Chapter 31: Getting Used to Being Together

She turned her gaze to Aunt Wang.

Lin Qingya wiped her tears and explained, “Sorry, Aunt Wang, I got the clothes dirty, I…”

“It’s fine, it’s fine, I was going to buy them for you anyway. It’s just right to take them back and wash them. Come, help me calculate the bill. Let’s go over there to pay.”

Aunt Wang explained as she called the shop owner over, leaving space for the young couple.

Aunt Wang walked away with the lady boss.

At the entrance of the lingerie store, only Lin Qingya, with her head lowered, and Cheng Minghao remained.

Cheng Minghao glanced at Lin Qingya’s delicate attire.

The girl’s exposed fair stomach no longer drew his gaze.

Even the intertwining, slender black-stockinged legs seemed dull to him.

He simply walked toward Lin Qingya, but she stepped back.

She kept her distance from him.

Not long after, a bag of clothes was handed to Cheng Minghao.

Aunt Wang explained, “Your girlfriend’s clothes, including the set she was wearing before, are all inside. Hold onto it well. I’ll take you to find the locksmith.”

As she spoke, Aunt Wang glanced at the young couple.

Seeing neither of them refute the term “girlfriend,” she sighed and shook her head, then walked ahead to the left side of the lingerie store.

“Let’s go!”

Aunt Wang called out.

Lin Qingya hesitated, lifted her face, and glanced at Cheng Minghao—so quickly it was almost a sneak peek.

After that, wearing small white shoes and black stockings, she darted forward and chased after Aunt Wang.

—

Inside the residential building.

Aunt Wang found a locksmith and even communicated with the police over the phone, explained the situation, and left a guarantee.

Only then did she let the locksmith open the door.

Now, both the locksmith and Aunt Wang had already left.

Only Lin Qingya and Cheng Minghao remained, standing between the doors of two apartments.

Lin Qingya kept her head down, avoiding Cheng Minghao’s gaze.

Feeling down inside, she spoke in a low, somber voice.

“Then… I’ll head back first.”

Lin Qingya gripped her key in her right hand, speaking softly and dejectedly to Cheng Minghao.

Her cohabitation life had come to an end.

Cheng Minghao also thought: Is it really over?

Did he want it to end?

Cheng Minghao lifted his right hand slightly, reaching his five fingers toward Lin Qingya, wanting to hold her hand.

But he saw Lin Qingya step back, retreating half a step and even hiding her small hands.

She refused to let him hold them.

“Can’t you go back? What’s wrong with you? I’m really… worried about you. Do you want to see a psychiatrist at the hospital? I’ll pay for you!”

Cheng Minghao frowned.

“No. It’s over. Let’s not meet again.”

Lin Qingya spoke, lowering her head as she thought about her own inner identity, feeling even more lost.

She wanted to never see Cheng Minghao again.

“Bang!”

Lin Qingya turned and went inside.

She was saying goodbye to Cheng Minghao, never to meet again.

But just after Lin Qingya gently closed the door, Cheng Minghao exhaled and spoke.

“See you tomorrow, in class. Good night.”

Lin Qingya said they wouldn’t meet, but their identities as students, classmates, and neighbors across the hall made their encounters inevitable.

So wanting not to meet was impossible.

Just wait until tomorrow morning…

—

The next day.

Morning.

“Click!”

Lin Qingya’s door opened.

She stepped out, touching her stomach, feeling a bit down.

“Morning!”

A smiling face appeared across from her, handing over soy milk and fried dough sticks.

Cheng Minghao said.

“I accidentally bought too much, and I’m in a bad mood, so I can’t eat it all. Can you help me finish some?”

Seeing the food offered in front of her, after a night of sleep and relaxation, especially the disappointment of waking up without seeing Cheng Minghao in the morning—

And most importantly, the lack of breakfast.

Lin Qingya’s mood instantly brightened, becoming cheerful.

“Thanks!”

She exclaimed.

Lin Qingya felt that seeing Cheng Minghao for even a moment swept away all the shadows and brought her into the sunlight.

Happily, she bit into the fried dough stick, then sipped the soy milk.

“So sweet!”

“If it’s sweet, remember to rinse your mouth later. Follow me!”

Cheng Minghao ordered, leaving Lin Qingya no room to refuse.

“Okay!”

Lin Qingya, with her mouth full of oil from the fried dough stick, was completely conquered by the breakfast.

Or rather, by Cheng Minghao’s assertiveness.

She obediently followed his instructions, trailing after him.

She entered the apartment with Cheng Minghao.

Lin Qingya skillfully put on her pink slippers, then lay comfortably on the sofa, eyes narrowing in satisfaction.

She saw a bag of food trash on the glass coffee table and casually turned her head to the right to ask Cheng Minghao.

“Have you finished eating?”

“Yeah.”

Cheng Minghao nodded, then took out a wooden comb from his right pants pocket and reached toward Lin Qingya’s arm.

“Sit properly. I’ll help you comb your hair.”

Cheng Minghao said.

“Okay!”

Lin Qingya replied softly.

Before Cheng Minghao spoke, she had already straightened up and turned her body obediently.

She faced her back toward him, ready to cooperate as he worked on her hair.

The girl was compliant, the boy practiced.

The ponytail was quickly done.

“Where’s the hair tie?”

Cheng Minghao asked, holding the ponytail.

“I brought it. I was waiting for you to help me tie it.”

Lin Qingya smiled, moving her right hand to take out a hair tie from her right pocket.

She handed the hair tie to Cheng Minghao behind her, and even shook her head, making her ponytail sway.

This made Cheng Minghao frown slightly, then laugh at Lin Qingya’s mischievousness.

He helped her smooth her hair again.

“Mm.”

Cheng Minghao smiled softly and nodded.

The unspoken understanding between the two explained everything.

As for yesterday’s troubles?

They seemed to have been forgotten, as if they never happened.

Lin Qingya moving across the hall was just like changing bedrooms.

Aside from feeling a bit nervous last night and imagining today’s interactions at school, which kept Cheng Minghao from sleeping well—

Other than that, nothing else seemed to matter.

“I’m fine. Can I come over and knock on your door?”

Cheng Minghao couldn’t help but ask.

“Sure! Come whenever you want, just like how I come to your place.”

After speaking, Lin Qingya froze.

Did she really want to come to Cheng Minghao’s place that much?

Thinking this, Lin Qingya took a big bite of the fried dough stick, pressed her lips together, and sipped the soy milk.

Then she chewed the mixed flavors together.

She chewed a bit heavily.

—

Soon, with a slightly heavy heart, Lin Qingya reflected on whether she was becoming unable to leave Cheng Minghao.

Then, carrying her melancholy, she left for school.

At school, just as she was about to enter the classroom.

Suddenly…

A grown man’s voice shouted.

“Cheng Minghao! Why are you two holding hands again?!”

“Ah?! Ah?!”

The panicked one wasn’t Cheng Minghao, but Lin Qingya, who had been filled with melancholy on the way.

How were they holding hands again?

Did she unconsciously take his hand?

She’d even been caught by the teacher…

Did they see everything?!

“Come to the office with me!”

The homeroom teacher, furious, glared at both Cheng Minghao and Lin Qingya.

Lin Qingya, bewildered, bit her lower lip, stomped on Cheng Minghao’s foot, and shouted.

“Break up! Hmph! Who wants to hold your hand anyway? Go play by yourself!”

Saying this, Lin Qingya happily ran to the office for punishment.

Even though they were caught holding hands on the way to school, she was still happy.

But after the teacher’s scolding…

In the office, the homeroom teacher lectured both Cheng Minghao and Lin Qingya.

“I see you two are getting more and more out of line!”

“I can let it go once or twice, but the third time, no way! Absolutely not!”

The homeroom teacher scolded sternly.

Even the director of discipline, drawn by the commotion, entered the room.

“What’s going on?”

The director asked, his sharp gaze taking in the two and instantly recognizing the troublemaking couple.

Lin Qingya stood to the right of Cheng Minghao, glanced outside, and when she saw the director, her expression froze.

‘It’s over, the cold-faced tiger! We’re doomed! He loves calling parents, or he’ll expel students!’