Please Do Not Disturb, On a Date

Around eight or nine in the morning, Long Miaoming brought her car to a smooth halt in front of the flower shop and gave a sharp honk of the horn.

“Aaargh! Which bastard is leaning on their horn in front of someone’s house so early in the morning? Are people not allowed to sleep anymore?!”

Before Luo Xiaoxi could even speak, she heard a flurry of annoyed shouts from Hua Qianluo’s room next door. Qianluo yanked the curtains open and saw the tall, elegantly dressed figure sitting in the car.

As it happened, Miaoming was looking right back at her. With a mischievous smirk, Miaoming leaned on the horn again, flashing a provocative little look at the window.

Hua Qianluo nearly exploded with rage.

“Coming, I’m coming!” Xiaoxi shouted toward the outside while calling out to Qianluo’s door: “Mama Qianluo, I left breakfast in the kitchen for you! Remember to eat it!”

The sound of the door opening and closing followed, and the shop returned to silence. A long while later, Hua Qianluo emerged from her room with a teary, pouting expression.

“Waaaah… my daughter ran off with that stupid dragon… she doesn’t want her Mama anymore…”

“Sister Long, sorry to keep you waiting.”

Luo Xiaoxi gave a faint smile. She was dressed casually in a simple sundress that gave off a comfortable, effortless vibe. Combined with her exceptionally pretty face, she looked like the quintessential “girl-next-door” from a movie.

Actually, Xiaoxi had wanted to dress more formally. Since it was her first time going out with her rich older sister, she didn’t want to look too sloppy. But after scouring her wardrobe, she found that aside from her high school uniforms, she only had a few casual outfits like this one.

She knew Hua Qianluo had more suitable clothes, but there was one fatal problem: their figures didn’t match. Even if Qianluo’s figure was slightly less “imposing” than Miaoming’s, she still had curves in all the right places—worlds apart from Xiaoxi’s “flat board” physique.

“It’s fine, I just got here myself,” Miaoming said with a smile.

As Xiaoxi got into the car, Miaoming didn’t forget to take one last look at the resentful “mother” peering through the shop window. She stepped on the gas and sped away.

“Ah, the youth… so much energy,” Qianluo muttered with a hint of envy. She habitually began to count her knuckles to divine the future but suddenly frowned. “Forget it, she’s with her,” she said cryptically.

After a quick breakfast, Qianluo didn’t open the shop for business. Instead, she headed into the basement. On the workbench there sat the half-carved piece of blood jade.

9:20 AM.

Miaoming and Xiaoxi arrived at the pedestrian street right on time. Miaoming parked in a public spot, and they headed out to go shopping. Since Baijiang City was a tourist destination centered on history and culture, the streets were mostly lined with traditional-style architecture.

Walking down the street, Miaoming held Xiaoxi’s small hand. Suddenly, her current surroundings began to overlap with her memories. For a moment, she couldn’t distinguish between the past and the present. She vaguely remembered that back then, Luo Bai had held her hand just like this, wandering through the streets. Back then, Luo Bai used to complain about Miaoming running off everywhere. Now, the roles were reversed.

“Sister Long.”

Xiaoxi had stood in line to buy two ice creams and held one out to Miaoming. “Here, half for you.”

“Thanks.” Miaoming took the green matcha ice cream and took a bite. Beneath the slightly bitter tea powder was a refreshing fragrance, followed by a wave of sweetness.

After about an hour of walking, Xiaoxi was tired, so they returned to the car. Miaoming quietly pulled out a small notebook.

Shopping: Xiaoxi’s Satisfaction Level: 10 Stars.

10:40 AM.

Miaoming drove Xiaoxi further down the Baijiang River to the water park. Xiaoxi looked at the scene before her with a look of dread: crowds of men and women in swimwear.

“Xiaoxi, go change your clothes!” Miaoming’s smile was unnervingly wide.

Xiaoxi suddenly understood why Miaoming had been lingering in front of the swimwear shop earlier. She must have planned this all along. In the end, a dejected Xiaoxi was pushed into the changing room by Miaoming.

Though she felt embarrassed, fortunately, no one noticed Xiaoxi’s petite, flat frame. Most of the gazes were fixed firmly on Long Miaoming. Xiaoxi breathed a sigh of relief. Since the person next to her was so radiant, couldn’t she just hide in the shadows?

“Xiaoxi!”

The “gentle older sister” version of Miaoming completely vanished in that moment. Right there in front of everyone, she tried to “suffocate” Xiaoxi with a massive hug.

“Mmph… Sister Long, let go! I… I can’t breathe!”

By the time they got back to the car and packed away the swimwear, Xiaoxi was looking at Miaoming with genuine fear. Miaoming realized she had messed up.

Swimming: Xiaoxi’s Satisfaction Level: -5 Stars.

12:30 PM.

Miaoming drove Xiaoxi to the couples’ restaurant she had booked. In the private booth—decorated with deep blue tones—Miaoming sat wearing a brilliant red evening gown. She looked like a princess from a fairy tale… or perhaps a demon queen.

Dim candlelight flickered against the silver cutlery on the table. A lily bloomed gently in the center. This was the scene Xiaoxi walked into. For some reason, seeing the lily made Xiaoxi think of those “yuri” (girls’ love) manga that were popular lately…

Once the dishes were served, Miaoming gave the waiter a subtle signal, and he took his leave.

“Sister Long…”

“Mhm?” Miaoming looked at Xiaoxi with a beaming smile. “What is it?”

“It’s just… I didn’t bring any money…” Xiaoxi hinted subtly at her desire to go home.

Even though Hua Qianluo was always bossing her around, at least she felt safe with her. With Miaoming, she felt like her very “safety” was at risk.

“What are you talking about? Today, everything is on me,” Miaoming said grandly.

She had seen through Xiaoxi’s thoughts long ago. It had been hard enough to get her out on a date; how could she let her go back so easily? Besides, if Xiaoxi caught onto her “nefarious” intentions, it would be much harder to ask her out next time.

At this thought, the look in Miaoming’s eyes grew increasingly fervent.

“Sister Long, please act normal. You’re being kind of scary,” Xiaoxi said, her lip twitching as she looked at Miaoming with concern.

“Don’t be afraid. You’ll get used to it soon enough.”

At that moment, Miaoming’s smile was exceptionally bright.