At five thirty-two in the afternoon, Li Xingya came home.
She returned empty-handed, carefully hiding the lipstick in her pocket.
At her doorstep, just thinking about Jiang Chiyue sitting in the living room wearing gold-rimmed glasses and processing documents made Li Xingya’s hand tremble as she punched in the password.
‘This feeling… like I’m sneaking around… what is it?’
‘Calm down.’
‘Today was supposed to be a date, but it was no different from those videos I’ve seen on my phone of little girls going out to have fun.’
‘So it’s not sneaking around… it’s just… just hanging out with a good friend, right?’
Thinking this, Li Xingya finished entering the password, pushed open the door, and entered with her head lowered.
“You’re back?”
As expected, Jiang Chiyue’s voice came from the living room.
The air conditioning in the house was at its usual temperature, and Jiang Chiyue’s voice was calm. Everything seemed just as Li Xingya had imagined. She had just spent a day out with an ordinary friend, and Jiang Chiyue knew nothing.
“Yeah, I’m back.”
Li Xingya responded while changing her shoes.
“The weather’s been hot lately. If you can help it, try not to go out,” Jiang Chiyue said casually. “Your skin is so fair. If you get tanned, it’ll be really noticeable.”
Li Xingya didn’t go into the living room. She just stood dumbly at the entrance.
“Got it, Sister.”
‘I can’t move…’
‘I can’t face Jiang Chiyue.’
‘I’m so afraid she’ll find out I went out with Lin Jin’an.’
Li Xingya thought about the scene if the situation were exposed. In her imagination, what awaited her… was Jiang Chiyue’s fist.
‘Ugh…’
‘Even more scared.’
On the sofa, Jiang Chiyue pushed up her glasses.
“Are you hungry? Want something to eat?”
‘Something to eat?’
‘Probably only a sandwich could fill me up.’
“No.”
Li Xingya said instinctively.
“I already ate outside.”
Li Xingya decisively walked toward the stairs.
“Sister, I’m going upstairs to rest first.”
Li Xingya chose escape between lying and confessing.
Half an hour later, after showering, she lay in bed, staring at the ceiling with exhausted eyes.
‘So annoying… so annoying… so annoying… so annoying… so annoying…!’
‘What is this feeling all about?’
“Tch.”
Li Xingya frowned and pressed her right hand tightly against her heart.
‘This tingling sensation in my chest…’
‘Even though I’ve already separated from Lin Jin’an.’
“…Oh well, let’s think about other things first.”
Li Xingya murmured.
Like a gift for Jiang Chiyue or something.
Lin Jin’an was a trustworthy person. After spending a day with her, Lin Jin’an indeed told Li Xingya what Jiang Chiyue liked. But…
“Her favorite is actually alcohol, huh.”
Li Xingya turned over in bed. She recalled that the house was filled with all kinds of imported liquor. With Jiang Chiyue’s financial resources, she had probably already tasted every famous fine wine, right? And with Li Xingya’s current funds, she couldn’t afford any truly high-end alcohol. What to do?
Li Xingya thought back to her previous life. She remembered only drinking beer.
“Forget it. I’ll just prepare some random gift by the fifteenth. Anyway, Jiang Chiyue likes ‘me’ so much. Whatever I casually give her, she’ll probably like it.”
Thinking this, Li Xingya sighed. Speaking of which, tomorrow was Monday again. The short vacation had ended. She had to get up early for school tomorrow morning.
‘So annoying.’
***
Night, 12:43 AM.
Li Xingya’s door was gently pushed open.
It was Jiang Chiyue. It had been a long time since she last came to see Li Xingya. Today, she couldn’t help herself.
“Sister…?”
Standing at the door, Jiang Chiyue whispered.
But Li Xingya inside only turned over.
‘Looks like she’s asleep.’
Jiang Chiyue thought.
‘Once she’s asleep, it’s hard to wake up.’
‘But that’s not how it was online.’
Jiang Chiyue remembered very clearly that when they were on the phone, Li Xingya had said her sleep was very light, and any little disturbance would wake her. During that time, no matter when Jiang Chiyue sent a message, Li Xingya would reply immediately. Even if it was late at night, just the slight vibration of the phone—Li Xingya would be woken up.
But now…
Jiang Chiyue looked at Li Xingya lying in bed. In this state, aside from grabbing her and shaking her hard a few times, there was probably no chance of her waking up.
‘Liar.’
‘Green tea liar.’
‘She even lies about something like this.’
Jiang Chiyue silently accused Li Xingya in her heart.
‘But still…’
‘This is fine too.’
She crouched down by the bed and reached out to pick up a strand of Li Xingya’s hair.
‘If she woke up easily at the slightest thing, how could it be so convenient for me to come see you now? And the things I’m about to do next are only possible because you’re sleeping so deeply, so I can do them without being discovered.’
“Sister.”
Jiang Chiyue recalled that drunken day, everything that had happened in this room with Li Xingya.
“I really like you.”
She lowered her voice.
Only now could Jiang Chiyue voice the feelings she had hidden in her heart. Facing the usual Li Xingya, the one who would look dazed just by hearing her name. Sometimes, Jiang Chiyue really didn’t know what kind of emotions to treat her with. In her view, “Li Xingya” was “Li Xingya.” Even if she really had amnesia, she was still “Li Xingya.” And the reincarnator claim? After experiencing the “drunken incident,” Jiang Chiyue was already convinced that Li Xingya had made it up to fool kids.
Now, her fingers kept twirling around the ends of Li Xingya’s hair. She leaned in, greedily inhaling the captivating fragrance of Li Xingya’s hair.
‘You’re the younger one here. A full four years younger than me.’
“…Sister.”
Jiang Chiyue’s eyes grew slightly hazy. She was nearly drowning in the scent that belonged only to Li Xingya.
‘I want to… I want to touch Sister even more.’
In previous nights, Jiang Chiyue had only watched Li Xingya from beside the bed. But people are greedy. Faced with the defenseless Li Xingya before her, Jiang Chiyue couldn’t help but let some improper thoughts arise. Inch by inch, she reached out toward Li Xingya.
‘Just touch. I’ll just lightly touch Sister.’
Jiang Chiyue’s right hand carefully touched Li Xingya’s ear and gently pinched the earlobe.
“Mmm.”
From Jiang Chiyue’s throat came a voice that was drowsy yet filled with unbearable pleasure.
‘So soft.’
‘The earlobe is so small.’
‘Should I go further?’
Jiang Chiyue’s Adam’s apple bobbed. When she came to her senses, she had already crawled onto the bed.
‘Maybe… should I sleep next to Sister tonight?’
The thought crossed Jiang Chiyue’s mind, but she quickly vetoed it. She reluctantly withdrew her right hand.
‘That’s enough. This far is fine. As for the rest… it really is better to do it when Sister is awake.’
Jiang Chiyue examined Li Xingya’s sleeping face. On a whim, she took out her phone and, with a click, secretly snapped a photo.
Looking at Li Xingya in the photo, Jiang Chiyue smiled contentedly.
‘Sister’s current look… probably only I have seen it, right?’