Chapter 41

Wen Xin rarely cried. She usually held back her tears, only letting them flow in a few exceptional cases.

Like today.

Shi Qianyu’s embrace felt so comforting, her palm warm as it gently stroked Wen Xin’s skin. For some reason, Wen Xin found she couldn’t hold back her tears anymore. She nestled into Shi Qianyu’s arms and cried quietly for a little while—a rare indulgence for her.

The moment hadn’t lasted long, but to Wen Xin, it already felt like an eternity. Shi Qianyu had been busy all afternoon without even eating yet, and now she was taking time to comfort and soothe her. It must have been exhausting for her.

A moment later, Wen Xin finally reined in her tears.

But her emotions took a while to settle. Once the sadness faded, it was replaced by embarrassment. After all, Shi Qianyu had seen her in such a disheveled state.

Fortunately, Shi Qianyu didn’t seem to mind at all. Once Wen Xin had composed herself, Shi Qianyu met her gaze again. “Feeling better?”

“Want some water?”

Wen Xin shook her head. “No need.”

She remembered that bowl of noodles. It had been sitting there so long by now that it must have gone cold. “I’ll go reheat the noodles…”

“No.” Shi Qianyu shook her head, refusing to let go. Sensing that Wen Xin’s mood had improved, she finally relaxed a little and slipped back into her usual tone. “Just let me hold you a bit longer.”

“Aren’t you hungry, A-Yu?” Wen Xin’s voice came muffled from her embrace, sounding adorably soft. It made Shi Qianyu’s lips curve up unconsciously.

“Yeah.” Shi Qianyu nodded. “But more than eating, I want to hold Sister.”

“It’s been all afternoon without seeing you. I missed you so much.”

Missed you.

Was it any wonder it was Shi Qianyu? Even with their relationship as lovers, she could say such sweet nothings with such effortless sincerity.

Wen Xin knew the words might not be entirely true, but they still touched her. A quiet joy and warmth bloomed in her heart, making her dimly realize that she, too, was someone worth thinking about—and by someone as wonderful as Shi Qianyu, no less.

So she indulged her. “All right, just a little longer then.”

Shi Qianyu smiled and nodded. “Okay.”

A little while later, the embrace finally came to an end.

Wen Xin went back to the kitchen to reheat the noodles. After being cooked twice, they’d lost their original texture and come out rather soft and mushy. As she ate quietly with her chopsticks, she noticed the meat sauce seemed a bit too salty. The flavor wasn’t great.

But Shi Qianyu still finished every bite, even though she’d once mentioned she barely ate dinner to keep her figure.

“Delicious. Thank you.”

After the meal, she offered Wen Xin sincere praise.

Wen Xin felt too guilty to accept it. She insisted on doing all the dishes herself, refusing to let Shi Qianyu help after eating such bad noodles.

By the time she finished, it was already late.

She’d been at Shi Qianyu’s place all day, and it would be inconvenient to stay longer and impose. Emerging from the kitchen, Wen Xin meant to say goodbye.

But Shi Qianyu, sitting by the floor-to-ceiling window, beckoned her gently with a wave. “Come here, okay?”

“Sure.” Wen Xin nodded, unsure what she had in mind but walking over anyway.

Shi Qianyu took her hand and had her sit down together. The single-person sofa by the window was narrow since Shi Qianyu lived alone, but she always found a way. She pulled Wen Xin into her lap and wrapped her arms tightly around her from behind.

The night air held a mysterious quiet. The upscale neighborhood had few residents, making it all the more serene. Wen Xin followed Shi Qianyu’s gaze to the horizon and saw a sky full of stars.

The view from here was perfect—no buildings blocked even a single one. They hung bright and plentiful against the dark canvas. It had been so long since Wen Xin had seen such a beautiful starry sky; she was instantly awestruck by the sight.

Shi Qianyu rested her chin on Wen Xin’s shoulder, her soft voice whispering by her ear. “So pretty.”

“Mm.” Her breath tickled Wen Xin’s ear, making the tips of her ears grow hot. The spots where they touched felt a little itchy, but Wen Xin held still and didn’t pull away. “Beautiful.”

“Are you heading home?” Shi Qianyu asked softly, as if reading her mind.

Wen Xin nodded. “Yeah, I should go.”

“It’s late. Stay over.” Shi Qianyu’s arm stayed around her waist, unwilling to release her. “Don’t go, okay?”

She always used this tone with Wen Xin, and everything had its limits. Over time, one ought to grow accustomed—like the bullying and pain from before, which Wen Xin had learned to accept and ignore after repeated heartbreak, her reactions no longer as intense as at first.

But with Shi Qianyu, those thresholds seemed to vanish entirely. Her boundaries kept shifting lower. A single soft plea from Shi Qianyu, and Wen Xin couldn’t bear to mention leaving again.

Or perhaps her desire to leave wasn’t that strong to begin with.

Blushing, Wen Xin turned to meet her eyes and whispered, “Okay.”

Shi Qianyu said nothing more and leaned in to kiss her. The room was brightly lit, and they sat right by the window. If anyone glanced over from afar, their figures would be fully exposed, nowhere to hide.

Wen Xin shook her head and instinctively blocked Shi Qianyu’s lips with her fingertip, rejecting her in a tiny voice. “No.”

Shi Qianyu respected her wish and stopped. Starlight reflected in her eyes, beautiful in a way that rivaled the night sky itself.

“Why?” She smiled, her voice light as she asked. They were so close it felt like she was murmuring intimate secrets.

Wen Xin’s gaze darted away. “Someone might see.”

Shi Qianyu understood her shyness and made a new suggestion. “Then let’s go to the bedroom?”

She seemed to realize how well “I missed you” had worked earlier, so she went straight for the heart, sharing her thoughts one by one. “I just want to spend more time with you.”

“There was so much to handle this afternoon—it was tedious, and I was feeling frustrated and worn out. But thinking of someone waiting for me at home gave me the energy to push through.”

“I messaged you on my way back, but you didn’t reply. I got a little worried, afraid you’d left already. Luckily, you kept your word and stayed, even made dinner for me.”

“That bowl of noodles was delicious.” Shi Qianyu beamed. “I’d never tried it made that way before. I really hope I get to have it again sometime.”

She went on like that, without a hint of embarrassment, so good at expressing herself.

Wen Xin, the listener, felt her cheeks heat up, her heart racing faster. In Shi Qianyu’s words, she sounded like the most important person in the world—someone Shi Qianyu missed, thought of, and cared for deeply. True or not, it softened her heart completely.

Unthinkingly, she nodded and went inside with Shi Qianyu. They showered together in the bathroom, then slipped into the soft, large bed.

Shi Qianyu turned off the lights and drew the curtains over the windows. Now, no one in the world could see Wen Xin except for her.

In the dimness, they kissed and held each other. Shi Qianyu’s kisses fell on every inch of her skin, even the most intimate places.

Wen Xin’s body went limp, her scalp tingling. She seemed to want to resist, her fingers threading into Shi Qianyu’s soft hair. She heard her gasps, her soft laughs, felt the kisses lingering and wandering.

The room was perfectly soundproofed—no need to worry about being overheard. Wen Xin couldn’t stifle her voice as she surrendered to Shi Qianyu’s every teasing caress, lost in passion.

Finally, dazed and bewildered, she came back to herself at the sound of Shi Qianyu’s light laugh. Afraid of being teased for her over-the-top reactions—though there was no real need to hold back—she bit down on her own finger to stifle herself.

The sound was muffled, but her saliva escaped, trickling between her fingers and wetting her lips.

She was mired in desire, unable to pull herself free.

At some point, Shi Qianyu had sat up. Gazing down at her, she saw the deep teeth marks Wen Xin had bitten into her own knuckles. Heart aching at the sight, Shi Qianyu brought them to her lips and kissed them gently over and over.

She shook her head. “Don’t bite yourself. What if you hurt it?”

Wen Xin was still out of it, as if she hadn’t heard. She just called her name in broken gasps. “A-Yu… A-Yu.”

Their eyes met. Wen Xin struggled to sit up against the headboard, shame warring with boldness as she leaned in to ask for a kiss.

Shi Qianyu sighed helplessly. “I just…”

Tears welled in Wen Xin’s eyes, like someone drowning grasping for a lifeline—Shi Qianyu being her salvation. She whimpered, words fragmented. “It’s… fine… no problem.”

How could anyone not love that?

Shi Qianyu leaned down to kiss her. They tangled together again. Wen Xin tasted nothing unusual, but it excited her inexplicably, sweeping away all her inner unease and sadness.

Shi Qianyu held her tightly. The night was utterly silent—you could hear a pin drop—and Wen Xin could make out the rapid thump of Shi Qianyu’s heartbeat. It had sped up too, and not for any other reason than the person in her arms.

Time passed, though she couldn’t say how long. Wen Xin sank back into the soft bedding. Shi Qianyu hugged her from behind, and they lingered like that for a while.

Wen Xin was already exhausted, but for some reason, she couldn’t quite fall asleep. Shi Qianyu had gone quiet behind her, so she assumed she’d drifted off and instinctively lightened her own breathing.

The silence gradually gave rise to even greater drowsiness. Moments later, Wen Xin closed her eyes as well.

She should have drifted off to sleep without issue, had it not been for Shi Qianyu’s question. Perhaps the passionate intimacy from moments ago had lulled her into a false sense of ease. Or maybe the rush of excitement combined with exhaustion had dulled her thoughts, leaving little room for reflection. Then again, it could have been Wen Xin’s own lack of refusal or denial earlier that evening.

Shi Qianyu longed to take things further with the woman before her. Thus, she spoke softly. “Move in with me.”

“Let’s live together from now on.”

“…”

And just like that, Wen Xin became the one lost for words.