Cancang was here, and Sister Qingning's walk instantly got sassier.
Everything seemed better—the sky bluer, the grass greener, the flowers pinker, the world wetter.
[Name: Chu Qingning]
[Current Status: The moment you showed up healed 50% of her emotional damage]
Note: The remaining 50% is a woman's righteous grudge—You promised to come to Shudu but never did. She waited day after day, and in the end, you stopped replying on WeChat, didn't call, ghosted her, and went radio silent.
As for the remaining 50%—no worries. After spending all that money on romantic setups, tonight, from soul to body, she's getting fully healed.
Chu Qingning and Lin Can held hands as they strolled along East Lake Park.
"Cancang~ did you miss your big sis while you were away?"
Oh dear—why the sudden baby voice instead of her usual elegant tone?
"I did."
"How much?"
"Hard as a rock kind of much."
"..."
I'm trying to have pure romance here, and you're giving me pure lust?
"You ignored me for days, you know. I almost gave up on you."
"Really?"
"Of course~" Chu Qingning swayed his hand. "But now that you're here, the death sentence is off the table. You still have to suffer a little punishment. You'll carry me on your back until we find a cab. Then I'll forgive you."
"Alright." Lin Can crouched down. As soon as Chu Qingning climbed on, he took off running, prompting a flustered shout behind him: "Cancang, you're so dead! Don't you dare run!"
Under the golden sunset by the shimmering lake, a boy and girl chased and teased each other by the shore.
He stopped and offered his back. She approached, grumbling. He darted off again, and she chased him down, frustrated.
Then she crouched and sulked, doodling circles on the ground with her finger. He came back to coax her, but she turned away dramatically.
He pretended to give up and walked off. In his peripheral vision, he saw her sneaking up. She leapt onto his back, and he caught her legs, smiled, hoisted her up, and walked off into the twilight.
Lin Can noticed something about her hand.
"Your middle fingernail is missing."
"Got caught and snapped off."
"That tight?"
Smack~ Chu Qingning bit her lip and swatted the nasty-minded boy.
"I've been on-site from yesterday all the way to this afternoon. Some rich second-gen was in a rush to finish the venue for his girlfriend's big surprise. He made us work through the night. I got too tired and clipped my nail."
"What second-gen? Thinks he's hot stuff with a few bucks? He wants to romance his girlfriend and makes my girlfriend pull an all-nighter? Is he still around? I swear I'll throw hands."
"Hehe~ I know you care about me. Mua~ one kiss for you."
"Just the left cheek? Don't like my right one?"
"I love both. Mua~ mua~ here's kisses on both."
"And what about my lips? Don't like those either?"
"Hold on a sec."
Chu Qingning raised her phone.
"Cancang, turn around."
"Okay."
Lin Can turned, and just as he did, their lips met.
Snap—
She caught the kiss on camera.
"Okay, okay, no more kisses! Cancang, let go! I'm done, you're too much~"
By East Lake Park, the two of them kept fooling around like that, missing multiple cabs, until Qin Meinv called and reminded them. Only then did they hop in a cab.
"Driver, to Wenshu Temple."
"Wenshu Temple?"
Lin Can hadn't visited the site yet, but he remembered the B&B he booked was nearby.
"That second-gen guy went with a Chinese traditional theme?"
"The site's beautifully decorated. You'll see it soon. Sigh… I worked all night and all day. My back's killing me. Give me a massage, will you?"
Chu Qingning leaned against him like jelly, enjoying his massage until she suddenly tensed up.
Smack—she swatted his wandering hand.
"Massage properly. No funny business."
…
Half an hour later, the cab pulled up in front of a B&B in a narrow alley. Lin Can checked the address and confirmed—this was the same site Chu Qingning had been working nonstop on. The very B&B he booked.
Now that's interesting.
He smiled. Zhao Hong had mentioned hiring a Hanfu expert to guide the site's design, but he never expected it to be Chu Qingning herself. Talk about fate.
"Let's go, Cancang~"
"Mhm."
Inside the courtyard, Qin Meinv called out: "Chu Meinv, finally! Did you bring the dudous?"
"Brought them!" Chu Qingning jogged in. "I figured this second-gen had weird tastes, so I brought extras. Even got a concept design—lacey and see-through."
Lin Can: !!!
Qin Meinv: "Smart thinking."
Chu Qingning: "I spent ages making them. I even sell them online. Gotta make sure this rich boy pays up."
Qin Meinv: "Don't worry. He's loaded."
Lin Can thought, can't blame me for being handsy—you're the one throwing yourself into the abyss.
Qin Meinv noticed Lin Can walking over: "Chu Meinv, who's this?"
Chu Qingning proudly introduced him: "My boyfriend, Lin Can. Since the site's just finishing up, I brought him to help out. We want to wrap it fast and go on a date."
Qin Meinv: "The second-gen wants to set up a projection screen in the courtyard and show photos of his girlfriend."
Chu Qingning: "This guy's full of ideas, huh? One surprise after another."
Lin Can thought, hey… I'm doing all this for you. And now you're roasting me?
Chu Qingning: "My Cancang knows tech. Help us out, please~"
Qin Meinv: "Eek~ Cancang~ you're making me cringe."
Lin Can chuckled: "Sure, I'll set up the projector. You guys handle the rest."
"OK~ mua~" Chu Qingning tiptoed and kissed him. Lin Can touched his cheek, grinning as he went off to set up the projector on the right side of the yard.
Qin Meinv commented: "Chu Meinv, your boyfriend's really handsome. And he's wearing all luxury brands. Which rich family is he from?"
"He's not a rich second-gen, just an ordinary guy." Lin Can attracted way too much attention. Chu Qingning had to be cautious—no way she'd expose his true background.
"Alright, I'll go buy water for everyone."
"Thanks. I'll be in the back yard."
Chu Qingning headed off while Qin Meinv returned later with drinks. She handed them out and came to the projection area, where a temporary shelf had been installed on the wall. Lin Can was adjusting the setup atop a tall stool, dripping with sweat.
"Hey handsome, come have a drink."
"Leave it there. I'll have some after I finish."
"Got it."
Seeing him all sweaty, Qin Meinv said with a smile, "Hot, huh? Your girlfriend was working nonstop from yesterday till this afternoon—she nearly passed out from the heat."
Lin Can smiled. All this effort to be romantic, and I nearly worked her to death.
Just then, Zhao Hong showed up, dressed in a tight-fitting dress—low cut in the front, backless, showing thigh on the side. She dressed up to impress, thinking it'd help secure the final payment.
The courtyard under the night lights was especially beautiful. She figured the payment would be no issue. But then… she noticed something was off about the projector setup.
Clicking her heels, she rushed over to the stool, looked up at the technician above, and said, "No, no, sir, you've got it wrong. The projector shouldn't go here. It needs to be aimed at the right-side wall. You're making a mistake."
Lin Can looked down, right into her cleavage, and asked:
"So, you're saying I'm wrong and it shouldn't go here?"