Rose Lock - Chapter 27

“What did she say?” Gong Shulan held the person in her arms, her gaze deep as she stared at Jiang Yin’s flushed face, but her hands never stopped moving.

Jiang Yin braced her hands on Gong Shulan’s shoulders, turning her face to the side, subtly enduring, revealing her fair and delicate jawline. Beads of sweat dripped from her temples, and the thin spring garment on her back was already completely soaked. She was almost at her limit with this woman, but she didn’t dare not answer Gong Shulan’s question.

“A-Yan said to take good care of you, and that she’ll send someone to pick you up tomorrow.” The moment the words fell, Jiang Yin’s toes curled. The slender fingers clinging to Gong Shulan’s shoulders suddenly tightened their grip on her clothes, the knuckles turning white.

She wondered if it was her imagination, but whenever she mentioned the name “A-Yan,” this woman would always intensify her force and effort. Her thighs and the wheelchair were already thoroughly wet. She really couldn’t bear to hear those splashing sounds anymore; her cheeks were burning with shame.

“Shulan, Shulan… let’s go to bed, let’s not continue.” Jiang Yin’s chest constricted rapidly, her willow-leaf eyebrows furrowed with discomfort. She reached out and grabbed Gong Shulan’s wrist; her palm was wet and sticky. Jiang Yin felt even more shame and distress.

Gong Shulan held her slender waist, seeing that she was genuinely uncomfortable, her lips already pale, and then finally stopped the movements. Perhaps the night was too captivating; the woman before her was like a white plum blossom blooming in the night—elegant and reserved. Gong Shulan’s gaze lingered on her face and then slowly traveled downward, stopping at her fair, rosy lips. Although a little lacking in color due to the discomfort, her lips were luscious and red, as if painted with the finest lipstick and rouge, making them exceptionally alluring against the pale complexion.

Gong Shulan’s eyes darkened. Driven by a sudden impulse, she slowly leaned in, her nose even catching a faint floral fragrance in the air. However, just one second before their four lips met, the woman so close to her suddenly turned her face away. Her thin lips brushed past Gong Shulan’s mouth corner and landed on her fair cheek.

“Shulan… let’s go to bed, okay?” Jiang Yin’s eyes flickered, pretending that nothing had happened, and spoke softly.

Gong Shulan closed her eyes, suppressing the inexplicable emotion that surged up, telling herself that the movement just now was merely an impulse, and that she, Gong Shulan, would never actively kiss a woman she had hated for 18 years.

Yet, the sight of Jiang Yin turning her face to avoid the kiss inexplicably infuriated her. Her jaw tightened, and she couldn’t speak for a long time.

Jiang Yin lowered her eyes, quietly waiting for the restraining grip on her arm to withdraw. After a while, just when she thought her arm was about to go numb, Gong Shulan suddenly released her hand and pushed the wheelchair toward the bed.

She was still on the woman’s lap, and worried that the wheelchair couldn’t bear the weight of two people, she slightly tightened her grip on Gong Shulan’s shoulders, leaning her center of gravity onto her. She hadn’t expected the wheelchair to move steadily forward as Gong Shulan pushed it. The wheels rolled over the icy-cold floor. Even though it was spring, once night fell, the floor would become like a block of ice. Stepping on it with bare ankles would likely lead to cold air entering the body and repeated colds.

Jiang Yin glanced at her own exposed feet, flawless as white jade, her gaze somewhat complex.

Before that incident happened years ago, Gong Shulan would come to visit her in the winter. At that time, it was snowing outside. They wore warm mink coats, surrounded the fireplace indoors, and ate fruits offered as tribute. They were young, exquisitely beautiful, and carefree.

She remembered one time her shoes got wet with cold water, and her feet were freezing. Back then, the Gong family was still the Admiral of the Southern City Navy, enjoying boundless prestige. As the second daughter of the Gong family, Gong Shulan’s status was naturally noble and distinguished. The cloak she wore was intricately and luxuriously embroidered. Despite this, when Gong Shulan noticed, she quickly took off Jiang Yin’s shoes, immediately touched her feet, lifted her up directly, carrying her by her bottom straight into the room, saying as she walked, “Sister Jiang Yin, put your feet inside the cloak on my back. That way, they won’t be cold anymore…”

“It really works, Sister Shulan, your cloak is so warm…”

“Get down.” Gong Shulan’s voice was cold. Jiang Yin snapped out of her memory, released her hands, and slid off her lap. “Okay.”

Standing barefoot on the rug, Jiang Yin saw that the lower half of the clothes Gong Shulan was wearing was soaked. She pursed her lips, turned, and took a soft set of pajamas from the wardrobe. “Change into this set. It’s clean; I bought it but haven’t worn it yet.”

Jiang Yin saw that the person didn’t respond, her gaze falling on the legs that couldn’t move. She hesitated for a moment, then had no choice but to place the pajamas by the bed and turn to take another set into the bathroom. When she came out after washing up, the set of clothes by the bed had been changed. The wheelchair was empty. Jiang Yin looked at her small bed; one side was clearly raised, indicating that another person was in it.

Jiang Yin had no choice but to turn off the main light. Remembering that Gong Shulan had disliked completely dark environments since childhood, she left a yellow oil lamp lit in the corner. Only then did she walk to the other side of the bed, gently lifting the corner of the quilt, and lying down as close to the edge as possible.

“Jiang Yin, after only a few years apart, it seems you’ve forgotten how to sleep with me.” A mocking voice came from behind. Jiang Yin bit her lip, sat up halfway, slipped off the silky nightgown, and, pulling up her legs, also stripped off the thin garment underneath through the quilt, placing them casually on the bedside table.

Clutching a corner of the quilt, she lay down, turned to face the woman who was sleeping lightly with closed eyes. She stared at the woman’s face for a long time, until she was certain she wouldn’t be mocked again, and then finally relaxed and closed her eyes to rest.

After an unknown period, the night wind blew outside the window, and occasionally, the distant, muffled sound of the night watchman could be heard from the end of the street.

Gong Shulan slowly opened her eyes, staring at the woman’s peaceful sleeping face opposite her. Her pale shoulders were exposed, and her complexion was a sickly white. Knowing that she sometimes had poor health and was prone to coldness, her willow-leaf eyebrows unconsciously knitted even in her sleep, as if she always had countless, unresolved worries.

From the moment she chose to attend her eighteenth birthday party, she knew this woman intended to atone for the sin in her heart by submitting to everything and letting her manipulate her.

However, when she, Gong Shulan, was sent to Germany for treatment, this woman, as if reborn from the ashes, escaped Southern City, put down roots and sprouted in a strange city, living a comfortable life. This made the supposed atonement seem so ridiculous; in the end, it was merely for the sake of starting anew with a clear conscience.

This woman still had thoughts and desires. Her thought and desire was to escape Gong Shulan’s shadow and start a new life.

The scene of her turning her face away to avoid the requested kiss flashed through her mind. Gong Shulan tried her best not to think about who this woman was saving this intimate kiss for. Her gaze moved downward, unconsciously falling on those luscious red lips again. Probably due to having just showered, the moist, warm steam had plumped up her slightly dry lips…

Gong Shulan’s eyes darkened. She leaned in, this time pressing down without hesitation, and the dullness in her chest dissipated slightly. But the next moment, the person beneath her had her eyes tightly shut, long lashes trembling, and wet, hot tears silently streamed from the corners of her eyes. A suffocating feeling assaulted Gong Shulan’s heart. Gong Shulan gripped her chin and bit down hard, and instantly a strong smell of blood spread through her mouth.

Despite such pain, Jiang Yin didn’t utter a sound, silently enduring the punishment. Gong Shulan closed her eyes deeply, her hand relaxed, letting go of her, and sneered mockingly, “Jiang Yin, you win.”

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