Chapter 54: So You Can Make That Kind of Sound Too

Tulia wiped her face in vain, but the tears flowed even faster.

She no longer tried to “remember” anything, simply allowing that hollow sorrow to vent silently through her tears.

Her shoulders trembled slightly, and a sob caught in her throat. She couldn’t cry out with the heart-wrenching wails of last night; there were only silent, surging tears, as if they would never run dry.

Sophia watched her in silence. She didn’t feel the same helplessness and self-reproach she had felt the previous night. At this moment, a deeper emotion filled her heart—a mixture of understanding and pity.

She hesitated for a moment but finally reached out. She didn’t embrace her, but instead, she gently and tenderly wiped away the beads of tears rolling down Tulia’s cheeks with the pads of her fingers.

Her movements were slow and careful.

Tulia moved unconsciously in Sophia’s arms, her elbow or knee accidentally bumping into something.

“Mmm — “

An extremely soft, delicate moan—one completely different from Sophia’s usual cold and majestic voice—escaped her lips unexpectedly.

The sound was light and soft, tinged with a hint of being caught off guard. It instantly shattered the sorrow and silence permeating the carriage.

“Hmm? Who was that?”

This never-before-heard voice coming from above caused Tulia’s unstoppable sobbing to halt instantly.

She blinked her tear-filled eyes blankly and reflexively looked up.

She saw that Sophia was… flustered, which was a rare sight.

On that beautiful face, which always carried a sense of distance and control, a faint, visible blush had surfaced, spreading all the way to the tips of her ears.

She turned her face away almost immediately, her gaze locking onto the empty carriage wall opposite them, as if there were something incredibly fascinating there, refusing to let Tulia see her current expression.

There was no other reason.

In truth, holding Tulia in this position for such a long time had been uncomfortable from the start.

To avoid waking the person in her arms, she had maintained the same posture. Half her body bore most of the weight, and her arms and legs had long since gone numb. The stinging and numbness from restricted blood flow were intertwined.

When she wasn’t moving, she could barely endure it with willpower, keeping the discomfort within a controllable range.

But Tulia’s unconscious movement just now happened to pull at her already stiff muscles and sensitive nerves.

In that instant, the long-accumulated numbness felt like an electric arc magnified several times, surging through her entire body. It caught her off guard, and she couldn’t hold back that soft cry that was so inconsistent with her image.

Feeling the inquiring gaze of the person in her arms, Sophia only felt the heat on her face intensify, and she felt extremely frustrated with herself.

She only hoped Tulia hadn’t heard clearly, or would simply treat it as an illusion.

Tulia blinked her tear-stained eyes, appearing as if she hadn’t reacted yet.

Then, the corners of her mouth twitched slightly, and she muttered in a small voice with a heavy nasal tone, “What… what was that sound just now…”

Sophia’s ears turned even redder. She stiffly turned her head back a little, though her gaze remained flighty. “It was nothing.”

“I definitely heard it.”

Tulia was relentless. Her original sorrow was interrupted by this surprise, and curiosity took over.

“Don’t talk nonsense!”

Sophia tried to cover it up with her usual coldness, but her tone somehow lacked confidence.

She shifted her shoulders uncomfortably. With this movement, the tingling sensation surged again, making her unable to stop a soft *hiss*.

This time, Tulia saw it even more clearly.

Seeing Sophia’s awkward attempt to maintain her majesty despite failing, and witnessing that rare embarrassment, Tulia couldn’t help it. She let out a *pfft* and started laughing.

“So you can make that kind of sound too…”

“Is it numb?”

Tulia felt as if she had discovered a new world. She temporarily forgot her previous sadness and even rubbed against Sophia’s chest again with a hint of playfulness.

“Don’t move!”

Sophia’s voice changed pitch again due to the strange sensation in her body, sounding completely non-threatening.

She scrambled to stabilize the person in her arms who had suddenly become “unruly,” while also worrying about hurting her. Her movements were clumsy and pathetic.

Tulia saw her like this, and her laughter became more apparent.

She was like a child who had found a new toy. Though her eyes were still slightly swollen from crying, her fingertips were already restlessly poking at Sophia’s arm.

Every time she poked, Sophia reflexively flinched.

“I poke! I poke! Hey!”

Tulia pushed her luck, her voice, still thick with a nasal tone, carrying the lightheartedness of a successful prank.

Sophia wanted to maintain her usual composure, but the corners of her lips curled up uncontrollably.

She turned her body to avoid another “attack,” her tone carrying a sense of helpless indulgence. “Stop it, Tulia.”

Despite her words, her body honestly cooperated with the dodging, as if this childish game of offense and defense possessed an irresistible magic.

In this small space, the two of them played attacker and defender. Their skirts rustled, and their hair swayed gently.

“Go on, hide! If you keep hiding, I’m going to tickle you!”

Seeing that she couldn’t land a “hit” after so long, Tulia brought out her “trump card,” making a move to reach for Sophia’s waist.

Sophia’s pupils contracted slightly.

The area around her waist was a “fortress” she could never lose; it was the final line of defense for her dignity.

She decided to shift from defense to offense, attempting to grab the hand that was causing trouble.

Just then—

*Thump!*

Another jolt caused the two of them, who were already unstable, to lose their balance.

(The jolt: Yes, that’s right. It’s me again.)

As the world spun, Sophia instinctively protected Tulia. After a flurry of movement, the result was both of them falling onto the soft carpet of the carriage.

“Whoa — !” Tulia’s exclamation was cut halfway.

By the time they regained their senses, the scene was frozen.

Sophia had pinned Tulia to the floor of the carriage, their limbs entangled and their skirts piled up.

The once arrogant Tulia was now firmly suppressed, all sound stuck in her throat.

This posture… was too intimate, and too awkward.

Sophia’s red hair cascaded down like a waterfall, shrouding their faces in shadow.

Their bodies were pressed tightly together, almost seamlessly. They were so close they could clearly feel the rise and fall of each other’s chests and the warm breath brushing against their faces.

“I… I…”

Sophia tried to push herself up with her arms, only to find that her wrists seemed to be somewhat entangled in Tulia’s loose silver hair and dress ribbons. For a moment, she couldn’t get up cleanly, falling into a dilemma.

“You… you’re pressing on… my waist…”

Tulia finally found her voice, offering a faint protest after being squeezed.

Awkwardly, Sophia tried to move again, looking for a point of support.

“Mmm — “

An extremely soft moan, carrying an indescribable tremor, escaped Tulia’s lips without warning.

Sophia’s movements froze instantly.

She realized that the more she tried to adjust, the more… clear and deep the friction between their bodies became.

“Sophia, don’t move…”

“… It’s very ticklish.”

Tulia’s voice became muddled, carrying a trace of embarrassing shyness.

Thus, Sophia could only stop completely. Her muscles were tense, and she even lightened her breathing, fearing that any tiny movement would intensify this face-reddening contact.