My Online Lover Lives Next Door (GL) - Chapter 9
Jian Fanxing felt like she should refuse, but when she met He Qing’s expectant gaze and recalled what she had just said—“I have no friends”—she somehow found herself nodding.
Seeing that Jian Fanxing had actually agreed, He Qing’s eyes lit up like daylight. She quickly took out her phone, opened her notes app, and asked urgently, “Miss Jian, think about what ingredients you need. I’ll have them delivered to your home right away.”
Looking at He Qing’s serious expression, Jian Fanxing couldn’t help but smile. “Miss He, there’s a supermarket on the first floor of this mall. We can buy them now; no need for a delivery.”
“Oh, that’s right! Since Fanxing is the one cooking, she should pick the ingredients herself.” Lu Yao quickly chimed in. Then, she added, “Miss He, why don’t you and Fanxing go to the supermarket first? My bladder suddenly has some complaints, so I’ll head to the restroom.”
Before Jian Fanxing or He Qing could respond, Lu Yao turned and ran off, disappearing in an instant.
As she ran, Lu Yao muttered to herself, “Being a matchmaker is so exhausting. Sometimes, you even have to use your own organs as an excuse.”
Jian Fanxing stood still, hesitating between going to the supermarket with He Qing or waiting for Lu Yao to return. After a second’s hesitation, she decisively chose the latter.
“Miss He, Yao Yao should be back soon. Let’s wait here for her.”
He Qing nodded, having no objections to waiting. However, she did have some thoughts about how Jian Fanxing addressed her.
Miss He? That sounded too distant. She and Jian Fanxing clearly had the closest relationship!
“Miss Jian, I have an issue with something.” He Qing suddenly looked serious and spoke solemnly.
Jian Fanxing: “?????”
He Qing was slightly taller than her, so whenever Jian Fanxing spoke to her, she had to look up.
At this moment, Jian Fanxing’s eyes were filled with confusion. She didn’t understand what He Qing meant.
Her already beautiful eyes widened, and now, with a hint of dazed innocence, they became even more captivating. Looking at her, He Qing felt her heart melt.
A faint smile played on He Qing’s lips as she gently said, “Don’t you think the way you address me is too formal?”
“Of course, I think so too. That’s why I won’t call you Miss Jian anymore. I’ll call you… Little Star!”
Little Star, Little Star, Little Star… He Qing repeated the name over and over in her heart. Was she finally able to call her Little Star outside of the internet?
However, to He Qing’s surprise, as soon as she finished speaking, Jian Fanxing quickly rejected it.
“No, you can’t.”
He Qing’s heart tightened, and she looked at Jian Fanxing. “Why not?”
Jian Fanxing pursed her lips, boldly meeting He Qing’s gaze as she explained, “I already told you, I have a girlfriend. ‘Little Star’… is her exclusive nickname for me.”
As Jian Fanxing said the name, her eyes were filled with shyness and sweetness.
He Qing felt a little disappointed, but seeing how much Jian Fanxing valued her relationship, she also felt a bit happy inside.
She could only blame herself.
He Qing didn’t push further. Instead, she compromised, “Then can I call you Fanxing like your friends do?”
It wasn’t the most satisfying option for her, but it was the only choice for now.
This time, Jian Fanxing didn’t object. Being called the same way as Lu Yao was acceptable, and even if her girlfriend found out, she wouldn’t be upset.
“Okay.”
“What about me?” He Qing asked in return. “Are you still going to call me Miss He?”
Jian Fanxing hesitated.
He Qing’s name had only two syllables. Calling her by her full name didn’t seem appropriate, but dropping her surname and just calling her by one character felt too intimate.
Seeing that Jian Fanxing wasn’t answering, the anticipation in He Qing’s eyes slowly turned into disappointment. She said, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to make things difficult for you.”
Jian Fanxing could have just moved on from the topic, but for some reason, seeing He Qing looking down made her feel uncomfortable too.
Did her way of addressing her really matter that much? Jian Fanxing wondered.
They waited another ten minutes for Lu Yao, but she still hadn’t returned. During this time, He Qing never smiled once.
Jian Fanxing found He Qing’s mood affecting her own emotions, so she took out her phone and said, “Yao Yao isn’t back yet. I’ll call her and check.”
She walked a few steps away, dialed Lu Yao’s number, and asked, “Yao Yao, how much longer will you be?”
“Fanxing, I’m so sorry! My boss just called me nonstop. I have to go back to the office right away. You and Miss He go buy the ingredients first. I’ll be back in time for dinner.” Lu Yao spoke quickly and hung up before Jian Fanxing could respond.
Jian Fanxing: “……”
Some friend she was.
She couldn’t just leave He Qing alone in the mall like Lu Yao had left them, so she had no choice but to brace herself and return.
“Um… Yao Yao had to leave for work. Let’s go to the supermarket and buy the ingredients ourselves.”
He Qing responded with a simple “Okay,” but her mood was obviously low.
She had already guessed that Lu Yao wouldn’t come back, but it was a shame. This was supposed to be a chance for her and Jian Fanxing to spend time alone together.
They walked side by side, not too far apart, yet there seemed to be an invisible barrier between them.
Jian Fanxing stole a glance at He Qing and secretly wondered—was she being too harsh?
Maybe… He Qing just wanted to feel closer to her, but she had been too resistant.
“How about… I call you Sister He?” Jian Fanxing suddenly said.
“Hm?” He Qing looked up at her, as if she hadn’t heard correctly.
Since she had already spoken, Jian Fanxing felt more relaxed. She calmly met He Qing’s gaze and said, “I’ll call you Sister He. You look older than me, so ‘Sister He’ seems appropriate.”
If only she could drop the surname, that would be perfect, He Qing thought.
But good things take time, so He Qing accepted it.
However, she frowned and asked, “Did you just say I look older?”
Jian Fanxing: “???”
He Qing pouted. “Are you saying I look old?”
What’s the advantage of being beautiful? When you pout like a sad puppy, it can completely mess with someone’s heart.
Jian Fanxing panicked and waved her hands frantically. “No! Not at all! I swear, I didn’t mean that!”
“You’re not old! You’re beautiful! You look like a fairy! How could a fairy be old? It’s my fault—I have a clumsy mouth—I shouldn’t have said that—I…”
She rushed to say every compliment she could think of and even raised her hand, about to slap herself.
But before she could, He Qing grabbed her wrist, her usually calm eyes filled with urgency. “What are you doing?”
Her tone was sharp, making Jian Fanxing freeze. Then, He Qing softened her voice, disapprovingly saying, “Slapping yourself? What kind of logic is that? How could you hit such a delicate face?”
Jian Fanxing felt a little wronged. She muttered, “I just made you upset, so I panicked and…”
“No matter how panicked you are, you can’t hurt yourself.” He Qing’s expression was firm—because she would feel heartbroken.
Faced with a stern He Qing, Jian Fanxing had no choice but to obediently nod. “Oh.”
Who would have thought that the seemingly cold and distant Sister He was actually such a kind-hearted person?
After this little incident, both Jian Fanxing and He Qing clearly felt that they were no longer as distant as before.
At least, when choosing ingredients at the supermarket, Jian Fanxing would ask He Qing if she had any dietary restrictions, remember them, and avoid those foods. Similarly, He Qing would also leave out anything she liked but Jian Fanxing didn’t.
By the time dinner rolled around, Lu Yao returned home and was surprised to find that somehow, the way Jian Fanxing and He Qing interacted had completely changed. Jian Fanxing was busy cooking in the kitchen, while He Qing stood nearby, occasionally handing her a plate or a small bowl.
Lu Yao: What happened while I was gone? These two are progressing way too fast!
“Sister He, do you have any more plates at home? There are still two more dishes to serve, but I think we’re out of plates in the cabinet,” Jian Fanxing said naturally while stirring the food in the pan.
“Let me check,” He Qing responded and immediately started rummaging through the cabinets.
Sister He? Lu Yao blinked a few times in disbelief.
She’s already calling her Sister He?
She glanced at He Qing, who didn’t seem the least bit surprised by the name, as if she had already heard it several times.
Curiosity got the better of Lu Yao, and she deliberately raised her voice, “Miss He, let me help you find it.”
Then, she leaned closer to He Qing and whispered, “Miss He, did Fanxing just call you Sister He?”
He Qing continued searching while answering casually, “Is there a problem with that?”
“No, of course not! But when I left, weren’t you two still calling each other ‘Miss He’ and ‘Miss Jian’?”
“What did you do?”
What did she do? He Qing thought for a moment and replied, “Nothing.”
Lu Yao widened her eyes. “Miss He, you’re not being honest! You must have—”
“Yaoyao, the food is almost ready. Can you help me serve the soup?” Before Lu Yao could finish her sentence, Jian Fanxing’s voice interrupted from the kitchen.
“Sister He, did you find the plates? If not, you can grab some from my place. The code to my house is 990702.”
Lu Yao, who had just walked up to Jian Fanxing, was completely stunned.
“Fanxing… You just gave her your house password?” Lu Yao asked in disbelief.