Chapter 2

After the ceremony ended, the two of them changed into their toasting outfits.

Wen Yan linked her arm through Jin Zijin’s and moved through the guests.

She kept a proper smile on her face and, together with Jin Zijin, accepted blessings from relatives and friends on all sides, looking every bit like a perfectly matched pair of newlyweds.

Only Wen Yan knew she could barely concentrate.

Her eyes kept drifting, against her will, to the lips beside her.

That brief, soft kiss had seemed to brand itself into her memory; it replayed over and over with crystal clarity.

Wen Yan had never experienced anything like it before, as if all her senses had been stolen by Jin Zijin in that instant, leaving her unable to control herself.

A faint fragrance lingered at the tip of her nose, a clean, cool citrus note mixed with the steady scent of cold pinewood.

Like clear spring water rushing through an alpine cedar forest; pure and refreshing, yet carrying a hint of untouchable distance.

Within her field of vision were the woman’s full red lips, her beautifully shaped jawline, and that cool, noble side profile—stunningly beautiful.

Although they had only met three times before, Wen Yan had already thought Jin Zijin was extremely good-looking each time.

But she had never thought her this good-looking—this... excessive.

Otherwise, why would a single stolen glance make her heart feel as if it were being brushed by feathers, stirring up the absurd urge to move closer again and kiss those soft lips?

Just as her thoughts began to drift, Jin Zijin beside her suddenly moved in a little closer, as if it were only natural.

Wen Yan’s breath caught. As that exquisite face filled her vision, her heartbeat skipped.

Then it started pounding wildly, thudding against her eardrums like a drum.

When Jin Zijin leaned in, Wen Yan could clearly feel warm breath brushing lightly against her ear.

“Are you very uncomfortable?” Jin Zijin’s voice was pitched very low, like a feather sweeping across the strings of her heart, carrying an almost imperceptible trace of concern.

Wen Yan only felt a tremor in her chest; a subtle current seemed to surge swiftly from her ear and spread through her body.

She pressed her slightly dry lips together and answered softly, “No.”

Jin Zijin didn’t seem to believe her. She squeezed the arm Wen Yan had linked with hers and leaned in even closer.

In a voice only the two of them could hear, the woman said, “If you’re not feeling well, you can go rest in the lounge first. You don’t have to stay with me and handle everything.”

At that moment, the skin on Wen Yan’s arm where Jin Zijin’s fingertips had touched seemed to spark with fine currents; the numb, tingling sensation shot straight to the top of her head.

Wen Yan felt as if the blood in her entire body had started to flow faster, the heat in her face rising higher and higher.

She gave a light cough and forcibly suppressed the strangeness in her heart, keeping her composure. “I’m fine. I’ll stay with you.”

This was a marriage alliance between two families; most of the people present were close old family friends and heavyweight business partners. Going around toasting and exchanging pleasantries was exhausting.

Even Wen Yan, whose stamina was monstrous enough to keep going for hours on the operating table, had cheeks stiff from smiling and steps that had grown a little unsteady.

The wedding banquet finally came to an end amid the noise.

After returning with Jin Zijin to the Jin family estate in the southern suburbs, Wen Yan practically threw herself onto the large, soft sofa in the living room and let out a weary sigh.

“Ah... exhausted to death...”

She felt as if all her strength had been drained away; she didn’t even want to move a finger.

Jin Zijin walked in lightly, loosening her long hair as she went.

Passing by the sofa, the woman lightly patted the top of Wen Yan’s head with cool fingertips and said flatly, “There’s a guest room on the second floor; the toiletries are already prepared.”

Her voice was still cool and detached, but it carried a hint of gentle coaxing. “Go wash up first. When you’re done, come to the master bedroom and find me.”

With that, she left the living room quietly, like a passing north wind.

Wen Yan lay on the sofa for a while longer before pushing herself up and slowly making her way upstairs.

Soon, she washed away the exhaustion and the smell of alcohol, and in comfortable loungewear, stood before the master bedroom door.

Taking a deep breath, Wen Yan raised her hand and knocked.

“Come in.”

Wen Yan pushed the door open and went inside.

Only one warm yellow bedside lamp was on in the master bedroom, its light soft and gentle.

Jin Zijin had already washed up and changed into a silver-white silk nightgown. She was leaning against the headboard and reading on an electronic tablet.

Under the lamplight, the woman’s slightly wavy long hair spilled over her shoulders, adding a touch of mature softness.

She lifted her gaze and swept Wen Yan a look, then beckoned to her. “Come here.”

Wen Yan moved over unconsciously and stopped beside the bed.

Lowering her eyes, she looked at the woman who seemed to glow in the night like a seductress, and almost instinctively used honorifics. “Miss Jin, is there something you need?”

At this, Jin Zijin looked at her with slight surprise.

She set down the tablet and tilted her chin up to look at Wen Yan, her long brows lifting slightly. “We may have only gotten married today, but we’re already legal spouses, and everyone witnessed it.”

“Dr. Wen, are you sure you want to be this polite all the time?”

Wen Yan felt a little awkward and immediately corrected herself with good grace. “Alright, Zijin. You were looking for me; is there something you want to say?”

Jin Zijin glanced at her, neither confirming nor denying it, and only patted the bed beside her, signaling Wen Yan to sit.

Wen Yan sat down as told. The mattress beneath her was soft, and the air was filled with Jin Zijin’s cool scent, making her dizzy and sending her heartbeat surging at once.

Wen Yan unconsciously curled her fingers, feeling somewhat restless and at a loss.

Jin Zijin closed the tablet and set it on the nightstand. Turning to look at Wen Yan, she said casually, “Although I temporarily changed the engagement partner to you in order to make the wedding proceed normally...”

In the quiet night, her gaze rested steadily on Wen Yan, and her tone grew more solemn. “Still, since I’ve chosen to marry you, I’ll give you the respect and treatment a Mrs. Jin deserves.”

“Likewise,” she said, her voice lowering slightly, “I also hope you understand that our marriage is not a joke. It’s a relationship that requires serious attention; it concerns two families, and the two of us as well.”

Wen Yan nodded seriously. “I understand.”

She placed both hands on her knees, her expression earnest. “I’ll do what I’m supposed to do; I won’t add unnecessary trouble to this marriage... or to you.”

A very rigid answer, in the purest Wen Yan style.

Jin Zijin gave a slight nod, then reached out to Wen Yan, the corners of her lips curling into an almost imperceptible smile. “Let’s formally reintroduce ourselves. I’m Jin Zijin, current CEO of Hengxing Group.”

Wen Yan extended her hand and gently took hers.

Jin Zijin’s hand was cool, her knuckles slender; yet when held, it felt resilient and strong.

The sensation was almost addictive.

Wen Yan drifted for a moment before looking back up at her. “Wen Yan, attending physician at the Orthopedic Hospital affiliated with Jingzhou University.”

Noticing her distraction, Jin Zijin’s lips curved.

She didn’t let go right away; instead, she lightly traced circles across Wen Yan’s palm with her fingertips, the motion as natural as a person idly stroking the rim of a porcelain cup late at night.

A tingling, electric sensation spread from where they touched, making Wen Yan’s cheeks burn.

She instinctively wanted to pull her hand away, but Jin Zijin was already hooking a finger around hers and speaking slowly, “Although I already roughly looked into your situation before this.”

The woman studied Wen Yan’s increasingly red face and dragged out the final syllables. “For the sake of our marriage developing in a healthy and stable direction, there’s one question I think it’s better to ask directly.”

Wen Yan’s fingers trembled from being touched like that, and even her voice wavered a little. “Ask.”

She had already steadied herself as much as possible, but even that single word still came out shaking.

Sensing her reaction, Jin Zijin smiled.

The woman leaned forward, took Wen Yan’s hand in hers, and spoke softly near her face. “Dr. Wen, do you like anyone? Regardless of gender.”

At this moment, the distance between their bodies had shrunk alarmingly close.

A faint mix of citrus and cold pine rushed at her, nearly overwhelming all of Wen Yan’s senses.

She lowered her head unconsciously, and a flash of snowy whiteness swept past her eyes, bright enough to nearly blind her.

In this moment, her senses were utterly invaded by a woman named Jin Zijin.

Her brain went abnormally sluggish; her vision flickered bright and bright again, and her head buzzed incessantly...

Her heartbeat accelerated, her breathing turned rapid, and the pounding of her own pulse almost deafened her.

Get a grip...

Get a grip, Wen Yan...

Don’t just stare at this girl like some kind of pervert, frozen in place...

Get a grip, Wen Yan...

With great difficulty, she forced her gaze away from Jin Zijin and pressed her lips together. “No... no..."

Jin Zijin raised a brow slightly and pressed even closer. “You mean you’ve never liked anyone before, or you don’t like anyone now?”

A layer of softness covered the sturdy arm, and Wen Yan’s eyes went straight.

Damn it.

She clearly had them too; why did this woman in front of her seem so fragrant, so soft?

At that moment, Wen Yan only felt the blood in her entire body rushing to her head, leaving her burning hot all over.

She licked her lips and barely managed to find her voice. “Neither.”

Unlike Wen Chen, who had been smooth-talking and popular since childhood, Wen Yan’s reserved speech made her seem especially introverted.

Add to that her obsession with exploring the mysteries of the human body; she had skipped grades all the way through school and never quite fit into the surrounding environment...

Let alone a partner, she had found it difficult even to make a like-minded friend.

Jin Zijin had investigated all of Wen Yan’s background. For her, compared with Wen Chen, that sort of smooth-talking man who was nice to everyone, teasing someone like Wen Yan, this “honest” type, was much more interesting.

A trace of amusement flashed in Jin Zijin’s eyes; her fingertip absentmindedly drew circles in Wen Yan’s palm. “Oh... so our Dr. Wen got married young, while her first love is still untouched.”

Wen Yan: “...”

She had no answer to that.

Where their skin touched, wave after wave of itchiness spread from her palm up her arm and straight into her heart.

Wen Yan curled her fingers, feeling the heat in her cheeks rising again uncontrollably.

Jin Zijin watched her minute reactions with great interest and said meaningfully, “Since Dr. Wen has no experience at all, that actually makes me a little worried...”

Wen Yan looked up and, before thinking, asked, her heartbeat strangely erratic, “Worried about what?”

Jin Zijin leaned forward, pressing her chest against Wen Yan’s shoulder; the distance between them vanished in an instant.

The cool scent on her body, mixed with the moisture of a fresh bath, became even clearer, making Wen Yan’s heart pound in a flurry.

Resting against Wen Yan’s shoulder, Jin Zijin leaned by her ear and exhaled softly, her voice as delicate as orchid fragrance. “I’m worried whether you can accept... being with a woman...”

Making love.

As the warm breath fell and those last two words entered Wen Yan’s mind, she shivered all over as if jolted by electricity.

She jerked her head around in shock, looking at Jin Zijin; her clear eyes seemed to say, How can you say something like that?

Jin Zijin smiled faintly and sat back on the bed again, speaking with evident interest. “You know, a high-quality sex life is also one of the important standards for judging whether an intimate relationship can continue well.”

“Since I chose you, it means I want to properly build this marriage with you.”

Wen Yan’s face turned red all at once; even the tips of her ears were stained crimson.

She felt as though her brain were overheating from those words and from how close they were sitting.

Looking at her flushed cheeks and helpless eyes, Jin Zijin suddenly let out a soft laugh. She lifted her other hand and gently pressed her fingertips against Wen Yan’s slightly parted lips.

The woman’s fingers were cool, yet they seemed to ignite a small flame.

“So,” Jin Zijin lowered her voice even further. Her breath brushed Wen Yan’s cheek, carrying a dangerously unsettling temptation. “Let’s try it first, hmm?”

Try... try what?

Before Wen Yan’s brain could even parse the meaning of that sentence, the light before her was blocked out.

Jin Zijin leaned in and bit her.