The candlelight hid deep in her eyes.
Her gaze flickered, and gentle affection slowly flowed forth.
Her fair earlobes flushed red as if they were about to bleed. Even her fingertips could feel the pounding in her heart. Zhao Huairen curled her fingers and gently lowered her eyelids. She reached out to take the scroll Yan Yiqing offered her. “Thank you.”
Hearing those two words, Yan Yiqing raised an eyebrow. “Just thank you?”
A ripple of panic flashed through her shimmering phoenix eyes.
Unbeknownst to herself, she had already crumpled the edge of the scroll.
Yan Yiqing saw Zhao Huairen’s tension and slightly lifted her chin. To ease the atmosphere, she said proactively, “Squatting in front of the Heir Apparent like this, I suddenly realize… the Heir Apparent’s face looks a bit strange, doesn’t it?”
Her thin lips pressed together unconsciously. Thinking that Yan Yiqing found her unattractive like this, Zhao Huairen naturally turned her face away and used the book to block her view.
That person’s feigned nonchalance was too adorable.
Gazing at her profile, Yan Maomao’s heart turned utterly soft.
“Doesn’t the Heir Apparent notice it herself?” Yan Yiqing stood up, her lower back pressing against the edge of the desk. She leaned closer, persistently asking, “No matter who it is—”
Zhao Huairen paused before continuing, “If you’re squatting on the ground, you can’t possibly think anyone looks good.”
“Is that so? But I think the Heir Apparent looks great.”
She had said everything.
Strange was what she called it, and beautiful was what she called it too.
Zhao Huairen said flatly, “Didn’t Young Master Yan say it was strange?”
“Yeah.” Yan Maomao nodded solemnly, a sly glint flashing in her eyes. Suddenly, she leaned down close—
“The Heir Apparent’s face is so red.”
“So strange, huh? Why does it seem even redder now?”
As she drew nearer, a rich, soft fragrance lingered at her nose. Zhao Huairen instinctively held her breath, but her heartbeat grew faster uncontrollably. Breaths of differing warmth intertwined and mingled in the darkness.
Her thin lips bore a faint cherry pink from biting them.
Her long lashes trembled lightly, like a certain invitation held back by unspoken words.
Yan Yiqing had only meant to tease her at first, but perhaps the atmosphere was just right, or maybe the night was too deep—her heart suddenly wavered.
Her obsidian eyes brimmed with mist.
Her fingertips followed her heart’s desire, gently touching the soft skin.
“So hot.”
Her warm, husky voice was much lower than usual, like a breeze over a lake surface, leaving ripples at the tip of Zhao Huairen’s heart. The hand on the desk clenched into a loose fist. Her whole body was like a taut bowstring. She wanted to avoid Yan Yiqing’s approach—
But somehow,
she ended up clumsily brushing against her palm instead.
More explicit words were forcibly swallowed by the woman. Gazing at the shy and beautiful her, Yan Yiqing murmured softly, “I really like you so much.”
Her breathing rose and fell with those words.
Her fragrant heart was kneaded into all sorts of shapes in her hands.
The candlelight cast their shadows on the bookshelves. They were too close. Each “I like you,” full of affection, lingered and circled repeatedly in Zhao Huairen’s ears.
“Look at me, okay?”
It was clearly a command, yet she expressed it in the most pitiable, softest plea. It was just her deliberate show of weakness, just the clumsiest trick, but Zhao Huairen—had no defense against her at all.
Her lashes trembled almost imperceptibly.
Under the scorching gaze, Zhao Huairen lifted her eyes to look at her.
Her clear, cold phoenix eyes were occupied by an unfamiliar warmth. The goddess’s lingering gaze flowed like tides in the silent night, reflecting Yan Yiqing’s figure and soaking her already fallen heart.
“I’ll wait.”
For you to trust me completely.
For me to fulfill my promise to you.
There was only a hand’s width between them. By the candlelight, Zhao Huairen saw all the emotions flashing in Yan Yiqing’s eyes—desire, longing, unwillingness—but in the end, they couldn’t overcome the tender love that flowed like water.
As long as you don’t dodge, that’s enough for me.
I’ll draw closer to you until we stand side by side.
Yan Yiqing’s love was too direct, too scorching. She was like a moth willing to burn itself up completely. She didn’t need to give anything herself; she just needed to gently extend her hand…
Lies were poison wrapped in sweet clothing.
The closer the distance between them, the closer they came to separation.
Her frankness and lack of reservation were like a mirror, clearly reflecting her own hypocrisy and despicable vileness.
If only Qingqing were a little worse…
If she weren’t so good, maybe it would be easier for her.
The moment that thought flashed through, Zhao Huairen clenched her palm tightly. She knew she was deceiving herself again. Forget a little worse—even if Qingqing just glanced at someone else—her heart would sprout sour thorns.
“What’s wrong?” Noticing her off mood, Yan Yiqing furrowed her delicate brows.
If Qingqing found out she’d been lying to her all along.
What would Qingqing do, with her personality?
Clearly, she was the type who couldn’t tolerate a grain of sand in her eyes.
Her heart held as much joy as it did multiplied fear. Her existence was the embodiment of lies. From the start of the story, she had no right to honesty, let alone… the qualification to stand with Qingqing.
Did she resent it…?
More like gratitude.
Having lost her name, walking barefoot through a sunless swamp, Zhao Huairen had never known what she was living for or where she was going.
Until now, she finally understood—
It was all for a lie.
A lie she wanted to weave forever.
Her slender lashes could no longer bear the weight of the tears. The stubborn facade cracked. Once the tears sensed their master’s vulnerability, they chased each other out of the cage, crystal drops rolling endlessly from her eyes, desperately venting years of pent-up grievance.
“I… I won’t take advantage of you anymore.” Seeing Zhao Huairen cry for the first time, Yan Yiqing’s heart was fiercely wrenched. She hastily withdrew her hand and pleaded softly, “I’m sorry, don’t cry, okay?”
Yan Maomao’s comfort backfired.
The tears not only didn’t stop but surged even more fiercely.
Yan Maomao carefully lifted her sleeve, wanting to wipe her tears but afraid of angering her again. She bit her lip and asked, “Did I say something wrong just now?”
“Don’t cry… It’s all my fault.”
“I won’t bully you anymore. Don’t cry… You’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen, way prettier than me, not at all—”
Caught completely off guard.
Her collar was grabbed and yanked hard.
Yan Yiqing instantly lost her balance. Even though she gripped the chair arm in time, the distance between them escaped her control.
“You!”
Zhao Huairen sniffled softly.
The endless tears blurred her lashes into a cluster.
Looking at her face, Yan Yiqing couldn’t utter any blame. She just raised her hand to wipe the tears from her cheek. “Don’t cry…”
Before she could touch her—
Her dark pupils contracted sharply.
The evening breeze slipped through the window crack into the room.
It lifted the scroll at the desk corner, producing a soft “rustle.”
The rain in her heart slowly ceased amid their intermingled breaths. In the quiet midnight, the fusing breaths… were no longer just their shadows.
The wick in the bronze lamp jumped with a “pop.”
Yan Yiqing suddenly came back to her senses, but her body remained stiff.
Her lips pressed against the soft, slightly cool ones. Yan Yiqing’s mind went blank; she didn’t even know if this was a dream.
Was this real?
Huairen had kissed her first.
The tears rolled down like melted ice crystals, tracing paths on her fair skin and stopping at their joined lips.
Feeling that wetness at the corner of her mouth.
Her worry for her outweighed the joy in her heart.
Yan Yiqing frowned with complex eyes. Her lips parted slightly, but before she could make a sound, a tender pink tongue tip clumsily slipped in—soft and sweet, tentatively exploring her territory…
The unfamiliar sensation made both pause.
A strange yet pleasurable numbness made their faces flush and hearts race.
The goddess stealing forbidden fruit hadn’t expected it to feel like this either. An indescribable ambiguity flowed finely through the quiet study. Her movements slowed from haste. The fingers on Yan Yiqing’s collar loosened unconsciously.
Yan Yiqing met the teary-eyed Zhao Huairen’s gaze. Her lashes trembled slightly; she didn’t know whether to be happy or angry:
It felt like Huairen was using her as an emotional outlet. This was… their first kiss. According to her original plan, they should embrace under grand fireworks, then slowly draw closer.
Even without fireworks—
At least there should be carefully arranged flower petals.
Of course, she couldn’t bear to blame her, but she couldn’t help feeling a bit regretful. Finally, Yan Yiqing mumbled grudgingly, “Heir Apparent, this was my first kiss.”
The eyes washed by tears became even more crystalline.
The mist on the lake surface evoked pity at a glance.
“Thank you.” Zhao Huairen lowered her eyes.
Why just thank you?!
!!!
Had Huairen kissed someone else before?!
Her tail fur exploded in an instant. Yan Yiqing was so angry she nearly snapped the chair arm. She glared at her with hatred and grievance. “Who?!”
“What…?” Zhao Huairen had just cried, so her voice was light and hoarse.
It drilled into the little cat’s ears.
Making her forcibly swallow the anger in her throat.
“Forget it…” Her chest heaved up and down twice. Yan Yiqing bit the soft flesh of her cheek, trying to soften her voice, but her peach blossom eyes were piled with resentment. “I won’t… but you can’t kiss anyone else in the future, got it?”
Zhao Huairen’s eyes went slightly blank.
She said nothing, just stared dazedly at her.
“How can you be like this?” Seeing Zhao Huairen silent, thinking her intentions unchanged, Yan Yiqing gazed at her all aggrieved, like a rain-soaked kitten. “No one else is allowed. That would… make me so sad.”
Understanding what Yan Yiqing was fretting over.
A pink sweetness quietly spread on her tongue tip.
So, Qingqing felt the same as her.
“No one else. I…” Her eye corner tinged pink, Zhao Huairen lowered her eyes to avoid her gaze before saying, “This was my first kiss too.”
“You’re not lying to me, are you, Heir Apparent?” Yan Yiqing asked suspiciously.
Though she’d lied about other things, not this time… Zhao Huairen lifted her eyes to her and nodded gently.
Yan Maomao searched her eyes over and over, finding no trace of deceit. The gloom between her brows instantly cleared. “See? I could tell you didn’t know how to kiss.”
Her phoenix eyes narrowed slightly. Zhao Huairen frowned at her.
The atmosphere cooled a degree.
The little cat tucked in her tail, realizing she’d said the wrong thing.
“It’s okay. I’m even worse at it. You’re a bit better than me.” Yan Yiqing cleared her throat and sneaked a peek at her expression. She asked softly, “Right?”
WE CHEERED