Chapter 44: Friends Part 1

Shi Sui was serious.

Jiang Ruoning was pinned beneath her on the bed, her posture as if she were trying to get up, but she ended up in a tight embrace with Shi Sui, seamless and unyielding.

Her elbows propped up behind her as she yelled from her mouth, “Let go, let go!”

Her voice turned into a drawn-out syllable: “Mmm…”

Shi Sui lowered her head and kissed her thin lips. She already had a slight fever, her body temperature high, and at that moment, her arms held Jiang Ruoning like iron clamps. Jiang Ruoning felt like she was in a furnace, surrounded by heat from all sides.

Heat that kept surging upward.

Even her exhaled breath was hot.

She gasped for breath.

Through the gaps in her breathing, Shi Sui captured her lips and tongue, scraping away every tiny bit of sweetness. For a moment, Jiang Ruoning suspected she was faking her illness—how else could she so clearly and precisely untie her sleepwear?

For convenience earlier, she had worn a belt-tied nightgown. With one tug at the waistband, the entire gown slipped off smoothly. She shook her head, mumbling incoherently from her mouth, but Shi Sui ignored her and continued her efforts, head lowered.

Jiang Ruoning felt dizzy from the kisses, as if from lack of oxygen.

She lay back on the bed.

Shi Sui grew even bolder.

This bed partner service was too good.

No one serviced like this.

She kissed her cheeks, her lips, her neck, and collarbone.

Jiang Ruoning felt like a popsicle right now, with Shi Sui’s astonishing heat enveloping her. The popsicle met the hot air and quickly melted into liquid. She was completely covered by Shi Sui’s breath and tried to twist her waist, but a hand clamped down on it.

It felt so uncomfortable.

Jiang Ruoning was forced to arch her waist as Shi Sui’s tongue trailed downward from her neck.

Gliding over her chest.

Gliding over her abdomen.

Wet and wandering.

Jiang Ruoning gritted her teeth, her hands clutching the bedsheets.

This wasn’t right.

Her hand unconsciously lifted and pressed against Shi Sui’s chest.

Shi Sui lowered her gaze to watch her movements, then leaned forward.

Jiang Ruoning’s face was suddenly covered in softness.

She opened her mouth and bit down.

Her tongue was filled with a fresh fragrance and warmth.

So soft.

So soft.

So delicious.

This was it.

This was how it should be.

Jiang Ruoning felt satisfied from body to soul. Her teeth grazed the erect red tip.

She sucked hard.

Nibbled lightly.

Stimulated by her, Shi Sui let out a hum, hugging her even tighter, murmuring from her mouth, “Ruoning.”

Jiang Ruoning’s very soul cooperated. This call seemed to come from six years ago, when the two of them had been intimately entwined countless times, Shi Sui pressing over her again and again: “Ruoning.”

She felt those hands.

Familiar with every one of her movements.

Shi Sui undid the last bit of restraint.

Jiang Ruoning felt cold and wanted to curl up.

Shi Sui met her.

Curling herself into Jiang Ruoning’s body.

A rhythmic pace, fast and slow just right.

In the peak of pleasure, Jiang Ruoning remembered many, many things from the past.

They had gone traveling together, in the second week after freshman military training, on a weekend. Shi Sui took her by car to an ancient town in the neighboring province. They stayed in a homestay run by a girl who had just graduated from university—it was very atmospheric. They stayed on the second floor, where in the mornings they could watch the sunlight slowly rise. She loved lying in bed with Shi Sui, watching the light gradually fill the room, warmth refracting through the windows.

It was happiness.

She hugged Shi Sui, eyes closed, and said, “Today, let’s eat at that street-side place with the stuffed glutinous rice dumplings. It’s famous; lots of people go there to check in.”

Shi Sui said, “Mm, what time do we get up?”

She lazed, “Half an hour more.”

In the end, when she woke up, Shi Sui had already packed the dumplings back for her and placed them on the tea table. Drawn by the aroma like a sleepwalking ghost in her nightgown, she brushed her teeth, washed her face, and sat at the tea table. While eating the dumplings, she complained, “Why didn’t you wake me to go with you?”

Shi Sui said, “I did call you. You said call you again and you’d hit me.”

She: …

So she had been wild even back then.

Jiang Ruoning’s fingers scraped along Shi Sui’s back, feeling the smooth skin. She tilted her head back, not moving her mouth for fear of kissing the wound on Shi Sui’s neck, so she just turned her head slightly.

Heavy breathing.

Shi Sui was like the thickest quilt, enveloping all her breath.

Jiang Ruoning immersed herself in this pleasure.

After her body collapsed, she hugged Shi Sui even tighter.

Shi Sui heard her say, “Again.”

Again.

One more time.

How many times?

Jiang Ruoning couldn’t remember.

In the end, she couldn’t even lift her hands. Exhausted and dazed from being thoroughly ravished, before falling asleep, she instructed Shi Sui, “Call me if Mom comes.”

Shi Sui paused, brushed her slightly swollen thin lips, and said, “Sleep.”

Her mom would never enter her room again without her permission.

Xu Qingqing had been shut out.

Of course, she wasn’t afraid of a mere little model’s threats, but she wouldn’t allow Shi Sui to be labeled as a homosexual again, six years later.

So she held back her outburst.

After getting in the car, Xu Qingqing called her assistant and told her to pull the list of all models shooting next Tuesday, along with the outfits. The assistant replied respectfully, “President Xu, for this shoot, President Shi is fully in charge of the clothing. No one has viewing access until she submits to the committee.”

Xu Qingqing had disliked the less brand from the start, so she hadn’t interfered much, which gave Shi Sui the chance to make less flourish like bamboo shoots after rain, thriving vigorously.

She sneered coldly, “You mean I don’t even have the right to view it now?”

The assistant’s back was soaked in sweat, but she stood straight, her expression strained: “From a procedural standpoint, yes.”

Procedure!

Hah!

She hadn’t realized when the company’s rules had become so strict.

Xu Qingqing hung up with a snap.

Less than half an hour later.

Shi Sui saw the message.

Jiang Nuan rubbed her eyes, just waking up. Her first thought was to check on Shi Sui’s condition. She wanted to call but worried they might not be awake yet, so she sent a message first.

Shi Sui was changing the bedsheets. Jiang Ruoning hadn’t slept much the night before, so she slept deeply and wasn’t easy to wake. No matter how Shi Sui tossed around, she stayed asleep. Shi Sui hugged the damp bedsheets and duvet cover to the bathroom, tossed them in the washing machine, then returned to the room and changed to a fresh four-piece set. Jiang Ruoning must have liked the new bedding scent; she wrapped herself in the quilt and revealed a smile.

Shi Sui leaned against the headboard, looking down at her.

Her phone buzzed. She glanced at it.

Jiang Nuan: [Awake?]

Shi Sui: [Mm, awake.]

Jiang Nuan: [So early?]

Shi Sui: …

She checked the time at the top of her phone and for a moment thought it was six o’clock, not eleven.

Jiang Nuan: [Did you go to the company today?]

Shi Sui: [No.]

Jiang Nuan: [Then you definitely don’t know—your mom just threw a fit at the company.]

Also just getting up, Jiang Nuan’s gossip came faster than hers.

Maybe no one else gossiped with her like this.

Shi Sui: [Mm.]

Jiang Nuan: [What’s the situation? Does your mom know Jiang Ruoning’s in Linping?]

She was joking.

Shi Sui: [Mm.]

Jiang Nuan stared at the single word, disbelieving: [Really?]

No way!

Shi Sui: [Really.]

Jiang Nuan was shocked: [!!!]

She immediately sent: [When?]

Shi Sui: [She came to make a scene this morning.]

Jiang Nuan: [How are you? Did she hit you?]

Shi Sui: [Didn’t see her face to face. Jiang Ruoning handled it.]

Jiang Nuan: [!!!!!]

Through the screen, Shi Sui could picture Jiang Nuan’s mouth agape in shock.

Jiang Nuan was more than shocked—she was dumbfounded.

Xu Qingqing!

That was Xu Qingqing!

In her memory, no one left her office intact—not Shi Sui, not even Shi Sui’s dad. That woman could flay someone alive and leave them out in the cold, utterly ruthless and indifferent to family ties.

And Jiang Ruoning had handled her?

Jiang Nuan: [She didn’t curse out Jiang Ruoning?]

Shi Sui: [Couldn’t win the argument.]

Jiang Nuan: [Ha?]

How fierce was Jiang Ruoning? Yesterday she hadn’t noticed at all. Jiang Nuan sighed again in relief that she’d never provoked her and lived safely.

Shi Sui watched her exclamations, wanted to laugh but couldn’t. She leaned against the headboard, looking out the window.

The weather was really nice.

The sky so blue.

She traced the shape of the clouds with her finger, layer by layer.

Jiang Nuan kept harassing her.

[No wonder your mom blew up at the company. I heard everyone who went into her office today got sprayed bloody.]

[Wow, your wife is badass.]

[But here’s some bad news: Lin Wei’s joining your project team.]

Shi Sui frowned slightly.

Not unexpected.

Lin Wei was Xu Qingqing’s spy planted by her side. After this stumble, Lin Wei wouldn’t make big moves for now.

She replied: [Got it.]

Jiang Nuan: [Want me to give her an out-of-town assignment and ditch her?]

Shi Sui: [No need. I still need her to do something for me.]

Jiang Nuan, curious: [What?]

Shi Sui: [Not time yet. When you get back to Shangjing, take her to tour the stores.]

Jiang Nuan: [OK.]

Taking Lin Wei to the stores.

The thought excited her a bit.

Jiang Nuan looked at the personnel notice, lips curving slightly.

Shi Sui closed her phone.

She had planned to go to the company for a meeting in the morning and return to Shangjing in the afternoon.

But now, with this situation.

She probably couldn’t go back for a while.

Shi Sui lowered her head. Jiang Ruoning was still resting, sleeping soundly on her side, one hand draped over Shi Sui’s waist, naked, her arm slender. Shi Sui’s body slid down, slipping under the covers, and reached out to hug Jiang Ruoning.

Jiang Ruoning felt like a slab of five-flowered pork at a barbecue stall, roasting over the fire—hot and stuffy. She flipped over, finally breathing easier, but the heat soon attacked from behind, pressing against her back.

Subconsciously, Jiang Ruoning shifted outward, but the heat behind her stuck like a leech adsorbed to her skin. She moved a bit, and the leech followed.

When she was about to fall off the bed, Jiang Ruoning finally couldn’t take it: “Aaaah!!!”

She sat up: “So annoying, so annoying, so annoying!”

It wasn’t a leech beside her.

It was a water-sucking ghost.

Who had clung to her and sucked her dry several times before sleep.

The water-sucking ghost’s hand was even on her butt. Jiang Ruoning clenched her fist, really wanting to punch Shi Sui. She shoved Shi Sui’s shoulder and pushed her, then grabbed a thin blanket from the floor, padded barefoot to the living room, and lay back on the sofa.

Comfortable.

Jiang Ruoning’s whole body relaxed, and she slept beautifully.