Purely Accidental - Chapter 24
Chapter 24
The more Pei Youshan dwelled on her wild imagination, the more bizarrely plausible it seemed, with airtight logic.
If this were really the case...
She abruptly smacked her forehead, hastily shutting down the train of thought before it could spiral further.
—Pei Youshan, oh Pei Youshan, this is reality, not some novel. There aren't that many coincidences and melodramatic plot twists. Stop letting your imagination run wild and scaring yourself!
Xu Jingshu silently read line after line on the screen.
It was so well-reasoned and convincing.
If she weren't Xu Jingshu herself, she might have believed it.
[Xu Jingshu]: Miss Yue truly lives up to being a writer.
[Xu Jingshu]: Your perspective is far more unconventional and novel than most.
Pei Youshan rubbed her nose sheepishly.
[Pei Youshan]: Oh, it's nothing.
[Pei Youshan]: But what I said earlier was just a joke—don't take it seriously. I really don't want her to actually like me.
Xu Jingshu was puzzled: [Why not?]
[Pei Youshan]: As someone who values looks, my other half must be exceptionally good-looking!
Xu Jingshu chuckled, easily picturing her righteous expression on the other side of the screen.
When it came to being appearance-focused, she was truly consistent.
Which meant they absolutely couldn't meet.
Xu Jingshu figured that if she could catch Pei Youshan's eye, she must at least be decent-looking—enough to meet Pei Youshan's standards.
So if Pei Youshan discovered she wasn't ugly and actually matched her aesthetic... who could guarantee Pei Youshan wouldn't betray their unspoken anti-marriage alliance?
After all, based on what Pei Youshan had revealed so far, her reasons for rejecting the marriage all revolved around looks and character—nothing else.
Thus, Pei Youshan's appearance-focused nature was the biggest wild card.
So she typed out a very sincere message:
[Xu Jingshu]: May Miss Yue get her wish and find her ideal partner soon.
[Pei Youshan]: I'll take that as a blessing. Same to you.
From then on, Pei Youshan seized every opportunity to flaunt her fake relationship with "Little Sparrow" to Xu Jingshu.
She even passed off dishes made by her housekeeper as Little Sparrow's cooking, doing everything possible to showcase their "loving daily life" in messages.
All to guard against that "what if."
Xu Jingshu found it amusing and played along, occasionally even complimenting, "Miss Pei and your girlfriend seem so loving."
Followed by, "May you overcome your families' objections and grow old together."
She was generous with her praise and well-wishes.
Showered with such blessings, Pei Youshan's carefully constructed tragic persona for Xu Jingshu began to waver, leaving her feeling increasingly guilty.
After all... she was still a proud single aristocrat.
But that didn't stop her from continuing the charade—as long as it fooled Xu Jingshu, anything went!
...
Time slipped through their fingers like sand, and soon it was the day Xu Jingshu moved out of Pei Youshan's home.
The new apartment was a three-bedroom riverside unit with two balconies.
The surroundings were serene, and at night, the glittering skyline across the river was visible from the windows.
Pei Youshan loved the view and bought it without hesitation.
Free from living under the same roof as her fiancée-benefactor, Xu Jingshu felt much more at ease.
It meant less time spent hiding her identity and reduced risk of Pei Lanqing suddenly showing up to expose her.
Pei Youshan padded over in slippers, pushing open the window to step onto the balcony.
The sky was ablaze with sunset hues, and the river breeze carried a refreshing coolness against her skin.
In this tranquil moment, her mood was radiant as she gazed at the shimmering river, her heart calm and still.
After surveying the apartment, Xu Jingshu emerged from the master bedroom to find Pei Youshan standing motionless on the balcony, basking in the breeze.
"Miss Yue."
Xu Jingshu stopped beside her.
Pei Youshan snapped out of her reverie, turning with a smile that crinkled her peach-blossom eyes. "Done looking? What do you think—satisfied?"
Xu Jingshu nodded calmly. "I trust Miss Yue's taste."
"Good."
After saying this, Pei Youshan leaned slightly against the railing, propping her cheek on one hand as she resumed watching the undulating river.
When she fell silent again, Xu Jingshu turned to study her quietly.
The twilight cast a rosy glow on her fair skin, enhancing her natural beauty. Her long, thick lashes fluttered like butterfly wings, and beneath them, her peach-blossom eyes shimmered with autumn light, bright as stars.
She seemed like the world's most precious treasure—one that everyone would want to cradle gently in their hands. Whether stars or the moon, people would gladly pluck them from the sky for her.
Xu Jingshu couldn't help thinking:
She truly had the right to demand whatever appearance she wanted in a partner.
Even if she insisted on the most beautiful person in the world, it wouldn't seem unreasonable.
Suddenly, Xu Jingshu noticed her rosy lips curving upward, her eyes softening.
"So beautiful," she murmured contentedly.
Following her gaze, Xu Jingshu saw the river rippling, the fiery sunset melting into the water, painting the surface in dazzling light.
It looked like a richly colored oil painting.
And in that moment, Xu Jingshu understood something.
"Miss Yue enjoys river views?"
Pei Youshan nodded, then straightened up with exaggerated seriousness. "Not just rivers—vast oceans, babbling brooks, even tiny ponds. I love them all."
She smiled. "Watching light dance like gemstones on clear water... isn't that relaxing?"
"So..." Xu Jingshu turned fully toward her. "When you bumped into me at Lakeside Glaze, were you looking at the pond?"
Pei Youshan froze, memories of that day flooding back.
The breeze tousled her hair as she rubbed her nose sheepishly. "No..."
"You were blocking my view. I wanted you to move, but I didn't expect to crash into you—or that it'd be you..."
And certainly never imagined she'd end up keeping you.
Summarizing everything between them required just four words: pure coincidence.
Xu Jingshu said, "So when you approached me that night... was it drunken impulsiveness over my looks?"
Pei Youshan flushed, turning back to the river. "It wasn't entirely about looks..."
Xu Jingshu instinctively stepped closer. "Then what else?"
Pei Youshan took a deep breath, watching the distant traffic as she answered slowly, "There was also some spite involved."
Pausing, she added with a quiet laugh, "Back then, I kept thinking—if my arranged fiancée could have a kept lover, why couldn't I?"
Looking back, she'd been using Xu Jingshu to vent her resentment toward Pei Lanqing's high-handedness.
Add alcohol eroding her judgment, and she'd acted recklessly.
Whether it would work out hadn't even crossed her mind.
Xu Jingshu: "..."
After all this, her fiancée had kept her... because of herself.
What a twist of fate.
But it wasn't a bad one.
Without that rumor, she'd have missed out on this most unique kept Ragdoll cat.
For that silver lining, she could temporarily forgive the idiot who spread it—for three seconds.
Having cleared the air, Pei Youshan felt lighter. She turned and playfully patted Xu Jingshu's shoulder, beaming. "From today onward, you'll live here. I'll visit often, and let me know if you need anything."
Her eyes sparkled, bright as the river's shimmering surface.
Xu Jingshu instinctively drew closer, taking her smooth, pale hand and murmuring at close range, "Then will Miss Yue stay tonight?"
Pei Youshan's heart was abruptly tickled by a feather—a faint, tantalizing itch.
Before she could answer, Xu Jingshu leaned in, whispering by her ear, "I hope you'll stay."
...
Warm breath grazed her neck as slender fingers interlaced with hers, pressing her hand against the cool sheets.
Pei Youshan lay face-down on the pillow, cheeks flushed, breathing uneven, eyes glistening.
Xu Jingshu lazily nuzzled her ear from behind, kissing the pinkened tip.
When Pei Youshan turned her head, she met eyes deep as the ocean yet brimming with tenderness.
Reflected in them, she felt drawn in—as if tidal waves were surging toward her, swallowing her whole.
Her palm slid across smooth sheets, restless as a kitten's paw kneading fabric.
Only when the waves receded did the tension in her grip gradually ease.
Catching her breath, she leaned up to meet Xu Jingshu's naturally rosy lips.
Then, subtly bracing a hand on her shoulder, Pei Youshan tried flipping them over—to give her a taste of the same.
Only for her wrist to be caught and pinned back down.
"No."
Xu Jingshu's lips brushed her flawless cheek, voice as composed and alluring as ever. "Just lie back, Miss Yue."
Since learning her benefactor was her fiancée, Xu Jingshu's desire to take charge had far outweighed being taken.
Teasing this cat wasn't limited to daylight hours or solid ground.
Pei Youshan frowned slightly, lifting passion-dazed eyes that brimmed with irresistible allure.
Even in her haze, she managed one question: "Why?"
Who didn't prefer being on the receiving end?
Xu Jingshu replied serenely, "I'm paid to ensure Miss Yue's pleasure."
She kissed her again. "Isn't it nice to just relax and enjoy?"
Pei Youshan nodded vaguely. "Well, yes..."
"Then stay still. Let me handle everything. Be good."
With more kisses, Xu Jingshu soon had her too dazed to remember her counterattack plans.
The next morning, Pei Youshan dressed and washed up.
Staring into the mirror, she inexplicably tallied up how often she'd taken charge recently.
The results could be summarized in eight words: abysmal and countable on one hand.
Pei Youshan: "..."
...Good heavens, I really am a bodhisattva.
Yet Xu Jingshu always had ways to muddle her thoughts, coaxing her into submission every time.
She'd realized: her kept lover was the biggest obstacle to her dominance.
But what could she do?
Xu Jingshu was beautiful—that forgave everything.
Bodhisattva Pei Youshan resigned herself to fate.
As she bent to splash water on her face, another thought struck her—one that grew increasingly unsettling.
Since returning from Jinshi, Xu Jingshu's desire for her seemed to be escalating.
Why?
Was it addiction... or...
Had she fallen for her?
Pei Youshan scrubbed her face vigorously, trying to snap out of it.
—No way. Xu Jingshu was too level-headed to fall for a sugar mommy!
After breakfast, they headed to the parking garage together—Xu Jingshu to work, Pei Youshan home.
In the elevator, Pei Youshan studied Xu Jingshu's profile before casually asking, "Xu Ge, do you think kept lovers ever develop real feelings for their benefactors?"
"They exist," Xu Jingshu answered matter-of-factly. "But I'm not one of them."
Only fools would catch genuine feelings and lose themselves in the arrangement.
Hmmm. I’don’t believe that
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