Yu Yixian buried her face in Ling Yun’s shoulder, using the cool, indifferent scent lingering on Ling Yun to dissipate the overwhelming floral fragrance filling her nose.
She did this for two reasons: firstly, because the floral scent was indeed making her uncomfortable and she wanted relief; secondly, she wanted to test Ling Yun’s attitude toward her once more. She wanted to know the limits of the intimacy Ling Yun would allow.
Ling Yun lifted her free hand—the one not being held by Yu Yixian—and gently stroked the girl’s hair, waiting silently for her.
The passersby around them seemed to sense an invisible barrier and spontaneously walked around the pair.
After a long moment of easing her senses, the cloying floral scent in Yu Yixian’s nose was finally replaced by the scent of Ling Yun. She opened her eyes slightly to see the dark brown trench coat Ling Yun was wearing that day, while simultaneously feeling her own head being gently caressed.
“Senior…” Yu Yixian stepped back to meet Ling Yun’s gaze, whispering softly as she caught the tenderness in the other woman’s eyes.
A sudden impulse surged within her to confess her feelings right then and there. But reason quickly returned; feeling a surge of bashfulness, Yu Yixian hurriedly let go of Ling Yun’s hand.
“Senior, let’s go somewhere else!”
Oh my god, what were you just thinking! You actually wanted to confess! In a place like this! Such a reckless confession! Yu Yixian, what exactly are you doing?
The inner persona in Yu Yixian’s mind was slamming its head against the floor.
As the warm, soft sensation disappeared, Ling Yun stared at Yu Yixian in a daze. She suppressed the urge to reach out and pull her back, her expression remaining calm while a flicker of gloom crossed her eyes.
Why did you let go?
It wasn’t until Ling Yun noticed the flush on Yu Yixian’s face that she realized her little fish… seemed to be shy.
The gloom in her eyes instantly vanished.
“Alright. I remember a small path through the woods on the way here; we can walk over there,” Ling Yun suggested in a low voice.
Yu Yixian nodded hastily. Anywhere was fine, as long as she could calm down first.
This time, they didn’t hold hands, but they walked shoulder to shoulder.
Ling Yun looked calm, though a closer look would reveal anticipation in her eyes, while Yu Yixian’s earlobes were burning red. Her dangling hand would occasionally brush against Ling Yun’s hand, only to flinch away in a panic.
There were few people on the wooded path, and they occasionally encountered couples strolling hand-in-hand.
A hint of envy flashed in Yu Yixian’s eyes. When will I be able to walk hand-in-hand with Senior in the open like that?
Ling Yun noticed Yu Yixian’s gaze. When Yu Yixian’s hand brushed against her own again, she turned her hand over and held it firmly.
“Let’s go sit over there for a while.” Ling Yun took her hand naturally and led her toward a nearby bench.
Looking at their intertwined hands once again, Yu Yixian smiled to herself.
After walking for so long, sitting down suddenly made her feel completely relaxed. The sound of rustling leaves filled her ears, and the air was thick with the scent of fresh green grass. She glanced at Ling Yun, who was sitting beside her, and quietly shifted closer.
Their palms were pressed together on the bench, with Yu Yixian’s hand on the bottom and Ling Yun’s on top. As if they were both pretending not to notice, they continued their conversation.
“Senior, will you be very busy the week after next?”
Ling Yun shook her head. “It’s hard to say.”
Yu Yixian knew that Ling Yun’s internship schedule was irregular, and she was hesitant about whether she should ask.
“Do you have specific times in mind? I can try to make it work,” Ling Yun said, sensing Yu Yixian’s hesitation and offering a solution immediately.
“Is that okay?” Yu Yixian didn’t want to interfere with Ling Yun’s work.
“Of course. Some problems can be solved online.” Confidence shone in Ling Yun’s eyes, successfully putting Yu Yixian at ease.
“Then, how about the Saturday of the week after next? Let’s go out!” Yu Yixian looked at Ling Yun with anticipation, leaning her body toward her.
“Okay.”
Ling Yun agreed readily. Yu Yixian was overjoyed and began to share some interesting things she had encountered recently. As they talked, their bodies leaned closer and closer. Before long, Yu Yixian felt a weight on her shoulder and glanced over.
Ling Yun had fallen asleep, resting her head on her shoulder.
Yu Yixian’s body stiffened, and for a moment, she didn’t know what to do. However, she didn’t hesitate for long before moving slightly to make Ling Yun more comfortable.
Then, she began to observe Ling Yun openly.
She had never had the chance before, nor had she dared to stare at Senior’s face for too long. Now was the perfect opportunity!
Senior hasn’t been resting well lately; her dark circles look heavier than before. No wonder she fell asleep, Yu Yixian thought, a pang of heartache washing over her.
But Senior’s skin is so good. Even with poor sleep, she still has such flawless skin… wait, there’s actually a mole on Senior’s left eyelid. I never noticed it before. Such a hidden spot. I wonder if she knows I know about it? Hehe.
Lowering her gaze, Yu Yixian noticed their hands pressed together in the middle. After a moment, she quietly moved their joined hands onto her own lap. With a slight adjustment, what had been a simple hold turned into fingers tightly interlaced.
Senior’s fingers are so long, and her nails are trimmed neatly—so beautiful.
They’re a bit cold, though. Senior’s hands always seem to be cool; they only warm up when she’s holding mine. Well, I guess the job of warming them up belongs to me from now on!
A sense of inexplicable responsibility washed over Yu Yixian.
But those long fingers… tsk. Yu Yixian, stop right there! What are you thinking?
Yu Yixian disdainfully cast those messy thoughts out of her mind and began to focus on playing with Ling Yun’s fingers. Before long, the cool fingers had become warm.
Yu Yixian was having a great time, completely unaware that the breathing of the person resting on her shoulder had changed.
Ling Yun hadn’t been sleeping well lately, often going to bed at 3:00 or 4:00 AM, only to head to the company after 9:00 AM, while occasionally returning to school for classes. Added to that was the task of tutoring Yu Yixian and organizing materials; she was truly sleep-deprived. She hadn’t expected to fall asleep so easily.
The trigger for Ling Yun waking up was the sensation of her fingers being toyed with. As someone who didn’t like others getting too close, she woke up instantly. Realizing it was Yu Yixian playing with her fingers, she felt relieved, yet couldn’t help but look forward to Yu Yixian making even more intimate moves.
But even after watching for a long time, she didn’t see Yu Yixian do anything else; she was just rubbing her fingers.
Such a timid little fish.
If it were her, she wouldn’t let such an opportunity pass. She would definitely use this moment to mark her little fish from the inside out.
Even if she couldn’t do much in public, she would find a way to leave her scent on her little fish.
But her little fish wouldn’t do such things. Even playing with her hands was just to warm them up.
That was why she needed to hold onto her little fish even tighter, so no one else would have the chance to peek or covet her.
Yu Yixian felt the hand in her palm growing warmer and was about to let go to return to their original position when, unexpectedly, that warm hand grabbed her with a forceful, irresistible strength. Its fingers slipped between hers, interlacing them tightly.
At the same time, a familiar, yet inexplicably dangerous voice whispered in her ear:
“I like it when you do this.”