TGSS - Chapter 45

Chapter 45: Indulgence

Chu He was stunned. Watching Liang Zhouyi become utterly unfamiliar after saying those words, she caught a whiff of danger. She gathered all her strength desperately and still could only let Liang Zhouyi reach out and help her up. From the effort, Chu He's face flushed red, her eyes filmed with mist, her cheeks pink, and she looked like a ripe, tempting fruit.

Liang Zhouyi held her half in her arms, lifted her chin with her fingers and examined her carefully. A trace of a smile finally appeared on her pale face. Satisfied, she buried her head in the crook of Chu He's neck and took a deep breath, her eyes dark and unreadable.

"Liang Zhouyi!" Chu He turned her head to dodge her warm breath and wet tongue, shocked and at the same time ashamed at her body's reaction. "Are you crazy! How can we do this kind of thing, we are, we are..."

"What are we?" Liang Zhouyi said as if she had not heard, resting her head on her shoulder and laughing softly. Chu He could even feel that softness pressing against her.

Chu He stiffened, her thoughts failing to keep up, her breathing labored. "What else do you want to do?"

Though the timing was hardly appropriate, Liang Zhouyi was still amused by her, as if she found the question Chu He had asked very funny. "What do you think? You can't be that naive, can you? Since I said I want you, of course I want all of you."

Chu He's pupils shook. She parted her lips as if she finally understood, swallowed hard, and murmured, "What... this, isn't this a bit much."

Wasn't this crossing a line? Although she was indeed a bit casual about such things, she still preferred a platonic kind of love. She still felt she and Liang Zhouyi could be confidants, soulmates. The affection Liang Zhouyi gave her was more on a spiritual level, and even the physical contact before had been a tremor brought by the familiarity of their souls. But looking at Liang Zhouyi's expression now, that was clearly not what she had in mind.

Liang Zhouyi gazed heavily at the dress on her, her fingers unceremoniously brushing Chu He's collarbone. This dress really was beautiful, worthy of her careful selection. It was indeed lovely. If she could take it off with her own hands, that would be perfect. She could hardly wait to see the real gift.

Cool fingertips slid over delicate skin, and Chu He's body could not help but tremble, her breathing quickening a few beats. She reached out to push Liang Zhouyi's arm away, but could only rest her hand lightly on her arm, which even added a touch of feigned reluctance. The rise and fall of her chest became more pronounced with her panting.

"Liang Zhouyi, wait a second." Chu He felt that no matter what she said now, Liang Zhouyi would not listen, but she still wanted to struggle a little. "You... I mean, is there any chance we could pause for a moment? Or not? Or could you give me some time to prepare?"

"No." Seeing that Chu He still had the mood to bargain with her here, Liang Zhouyi's eyes darkened a few shades and her tone turned cold. In any case, no one was going to stop what she intended to do today.

"Fine then." Chu He sighed, as if she had completely given up struggling and went limp. She looked at Liang Zhouyi tentatively. "Then before that I have one request."

Liang Zhouyi took a deep breath and still managed to squeeze out two words. "Tell me."

"I want a bite of cake. I didn't even get to eat any just now. After all, you made it yourself, I only tasted a little cream. It will go bad if we leave it..."

"Chu He!" Liang Zhouyi was almost driven mad with anger by her mood killing words. "Do you think I'm joking with you right now?"

Chu He looked innocent. "I'm not, I'm just making a reasonable request." She was clearly being sincere. Although she did still feel a bit awkward inside, she knew the principle that a wise person submits to circumstances.

Liang Zhouyi pressed the tip of her tongue hard against her teeth and set Chu He down on the sofa. Although her brows and eyes were full of anger, her movements remained gentle. She looked at Chu He and sighed heavily, got up and cut a piece of that cake. Pink cream had smeared onto her knuckles, but she did not bother with it. She just carried the plate toward Chu He and dug out a piece forcefully to feed her.

"Delicious." Chu He licked at it with some effort, her face still flushed, the corners of her lips hooked in a careless smile, her expression a little hazy, as if the alcohol was going to her head.

"You've had your cake, say whatever else you have to say all at once." Liang Zhouyi propped her chin on her hand, narrowing her eyes to size her up.

"Is there any point? If I try to explain now you won't believe me anyway." Chu He blinked, her gaze flowing, a seductive look spilling from the corners of her eyes. "Do whatever you want." In any case, Liang Zhouyi would not listen to her now.

Liang Zhouyi laughed in exasperation, curling her lips. The anger that had just subsided surged up again. It was precisely this inexplicable indulgence that had made her think Chu He was different toward her, but in fact she might mean nothing at all in Chu He's heart.

Her hand slid forcefully out of her pocket, her eyes burning red with intense emotion. Chu He watched as Liang Zhouyi slowly leaned down toward her, when suddenly something fell to the floor with a crisp sound.

Chu He froze. She turned her head curiously to look and found it was a silver metal object. The corner of her mouth twitched and she could not hold back a laugh. That sound contained too many emotions. She laughed for a few seconds before noticing Liang Zhouyi's expression had turned extremely ugly. Driven to shame and anger by Chu He's reaction, she kicked the thing away and pressed forward.

At first Chu He still found it amusing, but soon she could not laugh anymore. She panted, her mouth slightly open, the tip of her tongue a little numb, her fair arms loosely looped around Liang Zhouyi's neck. That white dress had been tossed to the floor at some unknown moment, lying on the smooth floor looking wrinkled and pitiful from being kneaded.

"Liang Zhouyi..." Chu He's voice came in fragments. The head on her chest seemed to pause for a moment, black and brown hair finely intertwined at the side of her neck. Chu He's pupils lost focus. She bit her lip, as if trying hard to restrain something, and the look of forbearance reflected in Liang Zhouyi's eyes made her movements intensify.

Her other hand's scorching fingertips danced, tracing from her shoulder all the way to Chu He's hanging arm, finally forcing its way between her fingers and gripping that hand hard, as if she would not stop until their bodies were pressed together and melted into one.

Breath was swallowed, lips and tongue seized fiercely. In Chu He's cool, elongated eyes there was no longer any of the usual calm. All her emotions were controlled by the person above her. It was a lonely soul being held tightly, an unprecedented satisfaction filling her heart. Joy washed over her like a tide. Powerless to struggle, she could only let the waves carry her and completely indulge herself.

When she opened her eyes again, Chu He was already lying on the bed. The dim room was peaceful and quiet, as if the night's abandon had all been a dream. She reached out and rubbed her brow. Her fair skin was covered with bruised finger marks and bite marks. As Chu He's skin brushed the silky sheets, goosebumps rose all over her body, and the lingering tingling seemed to have become a bodily memory.

Veins faintly throbbed at her temples. Although she had already planned to resign herself to it, Liang Zhouyi had gone too far. She was nothing like her usual quiet and gentle self. Chu He's entire understanding of her had been overturned. Was she even human? Chu He gritted her teeth. There was not a single intact spot on her body. She closed her eyes in resignation.

Finally able to calm down and think, Chu He lifted the blanket. She was wearing familiar pajamas. Yesterday's clothes were already in a chaotic mess beyond looking at. Chu He stepped onto the floor, and a soreness traveled from her ankles all the way to her waist. Her face flushed and paled by turns.

She went to find Liang Zhouyi indignantly, yet when she saw the busy woman in the kitchen, her nose stung and a sense of helplessness clogged her chest. She did not quite know how to face Liang Zhouyi. Liang Zhouyi's state yesterday had clearly been provoked by no small shock, but there had to be a source for it.

"You're awake. Have some noodles." Liang Zhouyi glanced at Chu He indifferently, looking as if she were a completely different person from the crazed figure of yesterday.

Chu He pressed her lips together and sat down on the chair. From her neck down past her collar, the half exposed swell was covered in a continuous trail of bruises. Chu He had not looked in a mirror. Such a sight would make anyone's hair stand on end, to think how much force it must have taken to leave such a dense patch.

"Liang Zhouyi, are you going to pretend nothing happened now?" Chu He looked at the bowl of noodles and after a moment of silence could not help asking her. "If doing it all night is what you wanted, you could have just said so."

"Eat." Liang Zhouyi frowned upon hearing this, tapped her fingers on the table, and looked coldly at Chu He.

Chu He shut her mouth, clearly troubled by Liang Zhouyi's refusal to communicate. She ate without tasting anything, and still continued to ask, "Liang Zhouyi, when I said I liked you before I wasn't joking. You should understand that by now I have no reason to lie to you at all."

Liang Zhouyi could no longer bear it and lifted her eyes, her expression carrying restrained sorrow and sarcasm. "Chu He, you say you have no reason to lie to me, but how many times have you lied to me now? How many things have you kept from me? Why don't you ask yourself first? Don't you blush saying that?"

Chu He's gaze sharpened, somewhat unsure what Liang Zhouyi meant. She had indeed kept many things from her.

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