Gloves - Chapter 27

“Take off her gloves?” An Chujie carefully recalled and chuckled self-deprecatingly. She had never seen what Shang Zhuoxi’s hands looked like. Even when Shang Zhuoxi wanted her, she always wore gloves.

“I knew it,” Qi Ruan said. She felt that at least in this aspect, she was more open than Shang Zhuoxi.

“Well, today at the hospital, I saw her being intimate with a female doctor,” Qi Ruan said, eagerly anticipating An Chujie’s reaction to this news. She believed that this revelation would hit An Chujie hard.

“…” An Chujie fell silent, feeling a bit disheartened. Why did someone have to remind her of Xu Yuer’s existence?

“Aren’t you surprised?” Qi Ruan was genuinely surprised.

“I know,” An Chujie said, the image of Xu Yuer sitting on Shang Zhuoxi’s lap, acting spoiled, flashed in her mind.

“An, she doesn’t care about you that much,” Qi Ruan’s tone was too casual, as if stating a well-known fact.

“Please stop following me,” Qi Ruan kept insisting, but all An Chujie wanted was to escape this unpleasant conversation. She was afraid to hear those truths from Qi Ruan that she didn’t want to admit.

“Why are you walking so fast, Chujie? Why do you always want to get rid of me? Do you find me annoying?” Qi Ruan stopped in her tracks and stomped her foot, her voice suddenly sounding pitiful. An Chujie turned around to look at her, her eyes blinking with a pitiful expression, as if tears were about to fall in the next second.

“Well… no,” An Chujie said, seeing Qi Ruan in this vulnerable and childlike state for the first time. She didn’t actually find her annoying. At least Qi Ruan was willing to spend time with her, and that was something she should be grateful for, right?

“Then I’ll continue following you,” Qi Ruan said, looking at An Chujie’s face filled with sadness. She smirked mischievously. Did she succeed that easily? Was An Chujie really that easy to deceive?

“Then walk behind me. Don’t come up, and don’t talk,” An Chujie turned around and raised the corners of her mouth, a smile reflecting in Qi Ruan’s eyes as she walked a few steps behind.

“Chujie, you’re smiling!” Qi Ruan exclaimed as if discovering a new world, and she herself started to smile too.

“Oh, not at all!” An Chujie immediately covered her mouth, but the smile in the corners of her eyes grew even stronger. She found this situation quite strange.

“If you want to laugh, then laugh. It seems that deep down in the heart of the beautiful An, you actually quite like me. Because I can make you laugh, and no one would smile at someone they don’t like,” Qi Ruan said, feeling happy from the depths of her heart. Her confidence surged wave after wave.

“I don’t like you,” An Chujie muttered to herself, tucking her hair behind her ear, revealing her fair and delicate face. Her long hair cascaded down her back, almost reaching her waist. Qi Ruan’s heartbeat quickened as she looked at An Chujie’s profile. She quickly averted her gaze, afraid that she might not be able to resist the urge to kiss her cheek.

“I told you that once your foot healed, I would take you to fun places. Aren’t you in a hurry to go home?” Qi Ruan asked.

An Chujie shook her head. Shang Zhuoxi hadn’t called to say she was coming.

“Alright, then let’s go. I’ve been walking with you this whole time, and the car is still parked behind,” Qi Ruan said, pulling her along. She could guess what An Chujie was thinking. And true to her intuition, that last sentence hit the mark and worked. An Chujie no longer resisted.

Qi Ruan had seen An Chujie shining on stage and also witnessed her in a disheveled state twice. So, during the time they spent together, An Chujie naturally felt more relaxed around Qi Ruan.

Since it was getting late, Qi Ruan didn’t take An Chujie to a faraway place. Instead, she took her to the renovated aquarium in the East City for a visit.

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The spacious and well-lit gym was currently occupied by only two people. Shang Zhuoxi had purchased the second floor of this gym, and when Xu Yuer mentioned wanting to exercise, Shang Zhuoxi brought her here.

“Zhuoxi, I’m so tired,” Xu Yuer collapsed onto the stopped treadmill, her eyes fixed on the mirror where Shang Zhuoxi was doing sit-ups. Xu Yuer was mesmerized by Shang Zhuoxi’s long legs. When she lay down, they practically covered two-thirds of the equipment.

“If you’re tired, don’t force yourself,” Shang Zhuoxi stood up and smiled warmly at her.

“No!” Xu Yuer furrowed her brow, dragging her weary body to sit up. “I want to get thinner! So that when Zhuoxi hugs me, I won’t feel too heavy,” Xu Yuer finally managed to get up, bending over with her hands on her knees, gasping for breath.

Shang Zhuoxi glanced in her direction. Xu Yuer’s face was flushed, and a layer of pink covered the exposed part of her chest, rising and falling. Shang Zhuoxi chuckled and teasingly said, “What if you lose weight in the wrong places? I actually prefer you with a bit of meat.”

In reality, Xu Yuer wasn’t overweight at all. It’s just that her “cleavage line” was deeper than that of the average girl~

“Can you say that again without the ‘a bit of meat’ part?” Xu Yuer’s lips curved into a beautiful arc.

Shang Zhuoxi raised an eyebrow and didn’t say anything.

“Zhuoxi, you have ab lines,” Xu Yuer pointed at Shang Zhuoxi’s lower abdomen with her finger, and her fingertip traced along that line.

“Mmm…” Shang Zhuoxi’s blue eyes became cloudy, and her face turned red in an instant. She grabbed Xu Yuer’s hand.

“Zhuoxi, you’re blushing,” Shang Zhuoxi always seemed to surprise Xu Yuer in one way or another.

“Yu’er, do you have too many hands? How should I punish you?” Shang Zhuoxi lifted Xu Yuer’s hand and gently pushed her against the wall. Shang Zhuoxi took a step closer, compressing the air between them, and the redness on Xu Yuer’s face had yet to fade.

“Zhuoxi, you… can do anything you want,” Xu Yuer looked straight into Shang Zhuoxi’s eyes, her gaze filled with anticipation.

“I’ll punish you…” Shang Zhuoxi leaned in closer, and Xu Yuer’s breath became heavy.

“You’re not allowed to give An Chujie attitude when you see her.”

“Oh, what kind of punishment is that?” Xu Yuer’s anticipation was deflated, and she angrily pushed Shang Zhuoxi away.

“I never give her attitude! I just don’t like how she treats you so well. I treat you well too, you know? I’m afraid you only pay attention to her and ignore me,” Xu Yuer pouted, her head drooping in disappointment.

“How could I ignore you? You’re good to me and my dad. I appreciate you, Yu’er,” Shang Zhuoxi quickly coaxed her in a gentle voice, lowering her head to caress Xu Yuer’s face.

“Is it just appreciation? Is it because I’m good to your dad that you’re only appreciating me? I’m good to Shang Uncle because I like you, Shang Zhuoxi. I like you, not just as a regular friend. Can’t you feel it at all?” Xu Yuer was getting anxious, on the verge of tears. She grabbed Shang Zhuoxi’s wrist and shook it.

Shang Zhuoxi did feel something, but hearing Xu Yuer say it out loud still surprised her. Anyone who knew them could see that Xu Yuer had feelings for her, and Shang Zhuoxi was no exception. But Shang Zhuoxi had never thought of it in that way. She simply saw Xu Yuer as a somewhat spoiled only child who needed someone to accompany her since her parents didn’t have much time for her. Shang Zhuoxi saw herself as a friend or an older sister that Xu Yuer could trust.

“When did it start?” Shang Zhuoxi threw the sweat-soaked towel onto the treadmill and focused her attention on Xu Yuer.

“I don’t know, Shang Zhuoxi. You’re using me, sob…” Xu Yuer suddenly burst into tears. She had no idea when she started liking that person. Was it when she first saw her father in prison, wearing gloves just like herself? That face was even colder than the prison itself. Or was it when that person bent down and spoke to her for the first time, with her captivating blue eyes stealing Xu Yuer’s soul? Or perhaps it was when that person took her out to play for the first time? Since middle school, no one was willing to be friends with Xu Yuer anymore because they could always sense the disdain she held. And in truth, she did feel that way. Or maybe it started when An Chujie appeared? Xu Yuer began to hope that Shang Zhuoxi’s kindness was meant for her alone…

“You’re only being nice to me so that I’ll be nicer to your dad, aren’t you? You’re really just using me!” Xu Yuer cried out in frustration.

“Yu’er, how could you think I’m using you?” Shang Zhuoxi never expected Xu Yuer to use that word.

“I don’t want to be with you anymore. I want to go home, hmph!” Xu Yuer grabbed her clothes and prepared to leave in anger.

“I’ll take you home. It’s not safe to be out this late,” Shang Zhuoxi offered.

“Hmph! You’re only worried about my safety because if something happens to me, there won’t be anyone to take care of your dad!” Xu Yuer’s anger flared up at the thought. Shang Zhuoxi quickly changed her shoes, grabbed her jacket, and dragged Xu Yuer all the way to the car. She couldn’t be bothered with this issue. Throughout the journey, no matter how much Xu Yuer squirmed and shouted in the backseat, Shang Zhuoxi ignored her. Finally, she safely dropped Xu Yuer off at home, feeling a sense of relief. After some thought, she realized that she still preferred the obedient An Chujie. Feeling a surge of excitement, she drove towards An Chujie’s house.

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Shang Zhuoxi opened the door to a dark room. The woman who usually greeted her with a smile seemed to be absent. Shang Zhuoxi checked her phone for the time. What was she doing out so late?

The aquarium at this hour seemed to only have An Chujie and Qi Ruan left. An Chujie was standing on the conveyor belt, gazing up at the various marine creatures above her, when her phone rang.

“Zhuoxi? Is there something you need?” An Chujie still had a smile on her face.

“An! Look at that pufferfish!” Qi Ruan shouted next to An Chujie. It seemed like the pufferfish had been following them the whole way.

“Hello? Zhuoxi? Can you hear me?” An Chujie completely ignored Qi Ruan. She couldn’t hear the other person’s voice.

“An, who are you talking to on the phone?” Qi Ruan walked over briskly. An Chujie lowered her phone to check, and there was full signal. Why couldn’t she hear anything?

“Zhuo…”

“Beep… beep beep…” By the time she picked up the phone again, the other person had already hung up.

“Shang Zhuoxi, huh?” Qi Ruan stared at An Chujie’s screen, feeling a pang of jealousy. She had been with her for so long, finally managing to drive away her bad mood, but one phone call from Shang Zhuoxi made her feel restless again.

Upon hearing Qi Ruan’s voice, Shang Zhuoxi immediately hung up and threw her phone away. She locked the door from the inside and carelessly tossed her sweaty jacket onto the sofa. She walked into An Chujie’s room, pulled out all the neatly folded clothes and threw them haphazardly onto the floor. Finally, she grabbed her own pajamas from inside and headed to the bathroom to relax and unwind with a shower.