Accidentally Marking The Vicious Female Lead After Transmigrating Into A Period Novel - Chapter 39

Li Yan pushed open the kitchen door and quickly closed it behind her.

Inside, the air was thick with swirling steam and mist. The damp vapor brushed against her face, making her already blurred vision even hazier. Perhaps a stray gust of wind had caught the moment she opened the door, for the wick of the kerosene lamp flickered, its pale yellow flame dancing. This caused the graceful silhouette projected onto the wall to sway along with it.

Li Yan’s breathing was ragged. Her gaze darted through the rising steam, but the moment she spotted the figure, she instantly clamped her eyes shut.

Yet, though her eyes were closed, her heart grew even more restless.

That exquisite curve swirled in her mind, refusing to fade. The girl’s back was as white as snow, her butterfly bones faintly visible. Droplets of water slid down the thin bone, following the line of her spine to the small of her back, eventually disappearing into the unseen depths. Under the dim, warm yellow light, even a mere silhouette was enough to ignite the imagination.

Li Yan’s eyelids trembled. Her legs felt as heavy as lead, and she didn’t dare take another step forward.

After a long while, she finally managed to steady her breathing and slowly opened her eyes.

The person who had been facing away from her had turned around at some point. Now, she was facing Li Yan directly. Fortunately, she was submerged in the water tub, with only her head visible above the surface.

Li Yan let out a silent sigh of relief. It seemed she wasn’t in any real trouble, and her help wasn’t needed here.

“Since you’re okay, I’ll head out fir…”

Before she could finish, the person with only her head showing looked at her with clear, cool eyes. Her thin lips parted slightly: “Come here.”

It sounded like a command, but even more… like a temptation.

Li Yan’s heart began to throb again, uncontrollably. It beat so violently it felt as if it might burst through her chest at any second.

“Help me scrub my back.”

Under the kerosene lamp, Lin Yishu’s eyes looked like autumn waters, radiating a subtle, lingering charm. Even a simple instruction felt tinged with ambiguity.

The heart that had been racing wildly just a moment ago felt as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped on it, instantly calming her down.

Li Yan cleared the stray thoughts from her mind. She thought to herself that it was no wonder TV dramas loved using this dim, warm yellow lighting to create an atmosphere, it made even a dog look soulful.

However, knowing that Lin Yishu had called her just to scrub her back made Li Yan feel much less awkward, though she still hadn’t moved an inch closer.

“I scrub your back? Is that… okay?”

For Li Yan, who had lived in the North for two lifetimes, scrubbing someone’s back was an incredibly wholesome and pure activity. If she were in a public bathhouse, she’d scrub a passing dog if it let her.

But Lin Yishu was different.

Lin Yishu was a Southerner; she didn’t have the “scrubbing culture” experience, and her skin was delicate. Li Yan was strong, if she scrubbed too hard, she might actually break the skin.

Li Yan was worried about the strength of her hands, but Lin Yishu didn’t understand that.

Lin Yishu simply assumed her plan was working. She let out a light chuckle. “What’s not okay about it? If I tell you to scrub, you scrub.”

She lifted her arm and tossed the washcloth hanging on the tub toward Li Yan. It kicked up a large splash of water that rose gracefully before falling back down.

Li Yan reached out and caught the washcloth steadily. On second thought, she figured it was normal. It had been a long time, so it was natural for Lin Yishu to want a back scrub. She couldn’t just stand there and ignore the request.

So, she rolled up her sleeves and took a few steps forward, entering the mist.

“Fine. Turn around then.”

A triumphant smile played on the corners of Lin Yishu’s lips. Supporting herself on the rim of the wooden tub, she nimbly turned her body around.

As she moved, the water in the tub rippled outward, waves spreading in layers to hide the beauty beneath the surface. Yet, this “hiding” only served to make the scene more captivating.

Unfortunately for her, despite all her calculations, she hadn’t accounted for the fact that the person in front of her was exactly as she had previously described, a complete “blockhead.” Once Li Yan realized her mission was strictly to scrub a back, her brain seemed to activate an automatic filtering system. Everything else was blocked out, leaving only the singular thought of scrubbing.

After all, she had practiced this for so many years growing up.

Seeing Lin Yishu bracing her hands on the tub, looking ready, Li Yan even took the initiative to ask. “Ready? I’m starting then.”

Lin Yishu hadn’t expected her to be so eager. She gave a soft hum and nodded with a smile. “Ready. Go ahead.”

However, she soon found she could no longer smile.

Li Yan was naturally strong. At this moment, likely to make the scrubbing easier, she pressed one hand firmly onto Lin Yishu’s shoulder blade while the other hand exerted significant force on her back.

The coarse cloth scraped across her skin like sandpaper, it was both painful and itchy. The hand on her shoulder felt like a massive, heavy pincer, she wanted to break free but couldn’t.

Lin Yishu’s expression of pleasure crumbled, her features contorted in discomfort.

Finally, unable to take it anymore, she cried out: “Enough, enough! Stop!”

The other person, however, seemed to be just getting into the swing of it. One hand kept her pinned while the other continued to move up and down vigorously. Without even looking, just by the sheer intensity of the force, one could guess how “serious” Li Yan was being.

“I said, that’s enough,” she repeated, trying to stay patient.

Li Yan didn’t even look up, and naturally, she didn’t stop. She even attempted to explain: “Just a little more. Don’t move, I’ll have you clean in no time. Once you’re scrubbed clean, it feels amazing. I guarantee you’ll sleep better than usual tonight…”

The veins on Lin Yishu’s forehead throbbed. Tears of discomfort began to well up, partly from the pain, but mostly from a sudden sense of grievance.

Who told her to actually scrub!

Sniffling, she used all her strength to slap away the hand pressing on her shoulder. “I said enough!”

Li Yan finally stopped.

Her eyes fell upon the back covered in red marks.

Lin Yishu’s skin was pale and tender; usually, the slightest bump would leave a mark. Even though Li Yan felt she had held back eighty or ninety percent of her strength, she hadn’t noticed while scrubbing. Now that she had stopped, rows of red streaks surfaced instantly. It looked quite alarming.

Getting red marks during a scrub isn’t usually strange, but this was Lin Yishu.

Belatedly, a wave of regret washed over her. She quickly put down the washcloth and apologized: “I’m sorry. I… I got a bit too focused. Does it hurt?”

Lin Yishu turned around, every “pink” thought in her head completely extinguished. The water in the tub sloshed violently, as if carrying her unspoken anger.

She’s actually asking if it hurts?

Seeing that Lin Yishu’s eyes were red, Li Yan became even more panicked. “I’m sorry, I really didn’t know my own strength. You can scold me…”

Actually, once the scrubbing stopped, the pain wasn’t that bad anymore. Lin Yishu was mostly just angry.

Did she ask for a back scrub because she needed a back scrub? Did she not have hands of her own? She clearly did it for… for…

But seeing Li Yan’s earnest, repentant expression, genuinely distraught over her poor scrubbing technique. Lin Yishu found it both hilarious and exasperating. Her pent-up fury had nowhere to go.

“Forget it. Just go out. I don’t need your help anymore,” she said, trying her best to remain calm.

Li Yan looked up and set the washcloth aside. Her eyes inadvertently shifted, catching a glimpse of two striking spots of white.

Even through the water, the shapes were clearly visible. Round and full, with a hint of pink at the tips, like ripe fruit.

Li Yan’s face was instantly scorched by the heat. Her eyelids fluttered wildly, and she backed away in a fluster. Her heel struck the thermos on the floor. With a loud crash, the thermos shattered, seemingly startling the entire night.

The person in the tub was also distracted, craning her neck to look.

Panicking further, Li Yan ignored everything else, turned around, and bolted out.

The kitchen door shut again, as if no one had ever entered.

Lin Yishu looked stunned. Her gaze moved from the silver shards scattered across the floor back into the tub. A second later, a rosy flush crept up her cheeks.

Hmph. And here I thought she was so stoic. Turns out she’s only got this much courage.

Li Yan leaned against the door, taking dozens of deep breaths before she finally calmed her heart.

Then, remembering something, she called out to the person inside: “Lin Yishu.”

A low response came from within: “What?” She sounded a bit disgruntled.

Li Yan said in a muffled voice: “Be careful when you’re putting on your clothes. Don’t step on the broken thermos. Leave it alone, once you’re dressed and out, I’ll go in and clean it up.”

There was no further response, but Li Yan knew the message had been received.

She stopped talking, letting the cold wind cool her down and clear her head while she waited for Lin Yishu to come out.

A few minutes later, the kitchen door finally opened. Lin Yishu stood in the moonlight. She didn’t speak to Li Yan again, walking straight past her.

Li Yan knew she was still a bit upset.

However, because she was harboring her own “shameful” thoughts, she didn’t dare say much, fearing she might let something slip. Thus, she could only pretend nothing happened and dove into the kitchen to clean up the mess she had made.

By the time Li Yan finished cleaning and did a quick wash-up, Lin Yishu was already on the kang (heated brick bed) when she returned to the bedroom.

The breathing of the other three people in the room was heavy or light, sounding deep and steady in the silent night. Only Lin Yishu’s breathing was so faint it was almost inaudible.

Li Yan knew she wasn’t asleep yet.

She tiptoed onto the kang and carefully lay down beside her.

Just as she settled, the person who had been turned away sensed her movement and briskly rolled over. Her eyes sparkled like jewels in the heavy, water-like moonlight.

She whispered in a voice so low it was almost just air: “Li Yan, you said that no matter how angry I am, I can hit you or scold me, but I shouldn’t ignore you. I’m doing that now… but what if I’m still angry?”

Even though Lin Yishu was expressing her anger, Li Yan felt a strange sense of joy.

Lin Yishu had actually taken her words to heart and remembered them. Did this mean she held a place in Lin Yishu’s heart?

So, she also lowered her voice as much as possible and asked: “Then what can I do to make you stop being angry?”

Lin Yishu’s eyes darted back and forth as if she were thinking seriously. A few seconds later, they stopped, and she stared back at Li Yan. “You used so much force earlier that you hurt me. Since that’s the case, I’ll punish you by making you massage my back. You can’t stop until I’m satisfied.”

To Li Yan, this “punishment” wasn’t a punishment at all.

She nodded like a chick pecking at grain. “Okay, I’ll massage it for you.”

Lin Yishu turned over again, leaving her back to Li Yan, and whispered: “Go ahead.”

Li Yan reached out toward her.

The kang was warm; even with her arms out of the covers, it wasn’t cold. Lin Yishu had already taken off her heavy cotton jacket for sleep and was wearing a moderately thick pajama top. The fabric was soft, and it felt smooth against Li Yan’s fingers.

Li Yan closed her eyes, but her movements were accurate and skillful.

Through the soft, fine fabric, her palms and fingers gently brushed over the other woman’s shoulders, carefully avoiding the sensitive, fragile nape, and followed the shoulder blades downward.

This time, she used only a tenth of her strength, kneading gently with her palms. Through the pajamas, everything felt just right.

Despite not having high expectations initially, Lin Yishu couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh of satisfaction once she felt the touch.

Hearing the feedback, Li Yan felt encouraged. Her movements became even more fluid and practiced. Unconsciously, she moved closer until there were only two fists of distance between their heads.

“How is it? Is this okay?” she asked.

Lin Yishu didn’t say it was okay, nor did she say it wasn’t.

She only spoke up abruptly a few seconds later.

“Put your hand inside.”