NOVEL NEXT Chapter 38
"Hello beautiful miss, will you take my order?” Tang Jia practically leaned against the cafe counter, her trademark smirk in full effect. Xu Yue blinked back at her from behind the counter, the frilly barista apron an absurd mismatch against her usual aura of quiet control.
Tang Jia sighed, remembering the way the cafe owner had practically tripped over his own feet when hiring Xu Yue - resume aside, her looks had undoubtedly helped seal the deal.
"Pretty people really do have it easy in this world,” Tang Jia said, batting her eyelashes so dramatically the surrounding patrons couldn't quite smother their laughs.
Everyone else who heard this: Hello miss, please look in the mirror before complaining.
Xu Yue's eyebrow arched like a weapon. "Why are you here?" Her fingers stabbed at the tablet, each keystroke crisp and purposeful.
"Can't a girl enjoy her usual afternoon tea spot?" Tang Jia flounced, a picture of mock offense.
Xu Yue ignored the performance, her fingers a blur as they input the order by heart now: milk tea, extra pearls, obscene amounts of cheese foam.
Tang Jia tilted her head, quietly fascinated as she watched Xu Yue work. A small smile appeared on her face as the order took shape on the screen. An unspoken understanding passed between them at that moment, forged through countless bickering afternoons. Tang Jia then sat to wait for her order to be ready.
A sigh escaped Xu Yue's lips. Tapioca pearls plinked into the plastic cup, each one a tiny metronome marking the unchanging rhythm. Even here, the familiar dance continued.
It seems that even with the restaurant closing, I’m still stuck with Tang Jia after school.
As Xu Yue's practiced hands assembled the drink, a reluctant smile twitched at the corner of her mouth.
The clock in the café chimed a discordant melody as Xu Yue completed the closing duties at midnight. Although the extra hours were exhausting, she knew they were necessary to pay for the restaurant repairs and Liu Fang's medical expenses. She had requested additional hours to work so that she could contribute to these costs.
Li Miao's message floated back to her as she bid farewell to a yawning coworker – the family driver would be waiting. Cheng Yuehua wouldn't hear otherwise: "No young lady walks alone so late!"
She slid into the car's plush seat, ignoring the curious murmurs about a schoolgirl in such a fancy ride. Today, gossip couldn't touch her.
Silence wrapped around the car, a comfortable quiet she shared with the driver. Outside the window, the cityscape flickered past her. The blurred lights of the city mirrored the fog of worry in her mind. These snatches of peace were precious amidst the chaos.
A familiar ache pulled at her, not of exhaustion but of longing. She clutched her heart, the warmth of it almost burning through her clothes.
To think I used to dread the sight of her in the past. Now, all I want to do is see her again.
The car finally rolled to a stop before the Li mansion. Warm light spilled from the doorway, a beacon against the night. And there, amidst the opulence, a figure huddled on the living room sofa, the soft overhead glow making her seem almost as fragile as moonlight. Li Miao, asleep, waiting.
A rush of tenderness warmed Xu Yue from the inside out. Why had she stayed up? To greet her?
This silly cat...
A playful urge seized her. A gentle finger nudged Li Miao's cheek, making her scrunch her nose and shift in her sleep. Xu Yue stifled a giggle and, unable to resist, pinched Li Miao's nose lightly.
"Maomao, you can't nap here. Let's get you to bed." Her voice was barely a whisper as her warm breath brushed against Li Miao's ear.
With a gasp, Li Miao's eyes flew open, landing on the source of her discomfort.
"Xu Yue! How dare you…" The protest vanished as a warm shape enveloped her. Xu Yue hugged her tightly, face buried in Li Miao's hair as the familiar lotus scent washed over her, erasing every worry.
“Maomao, I’m back.”
Li Miao's initial irritation melted instantly. She hugged back tenderly.
“Welcome home, Xu Yue.”
Xu Yue's routine became etched in exhaustion. Sleep was a stolen hour or two, her textbooks lit by a warm lamp amidst the night's silence. Dark circles smudged beneath her eyes, hidden only by sheer force of will during the day. Each night's flicker became a heartbeat, precious time ticking steadily away.
Sometimes, Li Miao would startle awake, the guest room lamp a lone star piercing the darkness. It painted Xu Yue's hunched-over form in stark relief, textbooks spread as if for battle. Worry creased Li Miao's brow. This same girl, who so fiercely lectured Li Miao about overwork, barely allowed herself rest.
While having lunch, Li Miao observed Xu Yue closely under the soft sunlight. Did the shadows seem deeper today?
"Xu Yue, don't you need a break? Didn't someone –" a small, playful jab cut short by the familiar tightness in her chest. It wasn't fair, this unspoken double standard. A familiar guilt whispered – maybe her happiness had come at a price.
Liu Fang never was diagnosed with cancer in the novel. Was it because I changed the plot of the story that this happened?
She felt a guilt in her heart. Maybe because she hadn’t bullied Xu Yue and Xu Yue fell in love with her, Xu Yue’s happiness in the novel would never come true.
Each of Xu Yue's slow, tired bites seemed to last an eternity. Then, those usually steady eyes turned pleading. “Maomao... can I..."
A warmth flushed Li Miao's cheeks – worry battling a strange delight at offering this small comfort. "Okay..."
She sat straighter, the familiar weight of Xu Yue settling into her lap surprisingly grounding. For a stolen moment, nothing existed beyond the dappled shade, the tickle of a breeze, and the quiet rhythm of Xu Yue's breath against her legs. Passersby slowed, gentle smiles mirroring her own inner tenderness.
Such a beautiful person… deserves happiness.
An ache bloomed in Li Miao's chest, and the vow escaped her lips in a barely audible whisper: "Xu Yue… I swear I’ll make you happy."
The weight of those words barely had time to settle before their fragile bubble was shattered. Soft footsteps crunched across the dry leaves, each one a discordant note. From the corner of her eye, Li Miao glimpsed a figure – another girl, beautiful with an unnerving air of composed maturity. And then, that gentle embrace, arms winding around Li Miao possessively.
“Hi~ Maomao, I’ve returned. Did you miss me?” That soft voice, deceptively sweet, seemed to reverberate against the sudden stillness, its care for Li Miao somehow sharpened into a silent challenge.
It was the tension in Xu Yue's suddenly rigid body that mirrored Li Miao's own shock. Their gazes met below the interloper’s head, the question echoing between them in the startled silence:
Who?
