Give Her a Chance to Flirt! - Chapter 20.1

Chapter 20.1

Why was Lin Jiu being so proactive?

She was even more adept than herself?

All she wanted was to crash in the second bedroom for a night and leave tomorrow—pure, simple, and uneventful—yet Lin Jiu actually invited her to sleep in the master bedroom together.

No, this progress was too fast. They hadn’t even established a relationship yet. How could they?

Faced with temptation, Yu Yihan firmly said no:

“Sleeping in the master bedroom together would be too much of a disturbance. I’ll go to the Grand Hyatt Jin Mao.”

Lin Jiu seemed to be considering the suggestion.

For a moment, Yu Yihan didn’t know if she hoped Lin Jiu would agree or disagree more.

Lin Jiu glanced out the window:

“The rain hasn’t stopped yet. There’s no need to go through all that trouble.”

After saying that, Lin Jiu checked the time:

“Is it this late already? I’ll take you over to freshen up first, and then we’ll head to bed.”

Yu Yihan’s feet felt like they were glued to the floor. It took her a long while to follow.

By the time she came out, Lin Jiu had already taken out a set of new toiletries from the walk-in closet.

The closet was connected to the master bedroom. Yu Yihan followed, passing through a small wine cellar and a tiny study before reaching the master bedroom.

“The bathroom is on the right side of the master bedroom,” Lin Jiu instructed in a soft voice.

Yu Yihan’s throat felt tight. She took the towels and other items from Lin Jiu’s hands, took a shallow breath, and finally looked inside the master bedroom—

Two beds, side by side.

Yu Yihan blinked slowly.

Two beds?

Lin Jiu explained: “It was like this when I moved in. The master bedroom was designed for separate beds. I found it a hassle, so I didn’t bother having anyone move them around.”

She walked over and gestured: “This bed isn’t narrow. You should be able to sleep comfortably, right?”

“Not narrow” was an understatement.

Each bed was nearly as wide as a double bed, with plenty of extra space. There was a nightstand of about one or two meters between the two beds, as if the designer was terrified the resident couple might start a fight—it was even more cold and clinical than a standard twin room in a hotel.

The little deer that had been dancing wildly in Yu Yihan’s heart suddenly collapsed flat.

Yu Yihan remained expressionless: “Hmm. Go ahead and get busy. I’m going to shower and sleep.”

Yu Yihan turned and walked away.

Behind her, Lin Jiu’s voice came again:

“Alright. But I don’t have any new bathrobes at home. The black silk robe hanging outside the shower is one I’ve only worn once. It’s been washed. You can make do with that.”

The little deer sprawled on the ground pouting lifted its head, ears perking up as it listened to Yu Yihan’s slightly agitated and chaotic heartbeat, feeling like it was back in the game.

Watching Yu Yihan go to wash up and confirming she hadn’t missed anything after a moment’s thought, Lin Jiu returned to her workstation.

If it weren’t raining outside, she would have loved to open the window and let the wind cool her down.

Lin Jiu gulped down half a cup of iced lemon tea.

What happened tonight? Why did Yu Yihan suddenly come over? And even asked to stay the night.

Would she think she was being tricked? Lin Jiu couldn’t help but worry. A several-hundred-square-meter apartment having only one bedroom with a bed sounded exactly like a lame excuse a “bad woman” would use to lure someone into bed.

Lin Jiu hated her past self from a week ago for not thinking to leave a spare bed for Yu Yihan—

Wait. Lin Jiu touched her non-existent conscience. If she had known Yu Yihan was going to sleep at her place, she probably would have sent away the other bed in the master bedroom too, not even leaving a sofa.

She really was a piece of work.

Lin Jiu finished the remaining half cup of ice water.

She suspected she heard the sound of Yu Yihan showering, but realized a beat late that it was the rain.

Beating against the glass, splashing into blurry water flowers, obscuring everything.

Droplets slid down the slippery surface one after another, pulled by gravity; circles stretched into teardrop shapes, then into a blurred line crawling downward until merging into the liquid-drenched ground.

Faintly hot steam rose from the floor, swirling around cool, delicate ankles.

Hot water dripped down, splashing onto Yu Yihan’s instep, transparent water flowers bursting gently.

The arch of her foot flexed once, like a crescent moon, then relaxed. Her feet seemed to be stretching, feeling lazy in the soothing hot water.

The mist grew thicker, clinging upward from her ankles.

Yu Yihan stood under the shower like a white porcelain statue, or like mutton-fat jade, looking as if she might melt into the hot steam in the next second—incredibly soft and lush.

She tilted her head back. Hot water gathered at her jaw, dripping drop by drop into the hollow of her collarbone until it was full, then spilling downward.

The water was overflowing.

Only then did Lin Jiu realize she had spaced out again. She put down the kettle, grabbed some tissues to wipe the hot water that had spilled onto the table, and curled back into her chair.

She had already put away the work that was half-finished. Lin Jiu felt that if she still had the heart to work right now, it would be an insult to Yu Yihan’s peerless beauty.

Having said that, Lin Jiu still recorded her previous insights to avoid forgetting them tomorrow.

After finishing her notes, she sat and played on her phone for a while. Seeing that half an hour had passed and Yu Yihan must have finished washing, she slowly moved back to the master bedroom.

Wash up, lift the covers, sit in, cover up, say goodnight, turn off the light, close eyes, and lie down.

This sequence of actions was executed in one smooth motion, so as not to be discovered as a “closet pervert” (LSP).

Good luck, Lin Jiu. You can do this.

Standing before the closed door, Lin Jiu silently pumped her fist to encourage herself.

She opened the door softly.

The main light was off, leaving only a bedside lamp between the two beds and a floor lamp by Yu Yihan’s side.

Yu Yihan wasn’t asleep yet; she was leaning against the headboard looking at her phone.

She was wearing that black silk robe.

Lin Jiu had bought that robe at a mall; she wore it once and thought the color was too somber and didn’t match the bedding set, so she washed it and hung it up.

Now, worn by Yu Yihan, the deep black contrasted with the snowy skin at the V-neck. It was both “Alpha” and seductive. An aura of lazy maturity couldn’t stop leaking out. Lin Jiu only just realized it was the most beautiful robe she had ever bought.

As if hearing the noise, Yu Yihan looked up.

The light in the room was dim and didn’t reach the depths of her eyes. Lin Jiu only felt she looked more enigmatic than usual.

“You’re back?”

Lin Jiu nodded in response, inwardly cursing herself for being distracted. Even hearing Yu Yihan speak made her feel like the end of the sentence was tickling her heart.

Could it be that Yu Yihan was actually seducing her?

While whispering “bad thoughts” to herself, Lin Jiu ducked into the bathroom.

She noticed the difference as soon as she entered.

It was obvious Yu Yihan had tidied the bathroom after washing; it was very clean.

But the un-dissipated mist still carried residual heat, and the half-dry glass mirror was covered in hot frost. Everything reminded Lin Jiu that Yu Yihan had just used this place.

When she stepped barefoot onto the non-slip mat, she felt that the tiny area still held Yu Yihan’s temperature, scalding the soles of her feet.

Lin Jiu gave a soft hiss, like the moment the showerhead starts spraying.

The mist gradually submerged her.

On the other side of the wall.

Yu Yihan’s fingers kept swiping the screen. The social media interface was like an endless long night, being pushed upward, but no one was looking closely at the content.

The sound of water came from outside the French windows, and it was also the sound of water inside.

Between the cool and the hot, Yu Yihan was being buffeted by diametrically opposite vapors. Her freshly blow-dried long hair hung loosely on her shoulders. When she tilted her head, her nose could bury itself in the hair.

The scent of chamomile and tea tree.

She had also used the body lotion Lin Jiu left on the vanity—rose-scented.

But the scent with the strongest presence was Lin Jiu’s own scent.

The scent that belonged to Lin Jiu herself.

Lin Jiu’s scent lingered in every place she had touched.

The bedside lamp switch she had used, this half of the bed she occasionally or frequently slept in, every corner of this room, and—the robe Lin Jiu had worn once, now wrapping around her.

Yu Yihan closed her eyes. Within her mind, she carried a whole world of light, dreamlike clouds.

At some point, the rain stopped, and the sound of water stopped too.

The bathroom door opened, and Lin Jiu walked out carrying a aura of mist.

She tidied her hair and looked at Yu Yihan on the bed.

Yu Yihan was still holding her phone, but she had already lied down with her eyes closed, appearing to be asleep.

“Yu Yihan?” Lin Jiu called softly.

Yu Yihan didn’t respond.

Is she asleep?

Lin Jiu waited for a moment, then walked over softly to turn off the floor lamp by Yu Yihan’s bed.

She waved her hand in front of Yu Yihan’s eyes. Seeing that she really didn’t react, Lin Jiu knelt with one leg on the edge of the bed and leaned over to reach for the phone in her hand.

She didn’t expect a CEO would also play with her phone until falling asleep. Lin Jiu thought, shouldn’t she help charge it? Otherwise, how could she keep playing tomorrow?

Yu Yihan was clutching the phone a bit tightly. Lin Jiu didn’t dare touch her, so she couldn’t find any leverage.

The quilt beneath her moved. Lin Jiu lost her balance, her waist tilting toward the foot of the bed. Seeing she was about to fall, the next moment, a hand caught her by the waist.

Yu Yihan’s body temperature is really high. Her palm is so hot.

This was Lin Jiu’s first reaction.

The heat made her shiver, and an upward surge of itchiness made her immediately dodge Yu Yihan’s hand, though a large area of numbness remained at her waist.

She steadied herself, withdrew the hand that was reaching for the phone, and explained:

“I saw you were asleep and wanted to help you put it away.” And charge it.

Yu Yihan slowly closed her empty hand, saying nothing.

Lin Jiu’s reflexive dodge was etched into her eyes. Does she reject my touch?

Even though she had moments of being very close to Lin Jiu before—Yu Yihan had even bitten her—this one dodge made Yu Yihan’s heart plummet, unable to find the bottom.

Yu Yihan was lying down while Lin Jiu stood by the bed, giving her a full view of the “scenery.”

But Lin Jiu couldn’t let herself be a pervert in front of a beautiful woman. She looked straight ahead as she moved back to her own bed, followed the planned steps to lie under the covers, said goodnight to Yu Yihan, and turned off the light to sleep in one smooth motion.

In the darkness, watching Lin Jiu’s decisive actions, Yu Yihan’s face grew even colder.

With the lights out, the other person’s presence seemed even stronger.

Just thinking that Yu Yihan was sleeping only two or three meters away, wearing her own robe—who could handle this!

Lin Jiu rolled over to feel for her phone and headphones. Where’s my Heart Sutra (for calming the mind)?

“You’re not asleep yet.”

In the dark, Yu Yihan’s cool-textured voice drifted over.

Lin Jiu pulled her hand back under the covers:

“Mm-hmm.”

“Why aren’t you sleeping? Not tired?”

“I’m working on getting into the sleeping mood.”

Not only was she not tired, she was actually a bit excited.

“What are you thinking about? Or are you thinking about nothing at all?”

Good heavens.

If she said she was thinking about the sexy and beautiful Sister Yu, she’d be treated like a little pervert.

Lin Jiu shrunk further into the covers and lied through her teeth:

“I’m thinking about Lin Momo.”

“?”

This woman was lying in the same room as her, and with the lights out, she was actually thinking about Lin Momo.

President Yu’s heart went stone cold. She decided to set aside emotions and talk business.

She asked calmly: “Thinking about her weird ability? Besides you and me, it seems no one else realizes they are being controlled by her.”

She had observed at the recognition banquet; no one showed any abnormality, and no one grew closer to Lin Jiu because of Lin Momo’s appearance. Clearly, they didn’t know about their respective abilities.

“That seems to be the case,” Lin Jiu agreed.

She was because of the Green Tea Spirit, while Yu Yihan… Lin Jiu guessed it was because she was one of the female leads of the new script.

Female leads always have something different about them.

After a silence, Yu Yihan said:

“The tea fragrance on you is very unique. So is the tea you brew.”

Lin Jiu didn’t make a sound.

This was perhaps an unspoken understanding between them. Ever since Yu Yihan started “inhaling” her to ward off evil, Yu Yihan understood very well that she was different.

However, as the only supernatural spirit, Lin Jiu remained low-key.

She lightened her breathing, reducing her presence as a human. Accidentally, she drifted off to sleep.

Listening to the steady, long breaths, Yu Yihan’s heart also calmed down.

She didn’t press for answers on whether Lin Jiu knew about her own uniqueness.

Asking that question was meaningless. It was better to simply watch what Lin Jiu did and what she planned to do in the future.

Sniffing the lively and sweet tea fragrance in the air, Yu Yihan recalled legends passed down from old masters in the tea factories and through her ancestors—stories of strange people closely linked with tea.

In legends, the “Tea God” knows every type of tea like the back of their hand and can easily blend them to create the best taste. Yu Yihan thought that perhaps the legends weren’t complete; they missed the even more supernatural traits of these strange people.

Or perhaps those in the know kept their mouths shut, and the information didn’t spread.

Amidst these flying thoughts, Yu Yihan’s mind gradually drifted. Along with the long breaths nearby, she had a good night’s sleep in the damp night after the rain.

Yu Yihan’s biological clock was very precise; she woke up at 6:30 AM on the dot the next morning.

Glancing at the still deeply sleeping Lin Jiu, Yu Yihan moved slowly to leave the master bedroom, checked her messages, and told Assistant Yu to come pick her up.

At 7:00 AM, the doorbell rang.

Yu Yihan checked who was outside before opening the door.

With one glance, her hand stopped on the doorknob.

President Yu, who was usually in total control in the business world, actually hesitated on whether to open the door.

Standing outside, out for a morning run and planning to call Lin Jiu back upstairs for breakfast, Lin Wen looked down at her phone. Seeing no one opening the door, she habitually pressed the doorbell again.

Probably oversleeping again. Lin Wen opened her contacts, about to make a call.

Just as her finger touched the dial button, the door opened.

“I thought you overslept—Yu Yihan??”

In the living room:

Yu Yihan, who was cornered at someone else’s house early in the morning by their sister.

Lin Wen, who discovered there was a woman in a bathrobe in her sister’s house.

Lin Jiu, who had just been woken up and then scared awake.

None of the three were touching; they sat separately on three different sofas.

Her throat was very dry after waking up. Lin Jiu drank some warm water to soothe it before saying steadily:

“Sister, you haven’t misunderstood anything, have you? Sister Yu is just staying over.”

“Her family invested in the Grand Hyatt. She has a permanent suite at the Hyatt,” Lin Wen said calmly.

“Well, it rained last night. She brought my tea leaves over, so there was no need to go through the trouble.”

“Walking from the underground garage and driving all the way to the Hyatt’s VIP garage, not a single raindrop would touch the soles of her shoes.”

“…”

Lin Jiu: I literally cannot respond to that.jpg

She was even convinced by Lin Wen’s eloquence. She peeked at Yu Yihan out of the corner of her eye.

No way, no way… was Yu Yihan actually looking for an excuse to sleep with me?

Does happiness come this suddenly?

Under Lin Wen’s aggressive gaze, Yu Yihan tidied her cuffs and said leisurely:

“Qiongyin has come to Wucheng. She is staying at the Hyatt.”

After hearing this sentence, Lin Wen showed a surprised expression. She froze for a moment, said nothing more, and glanced at the door:

“Your assistant hasn’t come to pick you up yet?”

“Probably traffic.”

Lin Wen stood up: “7:30 AM at the latest. If no one picks you up by then, I will personally drive you to the exhibition venue.”

It was a blatant move to kick the guest out.

“It seems my assistant doesn’t need to come then?”

Lin Wen gave a “tsk,” pointed at Yu Yihan, and looked at Lin Jiu:

“See that? Yu Yihan is this kind of person. Don’t be fooled.”

Yu Yihan also looked at Lin Jiu.

She wasn’t wearing makeup. Her face was clear and brilliant without cosmetics. Her eyes were watery, looking at someone as if expressing deep affection:

“Xiao Jiu, I want to drink the tea you brew.”

A sister’s “acting spoiled” is the most lethal.

Lin Jiu almost tripped over her own feet while going to prepare the tea.

Only after Lin Wen “escorted” Yu Yihan away did Lin Jiu have time to search her memory for the name “Qiongyin.”

It wasn’t hard to find. Lin Jiu soon remembered: it should be Wen Qiongyin from the Wen family.

The Wen family was the last of the four major tea estates.

In the original body’s memory, her sister Lin Wen played more with the older peers like Yu Yihan and Wen Qiongyin and was more familiar with them.

She was two years younger and couldn’t hang out with them, so she didn’t know much about their affairs.

In her impression, Wen Qiongyin was gentle and reliable.

Lin Jiu paused her movements while tidying the tea bowls.

Also, once, rumors that Wen Qiongyin and Yu Yihan were together reached the original body’s ears.

The rumors were ambiguous, suggesting they were together for a short time before breaking up. But that was Yu Yihan’s only scandal. What did Yu Yihan mean just now?

She didn’t want to go to the Hyatt… meaning, is she still troubled by it now?

Lin Jiu sat on the carpet, her chin resting on the table, suddenly losing her energy.

And here she was thinking before that maybe—just a one-in-a-million chance—Yu Yihan had come over because she missed her.

Turns out her house was just a backup for the Hyatt.

Lin Wen left with Yu Yihan, partly to watch her and prevent her from doing anything dishonest.

And on the other hand…

She told Yu Yihan to wait for her in the car. Ten minutes later, Lin Wen changed her clothes, stepped into high heels, and got into the car.

While Yu Yihan was waiting, she had already started browsing documents. Seeing the usually casual Lin Wen now in professional attire, she understood immediately.

Holding the documents, she glanced sideways and asked:

“You’re going too?”

“I can’t go?”

“To see Qiongyin?”

Lin Wen closed her eyes to rest, giving a light snort:

“Who would go specially to see her.”

Yu Yihan gave a non-committal “hmm” and offered a suggestion:

“Then get out of the car.”

Lin Wen stopped talking.

Assistant Yu looked at her boss’s expression and ordered the driver to start.

The car drove smoothly out of the garage. Yu Yihan turned a page of the documents.

Perhaps because she had been thinking about romance a lot in the last two days, and with an old friend beside her, President Yu rarely brought up the past, speaking from the heart:

“Back then, you two…”

“Hmm?”

“It was truly ridiculous.”

“…”

“And exceptionally childish.”

“Say that again and see what happens!”

The event Yu Yihan was heading to was an exhibition. It was medium-sized, serving as a transition and warm-up for the Autumn Tea Exhibition, a place for various families to exchange and learn, lasting three days.

As soon as Lin Wen entered, she disappeared to who-knows-where. Yu Yihan didn’t mind.

Accompanied by the manager responsible for this exhibition, she first went to inspect the Yu Group booth.

At exhibitions, the four major tea estates usually occupied the widest and most superior positions next to each other. As Yu Yihan listened to the manager’s analysis of the exhibition, she looked up and saw a familiar figure diagonally opposite her.

Lin Momo.

That weird woman.

Oh, and also the woman Lin Jiu was still thinking about while lying next to her last night.