My Online Lover Lives Next Door (GL) - Chapter 10

“Can’t say it?” Jian Fanxing asked.

“Of course not!” Lu Yao was exasperated. “You have to be cautious of others!”

Especially since this new neighbor of her best friend clearly had ‘ulterior motives’ toward Fanxing.

“Make sure to change your password after dinner.”

“Changing it is easy, but…” Jian Fanxing hesitated. “Just now, when Sister He opened the door and entered the password, she didn’t avoid me. If I change it, won’t she be upset?”

“Who cares if she’s upset?” Lu Yao said instinctively. Her friend was too soft-hearted, too kind, and easily deceived. The more she thought about it, the more her expression stiffened. “Wait, what did you just say? You know Miss He’s door password too?”

Jian Fanxing nodded. “Yes.”

Lu Yao: “…”

Suddenly, she wasn’t sure if pushing Jian Fanxing and He Qing together had been a mistake.

Miss He was clearly on a whole different level than her best friend.

If Fanxing ended up getting hurt, wouldn’t she be the main culprit?!

With all these thoughts swirling in her mind, Lu Yao became distracted. She stood beside Jian Fanxing for two minutes before wandering off to the living room, completely forgetting that Fanxing had called her over to help serve the soup.

He Qing returned, holding plates she had taken from Jian Fanxing’s kitchen. She glanced briefly at Lu Yao sitting on the couch before walking over to Fanxing.

“What’s wrong with her?” He Qing asked.

Jian Fanxing shook her head. She didn’t know either.

She thought for a moment—Lu Yao had started acting this way ever since she mentioned knowing He Qing’s door password. Could it be… Lu Yao was jealous?

Did Lu Yao like Sister He?

Jian Fanxing stole a glance at He Qing. She had to admit, in terms of appearance and personality, He Qing was someone who could easily attract people, regardless of gender.

So even if Lu Yao was straight, it would still make sense for her to have feelings, right?!

But even though it was a completely normal thought, Jian Fanxing still felt a little suffocated.

“Fanxing?” He Qing called out when she noticed Fanxing staring off into space, mechanically stirring the vegetables in the pan.

Jian Fanxing snapped back to reality and looked toward the voice, locking eyes with He Qing’s warm gaze—filled with a hint of indulgence.

“Sister He, what’s wrong?” She quickly looked away.

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” He Qing sighed. “Look at the pan—you’re about to turn the broccoli into mush.”

Jian Fanxing quickly checked and saw that, sure enough, it was starting to burn.

She felt embarrassed. “I didn’t mean to… I just…”

She wanted to find an excuse for her mistake, but before she could finish, He Qing cut her off.

“I know you didn’t mean to. You were just staring at me, lost in thought.” He Qing teased with a smile.

She had noticed every single time Jian Fanxing secretly looked at her but had chosen to pretend she didn’t.

Even someone as composed as He Qing had moments of impulsiveness.

Jian Fanxing bit her lip and didn’t respond. She really had been staring at He Qing.

A wave of guilt suddenly hit her—she felt like a terrible person.

She already had a girlfriend. How could she do this to her?

Instead of refuting He Qing’s teasing, she subconsciously took a step back, putting more distance between them.

“I’ll go get some more broccoli.” She turned and headed to the fridge, remembering that they had bought extra.

He Qing immediately noticed the sudden distance and frowned.

Did she say something wrong?

The stir-fried broccoli was the last dish. By the time Fanxing placed the food on the table, He Qing could still feel her avoiding her.

As a result, what should have been a pleasant meal turned into an awkward and distracted one for all three of them.

After dinner, Jian Fanxing and Lu Yao returned to their apartment. Fanxing hesitated for a long time before finally changing her door password. Then, she lay on the couch with Lu Yao, staring at the ceiling in a daze.

“Fanxing, I want to ask you something,” Lu Yao suddenly said.

“What is it?”

“It’s about relationships,” Lu Yao replied. “I made a decision earlier, but now I’m not sure if it was the right one.”

A decision about relationships? Could it be that she liked Sister He?

Jian Fanxing had known Lu Yao for many years. Behind her carefree attitude was a heart that was actually very restrained. She didn’t fall for people easily, and yet, now she had feelings for someone.

Well, who wouldn’t fall for someone like He Qing?

Jian Fanxing thought she should say something encouraging. After all, love between women wasn’t easy, and Lu Yao would need support.

But when she opened her mouth, the words wouldn’t come out.

She stayed silent, closed her eyes, and forced herself to clear her mind. At the very least, she needed to stop thinking about Sister He.

Lu Yao waited for an answer, but hearing nothing, she turned her head—only to find that Jian Fanxing had already fallen asleep.

Lu Yao let out a deep sigh. Oh well, it was too late to change things now. Might as well hope for the best.

Since that dinner, three days had passed, and He Qing hadn’t seen Jian Fanxing once—not in the mornings before work, nor in the evenings after.

Online, Fanxing still acted as affectionate as always, but He Qing wasn’t happy.

She was avoiding her.

But why?

Was it really just because of a little teasing?

——

“Secretary Lu, did something happen to the company? President He has seemed really distracted these past few days.” Some employees approached Lu Feng as he exited He Qing’s office.

“You’re asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?” Lu Feng rolled his eyes.

He was just her secretary, not a mind-reader.

“So you don’t know either? Then it must be a personal matter. Maybe the old chairman is pressuring her to get married?”

“Could be. After all, Ms. He is in her thirties, still unmarried, and doesn’t even have a boyfriend. It makes sense for the chairman to be worried.”

Boyfriend? Lu Feng’s eyes suddenly lit up.

Wait—could it be that their president was having relationship troubles?!

——

Lu Feng turned back.

Inside the office, He Qing was reviewing documents with a cold expression. Hearing the door open, she glanced up indifferently. It was Lu Feng.

“What is it now?”

Lu Feng walked over with a grin. “Nothing important. Just some… unofficial business.”

“Ms. He, are you having a fight with your special someone?”

He Qing’s expression darkened, and she shot Lu Feng a cold look.

Lu Feng quickly backed off. “Alright, alright, I won’t say anything. I’ll leave now.”

But despite saying that, he deliberately slowed his steps toward the door.

He Qing finally stopped typing, sighed, and said, “Wait.”

Lu Feng immediately turned back and ran up to her. “Ms. He, your genius secretary is at your service!”

He Qing: “…”

“…She seems to be angry.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. Maybe because I teased her.”

He Qing had thought about it for days but still couldn’t figure out why Fanxing was suddenly avoiding her. The only thing that seemed like a possible reason was that one joke.

She wanted to apologize, but Fanxing wouldn’t even give her a chance to see her.

She had considered asking directly over text, but if she did, how could she explain that her online girlfriend was actually… her?

She was afraid that once Fanxing found out, she would break up with her immediately.

“You teased her? Did you say something suggestive?” Lu Feng’s eyes widened. Was their cold and reserved President He secretly bold when it came to romance?

He Qing frowned. “I just said she was staring at me.”

“…That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

Lu Feng: “…”

That’s all? Then how was he supposed to help?!

Facing He Qing’s expectant gaze, Lu Feng suddenly felt an immense amount of pressure.

“Ms. He, you’re saying that’s the only thing you said? Are you sure you didn’t do anything else that might have crossed the line?”

“Ms. He, did you even manage to win her over?”

Lu Feng seriously doubted his boss’s efficiency in romance.

Sure enough, as soon as he finished speaking, He Qing’s face darkened.

Her cold gaze landed directly on Lu Feng, sharp like a blade against his neck. He immediately broke into a cold sweat.

“Well… Ms. He, it’s actually fine if you haven’t won her over yet. The person you like must be someone outstanding. People like that aren’t easy to win over, unlike my girlfriend—chasing her wasn’t difficult at all. We just need more patience, more surprises, more romance. Sincerity can move even stone! I believe in you, Ms. He!”

Lu “Flattery Expert” Feng quickly switched modes, putting on an exaggerated, fake smile that made He Qing frown.

“Shut up,” He Qing said coldly.

Lu Feng immediately straightened up and put on a serious face.

He Qing hesitated for a moment before saying, “Actually… she and I are already in a relationship.”

“But she doesn’t know.”

Lu Feng: “???”

What?

Lu Feng was stunned. He understood every single word she said, but when put together, they made no sense at all.