Chapter 15: On the Self-Cultivation of a Mistress (A Slightly Funny Plot) - Part 1
(It’s like this: writing one chapter feels too much, and writing two is a bit lacking. I’ll update one and a half chapters today, and I’ll add more next time.)
By the time it was almost half past five, Shen Jin had already prepared four home-style dishes and one soup, arranging the bowls and chopsticks neatly.
Qin Mo should have rested enough. Shen Jin gently opened the bedroom door, first poking her head in to see if Qin Mo had woken up.
The room was quiet. If one listened carefully, they could make out steady breathing—Qin Mo was still asleep.
It was a bit early for dinner, so letting the little kitten sleep a bit longer would not hurt. Just as Shen Jin was about to quietly close the door, she suddenly heard a sniffle.
She froze, then realized: Qin Mo was crying?
Shen Jin's chest felt heavy. She frowned, left the bedroom door ajar, and went to the bathroom for a towel.
Walking quietly back into the bedroom, she saw Qin Mo, eyes closed in sleep, but with clear tear stains on her face.
Qin Mo cried, even in her dreams.
"..."
Shen Jin stood silently by the bed, holding the warm, damp towel. Her emotions churned.
How deeply was Qin Mo hurt by this failed marriage?
Regret suddenly surged. Shen Jin blamed herself. If she had not assumed Qin Mo and her husband were already distant, if she had not let Yan Jingyao send proof of his affair so easily, would things have been better?
But Zhang Minsheng did not just cheat—his heart was not just away from Qin Mo, he was rotten to the core.
Shen Jin sighed softly and carefully placed the towel over Qin Mo's eyelids.
What a foolish woman.
She had never been married. In fact, Shen Jin never thought about love before avenging the Shen family's grudge.
All she had were physical needs, and even those were usually fulfilled by others serving her.
Shen Jin did not know how much damage a failed marriage could cause a woman, but she understood the pain of being hurt.
Heartbreak was the hardest to heal. Shen Jin suddenly felt melancholic. She wondered if this little kitten still had the strength to try loving again or to accept someone new.
Shen Jin applied the towel to Qin Mo’s eyes and wiped away the tear stains. She hung the towel back in the bathroom and called Ms. Qin to get up.
Her voice was soft. Standing by the bed, Shen Jin gently pinched Qin Mo’s hand to wake her.
“Time to get up for dinner,” Shen Jin said, pretending not to notice Qin Mo’s tears in her sleep. She teased with a smile, “If Ms. Qin keeps sleeping, she’ll turn into a little piggy.”
Qin Mo’s mind was still dazed, or rather, she was still caught in the pain of her dream. She lifted her eyelids to glance at Shen Jin. Suddenly remembering something, she hurried out of bed and ran to the bathroom.
Shen Jin wanted to say more, but Qin Mo shoved her aside.
“...”
Qin Mo rushed into the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and splashed water onto her face.
She did not want anyone to see her tears, especially… Shen Jin, who was her kept lover.
Qin Mo abruptly turned off the faucet, closed her eyes tightly, and tilted her head back to face the ceiling. She did not wipe her face, letting the water drip freely down into her collar.
After a long time, when the water on her face seemed to dry, she yanked down a towel and wiped carelessly.
With her front still damp, nearly in self-abandonment, Qin Mo stepped out. She casually tied her messy hair back and planned to return to her apartment.
But just as she walked into the hallway, she suddenly saw the dining table. Four dishes and a soup were neatly placed, along with clean bowls and chopsticks.
“Ms. Qin?”
Shen Jin’s gaze did not waver, as if she had seen nothing and nothing had happened. She enthusiastically invited Qin Mo to eat.
Qin Mo stared in surprise at the four dishes and one soup on the table. Her heart suddenly felt as if it had been struck hard by something.
It was sour and bitter, almost making Qin Mo cry on the spot.
Of course, it was not from being touched but pure, unadulterated bitterness.
How long had it been since she last had such an ordinary homemade meal?
Since the honeymoon phase of her marriage with her ex-husband ended, they had never eaten dinner together again, eventually drifting further apart.
“I also steamed some small cakes,” Shen Jin said tactfully, finding an excuse to head back to the kitchen. “Ms. Qin, go ahead and sit down to eat first.”
She intended to step away, avoiding making Qin Mo feel uncomfortable, as she could tell Qin Mo did not want anyone to see her vulnerability.
But just as Shen Jin turned around and had not even entered the kitchen, she heard a series of hurried footsteps behind her, followed by the sound of the door opening and closing.
“...”
Qin Mo had left without a word.
The rich, enticing aroma lingered in the air. Shen Jin turned back to look at the untouched four dishes and one soup on the table. She stared at it for a long time before letting out a deep, disappointed sigh.
In the apartment across the hall.
Qin Mo shut the door and leaned back against it, and tears streamed down her face.
Her heart ached with sharp, pulsing pain as if mocking the foolish devotion and expectations she had once poured out.
So she was still hurt after all, Qin Mo thought.
Suddenly, her handbag vibrated. Startled, Qin Mo quickly wiped her tears and took out her phone.
The screen showed a message from Ji Lan, asking if she still wanted to keep the consultation.
Qin Mo suddenly remembered that a few days ago, she had called Ji Lan to arrange a psychological consultation. However, due to Ji Lan’s delayed schedule, she had almost forgotten about it.
She quickly replied that she still wanted it, asked for Ji Lan’s location, and was about to tell her she would head over immediately when her phone vibrated again.
This time, it was a message from Shen Jin:
"Ms. Qin, it seems your clothes are wet. Remember to change them so you don’t catch a cold."
“...”
Qin Mo stared at the text for a moment, pressed her lips together, and replied to Shen Jin:
"I will."
After sending that, Qin Mo added another message:
"Sorry, I did not have much appetite today. Thank you for cooking... Let us have a meal together another time."
After thinking for a moment, Qin Mo sent a cute emoji asking for forgiveness along with the message:
"I'll treat you."
Shen Jin replied with an "OK" emoji. Qin Mo breathed a sigh of relief and hurried to change her clothes.
At Licheng University, in Ji Lan’s office.
In truth, more than consulting about and treating her "frigidity," Qin Mo simply wanted someone to confide in. And for this, no one was more suitable than a psychologist.
Moreover, the two were of similar age and had a close personal friendship.
“So, you’re still in the process of negotiating a divorce with your ex-husband?”
Ji Lan handed Qin Mo a cup of milk coffee to help her relax.
“Yes, I’m not only negotiating the divorce, but I also haven’t told my parents yet… I’m afraid they’ll worry about me.”
Talking about her parents made Qin Mo feel even sadder. Back when she worked hard in Licheng, she had already worried them endlessly. Now that her marriage had failed, she couldn’t imagine how anxious her parents and younger brother would be.
“Do you need legal assistance?”
Ji Lan sat on the sofa opposite Qin Mo, her hands clasped in front of her knees, maintaining a gentle and attentive posture as she faced her.
“From what you’ve just said, your ex-husband appears to be at fault. How can he still demand you leave with nothing?”
She paused, then looked at Qin Mo seriously. “And this so-called frigidity you think you have—it’s not your fault at all.”
“I… don’t know.”
Qin Mo lightly rubbed the warm rim of the cup and pressed her lips together.
After a long moment, she showed a confused and strained smile.
“Ji Lan, I don’t know what to do. Maybe… I just don’t care anymore.”
After the deep disappointment of her marriage, Qin Mo only wanted to distance herself from that place of heartbreak. As for things like property division, she no longer had the energy to care about them.
Ji Lan looked at her and silently listened.
"It's actually okay. What's most important now is that you feel comfortable and that it feels right for you."
"Fortunately, it's not too late for anything. Qin Mo, you're only thirty."
Ji Lan's voice was gentle and pleasant, like a spring breeze. Listening to her comforting words, Qin Mo felt much better.
Yes, she was only thirty. It seemed like nothing was too late.
Ending a marriage full of scars sooner rather than later might not be a bad thing.
The two of them continued chatting for quite some time. It wasn’t until the closing bell of the Licheng University library rang that they realized how late it had gotten—it was already past 10:30 PM.
Knowing she had taken up a lot of Ji Lan’s time, Qin Mo quickly stood up to thank her and prepared to leave.
Ji Lan, worried about Qin Mo’s ongoing emotional state, thoughtfully offered, "Let me take you home."
Qin Mo truly didn’t want to trouble others, so she quickly declined.
"No, no, I drove here myself, and I’ve recently moved into a new apartment. It’s better to familiarize myself with the route."
Ji Lan, understanding her reluctance, didn’t insist further.
The two of them left the office together and parted ways at the building’s entrance.
Ji Lan went to the underground parking lot to retrieve her car, while Qin Mo walked alone along the sidewalk.
What she didn’t know was that just a few steps behind her, hidden behind a shrub, a "leopard" had been waiting for her for a long time.
Shen Jin had been stuck in the mascot costume for several hours, her entire body drenched and sticky.
She could have waited in the car, but she was afraid of missing Qin Mo and even more afraid of Qin Mo discovering she was following her. After thinking for a long time, she finally put on the mascot costume, crouched down, and hid behind the shrub to observe.
A "snow leopard" was concealed behind the greenery, with sharp ears and a long tail, scaring a few passing students to exclaim, "What the fuck!"
Now that Qin Mo finally came out, Shen Jin, the "leopard," quickly stretched her limbs and carefully stood up from behind the bushes.
Qin Mo didn’t notice her.
It had grown dark, and Shen Jin reluctantly took off the headpiece, wedging it under her armpit, before continuing to follow.
In the vast night, a cartoon "snow leopard" walking on two legs stealthily followed a lone beauty. The scene was absurdly funny no matter how you looked at it.
Fortunately, it was the time when most students were heading back to their dorms to rest, so there were almost no students passing by in this area. Otherwise, the looks Shen Jin would get would definitely be "Fucking idiot" or "Fucking pervert."
In any case, Shen Jin clumsily followed behind.