Did the Tsundere Miss Get Slapped in the Face Again Today? - Chapter 53

Chapter 53: “How About You Stop Liking Me.”

 

Just a moment ago, she was completely dominant, but in the blink of an eye, the position was reversed. Her hands were pinned above her head, leaving her immobile.

 

She almost didn’t react quickly enough, remaining stunned for quite a while.

 

Lin Anran was now on the bottom.

 

She met Jiang Zhi’s gaze, which, behind the black-rimmed glasses, was becoming darker, carrying a sense of danger and aggression.

 

This Jiang Zhi was somewhat unfamiliar.

 

Her breathing became ragged, and her heart rate equally chaotic.

 

Watching Jiang Zhi swiftly take off her glasses and toss them aside, Lin Anran nervously swallowed.

 

“Scared?” Jiang Zhi caressed her cheek.

 

“Who’s scared?” Lin Anran held her gaze, her arrogance showing, afraid of yielding any ground.

 

She even struggled, trying to roll over and pin Jiang Zhi down again to reclaim dominance.

 

But the truth was, after struggling for a long time, she was held firmly, unable to move.

 

Jiang Zhi lowered her head and kissed the intensely struggling person. Their soft lips met, and Lin Anran immediately quieted down.

 

Jiang Zhi’s gentleness was gone; her kiss was urgent.

 

Lin Anran still hadn’t learned to breathe while kissing. Once Jiang Zhi didn’t allow her a chance to breathe, she would suffer from suffocation.

 

Her eyes turned red at the corners, and tears welled up in her eyes.

 

She looked fragile and broken, making one unable to resist pitying her, yet also wanting to destroy her.

 

Outside the floor-to-ceiling window, heavy snow was falling, flakes scattering through the air, occasionally hitting the glass with tiny “pitter-patter” sounds.

 

The cold wind howled outside, but inside, the air was hot and steamy.

 

It was so hot that Jiang Zhi felt a little disoriented.

 

Reflected in her eyes was Lin Anran: eyes brimming with tears, a neck that flushed red at the slightest touch, a messy, partially-opened collar, offering tantalizing glimpses.

 

She was right there. Whatever Jiang Zhi did to her, she wouldn’t refuse. If Jiang Zhi wanted, she could completely control and possess her.

 

No one could resist such temptation.

 

Jiang Zhi’s hand pressed against the side of the bed slowly clenched, opening and closing, opening and closing.

 

Her mind gradually cleared. Taking a deep breath, she barely managed to suppress the surging desire within.

 

“Let’s sleep.”

 

Jiang Zhi regained her composure, released her, and rolled over to sleep on her side, turning her back.

 

Lin Anran remained dazed, stunned for a long moment. She turned her head to look at the person sleeping on their side, facing away.

 

The air was eerily silent for a few seconds.

 

Lin Anran propped herself up, looking at her. Let’s sleep? Sleep??

 

Is this the time to sleep?

 

“Turn around,” Lin Anran commanded.

 

Jiang Zhi didn’t move.

 

Lin Anran poked her back with a finger: “Turn around.”

 

Jiang Zhi sighed, compromisingly turning over. They lay face-to-face, their eyes meeting.

 

“It’s late. Let’s sleep,” Jiang Zhi covered her eyes with her hand.

 

Her eyelashes brushed her palm, tickling her.

 

“I won’t sleep,” Lin Anran batted her hand away.

 

“You should sleep.”

 

“I won’t sleep.”

 

“Sleep.”

 

“I won’t sleep.”

 

The two childishly argued over sleeping and not sleeping.

 

Jiang Zhi leaned in, forehead touching forehead: “If you won’t sleep, what do you want to do? ‘Coercive love’?”

 

Lin Anran’s eyes lit up: “I think we should.”

 

Jiang Zhi lightly bumped her forehead: “You and your ‘should’.”

 

“Why shouldn’t we?” Lin Anran’s bright eyes dimmed.

 

Jiang Zhi didn’t know how to answer immediately.

 

Lin Anran, however, started self-analyzing: “Could you be the kind of lesbian who can date girls but can’t have intimate relations with them? What is that called? I remember, Platonic—a spiritual relationship?”

 

After all, they had reached that level just now, yet she managed to stop midway. It was too unbelievable…

 

Jiang Zhi: “Did you search that online? Or did that relationship expert teach you again?”

 

Lin Anran was displeased: “Don’t ask where I learned it. I understand. I know much more than you. You’re an idiot.”

 

She started cursing again.

 

“I’m not an idiot, and I don’t want a spiritual relationship with you. Sexual desire is natural. I’m very lustful, and my intentions toward you are anything but pure,” Jiang Zhi said.

 

“Then why did you just…”

 

“This is too fast.”

 

Lin Anran frowned: “Too fast for what? I don’t think it’s fast.”

 

Jiang Zhi: “Do you want to count how many days we’ve been together?”

 

Lin Anran actually started counting on her fingers: “Seven days. A week. We even have a one-week anniversary.”

 

Others have a one-year anniversary; she was talking about one week…

 

“That thing is too fast. Let’s take it slow,” Jiang Zhi insisted.

 

She was afraid Lin Anran hadn’t fully thought it through, afraid she might regret it.

 

She feared Lin Anran’s love was like fireworks—passionate and brilliant, but also brief and fleeting.

 

Jiang Zhi wanted this relationship to move slowly, even more slowly.

 

She wanted Lin Anran to fall in love with her slowly, not hastily like fast food. If she were to get bored, Jiang Zhi hoped it would happen slowly, too.

 

“Slowly? How slow is that?” Lin Anran pulled down the corners of her mouth, unhappy.

 

“Until the day you truly figure things out.”

 

“I have figured things out perfectly.”

 

Jiang Zhi hugged her, circling her in her arms: “Then we’ll wait until the day I feel you’ve figured things out.”

 

Lin Anran snuggled into her embrace: “What? No, I don’t like that.”

 

“By the way, delete that relationship expert.”

 

“Why are you talking so much nonsense? Time to sleep.”

 

The person who had just insisted she wouldn’t sleep immediately became sleepy when asked to delete the relationship expert.

 

She staunchly defended the contact, refusing to delete it under any circumstances.

 

Jiang Zhi felt helpless and amused. That so-called relationship expert was truly unreliable.

 

She hadn’t understood why Lin Anran kept talking about removing her nail art, but now she realized she had been “misled” by someone.

 

The next day.

 

The snow had stopped. Jiang Zhi and Lin Anran got up early and went out into the vast snowy landscape to build a snowman.

 

But clearly, neither of them was good at it. The resulting creation was…

 

Lin Anran: “It’s hideous. This snowman is as ugly as you, Jiang Yi. Both are ugly monsters. This is no fun, and my hands are cold.”

 

Jiang Zhi took her hands, rubbed them, and breathed warm air onto them, asking, “Feel better?”

 

Lin Anran’s eyes curved into a smile.

 

Clap.

 

Jiang Zhi rolled up a small snowball and gently tossed it at Lin Anran.

 

Lin Anran froze: “What are you doing?”

 

Jiang Zhi: “We have to have a snowball fight when it snows, right?”

 

Lin Anran narrowed her eyes: “You’re right.”

 

She bent down and rolled a large snowball, packing it tightly—guaranteed to hurt when it hit.

 

Jiang Zhi backed away: “You don’t have to be so serious about a snowball fight.”

 

Lin Anran smiled wickedly: “Jiang Yi, you hit me just now. I have to hit you back. Don’t be a spoilsport.”

 

Thwack!

 

The large snowball hit Jiang Zhi’s head.

 

Jiang Zhi: “…”

 

Her forehead hurt, and her face was covered in snow, looking quite miserable.

 

She shouldn’t have whimsically suggested a snowball fight with Lin Anran.

 

It should have been a romantic and beautiful scene, but with Lin Anran’s competitive nature, a snowball fight wasn’t romantic—she was fighting seriously.

 

One hit wasn’t enough. Lin Anran was squatting, preparing to roll a second large snowball.

 

Jiang Zhi’s mouth twitched. No, I must retaliate.

 

Jiang Zhi was much faster than Lin Anran. A large snowball quickly formed in her hands, and she raised it.

 

Lin Anran closed her eyes in fright.

 

But after waiting for a long time, the snowball didn’t hit her.

 

She half-opened her eyes and saw Jiang Zhi had put down the snowball, walked over, and tapped her nose.

 

“Do you think I’m like you? I would never be able to hit my own girlfriend that hard.”

 

Lin Anran looked at the red mark on Jiang Zhi’s forehead, a flash of guilt in her eyes.

 

But apologizing was out of the question. She grumbled: “Don’t be a petty person. Don’t fuss over such a small thing.”

 

Jiang Zhi shook her head and smiled.

 

They had built a snowman, although it was so ugly Lin Anran ended up kicking it down.

 

They had had a snowball fight, although Lin Anran had hit her hard enough to leave a red mark on her forehead.

 

The process wasn’t exactly perfect, but the two essential activities after heavy snow—building a snowman and having a snowball fight—were done.

 

With nothing left to do, the two lay down together in the snow, gazing up at the bright blue sky after the snowfall.

 

Jiang Zhi turned her head to look at her, and Lin Anran turned her head, too. Their eyes met.

 

Lin Anran smiled, and Jiang Zhi smiled with her.

 

“You’re laughing like an idiot,” Lin Anran cursed her.

 

Jiang Zhi didn’t know if her laugh was idiotic, but hearing Lin Anran curse made her laugh even harder.

 

Jiang Zhi asked: “Are you cold?”

 

Lin Anran: “Not really.”

 

“Should we lie here for a bit longer?”

 

“Whatever.”

 

The surroundings were quiet, and the moment felt peaceful.

 

Jiang Zhi thought, How wonderful if time could stop at this second. There was too much uncertainty in the world. How wonderful if it could be eternally fixed on this moment of happiness.

 

No matter how much uncertainty the future held, she would always remember this moment.

 

This happiness, this love.

 

“Stop being annoying! I don’t need this trash! Would you please take this trash and disappear!”

 

The quiet snowscape was suddenly broken by a noisy argument.

 

Jiang Zhi propped herself up and looked towards the source of the sound.

 

Around a nearby corner, an elderly woman and a young girl appeared. The young girl was looking at the old woman with anger.

 

During their argument, the young girl suddenly pushed the old woman down and cursed: “Don’t you know how embarrassing it is for you to bring me these things? My friends are all important people, people who can stay in this hotel are all respectable figures.”

 

“Nobody wants these local specialties you bring! You make me so awkward and lose so much face! I really wish you weren’t my grandmother!!”

 

After venting her fury, the girl walked away, without looking back at the old woman lying on the ground, or the local specialties scattered everywhere.

 

The old woman called her, but she was indifferent, walking faster and faster.

 

It was as if the old woman behind her wasn’t her relative, but her enemy.

 

Jiang Zhi watched the scene, her mind blurring. Her hand clenched into a fist, momentarily pulling her back to her final year of high school.

 

In her youth, she had placed excessive importance on face and self-esteem, unaware that this hollow self-esteem had hurt her closest relative.

 

Jiang Zhi climbed up from the snow, ran over, helped the elderly woman up, and picked up the scattered specialties for her.

 

The old woman thanked her repeatedly, muttering: “I just wanted my granddaughter’s friends to try the local specialties. I didn’t mean to embarrass her. I didn’t know this would embarrass her. I wouldn’t have come if I knew. Alas, such a waste of these preserved meats.”

 

Jiang Zhi opened her mouth, but couldn’t utter a single word of comfort. She eventually watched the old woman walk away, stumbling slightly.

 

Lin Anran walked over, indignant: “What kind of person is that? That’s awful! Is that girl crazy? How could she treat her own grandmother like that?”

 

“Yes, it’s awful. She’s crazy,” Jiang Zhi muttered.

 

Ignorant and foolish.

 

Jiang Zhi spoke calmly yet unsettlingly: “I once did something similar.”

 

Lin Anran froze, looking at her in shock.

 

Jiang Zhi’s tone remained flat, but her eyes held tears: “Do you know why I’ve always been afraid to say too much whenever I mention my grandmother?”

 

She had always been afraid to say too much about her grandmother, afraid that if she talked about it too much, her sinful self would be exposed to Lin Anran, and Lin Anran would discover it…

 

Jiang Zhi was not only ordinary, but also shameful and terrible.

 

The wristband she wore, which was not tied tightly, felt inexplicably painfully tight right now.

 

That year in high school, she failed her college entrance exam and only got into a mediocre second-tier university. That was also the year she argued with her grandmother.

 

Plagued by nightmares, she often dreamed of her cruel words.

 

She dreamed of quietly throwing away the sweater her grandmother had painstakingly knitted, believing that if she didn’t wear the unfashionable sweater, she could hold her head high and avoid being looked down upon by her classmates.

 

She had just thrown the sweater into the trash when her grandmother saw her.

 

When their eyes met, shame and embarrassment intermingled, and her words turned into sharp weapons.

 

“I don’t want to wear it. It’s embarrassing. My classmates all laugh at me. Can you please stop knitting these kinds of sweaters for me? I don’t like them at all…”

 

“Don’t come to my school to see me anymore. Why do you go see me dressed in rags? Are you afraid I won’t be ridiculed enough? Why does our family have to be so poor…”

 

Her grandmother’s body trembled, and she seemed to age instantly.

 

Jiang Zhi didn’t know that was the last time she would see her grandmother.

 

She had been celebrating that she finally didn’t have to wear the ugly sweater, that she wouldn’t be mocked by her classmates, and that she had finally upheld her ridiculous self-esteem.

 

“Lin Anran, how about you stop liking me? I don’t even like myself.” Jiang Zhi lowered her head, a self-mocking curve to her lips.