Chapter 82: A Little Drink

After resting briefly in the car, Mu Nanqiu continued to lead Su Yao from place to place.

As always, she took the lead while Su Yao simply followed behind, signing whatever needed signing, doing whatever needed doing.

After a whole afternoon of running around, they finally finished all the scheduled tasks.

Su Yao glanced at the time displayed on her phone—it was already past five in the afternoon.

Looking out at the darkening sky through the car window, Su Yao let out a long sigh.

The day’s work was finally over, and she could rest properly.

She hadn’t expected that the whole day would pass so quickly, either wandering around some place or on the way there.

Su Yao wasn’t usually prone to motion sickness, but after a whole day like this, she was starting to feel worn out.

Mu Nanqiu glanced at her from the passenger seat—Su Yao’s face was pale and exhausted—and said, “There’s a park up ahead. Let’s take a walk and get some fresh air.”

“Mm,” Su Yao replied weakly, then rested her head against the car window.

She really didn’t want to move, but she forced herself to agree to Mu Nanqiu’s request for a walk despite her discomfort.

Not long after, Mu Nanqiu found a spot and parked the car.

The moment Su Yao unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the door, a completely different temperature hit her—a cold breeze that made her shiver, quickly followed by a refreshing feeling that eased much of her discomfort.

Taking a deep breath of the cool air, Su Yao finally felt alive again.

“Yao Yao, let’s go.”

Before Su Yao could even get out of the car, Mu Nanqiu had already walked over and held out her hand.

Looking up, Su Yao gave her hand to Mu Nanqiu.

Once outside the car, Su Yao was fully immersed in the normal temperature of the world.

She felt much more energetic all at once; the warm air conditioning inside the car had made her drowsy, but the park’s cold one-degree weather was just right.

She gazed out at the park’s scenery.

Su Yao wondered what it would look like after it snowed.

Mu Nanqiu locked the car and led Su Yao into the plaza.

They were still parked on the roadside in the outer Residential District.

Crossing the sidewalk, they found the entrance and officially stepped into the park.

People said parks were either the scene of a twilight of the gods or filled with blaring plaza dance music.

But Su Yao saw neither.

There were no old men playing chess either, only a sparse few strolling about the spacious area, fitting the word “desolate” perfectly.

But then again, this was a mealtime; it was normal for it to be this empty.

If it were a bit later, maybe more people would show up.

Their “stroll” was just that—a casual wander from one path to another, circling through the fairly large park.

Su Yao was quietly holding Mu Nanqiu’s hand, and they didn’t say much on the way.

Every so often, Su Yao would sneak a glance at Mu Nanqiu.

Because of their height difference, Su Yao had to slightly tilt her head up.

Whenever Mu Nanqiu showed signs of turning to look at her, Su Yao quickly looked away, pretending she hadn’t been doing anything.

Her free hand stayed buried deep in her pocket, clutching a small rectangular red Gift Box.

On the park’s northern side was a wide Riverside.

Across from it was an open space, and further beyond were hills and waters.

The view wasn’t great—nothing could be seen too far away.

The two of them leaned on the one-and-a-half-meter-high railing, gazing at the peaceful scenery where neon lights met mountain forests.

They stood there for a long time.

Su Yao tilted her head to look at the person beside her.

It seemed she understood Mu Nanqiu’s intention.

Then she turned back to look at the flowing river.

Where the City met the water, ripples shimmered with colorful reflections.

But before their eyes was only a calm, gentle current.

The longer Su Yao looked, the more her heart began to settle.

She thought that if it weren’t for Mu Nanqiu, she might never have experienced all these things in her life.

She lacked the courage and ability to do any of it—going to the hospital for a check-up and medical certificate, applying for a new ID card, updating her Academic Registration Information, and all the countless other small tasks.

Each one was like climbing a mountain for her.

And yet, with Mu Nanqiu accompanying and helping her, all of it became easy.

So Su Yao really should thank her properly.

After hesitating for a moment, she spoke up.

“Nanqiu, thank you.”

“Hm? It’s no big deal.”

Su Yao shifted her gaze from the water’s surface to the concrete slope on the Riverside, looking at the colored layers carved out by the river—marks of time.

“It might be a small matter to you, Nanqiu, but to me these are huge things—things that affect my whole life. Without you, I might be completely different…”

As she spoke, Su Yao looked back at Mu Nanqiu and smiled softly, tears shimmering in her eyes.

Mu Nanqiu tightened her grip on Su Yao’s hand but said nothing.

Sometimes emotions need to be released and expressed, and this was a good moment for that.

“But I really like things the way they are now. If I could live it all over again, I’d want it to be just like this… Though I’m always troubling you, I’m sorry.”

Su Yao sniffled, then smiled shyly and lowered her head.

“You’ve helped me so much, I don’t even know how to repay you.”

With that, she pulled out the Gift Box she had been clutching inside her pocket for a long time and slowly handed it to Mu Nanqiu.

After Mu Nanqiu accepted it, Su Yao continued.

“It’s just a little gift…”

Though it was a small gift, it cost over a thousand.

For Su Yao, anything over a hundred was expensive, let alone something worth a thousand.

“Lipstick?”

Glancing at the box, Mu Nanqiu guessed what it was and looked at shy Su Yao with interest.

Su Yao gave a low response.

When she actually gave it, she felt a bit regretful, thinking she should have bought something better or different instead of lipstick.

It was all because she hadn’t thought much when buying it.

Mu Nanqiu wasn’t the type to lack money, and cosmetics were all about personal preference; she probably wouldn’t need lipstick.

At that moment, Su Yao felt like a complete failure.

Giving someone a gift that’s probably not right is such a taboo!

Mu Nanqiu had no idea about Su Yao’s internal struggle, but she could sense some of it.

She first let go of Su Yao’s hand, holding the box with both hands and pulling it open.

Inside lay a lipstick in a transparent glass casing, which surprised Mu Nanqiu.

She looked at the lipstick, then at Su Yao.

A mischievous smile curved at the corners of Mu Nanqiu’s lips as she softly asked, “Is this used?”

“Huh? No, no! It’s brand new, absolutely! Really! Definitely! Unused!”

Hearing Mu Nanqiu’s words, Su Yao misunderstood it as a question about whether it was secondhand and felt that Mu Nanqiu was looking down on her gift.

She quickly explained that she hadn’t thought much and bought the same model and color as the one Mu Nanqiu had gifted her before, not expecting to be misunderstood.

Looking at Mu Nanqiu’s expression that said, “Really? I don’t believe you,” Su Yao got flustered, unsure how to clarify further, just opening her mouth helplessly.

Mu Nanqiu pretended to be indifferent while secretly enjoying Su Yao’s anxious and cute expression.

But she didn’t tease her too much, stopping just in time.

The seriousness on her face melted away and was replaced by a gentle, soft smile.

Su Yao saw this change and realized Mu Nanqiu was just playing with her, feeling a little petty.

Then Mu Nanqiu said something that made Su Yao’s face instantly flush with embarrassment.

“So it’s new, huh? I thought Yao Yao had used it and I got excited for nothing.”

“Ah!? Senpai?!”

Mu Nanqiu looked at Su Yao’s shy face with satisfaction, laughing as she opened the lipstick and demonstrated how to use it.

The lipstick touched her thin lips lightly and, after a gentle stroke, the originally cold color turned warm and glossy.

Mu Nanqiu’s whole face brightened, and her faint smile made her even more captivating.

Su Yao stared at her in a daze.

But that beautiful face seemed to draw closer and closer.

Before Su Yao realized it, she felt the cool softness on her own lips and the intoxicating breath from Mu Nanqiu, lightly touching then withdrawing, like a brush of water.

A small sip, yet it made Su Yao feel dizzy, as if drunk.

Her heart was pounding wildly, and her eyes grew full of affection for Mu Nanqiu.

If she could, she wanted to experience it again.

Just as Mu Nanqiu leaned down once more, the barking of a small Dog came from nearby.

Sensing someone, Su Yao quickly turned her head toward the river, pretending to look at the scenery.

Mu Nanqiu frowned at the interruption, feeling a bit displeased, but she didn’t care if anyone saw—it was absolutely necessary to take that bite!

So she pressed down Su Yao’s scarf and planted a bold kiss on her pale, rosy cheek.

The sudden action shocked Su Yao stiff.

There was no one around before, but now there was a dog walker nearby.

Mu Nanqiu’s kiss startled her.

That wasn’t all.

Mu Nanqiu suddenly lifted her into her arms, ignoring whether anyone was watching.

“Yao Yao, what feature do you want to unlock next?”

“Huh?”

Su Yao was a little stunned and couldn’t keep up with Mu Nanqiu’s playful topic.

Before she had time to think, she was pulled along by the hand to walk back.

The day wasn’t over yet.

They still had a long time ahead.

After today would come tomorrow, and after tomorrow, the day after.

Being pulled along, Su Yao could only watch Mu Nanqiu’s graceful figure and quicken her pace to walk alongside her.