Chapter 85

Staying over and living together represented entirely different relationships. Ning Jiuwei planned to keep it from everyone for the time being—everyone except Wen Wanyuan. Wen Wanyuan fell silent, stunned as she processed what Ning Jiuwei meant, unable to believe it and unwilling to accept it.

~~~

Su Jinglan walked up to the desk and sat down without waiting for an invitation, patiently waiting for Ning Jiuwei to finish her call.

She didn’t have to wait long. Ning Jiuwei spoke into the phone. “I’m off work now. Let’s chat on WeChat.”

“Talking to Miss Wen?” Su Jinglan guessed right on the first try.

Ning Jiuwei hummed in affirmation and held out her hand to Su Jinglan. “Give me back the car keys.”

Su Jinglan pulled out the keys and placed them in Ning Jiuwei’s palm. Just before letting go, she grasped Ning Jiuwei’s hand with her other one, giving it a playful squeeze as she smiled. “I’ll give them back tomorrow morning.”

No defense could stand up to the sheer variety of her flirting tactics. Ning Jiuwei’s heart stirred, a scorching heat surging through her and spreading across her entire body.

Tonight, there was no escaping sharing a bed.

The dim veil of night draped over the brilliant, bustling city, countless lights illuminating the paths home. The moment they opened the door and stepped inside, Su Jinglan couldn’t even wait to swap her shoes in the walk-in closet. She hooked an arm around Ning Jiuwei’s waist and pulled her close, nestling intimately against the crook of her shoulder and rubbing lightly against her through the thin fabric of her shirt.

She loved holding Ning Jiuwei from behind, their bodies fitting together perfectly. “I couldn’t focus on work at all today. I kept thinking about you.”

Her slightly husky voice tickled Ning Jiuwei’s ear, sending her heart into a tremor. Su Jinglan brushed the hair from her ear, tucking it back to expose the pale curve of her neck. She nipped gently at her earlobe, then trailed hot, tender kisses along her jawline until their lips met.

Their kisses grew more practiced with every exchange. Su Jinglan gripped the hem of Ning Jiuwei’s shirt at her waist, tugging it free inch by inch.

Ning Jiuwei’s figure needed no gym to be perfect—it was exactly Su Jinglan’s type, every curve and line enough to stir her desire effortlessly.

Sensing Su Jinglan fumbling with the button of her pants, Ning Jiuwei caught her hand, halting her progress. “The bedroom.”

She could handle kissing in the entryway, but anything more intimate had to happen in the bedroom—no exceptions. Even there, boundaries applied: only on the bed.

The house was too vast, the bedroom too distant. Su Jinglan paused for a beat, then claimed Ning Jiuwei’s lips again, unable to resist nipping at them. Amid the enticing sting of pain, she deepened the kiss.

She left the button alone this time. Instead, Su Jinglan gripped her waist and turned her around, guiding Ning Jiuwei’s hand to her own neck. Ning Jiuwei’s other hand rose to join it, wrapping around and cradling the back of her head, her long, nimble fingers weaving into her hair.

No lie could hide such fervent response. Su Jinglan adored this wordless exchange—the purest form of body language, conveying Ning Jiuwei’s feelings for her loud and clear.

They lost track of time in their kiss until Ning Jiuwei’s phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled back, her breath coming in ragged gasps. “I have to take this call.”

A faint flush colored her heated skin. Su Jinglan released her reluctantly and headed to the entrance cloakroom for some slippers.

It was Mom calling. In her current state, Ning Jiuwei couldn’t risk answering—a few words, and Mom would guess exactly what they’d been up to. She hit mute and let it go for now.

She sank onto the sofa, drawing deep breaths to steady her emotions and soothe the raw desire roughening her voice.

“Why not answer it?” Su Jinglan’s voice had lost its earlier clarity, no better off than Ning Jiuwei’s. She set the slippers by Ning Jiuwei’s feet and crouched down to remove her shoes.

For as long as she could remember, Ning Jiuwei had changed her own shoes. While other kids still needed their parents to tie their laces, she’d already mastered it herself. Having Su Jinglan tend to her so thoughtfully now, she refused on instinct. “I can do it myself.”

Su Jinglan cupped her heel and slipped the shoe off with ease. “I like taking care of you.” She looked up, her mature features stirring an irresistible pull in Ning Jiuwei’s chest. “Don’t refuse me.”

One shoe was already off. Ning Jiuwei looked away from those captivating eyes and silently permitted her to remove the other.

Su Jinglan stowed the shoes on the rack in the entrance cloakroom, then headed to the kitchen island to wash her hands. She returned with two glasses of water.

The call had rung through to voicemail without a follow-up—unlike Mom’s usual tenacity. Ning Jiuwei took a sip to quench the fire in her throat and dialed her back.

Mama Ning wasted no time, immediately giving Wen Wanyuan away. “Wanyuan says you have a live-in partner?”

The words hit like a punch. Ning Jiuwei choked on her water, coughing violently as it went down the wrong pipe. Su Jinglan rubbed her back to ease her breathing, her worried gaze locked on Ning Jiuwei, not daring to utter a sound.

This was her future mother-in-law on the line. Without Ning Jiuwei’s go-ahead, it was best to stay silent—hard-won progress could vanish in an instant.

Once she’d caught her breath, Ning Jiuwei turned the question back on her mom. “What else did Wen Wanyuan say?”

“She didn’t say much.” Mama Ning knew her earlier words had been too blunt and startled her daughter. Who jumped straight to cohabitation? She needed to first ask about their relationship status and how far things had progressed. “She just mentioned that you might be dating someone and living with them. I thought it seemed unlikely, so I called to check.”

Mama Ning thought it was unlikely…

Su Jinglan pressed her lips together to stifle a laugh. As expected from Ning Jiuwei’s own mother—she knew her daughter well.

But this time, her future mother-in-law had gotten it wrong.

“Was it that colleague you met at dinner last time?” Even as she dismissed the idea, Mama Ning started narrowing down the possibilities. The first person who came to mind was her colleague, even though Wen Wanyuan had denied it back then. She decided to guess anyway.

Ning Jiuwei averted her gaze from Su Jinglan and lowered her eyes in denial. “I’m not dating anyone, and I certainly don’t have anyone I’m living with.”

Not long ago, Ning Jiuwei had responded to her with the same feelings. Why deny it now? Her answer was completely unexpected. Su Jinglan’s breath caught, her heart feeling like it had been smashed by a heavy stone.

Su Jinglan pushed herself up from the sofa, swaying unsteadily. Her steps were as unsteady and weak as if she were drunk. Ning Jiuwei’s eyes followed her involuntarily, and the sight of that slender, fragile back inexplicably tugged at her heart.

“How come you’re not dating anyone?” Mama Ning was standing in the living room on the phone. Papa Ning sat on the sofa watching a muted TV, ears perked up to eavesdrop on his wife and daughter’s conversation. He cast concerned glances her way now and then. “You’re not getting any younger. If you meet someone suitable, take the initiative. Our daughter is so outstanding—she could definitely win anyone over if she chased them.”

Marrying Wen Wanyuan wouldn’t be a bad idea, actually. Both families knew each other well inside out. That girl seemed to like their daughter quite a bit. If the two of them got married, there’d be no worries about problems cropping up.

Mama Ning’s mind turned, connecting it to what Wen Wanyuan had said before. She realized the girl had come to her to feel things out—probably couldn’t get anything from her daughter, so she’d turned to her mom instead.

Not giving her daughter a chance to speak, Mama Ning continued smoothly, “If you haven’t met anyone suitable, that’s fine too. Don’t you have someone right by your side?”

Ning Jiuwei assumed her mother was referring to Su Jinglan, but then Mama Ning said, “Wanyuan’s a good girl. She brings gifts for the family during holidays and calls now and then to check on us. Later, when you two have kids—one with the Wen surname, one with Ning—we’ll be family twice over. You’re both young and strong now, so we can help look after them. Once they’re in kindergarten, the two families can take turns picking them up from school.”

“Mom, you’re thinking too far ahead.” Ning Jiuwei’s gaze followed Su Jinglan as she entered the bedroom.

The closed door blocked her view and muffled the sounds. Ning Jiuwei stared fixedly at the bedroom door, calmly cutting off her mother’s flights of fancy. “Wanyuan and I could never be together.”

“Why not?” Mama Ning answered her own question. “Because you’ve grown up together and know each other too well?”

Childhood sweethearts usually couldn’t compete with sudden romantic interests. Those who separated young and reunited later often had that fateful glow. But for childhood sweethearts like Ning Jiuwei and Wen Wanyuan, who saw each other almost every year, getting together would require at least a decade apart first. Mama Ning did the math in her head—splitting up at their age and reuniting after ten years would be too late.

“Right.” That was one of the reasons—they knew each other too well. Ning Jiuwei’s feelings for Wen Wanyuan were friendship, and the affection of an older sister for her younger sibling. There was no way a sister would make a move on her little sister.

The bedroom was so quiet she could hear her own breathing and heartbeat. Su Jinglan gripped the door handle, unable to let go. Each clear thump echoed with the image of the person outside.

I might not take responsibility.

She’d thought it was just a joke. Turns out, it was the truth.

Su Jinglan stumbled to the small sofa by the bed and collapsed onto it, sinking heavily into the soft cushions.

She closed her eyes and leaned back against the sofa, carefully reviewing every one of Ning Jiuwei’s reactions.

The response hadn’t been fake—she could feel the urgency and desire in it.

Humans weren’t made of wood or stone. It was natural to feel something when teased like that. Ning Jiuwei’s reaction stemmed from an unavoidable biological instinct—a perfectly normal physiological response.

“What a shame.” Mama Ning sighed softly. She’d chatted quite a bit with her daughter tonight; dragging it out wouldn’t yield more. She ended the call proactively. “Do you still have drafting to do tonight? Don’t work too late.”

“Mm.” After hanging up, Ning Jiuwei pulled her gaze away from the bedroom door and opened WeChat to message Wen Wanyuan.

Even through the screen, Wen Wanyuan could sense Ning Jiuwei’s anger. She curled up like a little sparrow in the corner of her sofa, hugging her knees in trepidation as she tremblingly typed back.

“Sister Ning, I didn’t mean to let it slip. I won’t do it again next time.”

She had just sent her reply when Mama Ning’s message came back: Ah Mu isn’t dating anyone, and she’s not living with anyone either.

That was as far as she could take the conversation. Whether Wen Wanyuan pursued her daughter was up to Wen Wanyuan’s own determination and resolve.

Ning Jiuwei drained the last drop from her cup and headed to the bedroom to find Su Jinglan.

She knocked politely on the door, then tentatively turned the knob.

The bedroom’s ceiling light was on, as was the reading lamp beside the sofa. Su Jinglan turned toward the door at the sound, her serene eyes giving nothing away about her thoughts.

The two women gazed at each other across the threshold. Su Jinglan remained silent, waiting for Ning Jiuwei to speak. After a brief hesitation, Ning Jiuwei stepped inside and sat down beside her.

The sofa wasn’t as roomy as the one in the living room—just big enough for two. Su Jinglan glanced at the several inches of space between them, then lifted her eyes to meet Ning Jiuwei’s. In a slow, even voice, she said, “Besides a colleague, what else am I to you? A momentary plaything? A tool to spark your inspiration? Or just a pillow for sleeping?”

Her tone was flat, devoid of anger or accusation—as if she were merely stating simple facts.

The words pierced Ning Jiuwei’s heart like a knife. Su Jinglan’s lips curved into a smile that held no warmth. “If it had been someone else last night, would you have refused them too?”

Ning Jiuwei chose her words carefully, but before she could respond, Su Jinglan rose from the sofa. “You take the master bedroom. I’ll sleep in the guest bedroom tonight.”

~~~