76: Isn't Yu Heng quite impressive?

The silence in the car was a bit eerie.

Qin Ya, buckled into her seatbelt, stole a glance at her mother.

Qin Lu kept her eyes on the road, concentrating on driving.

"Mom," Qin Ya began, her voice intentionally light and airy, "why didn't you say hello to Yu Heng today?"

"Why should I say hello?" Her voice was flat. "He's your boss, and I'm your mother. We aren't close to begin with."

"Not close?" Qin Ya raised an eyebrow. "How much closer do you need to be? Do you have to be kissing for it to count as—"

"Qin Ya!" Qin Lu interrupted her. "Watch your mouth."

How did this child become so outspoken?

Or did she hear something that night?

She had specifically gone to that room to check; Qin Ya had been fast asleep.

Qin Ya curled her lip and fell silent.

Only after passing through a traffic light did Qin Lu speak again, her voice softening slightly. "What did he do today?"

Qin Ya's eyes darted around as she said casually, "The usual. He was sitting in the living room when I arrived, but someone seemed to be showering in the bathroom. I don't know who it was, but it definitely wasn't Bai Xinran."

What does she mean, someone was showering in the bathroom?

And it wasn't Bai Xinran?

That little rascal, he sure loves letting women shower at his place!

Who else is there around Yu Heng?

Qin Lu's brow furrowed.

She realized she didn't actually know that much about Yu Heng.

A single-parent family, his father passed away early, a local—that was all she could see from his files.

Their first meeting was in the infirmary. Hearing someone had fainted, she had rushed over immediately.

When she first started as a Counselor here, she felt she had to be more diligent.

As soon as she walked in, she saw that boy with the grinning face lying on the bed.

The way he looked at her was obvious and blunt, staring at her legs and chest.

She had seen such looks many times, but it was the first time a student had been so brazen.

Later, he became increasingly bold, not just with his eyes but also with his mouth.

Somehow, she hadn't been very resistant. She had even started putting effort into buying many new pairs of stockings after he said she looked good in them.

Looking back, she felt she was being shameless.

Was it really because she and Lin Liyan had been separated for too long?

Was she truly as lonely as Yu Heng said?

But she hadn't wanted what happened that night to occur; she hadn't intended to go that far.

She simply wanted to enjoy the feeling of being watched, to feel Yu Heng's aggressive gaze.

And the thrill of their verbal back-and-forth.

The car made two turns within the residential complex and slowly came to a stop in front of the apartment building.

Qin Lu turned off the engine but didn't get out immediately.

Her hands gripped the steering wheel, her fingers tightening unconsciously.

She really had drunk too much that day... and with her half-resisting and half-yielding... it had led to a change in her mindset that she couldn't quite put into words.

But she did like Yu Heng's youthful passion, as well as the feeling of being intensely desired and possessed.

Qin Lu curled her lips slightly and unbuckled her seatbelt.

"Mom?" Qin Ya had already opened the car door and stepped one foot out. "Get out of the car."

"Mhm," Qin Lu grunted in response and pushed the door open.

As her feet touched the ground, there was a slight friction from the stockings wrapping her ankles.

Today's stockings were too thin. Although she was wearing Bare-Leg Artifact underneath, she still felt a bit of a chill.

Qin Lu locked the car and followed Qin Ya into the building entrance.

Qin Ya walked ahead, humming a tuneless melody.

When she was picking out clothes this morning, her fingers had lingered on the stocking drawer for a long time.

In the end, she had pulled a pair out.

Who was she wearing them for?

She hadn't figured it out.

Maybe it was just habit, maybe... never mind.

"Mom, what are you dazing off for?" Qin Ya had already skipped to the building door and looked back at her.

Qin Lu snapped out of it, locked the car, and caught up.

Inside the elevator, Qin Ya leaned against the wall. "Do you think Yu Heng and that person showering have already..."

"Qin Ya," Qin Lu interrupted her, her voice a bit cold. "Don't pry into other people's business."

Qin Ya curled her lip and stopped talking.

She knew her mother was annoyed.

Being annoyed is good; being annoyed means she cares.

Then there's still a chance!

"What do you want for dinner?" Qin Lu asked.

"Whatever." Qin Ya narrowed her eyes. "There are still frozen dumplings in the fridge, right? Let's just boil some of those."

"Frozen ones?" Qin Lu frowned. "There's no nutrition in those."

"Then you cook." Qin Ya had already climbed to the third floor. "But you don't know how to cook."

Qin Lu was momentarily speechless.

She really didn't know how to cook well.

They used to have a nanny. Later, the mine went bust, and Lin Liyan... she had even less heart to learn such things.

"I'll go buy some groceries tomorrow," Qin Lu said as she followed her inside.

Qin Ya tossed her backpack onto the sofa and kicked off her shoes. "I'm going to shower first; I'm covered in sweat."

"Mhm." Qin Lu hung up her bag and took off her trench coat.

She was wearing a bodycon skirt underneath. She looked down at her legs.

The stockings were a bit wrinkled at the knees, pressed down from sitting.

She hesitated for a moment, then bent over and slid the stockings off.

The thin stockings were rolled into a ball and tossed into the laundry basket.

Her bare legs felt a bit cold, so Qin Lu went to the bedroom and changed into a pair of lounge pants, which finally made her feel a bit more comfortable.

She walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge to take a look.

Frozen dumplings, frozen tangyuan, and a few cartons of yogurt.

There really wasn't much she could make.

Qin Lu sighed, took out the bag of frozen dumplings, and started boiling water.

Steam slowly rose, blurring the glass door of the kitchen.

Just like the bathroom door at Yu Heng's house that day.

She thought of that night again; his grip was strong, squeezing her waist.

Then Qin Lu suddenly snapped back to reality and couldn't help but tsk at herself.

She was actually thinking about that?

Insane.

The water in the pot began to boil, and the dumplings floated to the surface.

Qin Lu stirred them with a slotted spoon and added a bowl of cold water.

While waiting for the water to boil again, she took out her phone.

The WeChat interface was still on her chat window with Qin Ya.

Scrolling up, she saw the message Yu Heng sent last night: "Counselor, let me know when you're home."

She hadn't replied.

And then, that night, she had blacklisted him.

Should she unblock him?

Unblock him for what?

Was she going to take the initiative to talk to him?

Ask him who was showering today?

Qin Lu felt the thought was simply absurd.

What right did she have to ask?

And why would she even want to ask?

The dumplings were ready.

Qin Lu scooped the dumplings out, plated them on two dishes, and carried them to the living room.

Qin Ya happened to come out from her shower, her hair dripping wet and wrapped in a bath towel.

"So fast?" Qin Ya leaned in and sniffed. "Chive filling?"

"Mhm." Qin Lu handed her the chopsticks. "Eat up quickly. Blow-dry your hair after eating so you don't catch a cold."

"I know." Qin Ya sat down at the dining table, stuffed a dumpling into her mouth, and said indistinctly, "Mom, are you really not going to talk to Yu Heng anymore?"

Qin Lu's movements stiffened.

"Just eat." She didn't respond to the question.

Qin Ya curled her lip and didn't press further, burying her head in her dumplings.

The living room fell silent, save for the faint clinking of chopsticks against the dishes.

Qin Lu ate very slowly, chewing each dumpling for a long time.

She wasn't actually hungry; she just felt she should eat something.

Otherwise, with an empty stomach, her mind was more prone to wandering.

"Mom," Qin Ya suddenly spoke again, "is Yu Heng quite capable?"

Qin Lu's heart skipped a beat, and she actually felt a bit flustered subconsciously. She looked up and asked, "Capable in what way?"