Ye Yiwen’s soaked skirt hem was pushed up, revealing her buttocks, which looked somewhat reddened.
The sight stimulated Meng Fanyu, and she delivered a series of sharp slaps. The bell’s ringing grew clearer and more insistent with each strike.
“Sister, stop hitting me, boo hoo hoo.” No matter how much Ye Yiwen tensed her waist and abdomen to clench around the little butterfly, it was useless. Every tremble of her body made the bell chime.
In the past, when Meng Fanyu had spanked her, she had never forbidden her from making noise. But now, she was forcing her to stay silent.
Unsure if the room was well soundproofed, Ye Yiwen didn’t dare cry too loudly. She could only sob softly and plead like a child who had done something wrong.
Looking at her reddened, swollen skin, Meng Fanyu asked, “Do you dare wear this swimsuit again?”
“I won’t, I swear I won’t anymore.” Ye Yiwen clutched at the hem of Meng Fanyu’s clothes, looking utterly pitiful. “It hurts so much, Sister.”
After the spanking, her whole body felt numb, especially her buttocks, which had gone completely numb. Yet Meng Fanyu didn’t even rub them for her.
Sobbing, Ye Yiwen said, “Sister, you don’t care about me at all.”
“This is to teach you a lesson. You can’t wear something like this on camera, got it?” Meng Fanyu wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted her up.
“I got it.” Ye Yiwen sniffled, her legs going weak. Water still dripped from her swimsuit, the fabric clinging coldly to her skin.
Gazing at her, Meng Fanyu said, “Take off the swimsuit. You don’t want to catch a cold.”
“Sister, help me take it off.” Ye Yiwen leaned forward, trying to settle into Meng Fanyu’s lap, but Meng Fanyu gripped her waist and held her at arm’s length. “Stand still. I’ll do it.”
Ye Yiwen froze obediently and leaned her body forward. Meng Fanyu peeled the thin straps from her shoulders from behind, exposing Ye Yiwen’s increasingly voluptuous figure.
Once the swimsuit was fully removed, Ye Yiwen straddled Meng Fanyu’s lap, her body soft and pliant. “Sister, hold me.”
“What a spoiled little thing.” Though Meng Fanyu said that, her hands still wrapped around Ye Yiwen’s smooth back.
Feeling the warmth of the embrace, Ye Yiwen grew bolder. She twisted her waist, rubbing and burrowing deeper into Meng Fanyu’s arms.
Almost deliberately, Ye Yiwen’s movements were exaggerated, and the crisp bell sounds rang out endlessly.
“What are you wriggling around for?” Meng Fanyu felt a wave of wet heat on her thigh. She pressed down on Ye Yiwen’s waist. “Do you want me to take it out for you?”
Ye Yiwen nodded with a smile. “Yeah.”
She slid off Meng Fanyu’s lap and walked to the bed, lying down with her legs spread.
Meng Fanyu sighed softly and approached, pressing down on her knees. As she reached to hook out the bell, Ye Yiwen suddenly grabbed her wrist. “Sister, don’t go.”
“…” Meng Fanyu leaned over her, pressing down. She tugged at her wrist. “Doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”
Ye Yiwen craned her neck, trembling as she nipped at Meng Fanyu’s lips. “Sister, please don’t go.”
The soft, sweet taste lingered on her tongue. Unable to hold back any longer, Meng Fanyu lowered her head and pinned Ye Yiwen into the soft bed.
…
The viewers in the variety show live stream chat went wild, flooding the screen with messages.
【Where did Meng Fanyu and Ye Yiwen go?!】
【They’ve been gone so long together—something’s definitely up. Those two are acting way too suspicious!】
【The live stream’s almost over and they still haven’t shown up?!】
【Did Ye Yiwen twist her ankle and go to the hospital? I’m so worried.】
【If it was the hospital, the program crew would have announced it. Ye Yiwen should be fine.】
【…】
Jiang Xiaoyi felt a twinge of worry too. “Sister, should we go check on Sister Fanyu and Ye Yiwen?”
“Don’t worry about them.” Meng Chuning leaned comfortably against Jiang Xiaoyi, on the verge of drifting off. “Xiaoyi, if you go now, you might interrupt them.”
Hearing that, Jiang Xiaoyi understood what they were up to. “Sister, you’re saying you’re okay with them getting back together?”
Their microphones had been off for a while. Meng Chuning opened her eyes. “I minded at first, but now I just want my sister to be happy.”
Meng Fanyu’s mood had clearly improved a lot lately. Even Meng Qinglan, who had opposed it most vehemently, had tacitly accepted things. How could Meng Chuning possibly stand in their way?
Jiang Xiaoyi reached out and turned her microphone back on. “Sister, soaking in the hot springs too long can make you overheated. Let’s head up.”
“I do feel a bit stuffy.” Meng Chuning’s head swam dizzily. “Xiaoyi, carry me up, okay?”
“Wrap your arms around my neck.” Jiang Xiaoyi bent down, slid her arms under Meng Chuning’s knees, and lifted her effortlessly to her feet. Meng Chuning hooked her arms around Jiang Xiaoyi’s neck.
Jing Ying, holding a fruit platter, looked over at them. “Xiaoyi, are you two leaving?”
“Yeah, Chuning’s a bit sleepy. I’ll take her back first.” Jiang Xiaoyi headed toward the rooms, glancing down to see Meng Chuning blinking up at her.
Meng Chuning curved her lips into a smile.
Jiang Xiaoyi felt inexplicably flustered by that smile. “What’s up?”
“Nothing. I just think it sounds nice when you say my name.” Hearing her own name from Jiang Xiaoyi’s lips made Meng Chuning’s heart itch in a strange way. She felt like a little sister being cared for by Jiang Xiaoyi.
She just wanted to lean on her more.
“Then, Sister, after we get married, how about I start calling you Chuning?” Jiang Xiaoyi brought up the issue Meng Chuning had mentioned earlier about changing how she’d address her after marriage.
Meng Chuning blinked, caught off guard. “Huh?”
Keeping her eyes on the path ahead, with occasional glances down at her, Jiang Xiaoyi said, “Didn’t you tell me to think about what to call you after we’re married?”
“…” Meng Chuning felt a bit flustered by her serious tone. “So that’s what you came up with?”
Switching from “Sister” to “Chuning” after marriage somehow felt like it would make them more distant. And it seemed Jiang Xiaoyi had no intention of calling her “wife” or anything like that.
Jiang Xiaoyi nodded. “Yeah.”
“Xiaoyi, think about it some more.” Meng Chuning’s fingers lightly pinched at her neck. “If you don’t come up with something good, you can’t sleep tonight.”
Meng Chuning’s fingers were soft, her pinch feather-light. Jiang Xiaoyi only felt a tingle at the back of her neck. “If you don’t like it, Sister, I’ll think of something else.”
The live stream ended earlier than usual that day. Back in their rooms, all the guests’ cameras went dark. The audience wailed at the black screens to no avail—they could only look forward to tomorrow’s broadcast.
After changing into pajamas, Meng Chuning curled up groggily under the covers. Jiang Xiaoyi hugged her from behind. “Good night, Sister.”
“No…” Though drowsiness weighed on her, Meng Chuning forced herself to stay alert. “You still haven’t figured out what to call me.”
Jiang Xiaoyi tightened her arm around Meng Chuning’s waist and whispered softly in her ear, “Go to sleep, baby.”
“Mm…” Meng Chuning’s ear tingled numbly. Hearing those two words murmured from Jiang Xiaoyi’s lips made her head spin even more. She couldn’t resist at all.
Just hearing Jiang Xiaoyi call her “baby” made her legs weak. Meng Chuning turned around, nuzzling into Jiang Xiaoyi’s embrace. “Say it a few more times.”
It seemed Meng Chuning really liked the nickname. Jiang Xiaoyi held her close, murmuring “baby” over and over to coax her sister to sleep.
…
The Friendship Variety Show wrapped up quickly over the next few days. The guests piled into the car back to A City, the vehicle filled with laughter the whole way.
Meng Chuning had returned to YN Group a day early to handle company business and was now off on a business trip. By the time Jiang Xiaoyi finished the live stream and got into the car, Meng Chuning was already on a plane.
Her sister had asked earlier if she could take three days off after the show ended. Now Jiang Xiaoyi had the time, but her sister didn’t.
“Xiaoyi?” Liju patted Jiang Xiaoyi’s shoulder. “Do you and Meng Chuning want to join?”
Jiang Xiaoyi snapped back to attention. “Join what?”
“The Romance Variety Show.” Liju sounded both shy and excited. “Tang Wanchen and I are planning to do it together. What about you two?”
Jing Ying chimed in enviously, “I want to go public with my relationship too. When I get back, I’ll fight Meng Chuning for it. I want to join with Gu Nanzhi.”
A few days ago, Lu Xi had mentioned it once—a new Romance Variety Show had invited them, and she’d asked Jiang Xiaoyi to see if Meng Chuning was interested.
“I don’t think so.” Jiang Xiaoyi scrolled through her WeChat. “Sister doesn’t even have time to reply to my messages. She’s really busy.”
“Yeah, true.” Liju sighed regretfully. “I was hoping we could all go together.”
Besides, Meng Chuning wasn’t in the industry and had no plans to enter the Entertainment Circle. Jiang Xiaoyi couldn’t ask her to do a romance variety show just for fun.
Jiang Xiaoyi stared at her phone, waiting in vain for Meng Chuning’s reply. Instead, Lu Xi called.
“Xiaoyi, several advertisers want to collaborate with us. You’re really blowing up this time.” Lu Xi’s excited voice came through the phone, her enthusiasm palpable even from afar.
Ever since her relationship with Meng Chuning had gone public, the Chuxiao CP Fans had rallied to boost their popularity. Program-branded drinks featuring Jiang Xiaoyi’s cartoon avatar had sold out completely. When Jiang Xiaoyi heard, she’d been stunned.
Yesterday, she’d checked the Chu-Xiao CP Super Topic and found their fanbase had swelled past one million. The Super Topic was full of calls for them to do more variety shows together.
Her personal Weibo followers had jumped by five million too. She’d pinched her thigh—hard enough to hurt—before believing it wasn’t a dream. The follower growth was insanely fast.
Lu Xi asked on the other end, “Still sure you and Meng Chuning won’t do the romance show? The CP fans are clamoring for it.”
“No, we’re not.” Jiang Xiaoyi replied. “I don’t want to wear her out.”
Lu Xi understood. “Fair enough. When you get back, there’ll be a ton of scripts waiting for you to pick from. Focusing on acting is great too—your pay has multiplied several times over.”
Jiang Xiaoyi nodded. “Got it.”
After hanging up, the program crew’s shuttle pulled up to Lovers’ Water Bay Villa.
Jiang Xiaoyi grabbed her luggage and stepped out, spotting Meng Fanyu waiting at the door with Little Dumpling in her arms.
Little Dumpling flailed happily. “Auntie Xiaoyi’s back!”
“Oh, Little Dumpling, it’s been ages.” Jiang Xiaoyi pinched her cheek. “Did you miss me?”
Little Dumpling nodded vigorously. “Yes! I watch Auntie Xiaoyi on TV every day.”
It hadn’t been that long, but Little Dumpling’s speech had gotten so much clearer. Jiang Xiaoyi rubbed noses with her playfully. “I missed you too, Little Dumpling.”
Smiling, Meng Fanyu said, “Xiaoyi, go upstairs first, take a shower, and rest.”
“Okay.” Jiang Xiaoyi hauled her suitcase inside. She heard someone talking to Meng Fanyu behind her and glanced back to see it was Ye Yiwen.
Jiang Xiaoyi smiled to herself, not wanting to intrude. She hadn’t expected Ye Yiwen to follow her all the way here.
The fountain’s colored lights arced through the air, casting a quiet glow around them.
Meng Fanyu paused, startled. “Yiwen, what are you doing here?”
Ye Yiwen gripped her luggage tightly, looking uncertain. “Sister, can I crash here for the night?”
Little Dumpling’s big, round eyes widened. “Lil…”
Before she could say “Little Mom,” Meng Fanyu clamped a hand over Little Dumpling’s mouth. “Baby, be good. Don’t say it.”
“Woo woo…” Little Dumpling blinked up at her aggrievedly. It was her first time seeing Little Mom in person, and she stared intently.
Ye Yiwen watched the two of them, her palms clenching tighter. “If you can’t let me stay, that’s fine too. I…”
Meng Fanyu stepped aside. “Come on in.”
Little Dumpling chimed in happily. “Auntie Ye, come in quick!”
“…” Meng Fanyu pinched Little Dumpling’s cheek and whispered, “I told you not to call her Little Mom. And definitely not Auntie.”
Little Dumpling puffed out her cheeks. Adults were such a pain—nothing she said was right.
…
Jiang Xiaoyi returned to her bedroom and took a quick shower. When she came out, there was still no message from Meng Chuning.
“Hasn’t Sister gotten off the plane yet?” Jiang Xiaoyi flopped onto the bed, suddenly feeling bored.
She had just ended the live stream and wasn’t quite used to it yet. It felt like there were still cameras trained on her everywhere in the room.
For the past few days, she’d had to hold back on all sorts of intimate moments in front of the lens. Every time she wanted to speak, she’d pause to think it over first. There was no way to truly relax.
Only now that she was home did she finally unwind.
From outside came the sound of Little Dumpling and Ye Yiwen laughing and playing. Jiang Xiaoyi felt happy for them—Ye Yiwen had gotten so close to Little Dumpling already.
As drowsiness started to creep in, a voice echoed in Jiang Xiaoyi’s mind—Little Chuning’s: 【Jiang Xiaoyi, are you asleep?】
It had been ages since Little Chuning last appeared. Jiang Xiaoyi snapped awake. 【Not yet.】
Little Chuning relayed the message: 【Sister Chuning says the plane will land in fifteen minutes.】
Jiang Xiaoyi chuckled. 【Tell Sister that she has to call me the second she lands.】
Little Chuning vanished for a few seconds before returning. 【Sister Chuning says got it.】
Jiang Xiaoyi wanted to send another mental message, but Little Chuning cut her off. 【Running back and forth like this is exhausting.】
Little Chuning never imagined she’d end up as a messenger.
While waiting for Sister’s call, Jiang Xiaoyi asked curiously: 【So what am I like over there right now? Did I win the swimming championship?】
Little Chuning’s tone brimmed with pride. 【Of course! Xiaoyi’s first gold medal went straight to me. She said she’ll win lots more for me from now on.】
Jiang Xiaoyi let out an amazed “wow.” 【You’ve stuffed me full of your dog food, but your love story sounds so inspiring.】
Her other self was so young, yet already so driven. Jiang Xiaoyi felt a swell of gratification.
Little Chuning had a question of her own: 【Are you two getting married?】
Why was even Little Chuning looking forward to it? Jiang Xiaoyi fell silent for a few seconds. Then Little Chuning added: 【Sister Chuning’s really excited for you to call her ‘wife’ after the wedding.】
Jiang Xiaoyi froze. 【What?】
Little Chuning giggled. 【So hurry up and get married! I can’t wait to hear you call me ‘wife’ too.】
After that reminder from Little Chuning, Jiang Xiaoyi felt like a total idiot. Of course she’d call her wife “wife” after marriage—what was there to think about?
Just then, her phone buzzed a few times from beside her pillow.
It was a video call from Meng Chuning. Jiang Xiaoyi answered immediately.
Meng Chuning had just settled into the car back to the hotel. She smiled when she saw Jiang Xiaoyi. “Xiaoyi, what happened to your hair?”
In the camera, Jiang Xiaoyi’s hair was a mess—she’d been rubbing her head too vigorously—and her cheeks were flushed. She looked for all the world like she’d been caught doing something naughty.
Jiang Xiaoyi smoothed her hair with her fingers. “Sister, how many days is this business trip?”
“About three.” Meng Chuning gazed at her. “What’s wrong?”
“I miss you.” Jiang Xiaoyi’s voice turned soft and whiny as she coquettishly added, “We’ve only been apart one day, and I can’t take it anymore.”
Meng Chuning’s voice softened in return. “I miss you too.”
“Sister…” Jiang Xiaoyi rested her chin on her arms. “Can I come find you tomorrow?”
