My Online Lover Lives Next Door (GL) - Chapter 23
“I didn’t!”
Jian Fanxing was startled by Lu Yao’s words. She was so shocked that she forgot about the lobster in her hands and quickly denied it.
“Really?” Lu Yao didn’t believe her.
She leaned closer to her friend and whispered about how she felt when she saw He Qing just now. “But when I saw Miss He just now, she felt different from before. Just look at her eyes—they’re much softer than the last few times we met. She’s still the same person, but she doesn’t feel as distant anymore.”
“You were gone for so long. Do you really expect me to believe that nothing happened between you and Miss He?”
“And look at you—your smile is almost reaching your ears!”
Hearing that, Jian Fanxing quickly touched her face. But her face was still the same, wasn’t it?
“I need to check the mirror.”
With that, she threw the lobster aside and quickly left the kitchen for the bathroom.
Then, when she looked in the mirror, she was completely stunned.
Her face was glowing with happiness, and just as Yao Yao had said, the corners of her mouth were lifted high. She looked exactly like a girl in love.
Jian Fanxing was shocked by her own reflection.
She reached out and touched her face. Was this really her?
Why did she look like an idiot?!
Knock, knock, knock.
“Little Star, are you okay? Is something wrong?”
The sound of knocking came along with He Qing’s concerned voice.
Jian Fanxing immediately put her hands down, her voice carrying a nervousness even she didn’t notice. “No, I’m fine.”
She opened the bathroom door and saw He Qing standing outside.
“Are you here to use the bathroom?” she asked. “It’s free now.”
She stepped aside to give He Qing space.
But He Qing didn’t go in. Instead, she stood there and looked at Jian Fanxing for a long moment. After making sure there was nothing wrong, she finally spoke.
“I’m not here for the bathroom. I just saw you running in so quickly and thought… Well, as long as you’re okay, that’s all that matters.”
Although He Qing had been sitting in the living room the whole time, her gaze had occasionally drifted toward the kitchen. She had seen Jian Fanxing rush out in a panic, which made her worried, so she followed.
So… He Qing was worried about her?
Jian Fanxing’s heart warmed at the thought, and a sweet feeling spread inside her.
“Sister He, I’m fine. Go back to the couch. I’ll head back to the kitchen. The food will be ready in an hour. Oh, and I’m sure you’ll love the shrimp this time!”
She playfully winked at He Qing before hurrying back to the kitchen.
Inside, after Jian Fanxing finished preparing the lobster, Lu Yao noticed something strange.
“Are you making two different flavors?” she asked, curious.
Jian Fanxing nodded. “He Qing doesn’t eat spicy food, so I’m making a mild version for her.”
“Miss He doesn’t eat spicy food? But last time, she ate spicy crayfish, didn’t she?”
Lu Yao thought back. Actually… she hadn’t really seen He Qing eating much. But she did remember that Jian Fanxing’s bowl was full of crayfish.
Feeling a little jealous, Lu Yao sighed. “Fanxing, you’re so thoughtful toward Miss He. Why don’t you treat me this well?”
“You—”
“I know, I know. You like Miss He. I’m different from her—she’s more important,” Lu Yao teased.
Jian Fanxing blushed but didn’t deny it. She only reminded her, “Keep your voice down. Don’t let He Qing hear you.”
“Wouldn’t it be better if she did? Then you wouldn’t have to confess anymore,” Lu Yao smirked.
But Jian Fanxing shook her head firmly. “It can’t be that casual.”
Liking someone shouldn’t be casual.
“Then when do you plan to tell her?”
Lu Yao didn’t argue, but she did remind her, “Fanxing, someone like Miss He probably has a lot of admirers. If you wait too long, she might be taken by someone else.”
Might be taken by someone else…
That thought stayed in Jian Fanxing’s mind even after she finished cooking the lobster.
Yao Yao was right. If she liked He Qing, she had to confess soon.
Two days later. That’s what she decided.
She and He Qing had plans to meet in two days—just the two of them. That would be the perfect time to tell her how she felt.
“It’s ready! Time to eat!” Lu Yao called, placing the two plates of lobster on the table.
Jian Fanxing was about to call He Qing when she saw that He Qing had already walked over and sat down.
Noticing her gaze, He Qing calmly explained, “Miss Lu told me to treat this place like my own home.”
“I listened, so now I’m treating it as my home.”
Lu Yao: “… I did say that, but I meant it for Fanxing. Right, Fanxing?”
Lu Yao looked at Jian Fanxing and winked.
Lu Yao looked at her, and so did He Qing.
Jian Fanxing pressed her lips together. Somehow, He Qing’s words seemed to have a hidden meaning—one that might be exactly what she was thinking.
Her heart raced.
“Yes,” she answered softly.
Lu Yao covered her eyes and groaned, “Ugh, you two are so sweet it hurts!”
“Fanxing, do you think I should move out?” Lu Yao gave her friend a knowing look and teased.
“Move out?”
Even He Qing looked at Lu Yao, confused.
For once, the sharp He Qing didn’t understand why Lu Yao suddenly mentioned moving.
Lu Yao sighed dramatically. “Yeah, I feel like there’s no place for me here anymore.”
She didn’t want to be the third wheel.
Jian Fanxing: “…”
“Even this delicious lobster can’t shut you up?”
Jian Fanxing picked up a piece of lobster with her chopsticks and stuffed it into Lu Yao’s mouth, then turned to He Qing.
“Sister He, this is for you,” she said, pushing the garlic-flavored shrimp toward her.
Lu Yao chimed in, “Fanxing made this just for you, Miss He.”
“She said you don’t eat spicy food, but we’ve only eaten together three times. Even I didn’t notice that you don’t eat spicy food.”
Jian Fanxing glared at her friend. “Yao Yao…”
Lu Yao raised her hands in surrender. “Fine, fine, I’ll stop talking.”
She even made a zipping-her-mouth motion before focusing on her spicy shrimp.
Jian Fanxing turned to He Qing and quickly made up an excuse. “Yao Yao just doesn’t pay attention. Maybe I’m a bit more observant?”
Wait, did that sound like she was praising herself?
He Qing responded softly, then looked at Jian Fanxing with a smile on her lips. “Thank you, Little Star.”
“Little Star? Miss He, you call Fanxing ‘Little Star’?”
Luo Yao, who had been trying to stay invisible, couldn’t keep quiet after hearing this nickname.
She looked at Jian Fanxing. If she remembered correctly, Fanxing once told her that her online girlfriend used to call her that.
Did her friend… see Miss He as a replacement for her online girlfriend?
Thinking about this, Luo Yao frowned deeply. But soon, she relaxed. She needed to find a chance to talk to her friend about it.
“Is there a problem with the nickname?” He Qing asked, noticing Luo Yao’s reaction.
“No, I just think it sounds really affectionate,” Luo Yao quickly found an excuse and went back to eating.
After dinner, He Qing took the initiative to wash the dishes. She moved so naturally in the kitchen that she seemed even more familiar with it than Luo Yao.
Luo Yao frowned. She had already noticed He Qing’s feelings for Fanxing. After her last conversation with Fanxing, she thought her friend had moved on from her awful online ex and started seeing He Qing’s good points.
But today at the dinner table, Luo Yao realized she might have been too naive about love.
If Fanxing was really treating He Qing as a substitute for her ex, then Luo Yao felt guilty—so guilty that it was hard to breathe.
Even though Miss He was just a neighbor to her, she had been trying to match the two of them together.
Had she done something wrong?
When He Qing finished cleaning up, she walked out of the kitchen. Her gaze quickly passed over Luo Yao and landed on Jian Fanxing. Her lips curled into a familiar smile.
“Little Star, I’m heading back now.”
“Okay, I’ll walk you out,” Jian Fanxing said immediately, stepping to He Qing’s side.
She only lives across the hall, does she really need to be walked out? Lu Yao muttered in her heart.
Now that she had figured out her feelings, Jian Fanxing suddenly felt a bit annoyed. Why didn’t He Qing live farther away?
It was only a few steps, and they were already at the door.
Jian Fanxing pouted, her unhappiness written all over her face.
He Qing couldn’t hold back a laugh. She suggested, “How about… coming in for a bit?”
“When I get home, I’ll probably take a shower first. You can wait in the living room, and when I’m done, I can keep you company for a while,” He Qing said as she opened the door.
The door swung open, and He Qing stepped aside to make space for Jian Fanxing to enter.
Jian Fanxing glanced into He Qing’s apartment, tempted. But in the end, she shook her head and refused.
“No, you must be tired from work. I shouldn’t bother you.”
He Qing wanted to say that she didn’t mind. With Fanxing around, she never felt tired.
But just as she was about to speak, Jian Fanxing continued.
“Besides, I think Yao Yao seems a little down. I should go check on her.”
He Qing also recalled that Luo Yao had been acting strange ever since she called Fanxing “Little Star” at dinner. She nodded.
“Alright then… I’ll head in first?”
Jian Fanxing let out a soft, reluctant hum.
“Go on, I’ll watch until you’re inside.”
But her eyes were full of hesitation.
He Qing chuckled. She made another offer.
“Why don’t you come in for a bit? I also have something I want to tell you privately.”
She has something to say to me?
Jian Fanxing immediately thought of those words—was He Qing going to confess to her?
Her heart panicked, and without thinking, she blurted out, “No… that’s okay! I’ll go check on Yao Yao first. Um… if you have something to say, let’s talk next time!”