Chapter 12: I Want You to Be Free

Ji Zhenshi was still fuming inside. She clamped her hands over her eyes. “I already told you I don’t want any. I slept just fine, so no need for Sister A-Yun to worry about me. Take it away quick—I don’t want to drink it, and I can’t see a thing. Can’t see!”

Without being able to read Li Yunli’s sign language, the two of them had no way to communicate.

Ji Zhenshi refused to engage, so Li Yunli could only set the glass of milk down helplessly and sit on the edge of the bed. After a few seconds of silence, she lifted the corner of the blanket and slipped inside.

As soon as that soft, fragrant body slid in beside her, it was as if eyes had sprouted on the back of Ji Zhenshi’s head. She burrowed straight into Li Yunli’s arms without hesitation. The only shred of pride she clung to was that she never once met Li Yunli’s gaze from start to finish.

She had a little pride. But not much.

Ji Zhenshi lifted her arms and looped them around Li Yunli’s waist, smiling in satisfaction.

Li Yunli let Ji Zhenshi toss and turn as she pleased. Once she finally settled, Li Yunli patted her shoulder and signed, “Xiao Zhen, can you tell me why you’re mad? I honestly don’t know what set you off. You can just tell me straight up—staying mad forever won’t solve anything.”

Ji Zhenshi lazily cracked her eyelids open, resting her head on Li Yunli’s arm as she huffed.

“I’m just mad!”

“Why?”

“I’m mad because you’re too nice. Why do you have to be so nice? You used to give me money all the time. Now I’ve got prize money from the competition—I want to buy your freedom. What’s so wrong with that? Why do you keep treating me like a kid? I’m twenty-two, you know?”

This was all something Li Yunli deserved.

Li Yunli gave a helpless, amused laugh. “You’re mad just because I’m too nice?”

“Yeah. I wish you’d be a little more selfish, a little fiercer. That way, no one could humiliate you so easily or spread rumors about you.” Ji Zhenshi gazed at her intently. In the soft light, Li Yunli’s eyes brimmed with the world’s gentlest affection, her full, rosy lips seeming to tempt anyone to taste them.

Li Yunli brushed the strands of hair from Ji Zhenshi’s forehead, revealing those two damp, glistening eyes. “Why be so fierce? Like our little Xiao Zhen, all claws and fangs? But I’ve outgrown that age. I know now that being fierce doesn’t solve most problems.”

She never would have guessed that this was the reason Ji Zhenshi was upset.

Li Yunli’s expression mirrored the shock she’d felt earlier when Ji Zhenshi had suddenly declared she wanted to redeem her. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Ji Zhenshi had changed, that she wasn’t quite the same as before.

She used to care about nothing but her violin, spending every spare moment at the coffee shop.

“What do you mean ‘claws and fangs’? Don’t forget what happened last time you laughed at me like that, Sister A-Yun!” Ji Zhenshi shot upright, itching furiously at Li Yunli’s waist in retaliation.

Li Yunli was ticklish and squirmed away desperately, but Ji Zhenshi wasn’t about to let her escape. She chased after her relentlessly.

“Xiao Zhen! I’m ticklish…” Li Yunli had nowhere left to retreat. The clarity in her water-like eyes clouded with shy annoyance as she pushed at Ji Zhenshi’s shoulders, too flustered to even sign.

Half her body dangling off the bed’s edge, Ji Zhenshi reached out and yanked her back into her arms. “I can’t see—what did you just sign? That you don’t mind if I tickle you silly? Alright then, if that’s what you want.”

“…”

Li Yunli couldn’t stand Ji Zhenshi’s deliberate teasing. She arched her body backward, only for Ji Zhenshi to pull her right back in, burying her face in the crook of Li Yunli’s neck. Their soft bodies pressed together, and it felt like the frantic rhythm of her heart was about to give her away.

“Sister A-Yun, I’ve got the competition the day after tomorrow. I’ll win the money and buy your freedom, okay?” Ji Zhenshi nuzzled forward, practically sprawling across Li Yunli’s chest.

She stubbornly brought it up again, as if she wouldn’t drop it until Li Yunli responded.

Having endured their earlier spat, Li Yunli didn’t stop her this time. She simply nodded in agreement.

“Good. Then I’ll be the bigger person and forgive you. No more being mad.” Ji Zhenshi grinned smugly, finally releasing Li Yunli. She tucked her back into the covers properly.

Then Ji Zhenshi grabbed the glass of milk herself and downed it in one go. “Mm, not so fishy this time. Let’s stick with this kind from now on. It doesn’t make me want to hurl.”

So she really had just been throwing a tantrum over the milk to mess with Li Yunli.

“You little rascal. Ready for a proper sleep now?” Li Yunli smiled indulgently, tucking the covers around Ji Zhenshi before switching off the bedroom light.

Ji Zhenshi was a notoriously restless sleeper, but Li Yunli usually didn’t mind. This time, though, she worried Ji Zhenshi might accidentally bump her injury, so Li Yunli lifted one slender, pale leg and draped it over Ji Zhenshi’s fidgety ones to keep her still.

“Yeah, sleeping now. But Sister A-Yun, you smell so good. Have you been sneaking perfume behind my back? Starting to wear perfume—you’ve changed. Finally realizing you’re thirty and still gorgeous as ever?” Ji Zhenshi sniffed at her, grinning mischievously up at Li Yunli.

It wasn’t perfume, really—just her natural scent, fatally alluring to Ji Zhenshi.

Li Yunli chuckled and gently closed Ji Zhenshi’s eyes with her hand. “No perfume. Probably just the body wash. Now go to sleep.”

Ji Zhenshi had never actually heard Li Yunli’s voice, but she imagined it would be incredibly gentle—like heavenly music lulling her to sleep in moments like this.

“Okay.” Ji Zhenshi scooted closer to Li Yunli until their bodies pressed together without a single gap.

Li Yunli’s gaze softened on the top of Ji Zhenshi’s head. Without a second thought, she gently ruffled her hair, smiled silently, and closed her eyes contentedly.

That night, Ji Zhenshi—whose breathing had been steady—suddenly opened her eyes. She stared at Li Yunli’s breathtaking sleeping face: soft, delicate features taking on an unusual seductive charm in the dim light, warm breaths fanning across Ji Zhenshi’s cheeks. This exquisite beauty was right within reach, radiating an indescribable allure.

With Li Yunli so close at hand, Ji Zhenshi allowed her deep affection to pour out unchecked, but only in moments like this.

Those glossy red lips, so full and inviting—Ji Zhenshi’s heart skipped hard.

Her fingertip traced their outline lightly, but it wasn’t enough. A voice screamed in her mind.

Kiss her. What you’ve dreamed of is right there.

Steadying her breath, Ji Zhenshi couldn’t hold back. She leaned in slowly.

They were mere millimeters apart when Ji Zhenshi halted, her lashes quivering. Li Yunli was right there before her, yet it still felt like oceans separated them.

She curled her fingers, palm slick with sweat. She hadn’t done anything wrong, but guilt twisted in her gut, keeping her from looking up at Li Yunli.

She’s asleep. She won’t know. Come morning, this moment would stay locked in tonight, in this instant.

Gritting her teeth, Ji Zhenshi pulled back abruptly.

Love at its deepest was restraint, self-discipline, refusing to burden the one you cherished.

Someday, I’ll kiss you openly and honestly, Li Yunli.

Once her emotions settled, Ji Zhenshi slipped soundlessly out of the room and pulled out her phone to check her messages.

She had listed her violin on a second-hand platform. It had cost over fifty thousand when she bought it—a treasure pieced together from over a decade of her savings, with Li Yunli’s help. Ji Zhenshi loved it dearly; it had accompanied her for years.

It was a witness to her journey, a steadfast partner on her path with the violin, the weapon she’d once boasted would let her defy the world.

But in Ji Zhenshi’s life, there had always been one top priority.

She’d priced it low and replied to a few serious-looking buyers. She sighed deeply—truth be told, she hated to part with it. But her worry overshadowed the reluctance.

She worried whether Li Yunli could emerge unscathed this time. It all felt like such an uncertainty.

Li Yunli, I’m serious.

I want you to be free—and I mean it.

Outside the White Cafe

Today was the day Ji Zhenshi was heading out of province for the competition. Because of her injury, Li Yunli didn’t want her struggling to get to the airport alone, so she had offered to drive her.

The appointed time arrived. Li Yunli stood by the car and glanced at the watch on her wrist.

Ji Zhenshi, you’re late.

Li Yunli had just pulled out her phone to message her and check if something was wrong when Ji Zhenshi’s bright voice rang out nearby.

“Sister A-Yun! I had to drop some paperwork at the academy, that’s why I’m late. Sorry!” A blur of white came hurtling toward her, explaining at machine-gun speed before crashing straight into Li Yunli’s arms.

Li Yunli reacted on instinct, her arms coming up to catch the bundle.

Ji Zhenshi loved these sudden pounces—hugging Li Yunli’s neck and acting all clingy. Li Yunli was used to it by now.

As expected, Ji Zhenshi clung to her neck for a couple of breathless seconds before letting go. She braced her hands on her knees and gulped down air. “You weren’t waiting long, right? That teacher was so slow. I got there early, and she still made me wait until the exact time. I was stuck there forever.”

“No, it’s fine. No need to rush. I don’t mind waiting. But running over like that—your foot okay? Does it hurt?” Li Yunli shook her head. Seeing Ji Zhenshi sprint up, her first thought was that the injury hadn’t fully healed, yet here she was, throwing caution to the wind again.

Did she just have a high pain tolerance, or was she really fine?

“Doesn’t running hurt?” Li Yunli pulled a tissue from her bag to wipe the sweat from Ji Zhenshi’s brow, her eyes tinged with helplessness.

“Nope, doesn’t hurt at all. No feeling. Maybe I ran too fast for the pain to catch up.” Ji Zhenshi shrugged her leg nonchalantly. Her ankle still had ointment on it, but clearly, it didn’t faze her.

Leaning one hand on the car roof, Ji Zhenshi caught Li Yunli’s worried look and decided to tease her. She threw a playful wink. “Seriously, it was fine all along. I was just playing pitiful that day—fooled you again, huh? Sister A-Yun, you gotta toughen up your defenses. Fooled so easily?”

That night, it had only been a bump—serious-looking to the naked eye, especially with Ji Zhenshi hamming it up. So Li Yunli had fretted.

But the next day, Ji Zhenshi was walking normally, albeit with a funny limp and the occasional hop—looking downright comical.

Her recovery was impressive; in no time, she was bouncing around like nothing had happened.

“You little trickster.” Li Yunli smoothed the damp fringe from Ji Zhenshi’s forehead and shot her a glare. But those sparkling eyes drew her in, and she looked away with a momentary daze.

Ji Zhenshi was a master at playing pitiful for sympathy or wheedling with cuteness—anyone would melt. And Li Yunli already viewed her through a filter of pure favoritism; resistance was futile.

Ji Zhenshi hadn’t come to the coffee shop yesterday after heading back to school, leaving Li Yunli worried half the day. Yet there she was, acting like it was nothing and smugly boasting about fooling her.

Heartless little thing. She really needed a lesson.

Ji Zhenshi wore her shamelessness like a badge, deftly opening the car door. “Sure, I’m the trickster. But the one who keeps falling for it—what does that make you? A fool?”

“Proud of yourself?”

What was there to brag about?

Li Yunli’s fine brows curved faintly. She balled up the used tissue and tossed it into Ji Zhenshi’s arms, pinching her chin in warning.

Ji Zhenshi lifted her unnaturally pale fingers—gleaming in the sunlight—to catch Li Yunli’s hand, flashing an appeasing smile. “Not proud at all. It’s shameful, really—how could I trick our Sister A-Yun? Okay, apology accepted? I’m about to miss my flight. Xia Siyuan’s waiting at the airport. Let’s get going, pretty please.”

Such a half-hearted apology. Li Yunli didn’t hold it against her. She averted her eyes from that clear, earnest gaze and leaned in to inspect the rolled cuff of Ji Zhenshi’s jeans.

Brown-and-white sneakers today, jeans deliberately cuffed to show her porcelain ankle with its dab of white ointment. She really did seem fine—no limp when she’d run up.

Li Yunli exhaled silently in relief, her smile warming. She pointed at the seatbelt to remind Ji Zhenshi, thinking to herself, “Youth is wasted on the young. One night later, and she’s full of vim and vigor again.”

More precisely, Ji Zhenshi just had an insanely resilient body. Young people.

“Let’s roll!” Ji Zhenshi buckled up with a snap of her fingers.

Li Yunli drove smoothly and steadily. After a late night at school practicing violin and prepping her paper, Ji Zhenshi started dozing off in no time—chin propped on her hand, eyelids growing heavy.

Riding with Li Yunli was pure bliss: smooth as silk.

“Wait—no sleeping. Almost forgot.” Ji Zhenshi’s eyes flew wide, forcing herself alert. She stared at Li Yunli with renewed focus.

“If all goes well, I’ll be back in three days. Sister A-Yun, if my mom or them come hassling you, call me, okay? They don’t know about the competition—I didn’t tell them on purpose. Just call, and I can talk them down for you.”

She had to make sure Li Yunli knew. Ji Zhenshi couldn’t forget.

Even a thousand miles away, her heart stayed with Li Yunli. She got flak for being disloyal to her family, but Ji Zhenshi’s affections always tilted toward Li Yunli—no matter if it was her birth mother or brother.

Li Yunli was driving and couldn’t sign, so she nodded and glanced sideways at Ji Zhenshi, whose eyes were barely open from exhaustion.

She eased off the gas quietly and passed back the Pig-Shaped U-Pillow from the rear seat, hoping Ji Zhenshi could catch a nap.

No telling how late she’d crashed last night—sleep-deprived like this, nearly nodding off only to jolt awake and scare her half to death.

“Oh, right—the money thing. Don’t stress. Anything solvable with money isn’t a real problem. Don’t worry, I’ve got a bit more, but it’ll take a couple days to get. Wait till I’m back. And while I’m gone, don’t go see Ji Tingjun alone. He’s got a vicious mouth—don’t give him an opening to tear into you.” Ji Zhenshi hugged the Pig-Shaped U-Pillow, suddenly wide awake. Mentioning Ji Tingjun perked her right up.

Once she started, she couldn’t stop. Her chatter filled the car beside Li Yunli. “But seriously, Ji Tingjun’s got a heart of stone—two hundred thousand off the bat? Might as well rob a bank. Releasing him is a public menace. I already chewed him out, but the guy’s shameless. He dug in on the two hundred thousand, said he’d hound you forever otherwise. Sharing a womb with him is my life’s biggest shame. Way too much.”

“Sister A-Yun, I’m not like him. You have to believe me.”

She kept rattling on and on. It was only three days apart, but to Ji Zhenshi, it might as well have been three years. “Also, when you’re sleeping alone at the coffee shop, lock up tight. Watch out for creeps targeting you. Single women have to stay vigilant. Assume the worst of every stranger around you. I’ve read these cases—you wouldn’t believe how vile people can get.”

Li Yunli couldn’t speak, yet she was so beautiful—easy prey with no voice to fight back. The power imbalance left her defenseless.

Society was safe these days, sure. But what if some lowlife bug set its sights on her?

Ji Zhenshi stayed ever vigilant, terrified Li Yunli might face harassment.