Chapter 14

Yun Chun had barely finished speaking when Lu Qingxue didn’t even bother to sit up. Her body floated over like a feather caught in the breeze, drifting right in front of her.

Lu Qingxue’s voice was as light as air, accompanied by a soft laugh. “Afraid I’ll misunderstand?”

One sentence of explanation would have sufficed; there was no need for a second. But the more Yun Chun explained, the clearer her innocence became—and the less likely Lu Qingxue was to misunderstand.

Yun Chun’s eyelashes fluttered. “Yes.”

“The reason?”

Facing Lu Qingxue, Yun Chun felt a little embarrassed. She cleared her throat. “Because if you misunderstand me, you’ll be unhappy. If you’re unhappy, I’ll be in trouble. And once I’m in trouble—”

Lu Qingxue cut in. “Once you’re in trouble, you won’t make any money?”

She had been found out. Yun Chun didn’t try to hide it, though she still felt a bit awkward. “Yeah.”

Lu Qingxue couldn’t hold back a smile; the corners of her mouth curved up gently.

How could someone be this adorable?

She cared so much about money that her face practically screamed, “All I want is cash.” Her eyes lit up at the sight of it—a total little miser. And yet, no one could hate her for it. In fact… it made Lu Qingxue want to hand over all her savings.

Lu Qingxue lifted her pale, bloodless hand and slowly placed it on Yun Chun’s right cheek.

She caressed it gently.

Yun Chun didn’t pull away. Instead, she curiously savored the warmth of Lu Qingxue’s hand.

Yun Chun figured Lu Qingxue could control her own temperature, because the hand stroking her cheek now was far from the icy chill of the palm that had gripped her waist earlier. It was pleasantly cool—in this windowless room without air conditioning, it felt refreshingly crisp.

A sudden money-making idea sprouted in Yun Chun’s mind: Wasn’t this the perfect summer cooling gadget?

Just plop Lu Qingxue down, and the whole area would feel a cool breeze.

She could rent a little shop, open a drink stand, and Lu Qingxue would be… a living air conditioner that didn’t need electricity?

A sharp pinch on her cheek.

Yun Chun sucked in a breath, blinking her eyes pitifully at Lu Qingxue as if to ask why she was pinching her.

Lu Qingxue let out a soft huff of laughter. “Planning to use me to make money?”

“How did you—” know?

Yun Chun paused, then shook her head. “No, I’m not.”

Lu Qingxue released her fingers, her fingertip lightly rubbing the spot she’d pinched, massaging it gently. The soft sensation melted into her heart. She smiled faintly. “It’s not entirely out of the question.”

Just as Yun Chun’s eyes lit up, Lu Qingxue added softly, “But I’d only work for free as my wife’s personal laborer. What do you think… about that?”

One sentence snuffed out the light in Yun Chun’s eyes.

She thought Lu Qingxue was so… infuriating. Teasing her like this.

Luckily, Yun Chun kept that thought to herself.

She couldn’t really treat Lu Qingxue like a central AC unit, could she?

Lu Qingxue’s hand continued to rub Yun Chun’s face, her fingertips trailing a gentle warmth from cheek to heart. Yun Chun’s heart trembled involuntarily.

For some reason, her mouth suddenly went dry.

Yun Chun turned her head away, dodging Lu Qingxue’s hand. She then grabbed the bottle of Jinmailang water she’d bought at the little supermarket downstairs, twisted it open, and took a big gulp.

The cool water slid down her throat, soothing the restless heat building inside her.

Once her thirst was quenched, Yun Chun’s mind started racing again. She set the bottle down and skipped the earlier topic entirely. Instead, she asked Lu Qingxue, “What happened yesterday? Why did you suddenly vanish? Did something go wrong?”

While Yun Chun drank, Lu Qingxue had settled back on the edge of the bed. A strand of her ink-black hair had fallen over her right shoulder, partially veiling the faint prominence of her collarbone.

“Nothing,” she replied to Yun Chun, her expression mild and gentle. “It’s just that the energy in my body right now isn’t enough for me to maintain my form for too long. And also…”

Lu Qingxue pressed her lips together and trailed off.

The other reason was that if her emotions fluctuated too much, it would affect the magnetic field around her.

Like the flickering lights.

If she’d stayed two seconds longer yesterday, the bulb in Yun Chun’s house might have exploded.

A blown bulb might be a small thing, but Yun Chun would surely fret over the cost of replacing it. After all, the bathroom light at her place had been flickering like that, and Yun Chun had never bothered to fix it—she’d just made do. If Lu Qingxue accidentally shattered the bulb, she couldn’t imagine if this little one would grumble about making her pay for a new one.

She might not even ask for compensation. Yun Chun still remembered what she’d said last time about unhappiness blocking her path to wealth, so she wouldn’t complain carelessly.

Of course, Lu Qingxue could afford a bulb, so that wasn’t the real reason she left. The key was—Lu Qingxue had gained a new understanding of her own self-control, laced with doubt:

How had a single “Sister Lu” from Yun Chun pushed her emotions to the peak?

She hadn’t even had time to resist or rein it in before the lights flickered.

She’d had no choice but to leave.

“Fleeing in embarrassment” described it well, though Lu Qingxue wasn’t that disheveled.

Yun Chun waited a moment, but Lu Qingxue didn’t continue. She pressed, “And what else?”

Lu Qingxue’s eyes curved in a smile. “Worried about me?”

The sudden question burst her concern like a popped bubble, dissolving it into tiny flecks that scattered in the light, nowhere to hide.

She had been a little worried about Lu Qingxue, but now that Lu Qingxue had called her out, Yun Chun suddenly didn’t want to admit it.

She didn’t know why, but she coughed casually again, feigning nonchalance. “As long as you’re fine, that’s good.”

Lu Qingxue’s voice softened. “As long as you care about me, I won’t let anything happen to me.”

Did her concern really have that much power?

Yun Chun smiled.

She sat on the edge of the bed, chatting casually with Lu Qingxue like old friends. Once she finished recounting the day’s events, she asked, “I’m planning to go to your house tomorrow. Are your parents… easy to talk to?”

Lu Qingxue replied softly, “They’re okay.”

“Okay meaning easy or not easy?” Yun Chun asked shyly. “If I ask them for our marriage certificate… will they give it to me?”

Lu Qingxue’s beauty mark shifted slightly, and her eyes curved again. “Want me to give you some advice?”

Yun Chun nodded twice. “Yeah.”

Lu Qingxue rested her wrist lazily on her knee, her fingertip tapping the air twice. “Walk in and call them Mom and Dad right away. They’ll give you anything you want.”

Yun Chun: “Huh?”

That… didn’t seem right.

She opposed the ghost marriage just like Lu Qingxue did—not Lu Qingxue herself.

But that didn’t mean she accepted their relationship…

After all, Lu Qingxue had dropped into her life out of nowhere.

It was like walking down the street normally when someone suddenly shoved a beautiful woman into your arms and told you that, without your knowledge, you were already married to her…

If it were a stranger, it might be easier to deal with. But after staring at this beautiful woman for a bit, you realize she’s the pretty big sister you used to play with as a kid…

Out of touch for so long—familiar yet strange.

In her memories, Yun Chun had called her “sister,” but just now, Lu Qingxue had murmured “wife.”

It left Yun Chun at a loss about their relationship, prompting her to redefine it formally.

But no matter how formal, calling her parents “Mom and Dad” was a step too far…

Lu Qingxue hooked her index finger and lightly scraped Yun Chun’s nose tip, her voice soft. “Just teasing you.”

She withdrew her hand, set her crossed leg down, and rose into the air in front of Yun Chun. Her cyan robe hem swayed twice. “Just go and ask them for it. They won’t make things difficult for you.”

“But…” Lu Qingxue leaned down, her willow-leaf eyes narrowing slightly. “Do you really want to divorce me that badly?”

“…”

Seeing Yun Chun fall silent, Lu Qingxue continued, “You might never see me again after that~”

Yun Chun drew her long legs up, pursed her lips, and looked up. “Don’t you want to?”

“No.”

“Why?”

Lu Qingxue smiled without answering. She placed her hand on Yun Chun’s shoulder and gave a gentle push.

Caught off guard, Yun Chun toppled backward onto the bed.

Lu Qingxue braced herself on the bed and slowly leaned over Yun Chun until she hovered in the air above her. Strands of blue-black hair draped over Yun Chun’s arms, chest, collarbone, neck, and chin, coolly tickling her skin.

Yun Chun blinked rapidly. “W-what are you doing?”

Lu Qingxue laughed at her stutter. “What do you want me to do?”

Yun Chun bit her lip inwardly. “I don’t know.”

Lu Qingxue asked with a smile, “Haven’t you imagined any scenes? About us.”

Yun Chun: “…No.”

A lie.

This position was so intimate that even without Lu Qingxue mentioning it, steamy dreams from recently had flooded her mind.

Their pose right now was exactly like in those dreams.

Yun Chun lamented inwardly: Hadn’t she said she wouldn’t lie down? How had one push from Lu Qingxue sent her tumbling? Was she really that weak? Like a total newbie.

Lu Qingxue saw through Yun Chun’s bravado but didn’t press. “Mm… if you haven’t, then I must be overthinking it.”

As she spoke, Lu Qingxue’s gaze lingered on Yun Chun’s flushed red lips for two extra seconds before slowly moving to her eyes. Those eyes were clear as mirrors, but Lu Qingxue couldn’t see her own reflection in them.

Was she not in Yun Chun’s eyes?

No.

She wasn’t in Yun Chun’s heart.

If she were, Lu Qingxue would have seen herself reflected there.

Lu Qingxue lowered her eyelids, reining in her emotions.

She knew such things couldn’t be forced, especially given the gap between them now. The fact that Yun Chun could speak to her so calmly was already a blessing.

She wouldn’t ask for more.

Once Yun Chun got the marriage certificate, everything between them would end.

With a quiet sigh in her heart, Lu Qingxue kept her expression steady and said in a doting tone, “Little Darling, could you do me a favor?”

Before Yun Chun could ask, Lu Qingxue explained what she needed. “Let me replenish some energy.”

Yun Chun thought for a moment. Earlier, Lu Qingxue had said she vanished precisely because she lacked energy, so what exactly was this energy she was referring to…

Rather than agreeing or refusing, Yun Chun asked, “How can I help you?”

Look at her—so eager to lend a hand.

She was even willing to help out for free.

What a good Samaritan.

Lu Qingxue’s voice stayed soft and gentle. She slipped her fingers into the hair above Yun Chun’s ear, her fingertips rubbing lightly and unhurriedly. “You just have to not refuse me.”

With that, Lu Qingxue leaned down. Under Yun Chun’s watchful gaze, those cool lips, pale and delicate as mint leaves, brushed against the corner of her mouth.

Lu Qingxue merely kissed the corner of her lips.

Before Yun Chun could even react, Lu Qingxue’s lips lifted from her face. She drew back slightly and stared at Yun Chun, her voice still soft. “There. That’s done.”

?

Yun Chun’s eyes flew wide open.

Done? Just like that?

One little kiss had replenished her energy?

Even fast charging didn’t work this quickly…

No, hold on.

Why was kissing her the way to replenish energy?

Was she some kind of power source?

And she hadn’t even known it?

She had to be getting played by Lu Qingxue.

But she had no proof.

Her widened eyes gradually settled back to normal, though her long, curled lashes still quivered faintly.

She stared at Lu Qingxue’s lips.

How could lips that gorgeous spout such lies…

And fool her so completely, without her suspecting a thing.

Her gaze lingered there on Lu Qingxue’s mouth.

Yun Chun wanted to bite them—hard—as punishment!

Then tell her straight up: If you want a kiss, just go for it. Why bother tricking her?

Yun Chun froze.

…Something about that didn’t feel right.

Lu Qingxue gazed into Yun Chun’s vacant pupils, unsure what was going through her head. She lifted a hand and patted the top of Yun Chun’s head, pulling her drifting thoughts back to the present.

“You worked hard today. I won’t disturb your rest any longer.” Lu Qingxue lowered her eyes and leaned close to Yun Chun’s ear. “Get to sleep early. Sweet dreams.”

As the word “dreams” left her lips, she nipped at Yun Chun’s earlobe.

Just like their farewell before.

It didn’t hurt at all, yet it felt like she’d flicked a switch connected straight to her veins. In an instant, Yun Chun’s body heated up.

The restless fire that mineral water had tamped down roared back to life.

And just as an involuntary tremor escaped Yun Chun’s throat, the figure pressing down on her vanished without a trace.

Leaving Yun Chun alone. She panted softly, staring blankly at the spot where Lu Qingxue had just been.

As expected—replenishing energy was a total lie.

She’d disappeared that fast…

A few seconds later, Yun Chun sat up and glanced toward the edge of the bed where Lu Qingxue had been sitting.

The bedsheet there lay perfectly smooth, without a single wrinkle.

It didn’t look like anyone had sat on it at all.

Yun Chun darted her tongue out to lick the spot that had been kissed, then frowned.

Why didn’t it taste like pomegranate juice this time?