Pillowside Passion - Chapter 24

24:

Du Qingting lay in bed for a long time, utterly bewildered. Who had she added? You Jin—

Damn it, You Jin—

Her arms were still trembling, shaking even more than when she called that Wang Tie. She slapped her arms twice, trying to calm herself, then stood up and flung her phone out of the bedroom.

She had just called You Jin “darling” and “girlfriend.” The problem was, You Jin actually went along with it.

She couldn’t fathom what Liu Sumei had told You Jin after their meeting. Was Liu Sumei’s comprehension so poor that she couldn’t understand what Du Qingting was saying?

Why did this family have such inexplicable confidence?

Du Qingting’s heart felt heavy and irritated.

Then she thought of You Jin’s profile picture.

That dog, could it be the one she gave You Jin back then?

Du Qingting remembered clearly: after You Jin rejected the dog, she took it back home. At the time, her mom was still in her delicate, aristocratic phase, but the dog was shedding, getting fur all over her black dress. Not long after, her mom gave the dog away.

Did You Jin buy one herself?

It looked pretty ugly, kind of goofy—not nearly as cool as her girlfriend’s dog.

“Sigh.”

Du Qingting rested her head on her arm, but after lying there for just ten minutes, she went to the balcony to retrieve her phone. This phone was tough as nails—its screen was shattered to bits, yet it still worked.

Another friend request came through.

You Jin: [Accept me.]

Du Qingting thought to herself, Whoever accepts is an idiot.

The phone felt like a hot potato. She set it far away.

Because You Jin was “living” on her phone, she couldn’t look at her girlfriend’s photos that day, leading to complete insomnia.

The next day, Du Qingting woke up starving.

Anger makes you hungry.

Leaving her room, she saw her younger sister, Du Nuanzhi, humming a tune and casually swinging something. Leaning on the railing, Du Qingting squinted and saw a lilac-colored Polaroid camera in her sister’s hand. Du Nuanzhi had just returned from a trip with friends, had taken plenty of photos, and was changing the film.

Du Qingting asked, “Where’d you get that camera?”

Startled, Du Nuanzhi noticed her sister’s sour expression and frowned, displeased. “None of your business.”

“Did You Jin buy it for you? Seriously, are you that shallow? Selling me out for a Polaroid?” Du Qingting said. “You know, I have a camera worth over 300,000 yuan, a gift from my girlfriend.”

“Tch.” Du Nuanzhi didn’t believe her.

Du Qingting went back to fetch her camera.

Du Nuanzhi glanced at it, a bit envious, but retorted, “This Polaroid was a gift from a friend. Don’t make stuff up. Would I betray you for a thousand-yuan camera? Besides, Sister You bought me three bags, full-price Gundam models—over 100,000 yuan in total!”

“Is 100,000 yuan not cheap?” Du Qingting shot back.

“You wouldn’t get it. It’s the thought that counts.”

Du Nuanzhi sighed dramatically. “I still remember that late night when Sister You messaged me, so gently asking, “Xiao Zhi, have you graduated? Let me get you a graduation gift.”

Du Qingting felt a twinge of jealousy. Her sister’s grades were decent but not stellar, just a regular university. Why didn’t she get that kind of treatment back then?

Seeing Du Qingting’s glum face, Du Nuanzhi felt a bit sorry for her and softened. “How about this? Show me your girlfriend. If she’s that good-looking, I’ll switch sides. I’m a sucker for beauty.”

“Heh.” Du Qingting sneered. “Like I’d believe you.”

“Seriously, I’m a face-con. Trust me.”

Du Qingting wasn’t that naive. If she showed her sister, she’d snitch to their mom, and soon enough, they’d be trying to break her and her girlfriend up. Coldly, she said, “You’re not worthy.”

After speaking, she closely examined the camera in Du Nuanzhi’s hands. Noticing her odd expression, Du Nuanzhi hid the camera behind her back, flashing a grin.

Their mom woke up then, emerging from her room with a face mask on. She patted her cheeks, saying, “Nuan Nuan, I feel like eating vegetarian at the temple these past few days has made me slimmer and my skin better. What do you think?”

About to say something to Du Qingting downstairs, she saw her daughter ignore her and head to the staircase to change shoes.

“Baby, I thought about it yesterday,” Chen Huiru called, coming downstairs earnestly. “I was wrong to dismiss it outright. Invite your girlfriend over so we can meet her.”

Du Qingting tied her sneakers, bluntly exposing her mom. “Heh, you just want to check if she’s rich enough to save you six million, right?”

Chen Huiru, embarrassed, didn’t argue. She called for the maid to start cooking. Du Qingting didn’t eat at home, grabbing her shattered phone and heading out. She planned to ride her motorcycle but realized it hadn’t been refueled since yesterday.

So she jogged instead, treating it as exercise.

Chen Huiru watched her daughter’s back, sighing with a heavy heart. Looking at Du Nuanzhi, she said, “Nuan Nuan, follow your sister and see who she’s meeting.” Spotting the camera, she added, “Take a couple of photos while you’re at it.”

“No way.” Du Nuanzhi shook her head, refusing the dirty work. “Give big sister some space. Breakups take time.”

Chen Huiru was convinced. “I bet she doesn’t have a girlfriend. Either that or she’s been scammed. Otherwise, she’d be parading her around, showing off like crazy.” She knew her daughter’s personality, always flaunting what she lacked. As a kid, scoring 60 on a test, she’d want to stick it on her forehead for everyone to see. If she really had a stunning girlfriend, she’d be bragging nonstop.

Du Qingting didn’t go far. She found a noodle shop nearby for breakfast, ate her fill, and went about her business.

She couldn’t wrap her head around the You family’s actions. She even felt that whether she married You Jin or broke up didn’t matter—it was just a marriage of convenience, focused on material gain and value, with no regard for feelings.

What was the point of living like that?

The sad part was You Jin’s compliance—no resistance, completely numb.

Du Qingting couldn’t understand how, in just a few years after she left, You Jin had changed so much. What had she been through?

Though she disliked You Jin, she still felt sorry for her life. You Jin had become a machine crafted by adults—perfect, but what was the use if she had no emotions of her own?

Du Qingting really wanted to show them her girlfriend, how dazzling and radiant she was. Her girlfriend may have vanished, but she was free, unencumbered.

Too bad she couldn’t get Liu Sumei’s contact info. Liu Sumei and her mom probably thought she was making it all up.

Du Qingting went straight to a photo studio, pulling out her phone. The receptionist looked at her shattered screen. “Sorry, we don’t repair phones here.”

Du Qingting opened her photo album. “How long will it take to print the photos here, as fast as possible?”

The receptionist asked, “Do you want editing or high-quality retouching? How many photos?”

“Just print them as they are. Probably… a few dozen?”

The receptionist was straightforward. “We mainly do photography and outfit selection here. If you want prints, you can send camera photos to us. For phone photos, there’s a self-service machine out front. Upload the photos, choose the size, and print. Twenty prints cost only 35 yuan.”

Du Qingting thought it was a good deal. She sent the camera photos to them, then used the self-service machine as suggested, uploading her phone photos and choosing 6-inch prints with lamination for an extra 10 yuan. She sorted through, laminating the best ones, group shots, and the prettiest photos. Even some blurry ones, where sweetness and beauty were still discernible, got laminated randomly. The total cost was just over 100 yuan, and she bought a photo album on the side.

At a milk tea shop, she borrowed a pen, pulled out her cardholder, and slipped their best kissing photo into the album’s first page. Propping her chin, her heart calmed slightly.

After organizing everything, she tucked the album and cardholder away and headed back, taking a detour toward the You family’s gate.

Though they’d been childhood friends, their houses were separated by a long path. Du Qingting walked for about five minutes. Peeking inside and seeing no one, she squatted and slid the photos through the gate’s gap. While sliding, she glanced around, worried about a dog. Luckily, she got all the photos through without incident, clapped her hands, and walked away coolly.

She’d carefully chosen those photos.

Damn it, she refused to believe the You family could stomach this. If they could, even ninja turtles would bow in defeat.

And if they could tolerate this, they were probably a bit perverse—a total fire pit.

After Du Qingting left, the You family’s maid returned from walking the dog. The large Doberman, still a distance from the gate, suddenly bolted forward, barking wildly.

The maid went over and saw the photos on the ground. At first, she thought they were ads, wondering why flyers were being delivered here—such irresponsible management. Then she saw the images.

She picked them up, opened the gate to let the Doberman in, and rushed to find Liu Sumei, who was in the backyard trimming roses for a flower arrangement, unaware of the commotion.

The maid handed her the photos. “Someone slipped these through. It’s startling, is this Xiao Jin and Qingting from next door? Could this be blackmail?”

Liu Sumei glanced at the photos, her brow furrowing.

She set down her flowers and took the photos, examining each one carefully. There were solo shots of You Jin, embracing, kissing, even You Jin sitting on Du Qingting’s waist and Du Qingting on You Jin’s lap.

The photos weren’t very clear, some flawed or doubled, as if taken poorly or intentionally. Yet Liu Sumei instantly recognized her daughter. Each photo had a vintage Hong Kong aesthetic, likely shot from deliberate angles.

“Should we call the police?” the maid asked, thinking the intimacy could cause trouble if leaked, affecting You Jin’s future.

“Check the surveillance to see if it was Du Qingting who slipped them in.”

“Huh?” The maid checked and returned quickly, showing Liu Sumei a video on her phone. Liu Sumei’s expression grew heavier as she watched Du Qingting squat at the gate, carefully sliding in photos one by one, cautious not to damage them, then fleeing.

The maid was puzzled. “It really was her. What’s she up to?”

Liu Sumei said, “She’s probably testing my stance. Knowing I disapprove, she’s making it clear she’s set on Xiao Jin, and Xiao Jin’s set on her.”

The maid still didn’t get it.

Liu Sumei arranged the flowers in the vase, perfecting every detail, suppressing her temper without anger or amusement. “She really loves her.”

The maid caught one thing Liu Sumei said next: “Yesterday she made a scene, today she does this. She knows how to play hard and soft.”

“What now?” the maid asked.

Liu Sumei, face stern, continued arranging flowers without budging. “Wait until Xiao Jin finishes work. Ignore her.”

The maid didn’t take the photos. Liu Sumei, after finishing her arrangement, studied them closely. Over the next few days, she kept receiving more photos, mostly intimate shots of Du Qingting and You Jin, growing clearer with each delivery.

One time, Liu Sumei checked the surveillance and saw Du Qingting with an album, sliding one photo at a time, reluctant to part with them, gazing longingly at the images.

About three days later, You Jin returned early from her business trip. Before the car reached the garage, the butler took the keys, urging her to talk properly with Liu Sumei and not to upset her.

You Jin took off her suit jacket, fresh from the company, and looked puzzled at the person on the sofa.

Liu Sumei sipped calming tea, barely containing her irritation. “See for yourself.”

On the coffee table were several photos. You Jin picked them up, surprised, her brows lifting. She didn’t understand.

“Du Qingting slipped them through the gate,” the maid chimed in.

You Jin started to piece it together.

Her lips curved, then she bit them hard.

Liu Sumei, sipping tea, said, “Don’t you see she’s threatening me?” Getting no response, she frowned at You Jin. “Why are you smiling? Feeling all happy?”

You Jin flipped through the photos, biting her lip to suppress her expression, and said seriously, “Not really. You might be misunderstanding.”

“Misunderstanding? Aunt Zhang.” Liu Sumei called.

The Doberman ran over first, dragging a small box filled with photos—all intimate shots of her and Du Qingting. The dog looked up at her, seeking praise.

Aunt Zhang showed her surveillance clips. “These past few days while you were gone, she kept coming to slip photos in—once in the morning, once late at night when everyone’s asleep, always when no one’s home. Even Little Butterfly couldn’t catch her. Sneaky as hell.”

The Doberman whined softly, crouching, guilty for not guarding the house.

You Jin knelt to pat its head. “It’s okay, I’m not mad.”

Aunt Zhang added, “Some have writing on the back.”

You Jin flipped them over, reading the forceful handwriting:
Auntie, isn’t my girlfriend beautiful?
Auntie, I love her.
Auntie, appreciate my girlfriend’s beauty.
Auntie, how can you be so tolerant?
Auntie, be human and let us be together.

You Jin took a deep breath.

“I’ll handle it,” she said.

After the first batch of photos, Liu Sumei thought it was a one-off. But Du Qingting kept coming back, slipping photos whenever she felt like it. It was like she was saying, You thought I was done? I’m just keeping you on your toes. If I don’t slip today, I’ll slip tomorrow. If not tomorrow, the day after.

Her message: If you don’t let us be together, I won’t be happy, and neither will you.

Liu Sumei was getting annoyed. They’d talked civilly a few days ago, and now this?

Clenching her fist, she snapped, “Didn’t expect her to be so bad at studies but so clever in love.”

“Fine, I know she loves you. Go deal with it. Collect the photos too, what if they get out? I told you we’d talk when you’re back. Why’s she so impatient?”

These past few days, Du Qingting wasn’t doing well, feeling somewhat depressed. Her seven-day girlfriend was still missing, and Liu Sumei clearly hadn’t taken her words seriously, ignoring her completely. She even doubted herself, wondering if this family enjoyed the chaos. She hadn’t noticed how perverse they were when she was a kid.

As for that woman, if there was still no word, in a few more days, her girlfriend would just be “that woman”—a code name, an untouchable memory sealed as a beautiful fantasy.

She felt like someone lost in darkness, floating and briefly landing on shore to rest, only to set sail again into treacherous waves.

Her heart was too heavy, and she couldn’t talk to those around her, especially her “fair-weather friends.” They wouldn’t understand, just laugh and treat it as gossip, urging her to marry to satisfy their amusement.

Du Qingting could only vent her frustrations in an international call with her overseas best friend, Evelyn, a Chinese-British mix with striking green eyes and dark, slightly golden hair. With a fiery figure and nearly 1.8 meters tall, she’d become a famous model online in recent years.

Of course, when they first met, she wasn’t.

Evelyn got her break by chance, flirting with a female producer at a bar who spotted her potential and pulled her into the modeling world.

Du Qingting sent her the photos.

Evelyn lost it. “An Eastern beauty, prettier than you! Darling, give me her number!”

Du Qingting was numb. “I told you, she’s gone.”

Evelyn sighed. “Such a pity. Hmm… how about this? I’ll check if I have any gigs in China. If I do, I’ll come back and help you look. Don’t worry.”

Du Qingting: “By the time you’re back, my family will have driven me insane… I told you why I fled to study abroad, right?”

Evelyn: “Yeah, because your college entrance exam scores weren’t enough for a domestic university, so you ran abroad to escape.”

Du Qingting: “That’s not the point. Didn’t I tell you about the woman who threatened to break my legs? She’s forcing me to marry now.”

“Oh.”

“Oh?! What are you going to do?”

Du Qingting didn’t know either. She figured she’d keep annoying the You family, but they didn’t react, making her suspect something was off with them.

Evelyn was getting ready for a night show and had her assistant pause. “Baby, have the You’s met your girlfriend? I can come back, pretend to be her, say I chased you across the world, and demand to marry you. I’ll make a scene at their house, and maybe it’ll ruin your engagement.”

Du Qingting refused. “No way. Your green eyes and mixed features, they’re not blind. That’s a terrible idea. Besides, your career’s just taking off abroad. Don’t mess around. Work hard. They might just offer you six million to leave.”

“Wow, six million to take off?!”

“Miss Evelyn!”

“Fine, but honey, how do you know if you don’t try? Are you just going to marry without doing anything?”

Du Qingting fell silent.

She sighed deeply. “The thing is, her parents don’t care that I have a girlfriend.”

“What about You Jin? She doesn’t care either?”

Du Qingting was too embarrassed to admit she hadn’t dared contact You Jin and didn’t know her stance. She felt You Jin was very obedient to her parents.

“If it’s an open marriage like that, it sounds pretty good to me,” Evelyn said, not understanding. With a colorful dating history and no plans to marry, an open marriage with a wealthy family sounded like a dream.

“You don’t get it. You haven’t met true love,” Du Qingting said, still waiting for her girlfriend. “Evelyn, you’ll understand when you fall in love.”

“Alright, are you going to give in?”

“I’ll think about it. If it doesn’t work, I’ll call you.” Du Qingting felt awful. “Why do you think she disappeared?”

“Maybe…” Evelyn tried to comfort her. “Maybe she’s facing the same dilemma and can’t see you.”

Du Qingting thought it unlikely. Her girlfriend seemed so free, maybe she just didn’t want to find her.

Still upset, she hung up, took a shower, and went for a walk. As she left, she saw her mom sneaking downstairs to follow her. Helplessly, Du Qingting said, “Mom, use some sense. Who runs away in pajamas?”

“You did, didn’t you? Snuck off back then.”

“I’m not running.” Du Qingting couldn’t keep dodging the You family forever. She was a 25-year-old adult, did she have to stop living?

Leaving the house with nothing but a photo tucked in her clothes, she—

Slipped another photo through the You family’s gate. Honestly, it hurt a bit—this was a fresh print from the studio; she’d used up the earlier ones.

She felt much better after. Did the You family think she was easy to bully? If she wasn’t happy, they’d feel the sting too. No one was backing down.

This time, she heard a dog bark and bolted.

Back home, her broken phone screen flickered. Another friend request came through, with a note: [I’m back. Let’s meet and talk properly.]

The Doberman, chewing on the freshly slipped photo, lay by You Jin’s legs. Sitting in the living room, You Jin glanced outside, tapping her phone and patting the dog’s head. If she didn’t agree, Du Qingting might show up at their door. Should she bring a gift…?

This time, Du Qingting accepted.

You Jin had a point, but meeting her? Du Qingting lacked the courage—childhood fears resurfaced.

But then she thought, what was there to fear?

Before You Jin could message, Du Qingting took the initiative, sending a long, cold, resolute text.

[I’ve said all I need to. We have no feelings. I don’t want to be a product of an arranged marriage. Take marriage seriously. You Jin, find someone you love. I don’t know what you’ve been through, and though you’re older, your actions make you seem immature, even childish. Reflect on yourself sometimes. That’s all.]

After sending, Du Qingting took a deep breath, ran downstairs to burn off her panic, and returned to sit on her bed, legs slightly apart, panting from exhaustion. Reading her message again, she felt she’d made a lot of sense—more mature than You Jin.

Even bold. She’d gone abroad, seen the world, lived vibrantly, while You Jin, despite her good grades and excellence, had lost her edge under her parents’ pressure.

About ten minutes later, a reply came: [Can we meet at the Qixi Festival to talk?]

Du Qingting frowned. Qixi Festival?

[So persistent? Was I not clear?] She sent a smiley face. [Don’t make this ugly for everyone.]

You Jin: [Let’s meet anyway.]

Du Qingting: [My patience has limits.]

She considered blocking her.

But then she thought, maybe the meeting would clarify things.

Her parents kept saying she hadn’t met You Jin or spent time with her, so both families held onto marriage fantasies.

Du Qingting: [It has to be the Qixi Festival?]
She checked the calendar, three days away.

You Jin: [Let’s chat these few days so the meeting isn’t awkward. I miss you, after all.]

Du Qingting’s mouth twitched.

[Don’t be gross.]

Then: [You’re not bringing your parents to dinner, are you? You won’t say we’re spending Qixi together, that we’re a couple, that I’m your
girlfriend, right?]

You Jin: [We’ll spend the Qixi festival together. Parents would make it weird.]

[Aren’t you my girlfriend?]

Du Qingting couldn’t take it.

[We’re not that close. Do better.]

You Jin: [Okay, darling, girlfriend.]

Du Qingting wanted to puke.

She’d deleted those messages, hadn’t she? Was
You Jin deliberately making her gross out?

[Delete that, or I’ll block you.]

You Jin deleted x1
You Jin deleted x2

But kept: [Okay, darling, girlfriend.]

Du Qingting paused, wondering if she was being too narrow-minded. Maybe You Jin wasn’t flirting but grossing her out, retaliating for being blocked, letting her taste rejection.

You Jin’s pettiness hadn’t changed—her heart had only gotten smaller, worse, downright bad.

Du Qingting ignored her next messages, tempted to block her again but held back. This was fine—mutual annoyance, neither liking the other.
Unable to resist, she fired back to gross her out, no matter what You Jin said.

[Oh]

[Mm]

[Smiley face]

The next day, still worried, Du Qingting sent another message: [I hope our meeting is private, not misinterpreted as spending Qixi festival together. If it’s misunderstood, you’re responsible for any crazy stuff I do.]

You Jin: [Oh.]

[Mm.]

[Smiley face]

Du Qingting wanted to curse. Damn it.

You Jin has been in a good mood lately. Coming home early from the company, she’d walk her dog, hoping to run into Du Qingting. Little Butterfly always sniffed Du Qingting’s scent at her gate, barking wildly.

Whenever Chen Huiru heard the barking, she’d knock on Du Qingting’s door. “You Jin’s back, calling you to hang out.”

Du Qingting knew what was up and refused to go out.

What was there to do? She knew You Jin, deliberately walking the dog to let it “scold” her.

That dog was in trouble.

Du Qingting wrapped herself in her blanket, hiding completely. She didn’t dare meet You Jin. Beyond their parents pushing them together, it’d be so awkward. She figured she’d move out eventually, resist to the end. The more You Jin wanted to meet, the less she did, making everyone mad.

Du Qingting looked at two apartments online.
She planned to use the Qixi festival meeting to talk things out with You Jin, move some stuff out, and cut ties with her family.

Moving out outright would draw attention, so she packed some clothes in a shoulder bag, planning to take one item daily—the Touch-Me-Not plant, its water bottle, and her camera were must-haves.

That day, she watered the plant, hung the camera around her neck, slung on the bag, and changed shoes downstairs. Her mom didn’t know she was meeting You Jin, nagging, “Why not stay in? Go see You Jin. I’ll pay. I asked your Aunt Liu, You Jin’s free today. Go check.”

Du Qingting raised her camera. “I’m going, I’m going. I’ll meet her, and you’ll see how wrong we are for each other. Happy now?”

“You’re really going? Not lying?” Chen Huiru was thrilled, shouting to the maid, “Flowers, flowers! Bring a bouquet—basic courtesy, so they don’t call you stingy.” Then, “Can you recognize You Jin?
Should I come with you?”

“I recognized her at a glance. How could I not recognize her?”

Ignoring her, Du Qingting grabbed her camera, hopped on her motorcycle, and sped off. She’d snap a photo with You Jin, show it to her face-obsessed sister and greedy mom to compare with her girlfriend.

Contrast brings pain. She didn’t believe they’d stay stubborn.

Qixi festival was crowded, the roads jammed. Du Qingting hunched over, watching the traffic lights, the evening breeze cooling her heart. Over time, her urge to find her faded. Dreams are dreams—passion fades, and people wake up.
Still, if there was a chance, she’d see her again, even if it cost her.

“Sigh.”

Green light. She rode on.

At the restaurant, Du Qingting looked up and saw
“Sweet Lover” on the sign. She’d been clear, yet You Jin chose this?

She was baffled.

Was You Jin grossing her out or pursuing her?

Looking at the glowing English letters above, she dialed You Jin’s number.

It rang for three seconds before You Jin picked up.

Du Qingting didn’t wait for her to speak, launching in with a drawn-out, impatient tone. “Sorry, I’m a free spirit. Our vibes don’t match. I’m not into you, and it’s hard to love you.”

“Get it straight, You Jin.”

A soft laugh came from the other end.

The breathy sound tickled her ears.

“But…”

Hearing that voice, Du Qingting’s memories flooded back. Her eyes widened in disbelief.

That voice—it was so like her girlfriend’s, the one she thought of day and night.

Another soft laugh. She stepped back, her hand shaking so hard the phone fell, flipping on the ground. The screen was completely dead, but the voice continued, her arranged marriage partner’s tone dangerous and alluring. “But… that’s not what you said in bed.”

Du Qingting: “?!?!”

Holy crap, this woman!

She was You Jin, and You Jin was her!