CHAPTER 261: Qin & Tang Extra 35

Qin Lunong watched as her younger sister and sister-in-law entered. Qin Yinong patted the hand that Tang Ruoyao had placed on her arm, and Tang Ruoyao gave her a concerned glance before withdrawing her hand.

Qin Lunong's gaze was laden with meaning.

Meeting her sister's eyes, Qin Yinong finally understood what she had meant the other night about walking while holding one's waist. Unfortunately, Tang Ruoyao had been too restrained to give her that opportunity. Qin Yinong strode over energetically, causing Qin Lunong to furrow her brows.

Why did she seem so full of energy?

From the sofa, Ningning, dressed in a little outfit, called out in her childish voice, "Auntie."

Qin Yinong scooped up the little one and planted a kiss on her cheek, then introduced Tang Ruoyao behind her: "This is your auntie's wife. You met her when you were little."

Qin Lunong couldn't help but burst into laughter: "Hahahaha!"

Facing Tang Ruoyao, whom she had last seen at six months old, the nine-month-old Ningning felt shy and retreated slightly. Peeking out from Qin Yinong's embrace, she timidly said, "Auntie's wife."

Tang Ruoyao replied, "Good girl."

Qin Yinong asked, "Do you want to hold her?"

Looking at Qin Jianing, who was only showing half her face, Tang Ruoyao considerately said, "Maybe when we're more familiar."

Qin Yinong snatched the rattle drum from Qin Lunong's hand and handed it to Tang Ruoyao, saying, "Then you can play with her."

Tang Ruoyao nodded and shook the rattle drum at Ningning. The drumsticks hit the surface, making a "dong dong dong" sound.

Ningning: "..." This auntie's wife doesn't seem very bright.

Tang Ruoyao: "..." She awkwardly glanced at Qin Yinong, who in turn looked at Qin Lunong.

Qin Lunong gently instructed Ningning, "When someone plays with you, you should be polite."

Ningning tilted her head, confused.

Qin Lunong pressed her hands to her lips, pushing up the corners of her mouth, and patiently said, "Smile."

Ningning gave Tang Ruoyao a smile.

Tang Ruoyao's lips curved slightly, her smile rippling.

Ningning was just shy at first. Once she warmed up, she was an easy child to please. She had inherited her biological mother's intelligence and was exceptionally bright. Qin Lunong mentioned they were already using flashcards to teach her characters.

After dinner, Tang Ruoyao played with her a bit more before the child was sent for her nap. Then she and Qin Yinong went upstairs to rest as well.

Qin Yinong fetched a set of pajamas from the closet for her, noticing Tang Ruoyao standing there lost in thought.

She waved a hand in front of Tang Ruoyao's eyes.

"What are you thinking about?"

Tang Ruoyao's gaze gradually focused on Qin Yinong's mature, charming face. At some point, that face seemed to shrink proportionally, transforming into a delicate little girl.

With a slightly dazed expression, Tang Ruoyao murmured, "Ningning looks so much like your sister."

Without hesitation, Qin Yinong replied, "Well, she's her biological child."

"What if she were yours?" Tang Ruoyao murmured.

"What?" Qin Yinong didn't catch it.

"Nothing." Tang Ruoyao snapped out of it, licked her lips, took the pajamas, and changed the subject. "I'll go change in the bathroom."

Qin Yinong watched her retreating back, puzzled.

After changing into their snug silk pajamas, they lay side by side in bed.

Qin Yinong asked her younger lover, "Do you have plans for the afternoon?"

Tang Ruoyao, confused, replied, "No, I'm not going back to school until tomorrow." She took Qin Yinong's hand under the covers, interlacing their fingers, and closed her eyes, focusing solely on falling asleep.

Qin Yinong's fingertips glided over the smooth back of her hand, then paused at the slightly calloused fingertips with neatly trimmed, rounded nails. The woman tilted her head and whispered in her ear, "Did you wash your hands?"

Tang Ruoyao: "I washed them after dinner."

Qin Yinong murmured, "Go wash them again, and make sure they're thoroughly clean."

Tang Ruoyao: "Huh?"

Though slow on the uptake in certain matters, she was obedient—whatever Qin Yinong said, she did. Fighting off sleepiness, she got up and went to the sink, squeezing soap to create foam before meticulously scrubbing every inch of her hands.

After checking the door lock and curtains, Tang Ruoyao lay back down.

The afternoon room soon filled with sounds that would make anyone blush.

Tang Ruoyao went to wash her hands.

Qin Yinong lay with half-lidded eyes, her long hair strewn across the pillow, mentally raising Tang Ruoyao's score from passing to slightly better.

Exhausted, she quickly fell asleep. Tang Ruoyao, of course, was out the moment her head hit the pillow.

They slept until four in the afternoon. The tail end of summer had passed, and the sunlight in the yard was no longer harsh. Qin Yinong led Tang Ruoyao to the garden for a walk, where a swing stood.

Tang Ruoyao had Qin Yinong sit on it while she pushed from behind.

With each push, Qin Yinong's feet kicked up playfully, the wind brushing her face as she smiled with childlike delight, her eyes crinkling.

Tang Ruoyao said nothing, simply pushing steadily, her gaze fixed on Qin Yinong's back.

At that moment, she thought, even if she were to grow old right then, she wouldn't mind.

At eighty, at a hundred—she wanted to be with Qin Yinong.

When Qin Yinong turned her head, Tang Ruoyao hurriedly wiped her tears away.

Qin Yinong dragged her feet to stop the swing, startled. "Why are you crying?"

Tang Ruoyao didn't know. An indescribable sorrow had welled up in her chest. She shook her head, but the tears only fell harder.

Without a tissue, Qin Yinong carefully dried her cheeks with her sleeve.

Tang Ruoyao sniffled. "Maybe I'm afraid of losing you."

Qin Yinong pulled her into an embrace, gently patting her back. "I won't leave you." she promised.

Tang Ruoyao wrapped her arms around the woman's waist.

Resting her chin on Qin Yinong's shoulder, she looked past the high garden walls. Lush ivy thrived under a vast, tranquil sky, the sunlight bright and warm—yet the world before her felt intensely unreal.

A mild autumn breeze lifted the hems of their clothes, gilding the embracing lovers in a hazy golden light. Suddenly feeling cold, Qin Yinong tightened her hold, drawing warmth from Tang Ruoyao's body.

"No matter what happens, I won't leave you." she repeated, as if to herself.

"Are you sure you don't want me to take you to school?" Qin Yinong asked Tang Ruoyao for the third time that morning.

Tang Ruoyao: "Really, it's fine. Don't you have work?"

Qin Yinong: "I can go later." She took Tang Ruoyao's hand, lacing their fingers together. "Let me take you."

Qin Lunong walked past them and coughed pointedly.

Tang Ruoyao immediately grew flustered, whispering reproachfully, "This is all your fault."

Qin Yinong: "Ignore her. She's just jealous."

Qin Lunong promptly hurled a throw pillow at her.

Qin Yinong seemed to have eyes on the back of her head. She agilely ducked and crouched down, causing the pillow to hit Tang Ruoyao instead. Tang Ruoyao closed her eyes briefly as the pillow bounced off her and fell to the floor.

Qin Yinong: "...That was sneaky."

Qin Lunong said impatiently, "Hurry up and leave. Don't pollute my daughter's eyes."

Qin Yinong grinned and stuck out her tongue playfully.

In the end, it was Qin Yinong who drove Tang Ruoyao to school. During the ride, Tang Ruoyao said, "You can drop me off two traffic lights away from school. I'll walk from there."

Qin Yinong: "Why?"

Now that they were officially girlfriends, Tang Ruoyao was completely honest with her: "Last time someone saw me getting out of your car, and rumors started spreading at school."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Qin Yinong asked. "Should I buy you a cheaper car for commuting?"

Tang Ruoyao shook her head.

"I don't drive much anyway," she said. "Actually, I don't care what people say. I just feel that... the current me isn't worthy enough to stand by your side yet."

Qin Yinong's expression darkened.

Tang Ruoyao said, "I know you're angry now."

Qin Yinong retorted, "If you knew I'd be angry, why say it then?"

"Because it's true."

Tang Ruoyao's straightforwardness left Qin Yinong speechless. She exhaled deeply and said, "Go on."

"Our relationship began with a misunderstanding. Even though we've cleared it up now, we can't deny it was the starting point," Tang Ruoyao explained. "Back then I thought I was just your lover, so I only needed to fulfill my role as a kept woman. But now it's different—I have to consider our future."

Qin Yinong leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms as if to say, "Let's hear what grand plans you've come up with."

"I don't want to always live under your protection," Tang Ruoyao continued. "I don't want the day we go public to come, and when people ask who I am, what right I have to earn Qin Yinong's affection and grow old with her."

Qin Yinong scoffed. "Plenty of people try to win my favor. I don't need reasons to like someone, nor do I owe anyone explanations."

Unfazed, Tang Ruoyao said gently, "I know. But I'm the only one you're dating. You like me—surely not because you want an obedient doll, right?"

"Do you think you're being obedient now? If you were, you wouldn't be challenging me like this!"

"I'm not challenging you. We're having a discussion. If you see this as a challenge, it means you view yourself as above me. But in this relationship, we're equals. Only equality can last."

"..."

The woman gritted her teeth.

Tang Ruoyao leaned in and kissed her.

Qin Yinong's lips tingled as she narrowed her eyes. "Don't think a kiss will make this go away."

Tang Ruoyao pulled her closer, pressing their lips together again to deepen the kiss. Qin Yinong cupped the back of her head, turning passive into active. Determined to tease her, Qin Yinong soon had Tang Ruoyao flushed and breathless, melting into a puddle in her arms.

"Still want to argue?" Qin Yinong threatened.

Between gasps, Tang Ruoyao managed, "Not arguing... just... normal discussion... mmm... ah..."

Qin Yinong kissed her again.

Until Tang Ruoyao could no longer speak.

The unequal beginning wasn't without its drawbacks for their relationship. Over their long time together, Qin Yinong had grown accustomed to Tang Ruoyao's docile obedience—wagging her tail on command. This sudden rebellion overturned Qin Yinong's established perception of her, especially since it challenged the self-imposed rules she'd developed over years. Being older than Tang Ruoyao, she inevitably carried some of that elder's arrogance.

Why should her life need to be explained to outsiders? Why should others' opinions affect her? Tang Ruoyao would understand this eventually—all this worrying was pointless now.

At this moment, Qin Yinong forgot that she'd previously asked An Ling to clarify things precisely because she didn't want Qin Lunong and Tang Ruoyao suffering strange looks on her account.

Humans are social creatures—no one exists outside social relationships. They might not care about their reputation among strangers, but they couldn't ignore what the other might endure because of them.

In the end, Qin Yinong still let Tang Ruoyao out of the car early.

The atmosphere between them was stiff.

Standing on the sidewalk curb, Tang Ruoyao waved at her: "I'm heading to school."

Qin Yinong glanced at her through the half-lowered car window before putting on her sunglasses.

Tang Ruoyao watched the black sedan drive away, then looked down to type on her phone: [Maybe you think my ideas aren't mature enough, but doesn't everyone grow from immaturity to maturity?]

Qin Yinong watched as Tang Ruoyao's messages popped up one after another.

[You don't need reasons to like me, but I do. I want to become better, to feel worthy of your affection in my heart]

[I didn't mean to argue with you, don't be angry]

[If you're still upset, when I come home this Friday, you can punish me however you want]

Qin Yinong typed: [Aren't you afraid I might not like you anymore after you change?] The words lingered in the message box for a long time before she deleted them one by one, finally sending just: [Okay]

Qin Lunong returned home from work, changing shoes in the entryway. She saw her sister lying corpse-like on the sofa while Ningning stood beside her, playing with her face with both hands. Hearing the noise, the child turned and called brightly: "Mommy."

Qin Lunong walked over, kneeling on one knee as mother and daughter exchanged cheek kisses.

Qin Yinong lifted her eyelids weakly: "Sis."

Qin Lunong teased with mock sympathy: "Well, well, what's this?"

Qin Yinong sighed dramatically: "My little bunny staged a rebellion."

Qin Lunong glanced at her waist: "Weren't you taking her to school this morning?"

"That's when the rebellion happened."

Qin Lunong drew out an understanding "Oh," remarking, "Ah, youth."

Qin Yinong complained: "I really don't understand what young people think these days. If you like someone, just like them—why worry about being 'worthy'? If anything, I'm the cabbage stump unworthy of her."

Qin Lunong turned sharply: "Hmm?" This wasn't what she'd imagined.

After Qin Yinong explained Tang Ruoyao's morning words, Qin Lunong understood the situation. "That means she's seriously considering spending her life with you. Instead of being happy, you're moping around here—can't recognize good fortune when it's right in front of you."

"So you think her thinking is correct?"

Qin Lunong took a fruit kn!fe from the drawer.

Qin Yinong: "Hey, even if you disagree, no need for stabbing!"

"Stop flattering yourself. You're not worthy of my kn!fe." Qin Lunong picked up an apple, her gaze fixing Ningning in place as the child tried to approach. She sliced the fruit into pieces, then cut one thin sliver for Ningning to nibble on while taking a chunk for herself, leaving Qin Yinong with just the core.

Qin Yinong opened her mouth, carefully gnawing at the apple flesh near the core, and said, "Well? Aren't you going to say something?"

Qin Lunong gave her five words: "Put yourself in her shoes." She continued, "If you were her, what would you think?"

Qin Yinong fell into deep thought.

Having little hope for her lovestruck fool of a sister, Qin Lunong cradled Ningning while remarking, "What do you even like about her?"

"You're asking that too now?"

"So she's asked before. How did you answer?"

"I said because she's adorable, like a puppy."

"..."

"What's with that look?"

"It's the complicated expression of someone who doesn't want to talk to you, but has to because unfortunately, you're my sister."

"Speak words I can understand."

"You called her a puppy. What if one day you meet a prettier, smarter, younger dog? Would you stop liking this one?"

"It was just an analogy," Qin Yinong frowned. "I didn't mean she's actually a dog. Besides, I've met younger and prettier women before. If I fell for every attractive woman I saw, would she even have a chance?"

"But the puppy doesn't think that way."

"...Can we stop with the dog metaphors?"

Qin Lunong rolled her eyes. "You started it. Tang Ruoyao—this puppy—no, this person—do you realize what stage of life she's in?"

"College student?"

Qin Lunong grew serious. "Twenty years old—student years. It's when people are most vibrant and ambitious, yet also most powerless, regardless of gender. Because all she can offer you is her genuine heart. Though I often mock you, I can't deny you're quite the catch—successful, charming. For her to meet you at nineteen is like a child collecting seashells suddenly having the moon fall into her arms."

Qin Yinong looked thoughtful.

Qin Lunong seized the opportunity to mock, "Especially when that moon happens to be an idiot."

Qin Yinong: "..."

Qin Lunong tapped her chin. "In short, she's probably under tremendous pressure—afraid she won't grow fast enough, afraid you'll abandon her before she matures. Youth is the most precious and also the cheapest thing. No one stays twenty forever, but there will always be twenty-year-olds. She has nothing but her youth. Love's expiration date isn't labeled like products—it might expire tomorrow, or even today."

"Is... that so?" Qin Yinong seemed to vaguely grasp Tang Ruoyao's fears.

That morning when she woke, Tang Ruoyao wasn't being mischievous or sleeping soundly, but watching her with open eyes. Half-asleep, Qin Yinong had asked when she woke, to which Tang Ruoyao replied "just now" before gently kissing her forehead. Yet her eyes were clear, her voice bright—she must have been awake for hours.

And yesterday afternoon's torrential tears on the garden swing.

"Maybe I'm afraid of losing you."

Qin Lunong flicked Qin Yinong's forehead. "Love isn't that simple—you can't just sweet-talk all day and call it done. Dream on."

Qin Yinong sighed. "Understood. So what should I do?"

"I'm not your girlfriend, go ask her," Qin Lunong said. "But she has one good point—she's willing to share her thoughts with you. Let me tell you, women are extremely complicated creatures. When you encounter the kind who beat around the bush, saying one thing while meaning another, you won't even know where to begin guessing."

Qin Yinong looked at her with a strange expression: "You sound like you're speaking from experience?"

Qin Lunong's eyes shifted uncomfortably. "I'm a woman myself, of course I know."

Qin Yinong gave an understanding hum.

Suddenly smiling, she asked curiously: "What would someone like you be like in a relationship?"

Qin Lunong smirked. "Want to know?"

Qin Yinong nodded earnestly.

After a moment's thought, Qin Lunong said, "You know Germany produces a special product, right?"

Qin Yinong blinked. "What is it?"

Qin Lunong grinned. "Orthopedics."

Qin Yinong frowned. "I don't get it."

Qin Lunong tilted her chin up. "Google 'German orthopedics' yourself."

As Qin Lunong went to prepare Ningning's milk, Qin Yinong roared at her retreating back after finishing her search: "Qin Lunong! You're taking advantage of me again!"

Qin Lunong's voice floated back from afar: "As if I'd be interested in you anyway!"

Ningning looked between her mother and auntie, not understanding what was happening but giggling supportively.

Qin Yinong glared at her. "Keep laughing and I'll eat you up."

Used to her auntie's gentle, indulgent nature, Ningning wasn't scared at all and laughed even harder.

Qin Yinong grabbed the little rascal and planted a firm kiss on her cheek as punishment.

With only two morning classes, Tang Ruoyao went to her advisor's office after class to officially end her leave. She then headed to the library where her roommates had already saved her a seat, waving enthusiastically when she entered.

Moving quietly, Tang Ruoyao set her water bottle gently on the table and took out her books and notebook, meticulously taking notes after each reading.

Wen Shuxian nudged Cui Jiaran's arm discreetly, gesturing toward their muted phone in the corner.

Cui Jiaran unlocked the phone.

Wen Shuxian: [Doesn't Tangtang seem unusually quiet today?]

Cui Jiaran: [Probably tired from filming]

Wen Shuxian: [My intuition says it's more than that. She filmed last semester too, but wasn't like this—looking serious but actually radiating restlessness]

Cui Jiaran frowned: [Restless?]

Wen Shuxian: [Totally. Look how she's gripping that pen—might snap it any second]

Cui Jiaran: [Oh, I'll pay attention]

What could a student realistically do? Study hard, improve grades. But Tang Ruoyao's grades were already near perfection—little room for improvement. Acting? While Ruan Qin had many scripts for her, she couldn't abandon her studies for roles. Endorsements? The offers before fame weren't worth considering.

She'd vowed to become more outstanding, yet apart from bedroom skills, nothing seemed improvable in the short term. Wait—what was she thinking? Tang Ruoyao wanted to slap herself again. But Qin Yinong had forbidden self-harm without permission, so she settled for biting her hand fiercely, teeth sinking into flesh.

Across from her, Wen Shuxian dropped her pen, clutching her hair while biting her lip as she observed Tang Ruoyao.

Why did Tangtang seem like she was losing it?

Tang Ruoyao lowered her head, pressing her forehead against the book as she closed her eyes to calm herself.

No doubts allowed.

She inhaled deeply, exhaled slowly, then inhaled again before raising her head to continue reading.

The handwriting in her notebook flowed effortlessly, graceful and pleasing to the eye as line after line of elegant script poured from her pen. Was this a small advantage of hers?

The start of junior year meant only one more year until senior year, followed closely by graduation. Most classmates had shed their youthful naivety, and the pressure of impending graduation weighed on everyone. Some were fortunate enough to land acting opportunities, others frequented auditions, while some buried themselves in studies to gain an edge for the future. Huo Yuke had moved out and rarely attended classes anymore—rumor had it she'd landed another new role.

The once lively hallway had grown much quieter.

Room 405 had all its members present, but everyone was absorbed in their own tasks, the silence almost palpable.

Tang Ruoyao sat with her back straight, opening her laptop with determined focus. She typed a line into a new Word document, bolded the title, hit enter, and continued typing.

Her concentration unbroken, she wrote straight until ten o'clock.

Lights-out was at eleven, and now it was time to queue for showers. Wen Shuxian, sitting on her bed, asked, "Who's going first?"

Tang Ruoyao closed her laptop. "Me."

She showered and washed up in ten minutes, then climbed onto her bunk with her laptop, placing it on her lap as she resumed typing.

At 10:55, Fu Yujun asked, "Should I turn off the lights?"

Wen Shuxian and Cui Jiaran were already settled in bed. "Go ahead."

"Tangtang?"

Tang Ruoyao didn't pause her typing. "Go ahead, I don't need the light." To avoid disturbing her roommates, she also drew her curtain shut.

Fu Yujun glanced up at her for a few seconds before switching off the light.

Tang Ruoyao's laptop was a relic from high school graduation, bought for a little over two thousand back then. The battery barely lasted—after just over an hour, the low-power warning popped up. Plugging it in would trip the dorm's circuit, so around one in the morning, she saved her document, climbed down to stow her laptop, and closed her eyes to sleep.

The next day was the same.

By the third day, she began transferring the contents of her Word document to her phone, then copied them into a fresh notebook. After lights-out on Thursday, she turned on a desk lamp and hunched over her desk, writing diligently.

Tomorrow was Friday, and Friday evening she would return to Wangyue Mountain Residence. She needed to have everything ready by then.

Fu Yujun woke once in the middle of the night. A faint glow seeped from behind Tang Ruoyao's curtain. She pushed it aside slightly to peek.

Tang Ruoyao's figure was bathed in the dim yellow light of the desk lamp, her posture unchanged from when Fu Yujun had last seen her before bed. Without looking up, she occasionally glanced at her phone, her pen gliding smoothly across the notebook.

Fu Yujun couldn't see her expression, but she could sense that when Tang Ruoyao occasionally rested her chin in her hand, gazing at the words she'd written, she was happy.

Fu Yujun quietly let the curtain fall back into place without a sound.

The next morning, Fu Yujun woke up half an hour earlier than usual. She found Tang Ruoyao stretching at the desk, the surface now spotless. Fu Yujun smiled at her. "You're up early too?"

Tang Ruoyao nodded. "Yeah."

Fu Yujun asked, "Going back to sleep?"

"No."

"I wanted to get to the classroom early to study. I'll leave a note for Xiaowen and the others. Want to go together?"

Tang Ruoyao agreed. "Sure."

When they arrived, there were still fifty minutes until class. Tang Ruoyao, exhausted from staying up all night, couldn't resist slumping onto the desk. Fu Yujun pulled a small cushion from her bag and handed it over. "I was going to use it at the library, but you can have it first."

"Thanks." Tang Ruoyao's eyes were already closing as she drifted off, her head resting on the cushion.

Fu Yujun looked at her for a while, then shook her head with a smile before lowering her head to study.

Tang Ruoyao, having arrived early to catch some sleep, felt much more refreshed. She thanked Fu Yujun once again. By now, if she still didn't realize that Fu Yujun had deliberately arranged for them to leave early just so she could rest, she would have been truly foolish.

When the last class on Friday ended, Tang Ruoyao bid farewell to her roommates at the dormitory entrance and headed toward the school gate. Qin Yinong had an evening engagement and wouldn't be home until late, so she reminded Tang Ruoyao to eat first.

Tang Ruoyao bought a jianbing—a type of egg pancake—near the school and ate it by the roadside before taking the bus to the subway station. She went home, took a shower, and sat on the sofa reading while waiting for Qin Yinong to return.

The sound of the door opening startled her awake. Even she found it strange—she usually slept like a log, yet today, the mere sound of the door had jolted her.

Qin Yinong was also taken aback by her reaction.

Still dressed in her evening gown, Qin Yinong changed into slippers and walked over, asking gently, "Tired?"

"Mhm." Tang Ruoyao caught a faint whiff of alcohol. "Did you drink?"

"Just a little." Qin Yinong sat beside her and naturally pulled her into an embrace. Tang Ruoyao dodged her arms and said, "Wait, I have something for you."

"What is it?"

Tang Ruoyao reached for her bag and pulled out a brand-new notebook.

With earnestness, she said, "Last time you asked me what I like about you. I wrote down my answer."

Qin Yinong took the notebook and flipped it open. Inside, the girl's neat, elegant handwriting filled the pages densely—chronicling every moment from their first meeting, every interaction, every exchanged glance.

Qin Yinong turned back to the title page, where a single line was written vertically on the blank space: "Why I Love You."

Running her fingers over the notebook's cover, Qin Yinong looked into the girl's nervous eyes.

Tang Ruoyao had written her a love letter—an entire notebook of it.

This was the most unique love letter she had received in her twenty-seven years, and the most heartfelt confession.

Author's Note:

Tang·Thesis·Academic Prodigy is here. No matter which side story it is, what moves Sister Qin is always Xiaotang's sincere devotion.

Let me say it outright—I want to date Yaoyao!!!

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