Chapter 59

“No.” As soon as Sun Mengyao finished speaking, Xi Yu rejected it without the slightest hesitation.

Yu Nianyi chuckled to herself but didn’t say anything.

“That’s a little unreasonable,” Sun Mengyao said with a deliberately teasing smile. “Why is it that only you get to call her that, while the rest of us can’t? Isn’t that a little too controlling?”

“Besides, this is Nianyi’s business. Shouldn’t you ask Nianyi first? Who exactly are you to decide for her? Xi Yu, that doesn’t sound like you at all.”

Sun Mengyao’s meaning was obvious. Xi Yu gave a very faint sigh; her voice was clear and unmistakable. “I’m her girlfriend.”

Yu Nianyi’s eyes widened slightly. She pressed her lips together, then laughed.

Xi Yu turned to look at her smiling face and curled her lips as well.

Sun Mengyao exclaimed, “Oh my, so it really is true.”

“I thought something was off at that last dinner already. You even set the whole thing up for me. You almost never bother contacting me, so why did you suddenly go out of your way to ask when I’d be free and say you wanted to have a meal? You scared me so much I almost thought the person on the other end was a fake...”

Yu Nianyi finally couldn’t hold back. She lifted her brows and turned to stare at Xi Yu without blinking.

From start to finish, Xi Yu had been looking at Yu Nianyi’s face; she didn’t deny Sun Mengyao’s teasing, only tightened her hand around Yu Nianyi’s.

On the other end, Sun Mengyao was clearly having the time of her life. “Nianyi, I’m telling you, don’t be fooled by how proper and serious Xi Yu looks. Sometimes she’s really not like that at all. Last time she even casually showed me your painting in her bedroom. Mostly because she wouldn’t say it outright and made people guess; she was full of herself about it... At the time, I felt like she was... kind of slutty.”

Xi Yu abruptly raised a hand and pressed down on Yu Nianyi’s phone. Lowering her gaze, she happened to meet Yu Nianyi’s slightly dazed eyes. Her brows knitted faintly, and her voice cooled at once. “You’re talking too much.”

Sun Mengyao: “Hey—”

Yu Nianyi still hadn’t reacted when Xi Yu ended the call. The screen returned to the original chat interface.

When Yu Nianyi looked up again, she met Xi Yu’s eyes.

Xi Yu lowered her gaze slightly and withdrew her hand. “She likes to joke. You don’t need to take it seriously.”

Yu Nianyi blinked and kept watching Xi Yu’s eyes, but Xi Yu deliberately looked away. Yu Nianyi could only see part of Xi Yu’s profile; her beautiful ear was fully exposed, the rim tinted a delicate pink.

Yu Nianyi rested one hand on Xi Yu’s leg and leaned over to keep following her with her eyes. Smiling, she hummed, “Is it hot? Your ears are so red, Sister~”

This time Xi Yu didn’t dodge. She turned her head and looked back at Yu Nianyi, catching her gaze all at once. Then, as if to cover it up, she blinked and looked away again. “You believed her.”

Yu Nianyi shook her head. “Not really...”

Xi Yu stared at her for a moment. After hearing her answer, she unconsciously leaned back against the sofa, the tension in her body easing.

Yu Nianyi giggled. Her eyes were bright. “I knew it a long time ago.”

Xi Yu’s gaze paused.

Yu Nianyi braced herself on one hand and sat up a little, bringing her lips close to Xi Yu’s cheek. In a voice so soft that only the two of them could hear, she said, “Like that night at the resort hotel a long time ago; like the scarf you gave me; like that time at the restaurant; like when you gave me paint but then pulled away from me; like the time Luo Yiran had her birthday...”

Xi Yu watched her chatter on and on, waiting for Yu Nianyi to finish her long string of words. Only then did she lift her free hand and rub lightly at her brow and eyes, letting out what seemed like a very faint sigh.

Yu Nianyi noticed Xi Yu’s sudden movement, the slightly lowered corners of her eyes, the curve of her lips that wasn’t completely hidden.

After a moment of silence, Xi Yu said, “All right.”

“That’s enough.”

Yu Nianyi stopped at once and smiled as she leaned toward Xi Yu. She reached up and pulled Xi Yu’s hand away from in front of her face, then brought her lips close and kissed her lightly.

This time Xi Yu didn’t indulge her the way she usually did. Instead, she laced their fingers together, lifted her waist, shielded Yu Nianyi as she lay back on the sofa, and then pressed in with her legs.

The sofa had more room than Yu Nianyi expected; the feel against the back of her head was especially clear. She tilted her head back a little, instinctively not wanting Xi Yu to bear the weight of it, only to be kissed until she sank into Xi Yu’s palm.

Xi Yu lightly touched the tip of her nose and let out a soft breath. “Lie down properly.”

Yu Nianyi hummed in response. She could clearly feel Xi Yu’s hand supporting her head, stroking it again and again with gentle persistence.

Xi Yu’s palm slowly moved away, then brushed against Yu Nianyi’s ear and casually pinched it.

Yu Nianyi turned her face slightly, her shoulders lifting a little. In that instant, she looked straight into Xi Yu’s eyes and saw her own reflection in those brown pupils.

Xi Yu seemed to especially like touching her ears; it happened a lot, especially in bed. Yu Nianyi had rarely experienced that in intimate relationships, and only with Xi Yu did she belatedly realize how sensitive that spot was for her.

An inexplicable itch spread from her ear all the way through her body, dragging all of Yu Nianyi’s attention with it. She held back from moving. Before she could even lift her chin to kiss Xi Yu’s lips, Xi Yu lowered her head first, her fingers brushing Yu Nianyi’s lower lip before she kissed her.

“...Do you want to?” Yu Nianyi gasped as she dodged Xi Yu’s lips, which kept chasing after her. She asked breathlessly.

Xi Yu stroked her face, then touched her ear again.

Yu Nianyi narrowed her eyes in comfort and let out a soft sigh.

Xi Yu looked down at her quietly. After a moment of silence, she asked in a low voice, “Is that okay?”

Yu Nianyi didn’t answer. She kissed her again very quickly.

...

By Saturday, the two of them were completely holed up at home; in the afternoon, they’d gone at it hard twice more.

Only when she stayed with Xi Yu did Yu Nianyi belatedly realize how much her body lagged behind. She had thought she was the more lustful and more enduring one, but it turned out the complete opposite.

It was only because Xi Yu saw how exhausted she was that they finally stopped for good. Xi Yu took her to shower, then massaged her for a while.

-

Yu Nianyi woke early on Sunday. When she opened her eyes, Xi Yu was still sleeping deeply.

She stared at Xi Yu and giggled to herself for a long time before picking up her phone to check her messages.

There were several new friend requests. Ever since the last exhibition, quite a few juniors had reached out in admiration; some asked about the person in the painting, some offered compliments, and some asked questions about the work itself.

Yesterday, Xi Yao had sent her a message, along with a photo of herself and Luo Yiran eating on beach chairs, the endless sea stretching behind them.

After that, she had asked casually whether Xi Yu had mentioned her.

Yu Nianyi thought about it. Xi Yu really hadn’t. She had originally meant to find a suitable excuse to ask, but then she’d been clinging to Xi Yu the whole time and completely forgotten.

She replied that Xi Yu hadn’t, then backed out.

Sun Mengyao’s hint yesterday had already been very obvious and clear, and it had clearly taken her into account as well.

Yu Nianyi was grateful for Sun Mengyao’s thoughtfulness. It was just that when it came time for her to actually paint, she still couldn’t quite decide.

She opened her phone and casually scrolled through Moments. Most of it was classmates and friends posting about going home for the holiday, or photos from meals together.

When she scrolled further down, a set of photos caught her eye.

It was a hometown post from a junior she didn’t know very well. The pictures showed a warmly familiar rural streetscape: an old, dusty road that wasn’t quite level; the occasional tricycle drifting past; a few large yellow dogs and small yellow dogs crouched at the street corner; and elderly people sitting at their doorsteps with their heads lifted in expectation.

Yu Nianyi’s gaze settled on the images. She looked at them for a while, then liked the post.

“Very evocative pictures.”

A voice suddenly came from beside her. Yu Nianyi turned her head and saw Xi Yu propped on one arm beside her, lying there. Sensing her gaze, Xi Yu looked over naturally.

“Thinking about your piece?”

Yu Nianyi let out a sound of surprise. “How do you know? There’s no way I can hide anything from Sister’s eyes.”

She sighed and simply fell back beside Xi Yu, who lay down with her.

“Yesterday, when Sister Mengyao was talking, I thought of a lot of things. But when I started thinking about it again today, my mind went completely blank. I feel like a lot of them are suitable, but I’m also a little torn..."

Xi Yu watched her quietly for a while, then stroked Yu Nianyi’s head and said suddenly, “No rush.”

“There’s a beautiful place in Jiayang in winter. Want to go out with me?”

Yu Nianyi looked at Xi Yu, then realized Xi Yu was inviting her out. Her eyes curved all the way into crescents. She hugged Xi Yu immediately and rubbed against her coquettishly. “Okay? Sister Xi Yu, are you free today? Of course I want to go! I really, really want to go! Thank you, Sister; how can you be this good to me~”

Xi Yu pressed her lips together, lowered her head slightly, and brushed her lips against Yu Nianyi’s ear. “Mm. Eat breakfast first, then we’ll drive over.”

The place Xi Yu mentioned was a scenic area somewhat far from downtown Jiayang, one most out-of-towners wouldn’t know.

Yu Nianyi had heard of it before. She had once seen someone post photos there in summer; the pictures showed towering straight trees, lush greenery, and beautiful mountains. She had been amazed by those shots, but the round trip was too troublesome, so she had kept putting it off.

“The winter there is a different scene entirely; it’s beautiful in winter,” Xi Yu said.

Yu Nianyi sat in the passenger seat and looked at Xi Yu’s composed profile, unable to help asking, “Do you go there often, Sister Xi Yu?”

Xi Yu nodded. “When she was little, Xi Yao liked to make a fuss about going there in summer.”

Yu Nianyi nodded and leaned back into the seat. “I’ve really been looking forward to it, actually. I’ve just never had the chance.”

As if remembering something, Yu Nianyi asked, “Sister Xi Yu doesn’t need to go back home today?”

The car left the lively city center and headed straight for the provincial road.

Xi Yu didn’t answer right away. After a pause, she said, “Mm. You’re here.”

Yu Nianyi froze, looking at Xi Yu’s profile, still calm as ever. Her lips were pressed together, and the lightly curled lashes above her eyes traced beautiful arcs every time she blinked.

After a moment, Yu Nianyi instinctively nodded, heat rising to her face. The fingers resting loosely on her leg curled slightly; she rubbed them against her pant leg, clenched them, then relaxed them again.

She occupied herself for quite a while, her mind automatically replaying what Xi Yu had just said.

The one who had been talking nonstop a moment ago suddenly fell silent. Xi Yu, in the driver’s seat, glanced sideways at Yu Nianyi a few times, observing her before looking away again. “Are you cold?”

Yu Nianyi made a sound and looked at Xi Yu, just in time to see her reach out with one hand to turn up the heat. Yu Nianyi quickly waved her hand and said no.

“I just think Sister Xi Yu is really good at flirting sometimes.” Yu Nianyi let out a smile and a sigh; even her tone went up at the end.

Xi Yu looked at her again. “Am I?”

Yu Nianyi nodded solemnly. “Yes!”

Xi Yu was amused by her expression, and her eyes curved. “Good.”