Chapter 63: Tacit Consent

Before going to take a shower, Ming You sent a message to Yang Wei as well: 【No need for Big Yang Wei to send us tomorrow. Found some companions.】

【Yang Wei: Companions to see the Sea of Clouds? The pair of beauties staying next door to you? [Sneaky grin] 】

【Ming You: Yeah.】

【Yang Wei: Got it. You, our guide, take good care of Teacher Yan.】

【Ming You: Teacher Yan will take care of me too.】

【Yang Wei: Right, mutual care, loving each other dearly.】

They ran a guesthouse as a family and had seen far too many ambiguous and tangled relationships between people. Same-sex couples were extremely common and utterly ordinary.

Take Su Yi and Jin Yuan, who checked in yesterday, for example. Aunt Mei handled their check-in, Yang Wei showed them to the Little Wooden Cabin, and Yang Wei delivered their afternoon tea. The whole family took turns meeting this pair of lovers.

Because they were so pretty!

That evening, the three of them even sat together watching TV and munching on seeds, all agreeing that this was the most eye-candy pair of girlfriends they’d ever seen.

If Ming You and Teacher Yan became a couple too, that… would break the “most” record again.

……

Ming You finished her shower and went upstairs with her thermos cup. It was already ten o’clock.

The mosquito net was tied up, and Yan Ningxi sat propped against the headboard reading a book. Unlike at the apartment, she sat on Ming You’s usual side of the bed.

Ming You grabbed the remote from the desk and climbed onto the bed, placing her hand on the book: “Sister Yan, stop reading. Let’s watch a movie.”

There was a projector upstairs too.

“Okay.” She put the book away. Whatever the girl said was fine.

Ming You didn’t sit right next to Yan Ningxi. They each had their own pillows as she opened the movie library and searched while asking, “Did you check tomorrow’s weather forecast? Miss Su and her girlfriend are coming with us.”

Two people turning into four?

“Overcast turning cloudy.” In winter, as long as it didn’t rain, it counted as good weather.

“The weather gods favored us. Not bad luck.” She selected a blockbuster romance film released in May of that year. “Let’s watch this.”

As the opening music started, Ming You turned off the lights at the same time a message notification chimed on her phone—from Su Yi: 【My girlfriend, Jin Yuan. Who’s yours?】

They were traveling together tomorrow, so introductions were in order. Ming You glanced at the person intently watching the movie and typed back: 【Yan Ningxi.】

Su Yi was the second person after Qi Xuexin to see her and Yan Ningxi as a couple. Favorability +10086!

“Why didn’t you pretend to be drunk today?”

“……” The question instantly woke Ming You right up. The 40° baijiu that Yang Wei brought was a small bottle, only 100ml, shared among her, Aunt Mei, and the three of them.

Yan Ningxi wasn’t trying to pick a fight; the girl’s lack of focus just displeased her. The girl hadn’t had so many messages to send others before. It was the girl who taught her to “complain”: “If you’re watching the movie, watch it. Otherwise, turn it off.”

Ming You was baffled at first, then it dawned on her. She tossed her phone aside and pounced over to hug Yan Ningxi.

“You’re so fierce.” She rubbed her cheek against Yan Ningxi’s coquettishly. “But I love it.”

She’d said sweet nothings like this more than once.

The movie used flashbacks, opening with the female lead in the late stages of cancer, forcing herself to dress up and attend the wedding of the male lead and the second female lead.

Amid the female lead’s tearful monologue, the light and shadows flickered. Ming You clasped Yan Ningxi’s hand, and kisses carrying a lemon scent fell on her forehead, nose tip, cheeks like snowflakes, finally landing on her lips.

Yan Ningxi’s hand loosely gripped Ming You’s shoulder as the intertwining kiss stirred her desire.

Their lips parted, throats bobbing. Ming You’s kisses trailed from her jawline to her delicate earlobe. One suck made Yan Ningxi’s whole body go numb.

The hand clutching Ming You’s clothes tightened and tightened.

No push away meant permission. Ming You was overjoyed. Her right hand slipped behind Yan Ningxi’s waist to hold her, while her left hand lightly caressed her waist, slowly inching upward bit by bit.

Outside, snow swirled wildly across the sky and ground, painting a breathtaking picture of the snowy mountain landscape for the visitors.

The falling snowflakes danced like flying goose feathers, twirling and leaping from the heavens. Some lingered on branches, some stood tall on peaks, others settled in gullies.

And the visitors climbed rocks and traversed cliffs tirelessly.

Fearless of the rugged mountain paths, all to pluck each snowflake one by one, then melt them with fire-like passion into her and her sweet dreams.

The 90-minute movie hadn’t even reached halfway when it abruptly paused. The room filled only with the two’s soft panting breaths.

Yan Ningxi turned her back to Ming You, straightened her disheveled pajamas, and haphazardly buttoned a few of the undone ones. She pressed her arms over her chest and bit her lower lip to ease the lingering desire.

What had just happened shocked her deeply; even now, her mind was blank.

When passion peaked, Ming You relented and let Yan Ningxi go. She didn’t know how to proceed and suddenly felt confused and afraid about fully possessing Yan Ningxi physically. They weren’t in a relationship yet.

She grabbed the remote and hit pause, waiting for the fire to subside before unscrewing the thermos to pour herself a cup of water. It wasn’t scalding when filled, perfect for moistening the throat.

She poured half a cup more: “Sister Yan, have some water before sleep.”

Yan Ningxi propped herself up, took the water, and drank. Her body felt sticky, so she threw off the covers and went downstairs. Several minutes passed before she returned.

Once she lay back down, Ming You turned off the projector. She hesitated but ultimately hugged Yan Ningxi from behind, holding her hand, finally feeling at ease.

“There’s a saying I bet you’ve heard: I could tolerate the darkness if I had never seen the light. Thank you for letting me share in the light.”

Ming You’s melodious voice and sweet words stirred Yan Ningxi’s heart. Yan Ningxi pretended to be calm but couldn’t bear to pull away.

When exactly had she fallen for Ming You? She tried hard to recall every moment they’d shared. Whether care or material things, what she’d given Ming You paled far in comparison to what Ming You gave her.

Whether it was love at first sight or impure motives for Ming You, since she’d tacitly consented and things had reached this point, why stop?

Women troubled by love always overthought. Yan Ningxi couldn’t escape it either. But it was as if Ming You heard her heart; just as she doubted herself, Ming You kissed her hair.

“Sister Yan, kind people always see only the good in others but overlook their own. In your kind eyes, even the tiniest virtue in someone else gets magnified several times. But me, I’m really not naturally kind. I have so many tacky flaws. If you don’t scold me or preach, I’m almost not used to it.”

She paused with a smile. “I’m not masochistic; I’m reflecting, determined to change. I like you so much I want to take it further, day and night with you, but I’m scared too—scared I’m not good enough, scared you’ll regret it.”

“I don’t want to wait for that half-year period anymore.” She wanted an official status. “Yan Ningxi, be my girlfriend?”

“No.” The person in her arms turned over, rejecting verbally while her body didn’t.

“Why not?” Ming You didn’t understand the mixed signals. “We’ve already… Are you going to like someone else?”

Yan Ningxi touched her face and ears, kissed her lips, and held her as she said, “Half a year is the deal. A day early is cheating. Ming You, you’re kind and warm too—not that I only see your good points; you really are that good. You have… just a year and a half until graduation.”

She’d already given her heart and body tacitly—how could she like anyone else?

Yes, she liked her, even if she’d never say it. When the girl needed her, she’d protect her with everything; when the girl grew tired and wanted to fly away, she’d watch from afar, wishing her higher, farther, freer.

“I can go back to Huai’an to work.”

“Going back to Huai’an is easy; finding a job isn’t hard. But if you go back, aim for the provincial TV station. That’s the baseline goal, and my expectation for you.”

……

Dawn approached in the east, and the alarm rang. The heavy snow had fallen until just before dawn, without disturbing the beauty’s dreams.

The four bundled up thickly inside and out. They ran into Aunt Mei at the road entrance, bringing breakfast for Ming You and the others: hot soy milk, millet porridge, steamed dumplings, boiled corn, roasted sweet potatoes—enough for all four.

Su Yi drove, with Jin Yuan in the passenger seat, eating breakfast herself and feeding Su Yi too.

Ming You was so sleepy that she leaned against Yan Ningxi the moment she got in the car, finding a comfy position to catch up on sleep, which prevented Yan Ningxi from eating.

Today’s snow-covered mountains and forests had their own charm compared to yesterday’s frosty scenery. But no matter how beautiful the pristine white snow outside the window, it couldn’t compare to the girl in her arms.

In this mountain, in this dream, she could open her heart, cast aside distractions, and belong solely to each other.

The roads were clear, traffic light; they reached the cable car ticket office in twenty minutes.

The cable cars didn’t run until seven. Ming You seized the time to share the now-lukewarm breakfast with Yan Ningxi: “Aunt Mei’s roasted sweet potatoes are a taste of heaven. Even cooled, they’re delicious; hot ones are even better.”

Su Yi nodded: “Jin Yuan and I ate ours hot. Truly delicious.”

“Sorry for making you eat cold food with me.” Ming You apologized guiltily to Yan Ningxi. “Next time…”

Yan Ningxi cut in: “Next time, eat first, then you can sleep.”

“Wow, Teacher Yan, you’re so good at this!”

Su Yi sighed enviously: “Being in the honeymoon phase is great.”

Before the words finished, arms wrapped around her waist, Jin Yuan’s breath tickling her ear: “Jealous?”

Survival instincts kicked in: “Yuan Yuan, we’re in the honeymoon phase too—better than great.”

Now it was Ming You and Yan Ningxi’s turn to laugh.

The loop cableway to the Cloud-Watching Platform used small gondolas, each holding 2-4 people. No disagreements; everyone decided to go up and down together.

Yan Ningxi would never forget what she saw that day on the Cloud-Watching Platform: the Sea of Clouds surged like ocean waves, endless and majestic; as far as the eye could see, mist and clouds billowed amid stunning mountains appearing and vanishing; a golden ribbon wound at the horizon, a sight of breathtaking beauty.

She’d also never forget the girl beside her, holding her hand, leading her up the mountain to chase and create dreams—a fairy more heart-stirring than snowflakes or clouds.

The girl raised her phone: “Miss Su, Miss Jin, let’s take a group photo of the four of us?”

“Sure.” Su Yi pulled Jin Yuan closer.

The four faced the front camera: Ming You and Yan Ningxi in front, Su Yi and Jin Yuan slightly behind, Sea of Clouds backdrop. Click.

Beautiful scenery, beautiful people—utterly unique.

On the descending cableway, winds picked up along the line, triggering an emergency stop.

With no announcements in the gondola, the suspended cable car swayed side to side, terrifying everyone.

“Why’d the cable car stop? Is it broken? This is too scary.” Su Yi gripped Jin Yuan with one hand and searched for the scenic area’s hotline with the other on her phone. “I’ll call and ask.”

Ming You squeezed Yan Ningxi’s hand: “Don’t worry, it’s fine.”

She looked around fore and aft, reassuring them: “Cable car stoppages like this happen in high winds or rain—it’s temporary. Once the wind dies down a bit, it’ll resume. Rest assured, as far as I know, this scenic area has never had a cableway accident.”

“She’s a regular here, friends with the guesthouse owners’ family, so she knows the place pretty well,” Yan Ningxi added, trusting Ming You.

For that instant when the cable car jolted, she panicked too. But Ming You gripped her hand first, giving her a sense of security. She even imagined the worst cases.

Cable car plummeting, or stuck forever… But with Ming You, she wasn’t afraid and had no regrets.

Though the call didn’t connect, Su Yi and Jin Yuan relaxed a bit after hearing Ming You and Yan Ningxi. They nodded at them, then turned to each other, instinctively kissing amid the swaying.

Just a touch of lips, but utterly unselfconscious—hard for the two facing them to ignore.

One blushed hotter than the other, heads bowing lower.

Su Yi smiled: “You two must’ve just gotten together, right? Jin Yuan and I haven’t known each other a full year yet, but we’ve been official for almost ten months.”

She mentioned ten months and turned her head to look at Jin Yuan, her eyes full of love. “Ten months of pregnancy, and you can even have a child.”

Ten months? That was counting from their first time rolling in the sheets.

Jin Yuan was somewhat satisfied with her words. “You can have a baby if you want. Quit your job next year and stay home—I’ll take care of the arrangements.”

“…” Su Yi was completely under her wife’s thumb and couldn’t afford to lose momentum. She lifted her hand to drape it over Jin Yuan’s shoulder. “Baby, that’s not what you said in bed last night.”

Yan Ningxi: ???

Ming You: !!! Was this something you could hear for free?

“Shut up!” Jin Yuan’s face flushed red, but she maintained her dignified posture, her cold and noble aura undiminished. “Don’t come to bed tonight.”

Ming You snickered, encouraged by the exchange. She cheekily planted a kiss on Yan Ningxi’s cheek without any warning. “Sister Yan, I won’t come to bed tonight.”