The Art of Teasing - Chapter 98
Chapter 98
Before Wen Zhengyu could fully regain her bearings, Ye Ling's feet were already pressed against hers. Even Ye Ling's toes were ice-cold. What little warmth had gathered in Wen Zhengyu's quilt was instantly siphoned away by Ye Ling.
Ye Ling, chilled to the bone and wearing nothing but a pair of underwear, pressed her bare body against Wen Zhengyu's back. Wen Zhengyu was only wearing a summer-weight camisole—the fabric was thin, and her back was exposed. Without even that layer of cloth as a barrier, she could feel that even Ye Ling's chest was cold, still damp with moisture.
Could a trip to the bathroom leave someone drenched all over?
Wen Zhengyu's mind struggled to process this. Her reflexive thought was that Ye Ling must have gone outside into the rain, yet there was no sound of rain outside. It took a long moment before Wen Zhengyu found her voice: "You… how did you get all wet?" Something about this didn't add up. Was this some kind of pity play? Had Ye Ling deliberately made herself ice-cold so she could press close and hold her?
Shivering, Ye Ling said, "I went to wash my face."
Wen Zhengyu was bewildered. Ye Ling had already been in bed, and then she'd gotten up to wash her face? What was she doing? She said, "CEO Ye, please let go—" But midway through her sentence, Ye Ling abruptly withdrew her hands and turned away, her back to Wen Zhengyu, and sneezed several times in rapid succession.
Hearing only the first half of the sentence, Ye Ling had not dared to continue holding Wen Zhengyu. Obediently, she lay on the outer edge of the bed, curled up under the quilt, wrapping herself tightly.
She was cold all over, huddled under the thin quilt, shivering uncontrollably. A sense of grievance welled up within her, but she understood. Wen Zhengyu's temperament was such that she was never one to grow easily close to others. For Wen Zhengyu to have been woken by her ice-cold body pressing close and not to have gotten angry—that alone showed a remarkably good temper.
Wen Zhengyu felt a stir of compassion. She rose, turned on the light, poured a cup of hot water, and brought it to the bedside. "Drink some hot water," she said. "Warm yourself up."
Wrapped in the quilt, Ye Ling sat up and accepted the cup from Wen Zhengyu. She cupped her hands around it, warming them, and sipped the hot water in small mouthfuls.
Wen Zhengyu could see the fine hairs on Ye Ling's arms standing on end. She retrieved a thin blanket from among the bedding and draped it over Ye Ling's shoulders.
Ye Ling, worried that Wen Zhengyu might catch cold, told her to get back into bed.
Wen Zhengyu wrapped a shawl around herself and sat on the edge of the bed. "I'm not cold," she said. "I'll wait until you finish your water." She had accompanied her grandfather on walks and exercises for years, and her constitution had always been robust. October temperatures were not yet very cold.
Ye Ling knew that Wen Zhengyu had always paid close attention to her health. If Wen Zhengyu felt cold, she would never push herself to endure it. The water was very hot; even if she wanted to drink faster, she couldn't. She drank sip after sip.
Because her arms and body were bare, the blanket and quilt couldn't cling closely enough to trap any warmth. Even after finishing the entire cup of hot water, her body still hadn't managed to warm up.
Ye Ling handed the cup back to Wen Zhengyu and said, "Thank you." She lay back down under the quilt, continuing to huddle in a tight ball.
Wen Zhengyu placed the cup on the square table, turned off the light, and returned to bed. She spread the thin blanket over Ye Ling, who was still curled up and shivering, then lay on her back, closed her eyes, and resumed trying to sleep.
The accommodation at the Daoist temple was truly poor. The mattress was a cheap, hard one, and the quilt was a very ordinary cotton one, with limited ability to retain warmth.
The longer Ye Ling lay there, the colder she felt. Not a trace of warmth could be found on her body. She touched her arm and felt a layer of goosebumps.
Given these living conditions, she had no idea how Wen Zhengyu had gotten accustomed to staying here. Even in her poorest, hardest times, she had never been this frozen. She considered asking someone at the temple for an extra quilt, but everyone would be asleep by now, and she didn't know where to find anyone. Having the bodyguards deliver a quilt wasn't appropriate either—never mind whether the bodyguards could even go out to buy one, which they couldn't; even if they brought the quilts they themselves used, Wen Zhengyu would probably be disgusted.
Ye Ling genuinely had no desire to spend the entire night freezing like this. So once again, she rolled over to Wen Zhengyu's side, pressed her icy feet against Wen Zhengyu's, and said, "Feel my arm."
Hearing the aggrieved tone in Ye Ling's voice, Wen Zhengyu knew something was probably up. Aware of Ye Ling's sensitive temperament, she didn't dare ignore her. She reached out and touched Ye Ling's arm. It was very cold, and a layer of goosebumps covered the skin.
Ye Ling then took Wen Zhengyu's hand in her own cold grip and asked, "Cold, isn't it?" Sharing the same bed, under the same quilt—she was nearly freezing to death, yet Wen Zhengyu's hands and feet were warm. Though after being pressed against by her, they weren't so warm anymore.
Wen Zhengyu gave a soft "Mm" of acknowledgment. It was cold enough; Ye Ling's hands and feet were as cold as ice. She understood what Ye Ling was implying and said, "Then lean against me to sleep."
The resentment in Ye Ling's heart instantly dissipated. She rested her head on Wen Zhengyu's shoulder, wrapped Wen Zhengyu's arm in her embrace, pressed both feet tightly against Wen Zhengyu's, and, feeling the warmth radiating from Wen Zhengyu's body, let out a comfortable sigh. "So warm," she murmured.
Wen Zhengyu had never been this physically close to anyone before, and Ye Ling was completely bare. It felt somewhat strange to her, slightly awkward. But Ye Ling was so cold; she couldn't bring herself to push her away. So she let Ye Ling hold her. She closed her eyes and silently recited scripture. Before long, drowsiness overtook her, and without realizing it, she fell asleep.
Ye Ling, on the other hand, was not the least bit sleepy.
The room was dim; she could only make out Wen Zhengyu's outline. Because she was so near, she could clearly hear the steady rhythm of Wen Zhengyu's breathing, and even feel the warmth of her exhaled breath.
After her arm had warmed somewhat, she stealthily reached over and wrapped it around Wen Zhengyu's waist.
She was pressed this close to Wen Zhengyu, yet Wen Zhengyu showed absolutely no reaction—she had closed her eyes and soon fallen asleep again.
After so many years, she had finally encountered someone she liked again, and yet this person had such an indifferent disposition, such a cool and aloof nature.
Wen Zhengyu woke in the middle of the night to discover that Ye Ling had her thoroughly pinned down.
Ye Ling's head rested on her shoulder, pressing down heavily. One arm lay across her waist, not only holding her waist tightly but also trapping her arm. Worse still, both of her legs were clamped between Ye Ling's legs.
Wen Zhengyu struggled several times but couldn't break free. This irritated her somewhat. No matter how bad someone's sleeping posture was, it shouldn't be this bad.
Ye Ling gently patted Wen Zhengyu's arm and murmured in a low, coaxing voice, "Xun, don't fuss. I'm tired."
Ex-girlfriend? She had mistaken her for someone else in her sleep? Wen Zhengyu felt deeply uncomfortable. She forcibly lifted Ye Ling's arm aside and sat up herself.
Ye Ling opened her eyes. It took her a dazed moment to remember that she was with Wen Zhengyu at the Daoist temple. She asked, "What's wrong? Do you need the bathroom?" She turned and switched on the bedside lamp, only to see that Wen Zhengyu's expression held a trace of coldness. Wen Zhengyu glanced at her, her look rather peculiar.
Wen Zhengyu stuffed her own pillow into Ye Ling's arms. "CEO Ye," she said, "please hug the pillow to sleep." She then pointed toward the edge of the bed. "And please, CEO Ye, make some room for me. Thank you."
Sensing that something was amiss, Ye Ling obediently hugged the pillow and shifted back to the cold outer edge of the bed.
Wen Zhengyu got out of bed, found her phone, and checked the time. It was only a little past midnight. She sighed inwardly and had no choice but to climb back into bed and try to continue sleeping. She glanced at Ye Ling lying beside her, whose expression now held a hint of unease as she watched her. After a moment's thought, Wen Zhengyu laid Ye Ling's pillow horizontally between them.
One pillow wasn't enough—she needed two? What was going on? Ye Ling looked at Wen Zhengyu, perplexed. What happened? she wondered.
Ignoring Ye Ling, and without turning off the light, Wen Zhengyu lay face up, closed her eyes, and once again began reciting scripture to fall asleep.
Ye Ling attempted to discreetly shift inward. The moment she moved, she saw Wen Zhengyu open her eyes and turn her head to look at her—a look filled with unmistakable warning. Ye Ling returned the pillow to Wen Zhengyu. "One pillow is enough for me," she said, placing the pillow above Wen Zhengyu's head. She didn't dare try to shift Wen Zhengyu's head to use her as a pillow.
She turned off the light and huddled miserably at the edge of the bed. She was so cold, and the quilt wasn't large enough, yet she didn't dare tug at it. Nearly half her body was exposed to the air, and she shivered, sneezing several more times.
Wen Zhengyu tossed her thin blanket to Ye Ling, then turned over, pulled the pillow over her ears, curled up, and began trying to sleep. In her mind, she recited scripture at a rapid pace.
Ye Ling wrapped herself tightly in the blanket and carefully inched inward a little more so she could be covered by the quilt. She asked, "Did I upset you?"
Wen Zhengyu replied, "I don't particularly like being held while sleeping." She closed her eyes and continued reciting scripture, but her mind kept drifting back to Ye Ling's murmured words. The soft, tender tone still lingered in her ears, gentle enough to wring water from stone.
Ye Ling sighed softly. She had no choice but to cling tightly to her pillow.
It's not like Ye Ling and I have any kind of relationship, Wen Zhengyu thought. It's perfectly normal for Ye Ling to mistake someone when she's half-asleep. Perhaps when she was with her ex-girlfriend, they often slept just like that, holding each other. Even after a breakup, some ingrained habits are hard to break.
The word "fuss" suddenly surfaced in her mind. A thought stirred. Could "don't fuss" be referring to… that? Then her mind connected it to the gynecological exam items on Ye Ling's medical report. That matter clearly involved her ex-girlfriend. Was there a connection between the two?
Wen Zhengyu immediately felt that speculating about such personal matters was sordid, and she hastily pulled her thoughts back.
But as soon as she reined them in, they drifted out again. She thought about how Ye Ling could do that with her ex-girlfriend. Then what about her and Ye Ling… did what just happened count as an embrace?
A thought flashed through Wen Zhengyu's mind like lightning: So earlier, when Ye Ling had washed herself until her body was damp and freezing cold… was that…?
She then felt it probably wasn't what she was thinking.
Yet, if it wasn't plausible, how to explain the water that had been on Ye Ling's arms and body earlier? Had she taken a cold shower? But surely a woman's desire wouldn't require a cold shower to suppress?
Wen Zhengyu wanted to ask but couldn't bring herself to voice the question. Not asking, she couldn't figure it out. She tried not to think about it, but her thoughts uncontrollably drifted toward that subject. She admitted she was a little curious. But being curious about this was useless anyway. She recited scripture, but couldn't stop her mind from wandering.
Just as she was pondering, Ye Ling shifted toward her again.
Wen Zhengyu's eyes flew wide open, staring at Ye Ling. Her heart pounded so fast she could feel it. Should I kick this predator? she wondered. She had never gotten physical with anyone before.
Ye Ling moved closer and discovered that Wen Zhengyu was not only still awake but staring at her wide-eyed. It startled her, but she quickly composed herself. "You're not asleep yet?" she said. "Let me warm up a bit. I'm so cold."
Wen Zhengyu shifted further away until her back pressed against the icy wall. "CEO Ye," she said, "don't you think this is inappropriate?"
Ye Ling placed her cold hands directly on Wen Zhengyu's face. "I'm cold," she said.
Wen Zhengyu's instinct was to swat the predator, but she'd never hit anyone before. With nowhere left to retreat, she asked directly: "CEO Ye, you don't have any… other intentions toward me, do you?"
Ye Ling was stunned by the question. Baffled, she asked, "What?"
Wen Zhengyu found it very difficult to answer. Her face burned. "Those… intentions," she said.
Ye Ling asked, puzzled, "Which?"
Wen Zhengyu thought again that Ye Ling didn't seem like that kind of person—at least, everything she did was fairly open and straightforward. Did I misunderstand? she thought.
Ye Ling asked, "Zhengyu?"
"It's nothing," Wen Zhengyu said.
This was clearly something. Ye Ling thought it over carefully. She leaned closer to Wen Zhengyu. "You don't think I'm trying to…"
Wen Zhengyu said warily, "You went to wash with cold water just now."
Ye Ling suddenly understood. So that was what she meant. Exasperated, she said, "Your reaction time really is something else." She'd already pressed up against her earlier, and Wen Zhengyu had shown no reaction at all. She had assumed Wen Zhengyu simply didn't understand. As it turned out, she was just slow on the uptake. "Rest easy," she said. "At most, I just wanted to hold you for a bit of warmth." With that, she forcibly dragged Wen Zhengyu back from the wall.
Wen Zhengyu tensed up completely. "Ye Ling, let go," she said.
Indignantly, Ye Ling cried, "No! Who told you to come stay at a Daoist temple for no reason, and such a shabby one at that? Look at this bed—hard as a plank of wood! And this quilt is ridiculously thin. What month is it now? The temperature up in the mountains is so low, and yet the bedding is this thin. My nose is completely stuffed up. If I catch a cold, you'll be the first one I hold accountable."
Wen Zhengyu was speechless, utterly flabbergasted. She had never encountered such a shameless person. It was Ye Ling who had run up the mountain of her own accord, and when there weren't enough rooms, insisted on staying on the mountain and sharing her room. And now she was blaming her room for being inadequate? And she'd be blamed if Ye Ling caught a cold? After emerging from a hot shower, steam still rising from her body, she had run through the cold air back to the room and then gone to wash with cold water. Wen Zhengyu was willing to bet Ye Ling was already sick; the symptoms just hadn't fully manifested yet.
Ye Ling pulled the quilt up to cover Wen Zhengyu snugly and huddled under it herself, only pressing her feet against Wen Zhengyu's. She hugged Wen Zhengyu's arm, and her tone softened completely. "Sleep," she said. "Don't move around; all the warm air in the quilt will escape."
Wen Zhengyu was filled with uncertainty, unable to quite grasp what was happening. The best course at this moment would be to keep some distance from Ye Ling, but… there was no way to maintain distance. Did Ye Ling have those intentions toward her or not? And how could two women even… do that kind of thing? Wen Zhengyu's mind was a tangled mess. She couldn't think it through. She decided to simply stop thinking about it, closed her eyes again, and silently recited scripture.
Ye Ling could tell from Wen Zhengyu's breathing that she wasn't asleep. She reached her arm across and wrapped it around Wen Zhengyu.
Wen Zhengyu immediately tensed up, every muscle taut, and turned her head warily to look at Ye Ling.
Ye Ling gently patted her and murmured, "Sleep. I won't do anything to you."
Wen Zhengyu said, "You're already holding me."
Ye Ling said, "I'm just warming myself up." As she spoke, the corners of her mouth lifted involuntarily in a smile.
Wen Zhengyu couldn't very well refuse to sleep in the middle of the night, get up, and just sit there. Staying at the Daoist temple, if the light remained on all night, someone would come knocking on the door. She couldn't just sit in the dark room either; it would look like a haunting. Unable to think of any other solution, she let Ye Ling hold her, lying with her eyes open waiting for dawn. Never again, she swore to herself. She felt like Ye Ling was tormenting her to the point of mental shutdown.
The sound of rain began outside.
Ye Ling was already fast asleep, her head resting on Wen Zhengyu's shoulder, her arms wrapped tightly around her.
Wen Zhengyu tried to push Ye Ling away slightly, but Ye Ling adjusted her position and clung even more tightly instead.
Wen Zhengyu tried shifting a few more times but couldn't break free. Unwilling to wake Ye Ling, she simply let herself be held.
She listened to the rain. After a while, her attention shifted to listening to the steady rhythm of Ye Ling's breathing. Sometime later, in a daze, she fell asleep.
The sound of the temple drum woke Wen Zhengyu. She opened her eyes and found that she had somehow shifted into her usual sleeping posture, curled up in Ye Ling's embrace, her head pillowed on Ye Ling's arm. Feeling sheepish, Wen Zhengyu stealthily tried to rise, only to be pulled back by Ye Ling's embrace.
Mumbling, Ye Ling said, "Sleep a little longer. It's raining—we won't be able to watch the sunrise."
Wen Zhengyu said, "We still need to get up, wash up, and attend morning liturgy soon." As soon as she finished speaking, she saw Ye Ling's eyes fly wide open, as if jolted fully awake.
Ye Ling couldn't help asking, "Are you really planning to renounce the world and become a nun?"
Wen Zhengyu's eyes flickered. She wanted to deny it, but she had never told a lie before. She had to say, "For now… not."
Ye Ling fell silent for two seconds, then sighed inwardly. "Then let's go to morning liturgy together," she said. She sat up from the bed, casting a somewhat helpless glance at Wen Zhengyu, and then got out of bed to get dressed.
She had only taken two steps when the cold air hit her, triggering a sneeze. Two more sneezes followed in quick succession, and then she realized her nose was running. She walked to the square table, pulled out a tissue, and pressed it to her nose. Looking at Wen Zhengyu, she said, "I've caught a cold."
Wen Zhengyu looked at Ye Ling, dressed in nothing but her underwear, and remained silent. The rain had caused the temperature to drop sharply. She felt a bit cool even wrapped in the quilt; for Ye Ling to be so exposed—it would be a miracle if she didn't catch a cold.
Ye Ling shivered from the cold and hurried to put on her clothes. Her clothing was thin, and with the rain outside, the temperature had plummeted. Even dressed, she wasn't warm. She then looked at Wen Zhengyu's clothes—also autumn wear, a base layer with a thin jacket, clearly insufficient against the cold.
After Wen Zhengyu dressed, she picked up the thermos, fetched some hot water, found cold medicine, and gave it to Ye Ling.
This time, Ye Ling didn't refuse. Sitting at the square table, cupping the water glass for warmth, she asked Wen Zhengyu, "Can we go back today?"
Wen Zhengyu glanced at Ye Ling. "No," she said.
Ye Ling raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
Wen Zhengyu asked, "And you?"
"We'll see," Ye Ling said. "I also think staying at the Daoist temple is quite nice."
Wen Zhengyu didn't believe Ye Ling for a second. Just last night, someone had gotten angry precisely because of this place. She had figured it out now—Ye Ling was sticking to her like glue. She ignored Ye Ling, went to wash up first, and then headed to attend morning liturgy with the Daoist priests, chanting scripture.
After finishing the scripture recitation with the priests, she went to the dining hall to eat. Ye Ling wasn't in the dining hall; she was probably still in the room. Wen Zhengyu hesitated but decided not to call Ye Ling for breakfast. If she ignored Ye Ling, and Ye Ling found it boring, she would naturally leave. But while eating breakfast, she found herself thinking about Ye Ling's cold and whether she should see a doctor. Still, a cold usually just required some cold medicine. Ye Ling was an adult; she didn't need Wen Zhengyu to arrange things for her.
Thinking this, Wen Zhengyu went back to find Daoist Priest Yan to continue painting.
She painted for an hour or two without seeing Ye Ling come looking for her, nor did she receive any phone call from Ye Ling. She found this strange.
If Ye Ling wasn't leaving, she should have come to find her. If Ye Ling was leaving, she should have said something, at least a goodbye. Was she angry? Even if she were angry, she would still say something. Slightly worried, Wen Zhengyu returned to the room and found Ye Ling lying on the bed, asleep. She leaned closer and noticed Ye Ling's complexion was abnormally flushed. She touched her—scorching hot.
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