctively stepping back, Xu Ruying looked at her warily, but Song Wanyue just smiled. She gazed into Xu Ruying’s eyes for a moment, then raised a slender hand to gently touch her lips.

Xu Ruying: !!!

In that instant, her mind seemed to freeze.

What… what was she doing?

If it were anyone else, such proximity and action would be seen as flirtatious.

But Song Wanyue could look at her with the purest, most innocent friend’s gaze and ask softly, “Is there a problem here? Is it inflamed?”

Xu Ruying: “…”

Well.

The words “inflamed” dissipated any romantic tension.

Brushing her hand away, Xu Ruying replied curtly, “There’s no inflammation. It’s fine.”

Song Wanyue tilted her head, scrutinizing her. “Will it crack and bleed again?”

Xu Ruying, now irritated, retorted, “Of course not. Why are you so concerned?!”

Not going to crack?

That’s good.

Song Wanyue, not wanting to argue further, turned and left.

Xu Ruying: “………”

Song Wanyue hurriedly tidied up, placing everything in the studio. She mentioned needing to take a shower and asked Xu Ruying not to sleep yet because she was a bit scared of the rain.

Xu Ruying, naturally not feeling sleepy, said, “I’ll go get a set of pajamas then.”

Her long dress was on the floor and was unusable.

Song Wanyue hesitated for a moment. “There are new ones in the wardrobe. If you don’t mind, I can get them for you.”

These were clothes Song Wanyue had bought after Mingyu left.

During that time, Wanyue was still uncertain if Xu Ruying was her Mingyu. Day by day, she was tangled with longing and pain, unwilling to admit, know, or confirm that she had lost Mingyu.

She would wander aimlessly through streets they had walked, visiting places they had been, buying clothes and shoes as if Mingyu were still around.

All she wanted was to wait for her return, to compliment her, hold her, and kiss her cheek, saying, “Thank you, Wanyue. I really like it.”

••••

Those clothes had been hand-washed and hung in the wardrobe. Xu Ruying initially wanted to refuse, but seeing the redness in Wanyue’s eyes, she bit her lip and nodded. “Okay.”

Wanyue went to take a shower.

As she took out a small bottle from her pocket, her hands trembled uncontrollably.

Mingyu, Mingyu…

Xu Ruying opened the wardrobe and fell silent when she saw the style of the clothes. Pain felt like a net, intruding into her body, constantly reminding her of Wanyue’s pain back then.

Choosing a light pink nightgown, Xu Ruying changed and stared at the clothes for a while before gently closing the wardrobe.

The sound of the shower filled the bathroom, and Xu Ruying, after listening for a while, suddenly felt the urge to see the painting Wanyue had done of her.

She must have painted it beautifully, given how seriously she looked at her.

This home was so familiar to her.

Xu Ruying quietly sneaked into the studio, turned on a light, and looked at the messy studio, shaking her head helplessly.

She didn’t know what was going on with Wanyue tonight; it seemed she was busy and had no time to clean up.

Approaching the table, she saw the painting Wanyue had just finished, covered with a white cloth.

Usually, oil paintings should be left to dry completely before being stored.

Xu Ruying frowned and lifted the white cloth. The moment she saw the painting, her eyes widened in shock.

At the same time, she heard Song Wanyue’s soft voice behind her.

“What are you doing?”

Xu Ruying jolted and spun around, finding Wanyue, just out of the shower, wearing Mingyu’s white nightgown.

Under the moonlight.

Wanyue stood there, as if a fairy, radiant and graceful. It seemed as though all the light around her was momentarily drawn towards her. She gazed at Xu Ruying, her eyes fixed on her without blinking, and gradually tears filled her eyes.

——Since parting, how many times have my soul and dreams been with you? Tonight, only the silver lamp remains to shine, fearing that our meeting is merely a dream.