My Online Lover Lives Next Door (GL) - Chapter 18
“You don’t know how to take care of them? I can teach you!” Jian Fanxing was very enthusiastic about growing succulents. The moment she heard that He Qing couldn’t even take care of such an easy plant, she got excited.
“Actually, succulents are really easy to care for. The most important thing is to give them plenty of sunlight. With enough light, they grow short and strong and develop beautiful colors. But you also can’t let them get too much direct sunlight, or they’ll get sunburned…” Jian Fanxing explained seriously, and He Qing, watching her, found herself completely absorbed.
Jian Fanxing had a beautiful side profile, with sharp and defined features. But when she faced forward, her cheeks were slightly round, making people want to reach out and pinch them.
As Jian Fanxing passionately shared her experience in growing succulents, her dark eyes shone brightly. She spoke with confidence, her entire presence glowing, making it impossible to look away.
When she finally finished speaking, He Qing handed her a glass of warm water at just the right moment. Jian Fanxing accepted it without hesitation, took a sip, and then looked at He Qing.
“Did you remember everything, He Jie? Taking care of succulents is really easy.”
He Qing pursed her lips in embarrassment. “Actually… I already know everything you just said, but…”
Jian Fanxing looked at her seriously, waiting for her to continue.
Under her gaze, He Qing finally sighed. “I’ve actually raised plants before—succulents, cacti, even goldfish. But no matter how much care I gave them, treating them like royalty, in the end… they all died.”
After several failed attempts, He Qing gave up. She accepted the fact that she had no talent for taking care of living things.
“This…” Jian Fanxing was stunned. She blinked, studying He Qing’s expression, thinking she might be joking. But He Qing didn’t seem to be kidding at all. Was this really true?
Seeing Jian Fanxing’s look of disbelief, He Qing remained calm and even smiled. “Before now, only my parents knew about this embarrassing fact. But now… you do too.”
Jian Fanxing parted her lips slightly. She thought to herself that she probably didn’t need to know this.
Avoiding He Qing’s intense gaze, Jian Fanxing looked away. She understood what He Qing meant.
Sharing an embarrassing secret without hesitation meant that she saw her as someone close to her.
The reason He Qing told her this was because she wanted them to be closer.
But… Jian Fanxing thought about her past relationship, the one that had ended without closure. Even now, just thinking about it made her heart ache. Her heart wasn’t ready to let someone else in yet.
“He Jie,” Jian Fanxing opened her mouth, deciding to make things clear with He Qing.
“Last night, I went out drinking because I had just gone through a breakup.”
He Qing nodded. “I know.”
Jian Fanxing continued, “Today is only the second day since we broke up. I… I still have feelings for her, and I haven’t moved on yet, so…”
She hesitated, trying to find the right words to gently reject He Qing’s feelings.
“So right now, you wouldn’t accept my feelings for you, is that right?” He Qing finished her sentence for her.
Jian Fanxing was stunned for a moment before lowering her head and nodding.
“Because you think it wouldn’t be fair to me?”
Jian Fanxing nodded again.
“Then… what if I said I don’t mind?”
As soon as He Qing finished speaking, Jian Fanxing looked up sharply.
“You… don’t mind?” Jian Fanxing almost thought she had misheard. Would someone really not care that the person they liked still had someone else in their heart?
If the situation were reversed, Jian Fanxing knew she would definitely mind.
But He Qing’s words and expression made it clear that she was completely serious.
He Qing sighed in her heart. What right did she have to mind?
The person in Jian Fanxing’s heart… was her, after all.
He Qing admitted that there were times she felt jealous of herself. But once she realized it, she found it funny. She had trapped herself in her own thoughts. Now that she had figured it out, what was there to worry about?
Instead, she just felt warm inside.
“I don’t mind,” He Qing said firmly.
“Because I believe that I will treat you better than she ever did.”
“So…” He Qing looked straight into Jian Fanxing’s eyes, took a deep breath, and asked seriously, “Would you be willing to give me a chance?”
As soon as she finished speaking, He Qing felt her heart leap into her throat. Her face showed no sign of nervousness, but deep inside, she felt like she could barely breathe. She even worried that she might suffocate from holding her breath.
Her fingers unconsciously curled into fists, and the longer Jian Fanxing remained silent, the tighter she clenched them. Soon, veins started appearing on the back of her hands.
Jian Fanxing was completely caught off guard.
She was really caught off guard.
He Qing’s confession had come too suddenly!
She had been trying to politely turn her down, so how had it suddenly turned into a confession?
What was she supposed to do now? Say yes?
But just a second ago, she had been talking about how she couldn’t forget her ex, and now she was supposed to agree to be with someone else? That just felt ridiculous.
Jian Fanxing glanced toward the kitchen with the corner of her eye, feeling anxious.
Why hadn’t Yao Yao come out yet?
She was just setting the table. Did it really take this long?
Lu Yao had actually finished a long time ago. But when she heard He Qing’s firm declaration that she didn’t mind, she wisely realized that now was not the right time to step in.
So, she hid in the kitchen.
At this moment, Lu Yao and He Qing were feeling exactly the same way. She pressed her ear against the door, listening carefully to the conversation in the living room.
“Why isn’t Fanxing saying anything? Just say yes already!” Lu Yao was itching to rush out and answer for her.
The living room fell into an awkward silence. Jian Fanxing kept glancing toward the kitchen, and He Qing definitely noticed her small movements. Slowly, He Qing relaxed her clenched fists.
She told herself that she couldn’t rush things.
Putting on a gentle smile, He Qing spoke calmly. “That was my fault. I brought it up too suddenly… I’m sorry.”
Jian Fanxing was about to say it was okay, but He Qing spoke again before she could.
“But Fanxing, everything I said just now was true. And I will wait for you.”
He Qing’s eyes were filled with tenderness, with no attempt to hide it as they locked onto Jian Fanxing’s gaze.
Even if it wasn’t deep love, she at least liked her very much.
When someone holds out their sincere heart to you, and that person is not someone you dislike—in fact, someone you even have a good impression of—it’s rare for anyone to remain completely indifferent.
Jian Fanxing felt a strong thump in her chest. “I…”
She hesitated for a long time before finally speaking.
“I’ll think about it.”
Lu Yao: Yes!
“Fanxing, come help me! I can’t carry all four plates by myself,” Lu Yao’s voice called out from the kitchen.
Jian Fanxing quickly stood up and hurried toward the kitchen as if escaping.
“I’m coming.”
Watching Jian Fanxing’s retreating figure, He Qing broke into a bright smile.
Just now, her little star had said she would think about it. Even though it wasn’t the perfect answer, it was enough to make He Qing happy for a long time.
Because it meant she was slowly making her way into Jian Fanxing’s heart.
She had patience. She wasn’t in a rush.
What did it mean to be beaming with joy? Lu Yao thought she had just witnessed it for real.
Before Fanxing and Miss He had their conversation, this Miss He—while not exactly cold—always had a distant and unapproachable aura. But now?
Lu Yao had actually seen Miss He smile at her.
Though the smile was faint, it was proof that she was in a really good mood, wasn’t it?
Ah, love… It truly was something wonderful. Lu Yao sighed internally.
“Miss He, you should eat more of these dishes. Fanxing picked them out herself,” Lu Yao said with a teasing smile.
He Qing’s gaze followed Lu Yao’s words and landed on the table not far away. Then, she nodded with certainty. “Alright.”
On the other side, Jian Fanxing had already set out the bowls and chopsticks. Inviting He Qing to dinner had been a spur-of-the-moment decision, so she hadn’t made any special preparations.
Although the table was full of delicious dishes—spicy crayfish, steamed crab, garlic clams, dry pot frog, and chili snails—Jian Fanxing still felt like it was a bit too casual, not sincere enough.
With a nervous smile, Jian Fanxing waited until He Qing sat down before anxiously saying, “Sister He, if you don’t like the food…”
“I like it,” He Qing interrupted, giving her a definite answer.
The corners of He Qing’s lips curled into a smile as she looked at Jian Fanxing. “Though I think the food you cook yourself would taste even better, these dishes were chosen by you, weren’t they?”
Jian Fanxing nodded. “Yes.”
Of course, even though inviting He Qing over was a sudden idea, she couldn’t be stingy. She had made sure to pick only the best dishes.
Plus, she and Lu Yao had gone to the restaurant that made these dishes the best in the area.
“But… can I ask you for a favor?” He Qing’s eyes landed on the spicy crayfish on the table, her expression looking a bit troubled. Then, she looked at Jian Fanxing with a hint of pleading in her eyes. “This is my first time eating crayfish, so I don’t know how to peel them. Can you teach me?”
“You’ve never had crayfish before?” Jian Fanxing was surprised but quickly realized her reaction might make He Qing feel uncomfortable, so she hurriedly added, “That’s okay! Crayfish are really delicious. I’ll teach you.”
As she spoke, Jian Fanxing put on gloves and started demonstrating.
He Qing learned quickly, picking it up after just one demonstration. But her gaze was fixed on the first crayfish Jian Fanxing had peeled.
The first one she peeled should naturally be for her, right?
He Qing’s eyes burned with anticipation, and Jian Fanxing’s fingers trembled slightly as she held the peeled shrimp. She tried to act as if she hadn’t noticed He Qing’s hopeful gaze and calmly placed the shrimp into He Qing’s bowl.
“This one’s quite spicy. Sister He, try it first and see if you can handle the heat,” Jian Fanxing said. Only then did she realize she had forgotten to ask whether He Qing could even eat spicy food.
What if she couldn’t?
At that thought, Jian Fanxing’s gaze unconsciously carried a trace of anticipation as she watched He Qing.