25
"No, I'm not mad at you," Wen Yixin said as she finished wiping Qin Ruan's hand with a wet wipe and then put it away.
Qin Ruan bit her lip. "But…"
The look on Wen Yixin's face was much darker than usual, making Qin Ruan hesitate to speak, afraid of being a bother.
Wen Yixin looked at her and silently sighed. "I'm not angry with you."
"I'm angry with that Chi Yi."
"Angry that he disrespected you, angry at how he treated you…" She paused, her expression hardening as she continued, "But what makes me the angriest is that he even tried to touch your face."
If she hadn't arrived in time, Chi Yi would have gotten away with it.
The thought made Wen Yixin's expression tighten further.
She stared at Qin Ruan intently, not taking her eyes off her.
Qin Ruan, feeling a bit flustered under her gaze, couldn't help but ask, "Why is Sister Wen looking at me like that?"
After asking, Qin Ruan instinctively touched her own face, wondering if something was wrong.
Wen Yixin shook her head, then spoke with rare seriousness, "Qin Ruan."
Qin Ruan responded with a soft "Mm," her eyes full of confusion.
"If you ever find yourself in a situation like today's again, you need to fight back. Do you understand?"
"Don't hold back. Strike first and strike hard."
"Whatever happens, don't let yourself be taken advantage of."
Qin Ruan's eyes darkened, thinking Wen Yixin was blaming her. She lowered her head and murmured, "I understand."
Wen Yixin saw her mood drop and, worried that Qin Ruan might have misunderstood, she gently patted her head and reassured her, "I'm not blaming you. I'm just concerned that if you encounter a similar situation in the future and choose to endure it like today, you might end up suffering."
"I'm not afraid of anything, but I am afraid of you getting hurt."
Hearing Wen Yixin's explanation, the gloom in Qin Ruan's eyes eased slightly. She pouted a little and quietly defended herself, "I was going to kick him, but then Sister Wen arrived in time, so I didn't…"
"As long as you know what to do," Wen Yixin said, brushing her hand against Qin Ruan's cheek before changing the subject. She pushed a small fruit basket toward Qin Ruan. "Here are the cherry tomatoes I promised you yesterday."
"I washed them at home before bringing them, so they're ready to eat." Wen Yixin picked one up and handed it to Qin Ruan. "Try one."
Qin Ruan accepted it and took a bite.
It was sweet and refreshing.
Wen Yixin flipped through the menu on the table and asked, "Are you still hungry?"
"Is there anything you feel like eating?"
Qin Ruan nodded. "I'm still hungry. I didn't eat much earlier."
She had barely touched her food before using an excuse to leave the private room.
As for what she wanted to eat, Qin Ruan glanced at the menu in Wen Yixin's hand and pointed to a few dishes, "The first few signature dishes look good."
"Alright, we'll order those."
After leaving Wanchun, Qin Ruan walked beside Wen Yixin, carrying the fruit basket, as they made their way to the underground parking lot.
She watched Wen Yixin press the car key, causing the lights of a white car to flash.
"Is this Sister Wen's new car?" Qin Ruan asked.
Wen Yixin nodded. "Yes, I bought it the day before yesterday."
She had originally planned to go car shopping with Qin Ruan, but after Qin Ruan returned to the Qin family, Wen Yixin, needing a car for convenience, went to buy one by herself.
"Get in," Wen Yixin said, opening the passenger door for Qin Ruan.
Qin Ruan bent down and got into the car. After Wen Yixin joined her in the driver's seat, Qin Ruan turned to her and asked, "Are we going home now?"
They had only spent a short time together over dinner, and if they were to go their separate ways now, it would feel too abrupt.
Wen Yixin smiled. "Why go back so early?"
"Let's go check out the nearby pedestrian street. The night market there is lively."
"Okay," Qin Ruan replied with a small smile.
Wen Yixin grinned and then tapped her own lips, asking, "Do you want to touch up your lipstick?"
Qin Ruan's smile froze. She touched her lips, asking, "Did it wear off?"
"It wore off a little," Wen Yixin replied.
Qin Ruan, a bit embarrassed, lowered her hand and started rummaging through her bag. "I'll touch it up."
While Qin Ruan searched for her lipstick, Wen Yixin reached over and pulled down the car's mirror for her.
"You can use this mirror," she suggested, turning to Qin Ruan.
The two were close, and Wen Yixin's breath brushed against Qin Ruan's cheek, with a few strands of her hair tickling Qin Ruan's ear.
Qin Ruan's ears instantly turned pink.
She clutched the lipstick in her hand, resisting the urge to cover her ear as she replied, "Thank you."
Wen Yixin chuckled softly and, seeing the lipstick tightly held in Qin Ruan's hand, she asked, "Do you want me to help you apply it?"
Qin Ruan was taken aback and instinctively looked at Wen Yixin.
For a moment, the small car interior was filled only with the sound of their breathing.
Wen Yixin stared at the delicate skin on Qin Ruan's face, her gaze lingering before drifting to her soft, pale pink lips.
Noticing where Wen Yixin's gaze had settled, Qin Ruan's breath hitched, her eyelashes fluttering with unease.
At the same time, the hand holding the lipstick trembled slightly.
The lipstick knocked against the powder case in her bag, making a faint sound.
Wen Yixin blinked, snapping out of her thoughts.
She shifted back into her seat, putting some distance between them as she returned her focus to the steering wheel. "I'm just teasing you. Go ahead and touch up your makeup."
Qin Ruan's grip on the lipstick loosened, a faint sense of loss washing over her.
"Okay."
She tilted her head slightly to use the mirror and began reapplying her lipstick.
Wen Yixin watched the reddish-orange lipstick glide smoothly over Qin Ruan's lips, her own fingers curling slightly in response.
It wasn't until Qin Ruan finished applying the lipstick and turned to look at her that Wen Yixin finally placed her hands on the steering wheel.
"How does it look?" Qin Ruan asked, pursing her newly tinted lips.
Wen Yixin nodded approvingly. "It looks great. That color suits you."
Qin Ruan's smile deepened.
Wen Yixin rested her chin on her hand and said, "Buckle up."
Qin Ruan obediently followed her instructions.
It took about half an hour for them to reach the pedestrian street Wen Yixin had mentioned.
They got out of the car and strolled along the street, occasionally stopping at stalls selling handmade items. Qin Ruan's pace slowed whenever they came across something interesting.
After a while, Qin Ruan spotted something that caught her eye. She gently tugged Wen Yixin along, leading her to a stall displaying various small figurines and ornaments.
Qin Ruan's gaze lingered on the items before she picked up a Doraemon figurine.
Wen Yixin noticed her interest and asked, "Do you like this?"
Qin Ruan nodded. "Yes, I do."
"I'll buy it for you," Wen Yixin offered, ready to ask the vendor for the price.
"There's no need," Qin Ruan quickly interjected, tugging on Wen Yixin's wrist. "It's not expensive. I can buy it myself."
She didn't want to keep spending Wen Yixin's money, especially when she had saved up quite a bit from various part-time jobs during her university years.
Although her savings might not be much to Wen Yixin, they were enough for her own needs.
"Alright," Wen Yixin agreed, not insisting on paying.
"Excuse me, how much is this?" Qin Ruan asked the vendor, holding up the Doraemon figurine.
"Fifteen."
"I'll take it," Qin Ruan said, scanning the vendor's payment code and transferring the money.
After paying, Qin Ruan took Wen Yixin's hand and they left the stall.
Wen Yixin watched as Qin Ruan enthusiastically examined the figurine and couldn't help but smile. "I didn't know you liked Doraemon so much."
"Did you enjoy watching the cartoon as a kid?" she asked with a chuckle.
Qin Ruan shook her head. "Not really."
She gazed at the figurine in her hand, lightly touching Doraemon's pocket, and said softly, "I just find its pocket fascinating."
"It can do so many things that ordinary people can't."
"I like the idea of its gadgets, how it can fulfill almost any wish just by asking."
Wen Yixin heard the longing in her voice and couldn't help but say, "Qin Ruan, actually…"
"I can be your Doraemon too."
"Whatever you want, I can make it happen."
So there's no need to envy Nobita.
Qin Ruan froze.
She looked up to find Wen Yixin gazing at her intently, as if every bit of her focus was on her.
Qin Ruan's lips parted slightly, and a thought crossed her mind:
If I want Sister Wen… would she fulfill that wish too?