Jiang Lai’s hand unconsciously loosened, like a kid caught stealing candy, even her breathing softened. Shen Ruxue’s fingertip stiffened at Chi Yingyu’s response, her grip on Jiang Lai’s hand loosening in an instant. She’d been thinking that as long as Chi Yingyu was asleep, she could fulfill her promise to Jiang Lai tonight—even just a gentle brush would put her at ease. But she hadn’t expected her sister to be wide awake, and to speak up right when she was about to make a move, dashing her little plan in an instant.
“N-nothing.”
Shen Ruxue’s voice carried a flustered rasp as she quickly pulled her head back from where it had been about to brush Jiang Lai’s cheek, obediently tucking it back against her shoulder, pretending she’d only asked casually. “I just noticed you weren’t moving, thought you’d fallen asleep… I was just asking a tiny question.”
After saying that, she quietly brushed her fingertip against Jiang Lai’s palm, like she was being coy, or maybe expressing her little grievance.
Jiang Lai could clearly feel Shen Ruxue’s nervousness, and she could also feel Chi Yingyu’s fingertip on her left side still tracing slow circles in her palm, carrying a hint of barely perceptible amusement.
She knew Chi Yingyu too well. This girl was doing it on purpose, knowing exactly what Shen Ruxue was after, yet pretending to be asleep and then speaking up just to tease her.
Jiang Lai let out a helpless sigh inwardly but didn’t call her out. She just gently squeezed the back of Shen Ruxue’s hand, comforting her through the gesture.
Chi Yingyu listened to her sister Shen Ruxue’s flustered tone, the corners of her mouth curving even more visibly, but she kept her eyes closed, her voice slow and leisurely. “But I’m about to fall asleep too, Sister. You should rest well too.”
She paused, her fingertip lightly scratching Jiang Lai’s palm, like she was interacting with her.
Shen Ruxue quietly breathed a sigh of relief when she heard her sister say she was almost asleep. As long as she could fall asleep, she could wait patiently. There was still so much time tonight; eventually her sister would be sound asleep. The anxiety in her heart gradually faded, leaving only anticipation.
She nuzzled gently against Jiang Lai’s shoulder, her breath filled with Jiang Lai’s scent, her restless feelings and breathing intertwining. She adjusted her posture, pressing closer against Jiang Lai, her head softly rubbing against her shoulder.
The bedroom fell quiet again, only the wind outside the window and the breathing of the three of them weaving together.
Shen Ruxue kept her eyes closed but didn’t truly relax. Her ears stayed perked, listening carefully for any sound from Chi Yingyu. She could hear her sister’s breathing gradually even out, and her fingertip no longer traced circles in Jiang Lai’s palm, just held on steadily, like she was truly about to fall asleep.
After about ten minutes, Shen Ruxue quietly opened her eyes, using the moonlight filtering through the window to sneak a glance at Chi Yingyu.
There she was, lying on her side, eyes closed, long lashes resting peacefully, breathing steady. She really did look sound asleep. Shen Ruxue’s heart leaped with joy. She quietly nudged Jiang Lai with her elbow, her voice pitched so low only the two of them could hear.
“Jiang Lai, I think she’s asleep…”
Jiang Lai opened her eyes too, glanced at Chi Yingyu, and seeing that she really wasn’t moving, her fingertip still, she gave a slight nod, keeping her voice just as soft. “Then be gentle. Don’t wake her.”
Shen Ruxue obediently nodded, carefully letting go of Jiang Lai’s hand and slowly raising hers, intending to gently touch Jiang Lai’s cheek. She’d been longing for this kiss all night—ever since they’d been interrupted in the bedroom, the itch had been building, and now that she finally had the chance, even her fingertips trembled with anticipation.
Her hand drew closer, inch by inch, just about to reach Jiang Lai’s cheek, when suddenly Chi Yingyu let out a soft hum, like she was dreaming, instinctively shifting closer to Jiang Lai and tightening her grip on Jiang Lai’s hand.
Shen Ruxue’s hand froze midair, too startled to even breathe. She snatched it back, regripped Jiang Lai’s hand, lay back down obediently, and held her breath. She stared at Chi Yingyu in panic, terrified her sister might wake up, until she saw her just roll over and settle back into steady breathing. Only then did she let out a quiet sigh of relief, her heart still pounding hard.
Jiang Lai watched Shen Ruxue’s startled expression and couldn’t help laughing inwardly. That hum from Chi Yingyu earlier was absolutely deliberate. This girl was intentionally dragging things out with Shen Ruxue, seeing how long she could last.
Jiang Lai gently squeezed Shen Ruxue’s palm.
Shen Ruxue gradually relaxed, but she didn’t dare make another move recklessly. She could only wait patiently.
Another ten minutes or so passed. Seeing that Chi Yingyu still hadn’t stirred, hadn’t even rolled over, she tentatively tried again, her voice even lower than before. “Little Sister? Chi Yingyu?”
She called twice, and Chi Yingyu didn’t respond, still maintaining her peaceful sleeping posture. Shen Ruxue felt much more assured this time. She was certain her sister was truly sound asleep, so she nudged Jiang Lai with her elbow again, her eyes full of anticipation.
“She’s definitely asleep this time. She didn’t react when I called her just now.”
Jiang Lai also felt like Chi Yingyu was truly asleep this time, so she gave a slight nod, signaling that she could go ahead.
Shen Ruxue immediately grew excited, carefully propping herself up and slowly leaning toward Jiang Lai’s cheek. Her movements were deliberate, afraid of making even the slightest sound, her breathing kept feather-light.
The distance between them closed, and Jiang Lai could even feel the warm breath from her lips. Just then, Chi Yingyu suddenly spoke again, her voice carrying a deliberately affected, just-woke-up rasp.
“Sister, what are you two trying to do while I’m asleep?”
Shen Ruxue froze in terror, her arms nearly giving out as she almost collapsed onto Jiang Lai. She scrambled upright, her gaze darting frantically to Chi Yingyu as she stammered an explanation.
“W-we’re not doing anything… I just… I was feeling a bit stuffy and wanted to sit up for some air…”
Chi Yingyu slowly opened her eyes, her gaze sharp and clear—not a trace of just-woken drowsiness. She watched Shen Ruxue’s flustered state, and the corners of her mouth finally curled into a smile.
“Getting some air? But from where I’m sitting, it looks like you’re about to do something naughty with Jiang Jiang.”
Shen Ruxue’s cheeks flushed crimson in an instant, even her earlobes turning red as she wished she could crawl into a hole in the ground.
She opened her mouth to defend herself but couldn’t find the words. In the end, she could only look at Jiang Lai with grievance, her eyes a silent accusation of “look how she’s bullying me.”
Jiang Lai watched the sisters’ exchange and finally couldn’t help laughing out loud. She reached out and ruffled Shen Ruxue’s hair, then looked at Chi Yingyu. “Ying Yu, stop teasing her. Your sister’s been scared half to death by you all night.”
Chi Yingyu saw that her sister was genuinely about to get upset, so she dropped the playful act, her gaze softening. “Alright, alright, I’ll stop teasing you.”
She paused, looked at Shen Ruxue, and her voice turned gentler. “Honestly, I knew what you were after the whole time. I just wanted to mess with you.”
Hearing this, Shen Ruxue’s emotions flooded up at once, hurt by her little sister’s mischief. Her eyes reddened, and her voice came out choked.
“You… you did that on purpose? I waited so long, and you kept pretending to sleep…”
“I wasn’t pretending. I really was almost asleep. It’s just that some part of me remembered your little scheme, so I didn’t dare fully doze off.”
Chi Yingyu quickly explained, afraid she’d actually angered her sister. “I just thought it was fun, wanted to see how long you could hold out.”
With that, she released Jiang Lai’s hand and scooted toward the edge of the bed, giving them more space.
“Alright, I won’t bother you two anymore. I’ll just stay right here and watch. I promise not to talk or interrupt. Do whatever you want—I’ll just observe. I definitely won’t stop you.”
The Bashful and Gentle Compromise Under the Night
The moment those words left Chi Yingyu’s mouth, the air in the bedroom went dead silent, even the sound of the wind outside seeming to sharpen.
Shen Ruxue froze in place. She never imagined her sister wouldn’t just avoid the situation but would actually “watch” them. It was more mortifying than being flat-out rejected. She didn’t know where to put her hands or feet, her cheeks red enough to drip blood, her breathing turning rapid.
Jiang Lai was stunned for a moment too, then looked at Chi Yingyu helplessly. “Ying Yu, stop fooling around. How can she feel comfortable with you doing that?”
She knew Chi Yingyu meant no harm, that she just thought it was fun, but Shen Ruxue had always been thin-skinned. Being so blatantly “watched,” she wouldn’t dare make a single move.
But Chi Yingyu wasn’t backing down. She leaned against the headboard, arms crossed, her eyes gleaming with amusement. “I’m not fooling around. I just want to see, Sister, exactly how long you can hold out.”
She paused, deliberately drawing out her words. “Besides, I already said I won’t interrupt. You two do your thing, just pretend I’m not here.”
“How can you be like this…”
Shen Ruxue’s voice was barely a whisper, thick with grievance and shyness. She stole a glance at Chi Yingyu and saw her sister’s eyes sparkling, no intention of leaving whatsoever, and her heart raced with panic.
She’d been thinking about that kiss all night, but now with her sister watching, she couldn’t even get close to Jiang Lai without feeling completely self-conscious.
Jiang Lai watched Shen Ruxue’s helpless floundering and her heart softened completely. She reached out, gently taking Shen Ruxue’s hand, her fingertip tracing lightly across the back of it, her voice incredibly tender. “Don’t be nervous. She’s just messing with you. If you don’t want to, we can wait until she’s asleep.”
But Shen Ruxue felt a pang of reluctance. She’d waited so long, from being interrupted in the bedroom earlier to going through this whole ordeal deep into the night. She’d finally gotten her sister to “relent.” Giving up now would hurt too much.
And what Chi Yingyu had said earlier had struck a chord in her heart. Her sister lived side by side with Jiang Lai every day. It would be hard to find a moment alone like this again. If she let it slip away, who knew when the next chance would come.