Jiang Lai’s voice was soft and trembling, like a cotton thread soaked in water, gently tugging at Shen Ruxue’s and Chi Yingyu’s nerves.
The tear that slipped from her eyelashes landed on Shen Ruxue’s hand, the warmth so scalding that her fingertips flinched, and the indulgent movement she’d been making came to an abrupt stop.
She looked down at Jiang Lai’s reddened eyes, at the rise and fall of her chest from rapid breathing, and even the lingering playfulness in her thoughts faded, replaced by nothing but overflowing heartache.
Her fingertip gently brushed away the tear stains on Jiang Lai’s cheek, her movement even lighter than before, afraid of hurting the person before her:
“I made you uncomfortable. I’m sorry, it’s my fault. I didn’t watch my boundaries.”
Chi Yingyu’s hand on Jiang Lai also froze, her fingertips still carrying the warm touch of the fabric beneath, but seeing Jiang Lai on the verge of tears, that stubborn refusal to yield from a moment ago deflated like a pricked balloon, losing most of its force.
She pressed her lips together, not apologizing as quickly as Shen Ruxue had, but quietly pulled her hand back, even shifting her knee away from Jiang Lai’s calf to create some distance, though her gaze still clung to Jiang Lai’s watery shimmering face, tinged with uncertainty:
“I wasn’t even using half the strength I used before. I thought you’d be able to adapt. I didn’t use much force… I just wanted to mess around with you.”
Hearing their words, Jiang Lai’s tense body relaxed a little, but she still clutched Shen Ruxue’s collar, holding on like it was a lifeline.
She sniffled, her voice still a bit hoarse:
“I know… you two are very good to me, and very gentle. It’s not that I’m uncomfortable, I just can’t handle it all at once. With two people, I just get a little tired, like I can’t breathe.”
Just now, two completely different sensations had been tangled around her—hugs, and not even the energy to think. Now that she could finally catch her breath, her eyelids felt heavy.
Seeing this, Shen Ruxue gently patted her back, her movement as soft as soothing a small animal:
“Alright, no more playing. Let you rest for a bit.”
She looked up at Chi Yingyu, a hint of meaning in her eyes. Chi Yingyu was still a little unwilling, but she knew they couldn’t push too hard, so she could only nod and obediently shuffled to the side, giving Jiang Lai more space.
Shen Ruxue carefully supported Jiang Lai’s back, helping her adjust to a more comfortable posture, letting her lean against the pillow, then pulled over the thin quilt and gently draped it over her, leaving only her shoulders and above exposed.
Only after doing all that did she sit down beside Jiang Lai, her fingertip lightly combing through the loose hair on her forehead, her voice soft and tender:
“Jiang Jiang, are you feeling a bit better now? I’ll go pour you some water.”
Jiang Lai leaned against the soft pillow, feeling the warm quilt over her and the gentle touch of Shen Ruxue’s fingertips, and her taut nerves finally fully relaxed.
She nodded lightly, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz:
“Okay…”
Hearing this, Shen Ruxue immediately got up to pour water, but Jiang Lai gently tugged at the hem of her clothes.
She turned to look at Jiang Lai and found her staring back with reddened eyes, a hint of dependence beneath them:
“Don’t be gone too long. It’s not that I dislike it. Let me get used to it a little more, and I’ll really like it. Because I love the feeling of being held by you two, this feeling of having you both by my side, I’m really happy…”
Just now, being surrounded by the two of them had flustered her, but now that she thought about Shen Ruxue leaving her line of sight, an inexplicable unease rose in her heart.
Shen Ruxue looked at her like that, her heart melting into a puddle, and quickly sat down on the edge of the bed, reaching out to gently pinch her cheek:
“I’m not going far, just to the table outside. I’ll be right back.”
With that, Shen Ruxue looked at Chi Yingyu:
“Xiao Yu, you stay here with Jiang Jiang.”
Chi Yingyu nodded, scooted closer to Jiang Lai, but didn’t dare get too near. She just reached out a fingertip and lightly touched Jiang Lai’s exposed hand, her voice cautious:
“Jiang Jiang, did I hurt you just now?”
She remembered that when she’d reached for Jiang Lai earlier, her mind had been full of competing with her sister, and Jiang Lai’s body had been stiff. Now that she thought about it, maybe she really had hurt her.
Feeling the cool touch on the back of her hand, Jiang Lai gently shook her head, her voice still a little weak:
“No… it was just a bit ticklish, and just now, I really didn’t know where to put my attention.”
Actually, Chi Yingyu’s movements hadn’t been rough, but she was naturally ticklish, and with the tension of the moment, her reaction had been that strong.
Hearing this, Chi Yingyu breathed a small sigh of relief, but still felt a bit guilty. Her fingertip lightly traced Jiang Lai’s hand, as if apologizing:
“Then I won’t do that next time… I’ll control myself better. If you’re uncomfortable, you have to tell me.”
When she’d messed around with Jiang Lai before, she’d never paid attention to these things. Or rather, when it was just the two of them, Jiang Lai could handle more, but with three people, Jiang Lai seemed to get even shyer.
Jiang Lai looked at her serious expression and couldn’t help but curl the corners of her mouth. Though her complexion was still a little pale, she looked much better than before:
“Mm, I know, but it’s okay. Just having that thought from you already makes me super happy.”
Before long, Shen Ruxue returned with a cup of warm water, an insulated sleeve wrapped around the outside. Even though she’d poured warm water and had tasted it herself, she was still afraid it might burn Jiang Lai.
She walked to the bedside, carefully supported Jiang Lai’s back to help her sit up a little, then brought the cup to her lips:
“Drink slowly, don’t burn yourself.”
The warm liquid slid down her throat, soothing the dryness from her earlier rapid breathing, and she let out a comfortable sigh. After she finished, Shen Ruxue took out a pocket tissue and gently wiped the corners of her mouth.
Jiang Lai leaned against Shen Ruxue’s embrace, taking small sips of the warm water.
“Want more?” Shen Ruxue asked.
Jiang Lai shook her head, leaning into Shen Ruxue’s embrace without wanting to move:
“No thanks, thank you, Xiaoxue.”
After drinking the water, she felt a bit more energetic, but her body was still tired, and she just wanted to lean there and rest for a while.
Seeing this, Shen Ruxue didn’t push her. Instead, she gently helped her lie down, tucked the quilt around her, then lay down beside her and carefully pulled her into her arms, letting her head rest on her shoulder.
Chi Yingyu lay down on the other side, but didn’t dare pull Jiang Lai into her arms like Shen Ruxue had. She just reached out and gently held Jiang Lai’s exposed hand, her fingertip lightly brushing her palm, as if comforting her.
Jiang Lai lay between the two of them, Shen Ruxue’s warm embrace on her left, Chi Yingyu’s slightly cool hand on her right. Two different temperatures wrapped around her, yet surprisingly, it made her feel at ease.
She closed her eyes, feeling the steady breaths of the two beside her and the warm quilt over her. The earlier panic and exhaustion slowly faded, and drowsiness crept in.
Shen Ruxue felt the breathing of the person in her arms gradually even out, knowing she was about to fall asleep. She gently patted her back, her movement as soft as coaxing a child to sleep.
She looked up at Chi Yingyu and mouthed to her:
“Don’t talk. Let her sleep.”
Chi Yingyu nodded, tightened her grip on Jiang Lai’s hand, but didn’t move. She just quietly watched her sleeping face.
Jiang Lai’s eyelashes were long, now resting quietly like two little fans, her cheeks still carrying a faint blush that hadn’t faded. She looked soft and fragile, making one want to cherish her.
Shen Ruxue held Jiang Lai, feeling the warmth of the person in her arms, her eyes full of gentleness. She knew that she and Yingyu had been too hasty earlier and had scared Jiang Lai. They’d need to watch their boundaries from now on, not repeat what happened today.
Chi Yingyu held Jiang Lai’s hand, feeling the warmth of her palm, guilt filling her heart. She’d never considered Jiang Lai’s feelings before, always acting on her own whims. Now seeing Jiang Lai this exhausted, she finally understood how excessive going with her own impulses really was.
“Sister, I don’t mind sharing with you, but from now on, don’t be too harsh on Jiang Jiang just because you’re jealous of me, okay?”