Work Text:
Lang Qianqiu scowled as she entered Walmart. Everything was pink. There were pink decorations all over the shop, the employees were all dressed in pink, and most of the patrons wore at least one pink article of clothing. She looked down at herself, and felt a tiny bit of pride at the fact that she was wearing faded red sweatpants, a ratty gray sleeveless hoodie and black floaters. Good. She was going to give everyone here celebrating a useless capitalist holiday a big "Heck You" by her presence alone.
Gods, Lang Qianqiu HATED Valentine's Day. It was the most cliche holiday ever! Like, who would even celebrate something as silly as love? Love is just a bunch of hormones making you feel good about being intimate with a partner so that you won't be revolted by the crude nature of copulation. And Valentine's Day exists only to monopolize on that amorphous feeling everyone is obsessed about. Gah, the amount of chocolates and roses and cards and other gross cliche stuff sold on that day alone by these companies is three times more than the net turnover that companies make in a year! Can't people open their eyes and see how they're being cheated of their hard-earned money? Lang Qianqiu even wrote a paper on that for her Postgraduate Thesis, for crying out loud!
It had nothing to do with the fact that her Professor's cousin broke her heart on this exact day three years ago, she told herself. At that time, Lang Qianqiu didn't know Qi Rong was related to Xie Laoshi, and despite her sewer mouth and her unpleasant personality, she couldn't help falling for her. Hard and fast.
She planned to confess her love to Qi Rong on Valentine's Day, shortly after they started dating a couple months ago. Lang Qianqiu even skipped class that day and waited in a park for hours, and even when the sky darkened, she didn't leave. Xie Lian found her, freezing out in the park on a February evening, and told her the truth - Qi Rong had the habit of seducing Xie Lian's most promising students and breaking their hearts, just to get back at her cousin. After crying for hours, Lang Qianqiu decided that she was done with love once and for all.
So. Yeah. Lang Qianqiu HATED Valentine's Day.
She grimaced at the gaudy Walmart decor, almost bolting to the parking lot to head home. But no. She was lacking groceries, and she had to shop if she didn't want to starve. Gritting her teeth, she pushed a couple trolleys and marched headfirst into the building, preparing herself for war.
Everyone gave her varying looks of fear and disapproval as they parted ways for Lang Qianqiu, who mercilessly threw whatever product caught her eye into her trolleys. Within a span of minutes, her carts were heaving with the weight of her purchase, as she effortlessly pushed the heavy trolleys to the self checkout station. Guess all those hours of intensive physical training with Xie Laoshi had paid off. After that, it was a matter of quickly checking out her stuff and loading them in her bags before booking it to the parking lot before any of the cheery peppy workers gave her a Valentine's Day coupon.
She was about to head out when someone called out her name. Lang Qianqiu froze. She knew that voice. Spent three years trying to forget that voice. She didn't turn back, even when long, spindly fingers grabbed her shoulder.
"A-Qiu?" Qi Rong asked softly. "It's been so long." She smiled gently, and Lang Qianqiu remembered why she fell for Qi Rong in the first place. She could be extremely soft, behind all those poison-laced barbed wires. Very few people witness that part of Qi Rong firsthand, Lang Qianqiu being one of them. That is why she waited for Qi Rong that day.
However, Lang Qianqiu realized that she felt nothing for Qi Rong now. Not anymore, for she moved on.
"Hello, Qi Rong." Lang Qianqiu was equal parts surprised and relieved at the steadiness of her voice. "How have you been?"
Qi Rong frowned. "A-Qiu, why do you sound like a stranger? Why won't you call me A-Rong, like you used to? Is this about the prank I played on you years ago?" To her credit, she sounded apologetic. Not that it mattered to Lang Qianqiu anymore.
“What happened, happened. It was a long time ago, and I’ve moved on from it. I have no hard feelings about it anymore.” Her voice was void of emotions, which was new. “Now, I have to go, but it was nice seeing you.” With that, Lang Qianqiu moved to push her trolleys, only to be stopped again by Qi Rong.
“Wait. You say you forgive me, but you speak to me as if I’m a stranger. Do you not love me anymore?” Qi Rong begged, sounding vulnerable. Once upon a time that would’ve made Lang Qianqiu’s heart race, but now she only felt pity. She was also surprised to find that she didn’t feel guilt. Good. It wasn’t her fault, what happened between them.
“Qi Rong. It is true that I forgave you, but that doesn't mean I have feelings for you. I mistook infatuation for something else, and I’ve let it hurt me. I’ve moved past it, and now I have no feelings left for you, not even hatred. I suggest that you accept this and move on, for your sake at the very least.” She looked down at her wristwatch. Ah, she’s running late for her afternoon lecture. “Goodbye, Qi Rong. I genuinely wish you the best.” With that, she swiftly pushed her heavy carts outside the supermarket, leaving a devastated Qi Rong behind.
Lang Qianqiu barely made it to the parking lot when her phone blared. Cursing under her breath, she fumbled for her phone and answered it. “Ah, Qianqiu, Good Morning.” It was Feng Xin, Xie Lian’s T.A. “I hope you’re ready with the presentation today. You’ll be presenting first.” Lang Qianqiu blinked. Presentation? No way, she wasn’t prepared for it!
Fear crept over her as she asked, “Wasn’t the presentation scheduled for tomorrow, Feng nushi?”
She heard Feng Xin sigh. “Yes, but Xie Laoshi is leaving for Yunnan tonight to celebrate Valentine’s Day with her fiancee. It’s a miracle that her menace of a partner didn’t drag Laoshi out of university today,” she huffed. It was an open secret that Feng Xin disliked Xie Lian’s fiancee, Hua Cheng, and that she found the latter creepy. Lang Qianqiu wisely kept her mouth shut as Feng nushi kept ranting about Laoshi's fiancee, then her own wife.
“Can’t you do anything about the presentation, nushi?” Lang Qianqiu asked before Feng Xin could rant about how her wife Mu Qing gave her fruits for breakfast on a romantic holiday. “Please, I need another day’s time to be ready with it!” Had Lang Qianqiu known today would be the presentation, she would've spent the entire morning refining her notes. No way is she going to give a half-assed presentation in Xie Laoshi's class!
"I'm really sorry Qianqiu, but I really can't do anything about it." Well, at least Feng nushi sounded guilty. "However, off record, you could call in and say you've got plans for today. Half the class is skipping due to Valentine's day anyway. I'm sure Laoshi would understand."
Lang Qianqiu wrinkled her nose in annoyance. She knew Feng nushi was looking out for her, but she hated lying in general. Also, skipping classes on Valentine’s Day once was enough. She didn’t want an encore of what happened three years ago. “Thank you nushi, but I’d rather not skip class. I… I will do my best with the presentation”, she sighed.
“Alright then,” Feng Xin sighed. “But you have the option of skipping class if it gets too intense. Just give me a call, I’ll cover for you.” Lang Qianqiu heard a resounding smack immediately after Feng Xin finished speaking. “What the hell are you teaching the kids, A-Xin?!” Lang Qianqiu recognised the voice, it was her T.A. 's wife, Mu Qing. Past experience taught her to immediately cut the call, lest she be pulled in the middle of their many useless fights. She wasted no time in thanking Feng nushi before snapping her phone shut. Phew.
Wait. There was no time to relax, she has a freaking presentation in less than two hours!!! Lang Qianqiu pocketed her phone and pushed her carts in the direction of her car, running despite the carts wobbling dangerously and veering off-direction. Crap, she hadn’t prepared well for her presentation, she had no choice but to have the family butler drive her to the university if she had any hopes of refining her powerpoint. Normally she hated relying on her butler, because that reminded her of her late parents and how the rest of her classmates had parents to drive them to school and OHMYGODS SHE WAS LOSING CONTROL OF HER TROLLEY AND THERE WAS A PERSON IN HER WAY SHE WAS GONNA HIT HER NONONONONO-
CRASH!!!
Lang Qianqiu blinked, looking at the clear gray sky. She realized she was sprawled on the ground, her bags scattered all over the carpark. Shoot, she hit a person! She sat up quickly and saw a pretty woman in a mint green dress on the ground, groaning in pain.
“I AM SO SORRY! Are you hurt?” Lang Qianqiu scrambled to her feet and crouched next to the girl, checking her for injuries. The girl turned her direction, teal eyes shining with tears. “I can help you with the wounds, where are you hurt?” She took the girl’s hands, examining them for injuries.
“Ah,” the girl replied in a melodic voice, “I am fine, just a few scratches on my palm, is all.”
Lang Qianqiu cursed under her breath and retrieved a portable first aid kit from her car, before kneeling in front of the girl. She was wearing a pretty mint-green dress with white heart designs and silver sequins, the hem of her skirt resting just above her knees. Her knee-length socks were dusty from the fall, and one of the heels of her green pumps were broken. She took her hands gently and examined them, and indeed, the right one was lacerated. Thankfully the left palm looked better. Apologizing again, Lang Qianqiu opened a pack of antiseptic wipes. “This is gonna hurt a bit. You can hold on to me.” She offered her arm, which the girl held gently. Lang Qianqiu started dabbing at the wound gently, but it still must’ve hurt, for the girl gasped and held onto her arm tightly that Lang Qianqiu’s eyes stung from the sudden pressure. “Shh, I’m sorry, it’s alright, I’ll be more gentle,” Lang Qianqiu kept whispering words of comfort as she cleaned the rest of the wound, before applying some ointment on it and covering it with gauze. “There, now it will get healed soon.”
She pulled the girl to her feet by holding on to her uninjured hand and her waist. The girl looked at her, face flushed and eyes wide. Now that she was alright, Lang Qianqiu noticed two major things. One, the girl was extremely gorgeous, as if she stepped out of a magazine. Her pretty pink lips were plump and begging to be kissed, and Lang Qianqiu found that she wanted to trace the girl’s flushed cheeks with her hands. Two, she was still holding onto her hand and waist. They were standing so close that Lang Qianqiu got a whiff of the girl’s floral perfume. She cleared her throat and took a step back, dropping her hands.
“Uh, I’m Lang Qianqiu, and I’m so sorry for hitting you with my trolley,” she said, hanging her head in shame. Great. She sees a hot woman and the first thing she does is to assault her.
To her surprise, the girl laughed, the tinkling sounds reverberating through Lang Qianqiu's chest. “Oh dear, stop apologizing! You’ve apologized enough, and besides, it was an accident! Also you healed me, so we’re good,” she said, pointing to her gauze-wrapped hand. “I’m Shi Qingxuan,” she smiled, eyes crinkling.
Lang Qianqiu felt her mouth go dry when she smiled, heart beating fast. Before her brain could comprehend, she blurted, “You’re pretty when you smile,” which wiped the easy smile off Shi Qingxuan’s face. She turned a delightful shade of rogue, the flush traveling down her pale neck and freckled shoulders, stopping at the top of her chest where her dress covered the rest of the flushed skin. Lang Qianqiu swallowed heavily, feeling her hands sweat.
Oh dear.
Lang Qianqiu just called a random stranger beautiful.
She thought about kissing her.
And she is currently ogling at her like a creep.
Please let me disappear, she thought, face turning red with embarrassment as she absently played with her hoodie string, causing her forearm muscles to flex.
"Ah. Please bench press me," Shi Qingxuan said, eyes wide.
Lang Qianqiu's neck snapped up to look at an embarrassed Shi Qingxuan, who buried her face in her hands. "Ahhh, I am so sorry, you look so hot and I'm losing control over what I'm saying and ohmygods you look so sexy in that sleeveless hoodie! "
Lang Qianqiu let out a noise that could only be described as a whistling kettle sound. "I feel the same way. I think you are really pretty and gorgeous and you look so cute in that dress and I really want to kiss your freckles and your blush and please kill me before I die from shame at hitting on a total stranger." GODS, WHAT WAS IT WITH THAT HIGH PITCH OF HER VOICE?! When was the last time Lang Qianqiu felt this way about anyone? Not even Qi Rong caused her to become such a useless blushing mess.
Wait. Does this mean she is crushing on Shi Qingxuan?! That doesn't make sense at all! She just met the woman now!
"Uh, hello? Whose trolley is this?" A woman in a dark purple dress pointed at the upturned trolley and the bags. Oh no, the groceries!
"Shoot, that's mine, I'm sorry," Lang Qianqiu apologized as she hurried to pick her groceries and stuff them in her bags. As she reached for the block of tofu, a pale, slender hand reached out for it, brushing her hand in the process. Lang Qianqiu jolted as she felt electricity shoot up her spine at the contact. She looked up to find Shi Qingxuan looking at her, lips parted in shock and that beautiful flush still coloring her cheeks pink. She only had to lean a little bit forward to capture those sweet-looking, glossy lips between hers. She could almost imagine the sticky sweetness of her lip gloss. Again, her body reacted before her brain, as she found herself taking Shi Qingxuan's chin in her hand, thumb tracing at those gloss-stained lips.
"Ahem." Lang Qianqiu jumped out of her skin when she heard the woman in purple clear her throat, and she sprang up like a pole, shouting an apology and hastily threw her scattered groceries in her bags. To her utter delight and dismay, Shi Qingxuan also started helping her with the groceries. Gods, she prayed that she wouldn't bump into the gorgeous girl again!
Within minutes, the groceries were all picked from the ground and packed in the bags. The woman smiled kindly at Lang Qianqiu and Shi Qingxuan and said, “You two look so cute together. Happy Valentine’s Day, you lovebirds!”
Lang Qianqiu choked, and she heard Shi Qingxuan sputter. She didn’t dare turn in her direction, not wanting to witness the disgusted expression on her pretty face. Before Lang Qianqiu could deny that they were not together, the woman in purple went into the supermarket. Great. Now Shi Qingxuan will hate her for not correcting the woman. Crap, she blew her shot at romance even before she could start!
“Um, Lang Qianqiu?” A soft hand rested lightly over her tattoed bicep, halting every single thought process going on in Lang Qianqiu’s brain. Ohmygods she’s touching me SHE’S TOUCHING ME, Lang Qianqiu screams internally, as she slowly turns to look at Shi Qingxuan. She was still blushing, but instead of scowling like Lang Qianqiu imagined, she was smiling shyly.
“You…. you’re smiling… You’re smiling at me,” Lang Qianqiu exclaimed in wonder.
Shi Qingxuan laughed nervously, clearly taken aback by the question. “Um…. Yeah, should I not? Oh,” she suddenly cried out, snatching her hand back as if burned. Lang Qianqiu suddenly felt cold at the loss of her warm touch, bracing herself for rejection. Here it comes, she thought to herself as she squeezed her eyes shut.
“Are you…. You’re mad at me, aren’t you? You are disgusted because I called you sexy, didn’t I? I am so sorry, I really cannot keep my mouth shut! My jiejie always told me, ‘Someday you’re going to make someone mad by flirting with them’, but I never listened! I really should’ve asked you if you were lesbian before I hit on you, I am so sorry for making you uncomfortable, I-” Shi Qingxuan’s nervous rant was interrupted by Lang Qianqiu placing a finger over her mouth.
She cupped Shi Qingxuan’s flushed face. “I am not mad at you. I am not disgusted at all, please keep calling me anything you want. Never stop flirting with me please, I am insanely attracted to you and I really really want to kiss you and take you out on a date and…. and fall for you one day…” Lang Qianqiu smiled nervously, blushing furiously.
Shi Qingxuan’s eyes widened at the confession before smiling wide, laughing happily as she threw her arms around Lang Qianqiu's neck. "You really want to go on a date with me? Even though we only met? I feel the same way! Ohmygods, please date me!"
Lang Qianqiu couldn't believe her ears. Did she really hear right? She was so happy, she could kiss her! She really wanted to kiss Shi Qingxuan, Lang Qianqiu realized.
…Wait. She could ask her now.
"Can I kiss you? Please?" Lang Qianqiu was nervous, which vanished as Shi Qingxuan nodded excitedly.
"Yes, Please!"
Lang Qianqiu’s heart raced wildly as she wrapped an arm around Shi Qingxuan’s waist to steady her, and leaned down to kiss her. Shi Qingxuan gasped into the kiss before melting into her arms, running her hands up Lang Qianqiu’s forearms.
OHMYGODS THEY WERE KISSING FOR REAL!
Lang Qianqiu smiled into the kiss, tasting the peach flavor of Shi Qingxuan’s lipgloss. She was warm against her, and so petite, and she fit into Lang Qianqiu’s arms as if she belonged there. She pulled back from the kiss, and rested her forehead against Shi Qingxuan’s.
“Wow,” Lang Qianqiu breathed. She had only dreamed of first kisses, but kissing Shi Qingxuan felt so good, so right. She wanted to kiss her again. She kissed her again because she could, giggling happily. Shi Qingxuan wrapped her arms around Lang Qianqiu’s waist, pressing up against her like an overly affectionate cat.
A loud noise startled them both, and Lang Qianqiu pulled away from Shi Qingxuan, flipping her phone open. Her heart sank. It was Feng nushi. Gods, she completely forgot about her class and her presentation! She clicked the call button with trepidation.
“Ah, Lang Qianqiu.” It was Mu nushi. “Your afternoon classes have been canceled. Turns out your Laoshi’s fiancee was too impatient and whisked Xie Lian from the university.”
Lang Qianqiu couldn’t help but grin. “Thank you, nushi. But, may I know why you’re telling me this and not Feng nushi?”
Mu Qing huffed, and Lang Qianqiu didn’t need to look at her to know that she was rolling her eyes. “She pissed me off, and is now cleaning the entire house as an apology and a valentine’s day gift. Xie Lian called me, and I am passing the information on Feng Xin’s behalf. Enjoy your day off.” With that, she ended the call. Well. Lang Qianqiu did respect Mu nushi for her blunt and straight-to-the-point attitude.
“You sound happy. Was that something good?” Shi Qingxuan asked, pointing at the phone.
Lang Qianqiu smiled, nodding. “It is. We were supposed to have classes today, but it got canceled because our professor had a date with her fiancee.”
Shi Qingxuan squealed, clasping her hands together. “Aw, how sweet! I hope your professor has a splendid date!” Lang Qianqiu was shocked. How pure and kind was this girl? She swore she’d never fall in love again after Qi Rong broke her heart, but now, she was certain Shi Qingxuan would change that.
And wouldn’t that be nice, to fall in love with the purest soul Lang Qianqiu have ever met? And even better, to be loved by this adorably affectionate woman?
Taking a deep breath and letting herself freefall into this feeling, Lang Qianqiu asked, “Will you be my Valentine?”
The rosy smile Shi Qingxuan gave was answer enough.
🐯🍃🐯🍃🐯🍃🐯🍃🐯🍃🐯🍃🐯🍃🐯🍃🐯🍃🐯🍃🐯🍃🐯🍃🐯🍃🐯🍃🐯🍃🐯🍃