There was no one else in the world like Lin Dongruan. At the very least, Qiang Ning had never seen such a contradictory person—someone who could indulge her in minor, transgressive physical intimacies but would not permit her to tell even the smallest lie.
Ordinarily, a teacher or an elder sister wouldn’t be like this, would they?
If anything, it felt like the priorities were reversed.
The next morning, Qiang Ning waited eagerly by the bedside, anticipating the punishment of a hand-swatting that Lin Dongruan had mentioned.
Lin Dongruan looked at her with some confusion: “A-Ning, what are you doing?”
Qiang Ning: “Are you not going to swat my palms?”
Lin Dongruan: “…”
She sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead, remarking that A-Ning was truly both obedient and rebellious.
A remark made half-jokingly between sleep and wakefulness had been taken seriously by the girl, who had gone as far as bringing a rattan branch first thing in the morning. Yet, when it came to solemn admonitions, the girl paid them no mind at all—promising to obey this time, only to dare again the next.
Qiang Ning: “So, Sister is no longer angry with me?”
“Since you have promised me not to speak further, what reason do I have to reproach you?” Lin Dongruan reached out habitually to pat her head before rising to comb her hair.
Qiang Ning chased after her: “It’s not about that.”
Lin Dongruan looked back: “Then what is it?”
It… it was…
Last night, when Qiang Ning was taking liberties, she felt no guilt. But now, facing Lin Dongruan, she stammered, unable to utter a single complete sentence.
Was Lin Dongruan doing this on purpose?
Qiang Ning looked at her, only to see her expression as calm as ever, showing none of the bashfulness Qiang Ning felt.
True, when she had been handsy last night, the other woman hadn’t reacted much, acting only as if her sleep had been disturbed.
Love, lust, passion… Lin Dongruan possessed none of these, so naturally, she wouldn’t take these boundary-crossing actions to heart.
In an instant, a sense of sorrow surged in Qiang Ning’s heart. The “sweetness” she had been gloating over was, to Lin Dongruan, merely an ordinary touch. Her careful transgressions weren’t even noticed by the other woman. It was like a handful of hot water thrown into the air over a snowy field—it turned cold before it even hit the ground.
Qiang Ning felt a deep sense of powerlessness. Her previous small joys had turned into the source of her grief, leaving her feeling both aggrieved and miserable.
She finally understood—Lin Dongruan wouldn’t like that man named Xu, but she wouldn’t like her either. In Lin Dongruan’s world, there was no such thing as “liking”; all personal emotions were suppressed beneath the weight of righteousness and public principle.
“Sister, could you please not get married?” Qiang Ning had never used such a pleading tone with anyone before. Realizing that Lin Dongruan might marry even without love, she admitted she was panicked. “That man surnamed Xu is not a good person.”
The hand Lin Dongruan was using to comb her hair paused. After a moment, she set the wooden comb down. “A-Ning, what is wrong with you today?”
Qiang Ning: “I want your heart and your eyes to hold only me.”
Lin Dongruan: “Why do you think this way?”
Qiang Ning pinched her sleeve: “Because I like you.”
The moment the word “like” left her mouth, Qiang Ning startled herself. Between truth and pretense, how many times had she told Lin Dongruan she “liked” her? It was as if an actor in a pear garden play had become the character, unknowingly deceiving even herself.
She suddenly covered her heart, realizing she truly seemed to have fallen for her. She cared so much about Lin Dongruan that the word “like” could slip out without hesitation.
Lin Dongruan took in her expression, her pale gray eyes resting on her for a long time. Then, she smiled softly: “I like A-Ning best, too.”
Qiang Ning instinctively denied it: “No, it’s not the same thing.”
She thought to herself that Lin Dongruan’s “liking” was the same as her pity for a cat or a dog. What she wanted, Lin Dongruan likely could not give—unless she took the initiative to fight for it and seize it.
Lin Dongruan didn’t speak. A few unbound strands of hair fell softly at her side. She tilted her head slightly, leaning on her hand; her black tresses hung down, creating an indescribable sense of intimacy.
Qiang Ning gathered her scattered wits and spoke hastily: “Sister, let me comb your hair for you.”
“There is no need.” Lin Dongruan placed the comb on the table and said to her, “A-Ning, come with me to the cold spring to bathe.”
Qiang Ning’s voice was muffled: “Oh.”
Usually, she would never go to the cold spring to bathe, simply because the water was too icy. Qiang Ning disliked bathing in such freezing places. Back in her fiefdom, her bath necessarily required perfectly tempered warm water and an elaborate series of rituals performed in a steam-filled pool.
Even now, having come to Wusang Town, she always made sure to heat the water comfortably for every bath. She wasn’t like Lin Dongruan, who went to that freezing spring every time.
Having not slept last night, her head was a mess this morning. Without thinking much, she had easily agreed to Lin Dongruan’s request. It wasn’t until the two of them arrived at the mountain spring together that she realized—Lin Dongruan was asking her to bathe together? Sharing a pool, meeting in total candor?
Realizing this, Qiang Ning’s hands and feet went numb. It wasn’t that she hadn’t secretly peeked at Lin Dongruan’s body before, but those times had been at night or in bed. It was different from being completely exposed in broad daylight.
If they shared a spring, how could she stop herself from looking? If there happened to be any physical contact… she wasn’t some saint devoid of desire. She couldn’t guarantee she wouldn’t do something.
Qiang Ning had a very clear understanding of her own moral standing—she was no “good” person. What was Lin Dongruan doing? This was leading a wolf into the house!
“Sister, you… you go first…” While she was dazed, Lin Dongruan thought she was shy about undressing and actually stepped forward to help her unfasten her clothes. Qiang Ning retreated several steps as if facing a great enemy, stammering her refusal: “I’m a bit cold, I’ll go in a bit later.”
Lin Dongruan complied and naturally turned her back to her. With a lift of her arms, layers of plain white clothes piled onto the ground, partially veiling a pair of snowy-white ankles.
Qiang Ning blinked slowly, her eyes fixed on her back—the waterfall of black hair obscured half her figure, but as the other moved, she could catch glimpses of a beautiful waistline and a slender neck.
In a trance, Qiang Ning thought of pear blossoms in full bloom—light, ethereal, and white, making one yearn for them.
Lin Dongruan lifted a foot and stepped gracefully into the water.
Qiang Ning’s gaze followed her into the water.
Lin Dongruan brushed the hair away from her back.
Qiang Ning’s gaze fell upon her lower back.
They had lived together for so long, yet it was only in this situation that Qiang Ning noticed Lin Dongruan actually had a pair of very beautiful “dimples of Venus” on her lower back.
They really are beautiful, Qiang Ning thought.
Immediately following that, her nose felt a sudden heat. Before she could even cover it, spots of bright red blood had already splattered onto the ground.
Qiang Ning hurriedly used a handkerchief to mask it, her face flushing even hotter.
Was there anything more embarrassing than peeping? Yes—having a nosebleed while peeping, serving as undeniable evidence of her wicked thoughts.
“A-Ning.”
Lin Dongruan was calling her name.
Qiang Ning heard the other woman ask if the weather was too hot, causing her “internal heat” to flare up.
Qiang Ning spoke guiltily: “Yes.”
Lin Dongruan asked with a smile: “Not lying?”
Qiang Ning: “No.”