Chapter 58
The blanket and pillows were scattered on the floor.
Two figures were entangled on the desk, where the laptop usually sat.
As the girl beneath her moaned softly, Shen Shiwu chuckled. “We’re missing a school uniform.”
Jiang Siyi knew what she meant.
Four years ago, it had also been on the desk.
She cursed, calling Shen Shiwu a jerk, but her head tilted back involuntarily.
Her hands gripped the edge of the desk, her knuckles turning white.
It wasn’t until late at night that Jiang Siyi finally fell asleep.
Just before closing her eyes, she was still questioning herself—why had she ever thought Shen Shiwu was gentle and harmless?
She fell asleep, filled with resentment, and woke up in Shen Shiwu’s embrace, unable to move.
Jiang Siyi was wide awake.
The memories of last night, fragmented, flashed through her mind, and she wished she had blacked out instead.
Standing under the tree, watching the birds build their nest, leaning against the kitchen door and bumping her head against it.
Wanting Shen Shiwu to stay, only to be ravaged again…
Ms. Jiang, usually so composed, now stared at the ceiling, contemplating life.
The arm around her waist tightened.
Jiang Siyi felt a warm breath against her neck and shivered.
A soft touch followed.
Before she could react, Shen Shiwu had gently nibbled on her collarbone.
The touch was much gentler than last night.
More like a lick than a bite.
It didn’t hurt, just tickled slightly. She felt Shen Shiwu’s tongue tracing the outline of her collarbone, as if marking her territory.
She poked Shen Shiwu’s face. “Okay, stop it.”
The other woman ignored her, continuing her ministrations, until Jiang Siyi was about to kick her, and she finally opened her eyes.
She gasped softly, as if just realizing what she was doing.
“Sorry.”
Her voice was gentle, her tone even, the apology insincere, as she intertwined her fingers with Jiang Siyi’s. “Just woke up, my mouth has a mind of its own.”
“…”
“You didn’t just wake up, you’re missing a few brain cells.” Jiang Siyi almost elbowed her.
Shen Shiwu chuckled.
Her sleepiness hadn’t completely vanished yet, her eyes still half-closed, crinkling at the corners with her smile.
“Cursing so early in the morning, that’s not very nice, Ms. Jiang.”
“Oh,” Jiang Siyi pried Shen Shiwu’s hand away, got out of bed, and replied dismissively.
Actually, Shen Shiwu could easily have pulled her back into bed with just a little force. But she glanced at the time, thinking the rabbit probably had to go to work.
So she retracted her hand.
“Are you going to the studio?”
“It’s still early, work starts at eight, it’s only half-past six.”
Shen Shiwu nodded thoughtfully, then, before Jiang Siyi could walk away, she wrapped her arms around her waist from behind.
“Then stay in bed with me for a while longer.”
“You’re twenty-seven years old, you have to learn to be independent.”
Shen Shiwu chuckled. “Really?”
A few seconds later, she obediently let go, not saying anything else, and lay back down.
Jiang Siyi, thinking she was angry again, opened her mouth, about to say something, when she heard Shen Shiwu’s voice, “After thinking about it, I think you’re right.”
Her tone was neutral, her words clear and deliberate. “Then I’ll sleep in the other room tonight, to practice my independence.”
Jiang Siyi, hoisted by her own petard, pouted, speechless.
Then, realizing what Shen Shiwu had actually meant, she turned around, her eyes shining with excitement. “You mean, you’re not in a hurry to go back this time? You’re staying for a few days?”
Shen Shiwu hadn’t expected this to be Jiang Siyi’s first reaction.
She leaned against the headboard, her expression lazy, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
“Why, don’t you welcome me? Are you chasing me away?”
Jiang Siyi hummed softly. “Answer my question first.”
Shen Shiwu teased, “I don’t know, I might have to leave today.”
Jiang Siyi’s face fell visibly.
She pretended to be indifferent. “Oh, I see, okay.”
Then she went to the bathroom to wash up.
Shen Shiwu sat up, leaning against the headboard, and listened to the sounds coming from the bathroom, shaking her head helplessly—She actually believed that, so silly and cute.
But… the cuter she was, the more Shen Shiwu wanted to tease her.
With half an hour left before work, since it only took five or six minutes to walk from the hotel to the office building, Jiang Siyi sat at the dining table and called out to the kitchen, “Take your time.”
The presidential suite was fully equipped, with a kitchen, a gym, and everything else. Shen Shiwu replied that breakfast would be ready in ten minutes.
Jiang Siyi looked at the kitchen door, remembering her drunken headbutt, and felt a pang of embarrassment.
She quietly left the dining area.
The gym was large, the equipment new and dust-free, clearly regularly cleaned even though no one used it.
Jiang Siyi wandered around, her hands behind her back, like a landlord inspecting her property. She paused when she saw the dumbbells.
She was lazy and had no interest in working out, but she was reminded of Shen Shiwu’s strength.
“What are you looking at? Breakfast is ready.”
The woman’s voice suddenly rang out.
Jiang Siyi, her mind filled with inappropriate thoughts, was startled, feeling like a thief caught red-handed.
She turned around mechanically. “Coming.”
Shen Shiwu looked at her, then at the gym equipment.
“Want to work out?”
“No.”
“Then…” the woman leaned closer, a mischievous glint in her eyes, “want to do it here?”
Jiang Siyi’s mind short-circuited.
She stammered for a while, then finally managed to say, “Get out.”
Shen Shiwu loved it when she was angry, her hair bristling, her words sharp, her face flushed.
And she enjoyed the process of soothing her.
“Okay, let’s go eat.”
“…”
Smooth talker.
Shen Shiwu preferred light flavors, and so did Jiang Siyi, neither of them could handle spicy food. But Jiang Siyi, for the sake of pride, would practically swallow chili peppers whole.
Eating her curry rice, she suddenly said, “It’s too bland, it needs more spice.”
Jiang Siyi’s competitiveness always manifested in strange ways.
She had been rendered speechless by Shen Shiwu’s earlier comment and now wanted to regain some face by criticizing her cooking.
Shen Shiwu, sitting beside her, looked over. “You can handle spicy food?”
“Of course,” Jiang Siyi glanced at her, “much better than you.”
The woman nodded, put down her chopsticks, and went to the kitchen.
A few minutes later, she returned with a bright red chili pepper.
“Here,” she said considerately, “eat this with your rice.”
Jiang Siyi’s breath hitched.
She screamed inwardly, Seriously, there are actually chili peppers?
Shen Shiwu, as if she knew what she was thinking, suppressed a smile and said calmly, “I bought some vegetables at the supermarket yesterday, besides the fruit. The auntie gave me this.”
“It’s perfect, your favorite.”
Jiang Siyi wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but she felt that Shen Shiwu had emphasized the last two words.
Her lips twitched slightly.
What was the one thing a person couldn’t lose?—Pride!
Jiang Siyi snatched the chili pepper, still damp from being washed.
“Thank you, just what I wanted.”
Shen Shiwu nodded calmly, then said gently, “You’re welcome.”
“…”
Just a chili pepper.
Jiang Siyi looked at it and swallowed nervously.
Just eat it quickly before her taste buds could react.
“Savor your favorite, eat slowly, no rush,” Shen Shiwu said calmly, glancing at the clock on the wall, “we have plenty of time.”
Jiang Siyi smiled. “Of course.”
But just as she swallowed a mouthful of rice and was about to bite into the chili pepper, a hand stopped her.
Long, slender fingers snatched it away.
Shen Shiwu held the chili pepper, looking at Jiang Siyi’s stunned expression. “Why do you always try to act tough in front of me?”
“I like it when you’re being difficult, or throwing a tantrum, it’s cute,” Shen Shiwu said frankly, “but…”
“There’s no need to act tough.”
“Just tell me what you want, what you like. I’ll even pluck the stars from the sky for you.” She tapped Jiang Siyi’s head lightly with the chili pepper. “I told you that four years ago.”
Jiang Siyi was speechless.
She closed her eyes for a moment, then, before she could think of a reply, Shen Shiwu continued, “There’s no need to lie for the sake of pride, especially when it’s something you can’t even do.”
“In front of me, you only need to show your true emotions, no need to hide anything.”
After a moment of silence,
Jiang Siyi lowered her eyes, then looked at Shen Shiwu and nodded. “I understand, I will.”
When she was seventeen or eighteen, she had always put on a tough exterior, radiating an unapproachable aura.
Then she had met Shen Shiwu, and gradually, she had softened.
But only slightly, she would still activate her self-defense mechanism most of the time.
Then, their separation had been sudden. During her years abroad, Jiang Siyi had become indifferent again, almost cold-blooded, her unapproachable aura intensifying, her illness worsening.
Until now.
Until Shen Shiwu said those words.
Jiang Siyi finally felt safe enough to say those three words: “I will.”
***
After breakfast, it was time for work.
Shen Shiwu also had a few projects to check on in Beicheng, related to real estate. Their schedules aligned, so they left the hotel together.
“I’m going now,” Jiang Siyi said, looking back at her, then asked, “So when are you going back to Qinan?”
Shen Shiwu’s words were always laced with innuendo.
Jiang Siyi quickly added, “I, I’m not chasing you away, just asking.”
The woman’s eyes softened with a smile.
Jiang Siyi looked at her, thinking this person truly had two faces, switching between them effortlessly.
“How long do you want me to stay?”
Shen Shiwu gave her the choice.
“Well…” Jiang Siyi thought for a moment, her voice soft, “longer.”
It was barely a whisper.
Shen Shiwu raised an eyebrow slightly and leaned closer. “What?”
Jiang Siyi gritted her teeth, her voice suddenly louder, “Longer! Stay longer!”
Life in Beicheng was fast-paced, the streets already crowded even in the morning. Perhaps because Jiang Siyi had raised her voice, several people turned to look at them.
Shen Shiwu was satisfied.
She nodded slightly, as if she had been waiting for those words, and readily agreed. “Okay.”
“I have some work here too, it’ll take at least ten days, maybe half a month.”
Having been tricked before, Jiang Siyi’s eyes widened. “Really?”
“Really,” Shen Shiwu picked up her phone, about to show her the relevant documents. Jiang Siyi, completely clueless about these things, just like when she was struggling with math problems, felt her eyelids drooping.
She quickly stopped her. “Forget it, forget it,”
Glancing at the time, she said, “I have to go now, you do whatever you want.”
After crossing the street, she received a message on her phone. It was from her girlfriend, whom she had just parted ways with.
“When are you finishing work?”
Thinking about today’s recording schedule, Jiang Siyi replied, “Around five.”
Shen Shiwu replied with an “Okay.” Jiang Siyi thought the conversation had ended and was about to put her phone away when it vibrated again.
“We have plenty of time.”
“?”
Shen Shiwu, sitting in her car, typed without a change in expression. After sending the message, she started the car and went to buy some sanitary wipes.
“The gym, didn’t you want to try it?”
Jiang Siyi was speechless.
She gritted her teeth and typed furiously, “Not… at… all!”
Entering the building, waiting for the elevator, she received another message. Jiang Siyi closed her eyes and took a deep breath before checking her phone.
Shen Shiwu’s reply was concise.
“Sorry, resistance is futile.”
The elevator arrived.
Jiang Siyi didn’t enter immediately.
She stood there, her face expressionless. “Oh, then you should just go back to Qinan.”
Shen Shiwu, being rejected again, sent a voice message, her voice feigning grievance, “Baby.”
Five minutes later, the cold and heartless Ms. Jiang was still standing there, not having entered the elevator.
She held her phone,
Silently listening to the voice message over and over again.
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