PSMD – Chapter 7

The idiom “a sheep entering a tiger’s den” is something she knew at least since elementary school, and its meaning was obvious at a glance, requiring no thought.

Qiu Yang had originally guessed phrases like “throwing oneself into someone’s arms,” but she didn’t expect what Shen Ningruo said to be so different.

So…

“Am I the sheep?” Qiu Yang opened her eyes and couldn’t help but ask.

Shen Ningruo suddenly smiled. “Or else, am I?”

As she spoke, she flicked Qiu Yang’s earlobe again. As if finding it amusing, she flicked it once more.

Qiu Yang didn’t continue the conversation about idioms, but she was a bit confused by Shen Ningruo’s flicking. “What are you doing?”

Shen Ningruo realized what she was doing and finally stopped.

It was quite addictive.

“Your ear is fun,” Shen Ningruo cleared her throat and stated the truth.

Qiu Yang: “…”

However, this eased Qiu Yang’s tension. Her hands, which had been resting on her knees, finally relaxed a little, no longer threatening to crush her kneecaps.

The air seemed to freeze, and the atmosphere cooled down.

The so-called “beginning” seemed to have ended before it even started.

Qiu Yang’s heart rate and breathing gradually returned to normal.

Breaking the awkward silence was Qiu Yang’s stomach, which rumbled twice abruptly in the quiet space.

Shen Ningruo spoke, her voice still slightly rising at the end. “Still saying you’re not hungry?”

“My stomach is hungry, not me,” Qiu Yang insisted. “I’m not hungry.”

Shen Ningruo frowned. She raised her hand again, but this time she pinched Qiu Yang’s face, making Qiu Yang turn her head to look at her.

This action was a bit domineering and also very intimate. Shen Ningruo realized this.

She saw the confusion on Qiu Yang’s face in the dim light.

With her face being pinched like that, Qiu Yang’s mouth automatically pouted.

Even without perfect lighting, one could see the moisture on them.

Shen Ningruo’s throat moved again. Her gaze met Qiu Yang’s before she asked, “So now I’m pinching your face, not pinching you ?”

This was a retort to what Qiu Yang had just said.

Shen Ningruo’s grip wasn’t strong and didn’t feel uncomfortable, but Qiu Yang was a little unused to it.

Just as Qiu Yang was thinking about how to answer, there was a knock on the door.

Shen Ningruo released her and looked towards the door.

Auntie Mingfen’s voice sounded from outside. “Xiao Shen, are you asleep?”

Shen Ningruo got up and walked over, opening the door. “Not yet, Auntie Fen. Is something wrong?”

“Is Xiao Qiu asleep?” Auntie Mingfen sounded a bit worried. “I sent her a message, and she didn’t reply. I knocked just now, and there was no answer. It’s late, she didn’t go out, did she?”

Shen Ningruo’s expression was natural. She smiled and asked in return, “Auntie Fen, I’m not familiar with her, how would I know?”

She blocked Auntie Mingfen’s view into the room and continued, “But she might just be asleep. No need to worry.”

“Oh, okay.”

“Get some rest then, Xiao Shen.”

“Good night.” Shen Ningruo’s smile remained. Only after Auntie Mingfen had left her door did she close it, shutting out the light from the hallway.

Qiu Yang was still sitting on the sofa, holding the rattle drum, but not playing with it, just holding it.

Shen Ningruo didn’t walk back immediately. She stood in front of the mini-fridge, pulled open the door, and took out bread, milk, and fruit.

The moment the fridge door closed, she said to Qiu Yang, “Eat something first.”

She then offered an excuse: “I’m afraid you won’t have enough energy tonight.”

The items were all ordered via delivery that afternoon, originally intended for breakfast the next morning, as she had a habit of eating breakfast.

Qiu Yang: “…Oh.”

Her stomach had just protested again, so she didn’t refuse Shen Ningruo’s “concern.”

Shen Ningruo placed everything on the coffee table and then walked to the cabinet where her backpack was hanging.

She unzipped her backpack and took out the projector she had brought.

“You eat, I’ll put on a movie,” Shen Ningruo took out the remote control and sat down next to Qiu Yang.

Qiu Yang swallowed the bread in her mouth and looked at her complete setup, a little bewildered. “You travel with a projector?”

Shen Ningruo turned on the projector, glanced at her, and asked, “What’s wrong? Is that strange?”

“No,” Qiu Yang took another bite of bread.

Conveniently, the room had no TV, and the wall opposite the sofa was clean and white, perfect for projection.

Shen Ningruo connected the projector to the Wi-Fi, adjusted the size of the projected area, and then unhesitatingly unlocked her phone and opened a movie she hadn’t watched yet.

It was a suspense film with a high rating and good reviews when it was released.

Qiu Yang had seen it in the cinema before.

Shen Ningruo also turned off the floor lamp. Now, all the light in the room came from the movie screen projected on the wall.

Qiu Yang popped a segment of orange into her mouth and felt it was a bit absurd. She hadn’t expected things to unfold this way.

Thinking this, she couldn’t help but tilt her head to look at Shen Ningruo.

But she still couldn’t see clearly, only Shen Ningruo’s striking profile.

Beautiful and dangerous.

Qiu Yang withdrew her gaze after two seconds. She had clearly intended to stay away from Shen Ningruo, but now they were sitting on the same sofa.

And it wasn’t Shen Ningruo’s fault; she had “offered herself up” willingly.

Qiu Yang closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose.

It was at this moment that the killer in the movie suddenly appeared, startling Shen Ningruo. She instinctively grabbed something nearby, wanting to feel a sense of security.

But what she grabbed was Qiu Yang’s hand.

Qiu Yang was even more speechless. “You’re scared, but you’re still watching?”

And she didn’t know if Shen Ningruo was doing it on purpose or not, but she lowered her eyes to look at where Shen Ningruo was holding her.

“Can’t I?” Shen Ningruo closed her eyes, released her hand, and her questioning tone carried a hint of stubbornness.

Qiu Yang: “You can.”

She hadn’t eaten much but already felt full. Ignoring Shen Ningruo, she got up and went to the bathroom, unwrapping an extra disposable toothbrush.

When she came out of the bathroom, she saw that the movie had reached its first scary point. Shen Ningruo looked even more frightened, her face clearly facing the screen, but her eyes squeezed shut tightly.

The corner of Qiu Yang’s mouth curved up slightly, but she quickly suppressed it.

She had watched this movie with Tao Sixian back then, but neither of them felt much about the scary scenes in the movie and watched it quite calmly.

Thinking of Tao Sixian again, Qiu Yang pursed her lips.

The movie’s soundtrack was a bit eerie, sounding chilling, and Shen Ningruo had no intention of opening her eyes.

Qiu Yang returned to her seat, watched the movie for two seconds, and then couldn’t help but speak up to remind her, “It’s over now.”

Shen Ningruo breathed a sigh of relief and finally opened her eyes.

“So scared, but still persistent?” Qiu Yang tried to make her voice sound free of mockery.

Shen Ningruo calmed down. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Yes, I don’t understand.”

“I’m not scared anyway.”

Shen Ningruo let out a low hum, giving no further reaction, and watched the movie seriously.

Qiu Yang didn’t play on her phone and also started watching. The movie had many plot twists, and she had been amazed several times when she first watched it, so the impression was deep.

Before long, the second scary point was approaching.

Qiu Yang glanced at Shen Ningruo and saw that Shen Ningruo was completely unaware.

And this scary point came very suddenly. Qiu Yang pondered for a few seconds, and just as it was about to arrive, she raised her hand and lightly covered Shen Ningruo’s eyes, blocking her view.

The next second, the character in the movie screamed.

Because of this action, Qiu Yang’s body also leaned closer to Shen Ningruo. She said softly, “You’ll be scared.”

Shen Ningruo swallowed with difficulty. The screaming in the movie continued, and the soundtrack became even more eerie.

Out of sight, out of mind, that was the idea.

“Thank you,” Shen Ningruo opened her mouth.

This was how she watched suspense films. If some scenes were very scary, she wouldn’t force herself to watch them, nor would she feel like she missed any plot. On the contrary, watching them would give her nightmares.

She usually watched movies because she was bored, but this time it was because she wanted to distract herself.

Being alone with Qiu Yang like this, she wasn’t used to it.

Or rather, it had backfired.

She hadn’t expected Qiu Yang to choose such a “drastic” way to shift the focus.

But Shen Ningruo was inexperienced. All those seemingly natural actions she took towards Qiu Yang were calculated in her mind first before she acted.

Qiu Yang didn’t know what Shen Ningruo was thinking.

Her hand covering Shen Ningruo’s eyes hadn’t been lowered yet. Her gaze fell on Shen Ningruo’s lips.

Shen Ningruo had a very beautiful lip shape. Even when not smiling, they seemed to carry a slight smile, but now, perhaps due to nervousness, her lips were pressed together.

“Qiu Yang,” Shen Ningruo called her name. “Has the scene passed?”

Qiu Yang softly replied, “It has passed.”

Shen Ningruo sighed in relief and was about to raise her hand to take Qiu Yang’s hand away, but in the next second, Qiu Yang placed her palm completely over Shen Ningruo’s eyes.

This time, it was Shen Ningruo’s body that stiffened.

“I don’t think I’m the sheep,” Qiu Yang paused. “Are you ready? Do you want to watch the movie a bit longer?”

“…” Shen Ningruo knew she had been seen through.

“Paper tiger,” Qiu Yang chuckled softly.

After saying that, she leaned in, accurately pressing her lips against Shen Ningruo’s, while also lowering her hand and placing it on Shen Ningruo’s shoulder.

It had begun.

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I’m looking for suggestions and recommendations on compelling novels that would be great candidates for translation, any genre, or era are welcome!