Golden Temptation – A Yuri Story - Chapter 66

Qiao Fei paced nervously in front of the door, racking her brain for the right way to apologize to Jing Xuan. She was more anxious than she had ever been before, yet inexplicably excited—like a schoolgirl about to confess her crush to an upperclassman. But fate, as always, didn’t give her much time to prepare. Before she could even organize her thoughts, the door opened.

“Uh—Miss Qiao! Were you looking for me?” Yan Junye opened the door and immediately saw Qiao Fei fidgeting outside, her anxious appearance oddly adorable. Unknowingly, Yan Junye found herself liking Qiao

Fei even more.

“Huh? No… hehe… um, is Jing Xuan in?”

“Oh, you’re here for Ajing! She’s in the room inside.”

Qiao Fei wished she could just crawl into a crack in the floor out of embarrassment. “Oh—sorry, Junye, I didn’t mean to disturb you…”

“Miss Qiao, actually, I needed to talk to her too. Let’s go together.”

“No, no! You go ahead. I’ll… I’ll come back later! I—”

Before she could explain further, Yan Junye had already taken her hand and knocked on Jing Xuan’s door.

“Junye… what are you two doing here?” Jing Xuan opened the door wrapped in a warm yellow bathrobe, beads of water still dripping from her damp bangs. Barefoot on the rug, she looked utterly relaxed. Qiao Fei instinctively looked down and caught sight of Jing Xuan’s toned calf and pale feet under the robe. Her face flushed as memories of their past intimacy flashed through her mind.

“She just got out of the shower…”

“I do have something to talk to you about,” Junye said, “but Miss Qiao’s matter seems more urgent. You two go ahead. Miss Qiao, please.”

She practically pushed Qiao Fei into Jing Xuan’s room. Caught off guard, Qiao Fei stumbled right into Jing Xuan’s arms. Reflexively, Jing Xuan caught her to keep her from falling, and in the next moment, Junye had already closed the door behind them.

Surrounded by the familiar scent of jasmine and wrapped in those warm arms, Qiao Fei suddenly felt like a wronged child who had finally come home—tears welled up in her eyes.

Jing Xuan gently set her upright and stepped back, her smile warm but distant.

“Hey~ What did you want to talk about?”

Her polite tone made them feel like strangers. Qiao Fei hesitated, her mouth dry. Had Jing Xuan really let her go so easily?

“Xuan… I’m sorry.”

“If you came to apologize, there’s no need. If anyone should be sorry, it’s me—for making you suffer, humiliating you, and forcing you to stay with me. You should’ve left me. I’m sorry, Fei’er.”

“No, it’s not like that! I… I shouldn’t have impulsively revealed your identity…”

“My identity would’ve come out sooner or later. Whether you said it or someone else did, it was inevitable. I was prepared for that. I just didn’t expect… it would come from you.”

Jing Xuan’s expression turned cold, and her eyes were filled with bitter disappointment. She truly loved Qiao Fei—but the woman she loved had betrayed her at the most critical moment. Jing Xuan hated herself for still loving her despite everything.

“Xuan, please don’t be like this! I came to tell you… I was drunk that afternoon. What I said—it wasn’t from the heart! You have to believe me!”

“No, you meant every word.”

“Xuan! I didn’t mean it!”

“No, you did.”

“Xuan!” Qiao Fei burst into tears, desperate. “Please believe me…”

“I do believe you—but you didn’t believe me. I asked you that day, Fei’er, were those words from your heart? And you admitted they were. They say people speak the truth when they’re drunk. I thought… you were with me because you loved me.”

“I…”

“I know I’ve kept a lot from you. That’s wrong. But I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to drag you into my world. My past, my life… it’s too complicated. I was afraid you’d get hurt. Afraid you’d leave if you knew.

I just wanted you to trust me. But it looks like… I was hoping for too much. Wanting to keep you—was my mistake. But you knew I was drugged… I didn’t want to force you…”

“Xuan!” Qiao Fei threw herself into Jing Xuan’s arms again, clinging to her tightly. She didn’t notice Jing Xuan’s slight frown.

“Xuan! It was my fault! I understand now! I’m sorry… please, don’t be mad anymore, don’t punish me anymore… please…”

“I’m not a good person. I can’t give you a normal family. And I… I still love Lan Qing.”

“I don’t care! I don’t care! I just want to love you!”

“Fei’er, think carefully. I’m not a good person! My parents are gangsters—we’ve done horrible things. I’m a criminal, Fei’er.”

“Don’t say that! All I know is that you’re Jing Xuan—the person I love. Whatever happens, we’ll face it together!”

“Fei’er, why put yourself through this? We’ve already broken up! You’re with Junye now, and I’m with Lan. It’s over between us!”

“I told you—those weren’t my real feelings! Jing Xuan, what do I have to do to make you believe me? Believe my heart? Forgive me!”

“I am giving you a chance.”

“Your idea of a chance is pushing me away? Do you think I’ll be happy without you? Isn’t true happiness about never being apart from the one you love? I love you! I don’t want to be separated from you! That’s my happiness!”

“I don’t love you anymore.”

“…What?”

“I said, I don’t love you anymore.”

Qiao Fei stared blankly at her. Jing Xuan’s face was calm and emotionless, as if she truly no longer had feelings for her. Qiao Fei tried to detect even a flicker of a lie in her expression—but it was no use. Jing Xuan’s face remained perfectly composed. If she was pretending, then she was a terrifyingly good actress. If not… then maybe she really had stopped loving her.

“Did you hear me clearly? I don’t love you anymore. I love Lan Qing. Stop clinging to me.”

Jing Xuan’s face turned cold as she grabbed Qiao Fei and shoved her toward the door. Her grip on Qiao Fei’s wrist left it red and sore, without the slightest gentleness. Qiao Fei struggled, but Jing Xuan flung her off and slammed the door shut. Just then, Qiao Fei reached out to stop it—and her fingers got caught.

“Ah!”

Jing Xuan hadn’t expected that. The door had shut hard, and Qiao Fei felt as if her bones were about to break.

“Let me see!”

Jing Xuan gently lifted Qiao Fei’s now-bruised fingers.

“You still care about me! You still love me!”

Qiao Fei smiled through the pain. Jing Xuan’s worry was too real to fake. She was just being stubborn.

“Even as a friend, I’d still be concerned.”

“Still being stubborn!”

“Enough already! Come inside, let me get you some medicine. Be careful.”

Qiao Fei followed Jing Xuan back into the bedroom. Jing Xuan quickly took out the first aid kit and began disinfecting her wounds. Qiao Fei silently watched her focused expression, a warm feeling blooming in her chest. She leaned in and gently kissed Jing Xuan’s cheek.

“Stop it! What if I hurt you?”

“You’re worried!”

Jing Xuan didn’t respond. She simply continued what she was doing. Qiao Fei, a little smug, stopped messing around and casually glanced around the room. At the bottom of the wardrobe, she saw a bundle of clothes. Shocked, she noticed faint bloodstains on the collar. Turning toward the bathroom, she spotted the reflection in the mirror: the bathtub water was tinted bright red.

Ignoring the pain in her fingers, she clutched Jing Xuan’s shoulders tightly.

“Xuan! Are you hurt?! Where are you bleeding?!”