Chapter 65

After Cheng Shuyang came out of Jiang’s father’s study, she saw Jiang Lai crouched by the door in a lightweight tracksuit, tying her shoelaces.

Used to Jiang Lai’s usual exquisitely dressed look, Cheng Shuyang found it impossible to look away from her casual side, even just once, exactly as she’d expected.

“Ha, caught me, didn’t you?”

Jiang Lai finished tying her shoes and stood up with a bright smile. “So, how long have you been secretly staring at me?”

“Who says I was staring at you? Is it wrong to admire the view outside the window?”

“Is that so?”

Jiang Lai curled her lip and stepped half a pace closer. “You’re lying. You’ve clearly been looking at me for a long time, so why won’t you admit it? Getting caught and still denying it isn’t a good habit.”

The woman lifted one finger and pressed it against Jiang Lai’s forehead before she could lean any closer.

“I’m looking at my own girlfriend. Isn’t that allowed?”

Jiang Lai’s heart gave a hard skip at the words “my girlfriend.” When she looked up, she ran straight into the woman’s smiling eyes.

“Allowed, allowed. You can look as long as you want.”

Jiang Lai really was easy to coax; one sentence was enough to leave her completely at a loss.

“Are you going out?”

“Mm, I’m going out for a walk.”

She reached out to smooth the stray strands of hair scattered over the woman’s shoulders and pleaded, “Don’t stay in a hotel, okay? If you don’t want to sleep in the same room as me, we have a guest room at home. You can sleep there.”

The woman deliberately looked troubled. “Then I’ll have to think about it...”

“Don’t think about it, please.”

Jiang Lai shook her arm back and forth, sounding sweet enough to drip honey. “Don’t you want to wake up and see me the moment you open your eyes?”

The woman was nearly dizzy from being shaken. She reached out and pinched Jiang Lai’s cheek. “All right, I’ll listen to you. You really are a little troublemaker.”

“That’s great!”

Jiang Lai’s eyes lit up. Seeing that no one was around, she quickly kissed the woman’s cheek, then waved at her in satisfaction. “Then behave and wait for me at home.”

“I’m going too.”

Jiang Lai had just opened the door and one foot was already outside when she heard that. She hurriedly pulled back. “You want to come with me?”

The woman walked over and naturally took her hand, her fingertips lightly brushing Jiang Lai’s palm. “If I let you go out alone, I won’t feel at ease. Besides, staying by myself at your place would be boring.”

There was a hint of hesitation in Jiang Lai’s voice. “Aren’t you afraid of being recognized?”

“It’s fine. I’m just going to see my former teacher. What’s so strange about that?”

She tapped Jiang Lai’s nose, her voice gentle. “Or do you not want to go with me?”

“Of course not!”

Jiang Lai shook her head so fast it was practically a rattle drum. “I was just afraid you’d think it was troublesome.”

“It won’t be.”

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go.”

She grabbed the woman’s hand and pulled her forward, walking so fast it was as if wheels had been strapped to her feet.

Cheng Shuyang stumbled slightly from the tug, but she quickly steadied herself and instinctively held on to Jiang Lai’s hand. “Slow down.”

The two of them walked out of the apartment building together, the woman trailing half a step behind.

Jiang Lai’s hand in hers swung back and forth; her casually tied ponytail looked as if it might come undone at any second.

Her gaze fell on the hair tie, and she couldn’t help reaching over to gather the loose strands for her. “Walk slower; your hair’s about to fall apart.”

“It’s fine.”

Jiang Lai looked back. “This style is trendy online now. It’s called an effortless look. If I tie it too tight, my hairline’s going to keep creeping back.”

Even as she said that, her grip on the woman’s hand tightened a little.

“Forget it. Lower your head.”

The woman really couldn’t stand it anymore and simply stopped. She gently re-combed Jiang Lai’s hair, while Jiang Lai stood still and obediently let her do as she liked.

“All right.”

The woman stepped back two paces and nodded in satisfaction. “Looks good.”

“You look good too.”

Jiang Lai leaned toward her with sweet words on her lips, about to kiss her when a rough voice startled her.

“Ah Lai!”

She instantly sprang back from the woman as if electrocuted, then acted as if nothing had happened and greeted the newcomer warmly.

“Hello, Uncle Zhang. You and Auntie are out for a walk after dinner?”

“Mm, you’re out for a walk too?”

“Yep!”

Jiang Lai smiled and hid the woman behind her. “We just came out to stretch our legs after dinner.”

Her odd behavior naturally aroused the suspicion of the two elders. Auntie Zhang’s eyes darted, and she suddenly pointed toward the apartment entrance. “Ah Lai, is that your mom?”

“Where?”

Jiang Lai took a step forward, fully exposing the woman to their line of sight.

“Oh my, isn’t this the one!”

Auntie Zhang covered her mouth, shocked.

Only then did Jiang Lai realize she’d been tricked. She stamped her foot in irritation. “Hey now, Uncle Zhang, since when did you learn to lie too?”

“Heh heh, this is called knowing when to use a trick. Little Jiang Lai, you’ve still got a lot to learn.”

“Hmph, I’m not talking to you anymore.”

Jiang Lai put her hands on her hips, her face puffed up in annoyance.

The woman smiled and, in a reassuring gesture, squeezed Jiang Lai’s hand. Her tone was warm. “Hello, I’m Cheng Shuyang.”

“Yes, yes, that’s the name. I said there was something familiar about you.”

Auntie Zhang was practically beaming. “This girl is beautiful; she’s really pretty.”

“Hey, hey, Auntie Zhang!”

Jiang Lai tried to speak to her, but the other woman unceremoniously shoved her aside. Jiang Lai pouted, feeling helpless.

If she’d known, she would’ve had Aunt Cheng put on a mask.

She was silently complaining to herself when the noise drew the attention of quite a few people coming downstairs to exercise; some of them were young people. Before long, the woman was surrounded by a crowd, and Jiang Lai couldn’t even squeeze her way in.

After trying hard for a long while with no result, she gave up at once.

She found a clean spot and sat down.

Watching the woman surrounded by everyone, she couldn’t help smiling.

How nice. Cheng Shuyang was so beautiful, and she was actually her girlfriend. If this kind of good fortune happened to someone else, they’d probably be smiling in their sleep.

From within the crowd, the woman’s voice, laughing and chatting with the others, gradually drifted into her ears.

“Mm, I came back with Ah Lai to visit the teacher.”

It took who knew how long before the crowd finally began to disperse.

The woman looked around but didn’t see Jiang Lai. Just as she was wondering about it, a kind-hearted aunt pointed her in the right direction.

“Looking for Ah Lai? She’s eating over at the intersection ahead. Go find her; that girl probably had enough.”

After thanking the woman for the directions, Cheng Shuyang followed the sidewalk step by step and indeed found an excited Jiang Lai in front of a row of food carts.

“Auntie, add chili. The spiciest kind, please. Thanks.”

The girl was beautiful and had such a sweet mouth that she charmed the vendors into blooming smiles; when it came time to pay, she even got an extra skewer for free.

Jiang Lai took the skewer of grilled gluten, her eyes curving into crescents. “Thank you, Auntie. You’re really kind.”

The woman walked up, shaking her head helplessly. “Ah Lai?”

Jiang Lai’s smile froze. She hid the fried skewer behind her back and looked innocent. “Aunt Cheng, have you finished chatting with those aunties?”

“Otherwise, how would I catch you sneaking a bite outside?”

The woman took a tissue from her bag and wiped the crumbs from the corner of Jiang Lai’s mouth. “You didn’t get enough to eat at dinner?”

Jiang Lai nodded awkwardly. “I was too busy arguing with my dad, so I didn’t really eat much...”

The woman said nothing; she just turned to the stall. “What she just had, give her another portion.”

“Ah?”

“You need to be full.”

Cheng Shuyang was a little helpless, but she still indulged her.

After wandering around for about half an hour, the two of them headed home.

The living room was very quiet; Jiang’s father and Zhao Dan seemed to already be asleep.

Jiang Lai tiptoed back to her room, and the woman followed behind her, preparing to head toward the guest room.

“Aunt Cheng, good night.”

Jiang Lai held onto the doorframe and waved at the woman.

Her lips curved. “Good night.”

“Wait.”

Jiang Lai tugged her back and kissed her lightly on the forehead. Facing the woman’s teasing gaze, she said with perfect righteousness, “That’s a good-night kiss.”

Cheng Shuyang touched the spot on her forehead with her fingertips. The skin there was cool under her hand, but it couldn’t compare to the heat left behind.

The smile in the woman’s eyes was almost overflowing, but she still teased her on purpose. “Oh? By that logic, don’t I still owe you a good-morning kiss and a good-afternoon kiss too?”

Jiang Lai’s eyes lit up. “There’s such a good thing? Then I’ll make it up right now.”

As she spoke, she moved to act, but the woman held out a hand to stop her. “You, what are you thinking about all day?”

The woman lightly tapped the top of her head.

“But it was clearly your idea...”

Jiang Lai leaned closer as she spoke, their noses almost touching. “You know I can’t resist you. Don’t tease me like this in the future.”

The woman’s heart gave a jolt at the movement. Her throat bobbed; just as she was about to say something, she met Jiang Lai’s misty eyes.

Looking down a little farther, she saw the girl biting her lip, a faint red mark there.

“Don’t be mad...”

The woman’s voice softened unconsciously. She rose onto her toes and kissed the corner of Jiang Lai’s mouth. “As you said, a good-night kiss.”

This girl always managed to break every one of her principles.

Like someone who had received her favorite candy, Jiang Lai immediately let go of the hem of the woman’s clothes and happily returned to her bedroom.

Late at night, in the empty big bed, only the woman was lying there. The unfamiliar surroundings made it hard for her to fall asleep; she lay with her eyes open, staring at the ceiling.

The room was filled with a faint orange scent; it was the perfume Jiang Lai always used.

She turned over, her fingertips brushing the cold blanket; suddenly, she thought of the girl’s warm palm again.

Who knew how long had passed before she heard rustling outside the door, like slippers moving across the floor, coming closer and closer.

She held her breath. After a moment, the door handle turned slightly, and a fluffy head poked through the crack. “Aunt Cheng? Why aren’t you asleep yet? Can’t you sleep?”

“And you? Aren’t you asleep either?”

“I’m afraid of the dark..."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Jiang Lai cringed so hard she wanted to dig a hole with her toes. If you were going to make up an excuse, at least make it a better one; saying you were afraid of the dark, and in your own home at that.

A clumsy excuse, but awkwardly adorable.

The woman lifted the blanket and moved over a little. “Come up.”

Once she was given permission, Jiang Lai immediately ran in on tiptoe and squeezed in beside the woman.

The warm body of the younger woman pressed against her back, and the chill from earlier seemed to fade a little. Cheng Shuyang reached out to hold her and patted her back gently. “Sleep. I’ll stay with you.”

Moonlight spilled in through the window and fell over the two figures locked in an embrace.

“Cheng Shuyang, I like you the most.”