Chapter 223: The Hidden Secret
Chen Mo had never seen that notebook before.
Curiosity stirred in Chen Mo’s heart. ’What is that notebook? A diary? A journal?’
This was the first time he had ever seen Su Yuqing so deliberately do something behind his back.
Chen Mo was suddenly reminded of a line: "Even if I were Sherlock Holmes, I couldn’t possibly figure out what a girl is thinking."
At this moment, he really had no clue what Su Yuqing was up to.
All he could do was burn with curiosity. With his abilities, it would be a piece of cake to sneak a peek at her little notebook when she wasn’t looking. But that would be disrespectful, and Chen Mo would never do something like that.
He could only hold on to his curiosity and wait for the moment Su Yuqing would reveal the answer to him.
During their lunch break, the two of them rested on the living room sofa.
Su Yuqing hugged a throw pillow, her gaze vacant as she stared out the window.
Chen Mo peeled an apple, cut it into small pieces, and handed it to her on a small plate.
"Here, get some vitamins."
"Who’s the housekeeper here, me or you?" Su Yuqing glanced at Chen Mo with a smile, teasing him as she took the plate. She picked up a piece of apple with a small fork and began to eat it in small, happy bites.
"I’m just your temporary housekeeper, but you have to be my housekeeper for life." Chen Mo’s sudden words, which sounded like a confession, made Su Yuqing’s heart tremble.
But before she could think too much of it, Chen Mo added with a laugh, "What I mean is, you have to keep being my housekeeper here until you’ve paid off your debt."
Su Yuqing immediately broke into a bright smile but didn’t say anything more.
Sunlight streamed through the glass window, casting a soft halo on her face. Sometimes, beauty is a feeling that can only be understood, not expressed in words, and that was exactly what the scene before Chen Mo was like.
As Chen Mo watched her, he suddenly noticed a detail.
Su Yuqing wasn’t wearing any colored lipstick today, but her lips seemed more moisturized and glossy than usual, with a natural pinkish hue like a budding cherry blossom petal.
Moreover, her light, sweet, sandalwood-like scent seemed to be mingled with an extremely faint, almost imperceptible floral fragrance.
"Yuqing," Chen Mo’s voice was very soft, a bit probing. "Have you... gotten interested in makeup or skincare recently?"
Su Yuqing’s hand, in the middle of spearing a piece of apple, froze. A blush instantly bloomed across her cheeks, making her look like a little girl whose secret had just been exposed.
She subconsciously raised a hand to her lips, her gaze flustered as she looked at Chen Mo. "Huh? Why... why are you suddenly asking about this?"
Her obvious reaction amused Chen Mo, but he kept his expression gentle. "It’s nothing. It’s just that you seem... a little different lately. Especially today. You said you didn’t sleep well, but you look completely different now compared to this morning. Your complexion suddenly looks great, and your lips are very moisturized."
He paused deliberately before adding, "Very beautiful."
The straightforward compliment made Su Yuqing’s face turn even redder, even the tips of her small earlobes flushing pink.
She lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously twisting the tassels of the throw pillow, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz. "It... it was Wang Susu. She... she knows about this stuff, and she’s really helpful. I was just... just curious, so I learned a little from her... really, just a little! She said girls should know some basic care to look more... energetic..."
Her voice grew quieter and quieter until it was almost a mumble.
’So that’s why she suddenly got close to Wang Susu?’ A trace of doubt still lingered in Chen Mo’s mind.
But on second thought, Chen Mo could understand.
Su Yuqing probably wasn’t doing it for complex social reasons or to follow a trend. It was just... a girl, naively and clumsily, trying to show a better side of herself to the person she likes.
A warm current instantly flooded Chen Mo’s heart, washing away all his previous doubts.
He looked at the girl before him, her head bowed in shyness, wishing she could hide herself in the throw pillow. He found her clumsiness at this moment more moving than ever.
"Silly girl." Chen Mo’s voice was thick with amusement and unconcealed affection. "You’re already a natural beauty. All you need is a regular schedule to stay energetic and refreshed, and you’ll already have a better complexion and appearance than most people. You don’t need to learn this stuff at all. But, if you enjoy learning it, then go for it. As long as you’re happy."
With the topic now out in the open, the slight distance and caution between them completely vanished.
What was in that exquisite little notebook was no longer important. Maybe it was for skincare notes recommended by Wang Susu, or maybe it was for jotting down makeup tips.
What was important was Su Yuqing’s desire to become a little better, a sentiment that Chen Mo had clearly received and treasured away in his heart.
However, he didn’t notice the flicker of relief in the depths of Su Yuqing’s eyes—the relief of having successfully concealed a secret.
The afternoon sun grew lazier.
Su Yuqing leaned against Chen Mo, and the two of them quietly shared the plate of apples.
Chen Mo also grew curious about what exactly Wang Susu had taught Su Yuqing. After all, some cosmetics could be bad for the skin, and he felt it was necessary to help her screen them.
Regarding this question, Su Yuqing answered him without any hesitation. She even proactively shared the "little bit" of knowledge Wang Susu had taught her—things like how drinking more water is good for the skin, how basic sun protection is important, and that colorless, transparent lip balm that just made her lips look more moisturized.
"She said... she said it makes your complexion look a little better," Su Yuqing said in a small voice, sneaking a glance at Chen Mo.
Chen Mo looked at her little face, flushed but trying to act nonchalant, and at her lips, which glistened with a natural, moisturized sheen in the sunlight. He felt the tip of his heart fill with an indescribable softness and contentment.
He picked up the last piece of apple and naturally brought it to Su Yuqing’s lips.
"Mm, it looks really good," he said earnestly, gazing into her eyes. "But it’s not because the lip balm is good."
His voice was as light as a feather brushing against the heart.
Su Yuqing froze for a moment. Then, a smile brighter and purer than the sun bloomed on her face, tinged with shyness and the sweetness of being cherished.
She opened her mouth and gently bit into the piece of apple, taking a bite out of this quiet weekend afternoon that belonged only to them—a moment filled with the crisp fragrance of fruit and the warmth of the sun.
Outside the window, the plane tree leaves rustled, as if providing an accompaniment for the silent, flowing affection.
Their weekend study time returned to its former purity.
Su Yuqing no longer got distracted, and Chen Mo no longer watched her in secret.
It was just that when their gazes occasionally met, a deeper smile and tenderness than before would unconsciously color their eyes.
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