It Was All a Misunderstanding

Wen Ce sighed silently and reached out to stroke her hair. "What are you thinking? What's there to feel awkward about? You didn't do anything wrong. Let's go."

As he spoke, he naturally took her wrist and headed toward the elevator.

Once they were in the elevator, he let go.

They stood side by side.

Luo Lianqing touched the wrist he had just held. Maybe what Miaomiao had said really worked.

It seemed she had gained quite a lot this morning.

After returning to the apartments, they both hesitated at their doors.

"Want to come in for a bit?"

"Could I come over for a bit?"

They spoke at the same time.

Then they exchanged a glance, and Wen Ce smiled first. "Come on in."

He opened the door and stepped slightly aside to let Luo Lianqing enter.

Luo Lianqing was stunned by her own words. What was she going to sit around at his place for...?

Just imagining it felt awkward, but she had already said it. Besides, hadn't Wen Ce invited her in too?

Thinking of it that way, Luo Lianqing felt less awkward.

Once inside, Wen Ce told her to sit on the couch for a while, then carried the groceries into the kitchen himself, leaving the snacks in the living room.

Wen Ce came out carrying two glasses of water. "Is warm water okay? I only have water and milk at home. I figured you probably wouldn't want milk when you've just gotten back."

"This is fine." Luo Lianqing nodded.

She watched Wen Ce come over and set down the water, then glance at the bag of snacks. "Not eating any?"

"It's not like I eat snacks the moment I sit down. I just eat them when I'm bored or watching shows," Luo Lianqing replied, then stared at Wen Ce and asked, "Did you invite me in because you had something to say?"

Faced with those big eyes looking straight at him, Wen Ce was left speechless by her direct question. He really hadn't thought much before speaking earlier; he had simply suddenly felt like looking at her a little longer.

Now that Luo Lianqing had asked, he really didn't know how to answer.

Something suddenly occurred to him. "Oh, I bought Egg Yolk a cat teaser a while ago. You can take it back with you later. Hang on, I think I left it in my room. I'll get it."

With that, he stood and went into his room, coming out a little later with a cat teaser.

Luo Lianqing felt a little jealous. He had even remembered to buy Egg Yolk a cat teaser.

She couldn't even measure up to a cat...

After Luo Lianqing took the cat teaser, Wen Ce saw her give it a little wave herself. The feather lightly brushed across her slender neck, and its very tip touched the slightly exposed line below her neck.

Wen Ce swiftly looked away. The pink feather made her already fair skin look even fairer and more delicate.

The image of the feather brushing lightly over that snow-white skin wouldn't leave his mind.

Suddenly, Wen Ce didn't want to give her that cat teaser anymore.

He held out his hand to Luo Lianqing. "Give it here. I think the feather was a little loose before."

Luo Lianqing didn't think much of it. She said, "Oh," and handed him the cat teaser.

Her warmth still lingered on the handle. Wen Ce lightly touched the feather from just now.

There was definitely nothing there, of course, but he felt as though he could feel the touch of her skin...

Fuck, Wen Ce swore inwardly, feeling a little disgusted with himself. She sees you as a friend. What the hell are you thinking?

He lowered his eyes, fiddled with the string, then handed the cat teaser back to Luo Lianqing. "All done."

After taking it, she suddenly said, "You're so good to Egg Yolk."

No matter how he listened to it, her tone sounded a little sour.

Wen Ce hummed in acknowledgment, sounding somewhat puzzled. "Egg Yolk is cute."

"Am I not cute, then?" she suddenly asked, putting a hand beneath her chin and bringing her pretty face a little closer. "Who's cuter, me or Egg Yolk?"

Looking at her face as she leaned closer, Wen Ce suddenly wanted to tell her that he had actually bought the cat teaser in the first place because seeing it had made him think of Luo Lianqing, not Egg Yolk...

But he couldn't say that. Otherwise, he really would seem like a pervert.

"You're pretty. You're the prettiest." Wen Ce looked away, placed his palm right over her approaching face, and gently pushed her back. Her face really was small; one hand could cover that delicate little face entirely. "I'll go get some water."

Then he stood and headed toward the kitchen, looking a little flustered.

Luo Lianqing froze for a moment after being pushed away. "I was asking about being cute..."

She looked at the two glasses on the table. "And there's water right here."

Once in the kitchen, Wen Ce didn't drink warm water. He pulled open the fridge and took out a bottle of chilled mineral water instead.

He drank a whole large bottle in one go, then lowered his eyes and stared at a certain spot for a while. "Fuck!"

When he came out after finishing his water, he found Luo Lianqing scrolling through her phone on the couch. Seeing him, she beckoned. "Wen Ce, come here!"

Wen Ce paused midstep, but went over anyway and sat beside her on the couch, leaving half a person's width between them.

But Luo Lianqing glanced at the gap and, apparently finding it too wide, scooted closer herself.

Wen Ce caught a scent from her, though he couldn't tell whether it was perfume or body wash.

A very faint floral scent? It smelled a little fruity too.

"Look." Luo Lianqing's voice brought him back to his senses. He looked at her phone, where a post prominently displayed a "Hot" tag.

"Someone saw us at the supermarket just now. They even saw me buying baby-prevention bags." She sounded a little helpless. "Now everyone in the thread is guessing who my boyfriend is."

"Good thing the original poster didn't get a photo, or I'd have caused you trouble." Luo Lianqing's voice was very quiet as she spoke, and she glanced cautiously at Wen Ce. "You probably wouldn't want people to see you, right? I'm sorry."

Wen Ce frowned slightly, coming back to his senses from that floral scent. "I don't mind. I was just worried it would affect you badly. That's why I said that last time with Zhou Chi. If everyone misunderstood, it'd probably have quite an impact on you as a counselor. Even if you're only filling in, it still wouldn't sound good."

"Huh? Because of me?" Luo Lianqing's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "I thought..."

"Thought what? Thought I didn't want anything to do with you?" Wen Ce raised an eyebrow at her surprised expression. "No matter how you look at it, I wouldn't be the one losing out. You, on the other hand, seemed pretty concerned about what Zhou Chi thought."

"Why would I care what he thinks?" Luo Lianqing immediately retorted. "I don't even like him."

"If you don't like him, why were you so dejected that day? After you saw he had a girl with him, you seemed completely distracted," Wen Ce asked, sounding puzzled. "The way you rejected him before, I thought you didn't like him either. Who knew that night you'd..."

"What do you mean, you thought? I don't like him!" Luo Lianqing interrupted. "I was upset because you denied it outright. I thought you were really afraid of having anything to do with me, and..."

And you kept looking at that busty loli! Aren't I prettier than her?

Luo Lianqing was too embarrassed to say that last part.

Yet Wen Ce kept staring at her and asked, "And what?"