Chapter 7: Prude
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
A long time later, when Wen Ruoxian remembered how she was eaten step by step, she would always think of tonight's situation.
Once you are soft-hearted, you'll always be soft-hearted, and once you are indulgent, you'll always be indulgent again and again. The boundaries are what you allow to be broken, the world is what you allow yourself to be broken into, and you are willing to turn it upside down.
She agreed to the young Miss' request.
For herself, she found her reasons.
It’s nothing more than that she should take care of her client’s daughter and be tolerant of a sister who is younger than her. Or, during the argument in the office in the afternoon, she knew that her words were inappropriate and she felt guilty…
So many.
Sitting in Wen Ruoxian's car again, Song Qingluo had a sense of familiarity and warmth, as if this place should have belonged to her in the first place.
"Where's your 'Lubao'?" She looked at the bare center console.
The golden doll is nowhere to be seen.
"It's at home," Wen Ruoxian fastened her seatbelt and then gestured to her to do the same.
Song Qingluo leaned softly and said deliberately: I'm so tired, I don't want to move, it's okay not to fasten it."
Wen Ruoxian looked at her helplessly: "It's about safety, don't take any chances." Considering that she was really tired from cleaning up so late, she simply reached out to help her, "Pull it."
"Why do you love lecturing people so much?"
"It's a reminder, not a lecture." Her head tilted along with her body, and she accidentally touched Song Qingluo's ear.
The soft hair rubbed against her face like it was tickling.
Song Qingluo took a deep breath. Her nose caught a faint scent of shampoo, and quickly, she was captivated by the fresh, clean herbal fragrance, and the two scents mingled and separated.
The seat belt clicks on.
Just as Wen Ruoxian was about to let go, Song Qingluo grabbed her sleeve and came forward, "What perfume do you use?"
She closed her eyes and took a slow breath.
The proximity was too close, and she couldn't control her strength for a moment, burying her nose in her hair.
Wen Ruoxian stiffened as if she'd been electrocuted, suddenly leaning back, and her head knocked against the car window with a "thud." "Hiss..."
"What's wrong?"
Song Qingluo opened her eyes and saw Wen Ruoxian frowning, rubbing the back of her head with one hand, and the other sleeve was tightly gripped, looking fearful and avoiding something. "What are you hiding from?"
"It's nothing." Wen Ruoxian pulled back her sleeve, turned her face away, and used her falling hair to block her view.
"Let's go back."
Song Qingluo stared at her, her eyes slowly turned playful, and she raised a sly smile on her lips: "Sorry, I just wanted to smell your perfume again, it has a unique scent that I quite like."
Wen Ruoxian said softly "Oh" and silently started the car without looking at her.
Then, she realized she hadn't released the electronic handbrake.
She reached out to find the switch she was used to but couldn't find it. Suddenly, Song Qingluo grabbed her hand and placed it on what she was looking for. "It's here."
Caught off guard with the touch of body warmth.
"Thank you..." Wen Ruoxian quickly flipped the switch and took back her hand.
This time it was Song Qingluo’s turn to lecture her: “When you say ‘thank you’, you have to look into the other person’s eyes so that you can be sincere.”
Wen Ruoxian turned around, met her meaningful gaze, and repeated, "Thank you."
She turns back immediately.
Song Qingluo was very satisfied: "Mm, you're welcome."
Finally, she managed to teach the old-fashioned one a lesson.
The future is long, and sooner or later, they'll be even.
The car left the underground parking lot, and not long after, Wen Ruoxian could feel the person beside her constantly watching her. If a gaze had warmth, there was no need for heating right now.
She was inexplicably agitated and tried to divert her attention: "It's the potpourri of the Monastery of Santa Maria."
"What?"
"The name of the perfume."
Pfft──
Monastery.
Song Qingluo laughed out loud: "Hahahaha."
Wen Ruoxian glanced at her strangely: "Is it funny?"
"No, the perfume is good. Both the smell and the name suit your temperament." Song Qingluo suppressed her laughter and said seriously, imitating her.
They stopped at a red light.
Wen Ruoxian asked: "My...what is my temperament?"
Song Qingluo pretended: "You want to know?"
"Mm."
"Come closer, I'll tell you." She beckoned with her fingers.
Wen Ruoxian hesitated slightly, looked at the red light for ten seconds, and tilted her head slightly, "Just say it like this, I can hear you."
Song Qingluo didn't push her luck, just got a little closer, cupped her hands around her mouth, and whispered each word, "Prude."
Mm?
Prude...
Wen Ruoxian was first puzzled, then understood, and nodded to herself, "Oh."
The light turned green.
She focused on the road ahead and prepared to follow the traffic.
Seeing her cold reaction and her expressionless face, Song Qingluo thought she had said something wrong and couldn't laugh anymore, "I'm joking with you, you're not angry, right?"
"No," Wen Ruoxian glanced at her and smiled. "You're very cute."
Song Qingluo's heartbeat suddenly stopped.
The calm sea rolled up into turbulent waves, just like the day she first saw her. She still clearly remembers this feeling.
"Oh."
She turned her face to the window and looked at her smiling face on the glass, "I think so too."
Wen Ruoxian continued while driving: "Also very interesting."
"Really."
Her self-esteem was extremely high, never hesitated to praise herself.
But self-praise felt different from when another praised her, especially when that person was Wen Ruoxian.
Song Qingluo took out her mobile phone, opened the document "Old Fashioned Observation Diary" stored in WPS, and added a new entry: 11.22, she said I was cute and interesting, and I declare, she's really good at reading people.
Wen Ruoxian's house was not far from the company, and they arrived in just over ten minutes.
Song Qingluo was secretly happy that she got Wen Ruoxian's address so quickly. However, the moment she saw the gate of the community, she was shocked.
Marina Bay?
It was just one street away from her own residence in the city.
The next one is "Green Shang Mansion".
One of the luxury residential complexes in Jiangcheng, where many celebrities lived.
The two complexes were so close that it only took three or four minutes to drive between them. When she was at home, she often played the violin on the western balcony in the morning. On clear days, all she had to do was look up, and she could see the high-rise buildings of "Marina Bay" in the distance.
What if Wen Ruoxian finds out she lied...
Strictly speaking, it's more of concealment.
Both sides were her homes, she just hadn't fully disclosed it, so it didn't count as lying.
These days, because she didn't want to be too high-profile, she kept taking a taxi to and from work, and no one noticed her for the time being. She would just have to be more careful in the future.
Song Qingluo comforted herself.
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
They entered the underground parking lot, and following Wen Ruoxian, she remembered this was Building 5, took the elevator, and noted that they were going up to the 18th floor, 1802.
"Come in."
Wen Ruoxian used her fingerprint to open the door and activate the smart lighting system.
For a moment, she had the illusion of going back to the past.
It was as if the person behind her was Cheng Suran. In the early days of the company's establishment, they often went home together. Sometimes, the two of them would go to the supermarket to buy groceries and would often say when they entered the door, "We're finally home, let's quickly put the fresh food in the refrigerator and freezer..."
No one other than her has come to this room for more than half a year.
Like a gorgeous, cold tomb.
She fetched her spare slippers for Song Qingluo. "You can wear these, they should fit."
The two are about the same height, and their shoe sizes are probably similar.
Song Qingluo didn't have time to say thank you and put on the slippers. She moved eagerly, couldn't wait to step inside and look around—
It is not the mahogany Chinese style as imagined.
This is very unheard of.
The living room was spacious and modern in style, with some details designed to appeal to young people. However, while it was aesthetically pleasing, it lacked a certain warmth.
It was like a showroom in a real estate sales office.
It’s so neat.
If it were her, clothes would have been scattered all over the house, and all kinds of decorations would be stuffed to the brim. Even if someone cleaned it every week, it would still be a mess.
Song Qingluo turned around and unconsciously nodded. "Your home is quite nice."
Very satisfied.
She had to find a way to stay here.
"There is a guest room." Wen Ruoxian led her inside.
There were five rooms in total, two of which had their doors closed. Song Qingluo looked around as she walked and asked tentatively: "Do you usually live alone?"
"Mm."
"It's very convenient to be so close to the company. It would be great if I lived here."
Wen Ruoxian didn't hear the subtext and sincerely suggested: "There are also houses for rent in the community. You can consider it. There are also second-hand houses for sale. The average price is 90,000, and the smallest unit is 150 square meters. It is more cost-effective than other surrounding properties and it will be easy to resell in the future." She thought that with the Song family's financial resources, buying a convenient apartment for their daughter to live in while working would be no problem at all.
It’s like buying a toy.
After saying that, she turned on the main light.
The room was very clean, and the furniture and bedding were all covered with dust-proof cloth. It looked uninhabited and cold.
Song Qingluo curled her lips.
So old-fashioned.
Is she stupid or pretending to be stupid?
Why can’t she understand?
She cursed, but with a sweet smile on her face: "It's so troublesome. Wouldn't it be boring for you to live in such a big house by yourself? Why not...rent a room for me?"
Wen Ruoxian finally grasped the meaning.
Meeting the expectant gaze of the young Miss, she suddenly felt a headache. She remembered her various difficulties and decided to politely decline, "I also rent."
Song Qingluo was in disbelief: "You don't have your own house?"
Wen Ruoxian shook her head calmly: "I'm not a local*."
*one cannot legally acquire permanent residence and other community-based privileges in places other than where their hukou (household registration) is registered, this can be changed by following requirements and criteria depending on the city or province.
Household registration limit and her time hadn't reached the requirements.
She did have a house in her hometown but rarely visited – maybe twice a year.
"You can buy it under the company's name, so you don't need local registration."
"..."
Seeing her silence and the troubled expression on her face, Song Qingluo couldn't help but start to guess. At first, she thought maybe Wen Ruoxian didn't have the money, but then she considered issues with the company's finances, or perhaps there were debt problems.
The more she thought about it, the more she felt that Wen Ruoxian was extremely miserable. She became anxious: "Is there any difficulty? Tell me, I will definitely help you solve it."
Wen Ruoxian regained her composure and looked into those worried eyes. It felt as if something had touched her, stirring a vague and strange feeling within, but she didn't dwell on it.
She smiled faintly and said, "There are no difficulties. I don't need a house for now, and living here is fine." After a brief pause, she added with great politeness, "Thank you for your kind offer, Miss Song. I appreciate it."
So good at saying polite words.
Precise and meticulous, not a single flaw can be found.
Like a robot.
Doesn't she ever get tired?
Song Qingluo grumbled to herself. This matter couldn't be rushed, it had to be taken slowly.
One day, she would move in here.
"Oh."
"The pillows and quilts are all new. As long as it's sunny, I'll take them out to air. If you're concerned, you can use the UV lamp to sterilize them. I'm sorry you have to make do tonight." Wen Ruoxian opened the closet door and pointed to the tools inside.
Song Qingluo said considerately: "It doesn't matter, I'm not picky."
──gulu
She held her stomach.
Staying behind to clean the office today was part of her plan. To make it look more convincing, she had decided to go all-in and skip dinner.
After everyone left, she sat at her workstation and played games. She didn't start cleaning slowly until her colleagues who were working overtime in the business department also left. She believed that working on an empty stomach would make her look even more pitiable, and people tend to sympathize with the vulnerable.
"Do you want to take a shower?" Wen Ruoxian's gentle voice brought her back to her thoughts.
Song Qingluo didn't answer, her hand on her stomach, looking at Wen Ruoxian with a pained and embarrassed expression. "President Wen, do you have any food at your place?"
Her voice was very soft and low as if she might faint from hunger at any moment.
Wen Ruoxian was surprised: "You didn't have dinner?"
Free dinners are provided for overtime work and must be reported in advance. Song Qingluo understood that once she reported it, her superior would find out, and her plan would be ruined.
Manager Cao, that smiling fox, is bad, not stupid. The cold whip only strikes when no one is looking, and in front of others, she puts on a show.
She couldn't say she didn't know there was dinner during overtime, and she couldn't openly say that Manager Cao was only bad and not stupid. At this moment, she needed to portray herself as an innocent and obedient little flower, full of "good intentions" while doing "bad things."
"Well, I didn't report for overtime, so..."
"Why didn't you report it?"
"After all, I am a newcomer. Only by being proactive and diligent can I leave a good impression on Manager Cao. If I report it, wouldn't it look like I did it deliberately to show Manager Cao? I just hope the probationary evaluation goes smoothly..." Song Qingluo's lips curved and the smile was as pure as a clear spring.
It’s Manager Cao again.
It’s the probationary evaluation again.
In Wen Ruoxian's mind, thoughts buzzed, and after some contemplation, she only said, "There are ingredients in the fridge. I'll see what I can cook for you."
Song Qingluo was quite surprised.
She didn't hear it wrong, Wen Ruoxian wanted to personally cook something delicious for her.
She was immediately elated, but she still had to pretend to be good: "It's too troublesome, President Wen. I can do it myself. If you can trust me to leave the kitchen to me..." That anxious expression made it impossible not to doubt that she wouldn't explode the kitchen.
"It's no trouble," Wen Ruoxian shook her head, "Take a shower first. There are new robes and underwear in the cabinet. You can change directly. I'll go prepare the water for you."
The shower and bathtub in the large bathroom were complex in design and had many functions. She was worried that Song Qingluo would be confused when using them for the first time, so she adjusted the water temperature in advance and filled the bathtub full.
Song Qingluo came over carrying her nightgown and saw her busy inside.
A sudden rush of warmth filled her heart.
"Wen..."
She suddenly didn't want to call her President Wen, that cold and distant title.
But there was already a sense of distance between them.
At least for now.
Song Qingluo walked away for a while, and when Wen Ruoxian finished filling the water and adjusting the shower head, she exited. She took off her coat, leaving only her inner wear - a thin skirt with a low collar.
The soft light bathed her clavicle, crystal clear and fair, like a shining water puddle.
"The water is ready," Wen Ruoxian quickly averted her gaze and swiftly walked past her.
"?"
Song Qingluo was stunned.
What are you hiding from?
Just as she was about to unzip her dress, Wen Ruoxian reentered with a basket of items. "I've placed your toiletries here."
She lowered her eyes and only looked at her feet.
Song Qingluo stopped her: "Wait, which one is the shower gel?"
"Silver bottle." Wen Ruoxian pointed at it without raising her eyes.
Her footsteps were even more hurried than before.
Was that necessary?
She was only changing out of her dress...
A certain suspicion suddenly flashed through Song Qingluo's mind.
She recalled the moments during the car ride when she leaned in to smell Wen Ruoxian's perfume, and when she grabbed her hand to find the button, she could clearly sense her stiffness, her unnaturalness, and her avoidance of eye contact.
Straight women wouldn't be so sensitive to a woman's touch.
Unless…
Wen Ruoxian isn't straight.
Author's Note:
Song: Yeah ✔️
Wen: Brain buzzing.jpg
ps: I left a little easter egg~
