Quenching My Thirst - Chapter 1

Jiang City in June was scorching hot, the sun blindingly bright. Even a short walk under the blazing sun left one drenched in sweat.

Today was the graduation ceremony at the Jiang City Academy of Fine Arts.

The students, clad in academic robes, beamed with radiant smiles. Lively chatter and the click of camera shutters mingled, creating a scene of pure graduate joy and excitement.

But this festive mood failed to reach You Ling, who was squatting in the corner of a pavilion.

“No matter what happens today, pack your things and come home immediately.”

“You have a blind date tomorrow. You’ve enjoyed the family’s resources, now you must repay them by pleasing the eldest daughter of the Bai family.”

She listened to the commanding voice on the other end of the line, her delicate eyebrows furrowing. Before she could respond, the call was abruptly disconnected.

Staring at the blank screen, You Ling took a deep breath.

Just as she was about to stand up and return to her dorm, her roommate Song Zhi’s voice drifted over from a distance.

“You Ling! Come take a group photo with us!”

Hearing the call, You Ling tucked her phone away and reluctantly walked toward the group.

You Ling had spent four years at the Jiang City Academy of Fine Arts. Only during the month of military training had she lived in the dorms. After that, she had rented an apartment near the campus.

She was barely acquainted with her other three roommates, having exchanged fewer than ten sentences with each.

The three girls had grown close over time, forming a tight-knit group that You Ling struggled to integrate into.

So, when they called her over to take a group photo, You Ling was somewhat surprised.

She stood beside Song Zhi, and before she could even look up, the camera clicked, capturing her somber aura, largely obscured by her long bangs.

Before she could react, Song Zhi pressed the phone into her hands, smiling sweetly. “You Ling, the three of us want to take some photos as mementos. Could you help us out?”

As if afraid she’d refuse, Song Zhi blinked, her doll-like face full of pleading. She clasped her hands over her chest. “Please, please.”

Seeing her expression, You Ling swallowed the refusal that had risen to her lips.

After a hurried glance at the less-than-flattering photo, she opened the phone’s camera. “Where should we take them?”

Three smiles bloomed on the girls’ faces at her agreement.

“Let’s go to the new teaching building. The light there is really good.”

After finishing their conversation, Song Zhi and the others headed toward the new teaching building.

You Ling stood frozen in place for a moment before reluctantly following behind them.

Over the past four years, You Ling had taken countless photos for Song Zhi and her friends, always finding some excuse to avoid paying her.

As an oil painting major, You Ling’s professional skills weren’t exceptional. However, she often took on part-time jobs throughout college. Her keen eye for aesthetics and her ability to capture vibrant, lively photos made her a popular choice for female clients seeking photoshoots.

Over the years, her rates had risen to 300-400 yuan per hour.

Yet after each session with her roommates, she rarely received anything more than a simple “thank you”—or, if she was lucky, a bottle of water.

Having passed her most desperate financial times, You Ling didn’t particularly care about the money.

What bothered her was her roommates’ entitled attitude. But she could never bring herself to refuse.

Ultimately, it was her own timid nature.

Following behind the three girls, You Ling let out a soft sigh.

When they finally reached the new teaching building, she raised her phone to take group and individual shots of them.

Halfway through the photoshoot, Li Xinwei and Lan Yinyue took her phone to review the album, still dissatisfied with the results.

After showing the photos to Song Zhiye, Li Xinwei said, “You Ling, did you bring your camera? Phone pictures just don’t have the same quality.”

It was a hot day, and even inside the teaching building, the air was stifling.

After nearly an hour of shooting, You Ling had spent most of her time baking in the sun as she searched for the perfect angles.

She was drenched in sweat, and her long bangs had become matted with sweat.

Wiping her face, You Ling pushed her hair aside, revealing her fair skin and a pair of narrow, beautiful fox-like eyes.

Her lips were a pale, fleshy pink. The dappled sunlight and shadows that fell across her face made her delicate features stand out, and she looked like a living oil painting just standing there.

“I didn’t bring it. If you’re so picky, you should hire a professional photographer,” You Ling retorted before turning to leave.

Seeing this, Li Xinwei grew anxious and quickly tugged at Song Zhi, who was usually so sweet-tongued.

Playing along, Song Zhi said, “I’m sorry, You Ling. Don’t be angry. We didn’t mean anything by it. Even phone pictures will look great.”

With that, she hurried to You Ling’s side.

You Ling stood at 1.75 meters tall, so Song Zhi had to tilt her head back to meet her gaze.

When Song Zhi saw You Ling’s face, which was now no larger than her palm, she froze.

Her gaze burned as if scalded, and she immediately lowered it. When did You Ling become so beautiful? she thought.

It wasn’t a sudden transformation. Her tall, slender roommate had always been reclusive, friendless, and dressed in loose T-shirts and jeans, making her stand out starkly among the stylish students at the Jiang City Academy of Fine Arts.

Her bangs, which covered most of her face, were practically a permanent hairstyle. When attending classes, she usually let her hair hang loose, obscuring her features.

This was the first time Song Zhi had truly seen her face clearly, and her heart skipped a beat.

Looking at Song Zhi before her, You Ling desperately wanted to refuse her request.

But the refusal felt too shameful to utter, and despite turning it over in her mind countless times, the words wouldn’t come out.

In the end, she took the phone from Song Zhi’s hand and continued taking photos of the group.

During the shoot, Song Zhi glanced at You Ling’s face several times, but You Ling paid no attention.

She just wanted to finish the task quickly and retreat to her cramped rental apartment.

When they reached the corridor for the shoot, You Ling reviewed the footage on her phone and noticed a composition problem. She began backing away while instructing, “Raise your hands higher, and smile more naturally. Otherwise…”

Before she could finish, a sharp pain shot through her back, and she was enveloped in a cool, cedar-like scent. Her back pressed against a soft body.

You Ling froze, her words cut off as if her throat had been squeezed.

Realizing she’d bumped into someone, she panicked, immediately setting down her phone and turning around.

Her eyes remained downcast, afraid to meet the woman’s gaze. She stammered an apology, “S-sorry, I didn’t see you just now.”

You Ling kept her head bowed, her eyes involuntarily drifting to the woman’s lower body.

The woman wore a light blue mermaid skirt that fell just below her knees, revealing a section of her straight, pale, and delicate calf.

Her feet were adorned with pearl-white high heels, through which faint blue veins were clearly visible on the exposed instep.

The tension coiled in You Ling’s chest. After a few seconds, she finally heard the woman’s voice—cool yet melodious.

“Look up.”

You Ling’s heart tightened as she slowly raised her head.

The moment she saw the woman’s face, she dazedly thought, What a beautiful and authoritative face.

Snow-white skin, red lips, a delicate nose, and a melon-seed face framed by stunning peach blossom eyes. Her rare blue irises shimmered like the finest sapphires.

Curled black hair cascaded over her shoulders, framing her cheeks and accentuating her flawless, snow-like complexion.

What a beautiful person.

Such perfect Three Courts and Five Eyes proportions.

But she looks so cold.

You Ling’s anxiety intensified, and she swallowed nervously.

“I’m so sorry, I wasn’t watching where I was going. Did I… did I hurt you?”

Seeing her flustered reaction, the woman let out a soft laugh, as if amused.

It was a light, airy sound. Despite her cold, aloof appearance, her laugh carried a hint of allure, like the tickle of a feather’s tip against the ear.

“Why are you so nervous?” the woman asked.

You Ling couldn’t meet her gaze, her eyes fixed on the woman’s slender, long neck, staring at the vein pulsing beneath the skin.

Noticing a gradual blush spreading across the woman’s neck, she felt a pang of curiosity.

Her attention was drawn away by the question, and she quickly replied, “I was worried I might have damaged you.”

The woman rubbed her chest in front of You Ling, her long lashes lifting slightly as she glanced at her, it was hard to tell if it was annoyance or something else.

Watching her movements, the memory of the soft warmth of the woman’s back against her chest when they’d collided earlier, You Ling’s hand, which had been resting at her side, instantly tensed. The line of her arm, concealed beneath her academic robe, was fluid and strong, radiating power at a single glance.

Her heart sank. “Elder Sister,” she said in a low voice, “I’ll take you to the hospital for a check-up.”

She took a step forward, but her sleeve was caught.

“Wait.”

You Ling stopped and turned to look at the woman.

She saw the woman quickly release her sleeve, her expression one of slight distaste.

“No need to go. It’s nothing.”

The woman glanced toward Song Zhi and the others, then her lips curved, softening her cool features.

“Are you taking photos of them? Could you take some of me too? I’ll pay you.”

You Ling shook her head immediately.

“No need to pay, Elder Sister. I’ll take them for free. Let me just check with them first.”

She hurried over to Song Zhi and the others, then turned back to the woman and said:

“I accidentally bumped into someone just now and need to take a picture to apologize. You’ll have to find someone else to take the photos.”

With that, the weight on her chest lifted. Without waiting for a reply, You Ling quickly turned and hurried over to the woman waiting not far away.

She had run back and forth, and her breathing was still hurried from nervousness.

Panting slightly, she asked, “Elder Sister, where would you like to take the photos?”

The woman looked at her and thought for a moment. “Could you recommend a good spot?”

This was not at all what You Ling had expected.

You Ling bit her lip and finally led her to the lotus pond she frequented. The atmosphere there was quiet, with few people and a beautiful view—the pond was filled with blooming pink lotuses.

The woman, who was exceptionally cold and beautiful, stood before the lotus pond. The silk of her blouse fluttered in the wind, revealing her slender shoulders like a mountain snow lotus.

You Ling had the woman tilt her head to the left. Sunlight fell on her delicate profile, dispelling some of the frosty chill she carried.

Finding the perfect angle, You Ling immediately captured her exquisite profile.

After taking the photo, she handed her phone to the woman and asked somewhat hesitantly:

“Elder Sister, is this photo okay?”

“Yes.”

Hearing the affirmative answer, You Ling breathed a sigh of relief.

She exhaled softly and seized the moment. “Where else would you like to take photos?”

The woman’s smile was subtle, and even in her high heels, she barely reached You Ling’s eye level. You Ling could see the faint tremor of her long, delicate eyelashes, casting a small shadow beneath them that made her porcelain skin look even fairer.

“One is enough.”

Before You Ling could react, the woman had already taken a few steps forward, as if to leave.

Watching her willowy figure recede, You Ling froze. Glancing at the photo on her phone, she hurried forward.

“Elder Sister, your photo.”

“…Weren’t you going to apologize?”

The woman turned, and a strand of hair swept across You Ling’s cheek, carrying the crisp, cold scent of pine.

Before You Ling could respond, the woman’s arm reached over her shoulder. Her fingers hooked the hair tie on You Ling’s head, removed it, and slipped it onto her own slender wrist.

As her hair fell to her nape, the woman’s clear, cool voice reached You Ling’s ears.

“Consider the hair tie my apology.”

The story has begun!

This is a new attempt at a cloyingly sweet and fluffy story. I hope you all enjoy it!

You can also find two completed main-focus-on-male-lead historical novels on my homepage.

My next project will be The Villainous Childhood Sweetheart is Four and a Half.

Blurb:

Reborn from a miserable corporate drone into the pampered infant of a top-tier wealthy family, Pei Hanying lived a carefree life for four and a half years.

Until the new neighbors moved in. Witnessing the curly-haired, blue-eyed girl—beautiful as a doll—being systematically abused by her mother, Pei Hanying belatedly realized she might have transmigrated into a novel she’d once read.

The doll before her was the world-destroying villain who would wreak havoc twenty years later.

Meeting those cat-like green eyes, she blinked and slipped away.

Life is short, seize the day.

She was merely an extra in the novel, someone mentioned in passing. She couldn’t change anything, Pei Hanying told herself.

Every time Pei Hanying saw Ning Song, he was injured, always wearing ill-fitting clothes. Though he was a year older than her, he was as thin as a kitten.

One day, during a blizzard, she found Ning Song locked out of his villa, his cheeks flushed red from the cold. Pei Hanying’s heart softened.

“Little cat, want to come over to my place?”

Once she showed him kindness, she could no longer stand by and watch Ning Song being bullied. She possessively claimed him as her territory and protected him.

From then on, a curly-haired, jade-eyed “cat” was always by Pei Hanying’s side.

The little cat was beautiful and well-behaved, accompanying her to and from school each day. He would eat the foods she disliked and occasionally say a word or two that was utterly adorable.

How could this be the main villain?!

He was clearly the most well-behaved Ning Song in the world.

But she didn’t realize that Ning Song’s gaze toward her was growing increasingly intense and dark.

His jade-green eyes were filled with possessiveness.

Later, Ning Song rose to prominence, becoming a rising star in Kyoto. He tore apart his wretched mother and trampled the original male and female leads of the story.

Pei Hanying didn’t have much time to celebrate before the love letters she’d inadvertently accepted were discovered.

That night, she was locked in her room, and Ning Song personally fastened a slender gold chain around her ankle.

From then on, Pei Hanying had to kiss him, embrace him, and satisfy him daily, her hands aching and her body covered in a dense network of his kiss marks.

With tear-filled eyes, she wondered when the villain had become so warped by her care.

She didn’t want to be a woman’s plaything!

After exhausting every method to appease him, she finally managed to lower his guard. Seizing the moment, Pei Hanying fled, booking a flight out of the country that very night.

Ten minutes before boarding, a chill ran down her spine as the sharp click of high heels echoed behind her.

Ning Song’s arms coiled around her neck like flexible snakes.

His lips pressed against the nape of her neck, and her breath came out in a soft, melodic sigh.

“Yingying, dare to run away again, and I’ll break your legs.”

Growth-oriented, mutual attack, Pei Hanying 0.6, one-year age gap.

Arrogant and willful young lady x Reclusive, obsessive, and sickly beauty.

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