I Am Her Secret Beauty - Chapter 68

Nan Lian had agreed to bring her younger sister and sister-in-law to Z City, not expecting them to actually accomplish anything significant. She simply felt it was better to keep them under her watchful eye rather than letting them wander around aimlessly.

She didn’t subscribe to the notion of “the elder sister acting as a mother,” but Nan Xi had never been one for socializing since childhood. Now that she was suddenly getting involved in something potentially dangerous… it was only right to keep an eye on her.

The people stationed downstairs reported that the young lady and Mu Xi had gone out, seemingly relaxed and probably not on any serious business.

While they were leisurely heading out to enjoy themselves, Nan Lian’s own situation was becoming increasingly complicated.

Her former lover was the cousin of a long, long, long-gone ex.

After Su Wen’s death, Nan Lian had taken care of her parents and family but had overlooked this cousin. Whether it was a coincidence or not, she couldn’t say.

Thinking back carefully, she had been involved with Bai Ran for nearly a year, yet she knew nothing about her background or profession. She had merely used her as a distraction from the busyness and pain of her life, callously leaving after each encounter.

Nan Lian sat across from Bai Ran, burying her face deep in her palms. The person opposite her remained silent, but her gaze was still intense.

At the time, she hadn’t realized it, but looking back now… she saw what a terrible person she had been.

A somewhat inappropriate thought crossed Nan Lian’s mind:

What exactly did Bai Ran see in someone as despicable as her?

Bai Ran said her work was related to information management and mentioned that being a programmer might have just been a cover for Su Wen’s profession back then.

She provided a crucial piece of information:

“When something happened to Sister Su Wen back then, my first thought wasn’t that you had harmed her, even though I didn’t know who Sister Su Wen’s partner was at the time… I thought it was an enemy who had come after her.”

“An enemy?”

The veins at her temples throbbed violently. This was completely at odds with Nan Lian’s understanding of Su Wen. How could a diligent programmer have enemies?

“Once or twice, Sister Su Wen asked me to look up someone’s registration information,” Bai Ran explained, seeing her confusion. “I asked her why she needed the hotel registration details of complete strangers, but she refused to tell me. From then on, I started to suspect her work involved more than just writing code…”

The words spilling from her lips were like a terrifying curse, worming their way into Nan Lian’s brain through her ears, swirling and spreading until her consciousness grew hazy, her memories and sense of self crumbling apart.

Nan Lian began to doubt whether she was truly a fully functional human being. Her understanding of people was far too superficial, this was true for Bai Ran, and even for Su Wen, whom she had been in a relationship with for three long years.

In other words, how terrible of a girlfriend had she been for Su Wen to feel too afraid to even tell her what she really did for a living?

Everything she had believed before had to be overturned. Everyone Su Wen had been in contact with while she was alive needed to be reinvestigated. Perhaps they weren’t just ordinary friends but colleagues she had dealings with in her work.

…

Bai Ran stared at Nan Lian, who was lost in self-doubt. “You really loved her.”

Nan Lian lifted her head, her smile filled with profound sorrow. “No.”

She couldn’t explain more to Bai Ran, because the kindness Bai Ran had received from her was far less than what the deceased Su Wen had ever gotten.

Nan Lian stood up and moved behind Bai Ran to untie the ropes binding her wrists. Those slender wrists were already marked with red lines, and her fingers had turned pale and bluish from poor blood circulation. Yet Bai Ran merely withdrew her hands slowly, tucking them in front of her abdomen and rubbing them gently, not even frowning.

The person who had bound her and then freed her now rose and murmured something to the bodyguards. Bai Ran couldn’t make out the words, unaware that Nan Lian was instructing them to treat her well but to keep her confined for the time being.

Seeing Nan Lian about to leave, Bai Ran immediately asked, “Where are you going?”

“I’ll be back,” Nan Lian replied evasively.

Bai Ran didn’t press further. Even if Nan Lian hadn’t ordered her to stay, she wouldn’t have left voluntarily, not until someone forced her out.

She knew her behavior was pathological, abnormal, and self-destructive. But once a person is sick, there’s little they can do about it.

Everyone in her family had some kind of sickness. Sister Su Wen had been abnormal, which was why she died young. Bai Ran wasn’t much better off, which was why she, too, had once been close to death. But it seemed Nan Lian was drawn to such sick individuals, perhaps because she herself was terminally ill.

Being sick together was, in a way, a blessing.

While Mu Xi and Nan Xi stood by the roadside eating roasted sweet potatoes and whispering sweet nothings at the alley entrance, Nan Lian had already led her people in a sudden counterattack.

Those who had breathed a sigh of relief, thinking they had escaped disaster, were once again gripped with fear. They couldn’t shake the feeling that the person standing before them was unhinged, perhaps a mental patient? Madmen were not to be trifled with, especially one as wealthy and powerful as this…

…

It was already the third day when Nan Lian called again. After clearing the air, life seemed brighter. Mu Xi and Nan Xi genuinely embraced the mindset of tourists in City Z, soaking in a private hot spring at the famous resort. The steam was so thick that Mu Xi almost missed the caller ID on her phone screen.

Nan Xi had forgotten that their trip had, for the most part, achieved nothing. Enthusiastically, she had browsed numerous recommendation posts and found many people raving about City Z’s hot springs.

She thought it made perfect sense.

The colder the weather, the more precious a warm hot spring became.

Moreover, due to its geographical location near a volcano in the northern region, City Z’s groundwater was rich in minerals beneficial to the human body.

This was right up her alley. With just a glance at the listed components, Nan Xi knew they were genuinely good, not only for skincare but also for health, and unavailable in City A.

Organizing trips was Mu Xi’s forte. Early the next morning, the two of them hurried excitedly to the resort and checked into the finest hot spring villa.

In the courtyard was a steaming hot spring pool, offering the utmost comfort and privacy. Before Mu Xi could even finish unpacking, Nan Xi slipped into the water naked, only to scramble out moments later, yelping from the heat.

After acclimating to the temperature for a while, Nan Xi finally settled into the warm spring, sighing contentedly.

Sharing the joy was better than enjoying it alone. Nan Xi beckoned to Mu Xi, “Come on, hurry up!”

Mu Xi was just as eager, but her professional habits compelled her to tidy up their belongings first. Only when everything in the room was neatly arranged did she step outside wrapped in a towel and approach the hot spring.

With just one glance into the water, Mu Xi grew uneasy:

“Why aren’t you wearing anything?”

The hot spring water was exceptionally clear. With just a downward glance, Mu Xi could see Nan Xi’s beautiful figure beneath the surface. It didn’t help that her eyesight was so sharp, she could clearly make out the curves of Nan Xi’s body, the exact contours, and even where her fingertips rested on her thighs. Nan Xi never kept any secrets from her.

In contrast, Mu Xi, wrapped tightly in a towel, seemed overly reserved.

“We’re in a private hot spring, completely secluded,” Nan Xi remarked, thinking one of Mu Xi’s most endearing traits was how easily she blushed. Even though they had seen each other countless times, Mu Xi would still get shy in the most unexpected moments.

Without another word, Nan Xi pulled Mu Xi into the water. The difference in physique between an alpha and an omega was undeniable, Mu Xi didn’t need time to adjust to the water temperature. Her skin was soft yet resilient, and she quickly settled into a state of relaxation.

After only a brief moment of closing her eyes to enjoy the warmth, Nan Xi began to grow restless, proving that Mu Xi’s decision to keep her towel on had been wise.

Mu Xi felt a pair of hands tugging at her towel. Thankfully, she had tied it securely before stepping out, or it would have already floated away on the water, along with what little remained of her dignity.

“The steam is so thick, I can barely see you,” Nan Xi said, though her actions seemed entirely unrelated to her words.

Mu Xi chuckled softly while shielding the towel at her chest. “It’s not that bad. I can see you just fine.”

“Wouldn’t it be better if we were both open with each other? I may not have much experience with relationships, but I know that one key to maintaining intimacy is honesty. The best counterexample is my dad, that’s why I moved out. You know about that, right?”

Nan Xi appealed to both emotion and reason, her hands stubbornly refusing to let go, as if determined to win this little battle.

Her strength was no match for Mu Xi’s, who only put up a token resistance to maintain a sense of equality between them.

Finally giving in, Mu Xi lowered her hands in resignation and asked weakly, “Is your heat cycle coming up soon?”

“Yes, in about five days or so.”

Nan Xi succeeded in pulling the towel off Mu Xi and tossed it carelessly onto the water, letting it drift away. She adored Mu Xi’s body, not just for its beauty, but for the strength it seemed to embody. No matter how much Nan Xi trained, she could never develop such defined muscle lines, yet Mu Xi effortlessly maintained a clear-cut abdominal contour.

Though, to be fair, Mu Xi didn’t train all that much either.

Unable to resist, Nan Xi reached out to trace the lines of Mu Xi’s abdomen. Meanwhile, Mu Xi sighed above her, “Can’t you try to make it come earlier? While we still have these few leisurely days… It’d be better than dealing with it once we’re back in A City.”

Nan Xi frowned at the suggestion, as if marking had been reduced to some kind of chore. It took away much of the romance.

“No speeding it up. Why rush? Let things happen when they’re supposed to. Humans already lack enough respect for natural rhythms.”

She pinched Mu Xi’s stomach, it was so firm she could barely get a grip.

Mu Xi had no idea why Nan Xi was suddenly tickling her belly, but it made her squirm. Since Nan Xi felt so strongly about it… she supposed they should follow nature’s course and the desires of the heart.

Nan Xi was right, they ought to cherish every moment of joy they could, indulging in pleasure before any headaches arose.

As for the headaches and whatever came after… they could worry about that later.

They had tried moving vigorously in the bathtub before, but it was far too cramped, quite different from a spacious hot spring like this.

The hot spring was wide enough and had flowing water. Here, they didn’t need to worry about space, only the warmth of the water and each other’s closeness.

Before checking in, Mu Xi had strictly inquired about and inspected the hygiene standards, especially regarding the open-air hot spring in the courtyard. Truth be told, she often had impure thoughts and ideas, but each time, Nan Xi was the one who expressed them first.

This was good, otherwise, Mu Xi would have felt too shy to take the initiative.

Mu Xi wrapped her arms around Nan Xi’s waist, and her gentle movements elicited a soft whimper from Nan Xi. Her eyes grew moist, glistening as she gazed at Mu Xi through the steam, melting into a pool of emotion, indistinguishable from the water around them.

Mu Xi had always found it hard to resist Nan Xi’s unreserved gaze. Through it, she could feel how much Nan Xi adored her.

Being loved like this was pure bliss, so much so that she wanted to reciprocate with the same intensity.

But Mu Xi wasn’t good at expressing herself with words, so in silence, she lifted Nan Xi onto her lap, leaning against the edge of the hot spring in a half-seated position.

As Nan Xi straddled her legs, she heard Mu Xi ask,

“Is it okay if the hot water gets inside?”