The ambiguous atmosphere that had filled the room vanished instantly under the sting of Jiang Lai’s words. It was more effective than a sudden drenching of ice-cold water.
Si Yina’s eyes, which had been brimming with flirtation and desire, now became as cold and terrifying as a frozen pond.
Yet, facing such a gaze, Jiang Lai didn’t feel a trace of cowardice. Instead, she moved as far away from Si Yina as possible, calmly repeating their earlier agreement: “Didn’t you say you just wanted to help me bathe? I won’t allow you to do anything else to me.”
……
The accumulated desire was like a newly ignited flame doused by a bucket of cold water. In this moment, even Si Yina didn’t have much heart to continue with the next step.
Si Yina slowly released her grip on Jiang Lai’s waist. She rose from the bathtub, which was large enough for two, and the moment she stepped out, she leaned down to stroke Jiang Lai’s cheek tenderly.
“Whatever you refuse me now, I will take back from you twofold in the future.”
Si Yina’s words seemed like a threat based on a future that hadn’t happened yet, but hearing them made Jiang Lai’s body stiffen. Despite being soaked in the warm water, she let out an unnatural shiver.
Jiang Lai opened her eyes, trying to see Si Yina’s expression through the steam-blurred bathroom. Even though the woman was saying threatening things, her face wore a pale, hollow smile.
What could Jiang Lai say in response? Talk back? Make threats? Show her disgust? She had done all those things, yet Si Yina still clung to her deathly tight, giving her not a single chance to escape.
“What do you want to do?”
Jiang Lai didn’t want to bathe anymore. Right now, there was no extra fabric between them to serve as a barrier. This state of absolute “sincerity” toward each other stimulated Jiang Lai’s nerves constantly, making her scalp tingle.
“I’m warning you, we agreed to do only what was said. Don’t think about doing anything more!”
A look of humiliation flickered in the depths of Jiang Lai’s eyes. She bit her lower lip, trying her best to ignore the “scenery” before her as she glared at Si Yina. Although she desperately wanted to kick Si Yina out, would the woman ever follow her wishes?
Jiang Lai felt she had simply been muddled; she shouldn’t have given the other woman any opening at all.
“Then just bathe obediently!”
As if giving up, Jiang Lai turned around in the tub, exposing her most vulnerable part—her back—to Si Yina. “If you don’t want to help me scrub, then get out of the bathroom early.”
“How could I not want to? I’m more than willing.”
Si Yina’s laugh was wicked and charming. She stepped out of the tub specifically to grab a scrubbing mitt and some bath supplies before sitting back down behind Jiang Lai.
Holding the small scrubbing cloth, she slowly felt Jiang Lai’s smooth, supple skin through the thin barrier of the fabric. At times, as if on purpose, she let her fingertips lightly graze the ticklish spots on Jiang Lai’s body, causing the girl’s slender frame to tremble slightly.
While scrubbing her back, Si Yina was actually quite well-behaved, working as diligently as a professional bathhouse attendant. She caused a faint pink flush to spread across Jiang Lai’s snow-white back. Unfortunately, despite her thoroughness, Si Yina couldn’t scrub away a single speck of dirt.
Every part of Jiang Lai’s body seemed devoid of any filth; even without washing, she was clean enough to be tasted directly.
Normally, Jiang Lai couldn’t smell anything on herself. Even if others got close, they could only perceive a faint body fragrance. But in the constantly steaming bathroom, Jiang Lai’s scent had completely permeated the air.
Jiang Lai had no idea just how delicious and tempting she looked, huddled there in someone else’s reach.
Si Yina’s passion, which had been extinguished by a bucket of cold water, began to flicker back to life. Looking at the “delicious little cupcake” presented right in front of her, Si Yina could no longer restrain her appetite.
This time, she didn’t roughly hook Jiang Lai into her arms; instead, she leaned in proactively. By the time Jiang Lai realized what was happening, she could already feel Si Yina’s softness and warmth.
As the woman behind her drew closer, her hot breath sprayed onto Jiang Lai’s shoulder. Just as Jiang Lai carefully twisted her body to move away, a sharp pain from teeth biting down suddenly came from her shoulder.
What on earth is Si Yina thinking? Why is she biting me like a dog again? Using her teeth to constantly grind against the flesh, Si Yina pushed Jiang Lai—who had a low pain tolerance—to her limit. The pain radiating from her shoulder was hard to suppress.
Faced with Si Yina’s near-shameless gnawing, Jiang Lai was both afraid to flee and afraid to stay. She didn’t dare run for fear that Si Yina would suddenly apply more pressure, but she didn’t want to stay because Si Yina was biting for far too long.
Jiang Lai could already imagine a clear, hard-to-erase tooth mark left on her shoulder. This wouldn’t be like a red “strawberry” hickey; it would be a distinct mark of being chewed on.
“Enough… it hurts… it really hurts…”
Jiang Lai suppressed her sobbing tone as she protested. After an unknown amount of time, Si Yina finally let go. Perhaps because she had bitten for so long, a silver thread connected them for a moment as they pulled apart.
Si Yina looked up at the red, obvious masterpiece she had created on Jiang Lai’s snowy shoulder. The pinkish teeth marks on the white skin looked like a rose-petal embellishment.
Si Yina couldn’t help but lick her lips. Looking at the mark that wouldn’t fade anytime soon, she gently licked over it. Everything about Jiang Lai was fragrant and sweet. For Si Yina, the sweetness was almost overflowing; just a light lick allowed her to taste an unquenchable sugary flavor.
But would the sweetness of the shoulder be more intense than the ‘tip of a strawberry’?
The moment Jiang Lai felt the other’s warm tongue, she completely lost her ability to cope. She turned to look at Si Yina, only to expose her own trembling lips.
A playful, mocking smile filled Si Yina’s eyes. “What have you been eating lately? How can you be so sweet?”
“…”
Jiang Lai was truly numb. At this moment, she finally understood that no matter what she did, she would only trigger Si Yina’s excitement.
Whether it was her displayed shame, her struggle, or her resistance—to Si Yina, it all likely seemed like foreplay. Nothing she did would produce a result; Si Yina would only selfishly do whatever she wanted.
Jiang Lai’s voice was broken, revealing endless exhaustion. Realizing that resistance was futile, Jiang Lai simply gave up. Perhaps by acting like a “corpse,” her mood wouldn’t be quite so miserable.