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Xiang Changge: "..."

What did that preamble have to do with what came after? Why say them together?

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, the phone Xiang Changge had left in the car chimed. She paid it no mind and answered the system aloud. "All right, all right. I'm heading back now."

As she spoke, Xiang Changge started the car, ready to leave.

The system was quiet for a moment, then suddenly burst out, "Wait, it's a message from Yu Qing, baby! Reply to her first!"

A message from Yu Qing?

Over the roar of the engine, Xiang Changge picked up her phone, puzzled.

She opened WeChat and saw a brief, blunt question from someone whose profile picture was a simple cartoon cat.

Y: "Where are you?"

-

The rain that had been threatening all day finally began to fall. Yu Qing sat on the balcony, watching the rain and mist blanket the world. The streetlights outside the villas below scattered flecks of light through the downpour.

The rain grew heavier. It was past nine, and that person still hadn't come back.

What could she possibly be doing to stay out so long? Had something happened to her? Otherwise, why wasn't she back yet?

Yu Qing lowered her head and toyed with the shawl draped over her shoulder, her thoughts in disarray.

Should she call her?

Maybe something had happened while she was out. Her car might have broken down, she might have been caught speeding, or her car might have been towed for illegal parking... something like that.

But if she called and asked where she was, would she seem too controlling?

Though Yu Qing worked year-round without a day off, she wasn't the kind of employer who would exploit someone. If there was nothing to do at home, the other woman could go out for a while. After all, she'd started working at Yu Qing's house as soon as she returned to the country. Surely she hadn't gone out at all in all this time.

After thinking it over, Yu Qing decided it would be best to send her a message.

That way, she wouldn't seem to be hurrying her home, and she could make sure the woman was still alive and well.

With that thought, Yu Qing opened her blacklist and unblocked the person she'd added not long ago.

How should she ask?

Yu Qing typed and erased messages in the chat window.

"Where did you go... No, that makes it sound like I'm... too controlling."

"Why aren't you back yet... No, that makes it seem like I care about her." They'd still been arguing that morning.

"Are you coming back..."

Never mind. What if she took that as an opening to reply, "I'm not coming back"?

"Did you run away from home..."

No, that sounded weird too.

After a few minutes of agonizing over it, Yu Qing sent just two words.

"Where are you?"

Xiang Changge glanced out the car window. Where was she, again? She'd followed the system's navigation here without paying much attention to the location.

The system scolded her, exasperated. "You idiot of a host!"

"Where are you? The old district of City A!"

Xiang Changge: "...Oh."

She'd thought it might say something useful.

Xiang Changge quickly replied, "The old district."

Then she sent another message. "I'm heading back now."

Just as she was about to toss her phone aside and drive, she added one more line. "I got you a present."

Back at the villa, Yu Qing pressed her lips together as the other woman's messages appeared one after another.

The old district? What had she gone there for?

She got her a present... A present? What could it be? Had she picked something up for her while she was in the old district, or had she gone there specially to get her a present...

Never mind. It didn't matter. She'd said she was coming back, which meant she hadn't run away from home.

As long as she hadn't run away.

Wanting to appear unconcerned, Yu Qing replied with a single, "Oh."

"Miss."

Yu Qing was still watching the rain outside when Aunt Gong came upstairs and urged her, "It's raining, and the wind is strong. Why don't you go back to your room?"

"It's getting late, too. Shall I run you a bath?"

Yu Qing thought it over, then agreed.

By the time she finished bathing, Xiang Changge should be back.

Yu Qing soaked in a milk bath and emerged from the bathroom feeling thoroughly relaxed. The steam had brought a hint of color to her usually pale face.

Gathering her robe around herself, she looked around her room.

It was quiet, and there was no sign of anyone else.

Frowning, Yu Qing checked the time. It was already past ten twenty.

Xiang Changge still wasn't back?

At this time on the previous two nights, she'd been sitting by Yu Qing's bed, reading sutras to her.

Thinking of this, Yu Qing couldn't help opening WeChat again.

She scrolled through their chat history and reached the beginning in no time.

Apart from the few messages they'd exchanged tonight, the only other thing there was an invitation to play Gomoku that the other woman had sent from Yu Qing's phone. There was nothing else.

Yu Qing had been the one to block her, but seeing how few messages they'd exchanged still left her feeling a little gloomy.

It shouldn't take this long to get back from the old district. Why hadn't she returned yet?

Was she back but hadn't come to see Yu Qing, or was she still out? Hadn't she said she'd brought her a present? If she was back, shouldn't she come see Yu Qing first?

It wasn't as if Yu Qing needed a present. She'd already said she was going to give her something, though. Even if it was just a sticky note, Yu Qing wouldn't mind.

As Yu Qing wondered whether to message her again, someone suddenly knocked on the door.

It was the familiar rhythm of three quick knocks.

Yu Qing's eyes snapped up. She quickly tapped the little dot beside the light switch.

With a click, the door unlocked automatically.

Xiang Changge walked in, the damp chill of the rain still clinging to her.

She was dressed differently from usual, in plain black from head to toe, as if she'd deliberately worn a stealth outfit to go do something bad and had just returned.

Yu Qing gathered a few damp strands of hair at her neck and watched the other woman walk over from the doorway—carrying a black... plastic bag?

Crash—

Another flash of lightning streaked across the sky, followed by thunder. A beam of silvery light slanted through the curtains that hadn't been fully drawn and fell across Xiang Changge.

Yu Qing: "..."

Wait. Why did this feel so unsettling?

A rainy night, thunder, a rain-dampened woman with a blank expression, dressed all in black and carrying a heavy-looking black plastic bag—it looked like something out of a suspense drama.

Yu Qing cleared her throat, breaking the silence. "What... what were you doing?"

Could her present be inside that big black bag? What could it be? A fish head to help Yu Qing get stronger?

Yu Qing edged closer to the bed.

Xiang Changge stopped a short distance in front of Yu Qing. She said nothing, only opened the bag under Yu Qing's strangely wary gaze.

"Your present."

Maybe because she hadn't spoken in a long time, Xiang Changge's voice came out a little hoarse.

It really was a present for her?

Yu Qing glanced at the huge black plastic bag. Even with its opening spread wide, she couldn't see what was inside from where she stood. She opened her mouth, then closed it again.

What kind of present needed such a huge black plastic bag?

Surely Xiang Changge hadn't gone to the old district to dig up a bag of soil for her, just because Yu Qing had called her a little gloomy that morning, so she could grow flowers and plants and cultivate her temperament?

Yu Qing didn't know why she was coming up with so many strange guesses.

Xiang Changge probably wouldn't bring her some kind of horrible present.

With that thought, Yu Qing leaned forward. She hooked a finger over the edge of the bag and leaned back as she peered inside.

Beneath the dazzling light of the chandelier, her heart pounding with trepidation, Yu Qing finally saw what the plain bag contained.

The moment she recognized the object, Yu Qing froze, unable to move for a long while.

Xiang Changge looked at the dazed Yu Qing, then reached into the bag and pulled out a soft, fluffy lump that looked like cotton candy.

"Ta-da! The world's cutest little dog—Tongtong Dog, here I come!"

Xiang Changge heard the system make a dazzling entrance in her mind, complete with sound effects.

In reality, all that reached her ears was a tiny, babyish bark. "Woof!"

"Waaah, Yu Qing, baby, hurry and hold me! Take Tongtong into your arms! Come on, come on! Isn't Tongtong adorable? Who could possibly resist Tongtong?"

At last, free to make a dazzling appearance in front of Yu Qing, the system eagerly waved all four of its little paws. It looked like it was moments away from leaping straight into Yu Qing's arms.

To Yu Qing, it looked as if Xiang Changge had pulled a little dog out of the black plastic bag and was holding it in one hand. The dog's beady black eyes were fixed on her, and its four legs paddled in the air as if it were swimming.