“How do you feel?”
Lan Yucheng’s question, uttered in a shattered voice, rippled through Qing Xinxue’s heart like a stone dropped into still water, creating waves of bittersweet emotions.
‘…I’m very happy,’ Qing Xinxue whispered, her voice barely audible. Her fingertips traced circles on Lan Yucheng’s abdomen, the sensation tinged with post-coital languor and an insistent sense of ownership.
A blush spread across her face, but her eyes held the skittishness of a startled deer, gazing at Lan Yucheng with complete dependence and a deep-seated anxiety. ‘Bu… Bu… Bu… won’t you… won’t you send me away now that we’ve done this…’
Before she could finish, tears began to fall, soaking the fabric of Lan Yucheng’s shoulder.
She cried with such sincerity that it seemed the woman who had held a blade with a wild look in her eyes was just a phantom. Now, it was Lan Yucheng who appeared to be the aggressor.
Lan Yucheng watched her, a mix of exhaustion, frustration, and a strange, hidden sensation swirling within her. There was also a stronger need to stabilize the situation immediately.
She couldn’t further provoke Qing Xinxue, at least not until she found a new strategy.
‘No, I won’t,’ Lan Yucheng replied softly, her voice intentionally soothing. She reached out to gently pull the crying Qing Xinxue into her arms.
The embrace was no longer a mere performance but held a sense of resignation and a biological intimacy that Lan Yucheng hadn’t even noticed.
The warmth of their skin touching momentarily dispelled the chill in Qing Xinxue’s heart. She sniffled lightly in Lan Yucheng’s embrace, like a chick finding shelter.
‘Sorry, Bu… Bu… Bu… won’t you…’ she choked out, her apology now devoid of the earlier madness, replaced by a sense of disarray and regret.
‘…Sleep, sleep. We have to go to school.’ Lan Yucheng didn’t respond to the apology, only patting her back with a deep weariness. She needed time and space to reassess the disrupted game plan.
This instruction seemed to command Qing Xinxue to stop crying, though her body still trembled from the emotional turmoil. She obediently closed her eyes, clinging to Lan Yucheng like a frightened animal, even her breathing becoming shallow.
Yet beneath the calm surface, currents stirred. In the darkness, Qing Xinxue cautiously opened her eyes, gazing at Lan Yucheng’s sleeping face. A sense of unprecedented fulfillment swelled in her heart, mingling with the strawberry scent and Lan Yucheng’s warmth, creating a fleeting, illusory paradise.
She had succeeded in leaving her mark on Lan Yucheng with the most decisive action. But with that triumph came a deeper fear—would Lan Yucheng truly be unconcerned? Would everything return to normal once they woke up?
The thought of ‘locking her away’ whispered like a demon, lingering in her mind.
Meanwhile, Lan Yucheng, though her eyes were closed, was fully aware. Her body’s fatigue and slight discomfort reminded her of what had transpired. Qing Xinxue’s tears and apology couldn’t erase the transgression.
She realized that her previous ‘rules’ were useless against Qing Xinxue’s overwhelming desire. She had two options: either satisfy Qing Xinxue’s desires in controlled doses or use a more effective ‘shackle,’ one based not on fear but on a deeper bond and dependency.
She recalled Qing Xinxue’s ‘I’m very happy.’ That pure, twisted satisfaction might offer a new breakthrough. If she couldn’t suppress the surging desires, could she guide and tame them into a safer dependency?
This thought sent a chill through her, yet it also held a resolute determination to venture into uncharted territory.
That night, they lay side by side, dreaming different dreams. One was lost in the aftermath of fulfilled desires, a mix of glee and humility. The other calmly planned a new, possibly more dangerous phase of ‘taming.’
Morning light filtered through the curtains, awakening the pretender and the feigner of sleep. When Lan Yucheng opened her eyes and met Qing Xinxue’s cautious, pleading gaze, she knew their relationship could never return to its former ‘normalcy.’
A new bond, twisted, intimate, and fragile, had been forged that night.
‘Eat something?’
Lan Yucheng tried to get up, but a sharp pain shot through her body. It seemed Qing Xinxue hadn’t been gentle last night.
‘Is it… is it very painful?’
Seeing Lan Yucheng wince, a shadow of concern crossed Qing Xinxue’s face.
‘Yes, you brute,’ Lan Yucheng snapped.
‘T… then, can I massage you?’
Lan Yucheng looked at her for a moment, seeing the sincerity in her expression. Qing Xinxue truly wanted to help, but…that was too intimate for Lan Yucheng now.
‘Never mind, I’ll rest a bit,’ she declined.
‘Then let’s not go today. I’ll take care of you,’ Qing Xinxue offered. Lan Yucheng hesitated, finding no good reason to insist she go to school.
‘I’ll go get you breakfast,’ Qing Xinxue said, quickly changing and leaving the room.
Silence fell, and Lan Yucheng felt a growing unease. She opened the interface she no longer trusted. The number had jumped from 60 to 65.
‘With this amount, what can I buy?
‘System,’ she called out. Little Sprite appeared, scanning Lan Yucheng.
[You had quite the night, didn’t you?]
‘What can I buy with this amount?’ Lan Yucheng asked, knowing the system’s playful nature.
[With this much, you can only buy these things,] Little Sprite said, opening the store and waiting for Lan Yucheng’s choice.
Lan Yucheng quickly scanned the items she could afford, remembering Qing Xinxue’s intense desires. She bought a small bottle of ‘potion.’
[Smart choice, that should help with your current problem.]
‘What is this interface?’
[It’s the Affection Interface, are you blind?] Little Sprite said without a hint of deception, but…
Lan Yucheng didn’t believe it. The system had too many traps; even if it was telling the truth, there had to be a hidden catch.
‘Close this interface,’ Lan Yucheng commanded.
[You wanted it, now you don’t?]
‘I have my plans,’ Lan Yucheng replied.