Picked Up the Female Lead When She Was Young (GL) - Chapter 64

Just a little closer.

Zhou Qinglang pinched her palm, forcing herself to keep her eyes open, and slowly moved forward at an almost imperceptible speed.

Her lips met something soft.

Zhou Qinglang’s eyes widened at the incredible sensation.

Time seemed to stop for a moment, and then a little person in her mind began to sing a cheerful song, rolling around with glee in a fragrant flower bed, covering its face.

This moment felt long, her mind filled with the sound of clanging cymbals and drums, followed by a frantic self-declaration: Sister’s lips are too good to kiss, I love Sister so much!

She was utterly elated.

But in reality, the moment was fleeting.

Zhou Qinglang didn’t even dare to apply pressure.

It was just a light brush, and then she pulled her head back, like a nervous, panicky thief who had stolen a kiss.

Zhou Qinglang was lost in the memory, the heat on her face refusing to subside.

If she could see herself in a mirror, she would find the person was blushing all the way to her neck, wearing a silly, blissful smile.

That joy surpassed eating watermelon in an air-conditioned room while watching a good show in summer, or staying snuggled in bed in winter.

It surpassed a twenty-game winning streak in a video game, winning a basketball championship, or getting first place in an exam.

It even surpassed eating delicious food or seeing beautiful scenery.

Nothing made a girl happier than getting a kiss from the person she loved.

Zhou Qinglang thought that even if she and Xia Wanshuang didn’t end up together, she would always remember the scene on this unusually cold winter day: lying on the broken electric blanket, holding Xia Wanshuang, and leaning down to secretly kiss her.

Zhou Qinglang stayed awake, her eyes wide open, for a very long time before finally falling asleep.

••••

Since she went to bed early, Xia Wanshuang woke up before dawn.

When she woke, she was curled up in Zhou Qinglang’s arms, looking up at Zhou Qinglang’s chin, still slightly hazy.

Xia Wanshuang’s hand reached out from under the blanket for her phone, flinching at the coldness of the device.

After checking the time, she quickly withdrew her hand back into the covers.

Four in the morning.

It was still very early.

Xia Wanshuang thought about having to get up for class in two hours, then zoned out for a moment before realizing the exams were over, and they were on winter break.

Suddenly, a fleeting image flashed through her mind.

Xia Wanshuang touched her lips, shaking the absurd dream from her head.

That’s odd. Why would I dream that Langlang kissed me?

Xia Wanshuang’s heart fluttered for a moment, but she crushed the baseless thought into nothingness.

Could it be that I want to fall in love?

No, she didn’t feel lonely, nor did she yearn for sweet romance.

Her days were full.

Why would she have such an outlandish dream?

Xia Wanshuang thought she probably needed to sleep a little longer.

She closed her eyes and drifted back into a restless sleep, waking up several times, but too weary to open her eyes.

Zhou Qinglang woke up early, too.

She was woken by hunger.

She hadn’t eaten dinner last night, and she was still growing, so she couldn’t take it anymore.

But she didn’t want to leave the warm bed and wanted to hug Xia Wanshuang for a little longer.

When Xia Wanshuang opened her eyes, she heard the sound of a stomach growling.

“Didn’t you eat anything last night?”

Xia Wanshuang rubbed her eyes, feeling a bit hungry herself.

“Mm… I found out your electric blanket was broken last night, Sister, so I just slept holding you.”

“No wonder I felt a little cold at first yesterday. I thought it was because I just turned it on. Looks like I need to buy a new one.”

“Let’s buy it when we go shopping for New Year’s goods in a couple of days. Sister, just sleep with me for these few days.”

Xia Wanshuang had that fleeting memory again.

After shaking the image from her mind, she nodded.

“Are we going to Haicheng to see Aunt Jiang and them this time?”

“Yes, we definitely are.”

“By the way, Lin Qiushui messaged me yesterday. He’s planning to visit Zhao Tianhang and asked if we wanted to go together.”

“Let’s go. In that case, do we need to go again after the New Year?”

It was customary to visit on the second day of the Lunar New Year, but if they were already together before the holiday, a special trip to Haicheng to pay respects seemed unnecessary. A phone call would suffice.

“Then let’s not go after the New Year. Aunt Jiang will probably be busy with her own things.”

“Okay, I’ll tell Aunt Jiang later, and you respond to Qiushui. I’ll go make breakfast.”

“Don’t you want to sleep a little more?”

Zhou Qinglang wrapped her arms around Xia Wanshuang’s waist, wanting to lounge for a while longer.

“I don’t want a certain little girl to starve.”

“The little girl thinks Sister is deliciously beautiful.”

“You’re learning how to talk back now, aren’t you?”

Xia Wanshuang smiled, patting Zhou Qinglang’s hand, signaling it was time to get up.

“I’m just telling the truth.”

“Okay, I know you have a sweet tongue. You never get tired of complimenting me.”

“Never tired, it’s from the bottom of my heart!”

Xia Wanshuang stopped joking, threw off the blanket, quickly got dressed in the cold, and went to the bathroom to wash up.

She had stewed lotus root and pork rib soup yesterday, which she could use to make rice noodles.

Zhou Qinglang messaged Lin Qiushui, who was probably still asleep.

Lin Qiushui finally replied around noon.

He was impulsive and wanted to leave immediately, so he showed up with his backpack in the afternoon to find Xia Wanshuang and Zhou Qinglang.

Zhou Qinglang felt rushed to pack and thought Lin Qiushui was even more bent than a supposedly straight guy.

They packed a few changes of clothes and headed off to Haicheng.

Xia Wanshuang had planned to stay in a hotel, but Jiang Wan wouldn’t hear of it, insisting they could stay at her home.

“I’ll go stay at my friend’s house. You children can just sleep here.”

“Aunt Jiang, that’s too much trouble. We can sleep on the sofa.”

Jiang Wan’s home was a two-bedroom, one-living room apartment.

She was an elder figure in Xia Wanshuang’s mind, so Xia Wanshuang felt bad about making her stay elsewhere.

“It’s fine. It’s a very close friend, and you know her.”

Jiang Wan took a change of clothes from the closet and put them in her bag.

“I know her, too? My editor?”

The only person Xia Wanshuang and Jiang Wan mutually knew in Haicheng was the editor Zhu Xue.

“Yes. She just told me you haven’t written anything in a long time.”

“I don’t have a story I want to write right now, so I haven’t.”

Although Xia Wanshuang did earn a living by writing, the royalties from her previous books, especially the one about palace intrigue, were enough to sustain her for a long time.

She was financially secure for years without needing to write.

“Your happiness is what matters most. Are you planning to stay here to celebrate the New Year?”

“Langlang and I plan to go home for the New Year. It’s just…”

Xia Wanshuang felt a bit embarrassed, as they had always celebrated together before.

“It’s alright. You have your own little family now. But this place will always be your home. You can come anytime you want.”

“Thank you.”

“Aunt Jiang, if they’re not coming, I am!”

Lin Qiushui, who heard the conversation from the doorway, poked his head in.

His parents were currently abroad, so he’d likely only get a cross-ocean video call.

“You’re the most diligent at freeloading.”

Zhao Tianhang came in to help Jiang Wan pack, and patted Lin Qiushui’s head as he passed.

“Zhao Dog, are you taller?”

Xia Wanshuang hadn’t seen Zhao Tianhang in a few months and noticed he seemed a bit taller and maybe a little thinner.

“Yeah, a little taller.”

Zhao Tianhang nodded, inexplicably feeling that Xia Wanshuang’s tone sounded exactly like Song Zhuxue—with a kind of maternal affection.

Zhou Qinglang and Zhao Tianhang made eye contact, exchanging a glance of “brothers meeting again,” nodding slightly—all is well.

The four good friends, who hadn’t seen each other in a while, gathered without any awkwardness and immediately started having fun.

Haicheng’s winter was also cold, windier than Tongli, and the air was humid.

Eating, browsing bookstores, playing board games—Xia Wanshuang and the others passed four or five days without realizing it.

“Do you want to go to the hot springs tomorrow? A relative of a friend opened a hot spring resort, and I have six passes.”

Jiang Wan called, and before she even finished her sentence, Lin Qiushui immediately answered.

“Yes, yes, yes! I’m going, I’m going!”

“Aunt Zhuxue gave them to you, didn’t she?”

Zhao Tianhang immediately guessed the friend Jiang Wan was referring to and was unsurprised to get a confirming answer.

“Yes, she heard you were here and told me to bring you all along.”

The hot spring trip was scheduled for tomorrow evening, so Xia Wanshuang and the others weren’t in a hurry to pack their clothes.

“Zhao Dog, you called Zhuxue ‘Sister’ last time we met. Why is she ‘Auntie’ now?”

Lin Qiushui remembered that cute sister and nudged Zhao Tianhang’s arm.

“She insisted I call her ‘Auntie,’ saying calling her ‘Sister’ would confuse the family seniority,” Zhao Tianhang shrugged, glancing at Zhou Qinglang.

Zhou Qinglang, receiving the look, was puzzled.

Why look at me? I didn’t tell Zhao Tianhang to call her ‘Auntie.’

Before the hot springs trip, Xia Wanshuang packed the essentials and reminded Lin Qiushui and Zhao Tianhang not to forget their eye drops.

The group carried their bags downstairs.

Jiang Wan drove up to pick them up, with Song Zhuxue sitting in the passenger seat, greeting them.

“If you squeeze in, it should be fine.”

Jiang Wan put their bags in the trunk, looking at the back seat, which could accommodate three people at most, and thought it would work.

“My sister can just sit on my lap. We’ll fit.”

Zhou Qinglang patted her thigh, and Xia Wanshuang bent over and sat on Zhou Qinglang’s lap.

Xia Wanshuang tried to lean forward, not putting too much weight on Zhou Qinglang, but Zhou Qinglang wrapped her arms around Xia Wanshuang’s waist and pulled her down.

“Sister, you’re so light, you won’t crush me. Don’t worry.”

Zhou Qinglang held Xia Wanshuang’s waist with one hand and placed the other hand on Xia Wanshuang’s thigh.

Zhao Tianhang silently watched Zhou Qinglang’s hands, then looked at Xia Wanshuang, who was oblivious to it all, and condemned the fondling Zhou Qinglang with his eyes.

Zhou Qinglang responded with a smile, her handsome face full of righteous justification.

In the front seat, Jiang Wan was chatting with Song Zhuxue.

Song Zhuxue seemed to have just gotten off work and was eating a bread roll.

“This pork floss one is really tasty. I like the sweet part. Want a bite?”

Jiang Wan kept her eyes on the road ahead, letting Song Zhuxue feed her a bite.

After finishing the bread, Song Zhuxue drank a probiotic drink, skillfully letting Jiang Wan have a sip, too.

Xia Wanshuang watched, thinking their relationship seemed genuinely close—so close it was hard to define.

Zhou Qinglang, however, sensed something was deeply off and quickly looked at Zhao Tianhang.

Zhao Tianhang had his eyes closed and didn’t receive her signal.

It wasn’t the right time to ask questions, so Zhou Qinglang put the matter aside and focused on the upcoming activity.

She noticed Sister packed body lotion. After the hot springs, of course, she’d need to moisturize. She was already prepared.