Jiang Xiaoyi found herself backed into the corner of the bed by Meng Chuning, her waist tightly gripped between the woman’s legs.
Caught off guard by Meng Chuning’s sudden advance, Jiang Xiaoyi pulled her hand free and pressed it behind her, accidentally knocking over the bedside lamp that had been providing the last bit of light.
Now the room around the bed plunged into complete darkness, filled only with the sound of Meng Chuning’s increasingly ragged breathing.
A sharp pain suddenly flared at the side of her neck. Jiang Xiaoyi tilted her head back with a startled cry, finally snapping back to her senses. She grabbed Meng Chuning’s arms to stop her from leaving a mark on her skin.
“Sister, wait a second.” Jiang Xiaoyi tightened her grip on Meng Chuning’s elbows and pushed her back a little.
A small distance opened up between them.
Meng Chuning’s face was flushed a deep pink, a stray strand of hair clinging to her damp lips. She swallowed hard several times, her hot breaths washing over Jiang Xiaoyi’s neck.
Jiang Xiaoyi had expected Meng Chuning to be angry—after all, she had no idea why the woman had suddenly leaned in to kiss her. “Sister… what’s wrong?”
Meng Chuning’s hands were still cradling the back of Jiang Xiaoyi’s neck. Realizing she’d been too hasty, she slowed her breathing before speaking. “Did I scare you?”
Jiang Xiaoyi released her hold and nodded. “A little. I don’t know what’s gotten into you.”
Was she angry? Had she bitten Jiang Xiaoyi’s neck out of spite?
Meng Chuning reached out and touched the spot on Jiang Xiaoyi’s neck where she’d left her mark. “Does it hurt?”
“Not anymore.” Jiang Xiaoyi pressed her lips together. “You didn’t bite too hard.”
The yelp Jiang Xiaoyi had let out earlier had come not just from the bite itself, but from the way Meng Chuning had gently licked around the imprint afterward. The soft, warm tip of her tongue against Jiang Xiaoyi’s skin had sent shivers racing through her.
“Mm.”
Meng Chuning’s mind felt like it was being gnawed at by ants right now. Certain needs went unmet, leaving her feeling empty and frustrated—especially since Jiang Xiaoyi clearly had no clue what was going on.
On second thought, though, it was normal for Jiang Xiaoyi not to understand. The girl could barely even kiss properly.
Meng Chuning had lured her onto the bed twice now, yet she had to hold back for fear of frightening her off. All she could do was look without touching.
“Xiaoyi…” Meng Chuning forced herself to calm down, waiting until the tingling in her chest finally subsided.
Jiang Xiaoyi looked up at her. “What’s wrong?”
Meng Chuning sought her permission. “Can I hold you for a bit?”
After a few seconds of silence, she added, “It’s too dark. I’m a little scared.”
“Then let me pick up the lamp first, and then… we can hug.” Jiang Xiaoyi scooted to the edge of the bed, leaning over sideways to retrieve the lamp from the floor and set it back on the nightstand.
The bedroom brightened a touch. Jiang Xiaoyi turned to her. “It’s not so dark now. You shouldn’t be scared…”
Meng Chuning’s arms slid around her waist from the sides, pulling her close from behind. “Still scared.”
Fine… all right, then.
Jiang Xiaoyi’s cheeks grew warm. A hug was nothing—but was this position a bit too compromising?
Meng Chuning was straddling her, their bodies pressed together without a whisper of space between them. Jiang Xiaoyi could even feel the woman’s soft curves pressing against her.
“Your face bumped into me earlier, so that’s why I bit you,” Meng Chuning murmured in her ear by way of explanation.
Jiang Xiaoyi squeezed her eyes shut in embarrassment. “Uh… sorry, Sister. I didn’t mean to…”
“Right on target.” Meng Chuning finished the thought for her, feeling Jiang Xiaoyi’s body go rigid beneath her as their shared heat began to rise.
“…” Jiang Xiaoyi’s face turned away, her mortification climbing even higher.
Meng Chuning rested her cheek on Jiang Xiaoyi’s shoulder and whispered, “Do you hate me for it?”
If it was about the bite, Jiang Xiaoyi shook her head. “Of course not.”
Besides, she’d bumped into Meng Chuning first—it was only fair to bite back. But why had she covered her mouth like that?
Meng Chuning pressed on. “Will you ignore me now?”
“I wouldn’t do that, Sister.” Jiang Xiaoyi assured her. “I’m not that petty.”
Meng Chuning finally relaxed. “Good.”
“But, Sister…” Jiang Xiaoyi hesitated. Meng Chuning loosened her hold. “But what?”
Jiang Xiaoyi nibbled her lip, speaking slowly. “Could you not cover my mouth like that? It feels a lot like kissing.”
Meng Chuning nearly choked. She hadn’t been trying to silence her—she’d simply been unable to resist kissing her.
After a long pause, Meng Chuning managed a soft “Mm.”
Jiang Xiaoyi shifted her legs. “It’s late, Sister. Shouldn’t we sleep?”
Was that a hint for her to get off?
Meng Chuning pulled back a little. The gradual seduction approach clearly wasn’t working on Jiang Xiaoyi. She’d have to try something different.
They were already dressed like this, sharing a bed—surely even a blockhead like Jiang Xiaoyi had to feel some stirrings by now. Otherwise, Meng Chuning would have to call herself a total failure.
Jiang Xiaoyi’s legs had gone numb. She stood and paced a few steps. “Sister, do you want some water?”
Meng Chuning shook her head. “No, thanks. Do you?”
“Yeah.” Jiang Xiaoyi’s mouth felt parched, her throat scratchy. “I’ll go downstairs for some. You go ahead and sleep, Sister.”
Meng Chuning glanced at the still-dark outdoors and picked up the lamp. “I’ll go with you.”
“Okay.” Jiang Xiaoyi took the lamp to light the way. Careful on the stairs since she couldn’t see well, she grabbed Meng Chuning’s wrist. “Slow down, Sister.”
Once downstairs, they saw the entire villa complex shrouded in darkness. Even the outdoor lights and hot springs had cut out. A few workers were repairing the power lines by the roadside.
Jiang Xiaoyi pushed open the door and called out, “Excuse me, sir—will the power be back on tonight?”
One of the electricians called back, “Another hour or so. Don’t worry.”
Jiang Xiaoyi smiled. “Thanks. Appreciate your hard work.”
Meng Chuning handed her a glass. “Xiaoyi, here—water.”
“Thanks, Sister.” Jiang Xiaoyi took the glass and drank it down, then refilled it from the fridge with ice water. Only after finishing did she feel some relief.
Meng Chuning chuckled. “You seem thirstier than I am.”
“Do you want some?” Jiang Xiaoyi grabbed another glass and poured.
“…” Meng Chuning took a sip. Her thirst wasn’t the kind water could quench.
They returned to the room after drinking. Meng Chuning lay in bed wide awake, while Jiang Xiaoyi had a head full of questions she wanted to ask Su Jiuyue about.
Seeing Meng Chuning’s eyes closed, Jiang Xiaoyi silenced her phone and spammed messages to Su Jiuyue on WeChat.
Xiao Yi: [Jiuyue, what are you up to? Got time?]
Such a polite opener meant it had to be something serious.
Su Jiuyue replied instantly: [Here! What’s up?]
Xiao Yi: [A friend of mine was invited to stay over at this older sister’s place. Power outage hit at night, sister said she was scared, so my friend stayed to keep her company. But… stuff happened in between. Ended with my friend’s face in the sister’s chest… then the sister suddenly kissed my friend. What’s the deal?]
Su Jiuyue: [Who kissed you?]
Jiang Xiaoyi’s hand jerked as she typed frantically.
Xiao Yi: [Not me—my friend.]
Su Jiuyue decided not to call her out: [From experience, that sister probably had a physiological reaction. Face in the chest? Normal to want a kiss. Maybe she even wanted to… you know, with your friend.]
Xiao Yi: [Sister’s not like that!]
Xiao Yi: [They’re just friends!!!]
Su Jiuyue: [Or maybe the sister just wants your friend’s body.]
Xiao Yi: [No way!]
This was getting ridiculous. Better not to ask Su Jiuyue after all—no answers here.
Su Jiuyue: [Tell your friend to think: besides what you said, any other intimate stuff?]
Jiang Xiaoyi’s face burned as she typed.
Xiao Yi: [Kissed…]
Delete, delete, try again.
Xiao Yi: [Kissed before, touched waists, hugged, even shared a bed.]
Jiang Xiaoyi’s fingers shook harder with each one she listed.
Su Jiuyue: [!!!]
Su Jiuyue: [Way more than I imagined. Who’d you do all that with?]
Su Jiuyue: [Got a girlfriend and didn’t tell me, huh?]
Su Jiuyue: [We’re drifting apart. I’m not worthy of knowing anymore.]
The messages poured in nonstop.
Jiang Xiaoyi turned off her phone screen, but Su Jiuyue called right away.
She glanced at Meng Chuning and slipped out quietly to take the call.
Su Jiuyue’s voice came through. “Are we friends or not?”
What kind of question was that? Jiang Xiaoyi whispered, “Of course we are.”
Su Jiuyue let out a hiss. “So between us, we’ve kissed, touched waists, hugged…”
“Stop, stop.” Jiang Xiaoyi cut her off, stomach churning. “That’s gross.”
Su Jiuyue laughed dryly. “You can’t even hear it without gagging—how could you and this sister be just friends?”
Jiang Xiaoyi protested. “The kiss had a reason, the waist touch was an accident, the hugs were because she was scared…”
Su Jiuyue sighed deeply. “It’s all my fault.”
Jiang Xiaoyi blinked. “?”
Su Jiuyue shared a few yuri novels on WeChat, then said, “Read some pure romance stories. Skip mine—they’re messing with your head, and you’re still clueless. All my fault. Blame me.”
She sighed again, and Jiang Xiaoyi cut in. “What are you trying to say?”
Su Jiuyue threw up her hands in exasperation. “I’m saying that sister likes you! Or maybe just wants your body—who knows? You figure it out. After the kiss, did anything else happen?”
Jiang Xiaoyi shook her head. “Nothing.”
Su Jiuyue: “Then you’re the problem.”
Jiang Xiaoyi: “…Hanging up.”
Su Jiuyue’s unreliable advice only left Jiang Xiaoyi more confused. Meng Chuning liking her? Wanting her body? Impossible.
The lights flickered back on suddenly. Jiang Xiaoyi turned her face away, squinting. Meng Chuning appeared and lifted a hand to shield her eyes from the glare.
Standing in the backlight, Meng Chuning said softly, “Power’s back. Let’s go to sleep, Xiaoyi.”
“Mm…” Jiang Xiaoyi blinked repeatedly. Su Jiuyue’s two possibilities echoed in her mind, making her heart race.
No way. Without the System PP, she’d never have crossed paths with Meng Chuning in her lifetime.
They’d only known each other a short time. What could someone as outstanding as Meng Chuning possibly like about her? It couldn’t be something shallow like her looks or body.
The next morning, Jiang Xiaoyi woke in the guest room. No System PP task to jolt her awake—far more refreshing.
After washing up, she headed downstairs. Meng Fanyu was in the kitchen preparing breakfast. “Xiaoyi, you’re up?”
“Yeah, morning, Sister Fanyu.” Jiang Xiaoyi looked around—no sign of Meng Chuning. The bedroom door stood open, and she’d checked: empty.
Meng Fanyu smiled. “Chuning left early for a business trip. She arranged a driver to take you home.”
Jiang Xiaoyi paused. “Business trip? How… how long?”
“A week, she said. Some issues with the B City branch project—she’s handling it.” Meng Fanyu set down milk and bread. “Eat up, Xiaoyi.”
“Thank you.” Jiang Xiaoyi sat at the dining table and took a bite of her bread. Why hadn’t she mentioned it last night? She still had to be gone for a whole week.
She took another sullen sip of milk, then paused. What was she even upset about?
She really shouldn’t trust Su Jiuyue. Meng Chuning had gone on a business trip for a week and hadn’t even told her. There was no way Meng Chuning actually liked her.
Meng Fanyu watched Jiang Xiaoyi’s expression and comforted her. “It might not even be a full week. Once Chuning handles the branch office business, she’ll come right back. If you miss her, just give her a call.”
“Ahem… ahem…” Jiang Xiaoyi suddenly choked and coughed several times. “Sister Fanyu, you’ve got the wrong idea. I don’t… I mean, it’s not like that between us.”
