Chapter 19

She shuffled a few steps and finally reached Lu Yao’s side. Sure enough, the panties and nightgown she had just fetched for Lu Yao were still lying off to one side; Lu Yao hadn’t so much as stirred.

Shen Zhirou drew in a deep breath before picking up the clothes from the bedside table. She sat down beside Lu Yao, though her gaze kept darting here and there, too shy to look directly at her.

Lu Yao lounged lazily amid the rumpled bedding, her eyes twinkling with amusement at Shen Zhirou’s flushed ear tips. She teased on purpose, “You weren’t shy a minute ago, but now that you’re helping me get dressed, suddenly you are?”

Shen Zhirou gave a light cough, finally managing to let her eyes settle on Lu Yao. “Yaoyao, sit up and I’ll help you put it on.”

The corners of Lu Yao’s eyes curved upward like a cat toying with its prey. She ignored the instruction, instead fixing Shen Zhirou with a languid gaze. “Why should I have to move when Jie Jie’s the one dressing me? Wouldn’t that be too easy for you?”

Rendered speechless, Shen Zhirou could only meet Lu Yao’s eyes head-on. Inch by inch, she scooted closer and gently propped her up.

Lu Yao made no effort to help herself. Once upright, a generous expanse of smooth skin spilled across her chest, the little red mole at its center faintly reddened around the edges and on glaring display right in front of Shen Zhirou.

Noticing where Shen Zhirou’s gaze had landed, Lu Yao knew exactly what had caught her eye. She leaned in coquettishly, her fingertip brushing the little red mole as she murmured accusingly near Shen Zhirou’s lips, “Jie Jie, you were too rough earlier. Look—it’s all red now.”

Shen Zhirou swallowed softly, tearing her eyes away. She squeezed them shut for a moment to steady herself, then hurriedly slipped the nightgown over Lu Yao’s head. Pressing her advantage, she helped with the panties next. Just as Shen Zhirou let out a breath of relief, Lu Yao nestled into her arms, refusing to let go.

“My legs are still all wobbly. Jie Jie wouldn’t just abandon me now, would she?” Lu Yao’s sly, cat-like eyes peered up at Shen Zhirou.

Shen Zhirou caught on at once and bent to scoop her up.

Lu Yao’s arms looped naturally around the back of Shen Zhirou’s neck, holding her in place instead of letting herself be lifted.

Shen Zhirou tucked a stray wisp of hair behind her ear and gazed at Lu Yao in puzzlement. “Yaoyao?”

Lu Yao’s lips quirked up. She tightened her hold until their faces were mere inches apart, then arched a brow. “It poked me earlier. How about Jie Jie holds me while I eat later?”

The red in Shen Zhirou’s ear tips deepened. Something about the words struck her as oddly suggestive, but she nodded all the same. “Alright. You can sit in my lap then.”

“Mm.” Pleased with the response, Lu Yao gave a soft, contented hum and melted lazily into Shen Zhirou’s embrace, waiting to be carried.

Shen Zhirou lifted her effortlessly—thankfully, her Yaoyao wasn’t heavy. Stealing a downward glance, she saw Lu Yao rubbing against her like a pampered cat, eyes half-closed in lazy bliss as if perfectly comfortable.

At the dining table, Shen Zhirou sat and settled Lu Yao comfortably on her lap. She placed the bowl of fish fillet porridge in front of her.

Only then did Lu Yao begin to eat. She sipped a few mouthfuls of the silky porridge, then picked up a slice of beef with her chopsticks and savored it slowly. At last, she offered her verdict to Shen Zhirou. “Jie Jie, the beef’s a touch overdone.”

Shen Zhirou’s red lips pressed together. Inwardly, she grumbled that it was all because of a certain seductive little kitten curled in her lap.

Her gentle eyes met Lu Yao’s mischievous ones, and she played along. “I’ll time it better next time. You’ll make do with this for now, won’t you?”

“Mm.” Lu Yao nodded with feigned reluctance and settled into obediently sipping her porridge. But her feet beneath the table were far less well-behaved; her slender, jade-like toes teased Shen Zhirou’s calf now and then.

Shen Zhirou wore a nightgown too, leaving her calves’ fair skin exposed. A patch had already turned pink, though she wasn’t sure why. She forced down a few sips of her own fish fillet porridge. With Lu Yao in her lap, her movements were awkward at best, and those teasing nudges had her ear tips burning crimson.

After downing more than half her bowl, Lu Yao was mostly full. She eyed Shen Zhirou’s reddened ears with keen interest, her foot still wandering idly. Her gaze flicked to Shen Zhirou’s half-full bowl on the table, and she snuggled closer into the embrace. “How come Jie Jie’s only had a few bites? I think it’s pretty good.”

Lu Yao’s eyelashes, delicate as feathers, fluttered lightly. She looked utterly obedient nestled in Shen Zhirou’s lap, but the subtle rubbing of her foot underneath grew bolder by the second.

Shen Zhirou drew in several deep breaths and tamped down her urges. After all, her Yaoyao was all thunder and no lightning. She ought to finish a few more bites first, then deal with the mischievous girl in her arms.

With that in mind, Shen Zhirou lifted the bowl of fish fillet porridge again, ignoring the strange sensation on her calf as she gulped down the rest in quick succession.

Lu Yao stared, dumbfounded. She wasn’t pleased with Shen Zhirou’s reaction. She’d been teasing her for ages—those ears had turned pink at first—and now this woman was just ignoring her to eat? Was she less appealing than a bowl of porridge? Or had she not turned up the heat enough?

Silently scheming, Lu Yao reached out and tugged at Shen Zhirou’s wrist, ready to stoke the fire higher.

Shen Zhirou set the bowl aside, her gaze soft as she turned to Lu Yao. “All done eating?”

Lu Yao glanced at the scraps left in her own bowl and nodded. She never ate much at night anyway and wasn’t particularly hungry, especially not with other distractions on her mind. The moment Shen Zhirou stopped eating, Lu Yao pounced, melting into her embrace and gazing up with limpid eyes. “Jie Jie? Do you like eating together like this? Hmm?”

As she spoke, her pale fingertips grazed Shen Zhirou’s calf a few more times. Shen Zhirou pressed her lips together faintly, her eyes dropping to the girl in her arms.

Laughter danced in Lu Yao’s usually cool gaze. Still fidgeting restlessly against Shen Zhirou, she noticed the blood-red flush at the tips of her ears and reached up to pinch and toy with them. All the while, she kept teasing. “Jie Jie’s ears are so red. The AC’s on, though—weird, right?”

Shen Zhirou’s lips compressed further. Her eyes traced Lu Yao’s face, lingered on her lips, then drifted down to the little red mole at her collarbone. “Yaoyao.”

“What’s up, Jie Jie?” Lu Yao’s fingers pressed a touch harder, deepening the crimson stain. She leaned in for more mischief when her body suddenly lifted—Shen Zhirou had swept her into her arms.

Lu Yao let out a soft chuckle, nestling compliantly against her and feigning innocence. “What are we doing now?”

Shen Zhirou’s eyes were faintly reddened. She met Lu Yao’s gaze, inhaling sharply to quell the restless heat building inside her. “Don’t you know?”

“Jie Jie hasn’t told me, so how could I?” Lu Yao refused to behave, looping her arms snugly around Shen Zhirou’s neck as she tilted up for a kiss at the corner of her lips. Before she could close the distance, warm softness claimed her mouth—Shen Zhirou had beaten her to it.

She kissed Lu Yao with exquisite care, all the while carrying her toward the bedroom.

Once inside the room, Shen Zhirou eased her down onto the bed before claiming her lips again. The kiss carried a sharper edge of urgency than usual, though she still reined herself in for Lu Yao’s sake, drawing back after a moment to let her breathe.

Yet the aloof Lu Yao of everyday was irresistibly seductive in these moments. When Shen Zhirou pulled away, Lu Yao clung fast, her eyes soft and pleading. “Jie Jie, you really hurt me back in the kitchen. Check if it’s red and rub it better for me.”

Hooking a hand behind Shen Zhirou’s neck, she tugged her down for a quick peck at the corner of her lips, then released her. Rolling onto her stomach on the bed, Lu Yao urged her on. “Come on, Jie Jie—it’s your fault for starting in the kitchen.”

Shen Zhirou’s cheeks burned at her words. She had no time to call out Yaoyao’s cheeky reversal—her pulse thundered too wildly, drowning out everything but that one provocative phrase.

Shen Zhirou’s throat worked visibly, her eyes flushed as she bent over her. “You want it from behind, don’t you?”

Her voice came out huskier than usual, laced with an uncharacteristic intensity that set her apart from her everyday gentleness.

A thrill of anticipation stirred in Lu Yao’s chest, but she played dumb. “Huh? What was that, Jie Jie? Hurry and check…”

She twisted to glance back, but Shen Zhirou’s kiss silenced her.

It was nearly ten at night when they finally stilled.

Shen Zhirou remembered the uncleaned table and kitchen. She pressed a tender kiss to Lu Yao in her arms and murmured coaxingly, “I’ll go tidy up the dining area first. You get some rest.”

Shen Zhirou hadn’t even had a chance to get up before Lu Yao’s arms wrapped around her neck again. Lu Yao’s usually cool gaze now carried a hint of grievance, and her voice was even softer than it had been earlier on the bed. “Jie Jie, are you just going to ignore me now that you’ve finished bullying me? Is the restaurant more important, or am I?”

Shen Zhirou gazed tenderly at the coquettish Lu Yao nestled in her arms and said softly, “Of course you’re more important. All right, I won’t go anywhere. I’ll stay right here with you, okay?”

“Mm.” Lu Yao closed her eyes and murmured in agreement, a lovely smile curving her lips. She now found Shen Zhirou’s embrace even more comfortable than her soft mattress and had no desire to leave it even for a moment. All those boundaries she’d set for herself—the ones where Shen Zhirou was merely a convenient marriage partner to fend off the pressure to wed, and where they should keep a polite distance from each other—had long since been tossed aside. The only thought left in her mind was how much she wanted Shen Zhirou to hold her just like this.