Sealed with a Kiss - Chapter 5

Nan Ning suddenly choked on her words, lowering her head and falling back into silence.

“Do you think I have a good temper?” Song Wanjuan sat with her legs crossed, the chain on her chest resting flat against her clothes as she stared coldly at Nan Ning.

Song Wanjuan’s temper was the worst Nan Ning had ever encountered. The first time they met, Song Wanjuan was holding a rusty iron bar, and the ground was littered with street thugs struggling to get back to their feet.

The moonlight that night was dim. Song Wanjuan wore a gray hoodie, her tall, slender figure framed by messy hair. Blood trickled down her forehead, but she carelessly wiped it away. Then, her gaze landed on Nan Ning, who stood at the end of the alley, clutching a bouquet of white roses and staring at her in a daze.

“Get lost.”

Song Wanjuan’s gaze was far from friendly, bordering on vicious and filled with raw hostility. Her eyes looked like they had been soaked in ten thousand years of ice. As she tapped the iron bar against the ground, she seemed to have crawled straight out of the abyss.

Nan Ning’s attention, however, was fixed on the blood streaming down Song Wanjuan’s hand. After a moment’s thought, she pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and took a tentative step forward. When Song Wanjuan didn’t respond, she advanced a few more steps, then bent down to place the handkerchief on a nearby rock before running away.

In the sudden commotion, a petal from the white rose in Nan Ning’s arms fluttered down, landing right by Song Wanjuan’s shoe. Song Wanjuan dropped the iron rod and walked away without a glance, stepping directly onto the petal. As for the handkerchief, Nan Ning had returned to retrieve it, unable to leave it behind.

Compared to the woman she was now, Song Wanjuan seemed to have retracted her sharp claws, always maintaining a casual, effortless air. It almost made Nan Ning forget how she had once bitten deeply into her neck.

Nan Ning’s eyelashes trembled. Song Wanjuan’s gaze felt like a slow execution, suffocating her.

Song Wanjuan was about to press the interrogation further when she sensed something was wrong.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, stepping closer.

When Nan Ning didn’t respond, Song Wanjuan frowned and reached out, forcing Nan Ning’s face up.

Nan Ning’s face was pale, her muscles tense, and the skin under Song Wanjuan’s fingers felt rigid.

Realizing what was happening, Song Wanjuan used her fingers to pry Nan Ning’s lips apart. Sure enough, Nan Ning was biting her own tongue so hard the tip had turned white.

“Let go.”

Song Wanjuan pressed her thumb against Nan Ning’s jaw, forcing her mouth open, her voice commanding.

“Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

Nan Ning’s gaze drifted vacantly over Song Wanjuan’s face, which looked strikingly cold and beautiful in her seriousness. Song Wanjuan was a classic beauty with a perfect bone structure. Perhaps that’s why Nan Ning had been so captivated by her in the alleyway, leading her to drop the handkerchief.

Mesmerized by the beauty before her, Nan Ning finally unclenched her jaw. But Song Wanjuan didn’t let go, her finger still wedged between Nan Ning’s teeth. Her voice trembled with suppressed anger. “Stick it out. Let me see.”

Nan Ning’s jaw felt sore. She blinked and finally, as if resigning herself to fate, extended her tongue.

Song Wanjuan looked down, and as expected, she saw blood seeping from the bitten area. She sighed. “Hold it. Don’t pull it back.”

“It hurts,” Nan Ning murmured.

Song Wanjuan shot her a warning glare. Nan Ning quickly conceded, “Okay.”

Song Wanjuan crouched down, retrieved a first-aid kit from the bedside table, and opened it. She took out a cotton swab, dipped it in water, and gently wiped away the blood still spreading on Nan Ning’s tongue. Then, she found a bottle of iodine glycerine and applied some to the wound.

Nan Ning curled her tongue to taste it. “It’s sweet.”

Song Wanjuan glared at her again. Nan Ning blinked innocently, like a mischievous kitten trying to charm its way out of trouble.

Both knew Nan Ning was avoiding the question. Song Wanjuan felt a surge of frustration building in her chest, but she was powerless against Nan Ning.

They fell into a heavy silence until Song Wanjuan’s phone suddenly vibrated, breaking the awkward tension.

Song Wanjuan glanced at the caller ID, stood up, and walked to the window. She plugged in her earphones before answering, “Speak.”

“Sister Juan, I’ve looked into that Chu Feng. A month ago, while visiting a minor celebrity on set, he set his sights on Nan Ning. She ignored him, but you know Chu Feng—he’s always had a thing for her type and couldn’t let it go. He ran into her yesterday and planned to trick her into drinking spiked wine, but then you showed up.”

Song Wanjuan, still stewing with nowhere to vent her anger, glanced at Nan Ning. Though Nan Ning looked calm, her ears were practically twitching with anticipation. Song Wanjuan suddenly let out a cold laugh. “Tell him to wait. I’m on my way.”

She spun the phone in her long fingers before slipping it into her pocket. Pointing to the bag on the table, she said casually to Nan Ning, “Toiletries. Take whatever you need.”

Nan Ning recognized the expression on Song Wanjuan’s face. The corners of her eyes were lifted, her gaze filled with the kind of pleasure that only comes after a thorough release.

Him? Or her?

Does Song Wanjuan have… another girlfriend?

Since her debut, Song Wanjuan had been the subject of countless rumors. Some claimed she had risen to fame by relying on a wealthy benefactor, but that rumor was quickly debunked. Whether they loved her or hated her, everyone secretly believed that no one could ever tame someone like her, let alone make her a submissive plaything.

They called her arrogant, said she was uninhibited and wild. As more people learned about Song Wanjuan, more became obsessed with her stage presence. Gossip about her private life ran rampant, with reports of her frequenting nightclubs and dancing wildly. Her figure was seen almost everywhere, yet she always stood alone, nonchalantly, where the lights faded.

Until the one-year anniversary interview with Evil, when a reporter asked about her love life. Song Wanjuan suddenly revealed her sexual orientation, and the internet exploded. In the midst of the chaos, people felt it somehow made perfect sense.

For three whole years, no one would believe that Song Wanjuan had never been with anyone else. She was dangerous, yet utterly captivating. A single flirtatious glance from her on stage was enough to make countless people crave the chance to be pinned beneath her, completely at her mercy.

Just like last night, Nan Ning had knowingly flown into the fire.

The beautiful dream vanished in an instant. Nan Ning knew it was time to leave.

Fortunately, Song Wanjuan had brought a simple dress in her bag, and it happened to be Nan Ning’s size. Her phone had been submerged in water during their struggle last night and was now completely useless.

Standing up and glancing in the mirror, Nan Ning sighed. She finally understood why Song Wanjuan had said she couldn’t be seen by anyone right now. Her body was covered in love bites, a clear testament to how wild their night had been.

The dress alone wouldn’t hide them all. Nan Ning silently apologized, opened the wardrobe, and put on a sports jacket. She picked up the landline on the nightstand and dialed Liu Liu’s number from memory. Thankfully, Sister Hong had known about Nan Ning’s forgetfulness and had forced her to memorize it.

“Can you come to the Shengshi Hotel?”

Half an hour later, Liu Liu arrived and saw Nan Ning wearing a jacket in the middle of summer. Just as she was about to ask why, Nan Ning let out a yawn and murmured, “I’m tired.”

Recalling the girl’s voice on the phone, Liu Liu figured Nan Ning must have pulled an all-nighter after the excitement of seeing an old friend. Seeing her eyes drooping and her body curled up in the jacket, Liu Liu quickly drove away without further questions.

Relieved that Liu Liu wouldn’t pry, Nan Ning silently thanked her acting classes.

Though she’d been faking it, the moment she hit her bed back at the apartment, a wave of exhaustion washed over her. The reunion, a fleeting moment of pleasure after so long, had drained every last bit of her energy. She cranked the AC to its lowest setting and buried herself under the covers, as if she could shut out the entire world.

While Nan Ning slept soundly, some people’s night was just beginning.

Chu Feng had been dragged away by his father the previous night for an inexplicable scolding. Finally freed, he’d tried to find Nan Ning, but she was nowhere to be seen. After failing to get any answers from anyone, he had no choice but to find random company to vent his frustration.

He was just getting into the groove, lounging on a sofa with a girl on each arm and a drink in hand, when the door to the private room was kicked open. The sudden intrusion nearly made him lose his erection. “Who the hell’s trying to ruin my night now?”

Looking up, Chu Feng saw a tall figure dusting off her collar. She glared at him coldly. He squinted, finally recognizing her. Wasn’t this the same Song Wanjuan who had ruined his fun the night before?

Having been interrupted twice now, Chu Feng’s mood soured completely. He struggled to his feet, his voice laced with suppressed rage. “What do you want?”

Song Wanjuan’s gaze swept across the room. The girls immediately took the hint and filed out, with the last one, a student-looking girl, even thoughtfully closing the door behind them.

The private room reeked of stale alcohol. Song Wanjuan frowned in disgust, crossing her arms as she looked down at Chu Feng.

Chu Feng watched helplessly as Song Wanjuan let his women leave. Emboldened by the booze, he spat, “Song Wanjuan, I’ve been itching to”

Before he could finish, her foot slammed into his stomach.

Having spent his life in pleasure and debauchery, he was no match for Song Wanjuan’s powerful kick. His back crashed against the wall, and he crumpled to the floor, unable to get back up.

“Song Wanjuan, you dare hit me?! I’ll have you killed!” Even in his pathetic state, Chu Feng couldn’t keep his mouth shut. The spasms in his abdomen finally forced a sliver of fear into his voice, leaving him with nothing but empty threats.

Song Wanjuan casually grabbed the baseball bat leaning against the wall, weighed it in her hand, and walked toward Chu Feng. “The person who can kill me hasn’t even been born yet, Chu Feng. What the hell are you?”

Chu Feng watched her unhurried approach. Her eyes, cold and filled with irritation, finally reminded him of the rumors circulating in their social circles: Provoke anyone, but never mess with that psycho Song Wanjuan.

Desperate and forgetting everything else, he dropped to his knees, groveling. “Sister Juan, Dad, I beg you! I’ll never open my mouth again! Your family is bidding on that North City plot, right? I’ll make the Chu Family withdraw! Just please, let me go!”

Song Wanjuan paused, as if considering his offer. Seeing her hesitate, a flash of malice crossed Chu Feng’s face. Which one of us doesn’t carry a weapon? Driven by survival instinct, he whipped a hidden blade from his sleeve and lunged at her.

Song Wanjuan dodged with a swift side-kick, disarming him in one fluid motion. Chu Feng collapsed, too weak to even try to stand.

She crouched before him, her voice now soft and gentle. “I was actually thinking of letting you live, you piece of trash. But you just had to bring up the one thing I hate most.”

To Chu Feng, her words sounded like a demon claiming its prize. He finally understood why everyone in their circle avoided Song Wanjuan like the plague.

The thin, sharp blade gleamed coldly under the chaotic lights of the private booth. Song Wanjuan flicked her wrist, spinning the knife in her hand. She looked down at Chu Feng, who was groveling on the floor like a dog. As he shook his head frantically, she plunged the blade deep into his eye.

Chu Feng let out a blood-curdling scream, clutching his face and rolling on the ground in agony. He knew any pleas for mercy were useless now. Instead, he spat out a hateful curse: “Song Wanjuan, you’re nothing but a rabid dog! No wonder nobody wants you, you stray bitch! No one will ever love you, and you’ll never get the person you want in this life—”

Song Wanjuan ignored him completely. Chu Feng’s screams and insults soon ran out of steam, and he collapsed unconscious on the floor.

She tossed the knife onto his body and stood up. Pulling out a tissue, she meticulously wiped the blood splatters from her hands. The used tissue fluttered down, landing on Chu Feng’s face.

Without a second glance, Song Wanjuan stepped over his body, opened the booth door, and walked to the bar. She flagged down a staff member. “Hello, could you call an ambulance? Someone inside was carrying a concealed weapon and accidentally stabbed themselves.”

Support Sealed with a Kiss