With three classes left before school ended, Jiang Ruoxun, who knew her schedule well, sent the message at this specific time. It was a calculated move, clearly intended to give Xu Youzhi time to dwell on it.
What was she supposed to think about? Perhaps whether she would worry about Jiang Ruoxun by associating this with that previous night of intoxication. Or perhaps whether she would feel a surge of guilt that would drive her to rush over and see her immediately.
Jiang Ruoxun wasn’t sure how high her stakes were; she simply wanted to know exactly how much Xu Youzhi cared about her now.
If she cared, Jiang Ruoxun would savor it like nectar. If she didn’t, Jiang Ruoxun was determined to force her to care!
Xu Youzhi pursed her lips and replied.
— Are you unhappy, Sister?
As expected, a smirk played on Jiang Ruoxun’s lips. However, she did not reply immediately. She wanted to make her wait.
Ten minutes passed, and Xu Youzhi still hadn’t received a response. She began to feel restless and irritable. Could she be disoriented from drinking? she wondered.
Beside her, Li Qingshuang and Kuang Yuan were chatting animatedly. Ever since that big fight on the playground where Kuang Yuan had been driven to tears, Xiao Yang had called her embarrassing and walked away. Li Qingshuang had taken advantage of that moment of vulnerability. After much persuasion, Kuang Yuan had finally resolved to break up with him.
Even so, whenever they crossed paths with Xiao Yang, Kuang Yuan’s gaze would reflexively follow him, even as Xiao Yang glared back at her with hostility.
Just then, during the break between classes, Xiao Yang happened to walk past the classroom. Kuang Yuan reacted instantly, her eyes softening as she lost herself in his presence—even though he didn’t spare her a glance.
Li Qingshuang, visibly uncomfortable, suddenly let go of her hand. Not wanting to upset her, Kuang Yuan apologized quickly, “I’m sorry, I won’t look at him ever again.”
“You said that yesterday too!” Li Qingshuang’s temper finally flared. “What is so good about that man? Does he treat you well? Does he treat you better than I do? Do you even know why you two fight? He’s behind your back acting intimate with another girl—no, two other girls.”
Kuang Yuan bit her lip and remained silent. Her face, initially pale, flushed deep red the moment she heard about him being with other girls. Overcome with grievance, she suddenly ran out of the room.
“Sister Yuan!” Xu Youzhi tried to call after her, but Kuang Yuan vanished from their sight like a gust of wind.
Li Qingshuang clicked her tongue. “Cry, cry, cry. That’s all she knows how to do.”
Xu Youzhi sighed. “I’ll go find her.”
“No.” Li Qingshuang stood up and pressed a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll be the one to go.”
At that moment, a message from Jiang Ruoxun arrived.
— I’m not telling you [Pouting face]
It sounded petulant, almost like a sulking child. Xu Youzhi guessed it was because she hadn’t reached out to her lately. In truth, she had been busy preparing for exams and wanted some space to clear her head. There was also the conversation she’d had with her parents.
But the real weight on her mind was what Wei You had said—about being treated like a “dog.” Did that mean she was just a “plaything”? She didn’t want to believe her Sister would do such a thing, yet doubt had begun to take root. That was why she had kept her distance.
Now, she was suddenly overcome with guilt. She had promised herself she would trust her Sister; how could she allow the words of others to sway her so easily?
— Then I’ll come to see you after school. Will you tell me then?
— If you come, I’ll tell you.
Jiang Ruoxun’s fingers paused. She had originally wanted to type, “If you come, I’ll be happy,” but she worried that sounded too desperate.
Xu Youzhi pursed her lips, wishing time would move faster. She worried whether her Sister would continue drinking in the meantime.
— Don’t keep drinking, okay?
But half an hour passed, and Jiang Ruoxun didn’t reply. Unable to wait any longer, Xu Youzhi skipped the final class and left school.
Jiang Ruoxun actually had a very high tolerance for alcohol. The last time, she hadn’t been drunk at all—she had just been teasing the “little kid.” This time, however, she actually felt a bit tipsy. Her head felt heavy and muddled. She looked at the bottle in her hand; it was a 1983 vintage wine gifted by CEO Ye, air-shipped from France. Its alcohol content was significantly higher than what she usually drank.
Jiang Ruoxun gave a soft huff. No wonder she felt so intoxicated.
Xu Youzhi hurried to Room 902. She didn’t even think to knock; her only thought was that if Jiang Ruoxun was drunk, she might stumble and fall. Fortunately, she found her looking peaceful, as if she were merely asleep.
The curtains weren’t drawn, and the evening sun cast a few stray beams of orange light over the woman. Her obsidian-colored clothes shimmered like waves on the sea under the light.
“Sister,” Xu Youzhi called out softly.
Jiang Ruoxun’s dizziness made it hard to identify the voice, but she instinctively felt it was Xu Youzhi. She gave a faint, blurred hum in response.
“Are you okay?” Xu Youzhi reached out to support her. The moment she touched the woman’s snowy-white arm, she flinched back from the heat. The air conditioning was on full blast, yet the woman’s skin was burning from the alcohol.
Xu Youzhi tried to lead her to the bedroom, but Jiang Ruoxun suddenly wrapped her arms tightly around her neck. There were faint red streaks in the whites of her eyes, giving the woman an even more bewitching appearance.
“Why didn’t you come to find me?” Jiang Ruoxun demanded accusingly. Xu Youzhi felt a pang of pity and tried to make an excuse, but the person before her was in no state to listen. Like a child throwing a tantrum, she continued to cry out, “Why didn’t you come?”
She slumped into Xu Youzhi’s embrace, her voice shifting from aggressive to low and vulnerable. It no longer sounded like an accusation, but rather a lonely sigh.
“How can you be so mean!” The actress’s brow furrowed. she clung to Xu Youzhi, wanting to press her entire being against her.
Despite her mature and cool exterior, there was a lonely little girl hidden inside. This thought surfaced in Xu Youzhi’s mind, and her guilt deepened, even though she hadn’t truly done anything wrong.
“Sister, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have stayed away for so long,” Xu Youzhi apologized sincerely. “Please don’t be unhappy. I’ll come to see you often from now on, okay? I’ll send you a ‘good morning,’ a ‘good afternoon,’ and a ‘good night.’ I’ll even ask if you’ve eaten. Even if we have nothing to talk about, I’ll still come to find you—”
Jiang Ruoxun suddenly pressed a hand over hers. A faint scent of wine wafted into Xu Youzhi’s nose.
“Don’t say there’s nothing to talk about.”
In truth, they rarely had specific topics to discuss, yet their conversations flowed naturally without any awkwardness. Jiang Ruoxun leaned back into her arms. She wasn’t entirely wasted, but her inner emotions were driving her to use the intoxication as an outlet.
The bitterness welling up inside her finally broke through. A choked sob came from the woman in her arms, leaving Xu Youzhi feeling flustered.
“Sister?” Xu Youzhi cupped her face. The woman’s perfect features were now marred by several tear tracks.
“Why are you crying?” Xu Youzhi couldn’t bear to see her like this. In her mind, Jiang Ruoxun was the image of cool elegance—a powerful, independent woman. But seeing her cry made her look so fragile and thin, as if she might be blown away by a breeze.
“I don’t know.” Jiang Ruoxun truly didn’t know why she was crying; she just sobbed blankly in her arms. The girl’s natural scent felt like the fresh earth of spring, and her gentle touch was like a soft breeze. She felt as though she were being renewed, breaking through the soil to become a real person.
Eventually, Xu Youzhi helped her into the bedroom. Jiang Ruoxun refused to let go, clinging to her even after they reached the bed. In this moment, she didn’t seem like a sister eight years older, but a girl in need of care. Overcome with guilt, Xu Youzhi didn’t refuse her.
Outside, the dark sky took over, and the colorful neon lights below became vibrant. The quiet light of the bedroom watched over the two figures on the bed. Jiang Ruoxun was resting against Xu Youzhi’s shoulder, her soft breaths still carrying a hint of wine as they brushed against Xu Youzhi’s cheek.
Xu Youzhi felt a slight tickle and brushed it away gently, but she didn’t try to make Jiang Ruoxun lie down properly. She found this side of the actress incredibly cute. Although one arm was beginning to go numb from the weight, the warmth of the woman’s skin through her silky clothes felt pleasant. Suppressing her inner fluttering, Xu Youzhi felt a strange sense of excitement.
The person in her arms suddenly stirred. Xu Youzhi immediately straightened up, assuming a serious expression.
“Ah, I’m sorry…” Jiang Ruoxun let out a small, kitten-like whimper. Seeing herself lying in the crook of Xu Youzhi’s arm, she began to gently massage the girl’s arm to relieve the numbness. “How long was I asleep?” she asked in a languid tone.
“Two hours,” Xu Youzhi replied, watching her massage her arm.
“You really are something, just waiting for me to wake up?” Jiang Ruoxun said helplessly, her movements gentle. “Your arm must be very numb.”
“It’s fine,” Xu Youzhi looked down.
“Thank you, Zhizhi.” Jiang Ruoxun leaned in, bringing with her a cool fragrance as she whispered into Xu Youzhi’s ear.
Xu Youzhi’s face flushed. “Is it because I didn’t come to see you that you were unhappy?”
“Yes,” Jiang Ruoxun admitted without hesitation. “I like you, and I want to spend more time with you. In the future, even if you’re busy, could you at least send me a message?” The last part sounded almost like a plea.
Xu Youzhi hummed in agreement. “I’ll definitely message you. Good morning, good afternoon, and good night. How does that sound?”
“Good.” Jiang Ruoxun suddenly kissed her cheek, her eyes sparkling. “Zhizhi must keep her word.”
Xu Youzhi froze, stunned by the kiss. It wasn’t the first time she’d been kissed by a girl—she’d done it before with friends—but the actress’s lips were so soft, fragrant, and slightly damp. It felt like a soft, velvet puff scented with the rich aroma of roses, leaving a lingering fragrance on her skin.
Xu Youzhi’s breath hitched. “Sister?”
Jiang Ruoxun acted as if nothing had happened, looking at her with an innocent expression. “Let’s go eat,” she said, her eyes curving into a smile as she changed the subject.
“Okay.”
Xu Youzhi stepped out first while Jiang Ruoxun stayed behind on the bed, ostensibly to change her clothes. She glanced at the spot where Xu Youzhi had been lying. The warmth of the girl’s body still lingered there.
Jiang Ruoxun couldn’t resist lying down exactly where Xu Youzhi had been and closing her eyes. This is where Zhizhi lay. It’s so warm… It felt as though she were a child back in her mother’s arms, soaking up warmth until the whole world felt safe. Even her lonely heart found peace.
Without realizing it, her eyes grew moist again. When she wiped them, her fingers were wet with tears.
The next morning, when Xu Youzhi left early for class, Jiang Ruoxun was still asleep. She had actually been woken up once by Xu Youzhi earlier. It wasn’t that the girl was being loud, but Jiang Ruoxun was a light sleeper who had suffered from severe insomnia in the past.
When she had opened her eyes then, she saw Xu Youzhi putting on her underwear. The girl’s bra was a pure, clean white with delicate lace trim. Below that was her fine, smooth skin; her shoulder blades slightly prominent, emphasizing her slender waist and back.
Jiang Ruoxun felt a stir in her heart and looked away.
“Sister, I’m going to class now,” Xu Youzhi whispered, thinking she was still asleep.
When the door clicked shut, drowsiness washed over Jiang Ruoxun again. She drifted into a peaceful sleep, the image of that departing figure making her feel completely at ease.
By the time she finally woke up, the “Good Morning” message pinned at the top of her WeChat made her feel that the weather today was exceptionally beautiful. She even went so far as to include a funny emoji in her reply to Xu Ling.
When Xu Ling saw the rare humorous sticker from her, she thought she must be dreaming.