Captive Moon: Redeemed the Wrong Temptress (GL) - Chapter 22

“You clearly want it too,” Bai Lan said, tugging Jiang Yunong’s hand with considerable force.Jiang Yunong’s wrist ached from Bai Lan’s grip.

Yet her palm felt as if it were floating on clouds, touching something soft and resilient like cotton candy. She didn’t dare tighten her grip.

What would it look like if I did?

It would seem like I really crave it…

Jiang Yunong, overwhelmed by her senses, couldn’t utter another word.

“You want it too, and I’m willing. Why can’t we?” Bai Lan was already leading Jiang Yunong toward the Paradise of Ecstasy.

Just before Jiang Yunong’s hand made contact with that soft, downy mass, she finally snapped back to reality. She yanked her hand away, locking in a stalemate with Bai Lan.

“If you don’t believe I want it too, why not try and see?” Bai Lan’s tone softened slightly, but her grip remained firm, still locked in a struggle with Jiang Yunong.

“…Bai Lan,” Jiang Yunong gritted out, veins bulging on her forehead. Even in this state, she couldn’t escape Bai Lan’s grasp.

Jiang Yunong wasn’t feeling well today, but she realized she needed to reassess Bai Lan’s physical strength.

She had always assumed Bai Lan was a delicate, untrained girl, barely able to lift a chicken.

Who knew she was so strong?

Jiang Yunong herself regularly went to the gym whenever she had free time.

“Let go,” Jiang Yunong finally said, putting all her strength into the words, her voice strained and her teeth clenched. It was her final ultimatum.

Startled, Bai Lan immediately released her grip and stumbled backward, landing with a thud. She wasn’t even dressed, so the impact must have been painful.

“I’m sorry…” Bai Lan mumbled, barely registering the pain. She clutched her chest, curling into a ball, her voice trembling with suppressed sobs. “I… I thought you wanted this too…” If she had continued, she would have almost forced Jiang Yunong into…

“That’s not the issue,” Jiang Yunong said, shaking her aching wrist with a sigh. She picked up the clothes draped over the nightstand, closed her eyes, and draped them over Bai Lan.

“I haven’t decided if I want to be with you… Elder Sister. You were forced to come back with me. Doing this now would be unfair to both of us, and it would hurt us both.”

Even if she wanted to, Jiang Yunong couldn’t bring herself to cross this line.

Just like back then, if Bai Lan hadn’t been desperate, Jiang Yunong wouldn’t have kept her—even after spending so much money.

Bai Lan hadn’t considered that angle.

“But… I’m already yours,” she said, clutching her clothes tighter. She lifted her trembling head, her eyes brimming with tears.

Jiang Yunong finally opened her eyes. Seeing Bai Lan like this, she felt a pang of guilt and self-reproach.

She even thought, If rejecting Bai Lan will make her cry like this, maybe I should just agree.

As Bai Lan had said, they were both consenting adults.

But Jiang Yunong couldn’t ignore the power imbalance in their relationship, with her dominance in terms of money and status.

“There’s no such thing, okay?” Jiang Yunong reached out and gently wiped away Bai Lan’s unshed tears, coaxing out a few large, glistening drops.

“I still prefer we remain roommates. Even though I do… really like you.” She knew it. Bai Lan knew it too.

This “like” wasn’t a confession, merely a statement of objective fact—a more delicate way of expressing her sexual attraction to Bai Lan.

Bai Lan stared at Jiang Yunong, unblinking, tears welling up like a surging tide. She couldn’t control the ripples spreading through her heart, each one tearing at her chest with sharp pain.

She also couldn’t stop her body from trembling from the cold, from overwhelming emotion, from a surge of feelings she hadn’t even realized she harbored.

The robe draped over her shoulders couldn’t conceal her exposed skin, painting Jiang Yunong’s vision with a soft, rosy glow. Yet Bai Lan couldn’t resist inching closer to Jiang Yunong, still kneeling on the floor.

Jiang Yunong quickly reached out and pulled her into an embrace. “Shh, shh… I don’t dislike you. It’s not because you’re not attractive to me.”

She was even comforting Bai Lan now.

If any other woman, no matter how alluring or beautiful, had acted this way, Jiang Yunong would have been furious.

Bai Lan was already resisting, but Jiang Yunong insisted on continuing. It was a form of coercion.

Yet, when it came to Bai Lan, Jiang Yunong couldn’t bring herself to be angry.

The moment she saw Bai Lan’s tears, Jiang Yunong’s anger vanished. All she wanted was to hold Bai Lan close, stroke her hair, and comfort her until she stopped crying.

Bai Lan remained uncharacteristically silent.

She wrapped her arms around Jiang Yunong’s neck, resting her head on Jiang Yunong’s shoulder, still sobbing uncontrollably.

Seeing her trembling, Jiang Yunong shifted her position to hold Bai Lan even tighter.

Even the pain in her stomach seemed to fade.

“Yunong…” Bai Lan finally managed to choke out after a long while. “Can you kiss me?” If they couldn’t go further, a passionate kiss would be a good compromise.

Truthfully, just this embrace was enough. Bai Lan was simply being greedy.

Jiang Yunong loosened her grip, cupping Bai Lan’s face instead. After studying her tear-streaked cheeks for a moment, she bit down on her lips.

Perhaps they really couldn’t live together like roommates, who kisses their roommate every day?

At least Jiang Yunong wanted to maintain her boundaries for a while longer.

But a kiss? That she could give.

This time, Jiang Yunong didn’t hold back.

Bai Lan felt both pain and satisfaction from the bite.

The ripples in her heart smoothed out, but the tremors had already reached the depths of her soul.

After the kiss, Bai Lan felt burning hot all over.

When Jiang Yunong handed her clothes, she touched Bai Lan’s forehead and flicked it in mock exasperation.

“It’s time for your medicine again, Elder Sister. You need to take better care of yourself.”

“I’ll remember next time,” Bai Lan nodded obediently.

“I don’t feel too bad. I can still mop the floor later.”

Jiang Yunong gave her a complicated look, and Bai Lan paused, slightly taken aback.

“If I weren’t feeling unwell today, I definitely wouldn’t ask you to do it. But…”

As Jiang Yunong spoke, her body seemed to crumble like a dam bursting, her strength draining away.

Clutching her head, she sank into a chair. “I really can’t manage right now.”

“What’s wrong?” Bai Lan practically threw herself forward, catching Jiang Yunong.

“…I forgot breakfast, and then those disgusting people triggered me… three times. That’s all,” Jiang Yunong sighed, leaning heavily against Bai Lan.

“But you brought breakfast with you! Yunong, you can’t keep doing this to yourself.” Now it was Bai Lan’s turn to panic.

“Don’t cry again. I’m fine. I just need something to eat.”

Jiang Yunong gently wiped the corner of Bai Lan’s eye, immediately feeling a dampness.

Her white magnolia is made of water, she thought. Even after crying so much, she’s still shedding tears.

“Then… then I’ll go make you something to eat first. I can mop later. Maybe grab some bread in the meantime?”

Bai Lan blinked furiously, forcing back the tears that threatened to spill over.

“It’s okay, I feel much better now. Honestly, it was mostly those people making me want to throw up,” Jiang Yunong said with a self-deprecating laugh. “Good thing I didn’t eat anything, or I’d have puked all over the office.”

“Yunong… you should have told me sooner! I wouldn’t have bothered you and would have gotten to work right away.”

Bai Lan helped Jiang Yunong onto the bed, scolding her gently before leaving.

Jiang Yunong could hear the urgency and guilt in her voice.

“It’s not your fault. I just didn’t have time to say anything.” She chuckled softly, patting Bai Lan’s head. “Thank you for making dinner.”

“Mm-hmm, I’ll be quick!”

After rushing into the kitchen and cooking the stir-fried noodles, Bai Lan bit down hard on the inside of her arm where Jiang Yunong couldn’t see.

Jiang Yunong had clearly been harassed at work and was feeling unwell.

Yet Bai Lan hadn’t noticed, carelessly letting Jiang Yunong kiss and hug her, comforting her own anxiety and guilt.

I’m not even a proper kept woman—let alone a roommate.

She didn’t want to just be Jiang Yunong’s roommate.

At least, she wanted to kiss Jiang Yunong.

But not when Jiang Yunong was feeling sick.

Bai Lan tormented herself, biting her arm until it hurt and tugging roughly at her hair.

All the while, she dutifully cooked dinner for Jiang Yunong.

She made the quickest stir-fried noodles and checked to make sure the marks she’d made on herself wouldn’t be visible before bringing the dish to Jiang Yunong.

Then she hurried back to simmer a stomach-warming soup.

“One serving of noodles is enough, Elder Sister! You don’t need to make more. Come eat with me.”

“I’ll be right there after the soup!”

Bai Lan carried the soup to the dining table, her composure completely restored.

Even if the corners of her eyes were still red, she could easily pass it off as having just finished crying.

Inwardly, she was tormented, her heart pierced by countless sharp pains.

But she still managed to offer Jiang Yunong a sweet smile.

“So, do you want to talk about it? Was it that Deng guy’s uncle who came to see you today?” Bai Lan asked, eager to be a listening ear.

“Yeah. He’s way worse than Deng Hao. He’s in cahoots with my team leader. They assigned me two impossible tasks, even if I finished them, there’d probably be some catch. And the team leader even told me I should learn to take a loss.” Jiang Yunong felt nauseous just thinking about it.

This confirmed her suspicion: most of her physical discomfort stemmed from her emotional distress.

“That’s disgusting! If she’s so keen on taking losses, why doesn’t she take them herself? If she’s so capable, why doesn’t she help that guy prepare his reports and presentations, then hand them over so he can show off to the boss?” Bai Lan was practically seething with righteous anger, venting her outrage on Jiang Yunong’s behalf.

It was good to have someone to talk to.

Even though Jiang Yunong was used to being alone and carrying her own burdens, she couldn’t help but cherish these conversations with Bai Lan at the dining table.

Perhaps this was why they could never be roommates.

A person starved for love, when they finally find it, is like a fish stranded in the sun finding water.

How could they ever let go?

“That’s not all. Later, my ex’s current girlfriend came after me. She’s just as messed up, like some pampered heiress who can’t manage her own girlfriend and blames me for it. I only said one thing to Luo Yunjian about it.”

Even after Luo Yunjian had bombarded her with frantic messages last night, Jiang Yunong hadn’t even bothered to read them, let alone reply.

Bai Lan’s expression twisted briefly. “What a freak…”

“Anyway, I gave her a piece of my mind. But let’s not dwell on that. It’s the two extra assignments that are the real problem. No one’s helping me, and they’re due Monday. Even if I had 48 hours in a day, I couldn’t finish them.” Jiang Yunong finally looked genuinely worried.

“Is there any chance… you could just not finish them?” Bai Lan asked, biting her chopsticks and trying to ignore the throbbing headache.

The moment she heard the word “heiress,” images flashed through her mind. Now, trying to figure out how to help Jiang Yunong out of this mess was making her head feel like it was about to split open.

“What do you mean?” Jiang Yunong asked, oblivious to Bai Lan’s distress.

Jiang Yunong asked Bai Lan about the matter, hoping for some advice.

“Do you have any other information? Like a recording of your uncle pressuring you?”

Cold sweat trickled down Bai Lan’s back, but she forced her expression to remain neutral.

“I actually do have a recording… Elder Sister? Elder Sister? Are you alright?” Jiang Yunong startled.

Just a moment ago, Bai Lan had seemed perfectly fine. But in the span of a single sentence, she collapsed.

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