Although They're Mentally ill, They're Extremely Easy to Comfort - Chapter 53

Ling Xi’s car drove past countless bends on the winding mountain road, where the sky-high blizzard had lost all romantic charm.

When the road ahead was completely blocked by snow, Ling Xi had no choice but to stop the car by the roadside. With the mountain sealed by heavy snow, they were trapped halfway up the slope.

“Are you going to blame me for being too impulsive?” The question came from Lin Fangwan, her face full of apology, seemingly regretting her rash decision to just leave.

Ling Xi took out her phone, trying to seek help, only to find no signal in the mountains. She vigorously shook her head: “Even if you hadn’t come with me, I would have continued my journey. The problem isn’t you, but this terrible weather.”

The car still held the residual warmth of the heater. To slow down fuel consumption, Ling Xi had to temporarily turn off the engine. She asked with concern, “Are you cold?”

“I’m okay. I’m one of those people who is afraid of heat, not cold.”

Evidently, Lin Fangwan was trying to be brave. After all, her hands were wrapped around her arms, occasionally rubbing them. Details are hard to hide.

Ling Xi carefully examined Lin Fangwan’s attire. Although her neck was circled with a thick scarf, the thin woolen overcoat offered absolutely no protection against the cold.

Silently, Ling Xi took her gear bag from the back seat, pulled out her own ski jacket, and leaned over to cover Lin Fangwan with it. Fearing it might let in wind, she tucked it in carefully: “Don’t force yourself.”

“You don’t seem to like talking much. Most of your communication tends to be just a few words at a time.”

Perhaps to keep Ling Xi from worrying, Lin Fangwan maintained a relaxed smile, deliberately turning the topic to her.

In handling interpersonal relationships, Ling Xi was a typical slow-burn individual. She preferred to keep most things buried in her heart, only reluctantly engaging in conversation if she felt it was meaningful.

Amused by Lin Fangwan’s comment, she took a drink of mineral water, concealing the secret joy in her heart. In the conversation, she realized the woman beside her was observing her seriously.

Lin Fangwan was an excellent direct-hitter. From their first meeting to their second unexpected encounter, she always held the advantage, swiftly pushing their relationship into an ambiguous atmosphere.

She naturally took the water bottle from Ling Xi’s hand and, without being reserved, took a sip, claiming it was to conserve resources in the face of the bad weather.

Ling Xi watched her taking small sips, the corner of her mouth involuntarily curving into a slight smile. It felt like this kind of gesture was only made between people with a close relationship.

While she was dwelling on the few details of their interactions, Lin Fangwan had already aggressively burst into her peaceful world, turning her orderly life upside down.

Under the guise of returning the water bottle to the car door, Lin Fangwan positioned her entire body over Ling Xi. Ling Xi subconsciously leaned back against the seat, but Lin Fangwan showed no sign of letting her go: “Do you know? When stuck in a harsh environment, two people can only survive by hugging and sharing each other’s warmth.”

This statement was baseless, but Lin Fangwan stubbornly twisted the truth. Her hand covered Ling Xi’s face; the cold touch made her heart ache.

Trapped in such an environment, and having only met twice, the sudden onset of the kiss was startling and confusing.

When those two soft, glistening lips voluntarily met hers, the tingling sensation of electricity rushed straight to her head, and a kaleidoscope of colors exploded in her mind.

Ling Xi didn’t choose to avoid it. Her hands uncontrollably wrapped around Lin Fangwan’s waist, though her courage only went that far.

No one could say whether it was love, or merely a way to pass the time trapped in the mountain. Perhaps in her mind, Ling Xi attributed all the unexpected events to the cursed weather.

The kiss stopped at a light touch. Lin Fangwan bit her lower lip, seeming to be lingering in a state of unfulfillment, as she nestled back into her seat, seemingly savoring the taste of the candy-flavored Ling Xi.

All the shyness was clearly written on Ling Xi’s crimson cheeks. She lightly coughed and turned her head, her gaze fixed on the endless white snow outside the window. Her mind was as blank as the snow.

Inside the carriage, even without the heater, her senses felt so warm they were almost oozing with damp heat.

“The first time I saw you, you were lying on that concrete terrace, sleeping soundly. Even when I walked close, you didn’t move at all. You were so serene that I couldn’t bear to disturb you, so I secretly touched your brow.”

“The second time, I secretly touched your nose.”

“The third time, it was the corner of your mouth.”

“The fourth time, I told myself that if I saw you again, I would say hello to you.”

“And this time, I intentionally crashed into you.”

Lin Fangwan propped her head up with one hand, speaking as if she were telling someone else’s story. Every word gently tapped on Ling Xi’s heart.

Ling Xi turned to look at her in disbelief. After a moment of silence, her expression became troubled: “You intentionally crashed your car into mine?”

“Uh-huh… Due to work, I couldn’t go back to the rooftop. For a long time, I was in a state of distress because I forgot to ask for your contact information. Luckily, I secretly memorized your license plate number, and crashing into your car was just a moment of overwhelming impulse.”

How could she speak such ambiguous, confessional words so casually?

Looking at Lin Fangwan’s intoxicating smile, Ling Xi swallowed hard. It felt like the kiss just now was too brief; she hadn’t had time to remember this woman’s taste.

Lin Fangwan’s proactive boldness finally elicited a reciprocal closeness from Ling Xi. She raised her hand to lean on the back of the seat, a posture that allowed her to press Lin Fangwan into her embrace.

Although Ling Xi was not used to such rude behavior, she couldn’t resist the urge to explore the mysterious woman in front of her. She was curious, and curiosity leads to infinite surprises and expectations.

Ling Xi’s face slowly drew closer. Lin Fangwan, leaning lazily by the window, couldn’t help but smile.

The reason for her unconcealed happiness was that everything that happened was exactly what she wanted: Ling Xi was what she wanted, the kiss was what she wanted, and the successful arousal of curiosity was all what she wanted.

Gently wrapping her arms around Ling Xi’s neck, Lin Fangwan played hard to get: “This time it should be your turn to be proactive. At least before we talk about dating, I want you to first understand me deeply. That’s my rule.”

“But don’t you think this rapid progression of the relationship is too rash? We’ve only met twice,” Ling Xi asked very seriously. After all, before meeting Lin Fangwan, her emotional history was a blank slate, cleaner than the snow outside the window.

Lin Fangwan shook her head, refuting: “It’s not rash for me, it’s been agonizing, even. Although from your perspective, we’ve only met twice. From my perspective, I’ve rehearsed countless times how to meet you, get close to you, and kiss you.”

Lin Fangwan tightened her arms around Ling Xi’s neck, but this time she chose to wait. If Ling Xi remained indifferent, she would let it go.

Her star-like eyes, bright and curved into a beautiful arc, reflected confidence, as if she had already won Ling Xi: “If you like me, my lips are right in front of you. As long as you dare to steal a kiss, I’m yours.”

Ling Xi paused slightly, but her descending kiss did not dare to be delayed for a second. She was even afraid that Lin Fangwan underneath her would suddenly change her mind, which was exactly what Lin Fangwan had intended.

Ling Xi’s kiss was clumsy. She retained a trace of rationality to question herself: Do I really like her? Why is it so easy to like someone?

She must like her, otherwise she wouldn’t remember that deep dimple, or remember that the tea Lin Fangwan brought on the rooftop was sweet.

Ling Xi’s kiss was well-measured, just like her—understanding restraint and rules. Lin Fangwan was not satisfied with the superficial touch. She tightened her arms, greedily enjoying the candy flavor.

Lin Fangwan playfully rubbed her nose against Ling Xi’s forehead, teasingly saying: “Congratulations, Teacher Ling, you unexpectedly got out of single status while trapped in a snow-bound mountain…”

“Getting out of single status” was too unfamiliar a phrase for Ling Xi. She couldn’t immediately accept the fact that she had a girlfriend. But her fingers delicately traced Lin Fangwan’s features. She complained, not quite happily: “I did think about you, during the days you disappeared.”

What a clumsy confession!

Lin Fangwan chuckled, but quickly stopped, muttering self-reproach: “It’s all my fault. Every time I got close to you depended on fate. But now it’s good, we can officially start…”

Yes, what an absurd beginning.

In the quiet night.

Ling Xi nestled in Lin Fangwan’s embrace, occasionally sniffing sadly. The two of them rewatched Daisy.

As the sorrowful ending song played, she buried her head in Lin Fangwan’s neck and asked in a muffled voice, “Will you send me flowers every day?”

Lin Fangwan dotingly rested her chin on Ling Xi’s head, changing her embrace, and promised with affection: “Yes, I’ll send them every day, personally, and I’ll shout ‘flower!’ just like in the movie! What kind of flower does my Little Cat Ling like? How about… a different kind every day?”

Lin Fangwan’s gentleness was like moonlight shattered by the night. Her voice was always quiet and crisp. It seemed light, yet it conveyed a weighty determination to give everything for love.

Perhaps this was the root cause of Ling Xi’s addiction and inability to extricate herself.

The two gazed deeply at each other. After a moment of peace, Ling Xi made a playful face: “Anything but daisies. The ending of this movie makes me unhappy!”

“Alright, alright, whatever my Little Cat Ling says, I’ll listen…”

Lin Fangwan tickled Ling Xi under her armpit. Ling Xi’s eyes, which had been red, lost their sad tint. She chuckled, twisting her body to dodge: “Hate you, that tickles!”

“No crying, I only want to make you laugh.”

“Aiya!” Ling Xi whined, holding a pillow up in front of her.

The two became playful, each grabbing a pillow.

A battle was about to begin. Lin Fangwan smiled wickedly: “Whoever wins tonight is the boss!”

“Then you have to lose!”

Ignoring the late-night quiet, the goose down floating from the pillows was part of their laughter.

Just like the day they defined their relationship, white fragments drifted everywhere, blending into their long hair.

Lin Fangwan wanted to gently brush the down off Ling Xi’s head, but was pounced on by her “little cat,” and they both tumbled onto the bed.

Ling Xi shook her head, stopping Lin Fangwan: “Don’t rush to get rid of it. Don’t you think it’s nice this way? It has a flavor of growing old together.”

Lin Fangwan tiredly tossed away the deformed pillow. She firmly trapped Ling Xi, who still wanted to play, and sighed helplessly: “Growing old together… I truly want to grow old together with you…”

Immersed in happiness, how could Ling Xi detect a hint of anything amiss?

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