Chapter 58

Xi Yu had one hand woven through Yu Nianyi’s fingers, while her other rested casually on Yu Nianyi’s leg, massaging it with practiced ease.

The fatigue that had been lingering there eased at once. Xi Yu’s voice sounded beside her ear. “Better?”

It had to be said—Xi Yu’s pressure was perfect. There were no unnecessary movements; she found the source of the discomfort with uncanny precision and worked it away gently.

Yu Nianyi let out a contented sigh. She no longer cared whether her back was arched or not; she leaned against Xi Yu and quietly enjoyed the private massage.

“That feels so good. I didn’t think much of it just now, but now my legs really do feel tired,” Yu Nianyi said without the slightest politeness. “Sister really is amazing.”

Xi Yu lowered her eyes and looked at Yu Nianyi, whose eyes were closed in bliss. Her long eyelashes curved into a beautiful arc, and there was still a faint blush left on her cheeks.

At that moment, the TV had reached its most dramatic scene; the male and female leads were in an empty, secluded place, preparing to pour out their hearts and confess their love.

Yu Nianyi was being pampered so comfortably that she would occasionally open her eyes to glance at the screen, only to see the two leads gazing at each other with pink bubbles practically floating in the air.

She lifted her chin and unexpectedly met Xi Yu’s eyes. She didn’t know how long Xi Yu had been looking at her, but that gaze was focused and calm.

Yu Nianyi smiled. Her hand brushed Xi Yu’s face, pressing lightly against the back of her head as she lowered her own head, then kissed her.

Xi Yu’s hand never stopped moving. Her lips followed Yu Nianyi’s lead, kissing her several times in quick succession, parting and meeting again.

Yu Nianyi still wasn’t satisfied. She turned her body, knelt between Xi Yu’s legs, cupped Xi Yu’s face, and kissed her again.

This time it was no mere taste. She kissed Xi Yu’s mouth with a rather roguish familiarity, then licked the small beauty mark beneath her lower lip. Only then did she slip inside when Xi Yu parted her lips, and after that, there was no escaping.

Xi Yu raised a hand and pressed it over Yu Nianyi’s hand on her own cheek, guiding their fingers together once more; then she tilted her chin and kissed her without tiring.

Yu Nianyi got tired of kissing, so she patted Xi Yu’s shoulder with her other hand. Xi Yu let her go very obediently, and Yu Nianyi leaned against her shoulder, panting for breath.

“Tired?” Xi Yu asked as she rubbed her leg.

The pajamas were made of very thin fabric, so the soft touch and the warmth beneath it could be felt very clearly.

Yu Nianyi hummed in response, then raised her head and, with a rather assertive motion, kissed Xi Yu’s lips hard once more before returning to her previous position.

Xi Yu smoothed her slightly disheveled blond hair and brushed it all back over her shoulders.

Yu Nianyi gave a low whistle and stared at the scene on the screen. “They’re about to get together.”

Xi Yu lifted her eyelids and glanced at it. The screen showed the protagonists embracing and lingering close, whispering into each other’s ears. She wasn’t very interested, so she quickly looked away and back at Yu Nianyi, whose face was still flushed red.

Leaning against Xi Yu, Yu Nianyi kept watching the screen and asked casually, “Does Sister Xi Yu watch things like this?”

It took a long time before Xi Yu replied. All Yu Nianyi could feel was the steady pressure between her legs, and then the sudden warmth rising at the side of her neck.

“You watch?”

Her tone carried both a hint of question and a hint of certainty.

Yu Nianyi didn’t care much that Xi Yu hadn’t answered her directly. She just said, “Sometimes. When I’m bored, I’ll watch whatever to relax.”

Xi Yu gave a quiet hum. Then Yu Nianyi felt the warmth against her neck become very distinct. She held her breath slightly, her attention completely drawn away.

“Same as you; I only watch occasionally.”

The warmth at her neck came and went, soft and hazy. Yu Nianyi turned her head and clearly saw Xi Yu’s composed face; Xi Yu’s lips were resting casually near her shoulder, almost touching, almost not.

The thought that Xi Yu had been answering her half-heartedly vanished in an instant. Yu Nianyi smiled, staring at Xi Yu’s mouth, and wanted to kiss her again.

Xi Yu seemed to know what she was thinking; her lips lightly brushed Yu Nianyi’s shoulder, rubbing there over and over with a featherlight touch. The white pajamas were kissed until they rippled faintly, soft and delicate, drawing the eye.

That scorching heat was obvious against her shoulder, seeping through the thin fabric and lingering there. Along with the faint curve of Xi Yu’s lips, Yu Nianyi felt her heart tremble for no reason.

Xi Yu was always good at tempting people.

Yu Nianyi shifted, and her mind uncontrollably began to imagine how Xi Yu had looked under those pajamas last night; her body surfaced in her thoughts with startling clarity and refused to go away.

The massage between her legs had not stopped, but it gradually shifted direction. Yu Nianyi instinctively pressed her legs together and held Xi Yu’s hand.

“Sister Xi Yu, are we doing that now?” Yu Nianyi took a deep breath, forced herself to steady, and turned her head to stare at Xi Yu.

Xi Yu tilted her head, resting her chin lightly on Yu Nianyi’s shoulder; her lips were pale pink. “Mm. You’re the one who wants to do it.”

“I can do it again.”

Yu Nianyi’s face went red in an instant. She paused, then subconsciously loosened her grip on Xi Yu’s hand. “I don’t. It’s obviously you...”

Before she could finish, she clearly felt the rubbing through the fabric. Yu Nianyi nearly reflexively clamped her legs together, her whole body going taut.

A very faint laugh suddenly brushed her ear from beside her. “No?”

“Nian Nian, I can see it very clearly in your eyes.”

Yu Nianyi immediately fell silent. What followed was a gradually disordered breath; she blinked rapidly a few times and lowered her eyes. Her hand unconsciously pressed against Xi Yu’s leg.

Xi Yu’s voice remained clear. “Not today. The interval is too short.”

“I’m only touching a little.”

Yu Nianyi pressed her lips tightly together; she had long since lost the ability to speak. Her gaze stayed fixed below, while by her ear she could clearly feel soft, damp kisses.

...

The two of them lingered on the sofa for more than two hours before finally cleaning up.

Xi Yu really hadn’t gone any further, but even so, Yu Nianyi was already exhausted.

She had originally wanted to show off her service skills in front of Xi Yu, but she kept getting thrown off by Xi Yu’s teasing; every time, her mind went into disarray, and in the end all that remained were scattered, broken breaths.

Yu Nianyi sat beside Xi Yu, idly swinging Xi Yu’s hand as her expression turned lazily unrestrained. “Sister Xi Yu, was the painting in the bedroom hanging there especially for me the first time you came to my place?”

Xi Yu raised an eyebrow. After thinking for a moment, she said, “Mm, partly.”

Yu Nianyi brightened, about to ask more, when Xi Yu spoke again. “There’s no doubt your work is very good. And I could feel your emotions from the painting.”

“My emotions?” Yu Nianyi straightened up and turned to look at Xi Yu. Xi Yu looked back at her.

“Mm.” Xi Yu paused. “Back then, I thought about the day you would come here.”

Yu Nianyi let out a soft wow, the corners of her mouth lifting fully. “Sister is so smart. How do you know everything...”

Xi Yu was clearly pleased by the praise; even her calm brows and eyes curved slightly. She looked at Yu Nianyi and stayed quiet, her lips pressed together.

Yu Nianyi took Xi Yu’s hand and lifted it with her, bringing it to her lips to kiss again and again while she kept calling her sister, sister.

Xi Yu was very compliant, her eyes simply watching Yu Nianyi.

Just as the two of them were enjoying themselves, the phone rang.

Yu Nianyi picked it up and saw that it was a message from Sun Mengyao.

It was a long voice message. Yu Nianyi tapped it open, and a familiar voice flowed out.

“Hello, Nianyi. I’m giving you a brief overview of the direction of this exhibition in advance; the main theme is natural scenery. Of course, it’s not simply about painting a landscape, but about starting from your inner self and painting a landscape of the heart. To put it more specifically, nature is only our medium; what’s truly needed is your exploration and expression of the self.”

After the voice message finished, Yu Nianyi nodded and replied with a good, saying a few words of thanks.

Xi Yu sat to one side, quietly watching her movements.

But just after she sent the reply, Sun Mengyao’s voice call popped up on the screen.

Yu Nianyi glanced at Xi Yu; Xi Yu nodded, and only then did she answer.

“Nianyi, I can give you a simple explanation of the content here so it’ll be easier for your creation. First, you can choose a place that has special meaning to you, focusing on a deeply personal and unique memory. I hope to be able to feel traces of that memory in the painting. Or, you can focus on the overall emotional state; the pacing needs to be steady so that people can clearly sense your emotions. Or, you can turn inward and think about expressing your spiritual world. This place may not exist fully in reality, but it is your own peach blossom spring. In other words, a constructed scene.”

Sun Mengyao’s words were clear. After saying this, she paused for a few seconds. When she didn’t hear Yu Nianyi’s voice, she then asked, “Did I make that clear?”

Yu Nianyi hummed softly and brought the phone closer to her ear. “You made it clear. Thank you, Sister Mengyao, for explaining all that. I basically understand now.”

Sun Mengyao said, “Mm. At the same time, there’s one more thing you need to make clear, and that’s how to express the painting, with an emphasis on technique. You don’t need to rely on any fixed thinking or built-in representations. You can approach it through brushwork, composition, color, and so on, and focus on personal style.”

Yu Nianyi’s eyes lit up, and she nodded repeatedly.

Sun Mengyao said, “I think this shouldn’t be especially complicated or abstract for you.”

Yu Nianyi said, “Yes, it’s already very clear to me.”

Sun Mengyao said, “Good. Lastly, there needs to be a certain narrative quality, including a good title. I’m sure you understand that.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Sun Mengyao seemed to think of something and added, “As for Xi Yao’s side, Sister An Ning will explain it. You can rest assured.”

Yu Nianyi smiled and thanked her once more.

After the serious business was done, Sun Mengyao didn’t hang up immediately. Instead, she changed her tone and asked with a smile, “What’s Xi Yu been up to lately?”

Yu Nianyi froze, then turned her head and happened to meet Xi Yu’s eyes.

“Something wrong?” Xi Yu glanced at the phone screen and suddenly spoke.

There was an obvious pause on the other end; then Sun Mengyao let out a sound, sounding a little excited. “So you were there the whole time? What’s going on? You were just pretending not to be, weren’t you?”

Xi Yu answered very casually, “Pretending what? Weren’t you looking for Nian Nian?”

Sun Mengyao went “ah,” and the air went quiet for two seconds. “Nian Nian?”

As if deliberately, she added, “Nianyi has a nickname too? Nian Nian really does sound nice; it feels much more intimate than Nianyi. Should I call you that from now on?”