Captivating Beauty 80p1

Chapter 80 p1

“Should I prove it to you then? That I’m not a block of wood?”

“How?”

Xu Jinnan couldn’t see Shen Shu’s expression in the darkness, but her voice was soft, and Xu Jinnan’s heart ached. She gently cupped Shen Shu’s face in her hands, her thumb caressing her chin, then leaned in, her lips brushing against Shen Shu’s.

As their kiss deepened, Xu Jinnan felt Shen Shu tense slightly, her back arching against the bed, and she shifted, her hand moving to Shen Shu’s waist, pulling her closer.

After a while, Shen Shu pushed her away, her forehead resting against Xu Jinnan’s collarbone, her voice slightly hoarse. “Xu Jinnan, are you feverish?”

“Hmm?”

Xu Jinnan’s mind was still hazy, her ears ringing, and she misheard the question as, “Xu Jinnan, are you horny?”

She thought, Strange. Shen Shu had used two new words tonight – words she had never heard her say before.

Xu Jinnan leaned her head against Shen Shu’s forehead. “Am I… horny?” she murmured, her voice husky.

Shen Shu: “…”

She paused, then reached out to touch Xu Jinnan’s forehead. She had noticed Xu Jinnan’s warmth earlier, but hadn’t thought much of it.

Her forehead was definitely warmer than her hand.

Xu Jinnan, slightly confused by Shen Shu’s sudden withdrawal, assumed she was still angry, her own heart pounding with a mixture of desire and apprehension. But then, Shen Shu pushed her back onto the bed, her voice firm. “Don’t you even know when you’re sick?”

Xu Jinnan realized she did feel a little unwell. She had taken some cold medicine that afternoon and had felt better, but the long meeting, the intense concentration, had made her head spin. But she hadn’t felt feverish.

She had been too focused on Shen Shu to notice. If she had known she was getting sick, she wouldn’t have kissed her.

She covered her mouth with her hand, a frustrated sigh escaping her lips. “Damn, what if I get you sick?” she mumbled.

The lights were still off, and they could only rely on touch and sound.

Shen Shu, hearing her muffled voice, almost smiled. She found Xu Jinnan’s concern endearing.

She gently pulled Xu Jinnan’s hand away, her vision slightly blurry. “Then we can both be sick together,” she murmured.

Xu Jinnan chuckled softly.

Shen Shu found the remaining cold medicine and gave Xu Jinnan a pill, then turned off the light.

Xu Jinnan had considered sleeping in the guest room, but she drifted off to sleep before she could even move.

She dreamed she was in a sauna, the heat suffocating, her body burning up, desperate for a cool plunge into a pool of water.

As if her dream had conjured it, she felt a wave of coolness washing over her, a soothing sensation, yet also a tingling warmth that made her skin itch.

—

Shen Shu, holding the edge of Xu Jinnan’s T-shirt, carefully wiped the sweat from her forehead with a damp towel, then rinsed it in a basin of cool water and wrung it out, repeating the process over and over.

It was a sweet torture. While Xu Jinnan wasn’t particularly athletic, and her diet wasn’t exactly healthy, her figure was undeniably attractive, especially when she was lying down – Shen Shu felt like she had discovered another beautiful part of Xu Jinnan, besides her hands.

Her smooth, slender waist was mesmerizing.

She quickly wiped the sweat from the rest of Xu Jinnan’s body, her heart pounding, her gaze lingering a little too long.

After wiping her down twice, she finally lay down beside her, not touching her, simply watching her sleep, though the room was too dark to see clearly.

She had been acting differently lately, ever since meeting Xu Jinnan.

After her grandmother’s death, she had stopped fighting, her ambition fading, her desires dwindling.

She had become emotionally detached, her only connection to the world the three members of the Shen family, even though she knew they didn’t care about her. She had clung to them, her only family, her only source of… something.

It was Xu Jinnan who had made her feel cherished again, loved, pampered, important.

It was different from Cai Ying’s affection, a different kind of warmth.

Xu Jinnan had given her hope, like a ray of sunshine piercing through the darkness, a light blooming in her heart.

And she instinctively wanted to hold onto it, to reciprocate, both physically and emotionally.

—

The night deepened, the city coming alive as the two women slept soundly.

Near the North District, a row of bars and nightclubs lined the riverbank, their neon lights reflecting on the water, the cool autumn breeze carrying the scent of the river, the air crisp and clean.

A little after 11 p.m., a black Maybach pulled up outside a newly opened lounge bar.

Han Wenling stepped out of the car, a valet hurrying over to greet her.

“Miss Han, you’re alone tonight?” a female Alpha asked, approaching her.

Han Wenling blocked her attempted hug, her voice cool. “Is that a problem?”

The Alpha chuckled. “Of course not! But you have to join us for a few drinks! We’ve missed you, Miss Han! You haven’t been out in ages!” Her tone was playful, but not overly familiar.

Han Wenling had few close friends, mostly business associates, but she maintained those relationships carefully, her judgment of character sharp and discerning.

Even after her father’s public rebuke and her forced resignation, most of them had remained loyal.

She chose a secluded booth in a corner, preferring to be near the edge of the room.

She and her friends had a few drinks, the ice clinking in their glasses, the soft glow of the bar’s lights reflecting on the surface of the water, as a woman’s husky voice filled the room, singing a melancholic tune: Every minute, I long to see her,

Waiting patiently, without complaint.

Every moment, I yearn for her presence,

A chance encounter on the street, a fleeting joy.

Love, a new experience,

A distant glimpse, a thrill so fresh,

A sleepless night, her image in my heart.

…

Han Wenling, lost in thought, her eyes half-closed, didn’t even notice someone sit down beside her.

Then, she caught a whiff of strong perfume and frowned.

Her friend, sensing her displeasure, immediately dismissed the woman, pouring Han Wenling a fresh drink. “Seriously, Miss Han? Is Han Wenfang that much of a threat? You’re not even interested in women anymore?” she teased.

Han Wenling took a sip of her drink, the coolness soothing her parched throat. “Not interested,” she murmured.

The music continued, and her friend, not having heard her quiet words, asked what she had said.

Han Wenling didn’t reply, her gaze fixed on the stage, her legs crossed. She hadn’t been paying attention to the singer, simply enjoying the music.

Then, as she looked away, she saw a familiar figure.

Cai Ying, in a long-sleeved white dress, her hair loose around her shoulders, her mixed-race features even more striking in the dim light of the bar.

She was holding a drink, clinking glasses with the woman beside her, their heads close together as they laughed, their voices low and intimate.

Then, the woman put her arm around Cai Ying’s shoulders, leaning in close to whisper something in her ear.

From Han Wenling’s perspective, it looked more like a kiss.

Her fingers tightened around her glass, her expression hardening, her heart sinking.

“Miss Han, what’s wrong?” her friend asked.

Han Wenling lowered her gaze, taking a sip of her drink, her thoughts elsewhere.

She’s already found someone new? So soon?

And she doesn’t even seem heartbroken? Happier than I am?

Questions swirled in her mind, and she was reminded of the aftermath of the banquet, returning home alone after her father had stripped her of her duties.

Her mother had arrived, her voice shrill with anger and recrimination. “Do you even realize what this means? You’re so useless! What are you going to do now, without the company? Have you even considered how this makes me feel? That bitch must be laughing her ass off!”

She had sat on the sofa in the empty apartment, letting her mother rant, until a sudden crash broke the silence.

A glass of chrysanthemum tea lay shattered on the tiled floor, the delicate petals scattered amidst the shards of glass.

She hadn’t noticed before, but now, she realized the flowers had already been dried, lifeless.

A profound sense of loss washed over her, her mother’s words fading into the background, and she hadn’t even bothered cleaning up the mess, her mind racing, trying to plan her next move, but her thoughts were a jumble.

Looking at the scattered petals, her mood had plummeted.

She had forced herself to focus on the Han Corporation, her only goal now to regain control, to reclaim her power. Everything else was meaningless; only power was real.

Even then, she had still messaged Cai Ying that night.

But Little Bunny’s profile picture was gone; she had been unfriended.

The next day, she had tried calling Cai Ying, but the call hadn’t gone through.

Cai Ying had blocked her on every platform, a more decisive rejection than she had anticipated, and she had felt a strange pang of… loss.

She hadn’t left the house for weeks, her usual sources of pleasure now meaningless, her life devoid of joy.

She looked up again, her gaze drawn to the two women chatting and laughing, the sight a painful reminder of what she had lost.

Cai Ying was so trusting, so easily swayed. And this new woman, whoever she was… they had only been together for two weeks, and they were already so close?

Han Wenling finished her drink in one gulp.

—

Cai Ying, her chin resting on her hand, her arm linked with Tong Jia’s, said, “Why do all these lounge bars play such depressing music? Can’t they play something more upbeat?”

“You’re right. I prefer something more cheerful too,” Tong Jia agreed.

“Like ‘Good Days’,” Cai Ying suggested.

Tong Jia burst out laughing. “Cai Bao, you’re a ray of sunshine in my gloomy life.”

Cai Ying giggled, then yawned.

Tong Jia, noticing the flush on her cheeks, the slight glaze in her eyes, said, “Let’s go home then.”

“Okay, I’ll be right back. I need to use the restroom.”

As Cai Ying walked towards the restroom, she realized her legs felt a little unsteady, the alcohol finally hitting her. She had had a few more drinks than she had intended, caught up in her conversation with Tong Jia.

As she walked down the hallway, a drunk woman stumbled towards her, seemingly deliberately bumping into her.

A figure suddenly appeared behind Cai Ying, pulling her aside, shielding her from the collision.

The familiar scent of cedarwood filled the air.

Cai Ying froze.

“Get lost,” Han Wenling muttered to the drunk woman, her voice cold, then, after the woman stumbled away, turned to Cai Ying.

Her eyes, usually warm and inviting, were now cool and distant, her voice calm. “I thought you couldn’t handle late nights. What are you doing here?”

Cai Ying looked at her for a moment, then turned and continued walking, without a word, ignoring her.

“Ying Ying,” Han Wenling called out.

Cai Ying stopped. “Miss Han,” she said, her voice flat, her gaze cold and distant, like she was looking at a stranger. “We’re not on friendly terms. Or do you want another slap?”

Han Wenling’s fingernails dug into her palm, the familiar sting a welcome distraction.

“I wouldn’t mind another slap,” she said, her voice soft, then added, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have lied to you, and…”

“You’re ridiculous,” Cai Ying said coldly, cutting her off.

Han Wenling’s heart sank, the melancholic music in the background a mournful soundtrack to her despair.

She felt like a deflated balloon, the air slowly escaping, leaving her empty and hollow.

As Cai Ying turned to leave, she couldn’t help but ask, “Is that your new girlfriend?”

Cai Ying glanced at her. “Does it matter to you, Miss Han? I don’t think so,” she replied, her voice flat, then turned and walked away without another word.

So, it really is a girlfriend, Han Wenling thought, a bitter taste in her mouth.

She didn’t try to stop her, simply watching as Cai Ying walked away, her steps slightly unsteady, clearly intoxicated.

She saw Cai Ying return to her table and immediately embrace the other woman.

Han Wenling clenched her fists, her jaw tightening.

The thought of Cai Ying, drunk and vulnerable, going home with a stranger, perhaps even being taken advantage of, made her blood run cold.

—