Unveiling the Morning After

Yu Lian recalled sleeping fully clothed the previous night. How, then, had she woken up completely naked, her clothes vanished without a trace?

She quickly curled into a ball, hugging her knees to conceal her exposed form. However, this action only drew Bai Lingyi’s gaze, who couldn’t help but cover her mouth with a soft chuckle.

“Miss Yu Lian, why are you being so secretive with me?” Bai Lingyi asked, a teasing lilt in her voice. “Is there any part of you I haven’t seen? Besides you and me, the only other person here is the Second Young Lady, still asleep beside you. Are you truly still so shy?”

“It’s… it’s not exactly shyness,” Yu Lian stammered. “It’s just that seeing myself completely unclothed all of a sudden was a bit of a shock. It was a subconscious reaction.”

As if to prove her point, Yu Lian released her hold and lowered her legs. Bai Lingyi’s gaze casually swept over Yu Lian’s thighs, glancing at the inner area. Finding nothing amiss, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

However, her eyes suddenly fixed on a spot, settling on Yu Lian’s knee and slightly above it.

“…”

‘What on earth did the Second Young Lady do to Miss Yu Lian last night? Why didn’t she clean up after herself?’

‘Those marks are so obvious; Miss Yu Lian will notice them any moment now.’ Bai Lingyi genuinely worried for Bai Muya, her heart pounding in her throat.

“Miss Yu Lian, move a little closer. No, on second thought, step off the bed. I’ll help you dress. It seems your arm was probably numbed by the Second Young Lady’s head, so you likely can’t lift it.”

Yu Lian obediently descended from the bed. Standing on the floor facing Bai Lingyi, she felt a sudden breeze caress her chest, causing a faint flush of pink to spread across her skin. Yu Lian swallowed hard. Why was Lingyi suddenly so close, staring at her chest?

Though she had claimed not to be shy, being scrutinized by Lingyi—her secret crush—still made Yu Lian blush profusely. Her legs instinctively clamped together, rubbing softly.

“It seems your chest wasn’t left with any unsightly marks by the Second Young Lady.”

‘So that’s what Lingyi was looking at?’ Yu Lian let out a sigh of relief, yet she couldn’t help but feel a pang of disappointment. She didn’t understand the source of this feeling, only that she had anticipated something, only for that expectation to fall flat.

“Didn’t you just ask when we returned? Actually, the Second Young Lady and I arrived back at the Bai Manor late last night. The Second Young Lady missed you so much that she rushed to find you immediately after dismounting her crane. Alas, you were already asleep, and she couldn’t bear to wake you or disturb your beautiful dreams, so she simply held you and fell asleep.”

Bai Lingyi picked up Yu Lian’s clothes from nearby, unfolding them to find the opening, and began dressing Yu Lian piece by piece.

“As for your clothes, the Second Young Lady was the one who took them off. She has a habit of sleeping nude, saying she enjoys the feeling of freedom, unconstrained.”

Bai Lingyi explained, her fingers gently smoothing the hem of the skirt as she slowly lowered it. With each slight adjustment, she patiently and meticulously flattened every wrinkle. Yu Lian felt Lingyi’s fingers tickle her like ants crawling, making her desperately want to scratch.

Unbeknownst to her, from an angle she couldn’t perceive, Bai Lingyi subtly brushed her hand over Yu Lian’s legs and knees, using her ‘Tribulation Qi’ to effortlessly wipe away the stains that starkly contrasted with her fair skin.

“There, Miss Yu Lian. Are you satisfied?”

Bai Lingyi stepped back, smiling gently, her right hand behind her back, savoring the lingering sensation of her touch.

“Lingyi is always so thoughtful! Not only did you bring me breakfast this morning, but you also kindly helped me dress. Oh, I’m so touched! Lingyi, let’s cuddle~”

Yu Lian seized the opportunity to hug Lingyi. She spread her arms wide, making a motion to embrace, and then lunged forward. Bai Lingyi remained still, still smiling. Just as Yu Lian was about to fall into her arms, her hand swiftly rose, her slender fingers pressing against Yu Lian’s smooth forehead.

“Not allowed, you know.”

“Ah, why not?”

“Because your task right now is to eat breakfast, not to hug me. Cuddles can’t fill your stomach, but breakfast can.”

“Oh.”

‘Such an unromantic woman.’

Yu Lian pouted slightly, sitting unhappily at the table.

‘I wonder when Yixiya will arrive?’

Her hand had regained its strength.

She absently picked up her bowl and spoon, eating the savory porridge bite by bite. Recalling Yixiya’s distant demeanor when she left yesterday, a sudden dull ache settled in her heart. She wondered if Yixiya would still be willing to simulate a romance with her to provoke the Second Young Lady.

Lost in thought, her gaze unconsciously drifted to Bai Muya, who was still sound asleep on the bed. Yu Lian’s pupils contracted, and she suddenly spat out the porridge she hadn’t yet swallowed, erupting into a violent cough.

Wh-what?

‘Is the Second Young Lady’s sleeping posture really so unseemly?’ One leg lay normally, flat, but the other was raised high in the air.

This wasn’t the sole reason Yu Lian was so shocked that she’d sprayed her porridge. What truly made her heart tremble was that the Second Young Lady’s posture faced her direction, allowing her to see certain very private things she absolutely shouldn’t have seen, in their entirety.

Yu Lian admitted that she and the Second Young Lady shared a concubine-wife relationship, but she had never actually seen the Second Young Lady’s body. This was her first time, and the first time she had seen it in such vivid detail.

She instinctively swallowed.

Her face inexplicably flushed scarlet.

Even her breathing grew hot.

‘How could I be interested in the Second Young Lady’s body? Yu Lian, oh Yu Lian, it’s one thing to harbor improper thoughts about Yixiya, but the Second Young Lady is an untouchable taboo! If I look and my heart is stirred, I’ll truly never escape this gilded cage!’

Just as Yu Lian was fighting the temptation of beauty with strong willpower, she suddenly noticed something strange on Bai Muya’s leg. As she tried to get a clearer look, Bai Lingyi suddenly sat on the edge of the bed, perfectly blocking her view.

“?”

‘Hey, I didn’t even get a clear look at what that was!’

Yu Lian’s heart itched like a cat’s paw.

“Miss Yu Lian, is the porridge not tasty?” Bai Lingyi asked, tilting her head. “Would you like me to feed you? You seem to be eating very slowly, as if you find it hard to swallow…”

‘Feed me?’

Yu Lian instantly cast aside her curiosity about the unknown object on Bai Muya’s leg. She nodded repeatedly, stating with certainty, “Yes! I want Lingyi to feed me. I’ve grown used to you feeding me~”

Bai Lingyi’s heart skipped a beat, and goosebumps rose on her arms. ‘What on earth? Did that sticky, spoiled voice really come from Miss Yu Lian? Even when she’s alone with the Second Young Lady, Miss Yu Lian has never acted like this, has she?’

Regardless, as long as she successfully diverted attention, it was fine. Miss Yu Lian absolutely couldn’t see the Second Young Lady in such an unsightly state, or the Second Young Lady would be humiliated.

Bai Lingyi smiled and agreed.

She said, “Mm, you continue eating for a bit. The Second Young Lady’s current sleeping posture is quite unseemly. I’ll help her adjust it.”

With that, she turned around, still using her body to block Yu Lian’s view, and slowly let her hand fall onto Bai Muya’s thigh, beginning to diligently wipe away the stains.