Captivating Beauty 119

Chapter 119: Side Story 7

“Want to kiss me?” Viola asked, her voice a low murmur, her warm breath on Tong Jia’s cheek like a gentle spring breeze, making her heart flutter.

It was the first time Viola had called her “Jia Jia.”

Her gaze lingered on Viola’s lips, slightly dry, but inviting, and as she leaned closer, a shadow fell over her face as Viola’s lips met hers, a soft, tentative touch.

Viola pulled back slightly, her nose brushing against Tong Jia’s, a subtle, almost hesitant gesture, her eyes, as she looked down at Tong Jia, lingering on her long eyelashes, which fluttered slightly against her cheek.

She didn’t sense any resistance.

Her breath catching in her throat, she gently cupped Tong Jia’s face in her hands, the kiss deepening, their lips moving together, the warmth of Viola’s mouth a surprising contrast to her usual cool demeanor.

Tong Jia’s head tilted back, her body responding instinctively to Viola’s touch, a pleasant warmth spreading through her.

Viola’s tongue explored the sweetness of Tong Jia’s mouth, and as Tong Jia’s breath hitched, Viola pulled away, realizing Tong Jia was now sitting on her lap, her arms wrapped around Viola’s neck.

Viola’s arm tightened around Tong Jia’s waist, her gaze intense.

“Are you drunk?” Tong Jia asked, her voice slightly breathless.

Viola’s lips curved into a smile. “No. Are you? I thought ‘Thousand Cups Tong’ could handle anything,” she teased.

Tong Jia, her hands resting on Viola’s shoulders, leaned closer, their faces inches apart, her gaze meeting Viola’s for a brief moment before she kissed her softly on the corner of her mouth.

“What do you think?” she murmured.

Viola’s hand moved to Tong Jia’s back, pulling her closer, then, tightening her grip on Tong Jia’s waist, she leaned back, their bodies sinking into the soft cushions of the sofa…

—

Tong Jia woke up with a slight headache, the lingering scent of alcohol replaced by the warm aroma of porridge.

Her mind slowly pieced together the events of last night, the memory of Viola carrying her to the bathroom, then back to the bedroom, then, just before dawn, waking her with another round of… enthusiastic lovemaking.

Her cheeks flushed, thinking, She’s surprisingly… dominant, for someone so reserved.

The echo of Viola’s moans, her voice husky with passion, still lingered in her ears, and she touched her neck, her face burning.

Hearing the bedroom door open, Viola looked up from the sofa. “You’re awake? I made some porridge,” she said.

Tong Jia, leaning against the doorframe, her robe wrapped tightly around her, smiled faintly. “I thought you couldn’t cook.”

Viola stood up, chuckling softly. “I can at least make porridge. I’m not completely helpless,” she said, her tall frame slightly awkward in Tong Jia’s robe, which was a little too small for her.

Tong Jia walked over to the table, glancing at the other dishes. “Being able to make porridge doesn’t mean you can cook,” she said.

“I never learned. I always thought it was a waste of time,” Viola replied, smiling. “But I can try.”

Tong Jia’s heart skipped a beat at her words, then she went to the bathroom to wash up.

When she returned, Viola wasn’t in the living room, and hearing a noise from the balcony, she went outside to find Viola hanging laundry, the pale green cushion covers from the sofa among the clothes.

She felt a strange warmth spreading through her, a sense of… domesticity she had never experienced with Qiao Rui, despite their years together.

She had only spent one night with Viola, yet it felt like they had been living together for years.

“Ah…” Viola paused, looking at her. “I washed your… underwear too. If you don’t want to wear them, I can wash them again,” she said.

Tong Jia: “…”

The thought of Viola washing her underwear, the stains, the lingering scent of their lovemaking… her face burned.

She glanced at the small, lacy garment swaying gently in the breeze.

She was usually so bold, so uninhibited with her words, but she still had her limits.

Her cheeks flushed, and she was about to speak when she noticed the faint redness of Viola’s earlobes in the sunlight, a surprising contrast to her calm demeanor.

The sight made Tong Jia chuckle. “It’s fine,” she said, her playful nature resurfacing, seeing Viola’s vulnerability. “Thank you for your hard work, Teacher V.”

Viola, hanging the last of the laundry, looked down. “It was nothing,” she murmured.

As Tong Jia turned to leave, Viola stepped closer, her lips brushing against Tong Jia’s ear. “You were the one who worked hard last night,” she whispered.

Tong Jia bit her lip, a playful glint in her eyes. “No, you were the one who worked hard. As the saying goes…” she began, then paused.

“What saying?” Viola asked, her warm breath on Tong Jia’s ear, making her shiver and instinctively raise her hand to shield herself.

“There’s no such thing as barren land, only exhausted oxen!” she exclaimed, then hurried back to the living room.

Viola, unable to stop her, watched her go, a smile playing on her lips.

She’s so adorable.

She gathered the remaining laundry, her fingers lingering on the soft fabric of the cushion covers, her mind replaying the events of last night, the memory of their lovemaking a sweet, lingering warmth.

She licked her lips.

—

A few minutes later, she joined Tong Jia in the living room, where breakfast was already on the table, a bowl of porridge waiting for her.

They sat down opposite each other.

“I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I got a few different things,” Viola said, gesturing towards the spread of breakfast items.

Tong Jia took a bite of an egg pancake. “Anything is fine. I’m not picky. Easy to please,” she said, then realized how that sounded, a potential double entendre, especially after last night’s… movie-induced arousal.

She didn’t want Viola to think she was expecting anything.

“Even if you were difficult, it wouldn’t matter,” Viola said, her voice soft.

Tong Jia paused. “I meant…”

“Jia Jia,” Viola interrupted, putting down her chopsticks, her gaze meeting Tong Jia’s, “I’m 29 years old. I’ve been in two serious relationships, both of which ended amicably. My last relationship was five years ago. I own an apartment and a car. My parents are divorced and have their own families. We’re not very close. I’m a reliable person. I might not always be able to be there for you immediately, but I’ll always come when you need me.”

Tong Jia’s fingers tightened around her chopsticks. “Viola…”

“So,” Viola continued, her voice gentle, “would you like to… try? With me?” She paused, then clarified, “I mean, be in a relationship with me.”

Their relationship progressed smoothly, their differences, Tong Jia’s carefree nature and Viola’s more reserved personality, complementing each other, their connection a comfortable, easy fit.

Especially in… certain areas.

Of course, they had their disagreements, their occasional arguments, their sensitive topics, like Qiao Rui.

Viola had witnessed the end of Tong Jia’s relationship with Qiao Rui, the pain and the heartbreak, and she knew how deeply Tong Jia had cared for her.

She wasn’t usually jealous or possessive, but sometimes, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Tong Jia’s heart wasn’t fully hers, that a part of her still belonged to someone else.

She could love Tong Jia more, could be a better partner, but she was afraid of that hidden corner of Tong Jia’s heart, the one that still held onto the past.

She snapped out of her reverie, rubbing her face, then checked the time and scrolled through her contacts, her finger stopping on the first name on the list.

She couldn’t help but worry.

She dialed the number.

After two rings, Tong Jia answered.

“Hello?”

“Are you done with work?” Viola asked.

“Yeah, I’m at Shu Shu’s place,” Tong Jia replied.

Viola stood up. “I’ll come pick you up?”

“Sure. Pick up some crabs on your way over,” Tong Jia said.

“Okay.”

—

Xu Jinnan and Shen Shu, watching Tong Jia hang up, exchanged a knowing look, their lips curving into smiles.

Tong Jia coughed slightly. “What? Can’t I have dinner with my wife after a hard day’s work, slaving away for you two?”

Shen Shu, her chin resting on Xu Jinnan’s shoulder, her arm around her waist, smiled faintly. “Of course you can,” she said.

A few minutes later, the doorbell rang.

Tong Jia opened the door and saw Viola, who was only wearing her suit, no coat. She frowned. “What are you doing? Where’s your coat? Aren’t you cold?”

“I went home and forgot to grab it,” Viola replied.

“You went home?”

“Yes.”

Viola’s hand, as Tong Jia took it, was ice-cold, and Tong Jia’s heart sank, a sudden chill running through her. She took the bag of crabs from Viola. “Change your shoes. Shu Shu, do you have any cold medicine?” she asked, already heading towards the living room.

Viola changed her shoes, the earlier coldness melting away as she stepped inside the warm apartment.

Xu Jinnan and Shen Shu, wanting to give Tong Jia and Viola some privacy, went to the balcony, leaving them in the kitchen.

Tong Jia started chopping vegetables, and Viola, standing beside her, cleaned the crabs, only four left, having arrived late and not wanting to go to another store.

“Why are you so quiet?” Tong Jia asked.

“Waiting for you to finish. I didn’t want to distract you,” Viola replied, then paused. “Should I do that?”

“No, your knife skills are atrocious. You can’t even cut a watermelon properly,” Tong Jia retorted.

Viola: “…”

She put down the crabs and gently stopped Tong Jia’s hand. “Let’s talk. I was wrong yesterday. My tone was… unacceptable,” she said, her voice soft.

Tong Jia bit her lip. “I was wrong too. I was overthinking things. I should have communicated with you better,” she said. “It’s not that I still have feelings for Qiao Rui. I’m just… not ready for a baby yet. I’m worried about the pressure, the added responsibility.” A pregnancy would inevitably affect Tong Jia’s work, and Viola’s burden would only increase.

“I wanted to wait a couple of years, but I didn’t tell you, and I made you… worry,” she finished, her voice softening.

Viola pulled her into a hug. “I didn’t know you were thinking about all that. It wouldn’t be a burden, Jia Jia. It would be… a joy. You’re my motivation, my inspiration. But if it would make you unhappy, I don’t want to pressure you. We can wait,” she whispered, her voice gentle and reassuring. She didn’t just want a child; she wanted a child with Tong Jia.

Tong Jia’s arms tightened around Viola’s waist. “No, I’ve changed my mind. Xu Jinnan was right. If you keep waiting for the perfect moment, you might miss it altogether. Let’s just… see what happens,” she said.

“Okay,” Viola replied, smiling.

Tong Jia looked up at her. “And let’s not mention Qiao Rui again, okay? I don’t even want to hear her name. And you were actually jealous of her? She can’t compare to my wife,” she said, her voice playful.

Viola kissed her softly. “Your lips are so sweet,” she murmured.

“And we’ll tell each other everything from now on,” Tong Jia said.

“Okay.”

“Wifey.”

“Yes?”

“Let’s go home,” Viola said.

Tong Jia pulled away, gesturing towards the vegetables on the cutting board. “But we haven’t eaten yet.”

“We can eat at home,” Viola suggested.

Tong Jia leaned against Viola’s arm, her voice a soft whine. “But what about the crabs? I want crabs.”

Viola chuckled. “We can take them with us.”

—

Xu Jinnan, standing by the kitchen island, looked at the half-chopped vegetables and the empty sink. “…Viola is learning bad habits from Tong Jia,” she muttered. She had been looking forward to those crabs; now there wouldn’t be any left. They’re so childish.

Shen Shu emerged from the bedroom, adjusting her belt. “Tong Jia was just telling me about the day you two met. It reminded me of something,” she said.

“What?” Xu Jinnan asked, not noticing the playful glint in Shen Shu’s eyes.

“That time you met your ex-girlfriend at the hotel,” Shen Shu replied calmly.

Xu Jinnan: “…”