After Escaping Marriage - Extra 24

Chapter 167: Extra 3 - Parallel World

To Yu Qingtang's exasperation, when she threw a little tantrum and "ran away from home," Cheng Zhanxi didn't even try to stop her. Instead, she followed behind her like a homeless puppy, afraid of angering its owner yet also afraid of being abandoned, trailing her from a distance that was neither too far nor too close.

Whenever Yu Qingtang turned around, she would see Cheng Zhanxi looking at her with a pitiful expression.

Yu Qingtang took a deep breath, closed her eyes, then opened them again. "Come here," she said.

Cheng Zhanxi trotted over and stood with her hands hanging at her sides, the very picture of someone who had done wrong and was sincerely repentant.

"You..." If we get married in the future, you'd definitely be henpecked.

Cheng Zhanxi had her head down and didn't hear what she said. She looked up at her with a questioning gaze.

Yu Qingtang's heart softened considerably. How could she bear to hold anything against her? "It's nothing," she said.

Cheng Zhanxi cautiously studied her expression, then boldly reached out and took the young woman's cold hand. At the same time, she opened her own overcoat and enveloped Yu Qingtang completely.

—Yu Qingtang had left in such a hurry that she hadn't even put on a coat. The tip of her nose and her ears were red from the cold.

Cheng Zhanxi's body heat surrounded her, warm and comforting. Yu Qingtang secretly pressed her cheek into the crook of her neck, her nose brushing against the cool, smooth skin as she closed her eyes and almost greedily inhaled her scent.

On the wind-swept streets of Paris, pedestrians hurried past.

"Let's go back," a clear, gentle female voice said from above her.

Yu Qingtang's hands went under the coat and wrapped around Cheng Zhanxi's slender, firm waist, her palms resting against her side through the thin sweater.

Cheng Zhanxi's body stiffened almost imperceptibly.

Yu Qingtang lingered affectionately in her arms for a moment before casually pulling her hands back, patting them together, and saying, "Let's go."

Cheng Zhanxi took off her overcoat and draped it over her.

Yu Qingtang refused, but Cheng Zhanxi insisted, saying she wasn't cold and that she had brought the coat specifically for her. She even showed Yu Qingtang the fine sheen of sweat that had formed on her neck.

Yu Qingtang's fingertips brushed over the slightly sticky sweat, and she gave her a thoughtful look.

Yu Qingtang had run quite a distance in her anger. Cheng Zhanxi bought her a knit hat and a scarf from a roadside shop, bundling her up like a dumpling. Yu Ci's health was poor, so Yu Qingtang had been frail since birth. A normal person might just sneeze or catch a cold for a few days if they got chilled, but she could end up with a high fever and on an IV drip in the hospital. As a result, she had been raised delicately since she was a child, like a flower in a greenhouse.

Yu Qingtang looked down at the road beneath her feet, a puff of white vapor escaping from her scarf.

"Aren't you cold?" she asked, glancing at the thinly-clad Cheng Zhanxi beside her.

Cheng Zhanxi was immersed in the immense joy of Yu Qingtang coming to see her. Her eyes shone brightly, and in a moment of unguarded emotion, she spoke her heart's truth. "My heart is so warm just from you being here."

Yu Qingtang looked at her and raised an eyebrow ever so slightly.

"Who did you learn that from?" she asked, her voice light as she tried to suppress her delight.

Cheng Zhanxi belatedly realized how cheesy her words sounded. The roots of her ears turned red, and she tried to backtrack awkwardly, "I read it in a book."

"Oh? Which book?"

Cheng Zhanxi was at a loss for words.

The corners of Yu Qingtang's lips curved up slightly, and she quickly turned her face away so Cheng Zhanxi wouldn't see.

Cheng Zhanxi lowered her head, chastising herself.

Was talking like that too greasy? But she was speaking from the heart, every word sincere.

The two returned home.

Cheng Zhanxi closed the door, hung Yu Qingtang's coat by the entrance, placed the hat, scarf, and gloves on the sofa, and went to make her tea.

Yu Qingtang followed her into the kitchen to boil water. She frowned when she saw the half-prepared ingredients on the counter. "I don't want to see these."

Without asking any questions, Cheng Zhanxi packed them into a garbage bag and threw it out the door.

"I really didn't ask her to come!" Cheng Zhanxi said, anxious to reiterate lest Yu Qingtang get angry.

The memory of seeing that woman with her suitcase when she walked in was still a jarring sight, like a fishbone stuck in her throat. But she had already thrown her tantrum and couldn't very well throw another one. Her mother had told her that the key to a relationship wasn't one person's bottomless indulgence, but a give-and-take, a willingness to see things from the other's perspective. Only then could you earn someone's complete devotion.

Yu Qingtang hummed in acknowledgment and picked up a nearby rag.

"I'll do it," Cheng Zhanxi said.

She wiped down the kitchen counter, erasing every last trace of Qi Sui's presence.

Leaning against the kitchen doorway, Yu Qingtang asked her, "Who is she?"

Cheng Zhanxi thought, Didn't I already introduce her? but said aloud, "A friend of mine."

"What kind of friend?"

"We were good friends before, but later we became just ordinary friends."

"What happened in between?" Yu Qingtang asked unhurriedly. She saw Cheng Zhanxi's hand, which was holding the rag, pause for a moment. Her expression became somewhat guarded, and she averted her gaze, looking at the diagonal corner opposite her.

"Well..." Cheng Zhanxi felt a pang of guilt for some reason, and her voice grew quieter. "She confessed to me before."

Yu Qingtang sneered inwardly. Just as I thought.

"Was that the time you specifically sent me a message to tell me someone had confessed to you?"

Cheng Zhanxi's head drooped even lower. "Yes... yes," she said, her voice lacking confidence.

"Then why didn't you accept her?"

"I don't even like her," Cheng Zhanxi said, looking at the rag in her hand, her voice low as if she were muttering to herself.

"If you don't like her, why did you make a point of telling me?" Yu Qingtang remembered the unease she felt after seeing that message, the sleepless nights and anxious days. A hint of anger crept into her words.

Cheng Zhanxi's heart suddenly began to pound. She whipped her head around and stared intently at Yu Qingtang.

If she hadn't been waiting in vain for a similar signal from Yu Qingtang, would she have resorted to such a tactic?

That look startled Yu Qingtang. She seemed to understand something, but then she suspected it was just her own imagination, trapping her in a vortex of unrequited feelings. Just as she tried to see more clearly, Cheng Zhanxi looked away and said with a hint of self-mockery, "Aren't we best friends?"

They were best friends who could talk about anything, so it was only natural to share everything that happened in her life.

Yu Qingtang gradually reined in her wandering thoughts. "I'm going to the living room."

Cheng Zhanxi nodded without looking at her. Only her voice remained gentle. "Go on, I'll be out in a minute."

Cheng Zhanxi had been abroad for so long, but Yu Qingtang had rarely visited her apartment. The few times she came to Paris, she was just "passing through" and didn't have time to stop by. They were both busy during winter and summer breaks—one was busy gathering inspiration, the other was flying all over with her teacher. Being in different countries was the norm, and hundreds of days and nights had slipped by unnoticed.

Yu Qingtang sat on the beige fabric sofa. Her gaze drifted from the scenery outside, filtered through the bright window, back to the figure in the kitchen.

Her off-site support, Yu Ci, sent her a message: 【How's it going?】

Yu Qingtang: 【Ran into a little surprise, but it's been resolved.】

Yu Ci: 【Do you remember what Mom told you? Give in to her a little. You're the older sister, you have to take the initiative. Don't hide your feelings so deeply. Not everyone is like your mother, able to tell what you're thinking.】

Yu Qingtang: 【Okay.】

Yu Ci: 【Don't just agree verbally and then get all reserved when it's time to act. If you had just told her you were specifically there to see her every time you "passed through" Paris, would you still be without a girlfriend? What a waste of the face you inherited from me.】

Yu Qingtang: 【...】

Yu Qingtang: 【I have something to do, Mom. I'm busy.】

Yu Ci scoffed at her phone. Trying to play hard to get like her mother without having the skills for it. Maybe in another ten years of practice.

Cheng Zhanxi came out with the brewed black tea and sat on the sofa to Yu Qingtang's left. She rested her hands on her knees, fingers intertwined, and let out a soft breath before asking in a tone that betrayed no emotion, "Are you... here in Paris on business this time?"

Yu Qingtang nodded.

"I am."

Cheng Zhanxi's heart felt almost numb as she thought: So that's how it is.

She never came just for her. She was already used to it.

Cheng Zhanxi forced a smile and asked gently, "What is it for this time?"

Yu Ci's words surfaced in Yu Qingtang's mind. She watched her expression closely and said, "Didn't I say I was here to celebrate your birthday?"

The forced smile on Cheng Zhanxi's lips froze. She stared at her with wide eyes, as if she had heard something unbelievable.

"But... but..." Cheng Zhanxi said, nearly incoherent, "my birthday is still a week away."

"I haven't seen you in a long time. I wanted to come see you a little early," Yu Qingtang said, her expression gentle.

Cheng Zhanxi's eyes suddenly turned red.

She quickly sat up straight, turned her face toward the kitchen, and said with feigned ease, "I think I left something in the kitchen. I-I'll go get it. I'll be right back."

As she walked away, she stumbled over the sofa but didn't look back.

From the living room, Yu Qingtang watched her figure standing in the kitchen with her back to her. Then, her gaze lowered, hiding the fleeting redness in her own eyes.

She stared blankly at her hands, then slowly clenched them into fists, her fingertips digging into her palms.

So Cheng Zhanxi had been the one feeling neglected all this time. Now she even had to hide from her to cry. What on earth had she done to this relationship?

Cheng Zhanxi composed herself, sniffled, and checked her reflection in the stainless steel spatula before coming out of the kitchen, feigning normalcy.

"What do you want for dinner?"

"I'll eat whatever you make. I want to witness the skills of the great Chef Cheng," Yu Qingtang said. "I'm tired from the flight. I want to take a nap first."

"Okay, you go ahead and sleep. I'll call you when dinner's ready." Cheng Zhanxi went into the room and bustled about, making the bed for her. "I didn't know you were coming, so I didn't air out the bedding beforehand. You'll have to make do."

Hearing this made Yu Qingtang's heart ache. She grabbed her wrist.

Cheng Zhanxi looked up, then quickly looked down again. "What's wrong?"

Yu Qingtang didn't miss her slightly red-rimmed eyes. "Xixi," she said softly, "don't be so distant with me."

Cheng Zhanxi let out a forced, cheerful laugh. "Well, it's your first time staying here. This is just my way of being a good host. What do you think? I'm not like a kid anymore, am I? Haha."

"I'm not a guest," Yu Qingtang said softly, looking at her lowered eyelids.

"Mm," Cheng Zhanxi's stiff smile vanished in an instant. She responded with a low hum. "I'm going to cook now."

She still didn't look directly at Yu Qingtang. Today's Yu Qingtang was too abnormal, as gentle as she was in her dreams. Cheng Zhanxi needed time to process it. She didn't want to cry in front of her.

The bedroom door closed. Yu Qingtang lay in the warm bed, staring at the ceiling above, and slowly closed her eyes.

A faint sigh echoed in the room.

Cheng Zhanxi braved the cold wind to go out and buy more groceries. She spent two hours working feverishly in the kitchen and prepared a sumptuous feast before knocking on the door to call Yu Qingtang for dinner.

Yu Qingtang opened the door, her eyes drowsy with sleep.

Cheng Zhanxi reached up and gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Time to eat," she said softly.

Yu Qingtang stared at her for a few seconds, then suddenly wrapped both arms around Cheng Zhanxi's neck.

Cheng Zhanxi was overwhelmed by the unexpected affection, fumbling to support her. Yu Qingtang nuzzled her cheek against the crook of her neck and murmured like a spoiled child, "Sleepy..."

Cheng Zhanxi held her, not knowing what to do.

The tips of Yu Qingtang's ears grew warm. She suppressed her shyness and said, "Carry me."

Cheng Zhanxi carried her to her seat. The soft, warm, and fragrant feeling lingered, and she was reluctant to let go for quite some time. She placed a bowl and chopsticks in front of her. Yu Qingtang looked at her and suddenly said with pointed meaning, "I wonder who will be lucky enough to marry you in the future."

Cheng Zhanxi choked, buried her face in her bowl, and said, "Eat... eat your food."

Isn't my hint obvious enough?

Yu Qingtang picked up her bowl in frustration, eating the food Cheng Zhanxi placed in it.

After dinner, Cheng Zhanxi went to wash the dishes. As the water ran over her fingers, she washed the same bowl seven or eight times without putting it down. A closer look revealed she was lost in thought.

Today's Yu Qingtang was so unlike herself. Even when they had been at their most intimate, it had never been this ambiguous. Did she mean what she thought she meant?

Cheng Zhanxi bit her lip, her thoughts uncontrollably sliding toward that possibility, yet she didn't dare to be certain, afraid it was just her own wishful thinking.

"Why are you taking so long to wash the dishes? Do you need help?" Yu Qingtang asked from outside the door.

Then, Yu Qingtang heard the sound of a dish falling, a crisp shattering sound.

And Cheng Zhanxi's flustered voice: "N-no, it's fine! I'm almost done!"

Yu Qingtang smiled to herself.

"I'm going to take a shower first," she said.

"Okay."

Cheng Zhanxi gathered her scattered thoughts, swept the broken pieces into a dustpan, and quickly finished the dishes. After cleaning up the kitchen, she came out.

Her apartment had two bathrooms. Yu Qingtang was using the one in the bedroom. On the shelf were Cheng Zhanxi's shampoo and body wash, the same brands Yu Qingtang used back home. Yu Qingtang also saw an old bathrobe hanging in the closet, the cuffs worn and faded.

Yu Qingtang's fingertips gently caressed the silky robe. She suddenly tilted her head back and took a couple of soft breaths.

When Cheng Zhanxi came in, Yu Qingtang was still in the shower. She brought over the hairdryer and a dry towel from the balcony, getting them ready in advance.

Yu Qingtang sat in a chair, enjoying her meticulous and thoughtful service. When Cheng Zhanxi moved to stand in front of her, she looked up, her lips moving as if she had said something.

Cheng Zhanxi immediately turned off the hairdryer and asked, "What did you say?"

Yu Qingtang shook her head and smiled. "Nothing."

Cheng Zhanxi tried to recall the shape of Yu Qingtang's lips, wanting to connect it to the words "I like you," but it was too difficult. She had no choice but to push the thought down.

The hairdryer whirred back to life.

Cheng Zhanxi's thoughts began to drift.

She had thought countless times how wonderful it would be if Yu Qingtang were a stranger she had met by chance in the vast sea of people. Then she wouldn't be so hesitant and timid, so afraid of losing her. If she weren't her childhood friend, would she have bravely pursued her from the first moment she saw her, telling her just how much she liked her?

Cheng Zhanxi blinked her moist eyes, discreetly took a deep breath, turned off the hairdryer, and put it away in a drawer.

She used the towel to dry Yu Qingtang's long hair one last time. As she lowered her head to gaze at her, Yu Qingtang was also looking at her.

Their eyes met. The particles swirling in the air went from hazy to clear, from gentle to scorching.

Cheng Zhanxi's gaze fell on the young woman's red lips. As if possessed, she lowered her head. In the split second before her reason crumbled, she restrained herself and placed a light kiss on Yu Qingtang's forehead.

This way, even if Yu Qingtang asked, she could explain it away.

Cheng Zhanxi clenched her jaw, her eyes turning red uncontrollably.

Yu Qingtang tilted her face up. After a long moment, her lips moved. "Wrong."

Cheng Zhanxi thought blankly: What's wrong?

Yu Qingtang tapped her own rosy lips. "It's here."

A tremor ran through Cheng Zhanxi's entire body.

Yu Qingtang smiled, hooked an arm around her neck, and took the initiative to kiss her.

---

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