33. Is this how you usually pursue someone?

Luo Yue didn’t linger by the window but took a detour to ring the doorbell.

Qin Zhaoyi balled up the dress and threw it into the closet, her ears turning crimson, and her face blushing with embarrassment.

She didn’t know what Zhong Ling was up to, suddenly sending her something that made her lose face.

After taking a few deep breaths, Qin Zhaoyi managed to somewhat calm her emotions, then went to open the door.

Leaning against the door with her arms crossed, deliberately putting on a cold face, she said, “Don’t you know the password? Why ring the doorbell?”

Trying to shift the topic.

She just hoped that Luo Yue wouldn’t bring up what she saw in the bedroom earlier.

“There’s a difference between when the master is present and when they’re not,” Luo Yue said. “Can’t be disrespectful.”

Thinking about what happened just now, Qin Zhaoyi almost blurted out something like—then isn’t it impolite to peek through the window?

The words were at the tip of her tongue, but she pressed her lips and still couldn’t help being upset. “Having the patient come to open the door is also disrespectful.”

Qin Zhaoyi wore a frosty expression, and there was a hint of resentment in her deliberately provocative words.

“Oh?” Luo Yue walked in, changed her shoes, and brought the dessert into the living room, placing it on the coffee table. Her tone rose, “Patients who try on clothes with open windows don’t seem too seriously ill.”

Qin Zhaoyi: …

The awkwardness from earlier flashed back in Qin Zhaoyi’s mind for a moment. Her normal complexion, painstakingly regained, blushed once again.

Maybe it was because of Qin Zhaoyi’s provocations, but Luo Yue didn’t intend to let her off. She sat on the sofa, asking nonchalantly, “Wasn’t it said the clothes were bought for me? Can I try them on?”

Qin Zhaoyi: …

“You said so.” Qin Zhaoyi’s hands hung by her side, involuntarily fidgeting with her pajamas. She cleared her throat and said, “After you take them out, don’t forget to wear them.”

“Well, it depends on whether they fit or not,” Luo Yue didn’t succumb to Qin Zhaoyi’s provocations and instead asked, “Is this today’s delivery?”

Frowning, Qin Zhaoyi, dissatisfied that the topic was repeatedly steered away, didn’t know how to bring it back.

This was not very friendly for someone who wasn’t good with words.

“Yes,” a few seconds later, Qin Zhaoyi truthfully answered, “It was sent by my friend.”

“Well, that’s a pity,” Luo Yue sounded genuinely regretful. “I actually thought you bought it for me and felt happy for a moment.”

Qin Zhaoyi remained silent.

Seeing Qin Zhaoyi’s expression turning serious, Luo Yue, who had initially intended to tease her, stopped and was about to speak. Unexpectedly, Qin Zhaoyi interrupted, asking, “What do you want?”

Luo Yue was taken aback.

This person in front of her truly seemed like a princess, as if she could deliver a large batch overnight just by asking.

“Open…” Luo Yue was about to say she was joking, but Qin Zhaoyi cut her off, “The same one? Or a new designer piece?”

Luo Yue: …

“None of them,” Luo Yue changed her playful tone and stood up. “It’s too late; I’ll go home first.”

Qin Zhaoyi didn’t say anything. She quickly walked a few steps back to the bedroom, took out the dress from the closet, and handed it to Luo Yue, who was just about to leave.

A sour face clearly conveyed two words—wear this.

Luo Yue lowered her head to glance at the silky fabric so scanty that it could be balled up in one hand. She then looked at the sky outside and said with a half-smile, “It seems a bit early to wear this at this hour.”

Qin Zhaoyi was slightly puzzled. “What do you mean?”

“It’s not yet late at night,” Luo Yue pushed away her hand and made room, “It’s not time to wear it yet.”

Qin Zhaoyi suddenly had an epiphany, understanding the subtle meaning in her words.

“When it’s late at night, do you want to wear it?” Qin Zhaoyi spoke, locking her gaze onto Luo Yue’s eyes, involuntarily swallowing saliva, her eyes becoming complicated. “Here, or in the room?”

A simple sentence was mysteriously cut off, inexplicably gaining a layer of seductive meaning.

Luo Yue lightly licked her lips, instantly shimmering with radiance.

The moonlight was hazy, spreading like silver across the ground, as if it had been coated with a layer of frost.

Yet the temperature inside the room kept rising. Despite the distance, it wasn’t that far.

Only a spark was needed to ignite the entire space.

Luo Yue’s soft voice broke the silence, “A gentleman never takes advantage of others.”

She smirked, her expression harmless, “I’ll leave it for you to wear.”

Qin Zhaoyi: …

Seemingly deliberately challenging her, one side of the dress slipped down, a piece of delicate fabric dancing in the wind, just like the ribbon wrapped around her hand.

Seeing this, Luo Yue’s smile deepened, “This color really suits you.”

“Your friend has good taste.” Without giving Qin Zhaoyi a chance to retort, Luo Yue continued walking out. Her voice, lowered but still teasing, added, “Just, remember to close the window next time you change.”

Qin Zhaoyi: …

“I didn’t expect…” Qin Zhaoyi was furious, but Luo Yue covered her wrist with a hand, glancing at her fingers. “Be careful not to hurt yourself.”

Qin Zhaoyi: …

Luo Yue left quickly.

Soon, the lights in the neighboring house turned on. Qin Zhaoyi leaned against the door, looking exhausted, as if she had just finished a battle.

Luo Yue’s mind worked quickly, and her topics were quite erratic.

To keep up with Luo Yue’s thoughts, one needed to be highly focused.

Even so, it was only after Luo Yue left that Qin Zhaoyi slowly realized what she meant.

She was talking about that kind of hurt.

Fuck.

What did she take Qin Zhaoyi for?

Qin Zhaoyi sent her a message: [I didn’t plan to do that.]

Luo Yue pretended not to understand: [Do what?]

Qin Zhaoyi: [… What did you say when you left?]

Luo Yue: [Just told you to be careful.]

Qin Zhaoyi: [… I’m very careful.]

Luo Yue: [Oh, the soundproofing here isn’t great. You need to lower your voice too.]

Qin Zhaoyi: […]

The conversation felt a bit inappropriate.

Qin Zhaoyi: [What do you take me for?!]

The “typing” indicator on the screen lasted for a few seconds, then Luo Yue’s message came through, split into two halves.

[Someone with normal physiological needs]

[An adult woman]

Qin Zhaoyi: [… No!]

It wasn’t what she thought.

Before she could figure out how to explain, Luo Yue sent another message: [What era is it that you’re still shy about sex?]

Qin Zhaoyi: […]

Luo Yue: [Maintain cleanliness, pay attention to the methods.]

Qin Zhaoyi: […]

The ellipses that almost filled the screen expressed Qin Zhaoyi’s current mood. She didn’t know how she gave Luo Yue the impression of being “sexually driven.” But she really wasn’t.

Lost in the bad mood of this misunderstanding, she crumpled the pajamas in her hand.

But… after a moment, Qin Zhaoyi poked the screen with one hand and replied: [Have you done it before?]

Luo Yue quickly responded from the other side: [Guess?]

Qin Zhaoyi finally managed to steer the conversation back in a direction favorable to her. To appear more nonchalant, she cleared her throat with a light cough and playfully sent a voice message to Luo Yue: “Jie jie, you sound quite experienced.”

About a minute later, Luo Yue replied: [After all, I’ve lived a few more years than you.]

Qin Zhaoyi: […]

Did she just admit that?

Just as Qin Zhaoyi was figuring out how to counterattack, Luo Yue sent another message: [You’re still not fully recovered from your illness, don’t tire yourself too much, at most twice.]

Qin Zhaoyi:?

She scrolled through the chat history several times.

It seemed like Luo Yue didn’t say anything, but also like she said everything.

And she lost.

That day, Qin Zhaoyi experienced what it meant to be unable to explain herself.

The tiramisu on the coffee table reminded Qin Zhaoyi of the purpose of Luo Yue’s late-night visit.

However, their conversation had veered elsewhere and was difficult to bring back.

After a while, Qin Zhaoyi finally opened the box of tiramisu.

It was homemade from the countryside, and she didn’t expect much in terms of taste.

There was too much sugar, and it wasn’t the sugar substitute Qin Zhaoyi usually used. It had a strong taste of low-quality chocolate, overly sweet to the point of discomfort.

But because it was personally brought by Luo Yue and not a large piece, Qin Zhaoyi wrinkled her brow as she forked a piece into her mouth and finished it.

After finishing, she took a picture and was about to send it to Luo Yue when she remembered Zhang Ling’s warning not to get too attached.

She opened the chat window and stared at the screen for a long time. In the end, she didn’t send it.

After Luo Yue went home, she kept an eye on the activities next door. Unexpectedly, Qin Zhaoyi didn’t follow up in person but sent her a message with her phone.

Even through the screen, one could almost imagine the exasperated expression on Qin Zhaoyi’s face.

In fact, Qin Zhaoyi was accustomed to wearing a cold expression. She naturally had a chilly demeanor and minimal emotional fluctuations. However, her eyes were exceptionally expressive.

After teasing Qin Zhaoyi on her phone, Luo Yue took a shower. When she checked her phone after showering, she found a message from Grandma Shi Xi asking her to bring back some red yeast rice when she went out, as she was planning to make rice wine.

Luo Yue replied with an okay and subconsciously switched back to the chat with Qin Zhaoyi. She happened to see the “Typing” status at the top, but waited a long time without receiving a message.

Feeling a bit drowsy, she couldn’t help but yawn.

Around midnight, Luo Yue posted a moment on her social media:

[When you open a chat and don’t know what to say, it’s probably because you miss someone.

So sometimes, thinking “Typing” might also mean “I miss you.”]

She set this moment to be visible only to Qin Zhaoyi.

After posting the moment, she felt that the abbreviation “QX” didn’t look good, so she switched back and changed the nickname.

After some thought, she realized that the nicknames she had given Qin Zhaoyi during these days were not serious at all. They were created in the current atmosphere, intentionally observing Qin Zhaoyi’s expressions, but none of them had stuck.

Instead, she decided to use the full name—Qin Zhaoyi.

There was no particular reason; Qin Zhaoyi’s name itself had a charming rhythm.

If dissected, it could probably be understood as the meaning of someone in her thoughts day and night.

Qin Zhaoyi only saw Luo Yue’s moment when she woke up in the morning, and by then, it was already past ten in the morning.

The sun still hadn’t risen over Moon Island, and the incessant rain covered the small island in a thick fog. In the distance, the sky was hazy, nothing was visible, and only the sound of the waves crashing against the shore could be heard.

When Qin Zhaoyi first came to Moon Island, she wasn’t used to the sound of the waves. However, after a few days, she had already adapted perfectly to this sound.

Lying in bed and scrolling through her moments, she was surprised to see Luo Yue’s post and sat up.

It looked like she was in love.

The chat moment that Luo Yue posted… Could she have discovered it yesterday?

But this moment was clearly from a first-person perspective, so it should have been done by her.

However, that wouldn’t make sense since the two of them were almost together all day yesterday.

So, was it sent to someone else?

Various hypotheses circulated in Qin Zhaoyi’s mind, but in the end, there was no definitive conclusion.

Helpless, she censored the moment and sent it to Zhong Ling.

On Zhong Ling’s end, it wasn’t clear if she had just woken up or hadn’t slept yet, her voice sounding ethereal like a soul about to drift away, “Who’s this? So artistic? Can she write a script for us?”

Qin Zhaoyi: “…”

“Get lost,” Qin Zhaoyi replied succinctly.

Zhong Ling: “Getting so excited just because you cursed your partner?”

Qin Zhaoyi: “…”

With just two ellipses, Zhong Ling already understood, “Is it that woman you like?”

Zhong Ling: “Either she’s hinting at you, or she’s secretly in love with someone else.”

Qin Zhaoyi: [o]

Zhong Ling: “I’d say the possibility of secretly loving someone else is higher.”

Qin Zhaoyi, feeling agitated: [Why?]

Zhong Ling analyzed, “It’s simple. You’re already pursuing her so eagerly. As long as she beckons, you’ll run over like a little puppy. She doesn’t need to post such things to hint at you. Also, the first-person perspective suggests that she might be hinting at her secret crush, listening to some melancholic song on the late-night internet radio.”

Qin Zhaoyi: [You’re lying.]

Zhong Ling lightly scoffed, “Let me tell you, you haven’t had much experience in love. I’ve seen many people like this. They already have someone they like, yet they’re still flirting around, especially when they encounter someone as good-looking and well-off as you. Who wouldn’t want to give it a try?”

Qin Zhaoyi: “…”

Qin Zhaoyi countered, “But you said it yourself, as long as she beckons, I’ll run over like a dog. Then why hasn’t she given it a try?”

Zhong Ling paused, “You shouldn’t be too good when raising a dog; it’s more enjoyable to lure and raise.”

A few seconds later, Zhong Ling added, “Especially when raising an Alaskan.”

Qin Zhaoyi: “…”

Qin Zhaoyi was so angry that she didn’t respond. However, Zhong Ling continued to message her: [I told you to be more reserved, don’t become her dog.]

Qin Zhaoyi, infuriated: [You’re the dog! Stop talking dog language to me.]

Zhong Ling: [Fine.]

After a long time, Qin Zhaoyi still hadn’t calmed her emotions, so she changed into different clothes and went out.

As soon as she stepped out, she saw the big yellow dog next door lying under the eaves, its head wet, but it seemed quite comfortable.

She inexplicably thought of Zhong Ling’s words again.

Qin Zhaoyi thought to herself, she was even worse off than a dog. At least a dog in Luo Yue’s house could pounce on Luo Yue without being rejected.

But she held up an umbrella and went next door. To her surprise, she found that the door was locked.

Luo Yue’s house had an old-fashioned lock, a yellow lock hanging on the door, with peeling paint on the side, looking quite old.

Qin Zhaoyi just remembered that Luo Yue went out today.

She teased the dog for a while, but it was focused on enjoying the scenery and ignored her.

Qin Zhaoyi thought of Zhong Ling’s words again.

Thinking she was not even as good as a dog, she turned and went back into the rain. Not long after, the dog followed Cheng Shiyu and left.

Qin Zhaoyi stood under her own eaves, and across the rain, she made eye contact with Cheng Shiyu.

Cheng Shiyu had a serious expression, colder than this desolate rainy day. She nodded slightly at her and then pulled the dog and ran away, especially wearing that police uniform, looking like she was training the dog.

After standing under the eaves for a long time, Qin Zhaoyi felt her stomach cramping, and only then did she go back inside.

In coastal cities, especially in the south, even if it was raining outside, the indoors were still chilly. Qin Zhaoyi shivered as soon as she entered the house.

She took out her phone and sent a message to Luo Yue, casually stating: [Hungry.]

Then she stared at her phone, waiting intently.

Two minutes later, Luo Yue replied: [Cook.]

Qin Zhaoyi wasn’t afraid to show any weakness: [Can’t.]

Luo Yue suggested: [Learn.]

Qin Zhaoyi played the incompetence card, almost explicitly stating, “Cook for me.”

Luo Yue, still patient, asked: [What should we do?]

Qin Zhaoyi inquired: [How many days will you be away?]

Luo Yue responded: [Three days.]

Qin Zhaoyi asked: [What about your students?]

Luo Yue assured: [Another teacher is taking care of them.]

Qin Zhaoyi joked: [Then I might starve to death.]

Luo Yue: [….]

Qin Zhaoyi realized her words might have been inappropriate, so she quickly tried to retract. However, Luo Yue didn’t skip the topic and chose to reply.

“Princess Qin, why not summon your royal kitchen to cook for you?” When Luo Yue sent a voice message, her tone was playful and teasing. “Before you met me, I never saw you starving, did I?”

Luo Yue’s voice was gentle, and just by listening to the voice message, Qin Zhaoyi could vividly imagine her face.

Qin Zhaoyi played the voice message three times in a row. The third time, she listened with the phone next to her ear, and her ears turned red. She rubbed her ear with her hand and was about to play it again when she accidentally touched the screen, coincidentally encountering Luo Yue’s next voice message: “Princess Qin, don’t be too much.”

When calling her “Princess Qin,” there was always an indescribable tenderness in Luo Yue’s tone.

In any case, whenever Qin Zhaoyi heard Luo Yue’s voice, her heart would involuntarily flutter.

The cold expression on her face couldn’t help but soften into a smile. Qin Zhaoyi raised her hand to press down on the corner of her mouth, trying to maintain a cold tone in her voice as she replied to Luo Yue’s voice message, “I just can’t cook. What’s excessive?”

Luo Yue chuckled, “Are you treating me like your royal kitchen chef, Princess?”

With one “Princess” after another, all the teasing words carried a touch of ambiguity.

Qin Zhaoyi retorted, “No, I just think the food you cook is delicious.”

Luo Yue sent a three-second voice message, but there was no sound.

Qin Zhaoyi thought her phone might be malfunctioning.

But then Luo Yue’s next voice message came, asking, “Did you hear it?”

Qin Zhaoyi asked, “Hear what?”

Luo Yue replied, “My silence.”

Qin Zhaoyi: “…”

Before Qin Zhaoyi could respond, Luo Yue sent another long voice message, her tone unbelievably gentle, with a hint of laughter, as if she was leaning in to speak softly into the microphone.
In a soft and quiet voice, she asked, “Princess Qin, is this how you usually pursue someone? Do you pursue them to become your girlfriend, or to become your mother?”