CHAPTER 100

"I'm sorry." Tang Ruoyao said.

Qin Yinong glanced at her nonchalantly.

Tang Ruoyao took advantage of the situation and stopped, obediently sitting with her to look at the album.

This album seemed to document the love story and the happy moments of building a family for Tang Hanzhang and Zhuo Peiyun. Most of the pictures were of the two of them together, with a majority featuring Zhuo Peiyun. Many were taken at home.

"It looks like your dad took these." Qin Yinong suddenly said as she looked at the photos.

It was clearly the perspective of a lover, and the evident happiness could be seen from Zhuo Peiyun's smile.

"Yeah." Tang Ruoyao agreed.

Due to her mother's early passing, even when Tang Hanzhang hadn't married Jiang Xuezhen, he would often flip through the album while drunk and recount their past memories to her, saying how kind and gentle Zhuo Peiyun was. However, Tang Ruoyao never truly felt it. After Tang Hanzhang remarried, young Tang Ruoyao couldn't understand and even resented it. If he had loved her mother so much before, why did he choose Jiang Xuezhen?

As she grew older, she still didn't understand, but she learned to accept and respect it. However, acceptance didn't mean she agreed with it.

In her lifetime, if she couldn't be with the person she loved, she would rather be forever alone than settle.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Qin Yinong found it strange how Tang Ruoyao suddenly had a profound look in her eyes.

"It's nothing." Tang Ruoyao smiled.

Having seen the photos in the album many times, she could almost recite them by heart. So she didn't pay much attention to the pictures and instead occasionally glanced at Qin Yinong's profile.

Today, she was wearing the white sportswear that Guan Han had prepared for her. It was simple and plain, with the zipper pulled up to the collar. The skin from her ears to her neck had a radiant glow, as white as beautiful jade. A few strands of black hair fell on her fair face, making her originally delicate features appear even more petite. It had lost a bit of allure but gained a touch of purity.

Qin Yinong felt an itch on her temple and turned her head to look.

Tang Ruoyao tucked her falling hair behind her ears and calmly withdrew her fingertips.

Qin Yinong turned her face back, not saying anything.

Guan Han regretted not being able to capture this scene with her phone. After all, the two of them were wearing matching outfits today!

In the second half of the album, Tang Ruoyao's figure appeared. At that time, Tang Ruoyao was still a little baby, and Zhuo Peiyun was someone who was good at and enjoyed life. Even a little baby could bring her a lot of joy, such as the various swaddling clothes she frequently changed and the various small clothes hand-sewn by Zhuo Peiyun.

Qin Yinong's lips curled up slightly.

Tang Ruoyao noticed that Qin Yinong was looking at her photos, so she focused her attention and wanted to hear Qin Yinong's opinion.

Qin Yinong just kept smiling without saying anything, so Tang Ruoyao brought up a topic herself, "Senior Qin, do you think I look like my childhood self?"

Qin Yinong, not giving her face, casually replied, "You're still so young, your face hasn't fully developed, how can one tell if you look alike or not?"

Tang Ruoyao laughed again and rested her chin on Qin Yinong's shoulder. She blew gently near her ear and coquettishly said, "Senior Qin~"

Qin Yinong clicked her tongue.

Qin Yinong turned a page, and her fingertips paused slightly, her eyebrows twisted almost imperceptibly. Her gaze didn't linger for long and moved at the original speed to the next page.

"Hmm? Wait a minute." Tang Ruoyao held her hand and flipped back.

Qin Yinong's heartbeat quickened.

Tang Ruoyao leaned closer to the album in her hand, her gaze fixed on the silhouette of a stranger in the photo. It was a girl of about seven or eight years old, wearing a school uniform, with a single ponytail, delicate and beautiful features. Even at a young age, it was evident that she had the potential to become a beauty.

"This little girl looks pretty, but unfortunately, I have no memory of her at all." Tang Ruoyao said with a hint of regret.

Qin Yinong's palms were almost sweating, her jawline tightened, and she stiffly uttered a word, "Hmm."

She didn't expect that there would be a photo of her in the Tang family!

And it was a photo of her feeding Tang Ruoyao milk, with herself smiling with a loving expression on her face. The word "love" didn't seem out of place on her seven or eight-year-old self. Could it be that she had the talent to be a loving mother since she was a child?

In fact, Qin Yinong didn't look like her childhood self now. She was even more round and chubby back then, with a joyful energy emanating from her face, like the New Year dolls stuck on the wall. Otherwise, she wouldn't have received the nickname "Dudu." [Chubby]

She truly began to change after entering junior high school. As girls grow older, the baby fat on her face visibly disappeared. Her facial features became more defined, her chin narrower, her eyebrows thinner and longer, and her facial lines smooth and distinct.

Alluring but not vulgar, charming but yet ordinary.

If it weren't for those who had watched her grow up, they would never think that these two people were the same person.

Tang Ruoyao naturally didn't have the ability to recognize her at first sight, but she wanted to use this opportunity to make Qin Yinong a little jealous. However, Qin Yinong's reaction didn't seem like jealousy. She appeared somewhat flustered, and her body even stiffened momentarily.

What was she flustered about?

Tang Ruoyao furrowed her brows lightly.

Qin Yinong relaxed her tensed shoulders and calmly looked through the rest of the photos before closing the album. Luckily, she only appeared in one photo, and it wasn't a full-frontal view but a slightly tilted angle.

She handed the album back to Tang Ruoyao, who tilted her head thoughtfully, as if she had some clues but couldn't grasp them.

Qin Yinong quickly covered her mouth and yawned.

As expected, Tang Ruoyao's attention was immediately drawn to her, and she asked with concern, "Senior Qin, are you tired?"

Qin Yinong replied, "A little."

Tang Ruoyao asked, "Should we go back then?"

Qin Yinong said, "Let's sit for a while longer. Haven't you talked to your dad yet?"

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Tang Ruoyao's expression, and she awkwardly turned her eyes away.

She was so preoccupied with Qin Yinong that she almost forgot about Tang Hanzhang. There's a saying that goes, "After marrying a wife, one forgets their parents." Although she hadn't become a wife yet, she had already fulfilled the second half of that saying.

While Tang Ruoyao and Tang Hanzhang were talking, Qin Yinong considerately left the ward, taking Guan Han with her.

The hospital was crowded, and Guan Han was afraid of her being recognized by someone, so she kept a close eye on her surroundings, with her senses heightened to the extreme. Qin Yinong, smelling the scent of disinfectant that filled the hospital corridor, leisurely walked downstairs, even though it wasn't an ideal place for a stroll.

Tang Ruoyao took Tang Hanzhang's hand in hers, a slight blush tinting her eyebrows as she bit her lower lip. She whispered, "Dad, the person who just came to see you with me is your future daughter-in-law..."

......

"Is that all?" Qin Yinong sat on a bench in the hospital's green area, watching Tang Ruoyao approach.

Tang Ruoyao nodded. "Let's go back."

She wanted to hold Qin Yinong's hand as they did when they came, but when she looked, Qin Yinong had both her hands tucked into the pockets of her sports jacket.

Tang Ruoyao: "..."

A flicker of amusement flashed in Qin Yinong's eyes as she calmly said, "Let's go."

Since they couldn't hold hands, Tang Ruoyao could only stand closer to her as a second-best option. The car was parked some distance away, so they walked together. The long shadows cast on the ground by the light from the hospital windows intertwined, as if saying, "If you don't leave me, I won't leave you."

They closed the car door and locked it.

Guan Han started the car, and they drove home in silence.

Qin Yinong sat on the sofa in the living room, and Guan Han poured her a glass of water, her tone calm as she reported the time of the booked flight and when to wake up tomorrow morning.

Tang Ruoyao stood at the bedroom door, feeling a sense of daze.

It turned out the three-day vacation was almost done.

Qin Yinong held the water glass in her hands, her mood not particularly high as she made a sound of acknowledgment, indicating that she understood.

"And there's the matter with Lin Ruohan..." Guan Han lowered her voice and reminded her.

Qin Yinong rubbed her forehead wearily. "I'll message her later."

She raised her eyes and met Tang Ruoyao's gaze. Their eyes exchanged a sense of reluctance.

During these three days, there would be no film crew, no work, and no unrelated people. It would just be the two of them together. They would wake up in the morning and see each other first thing, feel each other's warmth before going to sleep at night, and have the most intimate contact. Even Tang Ruoyao's little tricks became a source of amusement for Qin Yinong, who would play along.

'It would be nice if we could stay here forever.'

Qin Yinong sighed in her heart, retracting her gaze that was entwined with Tang Ruoyao's. She looked around the small house, which was less than a hundred square meters, and quietly lowered her eyelids.

Tang Ruoyao unknowingly clenched her fingers tightly around the edge of the door frame and gently asked, "Do you want to take a shower, Senior Qin?"

Qin Yinong raised her eyelids and smiled, "You go ahead."

Before it was time to go back, her signature casual smile appeared on her face. Tang Ruoyao wished she could kiss her right away, to hear her genuine voice even meaningless sounds of pleasure, which would be better than a forced smile.

Tang Ruoyao gradually retracted her ambitions from her eyes, went back to the room to get her change of clothes, and silently entered the bathroom.

Qin Yinong tilted her head in confusion.

She looked at Guan Han, who shook her head, and closed her mouth tightly.

Qin Yinong sent a message to Lin Ruohan and received a phone call in response. Qin Yinong went to the balcony to answer. She had nothing else to do, so she chatted with Lin Ruohan for a few more sentences. They had a good connection, otherwise, they wouldn't have become friends. Lin Ruohan's s*xual orientation was an open secret in the industry. She was interested in women and had previously introduced her partner, a domestic female singer, to her parents. They were almost ready to get married, but it didn't work out. Coincidentally, the team arranged a role for her in Hollywood, so she decided to go abroad to film and heal herself in the process.

After recovering from her emotional wounds, she began to actively analyze her love life, saying indignantly, "If I ever date a twenty-year-old young person again, I'll poke out my own eyes." Lin Ruohan was four years older than Qin Yinong, and her previous female partner was about the same age as Tang Ruoyao. They had an age difference of eleven years.

Qin Yinong lightly smiled and said, "Well, if you forget, I'll remind you."

Lin Ruohan thought about it and then took it lightly, "But young people are full of vitality. When I'm with a young person, I feel like I'm only eighteen. They're like little puppy under the bed, and a young wolf on the bed, tsk tsk."

Qin Yinong rested her hand on the edge of the balcony bed, a subtle emotion revealed in her eyes, and she replied curtly, "Hmm."

Lin Ruohan said, "Don't be so cold to me all the time."

Once they developed a friendship, Qin Yinong no longer deliberately portrayed herself as sophisticated and worldly-wise when they were together. Most of the time, she was aloof. Lin Ruohan spoke, and she listened. At this moment, when the other party pretended to be angry and unwilling, Qin Yinong added a few more words carefully, "You're right."

"What's right?"

"The puppy and the young wolf, you're right."

Lin Ruohan laughed and said, "You're turning thirty in two months. Aren't you going to enjoy life? Give yourself a big gift."

"What do you mean by enjoying life?"

"Have a romantic relationship."

"..."

After waiting for a while, Lin Ruohan pressed the phone receiver closer and said, "Hello? You're silent again. Whenever I mention having a romantic relationship, you act all weird. Are you afraid of love?"

After a moment of pause, Qin Yinong calmly said, "...And then we're going to be all lovey-dovey like you, talk about marriage, and then break up?" Lin Ruohan used to tease her like this all the time.

Lin Ruohan felt embarrassed and said, "The process is the most important."

Qin Yinong said seriously, "Not everyone thinks like you." At least she didn't. If the outcome was losing, she'd rather not have it from the beginning.

Lin Ruohan urged her, "Just have one. I'm so bored."

Qin Yinong remained unmoved and indifferently said, "No. Why should I care if you're bored?"

Lin Ruohan exaggeratedly covered her heart and said, "Wow, you're so heartless. My heart is broken. But that's okay, you just have to coax me."

"I won't coax."

"Come on, coax me. Your voice sounds so nice, it's a waste to be so cold." Lin Ruohan said.

In the past, she thought Qin Yinong was a flirtatious woman, approaching her with the intention of getting to know someone from the same industry. But the more they got to know each other, the more she realized that Qin Yinong was completely different from her appearance. She wasn't passionate at all; she was like a big block of ice. Occasionally, when she unleashed her sharp tongue, it could be infuriating.

Tang Ruoyao came out of the bathroom and didn't see Qin Yinong. She heard faint voices coming from the balcony and followed the sound. She heard Qin Yinong's soft voice saying, "Coaxing you, is that enough?"

Tang Ruoyao: "!!!"

Qin Yinong heard the movement, turned around, and saw Tang Ruoyao's face freezing cold, staring at her without blinking. When she saw Tang Ruoyao looking at her, she quickly shifted her gaze to her phone, as if she wanted to burn a hole through it. 

The phone in Qin Yinong's hand suddenly become hot.

Lin Ruohan: "Hello? Why aren't you talking again? If you keep this up, I'll get angry. Let's end our friendship for three seconds. One, two, two point five..."

Qin Yinong looked at Tang Ruoyao and whispered to the person on the phone, "I have something to do, let's talk next time."

Lin Ruohan: "Huh? You haven't told me when you're available to have dinner with me yet?"

"Next time, sorry." Qin Yinong hung up the phone.

The balcony was filled with the sourness of overturned barrels of Shanxi vinegar.

Qin Yinong felt a sudden sense of guilt, opened her mouth, and said, "I..."

Tang Ruoyao's jealousy surged like a tidal wave, but she managed to maintain a calm composure on her face as she asked, "Who were you talking to on the phone?"

Qin Yinong's mind suddenly went blank, and the memories from a few seconds ago vanished completely. She lowered her head and checked the call record before explaining, "It was Lin Ruohan."

Tang Ruoyao responded with an "Oh."

As the reigning empress consort for several years, she knew about Lin Ruohan.

Tang Ruoyao said casually, "You can continue, I'm going back to the room. Remember to take a shower."

With that, she turned and walked away.

Qin Yinong stared blankly at her departing figure, took a subconscious step forward, opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.

Tang Ruoyao paused her steps as she walked away, giving Qin Yinong a chance to catch up. However, there was no movement from behind her. She turned her head and saw Qin Yinong standing still, a troubled expression on her face. The pent-up frustration in her heart seemed to have dissipated a bit.

First love, well, it requires giving a few more chances. She wouldn't learn unless she'll teach her.

Tang Ruoyao walked back on her own, took Qin Yinong's hand, and said, "Let's take a shower."

Qin Yinong dumbly followed her back to the room. She watched Tang Ruoyao prepare pajamas for her, and then led her to the bathroom, filled the tub with water, adjusted the temperature, and wiped her hands gently. She tenderly instructed, "You can start washing now."

Qin Yinong slowly snapped out of her daze, and her fingertips at her side couldn't help but curl slightly.

Tang Ruoyao was jealous, and Qin Yinong could see it. She even suppressed the question that was about to come out, "What's your relationship with her?" But this series of actions from Tang Ruoyao caught her off guard. Why did it feel like she was the one who was jealous?

Qin Yinong bit her lip and turned on the overhead showerhead, filling the bathroom with misty water vapor.

The glass door of the bathroom was thick, making it impossible to see each other from inside and outside. Tang Ruoyao brought a chair to the door and waited. She recalled the recent events in her mind, listening to the sound of water from inside and slowly adjusting her mood.

She and Lin Ruohan were at most friends. Tang Ruoyao made this clear in her mind. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and furrowed her brows.

But why did she speak to others like that? She hadn't even comforted herself yet! It didn't count when they were in a romantic relationship before.

It turned out that a woman's jealousy couldn't be self-regulated. No matter how strong one's heart was, they would think more and more during self-reflection. Tang Ruoyao couldn't sit still anymore and her tongue began to feel sour. She quietly put away the chair, went back to the bedroom, and sulked.

The flight was scheduled for eleven o'clock tomorrow morning, so leaving before nine would be fine. Qin Yinong finished showering but didn't rush to sleep. Since her hair was still damp, she couldn't be bothered to use a hairdryer. She towel-dried it halfway and went back to the balcony to continue her phone call.

She stood up Lin Ruohan, apologized as necessary, exchanged a few more words, and set a time for Lin Ruohan to visit her. Then she returned to the bedroom.

If Tang Ruoyao's anger had a hint of playfulness earlier, now it was on the verge of exploding. Not only did she not come back to look at her after showering, but she also went to chat with someone else. Don't think she didn't hear it, the bedroom door was intentionally left open.

Tang Ruoyao lay with her back turned, her eyes tightly closed, and one hand tightly gripping a corner of the pillow.

"Miss Tang?" Qin Yinong softly called her name, and asked, "Are you asleep?"

Tang Ruoyao didn't respond and pretended to be asleep.

Qin Yinong didn't come over to check either. She turned off the main light in the bedroom, leaving only a bedside lamp on. She gently climbed onto the bed, picked up the book on the bedside table, and waited until her hair dried before going to sleep.

Tang Ruoyao made a light nasal sound, as if murmuring in her sleep.

The breath of a woman approached her ear suddenly, and Tang Ruoyao held her breath. She could feel Qin Yinong getting extremely close to her. Perhaps their lips were only an inch apart, but she didn't move.

Qin Yinong observed Tang Ruoyao for a moment, gently adjusted the corner of the blanket for her, and then sat back in place.

Before long, Tang Ruoyao turned over with a grumble, facing up, and uncovered half of the blanket that Qin Yinong had neatly tucked for her.

Qin Yinong: "..."

She really can't sleep properly.

Qin Yinong remembered that Tang Ruoyao felt warm but didn't rush to cover her with a blanket. Instead, she focused on reading.

Tang Ruoyao couldn't pretend anymore. She suddenly opened her eyes and stared straight at her, her thin lips tightly pursed.

She didn't even give her the blanket.

Qin Yinong unintentionally met her gaze and was startled. "Are you awake?"

Tang Ruoyao said, "Hmm, there's light."

"In that case..." Qin Yinong touched her long hair behind her head, which was still slightly damp at the ends. She overall patted it dry and turned off the last remaining lamp, lying down.

Tang Ruoyao came over and hugged her without saying a word.

Qin Yinong was used to her embrace, but this time it felt different. She tightly held her, exerting great force and not giving her any room to move, as if suppressing something.

Unable to move, Qin Yinong decided not to resist. It didn't hurt anyway. She wanted to see what tricks this little brat had in store.

After waiting for several minutes, Tang Ruoyao pressed her nose against Qin Yinong's cheek, her lips touching her earlobe. She straightforwardly confessed, "I'm jealous."

Qin Yinong was taken aback. How dare she...

Did she just say it like that?

However, Tang Ruoyao was even bolder than she had imagined. She paused for a moment and brazenly said, "You have to coax me."

Qin Yinong almost laughed.

Why should she?

Tang Ruoyao lowered her voice, sounding a bit aggrieved. "Won't you coax me?"

Qin Yinong's heart softened, but she remained silent.

Tang Ruoyao didn't say anything either. She let go of the embrace and turned her back to Qin Yinong. There was a moon tonight, and moonlight seeped through the not-so-lightproof curtains, clearly illuminating the slender figure of the woman.

Qin Yinong turned her back as well.

The two of them slept back to back on a 1.5-meter bed. The space between them was spacious enough for two people to lie side by side.

Tang Ruoyao kept her eyes open, her fingers messing up the corner of the pillowcase. She felt frustrated and upset. She sniffled.

But the bed beside her suddenly sank, and a presence approached but didn't touch her. It seemed like someone was lying next to her. Qin Yinong, behind her, asked, "Why aren't you asleep yet?"

Her voice was flat, devoid of emotion.

It couldn't be considered coaxing in any way, but Tang Ruoyao sensed a hint of vulnerability in it. She turned over and leaned shoulder to shoulder with her.

"Just thinking."

"About what?"

"About you."

"... " Qin Yinong felt a tingling sensation creeping up on half of her body. Was she becoming more and more  shameless?

"Qin Yinong."

In the darkness, after two seconds, Qin Yinong replied coldly, "Hmm."

"I feel a bit cold." Tang Ruoyao lied with her eyes open.

"... "

"I'm really cold." The young woman softened her tone and said, "Hold me."

Qin Yinong couldn't resist anymore. Her entire body was itching as if thousands of ants were crawling on her.

Tang Ruoyao said, "Hold me tight."

Qin Yinong took a deep breath, and her hard-earned self-control crumbled instantly. She embraced Tang Ruoyao tightly, pressing her against her ear and speaking in a low, hoarse, restrained voice, "Is this enough?"

Tang Ruoyao silently curled up the corners of her lips.

In the embrace of the woman, she adjusted to a comfortable position. When she tilted her face up, her lips were just at the level of the other's chin. As long as Qin Yinong lowered her head, she could kiss her, creating a perfect distance between them.

Qin Yinong thought that was the end of it, that she could have a peaceful night and finally find some sleep. She let out a sigh of relief in her heart and closed her eyes, preparing to drift off.

"Qin Yinong." Tang Ruoyao's warm breath brushed against her lips, moving upwards.

Qin Yinong made up her mind to ignore her, not knowing what mischief this little brat was up to.

She had her plan, and Tang Ruoyao had her tricks up her sleeve. Ignoring her was one thing, but Tang Ruoyao took the initiative to hold Qin Yinong's hand, massaging her fingers, slipping in between them, entwining them tightly with various techniques.

Qin Yinong's breath hitched, intentionally trying to fall asleep quickly, pretending that Tang Ruoyao was nothing, using her previous acting skills to make it seem like she was playing the role of someone who slept deeply and couldn't be awakened, forcing her consciousness into a mysterious state.

She let Tang Ruoyao manipulate her like a puppet on strings.

It was only in a half-awake state that her fingertips touched a damp spot.

Author's Note:

Question: What happened?

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