After Escaping Marriage - Chapter 77
Chapter 77
Neither of them moved closer, afraid of shattering this dream-like, ephemeral scene.
“You two know each other?” Fang Wenjiao finally broke the silence, her curious gaze shifting between her granddaughter and the unfamiliar young woman in the courtyard.
Yu Qingtang let out a soft “Mm,” and stepped forward to take Cheng Zhanxi's wrist.
Cheng Zhanxi stared at her face, dazedly allowing herself to be led inside.
Fang Wenjiao went to the living room to pour water. When she turned back, the two were gone, a corner of clothing disappearing behind the second-floor staircase.
Fang Wenjiao put away the items from the bag and went to the memorial hall to offer incense for Yu Ci.
Yu Qingtang pulled out the chair from under her desk and placed it behind Cheng Zhanxi, her voice betraying no obvious emotion. “Please sit.”
Cheng Zhanxi sat down woodenly, stared at her woodenly, and woodenly accepted the cup of water she offered, holding it with both hands.
Like a puppet stripped of its soul, her spirit and essence had all landed on the woman before her.
Yu Qingtang finally let out an almost inaudible sigh, her tone gentle. “Drink some water.”
Cheng Zhanxi lifted the cup, and a teardrop splashed onto the water's surface, creating ripples.
More and more tears fell from her eyes. Yu Qingtang sighed again, helplessly, took the cup from her hands, placed it on the table, bent down, and gently hugged her. Immediately, she heard the woman in her arms wailing loudly.
Yu Qingtang gently patted her back.
Cheng Zhanxi cried harder and harder, tears streaming down, oblivious to whether anyone else could hear. She cried her heart out, gasping for breath.
Truthfully, Yu Qingtang hadn't expected her to cry like this. The tissue she pulled from her trench coat pocket and pressed under Cheng Zhanxi's eyes was instantly soaked, and a large patch of fabric on her own chest also became wet.
Yu Qingtang was about to get her a box of tissues, but Cheng Zhanxi clung to her tightly, not letting her move an inch.
She couldn't speak, only cry.
Yu Qingtang rubbed her head, a mixture of amusement and helplessness in her expression.
Footsteps sounded from the staircase, followed by Fang Wenjiao's tentative voice. “Momo?”
She had heard faint crying from the second floor and, thinking they might have fought or something similar, had come up to check.
Yu Qingtang raised her voice. “It's nothing, Grandma.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Cheng Zhanxi's crying grew louder.
Those two words seemed to open her tear ducts. She clutched Yu Qingtang's trench coat, and her nearly subsided sobs rose again.
Yu Qingtang: “…”
Fang Wenjiao: “???”
Fang Wenjiao couldn't rest easy. Holding the handrail, she walked up from the middle of the staircase.
The footsteps drew closer.
Yu Qingtang stroked Cheng Zhanxi's long hair on her back and said softly, “Xixi, my grandma is coming up.”
Cheng Zhanxi buried her face deeper into her embrace, using the physical barrier to muffle her sobs.
Yu Qingtang's gaze softened. She squeezed the back of her neck and shifted her position.
Fang Wenjiao knocked on Yu Qingtang's door.
“Momo.”
“I'm here,” Yu Qingtang answered from inside.
Fang Wenjiao gently pushed open one side of the door and saw Yu Qingtang with her back to her. The young woman was sitting on the chair in front of her, face buried in her embrace, shoulders still trembling.
Yu Qingtang turned to look at her.
Fang Wenjiao closed the door.
Cheng Zhanxi choked out, “Is Grandma gone?”
Yu Qingtang said, “She's gone.”
Cheng Zhanxi lifted her tear-filled, hazy eyes. Yu Qingtang had run out of tissues and used her thumb to wipe away her tears.
Cheng Zhanxi sobbed, loosening her arms from around her waist.
Yu Qingtang brought over the tissue box.
Cheng Zhanxi wiped her own tears and, with swollen red eyes, said, “Sorry.”
Yu Qingtang burst out laughing.
Cheng Zhanxi looked at her.
Yu Qingtang quickly composed herself. “Sorry.”
Cheng Zhanxi had almost recovered from her emotional outburst, but Yu Qingtang's laugh sent her back. Her throat constricted as she whimpered, “Is it fun watching me cry?”
Yu Qingtang reached out and caught a teardrop falling from her eyelashes. “No.”
Cheng Zhanxi hugged her again.
Yu Qingtang's nerves tensed, preparing for a second round of tears, but it didn't come.
Cheng Zhanxi just hugged her, not crying, not speaking.
Yu Qingtang suddenly wondered: Who is she hugging right now? Is it the Momo from twenty-one years ago? Or the Yu Qingtang of twenty-one years later?
Cheng Zhanxi's arms suddenly tightened, squeezing her a little painfully.
“You knew all along!” Along with the sudden tightening, Cheng Zhanxi said this resentfully.
“Mm.” Yu Qingtang's tone remained calm. The emotions she should have felt had already been vented when she realized Cheng Zhanxi was her childhood friend, not to mention they had spent so much time together afterward.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“I don't know.”
Yu Qingtang truly didn't know what to say. Should she have just run up to her and said, “I'm the childhood friend you've been looking for for over a decade”? Her personality wouldn't allow her to do such a thing. In fact, she hadn't even decided whether to reveal herself until Cheng Zhanxi became suspicious. Only then did she go with the flow and let her guess.
Cheng Zhanxi stood up from the chair, pressed Yu Qingtang's shoulders to make her sit down, and cupped her face with both hands, examining her closely.
She had seen this face countless times in reality, dreamed of it countless times, but now she was scrutinizing it from a completely new perspective.
She remembered the old Momo as a little bean sprout. Now, her complexion was still as pale as snow, but she looked much more resilient than before. Of course, Cheng Zhanxi's efforts these past few days had contributed to this.
Being scrutinized so carefully by her, Yu Qingtang felt a subtle discomfort.
She's looking at her childhood playmate from twenty-one years ago, not Yu Qingtang.
Yu Qingtang removed her hands.
The immense joy of reunion enveloped Cheng Zhanxi. She didn't think further, looking at Yu Qingtang with excitement, firing off one question after another, almost incoherently, “Did you move back to Sicheng back then and stay here all this time? How did your ears get better? Have you been back all these years?” Do you know I've been looking for you?
Yu Qingtang's eyes were flat, almost cold.
Cheng Zhanxi: “?”
Yu Qingtang answered her concisely, “Yes. Later. No.”
Without waiting for Cheng Zhanxi to ask again, she said, “I'm going to make dinner. Do you want to stay and eat?”
Cheng Zhanxi asked, “Are you inviting me?”
Yu Qingtang's eyes warmed. “Yes, I'm inviting you.”
Cheng Zhanxi said, “Then it would be impolite to refuse.”
The two went downstairs together. Fang Wenjiao and Grandfather, who were sitting in the living room, looked over at the same time.
Yu Qingtang led Cheng Zhanxi by the wrist to the elderly couple and introduced her, “Grandfather, Grandma, this is my colleague from school, Teacher Cheng.”
Grandfather had been in his room earlier and didn't know about the previous incident. He merely looked at Cheng Zhanxi's slightly swollen eyelids with some confusion, but he didn't ask, just nodded politely.
Fang Wenjiao, however, was completely bewildered.
Colleague?
Crying like that in her embrace?
Before the introduction, Fang Wenjiao had thought this was Yu Qingtang's girlfriend, and that Yu Qingtang had done something to break her heart, causing her to cry so miserably.
Fang Wenjiao also nodded.
Cheng Zhanxi's eyelids stung. She regretted not waiting a bit longer before coming down. She could only smile and say, “Grandfather, Grandma, just call me Xiao Cheng.”
Yu Qingtang said, “Teacher Cheng is staying for dinner.”
Fang Wenjiao said, “I've taken out the shrimp and meat from the fridge. You can stir-fry them all to treat Teacher Cheng.”
Yu Qingtang said, “I know.”
She went to the kitchen to cook. Cheng Zhanxi didn't feel it was appropriate to follow her, so she stayed in the living room. Fang Wenjiao gestured for her to sit on the single sofa.
Fang Wenjiao had a kind expression. “We've met before, do you remember? About a month ago, in the park nearby. You were carrying an easel, wearing all white.”
Cheng Zhanxi looked at the stern-faced old gentleman beside her and chuckled lightly. “I remember now. I remember you and Grandfather were strolling in the park.”
Fang Wenjiao asked, “Do you like painting very much?”
Fang Wenjiao's tone was nostalgic and cautious. Cheng Zhanxi felt an inexplicable emotion but still replied, “Yes, I started learning to paint when I was very young.”
Fang Wenjiao said, “My daughter too.”
Her daughter?
Just as Cheng Zhanxi was wondering if it was Yu Qingtang's mother, Fang Wenjiao confirmed, “It's Momo's mother. She was a painter.”
Cheng Zhanxi didn't dare to respond.
Yu Qingtang had said she didn't have parents. Cheng Zhanxi didn't know the specifics and didn't want to step on any landmines.
Cheng Zhanxi was someone who made people want to confide in her. Fang Wenjiao had liked her from their first meeting. Yu Ci had passed away around Cheng Zhanxi's current age, and seeing Cheng Zhanxi was like seeing Yu Ci still alive, unconsciously investing her emotions.
Fang Wenjiao rubbed her knees, her eyes tinged with sorrow. “Unfortunately, she died young due to complications during Momo's birth.”
Cheng Zhanxi sighed along with her.
She thought: So Yu Qingtang's mother died in childbirth. What about her father? Did he also pass away, or something else?
Since Fang Wenjiao didn't bring it up, it wasn't convenient for her to inquire.
Next, Fang Wenjiao asked the typical questions an elder would ask a younger person: where she was from, who was in her family, what her parents did. Cheng Zhanxi answered them one by one, blurring some information. Cheng Zhanxi had four grandparents at home and often made them laugh heartily, being the most favored grandchild. She handled this situation with ease.
Yu Qingtang came out of the kitchen midway and saw the two elders and the young woman chatting happily. Even her usually stern Grandfather had a gentle look in his eyes.
Cheng Zhanxi was still holding an apple, peeling it. Once peeled, she cut it in half and gave one piece each to the old gentleman and the old lady.
Cheng Zhanxi suddenly seemed to sense something and turned to look at her, smiling brightly. “Teacher Yu, would you like some fruit?”
Yu Qingtang: “…”
She certainly doesn't treat herself as an outsider.
But Yu Qingtang's mood inexplicably began to lift.
Her emotions came and went quickly; she didn't dwell on things she couldn't figure out. So she didn't realize that her sudden coldness and dissatisfaction towards Cheng Zhanxi earlier stemmed from her own jealousy. Now that Cheng Zhanxi was treating her as Yu Qingtang again, she was naturally happy.
The living room was filled with warmth and harmony.
More than half an hour later, Yu Qingtang opened the kitchen door and said, “Dinner's ready.”
Cheng Zhanxi helped Fang Wenjiao assist Grandfather into his wheelchair, then went to the kitchen to help carry out the dishes. As soon as she entered, she said, “It smells so good.”
Yu Qingtang gave her a look that was half-reproachful, half-not.
Cheng Zhanxi smiled and walked over, wanting to hug her.
Yu Qingtang caught sight of Fang Wenjiao pushing Grandfather's wheelchair out of the corner of her eye and stopped Cheng Zhanxi with a look.
Cheng Zhanxi's fingers brushed hers, and they exchanged a knowing glance before she picked up the dishes from the counter and went out.
This was the first time Cheng Zhanxi had properly tasted Yu Qingtang's cooking. Previously, it was either claimed to be bought on the way, or made by Grandma. The only time Yu Qingtang had cooked herself was the two bowls of noodles on Cheng Zhanxi's birthday night.
Braised pork, stir-fried shrimp, steamed sea bass, and seaweed egg drop soup.
Cheng Zhanxi ate two bowls of rice in a row, and Fang Wenjiao kept putting food on her plate. She almost couldn't get up from the table.
The old house didn't have a dishwasher. Yu Qingtang put the greasy plates and bowls into the sink and washed them by hand. While the two elders were strolling in the courtyard, Cheng Zhanxi opened the kitchen door and came in, saying, “Let me?”
Yu Qingtang said, “No need. Go wait for me outside.”
The kitchen was small. If Yu Qingtang turned to wipe the stove, Cheng Zhanxi would be in the way. Seeing her firm attitude, Cheng Zhanxi obediently went outside to wait.
When Yu Qingtang finished cleaning the kitchen and came out, Cheng Zhanxi was waiting at the door. “Walk with me? I'm a bit full.”
Yu Qingtang nodded.
After a few steps, she couldn't help but say, “Why did you eat so much?”
Cheng Zhanxi: “Because your cooking is delicious.”
Yu Qingtang looked at the two elderly people outside the door, who hadn't noticed them.
Cheng Zhanxi knew what she was looking at and smiled. “It's okay, they can't hear.”
Yu Qingtang thought blankly: So what if they hear? Why should I feel guilty?
As soon as they stepped out of the courtyard gate, Cheng Zhanxi eagerly took her hand, fingers intertwining.
Yu Qingtang quickly turned her head and bit her lower lip, but the smile in her eyes betrayed her.
The alley was long, and the dim yellow streetlights cast two overlapping shadows behind them. The moonlight in the old district was brighter than in the new district; a crescent moon hung brightly in the night sky, surrounded by a multitude of stars.
Neither of them spoke.
Cheng Zhanxi temporarily forgot about Momo, only remembering that the person whose hand she held was her beloved. Her heart felt full, almost overflowing.
In the cold winter night, the heat in her heart made her break out in a fine sweat.
“Yu Qingtang.” The woman's voice was slightly hoarse.
“Hm?” Just as Yu Qingtang looked up, her vision darkened. Cheng Zhanxi pulled her into an embrace, her hand on the back of her head.
Yu Qingtang's eyes were pressed against her shoulder, unable to see anything.
They clung tightly together, and Yu Qingtang could feel Cheng Zhanxi's heart pounding violently in her chest.
Thump, thump-thump.
Faster and faster.
Even Yu Qingtang's initially calm heartbeat began to lose control.
Their heartbeats gradually synchronized, fierce and rapid. Yu Qingtang heard the woman's breathing grow heavier beside her ear, and the breath on her ear became warm.
“Yu Qingtang…” the woman murmured, her voice low and hoarse, her thin lips brushing against her sensitive earlobe.
This was a signal.
Cheng Zhanxi was waiting, but Yu Qingtang refused.
Yu Qingtang lifted her face from her shoulder, her expression a little indescribably complex. “Didn't we say we wouldn't… do that anymore?”
Do what? Cheng Zhanxi's mind went blank for a moment, then she realized. She was talking about making love.
But Cheng Zhanxi just wanted to kiss her.
Even if she wanted to make love, she wouldn't choose to do it on the street!
Cheng Zhanxi: “…”
Yu Qingtang looked at her, her eyes sincere yet disapproving.
Cheng Zhanxi opened her mouth, and after a long moment, could only manage, “Mm.”
Yu Qingtang stepped out of her embrace, lest Cheng Zhanxi get carried away.
The ambiguous atmosphere vanished instantly.
Cheng Zhanxi sighed inwardly and purely finished the walk holding hands.
The two returned to the old house.
Fang Wenjiao was watching TV in the living room. Seeing them, she called out, “Momo, Xiao Cheng, you're back.”
Yu Qingtang responded with a normal “Mm.”
Cheng Zhanxi, however, immediately turned her head to look at Yu Qingtang, her gaze as unfamiliar as if she had just met her.
Yu Qingtang frowned. “?”
Cheng Zhanxi said, “Nothing.” Out of Yu Qingtang's sight, she then frowned.
Fang Wenjiao asked Yu Qingtang, “Is Xiao Cheng staying here tonight? Should I prepare a room for her?”
Yu Qingtang said, “No need, she'll stay with me.”
Yu Qingtang's reasoning was simple: since they had recognized each other, Cheng Zhanxi must have a lot of questions for her. Sleeping in the same bed would make it convenient to catch up, and it wasn't like they hadn't slept together as children.
Cheng Zhanxi's mind was a bit muddled now. She hesitated, “Me, we're sleeping in the same room?”
She would, of course, be overjoyed to sleep in the same bed as Yu Qingtang, but the thought that the person beside her pillow was also her childhood companion made it a bit… temporarily unacceptable.
Her feelings for Momo were the purest form of friendship, while her feelings for Yu Qingtang were pure love. She wanted to date her, hold her hand, hug her, kiss her, make love to her, do all the intimate things couples do. These two feelings suddenly merged, and she needed time to process it.
Yu Qingtang's face was impassive. “You can stay in another room if you want.”
Cheng Zhanxi's instinct for self-preservation made her stop struggling. “…Let's stay in one room.”
Because of her reluctant attitude, Yu Qingtang's expression cooled slightly, and she went upstairs.
Cheng Zhanxi chatted casually with Grandma for a bit and then followed her upstairs.
Yu Qingtang was making the bed. Her bed was a 1.8-meter double bed, more than enough for two people.
Cheng Zhanxi stood by the door, not daring to approach. Yu Qingtang's figure flickered between a grown-up Momo and the lover she yearned for, indistinct in her pupils.
Yu Qingtang straightened up and saw Cheng Zhanxi standing distantly, more than ten steps away. A nameless anger surged within her. She suppressed it and asked in a calm tone, “Do you not want to stay here with me?”
Cheng Zhanxi remained rooted to the spot, shaking her head. “No.”
Yu Qingtang's delicate brows furrowed. She seemed to want to say something but swallowed it back, changing her words, “I'll go get you pajamas.”
Cheng Zhanxi didn't move an inch, politely saying, “Okay, thank you.”
Thank you?
A noticeable knot appeared between Yu Qingtang's eyebrows.
A look of annoyance flashed across Cheng Zhanxi's face; it was too late to cover her mouth.
Cheng Zhanxi quickly remedied the situation, laboriously pulling her feet from their spot and walking to the desk, a not-too-close, not-too-far distance from Yu Qingtang.
Yu Qingtang brought her a set of cotton pajamas, which, like the underwear, were new and unworn.
Cheng Zhanxi took the clothes, resisted the urge to say thank you, and went into the bathroom.
Yu Qingtang followed her in, showing her how to turn on the faucet, which side was hot water and which was cold, where the shampoo and body wash were, and where the clean bath towel hung. If it had been before, Cheng Zhanxi would have been ecstatic, perhaps even teasing Yu Qingtang a bit. But today, she was like a block of wood, incredibly stiff, even her smile appearing unnatural.
Yu Qingtang finished her explanation listlessly and said, “Call me when you're done. I'll wait for you outside.”
Cheng Zhanxi, as if granted amnesty, said, “Okay.”
She needed to quickly adjust her mood while showering. Before she fully processed this, she had to either adopt her attitude towards Yu Qingtang or her attitude towards Momo, not some muddled combination.
Cheng Zhanxi turned on the hot water, and the stream cascaded down from above.
Yu Qingtang sat at the desk outside, her face like still water.
Cheng Zhanxi showered for about half an hour. Her fair skin glowed with a faint pink hue. She shook out the neatly folded pajamas on the chair, put them on, wrapped a towel around her head, and walked out drying her hair, calling out with a smile in her voice, “Momo.”
Yu Qingtang frowned almost imperceptibly, then relaxed. She turned from the desk and said, “Finished washing?”
“Yes,” Cheng Zhanxi replied with a smile. She had decided to temporarily treat Yu Qingtang only as Momo, banishing all thoughts of romance and love. Since Yu Qingtang had always believed they were just good friends, she would show her what a real good friend was like.
Cheng Zhanxi: “Are you going to wash? The water is still hot.”
Yu Qingtang hummed in agreement, picked up the folded pajamas from the bedside table, and stepped into the bathroom.
Cheng Zhanxi ignored the suggestive sound of water from the bathroom, opened the window by the desk, and the night breeze blew in, carrying the scent of damp earth.
Cheng Zhanxi leisurely dried her hair while contentedly admiring the small bamboo grove swaying in the wind in the courtyard.
Time passed unknowingly. Cheng Zhanxi was sitting at the desk, head down, playing on her phone, when she heard the bathroom door open.
She didn't look up until a pair of feet in cotton slippers appeared in her line of sight.
Yu Qingtang's ink-black hair cascaded down her back, barely dried, still dripping wet. Two damp strands hung in front, unheeded, darkening her clothes. The pajamas had a small, round neckline that covered her delicate collarbones but couldn't hide her fair, elegant neck or the woman's graceful, undulating curves.
She's Momo, she's Momo, she's Momo.
Cheng Zhanxi hypnotized herself, looked over with a clear, smiling gaze, and said, “Why didn't you dry your hair?”
Yu Qingtang said expressionlessly, “I forgot.”
Cheng Zhanxi got up to get her a towel. Yu Qingtang naturally turned her back to her.
Although Cheng Zhanxi had never dried her hair for her, she had a gut feeling that Cheng Zhanxi would.
But this time, her intuition failed her. Cheng Zhanxi walked past her, placed the dry towel in her hand, and said gently, “Dry it.”
Yu Qingtang: “…”
Yu Qingtang looked at Cheng Zhanxi, a hint of grievance in her eyes. Cheng Zhanxi had already returned to her seat, engrossed in her phone, offering no chance for eye contact.
“I've dried it,” Yu Qingtang's voice carried a touch of petulance.
Hearing her tone, Cheng Zhanxi's carefully constructed self-hypnosis almost completely collapsed. She paused for two seconds before looking up. The carefully cultivated smile froze for an instant when she saw Yu Qingtang's hair still dripping wet.
Why doesn't she take care of herself!
Cheng Zhanxi's expression changed slightly. She barely managed to control herself and asked gently, “Is there a hairdryer?”
Yu Qingtang brought over the hairdryer, her intention even more obvious this time, directly thrusting it into Cheng Zhanxi's hand.
If Yu Qingtang still had her wits about her, she would know how transgressive and preposterous it was to force a “good friend” to blow-dry her hair. So, at this moment, she was acting purely on impulse and intuition. She wanted Cheng Zhanxi to blow-dry her hair; she felt that given their relationship, she should and definitely would do it, so she handed her the hairdryer directly.
Cheng Zhanxi plugged it in, tested the airflow and temperature, and handed the hairdryer back to her. As if Yu Qingtang had given her the hairdryer just for her to plug it in and test its functions.
Yu Qingtang again: “…”
Just as Cheng Zhanxi was about to go back to playing on her phone, Yu Qingtang unplugged the hairdryer, coiled the cord, and put it back in the drawer.
“I don't have the habit of blow-drying my hair,” Yu Qingtang said, the undertone of grievance in her flat voice even stronger.
Cheng Zhanxi's back stiffened.
In her mind, she had kissed, hugged, and coaxed Yu Qingtang a thousand times over. But when she turned around, her expression was calm, and she said softly, “You'll catch a cold if you don't dry it.”
Yu Qingtang looked at her, silent.
Cheng Zhanxi also looked at her. Their eye contact lasted no more than three seconds before Cheng Zhanxi immediately backed down.
She resisted the urge to rush over and hug her, her expression helpless. She reached out her hand. “Give me the towel.”
But Yu Qingtang said, “No need to dry it. It'll dry on its own in a while.”
Cheng Zhanxi: “…”
Who exactly is torturing whom here?
Cheng Zhanxi went to get a dry towel herself, walked behind Yu Qingtang, and wrapped her damp long hair in it. When she lifted the hair, the back of her pajamas was completely wet, clinging to her thin back, a dark patch. When Cheng Zhanxi was wrapping her hair, she even shivered from the cold.
Cheng Zhanxi felt both distressed and angry. She asked her, “Are you cold?”
Yu Qingtang said, “Not cold.”
Not as cold as when Cheng Zhanxi had ignored her just now.
Cheng Zhanxi towel-dried her long hair until it was half-dry. Her voice unconsciously softened as she asked, “Sleep now or later?”
Yu Qingtang said, “Later.” She turned around, looked up at Cheng Zhanxi, and said, “Aren't you going to chat with me?”
Cheng Zhanxi asked, “Do you want to chat?”
Yu Qingtang thought seriously for a moment.
She actually didn't want to chat. She hadn't been happy when Cheng Zhanxi called her Momo just now. She preferred it when she called her by her name—Teacher Yu, Yu Qingtang, Yu Tangtang—any of them were better than Momo.
But Cheng Zhanxi and Momo hadn't seen each other for so long; she must want to talk to her. She had cried so much in the evening. Did she like Momo that much? Unforgettable for over twenty years. If she wasn't Momo, which good friend would she like more?
It would be better if I wasn't Momo. Yu Qingtang thought, then immediately dismissed the idea. No, if she were Momo, if she wasn't, then Cheng Zhanxi would have been thinking about someone else for so many years. She didn't like that 'if'.
Yu Qingtang had confused herself, unable to figure out what she was struggling with. A long-awaited reunion was clearly a joyous occasion; she had been very happy last time.
Among these lingering thoughts, an answer was faintly emerging.
In the end, Yu Qingtang still said, “Let's chat.” Since Cheng Zhanxi wanted to.
Then let's chat.
Sharing a bed, talking all night.
The long talk failed at the first step.
The two lay in bed. Yu Qingtang pulled Cheng Zhanxi's arm over, resting her head in the crook of her arm, one hand circling her slender waist.
Cheng Zhanxi: “…”
What kind of standard couple sleeping position is this? And she still says she only sees me as a good friend?
The abstinent Cheng Zhanxi, determined to stick to the “Momo policy,” began to pull her arm back and gently removed Yu Qingtang's hand from her waist.
Yu Qingtang didn't let her pull it back, and her hand also remained around her waist.
But she wasn't as strong as Cheng Zhanxi. Cheng Zhanxi easily overpowered her.
Yu Qingtang got angry.
She didn't understand why the usually compliant Cheng Zhanxi suddenly rejected her intimacy. She was so angry she started to get muddled, thinking chaotically, She even wanted to do it with me outside earlier! Now she's back and has turned hostile!
After a few back-and-forths, Yu Qingtang grew impatient. She simply grabbed both of Cheng Zhanxi's wrists and pinned them onto the soft white pillow.
And she herself flipped over, kneeling on Cheng Zhanxi's waist, looking down at her, her expression tinged with suppressed anger.
The soft white light cast a halo around the woman beneath her. Cheng Zhanxi's long hair was scattered messily on the pillow. The collar of her pajamas had been pulled askew during the earlier struggle, revealing her alluring collarbones, her snow-white shoulder half-hidden, half-exposed.
Cheng Zhanxi appeared exceptionally docile, her raven-like long eyelashes lowered, allowing her hands to be pinned without any resistance.
Yu Qingtang stared at her blankly.
She should get off, but she seemed a little reluctant to leave this perspective.
Cheng Zhanxi slowly lifted her eyelids, and Yu Qingtang met her gentle, tea-colored eyes.
Her heart skipped a beat, as if bewitched. Her gaze uncontrollably slid from her eyes to the woman's slightly pursed red lips.
Cheng Zhanxi sensed her gaze and, like a slow-motion close-up in a movie, slowly parted her rosy lips.
A silent invitation.
Girl if you don't—
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