The Weight of a Stolen Kiss

Yixiya became utterly still the moment their bodies met, as serene as a maiden. The scorching heat and fervent madness that had consumed her vanished the instant her lips touched Yu Lian’s, replaced only by a tender, lingering affection that flowed from her suddenly tranquil eyes.

Pressed so intimately, Yu Lian could distinctly catch the scent of Yixiya’s body. She observed the delicate tremor in Yixiya’s eyelashes, a clear sign that, despite her newfound stillness, a storm of emotions raged within her.

‘What a mess this is,’ Yu Lian thought.

‘Why did I even suggest hypnosis? Wasn’t I just asking for trouble? Sigh.’

Now, look what had happened.

Yixiya had betrayed her Ya’er, and Yu Lian was equally racked with guilt over her beloved Lingyi. Though their kiss was merely a soft brush, both had simultaneously lost their first kiss.

They were no longer ‘clean’.

They both had someone they had wronged.

Each had, in a sense, cuckolded the person they adored.

Yu Lian placed her hands on Yixiya’s shoulders. In the throes of the kiss, Yixiya had released her grip, but Yu Lian’s own hands felt weak and powerless. The kiss, while thrilling and guilt-inducing, had sapped most of her strength.

Fortunately, Yixiya seemed to be in the same state.

Slowly, they drew apart.

A joyful mist clouded Yixiya’s eyes.

From her perspective, she had finally achieved her desire, kissing her beloved Ya’er and savoring that sweet, soft taste unique to Ya’er.

“Ya’er, I can die without regrets now.”

“From now on, I am, and can only ever be, yours alone.”

“I…”

Yixiya spoke words of love to Yu Lian with deep affection, but Yu Lian’s emotions were intensely conflicted. She was not the Second Miss, yet she had received all the Second Miss’s treatment. If the Second Miss were to find out, Yu Lian feared her legs might be broken.

However, in this moment, Yixiya truly looked beautiful. Without the madness, she was undoubtedly a quiet, docile beauty. Yu Lian had initially held no particular feelings for Yixiya, her heart being solely for Lingyi, but after their kiss, thoughts she couldn’t suppress began to spread within her.

She wanted to possess Yixiya, to snatch her away from the Second Miss.

Yu Lian felt a wave of shame for her own thoughts. How had she become such a person? Where had her sense of decency gone? Had she lost it all?

Moreover, she had promised Yixiya to help her win over the Second Miss. Such rebellious thoughts would betray their mutual agreement.

After the kiss, the dark aura swirling above Yixiya’s head began to dissipate, strand by strand. She continued to whisper sweet nothings, yet her eyes slowly shifted from their tender affection back to a clear, unclouded gaze.

“Yu Lian?” She tilted her head.

“Ah, you’re finally awake?”

“Mm, did I do anything just now? Why do my lips feel a bit sticky, like…”

A distinct blank appeared in her memory, a complete void. This was likely due to the self-hypnosis, or perhaps entering that particular state. Yixiya touched her lips with one hand and patted her forehead with the other. She detested this empty sensation.

“Cough, it’s nothing. We just did a little test. You accidentally flared up again, wanting to kill me. Luckily, you woke up in time, otherwise… alas!”

It was best to keep the kiss a secret for now. Revealing it would not be good for either herself or Yixiya.

Yu Lian also felt relieved that Yixiya had no memory of it. Otherwise, Yixiya would surely be devastated, as she probably intended to save her first kiss entirely for the Second Miss.

Simultaneously, a strange discomfort welled up in Yu Lian’s heart. She didn’t know why, perhaps it was the consequence of losing her first kiss; she could only assume as much.

“You said I tried to kill you?”

“Really?”

That didn’t seem right at all. Yixiya frowned, looking at Yu Lian, who was lying on the bed with disheveled hair and disordered clothes. She felt like Yu Lian was lying. There wasn’t the slightest hint of an attempted murder; it looked more like an indecent assault.

Look, she was blushing, panting, and weak. Yixiya wouldn’t believe it wasn’t an assault. She wasn’t blind.

But if it was an assault, who was the culprit?

Yixiya looked left and right. Besides Yu Lian, she was the only one there. Could she have been the culprit herself?

She blinked, then vigorously shook her head in denial.

She would never assault Yu Lian, never.

She only liked one person, Ya’er, and would only ever commit such acts with Ya’er.

“Yixiya, let’s set aside the ‘killing’ matter for now. I might know why the Second Miss isn’t accepting you.”

Seeing Yixiya begin to grow suspicious, Yu Lian decided to change the topic to something that would pique her interest. Sure enough, Yixiya’s attention instantly shifted from the talk of assault. She excitedly grabbed Yu Lian’s shoulders and shook them. “Really, really? Tell me quickly!”

If she truly knew the reason, then Yixiya would know how to change, instead of flailing around like a headless fly.

Yu Lian gazed at Yixiya, who was so close that her pleasant body fragrance wafted over, and her heart began to pound uncontrollably. Perhaps she truly couldn’t remain indifferent to Yixiya anymore. After all, they had shared a kiss. How could she simply ignore it as before? Telling herself not to think too much was merely a convenient excuse to deceive herself.

Subconsciously, she lowered her gaze, not daring to meet Yixiya’s eyes, and whispered, “Actually, the Second Miss doesn’t accept you because you’re too proactive, too aggressive. You care about her too much, and you’re so enthusiastic and practically throwing yourself at her. That’s why she ignores your feelings, believing they aren’t worth reciprocating, which leads her to keep putting you off or even outright rejecting you. The moment you became the proactive one, you became the most passive person in the relationship, left to humbly beg for scraps of her affection.”

She spoke as if she were a relationship guru. Though she had no personal dating experience, she had read many books on romance. Her zero firsthand experience didn’t mean she couldn’t guide a lost maiden.

Yixiya nodded continuously, finding more and more sense in Yu Lian’s words. Her muddled thoughts suddenly became clear and transparent. So this was the truth! No wonder Ya’er avoided her more the more proactive she became.

“Then Yu Lian, what should I do next?” She was already deeply entangled. To break free would be incredibly difficult, but with guidance from Yu Lian, an outsider, she might easily escape the vortex and then win over Ya’er through the correct methods.

“You ask what to do… it’s actually quite simple. Don’t always think about the Second Miss. You need to learn to ignore her, don’t cling to her every day. Just treat her like an ordinary friend.”

“How can I do that! She’ll…”

“Shh, let me finish. Think about it: you’re too proactive, which is why you’ve fallen into a passive state. If you suddenly do the opposite – ignore her, act indifferent – she’ll become suspicious and start paying attention to you. Consider this: if someone is used to being pursued, but suddenly their pursuer becomes aloof, as if they no longer love them, what will that person do? They will definitely turn back and try to win them over, to hold onto that addictive experience called love.”