Chapter 22
Before meeting Shen Shiwu, Jiang Siyi firmly believed she was incapable of acting coquettishly.
And the words “soft attitude” would never appear in her life.
Until—
In the quiet villa, under the dim lights, the girl was held captive in the woman’s embrace, not daring to move.
Earlier at school, Jiang Siyi had managed to temporarily evade the issue with a barrage of logical arguments.
She had said calmly, “We have plenty of time, there’s no need to settle the score right now, right?”
Shen Shiwu had seen through her little scheme, but had agreed in the end. “Then let’s wait.”
And so, they waited, until this very moment.
The woman loosely held the girl’s waist, her expression relaxed, listening to her flustered explanations. Jiang Siyi, flustered by the woman’s intense gaze, stumbled over her words several times, then, annoyed, looked away.
Shen Shiwu gently turned her face back. “What are you looking at?”
Little Jiang hummed. “Looking for ghosts.”
The woman slowly took off her glasses and tossed them onto the sofa. “Are ghosts prettier than your girlfriend?”
Jiang Siyi’s throat tightened.
After a moment, she admitted, “No.”
Shen Shiwu chuckled, and Jiang Siyi, held in her embrace, could feel the slight vibrations.
Seeing that the woman was in a good mood, she decided to press her advantage, burying her face in Shen Shiwu’s neck. “Just let it go.”
She nuzzled closer and mumbled, “You used to be so gentle, you never punished me for anything.”
“Even if I ran off with a ghost, you wouldn’t scold me.”
“Because you’re my girlfriend now.”
Shen Shiwu couldn’t resist and kissed her cheek. Seeing the girl’s breath hitch, she smiled. “It’s normal for lovers to have possessiveness.”
Possessiveness.
Jiang Siyi, with her limited relationship experience, blinked a few times, unfamiliar with the term.
Shen Shiwu caressed the girl’s lips, enjoying the soft texture.
She applied a little pressure with her other hand, and Jiang Siyi gasped softly as her head was gently pushed down.
“I can waive the punishment, but I need to teach you your first lesson—”
“What possessiveness means.”
When the woman’s teeth grazed her lip, Jiang Siyi felt a slight sting, but then her mind went blank, and she instinctively clutched Shen Shiwu’s shirt.
Like a rose being burned, its dark petals dripping blood, the kiss was deep and lingering.
When her lip split slightly, and she felt like she was melting into the woman’s embrace, Jiang Siyi finally understood the power of possessiveness.
It was like… becoming one.
But she liked the feeling. At this moment, at least, her heart was free of worries, and as she was kissed, a sense of security washed over her.
So, she responded, deepening the kiss.
The night deepened, and the two embraced, lost in the moment.
***
After that day, Jiang Siyi rarely smiled unless necessary, because…
Her lips were slightly chapped, and any movement would make them sting.
So, Little Jiang angrily changed Shen Shiwu’s contact name to
A Nibbling Puppy.
She looked at it, satisfied, chuckled a few times, then tossed her phone onto the bed and went back to her worksheets.
For a senior student, there was no such thing as a relaxing winter break.
Shen Shiwu still went to work during the day, and Jiang Siyi didn’t mind. After all, she was afraid that if the company really went bankrupt, and she didn’t have any income yet, they would both end up on the streets.
Days passed quietly. One morning, as the sun rose, Jiang Siyi woke up early, which was rare.
Because the sound of firecrackers had woken her up.
Setting off fireworks had been banned in the city center in previous years, but the regulations had recently loosened, and everyone was excited.
Even before New Year’s Eve, the city was already lively.
Although still sleepy, Jiang Siyi couldn’t fall back asleep, so she got up and went downstairs.
Surprisingly, Shen Shiwu wasn’t at work today, but sitting on the sofa with a laptop on her lap.
Seeing her come down, she was also surprised. “You’re awake?”
Jiang Siyi, still in her thick pajamas, rubbed her eyes and nodded. “I was woken up by the noise outside.”
Seeing that Shen Shiwu seemed to be contemplating a solution, Jiang Siyi waved her hand. “No, no, I think it’s nice.”
“I don’t mind being woken up like this.”
She sat down at the dining table and started eating.
Just as she picked up her chopsticks, a woman’s voice called out from the laptop, “Xiao Si!”
Startled, Jiang Siyi dropped both her chopsticks.
Shen Shiwu smiled wryly. “Mom, you scared Xiao Si.”
Shen Yun composed herself. “Really?”
She thought for a moment. “Then move aside and let Xiao Si see the screen.”
“…”
Shen Shiwu stood up, leaving the laptop on the sofa, and picked up the chopsticks for Jiang Siyi. After giving her a new pair, she said softly, “I’m video chatting with my mother.”
“Do you want to say hello?”
Jiang Siyi fidgeted with her fingers, clearly flustered.
Because she didn’t know how to talk to elders.
Shen Shiwu, noticing her discomfort, pinched her cheek. “It’s okay if you don’t want to. Continue eating.”
But after a few steps, Little Jiang suddenly said, “It’s… okay, I can say hello.”
Shen Yun had elegant features, with arched willow-leaf eyebrows and a high nose bridge, her long hair loosely tied up. She smiled at Jiang Siyi, her eyes crinkling at the corners.
“Xiao Si, do you still remember Auntie? I was at your first birthday party.”
Jiang Siyi’s childhood memories weren’t very clear. She paused for a few seconds, then said, “I remember.”
This is Shen Shiwu’s mother, how could she say she didn’t remember?
Shen Yun was delighted and started reminiscing about things from long ago. Having told a lie, Jiang Siyi had to keep it up, racking her brain to avoid being exposed.
Shen Shiwu sat across from her, her chin resting on her hand, watching with amusement.
“Xiao Si, has Shiwu been taking good care of you?”
Jiang Siyi quickly glanced at Shen Shiwu, her face flushing as she thought of something.
She nodded obediently. “Older sister has been very good to me.”
Hearing the long-lost term of address, Shen Shiwu raised an eyebrow.
“Just tell her if you need anything. Don’t be shy, okay?”
“We’re family.”
This time, Shen Shiwu spoke up.
She agreed. “Yes, we’re family.”
Jiang Siyi looked at the smile on Shen Shiwu’s lips and rubbed her ear. “I know, thank you, Auntie.”
After chatting for a while, she realized that Shen Yun seemed to have a rather lively personality, which didn’t quite match her gentle appearance.
“It’s almost New Year’s Eve again,” Shen Yun sighed, then changed the subject. “Xiao Si, do you want to come visit me abroad?”
“We can finally meet and chat in person.”
Thinking of Shen’s mother being alone abroad, Jiang Siyi didn’t hesitate. “Sure.”
Shen Yun slapped her thigh. “It’s settled then!”
Overcome with emotion, she suddenly started coughing, covering her mouth with her sleeve. Fortunately, it was only a few coughs, nothing serious.
Shen Shiwu quickly went over. “Did you forget to take your medicine again?”
Shen Yun waved her hand. “Of course not, I remember very clearly.”
Afraid of her daughter’s nagging, she said to Jiang Siyi, “Then I’ll book the plane tickets for you. Okay, Xiao Si, Auntie has to take the dog for a walk now, so I’ll hang up.”
“See you soon.”
After the video call ended, Jiang Siyi was a little worried. “Is Auntie’s health not good? Maybe you should visit her more often.”
“Her health has improved a lot in recent years,” Shen Shiwu patted the girl’s head. “She’s doing well in England. She spends her days gardening and walking the dog, living a comfortable life. If I go back, she’ll scold me for not taking good care of you and send me back here.”
Jiang Siyi was slightly relieved and couldn’t help but chuckle at the last part.
She leaned back on the sofa, her expression relaxed. “So you have to listen to your mom and take good care of me.”
“You were just calling me ‘older sister,’ and now you’ve stopped?”
Jiang Siyi immediately sat up straight.
She hummed softly. “You’re not my older sister.”
“Then what am I to you?”
Jiang Siyi knew what Shen Shiwu wanted to hear, but she refused to play along.
“Roommates, I guess.”
Roommates with benefits.
She stood up to get something to eat; her stomach was rumbling.
Shen Shiwu didn’t stop her. Only after the girl was satisfied and started playing on her phone did she lean over and effortlessly snatch it away.
“Give it back!” Little Jiang was confused and a little angry.
Shen Shiwu had intended to lock the phone and put it on the table, but just then, Xu Yuan called on WeChat.
Because of the love letter incident, Shen Shiwu didn’t have a good impression of her.
She paused, then tapped the girl’s cheek with the vibrating phone.
“Someone’s looking for you.”
Jiang Siyi, thinking that Shen Shiwu had finally had a change of heart and was returning her phone, reached for it. But Shen Shiwu raised it higher and suddenly answered the call.
Xu Yuan’s voice boomed like firecrackers—
“It’s Yang Yi’s birthday, and she invited you to her party. Are you going?”
“There’s no one else, just those juniors, the ones we met before.”
“But your girlfriend probably won’t let you go… Hey, why aren’t you saying anything? Say something!”
Jiang Siyi almost jumped out of her skin. She composed herself, pressed Shen Shiwu’s arm down, and said into the phone, “I’m not going. Tell her I don’t have time, I have to study.”
Xu Yuan, hearing her finally speak, said, “I thought you fell asleep after answering the phone. Okay, I’ll tell her.”
The call finally ended. Jiang Siyi heard Shen Shiwu’s flat voice, “Our Xiao Si is quite popular.”
Jiang Siyi touched her nose. “Not really.”
Just as she was trying to figure out if Shen Shiwu was being sarcastic, the woman suddenly chuckled and said, slowly and deliberately, “A Nibbling Puppy.”
She lowered her eyes. “Nice contact name.”
Jiang Siyi’s heart sank.
She maintained a calm facade. “How could you look at my phone!?”
“Mm, I’m sorry.” Shen Shiwu apologized readily, then tapped the girl’s head lightly with the phone. “I shouldn’t have looked at your phone.”
Little Jiang, who had been planning to use this opportunity to her advantage: “…”
She stuffed her hands into her pajama pockets, pretending nothing had happened.
Her pajamas were white, with a hood and two ears, like a little bear. Shen Shiwu’s heart softened, and she wanted to bite the girl’s fair cheek.
But at the same time, a mischievous thought crossed her mind.
Jiang Siyi watched as Shen Shiwu slowly approached, sensing danger, and instinctively tried to back away.
But this played right into Shen Shiwu’s hands, as she backed into the dining table, trapping herself.
“If I’m a puppy, then you’re my owner.”
The woman stared at her flushed earlobes for a moment, then leaned in and bit down gently.
Her voice was slightly muffled.
“Owner, why are you trembling?”
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