Chapter 38

Xin Geling stayed in her room, listening to music while calculating the accounts for the barbecue stall and appliance repairs over the past few days.

The total income over the past half month or so was roughly twenty-four thousand. If this income could be maintained, it was indeed quite considerable. But selling barbecue from a stall depended heavily on the weather.

On the day of the torrential rain, they had not sold much at all, and there had even been quite a bit of ingredient loss.

And in Linzhang, there was a period of plum rains, with intermittent showers throughout the day and occasional sudden downpours, which greatly affected foot traffic.

Xin Geling thought of the customer who had previously suggested expanding into a shop. It was indeed a good idea, but her current capital was still far from enough.

“Geling, are these pants torn?”

Suddenly, Lin Huailan’s voice came from the living room. Xin Geling put down her pen and walked out of the room, seeing Lin Huailan standing on the balcony, hanging the family’s clothes.

At this moment, she was holding Xin Geling’s pair of pants and checking them from side to side.

Xin Geling walked over, glanced at the pink braided pattern on them, then looked at Ms. Lin.

“Mm. I accidentally tore them today, so I patched them.”

Lin Huailan kept touching the pink pattern on them. She felt that her daughter did not seem like someone who would choose such a lively, bright color.

“You patched them yourself?”

Xin Geling was silent for a moment and could only nod. “Mm. I patched them myself.”

Lin Huailan’s brows furrowed tightly. “Who patches pink and black together like this? You don’t understand at all. Do you want Mom to patch them again for you? If we use black thread, it won’t be obvious.”

As she spoke, Lin Huailan was about to take them back inside and sew them again. Xin Geling stopped her in time. “Mom, wait a second.”

Lin Huailan asked, “What’s wrong? Do you want to change it to another color or pattern?”

Xin Geling pressed her lips together and took her pants back. These were pants Xie Zhitang had mended for her. If Xie Zhitang saw another day that the stitching had been removed and changed to another color, she might overthink it and assume Xin Geling disliked it.

“Actually, this is quite good. There’s no need to patch it again.”

Lin Huailan did not understand. “But it’s so conspicuous. It doesn’t match at all.”

Xin Geling took a hanger and hung the pants up. “It matches, it matches. [bailiantales.com]All right, Mom, they’re already patched. Why go through the trouble again, right?”

Lin Huailan watched her skillfully take over the work and hang up the remaining clothes. “Forget it. As long as you like it.”

Seeing that Ms. Lin no longer insisted on mending them again, Xin Geling breathed a sigh of relief. “Then I’ll go back to my room first.”

Lin Huailan said, “Rest early. Your Auntie Fengzhu and I are getting ready to sleep too.”

Xin Geling passed through the living room and casually turned off the light. After entering her room, she reached for her phone and glanced at her messages.

Nothing.

Was she still not off work?

Xin Geling looked at the time. It was midnight. Sleepiness came over her. Her biological clock usually had her sleeping around eleven or twelve.

She remembered that Xie Zhitang’s landlord’s parking spot was some distance from the apartment. She had to walk back to the apartment.

After thinking about it, Xin Geling still sent Xie Zhitang a message, telling her to call her once she got back to the apartment.

After sending the message, she waited a few minutes. The other party replied with one word, “Okay.” Only then did Xin Geling relax. She placed her phone beside her pillow and lay down to sleep.

With how much work she had done during the day, Xin Geling fell asleep very quickly.

Around two in the morning, the phone beside her pillow vibrated, followed by the ringing sound. Xin Geling opened her eyes and woke up. In the darkness, she reached for her phone, lifted the blanket, and tapped to answer.

“Are you off work?”

Xie Zhitang’s gentle voice came from the other side. “Mm. Sister, I’m almost back at the intersection.”

“Okay. I’ll change and come pick you up.”

Xin Geling turned on the light, placed her phone on the table, and quickly changed clothes. Three minutes later, she picked up her keys and phone, then quietly went out so as not to wake Ms. Lin and Auntie Fengzhu.

After going out, Xin Geling went downstairs and left the residential complex, only to see Xie Zhitang’s car parked on the road outside the complex.

Xin Geling walked over and looked at the person inside through the lowered car window. “Was I being unnecessary?”

Xie Zhitang knew she was teasing herself. With a car, most of the trip was indeed done by driving, and only a short few minutes of walking was needed. The chance of something happening was not as high as walking a long distance.

She did not want to pour cold water on Sister’s concern.

“When I passed the bar at the intersection, there were quite a few motorcycles and electric scooters parked outside. A lot of drunks came out, and there seemed to be a few familiar faces. I don’t know if they’re from the same apartment building. I was still quite scared coming back.”

As soon as she said this, Xin Geling’s expression became much more solemn. She calmly looked at Xie Zhitang’s slender body. “Then I should still see you back.”

“Then Sister, get in.” Xie Zhitang opened the door for her.

Xin Geling gave an “mm” and sat in the passenger seat, following her back to the parking lot near the apartment.

After getting out of the car, Xie Zhitang looked around at the dim night. In the large parking lot, only a few streetlights provided illumination. The indistinct silhouettes in the distance made it hard to tell whether they were people or objects.

“Let’s go back.”

Xin Geling also noticed that this parking lot was so dark it made one worry. This trip had been worth making.

Such a short distance really was too easy for something to happen.

There was even a bar nearby.

Xin Geling walked out of the [stolen content]parking lot shoulder to shoulder with her, heading toward the apartment.

Moonlight spilled down over them, stretching their shadows long and wavering.

Xie Zhitang asked her, “Will Sister be very sleepy?”

Xin Geling pressed the elevator floor for her. “A little, but it’s fine. After I see you home, I can go back and keep sleeping.”

After entering the elevator, Xie Zhitang did not say anything. Not until they left the elevator, she took out her key, opened the door, turned on the living room light, and turned around with her bag to look at Xin Geling, who was standing at the doorway with no intention of coming in.

Xin Geling said, “Then I’ll go back first. Rest early.”

Xie Zhitang quietly looked into the other woman’s eyes, her red lips parting. “It’s so late. Isn’t it unsuitable for Sister to go back alone too?”

“…” Xin Geling suddenly had nothing to say. “Nothing will happen to me on the way back.”

Xie Zhitang analyzed it for her. “I know Sister usually exercises. If you run into one drunk, I believe Sister can beat them. But what if it’s more than one person? What if the bad person has a stick or is driving a car?”

“Wouldn’t that be dangerous too?”

Faced with Xie Zhitang’s overflowing concern, Xin Geling actually did not know what to say.

She truly had not considered things so completely. She had only been worrying about Xie Zhitang’s safety.

Seeing that she had no way to refute it, Xie Zhitang’s brows tightened, as if she were considering what to do.

She opened the door a little wider. “Why doesn’t Sister stay over at my place tonight? You can go back tomorrow morning.”

Xin Geling hesitated. “That’s not appropriate.”

Xie Zhitang did not argue with her. Instead, she walked forward and slowly brought the door with her. “Then let me send Sister back.”

“…” Xin Geling was speechless. What meaning was there in sending each other back and forth like this?

She stopped Xie Zhitang’s movement. “Don’t. You don’t need to send me. I can go back by myself.”

Xie Zhitang lifted her eyes and asked her sincerely, “Does Sister not know that I’ll worry about you?”

Xin Geling pressed her lips together without speaking.

Xie Zhitang looked away and said in a muffled voice, “So Sister is allowed to worry about me and think for my sake, unauthorized copy but I, as the younger sister, am not allowed to worry about Sister?”

“Affection goes both ways. If Sister keeps refusing like this, it will only make me feel as if I’m someone who only knows how to take and doesn’t know how to think for others.”

“If something really happened, my heart would probably never be at peace for the rest of my life.”

After Xie Zhitang finished saying the last sentence, her gentle brows furrowed slightly.

Xin Geling was affected by the emotion in her eyes. She felt that if she still did not agree, Xie Zhitang might break ties with her.

“Then all right. I’ll trouble you tonight.”

Xie Zhitang opened the door again and let her in. She took a new pair of slippers from the shoe rack. “Sister can use this pair tonight. They’re newly bought.”

Xin Geling changed into them as she requested.

Xie Zhitang went into the room again and took out the tracksuit from last time for her. “Sister, change into this. It’ll be more comfortable. You sleep first. I’ll come back to the room after I shower.”

Xin Geling placed down her keys and phone. “Okay.”

After changing, she glanced at the lit bathroom. A faint fragrance drifted out from inside.

Once she calmed down, she felt tonight’s situation was somewhat subtle. But then she thought that they were both women, and Xie Zhitang was also her younger sister. Xie Zhitang’s personality was easy to see at a glance—she knew how to consider others—so that was why she was trying so hard to make Xin Geling stay the night.

Thinking carefully, this kind of concern was truly beyond reproach.

Xin Geling lifted the quilt without any distracting thoughts, lay down, and soon fell into a deep sleep.

In the bathroom, after Xie Zhitang put on her sleepwear, she considered that Sister was already asleep and moved lightly as she washed up and did her skincare.

After finishing everything, it was already two-forty. Xie Zhitang pushed open the bedroom door and looked at Xin Geling lying on her bed. Suddenly, she felt a strong sense of unreality.

Like a dream.

Xie Zhitang lowered her eyes and pinched her own palm. Only when pain came did she awaken as if from a dream. Sister really was lying on her bed, within reach.

After turning off the light, Xie Zhitang slowly closed the bedroom door. With the tiny glow from her phone screen, she walked to the other side of the bed, sat down lightly, lifted the quilt, and lay beside Sister.

Xie Zhitang placed her phone on the bedside table, lay properly on her back, folded both hands over her abdomen, and looked at the pitch-black ceiling, listening to the steady breathing beside her and smelling that faint, reassuring cool fragrance.

Slowly, she closed her sleepy eyes and thought that tonight’s dream should be very sweet.

At six in the morning, the phone rang. Xin Geling subconsciously reached for her phone, only to unexpectedly touch a smooth, delicate face.

Her mind cleared instantly. Xin Geling turned and looked, seeing Xie Zhitang’s peaceful sleeping face. Only then did she react and remember that she had stayed here last night.

Not at home.

Xie Zhitang was woken by the phone ringing and her touch. She opened her drowsy eyes. “Sister?”

“My mom is calling me.” Xin Geling showed her the screen. “Sorry for waking you. I’ll go out and answer her.”

As she spoke, Xin Geling was about to get up and leave, but at that moment, Xie Zhitang suddenly grabbed her arm. “No need. Sister, just answer it here.”

Xin Geling had half sat up, then lay back down again. “All right.”

She tapped to answer. “Hello, Mom. What’s wrong?”

Lin Huailan called to ask, “I saw there was no one in your room. Did you go out running so early?”

Xin Geling turned her head to look at Xie Zhitang. At some point, Xie [read the original at bailiantales.com]Zhitang had closed her eyes again and gone back to sleep.

“Mm, yes. I’m outside running.”

Lin Huailan did not suspect anything. “No wonder. Mom is going to make breakfast now.”

Xin Geling said, “Okay.”

After hanging up, Xin Geling planned to get up, change clothes, and go out for her morning run.

Xie Zhitang was still very sleepy. “How did Sister sleep last night?”

Xin Geling said, “Pretty well. I’m going out now. Keep sleeping. You worked overtime too late last night and only slept for three hours.”

But Xie Zhitang insisted on getting up. When Xin Geling went to the bathroom to change, Xie Zhitang took out a new toothbrush and toothpaste, squeezed toothpaste onto it, and handed it to her. “Sister, brush your teeth and wash your face before going back.”

Xin Geling hesitated for a few seconds before accepting it. “Hurry back to sleep. Look how sleepy you are.”

Xie Zhitang nodded while yawning. “Sister, close the door for me when you leave.”

Xin Geling said, “I know.”

Just after she finished brushing her teeth, Xie Zhitang handed over a face towel. “There aren’t any extra towels at home. Use mine for now.”

Xin Geling accepted it helplessly, wet it under the tap, wrung it dry, and wiped her face. Instantly, she felt much more refreshed.

She washed it again, wrung it dry, found a hanger, and helped her hang it up.

After changing her shoes, Xin Geling prepared to leave. “I’m going first, Xie Zhitang.”

At that moment, Xie Zhitang handed her a cup of warm water. “Does Sister want to drink some water before leaving?”

Xin Geling did indeed have the habit of drinking some cooled boiled water after waking up. She had originally thought that today’s situation was special—having stayed overnight at Xie Zhitang’s place—so it definitely would not be as convenient as being at home.

Who knew Xie Zhitang had already prepared it and even brought it in front of her?

Xin Geling inwardly sighed over how considerate Xie Zhitang was, and her goodwill toward her climbed steadily. She accepted the cup and drank a few sips.

“Thanks.”

Xin Geling: goes out returns to reality in disbelief It feels like I had a dream about a fairy helper…