ORCBRB – Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Yanjing University's women's dormitories have a curfew. It was already close to eleven when the group left the bar.
The temperature in Yancheng dropped sharply at night, and unusually, a light snow began to fall.
Snow in Yancheng in November wasn't rare, but this year's summer had been exceptionally long, creating the illusion that winter was still far away.
Jian Cenyu hadn't drunk anything all night. She first dropped off the students returning to Yanjing University. When she came back to pick up the others, she saw Sang Shi'an and Su Ningyue getting soaked by the snow in the cold wind. Her expression darkened, and she rolled down the car window.
"Why didn't you wait inside?"
Sang Shi'an was frozen stiff. She listlessly pulled Su Ningyue into the back seat. "This is the first snow of the year. It would be a shame to miss it."
Jian Cenyu turned up the heat. Just as she was about to start the car, she sensed something and turned around to find that the two were completely drunk.
The alcohol hadn't fully hit them after dinner, but perhaps the cold wind outside had brought it all rushing back.
Su Ningyue was already quite drunk, slumping onto Sang Shi'an and just mumbling. Sang Shi'an, pinned down, gasped for a couple of breaths and managed to find her voice. "I took a lot of pictures of the snow."
"So much trouble." Jian Cenyu got out of the car and fastened the seatbelts for the two drunkards one by one. She had intended to ask where to take Su Ningyue, but seeing her state, she decided against it.
"Get some sleep. I'll wake you when we arrive."
Sang Shi'an turned her head, closed her eyes again, and said no more.
Jian Cenyu took Su Ningyue directly back to their place. In the parking garage, Jian Cenyu first took Su Ningyue upstairs, then came back down for Sang Shi'an.
Su Ningyue was much more docile than Sang Shi'an. With a hand on her shoulder, Jian Cenyu guided her, and Su Ningyue followed obediently without struggling or making a fuss. Jian Cenyu opened the door and placed her on the sofa. "I'm going to get An'an. Stay here and don't wander off."
Su Ningyue nodded sluggishly. As Jian Cenyu turned to leave, she called out, "Hey... don't tell my sister."
Jian Cenyu paused for a moment and said, "Okay."
As for Sang Shi'an, by the time Jian Cenyu went down to find her, she had already thrown up over a trash can. Her face was deathly pale. She had even taken off her soiled jacket and thrown it in, looking like a homeless puppy.
Fortunately, she was much more sober now. Seeing Jian Cenyu approach, she lamented internally. What terrible luck.
"Can you still walk on your own?"
Jian Cenyu stopped two steps in front of her and held out a hand.
"I can walk by myself." Sang Shi'an's legs were weak and trembling, but she still tried to act tough in front of Jian Cenyu. "Don't pull at me."
Jian Cenyu forcefully grabbed her and dragged her toward the elevator. "You can't even walk straight."
Sang Shi'an followed her reluctantly. Her speech was slow, but more irritating than usual. "What if someone takes a picture of us again? What kind of rumors will they spread?"
Jian Cenyu pressed the elevator button and turned to look at her. "What kind?"
"Normal people would say we have a good relationship, meeting up to hang out every now and then. But those who can't stand me might spread rumors that I'm deliberately trying to seduce you."
Just like what some posts on the forum were saying now.
Seeing no reaction from Jian Cenyu, she added, "Gossiping about same-sex relationships has been popular these past few years. You'd better believe it."
Sang Shi'an's voice was soft as she spoke. Being drunk wasn't harmful, but throwing up afterward disrupted the body's natural detoxification balance, which was draining.
Her face was paler than usual, but her eyes were misty and tinged with red. Although her tone was teasing, to an onlooker, it sounded rather pitiful.
The elevator doors opened. Sang Shi'an stepped in first. Jian Cenyu watched her back and asked in a very soft, low voice, "Do people slander you like this often?"
Sang Shi'an had no strength left. She squatted down in a corner as soon as she entered the elevator, looking pitiful in response to Jian Cenyu's question.
Yet she herself was oblivious. "Mmm, it's actually not that bad. Who can blame them when I'm better looking than all of them?"
Her tone was full of a peacock-like, smug boastfulness.
In a way, she wasn't entirely innocent.
Sang Shi'an then said decisively, "But those people aren't very smart. I might seduce anyone, but it would absolutely never be you."
Jian Cenyu's gaze flickered. "Why?"
"Because I have some self-respect."
Sang Shi'an remembered Jian Cenyu's peculiar tastes. Who knew what strange clothes and props she was into? She'd have to be crazy to get involved with someone like that.
She spent a few years abroad and didn't learn anything good, only picking up some of those foreigners' deviant ways.
Jian Cenyu let out a low laugh. "Alright, you're right."
The elevator doors opened at that moment. Annoyed by her laughter, Sang Shi'an almost immediately stood up to rush out.
But she was already extremely weak. Standing up so suddenly caused her blood sugar to drop, and her vision went black. If Jian Cenyu hadn't acted quickly, she would have certainly fallen in the elevator.
When her senses returned, Jian Cenyu's voice reached her ears. "Are you okay?"
It was one apartment per floor, with the front door five meters from the elevator. Sang Shi'an didn't even have the strength to pretend to be fine, just managing a weak response.
Jian Cenyu noticed and asked, "Should I carry you?"
Sang Shi'an nodded. She thought it would be the same way Jian Cenyu had supported Su Ningyue, so she proactively hooked her arm around Jian Cenyu's shoulder, planning to use her for support to walk out.
But she didn't expect that as soon as she put her arm there, Jian Cenyu's meaningful gaze fell upon her. The next moment, her feet left the ground as she was lifted directly into her arms.
Sang Shi'an was startled. "Hey!"
Jian Cenyu held her tightly, her voice as clear as pearls and jade. "I won't drop you. Don't move."
Sang Shi'an: ...That's not a guarantee.
Su Ningyue, who had been waiting for Sang Shi'an, crept out from inside. She had just pulled the door open a crack when she saw this scene, her eyes widening.
After a moment of hesitation, she silently grabbed the doorknob and completely shut the door that Jian Cenyu hadn't closed properly.
"Put me down! How old am I for you to carry me like this? You may not care about your reputation, but I care about my image!" Sang Shi'an didn't dare to struggle, afraid of being dropped, but that didn't stop her from complaining.
Jian Cenyu just gave her a cool glance and continued walking steadily inside.
Seeing that she had no intention of letting go, Sang Shi'an completely gave up struggling.
She thought to herself: Fine, carry me then. Carry me all you want. I hope you get exhausted.
After entering, Sang Shi'an was placed next to Su Ningyue. Su Ningyue didn't move and showed no signs of waking up.
When Jian Cenyu came over with honey water, Sang Shi'an asked, "Can Su Ningyue stay here tonight?"
Jian Cenyu stirred the water in the cup. "This is your house, and she's your friend. Why are you asking me?"
Sang Shi'an leaned on the arm of the sofa. "Didn't you say I couldn't bring people over to spend the night?"
Jian Cenyu stopped stirring and looked over. "A friend like her is fine, of course."
The sound of the metal spoon stirring resumed. Sang Shi'an watched Jian Cenyu's slender fingers holding the spoon handle, the scene of being carried still vivid in her mind. Her dazed eyes stared blankly.
Jian Cenyu handed her the warm honey water. "What are you still spacing out for?"
Sang Shi'an took the cup and drank a couple of sips. The sweetness spread from her taste buds. It seemed to contain not just honey, but also a hint of refreshing lemon.
She took another two gulps before lowering her eyes. "It's because you took too long to make it."
"If you were thirsty, why didn't you ask for a glass of water at the restaurant?" Jian Cenyu placed her hand on Sang Shi'an's forehead. "You were out in the snow for so long. Go change your clothes so you don't catch a cold. You'll be fine after a night's sleep."
With her back to Jian Cenyu and Sang Shi'an, Su Ningyue's eyes slowly opened. Listening to the rustling sound of clothes behind her, her eyes blinked curiously. Because she couldn't see, her imagination ran wild.
She didn't dare make a sound and continued to pretend she was drunk.
But the next moment, Sang Shi'an grabbed her hand. "Then I'll take Su Ningyue to sleep in my room."
"She can sleep in your bed. You'll sleep with me." Although the apartment was three hundred square meters, it only had two bedrooms. Jian Cenyu immediately made arrangements for the night.
"I want to sleep with Su Ningyue," Sang Shi'an immediately protested.
Jian Cenyu asked her, "Have you slept with her before? Some people don't like physical contact with others. What if she's unhappy when she wakes up tomorrow morning and sees you, affecting your friendship?"
Sang Shi'an hadn't actually considered that. Her dizzy mind had lost its usual sharpness, and she was persuaded by Jian Cenyu's logic. "You're right. But I don't want to sleep with you either. I'm not the type to just climb into anyone's bed."
Jian Cenyu: ...
Jian Cenyu corrected her, "It's sleeping with me, not climbing into my bed."
Sang Shi'an shook her head. "Is there a difference?"
Jian Cenyu's lips moved. Seeing the genuine innocence in Sang Shi'an's eyes, she gave up on explaining the difference, deciding not to let such sordid things reach Sang Shi'an's ears.
She selectively avoided the topic. "You've slept with me before, what's the big deal? Or would you rather sleep on the floor or the sofa?"
Sang Shi'an was usually very pampered, and even more so when she was drunk. Hearing "sleep on the floor or the sofa," she refused without a second thought.
"I can't." She looked at Jian Cenyu sincerely. "But you can."
Jian Cenyu mercilessly crushed her little scheme, lifting her directly from the sofa. "You're sleeping with me tonight."
The familiar scent filled her nostrils again. Sang Shi'an felt the warmth of Jian Cenyu's palm and subconsciously shrank away, trying to distance herself from the heat source. Her head naturally buried itself in Jian Cenyu's long hair, and she took a strand to chew on.
"Jian Cenyu—"
Jian Cenyu didn't stop walking, her voice carrying an uncharacteristic assertiveness. "What else do you want to say?"
Sang Shi'an spat out the hair and accused, "I told you to keep your distance from me."
Jian Cenyu gave a firm reply and placed Sang Shi'an directly on the bedroom carpet.
Sang Shi'an looked at her in shock. "You... you... you..."
Jian Cenyu squatted down, humbly accepting the criticism. "I forgot I couldn't get close to you. My apologies."
In the dim light of the bedroom, the unique scent belonging to Jian Cenyu permeated everything. It was an extremely fresh scent, like air or water vapor, yet not entirely from nature. It was faint and elusive, just like the cool temperament Jian Cenyu projected.
So subtle it was almost imperceptible, yet in the narrow space, it was incredibly alluring.
Sang Shi'an twitched her nose and moved closer. Only when the scent grew stronger did she continue her accusation. "But you can't just leave me here. I want to sleep on the bed."
Jian Cenyu really didn't seem to have intended to carry her. After being reminded by Sang Shi'an, she just coolly offered a hand.
Sang Shi'an slowly used her hand to stand up. Jian Cenyu had already walked ahead, leaving her with a cool, solitary back.
Sang Shi'an finally learned her lesson and quietly climbed into Jian Cenyu's bed.
Jian Cenyu went out again to take Su Ningyue to Sang Shi'an's room. When she returned, she was holding a few makeup remover wipes.
She wiped Sang Shi'an's face and pulled up the covers. "Sleep."
Sang Shi'an wasn't completely drunk. Her spirits were high, and she started acting up again. "I want to take a shower."
Jian Cenyu's voice was cold. "Showering after drinking will raise your blood pressure, and you'll get dizzy again. Just sleep like this."
Sang Shi'an tossed and turned, flailing her arms toward Jian Cenyu in protest. "No, I want to shower."
Unsure what was touched, Jian Cenyu let out a muffled grunt. "Don't touch me randomly."
The drunkard noticed the particularly soft feeling under her palm, touched it a couple more times, and belatedly realized what she was touching.
And so, for the first time, Sang Shi'an had a clear understanding of the difference between her and Jian Cenyu. She didn't know how Jian Cenyu grew up. Their height and weight were similar, so how was this part so much softer than hers?
She touched her own chest. Oh, it was because she hadn't taken off her bra.
She glanced at Jian Cenyu and saw her eyes were closed with no reaction. She reasoned with herself, "Well, she's asleep anyway. She won't see me take off my bra."
She struggled to take off her undershirt under the covers and placed it outside. Her hand reached for the clasp on her back. Just as she unhooked it, she felt a sudden warmth behind her ear, followed by a voice. "...What are you doing?"
The low voice couldn't hide its surprise, losing its usual coolness.
Startled by Jian Cenyu's sudden question, Sang Shi'an's heart skipped a beat. The motion of taking off her bra stopped, as if she'd forgotten what she was doing. Her beautiful eyes narrowed abruptly.
She subconsciously tried to cover her half-exposed chest, but lifting her hand would expose other parts. She could only burrow deeper into the covers, her waist and legs inevitably brushing against Jian Cenyu.
Just as Sang Shi'an was about to move away, she heard a strained voice from behind her say, "Stop moving."
Those words were like a spell, making Sang Shi'an freeze completely, not daring to move.
The next moment, however, Sang Shi'an felt Jian Cenyu's hand reach for her, crossing over her waist and heading toward her chest.
Sang Shi'an immediately clutched her bra tightly and pinned Jian Cenyu's hand with her elbow. When Jian Cenyu's hand continued to press upward, Sang Shi'an blurted out, "Jian Cenyu, what are you doing?"
Her eyes were wide as she turned her panicked face toward Jian Cenyu. "I'm a girl."
From this angle, Sang Shi'an suddenly noticed that Jian Cenyu's features were more defined than four years ago, and her hair was longer too, growing from shoulder-length to past her waist. The immaturity had faded, replaced by a mature aura she had never seen before, even in bed.
But Jian Cenyu's eyes were as calm as they had been during the day. It didn't look like she had mistaken her for someone else and was about to do something.
As their eyes met, Jian Cenyu's gaze shifted to the space behind Sang Shi'an's pillow. She spoke slowly, "I wanted to help you get your clothes."
The panic in her heart came to an abrupt halt. Sang Shi'an's alarm faded, replaced by a sense of helplessness.
The helplessness of having misunderstood Jian Cenyu.
This caused a faint blush to spread across Sang Shi'an's body, making her already warm from the alcohol feel even hotter.
She said dryly, "I thought you were drunk and mistook me for someone else."
Jian Cenyu said faintly, "I didn't have a single drop of alcohol tonight."
Not a single drop?
Sang Shi'an realized she couldn't remember, but if Jian Cenyu said she didn't, then she didn't.
She quickly took off her bra and put on the shirt she had just removed. Finally, her chest was free from restraint.
She turned her head and looked at Jian Cenyu. "Your hand was quite cold just now. Did a draft get under the covers when I was changing, making you cold?"
She had been drinking, so her body temperature was high and she didn't feel the cold. Jian Cenyu was different. Sang Shi'an thought this was a perfectly reasonable explanation.
Jian Cenyu's eyelashes fluttered, and she gave an almost imperceptible hum of agreement.
Sang Shi'an had an epiphany. No wonder Jian Cenyu's actions had been so forceful just now. Perhaps when Jian Cenyu's hand reached over, it wasn't just to help her get her clothes on quickly, but also to tuck in the corner of the blanket.
Just like when they slept together as children, Jian Cenyu would often tuck her in.
So, Sang Shi'an proactively turned toward Jian Cenyu, wrapped her arms around her, and said generously, "It's my fault you got cold. I'll warm you up again as an apology."
Not just with her arms, Sang Shi'an also generously wrapped her legs around her, rubbing against Jian Cenyu's legs and holding her tight.
"You—"
"What about me?"
The second before Sang Shi'an could press her waist against her too, Jian Cenyu suddenly rolled over and pinned her down, holding both of her hands. Her loose hair gradually shifted to one side.
Her eyes, usually pale in the moonlight, were now revealed, so deep they were hard to read. "Sang Shi'an, sleep."
Seeing that Jian Cenyu didn't appreciate her gesture, Sang Shi'an became a little unhappy. "You got cold because of me. Isn't it good that I'm helping you warm up? Why are you being so fierce?"
Jian Cenyu looked down at her, silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed.
Sang Shi'an: ?
"Didn't you say we should maintain a sense of boundaries in our interactions?" Jian Cenyu's gaze moved down, landing on Sang Shi'an's legs, which were still wrapped around her waist. "Is this your boundary?"
Sang Shi'an's legs recoiled as if bitten by a venomous snake, and her cheeks instantly flushed crimson.
But Jian Cenyu remained calm and composed as she studied her. "Or am I the only one who needs to maintain boundaries?"
"I... I..." Sang Shi'an stammered, unable to find any excuse to defend herself.
Jian Cenyu released her and lay back down, her tone slightly helpless. "Alright, so it's the kind of boundary where you can touch me whenever you want, but I'm not allowed to retaliate."
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