Chapter 123 Jealousy and Territory
Zuo Qinghuan sensed that although Qin Wanshu's aura still held a hint of detachment, it seemed to have softened ever so slightly. It was a subtle change, almost imperceptible, but enough to fill Zuo Qinghuan with delight. At least Qin Wanshu was showing a tiny sign of yielding.
Quietly, Zuo Qinghuan closed the three-step distance between them, first reducing it to two steps, then just one. Inch by inch, she encroached upon Qin Wanshu's personal space. Zuo Qinghuan thought, if I just reached out, I could pull her into my arms. The desire burned within her, yet she knew the time wasn't right.
Suddenly, Qin Wanshu stopped in her tracks. She spotted Kitano Aoba directly ahead. That explained Zuo Qinghuan's presence here; Zuo Qinghuan and that girl were practically inseparable.
Qin Wanshu's abrupt halt caused Zuo Qinghuan, carried by momentum, to lean forward, almost pressing against Qin Wanshu's back. At such close proximity, the familiar scent wafting from Qin Wanshu made Zuo Qinghuan nearly lose control, overcome by the urge to hold her tightly. However, the slight warmth Qin Wanshu had shown moments before vanished instantly, replaced by that isolating wall she erected. Even being mere inches away, Zuo Qinghuan didn't dare act recklessly. Puzzled, Zuo Qinghuan followed Qin Wanshu's gaze and saw Aoba. A strange thought flickered through Zuo Qinghuan's mind: Could Qin Wanshu be jealous? But she quickly dismissed it as unlikely.
From Kitano Aoba's perspective, the two women did indeed look very close. She assumed Zuo Qinghuan and Qin Wanshu had resolved their differences. Smiling, she walked towards them.
"Hello, I'm Kitano Aoba. I've wanted to meet you for a long time, Miss Qin." Aoba smiled at Qin Wanshu. It was her first time meeting Qin Wanshu up close, though she felt she already knew the woman before her quite well. To Aoba, Qin Wanshu seemed like a figure who had stepped straight out of a painting – a beautiful image Zuo Qinghuan had once vividly described.
"I'm Qin Wanshu. It's a pleasure to meet you," Qin Wanshu replied, smiling back at Aoba. Compared to Aoba's slight nervousness, Qin Wanshu was composed and gracious, her response warm and friendly. In truth, Qin Wanshu found it impossible to dislike this young woman. She was gentle, like willow catkins, with a sweet smile and a soft voice – entirely non-threatening, yet capable of subtly touching one's heart.
"Actually, I feel like I know you already," Aoba said gently, her initial nervousness fading as she got closer to Qin Wanshu. "Sister mentions you very often. Every time she talks about you, I become curious about what kind of person you are and look forward to meeting you someday." There was a certain magic about this woman, Aoba thought, an ability to calm people's hearts.
"I just hope I haven't disappointed you. Being held in such high expectation can be quite stressful, you know," Qin Wanshu answered with a touch of humor. Inside, however, her feelings were complex. Qin Wanshu knew she must represent a deeply private part of Zuo Qinghuan's heart. How much trust and intimacy must exist between Zuo Qinghuan and this girl for Zuo Qinghuan to speak of her? And hearing Aoba call Zuo Qinghuan "Sister" felt jarringly intimate to Qin Wanshu.
"Miss Qin, you are even more wonderful than Sister described," Aoba praised sincerely.
"Fame is often hard to live up to," Qin Wanshu said humbly, deftly changing the subject. "Are you interested in these cultural relics? Perhaps I could tell you a thing or two about them." She willingly took on the role of Aoba's guide.
Evidently, Qin Wanshu was a far more dedicated and knowledgeable guide than Zuo Qinghuan. She could recount the history of almost every artifact in detail, expanding on related topics endlessly, captivating Aoba. At the same time, Qin Wanshu found herself admiring Aoba's own expertise in certain areas.
Despite Qin Wanshu's obvious warmth and fondness towards Aoba, Zuo Qinghuan couldn't help but feel Qin Wanshu growing colder towards her. Compared to the warmth shown to Aoba, the neglect she received left a sour taste in Zuo Qinghuan's mouth. She never thought she'd find herself jealous of Aoba, but admittedly, Aoba and Qin Wanshu seemed to share more common ground.
The more Qin Wanshu chatted with Aoba, the more she grew to like her. A sudden thought struck Qin Wanshu: if Zuo Qinghuan spent a few more years with Aoba, perhaps Zuo Qinghuan might fall in love with this young woman. After all, the time she and Zuo Qinghuan had been lovers was shorter than the time Zuo Qinghuan had known this girl. And her own advantage over Aoba was merely age and the maturity that came with time. This young woman would eventually reach her level, while she herself was losing the battle against time – the vibrant beauty and energy of youth were fading. Qin Wanshu felt a surge of resentment towards Zuo Qinghuan's departure; if Zuo Qinghuan hadn't left, would she be feeling this insecure and uncertain now? But the feeling was fleeting. Qin Wanshu found her own thoughts laughable. Since when did Qin Wanshu need to compare ages with anyone? She was truly regressing.
Conversely, the more Aoba interacted with Qin Wanshu, the stronger the hidden sense of inadequacy grew within her. Qin Wanshu was truly perfect, almost flawless, making even Aoba feel a little inferior. She understood more deeply now why her sister had felt insecure enough to choose leaving back then.
Aoba couldn't help but notice that someone seemed to have been neglected for quite some time. She saw the resentful look her sister shot her way, as if Aoba had stolen her sweetheart. A chuckle escaped her lips.
Laughed at by Aoba, Zuo Qinghuan felt a bit embarrassed. She averted her gaze from Aoba's teasing look and reached out, gently grasping Qin Wanshu's wrist. If Aoba hadn't been there, she might have resorted to acting cute and trying to curry favor with Qin Wanshu.
"Qin Wanshu..." Zuo Qinghuan called out, her tone tinged with grievance and a hint of pleading, trying to recapture Qin Wanshu's attention. She wanted Qin Wanshu to stop focusing solely on Aoba, this slightly-more-outstanding-than-herself younger sister. It's wrong for an older woman to pursue someone so young, Zuo Qinghuan thought, immediately feeling sheepish because Qin Wanshu hardly resembled an 'old cow'. Still, Qin Wanshu was thirty-three, and Aoba was twenty-three. In a way, Aoba was indeed quite 'young grass', at least in Zuo Qinghuan's biased opinion.
Seeing Zuo Qinghuan's fawning, almost subservient manner, Aoba found it novel. Her sister, with that ethereal fairy-like face, acting this way created a peculiar, discordant feeling. So this was how her sister and Miss Qin interacted. A strange pang of envy surfaced.
Qin Wanshu was deliberately giving Zuo Qinghuan the cold shoulder. Seeing Zuo Qinghuan's crestfallen expression brought her some satisfaction, but she showed no signs of softening.
After wandering around for the afternoon, Qin Wanshu decided it was time to leave. Zuo Qinghuan felt quite frustrated. The only small comfort was that Qin Wanshu hadn't rejected her physical touches. Still, thinking about being ignored all afternoon, Zuo Qinghuan shot Qin Wanshu a mournful look, which Qin Wanshu pointedly ignored.
"Can I call you Sister Qin?" Aoba asked with a sweet smile.
Qin Wanshu nodded. Zuo Qinghuan had acknowledged Aoba as her sister; therefore, she would naturally be her sister too, especially since this particular sister was so likable.
Qin Wanshu headed to the parking lot to get her car. Zuo Qinghuan and Aoba had only recently returned to the country, and Zuo Qinghuan had been busy with handover work, so they hadn't arranged for a car yet. Thus, Qin Wanshu, having driven, would give them a ride home. In truth, Qin Wanshu was mainly offering Aoba a ride; Zuo Qinghuan was just incidental.
"Sister Qin is really nice," Aoba said sincerely.
"Yeah, she was especially nice to you today," Zuo Qinghuan replied, her tone slightly sour. She was the one being neglected, after all.
"Is Sister getting jealous?" Aoba asked, intrigued.
Zuo Qinghuan naturally wouldn't admit it. How could one be jealous of their own sister? Still, wasn't Qin Wanshu being a little too friendly with Aoba?
"Maybe Sister Qin is too!" Aoba's guess hit the nail on the head. If Sister Qin knew I was living at Sister's place, she'd probably be jealous, right? Aoba knew that many of Qin Wanshu's belongings were still left in Zuo Qinghuan's home, indicating Qin Wanshu had once lived there too. It was a world belonging to the two of them, and her moving in would likely make Qin Wanshu feel, to some extent, like her territory had been invaded.
"Where does Aoba live?" Qin Wanshu asked, inquiring about the destination. She hadn't expected Zuo Qinghuan would let Aoba stay at her place.
"I'm staying at Sister's," Aoba answered matter-of-factly. She decided to give her sister and Sister Qin a little push, seeing how anxious her sister seemed.
Qin Wanshu's good mood vanished instantly. Her expression turned cold. Aoba was staying at Zuo Qinghuan's place? Zuo Qinghuan lived in a studio apartment with only one bed. Qin Wanshu didn't believe Zuo Qinghuan would make Aoba sleep on the sofa. That meant the two of them must be sleeping in the same bed. Had they become close enough to share a bed? The mere thought of that scenario made Qin Wanshu deeply uncomfortable, feeling as though her territory had been violated, and simultaneously, that she was no longer special in Zuo Qinghuan's eyes.
Belatedly, Zuo Qinghuan sensed trouble brewing.
"Aoba just arrived in China and didn't have a place to stay, so she's temporarily at my place. Once Aunt Xiao comes back..." Zuo Qinghuan hurriedly explained.
But Qin Wanshu remained silent, seemingly not listening. Zuo Qinghuan felt like she was performing a monologue, receiving absolutely no emotional response from Qin Wanshu. It felt as if all her efforts throughout the afternoon had gone down the drain, perhaps even making things worse than before.
Sensing the frozen atmosphere in the car, Aoba secretly wondered if she had unintentionally made things worse.
When they reached the entrance of Zuo Qinghuan's residential complex, Aoba said her thanks, made an excuse, and quickly headed upstairs, leaving Zuo Qinghuan and Qin Wanshu alone in the car.
"Qin Wanshu, Aoba is just my sister," Zuo Qinghuan explained anxiously.
"You should get out of the car," Qin Wanshu stated coldly, clearly uninterested in discussing the topic further.
"No," Zuo Qinghuan stubbornly refused to leave.
Qin Wanshu narrowed her eyes slightly, a flicker of anger rising.
"Are you sure you won't get out?" Qin Wanshu's voice grew even colder. It was the coldest Qin Wanshu had been towards her since their reunion.
"Qin Wanshu, if you don't like me living with Aoba, I'll give her the room! I won't go back there to stay! Please don't be angry with me, okay?" Zuo Qinghuan pleaded, softening her stance as much as possible. She actually agreed it wasn't appropriate and had planned to move out herself. But Aunt Xiao was returning soon, and she figured it was only for a couple more days. Believing her relationship with Aoba was purely platonic, she hadn't given it much thought. Who knew it would cause such unexpected trouble?
Seeing Zuo Qinghuan stubbornly refusing to leave her car, Qin Wanshu simply opened her own door and got out.
When Zuo Qinghuan saw Qin Wanshu abandon the car altogether, she grew even more frantic. She quickly got out too, intending to follow Qin Wanshu.
But Qin Wanshu hailed a taxi and left immediately. With no other taxis available, Zuo Qinghuan looked back, thinking of driving Qin Wanshu's car, but Qin Wanshu was already gone.
She sat in Qin Wanshu's car for a long while before sending a text message to Aoba.
"I'll be staying with Qin Wanshu for the next few nights. Can't talk now, she still seems really angry." Since Qin Wanshu didn't like her living with Aoba, Zuo Qinghuan decided not to stay there anymore. Fearing Aoba would blame herself if she knew the truth, Zuo Qinghuan framed it as fulfilling Aoba's wish, letting her think she and Qin Wanshu had reconciled.
Aoba, who had been feeling anxious that her good intentions had backfired, finally felt relieved after receiving Zuo Qinghuan's message.
While the goddess being jealous is a good sign, Zuo Qinghuan lamented inwardly, her fiery jealousy is not something an ordinary person can withstand. Her own life suddenly seemed bleak. Kicked out of her own home – could anyone be more miserable?
Qin Wanshu felt extremely unsettled, so much so that the mere sight of Zuo Qinghuan irritated her. How could that woman be so intimate with someone else behind her back? Even if it was just as a sister, she wouldn't allow it. Qin Wanshu was startled to realize the staggering depth of her own possessiveness. She refused to believe Zuo Qinghuan didn't know about Aoba's feelings, yet she still allowed such closeness. It was simply unforgivable. The more Qin Wanshu thought about it, the angrier she became. She hated feeling so agitated, completely unable to calm down, which only fueled her resentment towards Zuo Qinghuan.