Su Yirao, Su Yirao, Su Yirao…
Guan Qingtong repeatedly chanted her name in her heart, recalling every moment they spent together, every smile, every gesture. Sigh, she was the one who fell first—those who fall first are always the losers.
Guan Qingtong composed herself, setting aside the unrealistic hopes and returning to her own role.
"Alright, sister, I was wrong. I shouldn't have threatened you."
She apologized sweetly, her tone innocent and soft, which made Su Yirao, who was ready to tease her further, pause in surprise.
Then, with a helpless smile, Su Yirao raised her hand and gently pinched Guan Qingtong's cheek, full of collagen.
"Sister, we're outside," Guan Qingtong whispered, sneaking a glance at Li Hengxuan behind them, grumbling, "The rival's right there. Give me some face."
Su Yirao froze for a moment, the smile in her eyes turning serious. She whispered softly, "Rival?"
Guan Qingtong quickly replied, "A woman's intuition!"
Su Yirao leaned in closer, her breath warm against Guan Qingtong's ear, and whispered, "He's not your rival. Your rival is… me."
The warmth of her breath lingered on her ear, while Su Yirao's eyes held a trace of probing that was hard to catch.
Guan Qingtong blinked and smiled, "Sister, I never knew you were so narcissistic."
"Narcissistic?" Su Yirao's steps faltered, a fleeting smile mixed with a touch of helplessness appearing on her face.
Before Guan Qingtong could continue explaining, Su Yirao calmly said, "You don't need to see Li Hengxuan as a rival; he's just a colleague and old friend. But you, you're my girlfriend in name. Of course, a girlfriend is more important than an old friend."
Guan Qingtong bit her lip, smiling gently.
Li Hengxuan had been Su Yirao's high school desk mate, often skipping classes and pulling pranks. He was the most rebellious student in the teacher's eyes.
One day, after a prank went wrong, Su Yirao put him in his place. Since then, he harbored unspoken feelings for her. But back in high school, Su Yirao only had eyes for Yu Xingye, completely unaware of the rebellious student admiring her from behind.
After graduation, they lost touch.
In the original story, Su Yirao and Li Hengxuan met again much later. The dumbed-down version of Su Yirao, driven by the need for dramatic misunderstandings, sought out Li Hengxuan, who still harbored feelings for her, and tricked him into thinking that his child was actually hers and Yu Xingye's…
Thinking about that storyline now, Su Yirao could only cringe.
When she decided to deviate from the original plot, she assumed she would never meet Li Hengxuan again.
Now, seeing him again through this new collaboration felt surreal, as if the original plot and reality were parallel worlds.
But this amusing thought didn't last long, as she recalled that the system had promised a new plot supervisor.
Who could it be?
And why haven't they revealed themselves yet?
As Su Yirao sat on the sofa lost in thought, the subtle scent of milk and mango filled the air.
Looking up, she saw her favorite mango pudding.
"Sister, dessert after the meal. Give it a try," Guan Qingtong smiled warmly, placing the pudding on the table, eagerly awaiting her reaction.
After parting ways with Li Hengxuan at the restaurant, Guan Qingtong had hurriedly brought Su Yirao home, eager for her to taste the dessert she had learned to make.
"The presentation, the plating—did you bring this home from a store?"
Su Yirao took the spoon, feeling that the pudding looked familiar.
She suddenly asked, "Do you remember the day I left the café? I said her mango pudding was delicious, but she refused to make me another."
"Of course I remember. Yingjie was boasting about her secret recipe," Guan Qingtong replied with a deeper smile, nodding.
Su Yirao huffed lightly, taking a spoonful of pudding. It melted in her mouth, bringing a unique taste.
"Hmm, it's just as good as I remember. It must be hers."
"Your Yingjie doesn't make dessert for just anyone. Did you ask her to make this for me? How sweet…"
Setting aside Guan Qingtong's identity as the protagonist, Su Yirao found herself increasingly fond of her. Whether it was learning or working, everything she did was pleasing.
"Sister, Yingjie didn't make this."
"Oh? She didn't?" Su Yirao was surprised. "So who did she share her secret recipe with?"
"Me."
Su Yirao hesitated. "You? But you said you didn't like making desserts or coffee. What changed?"
As she spoke, Su Yirao's expression darkened slightly. "Are you backing out? Do you not want to learn from me anymore?"
The sudden leap in Su Yirao's thoughts made Guan Qingtong wave her hands in a rush to explain, "I didn't like making desserts before, but because you like them, I wanted to repay you, so I learned."
"Repay?" Su Yirao raised an eyebrow, her voice calm. "I don't need your repayment."
"I know. But whether you need it is one thing; whether I do it is another."
Su Yirao was silent for a while, then softly said, "That's thoughtful."
Those three words seemed to put a distance between them.
Tasting something delicious often brings happiness, which was the initial reason Guan Qingtong made the dessert for Su Yirao. But now it seemed to create a distance between them.
Feeling a pang of sadness, Guan Qingtong spoke up, "Sister, you've helped me so much, and I never say anything too polite to you. You don't need to be so polite with me either, okay?"
"Look at you, all sad." Su Yirao sighed, lifting Guan Qingtong's chin slightly with a gentle smile. "I was just thinking about something."
"What is it?"
Su Yirao gazed into her eyes and asked, "Are you trying to repay me, or are you trying to win my favor?"
In everyday life, it hadn't been as obvious. But tonight, with the mango pudding, it felt too deliberate.
"A bit of both," Guan Qingtong said. "I'm grateful to you, and I also want to make you happy. They're not mutually exclusive, right? I like you, sister, so of course, I want to do nice things for you. And I hope you'll like me too."
Perhaps it came out too easily. By the time Guan Qingtong realized what she had said, it was too late.
She stared at Su Yirao, trying to gauge her true feelings.
Time seemed to stretch on.
Feeling herself starting to lose confidence, Guan Qingtong looked down, her heart sinking.
"Qingtong, I like you too," Su Yirao said, smiling once more. "But if you're feeling pressured or need help, you can always tell me directly."
"Your mother has nowhere to go right now. If you're trying to win my favor because of that, you really don't need to."
Guan Qingtong's eyes widened in shock.
Her first confession!
It had received a response!
"Qingtong, I like you too," was exactly what she wanted to hear. But this kind of like was worlds apart from what she was hoping for.
And now, Sister Su thought her efforts were driven by ulterior motives.
Thinking about it, she realized Su Yirao probably guessed that her mother was about to be discharged from the hospital after overhearing her inquiries about nearby rental properties at the café.
Seeing her speechless, Su Yirao assumed she was embarrassed at being caught.
So she continued, "We've known each other for a while, and I do see you as a little sister. If you need help, I'll do my best."
"But I've thought it over, and having you stay at my place is already the limit."
Guan Qingtong's face flushed red.
"Sister, I'll take care of my mother. I won't impose on you! I wasn't trying to win your favor just to have my mother move in."
"Let me finish," Su Yirao said. "Our place is a one-tenant-per-floor layout. Do you remember the unit next door?"
"That's also my property. I originally thought of combining the two units into one large space, but I decided against it since it's too big for just one person."
"If your mother really has nowhere else to go, we can tidy up the place next door. It's close, so it'll be easy for you to take care of her."
"No way!" Guan Qingtong protested. "Sister, I already owe you so much. I can't keep—"
Su Yirao frowned. "It's just sitting there empty. If you and your mother use it, it'll at least serve a purpose. If you really want to repay me, just focus on what I've been teaching you. Don't waste your energy trying to win my favor."
In Su Yirao's mind, she was the one who owed Guan Qingtong.
If the original story was to be believed, what she had done to Guan Qingtong could never be repaid with money alone.
Guan Qingtong tried to protest, but Su Yirao cut her off firmly.
"That's settled, then." Su Yirao took out her phone to schedule cleaning services. "When your mother gets discharged, you can move her into the unit next door."
"But—"
"No buts! Don't refuse me."
Su Yirao's tone left no room for argument. It was a strategy she had picked up from Zhou Huiying, and it worked perfectly.
"Thank you, sister." Guan Qingtong finally relented, accepting Su Yirao's offer.
After confirming the cleaning service for the neighboring unit, Su Yirao set her phone aside and lifted Guan Qingtong's chin again, gently pulling her lips into a smile.
"If you're thanking me, be sincere. Smile." Su Yirao teased, "I do something nice, and I don't even get a proper thank you. How disappointing."
Guan Qingtong couldn't bear to see her disappointed and sincerely said, "Thank you, sister!"
"Good girl."
Satisfied, Su Yirao finished the rest of the mango pudding in one go, savoring the taste.
As she set down the empty dish, she noticed that Guan Qingtong hadn't eaten anything. "Why didn't you make one for yourself?"
"Huh?" Guan Qingtong scratched her head, embarrassed. "I forgot."
She had been so focused on Su Yirao that she didn't even think to make one for herself.
"Remember to make two tomorrow." Su Yirao advised, "Take care of yourself, and you'll be better able to take care of others."
"Okay."
Guan Qingtong nodded, noticing the longing look in Su Yirao's eyes as she stared at the empty dish. A thought crossed her mind.
Tomorrow, make two?
Did Sister Su want more tonight?
She must have liked it if she was hinting at wanting another serving.
Su Yirao's expression remained calm, but Guan Qingtong couldn't help but smile, trying to hold back her laughter.
Her attempt at subtlety failed as Su Yirao caught her eye.
Before she could look away, Su Yirao gently pinched her chin, her smile teasing and a bit dangerous.
"You weren't just looking at me—you were laughing at me," she said, confident in her assessment.
"I was not!"
Su Yirao huffed lightly, not bothering to argue, and said, "Since you figured it out, go make me another mango pudding. I'm craving it."
Guan Qingtong couldn't hold back her laughter this time, chuckling openly.
"You little rebel. I ask you to smile, and you don't, but now you're laughing at me."
Su Yirao released her chin and added with a smug smile, "Keep it up, and I might cancel our movie night."
Instantly, Guan Qingtong's smile vanished.
"Promises are promises. We're watching a movie in your room tonight!"
"Of course, I always keep my word." Su Yirao smiled, satisfied with the outcome.