Captive Moon: Redeemed the Wrong Temptress (GL) - Chapter 4

“A burglar!” That was Jiang Yunong’s first thought.

But when she cautiously entered the apartment, brandishing a broom she’d grabbed from the balcony, she found only a disheveled woman.

The woman’s shirt clung to her skin in places, still damp from the rain, revealing faint glimpses of her skin beneath. Two buttons were missing, and the rise and fall of her chest were visible with each breath.

Her hair, also damp, clung to her face in strands, curling into natural arcs. Her eyes, a pale amber, caught the light as they met Jiang Yunong’s gaze, reflecting a crystalline glow.

At first glance, she resembled a lamb abandoned by the roadside—innocent and docile, her bewildered expression lending her a unique charm. At least, Jiang Yunong didn’t see her as a thief.

“Who are you?” Jiang Yunong still held the broom defensively. “Why are you in my house?”

Bai Lan paused for a moment. Perhaps she needed to revise her assessment of Jiang Yunong’s drinking habits.

“Have you forgotten?” Bai Lan rose and took a step closer. “About last night. You brought me back here.”

If Jiang Yunong didn’t remember Bai Lan’s generous act of paying off her debts, things would become even more complicated.

Jiang Yunong frowned and retreated, keeping Bai Lan at arm’s length. She scrutinized the tall, slender woman again.

It wasn’t until she noticed Bai Lan’s hand hanging at her side and the tattoo on her wrist that Jiang Yunong suddenly recognized her.

As Jiang Yunong woke, the memories Bai Lan had sealed flooded back into her mind like a tidal wave.

A sharp pain shot through her temples. Jiang Yunong pressed her fingers against them, took a deep breath, and found her hands too weak to grip her weapon, her legs too shaky to stand.

She nearly collapsed, but a gentle, water-like force supported her. The warmth of the embrace dissolved Jiang Yunong’s needle-sharp pain, offering her rare shelter from the autumn chill.

In that familiar embrace, Jiang Yunong recalled everything: from buying drinks at the bar and confiding in the bartender to their passionate kisses in the car and her drunkenly mistaking Bai Lan for someone else in the living room.

Jiang Yunong’s ears slowly flushed crimson, the blush spreading across her cheeks, neck, and even the tips of her fingers.

Noticing her unusually warm skin, Bai Lan reached out to touch her forehead.

“Eep!” Jiang Yunong nearly leaped out of her arms.

Bai Lan tilted her head. “Now that you remember, do you still reject me?”

“I was just worried you might have caught a chill last night and developed a fever.”

“No, no, that’s not it.” As Bai Lan pressed her hand against Jiang Yunong’s forehead again, the sticky sweetness of their kisses from the night before resurfaced on her lips. She could still feel the woman’s softness.

It felt like a wisp of cotton had crawled onto her heart, an unfamiliar itch that made Jiang Yunong blush like a peach hiding from the world.

“You—you should stop touching me for now. I need to calm down.” Still struggling to fully process what had happened the night before, she mustered her last bit of strength and pushed Bai Lan away.

Bai Lan, rejected by the woman she had been intimate with just last night, was visibly embarrassed. She stood awkwardly, her lips pressed tightly together.

“Master… I was just worried you might get sick,” she said, taking a small step back. “If you really don’t want to see me, I’ll leave for now.”

“No… wait!” Jiang Yunong was bewildered. Master? What kind of title is that?

She had only…

Jiang Yunong sighed, unable to bring herself to chase after Bai Lan. She remembered forcing the bartender to come with her. What have I done?!

A loud thump startled Bai Lan, making her turn around. She saw Jiang Yunong kneeling on the ground, her face a picture of utter despair. Bai Lan rushed over immediately.

“Master? Are you alright?” Bai Lan helped Jiang Yunong up, urgently trying to lift her skirt to check her knees.

Jiang Yunong grabbed Bai Lan’s hand. “Miss…” Her body didn’t hurt. But her heart ached terribly.

“Why are you so expensive?” Jiang Yunong looked up at Bai Lan, her eyes brimming with tears. Her nose and the corners of her eyes were ridiculously red.

“…I’m sorry,” Bai Lan mumbled, looking away and scratching her head awkwardly.

“No… I can’t blame you. I shouldn’t have said that either, but… but—” Jiang Yunong was truly breaking down. “My savings—” she wailed, bursting into tears.

The money she’d saved for her future marriage was gone. Money she hadn’t been able to spend on her ex had ended up in another woman’s hands because of him.

Bai Lan stood beside her, utterly at a loss. She felt that words—even actions—would be useless. The most helpful thing would be to return the money Jiang Yunong had spent.

But Bai Lan was penniless. She couldn’t even afford rent or food. How could she possibly repay Jiang Yunong?

“I’m sorry, Master. Um… do you need compensation?” In desperation, Bai Lan could only think of one solution. At least she didn’t want Jiang Yunong to keep crying like this.

“What? Compensation?” Jiang Yunong sobbed, wiping away tears as she looked up at Bai Lan. How could a bartender who owed so much money possibly compensate her?

Bai Lan hesitated for a moment before leaning closer to Jiang Yunong. She sat beside Jiang Yunong, gently cupping her face and wiping away some of the tears. Then she lowered her head.

When their lips met, Jiang Yunong felt her heart stop.

She thought she tasted brandy—a sweetness and spice brought to her by this woman, who was as docile as a lamb. The woman’s movements were incredibly gentle, deepening little by little.

Jiang Yunong’s consciousness was completely swept away by Bai Lan’s kiss. She had to close her eyes, grip Bai Lan’s arm, and deepen the kiss.

Their tongues intertwined, Jiang Yunong seized that sweet, rain-like sensation and pressed Bai Lan backward.

Only when she heard a dull thud did Jiang Yunong abruptly release Bai Lan.

Bai Lan clutched the back of her head, tears glistening at the corners of her eyes, her lips shining like honey.

“I’m sorry!” Jiang Yunong realized she had hurt her.

“No… that’s not why I repaid your debt,” she stammered, recalling her inexplicable surrender just moments ago, her voice trembling with panic.

 “But you’re just so beautiful…” 

Yet Jiang Yunong couldn’t deny the undeniable pull of Bai Lan’s features.

The woman before her possessed a distinctively cool elegance, like an autumn night in Hong Kong. Her eyes were impossibly lively. Even the slightest tremor in her amber irises stirred the heart. She wasn’t a bold, flamboyant red flower, but rather a delicate white magnolia, pure and refined.

“You’re my Master,” Bai Lan said, her voice even more submissive. She lay back and tugged at her collar. “If you wish, I’ll do anything.”

“No, wait!” Jiang Yunong quickly pressed her hand down. “I didn’t mean… I don’t want to do that with you!”

Bai Lan lowered her gaze, glancing at Jiang Yunong’s hand on her body. When she looked up again, she had finally managed to conceal some of her overwhelming vulnerability.

“Then… what do you need?”

Jiang Yunong breathed a sigh of relief when Bai Lan didn’t resist. A flicker of disappointment crossed her mind, but she immediately scolded herself for her lustful heart.

“I’ll just consider this a good deed, earning some merit for myself,” Jiang Yunong sighed, pulling Bai Lan to her feet.

“Look, I don’t need you to do anything for me, and I certainly don’t want to, uh, ‘keep’ you. Consider the money I spent as buying your freedom. You don’t have to worry about repaying any debts now. You can go home, go back to school, or do whatever you want.” Jiang Yunong didn’t want to compromise her conscience.

But the money was already spent, and the woman before her was clearly a victim. Jiang Yunong closed her eyes in resignation.

“But, Master…” Bai Lan’s voice was filled with worry. If Jiang Yunong refused to take her in, where else could she go?

Bai Lan sank to her knees, prostrating herself at Jiang Yunong’s feet.

“Master, please… I have nowhere else to go. My rent is due today, and my boss hasn’t paid me my basic salary from last month…”

“I’m penniless. If you won’t take me in, I’ll have no choice but to wander the streets and die.”

As Bai Lan finished speaking, her body trembled, and tears suddenly streamed down her face.

“Hey, get up first.” Jiang Yunong felt like she had stumbled into some bizarre alternate reality.

Jiang Yunong helped Bai Lan up, gazing at her tear-reddened eyes and pitiful expression. Seeing Bai Lan’s slightly swollen lips, Jiang Yunong recalled their three unexpected kisses. A tickling sensation stirred within her, and a genuine desire began to bloom in her heart.

“If you really have nowhere else to go, you can stay here,” Jiang Yunong said. Keeping Bai Lan around might not be so bad. After all, I’ve already spent so much money, Jiang Yunong thought guiltily.

“Thank you, Master,” Bai Lan said, gently wiping away the tears at the corners of her eyes.

Jiang Yunong swallowed hard. In this moment, she completely understood her drunken self. This girl is truly beautiful.

“Don’t call me ‘Master’ anymore. Just use my name. I’m Jiang Yunong.” Now that it was daytime, Jiang Yunong managed to suppress her impulses.

“Then… Xiaoyu?” No wonder Bai Lan had told her to call her Rain.

“Either is fine. No need for formalities. I don’t intend to treat you like a sugar baby.”

Bai Lan nodded. “Understood, Xiaoyu. Just call me Bai Lan—like the brandy.”

Jiang Yunong, her face flushed, murmured her assent. Her gaze drifted to Bai Lan’s chest, where she noticed a faint pattern. It looked vaguely familiar.

“Um, could I take a closer look at that?” she asked cautiously, pointing with a hesitant finger.

Bai Lan responded by unbuttoning her collar.

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