Lunch came rolling around quickly. Grandma Peng and Ning's mother both prepared lunch for the whole family and Tingfeng.
Meixiu wanted to help them, but Grandma Peng and Auntie Xia refused and told her to just rest up with her wife.
With Xiaohui taking a nap in the room and Xiaowen not wanting her to join her wife, she didn't have a choice but to sit in the living room area, dozing off as the exhaustion hit her.
"Older sister Meixiu."
The girl mentioned flinching at the sudden call and hands tapping her shoulder, making her look back and see Ning with a smile on her face.
"Are you tired? You can take a rest in our room."
Ning offered the bedroom she and her mother use, but Meixiu smiles at her and shakes her head, not wanting to enter the ladies bedroom to show respect.
"I can manage; I'm not that tired anyway."
Ning sat down on the couch and looked at Meixiu as if the girl had said something so obvious.
"I don't trust you; come on and lay on my lap."
Ning scooted a little towards the arm rest, giving Meixiu a lot of space to lay her body. The older girl looks at her in confusion, not wanting to lay down as it might be seen as something by the people inside the house.
"Come on, just lay down and take a rest."
The two held eye contact, with Meixiu's eyes getting a little hesitant while Ning had an encouraging stare.
Meixiu sighs and nods, her head coming into contact with Ning's lap as she sighs in relief.
Her eyes closed a little, feeling the exhausting events that had happened for the past hours. Her mind drifted off quickly as Ning had her hand on Meixiu's hair, combing it slowly.
The door where Xiaohui and Xiaowen are staying opened, and it revealed Xiaohui, who held a pillow in her arms.
Her eyes quickly went towards the couch, and she saw Meixiu getting her much-needed rest on Ning as the girl had her hand continuously combing Meixiu's hair.
The scene unfolding in front of her causes her to furrow her eyebrows. Her eyes looked between the two before darting towards the older woman, who was lying on the lap of the younger woman.
She approaches them before her hands grip the pillow she's carrying. Her mouth formed a straight line before she cleared her throat.
"Oh, older sister Xiaohui, do you need something?"
Ning stops her action as her head pans towards the sound of the clearing throat. She slowly put her hands under Meixiu's head after confirming that the taller woman had fallen asleep.
"Nothing; I was actually thinking of giving Meixiu a pillow."
Ning, still not fully standing as Meixiu's head is still on the way, looks at Xiaohui's hand, and she couldn't help but smile widely.
"Put it under her head; I still have to do something."
Ning supported Meixiu's head as Xiaohui put the pillow under her head. Ning slowly put it down and smiled at Xiaohui.
"I'll help Grandma and my mother."
Xiaohui nodded and bowed down as Ning walked away from the couple. The older woman was about to walk away from the taller woman when a hand grabbed hers.
She froze in her spot when the hand slightly caressed her right hand. Looking back at the taller woman, she saw her with a smile on her face.
Her face quickly flashes a deep shade of red before she removes Meixiu's hand from her, walking back towards the room to hide her red face.
As soon as she closes the door, she breathes a sigh of relief before putting her hand on her chest.
"Calm down; she's not awake."
-
Lunch quickly came, and the dining area was filled with a thick tension between Tingfeng and Meixiu, mostly for Tingfeng.
The guy never let Meixiu breathe even once, but the woman, having had enough of everything, just ignored him.
The dining area they are eating in is outside the house. Considering the small space the house has, they didn't have a choice but to put it outside.
Either way, it's a good way because more air can be breathed in when eating.
Ning happily puts foods onto her mother and grandfather's plates, as well as Meixiu's, confusing the other girl beside the taller.
"Grandma Peng! Grandpa Xia!"
The two older siblings looked at their backs and saw Wan Yang with his bike in hand, happily smiling and waving at them.
His eyes quickly scanned the dining area and saw Xiaohui beside Meixiu.
"Wan Yang, join us."
Invited by Grandpa Xia. The boy happily went towards Xiaohui and occupied the chair beside the woman.
"Hi."
He said this, smiling brightly as Xiaohui smiled back at him, causing his cheeks to redden at the sudden interaction.
"Baby, eat this."
Meixiu interrupted them, glaring at the boy before putting a dish on Xiaohui's plate.
The woman looks at her, smiling, as she takes her spoon to scoop the food Meixiu puts on her plate.
"Thanks, it tastes good."
"Right? Ning helped Auntie Xia and Grandma Peng prepare that."
Xiaohui's eyes flicker at the girl beside her, smiling a little as Ning waves at her happily.
"Xiaohui."
The girl mentioned looks in front, her eyes staring at Tingfeng as the guy takes a bite of his food.
"What do you say about going out after lunch?"
"Sorry, we have things planned out."
Meixiu quickly grabs Xiaohui's hands and glares at the guy, not wanting her wife to hang out with Tingfeng.
As if that's what Tingfeng wanted.
Meixiu had known Tingfeng, and all he wanted was to have Xiaohui in his arms.
And that won't happen to her.
Xiaohui might not show any liking to her, but they have been good friends with each other.
Xiaowen didn't like what went out of Meixiu's mouth. The utensils she was using came into contact with the table, and she stood up and pointed her fingers towards Meixiu.
"Garbage! Who are you to plan things for my daughter!?"
Grandma Peng stands up from her chair, looking at Xiaowen.
"Xiaowen, we're in front of the food."
"Ma! Can you let that garbage take Xiaohui? She's not worthy of it!"
Xiaowen looks at Grandma Peng, her eyes begging the older woman to agree with her words.
The older woman sighs and shakes her head, sitting back down on her chair as she takes her utensils.
"They are married; they can plan things with each other."
A phone ringing caught the attention of the people around the table, almost dropping the tension.
Meixiu puts her utensils on the plate, feeling and hearing her phone ringing and vibrating in her pocket.
She pulled it up, and her eyes went towards Xiaohui, who was staring back at her.
"Sorry, I need to answer this."
Xiaohui nodded, and Meixiu looked at the people around her, bowing a little as she excused herself from the dining table.
Xiaohui looked down at the phone before Meixiu could go away from them, her eyes reading the caller's name.
"Hello, Suyin? Do you need something?"
Meixiu puts the phone towards her ear and asks the girl on the line.
It was quiet until she heard a sigh leaving the person on the line, her eyebrow furrowing in the process.
"Sorry if I was disturbing something, Ms. Song, but I would like to ask for your company."
"To where?"
"I'm about to go to a town away from Jiangqiao to give the necessities the people needed..."
"... But it's alright if you didn't want to."
"What you are doing is nice, but I'm afraid I need to cancel it out because I'm not in our house at the moment."
"Oh, it's alright, Ms. Song; maybe next time."
"Yeah, next time."