Chapter 71: Stamped

Even the next morning, when Jiang Shumo got out of bed, she was still savoring that bizarre dream. Perhaps Yan Qingxu had left too deep an impression on her—even a Valkyrie-like Slap Hero in her dream suited Yan Qingxu perfectly, without the slightest incongruity.

The occasional giggles escaping from her unnerved the System a little. “…Can you stop laughing?”

“…Was I laughing?”

It took Jiang Shumo a moment to register, snapping back to reality. Had she really been laughing?

The System replied, “Of course! From the moment you got up until now, you’ve laughed four times already! What’s so funny?”

Jiang Shumo fell silent for a beat. She cleared her throat. “Nothing. I just remembered a joke from a few days ago.”

The System blinked in confusion. “?”

It was curious now. “What joke?”

“It’s a human joke, A Tong. You wouldn’t get it.”

This was just a lie Jiang Shumo threw out on the spot—she didn’t even know any jokes. She bluffed her way through. “If you really want to know, go look up a collection of jokes. They’re the crystallization of human wisdom.”

The System hesitated. “…?”

It wanted to argue, but remembering how the Bad Woman had helped it earn that commendation letter from the Bureau, it decided to trust her words one more time.

Once the System fell quiet, Jiang Shumo finally reached up and rubbed her face vigorously. She couldn’t keep giggling for no reason!

Still, Little Yan Pig had been pretty amusing in that state.

Kind of cute, even.

…

Once she threw herself into her busy workday, Jiang Shumo quickly shoved the dream to the back of her mind. Her current focus was scouting promising new talent and pushing the various departments to launch new projects.

As a complete outsider to the company, Jiang Shumo had plenty to learn just to keep up—after all, as the one at the helm, she couldn’t afford to be clueless about her own employees’ strengths, preferences, or the company’s operational workflows, right?

To get a handle on all that, she’d been spinning like a top lately.

Yan Qingxu had it even worse. The second round of broadcasts for Mountains and Rivers had pushed her popularity to new heights, with commercial offers pouring in one after another. Microstar had seized the opportunity to line up a slew of high-quality endorsements and schedules for her. If not for Yan Qingxu’s insistence on returning to Niangguang Mansion every evening, she probably would have ended up crashing in the nanny van between gigs.

It was late again that night—nearly eleven when Jiang Shumo got home. She hadn’t even opened her mouth upon stepping through the door when Aunt Qiu raised a finger to her lips in a shushing gesture. “Shh… Miss Yan’s asleep.”

Little Yan Pig was asleep?

Jiang Shumo found that odd. The villa’s soundproofing was top-notch; her voice shouldn’t disturb Little Yan Pig at all.

Puzzled, she took a few steps inside and immediately understood.

Yan Qingxu had dozed off on the sofa, slumped awkwardly against it.

She was dressed in a loose, soft white tee and shorts—freshly showered, judging by the damp strands of hair cascading over her shoulders. She clutched a plump pillow to her chest, her chin resting atop it, her whole body curled into a tight ball in a posture that looked both uncomfortable and peculiar.

Jiang Shumo glanced at Aunt Qiu, who whispered, “She got back at ten, showered, but didn’t head to her room. She sat here waiting for you and nodded off.”

Aunt Qiu had tried waking Yan Qingxu during that time, but the moment her eyes fluttered open, the first words out of her mouth were, “Is she back?” When she heard no, she just planted herself there and refused to budge.

“I told her to go to bed, but she insisted on waiting for you.”

Aunt Qiu sighed inwardly, her gaze toward Yan Qingxu softening even more.

She could tell real affection from mere acting. As Jiang Zhuoyuan’s only daughter, Jiang Shumo had no shortage of gold-digging flies buzzing around her, scheming for the Jiang Family fortune—some so shameless they turned even Aunt Qiu’s stomach. That had made Shumo deeply wary of romance.

But this girl Yan Qingxu? She was genuine—no ulterior motives, no grudges held. Crucially, she truly liked Shumo. It shone in her eyes.

Aunt Qiu sincerely hoped Shumo and Yan Qingxu could end up together.

She gave Jiang Shumo a deep, meaningful look but said nothing, simply bending down to scoop up the Little Beauty nestled beside its owner.

The Little Beauty let out a soft “mrrrow,” contentedly allowing Aunt Qiu to carry it away from its master’s side.

Yan Qingxu, lost in deep slumber, wasn’t roused by the faint disturbance at all. Her breathing remained steady and peaceful, easy to hear.

Jiang Shumo tiptoed over, crouching down to peer at her face. Yan Qingxu slept serenely, her cheeks flushed with a cute rosy tint. These past few days of nonstop work had clearly worn her out; faint shadows lingered under her eyes.

After watching for a moment, Jiang Shumo decided to wake her. “Little Yan Pig?”

“…Mm?”

Yan Qingxu’s long, thick lashes trembled faintly as she struggled to open her eyes. Still groggy, her gaze landed on a familiar, beautiful face right in front of her.

“…?”

Was she dreaming?

Seeing her dazed expression, Jiang Shumo said, “If you’re sleepy, head back to your room—”

Before she could finish, Yan Qingxu suddenly leaned in toward her. Jiang Shumo instinctively started to pull back, but out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Yan Qingxu was sitting cross-legged on the sofa. Retreating would send her tumbling backward, so Jiang Shumo reached out to steady her.

In that split second of hesitation, Yan Qingxu threw her arms around Jiang Shumo and planted a loud “smack” right on her cheek.

Jiang Shumo: “!”

Still reeling from the shock, she felt the arms around her waist tighten slightly. A sweet, tangy fragrance enveloped her, and warm, silky skin nuzzled against her face—like a fluffy little animal snuggling up for warmth, rubbing and pressing close.

With half-lidded eyes, Yan Qingxu nuzzled Jiang Shumo contentedly. “Mine!”

“…”

Jiang Shumo couldn’t help but recall the dream from a few days ago, where Yan Qingxu had that exact possessive attitude, declaring “You don’t want her? I do!”

Evidently unsatisfied with just nuzzling cheeks, Yan Qingxu planted two more kisses on her face, then capped it off with a “smack” on her lips. Pleased, she tilted her head for another rub. “This one’s mine too.”

Jiang Shumo: “…!!!”

As Yan Qingxu started nuzzling her face again, Jiang Shumo quickly pinched her cheeks. “Little Yan Pig, snap out of it.”

Were they about to stumble into some adult video territory?

“…?”

Suddenly pinched into a duck-bill pout, Yan Qingxu stared blankly at this usually compliant Jiang Shumo who was now rejecting her. The very real sensation on her lips gradually pulled her back to full awareness, her amber eyes sharpening into focus.

Yan Qingxu: “…”

Yan Qingxu: “…!!!”

Staring at the face inches from her own, she slowly pieced together what she’d done. Her eyes widened in shock, pure bewilderment on her face.

Relieved that she was finally awake, Jiang Shumo exhaled softly. She tamped down the surge of emotions inside her and calmly looked away. “Can you let go now?”

Yan Qingxu: “!”

This rare chance to hold her in her arms—she wasn’t letting go that easily!

Yan Qingxu clutched her like a precious treasure, nuzzling her cheek again. Jiang Shumo’s face burned from the contact. “I haven’t taken my makeup off yet!”

“No problem—you’d still look good even with smudged makeup!”

Finally holding her this close, how could she not savor a few more nuzzles?

“You—”

Before Jiang Shumo could respond, Yan Qingxu cut in. “What time is it? Why’d you get back so late today?”

“There was something at the company.”

The abrupt subject change caught Jiang Shumo off guard, but she answered patiently while trying to pry Yan Qingxu’s arms from around her.

Though reluctant, Yan Qingxu let go—only to blurt out a second later, “Hey, I just kissed you on the lips!”

Jiang Shumo: “…”

At a loss for words, she glanced up into Yan Qingxu’s sparkling eyes. “Your lips are so soft. Kissing them feels great.”

“…”

What kind of description was that?!

And couldn’t she tell Jiang Shumo wanted to drop the subject?!

They were so close that Yan Qingxu easily caught the flicker of annoyance as she averted her gaze. Inspired, she leaned in for another quick “smack.”

Caught off guard by the sudden attack, Jiang Shumo was still recovering when Yan Qingxu chirped triumphantly, “I’ve stamped my claim! I declare—I’m yours now!”

“…?”

Wasn’t the priority here a little backward?

Before Jiang Shumo could sort through the twisted logic, Yan Qingxu leaned fully against her, striking a pose of utter surrender. “Come on, brave warrior—claim your prize and take her home. She’s yours from now on!”

Jiang Shumo: “…Stop fooling around.”

She reached to help her sit up properly, and Yan Qingxu went along with the motion. “That was my first kiss just now. Aren’t you supposed to take responsibility?”

Jiang Shumo could only laugh helplessly. “…You leaned in yourself.”

She hadn’t even mentioned it was her first kiss!

“But you didn’t dodge!”

Yan Qingxu declared righteously, “I wasn’t fully awake, but you were. You didn’t pull away, so you don’t mind. If you don’t mind, that means you accept it! You accepted my first kiss, so now you have to take responsibility for me!”

What flawless logic substitution. She really was an unremarkable little genius!

This barrage of assumptions left Jiang Shumo speechless. She truly hadn’t rejected Yan Qingxu’s closeness just moments ago—she simply hadn’t expected Little Yan Pig to be quite so bold.

Jiang Shumo stayed silent for only a second or two, but Yan Qingxu lit up like she’d found irrefutable proof. “You didn’t deny it! That means you agree!”

Jiang Shumo: “…How exactly did your math teacher teach you?”

Beaming from ear to ear, Yan Qingxu replied, “My math teacher told me to apply the concepts flexibly, not rigidly!”

Jiang Shumo nearly rolled her eyes, but before she could even lift her eyelids, Yan Qingxu’s tone grew far more serious. “Actually, if you really didn’t want this, you could have pushed me away. You’ve done it before, but you didn’t this time.”

“Jiang Shumo,” she continued, “do you actually want to say yes to me?”

“…”

The System, which had witnessed the entire exchange, itched to chime in. But it keenly sensed the delicate atmosphere—if it spoke now, it would shatter whatever important moment was unfolding. It decided to stay quiet for the time being and wait until the Bad Woman and the Female Lead Receiver parted ways.

Jiang Shumo remained silent, saying nothing, and Yan Qingxu didn’t press her. She simply gazed at her quietly, as if patiently awaiting a response.

The heavy quiet of the room made Jiang Shumo want to pull back. She furrowed her brow. “I…”

“It’s fine,” Yan Qingxu said quickly. “Some things don’t need to be spoken aloud if you can’t say them!”

Yan Qingxu didn’t care about any formalities or rituals. She had no desire to hear hesitation or outright refusal from Jiang Shumo’s lips. Instead, she looked at her with utter seriousness. “I’m going to do something now. If you can’t accept it, just push me away!”

“?”

The words put Jiang Shumo on high alert. Before she could lean back and create some distance, Yan Qingxu reached out, wrapped her arms around Jiang Shumo’s shoulders and neck, drew her close, and pressed her lips to hers with her eyes closed.

The moment Jiang Shumo felt that soft, warm sensation on her lips, her eyes flew wide open.

“!!!”