Everyone present was stunned by Jiang Hanguang’s sudden action. The scene fell silent for a moment, with only the sound of the river murmuring and the wind rustling through the leaves.
A director’s instinct prompted Zhang Zeyun to cup her own agape jaw with one hand, while her other hand reached for the camera of the equally stunned cameraman beside her, twisting a knob to zoom in for a close-up of the two kissing.
Lang Wenxing’s expression was frozen somewhere between angry accusation and utter astonishment, making him look the most comical.
Xie Chengcheng had been bracing herself on the slippery riverbed pebbles with an impressive two-handed stance, planning to scoop up a large handful of water to splash back at Cheng Ying. But now, engrossed in the drama of love and hate unfolding before her, she lost her focus and her grip, tumbling into the river with a splash.
“Aiyo!” She choked on a large mouthful of water and immediately began to struggle frantically.
The commotion startled the stunned crowd, and it especially snapped Jiang Hanguang out of her daze.
The woman, whose brows had been tightly furrowed and whose eyes had been resolute, seemed to finally realize what she had done. A beautiful blush spread across her face at a speed visible to the naked eye.
She hastily let go of Cheng Ying, turned, and ran toward the riverbank. She haphazardly slipped on her shoes and disappeared into the woods.
She really ran off like a startled rabbit.
And the person she had left behind just watched the woman’s back disappear, merely raising a hand to touch her own lips, still looking utterly dazed.
Jiang Hanguang had kissed her.
Jiang Hanguang had kissed her in front of so many people.
Jiang Hanguang had kissed her in front of so many people on a live variety show with hundreds of millions of viewers.
These three sentences, neither long nor difficult to understand, were harder for Cheng Ying to process than any problem she had ever encountered. So much so that as Lang Wenxing’s expression shifted from comical to ashen, as Xie Chengcheng finished sputtering out the water she had choked on, and as faint whispers arose from the production crew, she remained standing in the same spot, having turned herself into a petrified statue.
A gentle breeze swept by, and the clear river water rippled, gently caressing the alpha’s straight, strong calves. Mischievous fish darted past her feet, yet she remained motionless.
Xie Chengcheng wiped the water from her face and looked at Cheng Ying, who had the expression of a wife-watching stone. For the first time, she understood what “the person involved is confused, but the bystander sees clearly” meant. She really hadn’t expected the day would come when she would be the one reminding someone else.
It was clear that the saying “love makes one’s IQ drop” was indeed a pearl of wisdom.
“Um, Ying-jie, sister-in-law has already run off, are you just going to stand here and… watch?”
As Xie Chengcheng spoke, she felt smug about having seen through the fishy business between the two from their very first meeting. Although she hadn’t dared to call Jiang Hanguang “sister-in-law” again due to Cheng Ying’s intimidating presence, she could at least say it was a case of a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse.
Her words finally snapped Cheng Ying out of it. The alpha paused for a moment, then hesitantly walked toward the bank.
Compared to the swiftness with which she had taken off her shoes, Cheng Ying’s attempt to put them back on was remarkably clumsy. It was hard to tell if she hadn’t recovered from the shock or if she had a guilty conscience and didn’t dare to be quick about it.
She saw two seemingly spotless white socks discarded on the grass nearby. The white fabric was curled up pitifully in the dark green grass, looking exceptionally forlorn.
Those were Jiang Hanguang’s socks.
Miss Jiang, who would meticulously button up her pajamas even while fumbling in complete darkness, had actually fled in such a panic that she hadn’t even dared to put on her socks.
A smile involuntarily touched the corners of Cheng Ying’s lips. A feeling of mixed affection and pity arose in her heart, and she reached out to put the two socks into her pocket.
Sometimes, two people in love are like two people wrestling at opposite ends of a teetering magnetic field. They push each other away and embrace each other, maintaining a perfect distance to keep the field from collapsing.
When one person takes a step back, the other often needs to take a step forward.
And when Cheng Ying saw those two socks and imagined Jiang Hanguang’s state of mind, her own originally complex and uncertain feelings suddenly turned into a kind of resolve.
The alpha walked toward the main farmhouse, her steps light and her mood joyful.
She wasn’t anxious. She knew Jiang Hanguang had nowhere else to go and wouldn’t go anywhere else. She was waiting for her at their destination.
And she needed enough time to rein in her runaway thoughts, lest she embarrass herself too much in front of the woman.
Her girlfriend had given her a kiss to share in her hardship, and she was already thinking about where the two of them would settle down in the future. It was too ridiculous.
Of course, she did indeed plan to take this opportunity to push their relationship one step further.
Jiang Hanguang had already given her enough… or rather, far too much indulgence.
If she didn’t take this chance to press her advantage, she would be too much of a gentleman.
Cheng Ying’s figure disappeared in the direction Jiang Hanguang had gone. Xie Chengcheng glanced at Lang Wenxing, whose face was as grim as if he were visiting a grave. She stood up, patted his shoulder, and in the tone of an experienced person, comforted—or rather, crushed—him, “Young man, being self-centered isn’t a disease, but it’s important to distinguish between fantasy and reality. Look at them, they’re mutually in love. What right does a little brat like you have to point fingers?”
The cameraman glanced at Zhang Zeyun, asking with his eyes if he should follow them to film.
Zhang Zeyun thought for a moment, then shook her head.
Although following them to film would both satisfy the audience’s burning desire for gossip and relieve some of her own dissatisfaction.
But disturbing a young couple with a camera at a time like this was an act that would invite heavenly retribution, and she felt she wasn’t that wicked yet.
The main farmhouse was as dilapidated as ever. Even though they had tidied up the interior, compared to the bizarre and motley new district of Yunjing City, it still couldn’t help but exude an air of decay, on the verge of ruin.
But as Cheng Ying looked at it now, she found it unusually pleasing to the eye. In this place, which could almost be considered isolated from the world, she had experienced some of the most vivid moments of her life.
Though limited, they were precious to think back on now.
There were no relentless nightmares or constant disguises, no matters of world survival or utterly boring conspiracies.
Although annoying people came one after another, compared to the happiness Jiang Hanguang gave her, they were utterly insignificant.
Arriving at the bedroom door, Cheng Ying tried the handle. As expected, it was locked from the inside.
“Hanguang?” she knocked on the door. There was no response from within.
This was a classic case of “no three hundred taels of silver buried here.”
Cheng Ying’s eyes curved into a smile. She suddenly began to sigh dramatically. “Even if you don’t want to see me, at least let me in to find a pair of shoes. I ran all the way here barefoot to chase after you, and my feet are scraped and bleeding.”
After speaking, she even let out a pained hiss, as if afraid the other person wouldn’t believe her.
There was a moment of silence from inside, then the sound of the lock turning.
Cheng Ying deliberately hid at an angle where the person inside wouldn’t easily see her. The other person was clearly flustered with worry and didn’t even consider why someone with scraped feet would have the mind to play hide-and-seek. The moment she couldn’t see anyone, she widened the door’s opening, wanting to find Cheng Ying’s figure.
Cheng Ying seized the opportunity. When the gap was wide enough to admit her, she darted into the bedroom like an agile cheetah, wrapped an arm around the omega’s waist from behind the door, and slammed it shut with a bang.
“Ah…”
Jiang Hanguang’s cry of surprise was cut short as the alpha pinned her against the wall by the door. Her body collided with the arm Cheng Ying had placed behind her, bouncing slightly, and she almost ended up kissing the woman who was now inches away.
Jiang Hanguang frantically pressed both hands against Cheng Ying’s shoulders, managing to avoid the awkward tragedy.
She first looked down at Cheng Ying’s feet and saw that her shoes were on perfectly, looking even neater than her own. She immediately looked up, dissatisfied and ready to reprimand her.
“You lied to me…”
Jiang Hanguang’s voice diminished exponentially, finally disappearing between her lips and teeth.
The woman holding her had eyes full of mischievous amusement. She looked just like a fox that had tied on its napkin, ready to feast.
Jiang Hanguang was exceptionally gifted when it came to self-awareness, so she was also very conscious of being the prey at this moment. The blush that hadn’t completely faded from her face instantly returned, and she lowered her head, not daring to look at Cheng Ying.
From Cheng Ying’s angle, she could only see the top of the woman’s head.
She then realized she had a talent for “loving the house and its crow”—she found the fluffy top of her head and the whorl of hair there cuter than anything else.
Jiang Hanguang’s obedient appearance stirred a bit of tender affection in her, but it wasn’t enough to make her stop.
She didn’t force Jiang Hanguang to look up. Instead, pressing against the woman’s resisting hands, she held her even tighter, rubbing her chin against the woman’s hair and raising a hand to gently pinch her hot earlobe.
“You already kissed me, so you won’t allow me to trick you a little?”
The soft body in her arms trembled. It was unclear whether it was from her pinch or her words.
The alpha’s words, deliberately spoken in a breathy whisper, were full of secret implications and a hint of aggrieved accusation.
It easily reminded Jiang Hanguang of her second kiss with Cheng Ying not long ago.
That kiss had been purely the result of a momentary impulse. Only after running back and calming down did Jiang Hanguang feel she had been too impulsive.
Even in that situation, it wasn’t the only course of action she could have taken.
But she had done it anyway. Although she was later so embarrassed she wished for amnesia, she didn’t regret it.
If it had been a month ago, Jiang Hanguang would never have imagined that she would have such a willful and reckless day.
In the end, it was nothing more than two phrases: “returning a plum for a peach” and “acting spoiled due to favor.”
Jiang Hanguang lowered her head even further, her mind uncontrollably recalling their first kiss.
The soul-stealing taste of it made her legs go weak just from the memory.
Seeing that she didn’t answer, Cheng Ying wasn’t anxious. She continued to hold her in that casual yet inescapable embrace.
She also took the opportunity to find an excuse for her next actions. “It seems you know you were wrong. In that case, Miss Jiang won’t object if I kiss you back, right?”
“Miss Jiang,” originally a formal address, sounded exactly like flirting when spoken in that lingering and deep tone.
Only a few days ago, Cheng Ying had just learned how wonderful kissing was.
But Jiang Hanguang was a porcelain doll in this regard, so she could only endure.
She was like a starving ghost with a fatal sweet tooth who had just taken a bite of a sweet cake, only to be forcibly put on a diet.
She had been starving for a long time, only managing to restrain herself through her affection for Jiang Hanguang.
Now that the woman had delivered herself to her door, how could she possibly hold back?
The person in her arms still didn’t answer, but the body pressed tightly against hers began to tremble.
Like a lamb with its throat in the jaws of a beast, she had already resigned herself to her fate but couldn’t help but feel afraid.
Cheng Ying sighed softly, pulled back a little, and cupped the woman’s chin, making her look up without much force.
Jiang Hanguang must have been burning up by now. A blush covered the woman’s fair face, and even the rims of her eyes were red. Her once bright and clear eyes were now veiled in a light mist, hazy and alluring.
In them was shyness and fear, but no rejection.
Cheng Ying’s throat bobbed slightly. She leaned in and gave her a light kiss. It was very soft, and very hot.
“If you really can’t take it, then bite me.”
After this considerate yet cunning instruction, she fiercely sucked on the woman’s lips.
An unfamiliar yet familiar scent swept over her. In less than half a second, Jiang Hanguang’s mouth and nose were filled with the scent of Cheng Ying.
She was already used to Cheng Ying’s scent, but she was not yet used to knowing it so intimately.
The alpha devoured everything about her like a starving beast, and Jiang Hanguang surrendered faster and more completely than last time.
She put up a token resistance for a moment before going completely soft in Cheng Ying’s arms.
In a daze, she smelled that… woody scent that had been missing these past few days.
As Cheng Ying kissed Jiang Hanguang, she felt something was wrong. The woman’s lips and tongue seemed even sweeter and more enchanting than she remembered.
During this overly long kiss, in the occasional moments when their lips parted, Jiang Hanguang would let out soft, delicate whimpers.
She knew it was Jiang Hanguang’s signal for mercy, and she knew she should stop.
The person in her arms was already sliding down; if she weren’t holding her up, she definitely wouldn’t be able to stand.
But, but… she couldn’t stop.
The mere thought of stopping made her feel like her whole body was about to explode.
Damn it!
She mustered a sliver of rationality and released Jiang Hanguang’s lips, which had been ravaged for a long time, but immediately felt a huge emptiness.
At least in this moment, the discomfort from that emptiness surpassed any torture she had ever endured.
Pain gripped her nerves, and the antidote was within reach.
She almost couldn’t wait to entangle herself with her again, her teeth grazing across the woman’s soft cheek, leaving a trail of faint teeth marks.
She hadn’t used any force at all, but Jiang Hanguang’s skin was just too delicate.
She looked at that trail of red marks, and an explosive desire ignited in her heart.
She wanted to leave more…
The alpha’s kisses traveled downward, sliding to Jiang Hanguang’s long, fair, and smooth neck.
She held the woman’s waist, forcing her closer, and her hand took the opportunity to slip under the clothes at the woman’s side, caressing the delicate skin there.
Her eyes were red, as if she were on the verge of losing her sanity.
This was all hers…
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