“Still want Sister to teach you?” Jiang Ruoxun gazed at her intently, shifting her position until she was pressed against her. Their light clothing rubbed together, and her voice sounded like a clinging vine.
“Then shouldn’t Zhizhi express her sincerity first?”
Seeing her smile, Xu Youzhi thought to herself that there was likely no resentment.
Immediately, she leaned in for a kiss.
The dreamlike kiss they both craved was once again joined.
Jiang Ruoxun closed her eyes, thankful she had found a deserted corner where no one would discover them. If they were caught by paparazzi, it would be massive news.
As Xu Youzhi kissed her, she lost control. The intensity grew wilder; Jiang Ruoxun couldn’t help but lean back until she hit the sofa. Xu Youzhi continued to kiss her, one above and one below, their ambiguous breaths intertwining.
“Zhizhi…” Jiang Ruoxun, breathless from the kiss, weakly tried to stop her.
This girl seemed to have a gentle temperament, but she didn’t expect her to have such strength. It felt almost like being preyed upon by a wild beast.
“I’m sorry.” Xu Youzhi’s face flushed red as she turned her head away, unable to look at the enchanting beauty. She also found it strange—it was as if she couldn’t control her own intensity.
“Call me once.” Jiang Ruoxun suddenly moved softly to her side, her bodily warmth instantly enveloping Xu Youzhi.
Xu Youzhi let out a confused “Hmm?”
Jiang Ruoxun gave a soft laugh, her eyes full of charm. “Like you did just now.”
Xu Youzhi blushed. “Sister, that’s not very good, is it?”
Jiang Ruoxun’s gaze grew even more flirtatious. “Zhizhi asked for a kiss just now, so can’t I ask for something? Besides, didn’t you say you wanted to be Sister’s dog?”
Believing in the principle of reciprocity, Xu Youzhi hesitated for a moment before opening her mouth: “Woof.”
The other woman was clearly not satisfied: “Hmm?”
Xu Youzhi continued to bark: “Woof.” She felt shy to the point of flying away; how could she really be like a dog?
Jiang Ruoxun stroked her pure white face, her red lips parting slightly: “Little dog, my good little dog.”
Xu Youzhi’s eyes wavered, and she gradually lost her shyness, even bending down to let Jiang Ruoxun rub her head.
Jiang Ruoxun gently rubbed it. Xu Youzhi still had long, straight black hair and a pure, elegant aura; Jiang Ruoxun really couldn’t bear to let anyone else covet such a cute little puppy.
“Call me again.”
Xu Youzhi wondered why Jiang Ruoxun was so persistent, but she felt embarrassed to refuse and barked once more.
“Is Zhizhi Sister’s good little dog?”
Xu Youzhi hesitated for a while, then nodded: “I am Sister’s little dog.”
Jiang Ruoxun smiled with satisfaction and leaned down to kiss Xu Youzhi on the lips. Who else could ever taste such soft, beautiful lips? The more she thought about it, the more jealous she felt.
Tasting the hard-won kiss, Xu Youzhi couldn’t help but hook her arms around the other’s neck; she seemed to have developed a liking for kissing women.
After kissing for a while, the two seemed to realize something and stopped.
“How was the volleyball?” Jiang Ruoxun adjusted her collar and asked gently.
“I don’t really know how to play; it was mostly the others playing.”
“Oh? I saw several boys who seemed to have a good impression of you. I thought you were playing well with them,” Jiang Ruoxun said, tilting her head.
Xu Youzhi gave a puzzled “Uh.”
“No,” she shouted with a hint of disappointment.
“What’s wrong?” Jiang Ruoxun chuckled.
“I don’t like them.” Xu Youzhi grabbed Jiang Ruoxun’s fair arm, acting a bit spoiled: “Right now, I just want to be with you.”
“But you said before you would stay and accompany me, yet you still followed your friends here.” Jiang Ruoxun flicked her nose. Even she didn’t realize that her gaze at this moment was extremely doting, as if she wanted to cherish the person before her in the palm of her hand.
“But didn’t Sister say I could go?”
“Anyway, I’m not playing with them anymore.”
“Alright. There is one thing Sister must emphasize.” Jiang Ruoxun placed her hand over Xu Youzhi’s.
Xu Youzhi looked at her snowy white fingers.
The other’s voice was as soft as cotton candy, sweet to the bite: “Be careful of people who approach you with ill intentions.”
She was specifically referring to Chu Han. She was indeed afraid that Xu Youzhi would be bullied.
Finally, they arrived at a less crowded part of the beach where Le Lanyi had set up a canopy, though she was nowhere to be seen.
“Sister, do you want to apply it to your back?”
“Yes.”
When Xu Youzhi looked back at Jiang Ruoxun, she had already removed her tube top and shorts, revealing the modest bikini underneath. The black bottoms were held by thin strings that didn’t pinch any fat; in other words, Jiang Ruoxun’s skin was tight and lean—a perfect, healthy slimness. Even though she was thin, certain areas remained remarkably full. The three-point swimsuit was like a teasing concealment.
When Xu Youzhi saw her upper body, she opened her mouth in surprise. She truly hadn’t misfelt anything last night.
Jiang Ruoxun brushed her long hair back. Her snowy skin shimmered, and the fair curve of her chest was even more evocative. She said, “Zhizhi, let’s begin.”
Even though they were both women and looking at each other’s bodies shouldn’t matter, Xu Youzhi felt inexplicably blushed. Although she had applied lotion to Jiang Ruoxun before, she had been calm then, without a hint of transgression. But connecting it to every detail of last night, Xu Youzhi’s face reddened, and her thoughts suddenly became chaotic.
Jiang Ruoxun tugged at the strap of her bikini top; it was so thin it almost seemed like she would snap it. She said, “Just apply it to the exposed areas; Zhizhi isn’t allowed to look at the rest.”
Xu Youzhi thought to herself: Do I even dare to look?
Jiang Ruoxun lay flat on the lounge chair, feeling the slender, fair hands moving across her body. She knew Xu Youzhi’s hands were long and elegant. Back then, the thing Gu Yang admired most about her was her beautiful hands. But compared to Xu Youzhi, her hands were the ones that were truly slender.
“Mmm, Zhizhi is so gentle,” she sighed.
Xu Youzhi blushed slightly. Although she had a good temper, she didn’t consider herself a gentle person, but in front of Jiang Ruoxun, she found herself acting incredibly tender. If Jiang Ruoxun could dote on her, she could dote on Jiang Ruoxun too.
But while she was applying the lotion to the thigh area, Jiang Ruoxun unconsciously let out a soft moan, biting her red lip and revealing a glimpse of her pearly teeth. Her eyes wavered as if she were being bullied by Xu Youzhi.
She said pitifully, “Can you be a bit lighter? Sister accidentally bumped that spot while filming before; it still hurts.”
Xu Youzhi agreed repeatedly, but her brain had turned to mush. The sound from just now lingered in her mind, echoing over and over. Jiang Ruoxun’s skin was exceptionally well-maintained, slippery as soap—and the reason she thought of soap was because her body smelled so fragrant.
Xu Youzhi felt her breathing quicken. Seeing a tiny dark mole on an exposed patch of skin, she quickly diverted her gaze. The ambiguous scene from earlier flashed through her mind again.
If I kissed her there, I wonder if she would be angry? Xu Youzhi thought nervously.
Glimpsing someone buying coconut water, she spoke into Jiang Ruoxun’s ear: “Sister, are you thirsty?”
Before Jiang Ruoxun could speak, she saw Xu Youzhi holding two coconuts, handing one to her: “I just tasted it, it’s delicious! Sister, try it quickly.”
“Thank you.”
Seeing that Xu Youzhi had grown quiet, she asked curiously, “Why aren’t you talking?”
Xu Youzhi smiled. “Sister doesn’t need to say thank you to me; it feels a bit strange to hear it.”
Jiang Ruoxun hummed in response, feeling a fluttering itch in her heart. Then she saw a message from Le Lanyi.
— I met a few foreigners here, they are all very handsome. — Are you coming? — No need. — Why? Are you staying there alone? Aren’t you bored?
Jiang Ruoxun curled her lips into a smile. No matter how bored she was, she had a little puppy to play with.
After replying, a foreign man quietly approached, seemingly noticing a beauty and wanting to add her as a contact. Xu Youzhi glanced at him; he was tall and sturdy with eight-pack abs. She couldn’t help but bite her straw. Does Sister like this type?
“Excuse me, can I get a contact number?”
Jiang Ruoxun replied with a smile, “Sorry, I don’t add strangers.”
The man walked away disappointedly.
Xu Youzhi asked curiously, “Sister, aren’t you afraid someone who recognizes you will take your picture and post it online?”
Jiang Ruoxun laughed nonchalantly. “I’m not doing anything I’m ashamed of. Is it a big problem if it’s posted online?”
Xu Youzhi gave an “Oh,” which seemed to make sense. But on second thought, something was wrong—she and Jiang Ruoxun had been kissing. Did that count as something to be “ashamed” of? If netizens found out, would they suspect a romance? Or just intimate interaction between friends?
Just then, a phone call rang on Xu Youzhi’s phone.
“Hello?” Xu Youzhi’s voice trembled slightly.
“Zhizhi, where did you go? How can you be so slow just going to the bathroom? It’s been hours.”
“I…” Xu Youzhi was about to speak when a hand hooked around her neck, pressing against her vocal cords. Xu Youzhi couldn’t help but cough.
“What’s wrong with you?” the person behind her asked intentionally.
“Nothing.” Xu Youzhi gave Jiang Ruoxun a resentful look, but seeing the shy flush on Jiang Ruoxun’s neck, her anger vanished.
“Sister, I should go meet up with my friends. We’ll see each other again when there’s a chance.”
“Zhizhi.”
“Hmm?”
Xu Youzhi looked at her with confusion, staring deep into the other’s dark eyes. She suddenly realized that Jiang Ruoxun’s eye color wasn’t like the dazzling glaze or flowing gold described in novels; it was just a common deep brown, like a bottomless abyss where one could see no end and find no direction. But occasionally, she could see a hidden light within, like ten thousand stars shimmering.
From Jiang Ruoxun’s perspective, it was easy to focus on Xu Youzhi’s features. The girl’s eyes were very clear, without a hint of clutter. That unique innocence was something she herself no longer possessed. She couldn’t remember when she had stopped being simple. Perhaps it was when she was very, very young.
Looking at this girl, a sense of guilt rose within her again. In her youth, she had treated emotions as playthings, often teasing those who liked her. She prided herself on being aloof and independent, yet she was wicked to the core—using push-and-pull tactics, “charity,” and flirting to provoke anyone who pursued her, but never giving them actual kindness, warmth, intimacy, or kisses. She would watch them go mad for her and compete with rivals, while she acted as a spectator to mock them.
But this girl was so pure that it was almost impossible to hurt her. Jiang Ruoxun actually felt a bit of hesitation.
Soon, a faint blush appeared on her face. She looked away and said haltingly, “Zhizhi, are you still coming to my room tonight?”
“If Sister feels lonely, just poke me on WeChat, and I will definitely come back.” Xu Youzhi wasn’t sure, because Li Qingshuang might cling to her.
Jiang Ruoxun moved closer and took her hand, seemingly solemn: “Actually, I think it was my fault to teach you how to kiss last time.”
Xu Youzhi frowned. “Why does Sister say that?” It was clearly she who had initiated it.
Jiang Ruoxun flicked her nose. “You silly girl, how can you let a woman snatch away your very first kiss?”
Xu Youzhi shook her head. “But a kiss doesn’t represent the standard of love between a couple.”
Jiang Ruoxun’s heart stirred. How does this kid have so many grand theories?
“There must be many people pursuing you. No matter what, you must see clearly what the other person’s character is like. Besides, some people hide it extremely well; even the smartest people can’t tell.”
Xu Youzhi didn’t understand why she was suddenly saying this and said blankly, “Then I just won’t fall in love.”
Jiang Ruoxun’s eyes wavered, and she sighed. “But can you just say you won’t and then not do it? People change.”
Xu Youzhi gripped her hand tightly. “Then if I have someone I like, I will definitely let Sister see what kind of person they are. I believe Sister’s judgment must be very good. If you say the person is no good, then I won’t date them.”
Jiang Ruoxun felt as if a giant stone were weighing on her heart, making it hard to breathe. She could only pull a trace of a smile to respond gently: “Alright, Sister will definitely help you investigate. Shall we have dinner together tonight?”
“Okay.”
At that moment, another phone call came in.
Xu Youzhi answered for a bit, then said apologetically, “I’m sorry, Sister, I can’t eat with you tonight. My friend got hurt, and I have to go back to see her.”
“Mm, go then.”
“I will definitely come to Sister’s room tonight.”
“Okay, I’ll wait for you.”
Watching the girl’s receding back, Jiang Ruoxun couldn’t help but sigh.
Li Qingshuang had twisted her ankle, but by the time Xu Youzhi arrived, it wasn’t a big deal—at least she could still walk. This group of people was full of youthful energy; if they weren’t playing volleyball, they were playing on the water, having the time of their lives.
It wasn’t until evening, when they were famished, that they thought about dinner. Li Qingshuang was extremely excited and clamored to go out to eat; of course, Chu Han and the others were included.
Xu Youzhi followed them to a seafood BBQ place. The owner was Chinese, so the atmosphere was very lively. Chu Han brought a few bottles of beer to liven things up for everyone. Xu Youzhi had never drunk alcohol; even at club gatherings, the president wouldn’t let those who couldn’t drink partake. She was a bit overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of these men.
For the first time, she said to them coldly, “My mom says I can’t drink with strangers.”
The group was stunned. Li Qingshuang laughed quietly beside her. “She’s a mama’s girl. You guys drink yours, don’t mind her.”
Chu Han smiled. “Zhizhi must have a very good relationship with her mom, right?”
Li Qingshuang said, “Auntie dotes on Zhizhi very much. When we lived in the dorms before, Auntie would often look for Zhizhi and bring lots of delicious food to share with us.”
Chu Han: “That’s really nice. If Zhizhi gets married in the future and can’t live with her family, won’t she be very sad?”
Xu Youzhi’s tone grew cooler: “Even if I get married, I won’t live with the husband’s family.”
Another boy said, “But getting married means moving to the man’s side. Housing prices are so high now; many people can’t afford to buy a separate house.”
“Then don’t get married.” Li Qingshuang was slowly changing her view of them; what kind of man says something like that?
Chu Han was clever and immediately smoothed things over: “This guy has had too much to drink. Zhizhi, do you really not want a little wine?”
Li Qingshuang pressed down his hand as it reached out. “Don’t force girls to drink, okay?”
The atmosphere here turned stiff, while over there, two women wearing sunglasses walked in quietly.
Le Lanyi laughed. “I know the owner here; I’ll get you a discount for dinner.”
Jiang Ruoxun: “I’m on a diet lately; I’ll just have some vegetables.”
Le Lanyi: “You’ve been home for quite some time now, but I haven’t seen you get thinner. I actually feel like you’ve gotten a bit more rounded.”
Jiang Ruoxun’s veins throbbed. She knew her friend was just joking, but she also knew she indeed had gained a bit of weight. After all, every time she went out with Xu Youzhi, they ate big meals. Moreover, Xu Youzhi often fed her, and she felt bad refusing.
“By the way, what were you doing this afternoon?”
Just as they reached the door, someone interrupted Le Lanyi. A girl accidentally bumped into Jiang Ruoxun.
Xu Youzhi rubbed her head, saw Jiang Ruoxun’s eyes widen, and blurted out: “Sister.”
“Little sister, even though you know this lady is eight years older than you, you shouldn’t call her ‘Sister.’ She’ll think it makes her sound old,” Le Lanyi reminded her, remembering this was the Xu Youzhi who got the autograph last night.
Xu Youzhi gave a soft “Oh,” looking like a primary school student being lectured by Le Lanyi.
Jiang Ruoxun’s heart suddenly filled with affection, and she smiled tenderly: “It’s fine. I’ve quite liked being called ‘Sister’ lately.”
Le Lanyi: “?”