Chapter 84

Leng Xiang heard the noise at the door and looked puzzledly at Jiang Sisi.

Leng Xiang: “Who is it?”

Jiang Sisi: “It should be my dad coming back.”

As soon as she said this, Leng Xiang blinked, realized what was happening, and her expression changed. In the next instant, she vanished.

She moved like a fleeting gust of wind, her long legs carrying her up the stairs in just a few strides, where she hid away.

Jiang Sisi: “…”

Leng Xiang’s movements were so agile that Jiang Sisi couldn’t help but want to applaud her.

When Father Jiang opened the door and came in, he caught a glimpse of a piece of clothing fluttering past the staircase on the second floor out of the corner of his eye.

He frowned, sensing that something wasn’t quite right.

His gaze shifted downward to the living room, which was in complete disarray. He frowned again, his eyes landing on Jiang Sisi standing in the middle of the room.

Father Jiang changed his shoes as he entered, tossed his keys onto the shoe cabinet, and said, “What are you standing there for? Is the birthday over?”

Jiang Sisi hadn’t quite recovered yet and nodded woodenly.

Father Jiang handed her a small gift bag: “Birthday present.”

He added, “Call the cleaning lady over tomorrow to tidy up. What a mess.”

Jiang Sisi took it. Her dad prepared a birthday gift for her every year—always little things she liked.

She thanked him, but her eyes kept drifting upstairs.

Father Jiang’s gaze followed hers toward the staircase.

He said flatly, “If she’s not ready, wait until she is, then bring her to meet me. No rush.”

Jiang Sisi said in horror, “How did you know?”

Father Jiang replied, “There’s an extra pair of high heels at the door. I remember you hardly ever wear high heels.”

Jiang Sisi was tall even among female celebrities in the entertainment industry, and she didn’t like those torturous things anyway, so there were very few high heels in her shoe cabinet.

Father Jiang thought for a moment and added, “It’s past midnight. Get some rest early.”

“Take good care of the little lady. Mind your influence—your dad’s still home.”

Jiang Sisi: “…”

…

Father Jiang deliberately lingered downstairs for a while, letting Jiang Sisi go up first.

Jiang Sisi went to the second floor. At the first room to the left of the staircase landing, Leng Xiang stood in the doorway, her long skirt fluttering like a ghostly yet alluring shadow.

Jiang Sisi pushed open her own bedroom door and asked Leng Xiang, “Why didn’t you go in?”

Leng Xiang shook her head: “I’ve been wondering if I should go downstairs.”

Jiang Sisi let out a chuckle.

Wondering whether to go downstairs and greet Father Jiang was one thing, but barging into someone’s room like this wasn’t great either.

They were lovers now, had held hands, and kissed plenty of times, but they’d only just gotten together…

Perhaps because she’d been ambiguous with Jiang Sisi for so long, she’d felt lost, sad, and expectant over this relationship.

Now that they were finally together, Father Jiang’s arrival jolted her. The sugar rush of new love cleared from her mind, leaving her flustered and at a loss.

She was really dating Jiang Sisi…

Her previous relationship with Qin Wen barely qualified as one. They’d been together for three years, both always busy, spending less time together than she had with Jiang Sisi—not to mention intimate moments.

Jiang Sisi took Leng Xiang into her room, turned on the light, and closed the door.

Jiang Sisi’s room was spacious, the master bedroom on the second floor, complete with a bathroom and walk-in closet. In the center stood a massive bed.

One bed.

Leng Xiang’s gaze wandered for a moment before settling on that huge bed.

Jiang Sisi pulled Leng Xiang to sit on the bed.

Holding her hand, Jiang Sisi said, “My dad knows.”

Leng Xiang startled: “What does your dad know?”

“He knows there’s someone else in my room besides me,” Jiang Sisi said. “And that I have a girlfriend.”

Leng Xiang was even more shocked, her eyes widening: “Does your dad agree?”

Leng Xiang looked so adorable like this.

She usually ignored outsiders, cold and aloof to others—known in the entertainment industry as an untouchable flower atop a high peak.

Yet with her, she was so cute.

Like eternal snow melting into a pool of spring water.

Her friends’ reactions were cute, her dad’s were even cuter.

The way she loved her was so cute.

Super cute.

Jiang Sisi thought regretfully, How much have I missed out on?

Jiang Sisi held her hand and leaned in to kiss her again.

Leng Xiang was still thinking about whether Father Jiang approved and pushed at her approaching head: “Don’t mess around first. What exactly did your dad say?”

Jiang Sisi: “…”

Hey, my wife, what’s this about not being able to kiss you?

Jiang Sisi said, “He saw your high heels.”

Leng Xiang bit her lower lip, feeling guilty: “Then I should have gone down to meet your dad.”

Hiding in her girlfriend’s room while the elder returned home was indeed rude.

Seeing her like this, Jiang Sisi couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing.

Leng Xiang realized Jiang Sisi was teasing her again and reached out to hit her.

Why did this person always love joking around?

Jiang Sisi let Leng Xiang hit her a few times—soft taps that didn’t hurt at all; she hadn’t put any force into it.

Jiang Sisi laughed: “No lie. He knew you were here because he saw your high heels.”

Leng Xiang: “Then your dad?”

“I came out to my family in high school. My dad nearly beat me to death at the time, but my orientation is innate—what could he do? He accepted it,” Jiang Sisi said. “He said no rush, wait until you’re ready and want to meet him.”

“He looks fierce, but he’s a good guy. Don’t worry.”

Leng Xiang lowered her lashes and fell silent for a moment.

“Your dad is really great.”

Leng Xiang suddenly thought of her own broken excuse for a family.

Her so-called father, who drank, gambled, and was violent; her mom, living under that constant abuse, afflicted with Stockholm syndrome, treating that man as the center of her world and obeying him unquestioningly.

As for her, she’d never received familial love from childhood. She didn’t expect it anyway; without it, she could still live well.

But that family wouldn’t let her go.

She suddenly remembered the ten thousand yuan she sent to Liu Lingshu every month.

Liu Lingshu wouldn’t be satisfied with a mere ten thousand; her so-called father certainly wouldn’t either.

Honestly, she didn’t know how long she could hold out.

Jiang Sisi held her hand and, while she was lost in thought, quietly drew closer. They sat on the bed as Jiang Sisi deftly shifted her hand—one holding Leng Xiang’s wrist, the other wrapping around her waist—and pulled with force.

Leng Xiang hadn’t reacted yet when she was pushed flat onto the bed.

Pinned beneath Jiang Sisi on the soft mattress, with the bright white light overhead, the entire room was illuminated clearly, everything laid bare under the glow.

The moon hung high in the branches, the window open as a cool night breeze wafted in gently.

Leng Xiang’s breath caught.

Jiang Sisi pressed atop her, strands of long hair falling from her ear to brush Leng Xiang’s cheek.

It tickled a little.

Those eyes shone brightly, fixed on her, containing only her.

“What…”

Leng Xiang’s voice softened, her tension making fine sweat bead in her palms—sticky and warm.

Her body began to heat up.

“It’s late; we should rest soon.”

Jiang Sisi gazed down at her, eyes brimming with boundless tenderness that overflowed, filling the room.

The air grew thick.

Jiang Sisi said softly, “But I really can’t help myself—”

“Xiangxiang, give yourself to me, okay?”