My Girlfriend is a Cold and Aloof Sickly Beauty 97

Chapter 97: Is This the Adult Perspective?! 

Although she had read many classical Chinese texts and learned about the unusual customs of ancient people, after meeting Xiao Luohan across time and space, Jiang Xue hadn’t associated that boldness with Xiao Luo.

In her eyes, Xiao Luo was always gentle, elegant, polite, and reserved, the kind of shy girl who would apologize profusely even after accidentally kissing her.

Thinking about it now, her understanding of Xiao Luo was still insufficient… no, it was pure arrogance! They had known each other for almost two months, yet she was still stuck on the superficial “gentle and reserved” impression! She was even surprised by Xiao Luo’s indirect invitation!

Having realized the problem, Jiang Xue immediately decided to correct it, starting tonight, gradually supplementing her lacking understanding of this side of Xiao Luo.

So she accepted the invitation, brought a bar stool into the bathroom, and sat outside the shower stall.

The shower stall door in her ensuite bathroom had a frosted glass section, and since Xiao Luohan was almost the same height as her, the important parts were completely obscured.

But even so, seeing Xiao Luo showering, the water droplets gliding down her arms and legs, collecting at her toes and heels… Jiang Xue felt she shouldn’t be sitting here.

She forced herself to watch for a few more minutes, but perhaps because the steam from the shower was heating up the air, she felt stuffy and restless, so she simply stood up, walked to the sink, and brushed her teeth again.

Distracted, she accidentally squeezed out too much toothpaste, and as the electric toothbrush whirred, her mouth was filled with the refreshing, tingling sensation of mint.

It burned!

But at this moment, she was genuinely grateful for the invigorating mint flavor, keeping her mind clear, not letting the steam make her dizzy.

Since she didn’t need to think about her studies while relaxing, Jiang Xue used the remaining waiting time to ponder.

Was Xiao Luo hinting at something, or was she trying out some newly learned knowledge? Regardless, she had to ask Xiao Luo where she had heard or seen this.

As Jiang Xue pondered, Xiao Luohan was also observing her reaction.

At first, Jiang Xue sat upright with a serious expression, but this didn’t last long. She soon became restless, as if sitting on pins and needles.

Then, she even resorted to brushing her teeth to distract herself. When she returned, she was lost in thought.

What was she thinking? Confused about her own motives? Puzzled by the fluttering in her heart when looking at her?

Or… worried about when, where, and from whom she had “learned this bad behavior”?

Xiao Luohan didn’t think what she was currently doing was “bad behavior.” She was simply taking something that would happen later in a relationship and trying it out in advance, mainly curious about Jiang Xue’s current level of acceptance.

If Jiang Xue couldn’t accept it for now, or even strongly resisted it, then this level of intimacy could be postponed. After all, it was just a whim.

So she didn’t say a word, quietly finishing her shower as usual.

Seeing her come out in her pajamas and go straight to the sink to brush her teeth, Jiang Xue became even more nervous.

You invited me to watch you, don’t you plan to say something?

I watched everything, are you really not going to explain?

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, or ask about the questions that had been swirling in her mind.

But in the end, she closed her mouth and swallowed her words.

Regardless of whether Xiao Luo had received related instructions before the marriage alliance—she vaguely remembered reading in some historical materials that women who married emperors or princes had to receive special instruction from older palace matrons before the wedding, to ensure they could bear children for the royal family as soon as possible—or if she had secretly learned about it after coming here, since Xiao Luo had willingly shown her this side of herself, she should respect her choice.

This meant that Xiao Luo was willing to trust her completely, even entrusting herself to her. If she also liked Xiao Luo, she shouldn’t betray this trust with excessive curiosity.

Xiao Luo needed answers to fill the void in her heart, so she just needed to give Xiao Luo a response, either acceptance or rejection, not a series of questions.

What was the point of prying at this time?

So after Xiao Luohan put away her toothbrush and cup, Jiang Xue silently hugged her from behind.

Without a word, she just held her tightly, their heads touching, using the warmth of her breath to tell her that she was here.

Within her boundaries, she was willing to accept everything Xiao Luo offered.

Now it was Xiao Luohan’s turn to be stunned.

She had been prepared for Jiang Xue’s questions, but she only received a silent answer.

…Don’t you have anything to ask? Isn’t my behavior suspicious?

Not asking anything, just expressing her thoughts with actions? Besides acceptance, did this embrace also contain pity and tenderness?

Although doubts arose one after another, she felt a sense of peace as they filled her heart.

Taking Jiang Xue’s hand, which was resting in front of her, Xiao Luohan turned around in her embrace, slightly raised her chin, and effortlessly reached for the soft lips so close to hers.

She felt Jiang Xue flinch slightly, clearly unprepared, but after recovering, she started to respond.

The spicy mint and sweet orange flavors mingled.

After a while, Xiao Luohan tried to pull away.

As she expected, Jiang Xue, already captivated, instinctively chased after her lips, clumsily imitating her, until she became the one reluctant to end the kiss.

But it was getting late. Thinking about their journey today, and the long subway transfers, Xiao Luohan felt that Jiang Xue really needed to rest, so she slowly moved to the door and pressed the handle.

As the door opened, the cold air from the temperature difference made Jiang Xue, who was in a daze, snap back to reality.

Xiao Luohan took this opportunity to escape, her fingertip gently brushing against Jiang Xue’s cheek. “That’s enough for today.”

“Ah… okay!” Jiang Xue finally came to her senses, as if after an unusually long delay, her face flushing crimson, her voice stammering. “I should go to bed. Do you… do you want to continue watching the Spring Festival Gala? Or playing Non-Dream?”

“Is there no third option?” Xiao Luohan asked, turning off the bathroom light.

Jiang Xue: …

Recalling what had just happened, she froze again.

“When my health was poor, I often couldn’t get enough sleep,” Xiao Luohan explained seriously. “At first, I felt guilty, but then Mother told me that it was normal, that I wasn’t being lazy or sleepy, but my body needed enough sleep to heal.”

“So don’t worry about me not being able to sleep,” she chuckled softly. “In a place where I feel safe, I can sleep soundly.”

Perhaps because of the “intense interaction” today, they both slept peacefully throughout the night, not clinging to each other as usual.

In the following days, they both hid their relationship well in front of their family and friends.

Besides Jiang Mei, who shared her consciousness with another soul, and Xie Xitong and Grandma Xie, who were already “waiting for them to get together,” no one realized that their relationship had changed.

“…The change must have happened after they went out that day, right?”

On the fifth day of the first lunar month, after confirming the final arrangements for the birthday banquet with the hotel, Jiang Mei couldn’t help but discuss it with Xiao Linghan. “I originally thought only your younger sister had realized her feelings, and that A-Xue was still clueless, but A-Xue’s behavior has also been unusual these past few days.”

“Unusual how?” Xiao Linghan asked in return. “Isn’t this how couples act in your world?”

Jiang Mei: …

She was speechless. Compared to them, her own interactions with Xiao Linghan’s younger sister were actually quite reserved… she just didn’t know if they had engaged in any typical couple activities when she wasn’t paying attention.

“Yes, I saw it when I possessed the phone case,” Xiao Linghan replied with a smile after hearing her inner thoughts. “Thanks to the Xie family elder’s magic, the part of my soul residing in the plum blossoms can now temporarily attach itself to other inanimate objects.”

“They might seem diligent in the study, but as soon as they close the bedroom door…”

Xiao Linghan vividly described what she had seen, making Jiang Mei frown repeatedly, then sigh. “Well, at least they know their limits…”

“That’s not necessarily true,” Xiao Linghan said. “Don’t forget, after their birthday tomorrow, they’ll both be eighteen. According to the laws of your world, although they can’t get married yet, they can still do other things.”

Jiang Mei: …

This was a headache.

She had originally wanted to turn a blind eye, but after Xiao Linghan’s reminder, she couldn’t sit still any longer. While Xiao Luohan was practicing the guqin, she called her younger sister to her study.

Jiang Xue sensed the danger from her older sister’s tone, but still obediently followed, sitting upright in front of Jiang Mei, looking directly into her eyes.

“As long as it doesn’t affect your studies, you can date whoever you want,” Jiang Mei said calmly, then suddenly felt that these words sounded familiar. Thinking carefully, she had said the same thing when her sister first told her about the “transtemporal pen pal.”

Back then, her sister had choked and immediately clarified, “She’s not my girlfriend!”

“This time, she really is,” Jiang Mei added teasingly. “But Xiao Luo’s health isn’t very good yet, is it? Even after her eighteenth birthday, you’re not allowed to go that far. This is for her health.”

Jiang Xue was stunned by her sister’s calm and collected words, then, after recovering, coughed awkwardly, her cheeks and ears flushing.

This was the adult perspective! She hadn’t even thought of that!

Although she wasn’t against that kind of thing, she felt it was too early. Even if it were to happen, she would definitely let Xiao Luo practice first… no! Why was she following her sister’s train of thought?!

“I absolutely guarantee that! Really! I can even swear on it in front of you and Elder Sister Red Fox!” Jiang Xue said, extending three fingers, about to make a vow, when Jiang Mei tapped her forehead with her fingers.

“So, what’s your current progress?” Releasing her hand, Jiang Mei crossed her arms, feeling it necessary to confirm. “And who’s taking the initiative? If so, is it just a light touch, or a full-on invasion?”

Jiang Xue: …??

Wait, Sis, why are you so skilled at interrogation?!