Chapter 44
As soon as Wen Yan finished speaking, Jin Zijin’s eyes lit up.
She almost bounced over to Wen Yan and pointed at the pull-up bar. “Really? You want to do it with me on your back?”
“Mm.” Wen Yan nodded. She walked over to the equipment, adjusted the height a little, and said, “Come here.”
Jin Zijin stepped up. Wen Yan turned her back to her and bent her knees slightly. “Climb on. Hold tight around my neck, and wrap your legs around my waist. Relax; don’t tense up.”
Jin Zijin did as she was told and settled onto Wen Yan’s back.
The position was extremely intimate.
Her chest pressed tightly against Wen Yan’s sweat-damp back; her arms circled Wen Yan’s neck, and her legs locked firmly around Wen Yan’s taut waist.
The post-workout heat from Wen Yan practically enveloped her. That sweet, clean water-apple scent mingled with the salt of sweat and rushed over her all at once.
Wen Yan straightened, and Jin Zijin’s full weight settled onto her back.
Wen Yan walked beneath the bar and gripped it steadily with both hands; the muscles in her back tightened into clear, defined lines under the strain.
“Ready?” Wen Yan asked, turning her head slightly; her cheek was almost touching Jin Zijin’s.
“Mm!” Jin Zijin’s voice trembled with barely suppressed excitement.
Wen Yan took a deep breath, tightened her core, engaged her back, and pulled herself up with Jin Zijin’s weight on her.
At that instant, Jin Zijin could clearly feel the changes in the body beneath her.
The muscles in Wen Yan’s back surged and rose like living things; her shoulder blades drew together, the groove along her spine deepened, and her lats spread like wings, brimming with raw power.
Sweat ran down the grooves of those muscles, glinting in the light.
Wen Yan’s movement was steady and powerful, her control immaculate.
She pulled herself up until her chin passed the bar, paused briefly, then lowered herself slowly.
Throughout the whole motion, Jin Zijin could hear the restraint in her breathing, feel her chest expanding and contracting, and sense the terrifying explosive force coiled within that body.
One.
Two.
By the third rep, Wen Yan’s breathing was clearly heavier, and even her arms had started to tremble slightly.
She didn’t push it. She landed steadily, and the moment she let go of the bar, she exhaled a long breath.
Jin Zijin was still clinging to her back, her arms around Wen Yan’s neck tightening even more. She buried her face in the hollow of Wen Yan’s sweat-damp shoulder, awestruck. “Oh my god... Wen Yan, you’re amazing...”
Wen Yan turned her head and rubbed her cheek against Jin Zijin’s, a little smug after exercising, though she tried to keep her tone even. “Just average. Average.”
“I haven’t trained with added weight in a while. I’ve gotten rusty.”
“That still counts as average?”
Jin Zijin slid off her back and turned to face her, her eyes shining as if they were filled with stars.
She reached out and poked Wen Yan’s still-twitching bicep, then touched her sweat-damp back. “This muscle... this control... Dr. Wen, aren’t you being a little too hard on yourself?”
Wen Yan caught her wandering hand and smiled as she shook her head. “I really am just maintaining a basic training level.”
Then she paused, looking at Jin Zijin’s still-excited face. “Happy?”
“Happy!”
Jin Zijin nodded without hesitation, then let out a regretful sigh. “It’s just a shame... I didn’t get a video of that.”
“That was such a cool scene; I should’ve recorded it.”
She took out her phone and scrolled through it, then glanced back at Wen Yan with obvious anticipation and a sly little glint in her eyes. “Can we make up for it next time? A video of you doing pull-ups with me on your back?”
Wen Yan blinked. “A video of me doing pull-ups with you on my back?”
“Yes!” Jin Zijin nodded vigorously, utterly matter-of-fact. “To record life! It’d be so meaningful.”
Looking at the longing almost spilling from Jin Zijin’s eyes, Wen Yan couldn’t possibly bring herself to refuse.
She nodded, indulging her. “Sure. Some day when you’re free, and I’m in good shape too.”
“Deal!” Jin Zijin answered immediately, as if afraid she might change her mind.
Then her finger swiped quickly across her phone screen, opening a saved video and holding it out in front of Wen Yan. “Then... what about this kind? Can we film this?”
Wen Yan lowered her eyes.
In the video, a girl stood in place waiting while her partner ran toward her from a distance, smiling, then scooped her up around the waist and spun her in a circle.
The scene was bright and lively, the music upbeat, full of the sweetness and energy of lovers.
“This one...” Wen Yan studied the movement carefully. “It should be possible.”
“It’s just that when someone runs over and lifts you up, the impact might be a little strong; you might feel uncomfortable. Is that okay?”
“Of course it’s okay.” Jin Zijin shook her head immediately, her eyes even brighter. “We can take it slow. Walk first, then pick me up.”
As she spoke, she quickly swiped to the next video. “What about this one? Can we do this?”
Wen Yan looked again.
This video was even more forceful.
A tall woman effortlessly hoisted her partner onto her shoulder with one arm; the partner had her arms around her neck and was taking a selfie with her phone.
The whole scene was full of control and intimate sexuality.
This time Wen Yan looked more carefully, even simulating the points of force and center of gravity in her head.
After a moment, she nodded with certainty. “This one works too. It takes a bit of technique, but it shouldn’t be a problem.”
After she finished, she looked up thoughtfully at Jin Zijin. “But... Zijin, exactly how many of these... ‘tutorial videos’ do you have saved on your phone?”
She chose her words carefully, torn between confusion and curiosity. “Are they all for... ‘recording life’?”
Jin Zijin met her gaze with a calmness that bordered on brazen. “I’m learning how to date.”
Wen Yan: “...”
She choked on that answer, so direct and so unexpected, and for a moment she didn’t know how to respond.
Jin Zijin tilted her head and leaned closer, a trace of inquiry in her voice. “What? You think that kind of video... mm, with a bit of a ‘male gaze’ and a show of strength, is bad?”
“Not at all.” Wen Yan came back to herself and shook her head, her expression returning to its usual calm honesty. “Being playful is something very personal; as long as both sides are willing and enjoying it, there’s nothing wrong with it.”
“I just didn’t expect...” She paused, searching for the right words and failing to settle on any.
“Didn’t expect what?” Jin Zijin pressed, amusement hidden in her eyes.
Wen Yan looked at her and said earnestly, “I didn’t expect you to learn so seriously.”
Jin Zijin laughed at that.
She reached out and pinched Wen Yan’s cheek, her tone carrying a kind of natural spoiledness. “I told you, didn’t I? Making life more interesting is also a skill.”
“And I...” She lifted her chin slightly, proud of herself. “Am always a good student.”
Wen Yan couldn’t help laughing too when she saw her like that.
The smile spread from her eyes, gentle and bright.
“What are you laughing at?” Jin Zijin asked.
Wen Yan didn’t answer right away. Her gaze drifted past her to the enormous floor-to-ceiling mirror not far away, and she paused for a moment.
Then she suddenly bent down, slipped one arm under Jin Zijin’s knees, and with the other hand supporting her back, lifted her cleanly into a bridal carry.
“Ah!” Jin Zijin cried softly and reflexively wrapped her arms around Wen Yan’s neck.
Wen Yan carried her a few steps to the mirror.
She didn’t use a shoulder carry. Instead, she held Jin Zijin in a more classic princess carry, with one arm beneath her and the other supporting her back.
Wen Yan turned slightly so that both their reflections were fully captured in the clean mirror.
“Didn’t you want to record it?” Wen Yan looked down at her, her voice a little breathless from exercise, but smiling. “You can do it now.”
“I’ll hold you and take a picture.”
In the mirror, Wen Yan wore a dark gray workout tank soaked through with sweat; the lines of her arms and shoulders were clean, strong, and taut from effort.
In her arms, Jin Zijin was still in her work suit, her long hair slightly disheveled, her cheek pressed against Wen Yan’s sweat-damp collarbone, her eyes bright with unconcealed delight and dependence.
There was nothing especially sexy about what they were wearing, yet the difference in their builds stood out vividly.
Strength and serenity formed an image in the mirror that was both striking and unexpectedly harmonious.
Beauty and the beast.
Those five words flashed through Jin Zijin’s mind for no reason at all.
She froze for two seconds, then reacted and quickly raised her phone, snapping several photos at the mirror in rapid succession.
Jin Zijin’s lips curved high, her eyes sparkling. “Wow, Wen Yan, you’re amazing!”
“This angle looks great! Wait, let me adjust the light...”
Wen Yan held her steadily and let her adjust the angle for the photos, even cooperating by slightly shifting her posture.
Only after Jin Zijin finally lowered her phone in satisfaction and said, “Done,” did Wen Yan carefully set her back on the floor.
The moment her feet touched down, Jin Zijin pounced and wrapped her arms around Wen Yan’s waist, still exhilarated as she tipped her face up. “Your core is really stable. You didn’t even shake while holding me.”
Wen Yan felt a little embarrassed by all the praise; her ears turned faintly red as she lifted a towel to wipe off her sweat. “You’re not heavy.”
But Jin Zijin didn’t let it go. She poked at the hard muscle on Wen Yan’s arm, then pinched the slenderness of her own arm and suddenly asked, “Say... how long would I have to train before I could get like you?”
Wen Yan paused. “Why are you asking all of a sudden?”
Jin Zijin had her arms around Wen Yan’s waist, her cheek pressed against Wen Yan’s chest. Her voice was muffled, but there was a soft stubbornness in it. “I want to hold you too.”
Something in Wen Yan’s heart was lightly tickled by a feather; it was itchy and soft at the same time.
Before she could say anything, Jin Zijin suddenly looked up, her eyes sparkling. “Don’t move. Let me try and see if I can lift you even a little bit now!”
As she said that, she let go of Wen Yan’s waist, moved to her side, wrapped both arms around Wen Yan’s waist, took a deep breath, and used all her strength to pull upward.
Wen Yan cooperated by loosening her core a little, but her feet stayed firmly planted on the ground.
Jin Zijin used all her strength; her face went red with exertion, but Wen Yan only swayed slightly with the force.
Lifted off the ground?
Not a chance.
Looking at how earnest and strained she looked, Wen Yan found her unbearably cute; she looked just like a child in kindergarten insisting on proving she could carry her best friend too.
She couldn’t help reaching out to pinch Jin Zijin’s puffed-up cheeks, her voice full of laughter. “All right, all right. Our President Jin is the best.”
Jin Zijin let go and panted once, staring at Wen Yan, who hadn’t budged at all. A little deflated, she muttered, “Hmph! I didn’t lift you at all... Am I really that useless?”
“How could you be.” Wen Yan shook her head immediately, taking her hand and looking at her seriously. “I’m just too heavy.”
“Our body types, bone structure, and muscle composition are all different; that’s an objective fact.”
“Just like you can handle my headache-inducing financial statements with ease, while I can only get the general idea.”
“Everyone has what they’re good at and what they’re not. As long as you do your best in the areas that suit you, and be yourself wholeheartedly, that’s enough.”
Her tone was calm, without any deliberate consolation; she was just stating the facts. Yet somehow it smoothed away the little bit of unwillingness in Jin Zijin’s heart.
Jin Zijin, soothed by her words, let go of the last bit of awkwardness and squeezed her hand back, giving it a little shake. “All right, you’re right. Then...”
She glanced at Wen Yan’s sweat-soaked clothes, then sniffed the scent clinging to herself. “Are you done working out? Shall we go take a shower together?”
Wen Yan nodded. “I’m done.”
“Then let’s go.” Jin Zijin took her hand and led her out of the gym, up toward the master bedroom on the upper floor.
——————
The bathroom was full of warm steam, and the hot water washed away the fatigue and sweat from their workout.
Through the hazy glass, their figures blurred into warm patches of color.
In the sound of running water, Jin Zijin’s voice rang out softly. “Oh right, your mother just called me.”
Wen Yan’s hand, which was spreading shower gel, paused slightly. “Mm?”
Jin Zijin briefly recounted the conversation, her tone steady; then she added, “I might’ve spoken a little too directly. I didn’t leave much room to maneuver.”
“Will you think I was meddling, or that I handled it too forcefully?”
Wen Yan turned off the shower and faced her.
Water droplets slid down Jin Zijin’s long hair and cheeks; her gaze looked especially soft in the steam, though it also carried a trace of barely perceptible tension.
She cared about Wen Yan’s opinion.
Wen Yan reached out and brushed away a damp lock stuck to her cheek; her fingertips were warm.
“No.” She shook her head, her voice clear and certain over the sound of water. “Not at all.”
“I said you could do it your way. And...”
She paused, looking into Jin Zijin’s eyes, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly. “You handled it very well.”
“Clear, forceful, and right on the point. Better than I expected.”
The last trace of tension disappeared from Jin Zijin’s face and turned into a pool of tenderness in her eyes.
She stepped forward and pressed close to Wen Yan, resting her forehead against Wen Yan’s shoulder. Her wet hair clung to the skin between them.
“As long as you don’t mind me crossing the line,” she said softly.
“Never.” Wen Yan wrapped her arms around her. Enfolded by the water, the embrace felt especially tight and warm.
They soaked in the tub for a while. Only when the water began to cool did Wen Yan get out.
She pulled on a wide, soft bathrobe and wrapped herself in it.
After she was done, she took another towel and carefully wrapped Jin Zijin in it as well.
They left the bathroom, their feet leaving slightly damp prints on the floor.
Wen Yan sat Jin Zijin down on the edge of the bed, then stood in front of her and took another dry towel, laying it gently over her wet hair.
Her movements were tender and meticulous.
The towel absorbed the moisture from Jin Zijin’s hair. Wen Yan’s fingers moved through the soft strands, her pressure just right; even the massage at the scalp felt pleasantly drowsy.
Jin Zijin’s eyes narrowed a little, like a cat having its fur smoothed, and a very soft sigh escaped her throat.
The low hum of the hair dryer started up, warm air brushing over her scalp and neck.
Wen Yan’s fingers replaced the comb, and as she dried Jin Zijin’s hair, she also worked it smooth.
They didn’t speak much during the process; only the noise of the dryer and the occasional rustle of fabric filled the room.
The air was thick with the clean scent of shampoo, as well as a kind of intimacy that didn’t need to be spoken aloud.
When the last strand was dry and fluffy, Wen Yan turned off the dryer.
The bedroom fell abruptly quiet, leaving only their light breathing.
Wen Yan had just put the dryer back in the cabinet and turned around when a cool hand caught her wrist.
She looked down.
Jin Zijin was looking up at her, freshly dried hair loose and fluffy around her shoulders, making her face seem smaller and more delicate.
The collar of her bathrobe had slipped open slightly, revealing elegant collarbones and a small stretch of fair skin.
Her gaze was focused and bright, even carrying an unguarded invitation.
She was looking straight at Wen Yan.
Her fingertips didn’t let go of Wen Yan’s wrist; instead, they slid slowly up along her forearm and finally stopped at the edge of Wen Yan’s loungewear collar, hooking lightly against it.
That touch was feather-light, yet it felt like a faint current.
Wen Yan’s gaze fell to the finger hooked against her collar, then slowly moved back to Jin Zijin’s eyes.
She read the invitation clearly. Her heart gave a steady, forceful beat in her chest; the rhythm subtly quickened.
She didn’t speak. She simply followed that silent pull and slowly bent down.
Jin Zijin didn’t retreat. Instead, she tilted her chin up slightly and met her halfway.
The instant their lips touched, it was a soft, tentative brush.
Fresh from the bath, carrying the clean dampness of water, it was gentle and restrained.
Like a feather passing over skin, the tip of the tongue traced the shape of her lips, exchanging tiny, breath-stealing exhales.
Yet beneath the calm surface, turbulent undercurrents lurked.
In just a few seconds, that gentle testing spark ignited into a wildfire and deepened abruptly.
Wen Yan’s hand braced against the edge of the bed beside Jin Zijin, while the other cupped her cheek; her thumb rubbed lightly over the sensitive shell of her ear.
Jin Zijin’s response was just as fervent. She let go of Wen Yan’s collar and instead looped her arms around Wen Yan’s neck.
Her fingers threaded into the still-damp hair at the back of Wen Yan’s head and pulled her closer, leaving no space between them.
Their breathing quickened and tangled together until it was impossible to tell where one ended and the other began.
The intertwining of tongues deepened and grew urgent, greedily swallowing each other’s saliva.
In the silence of the night, those sticky, wet sounds became strangely clear.
Wen Yan could feel Jin Zijin trembling faintly beneath her palm, growing hotter by the second.
Every touch, every suck, stirred a fine shiver under her skin, like ripples disturbed across a lake by the wind.
The air filled with a sweet, scorching heat.
Wen Yan’s kiss began to drift downward, brushing along Jin Zijin’s jaw and neck, then landing on the collarbone that rose and fell so violently.
At some point, the bathrobe ties had loosened, revealing even more tempting sights.
Her palm, burning hot, slid over Jin Zijin’s smooth shoulder and was just about to explore deeper.
“Mm...”
A faint protest, tinged with a nasal whimper, sounded.
Then a hand pressed against Wen Yan’s chest and pushed her forcefully away.
Caught off guard, Wen Yan fell back a little with the force.
Their lips parted, drawing out a thin silver thread of something intimate.
Her eyes were still veiled with unfinished desire; with a little confusion and uncertainty, she looked into Jin Zijin’s equally damp, yet especially bright, eyes.
“...What’s wrong?”
Wen Yan’s voice was a little hoarse, her breathing unsteady. She thought she might have hurt her, or that something was off.
Jin Zijin didn’t answer right away.
Her chest rose and fell slightly; her cheeks were flushed, and her lips were especially red and full from the fierce kissing.
The way she looked at Wen Yan in the dark was dazzlingly bright.
Just as Wen Yan was about to ask again, Jin Zijin moved.
She pressed Wen Yan’s shoulders and easily pushed her down onto the empty bed beside them.
In the dizzying shift, Wen Yan’s back sank into the soft mattress.
Jin Zijin flipped over and straddled her waist and abdomen, looking down at her from above.
Her loose hair cascaded like a waterfall, the ends brushing Wen Yan’s face and neck and leaving a faint itch behind.
The woman’s bathrobe had completely come undone, yet because of her posture it was half concealed, half revealed; under the warm yellow light, the curve it outlined was breathtaking.
Jin Zijin still had a blush on her face, but her eyes were frighteningly bright, as if two little flames had been lit inside them.
She braced one hand against the pillow beside Wen Yan’s ear and raised the other, the tip of her index finger touching Wen Yan’s parted lips to stop whatever question was about to come out.
“Tonight...” Jin Zijin leaned down, pressing her lips against Wen Yan’s as warm breath spilled between them. “You listen to me.”
“Okay?”
————————
The bets are open, the bets are open; can President Jin be the one on top tonight [panda head]
Or is she going to get a scolding from her wife instead [panda head]
Right, all those couple videos on her phone are things she dug up on her own while trying to figure out how to date.
Lmao, she has zero relationship experience herself.
On the surface she looks like a standard femme boss type; in reality: a down-to-earth, beautiful homebody [eating melon]
This whole book feels like it’s writing a living reality show [teary laugh]
The kind you ship for the sugar [teary laugh]