Chapter 108: First Snow

Everything happened so suddenly that Jiang Ling didn’t even have time to react before she felt a warm, wet sensation winding around her neck.

Fang Wannian closed her eyes, gently licking the cream.

“Mm…so sweet.”

She muttered, as obedient as a kitten being fed.

Jiang Ling’s body trembled involuntarily, her shoulders and neck tensing, and Fang Wannian—who had collapsed in front of her chest—suddenly became unsteady.

“Don’t move.”

Fang Wannian’s voice sounded muffled and indistinct; in truth, her mind was in a completely dazed state, her gaze filled only with the soft, dense sweetness of cream cake. Following her most primal instinct, she opened her mouth again and bit down with a “rawr.”

This bite wasn’t gentle. Jiang Ling cried out in pain, raising her hand to push Fang Wannian’s head.

“Hiss! Nan Nan, calm down…”

“So noisy.”

Fang Wannian impatiently furrowed her brows, said nothing further, and directly covered Jiang Ling’s mouth with her hand.

“Mm mm mm—”

Jiang Ling looked up with tears in her eyes, trying to escape Fang Wannian’s grasp.

But perhaps because of the alcohol, Fang Wannian’s strength was shockingly great; Jiang Ling couldn’t even struggle, let alone break free, and could only watch helplessly as Fang Wannian’s head dipped down again.

That wet, hot sensation trailed over her neck and shoulders, going back and forth, as Fang Wannian licked every last bit of cake from Jiang Ling’s skin, leaving the pale flesh beneath flushed with an obvious rosy hue.

The tickling touch made Jiang Ling whimper, but her mouth was covered so she couldn’t cry out; in desperation, she groped for tissues on the table, wiping at the bedsheet nearby in a panic.

Eating what was on herself was one thing, but she didn’t want to see Fang Wannian gnawing on the bed sheet next.

Meanwhile, Fang Wannian was thoroughly enjoying herself; in no time, she’d swallowed all the sweetness, and a hint of the cake’s fragrance lingered on her lips.

She withdrew her hand, wiping her lips with a finger before popping it into her mouth, eyes contentedly narrowing.

“I’m full…”

Hearing that, Jiang Ling breathed a sigh of relief.

At last, the ordeal was over. This time, surely the young lady would just go to sleep—

“You…you look really familiar.”

Fang Wannian narrowed her eyes, squinting at Jiang Ling’s face with unclear vision. Realizing everything was a blur, she clicked her tongue and grabbed Jiang Ling’s collar, half-dragging, half-lifting her into a sitting position.

Jiang Ling clumsily propped herself up with her arms, a bit flustered, and looked at Fang Wannian’s confused frown, speaking helplessly, “How could I not look familiar? I’m your dear teammate, Jiang Ling.”

“Jiang Ling?”

Fang Wannian’s voice became stiffer as she repeated the name, then—before Jiang Ling could react—she grabbed Jiang Ling’s shoulders and started shaking her relentlessly.

“Idiot, idiot, idiot!”

“You cosmic super idiot!”

Her voice grew stronger, and though her vision was blurred, she vented her pent-up emotions, fingers tightening on Jiang Ling’s shoulders.

“Wait, wait…”

Jiang Ling was shaken until the world spun, her voice trembling as she tried to stop Fang Wannian, her words dazed. “How am I an idiot?”

Fang Wannian’s actions slowed, and she bit her lip, withdrawing her hands, turning her head away to avoid Jiang Ling’s eyes, her voice muffled.

“Just an idiot.”

Seeing her sulking like this, Jiang Ling was a little stunned, but the vexation in her heart faded.

After all, Fang Wannian was no longer hiding from her or ignoring her. Though her attitude was still awkward, at least she was willing to talk—that was the first step to reconciliation.

Thinking this, Jiang Ling didn’t try to gloss things over, but looked seriously at Fang Wannian. “What did I do to make you angry?”

“I’m not angry!”

Fang Wannian gave a delicate humph, but her attitude did nothing to convince, so Jiang Ling racked her brain and changed tack.

“I am an idiot, after all. It’s normal for me to not understand what you’re thinking, isn’t it?”

At these words, Fang Wannian fell silent for a long moment, then turned back and nodded hard. “Just an idiot.”

“Then why don’t you tell this idiot, okay?”

Jiang Ling felt like a kindergarten teacher, her tone gentle as she coaxed the drunken Fang Wannian to open her heart.

Such patience clearly softened Fang Wannian’s outburst, her voice fading into silence at last.

A brief hush fell over the room.

The two of them were still in the same posture, Fang Wannian straddling Jiang Ling.

After who knew how long, Jiang Ling couldn’t bear the tense silence any longer and tried to reason with Fang Wannian. “How about you get off me for now…”

“No!”

Sure enough, reasoning with a drunk person was a fantasy!

Jiang Ling saw Fang Wannian’s unfocused gaze and let out a barely audible sigh. “It’s really late. Whatever’s going on, let’s talk about it tomorrow, okay?”

She reached up to push Fang Wannian away, but was pulled back down by a powerful grip.

The next thing she knew, a salty, wet kiss landed on her lips.

Jiang Ling stared, stunned, at Fang Wannian’s face drawing closer and closer, her heart pounding like a drum.

Eh?

The kiss came so unexpectedly that Jiang Ling forgot to breathe, feeling only Fang Wannian’s suddenly trembling lips pressed against her own.

So cold.

That was the first thing that flashed through Jiang Ling’s mind.

Her arms and the legs straddling her were burning hot—so why were her lips so cold?

Jiang Ling realized she was lost in some odd train of thought, then snapped back, finally understanding just how shocking Fang Wannian’s actions were.

If it had been someone else, Jiang Ling would have been angry and embarrassed, but not so shocked. But—

Fang Wannian was not the kind of person to do this sort of thing.

Her pride was natural, not something she needed to perform; Jiang Ling had never imagined Fang Wannian would ever lower her head for someone, let alone do something so intimate and ambiguous.

Jiang Ling’s mind struggled to catch up.

And in those few seconds, the sensation on her lips vanished. Fang Wannian hung her head, golden hair falling over her ears and swaying in the air.

“Idiot…”

Jiang Ling heard the slightest sob in her voice and panicked, fumbling for words, but before she could say anything, Fang Wannian’s aggrieved, accusing voice sounded again.

“Why didn’t you choose me?”

Jiang Ling’s face froze in helpless disbelief.

She stammered, voice so faint she could hardly hear herself, “…What?”

“Why didn’t you choose me?!”

Fang Wannian repeated, then suddenly raised her head, her usually proud, delicate face streaked with tears.

Jiang Ling was stunned by the sight, dumbfounded as she listened to Fang Wannian speak, one word at a time.

“I know you made your choice for the team, and it wasn’t wrong, but, but…”

“But I don’t know why, when you passed me by to choose someone else, my heart hurt so much, like someone was poking it with something weird!”

Fang Wannian’s words were chaotic, but she kept shouting in a near-yell.

“It’s so strange, really strange! I’ve never felt like this before, so I’m afraid of becoming like this… Because you didn’t do anything wrong, Xiao Ran didn’t do anything wrong, you both just did what was best for the team, but I—”

“I just feel jealous!”

By the end, huge tears rolled from Fang Wannian’s eyes. She wiped at them fiercely, almost hurting her skin.

“I don’t want my inexplicable, awful emotions to affect everyone.”

Fang Wannian kept shouting, as if trying to vent all her pent-up frustration from the past days.

Jiang Ling watched her quietly, a sentence she’d once read surfacing in her mind: people express their deepest desires when drunk; the brain might be dulled by alcohol, but it doesn’t forget what the heart truly wants.

So, from the very beginning, Fang Wannian was angry because Jiang Ling didn’t choose her?

This realization set Jiang Ling’s chest ablaze. She felt lost, unsure what to say, so she simply stayed silent and listened to Fang Wannian finish.

“But the more I try to ignore it, the worse it gets. In the end, just seeing you two practicing together makes me miserable. But that’s not right at all.”

Fang Wannian’s voice dropped as she mumbled, “We’re all working hard for NOVA. How can I mess up the plan because of me? When I think about it, I feel so ashamed of my selfishness.”

Finally, Jiang Ling found her voice. She clumsily wiped the tears from Fang Wannian’s eyes, her tone gentle. “Actually, you didn’t mess up the plan, and you did great on stage. So you don’t need to be ashamed. And also…”

She paused, embarrassed. “So you like working with me that much?”

She had never imagined Fang Wannian’s anger was actually about her.

“I don’t like it.”

Fang Wannian sniffled, stubbornly turning away.

“All right, I get it.”

Jiang Ling gave her brightest smile in days. “Next time, we’ll team up. Whatever you want to perform, we’ll do it. Is that apology good enough, young lady?”

Hearing Fang Wannian’s true feelings, Jiang Ling felt as if she was floating on clouds, her voice lifting with joy.

Seeing her like this, Fang Wannian pursed her lips and nodded, then quickly shook her head.

Jiang Ling tilted her head in confusion, and before she could ask, she felt herself pushed down onto the bed again by Fang Wannian’s sudden strength. Fang Wannian’s drunken voice sounded by her ear.

“Not enough.”

As she spoke, Fang Wannian’s hot palm pressed against the softness of Jiang Ling’s chest, kneading with reckless force.

“Mm?!”

Suddenly overstimulated, Jiang Ling yelped, voice flustered, “Nan Nan… what are you doing?”

Fang Wannian didn’t answer, simply forced open Jiang Ling’s tightly closed legs and slid her knee between them.

The all-too-familiar pattern made Jiang Ling even more frantic.

She protested desperately, “Nan Nan, it’s me, it’s me! How did you end up like this too!”

“Tch, noisy.”

Jiang Ling’s cries made Fang Wannian frown, clicking her tongue impatiently before bending down to claim her lips again.

This time, it was nothing like the earlier fleeting kiss—it was much bolder. Their lips and teeth tangled, and Jiang Ling’s already drunken mind grew even hazier until, by the end, she could only remain still, trying not to make any compromising noises. Her toes curled in panic, and just before closing her eyes, a white flash streaked across her vision.

She gasped, half-opening her eyes, gaze wavering until it landed on the white at the window.

Outside, snow was falling gently.

In the moon’s silvery light, Jiang Ling could clearly see the delicate flakes drifting down from the heavens, some hitting the window frame and spreading into a mist of moisture.

Almost at the same time, Jiang Ling’s phone buzzed on the bedside.

Fearing one of the members had noticed something, she twisted her head desperately, fighting the unbearable sensation, barely managing to glimpse the bright message on the screen—from Song Meng.

[First snow, are you watching?]

The moment she saw the name, Jiang Ling let out a huge sigh of relief, but that immediately drew Fang Wannian’s attention. Half-squinting, Fang Wannian glared at the glowing screen, voice thick with unspoken displeasure.

“No talking to other women in front of me.”

Fang Wannian flipped the phone face-down, blocking the faint light, her hand growing even bolder.

“Nan Nan, don’t…”

Jiang Ling shivered all over at the sudden intensity, her voice going soft in plea.

But Fang Wannian seemed deaf to her appeals, only spreading Jiang Ling’s legs wider, her movements muddled but decisive.

Forced to arch her head back, Jiang Ling’s entire vision filled with the ever-thickening snow.

Heavy snow fell like goose feathers, turning everything she could see a blinding white, that whiteness blending with the pleasure sweeping over her in dazzling brilliance.

When Jiang Ling woke up the next day, she stared blankly at the ceiling, her face grief-stricken.

If what happened last night wasn’t just a dream—

Then she, once the universe’s number one brute, now the universe’s number one brute with an added 1, had been forcibly xxoo’d by three adorable teammates by now?

Just as she was questioning her life, Fang Wannian beside her slowly woke up as well.

D

She glanced at herself and Jiang Ling, first stunned, then, reflexively, the events of the previous night played through her mind.

Though the memories were patchy, as she recalled her tearful confessions and the consummation of events, her face instantly flushed crimson.

Fang Wannian waved her hands frantically, flustered, and tried desperately to explain to Jiang Ling, whose heart was already still as water, “No, it’s not what you think…”

“Listen to me!”