ORCBRB – Chapter 22
Chapter 22
As Sang Shi'an was changing into her little dress, her Kitty account received a new WeChat message.
It was the first time in over half a month that Jian Cenyu had messaged her first.
—On the third day of her deliberately posting on Moments and ignoring Jian Cenyu.
【Have you eaten?】
Sang Shi'an was just putting on the dress and hadn't tied the sash yet. Holding the collar against her chest with one hand, she typed with the other: 【I've already eaten. I was just about to look for you, Jiejie.】
A video call invitation popped up immediately, catching her off guard.
Sang Shi'an wasn't fully dressed, but everything that needed to be covered was. She grabbed a mask, took her phone to a pure white wall, and answered the call.
Just like before, Jian Cenyu turned off her camera the moment the call connected, giving the other side no chance to peek.
“Wait for me, Jiejie, I haven't finished changing yet.”
The two wings on Sang Shi'an's back were uneven, one higher than the other, and the succubus's signature tail was crookedly slanted to the right. The only part of the whole cosplay outfit that was on properly was the pair of gloves, making her look endearingly clumsy.
“You were looking for me to show me this?”
Sang Shi'an nodded repeatedly, “Mhm, mhm, mhm,” thinking Jian Cenyu couldn't wait. She turned back into a master of acting cute. “That's right. Jiejie actually liked my Moments post the other day! Since you care about me so much, of course I had to change into it for you today.”
She had worn this outfit once before, so it wasn't that difficult to put on. Just as she secured the sash and was about to adjust the tail and wings, she heard Jian Cenyu ask, “So tonight's exam was fake?”
A low, laughing voice was perfectly reproduced through the phone's speaker. “Little liar.”
That voice…
It was more like Jian Cenyu's usual speaking voice than during the previous video calls, yet it was also different, carrying a lazy tone, like the intimacy between lovers.
Sang Shi'an's hand trembled, and she almost pulled off the tail she had just grabbed.
She had almost forgotten that the excuse she used to deliberately keep Jian Cenyu hanging was that a course was ending early and she had a final exam.
Had she actually mentioned a specific date?
Sang Shi'an's face fell, and she defended herself with little confidence, “The proctor had something to do tonight, so the exam was moved to the afternoon.”
Jian Cenyu chuckled again. “But my memo says your exam is clearly tomorrow morning.”
Sang Shi'an: …
Huh?
Sang Shi'an's head was spinning; she couldn't remember which day she had blurted out when she was making things up.
Since she couldn't remember, she decided to just play dumb to the end.
“Kitty?”
The familiar tapping sound came again. “Explain.”
Sang Shi'an wrung her hands in front of the camera and said softly and sincerely, “Jiejie, I was wrong.”
“So you were lying to me before?”
“…Mhm.”
Jian Cenyu's voice grew heavy, extremely cold. “Explain.”
“My family signed me up for an academic tutoring class these past few days, so I've been pretty busy.”
Sang Shi'an cursed Jian Cenyu eight times in her head. Taking advantage of the fact that Jian Cenyu didn't know who she was, she started complaining about the tutor. “Jiejie, you have no idea how mean that teacher is. She's fierce and frigid, and she meddles in other people's business even though she's single herself. After she caught me replying to your message once, she kept staring at me and wouldn't even let me eat. I lost three whole catties in just a few days!”
The girl, who was deliberately putting on a voice, sounded incredibly pitiful and wronged as she complained, even with a slight nasal tone.
But that was only if Jian Cenyu wasn't the ‘teacher’ Sang Shi'an was talking about.
Separated by several soundproof walls, Jian Cenyu was on the verge of laughing out of anger at Sang Shi'an's words.
She was fierce and frigid?
And she didn't let Sang Shi'an eat?
To accompany Sang Shi'an to some newly opened, internet-famous restaurant, she had driven for two hours across half of Yancheng, then waited for 112 tables. That was called not letting her eat?
Jian Cenyu lowered her head and sighed. The loose strands of hair at her temples fell softly, hiding the emotion in her eyes, which seemed to be a mix of amusement and extreme anger.
She paused only when a faint, clear scent of orchid drifted to her nose, and her voice returned to a steady tone. “I see.”
“I thought you were going to say you went to the doctor because you grew a tail.”
That voice sounded a little chilly. Sang Shi'an shivered and saw the curtains fluttering slightly, realizing she probably hadn't closed the window properly.
She was finally dressed properly. She tried to wiggle her back a couple of times, and the fluffy wings and tail swayed with her movements. “So Jiejie cares about me that much?”
“I did go to the doctor, but he said this tail doesn't belong to me. Once it grows out, it will hurt like it's being burned late at night. Jiejie, will you save me?”
Jian Cenyu: “How do I save you?”
Sang Shi'an's voice sounded a little dejected. “If my new tail isn't soothed by anyone, I'll die from the pain, and I'll never be able to turn back into a spirit.”
Jian Cenyu: “Why did it become like this?”
Sang Shi'an continued to spin a tale for Jian Cenyu using the Western fantasy knowledge she had just acquired. “I'm sorry, Jiejie, I just want your love so badly. I heard the demon king has a potion that can make my beloved fall in love with me, so I went to steal it. I didn't expect, I didn't expect…”
“I'm sorry, I'm just a bad kid. I couldn't help it.”
“I was too scared to tell you, so I've been deliberately avoiding you these past few days. Will you hate me?”
A long time passed before a sigh came from the other end. “Then don't hold back.”
Sang Shi'an was about to ask what she meant by ‘don't hold back’—
“Come, sit on my lap.”
Sit… sit where?
Sang Shi'an was completely stunned, wondering how she could possibly sit on her lap through a screen. Should she go knock on Jian Cenyu's door right now?
“Still not coming up? Does Kitty want to be tied up?”
Gentle yet cruel. When two completely different words appeared in the same voice, it immediately stopped Sang Shi'an's wild thoughts and pulled her back to the state of mind from their previous video calls.
It was as if Jian Cenyu was right in front of her, sitting on her bed and looking down on her, giving her orders.
She clearly didn't have to do it.
But in that instant, all the blood in her body rushed upwards. Sang Shi'an's breathing quickened, her exposed collarbones began to flush, and even her legs half-stood up, her long, well-proportioned calves flashing past the camera.
She sat down properly again. “I…”
Sang Shi'an wasn't sure if Jian Cenyu understood.
“Now, wrap your hands tightly around my shoulders.”
A new command.
Sang Shi'an raised her hands and placed them on the sofa at the foot of the bed. The wings on her back spread out with her movement, the black feathers filling the entire screen, making her truly look like a fallen angel just entering the demon realm.
“Lift your hips. I can't reach like this.”
Sang Shi'an shifted her hips slightly.
“A little higher.”
“Press down here.” It was as if a pair of hands were pressing on the small of her back.
Her chin, covered by the mask, was revealed inch by inch on the screen. Afraid of being discovered by Jian Cenyu, Sang Shi'an could only sit up straighter.
But as soon as she had that thought, Jian Cenyu would speak again.
She had no choice but to press the middle of her back lower and lower, and the tail that she claimed would ‘burn if no one soothed it’ became more and more prominent on the screen.
Sang Shi'an had learned to dance for a while when she was younger but gave up because it was too tiring. Her flexibility was long gone, and she couldn't even reach the 20cm mark in the sit-and-reach test.
But at this moment, fine beads of sweat rolled down her tensed back, so faint they looked like a layer of silver glitter.
So hot.
And so sore.
“I really… can't bend anymore,” Sang Shi'an forced out the words, her voice full of grievance.
“Good girl, you can do it.”
“I'm about to touch your tail.”
“Press down a little more, lean against me.”
“Can you feel it?”
The voice gradually became lower, yet it tickled her ear clearly.
Sang Shi'an seemed to have a hallucination, as if she were really being held in someone's arms. The soft, feathery fabric on her chest seemed to be mixed with a gentle body heat, pressing against her.
“Kitty's tail is so beautiful.”
“So soft.”
“So good.”
Jian Cenyu's three consecutive praises made Sang Shi'an so shy she didn't even dare to open her eyes.
“Why is it all flushed? You poor thing.”
Sang Shi'an fought back her embarrassment and explained, “Because I just used the potion.”
Jian Cenyu was quiet for a long time.
The wind leaking through the window made the feathers on the tail tremble slightly, as if it were really being stroked.
“Is just touching the tail enough?”
“Why is it still so red?”
“How about Jiejie helps you cool down?”
The voice seemed to be filtered through a layer of gauze, hazy yet exceptionally clear in its breathiness.
It was as if her little tail had truly been caught, her fatal weakness in someone else's hands, wanting to escape yet craving more.
“Why so quiet?”
“Kitty, why haven't you looked for me these past few days?”
Sang Shi'an: …
Did she have to bring up old scores at a time like this?
“Don't move.”
Sang Shi'an had only sat up slightly for a second before Jian Cenyu sharply noticed.
She obediently lay back down. “I like Jiejie so much.”
“I really want to go home with Jiejie.”
“So that Jiejie can see me hiding under the covers as soon as she gets out of class.”
Jian Cenyu: “She sees you, and then what?”
Sang Shi'an's ears turned red. “And then…”
Jian Cenyu was extremely patient, waiting for Sang Shi'an to form her own words.
In an extremely long wait, so long that Sang Shi'an's back could barely support her and began to tremble.
As her breathing grew rapid, she finally couldn't hold it in any longer, and a choked sob escaped her throat.
Jian Cenyu's breath hitched, and the hand adjusting her earphone volume suddenly clenched.
She lowered her voice and made the decision for Sang Shi'an.
“Kitty, shall I eat you up?”
Sang Shi'an's lower back was sore for a whole week.
Ever since that succubus cosplay outfit, a certain someone had become like an insatiable demon sucking her life force. Sang Shi'an was suffering terribly but didn't dare use the medicinal balms at home, so she would sneak into the bathroom after class to apply pain relief patches.
“A little lower. Hiss, don't press randomly, be gentle!” Sang Shi'an gritted her teeth, complaining about Su Ningyue's patch-applying skills.
Su Ningyue carefully peeled off the film from the patch and sighed. “Oh, just bear with it. When other people sleep in a bad position, they get sore shoulders and backs. How come it's your lower back? If I didn't know you, I'd think you went to a hotel room with someone.”
Sang Shi'an's sharp intake of breath paused for a moment. “How is that possible?”
Su Ningyue leaned in closer, pushed aside Sang Shi'an's hair, and pinched the tip of her ear. “You're not hiding something from me, are you?”
Sang Shi'an slapped her hand away. “What could I possibly be hiding from you?”
“I guess not. Otherwise, your back wouldn't be so spotless,” Su Ningyue muttered under her breath.
At the very least, there should be some marks, right?
A back this fair would show marks with just a little force.
It was hard not to be tempted.
After applying the patch, Su Ningyue pulled down the hem of Sang Shi'an's shirt. “Do you need help tucking it into your skirt? I don't need to do that for you, do I?”
Sang Shi'an dodged her with disgust and tucked in her shirt herself. “Get away from me. Don't even think about taking advantage of me!”
Su Ningyue snorted. “Who'd want to?”
Sang Shi'an put on her jacket and pushed the door open. “Plenty of people want me. Once the buzz about me and Jian Cenyu dies down, I'll get a confession a day and make you green with envy.”
Su Ningyue: “Are you talking about the kind of confession where a guy, reeking of sweat after playing basketball, insists on stopping you to talk for half an hour?”
Sang Shi'an: …
Sometimes, a mouth didn't necessarily have to be used for talking.
Su Ningyue put her arm around her shoulder, leaning half her body against her. “Don't be mad. But those days really aren't far off for you.”
Sang Shi'an's hand, which was reaching for her phone, paused. “What do you mean?”
“You remember that thing you did a few days ago, clarifying things for Senior Jian? Car enthusiasts have looked up every detail of that car, down to the model and configuration. The market price is over five million.” Sang Shi'an was wearing a small, pure white fur coat today, which was incredibly soft to hug. Su Ningyue hugged her and didn't want to let go.
“Everyone at school is now extremely curious about your and Senior Jian's family backgrounds. Someone from the Chemistry College spoke up, saying that the lab building in their college was donated by Senior Jian's family, and the hundreds of millions in research funding each year are also paid by her family.”
“This kind of donation information isn't hard to find; it's on the official website. When they saw it was the same surname, no one bothered to dig deeper into the exact relationship and just tacitly assumed it.”
Sang Shi'an was a little confused. “Even if they know the car is Jian Cenyu's and that her family is well-off, what does that have to do with me?”
Su Ningyue looked helplessly at the clueless Sang Shi'an and poked her on the head. “Are you silly? Do you think everyone's path in life is through studying? Good-looking and from a good family, do you think those guys wouldn't be interested?”
“This society is very realistic. Before, they liked to talk about you two because you were both single, and looking at you during boring lectures was easy on the eyes. Now that money and benefits are involved, who cares what your relationship with Jian Cenyu is? Even if you two were really dating, some people would still rush to be the third wheel.”
Sang Shi'an: … “This is Yanjing University.”
Su Ningyue: “Them being at Yanjing University only means they're at the top of the pyramid when it comes to academics. Their character and views on love aren't necessarily the same.”
Sang Shi'an looked around, made sure no one was there, and retorted in a small voice, “Jian Cenyu doesn't like guys either.”
Su Ningyue poked her again. “Whether Senior Jian likes them or not is a separate matter from whether they want to pursue her.”
Across the long, covered corridor, Su Ningyue tilted her chin. “See? I wasn't making that up, was I?”
Sang Shi'an followed her gaze and indeed saw a boy standing in front of Jian Cenyu, scratching the back of his head with one hand while holding his phone out to her with the other.
It was the classic move of asking for a WeChat contact during a confession.
“So, I was saying you won't have to worr— Hey? Hey! Where are you going?” Su Ningyue watched as Sang Shi'an walked towards the corridor.
She quickly jogged to catch up, her heart pounding.
Sang Shi'an's mood had been very unstable lately, like a high school student going through a delayed rebellious phase.
Especially when it came to matters involving Jian Cenyu.
On the surface, she acted like she hated Jian Cenyu to death, but taking advantage of the fact that Jian Cenyu was in an online relationship with her alternate account, she was getting closer and closer to Jian Cenyu in real life, so attentive that Su Ningyue couldn't even be bothered to comment on it.
“Jian Cenyu!”
Just as Jian Cenyu was about to refuse, Sang Shi'an's voice rang out.
The students who were passing by and watching the confession drama pointed in surprise towards Sang Shi'an, and a few voices saying things like ‘That's Sang Shi'an’ could be heard in the air.
Sang Shi'an hadn't considered the consequences at all when she came over.
Now, she didn't even know what to say next and just stood there, stunned.
Su Ningyue diligently saved the day, turning her student ID card with the photo face down and stuffing it into Jian Cenyu's hand. “Senior Jian, we were just about to return your student card. Thank you so much for your help at the library today.”
Jian Cenyu said sorry to the boy and walked towards them with a calm expression. “I need to go to Professor Xu's office to move some materials. I might not be able to carry them all by myself. Are you two free?”
“We're free, we don't have class.” Su Ningyue had already given up on Sang Shi'an and agreed directly. “We'll go with you.”
Jian Cenyu nodded and headed downstairs ahead of them.
Hearing that it was just about moving things, the onlookers lost interest and dispersed.
When they reached the faculty office building area, Su Ningyue made an excuse about having plans to play a game with someone, took back the student card, and slipped away.
There weren't many people on the path in this area. Sang Shi'an was still immersed in self-doubt over her impulsive action, her mind a bit of a blank. Jian Cenyu reached out, plucked a leaf that had fallen on her shoulder, and asked gently, “No class this afternoon?”
Sang Shi'an looked up at her. There was no displeasure in Jian Cenyu's eyes from having her confession interrupted, nor did she seem to have any intention of questioning her.
She didn't say anything for a long time. Jian Cenyu's gaze lowered slightly. “Why are you looking at me like that? Weren't you looking for me just now?”
“…Su Ningyue told me everything. After I helped you clarify things, a lot of guys started getting ideas about you again. I guess I'm the one who caused this, so I have to be responsible for you.”
Jian Cenyu's eyes flickered. “Is that so?”
Sang Shi'an was rendered speechless by this question, not knowing what to say for a moment. She turned and stopped on the bridge to watch the fish. “Mhm.”
Jian Cenyu walked over as well, watching the fish with her in silence for a while before abruptly asking, “Do you know what it means to be responsible?”
Sang Shi'an: …
Of course she knew what it meant to be responsible, but wasn't her use of the word ‘responsible’ just to explain what happened? It was just a phrase to let everyone save face. Why wasn't Jian Cenyu playing by the rules?
“Of course I know. Next time I see it happen, I'll help you chase those guys away, okay?” Sang Shi'an hummed softly. “But I have high standards. If I happen to chase away someone you like, you can't blame me then.”
Jian Cenyu smiled, her features softening. “Okay, I won't blame you.”
It was already below zero outside. Sang Shi'an couldn't stand it after a while and was about to find a nearby academic building to warm up. As she turned, her gaze paused on Jian Cenyu's smiling face, and she had a feeling her own face might be blushing.
She looked away, feeling as if Jian Cenyu… had cast a spell on her.
The sense of shame she felt as Kitty was carrying over into reality.
This was not a good sign.
After returning to an academic building and finding an empty study room to sit in, Sang Shi'an opened her phone. A casual scroll through the school forum revealed photos of Jian Cenyu being confessed to just now.
Sang Shi'an stared at them for a long time, and the more she looked, the more she felt that boy was not good enough for Jian Cenyu.
She thought, it would be too embarrassing if her brother lost to a guy like that. So it was understandable that she couldn't help but want to chase those people away for Jian Cenyu.
As it turned out, Sang Shi'an wandering into the faculty office building area today was a pull of fate.
After spending half an hour in the study room, she received an email from Professor Xu, asking her to come to her office immediately.
On the way, Sang Shi'an racked her brain but couldn't think of a reason why Professor Xu would want to see her.
Could it be that she had been lazy last week and found someone to attend an elective for her, and the teacher found out and reported her?
That shouldn't be it. If there was a problem, the substitute would have told her right away and definitely wouldn't have taken her money.
Then could it be that she had entered the wrong information when she registered for the CPA exam last month?
That was also unlikely. She wasn't a primary school student who would report to a teacher first if she made a mistake in registration.
Sang Shi'an mentally reviewed possibilities for a full five minutes. As she stood waiting for the elevator in the faculty building, someone pressed the button for her. “The elevator won't come if you just stand there waiting.”
She glanced at Jian Cenyu before looking away. “You're here to see Professor Xu too?”
“Mhm.” Jian Cenyu entered the elevator with her, pressed the button for the 6th floor, then turned her head to ask, “What mischief have you been up to? You looked so distracted from a distance.”
Being suddenly summoned by a professor already made Sang Shi'an feel guilty. Now that Jian Cenyu had pointed it out, she became a little angry out of embarrassment. “You're the one who's been up to mischief!”
You're the one doing inhuman things every night!
Jian Cenyu looked at her as if she were a child. “Don't be nervous. Professor Xu probably has good news for you.”
Sang Shi'an's eyes slowly shifted. “You know?”
The elevator doors opened. Jian Cenyu didn't explain further and walked out first.
Pushing open the office door, Professor Xu waved at them. “You're here. Take a look.”
The two of them greeted her. Sang Shi'an took the courier bag Professor Xu handed her. It seemed to contain a book, or maybe a stack of answer sheets bound together.
Professor Xu couldn't have taken on some side job grading papers and was now roping her in as free labor, could she?
With this thought, Sang Shi'an became even more worried about damaging the contents and opened it with extra care.
When she finally tore off the outer packaging and saw the colorful magazine inside, Sang Shi'an was slightly surprised. “Professor, is this a financial journal?”
“Yes.” Professor Xu had her remove the plastic wrap, then took it and flipped to a specific page.
“When I submitted little Jian's paper, I bundled yours and sent it along too. Little Jian's was published, and an excerpt from yours also got a spot on the page.” Professor Xu pointed to Sang Shi'an's name and her advisor's name, beaming with joy.
“For that VAM topic last time, many professors in the department specifically assigned their protégés to write about it. I just gave it to you as homework, but I didn't expect you two to bring me such honor.”
Sang Shi'an was in disbelief, for once forgetting her manners and leaning her head over to look.
“Ah, it's so small.”
“Even if it's small, it still counts as being published. When it comes to actual achievements, there's no difference between this and your senior's full-page spread. You're only a sophomore, don't be so greedy.” Professor Xu laughed. “Your section happened to complement your senior's argument; otherwise, they would have rejected it as soon as they saw you were an undergraduate. So, in a way, you're the one who benefited. You should properly thank your senior.”
Sang Shi'an turned her head to look at Jian Cenyu and found that her bewitched face was shamelessly blushing again.
Staring at Professor Xu's encouraging gaze, she said dryly, “Thank you, Senior.”
Jian Cenyu nodded with a calm expression. “You're welcome. You deserved it.”
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