Did the Tsundere Miss Get Slapped in the Face Again Today? - Chapter 49

Chapter 49: “Tears Well up in the Eyes, Fragile and Easy to Bully.”

 

“Alright, I’ve applied enough,” Jiang Zhi capped the chilblain cream and set it aside.

 

“Apply some more, it’s not enough,” Lin Anran said nervously.

 

Jiang Zhi looked at her, amused, “Why apply so much? This is plenty.”

 

Lin Anran mumbled, “Oh,” and reluctantly withdrew her hand, but still worriedly spread her fingers, carefully examining them.

 

The frostbite caused her index and middle fingers to be slightly red and swollen, making her originally slender and fair hands look a bit puffy.

 

No, her hands couldn’t be disfigured. She had to apply more. Lin Anran decisively picked up the chilblain cream, scooped up a large amount, and smeared it onto her fingers like plastering a wall, layer after layer.

 

Jiang Zhi went to wash the cream off her own hands. When she returned, she saw the entire box of chilblain cream was empty. Lin Anran had used it all on her hands.

 

Jiang Zhi: “…”

 

She remembered how Lin Anran had used mosquito repellent at the convenience store—the same method, spraying an entire bottle without regard for the normal dosage. Forget it, let her be. Besides wasting it, applying too much cream shouldn’t have any side effects.

 

“Which room should I take?” Jiang Zhi asked, wanting to put her everyday clothes away.

 

The modern-style villa had three floors above ground plus a basement and an elevator. Jiang Zhi hadn’t had time to look at the two upper floors or the basement yet. The first floor, where they were, had a double-height living room. A pink crystal chandelier sparkled like a night star. The wall art was grand and luxurious, yet artistically designed.

 

Jiang Zhi wasn’t entirely comfortable in this environment. It was too stylish and too high-end, making her feel restricted and unable to relax.

 

After getting no answer for a while, Jiang Zhi asked again: “Which room should I stay in? I need to put my things away.”

 

Lin Anran wasn’t saying what she was thinking, only staring at Jiang Zhi without replying, playing the silent game.

 

Having no choice, Jiang Zhi picked a room herself and casually pushed open a door. It was a south-facing guest room. Although it was a guest room, the space was immeasurably larger than Jiang Zhi’s cramped one-bedroom apartment, and the light was exceptionally bright.

 

“This one isn’t bad. I’ll stay in this room,” Jiang Zhi said.

 

Lin Anran walked over, glanced symbolically into the room, and shook her head: “No, you can’t stay in this room.”

 

Jiang Zhi: “…”

 

Jiang Zhi didn’t argue and switched to another room, saying, “How about this one?”

 

“You can’t stay in this one either.”

 

“What about this one?”

 

“You can’t stay here.”

 

Jiang Zhi’s eye twitched twice: “With so many empty rooms, you can’t possibly make me sleep on the living room sofa, can you?”

 

“You can’t stay in the living room either.”

 

“You won’t let me stay here or there, I’m telling you…” Her words suddenly cut off. She looked at Lin Anran, thoughtfully.

 

Lin Anran snorted: “You can’t stay. You can’t stay anywhere.”

 

Jiang Zhi raised an eyebrow. She understood. She stopped looking at any other rooms and asked directly, “Where is your room?”

 

Lin Anran immediately shed her cold demeanor and became enthusiastic: “Second floor! My room is on the second floor. It’s really beautiful! I’ll take you to see it!”

 

Lin Anran was ecstatic, skipping and leading the way.

 

Looking at the person excitedly skipping ahead, Jiang Zhi let out a quiet laugh.

 

After all that fuss, not allowing her to stay in any room, all the talking and beating around the bush simply meant she wanted Jiang Zhi to sleep in the same room as her.

 

The kitten always spoke indirectly and awkwardly. Jiang Zhi shook her head helplessly.

 

On the second floor, the easternmost room. As the door opened, Lin Anran’s preference—a wave of pink—immediately greeted them.

 

Jiang Zhi had met people who liked pink, but never anyone who liked it this much. Lin Anran had taken her preference for pink to a new extreme.

 

“Isn’t it beautiful, my room?” Lin Anran raised her eyebrows proudly.

 

“It’s beautiful, beautiful, exceptionally beautiful,” Jiang Zhi humored her.

 

Lin Anran stopped showing off, gazing at Jiang Zhi without blinking, as if waiting for something.

 

With her expression so obvious, Jiang Zhi understood perfectly what she meant. Jiang Zhi knew exactly what was going on.

 

“Such a beautiful room,” Jiang Zhi suppressed a smile and played along, “I almost want to live in it.”

 

“Don’t even think about it,” Lin Anran said haughtily: “My room isn’t for just anyone to stay in. You’re not worthy.”

 

Jiang Zhi silently clicked her tongue. She was certainly pushing her luck. She was given an opening but refused to take it, demanding a second one. Fine, fine, I’ll give her another opening. What can I do? I can only spoil her.

 

Jiang Zhi: “But I really want to stay in your room. Your room is so beautiful. Can I really not stay here? Am I really not worthy?”

 

Lin Anran’s lips curved upward, yet she still pretended to be disdainful: “Look at how pathetic you are. Fine, I’ll reluctantly take you in. I’ll let you share a room with me temporarily. I must warn you in advance, it’s only temporary.”

 

Jiang Zhi walked over and gently patted her head: “Look at you showing off. Calling you ‘Lin Three-Year-Old’ is probably too old. Aren’t you childish?”

 

“Who’s childish?!”

 

“Okay, okay, you’re not childish. I was wrong.”

 

After speaking, she turned around to continue unpacking. There was too much to organize after the move; she was a bit overwhelmed.

 

Lin Anran kept chattering incessantly behind her. Jiang Zhi only gave noncommittal “Mhm” replies, but Lin Anran could keep talking on her own. She was truly noisy, but Jiang Zhi had gotten used to it; she would even feel a bit uneasy if Lin Anran weren’t talking.

 

When Jiang Zhi packed in the room, Lin Anran stayed in the room. When Jiang Zhi packed in the living room, Lin Anran stayed in the living room. When Jiang Zhi went to the bathroom, Lin Anran followed…

 

Fortunately, Jiang Zhi wasn’t going to the toilet; she was just putting away her toothbrush and towel.

 

“Why did you bring your toothbrush and towel? I have some here. Throw yours away.”

 

“I just changed my toothbrush and towel a few days ago. They’re perfectly good. Why should I throw them away?”

 

“Hmph.”

 

After putting away her toothbrush and towel, Jiang Zhi quickly glanced at the bathroom. The space was large with a separate wet and dry area.

 

It was much better than the bathroom in her small, dilapidated rental apartment. Perhaps “much better” wasn’t the right way to describe it, as they weren’t even comparable. It was truly a pity for Lin Anran, letting her stay with her in that small rental for a long time. She didn’t know how this picky kitten had managed to live in that shabby place…

 

Lin Anran: “What are you doing, staring at me blankly?”

 

Jiang Zhi shook her head, changed the subject, and pointed casually at the bathtub: “The tub is quite big. It could fit two people.”

 

Lin Anran looked at the tub, then at Jiang Zhi, and imagining the scene, her face visibly reddened.

 

But she quickly recovered, narrowing her eyes: “Pervert.”

 

Jiang Zhi looked confused.

 

“I won’t lie in the bathtub and bathe with you. Don’t dream about it.”

 

“Wait, when did I say I wanted to bathe with you?”

 

Lin Anran warned on her own: “Stop your perverse thoughts.”

 

She turned to leave.

 

Jiang Zhi grabbed her, pulling her face-to-face. She wrapped her arms around Lin Anran’s waist, looking down at her: “Who are you calling a pervert?”

 

Lin Anran looked up: “You.”

 

Jiang Zhi was annoyed but amused: “Aside from the fact that I didn’t mean that, even if I did, so what? I want to bathe with my girlfriend. Is that perverse?”

 

As she spoke, she squeezed Lin Anran’s waist: “Why are you quiet now? You were so smug and talkative just a minute ago.”

 

Lin Anran responded with a non-sequitur: “I want to brush my teeth.”

 

Jiang Zhi paused, then understood. Her gaze lowered, resting on Lin Anran’s pink lips. I want to brush my teeth was actually her way of saying…

 

Jiang Zhi took off her glasses, placed them on the sink, held her chin, leaned down, and kissed her.

 

Compared to her initial awkwardness, Jiang Zhi was clearly much more skilled now. Practice makes perfect in everything, and kissing was no exception.

 

Their lips and tongues intertwined, their breaths mixing. This kiss was also in the bathroom; they seemed to always choose the wrong location.

 

It no longer tasted like peach toothpaste. They had just eaten tangerines, and the faint citrus flavor was delicious, so delicious that Jiang Zhi’s breathing grew heavy.

 

Lin Anran weakly pushed her shoulder, unable to breathe. She hadn’t learned how to breathe while kissing yet.

 

After finally managing to push her away, she gasped for air. Before she could fully recover, Jiang Zhi’s lips pressed down again.

 

“Mmm…”

 

Because of the difficulty breathing, Lin Anran felt so uncomfortable that tears welled up in her eyes.

 

Pitiful and fragile.

 

Human nature is strange. It surfaces now and then. Just now, seeing Lin Anran’s vulnerable, easily-bullied look, the color in Jiang Zhi’s eyes deepened.

 

Maybe Lin Anran was right—she was a pervert, and not just any pervert. Because right now, she really wanted to bully her.

 

She wanted to see her cry, to see her vulnerability, to see her helplessness.

 

Once again, she successfully pushed Jiang Zhi away, gulping fresh air. It took Lin Anran a while to calm her ragged breathing.

 

Once recovered, she glared at Jiang Zhi.

 

Jiang Zhi asked, feigning ignorance: “What’s wrong?”

 

Lin Anran: “I couldn’t breathe, why did you keep…”

 

“Keep what?” Jiang Zhi’s voice was husky: “Why did you stop talking?”

 

Lin Anran: “You did that on purpose. I don’t like it.”

 

Jiang Zhi rubbed her waist with her finger: “Yes, I did it on purpose. And I’ll do it again next time.”

 

Lin Anran buried her face in Jiang Zhi’s neck, her voice muffled: “I don’t like you, Jiang Yi.”

 

A moment later, she heard her say: “I like you, Jiang Yi.”

 

Jiang Zhi’s chest vibrated with a pleasant laugh.

 

She laughed near Lin Anran’s ear and whispered back: “I like you, Lin Kitten.”

 

Lin Anran looked up at her: “Don’t call me Lin Kitten.”

 

Jiang Zhi: “Then don’t call me Jiang Yi.”

 

“No, I’m going to call you Jiang Yi.”

 

“Then I won’t either. I’m going to call you Lin Kitten.”

 

Lin Anran’s eyebrows furrowed, but even her frown looked cute, like a little kitten.

 

Jiang Zhi pinched her cheek and compromised: “So what do you want me to call you?”

 

Lin Anran was skilled at pushing her luck: “Will you call me whatever I ask?”

 

“It depends. Tell me first.”

 

Lin Anran bit her lip, hesitated and struggled for a few seconds, then shyly whispered: “Call me wife.”

 

Jiang Zhi was stunned, her voice laced with amusement: “You want me to call you that?”

 

Lin Anran was embarrassed and angry: “Fine if you won’t. I’m ignoring you.”

 

She tried to break free from the embrace. Jiang Zhi quickly tightened her arms around Lin Anran’s waist, not letting her go.

 

Jiang Zhi leaned in close to her ear, softly and intimately whispering: “Wife.”