After Getting Bound to Both the Protagonist and the Villain at the Same Time - Chapter 17

Lin Chuyi recoiled, pulling her hand back instinctively.

Gu Mian’s attempt at a slow, hesitant seduction had been a mere brush of contact, yet it was enough to make Lin Chuyi flee. Gu Mian let out a soft chuckle—it was hard to tell if it was a sound of amusement or a sigh of longing.

As Lin Chuyi jerked her hand away, her fingers accidentally brushed against a patch of delicate softness. Her fingers curled reflexively, only to find the sensation even more pronounced. Before she could process the thought, Gu Mian’s presence was enveloping her again.

Gu Mian pressed close. Emboldened by the unprecedented progress they had made tonight, her eyes shone like brilliant jewels in the dim light. Lin Chuyi reached out to push her away.

“I was here first, yet you only care about Shen Qing. You only like Shen Qing,” Gu Mian murmured, pursing her lips. She had initially used the excuse to distract Lin Chuyi, but the more she spoke, the more the words felt like her own truth. “You apply her medicine, you eat with her, are you going to abandon me?”

“How old are you, Gu Mian? Honestly, stop acting like a child. You’re being ridiculous,” Lin Chuyi stammered, pulling her hand back in a panic. She shoved Gu Mian aside and scrambled to wrap herself tightly in the duvet.

“But I’m going to be so busy soon.” Gu Mian continued, her voice low. “I want to move you into a big house. I want to take you to amusement parks, take you out for amazing meals. I don’t want you to have to work so hard or be so tired.”

Gu Mian leaned in, her breath warm against Lin Chuyi’s neck. In the cramped space, their skin inevitably brushed and rubbed against one another.

Lin Chuyi’s eyelids fluttered, and her breathing grew erratic. Most unsettling of all was that inexplicable sensation rising from deep within her.

“Wait for me, okay? Don’t be such, such ‘good friends’ with anyone else, okay?” Gu Mian’s voice carried a gentle, honeyed lure. Lin Chuyi felt her throat tighten.

What is wrong with me? For a few moments, her brain simply refused to function. She had never experienced this kind of nerve-tingling ache before. There was a demand deep inside her, an urgent, shameful need to be filled.

A wave of delayed embarrassment washed over her, making her mind feel like mush. Realizing her face was burning uncontrollably, Lin Chuyi grabbed a cardigan and climbed out of bed. “I’m going to sit in the outer room for a bit. You go to sleep.”

Gu Mian watched her. She knew Lin Chuyi’s temperament; if she pushed too hard now, it could backfire or even drive her to resentment. But things had already come this far—if she didn’t fight for a little more now.

Gu Mian sat up, wavering. Noticing her hesitation, Lin Chuyi touched her own burning cheek and warned, “Don’t you dare follow me.”

Her tone was sharp on the surface, but it carried an underlying softness that sounded almost like a flirtatious pout. Regardless, her words carried weight—especially since Gu Mian felt a twinge of guilt. Gu Mian retreated from Lin Chuyi’s shy gaze and leaned back against the headboard.

She watched Lin Chuyi scramble into her slippers and flee into the outer room like a startled rabbit. Gu Mian let out a genuine, soft laugh. She wondered if Lin Chuyi heard it; if she did, she’d likely be even more embarrassed.

Lin Chuyi curled up on the sofa for a long time, but the heat in her face wouldn’t subside. After a moment’s thought, she decided to check on Shen Qing.

She didn’t want to admit she was just running away, but the memory of that inexplicable longing made her heart race. It was better to go to Shen Qing’s place; she wouldn’t know how to face Gu Mian in the bedroom right now.

Inside, Gu Mian leaned against the bedframe, her heart racing. She expected Lin Chuyi to compose herself and return shortly, and she had resolved not to tease her further. Even a rabbit bites when cornered, after all. To be honest, Gu

Mian found the idea of a “cornered” Lin Chuyi rather enticing, but she suppressed the thought just in time.

Her good mood plummeted the moment she heard the front door open and close.

She went to Shen Qing’s.

It felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over her. Gu Mian’s expression shifted through a flurry of emotions before she finally let out a helpless sigh. “Was I too fast?”

She would have to recalibrate her pace. Gu Mian rubbed her fingers together, where the ghost of Lin Chuyi’s warmth still lingered.

On the other side, Shen Qing had finally been rewarded for her patience. She had been sitting at her desk, working on her school assignments with a focused, stoic expression, but the moment she heard the door across the hall move, she practically bounded to her feet.

For once, a look of pure excitement broke through her serious “study face.” Before Lin Chuyi could even reach the door, Shen Qing had swung it open. Her eyes were bright and sparkling, as if the stars themselves had gathered in her joyful gaze.

Lin Chuyi felt her own spirits lift, the earlier agitation finally beginning to fade. This ‘villainous’ little girl is actually quite cute, she thought, reaching out to gently ruffle Shen Qing’s hair. Shen Qing leaned into the touch, nuzzling against Lin Chuyi’s hand with lingering affection.

Adorable!

Lin Chuyi’s mood improved further, and the lingering heat in her body began to ebb. “Doing your homework?”

“Yes.” Shen Qing nodded. She had finished her actual schoolwork hours ago; what she was working on now were extra exercises she had set for herself. Midterms were approaching, and Shen Qing wanted to see where she ranked, hoping to get a good grade to repay Lin Chuyi and her teacher at the library.

Shen Qing watched Lin Chuyi intently, basking in her praise. However, when the promised goodnight kiss didn’t immediately follow, she followed Lin Chuyi toward the desk, casting hopeful glances over her shoulder every few steps.

“I haven’t forgotten,” Lin Chuyi said. “Go back to your work. I’ll sit with you for a while.”

“Okay!” The encouragement gave Shen Qing a sudden burst of motivation. Unlike last time, when Lin Chuyi had left immediately, she was staying for a bit tonight. Shen Qing’s heart felt warm.

She used every ounce of willpower to stay focused on her tasks while Lin Chuyi sat nearby like an irresistible distraction. Finally, she finished her planned lessons for the day. Shen Qing packed away her books and laid out her school uniform for the next morning before happily trotting to Lin Chuyi’s side. “I’m done, Sister.”

“Finished everything?” Lin Chuyi was generous with her praise. “That’s wonderful.”

“Sister the goodnight kiss.” Shen Qing reminded her expectantly. But at that exact moment, a sharp, insistent knocking at the door cut between them, seizing Lin Chuyi’s attention.

Shen Qing watched as Lin Chuyi stood up, then sat down, clearly flustered by the interruption. Finally, she said, “I’ll go get the door.”

Shen Qing bit her lip until it turned pale.

As expected, it was Gu Mian. Gu Mian caught sight of Shen Qing and deliberately chose not to hide her intent as she spoke to Lin Chuyi in a coaxing tone. “Chuyi, let’s go back and rest, okay? I promise I won’t tease you anymore.”

Tease? Tease her how?

Shen Qing’s eyes widened. Images of Gu Mian being overly familiar with Lin Chuyi flashed through her mind. Like a protective cub, she rushed to Lin Chuyi’s side, her eyes turning red with jealousy.

Lin Chuyi remained silent.

“I promise, everything will be just like before. If not, I’ll go sleep on the sofa. Come back with me, hmm?” Gu Mian casually let slip the fact that they shared a bed. Shen Qing’s eyes grew even redder.

Knowing she had to be careful with a flustered Lin Chuyi, Gu Mian pivoted to Shen Qing. “We had a bit of a spat tonight. Why don’t you help me convince her?”

Convince her to go back? Shen Qing pursed her lips. She didn’t want to. She didn’t want her “Sister” sleeping with Gu Mian ever again. Her gaze fell on the iron bed Lin Chuyi had given her—it was quite small, and would be a tight fit if Lin Chuyi stayed.

If they had to sleep together on that bed, they would have to be pressed tightly against each other.

Wait!

“Sister can sleep with me,” Shen Qing spoke up, her voice carrying a slight, long-suppressed huskiness.

“No, your bed is too small,” Gu Mian cut in reflexively. However, Lin Chuyi was already looking toward Shen Qing’s bed, seemingly evaluating the feasibility of the idea.

Shen Qing’s face lit up.

She looked at Lin Chuyi with wide, hopeful eyes. Lin Chuyi frowned slightly; both she and Gu Mian had been acting so strange tonight—perhaps putting some distance between them would be for the best.

Gu Mian sensed Lin Chuyi’s hesitation and realized she had truly struck a nerve earlier. She had crossed the line. She pursed her lips.

“If Sister sleeps here, then I’m sleeping here too,” Gu Mian declared.

If she allowed the precedent of Lin Chuyi and Shen Qing squeezing into one bed to be set, Shen Qing would have a valid claim to compete with her. Once Gu Mian got busy with her own affairs, Shen Qing might just coax Lin Chuyi into sleeping together every night.

“The bed is tiny. Why are you trying to join in?” Lin Chuyi shot a glance at Gu Mian.

“If you’re going to stay here, then I’m joining the two of you,” Gu Mian said in a low, aggrieved murmur. She added, “Besides, just now, you clearly enjoyed it.” She had looked so happy, as if her joy were overflowing.

Gu Mian had nearly succeeded in coaxing Lin Chuyi back, but she couldn’t resist teasing her again. Like a kitten whose tail had been stepped on, Lin Chuyi was instantly reminded of those sensations. Her entire body flushed, and even her ears were dyed a magnificent, kissable red.

Gu Mian’s throat tightened with a restless hunger.

She could never stop testing the waters, desperate to prove that Lin Chuyi treated her well and wanting to push for even more.

However, Gu Mian had overlooked one thing: Shen Qing was still there.

Shen Qing reached out and took hold of Lin Chuyi’s wrist. Her voice rang out, clear and cool: “I want Sister to sleep with me.”

She looked directly at her and added, “I want it very much.”