Chapter 93
After dinner, Zuo Bian asked Qin Ai if she wanted to go for a walk. Most of the residents in this neighborhood were elderly people, and the nearby park was rarely frequented by young people. They should be able to walk around without being recognized.
The sky had completely darkened. The streetlights in this old neighborhood flickered, as if they were about to go out at any moment.
However, the environment was pleasant. The landscaping was well-maintained, the trees and plants lush and green, the flowers blooming in abundance. The breeze carried the scent of flowers and fresh grass, washing away the hustle and bustle of the city.
They went downstairs. Through the trees, they saw a group of elderly people dancing in the small square, the music loud and nostalgic.
They strolled around the neighborhood, chatting as they walked.
Zuo Bian had been wanting to talk to someone about her master. Little Frog was too naive and couldn’t offer any advice. 555 didn’t think there was anything wrong with her master. Chang Wensi was busy with her new relationship, and her parents didn’t know about her past life.
The best person to talk to was Qin Ai. Zuo Bian wasn’t good at keeping secrets.
But she didn’t know how to bring it up.
“Is there something you want to say?” Qin Ai noticed Zuo Bian’s expression.
Zuo Bian nodded. After a moment of thought, she said, “Qin Ai, I mentioned my master to you before, right?”
“Mm, you did.”
Zuo Bian had casually mentioned her master during their conversations but hadn’t gone into detail.
She started talking about her past, a nostalgic look on her face.
Her early days at the sect weren’t exactly unpleasant, but she still yearned to train and go on missions with others.
“Qin Ai, do you think my master was truly good to me?”
She already had a vague answer in her mind, but her master was a special person to her.
Meng Zhen was like family to Zuo Bian. Because of their bond, her emotions clouded her judgment, preventing her from seeing the truth.
Qin Ai didn’t answer with a “yes” or “no.” Instead, she said, “Zuo Bian, trust your own judgment. And I trust you. You already have the answer in your heart, don’t you?”
Her words awakened Zuo Bian. She lowered her head, her toe kicking a small pebble. The pebble rolled forward, hitting the edge of a flower bed and coming to a stop.
“Mm, I understand,” she said.
They had reached the edge of the small square. The music was deafening, but the people dancing didn’t seem to mind the noise.
On one side of the square, elderly people were dancing to simple steps. On the other side were young children. The boys were playing basketball, or rather, taking turns shooting hoops. The girls were playing badminton, cheering when they hit the shuttlecock and groaning when they missed.
But they all had one thing in common: joy.
“Envious?” Qin Ai stood beside Zuo Bian, watching the children.
They were standing in the shadows. Qin Ai turned to look at Zuo Bian’s profile.
Zuo Bian was still looking at the energetic teenagers, her longing evident.
She nodded honestly. “Mm, I am envious.”
“You said you wanted to visit a school before. It wasn’t just to look around, was it?” Qin Ai said.
Qin Ai might seem aloof and unapproachable to outsiders, but she was actually very perceptive of other people’s emotions.
She often chose not to comment because she found it troublesome. Most people in the world were irrelevant to her.
Zuo Bian turned away from the teenagers and smiled, nodding. “Mm. But I can only envy them.”
“You don’t have to envy them. After filming this movie, go to university.”
Zuo Bian was stunned. She looked at Qin Ai in surprise, then her eyes lit up with joy. “Is that really possible?”
Qin Ai took Zuo Bian’s hand, her grip firm.
“There’s a saying, ‘Live and learn.’ And you’re still young, it’s not too late to go to university. Think about what you want to study, I’m sure your parents will support your decision.”
Qin Ai’s words made Zuo Bian imagine her future. What would her university life be like?
Seeing Zuo Bian lost in thought, Qin Ai squeezed her hand, bringing her back to reality.
“You want to go to school that much? There are so many young girls and boys there. I’m starting to feel insecure. What if you get snatched away?” Qin Ai teased.
Zuo Bian said seriously, “That won’t happen. I only have you in my heart. And you’re so amazing, no one can compare to you.”
However, Qin Ai continued to tease her. “You never know what the future holds. People always get tired of the familiar and seek novelty. The flowers outside are always more appealing than the ones at home.”
If Zuo Bian had looked closely at Qin Ai’s expression, she would have realized she was joking. But they were standing in the shadows, and Zuo Bian couldn’t see Qin Ai’s face clearly, so she misunderstood.
She frantically tried to think of an explanation. In these situations, she was always clumsy with words. Her explanations often made things worse, and 555 would tell her it was better to just stay silent. So she pursed her lips, searching for the right words, afraid of saying something wrong.
“You—You smell good!” Zuo Bian blurted out, holding Qin Ai’s hand tightly, her eyes sincere, her expression worried, afraid of stepping on a landmine.
Since saying more words increased the chance of making a mistake, it was best to say as little as possible. Following this principle, Zuo Bian could only come up with this sentence.
Qin Ai suddenly burst into laughter, turning her head away, but her amusement was still evident.
Zuo Bian was stunned. “Qin Ai, are you feeling better now?”
Qin Ai composed herself, but the smile in her eyes remained. “Mm, I’m much better. How could someone as honest as you cheat on me?”
In the Green Tea Handbook, “honest” wasn’t exactly a compliment. It meant being gullible and foolish.
So Zuo Bian shook her head. “No, I’m not honest.”
“Oh? How are you dishonest?” Qin Ai looked at her with amusement, curious about her so-called dishonesty.
Zuo Bian’s mind raced. She discreetly placed her hand on Qin Ai’s waist, her hand slowly moving downwards.
She was the one teasing Qin Ai, but her face was the one that turned red. However, she couldn’t show weakness. Even if Qin Ai could see her embarrassment, she had to continue touching her, otherwise how could she prove her “dishonesty”?
Qin Ai chuckled and nodded. “Indeed, you’re quite dishonest, taking advantage of me in public.”
Qin Ai caught Zuo Bian’s hand, her fingers playfully intertwined with Zuo Bian’s. “Do you believe I’m dishonest now?”
“More than dishonest, you’re a hooligan. May I ask this little hooligan if I can stay the night?” Qin Ai looked at Zuo Bian with a smile.
Zuo Bian nodded without hesitation. “Yes.”
They strolled around the park for a while, then headed back to the apartment. It was getting late. After showering, they went to bed.
The bed was small, and they had to squeeze together.
However, the room didn’t have air conditioning, and the temperature was dropping. It was actually quite cozy to be huddled together in the small bed.
Zuo Bian loved to hug Qin Ai’s waist and bury her face in her chest. And after nuzzling her, she would even comment, “Qin Ai, your breasts are so soft and fragrant.”
Qin Ai stroked Zuo Bian’s hair, about to say something, when she noticed that the person snuggled against her chest was breathing evenly. She looked down and saw that Zuo Bian had fallen asleep.
She always fell asleep so quickly. Qin Ai smiled and closed her eyes.
It was a peaceful and heartwarming night. Zuo Bian slept soundly until morning.
She was awakened by two alarms: the pig-shaped alarm clock on the bedside table and Little Frog, who had started counting again.
Zuo Bian got out of bed feeling refreshed. Qin Ai was already awake and had even made breakfast.
Qin Ai took off her apron and smiled at Zuo Bian. “Come eat breakfast.”
“Mm-hmm.” Zuo Bian got out of bed, sniffed the air, and praised, “The breakfast smells so good, Qin Ai.”
“Then eat more. You’re starting work at the restaurant today, you need energy.”
Zuo Bian took a sip of soy milk, the rich and sweet flavor filling her mouth.
“It won’t be tiring, just serving dishes and washing dishes,” she said.
It was simple, yet not so simple. The work itself was easy, but the challenge lay in dealing with different kinds of customers. You never knew what kind of strange people you might encounter.
However, Zuo Bian didn’t want Qin Ai to worry, so she deliberately made it sound easy.
“Let me know if there are any problems.”
“Mm-hmm, I will.” Zuo Bian nodded, then added, “Qin Ai, you’re just like my parents.”
At that moment, Qin Ai did resemble Zuo Bian’s parents. In their eyes, Zuo Bian was naive and inexperienced, easily taken advantage of.
They were worried about her, but they also didn’t want to shelter her too much, making her unable to handle challenges in the future.
“People who love you are all alike,” Qin Ai said.
Zuo Bian smiled happily. “I love you too.”
“Eat up, I’ll drive you to work after breakfast.”
Zuo Bian finished the delicious breakfast with gusto. Qin Ai drove her to work.
After dropping Zuo Bian off, Qin Ai went to her own company. When Zuo Bian arrived at the restaurant, the owner gave her some instructions, telling her to observe how other employees worked before starting.
Zuo Bian was a fast learner. After observing for less than half an hour, she started trying to serve customers herself.
There weren’t many customers at this hour. The lunch rush wouldn’t start until later.
The workload wasn’t heavy, and Zuo Bian wasn’t tired. The owner knew she was an actress, not a real employee, so he didn’t dare to treat her like one. He told her to take a break.
Zuo Bian sat in the kitchen for a while. Then her colleague, Xiao Liu, walked in with a mysterious expression. “Guess who I just saw?”
Zuo Bian was curious. “Who?”
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