Chapter 59: Heart in Turmoil Part 2

Fortunately, Bai Ran and Shen Ruoshuang weren’t awake yet. Xu Yinian couldn’t let them see her “stepping on two boats” like this. She began to pull back, moving as stealthily as possible.

Her leg was pinned, so she painstakingly nudged it out of the restraint bit by bit.

Thankfully, Bai Ran didn’t move an inch throughout the process, showing no signs of waking up.

Xu Yinian had no idea that the moment she started moving, Bai Ran had opened her eyes behind her, showing no traces of sleepiness whatsoever.

In this dark, chaotic night, the only one who could actually sleep was the oblivious Xu Yinian.

However, Bai Ran indeed couldn’t move. Xu Yinian’s retreat had already sent ripples across the surface of the water. If those ripples were discovered, even someone as slow as Xu Yinian would realize something was wrong.

By the time she finally managed to pull her leg back, Xu Yinian was far from comfortable. Her skin felt faintly hot, likely flushed red.

Is it really that bad? Just because I moved a little? I’m not that delicate…

She didn’t realize that the “aftereffects” were simply intensifying.

Guided by this sensation, Xu Yinian urgently wanted to pull her hand back from Shen Ruoshuang’s body.

She had just sheepishly let go of the belt she had been gripping when an alarm suddenly blared from a phone on one of the nightstands.

Not only did it startle Xu Yinian so much that her wrist dropped right back onto the other woman, but it also brought a long-awaited, dim light into the room.

The Shen Ruoshuang in front of her, who should have been asleep, had opened her eyes at some point and was gazing at her with a haunting intensity.

The light reflected in her eyes, making them appear even more piercing.

Her gaze was perfectly clear; she had obviously been awake for a long time, quietly watching Xu Yinian’s performance.

Their gazes met and tangled in the air. Shen Ruoshuang’s eyes held a hint of a half-smile as they drifted downward.

Her gaze traveled from her own shoulder—where Xu Yinian had been pressed tightly—all the way down to the arm that served as the “evidence” of Xu Yinian’s proximity.

Xu Yinian: “…”

Terrified that Bai Ran might see and misunderstand, Xu Yinian struggled to sit up.

She hadn’t noticed it just a moment ago, but the second she moved her torso, she finally felt a wave of soreness wash over her. It felt as though her body were falling apart.

Even though she had merely been lying between the two of them, too afraid to move, it felt as though she had been used as a punching bag in a fight.

Because she moved too quickly, her strength failed her, and she collapsed back down.

She ended up face-down on the pillow, hiding the inexplicable moisture gathering in her eyes. This time, she truly had no strength left to move.

That suggestive pause when she turned over, followed by the pathetic way she collapsed from exhaustion, was seen clearly by the two women whose eyes hadn’t left her for a second.

Shen Ruoshuang and Bai Ran each harbored their own dark thoughts, both knowing half the truth behind that soreness.

On the surface, they had indeed done nothing to Xu Yinian. They had merely “guided” and “assisted” the sleeping Xu Yinian into doing things to them.

All three were awake now. The alarm continued to ring, shattering the silence until Bai Ran finally reached out to turn it off.

Bai Ran hadn’t missed the way Xu Yinian had frantically scrambled away from Shen Ruoshuang.

In fact, while Bai Ran had been taking liberties with her last night, the girl had been unconsciously shrinking toward Shen Ruoshuang’s side. Bai Ran had no choice but to pin her down to keep her from running.

Not wanting to wake Xu Yinian, and having things she hadn’t finished doing, Bai Ran had held back, which inadvertently allowed Shen Ruoshuang to take advantage of the situation.

She wondered what Shen Ruoshuang would think if she knew the truth behind Xu Yinian “throwing herself” into her arms.

For the first time, Bai Ran was in a good enough mood not to press the issue.

“Niannian, you don’t have morning classes. You can sleep a bit longer. You didn’t need to set such an early alarm.”

The two of them, who did have 8:00 AM classes, had the foresight to turn off their phones earlier, whether to avoid waking Xu Yinian or to ensure they weren’t interrupted.

Only then did Xu Yinian realize through her dazed consciousness that the alarm belonged to her. It was a recurring alarm for her usual morning classes that she had forgotten to turn off.

She had originally planned to go back to the teaching building with them to self-study, but given the current situation…

Xu Yinian’s face, buried in the pillow, grew even redder. In the end, she didn’t get up, only offering a low response.

Her voice was equally weak and soft, carrying an uncharacteristically delicate tone.

Xu Yinian didn’t dare to speak another word. She listened in silence as the two women beside her got up to wash.

Bai Ran entered the bathroom first. Shen Ruoshuang seemed to be pouring water at the bar near the entryway.

A moment later, however, she walked back over.

“Want some water?”

“N-no thanks.”

Xu Yinian declined out of habit. She glanced sideways to see Shen Ruoshuang standing by the bed, her long, fair fingers gripping a transparent hotel glass. The water inside looked exceptionally crisp.

She had been thirsty since they were at Ji Yan’s house, but how could she have dared to drink from Ji Yan’s cup?

Even now, despite her refusal, her throat involuntarily twitched.

“Your voice sounds like that, and you still say no?”

Shen Ruoshuang easily saw through Xu Yinian’s thoughts, her words laced with a deeper meaning.

“…I can pour it myself. You should drink it.”

Xu Yinian felt the whole scene was becoming increasingly strange. It wasn’t as if she were so incapacitated that she needed someone to take care of her…

Shen Ruoshuang finally sat down on the edge of the bed.

“It’s not like I’m going to feed it to you. Why are you nervous? Or… do you want me to feed you?”

It sounded like a casual joke, but Xu Yinian felt that if she continued to hesitate, it might actually happen.

Reluctantly, she propped herself up and took the glass from her.

She gulped the water down, wanting only to finish quickly so she could send this “Buddha” on her way.

“Last night, your hand wasn’t on my waist at first.”

Shen Ruoshuang’s sudden comment caught Xu Yinian off guard. She choked instantly, coughing violently.

Her cheeks flushed a deep crimson—whether from the coughing or the shame, it was hard to tell.

“Huh…?”

Shen Ruoshuang’s hand moved to her back, gently patting it to help her catch her breath. It was a kind gesture, yet under that palm, Xu Yinian could only shiver.

“Now you know what I’m talking about? It’s rare to see a day where you’re so quick to catch on.”

“I see. Since it’s the third time, it seems you really are quite interested in what belongs to me.”

Xu Yinian for once understood the hidden meaning behind her words, yet she found herself completely struck dumb.

Right then, the sound of the bathroom door opening drifted over. Bai Ran was finished.