Fu Su never knew how to refuse Pei Wenjin’s requests.
Even though their daily kisses were supposed to be “one at a time,” if Pei Wenjin hooked her arm around her and wouldn’t let her leave, she could only “reluctantly” accept it.
In truth, if Pei Wenjin didn’t bring up a second time, Fu Su wouldn’t either. But Pei Wenjin always insisted on asking for Fu Su’s opinion, and the answer she received was, naturally, always “just once.”
(Laughs)
At this moment, Fu Su said nothing, simply reaching up to stroke Pei Wenjin’s fluffy hair.
But looking into Pei Wenjin’s eyes, it felt as if something had been said nonetheless.
Fu Su ran her fingers through the thick curls. Pei Wenjin’s hair was naturally curly and a light chestnut color; it was well-maintained, not frizzy at all, but smooth and supple.
A few years ago, she had dyed it black and gotten an ionic perm to straighten it. During that period, she was trying to imitate Pei Yanhui, working hard to craft a persona as a formidable, high-powered “big sister” type. Eventually, she failed and began to pity her own hair. It took three or four years of growing it out to regain her natural chestnut curls.
Pei Wenjin cherished them immensely, swearing she would never mess with her hair again.
Fu Su liked her curls too, fluffy, light, and spirited, brimming with vitality.
As Fu Su’s fingertips slowly entwined and gently tugged at her scalp, a numbing, itchy sensation washed over Pei Wenjin. She shrank her neck, her gaze softening as she let out a few giggles. The corners of her mouth lifted into little parentheses. “It itches.”
Pei Wenjin felt her standing posture was a bit awkward. She lowered her head and pushed Fu Su’s thighs apart with her palms. Squeezing herself into the middle, she stood between them, their bodies suddenly pressing close.
Fu Su’s breath hitched. Her fingers stopped twining, and her eyelashes fluttered.
Wherever Pei Wenjin touched, waves of heat rose as if burning the skin.
This posture was a bit… precarious.
Grey trousers pressed against bare thighs, a slight friction. With even a little imagination, one could almost feel the smooth skin beneath.
But Fu Su didn’t speak. She merely let her eyelids drop helplessly, looking somewhat aloof.
“Susu,” Pei Wenjin propped her palms against the low backrest, looking up at the person half a head taller than her. “You’ve always had short hair.”
“Why don’t you grow it out?”
Actually, it wasn’t that short, it hit right around the collarbone, a popular collarbone-length cut, with a thin layer of curtain bangs to frame her face. It looked crisp when tied up and elegant when let down.
“Too much trouble,” Fu Su said, twining a lock of Pei Wenjin’s hair around her finger again.
“If you grow it long, I’ll braid it for you every day.”
Pei Wenjin blinked her bright, sparkling eyes, her dimples showing. “Then it won’t be a trouble anymore, right~”
Fu Su curled her lips into a cool smile and rubbed the soft strands of hair again. “Let’s go. Time for dinner.”
“I haven’t touched your head yet!” Pei Wenjin propped her other hand down, effectively caging Fu Su in. Her beautiful eyes glared. “You’re changing the subject! You just don’t want me to touch your head!”
She was like a feisty little puppy, constantly leaning in as if trying to “mark” her.
Fu Su gave her a shallow look and helplessly knit her brows, lowering her soft neck like a slender willow branch.
Pei Wenjin’s eyes lit up with joy. She immediately broke into a wide grin and reached up to mess with Fu Su’s head.
“Good, good Susu~”
After making the other girl’s hair a complete mess, she took responsibility for smoothing it back down. Then, Pei Wenjin’s playful side took over, and she began weaving small braids.
She even brought over a hair straightener, no cord needed, as it ran on stored power. Like a professional hair stylist, she sat on a high stool with one foot on the crossbar, hooked Fu Su’s delicate chin, and looked her up and down. She wiggled her eyebrows. “Beautiful, are you going to a candlelight dinner with your wife? What kind of hairstyle would you like~”
“I see you have a petite face and exquisite features. Curling your hair will definitely look stunning; it’ll make her swoon!”
“How about it? It’s free of charge~~”
The candlelight danced and swayed in her smiling pupils, like a girl dancing barefoot in a flowing skirt, reckless and free.
Fu Su’s heart skipped a beat, then began to throb violently, so fast she felt she couldn’t catch her breath.
Fu Su tilted her head slightly, her throat vibrating with a soft, irrepressible laugh. “Exaggerated.”
“Hey! How is it exaggerated? You have no clear perception of this face of yours!”
Pei Wenjin cupped Fu Su’s face with both hands, her eyes full of sincerity. Her breath pressed down toward Fu Su; Fu Su could even see her own tiny reflection in those eyes, where the smile remained exuberant.
“Super~ Duper~ Beautiful!”
She was like a big puppy howling, wanting the whole world to hear.
Fu Su caught her wrists and blinked, her tone very flirtatious: “So, will you be smitten by me?”
“…” Pei Wenjin froze. A delayed wave of heat flushed her face and ears. She subconsciously pulled her hands away and whipped her head around, turning into a startled rabbit.
“!”
“I, I… You should be the one smitten by me!”
“You’re the one who won’t let go of my hair; you must love it to death!”
Pei Wenjin felt like she was going crazy, wanting to hold her head and run in circles around the living room.
This person is a succubus, she thought. How could she say such provocative things with such a cold face, and from those lips that were sexy enough to kill?
She really wanted to kiss her to death.
Aside from when she was playing video games and might swear, Pei Wenjin maintained her perfect public persona flawlessly. She hadn’t even uttered a curse word when she saw those disgusting comments earlier.
She instinctively covered her mouth, looking at Fu Su with the eyes of a small animal.
She was afraid she might actually say it out loud.
“Let’s go eat,” Pei Wenjin muttered through her hand, her eyes darting around. She grabbed Fu Su’s hand and started rushing toward the door.
Fu Su frowned and pulled her back, stopping her in her tracks. “You’re going out like this?”
“Huh?” Pei Wenjin looked back at her. Following Fu Su’s gaze downward, she saw her two legs. Her toes curled inside her puppy slippers.
Oh. She wasn’t wearing a bra or pants.
“I’ll go change.” Pei Wenjin squeezed Fu Su’s fingers, rubbed her wrist against her, and ran to the walk-in closet.
She put on an asymmetrical dress, casual and chic. However, when she pulled on a pair of short boots, Fu Su gave her several looks.
Isn’t it hot…
Pei Wenjin said with an air of sophisticated calm, “Beauty is the most important thing.”
Fu Su: …Fair enough.
By the time they finished walking down forty flights of stairs, Pei Wenjin was practically hanging off Fu Su, her metaphorical ears drooping.
But once they were in the car, she turned back into a chirping bird. She smiled and pulled a tiny blue scarf from her pocket, wrapping it around the Hedwig figurine perched on the dashboard. The owl wobbled its head, and Pei Wenjin petted it.
“Cute!”
“Susu, let’s go eat rice noodles!”
Pei Wenjin’s voice was cheerful as she pulled out several more animal figurines in various poses.
She clicked them onto the magnetic mounts on the center console one by one, then clapped her hands together. “Look, Susu! How about it? Cute, right!”
Her finger poked a little white wolf figurine. Her eyes curved as she smiled sweetly, her dimples flickering.
The “Peace Amulet” hanging from the rearview mirror swayed along with her.
“I’ll set the GPS for you. These rice noodles are exceptionally delicious.”
Fu Su gripped the steering wheel, glanced at the little Samoyed figurine with its tongue sticking out at the very end, and curled her lip slightly as she drove out of the garage.
At this hour, the noodle shop was quite crowded and lively. Only one table in the corner was left. Pei Wenjin pulled her through the narrow aisle and they sat facing each other.
The shop was old, but very clean. The proprietress handed them a menu. “Yo, Little President Pei, haven’t seen you in a while. Bringing a partner this time?” She glanced at Fu Su with a kind smile.
The proprietress looked to be in her late forties with greying temples. She spoke with a thick, authentic Beijing accent. She signaled to the front counter to bring two cans of Coke. “These are for you two.”
“Auntie Zhang, thank you.”
Pei Wenjin accepted them with a smile, her eyes sparkling. She pulled Fu Su’s hand over to introduce her, brimming with pride: “This is my wife!”
“Ho! Not bad at all, she’s real handsome!” Auntie Zhang’s gaze swept over Fu Su’s face, looking thoroughly satisfied.
Fu Su’s heart swelled, her earlobes turning hot as she lowered her eyelids. In contrast, Pei Wenjin looked radiant, winking playfully and giggling.
Auntie Zhang let out a few “Aiyo’s,” clearly tickled by the mushiness, and hurried back to the kitchen.
“The usual, right? Minced pork with pickled greens, two bowls, extra chili.”
“No extra chili this time, Auntie Zhang!” Pei Wenjin stood up to catch the end of her sentence. She looked at Fu Su and said with a smile, “I’ll add it myself.”
“And less salt!”
“Got it! Sit, sit, sit!”
A few young girls nearby peeked at them. Pei Wenjin sat on the long bench, shifted her bottom slightly, and with a “tsssh,” opened a can of Coke. She whispered to Fu Su, “Don’t you think the bench is a bit hard on the butt?”
Fu Su shook her head coldly.
Pei Wenjin took a sip of Coke, narrowed her eyes in satisfaction, then turned to look at the two girls who were staring. She greeted them warmly, “Hello~”
The girls’ faces turned red, and they immediately looked down to slurp their noodles.
Pei Wenjin’s fingers drummed on the table like she was playing a piano. She was in a wonderful mood. Then, she leisurely let out another phrase.
“Wife~”
Fu Su almost choked on her water. She lifted her eyelids to glare at her, pretending she hadn’t heard. She asked nonchalantly, “You’re so happy; is this shop really that good?”
“It’s delicious~” Pei Wenjin propped her chin in her hands, grinning. She reached out to mess with Fu Su’s hair, but Fu Su dodged. However, the bright red ears hidden beneath the dark hair didn’t escape Pei Wenjin’s notice. Her smile deepened as she continued to tease in a soft, gentle voice.
She called out again: “Wife~”
It was a very authentic Beijing accent, lazy, dragging the vowels, ending on a rising note. It was intimate, playful, and incredibly charming.
This was the first time Fu Su had heard her speak with a local accent. She hadn’t expected it to happen under these circumstances.
Fu Su closed her eyes, lowered her head, and rubbed her forehead, feeling genuinely embarrassed.
This was no longer something she could suppress.
Pei Wenjin saw the blush spread from Fu Su’s jawline straight down to her neck. Her own throat bobbed as she looked at the beautiful, crimson-tinted tendons of the other woman’s neck. Fu Su’s lips pursed, then pursed again.
With a gulp, Pei Wenjin heard herself swallow. She abruptly looked down and rubbed her nose. Her chin and the area behind her ears went numb, breaking out in layers of goosebumps. Her lower abdomen felt like it had been struck by electricity, tightening up.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Fu Su kept her eyes down, rubbing her wrist.
Pei Wenjin licked her lips, fidgeted with her fingers, and peeked at the wrist Fu Su was rubbing before looking away. She pulled the Coke over and bit the rim of the can, her tongue catching a hint of sweetness.
Her eyes darted. She thought: Susu’s wrists turn red so easily when rubbed.
Fu Su spoke up to remind her: “It’s dirty, don’t bite it.”
“Oh.” Pei Wenjin released her teeth.
Fu Su took a wet wipe from her bag, wiped the unopened can, then took the half-finished one from Pei Wenjin. After wiping them both, she placed them in front of her.
“Susu.” Pei Wenjin called her name in a thin voice, pulling the Coke back. “You always call me by my full name. It doesn’t sound intimate at all.”
“What do you want me to call you?” Fu Su asked.
“…How should I know?” Pei Wenjin bit the tab of the can and took a big gulp to wash away some of her bashfulness. Only then did she look back at the still-flushed corner of Fu Su’s jaw.
“My family calls me Xiao Jin.”
“The company calls me Little President Pei.”
“Friends call me Wenjin.”
Pei Wenjin counted them off one by one, her gaze sincere. “If it’s the same as everyone else, I don’t want it.”
Fu Su’s lips curled, appearing helpless against her willful request.
Just then, a waitress brought a tray and set down two bowls of rice noodles. The colors were enticing, and the aroma was mouth-watering.
Pei Wenjin scooped a spoonful of chili and poured it into her bowl. With a flick of her chopsticks, a layer of red oil spread out.
She looked at Fu Su again.
Fu Su held her chopsticks with her elegant hand, tucked back a stray hair, and lifted a mouthful of noodles. Her lips became glossy with a bit of oil.
Suddenly, she lifted her eyelids and met Pei Wenjin’s gaze. Pei Wenjin was stunned.
“Jin’er.”
“Huh?” Pei Wenjin blinked blankly.
“Calling you Jin’er, how’s that?” Fu Su’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
Pei Wenjin’s heart skipped, then began beating like a drum. She instantly lowered her head, messily stirring her noodles, ignoring the oil splattering onto her clothes.
She gave a low “oh,” bit off a noodle, and chewed vigorously. After swallowing, she rubbed her nose again and added a small spoonful of salt.
“It’s just average.”
“Oh, just average, I see.” Fu Su nodded nonchalantly. She took another bite of noodles and licked her lip. She repeated in a lazy voice: “Just average.”
“Then why is your face so red?”
“Don’t say it!” Pei Wenjin bared her teeth at her.
“Oh, you have cilantro on your tooth.” Fu Su smiled.
“!”
Pei Wenjin was shocked. How could she say something like that out loud? What about her image!
“You’re a meanie!”