ORCBRB – Chapter 38
Chapter 38
After confirming that her feelings for Jian Cenyu were the cause of a series of emotions like reluctance to part, jealousy, and insecurity, Sang Shi'an completely let herself go. Without any need for Su Ningyue to fan the flames, she spent her days at school unilaterally clinging to Jian Cenyu.
Jian Cenyu, however, remained proper and composed. Even if Sang Shi'an faked a sprained ankle and fell on her three times a day, she would unflinchingly crouch down to check Sang Shi'an's nonexistent injury.
Sang Shi'an loved the feeling of occupying all of Jian Cenyu's attention. Even when she chatted with Jian Cenyu at night using her Kitty account, she was much happier than before.
As long as she remembered that Kitty's purpose was to sabotage her brother's arranged marriage, she could swallow down any petty temper tantrums born from her jealousy of Kitty.
She had spent half a month wearing all the outfits she bought from the comic convention, and tonight was the last one.
Sang Shi'an first put on the top in front of the mirror, then took the accessories to hang on her belt one by one. Jian Cenyu's video call request came in, and in her haste, Sang Shi'an stepped on the hem of her skirt, tearing a strip from the fragile fabric.
A helpless expression twisted Sang Shi'an's pretty features.
Since it was the last outfit, Sang Shi'an couldn't change into another one. She could only bite the bullet and answer the call. "I..."
"Why are you dressed like that?" Jian Cenyu also seemed a little surprised.
The next second, a smiling voice rang out, "Is Kitty trying to play a princess in distress?"
Heat bloomed on her cheeks and spread to the back of her ears. Fortunately, her mask covered her face securely, preventing it from being exposed on camera. However, the hand hidden behind her back cooperatively pulled the fabric on her right shoulder down a little.
"It's because I'm not done getting dressed yet," Sang Shi'an said, putting on a voice that was soft and clingy.
A medieval princess in a torn gown was exceptionally eye-catching just by sitting in front of the camera.
"But Kitty," Jian Cenyu's voice held a laugh, the end of her words light and lilting, "your garter is on backward."
Sang Shi'an felt like a cat whose sensitive tail base had just been touched, and her whole body trembled.
"Why such a big reaction?" Jian Cenyu seemed to recall something else, her voice laced with laughter. "Kitty, you're so sensitive."
Sang Shi'an: ...
Ah—
No matter how many times Sang Shi'an video-chatted with Jian Cenyu or how many similar things she heard, she always suspected that Jian Cenyu had been replaced by an imposter.
This version of Jian Cenyu belonged exclusively to Kitty, as if she had stolen her.
Sang Shi'an's feelings were extremely complicated. It wasn't that she never had the impulse to confess to Jian Cenyu, especially when she was immersed in playing Kitty and could treat Jian Cenyu as her own possession with a clear conscience.
But as soon as she remembered that Kitty's existence had been a prank and a deception from the very beginning, Sang Shi'an would quickly dismiss the thought.
Deception was the biggest taboo in a relationship, so she didn't want Jian Cenyu to guess the thoughts she once had about wanting to expose her sexual orientation.
She absolutely could not admit that she was Kitty.
Sang Shi'an suppressed the emotions in her heart and took a deep breath.
Then she lifted the entire skirt, re-fastened the garter, and presented her straight, fair legs to the camera. Below her slender ankles, her delicate feet slowly tensed. She checked repeatedly in the phone's camera before obediently asking, "How about now? Why do I feel like it's still crooked?"
With a piece of the hem torn off, the entire outfit looked crooked. No matter how straight she fastened the garter, it still looked askew.
Sang Shi'an knelt to adjust it but didn't dare bend over to look, afraid her face would appear on camera if she lowered her head. She could only keep her back straight, bending at her side to make adjustments. As she strained to bend her waist, a thin layer of sweat quickly formed in the taut dimples of her lower back.
"If only Jiejie were here with me, you could help me fix it." Sang Shi'an continued to adjust while facing the phone, as if casually probing, "We've known each other for over a month. If Jiejie likes me so much, why have you never mentioned wanting to meet me? You haven't even asked for my photo. Aren't you afraid I'm hideous?"
"It's better that I haven't seen you, otherwise..." Jian Cenyu's words trailed off.
Sang Shi'an was left hanging, and she frowned. Even though she was displeased, she still used a coquettish tone while playing Kitty. "Otherwise what? Does Jiejie really not have that thought?"
If you truly liked someone, wouldn't you be curious about what they looked like?
"Didn't you say you were tired from helping your senior with chores today? You don't have to spend your energy on me. How about I tell you a story so you can sleep early?" Jian Cenyu's voice suddenly became extremely gentle, more like the tone she used with Sang Shi'an, which was extremely rare with Kitty.
Sang Shi'an, in her slightly undone little dress, swayed as she got into bed as Jian Cenyu had said. Her tone carried a hint of pique. "Hmph."
The camera focused on the pure white, high-thread-count sheets, and a soft voice sounded in her ear.
"You are the royal family's most beloved princess, raised in a castle since birth. One day, you change out of your heavy gown and, when your maids aren't looking, you sneak into the dense forest outside the castle."
"A thick fog hangs in the forest, and blooming roses are everywhere. Thorny brambles catch and tear your new princess dress. Before long, you lose your way, and the damp wind licks over your skin, inch by inch."
Sang Shi'an: ...
Is this a bedtime story?
"In the forest, you see another castle, a black one, where the silhouette of a woman is faintly outlined. You want to see clearly, but the moment you step inside, you faint and are carried by the thick fog into the depths of the castle."
Sang Shi'an unconsciously pressed her legs together, belatedly realizing this bedtime story was related to the clothes she was wearing.
"Jiejie..."
Jian Cenyu didn't respond, continuing in a gentle yet bewitching voice, "When you wake again, you find yourself lying on a bed of roses. Your hands and feet are bound by flower stems, and your eyes are covered by petals, obscuring your vision."
"A soft, warm touch presses against your lips. You quickly realize it's a kiss, moving inch by inch across your exposed skin. The more you struggle, the tighter the flower stems binding your hands and feet become."
"Thorns pierce your skin, leaving conspicuous red marks. Venom seeps into your flesh, and you soon feel a burning heat spread throughout your body."
"Stop—stop, stop." Sang Shi'an fumbled for her phone to turn it off.
"Kitty, lie still." Jian Cenyu seemed to have noticed, her voice turning cold.
Sang Shi'an's hand retracted.
"Your skirt is lifted, and a sharp pain comes from your damp chest. You cry louder and louder, but you still can't stop your body's unfamiliar reaction. You can only tense your legs in vain, letting the flower stems disappear under the hem of your skirt, going deeper and deeper."
"Do you know why I never asked for your photo?"
"Because I'm afraid that if I saw you, I wouldn't be able to resist locking you up."
"My Kitty."
The sound of a shower running came from Sang Shi'an's bedroom.
The en-suite bathroom was rather small. When she lived alone, she was used to using the bathroom in the living room, which had a bathtub. This habit hadn't changed even after Jian Cenyu moved in.
But tonight, for the first time ever, she turned on the shower in her bedroom. The faucet hadn't been used since the renovation, so the water that first sprayed out was slightly yellow before turning clear.
After her shower, she saw a link Su Ningyue had sent her. It was about a paper Jian Cenyu had recently published in a top international journal on the application of CRISPR-Cas9 in anti-cancer cell research. The supervising professor was listed as Jian Zhiyan.
After all, Jian Cenyu was pursuing a master's in finance at Yanjing University. But this time, because of her connection to Jian Zhiyan, the paper was exceptionally posted on the university's official website, which led to people digging up her academic history in the UK.
To say 'dug up' might not be accurate; it was more like a collection of comments pieced together by her fans in the Chemistry College, but it was more or less correct.
Highly educated, wealthy, campus belle, and reserved—when these four words described a single person, it was like a gentle spring breeze that stirred the hearts of countless people.
Sang Shi'an leaned against the vanity and remained silent for a long, long time.
Then she knocked on Jian Cenyu's door.
Jian Cenyu seemed to have just showered as well; a wave of warm, humid air greeted her. Both of their hair was dry, with only a few damp strands clinging to their cheeks.
"It looks like it's about to rain outside," Sang Shi'an blurted out abruptly, meeting Jian Cenyu's confused gaze.
"Then I'll go get the clothes from the balcony," Jian Cenyu said, walking out.
Sang Shi'an followed to help. "Let's use the dryer. I'll help you bring them in."
The night sky flashed with faint white light, and the thunder was distant. Sang Shi'an suddenly said, "I heard your paper was published. Congratulations."
Jian Cenyu smiled and nodded. "Mm, thank you."
"There are a lot of posts about you on the school forum. Have you seen them?" She was mainly referring to the people scrambling to confess their feelings to Jian Cenyu.
Jian Cenyu put the clothes into the dryer and shook her head. "Not yet."
Sang Shi'an squatted beside her, handing her clothes, somewhat distractedly. "Oh."
Just as she said that, she felt Jian Cenyu suddenly reach out and gently pinch her cheek.
Sang Shi'an let out a small "ah," swatting Jian Cenyu's hand away as her neck instantly turned red. "What are you doing?"
Jian Cenyu also seemed surprised by her strong reaction and was stunned for a few seconds. She pursed her lips, closed the dryer door, set the mode, and started it.
"Is there any new gossip on the forum?"
This was the question Sang Shi'an had been waiting for. She stood up nonchalantly. "They're all just guessing what kind of person you like. Some say you like the quiet and well-behaved type, others say you like the passionate and unrestrained type."
Jian Cenyu smiled. "Oh? And what do you think?"
"How would I know what type you like?" Sang Shi'an said. "Besides, the elders in our families all hope you'll get together with my brother. I'm not going to guess."
Jian Cenyu stood up straight, looking at Sang Shi'an's constantly shifting gaze. She reached out and gently wiped the corner of her eye. "Then let's not guess."
Sang Shi'an hadn't expected Jian Cenyu to just drop it like that. She turned her head, her eyes wide. "How can you be like this?"
Jian Cenyu said, as if coaxing a child, "Then how about I like you? That wouldn't create any conflict, would it?"
Sang Shi'an scoffed. As if she'd care for something like that.
"Last time you asked me what I wanted for my birthday present. I've already decided."
Jian Cenyu's tone lifted as she said, "Oh? So you were beating around the bush all this time just to ask me for a gift. Go on, what do you want?"
Sang Shi'an sat on the sofa, crossing her legs and propping them on the coffee table. "Something one-of-a-kind. Something others can't afford to give, that only you can."
Jian Cenyu rested her forehead in her hand and laughed. "You're giving me a difficult task."
Sang Shi'an grinned, her posture relaxed, like a little tyrant. "For example, you could put my name on your next unpublished paper."
Jian Cenyu leaned over and flicked her on the forehead. "Could you handle the subsequent speeches and interviews?"
Sang Shi'an narrowed her eyes. "You could write the script for me in advance. Aren't those kinds of events always prepared beforehand?"
Then, holding back a laugh, she recited the first paragraph of Jian Cenyu's newly published paper in English.
After listening, Jian Cenyu sat down next to her and praised her cooperatively, "An'an is so amazing. In that case, I'll work hard and see if I can write another paper for you in the next half month."
"I don't want a paper. Don't you dare try to save any money. My birthday is finally coming, and I'm going to extort you properly." Sang Shi'an, done with her jokes, turned to face Jian Cenyu. Their gazes met mid-air, and the faint scent of the same body wash they both used lingered between them.
"Did you hear me?" Sang Shi'an asked softly.
The dryer worked diligently, the metal fasteners on the clothes clinking against the inner wall. Jian Cenyu slowly sat up straight. Amidst the sound of the rain that had been brewing outside and had finally begun to fall, she nodded. It was more like a promise. "Okay."
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