Chapter 34

“Would you like to try kissing me?”

Shen Yishu stood frozen in place, staring into a clear spring.

Ji Xiangyu neither avoided her gaze nor retreated. The corners of her lips curved upward, and her usually calm, self-controlled eyes overflowed with laughter.

The earlobe beneath her fingertips was burning hot. Higher up, she could feel a tiny pierced hole hidden within it, something that could only be discovered by touch.

Moonlight fell along Shen Yishu’s neck, its faint glow draping across her delicate shoulders like a lover’s silent embrace.

Shen Yishu pressed her lips together.

Silence spread throughout the room while darkness quietly weighed upon her from behind.

Her heart pounded like a waterfall crashing down and scattering spray, yet her expression remained remarkably composed.

She searched the seemingly shallow spring before her for the other emotions buried beneath its surface.

“Have you reached a decision?” Ji Xiangyu asked softly, afraid of disturbing the night and interrupting the intimacy between them.

Her palm rested against the Alpha’s cleanly defined jawline, while her fingers moved from Shen Yishu’s earlobe to the outer curve of her ear.

She had never done anything like this before, yet she seemed naturally skilled at unauthorized copyteasing the innocent Alpha.

Whispers in the quiet night were already intimate, but Shen Yishu still refused to answer.

She was hesitating.

She searched through everything she had learned during her twenty-three years of life, yet could not find a single reason to agree.

Ji Xiangyu leaned closer.

Sitting on the bay window placed her at just the right height to look down at Shen Yishu. As she bent forward, it was as though the moon itself had fallen into Shen Yishu’s arms.

Her full lips resembled a fruit bursting with juice. One bite would reveal every trace of sourness, sweetness, bitterness, and astringency hidden inside.

Shen Yishu stared at those lips and finally found her reason.

“If you don’t answer, I’ll take your silence as agreement,” Ji Xiangyu said lazily.

Despite her words, she did not move.

She estimated she had teased Shen Yishu enough. If she continued, the little friend probably would not sleep at all tonight.

Just as Ji Xiangyu prepared to leave, Shen Yishu finally spoke.

“Sister…”

Shen Yishu stared absentmindedly at those two lips.

“You said you wouldn’t become angry.”

Before Ji Xiangyu could understand what she meant, softness touched her lips.

Just as Shen Yishu had imagined, juice spread through her mouth, and the sweet flavor was worth savoring again and again.

She rose onto the tips of her toes and finally reached her moon.

Ji Xiangyu froze for two seconds and instinctively began to tilt her head back.

Shen Yishu immediately hooked an arm around the back of her neck, refusing to let her escape.

A divine maiden had descended to the mortal world out of compassion to bestow blessings upon all living things, yet a despicable mortal had seized the hem of her robe and refused to let her leave.

Shen Yishu felt she was that despicable mortal.

Even though she knew she should not monopolize the divine maiden, she stubbornly did so anyway.

Their lips separated briefly.

Moonlight fell upon the Alpha’s trembling eyelashes and cast a shadow that concealed the anxiety beneath them.

The astonishment had not yet disappeared from Ji Xiangyu’s eyes, and the roots of her ears had turned red.

Shen Yishu was about to retreat, but Ji Xiangyu did not let her go.

Their newly separated lips met again.

Ji Xiangyu held Shen Yishu’s face and regained control of the rhythm.

She was pleasantly surprised that Shen Yishu had taken the initiative, but she still intended to be the person directing the kiss.

For some reason, Shen Yishu became slightly annoyed.

Refusing to accept defeat, she squeezed the soft flesh at the back of Ji Xiangyu’s neck.

When people became overwhelmed, they often did things they would never dare attempt normally.

Shen Yishu did more than pinch her. She also rubbed the spot, treating it as revenge for Ji Xiangyu playing with her earlobe.

Sure enough, Ji Xiangyu’s breathing stopped abruptly, and even the hands holding Shen Yishu’s face trembled.

Satisfied, Shen Yishu took control of the rhythm again.

Ji Xiangyu frowned slightly and bit her lip.

Shen Yishu became even more irritated and rubbed the spot for several more seconds, refusing to release her even when Ji Xiangyu’s breathing grew disordered.

Ji Xiangyu had no choice but to pull away.

Panting softly, she said,

“If you keep rubbing it, something is going to happen.”

Shen Yishu: “…”

The more naturally she had rubbed it, the more awkwardly she withdrew her hand.

Half a minute later, Ji Xiangyu switched on the light.

Neither woman had much experience kissing.

There had been no technique whatsoever. They had simply kissed however they found convenient, and their teeth and lips had collided countless times.

One or two tiny cuts appeared on their tender lips, which were moist and slightly swollen.

Shen Yishu knelt beside the bed, looking as though she possessed an excellent attitude toward admitting her mistake.

In reality, she did not even dare look at Ji Xiangyu’s face.

Every visible inch of skin beyond her nightdress had turned red, clearly showing how deeply she had been immersed in the kiss.

Ji Xiangyu appeared even more disheveled.

She rested one hand on her waist while using the other to touch the gland at the back of her neck.

Because Shen Yishu had rubbed it so recklessly, the gland still tingled numbly. The slightest touch weakened Ji Xiangyu’s legs so badly that even she could not touch it herself.

The eyes that had held starlight moments ago could now barely contain her physiological tears.

Moisture shimmered across them and clung to her eyelashes.

Her earlobes and neck were covered in a faint blush, all thanks to Shen Yishu.

Seeing Shen Yishu’s lowered head, Ji Xiangyu asked with an exasperated smile,

“Baby, look at me.”

Shen Yishu shook her head forcefully.

“I’m not looking.”

She did not know whose courage she had borrowed to dare pluck the moon with her bare hands.

The moment the lights came on, she felt exposed with nowhere to hide.

“You were quite brave just now.”

Ji Xiangyu folded her arms, feeling it was entirely necessary to take another shower.

“That wasn’t me,” Shen Yishu said, growing more ashamed the more it was mentioned.

“Do you mean someone else was kissing me just now?”

Ji Xiangyu’s tone cooled, frightening Shen Yishu.

“It was me, Sister.”

Shen Yishu hurriedly admitted her mistake.

“I did it. I just don’t know what happened to me…”

Her voice grew quieter and quieter.

“I’m not blaming you.”

Ji Xiangyu sighed.

If anyone deserved blame, it was Ji Xiangyu for losing control of her own teasing.

Besides, it was something that would happen sooner or later.

She had initially thought they could proceed gradually, but Shen Yishu’s blood had rushed to her head and skipped directly to the result.

“It’s all right if Sister blames me,” Shen Yishu said.

A faint warmth still lingered in her palm.

At that moment, the lingering warmth seemed to intensify until her hand began burning again.

“Is it truly all right?” Ji Xiangyu raised an eyebrow.

“It is.”

Shen Yishu knew from her tone that Ji Xiangyu intended to do something wicked again.

However, Shen Yishu had made the first mistake this time and did not even dare refuse.

“Then let me rub yours.”

As expected.

Shen Yishu: “…”

Had she known this would happen, she would never have competed with Ji Xiangyu over who controlled the kiss.

It had already felt wonderful, yet she had unnecessarily caused more trouble.

Ji Xiangyu instructed her to lie facedown.

Shen Yishu buried herself against the pillow and closed her eyes from nervousness.

Half her face sank into the pillow, her cheeks peach-pink.

The sight immediately made Ji Xiangyu want to laugh.

Shen Yishu was so nervous that her palms were covered in sweat, and she tightly gripped the pillow.

A faint breeze passed.

Shen Yishu felt Ji Xiangyu’s hand brush across her back before stopping at the nape of her neck.

After waiting for a long time, Ji Xiangyu merely stroked the back of her head.

Then she leaned down and lightly kissed the adorable Alpha’s nape.

[This chapter contains only an innocent kiss and no other activity below the neck.]

“Go to sleep, Baby,” she said softly.

Having learned from her earlier mistake, Ji Xiangyu would not provoke Shen Yishu again tonight.

If she angered her once more, Ji Xiangyu would be the one in poor condition while filming tomorrow.

Only after the lights were completely extinguished and Ji Xiangyu entered the bathroom did Shen Yishu dare open her eyes.

She rolled over and wrapped herself inside the blanket.

The sound of running water came from the bathroom.

It should have been time to sleep, yet Shen Yishu felt exceptionally awake.

She was too nervous to fall asleep.

Ji Xiangyu, meanwhile, was uncomfortable.

The bathroom mirror reflected her face.

Through the thin mist appeared a beautiful expression touched Read on BaiLianTalesby desire, with red-rimmed eyes and cheeks resembling peach blossoms.

She sighed and felt she should smoke a cigarette.

Just as she considered waiting for the mist to clear before lighting one, she suddenly remembered promising Shen Yishu that she would smoke less.

After enduring for a moment, she lowered the water temperature and finished showering.

When she emerged again, the bedroom was silent.

Shen Yishu seemed to have fallen asleep.

Ji Xiangyu had lain down for several minutes before Shen Yishu cautiously spoke.

“Sister?”

Ji Xiangyu answered in a soft, drowsy voice,

“Mm?”

“I’m sorry.”

Shen Yishu had reviewed the biological knowledge she previously studied and connected it with the chill surrounding Ji Xiangyu when she left the bathroom.

She understood everything now.

At that moment, she wanted to crawl into a hole, dig a wormhole through time with her bare hands, return to the past, and slap herself twice to regain her senses.

“Don’t think too much about it.”

Ji Xiangyu rubbed her forehead, guessing why Shen Yishu was apologizing.

After all, she had been the one who initiated everything.

“Sister.”

“Mm?”

“Are you uncomfortable?”

Ji Xiangyu sighed softly.

“Baby, if you keep asking, it will become time for you to fulfill your responsibilities.”

The night before they drafted the agreement, Ji Xiangyu had told her there were two responsibilities.

The first was helping her through her heats.

The second was handling her physical needs.

Shen Yishu could not yet accept the second condition, so she guiltily decided to remain silent.

She wriggled beneath the blanket and said in a muffled voice,

“Good night, Sister.”

“Good night, Baby,” Ji Xiangyu replied.

As expected, Ji Xiangyu had not slept well when they woke the next morning.

Her cool, pale skin made the dark circles beneath her eyes appear even deeper.

Because of her guilt, Shen Yishu had also slept poorly.

For once, Ji Xiangyu had not moved over and nudged her awake, yet Shen Yishu still woke early.

When she sat up, Ji Xiangyu had already washed and dressed.

She was sitting on the sofa, reading messages from her manager.

They contained scripts her manager had selected, including both films and television dramas.

Ji Xiangyu read several but found none interesting.

Either the subject matter was outdated, the script lacked originality, or the underlying message was too conventional.

Her manager had allowed news to spread that Ji Xiangyu intended to begin accepting film scripts again.

Countless scripts arrived, most of them commercial productions.

An actress like Ji Xiangyu, whose acting ability and popularity were both sufficient to carry a film as its lead, was welcomed by every investor.

She would still need to wait for a suitable arthouse film.

“You’re awake?” Ji Xiangyu asked when she heard the door open.

“I’m awake.”

Shen Yishu felt like a puppy with its tail tucked between its legs.

Having made a mistake, she appeared dejected whenever she saw her owner.

“Come sit down.”

Ji Xiangyu immediately understood that Shen Yishu was still thinking about the previous night.

Shen Yishu obediently sat beside her.

“When they mentioned the indirect kiss, you became embarrassed. That makes it easy for people to realize our relationship is fake.”

Ji Xiangyu’s gaze traced Shen Yishu’s features.

“Everyone in the entertainment industry is perceptive. They’ll understand at a glance.”

Shen Yishu nodded obediently.

She understood Ji Xiangyu’s meaning.

At first, her behavior could be explained as the shyness of a newlywed.

But over time, people would easily notice that the two of them were not actually intimate because Shen Yishu became embarrassed by every affectionate gesture.

“So recently, I’ll gradually help you become desensitized.”

Ji Xiangyu lifted the glass from the coffee table and took a small sip.

“If you genuinely can’t accept it, you can tell me. I won’t force you.”

Just like the previous night.

Ji Xiangyu had initially intended to stop, but Shen Yishu had offered herself voluntarily.

After fooling around for half the night, Ji Xiangyu had been unable to sleep properly.

At her age, she had already become accustomed to restraining her desires.

But Shen Yishu was far too compatible with her.

Even while half asleep, Ji Xiangyu had continuously felt uncomfortable and barely endured until dawn.

“How will you desensitize me?”

Shen Yishu sat with her legs pressed together and her hands clenched, shrinking obediently into herself.

“Like last night.”

The moment Ji Xiangyu said it, she realized the phrasing sounded problematic.

“The kisses from last night.”

“You mean we should kiss more often?”

Ji Xiangyu stared at her and suddenly wanted to laugh.

She nodded.

“Yes. I mean kissing more often.”

Shen Yishu remembered the previous night’s kiss.

Had she truly resisted it, she would not have taken the initiative.

Yet saying she liked it made something feel wrong inside her, so she hesitated.

The reason for her hesitation was that it had genuinely felt wonderful.

She had tasted it once and wanted more, making her reluctant to refuse.

The thought made her despise herself further.

Shen Yishu, Shen Yishu, how could you become so corrupted by beauty?

“You don’t like it?”

Ji Xiangyu caught Shen Yishu’s hand, preventing her fingers from nervously scratching her leg, and asked softly.

“…I like it.”

Shen Yishu remained honest.

Looking at that face and claiming otherwise would practically invite punishment.

“If you like it, why won’t you agree?”

Ji Xiangyu squeezed her hand.

“Baby?”

“I agree, Sister,” Shen Yishu said.

“Then should we try now?”

Having received a satisfying answer, Ji Xiangyu smiled until her brows and eyes curved.

“All right.”

Shen Yishu closed her eyes and waited for several seconds.

Ji Xiangyu did not release her hand.

Maintaining the same position, she tilted her head, lightly pressed her lips against Shen Yishu’s, and immediately withdrew.

“Open your eyes, Baby.”

Ji Xiangyu smiled.

“We’re finished.”

“It’s over?”

Shen Yishu asked in confusion.

“We still need to film today. What if something happens because we kissed too much?”

Ji Xiangyu released her hand and pinched her cheek.

“…All right.”

For some reason, Shen Yishu felt slightly disappointed.

After breakfast, Wang Xing drove while Zhu Li sat in the passenger seat, and the four of them headed toward the set.

Throughout the journey, Zhu Li felt Shen Yishu seemed absentminded.

With Ji Xiangyu present, however, she was too embarrassed to ask aloud and could only message her through WeChat.

[Poke.]

[Sister Shen, are you feeling unwell today?]

Seeing the message, Shen Yishu did not know how to respond.

She was distracted precisely because she had been far too comfortable.

[I’m fine. I didn’t sleep well last night.]

She selected the most appropriate explanation.

[Oh, oh. Understandable.]

Shen Yishu: “?”

What did Zhu Li understand?

Zhu Li silently put away her phone and felt she might be overthinking.

Very few newly married wives could wake normally and go to work.

An Omega colleague Zhu Li once knew had taken a week off after marriage and constantly rubbed her waist after returning.

Compared with her, Ji Xiangyu was remarkably strong.

Could it be that Shen Yishu was not particularly capable?

Zhu Li suspiciously glanced at the absentminded Shen Yishu through the rearview mirror.

The longer she watched, the more Shen Yishu resembled someone who had been criticized because her wife was dissatisfied.

Helping her employer solve problems was part of an assistant’s responsibilities.

Zhu Li immediately opened her group chat with close friends and asked her sisters for assistance.

Following their enthusiastic recommendations, she found a product on a certain shopping platform that supposedly helped restore an Alpha woman’s confidence.

[ Sister Shen, take a look at this.]

Because she had slept poorly the previous night, Shen Yishu had already fallen asleep.

Her phone remained loosely held in her hand, and her eyes were tightly closed.

They were almost ready to get out of the car, so Ji Xiangyu leaned over to wake her.

Bodyguards would escort them into the film base to prevent reporters from stopping them.

Just as Ji Xiangyu moved closer, Wang Xing stepped on the brakes.

Shen Yishu woke abruptly, her fingerprint sliding across the screen and unlocking the phone.

Her conversation with Zhu Li appeared.

[Restoring an Alpha woman’s prowess is our generation’s unavoidable responsibility!]

Shen Yishu saw it.

Ji Xiangyu saw it too.

She looked at Shen Yishu with a smile that was not quite a smile.

Shen Yishu: “…”

Sister, please let me explain.

Even after getting out of the car, Shen Yishu had not recovered from the words restore an Alpha woman’s prowess.

The moment she stepped outside, she finally understood what it meant to be surrounded like the moon among stars and receive the treatment of a top celebrity.

There were too many reporters to count.

Each one held a microphone bearing a different station logo and pushed forward.

Seven or eight bodyguards surrounded the two women tightly.

Even so, Shen Yishu still felt suffocated.

In her previous life, she had represented her school in competitions of every size and often faced interviews afterward.

But there had usually been only five or six people who asked several harmless questions before leaving.

She had never encountered such an enormous crowd appearing without warning.

“Teacher Ji, was your marriage a flash marriage?”

“Teacher Ji, did you consider your fans’ feelings before getting married, or do you not care about them at all?”

“Teacher Ji, we heard your studio has begun accepting film scripts. This is the first time in ten years that you’ve released such information to the industry. Does this mean you plan to leave television dramas and transition entirely into film?”

“Teacher Ji…”

“May we ask…”

Countless flashes and questions rushed toward them.

The noise left Shen Yishu’s ears ringing and made her feel faintly nauseated.

Ji Xiangyu took her hand, removed the hat from her own head, and placed it over Shen Yishu’s.

Then she wrapped an arm around her and continued walking.

The familiar scent acted like a sedative, quickly calming Shen Yishu.

When they nearly reached the end of the crowd, Ji Xiangyu guided Shen Yishu behind her.

Her clear voice was neither loud nor quiet, yet it silenced everyone.

“You may prepare interview proposals and send them to my studio.”

“My studio will select one for an exclusive interview. If the opportunity is appropriate, I may answer some personal questions.”

“We have scenes to film today, so I won’t remain here.”

“If anyone comes to block my path again tomorrow, I’ll consider refusing interviews from your outlet permanently.”

Her mask concealed most of her face.

Because she had removed her hat, however, her eyes and brows remained clearly visible.

Her exquisite eyes contained faint anger, and every word carried a threat.

The reporters understood that continuing would not produce answers and might only offend her.

They apologized and dispersed.

Only then did Ji Xiangyu turn toward Shen Yishu.

Shen Yishu had been considering how to explain that she did not know why Zhu Li had sent that link.

However, she remembered that Zhu Li’s employment contract was currently in Ji Xiangyu’s hands and decided to approach the matter differently.

Ji Xiangyu was not the kind of employer who would deliberately punish a subordinate, but allowing Zhu Li to offend her direct superior still seemed unwise.

“Did they crush you?” Ji Xiangyu asked.

Their trains of thought had not aligned at all.

“No.”

Shen Yishu shook her head.

Then she whispered,

“Sister, you looked extremely handsome just now.”

With only a few sentences, she had frightened every reporter into silence.

Everyone wanted the opportunity to secure an exclusive interview with Ji Xiangyu.

Naturally, their proposed questions would not be excessively offensive.

To please her, they might even deliberately avoid sensitive subjects.

Aside from magazines promoted by brands, Ji Xiangyu almost never accepted interviews or talk programs.

Even brand representatives warned magazines in advance not to ask excessive questions so Ji Xiangyu would remain comfortable.

An exclusive interview with her could bring enormous traffic even to a small media outlet.

No one could resist that opportunity.

“It’s because I’m famous.”

Ji Xiangyu held Shen Yishu’s hand and walked toward the set.

She had become famous far too early.

At eighteen or nineteen, while people her age were still falling asleep in classrooms, she had already traveled around [stolen content]the country with directors to accept awards.

She had experienced countless interviews.

Some reporters had taken advantage of her sudden fame and asked extremely aggressive questions.

Those experiences were also why she later stopped accepting private interviews almost entirely.

“With Sister’s ability, it would be difficult not to become famous.”

Shen Yishu nodded firmly.

“You aren’t praising my appearance this time?” Ji Xiangyu asked with a smile.

“Normally, possessing Sister’s beauty alone would already mean heaven favored you.”

Shen Yishu spoke without thinking.

“But Sister also has extraordinary ability. It’s as though heaven placed doors and windows on every side of your room.”

Ji Xiangyu suddenly remembered the scripts her manager had sent that morning.

She felt she could search through them and choose one for Shen Yishu.

Shen Yishu possessed talent for acting and had an excellent appearance.

If she received the female lead role in a strong script, becoming popular was nearly inevitable.

“Do you have any ideas for your next drama?” Ji Xiangyu asked.

Shen Yishu froze.

She had not considered it.

The entertainment industry felt like an enormous vat of dye, and she was unfamiliar with it.

Moving forward one step at a time seemed best.

No one could become fat from eating a single mouthful, and she had never expected to become famous overnight like Ji Xiangyu.

Overnight fame required paying a corresponding price.

Along with recognition came endless slander.

Although Shen Yishu did not fear such things, merely imagining them still felt troublesome.

“I’ll play an ordinary supporting role.”

Shen Yishu said,

“As long as I don’t need to portray another scumbag woman.”

“You want to play the devoted second female lead?”

Ji Xiangyu did not reveal her plans.

She intended to discuss Shen Yishu’s future with her properly after she finished filming.

Shen Yishu still needed to make her own decisions.

Ji Xiangyu could only guide her; Shen Yishu had to walk the road herself.

“That sounds good.”

Shen Yishu found the idea quite appealing.

“Devoted second female leads are usually well liked by viewers.”

By playing a deeply affectionate supporting character, she could remove the “charming scumbag” label.

When they entered the set, the director was already sitting on his small stool.

The camera had not yet been switched on.

He held his thermos and stared with pursed lips at their joined hands.

The weather was gloomy that day, with thick clouds covering the sky.

It looked ready to pour, making it perfectly suited for filming the painful scenes of a tragic romance.

However, Shen Yishu had experienced too many shocks that morning and temporarily forgot what they were filming today.

“Now that you’ve announced it, you aren’t even pretending anymore?” the director deliberately asked.

“Pretending was exhausting. You called me aside for a lecture every day. How could I endure that?”

Shen Yishu could finally express her grievances.

“I was afraid you were taking the wrong path!”

The director glared furiously.

“Thank you, Director. Thank you.”

Shen Yishu hurriedly thanked him.

“Newlyweds are wonderful. So affectionate and sweet.”

The director spoke sarcastically.

“What a pity.”

Ji Xiangyu instantly understood what he meant and covered her mouth to conceal her laughter.

“What’s a pity?”

Unfortunately, Shen Yishu did not understand and foolishly took the bait.

“It’s a pity that beginning today, you’ll start mistreating your newlywed wife.”

The director pointed toward Ji Xiangyu and grinned as though his scheme had succeeded.

Shen Yishu: “…”

No matter what happened, she would never accept another scumbag role in her next drama.