Chapter 25.2

The cold, clear tone was pleasant to hear, but the content somehow made Xie Shuyun shiver.

She turned her head and gave Cheng Lingxue a flattering smile.

“Um… Lingxue, let’s discuss this. Actually, there’s nothing wrong with my neck. I’ll just twist it a little, and it’ll be fine in a while. You really don’t need to—”

Before she could finish speaking, Xie Shuyun’s face twisted under Cheng Lingxue’s heavy pressure. The pain brought tears to her eyes, but she dared to be angry yet did not dare speak. She could only puff out her cheeks slightly and look at Cheng Lingxue with a hint of accusation.

“Alright. Turn around and sit properly.”

Cheng Lingxue lightly pushed Xie Shuyun’s forehead with her fingertip, ignoring a certain someone’s gaze as she spoke faintly.

Seeing that she truly could not escape, Xie Shuyun turned her head back with a bitter face. As for the mentality of not daring to act recklessly in front of Cheng Lingxue, she could only mutter inwardly about why she was so cowardly, then obediently continued letting Cheng Lingxue massage her shoulders and neck.

But unexpectedly, after that, Cheng Lingxue no longer deliberately pressed down so hard.

Instead, she used the pad of her thumb to press gently and carefully. From light to heavy, she gradually increased the force step by step. From the comfort of kneading to the satisfying ache of [Read on BaiLianTales]pressure, it did not make the pain unbearable all at once. Instead, it made one feel incredibly relaxed. The stiffness in Xie Shuyun’s shoulders and neck also greatly decreased.

“…Hah…”

Xie Shuyun let out a comfortable sigh. The tingling sensation coming from her shoulders made her narrow her eyes, like a satisfied large dog. The way she lay against the sofa armrest with both hands pressed to her cheeks made her look even more like one. She even hummed a little tune in her throat, completely out of melody.

As a result, because she got too carried away, Xie Shuyun’s head was ruffled into a chicken nest by one hand before she could even react. Her eyes were full of confusion.

“Heh…”

A soft laugh came from Cheng Lingxue’s mouth.

The hand she had already withdrawn seemed to still feel the touch of Xie Shuyun’s hair. It was fluffy, yet finer, softer, and smoother than expected. The feeling was quite good.

“…You…”

Xie Shuyun helplessly combed through her own hair with her fingers, not really angry.

After all, thanks to Cheng Lingxue’s massage, her whole body felt refreshed. Being teased with such a small prank was not a big deal.

However…

From the corner of her eye, Xie Shuyun caught the image of Cheng Lingxue laughing softly.

The cold young girl’s brows and eyes curved like crescent moons, the smile within them spilling out slightly. The corners of her mouth curved faintly, melting the chilly air around her like ice.

Although it was only for an instant, Xie Shuyun took it all in. That image kept echoing in her mind, and the gloom in her heart vanished completely because of the girl’s smile.

Mm…

Exchanging this for a beauty’s smile seemed rather worth it?

Tap, tap, tap.

At that moment, Qin Yu walked into the living room carrying a tray. Seeing the situation in the living room, her footsteps paused. Her eyes quickly analyzed the scene before her.

Why was Eldest Miss sitting on the floor?

And what was with that chicken-nest hair?

Also, Miss Cheng was actually sitting beside Eldest Miss?

She had originally thought the two of them were rather distant, but now it seemed their relationship was actually not bad?

“Eldest Miss, Miss Cheng, I brought you a fruit platter. There are strawberries, pears, apples, and so on. The kitchen also has mung bean soup for cooling down. If you want some, just tell me, and I’ll have someone bring it over.”

“I understand. Thank you, Qin Yu.”

Xie Shuyun smiled at Qin Yu and quickly tidied her hair before standing up from the floor.

Qin Yu looked Xie Shuyun up and down, confirming that there was no problem before turning around and heading back toward the kitchen.

Watching her figure disappear, Xie Shuyun looked at the fruit platter on the table.

The fruit had been thoughtfully cut into bite-sized pieces. At a glance, bailiantales.comit looked extremely fresh, clearly just peeled and sliced.

The most attractive among them was naturally the strawberries. Each one was plump and fresh, still carrying tiny droplets of water. Under the light, they flashed with a crystalline sheen.

A wild idea flashed through Xie Shuyun’s mind.

From the corner of her eye, she looked at Cheng Lingxue, who was brushing her long hair aside and lightly patting her clothes, preparing to get up and return to her original seat.

Xie Shuyun could not help curling her lips.

She had always been completely eaten up by Cheng Lingxue. Wasn’t this a chance to win back a round?

There was no one around now. It was only the two of them, so they did not need to worry too much about other people’s gazes.

Cheng Lingxue probably would not get too angry, right…?

Although there was uncertainty in her heart, Xie Shuyun felt this was a great opportunity. Her eyes rolled around, and in the end, she gritted her teeth and made up her mind.

The sensation in Cheng Lingxue’s hand gradually faded, and the pleasant mood from earlier also slowly cooled down.

She lightly tugged at the wrinkles on her skirt, feeling a trace of anxiety in her heart.

It was not only because of what she had done just now. More importantly, that natural urge that had arisen made Cheng Lingxue feel startled.

She had actually wanted to get closer to Xie Shuyun…

That brought a heavier sense of crisis than anything else.

Her fingers curled slightly. Cheng Lingxue no longer knew how many times this had happened. Her mind kept thinking about this point.

Suddenly, something with a faint chill pressed against her lips.

Cheng Lingxue’s pupils shrank slightly. Alarm bells rang loudly in her heart, and her body instinctively retreated. She furrowed her brows slightly and looked toward the culprit.

“Ah, I scared you.”

Xie Shuyun pulled her hand back slightly, speaking somewhat embarrassedly.

Cheng Lingxue’s scrutinizing gaze circled over her before finally landing on the culprit that had startled her.

It was a strawberry.

Xie Shuyun was pinching the stem with her fingertips. It looked like the best-looking strawberry from the fruit platter, except there was now a layer of amber-colored shine over it.

At the same time, Cheng Lingxue also felt that something seemed to have gotten on her lips. She stuck out her tongue and licked it. The unique flavor of honey immediately spread from the tip of her tongue.

Xie Shuyun also noticed Cheng Lingxue’s gaze. She lightly scratched her cheek. Feeling guilty for suddenly acting and startling the other girl, her eyes drifted a little.

She gently shook the strawberry in her hand and said softly,

“I thought, since you massaged me just now, I’d pick a strawberry for you as a return gift.”

As she spoke, Xie Shuyun looked at the amber liquid coating the strawberry.

“I don’t know whether you prefer stolen content honey or condensed milk. If you prefer condensed milk, I’ll pick another one for you?”

Hearing Xie Shuyun’s words, Cheng Lingxue did not know whether she should laugh or be angry.

She pressed her lips together lightly, curled her fingers, and rubbed her temples. She had originally wanted to think about how to respond, but when Xie Shuyun saw this, her eyes lit up, and she slowly shuffled closer.

“Is your head uncomfortable? How about I massage it for you? My massage skills are pretty good too.”

Xie Shuyun patted her chest in guarantee. After speaking, she wanted to put down the strawberry and circle behind Cheng Lingxue.

Realizing what the other girl was doing, Cheng Lingxue could only lower her hand. She changed to lightly propping up her chin, her dark eyes fixed on Xie Shuyun. There was a faint smile that was not quite a smile in them, like a proud cat.

Her fingertips lightly curled the hair that had fallen onto her skirt as she spoke faintly.

“I was just thinking… Is my repayment only worth one strawberry?”

“…Ah…?”

Xie Shuyun blinked, looking at the strawberry, then at Cheng Lingxue.

It seemed that, just as the other girl had said, her return gift really was too cheap!

Cheng Lingxue had massaged her for so long, yet she was giving her a single piece of fruit. And the fruit had not even been cut or washed by Xie Shuyun herself. She had only picked one and dipped it in some honey.

Thinking carefully, it really did seem rather insincere.

Realizing this, Xie Shuyun’s face turned red all at once. She scratched her head hesitantly and asked in a small voice,

“Then what do you want me to do?”

“What do I want you to do…? I haven’t thought of it yet…”

Being asked so suddenly, Cheng Lingxue had no idea either.

For a moment, the two stared at each other.

“Then… are you still eating this strawberry?”

Xie Shuyun lightly raised the strawberry. This strawberry had already touched Cheng Lingxue’s lips just now. It did not seem very appropriate for Xie Shuyun to eat it directly.

Although she herself did not mind, Xie Shuyun felt that Cheng Lingxue would mind this point.

But in the next second, under Xie Shuyun’s shocked gaze, Cheng Lingxue gently gathered up her own hair, leaned forward, opened her small mouth, and bit into the strawberry in her hand.

Looking down from above, Xie Shuyun seemed able to see the cold young girl’s thick lashes trembling constantly, as well as her flawless skin without any blemish or visible pores. Under the light, it looked even fairer and more spotless.

What shook her the most was that her fingertip seemed to have accidentally touched Cheng Lingxue’s soft lips.

That gentle, silky sensation made Xie Shuyun’s fingertip tremble slightly. She wanted to retain that heart-stirring touch.

At that moment, something soft and damp brushed across the pad of her finger.

Xie Shuyun’s pupils shrank slightly. Her gaze instantly fixed on Cheng Lingxue’s slowly retreating face.

As if verifying Xie Shuyun’s guess, Cheng Lingxue’s pink little tongue was [Read on BaiLianTales]licking her red lips, cleaning off the honey stained on them.

Gulp.

Xie Shuyun secretly swallowed.

Without leaving a trace, she picked up the strawberry, which now had almost only the stem left. On it were marks from Cheng Lingxue’s white teeth.

Of course, that was not what Xie Shuyun was focused on.

What she was focused on was the faint crystal trace on her thumb.

If she had guessed correctly, that sensation just now had indeed…

She had not felt wrong!

Her heart seemed to beat a little faster. Her throat was terribly dry, even worse than earlier.

Xie Shuyun gently placed the stem on the edge of the fruit platter, then turned her head to look at the girl still leaning against the sofa chair. Cheng Lingxue’s cheeks were slightly puffed as she slowly chewed the strawberry in [bailiantales.com]her mouth. Her eyes were slightly narrowed, revealing a trace of laziness.

“Was the strawberry good?”

As expected, her voice carried a bit of hoarseness.

“It was alright. I prefer condensed milk.”

After glancing at Xie Shuyun, Cheng Lingxue raised her thumb and lightly wiped away the remaining liquid at the corner of her mouth.

A tissue was immediately handed over.

She lifted her eyes, took the tissue, and wiped her hands clean.

“Here. If you like it, eat more. If you want more condensed milk, I can also tell the maids. Fruit won’t taste good if it’s left out too long.”

Xie Shuyun moved the things on the table aside and pushed the fruit platter in front of Cheng Lingxue. As for herself, she casually picked up a fork, stabbed a piece of pear, and put it into her mouth.

The high-quality pear had delicate flesh without the slightest [unauthorized copy]astringency. It was very sweet and full of juice. If it were any other time, Xie Shuyun would definitely savor it carefully.

But now, she ate absentmindedly, her gaze drifting from time to time toward the young girl beside her.

Cheng Lingxue elegantly reached out and picked up pieces of fruit, taking small bites and swallowing slowly.

Now that Xie Shuyun thought back to how Cheng Lingxue had eaten the strawberry in one bite just now, it really did not quite match the other girl’s usual style.

However, Cheng Lingxue seemed to truly like condensed milk.

Every bite of strawberry was dipped in a little. Not much, but enough to ensure there was some each time.

Her pink little tongue lightly licked her lips from time to time. Every time Xie Shuyun caught sight of it, her heart trembled.

Lightly rubbing her own fingertip, as if recalling the sensation from earlier, Xie Shuyun truly felt that she was becoming more and more perverted.

How could every little action of Cheng Lingxue’s tug at her heartstrings and make her have thoughts she should not have?

That was the female lead O.

In the future, she might dig out Xie Shuyun’s gland and send her to prison.

But the closer Xie Shuyun got to her, the less frightening Cheng Lingxue seemed. Instead, her heart ached for what Cheng Lingxue had gone through, and she could not help wanting to treat her well.

This left Xie Shuyun somewhat confused.