One Year After Her Sister-In-Law Was Widowed - Chapter 32

Ji Zhuozhou said she simply thought that fruit wines smelled very fragrant and couldn’t resist wanting to open them to have a taste.

Ji Zhuozhou said she just drank one small cup, then another, and she had felt perfectly fine just a moment ago.

Ji Zhuozhou said she only felt dizzy when she stood up, and she couldn’t stand steadily at all.

Ji Zhuozhou’s voice was also soft and limp, carrying a hint of blurred drunkenness; it sounded as if honey would flow out when it landed near one’s ear.

With stiff limbs, Xiao Shuangyu held the limp Ji Zhuozhou and moved back to the sofa to sit down. “Sister, is there anywhere else you feel uncomfortable? Are you nauseous? Do you want to throw up?”

Ji Zhuozhou leaned against her shoulder and slowly shook her head. “I’m fine, just a bit dizzy.”

She looked up again. “I’ll be okay after a little rest. LianLian, don’t mind me.”

Those green eyes, stunningly beautiful, were slightly narrowed at this moment. Thick lashes cast shadows within them, making her expression unreadable.

The moment Xiao Shuangyu met those eyes, she instinctively looked away. She stood up quickly, grabbed a pack of yogurt, and fetched a cup of warm water.

“Sister, have something to drink. You’ll feel better.”

Ji Zhuozhou nodded. Her reddened fingertips reached out lazily, looking somewhat unsteady.

Seeing Ji Zhuozhou reaching toward the warm water, Xiao Shuangyu immediately placed the yogurt on the side table. She leaned forward a few inches and held the cup to Ji Zhuozhou’s lips.

Her ears had turned red long ago, and her face began to flush, almost surpassing the rosy glow on Ji Zhuozhou’s face.

She lowered her voice. “Sister, let me.”

Ji Zhuozhou hummed a response from her nose and slightly opened her vivid red lips.

A faint scent of alcohol was exhaled with her breath. Xiao Shuangyu carefully fed the water to Ji Zhuozhou sip by sip.

Sensing that Ji Zhuozhou no longer wanted to drink, Xiao Shuangyu hurried to move the cup away.

Before she could say a word, Ji Zhuozhou leaned back against her shoulder.

With her beautifully shaped lips opening and closing, Ji Zhuozhou spoke with a blurred voice, “I’m sleepy.”

A shimmering moisture was smeared on those lips, making the color appear even more beautiful and making one really want to kiss them.

Xiao Shuangyu quickly lowered her gaze. She placed the cup on the coffee table in front of her and picked Ji Zhuozhou up by sliding her arms under the other woman’s knees.

She felt Ji Zhuozhou’s body temperature had risen slightly; a soft warmth filled her embrace.

Ji Zhuozhou was somewhat startled and looked up at her with narrowed eyes.

Sensing this, Xiao Shuangyu wanted to look at Ji Zhuozhou but didn’t dare to meet her gaze; she only stole a glance from her peripheral vision. “I’m taking Sister to sleep.”

Ji Zhuozhou nodded and buried her head against Xiao Shuangyu’s heart, letting the violent thumping of the heart echo loudly in her ear.

Xiao Shuangyu walked briskly to Ji Zhuozhou’s room.

Ji Zhuozhou had already washed up and changed into her nightgown. Xiao Shuangyu carefully placed her on the bed and pulled up the covers. Ji Zhuozhou had already closed her eyes.

The slender body sank into the soft bedding. The flush on her cheeks made her usually gentle face look a bit more seductive—she was unreasonably beautiful.

Xiao Shuangyu stood by the bed for a long time.

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she hurried to the next room to grab her pajamas and wash up.

When the sound of rushing water drifted through the wall and landed on the bed, the Ji Zhuozhou on the bed opened her eyes.

A moment later, hearing the water stop, Ji Zhuozhou closed her eyes again.

Not long after, the mattress beside Ji Zhuozhou sank; Xiao Shuangyu had climbed onto the bed.

Her excessively black eyes stared intently in the darkness, quiet and soundless.

Xiao Shuangyu was watching Ji Zhuozhou.

Ji Zhuozhou seemed to be drunk. Perhaps she hadn’t reached the point of being dead drunk, but she was clearly intoxicated.

Xiao Shuangyu wanted to stay here to watch over and take care of Ji Zhuozhou.

Those beautiful lips were within reach, constantly trying to attract Xiao Shuangyu’s attention.

After a long time, she leaned forward gently and kissed that softness.

It was a touch-and-go kiss.

She carefully retreated to her original position and pressed her lips tight.

Ji Zhuozhou didn’t find out.

Ji Zhuozhou didn’t notice.

When Ji Zhuozhou opened her beautiful eyes and cast a gaze of deep green into her own, Xiao Shuangyu spoke in a muffled voice, “Sister, you drank too much last night.”

Ji Zhuozhou blinked.

Xiao Shuangyu said righteously, “I was taking care of Sister.”

With a pale face, pitch-black eyes, and dark circles that almost stole all the attention from her sanpaku eyes, Xiao Shuangyu held a corner of the quilt and spoke while pressed close to Ji Zhuozhou’s side.

Ji Zhuozhou reached out a hand toward her.

Xiao Shuangyu instinctively tensed her body, but Ji Zhuozhou’s hand landed on her back, pulling her halfway into an embrace.

A soft, light voice landed by her ear. Ji Zhuozhou said, “Why are you so cold?”

Xiao Shuangyu froze for a second, then burrowed further into Ji Zhuozhou’s arms.

Warmth instantly enveloped her entire body. Xiao Shuangyu narrowed her eyes comfortably.

The drunken Ji Zhuozhou had been kicking the quilt to the other side all night and had even pinned it all under herself. It was one thing that Xiao Shuangyu couldn’t steal any for herself; Ji Zhuozhou herself wouldn’t have been covered.

She was afraid of waking Ji Zhuozhou and didn’t dare to pull hard. Every movement was done with extreme caution. After finally managing to cover Ji Zhuozhou, she always felt as if Ji Zhuozhou’s eyelashes were trembling slightly and didn’t dare to get too close.

So, Xiao Shuangyu, who was holding a corner of the quilt, had become a human anchor after several failed attempts to keep Ji Zhuozhou covered.

Her body temperature was naturally low to begin with, and now the nighttime temperature has dropped as well. With half her body outside the quilt, it was hard not to feel chilly.

She rubbed against Ji Zhuozhou’s shoulder and said in a small voice, “I was a bit hot just now.”

She added, “Now I’m cold.”

Ji Zhuozhou sighed silently and pulled the quilt over Xiao Shuangyu. “Then we’ll get out of bed once LianLian warms up.”

Xiao Shuangyu nodded rapidly.

A few strands of hair from the top of her fluffy head rubbed against Ji Zhuozhou’s face, causing a light, airy itch.

Ji Zhuozhou felt a subtle sense of pleasure.

It was hard to say she hadn’t been intentional from start to finish, but Xiao Shuangyu’s reaction allowed that deliberateness to find the best answer.

Xiao Shuangyu was too easy to bully. It made one want to keep bullying her.

Ji Zhuozhou lowered her eyes; the depths of those forest-green eyes were unfathomable.

In her arms, Xiao Shuangyu, who was once again thinking “I am definitely not a bad woman,” was completely unaware.

She was held in the center of the rain-and-mist scent; even her breathing was filled with scorching happiness.

The two lay there for about half an hour. When Xiao Shuangyu became warmer and warmer, Ji Zhuozhou let go.

“Alright, it’s time to get up.”

Before Xiao Shuangyu could react, the warmth she was clutching tightly left her.

Her face was very red, as were her ears, but this heat couldn’t fill the void left by Ji Zhuozhou’s departure. Xiao Shuangyu hurried to climb up after her, feeling empty in both her arms and her heart.

The empty heart was soon filled again.

Because of the dizziness last night, Xiao Shuangyu originally thought Ji Zhuozhou wouldn’t drink anymore and that the fruit wines they bought to drink together could only be left in the fridge for her to drink slowly by herself.

However, during the meal, Ji Zhuozhou still asked her, “Um, do you want to have a little drink together?”

Xiao Shuangyu looked up blankly.

As if knowing what she was going to say, Ji Zhuozhou smiled faintly and held up her fingers to indicate a tiny amount. “I want to taste those flavors, just a little.”

Xiao Shuangyu processed this for a moment and ran excitedly to get glasses.

Just a little, she would only drink a little.

A little bit together with Ji Zhuozhou.

Xiao Shuangyu’s weekend was very happy.

When she started work again on Monday, Yang Shanhe—noticing that somewhat familiar gloomy expression—chatted with her with seventy to eighty percent certainty, “LianLian, you had a good weekend, didn’t you?”

Xiao Shuangyu was wiping the desk, her mind still relishing the fact that she had just come from the underground parking lot to Huari with Ji Zhuozhou and they hadn’t parted until the elevator reached the sixth floor.

That’s right, Xiao Shuangyu, who had said she would take the subway herself to travel separately from Ji Zhuozhou, hadn’t actually traveled separately from her once even until today.

Even at times when they should have been staggered in the underground parking lot, Ji Zhuozhou had not left early.

Ji Zhuozhou said, “Let’s walk together.”

So Xiao Shuangyu followed.

She probably should still be worried, but she had also worked hard for a week. Probably no one in the company knew she was pursuing Ji Zhuozhou; her appearance by Ji Zhuozhou’s side wasn’t abrupt.

She only realized this in hindsight, but thinking back on it brought no worry or reflection—only happiness.

Hearing Yang Shanhe’s voice suddenly, before she could even be startled, she had already broken into a smile.

It wasn’t a very hearty or sunny smile; it looked somewhat sinister.

She nodded her head.

She didn’t notice Yang Shanhe’s eyes widening in surprise; she only heard Yang Shanhe turn away and stretch in her chair.

“That’s good. One really needs to rest well on the weekend.”

Xiao Shuangyu blinked. Her nose seemed to smell the perfume, rain-and-mist scent, and the faint fruit wine aroma belonging to the weekend once again.

Once more, she nodded.

Looking up, she didn’t speak to Yang Shanhe anymore. She looked at the report open on the display screen in front of her and concentrated.

In the afternoon, Bian Ya called her to the small meeting room next door to start her assessment. After it ended, Bian Ya gave her affirmation on the spot: “Not bad.”

On Tuesday, Bian Ya told her, “Starting from today, it won’t be case studies anymore. I’ll start by giving you some simple tasks. Work hard.”

On Wednesday, Xiao Shuangyu—who almost had to work overtime—practically ran to the underground parking lot.

On Thursday, Bian Ya interrupted her work and took her to the ninth floor to listen to a fragrance evaluation meeting.

Xiao Shuangyu was first confused, then expectant, and then felt disappointed.

They weren’t evaluating a fragrance Ji Zhuozhou had created; Ji Zhuozhou was not at the meeting.

Xiao Shuangyu took notes in her book while thinking dazedly.

But perhaps, if it were Ji Zhuozhou’s fragrance evaluation meeting in the future, she could also participate.

Xiao Shuangyu’s mood improved slightly.

After the meeting ended, Bian Ya and others had another meeting to attend. The unrelated people all withdrew, including Xiao Shuangyu.

Xiao Shuangyu wasn’t familiar with those people. Seeing them walk toward the elevator together, she left the group to go to the bathroom.

The rushing water slowly washed away the black ink mark she had accidentally got on her pinky finger. Xiao Shuangyu turned off the tap and walked directly to the outside of the heavily guarded laboratory.

After her transfer, this was her first time on the ninth floor.

The access control that she couldn’t enter even as a security guard before her transfer blocked her now as well.

Fortunately, there wasn’t much time left until off-duty hours; she would soon be able to see Ji Zhuozhou elsewhere.

Xiao Shuangyu stood there for a while before turning around with a lingering low mood.

Just before the elevator doors closed, she suddenly heard a familiar voice.

She rushed out of the elevator quickly, wanting to call Ji Zhuozhou’s name excitedly.

But before that, she heard a familiar name from Ji Zhuozhou’s soft voice.

“…Mingyi.”

Xiao Shuangyu stopped abruptly.

In the center of the view, she had just turned toward, beside Ji Zhuozhou’s gentle back, was a tall young woman following intimately.

The woman named “Mingyi.”

Her heart was pounding—pounding until it felt blood-drenched.