Crazy (Lily ABO) - Chapter 21

When Teng Lin woke up, it was already dark. Only the floor lamp in the corner of the living room was on. She slowly sat up, her naked body covered only by a thin blanket. The sticky bodily fluids had been cleaned away, leaving her feeling fresh and dry. She picked up a shirt from the floor, casually put it on, and looked around. Not finding Xin Ruofan, a feeling of loss welled up inside her.

She suddenly remembered their first time getting a room, when she had secretly left while the Omega was asleep. Was Xin Ruofan similarly disappointed when she woke up then…? Teng Lin couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh, greedily inhaling the lingering tuberose in the air. She dragged her tired body towards the kitchen, her gaze inadvertently falling on the bedroom, and she immediately froze.

The door opposite the bedroom was open; it was Teng Fei’s room, and a faint sliver of light peeked through the gap. In the dimly lit room, only a small desk lamp was on. Xin Ruofan sat on the bed in a bathrobe, half her face hidden in shadow, quietly looking at the easels stacked in the corner, seeing various expressions of herself in each painting.

The door was gently pushed open with a slight creak. Xin Ruofan turned her head, her eyes fixed, unblinking, on the softly swaying form between the Alpha’s legs. Teng Lin froze, then belatedly realized she wasn’t wearing pants. A surge of hot blush immediately rose, spreading up her neck, straight to her cheeks, making her entire body suddenly hot and red.

Xin Ruofan raised an eyebrow and couldn’t help but laugh. This was the first time she had seen the Alpha as red as a shrimp; it was absolutely adorable. She quickly stepped forward and embraced the Alpha, who was trying to escape, easily pressing her onto the bed with a slight force. The Alpha’s physique was slender and lacked muscle, and she didn’t exercise regularly, so the long-term fitness-oriented Omega easily pulled her into her embrace.

Teng Lin struggled shyly, the flesh below her occasionally brushing against the Omega’s smooth skin, gradually showing signs of arousal. But she had no room to resist and was soon intoxicated by the strong tuberose scent, becoming hazy.

“Sister Lin, is the person in the painting me?”

Xin Ruofan looked down at the Alpha beneath her. Teng Lin, blushing, turned her head away, and after a long while, shyly nodded. Xin Ruofan leaned down and kissed her, burying her face in Teng Lin’s chest, and chuckled softly.

“Mhm, I knew it. You like me.”

The sound of Teng Lin’s heart beating faster and faster echoed in her ears. Even though Teng Lin didn’t respond, the vigorous thumping of her heart was already expressing her feelings. Having gotten the answer she wanted, Xin Ruofan tightened her grip, holding Teng Lin tightly in her embrace.

••••

To maximize their time together, when she didn’t have scheduled work, Xin Ruofan would stay with Teng Lin in the art studio. Teng Lin preferred to be alone in her room when working, and Xin Ruofan wouldn’t stubbornly disturb her. She would quietly stay outside, chatting with Teng Lin’s assistant in her free time.

“All the collaborations canceled?”

Xin Ruofan frowned slightly, looked at the list in the assistant’s hand, and couldn’t help but purse her lips. She had anticipated that Xin Deming would interfere, but she hadn’t expected that even the investors she had introduced using Xiao Yuan’s name would be blocked.

“Yes, all the domestic orders were suddenly cut off. Now, the teacher is rushing to complete overseas work.”

The assistant sighed, continuing helplessly, “At this rate, the teacher’s reputation in the country will quickly be eroded.” Artists are mostly freelancers, with unstable incomes. Without a reputation, it’s difficult to survive in the industry. Canceled collaborations and denied exhibition opportunities make their career path increasingly difficult. Fortunately, Xin Deming’s power couldn’t affect Teng Lin’s reputation in the overseas art world.

“To be honest, the teacher is more suited for the overseas art scene than the domestic one. The atmosphere and artistic inclusiveness there are much better than here. She was doing so well abroad, why did she suddenly come back…?”

“You don’t know why she came back?”

“I’m not sure, but come to think of it… the teacher seems to change locations every now and then. Maybe a new place brings different inspiration.”

Xin Ruofan froze, a thought suddenly flashing through her mind, and her tone became urgent. “Where did she go before?”

“She started in the UK, then stayed in Boston, USA, for a year, then traveled between France and Italy for two years, and then went to Amsterdam. I don’t know why she suddenly came back. Hey?! Miss Xin, what’s wrong? Why are you suddenly crying?”

Xin Ruofan tilted her head up and covered her eyes, tears uncontrollably streaming out. Boston, USA—that’s where she went to university, and where she started planning her modeling career. Paris Fashion Week, France—that’s where she first walked an international runway as the opening model. Italy—that’s where she first appeared on the cover of V Magazine and signed her first luxury brand contract. Amsterdam—that’s where she was sent for a fashion show to be the finale model.

Xin Ruofan never knew that in every place of her modeling career, Teng Lin had been silently following her, keeping pace with her footsteps. She thought she was the only one who had poured out love, searching for the other’s presence in a vast crowd. The truth was, Teng Lin had been by her side all along. That’s why, during her time abroad, no matter where she went, she could find news about Teng Lin online. Teng Lin won awards, Teng Lin’s works were exhibited, Teng Lin’s paintings were auctioned, Teng Lin was holding an art exhibition…

She had desperately wanted to become famous so that Teng Lin would notice her news. In the same way, Teng Lin was also telling her that she hadn’t disappeared, hadn’t left, and couldn’t be lost. That’s right, how could she have forgotten the rainy night they met in London, the sight of Teng Lin crying painfully in front of her?

“Ruofan, I miss you so much, I want to find you so badly…”

“I didn’t want to leave, I really didn’t want to leave you.”

“Don’t let me lose you…”

••••

Teng Lin gently pushed open the door to the reception room, seeing the woman curled up and lying sideways on the sofa. The Omega’s tightly closed eyes were slightly red and swollen, faintly radiating a heartbreaking vulnerability.

“Teacher, Miss Xin just cried… I don’t know what happened. We were talking fine, then suddenly she mentioned you traveling to many countries abroad, and she just… ”

“There was no appointment today, so I let Miss Xin rest in the reception room.”

The assistant explained softly from behind. Seeing Teng Lin’s lack of response, she left them space, gently closing the door. Teng Lin knelt on the floor, raising her hand to brush aside the Omega’s hair that had fallen onto her cheek. Catching a glimpse of paint on her fingertips, she instinctively tried to pull her hand back.

Xin Ruofan, at that moment, groggily opened her eyes, her eyelashes trembling slightly. Her gaze, still hazy, fell upon the Alpha’s hand suspended in mid-air. The Omega blinked, silently looking at her. After a while, she suddenly raised her hands to cover her face. “My eyes are swollen now, I’m so ugly, don’t look…”

A strange silence filled the room. No coaxing from Teng Lin was heard, nor were her hands covering her face moved. Xin Ruofan grew displeased. She lowered her hands and glared at the Alpha.

“Can’t you just coax me?”

Seeing Teng Lin’s bewildered expression, mumbling for a long time without forming a complete sentence, Xin Ruofan was amused and annoyed. She forcefully tugged at Teng Lin’s collar, pulling her closer. She leaned in, biting Teng Lin’s chin in frustration, then extended her tongue to soothingly lick the tooth marks. Looking up, she met a pair of helpless yet doting eyes.

She softly uttered, “Fool…”