In the end, Ji Mianyue gave in to Wen Conghan’s persistent pleas and put on the dress she had ordered long ago. However, when it came to the zipper, she found she could not reach it on her own.
Wen Conghan watched through the mirror as Ji Mianyue shed her clothes and slowly pulled on the gown. For a split second, Wen Conghan considered closing her eyes. But her heart was racing like mad. For a moment, she felt as though her scent suppressing patch had stopped working.
I should look away, Wen Conghan told herself. Yet her gaze was fixed on the figure in the mirror until Ji Mianyue called out to her.
“Could you help me with the zipper?”
Ji Mianyue’s voice carried a hint of timidity. It seemed that whenever she faced Wen Conghan, she adopted this shy, hesitant tone. She always lacked confidence in Wen Conghan’s presence. Wen Conghan wanted Ji Mianyue to feel entitled enough to be naughty, angry, or even furious in her arms. She wanted to spoil her.
The moment that thought surfaced, Wen Conghan realized once again just how much she liked Ji Mianyue. How could she not want to hold the moon she had gazed up at for so many years? She was not a saint. She could not suppress her desires.
Wen Conghan rested one hand on Ji Mianyue’s bare shoulder and quickly slid the zipper up with the other. Ji Mianyue felt the hand on her shoulder grow incredibly hot, with a steady stream of warmth radiating from it. Her heartbeat became irregular again. She turned around, not daring to look at Wen Conghan, and focused instead on her reflection.
“It looks better on you than it did on me.”
Wen Conghan truly meant it. It was a beautiful dress, but because of their height difference, it had reached Wen Conghan’s upper thigh. On Ji Mianyue, it sat perfectly just above the knee. That slight difference gave the dress two entirely different vibes. Ji Mianyue looked so innocent that she only needed a small crown to become a little princess.
“You looked great in it too,” Ji Mianyue quickly countered. She sincerely liked the dress and felt she should give it to Wen Conghan. After all, it was never meant for her.
“Well.”
“Can I give you this dress as an apology?” Wen Conghan asked, her face turning a rare shade of red.
“What?” Ji Mianyue was puzzled, her eyes full of pure innocence.
“There is a mirror here, so.”
“I saw you changing into the dress. I am sorry.” Wen Conghan did not actually feel much regret, but she did not want to hide things from Ji Mianyue. She was already hiding one massive secret. She did not want to lie about these small matters.
Upon hearing the reason, Ji Mianyue’s face instantly flushed. The two “red apples” stared at each other in the tiny fitting room before quickly averting their gazes. After a long silence, they both spoke at once.
“I.”
“You.”
Speaking simultaneously made them both laugh, and the awkwardness vanished with the sound.
“I do not like skirts that are too short. They make me feel a bit insecure,” Wen Conghan said softly, taking Ji Mianyue’s hand and choosing her words carefully. This was the truth. She wanted Ji Mianyue to know her better, not the powerful version others spoke of, but her fears and worries. She wanted to share everything.
Wen Conghan felt she was selfish. She even hoped that one day she could tell Ji Mianyue her deepest secrets. She never shied away from her own greed. She was a greedy person who yearned for Ji Mianyue’s understanding.
“Then it is a wash,” Ji Mianyue said with a blush. She thought for a moment and added, “It cancels out what you saw. You have to delete those images from your brain.”
“Hmm.” Wen Conghan pretended to think seriously, a difficult expression on her face. “But it is hard to forget those cute little strawberries. They really were adorable.”
Ji Mianyue’s face turned even redder. This was the first time she had seen Wen Conghan’s mischievous side. Her underwear was a matching set, and the white fabric was printed with very cute cartoon strawberries. She had been secretly comforting herself, hoping Wen Conghan had not noticed.
“No! You cannot! You must forget!” Ji Mianyue grew frantic and reached out to swat Wen Conghan’s shoulder. Having been the young mistress of the Ji family for so many years, she did have a bit of a temper. The events of the past few days had been so overwhelming that she had suppressed her personality, but now she could not hold back.
Wen Conghan intentionally let Ji Mianyue hit her and pretended to fall backward. In reality, she had already aimed for the only chair in the fitting room and sat down perfectly.
“Does it hurt?” Ji Mianyue immediately checked on her, afraid she had actually hurt the other woman.
“It does not hurt,” Wen Conghan said, shaking her head. She pulled Ji Mianyue into her lap. Her eyes shone with sincerity as she spoke.
An intimate atmosphere surrounded them until Grandma Xiao’s voice broke the spell.
“Are you finished trying it on yet?” Grandma Xiao’s concerned voice came from outside.
“You, you go out first.”
“Tell Grandma Xiao that I will be out as soon as I change.” Ji Mianyue’s face was so red her skin felt hot to the touch. She stood up and pushed Wen Conghan toward the door.
“Alright,” Wen Conghan agreed readily and left the fitting room. She knew she could not stay there any longer, or she would definitely kiss Ji Mianyue. That would be moving too fast and would frighten her.
I really want to kiss her whenever I want, Wen Conghan thought, pursing her lips as she opened the door. She realized she was starting to mimic Ji Mianyue’s small habits.
“Grandma Xiao, Mianyue will be out after she changes. Your craftsmanship is truly excellent. She looks especially beautiful in that dress.”
When Wen Conghan wanted to charm someone, she was very silver tongued. She was never stingy with praise, especially when she was in such a good mood.
“Smooth talker,” Grandma Xiao huffed, rolling her eyes. Then she added, “But you do have good taste.”
She was not just complimenting Wen Conghan’s choice of Ji Mianyue, but also her appreciation of the dress.
“Grandma Xiao, I am finished. I really like this dress. No alterations are needed.”
Ji Mianyue stepped out of the fitting room as they were talking, her face still slightly flushed. Grandma Xiao, being an experienced woman, saw her expression and shot Wen Conghan a glare. Wen Conghan did not argue. She just smiled.
After finishing at the shop, Ji Mianyue took Wen Conghan’s hand and led her toward a nearby shopping mall. She had seen Wen Conghan’s wardrobe and noticed there were very few items in it. From that moment on, she had decided to buy clothes for her. Custom orders took time, but ready to wear clothes from the mall could be taken home immediately.
The two spent a happy afternoon browsing the mall. The only thing that dampened Wen Conghan’s mood was that Ji Mianyue no longer allowed her into the fitting room.
“Do you think this looks good?” Wen Conghan asked.
She looked over to see Ji Mianyue’s face had turned pale. Ji Mianyue was both anxious and angry, her throat feeling as if it were stuffed with cotton. She stared at her phone, tears nearly falling from her eyes. She had never felt this miserable. Her heart felt as if it were being pierced by shards of glass.