Shrine - Chapter 21
Chapter 21
From the first moment she saw Shi Ran, Ruan Ruan had been holding back. Finally, she asked the question.
Shi Ran didn't answer her, merely sweeping a cool gaze over the tip of her nose and the corners of her mouth. "Can the cats understand?"
Ruan Ruan paused, then replied, "Apparently, they can." That's what the internet said.
She stroked Xiao Bai. "Should I put them outside?"
"No need." Shi Ran moved closer and began to kiss her.
It was an impatient kiss. The moment they lay down on the bed, Ruan Ruan fumbled to turn off the bedroom light. Shi Ran cupped Ruan Ruan's face, and Ruan Ruan wrapped her arms around her neck, her chin tilted up in an arc of dissatisfaction. Xiao Ju lay on the windowsill watching the moonlight, its tail flicking and twitching with agitation. The three clueless kittens chased after a hair tie that had fallen, biting and gnawing at it, their soft paws treading on the faint sounds of panting.
There was no time to wash her hands. Ruan Ruan's eyelashes were already damp. She earnestly let Shi Ran taste the tip of her tongue, her hand guiding Shi Ran's palm, wrapping a few fingers with a disinfecting wipe and cleaning them from the inside out.
This environment was completely at odds with Shi Ran. There was the smell of cat litter, the scent of freshly sun-dried sheets, and the milky smell of the unweaned kittens.
Even her loungewear was a slightly pilled set.
But Shi Ran kissing her amidst this worldly life made her heart flutter even more. The lofty goddess had descended to the mortal realm, tumbling in a pile of firewood, her clothes disheveled as their fingers intertwined.
This was the personification of desire. When there was something more worth chasing, even the stars would deign to fall.
A soft "thump" sounded. Ruan Ruan's ears twitched alertly, her scattered consciousness instantly returning. She met Shi Ran's questioning gaze and whispered, "Mei Mei's back."
The two of them froze, turning their heads to listen to the sounds outside. There was the pitter-patter of slippers, the sound of someone washing their hands in the kitchen, and finally, the closing of the bathroom door.
Wu Mei had always been careless; she hadn't noticed the pair of unfamiliar tall boots at the entrance.
Ruan Ruan didn't want Wu Mei to know Shi Ran was here, and especially not that the two of them were in a dark room. So she carefully pushed Shi Ran, putting a stop to the commotion. She sat up, straightening her clothes. Shi Ran brushed her long, loose hair to one side and coolly glanced out the window.
Ruan Ruan gently smoothed the wrinkled hem of her clothes, as if she were smoothing out the lingering beat of their hearts.
Once she had calmed down, she picked up her phone and sent Wu Mei a WeChat message: "Mei Mei, I think I heard you come back. I'm a bit tired today, so I'm going to sleep first. I'll buy you buns from Qinzhi Buns tomorrow morning."
Wu Mei quickly replied: "Go to sleep then, I won't bother you."
The sound of a door being deliberately closed softly came from the crack. Wu Mei came out of the bathroom and went back to her own room to remove her makeup.
Ruan Ruan put down her phone and looked at Shi Ran beside her with some trepidation. She didn't know if she would be upset. After all, she probably rarely had moments like this, being left to sit in the dark. She wasn't sure what Shi Ran was thinking. It was impossible to continue now; perhaps she needed to find a time to send her off.
Observing her for a few seconds in the moonlight, Shi Ran showed no emotion, nonchalantly watching the little kittens rolling around on the floor.
Ruan Ruan tiptoed over and squatted down, picking up Xiao Hei. She purred and petted it until it was docile, then placed it in Shi Ran's arms.
This seemingly placating gesture made Shi Ran tuck the corners of her mouth and smile.
She didn't reach out to take it, her arms still hanging by her sides, her hands gripping the edge of the bed. So Ruan Ruan could only lean over herself to hold the kitten steady, circling the little black furball on Shi Ran's lap. Her cool hand would occasionally stroke the cat, and occasionally brush against Shi Ran.
After a few back-and-forths, Shi Ran finally raised her right hand and rubbed the kitten's head, her touch also grazing Ruan Ruan's hand which was resting on the cat's back.
It was too ticklish. Ruan Ruan pulled back, and the kitten jumped down, letting out a "meow" before running off.
Much like her own racing heartbeat.
The sound of trickling water came from outside, gushing from the showerhead. Wu Mei was taking a shower.
With the cover of the noise, the two of them could move around a bit, and their voices could be a little louder.
Shi Ran stood up and casually surveyed Ruan Ruan's room. Before, she had only been focused on the kittens and Little Bread, and hadn't carefully observed what Little Bread's display case looked like. Now that there was nothing else to do, she could take a not-too-intrusive look in the darkness.
It was a very simple room. Besides the bed, there was a desk and a wooden wardrobe. The only thing that could be considered to have a sense of design was the glass display shelf next to the wardrobe.
On the top shelf were handmade gifts from fans. Below were some small trinkets brought back from travels, and in the middle were several bottles of perfume. The bottles, some ornate and some simple, were arranged at different heights, shimmering under the moonlight. The liquid inside seemed like ambrosia, glistening with various hues of light.
Shi Ran was a little surprised. It turned out Ruan Ruan liked perfume and had collected quite a few, yet because of her contact with Shi Ran, she had never used any of it.
Seeing her interest, Ruan Ruan came over and stood beside her, watching.
"Do you usually use it?" Shi Ran initiated the conversation, her voice lowered slightly.
"Occasionally."
Actually, she used to love it. As a minor actress, she rarely had exclusive costumes. Sometimes she wore her own clothes, sometimes clothes others had worn. After coming home and showering, Ruan Ruan would spray a little perfume on the nape of her neck or her wrist, to smell her own scent.
In the entertainment industry, the greatest luxury was to live as yourself. Someone like Shi Ran would probably find this hard to understand.
Shi Ran might not be able to see through other emotions, but she could effortlessly capture the loneliness and longing in Ruan Ruan's eyes.
Her heart was gently pricked. She raised her hand and touched a beautiful glass bottle. "Which ones are your favorite scents?"
"You want to smell them?" Ruan Ruan asked, her voice raspy.
"Mhm." Shi Ran rarely used perfume due to allergies, so she wasn't very familiar with it.
"I could let you try them," Ruan Ruan said with concern, "but what if you have an allergic reaction?"
Shi Ran asked softly, "Do you have any Claritin at home?"
"Yes."
"Then I can be saved," Shi Ran said coolly.
"Pfft." Ruan Ruan couldn't hold it in and let out a laugh, her chest trembling.
So Shi Ran could be humorous too. So... Shi Ran could be cute too.
She didn't confirm again, knowing that Shi Ran knew what she was doing. To ask again would be nagging. So she pulled out a transparent bottle with a simple and elegant design, sprayed a little on her wrist, and held it out to Shi Ran.
Shi Ran leaned in and took a light sniff. A fruity, woody scent, with a slightly faint, contradictory quality. Shi Ran raised an eyebrow, thinking it was not bad. "What's it called?"
"001 Woman." Ruan Ruan knew Shi Ran would naturally recognize the brand Loewe, so she only mentioned the specific perfume name.
Shi Ran glanced at her. Ruan Ruan pursed her lips, looked up at the display case, and picked up a black bottle. "This is 'Replica Lazy Sunday Morning.' They say it has the scent of cotton. I don't have a scent card, can you come closer to smell it?"
Afraid that Wu Mei outside might hear, she spoke slowly and softly, her breath carrying a spreading, fresh fragrance. The name "Lazy Sunday Morning" was wonderful, evoking a sense of release beneath a well-dressed exterior. At this moment, Ruan Ruan's loungewear hung loosely on her shoulders, the lingering desire drawn out by the perfume, winding past her snowy neck and chin, and resting on her trembling eyelashes.
When her thin eyelashes could no longer hold it, it would fall, submissive and yielding, presenting a look of being ready for the taking. No one would know that she was the one driving the desire.
Once again, Shi Ran clearly saw the female protagonist from Non-Desire, in the darkness, in the fragrance, right before her eyes.
The third bottle, Maison Margiela's "Lazy Sunday Morning."
The faint scent of lily of the valley was like a reminder. Before they parted, they could still spend a weekend together. She had no work, and neither did she.
Ruan Ruan moved quickly, still worried about Shi Ran's allergies, especially with the audition in two days. She capped each bottle tightly, took out a disinfecting wipe to clean Shi Ran's wrist and palm, and held it up to her eyes, carefully checking for any red rashes. The distance was too close; her breath sprayed onto the spot over Shi Ran's blood vessels. With just a slight flick of her wrist, she could touch the tip of Ruan Ruan's nose.
But she didn't move. Her heart did.
She felt the cool touch of the wet wipe and said to Ruan Ruan, "Come to the hotel with me."
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