You Among All Things

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Song Qiyue had never met anyone who laughed as much as Li Qing.

Her laughter was carefree, impossible to read.

Li Qing was smiling when she helped Song Qiyue forge her parents' signature as her high school deskmate. She was smiling when she kissed her for the first time on a boat during their winter break trip in grad school. She was smiling when she leaned over to wrap her arms around Song Qiyue's waist after a tiring day of doctoral research.

Even years into their relationship, when Song Qiyue told Li Qing she wanted to break up, Li Qing only gave her a faint smile. There wasn't even a trace of sadness in her eyes.

During the breakup, Song Qiyue asked, "Let me ask you something a little cliché. Did you ever love me?"

Li Qing answered with a faint smile, "I did."

Song Qiyue looked into those smiling eyes. "Hmph. I don't believe you."

Then she turned and closed the door, ending their relationship of more than a decade.

Song Qiyue should have known. Li Qing, a poor student, had only gotten together with her because of her family's connections in academia. She had used Song Qiyue to advance her studies, and once she'd earned her doctorate and landed a job at the best hospital, of course she wouldn't keep up this fake relationship for much longer.

They met again years later when Song Qiyue was on a mission and got stabbed in the left buttock, landing in the hospital where Li Qing worked.

...This had to be the dumbest exes-reunite scenario ever.

Li Qing stood in front of Song Qiyue, who was bent over with her butt sticking out, holding a syringe. Her eyes above her mask were still smiling, impossible to read. "If you missed me that much, you didn't have to come see me in such a gruesome way."

Song Qiyue: What the f@#%*#!

She's still smiling! Still smiling! Does she not have any other expressions?

And also...

Are you even human? Are you even human? Can't you say a single comforting thing?

Only later did Song Qiyue learn that Li Qing could make other expressions, and that she could comfort people, too.

After Song Qiyue was injured on another high-risk mission and hospitalized again, Li Qing looked at the chest wound that had nearly killed her. At last, the smile faded from her eyes, and they grew misty.

Song Qiyue snapped, "What the hell are you crying for?" A cat crying over a dead mouse, what a hypocrite!

Li Qing: "Why can't I cry?"

Song Qiyue: "You never loved me, so why are you crying?"

"Song Qiyue, over all those years, I told you 'I love you' 348 times. Including my answer when we broke up, that's 349 times."

Li Qing said.

"Can't you believe me just once?"

[Shrewd, devoted old fox x fiery, sharp-tongued wild rose]

-A rich heiress pretending to be poor and a beautiful policewoman

-Rekindled romance, happy ending

-Childhood friends who have known each other a long time, high school deskmates, same age

-The story begins with their reunion

Theme: Undecided