PANT - Chapter 71
Chapter 71
Su Tianxue woke up with a yawn, her sleepy eyes reaching out to the side of the bed.
It was empty.
Shi Ning wasn’t beside her.
Su Tianxue opened her eyes.
She was lying in the Su family’s old house.
She and Shi Ning had recently moved back to the old house because the place they were living in before was being renovated at Shi Ning’s request.
Su Tianxue stared at the ceiling for a while. The result of last night’s intense passion was that her entire body was now sore and aching. She was almost used to this sort of thing, so she didn’t know why her body still hadn’t completely adapted to this level of intensity.
Yesterday had been so wild because Shi Ning was about to leave on a business trip.
The two of them wouldn’t see each other for a few months, so things had gotten out of hand.
Su Tianxue cleared her throat, slipped on her slippers, and walked into the bathroom, thinking she would see Shi Ning when she opened the door, but she wasn’t there either.
She glanced at the toothbrush cups on the shelf. They were a matching couple’s set, still neatly arranged.
The toothbrush head was dry, unused.
Finding it strange, Su Tianxue squeezed toothpaste onto her brush and went out to look for Shi Ning.
Shi Ning wasn’t in the living room, nor was she in the kitchen.
She wasn’t even home.
—Where did Shi Ning go?
This had never happened before.
Every time she woke up, Shi Ning was always by her side. She would never disappear, let alone be completely unreachable.
This situation was far beyond Su Tianxue’s expectations.
She took out her phone to message Shi Ning.
But strangely, she couldn’t find the woman’s contact information on her phone.
Su Tianxue froze, holding her phone and staring at it for a long time.
She had scrolled through nearly all her contacts but couldn’t find Shi Ning’s profile.
What happened?
How could this be?
A bad premonition rose in Su Tianxue’s heart, but she suppressed it with logic and called Su Wanxing.
Su Wanxing was a popular star now. Just yesterday, she and Shi Ning had dinner with Su Wanxing to celebrate the successful conclusion of her concert.
The call connected, and Su Wanxing’s voice came through.
“Jie, what’s up?”
Su Tianxue: “Do you know where Shi Ning went?”
Su Wanxing was confused. “Who?”
Su Tianxue: “Shi Ning.”
Su Wanxing was puzzled. “I don’t know her. Is that a person’s name, Jie?”
Su Wanxing’s words struck Su Tianxue’s mind like a sharp blade.
Su Tianxue’s throat felt tight. “Say that again. You don’t know Shi Ning?”
Sensing something was wrong, Su Wanxing quickly gestured to the staff around her and stepped aside, asking with some concern, “Jie, are you okay?”
“I really don’t know the person you’re talking about.”
Su Tianxue pressed her lips together. “Wanxing, today isn’t April Fools’ Day.”
Su Wanxing: “I’m serious, Jie. Did something happen?”
Su Tianxue no longer insisted on getting an answer from Su Wanxing.
She hung up and contacted other people.
It was strange.
It was very, very strange.
Zhu Yu was in her WeChat contacts, but Zhu Yu said she knew her because of Su Wanxing. And she didn’t have a friend named Shi Ning.
Fei Yue was there, too. She was still the child who had been found and brought back to the Fei family, but neither of them had ever heard of Shi Ning, let alone the Shi family.
The person, Shi Ning, seemed to have vanished from this world into thin air.
But if that were the case, how could there be a couple’s set of cups in her home? Couple’s toothbrushes? How could there be traces of Shi Ning?
Su Tianxue held her phone, unwilling to give up, trying to grasp onto every trace of Shi Ning’s presence in her life.
But then something strange happened.
The toothbrush Su Tianxue had just put toothpaste on had disappeared, and the pink cup next to her blue one was also gone.
In this house, all traces of Shi Ning’s existence had suddenly, in this very moment, vanished.
Su Tianxue didn’t understand.
She stood in this house, which looked the same as always.
She watched as everything in the room shifted and changed, eventually returning to its original state.
A state where Shi Ning had never appeared.
Su Tianxue, who had always prided herself on being calm, composed, and unflappable even if the world were ending, suddenly panicked.
She collapsed to the floor, her eyes filled with sorrow, her entire face a mask of bewilderment.
She couldn’t seem to catch her breath.
Her heart was filled with pain.
It felt as if her very soul was being drained away.
Su Tianxue fell backward, landing on the floor and curling into a ball.
Her gaze swept over every corner of this home.
The images flashing through her mind were all of moments when Shi Ning had been there.
They had fooled around in the dining room, where she had forced Shi Ning to eat the green vegetables she disliked.
She had once jumped across the sofa to escape Shi Ning’s tickle attack.
The balcony.
They had stood on the balcony together to watch the moon, and when the wind was strong, Shi Ning would pull her into her arms.
They had also embraced happiness with reckless abandon.
Countless overlapping images flashed before Su Tianxue’s eyes.
In every scene, there were shadows of her and Shi Ning.
Then, with a gust of wind, everything scattered.
All the images vanished completely, like bubbles.
They could no longer be found.
Su Tianxue curled into a ball, clutching her phone tightly.
She didn’t want to cry, but tears seemed to fall disobediently.
She scrolled through the moments with Shi Ning that she had recorded in her phone, the notes in her memo app.
—Today Shi Ning went out to discuss a case and came home very late. I tried to cook, and it didn’t turn out well, but she said it was delicious.
—Worked overtime. I messaged her to wait for me at home, but when I walked out of the research institute, she was standing there waiting by the car.
—Shi Ning isn’t very good at mahjong; she always loses. I should probably tell her not to touch it next time.
The memos were all filled with trivial daily routines.
Nothing special.
But to Su Tianxue now, these were the most precious, most special things in existence.
And then, even these messages could no longer be saved.
It was as if they were incompatible with this world; once she scrolled to them, they would vanish into thin air.
Everything was gone.
Everything had disappeared.
Su Tianxue wanted to laugh, but the corners of her mouth were too heavy to lift. Tears splattered onto her body as she suppressed her sobs.
She had never been one to show her emotions.
Even now, her crying was restrained.
With Shi Ning not by her side, Su Tianxue couldn’t even bring herself to cry out loud.
She cried for a long time.
So long that her brain felt deprived of oxygen.
So long that the world seemed to float.
Su Tianxue didn’t want to do anything but sleep.
Perhaps if she slept, when she opened her eyes, Shi Ning would be there.
Reality was often crueler than imagination.
When Su Tianxue opened her eyes again, the room was just as it had been before she fell asleep.
Many people were worried about her, asking how she was doing.
Su Tianxue picked up her phone, and news about the asteroid came into view.
She couldn’t help but think in despair that this was probably karma.
Shi Ning had come to her world because of an accident.
Now, she had disappeared from her world as well.
A message suddenly popped up on her phone.
Su Tianxue didn’t want to look.
She let the notification sound ring continuously.
It was annoying.
Until Fei Yue called her.
Su Tianxue didn’t want to speak.
She was worried that if she spoke now, the state of her voice would immediately give her away.
It would be tantamount to telling everyone that she had just been crying her eyes out.
She hung up the call. Thinking Fei Yue probably had something urgent, she opened their chat window. Just as she was about to type that it wasn’t a convenient time for her, Fei Yue sent a new message.
Fei Yue: Although I don’t know that Shi Ning person you mentioned.
Fei Yue: I looked her up and found this.
Fei Yue: Is this the person you’re looking for?
Ever since Su Tianxue had been brought back to the Fei family, Fei Yue had genuinely treated her like a younger sister. Su Tianxue found this rather hard to get used to.
After being an older sister for so many years, this was the first time someone had treated her like a younger one.
Fortunately, Fei Yue herself was also a cold person.
She wasn’t overly enthusiastic in this regard, but she was always there when needed.
Su Tianxue thought it was fine.
Just like now.
After Su Tianxue had asked her about Shi Ning, Fei Yue couldn’t put her mind at ease and immediately went to investigate.
Then she sent all the information she had to Su Tianxue.
A PDF document.
Fei Yue was incredibly efficient. In just that short amount of time, she had already condensed Shi Ning’s entire past life into this single report.
Su Tianxue didn’t have time to say thank you before she opened the report.
She froze when she saw the face that was identical to Shi Ning’s.
Shi Ning didn’t have red hair; her black hair was curled, and she was wearing a business suit and high heels, holding a coffee in her hand. The person who took the photo had probably captured this image during her work hours. Shi Ning exuded the strong aura of a modern, white-collar professional woman.
Su Tianxue scrolled through Shi Ning’s resume.
Her past, her present.
Everything matched the stories Shi Ning had told her before.
The stories that belonged to Shi Ning’s world.
Seeing this report, an idea formed in Su Tianxue’s mind.
Was it possible that after a collision of spacetimes, she had arrived in Shi Ning’s world?
A world without ABO, only the two genders of male and female.
But, it was strange.
Why had other people come here too?
Or—
There was one possibility.
She and Shi Ning had always existed in each other’s worlds, they just had never met.
Su Tianxue sorted through her thoughts, finally deciding that no matter what, she had to see Shi Ning.
She needed to confirm one thing.
Whether the Shi Ning in this world was the person she knew.
So she sent a message to Fei Yue.
Su Tianxue: I want to see her.
Su Tianxue: Do you know where she is?
Fei Yue: One moment.
Less than ten minutes later, Fei Yue sent a message.
Fei Yue: She’s going to this bar tonight.
Fei Yue: Are you going?
Su Tianxue: Yes.
Fei Yue: Do you need me to go with you?
Su Tianxue: No.
On the other end, Fei Yue held her phone, unable to connect Su Tianxue’s cold face with such a chaotic bar.
It was bizarre.
Speaking of which, who on earth was this Shi Ning to make Su Tianxue care so much?
Fei Yue thought about the relationship history she had seen while investigating Shi Ning.
She fell silent for a moment.
Could it be that her long-lost sister had some past entanglement with Shi Ning?
An ex-girlfriend??
Otherwise, why would Su Tianxue be in such a hurry to see her?
If that woman had ever hurt her sister, Fei Yue would not let her off the hook!
Night fell. The bar.
The bar street always had a somewhat psychedelic feel. Shops were lined up one after another, each with a sign that had a cyberpunk vibe, attracting attention with flashy lights and an ambiguous atmosphere.
It was late autumn, almost winter.
Su Tianxue, wrapped in a trench coat, got out of the car.
A biting wind blew towards her. She raised a hand to smooth her long hair and walked unhesitatingly towards the target bar.
Fei Yue had told her that Shi Ning would be there today.
It was Su Tianxue’s first time coming to a place like this alone, but she wasn’t intimidated. Her icy gaze was enough to cow the security guards at the entrance.
Su Tianxue was good-looking, and as soon as she entered, someone sidled up, wanting to hit on her.
But before they could even speak, a single cold glance from her made them shut up immediately.
Su Tianxue chose a spot near the bar, ordered a drink, and didn’t touch it. She just placed it by her hand, her fingertips lightly tapping the rim of the glass, her eyes constantly scanning the entrance.
The bartender saw her and couldn’t help but ask, “Miss, waiting for someone?”
Su Tianxue glanced at her and hummed in acknowledgment.
The female bartender, shaking a small shaker, looked at Su Tianxue. “Waiting for a lover?”
Su Tianxue didn’t answer.
The bartender said, “Honestly, a beautiful woman like you doesn’t need to hang herself on one tree. Seriously, sister, I’ve seen plenty like you. Several come to this bar every day, sitting at this counter, eyes glued to the door, waiting. They’re either here to catch a cheater or to stake someone out.”
“I don’t think any of it is necessary.”
“Aren’t there plenty of fish in the sea?”
“Men are such scum, who cares about them? Sister, men aren’t worth it.”
The music in the bar was deafening, like a series of explosions.
The bartender’s words were like a volley of bullets.
Su Tianxue frowned. “I don’t like men.”
The bartender blinked. “What a coincidence, I don’t either.”
She smiled at Su Tianxue. “What do you think of me, sister?”
Su Tianxue: “…”
She couldn’t be bothered to speak. Her eyes swept to the entrance and froze.
A familiar person had appeared.
The woman looked like she had just rushed over from the office. Even coming here, she was still wearing a light-colored suit, high heels clicking with every imposing step. She carried her bag as she walked in. Even without that eye-catching red hair, Shi Ning could still be spotted by Su Tianxue in a crowd at a single glance.
She was just born with that ability.
Forgetting her drink and the bartender, Su Tianxue stood up.
Seeing this, the female bartender raised an eyebrow slightly, propping her chin on her hand behind the bar as she watched Su Tianxue walk towards Shi Ning.
From the moment Su Tianxue saw Shi Ning, from the look on her face, the bartender knew that the person this cold beauty was waiting for had arrived.
She just didn’t know what their story was.
So curious.
Su Tianxue walked towards Shi Ning, step by step.
In her mind, she rehearsed the words she would say.
Or maybe she wouldn’t say anything, just walk up and give Shi Ning a hug.
An embrace of having found what was lost.
Su Tianxue quickened her pace, but then she suddenly stopped.
As Shi Ning walked in, another girl rushed down from upstairs, flying into Shi Ning’s arms like a little bird.
The girl wrapped her arms around Shi Ning’s waist, whining, “Lawyer Shi, what took you so long?”
Su Tianxue was rooted to the spot.
She saw a smile appear on Shi Ning’s face. Though the smile wasn’t entirely genuine, it was still like a flower, capable of dazzling anyone.
She also saw Shi Ning reach out and ruffle the girl’s hair. “I rushed over as soon as I got off work. Have you been waiting long?”
The girl linked her arm with Shi Ning’s, leading her to a private room upstairs while complaining, “I’ve been waiting for you the whole time, you know? I wasn’t having any fun at all.”
Shi Ning lowered her eyes, but her tone was gentle. “Alright, order whatever you want to drink. I’ll pay later.”
Hearing this, the girl cheered up.
“Then I’ll go tell my friends.”
“You hurry up and come upstairs.”
The young girl ran up, while Shi Ning slowly checked her coat before heading upstairs.
As she turned, she saw a beautiful woman staring at her.
Shi Ning looked back, puzzled.
In a single glance, she had already sized the other woman up completely.
Long, straight black hair, a cold aura.
She looked like she wasn’t easy to get along with.
This had never been her type.
Shi Ning gave the woman a polite smile and turned to leave.
Su Tianxue was completely frozen in place, unable to move an inch.
In that fleeting smile from Shi Ning, she saw only the look one gives a stranger.
Shi Ning didn’t remember her.
Or perhaps, this person might not be the Shi Ning she knew at all.
Su Tianxue stood by the staircase leading upstairs, tilting her head back to look up.
The winding stairs seemed to lead to another realm, and the dim light within was like a summons from hell.
A world where she didn’t belong.
Su Tianxue didn’t follow her upstairs.
She had no right to.
Returning to the bar where she had been sitting alone, the female bartender saw her and leaned over. “What? Got dumped?”
Su Tianxue said nothing, simply picked up the glass in front of her and chugged it down.
The entire glass went down in one go.
The burning sensation of strong alcohol spread through her organs.
Even her throat felt fiery.
After downing the drink, Su Tianxue looked up at the only person in the bar who had spoken to her.
“Another one,” she said.
The bartender tried to dissuade her. “This drink is pretty strong, and you’re alone. Maybe you shouldn’t drink like this?”
Su Tianxue replied with absolute certainty, “Another one.”
When a customer makes a request, how could she not comply?
The bartender mixed another drink for Su Tianxue, but this time, she used a little less base liquor. Even at the risk of being accused of cutting corners, she couldn’t just watch such a beautiful woman get drunk alone in a bar.
Su Tianxue’s alcohol tolerance wasn’t bad, but she didn’t drink often. Drinking so much so quickly went straight to her head, leaving her dizzy and unable to recover.
She didn’t leave.
Not until Shi Ning came downstairs.
She took a call and walked out of the bar to answer it outside.
Su Tianxue stood up, stumbled slightly, but still followed her.
The female bartender saw this and shook her head.
Oh, what is this thing called love?
It makes people… so hopelessly stubborn.
Shi Ning was on the phone, standing by the roadside, one hand in her pocket, playfully kicking the edge of the curb with the heel of her shoe.
Su Tianxue leaned against a nearby wall, her gaze distant, watching Shi Ning.
The way she talked on the phone was the same as before.
When discussing business, her voice sounded nonchalant, but her expression lacked its usual leisure and casualness, and she could still exude a strong sense of pressure.
Su Tianxue watched Shi Ning, almost tracing the woman before her with her gaze.
It was so strange.
Shi Ning’s every move, every frown, every smile, was etched in her memory.
They all matched the image in her memory.
If there was anything different, it was that this person would no longer turn to look at her while on the phone with a genuine smile on her face, nor would she cling to her, calling her “Wife” and begging for her attention.
The moment Shi Ning hung up and turned around, her eyes held only indifference.
Su Tianxue wasn’t sure if Shi Ning had seen her.
In any case, Shi Ning walked right past her.
For the second time.
Su Tianxue leaned against the wall, her head tilted back, eyes closed, letting the night wind brush against her face as she tried to compose herself.
Shi Ning didn’t remember her.
She didn’t know her.
She couldn’t even be sure if the Shi Ning before her was her Shi Ning.
The wind suddenly carried a faint, unpleasant smell of alcohol.
Su Tianxue frowned and opened her eyes to find two drunk men with their arms around each other’s shoulders standing in front of her.
They had malicious smiles on their faces.
“Hey beautiful, all alone?”
This wasn’t an ABO world.
In the ABO world, a female Alpha stood at the top of the gender pyramid. But here, it seemed that in others’ eyes, women were the weaker sex.
Being alone outside a bar on this street was dangerous.
Su Tianxue narrowed her eyes in annoyance. Not bothering to speak to them, she turned to leave, but one of the drunk men seemed to reach out to grab her.
Just as Su Tianxue was preparing to kick him, her hand was suddenly grabbed.
She turned her head warily and saw that Shi Ning had come back out at some point.
Su Tianxue was pulled back, putting distance between her and the men.
Shi Ning stood in front of Su Tianxue, her gaze sharp, and spoke in a lazy tone, “Is there a problem?”
The woman’s aura was too strong; she looked like someone not to be trifled with.
The men, who only dared to target lone individuals, exchanged a look and immediately turned and left.
Shi Ning rolled her eyes, turned back, and glanced at Su Tianxue.
The woman looked a bit dazed.
Shi Ning: “Go home if you’re drunk.”
She offered no further advice and turned to leave.
But her departure wasn’t so smooth.
Su Tianxue grabbed her by the wrist.
Shi Ning looked back at the woman, a flippant smile on her face. “Miss, can I help you?”
Su Tianxue’s grip on Shi Ning’s hand tightened.
She pressed her lips together, then looked at Shi Ning after a moment. “Didn’t you leave? Why did you come back?”
Shi Ning: “Just wanted a smoke.”
She would never admit that she had taken one last look at this woman before leaving and saw her standing alone outside the bar with her eyes closed, resting.
Anyone could figure out what would happen in that situation.
It was easy to run into danger.
While Shi Ning didn’t consider herself a great Samaritan, she wasn’t yet at the point where she could witness someone potentially in danger and just walk away.
She happened to want a cigarette, so she just casually walked over to check on the situation.
She hadn’t expected something to actually happen.
Shi Ning would never say these words out loud.
She glanced at the woman’s expression. “Anything else?”
Su Tianxue: “Take me home.”
Shi Ning felt like she must have been kicked in the head by a donkey.
Otherwise, why would she be sitting in her own car right now, having called a designated driver to take her to a place she’d never been before?
She sat in the back seat, the woman beside her, with an empty seat between them.
Shi Ning was still on the phone. Su Tianxue could tell it was probably the young girl who had run out to hug Shi Ning earlier, who was a little angry that she had left first.
“Shi Jiejie, why did you leave already? Some of my friends haven’t even arrived yet.”
Shi Ning was already getting impatient.
But her tone remained gentle and patient.
Shi Ning: “Something came up.”
The young girl questioned, “What is it? Is it more important than me? I wanted my friends to meet you.”
“After all, my girlfriend is so beautiful and capable, I have to show them off.”
Shi Ning was probably in a very bad mood.
Su Tianxue was in a very bad mood too.
So, Shi Ning had a girlfriend.
She looked at Shi Ning.
Shi Ning was pinching the bridge of her nose, unable to hide her fatigue. “Next time.”
The young girl was unhappy and threw a tantrum. “What next time! Shi Ning, you better come back right now. If you just leave like this, what about the bill later?”
Shi Ning was tired.
“I told the owner to put the bill on my tab. Also, many things in my life are more important than you. And finally, your friends don’t need to meet me. We’re breaking up.”
After she finished speaking, she unhesitatingly blocked the number.
She tossed her phone onto the seat.
Seeing this, Su Tianxue thought that Shi Ning hadn’t been wrong when she said she used to be a bit of a player.
Breaking up just like that, so clean and decisive.
Su Tianxue glanced at Shi Ning, who was looking out the window.
She said softly, “You broke up just like that?”
Shi Ning turned to look at Su Tianxue. “I didn’t take you for a gossip.”
Su Tianxue: “I’m curious about your affairs.”
Hearing this, Shi Ning raised an eyebrow slightly. “Are you hitting on me?”
Su Tianxue: “Just asking.”
Shi Ning adjusted her posture, leaning back. “There were no feelings to begin with, so breaking up is normal.”
Su Tianxue didn’t understand. “If there are no feelings, why be together?”
Shi Ning: “I met her a while ago. She pursued me for a long time, and I figured she wasn’t that hard to get along with, so I agreed.”
Su Tianxue: “She doesn’t seem to like you very much either.”
Su Tianxue hit the nail on the head.
Shi Ning’s lips curved. “Isn’t that normal? How many couples in this world are together because of love? Most people are just getting what they need.”
Su Tianxue: “What can you get from her?”
Shi Ning said jokingly, “Youth?”
But she knew in her heart that all she wanted was some excitement.
It was just that this excitement sometimes became a nuisance.
The kid was young, spoiled and arrogant. That was normal.
Having started this conversation with Su Tianxue, Shi Ning also asked her, “What about you? What were you doing at the bar alone?”
Su Tianxue: “Waiting for someone.”
Shi Ning: “Did you find them?”
Su Tianxue: “I did.”
Shi Ning smiled. “Then why are you going home with me right now?”
Su Tianxue’s voice was faint. “The person I was waiting for… she forgot about me.”
Shi Ning: “Are we in a TV drama?”
Su Tianxue subconsciously shot Shi Ning a glare.
Then, realizing what she’d done, she immediately turned her head and averted her gaze.
Shi Ning’s fingertips rubbed together gently.
The atmosphere suddenly became a little strange.
Fortunately, the driver broke the silence.
They had arrived.
Shi Ning didn’t get out, telling Su Tianxue to go on her own.
Su Tianxue said thank you, opened the car door, and got out.
The sound of the door closing had just echoed.
Shi Ning didn’t immediately tell the driver to leave.
She watched Su Tianxue’s departing figure.
The moonlight outlined her form, making her look somewhat lonely.
For some reason, seeing her like this, a trace of pity rose in Shi Ning’s heart.
She couldn’t explain where this feeling came from.
It was like another instinct hidden within her body.
It had surged forth the moment she saw the other woman.
But Shi Ning did nothing.
She withdrew her gaze, looked at the designated driver, and said softly, “Let’s go.”
It was late. She should go home.
The driver nodded and was about to start the car when he suddenly stopped.
He reminded Shi Ning, who was in the back seat looking at her phone, “Um, miss, I think she’s coming back.”
“Hm?”
Shi Ning looked up, puzzled, and glanced out the window.
The woman who had just walked into the night was now walking back.
She seemed to be in a bit of a hurry.
She stopped by Shi Ning’s window, raised her hand, bent her knuckles, and knocked.
Shi Ning slowly pressed the button to lower the window, and it descended bit by bit.
She looked at the woman.
She didn’t speak, but their locked gazes were full of words.
Su Tianxue was breathing a little heavily. She steadied her breath, looked at Shi Ning, and asked what was probably the boldest question of her life.
“Do you want to come home with me?”
She knew this was her Shi Ning.
She wanted to hold onto her.
She had clearly said she would fall in love with her in any universe.
How could she break her vow so easily?
So she turned back, walked over, and said those words.
If every story began with something absurd, then Su Tianxue was willing to walk through this absurd story one more time.
So—
When Shi Ning didn’t answer her, she asked again.
“Do you want to come home with me?”
Click.
It was the sound of the room’s light being suddenly switched on.
Su Tianxue bent down and found a pair of slippers for Shi Ning.
Shi Ning silently followed Su Tianxue into the room.
This development had already exceeded her expectations.
It also completely violated her past principles.
Do you want to come home with me?
A sentence like that sounded like a clear invitation for a one-night stand.
Shi Ning almost never did this, let alone spend the night at someone else’s house.
But just now, just a moment ago.
When she looked up and met the woman’s expression as she said those words—the seriousness, the restrained, suppressed, fluctuating emotions—she couldn’t help but nod.
What was this?
Was she bewitched by her beauty?
Putting on the slippers Su Tianxue had prepared, Shi Ning still felt a little awkward.
She surveyed the home.
It was a very quaint house, not particularly exquisitely or lavishly decorated, but it had a very lived-in feel.
It was completely different from her home.
In comparison, her home didn’t feel like a home, more like a model showroom.
Shi Ning stood where she was, not knowing where to go.
Su Tianxue called to her, “Make yourself at home for a bit.”
After speaking, the woman went straight into the bedroom.
Then, the sound of running water came from the room.
Shi Ning wasn’t sure if she was taking a shower or washing her face.
Despite being experienced in the matters of love, this was the first time Shi Ning had encountered such a situation.
Did the other woman have a crush on her?
Shi Ning couldn’t figure it out, and she couldn’t be bothered to, so she just lay down on the sofa.
And then a strange thing happened.
Even though this was her first time here, and the first time she had ever sat on this sofa, for some reason, when she threw herself into it, she felt a familiar sense of being enveloped.
This feeling easily made one sleepy.
Shi Ning adjusted her position, tucked a cushion behind her head, rolled over, and hugged a throw pillow.
She had only intended to close her eyes and rest for a bit.
There had been too much going on today.
The case she had just taken on was a bit tricky—the repatriation of cultural relics from abroad. It was Shi Ning’s first time handling a case in this field, and she had spent a long time studying it.
Coming out tonight was just to relax her mind.
The bar hadn’t succeeded in loosening her tense nerves.
But this sofa had such a strange effect.
The moment Shi Ning closed her eyes, a heavy drowsiness washed over her.
After a while, her light and steady breathing could be heard from the sofa.
She had fallen asleep.
When Su Tianxue came out of the shower, she saw Shi Ning lying on the sofa.
Su Tianxue had seen her like this many times in the past.
When Shi Ning slept, she was like a child. She would find something to hug and hold onto tightly, and she would curl up into a ball in a very insecure posture.
She walked over and crouched down.
Shi Ning was frowning in her sleep.
Su Tianxue reached out and gently smoothed her brow.
She had originally wanted to carry the woman into the bedroom, but after trying, she found she couldn’t seem to do it.
From a female Alpha to a woman.
Su Tianxue still hadn’t fully adapted to the changes in this world.
She thought that if Shi Ning were awake, she would definitely be able to carry her.
But when a person is asleep, their weight pulls downward, making it more difficult for the person trying to lift them.
So she found a blanket in the room and covered Shi Ning with it.
She had only intended to stay by her side, to get a closer look at her features, but she was also afraid that if she went back to her room and fell asleep, the person she had worked so hard to trick into coming back would disappear.
Not just disappear from this room.
But disappear from her world.
So Su Tianxue just stayed there, leaning against the edge of the sofa, propping her chin on her hand, watching Shi Ning, her mind filled with many thoughts.
She thought about their past.
And she thought about the future they had planned.
Her fingertips lightly traced Shi Ning’s face. For a moment, she wanted to pinch the woman’s nose to teach her a lesson.
Liar.
She had promised to fall in love with her no matter which world they were in.
But now she had forgotten her.
Everyone else in this world had forgotten Shi Ning too.
So, of the story of Su Tianxue and Shi Ning, only Su Tianxue remembered.
She couldn’t bring herself to be harsh, and in the end, she only tapped the tip of Shi Ning’s nose.
Afraid of disturbing her sweet dreams, she stood up and placed a light kiss on her lips.
After that, Su Tianxue fell asleep while watching over her.
In the dark of the night, Shi Ning’s eyelashes fluttered slightly.
She opened her eyes from a half-asleep state.
She carefully turned over and met the sleeping face of Su Tianxue.
Why did this woman kiss her?
A question mark popped up in Shi Ning’s mind.
And why was it that being in such close contact with her didn’t feel strange at all, as if this had happened many times before?
Shi Ning thought for a long time, then decided not to overthink it.
She closed her eyes.
She couldn’t remember the last time she had slept so well.
In this strange room, on this strange sofa, with this strange woman by her side.
She had a rare, good dream.
When she woke up the next day, Shi Ning was still half in her dream, groggy. She reached out, wrapped her arms around the person in front of her, and called out, “Wife.”
She leaned in for a kiss, and the other person kissed her back.
The kiss was gentle yet passionate.
Lips and teeth met, intertwining and exchanging.
Shi Ning thought, this dream is too real.
She opened her eyes and saw Su Tianxue, slightly breathless from her kiss.
……
A flash of pleasant surprise crossed Su Tianxue’s eyes.
“You remember everything?”
Shi Ning hesitated for a moment. “Hm?”
What did she remember?
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