Chapter 48: Admitting It Part 2

In truth, Jiang Ke’s personality and aura in front of outsiders were quite distinct; anyone with even a slight “gay-dar” could tell.

Except, of course, for her Mute Gourd of a sister.

Having watched Jiang Ke acting so intimately with another girl while making pottery, they had been speculating for a long time that this must be her girlfriend.

“Is it that obvious?”

The corners of Jiang Ke’s mouth curled into a smile.

But within her lowered eyes, the forbidden desire that had yet to fade began to spread again, reflecting in her pupils like a raging fire.

She was obsessed with this misunderstanding.

The misunderstanding of being mistaken for her sister’s girlfriend.

Even if it only lasted for a moment, this twisted sense of satisfaction was enough for her to savor in private.

“Just kidding. She’s my cousin. I’m the Solitude King, remember? I don’t do relationships.”

She finally clarified with a relaxed, joking tone, making it impossible for the onlookers to tell which part was the actual joke.

It wasn’t a good idea to startle the snake right now.

She wouldn’t bury a ticking time bomb of evidence for the sake of a moment’s gratification.

***

Xu Yinian had already washed the clay off her palms, but the marks on the back of her hand remained.

This caused her movements to pause. Clearly, she was remembering the time she encountered Ji Yan in the restroom.

Back then, no matter how she washed, she couldn’t get rid of the marks on her body; they hadn’t faded until the third day.

Xu Yinian didn’t usually have much physical contact with people, so she was only learning this now.

Just like her strange earlobes…

For a moment, her mind was filled with memories of the previous dubbing session. She had to go for her first official recording this coming Saturday.

The script had been sent to her via WeChat long ago, but since her schoolwork was much busier now than it had been during military training, she could only sneak up to the empty rooftop at dusk to practice alone.

The iconic scenes in the first episode weren’t as embarrassing as the audition piece, which fell within Xu Yinian’s range of acceptance and gave her some peace of mind.

As for Ji Yan, having Sister Ran accompany her made her feel a sudden sense of security.

Moreover, Ji Yan’s family was going through such a crisis; she was likely too overwhelmed to have the spare time to intentionally bully her…

Ji Yan hadn’t even sent a single WeChat message, despite having messaged her occasionally before. Everything was silent.

While Xu Yinian was lost in thought, unconsciously scrubbing her hands, a calm voice interrupted her.

“Xu Yinian, do you really need to wash them for this long?”

The scenario was so similar to the day Ji Yan had abruptly appeared that Xu Yinian’s hands gave a violent jerk of fright.

She looked up in terror, only to see that it wasn’t Ji Yan at all. It was Shen Ruoshuang, standing not far from the restroom entrance.

Xu Yinian’s reaction was so extreme that Shen Ruoshuang, unaware of the situation with Ji Yan, felt a flicker of complexity in her eyes.

“Are you trying to wash off the marks?”

The certainty in her tone made it clear she had seen through all of Xu Yinian’s attempts at concealment.

The red marks on Xu Yinian’s hands were wet, glistening with a layer of water droplets that made them look even more vivid and delicate.

“If you’re already repulsed, why didn’t you refuse her just now?”

Shen Ruoshuang had originally thought Xu Yinian was truly so thick-skinned that she knew nothing.

But seeing her repeatedly rinsing the marks left behind, Shen Ruoshuang wasn’t sure if Xu Yinian was unable to escape or if she was simply indulging her.

“What are you talking about? I… I wasn’t repulsed…”

Xu Yinian’s voice trembled slightly. She felt that the current Shen Ruoshuang was far too forceful, her presence almost overwhelming her.

It felt like it had been a long time since she had faced Shen Ruoshuang alone like this.

She had almost forgotten how much she used to fear and avoid her.

As Xu Yinian stood there in her usual timid, defensive posture, Shen Ruoshuang lowered her eyelashes. Her cold voice finally rang out:

“Don’t you feel that Jiang Ke is deliberately touching you over and over again?”

Xu Yinian retorted almost instinctively, “She’s my sister!”

Jiang Ke had been this intimate with her since they were children; Xu Yinian didn’t think there was anything wrong with it.

Having it brought up so strangely by Shen Ruoshuang didn’t make her reflect or doubt; instead, it stirred a wave of intense irritation and resistance.

“Cousin,” Shen Ruoshuang corrected. “Wasn’t Jiang Ke just rubbing the back of your hand earlier? There’s evidence right there.”

As she spoke, her dark gaze fell upon the “evidence” of the red marks.

Xu Yinian immediately hid her hands behind her back, refusing to let her look.

“That… that was caused by the rotation of the machine.”

Her heart thudded wildly. She wasn’t sure if it was because the tension of confronting Shen Ruoshuang was too high, or for some other reason…

Xu Yinian forcibly suppressed the “nonsense” Shen Ruoshuang was spouting.

She looked up at Shen Ruoshuang indignantly, desperately searching for something to make the other woman shut up.

“…What right do you have to say that? Back in Yoga class… you were the one who was intentionally touch… touching me, weren’t you?”

She stumbled through the long sentence, the flush on her cheeks spreading all the way to the tips of her ears.

But her gaze, fixed on Shen Ruoshuang, stubbornly refused to retreat even half a step.

Not only were the corners of her eyes red, but a mist was gradually rising within them. The tense atmosphere of the confrontation suddenly slipped into a damp, ambiguous haze.

“Xu Yinian,” Shen Ruoshuang let out a low, inscrutable laugh in this atmosphere.

“So you’ve been finding excuses to avoid my advances? You’re finally willing to say it?”

“At least I dare to admit that my motives weren’t pure. What about that cousin you trust so much?”

It felt as though a bolt of lightning had exploded in Xu Yinian’s ear.

The words “motives weren’t pure” wedged themselves into her heart—the first time their tangled, messy relationship had been summarized so bluntly.