Chapter 9: Wet Dream

Jiang Ruoning slept until midnight when she felt a bit cold. There was only an air-conditioned blanket on the sofa, and she’d set the AC low. Chilly winds assaulted her, so in the middle of the night, she stumbled groggily toward her room and fell asleep as soon as she lay down.

She always felt like she’d seen Shi Sui.

The two of them seemed to be out shopping for something. Shi Sui walked ahead, and she followed behind. Shi Sui turned her head with a smile and asked, “Want some rice cakes?”

She turned to look—there was a stall selling rice cakes nearby, and next to it, one selling fried skewers. She nodded and heard Shi Sui ask, “What flavor?”

She heard herself say, “Mildly spicy.”

Shi Sui ordered rice cakes and fried skewers for her. They sat at a square table in front of the stall, eating while watching the passersby. Crowds came and went, and occasionally people glanced their way. She wasn’t sure if it was because they were being stared at or if the sunlight was too intense, but her face felt scorching hot. Shi Sui pulled out a tissue from beside her and handed it over. After she wiped her face, Shi Sui carefully wiped the spot next to her cheek.

Her eyes held an indulgent smile.

She couldn’t help but smile back.

Once they finished eating, Shi Sui stood up, extended her hand, and said, “Back to the hotel?”

She nodded.

They held hands as they walked back. The surroundings were unfamiliar, but being led by the person ahead made her feel utterly secure. They arrived at some signboard hotel with a golden-glowing logo that was too dazzling for her to make out. Then Shi Sui pulled her inside.

She brushed her teeth, washed her face, and even took a bath.

Wearing a white bathrobe, she lay on the bed playing with her phone when Shi Sui came out of the bathroom. She turned off the light at the door without waiting for her to speak, then approached directly. She sensed the softness and warmth of lips, sweet fragrance and breath enveloping her all at once. Then those moist lips kissed her lip corner, her cheek, her ear. They lingered on her earlobe before biting her neck. Shi Sui said, “Tilt your head up.”

Involuntarily, she lifted her chin. That breath trailed from her neck to her collarbone, down the cleft between her breasts.

Her tongue circled her lower abdomen.

It hadn’t even ventured lower yet.

But she was already soaking wet.

Jiang Ruoning flipped over in bed and felt the dampness.

She jolted awake and immediately sat up. The motion was too abrupt, leaving her dizzy for two seconds as she leaned against the bedside table. Her hand reached down to touch her sleep pants.

Jiang Ruoning closed her eyes.

Who could’ve imagined.

She’d actually had a wet dream.

She was mortified.

Who would believe it!

No one!

Jiang Ruoning increasingly felt like she was desperate. They’d only met today, yet that night she dreamed of doing it with her. Fine, that was one thing—but squirting? Was that an orgasm?

She really wanted to smack herself dead with a brick.

Tears welled up in Jiang Ruoning’s eyes with no outlet, but fortunately, she knew her flow was heavy. She always put a waterproof pad on the bed in advance during her period. At that moment, Jiang Ruoning yanked off the pad and went to the bathroom to clean up. When she came out, she glanced at the time: 4 a.m.

Dark circles under her eyes, Jiang Ruoning cursed this damn period.

Otherwise, she’d still be sweetly dreaming right now—maybe even completing the symphony of life with Shi Sui.

What a shame.

Such a shame.

Jiang Ruoning lay back on the bed in annoyance, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. She simply grabbed her phone and scrolled through short videos for a bit—all things like “I was reborn, reborn at eighteen, nineteen, twenty, reborn before the college entrance exam, before my husband beat me to death, before my sister stabbed me…”

It gave her a headache.

She suspected two more glances and she’d be reborn herself.

Jiang Ruoning crawled up from the bed and sat dryly at the headboard. She hadn’t slept late last night, but now she was wide awake with insomnia.

All because of that dream.

Jiang Ruoning finally endured until past six. She messaged Qin Zheng: [Are you and Yun An sexually satisfied?]

Qin Zheng was eating breakfast; she had a shoot and had gotten up before five. She’d just finished getting ready and sat at the dining table when she received Jiang Ruoning’s message. Qin Zheng frowned: [?]

Jiang Ruoning: [I think I orgasmed last night.]

Qin Zheng: [Huh?]

She thought of something: [You two! You…!]

No, wait.

Qin Zheng: [Aren’t you on your period?]

How could she still do it?

Fight through blood and fire?

That intense?

Or was she helping someone else?

Qin Zheng smacked her forehead—the more she thought, the more ridiculous it got.

Jiang Ruoning said lightly: [It was a dream.]

Qin Zheng was speechless: [……]

Jiang Ruoning: [A wet dream.]

Qin Zheng didn’t want to reply.

Jiang Ruoning: [Have you ever had one?]

Qin Zheng: [Not really.]

She didn’t commit fully. Yun An stuck to her like glue except for those few days they both had to rest. Wet dream? She could barely sleep properly—Yun An was moving before she closed her eyes, still moving when she opened them. Many times, she was stimulated to tears, wishing she could just pass out.

Yet outside, Yun An acted so proper, ascetic and upright, always dressed impeccably straight-laced. Many times when Qin Zheng brought her dinner at work, her colleagues wondered, “Zhengzheng-jie, aren’t you wronged being with the team leader?”

She was puzzled: “Wronged?”

“Yeah!” The girls in the group chattered: “She doesn’t seem like the dating type.”

“Ice-cold. Last time Little Zhang messed up her report and got scolded to tears.”

“I don’t even dare make eye contact with her.”

Qin Zheng didn’t dare make eye contact with her either.

On the bed.

The second their eyes met, it was like thunder striking earth—sparks flying.

But Yun An went on business trips, sometimes for ten days or half a month.

They couldn’t see each other.

So she would have dreams.

Thus, her reply to Jiang Ruoning was carefully worded.

Jiang Ruoning ignored any careful wording and went straight: [So you have.]

Qin Zheng: [……]

Jiang Ruoning: [Who knew you had wet dreams too? Yun An can’t satisfy you?]

She was being cheeky again.

Qin Zheng ignored that question and asked instead: [Who’d you dream about? That one from yesterday?]

Jiang Ruoning: [Yup.]

Yup my ass.

They’d only met yesterday.

And she had a wet dream about her that night?

Qin Zheng couldn’t find words to describe it. These past few years, she knew people had tried setting Jiang Ruoning up—from insiders to outsiders, singers to actors to staff. At least eight or nine, but Jiang Ruoning showed no interest, blaming it on her mom.

She knew about Jiang Qin’s condition. Jiang Ruoning had forgotten the past events, but she remembered.

She didn’t want to see Jiang Qin’s old illness flare up.

So she’d never set Jiang Ruoning up with anyone.

One year, Jiang Ruoning excitedly told her she’d met a professor—very intellectual, beautiful and elegant, her total goddess. She shared enthusiastically, saying they had a weekend date.

Later, she met the professor too.

Just as Jiang Ruoning described: radiant, beautiful, elegant. Then the professor told her they’d not even held hands. She was very interested in Jiang Ruoning, even willing to be her lover after learning about her mother’s issues.

No need for a public relationship—as long as they could be together.

But Jiang Ruoning politely refused.

She said she couldn’t get over the psychological hurdle, that a secret relationship was unfair to her.

So, was it her words last night that gave Jiang Ruoning confidence? Or did she like this newly met person enough to overcome that hurdle?

Falling for someone new was always impulsive anyway.

It wasn’t Jiang Ruoning’s first time getting excited like this—that professor incident too.

But having a wet dream about someone she’d just met.

That was a first.

Qin Zheng had no intention of interfering. Her mom’s attitude was softening—maybe this was the turning point for Jiang Ruoning to finally have a new relationship.

She sincerely wished: [Hope next time it happens somewhere other than in a dream.]

Sleep-deprived, Jiang Ruoning’s brain lagged. She read the message three times before her face flushed red. She’d just been regretting not continuing that wet dream, and now Qin Zheng had called her out, leaving her flustered again.

Qin Zheng was puzzled: [Eh? Where’d she go, off to have another wet dream?]

Jiang Ruoning took a deep breath: [I did, with yours!]

Qin Zheng felt nothing and played along: [Mm, with mine. Waiting for me to fuck you.]

Jiang Ruoning: [Wonder if I’d send this screenshot to Yun An, if she’d rush home overnight.]

Qin Zheng: [Heh.]

Jiang Ruoning: [Aiya, just kidding.]

Qin Zheng knew it was a joke. In fact, she used to joke like that often too.

About her and Shi Sui.

Lately, Shi Sui popped into her mind more.

All Yun An’s fault.

Mentioning Shi Sui for no reason yesterday.

Qin Zheng’s gaze lowered, a hint of displeasure flickering. She brushed her hair, set down her phone, and continued eating breakfast.

Jiang Ruoning hugged her phone and stared up at the ceiling. When it vibrated, she thought it was Qin Zheng. But opening it, it was a gossip push notification: some celebrity and another celeb on a midnight rendezvous.

Paired with a blurry-to-hell photo.

Jiang Ruoning thought of her own gossip from last night and searched online.

Wu Jie hadn’t lied to her.

Even the hot search terms were wiped clean.

It was truly suppressed.

Jiang Ruoning’s lips curved up slightly. Ding— a new message popped up at the top of her screen.

It was from the woman who’d tumbled with her in clouds and rain in her dream.

Jiang Ruoning tapped the chat. She saw Shi Sui’s message: [Got it, send it to me later.]

She politely sent a question mark, then a more polite reminder: [Did you send to the wrong person?]

Shi Sui sat in the car. Seeing Jiang Ruoning’s reply, she lowered her eyes, her expression unsurprised. But her response feigned surprise: [Sorry, sent to the wrong person. Did I disturb your rest?]

Jiang Ruoning clutched her phone with both hands, rolled over, and replied: [Nah, I was awake too.]

Shi Sui: [Up so early?]

Jiang Ruoning glanced at the time at the top: 7:30.

Shi Sui: [You said yesterday you had a couple days off. I thought you’d sleep till noon.]

She knew modern young people’s schedules well.

Jiang Ruoning smiled.

This person even remembered her casual mention of having time off.

It was hard for her mood not to improve.

In a good mood, her typing was lighthearted: [Usually till noon, but had something this morning, so up early. Gonna sleep more later.]

She sent it with a cute emoji pack.

Adorably cute.

Shi Sui saw through it: [Good mood today?]

Jiang Ruoning didn’t know how she could tell, but she was honest: [Yeah, pretty good.]

Shi Sui: [Something nice happen?]

Jiang Ruoning instinctively: [Nope.]

Shi Sui: [Then a nice dream?]

Jiang Ruoning choked. Last night’s sweet dream flashed in her mind. She shot upright—too fast. Blood surged through her body, and she closed her eyes in despair.

She’d climaxed again.