**Chapter 17**
"Why did it take you so long to get here?" Zuo Qinghuan stood up, stumbling as she walked toward Qin Wanshu, her voice carrying a hint of complaint and a touch of subtle playfulness. She had waited for Qin Wanshu for a long time, long enough that her heart had started to feel anxious.
Qin Wanshu was speechless. She wasn't obligated to come at all, right? Zuo Qinghuan wasn't anyone important to her. The fact that she had even shown up was a favor, and now she was being blamed for arriving late.
"Do you do this often?" Qin Wanshu frowned and asked, disapproving of Zuo Qinghuan's lifestyle.
"No, not often. But since I knew you were coming, I drank a few more glasses. After all, you'd be here to take me home," Zuo Qinghuan responded, smiling brightly at Qin Wanshu.
What made Zuo Qinghuan think she would definitely come to take care of her? Qin Wanshu felt uncomfortable. Zuo Qinghuan was truly taking advantage of the remaining bit of kindness she had left. One phone call, in the middle of the night, and she had dragged her out of bed. This woman was incredibly infuriating.
"Alright, I'll play the good person this time and take you home, but don't expect this to happen again," Qin Wanshu said as she supported Zuo Qinghuan, who was about to fall over. The smell of alcohol emanating from Zuo Qinghuan made Qin Wanshu frown even more.
"Mm," Zuo Qinghuan murmured, naturally wrapping her arms around Qin Wanshu's body, resting her head on Qin Wanshu's shoulder, leaning against her for support.
Seeing the complete trust Zuo Qinghuan placed in her made Qin Wanshu sigh inwardly. Did Zuo Qinghuan really see her as a saint? Qin Wanshu helped the troublesome woman into her car, buckled her seatbelt, and slowly started driving toward Zuo Qinghuan's place. Qin Wanshu lived quite far from Zuo Qinghuan, and she had no idea how late it would be before she could finally return home to sleep.
Zuo Qinghuan, sitting in the passenger seat, soon fell asleep, lulled by the alcohol and the inexplicable sense of safety she felt around Qin Wanshu.
As Qin Wanshu drove, she thought about how unbelievable her recent days had been. Here she was, in the middle of the night, driving her husband's mistress home. Why was she so indulgent with this mistress? Glancing at the peacefully sleeping Zuo Qinghuan, Qin Wanshu noticed how her ethereal beauty, free of the day's pretenses and burdens, made her seem so pure. Zuo Qinghuan asleep was much more pleasant to look at than when she was awake. The night air was slightly chilly, so Qin Wanshu removed her own jacket and draped it over Zuo Qinghuan to keep her warm.
Turning her focus back to driving, Qin Wanshu's thoughts drifted. She wasn't sure what the right thing to do was anymore. She had initially wanted to get rid of this mistress, to make her disappear from her and her husband's life. Now, it seemed she couldn't bring herself to be harsh with Zuo Qinghuan. Perhaps keeping Zuo Qinghuan around wouldn't be such a bad thing after all—it would allow her to escape the responsibilities that were rightfully hers. But thinking this way felt unfair to Zuo Qinghuan.
"We're here," Qin Wanshu gently shook Zuo Qinghuan awake.
"Are we there?" Zuo Qinghuan murmured, opening her eyes groggily.
"Can you get up on your own?" Qin Wanshu asked softly.
Zuo Qinghuan shook her head. In truth, she sobered up quickly, and after sleeping for just half an hour, most of the alcohol had worn off. But she didn't want Qin Wanshu to leave.
"Then I'll help you upstairs," Qin Wanshu sighed, deciding to see it through.
"I'll get you some water. Drink it, and you'll sleep better. Your head won't hurt as much tomorrow," Qin Wanshu said as she headed to the kitchen to get water, knowing that hydration would help flush the alcohol from Zuo Qinghuan's system and prevent a hangover.
Zuo Qinghuan watched Qin Wanshu's silhouette in the kitchen. Being taken care of by Qin Wanshu felt so nice. Was it because she had lacked maternal love growing up? Was that why she felt such a strong attraction to women like Qin Wanshu and wanted to cling to them? Zuo Qinghuan had never been one to get close to anyone willingly—she was always wary of others—but somehow, she found herself repeatedly making excuses to be near Qin Wanshu. Even she found this out of character.
"What are you daydreaming about?" Qin Wanshu asked, walking back with a glass of water and noticing Zuo Qinghuan lost in thought.
"Nothing," Zuo Qinghuan snapped out of it and answered.
"Drink the water and get some rest. I should head back," Qin Wanshu said, handing her the glass.
But Zuo Qinghuan grabbed Qin Wanshu's hand, stopping her from leaving.
"It's late. Don't go. Leave in the morning. It's not like there's nowhere for you to sleep here," Zuo Qinghuan held onto Qin Wanshu's hand tightly, not wanting her to leave.
Qin Wanshu hesitated. This place was where Han Shibin had hidden his mistress, and staying here felt uncomfortable.
"Stay, please?" Zuo Qinghuan pleaded softly, shaking Qin Wanshu's hand gently.
The scene felt strange to Qin Wanshu. On one hand, Zuo Qinghuan was behaving like a little girl pleading with her mother, but given her status as the mistress, her actions felt unsettling.
"But..." Qin Wanshu was still unsure.
"It's decided. I'll get you some pajamas," Zuo Qinghuan quickly stood up and fetched her own pajamas, handing them to Qin Wanshu.
Looking at the pajamas in front of her, Qin Wanshu felt like she was being forced into this situation. But it was late, and she figured that one night wouldn't hurt, especially since Han Shibin wouldn't be back in the morning.
"Do you want to shower?" Zuo Qinghuan asked, sounding like an eager hostess, her face still slightly flushed from the alcohol.
"I already showered," Qin Wanshu replied. Although she liked cleanliness, she wasn't obsessive about it. Showering in someone else's home felt awkward to her.
"Alright, go to bed. I'll take a quick shower," Zuo Qinghuan said, feeling gross from the smell of alcohol on her.
"Mm," Qin Wanshu nodded. While Zuo Qinghuan showered, she changed into the pajamas. Who knew Zuo Qinghuan liked pink?
Qin Wanshu remembered from her last visit that this place didn't have a living room, just one bedroom. Thinking about how her husband had been intimate with Zuo Qinghuan on this very bed made her feel something indescribable as she prepared to sleep in it tonight.
Zuo Qinghuan came out and saw Qin Wanshu sitting on the edge of the bed, already changed into her pajamas. She could tell that Qin Wanshu was probably feeling uncomfortable.
"When Han Shibin leaves, I'll replace the bed sheets and duvet with brand new ones," Zuo Qinghuan explained to Qin Wanshu while drying her wet hair with a towel.
"Oh." Qin Wanshu wasn't interested in knowing that.
"Can you help me dry my hair?" Zuo Qinghuan asked, holding up the hair dryer and speaking to Qin Wanshu in the same tone as before.
Qin Wanshu didn't refuse. She took the hair dryer and began to blow-dry Zuo Qinghuan's hair. Zuo Qinghuan's hair was even longer than her own, with a silky smooth texture that fell straight down to her waist, exuding a feminine allure. To be fair, this mistress had quite a remarkable appearance.
As Zuo Qinghuan closed her eyes, enjoying Qin Wanshu's gentle touch, she thought to herself that women were indeed more tender and meticulous than men. She had never felt this comfortable while being with Han Shibin.
"Done." After finishing, Qin Wanshu handed the hair dryer back to Zuo Qinghuan.
"Let's go to bed." Zuo Qinghuan pulled back the blanket, signaling for Qin Wanshu to get in.
Qin Wanshu hesitantly pulled back the blanket and lay down. Zuo Qinghuan also lay down beside her. Qin Wanshu lay flat on her back while Zuo Qinghuan propped herself up, gazing at Qin Wanshu's face.
"Your features are so delicate, and your nose is just beautiful. Even looking closely, I can't find any flaws…" Zuo Qinghuan remarked sincerely.
Qin Wanshu felt a bit uncomfortable under Zuo Qinghuan's gaze. "Aren't you tired?" Qin Wanshu asked.
"Not at all. I slept on the way here. You go ahead and sleep if you're tired," Zuo Qinghuan, still feeling energized after the effects of the alcohol, replied.
Qin Wanshu was speechless. *How could I sleep with you staring at me like this?*
"Can I touch your face?" Zuo Qinghuan asked as Qin Wanshu closed her eyes.
"No." Qin Wanshu refused.
"Alright, I won't bother you anymore. I'll sleep too." Zuo Qinghuan lay down as well, but this time she turned to her side. She'd learned her lesson—without asking for permission, she directly hugged Qin Wanshu and placed her hand on Qin Wanshu's stomach. If she didn't take this chance to get close to her now, when else could she?
Qin Wanshu opened her eyes and looked at Zuo Qinghuan, who was still gazing at her side profile. She frowned slightly.
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