Chapter 24: Long Fingers, Soft Lips and Tongue

“Pfft…”

This time, Si Yao couldn’t hold it in anymore. The water in her mouth sprayed out with laughter.

As luck would have it, it all landed on Bai Qingjia.

“If I said I didn’t do it on purpose, would you believe me…”

Si Yao awkwardly grabbed two tissues and handed them over.

Bai Qingjia laughed in anger, taking the tissues and wiping the water stains off her body.

Meeting Miao Qingzhi’s smiling, shy expression, she directly retorted.

“You like her that much? I don’t believe it. What are you after? Money? Looks? Or both?”

Miao Qingzhi’s smile faded, and she raised an eyebrow. “Then what do you like about my sister?”

The way Bai Qingjia looked at Pei Ruyu was something she was all too familiar with.

It was the look of a predator eyeing its prey.

Since things had come to this, and the gloves were off, Bai Qingjia didn’t want to be polite with this sharp-tongued little sister.

“Me? Of course, I like that she likes me.”

Meeting the naked provocation, Miao Qingzhi just curved her lips in a light smile, speaking slowly.

“I like that she has long fingers and a soft mouth and tongue. They make me feel good.”

???

Si Yao was dumbfounded.

Pei Ruyu was blushing furiously.

She quickly raised her hand to cover Miao Qingzhi’s mouth, whispering helplessly by her ear, “Baby, you can’t say things like that in public!”

The smile on Bai Qingjia’s face vanished instantly, and she glared fiercely at Pei Ruyu.

“Pei Ruyu! You’ve never been willing to use your mouth! You broke that rule for her too?”

Pei Ruyu was sweating profusely. “…”

Save me, what kind of wild words were these?

Miao Qingzhi pulled down Pei Ruyu’s hand covering her mouth and glared back.

“How do you know?”

It was rare to see this person lose her composure, and Bai Qingjia was finally satisfied.

“Guess! Lit-tle sis-ter!”

After a slight pause, she continued with a smile, “Also, you said he’s just my soon-to-be husband. We’re not married yet. If I wanted to change my marriage partner at the last minute, guess whether the sister you care so much about would be my bride or yours?”

Miao Qingzhi didn’t argue with her. She just turned back and looked at Pei Ruyu with a pitiful expression.

“Sister…”

Her eyes were red, and tears welled up in them.

Her expression was mournful, as if she wanted to speak but couldn’t, like she had suffered a great injustice.

One look was enough to make Pei Ruyu’s heart ache.

Although she hadn’t said a word, Pei Ruyu eerily guessed what Miao Qingzhi wanted to ask.

She quickly hugged Miao Qingzhi’s head and rubbed it, kissing the top of her head, and whispered to comfort her, “Yours, yours. Be good, don’t cry. Sit here and wait for me for a moment.”

With that, Pei Ruyu stood up, cold-faced, grabbed Bai Qingjia’s wrist, and dragged her out.

The force was too heavy, too fierce, as if trying to crush her bones, showing no tenderness at all.

It was a rudeness Pei Ruyu had never displayed before.

Even as she left, she didn’t forget to take the bouquet of red roses with her.

Bai Qingjia’s high heels couldn’t keep up with Pei Ruyu’s furious pace.

Stumbling and being dragged to a secluded corner outside the shop, Bai Qingjia finally managed to shake off Pei Ruyu’s hand.

“Pei Ruyu! You’re hurting me!”

Pei Ruyu took two deep breaths before slightly calming the anger in her heart.

She shoved the bouquet back into her arms, speaking coldly. “She’s young. She can’t handle your verbal humiliation. Please stay away from her.”

Politeness and courtesy couldn’t drive her away, so she had to resort to physical means.

But as she turned to leave, her hand was suddenly grabbed by the other.

“You’re that protective of her?”

The voice carried a hint of grievance.

Pei Ruyu frowned, turned around, and shook off her hand.

“She’s my girlfriend. If I’m not protective of her, should I be protective of you?”

“So she’s the girlfriend you mentioned when you were avoiding me at the beginning of the year?”

Bai Qingjia sneered, stepped forward, and whispered in Pei Ruyu’s ear, “She seems quite petty. If she found out that you got together with her just to spite me, I wonder if she’d still forgive you?”

Pei Ruyu’s heart suddenly sank. “What exactly do you want?”

The beginning of the year was when Pei Ruyu received Bai Qingjia’s wedding invitation.

It was also then that she finally decided to end this pathological ambiguous relationship.

It was during that trip to clear her mind that she happened to meet Miao Qingzhi at the Miao village festival.

Drunk and reckless, she’d ended up in bed with her in a daze. The next morning, the girl was still clinging to her, refusing to let go.

Her eyes were full of joy when she looked at her, yet she shyly said it was okay if she didn’t want to take responsibility.

The girl was new to such things, and the slightest touch made her tremble and shrink into her arms.

Looking at the traces of blood between her fingers, Pei Ruyu had inexplicably promised to take responsibility, confirming their relationship with Miao Qingzhi that very day.

It was also then that she sent her last proactive message to Bai Qingjia.

【We should both start fresh】

The attached image was just a photo of her and Miao Qingzhi’s intertwined fingers. She hadn’t expected it to be figured out.

At the moment of sending, there was indeed a bit of vengeful satisfaction.

Perhaps there was even a fleeting thought of what she would do if Bai Qingjia canceled the wedding because of this.

But at that time, Pei Ruyu received no reply.

Fortunately, being with Miao Qingzhi during that time was truly happy.

The girl’s love was passionate and sincere, giving Pei Ruyu a rare taste of what a normal, sweet relationship felt like.

The gloom of heartbreak could indeed only be soothed by a new relationship.

Thinking of this, Pei Ruyu couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty.

Miao Qingzhi wasn’t just petty; she was also particularly good at holding grudges.

If she found out about this, she probably wouldn’t be so easy to coax…

In her daze, she heard Bai Qingjia’s rare soft tone by her ear.

“I want us to go back to how we were. Can we?”

How we were…

Did she mean that past where she could only silently give as a “bestie,” and whenever she tried to pull away, Bai Qingjia would torment her in various ways…

Just thinking about that past always made Pei Ruyu’s heart ache with bitterness.

She grabbed Bai Qingjia’s shoulders and pushed her back, speaking slowly, word by word.

“Bai Qingjia, don’t be too greedy. Monogamy doesn’t work the way you’re playing it.”

Choosing a husband, and still wanting another “wife” to just be her “bestie”? Self-deceivingly staying by her side as a secret lover?

There was no such good deal in this world.

The Pei Ruyu of today was no longer the foolish person who would only get hysterically drunk.

She could now calmly discuss with Bai Qingjia: “If you’ve chosen marriage, then treat your family well. I won’t attend the wedding. I’ll have someone deliver the gift.”

Bai Qingjia sneered. “Because of her? Then what were our twelve years? You know it was arranged by my family and I couldn’t avoid it. Why can’t you understand me a little more?”

“Consider it me being an idiot.”

Pei Ruyu laughed self-deprecatingly. “Even without her, there would be someone else. Anyway, it can never be you again. Like you said, I have plenty of backup lovers. I can always find someone worthy of my sincere affection.”

Bai Qingjia’s eyes instantly reddened. “I don’t mind you having others, but she minds. Can’t you see who cares about you more?”

Pei Ruyu didn’t want to continue this entanglement. She just sighed. “I’m going to renovate that house. If there’s anything of yours inside, go get it yourself. Otherwise, I’ll just throw it all away as trash.”

Bai Qingjia was furious. “You’re not planning to let her move into our home, are you?”

That phrase “our home” stabbed another knife into Pei Ruyu’s heart.

“That’s none of your business.”

Pei Ruyu took two deep breaths to calm herself, then continued making demands. “Also, return the car I gave you to use when you have time. It can be used by my cousin.”

Only then did Bai Qingjia suddenly realize.

This time, Pei Ruyu seemed a bit different from when she threw tantrums in the past.

“Pei Ruyu, what do you mean? You’re really going to settle accounts so clearly with me?!”

Pei Ruyu took a step back, avoiding her hand.

“No, I can’t be bothered to settle the rest. Once you return these, we’re even.”

Bai Qingjia laughed in anger. “Pei Ruyu, don’t you dare! Twelve years of feelings aren’t something you can just erase!”

…

While the two were still arguing, Si Yao was accompanying Miao Qingzhi, standing far behind them watching.

She couldn’t hear what they were arguing about, only seeing them pulling and tugging at each other.

Watching Miao Qingzhi staring intently at the two, not even blinking, Si Yao wanted to light a candle for her childhood friend.

“Baby sister, they’re not what you think…”

The more Si Yao spoke, the more guilty she felt.

Fortunately, Miao Qingzhi beside her remained very calm, not storming off as she had imagined. She just murmured softly.

“1 minute 27 seconds.”

Si Yao: ???

She didn’t understand and asked curiously, “What?”

Miao Qingzhi’s gaze was still fixed on Pei Ruyu.

Seeing her finally shake off the other person and turn back, Miao Qingzhi answered Si Yao softly.

“Sister’s hand touched that woman for 1 minute and 27 seconds.”

Si Yao: “…”

Should she be shocked that baby sister had been staring so intently just to count the seconds?

Or should she be shocked that this intermittent pulling and tugging could be counted down to the second?

Even the cheerleader was left speechless by this cryptic statement.

Fortunately, Pei Ruyu didn’t disappoint them. She didn’t care about the tears flowing behind her, and directly abandoned the person, walking towards them.

Seeing Miao Qingzhi’s barely concealed grievance, Pei Ruyu felt even more guilty.

It was Valentine’s Day. How could she let the little girl be sad?

“Why did you come out? I was just about to go back and find you.”

She instinctively raised her hand to stroke Miao Qingzhi’s head, but this time, the other turned her head to avoid it.

Pei Ruyu froze for a moment, her palm hanging awkwardly in mid-air.

Neither able to lower it nor withdraw it.

“Your hand is dirty.”

“You touched her.”

Clearly, she was the one being rejected, but Miao Qingzhi’s aggrieved whisper made Pei Ruyu feel even more sorry for her.

She awkwardly withdrew her hand, humbly lowered her head, and asked in a small voice, “Then I’ll go wash my hands, okay?”

Only then did Miao Qingzhi bite her lip and nod.

Watching Pei Ruyu’s hurriedly retreating figure, the darkness in Miao Qingzhi’s eyes deepened.

1 minute 27 seconds.

In 87 seconds, it was enough time for her to think of 29 ways to punish someone.