The Crybaby Mistress GL - Chapter 17

Luo Jing was still a student, so her biological clock remained steady. Unless she was extremely tired, she never slept in late.

That morning, the light filtering through the curtains gently woke her up. She turned over, sat up with her hair still messy, and quickly reached for her phone. When she saw the time, she finally felt at ease.

It was still early enough to make breakfast.

She had assumed that Chen Xin had already left, just like she had on previous occasions. However, when Luo Jing looked down, she saw an arm draped across her waist. It seemed that Chen Xin had drunk too much the night before and had not left. Instead, she had fallen asleep right on top of Luo Jing.

Chen Xin appeared to be suffering from a hangover. Even in her sleep, her eyebrows were furrowed.

Luo Jing sat at the edge of the bed for a moment and observed her quietly. Chen Xin had delicate features and looked quite beautiful. Without her usual makeup, she seemed much softer and more approachable. Luo Jing thought back to the silly things Chen Xin had said after drinking. The memory made her smile. She reached out and gently poked Chen Xin’s furrowed brow. After drinking, Chen Xin had become unusually clingy. Even the poke did not wake her. Instead, she mumbled something in her sleep.

“Give me a little time.” Her voice sounded troubled, as if she was trapped in a difficult dream.

Seeing her like that, Luo Jing guessed she must be having a nightmare. She leaned close and whispered softly into her ear, “It’s alright. Take your time.”

After those words, Chen Xin’s eyebrows relaxed slightly. Luo Jing quietly got out of bed, went to take a shower, and began making breakfast.

Chen Xin was indeed not having a pleasant dream. In the dream, she and Luo Jie had agreed to undergo in-vitro fertilization. Not only did she need to receive countless injections, but under pressure from Xu Fangting and Chen Zhen, she also had to go through an amniocentesis. The imagery in the dream was vivid. Her entire body felt uncomfortable. As her belly slowly began to swell, her parents stood by and kept criticizing her.

She shouted at them in the dream, demanding to know if they could take things one step at a time. Could they just give her some time?

At that moment, all the noise and demands vanished. What remained was a soft, gentle voice that said, “It’s alright. Take your time.”

Chen Xin finally felt a sense of relief. She saw a tall door in front of her, one much higher than herself. She had to lift her hand just to reach the doorknob. A woman stood with her back to her in what looked like a kitchen. When she turned around, her face was blurred and unclear. Yet Chen Xin somehow knew she was smiling at her.

Just as Chen Xin was about to smile back, the woman suddenly rushed forward and hugged her. A wave of heat followed, scalding her and causing her eyes to snap open as she sat up abruptly.

“Ugh.” Her head hurt terribly the moment she sat up. She finally realized that she was still in Luo Jing’s apartment. She was surprised that she had fallen asleep at all. Alcohol really did seem to help with sleep.

The spot beside her in the bed was empty. Chen Xin noticed that she was hugging a pillow. She could not tell whether she had pulled it over herself or whether Luo Jing had tucked it there before leaving. Her head throbbed. She needed water. She lifted the blanket and got up to find something to drink.

As soon as she moved the blanket aside, a bright red stain caught her attention. She looked more closely and saw a small bloodstain on the sheets. It was clearly a trace of what had happened with Luo Jing the night before. A rush of complicated emotions filled her chest. She felt heartache, a touch of pride, and a deep desire to take responsibility for that foolish girl.

Yet she knew deep down that it was unlikely she could truly commit to being responsible for Luo Jing forever.

She thought back to the ridiculous dream about IVF and wiped a hand over her face. Somehow, everything in that dream felt like it could become reality someday. For now, all she could do was take things one day at a time.

It was all deeply frustrating.

She stood and went to take a shower, hoping to wash away the discomfort and lingering emotions from the dream. Afterward, she put on a shirt and underwear. Without bothering to wear pants, she wrapped a towel around her waist and wandered out. The moment she opened the door, a delicious smell reached her nose. She heard the sizzling of bacon and felt her stomach grumble loudly. She followed the scent to the kitchen, curious to see what Luo Jing was making.

Luo Jing stood with her head down, carefully peeling a boiled egg. A few strips of bacon sizzled in the pan nearby. Chen Xin leaned against the kitchen doorway for a while, realizing that Luo Jing had not yet noticed her presence. Then she finally spoke.

“Is there a portion for me?”

“Miss Chen, you’re up early. Why not sleep a little longer?” Luo Jing’s hand slipped slightly. The egg fell into the bowl and bounced a few times before it rolled to a stop.

“The smell of bacon woke me up,” Chen Xin replied with a smile.

Luo Jing did not chase after the rolling egg. She turned quickly and poured a glass of honey water for Chen Xin, then handed it to her. “Here. Drink this first. I heard honey water helps relieve hangovers.”

Chen Xin smiled and accepted the glass. She brought it to her lips and sipped it slowly. Whether or not it actually helped with hangovers, this thoughtful glass of honey water tasted incredibly sweet.

“Would you like to have breakfast with me? I made plenty,” Luo Jing offered as she recovered the boiled egg, sliced it open on the cutting board, and prepared to place it on top of a salad.

Her hands stayed busy. A cookbook lay open on the counter beside her. Luo Jing was following the recipe step by step. She did not seem very used to making Western-style breakfasts. There was a bit of clumsiness in her movements.

Chen Xin had wanted to offer help, but the words never left her mouth. Instead, she said, “Then I will wait in the dining room.” She knew that entering the kitchen would only make things more chaotic. Holding her honey water, she walked over to the dining table and sat down. Her headache remained, but her mood had quietly improved.

Luo Jing did not keep her waiting for long. Soon, she came out carrying the dishes. A small, satisfied smile played on her lips. She placed a large bowl of salad on the table and introduced it with pride.

“Caesar chicken salad.”

Then she brought out two hearty sandwiches. “These are poached egg and bacon sandwiches.”

The sandwiches were packed. Crisp lettuce, crispy bacon, cool slices of savory ham, semi-melted cheese, and a perfectly poached egg, all topped with a generous drizzle of creamy hollandaise sauce.

“It looks delicious,” Chen Xin said sincerely. She swallowed involuntarily as she praised the dish.

“Right? I followed the recipe exactly.” Luo Jing opened the cookbook and revealed a picture that looked nearly identical to what she had prepared. Even the plating was the same. It was obvious that she had put a lot of thought into it.

Chen Xin picked up one of the sandwiches and took a bite. To wake up to such a high-quality breakfast felt deeply satisfying. As she chewed, she asked, “Why did you suddenly start learning how to cook?”

Luo Jing took a bite as well and replied with a shy smile. “I just wanted to learn more. That way, if you come over often, I can cook for you.” She did not know how to make very many dishes. If Miss Chen visited more frequently, she would run out of variety. So she had bought a few impressive cookbooks and started practicing. It had only been a couple of days.

Listening to her, Chen Xin felt her mood grow lighter. This sweet little thing really did suit her preferences. She sighed and said, “If I could eat breakfast like this every morning, it would be wonderful.”

Her expression showed some regret. She clearly understood that such a life was not possible.

Luo Jing looked up at her with wide eyes and asked softly, “Miss Chen, are you troubled by something?”

She sensed that something was different about Chen Xin today. But since she had not known her long, she was not sure if she had guessed correctly. All she could do was ask. “If there’s something bothering you, I can listen if you want to talk about it. Also, drinking too much is really not good for your health.”

All she wanted was to gently encourage Chen Xin to stop relying on alcohol.

“Understood.” Chen Xin had not expected Luo Jing to care so much about her health. Even her headache seemed to fade a little. The more time she spent like this, the more she longed for a peaceful life like this one. She then remembered that she had forgotten to check on her sweet girl.

“By the way, are you still in pain?”