A Match Made in Heaven?

“My hands are still cold, yours are just so warm,” Lin Wanzhao added, almost as an afterthought.

Yu Qingkong turned to look at her, her voice catching in her throat. After a long beat, she managed a stiff nod. “Oh…”

Seeing that Yu Qingkong hadn’t pulled away, Lin Wanzhao continued to hold on, her grip loose and casual, but her heart settled with a sense of peace.

They walked in silence. Even though they weren’t doing anything out of the ordinary, Yu Qingkong felt as though she could feel the faint pulse of the blood beneath Lin’s skin. A strange sensation traveled from her hand through her entire body, making her suddenly reluctant to let go.

Yu Qingkong’s hands were indeed warm. It was almost miraculous; as a child, she had been deathly afraid of the cold. Now, her constitution seemed to have done a total 180-degree turn. Despite wearing so little, she wasn’t cold at all—in fact, she felt a bit hot.

They continued toward the mall, both lost in their own thoughts, neither saying a word. It wasn’t until a passerby ran toward them, forcing them to dodge, that they finally let go. Once the connection was broken, there seemed to be no valid reason to start holding hands again.

Yu Qingkong felt a wave of relief, yet at the same time, she felt as if Lin Wanzhao’s warmth was still lingering in her palm. She rubbed her fingers together, feeling as though something was missing.

“By the way,” Lin Wanzhao suddenly asked, “you said you bumped into Shiye’s girlfriend. Do you know who she is?”

“I only heard them talking and gathered her name was Ruan-ruan. I don’t know the specific characters of the name or her full name. Why?” Yu Qingkong looked at her.

“Nothing. I was just thinking about how to shatter that toxic tumor’s disguise so people stay away from her,” Lin Wanzhao shook her head. “She’s too much of a scumbag; I don’t want her to have an easy life.”

“Mhm,” Yu Qingkong agreed. “That definitely deserves some attention.”

“Still, if someone is a serial offender, they’ll leave a trail. Once you find one thread, the whole thing unspools. It shouldn’t be hard to expose her,” Lin Wanzhao sighed. “I just feel bad for that girl.”

Yu Qingkong nodded again. To be honest, she was secretly quite happy that things between Lin Wanzhao and Shiye had fallen through. When she discovered Shiye was a scumbag, she had actually felt a weight lift off her shoulders—now there was a perfectly “righteous” reason for them to break it off.

Wait, why am I thinking like that? Yu Qingkong let out a breath, feeling a flash of self-contempt.

Then, Lin Wanzhao shifted the topic abruptly. “I still can’t believe you once thought I was the type to two-time people.”

Yu Qingkong looked up, her expression awkward. At that time, she hadn’t known Lin Wanzhao very well. Combined with how smoothly Lin had asked her out and the rumors she’d heard, it was hard not to jump to that conclusion.

“I’m sorry,” Yu Qingkong lowered her head and apologized softly.

“It’s fine. I’m not trying to settle old scores…” Lin Wanzhao replied with a smile.

Hearing that, the tension in Yu Qingkong’s heart finally eased.

As they reached the plaza where the mall was located, they noticed a bustling crowd. Yu Qingkong looked over and saw a young man sitting among a sea of fresh flowers, cradling a guitar. He was singing a confession to a girl.

The boy had a gentle voice and a clean, smiling face. The girl stood there, hands over her mouth, looking shy, nervous, and excited all at once.

When the song ended, the boy asked if she would be with him. Their friends began cheering and whistling. The girl stepped forward, punched his shoulder playfully, and finally pulled him into a hug. The surrounding crowd erupted in applause. Lin Wanzhao couldn’t help but clap along. This only works because the feelings are mutual, she thought. Otherwise, she’d just think he was an idiot.

Mutual feelings… how nice. Lin Wanzhao felt a pang of envy.

Yu Qingkong turned back. “I just realized I haven’t taken my guitar out in a long time.”

“You can play guitar?” Lin Wanzhao was surprised.

“Yeah. I loved it in high school. A friend gave me one, and I played for a while. Then I got busy with school and set it aside.”

“Can you sing, then?” Lin Wanzhao figured if someone could play, they could usually carry a tune.

“A little. I’m not great at it,” Yu Qingkong laughed.

“Sing a few lines for me,” Lin Wanzhao encouraged her. “I really like people who can play and sing.”

“Next time,” Yu Qingkong coughed. “My throat doesn’t feel great today.”

“Alright, take care of your voice then.” Lin Wanzhao sighed. “Still, watching people fall in love… it feels pretty sweet.”

Yu Qingkong followed her gaze. The boy had slung his guitar over his back and was running off with the girl, both of them laughing happily.

After a moment, Yu Qingkong spoke up. “CEO Lin, do you really want to be in a relationship that badly?”

“I’ve been single for so long, of course I think about it,” Lin Wanzhao looked at her.

“I see…” Yu Qingkong nodded. “Have you… been in love before?”

“I’ve ‘dated’… but I don’t really count it. We were together for three months, but I just couldn’t bring myself to like her. We called ourselves a couple, but we were basically strangers. So we split. I don’t think that was ‘love,’” Lin Wanzhao sighed. “That kind of relationship is worse than being single. I felt nothing when we held hands—it was like being with a best friend, let alone doing anything else.”

She had been young and curious about what love felt like, only to find she couldn’t generate the spark.

“Anything else…?” Yu Qingkong took a sip of her milk tea.

“Yeah. Like kissing, or… going to bed.” Lin Wanzhao nodded.

Yu Qingkong suddenly coughed violently, taking a while to recover. “Kissing and going to bed are ‘else’?”

“Well, we didn’t do it. My point is, even holding hands was boring, so I had zero interest in doing anything more.”

Yu Qingkong nodded slowly.

“It’s actually quite embarrassing. It was just a straight-up friendship. Not even close to what happened with you. At least with you, I realized… well, that being in bed feels amazing. No wonder so many people go out and hook up…” Lin Wanzhao crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes as she stared ahead. “I get it now.”

Yu Qingkong nearly crushed her milk tea cup. She was practically choking on her drink.

“By the way… how were you so good at it back then?” Lin Wanzhao suddenly pivoted, spinning around to stand very close to Yu Qingkong.

Lin’s eyes reflected the flickering neon lights of the night, looking exceptionally moving. Her lips were soft and pink, and her whole being radiated a certain charm that made Yu Qingkong involuntarily recall the sensation of their skin pressed together.

“Wanzhao?!” Suddenly, an incredibly excited voice rang out from behind them.

Both Yu Qingkong and Lin Wanzhao turned to look.

Standing nearby was a woman in an oversized denim jacket and a striped inner shirt. She was one of Lin Wanzhao’s friends; the two had gotten along well while traveling abroad. She was currently waving frantically at Lin Wanzhao.

“Keke?” Lin Wanzhao was stunned for a few seconds before walking over. “When did you get back? Why didn’t you say anything?”

Lu Keke grinned, stepped forward, and hugged Lin Wanzhao, resting her chin on Lin’s shoulder. “Oh, I wanted to surprise you, so I didn’t reach out. I didn’t expect to run into you here! I’ve missed you so much!”

Yu Qingkong paused before walking over to stand by Lin Wanzhao’s side. Next to Keke stood another woman in an apricot coat. She had long, slightly wavy milk-tea-colored hair and elegant features. She had an almost ethereal, gentle aura about her.

While the two friends had their emotional reunion, Yu Qingkong and the other woman exchanged polite, slightly awkward smiles.

Lin Wanzhao laughed and patted Lu Keke’s back. “Well, we’ve met now, haven’t we?”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t miss you! Right?” Lu Keke blinked and looked Lin over. “Let me see… how did you get even thinner?”

“I haven’t,” Lin Wanzhao said, looking at the girl in the apricot coat. “And who is this?”

“Oh, this is Zheng Shiyi, my friend. She’s a fashion designer,” Lu Keke explained, then looked at Yu Qingkong. “And who’s this?”

“Yu Qingkong, my friend, and also someone from my company,” Lin Wanzhao introduced her. “And this is Lu Keke.”

“Hello, Miss Lu, Miss Zheng.” Yu Qingkong nodded and offered her hand to both, a formal greeting.

“Are you guys shopping here?” Lin Wanzhao asked.

“Ugh, don’t get me started. Shiyi and I just met an absolute idiot,” Lu Keke sighed.

Yu Qingkong listened but didn’t interject.

After Lu Keke whispered a few things to Zheng Shiyi, she continued: “Someone introduced a girl to Shiyi, so I went with her. It turns out the woman was a total moron. I’m so annoyed!”

“What a coincidence,” Lin Wanzhao arched an eyebrow.

“Could it be that Miss Lin also…?” Zheng Shiyi looked at her.

“Yes, I also met a ‘moron’ today,” Lin Wanzhao laughed helplessly.

“The person had a girlfriend and still came to meet her. But I caught her, so she didn’t succeed,” Yu Qingkong finally added.

“Oh, that’s… such a coincidence! Our Shiyi’s date was the same! While they were eating, the woman’s girlfriend showed up and caused a huge scene. I was livid!” Lu Keke frowned.

“Yes, there are so many scumbags these days. It’s exhausting,” Zheng Shiyi agreed with a sigh.

“That’s why I think even if you really want to date, you have to be cautious,” Yu Qingkong said, glancing at Lin Wanzhao. “Don’t get sold out and then help them count the money.”

“Miss Yu is absolutely right! But honestly, sometimes no matter how cautious you are, you can’t avoid accidents unless you become a nun for life… wait,” Lu Keke’s eyes suddenly lit up. She looked at Lin Wanzhao. “Wanzhao, are you looking for a partner too?”

Lin Wanzhao blinked, then smiled. “Just looking.”

“Then why don’t you two give it a try?!” Lu Keke pointed at Lin Wanzhao and said to Zheng Shiyi, “Lin Wanzhao, my friend. I’ve known her for two years. Good family, amazing looks—the line of people chasing her could reach the Great Wall. But she never plays around. Other than liking a drink now and then, she has no bad habits, and she’s a powerhouse at making money!”

Before Yu Qingkong or Lin Wanzhao could even process this, Lu Keke pushed Zheng Shiyi toward Lin Wanzhao. “Zheng Shiyi, my friend. We haven’t known each other long, but we’ve been through hard times together. I know her inside and out. I swear to God, she’s a genuinely good person! Simple private life, normal hobbies, great at cooking and housework. She’s beautiful, thoughtful, and gentle. A literal angel on earth!”

Yu Qingkong was stunned. A single thought unceremoniously invaded her mind: Dammit, another one pops up as soon as the first one dies?

Then, Lu Keke looked at Yu Qingkong and asked with a beaming smile, “Miss Yu, right? Don’t you think they’re a perfect match?!”