Self-Perception - Chapter 24

Wen Jinyan once again closed the distance between them, her lips mere centimeters from hers, their noses almost touching.

Though they hadn’t completely met, Gu Wansheng felt an invisible electric current surge through her.

Wen Jinyan moved lower. Gu Wansheng leaned her body back, her neck slightly arched. Her breath swept past the woman’s cheek, jawline, and the side of her neck, finally settling on her prominent collarbone.

Gu Wansheng’s breathing rose and fell. She lowered her gaze, her eyes meeting the dark crown of hair. Wen Jinyan’s hair was thick, the tips brushing against the other side of Gu Wansheng’s collarbone, stirring a deep itch in her heart.

Wen Jinyan’s nose twitched the scent of red wine, mingled with the aroma of Jade Dragon tea, filled her nostrils.

“You’re drunk,” Wen Jinyan stated with certainty.

So, she thinks everything I said was just the effect of the alcohol.

Gu Wansheng wasn’t sure if she should sigh or feel fortunate. A sliver of uncertainty also crossed her mind: Does she really like me?

Half an hour later, the two returned to the hotel.

It was already 11 p.m. when they arrived. The hotel corridor was practically empty, so Gu Wansheng didn’t wear a mask.

She walked in high heels, the taps making a soft sound in the quiet space, while the bright light from above shone directly down.

Her steps were steady, unhurried, demonstrating to Wen Jinyan that she wasn’t drunk.

Wen Jinyan walked beside her, her peripheral vision fixed on Gu Wansheng’s ankle, especially the several centimeter heel. She deliberately slowed her stride by a second, adjusting her pace to match Gu Wansheng’s.

If Gu Wansheng were to accidentally stumble, Wen Jinyan would be there to catch her firmly.

Gu Wansheng noticed the other woman’s gaze lingering on her lower body. She followed that subtle line of sight downward and saw that it was fair and slender.

Does Wen Jinyan like my feet? Does she have some special fetish? What part of me is not as good as my feet?

Gu Wansheng suddenly stopped. Wen Jinyan halted in response, letting out a soft “Mm?” to express her confusion.

“Were you just looking at my feet?”

Wen Jinyan felt her phrasing wasn’t quite accurate and clarified, “I was looking at your high heels.”

My high heels are more favored than me?!

Gu Wansheng seemed a little disappointed, but her expression remained calm. “These shoes were sent by the brand. I’ll take you to buy a pair sometime.”

Wen Jinyan shook her head faintly after hearing that. “I don’t like this style. I was just worried you might sprain your ankle wearing them.”

Gu Wansheng’s mind raced, connecting this with her previous actions, and her face brightened. “So, you were concerned about me?”

It wasn’t a fetish for feet, nor was it a love for the high heels.

Concern?

Wen Jinyan didn’t know.

All she knew was that Gu Wansheng was drunk and wearing high heels, making her prone to injury.

“We’re here,” Wen Jinyan said, sidestepping the question. She placed the key card on the sensor and opened the door, then smoothly inserted the card into the slot.

The room instantly lit up.

Wen Jinyan closed the door. Immediately, a force rushed at her from behind. Gu Wansheng embraced her from the back, gently resting her chin in Wen Jinyan’s shoulder hollow and softly rubbing.

“Gu Wansheng…” Before the word “ticklish” could be fully spoken, Gu Wansheng tightened her hands around Wen Jinyan’s waist. “Just one hug, to recharge.”

Wen Jinyan pursed her lips. It wasn’t until Gu Wansheng’s breathing became long and gentle that she slowly turned around.

Gu Wansheng was still wearing her mask, her eyes half-lidded, but the flush at the corner of her eyes was still visible.

That red tint was alluring; a slight curve of her eye made her look glamorous and seductive.

It made Wen Jinyan inexplicably think of the Red Mandarava intense, fervent.

“I’ll go make you a cup of honey tea.”

Upon hearing this, Gu Wansheng released her waist. Before Wen Jinyan went to boil the water, she didn’t forget to lead Gu Wansheng to the sofa and hand her a throw pillow.

She’d heard that drunk people always wanted to hold something to keep them from fidgeting.

Gu Wansheng held the pillow, pinching its two corners, and then looked up at Wen Jinyan, seeming confused.

“For you to play with. Don’t move around, just sit here.”

It sounded like she was coaxing a child.

Gu Wansheng smiled inwardly. Wen Jinyan truly believed she was drunk. Although she felt a bit tipsy, her mind was still clear.

Gu Wansheng buried her head into the soft pillow.

Seeing that she hadn’t moved, Wen Jinyan turned to boil the water. The minibar was quite far from the sofa. By the time Wen Jinyan had mixed the honey water and turned back, Gu Wansheng was no longer on the sofa. Wen Jinyan glanced at the door.

It was still closed.

She walked into the bedroom. The sound of running water could be heard from the bathroom. The bathroom glass was frosted, and steam was clinging to it, making Gu Wansheng’s silhouette appear vaguely.

After just one glance, Wen Jinyan silently looked away.

She placed the honey water on the small side table and got up to retrieve the hairdryer.

Before long, Gu Wansheng emerged from the bathroom, steam billowing around her.

She was wearing a V-neck chemise nightgown, using a dry towel to rub her hair. Seeing the hairdryer in Wen Jinyan’s hand, a sudden impulse struck her, and she padded toward her in her slippers.

Was Gu Wansheng’s chemise nightgown new?

Wen Jinyan’s gaze fell on Gu Wansheng’s nightgown, slowly moving upward until the snowy white fullness drew closer, filling her entire field of vision.

“Gu Wansheng, did you buy this nightgown recently?”

The woman carried the scent of shower gel, a fragrance that wasn’t cloying but was long-lasting. Her hair was still damp, water droplets sliding down the face that netizens hailed as a “beauty,” tracing the texture of her skin before disappearing into a cleavage.

Wen Jinyan subtly averted her gaze, letting it rest on Gu Wansheng’s neck.

“Mm.”

Gu Wansheng noticed Wen Jinyan’s little gesture of looking away and fixed her eyes on Wen Jinyan’s ear, which was already tinged with a faint blush.

She curved her lips, her voice deliberately seductive, lowered to a whisper, “Does it look good?”

“It looks good.”

Wen Jinyan was sitting. Gu Wansheng placed her hands on either side of Wen Jinyan’s thighs. The woman’s shower gel scent practically enveloped her entirely.

Her field of vision kept expanding, and all Wen Jinyan could see was that expanse of white. Her cheeks suddenly felt hot. She instinctively shifted her eyes to the right, finding a new focal point Gu Wansheng’s hair tips.

A drop of water clung to the end of a dark hair strand.

“You didn’t even look closely, how do you know if it looks good?” Gu Wansheng noticed the person in front of her quickly heating up at lightning speed, and she smiled, pursing her lips.

“I…” Wen Jinyan looked up, met her gaze for a second, then quickly withdrew it. She felt a cool touch on the back of her hand.

It was a drop of water from Gu Wansheng’s hair tips.

Seeing her remain silent, Gu Wansheng continued, “Is it me that looks good, or the clothes?”

“Both look good,” Wen Jinyan answered quickly. Her hand was pressed down by the other woman, the fingers interlaced. Gu Wansheng squeezed her finger bones and then smoothly sat down on her lap.

Lowering her gaze and head, she chuckled softly near Wen Jinyan’s ear, “Master of Neutrality.”

Wen Jinyan only felt that Gu Wansheng was quite drunk, but with that soft laugh near her ear, she also felt a little tipsy herself.

She turned on the hairdryer and began to blow dry Gu Wansheng’s hair in that position.

Gu Wansheng rested her chin on Wen Jinyan’s shoulder line, the hand that had been squeezing her knuckles now loosely circling her.

The heat from the hairdryer was constant. Wen Jinyan, afraid of scalding her, held the dryer a bit further away. Her other, free hand ran from top to bottom, combing through the long hair.

Her fingertips touched the scalp, sending shivers down Gu Wansheng’s body. Gu Wansheng tightened her arms, her upper body instinctively pressing closer. Even her breathing became warmer.

The softness pressed closer. Wen Jinyan’s face felt hot, especially as the person on her lap started to fidget.

Wen Jinyan opened her mouth, “Gu Wansheng…”

Before she could finish, Wen Jinyan’s lips were kissed. Despite her surprise, Wen Jinyan managed to swiftly turn off the hairdryer.

She was earnestly carried away by Gu Wansheng’s lead in the kiss.

She couldn’t tell if she was becoming more addicted to Gu Wansheng’s kisses, or if Gu Wansheng was becoming more willing to taste her.

But what was undeniable was that Wen Jinyan immensely enjoyed the kiss, and she enjoyed everything Gu Wansheng brought to her.

The drunken Gu Wansheng’s mouth still carried the taste of wine. Wen Jinyan didn’t particularly like drinking she found that all wines had a bitter edge and she disliked the scent of alcohol. But Gu Wansheng was different. Her taste was sweet without being bitter, and her scent was clean.

Gu Wansheng put the hairdryer away. She looked at Wen Jinyan, who had finished her shower and was now turned away from her, and hugged her from behind.

Wen Jinyan smelled the same as her, a scent Gu Wansheng truly liked.

“Good night.”

“Jinyan, Gu Laoshi (Teacher Gu) has wrapped up filming, right? I saw her wrap-up photos posted on the forum.”

“Mm,” Wen Jinyan fastened the top button of her shirt, making sure no marks on her neck were visible in the mirror, then picked up the phone on the vanity and turned off the speakerphone.

“Then can you invite your Gu Laoshi to have a meal with us? You know Ji Yibai is a huge fan of Gu Laoshi. Ever since she found out you two got married, she’s been wanting to meet her.”

Su Muqing stated her intention clearly but left room for refusal. If Gu Wansheng was busy, she wouldn’t insist.

“Gu Wansheng has indeed wrapped up, but I’ll have to ask her if she’s free first,” Wen Jinyan held the phone in one hand and pulled out her suitcase with the other, opening it to pack her clothes.

Today, they were returning to Jiangcheng. Gu Wansheng had been pulled away by Bai Jin early this morning, supposedly for a final supplementary shot. Wen Jinyan stayed in the hotel to pack.

“You truly are my best friend,” Su Muqing continued. “When you ask, don’t be too direct. Try to be indirect. If Gu Laoshi is busy, then forget it, don’t push it.”

Wen Jinyan was a rather straightforward person, or to put it bluntly, her emotional intelligence was a bit low. They had only been married for a few months; she didn’t want this small matter to cause friction between the couple.

“Mm, got it. I’m hanging up now, I still need to pack,” Wen Jinyan replied softly.

“One more thing, about Li Fei, when are we going? I’m worried Zhang Wen might notice.”

“National Day holiday, are you free?” Wen Jinyan stopped what she was doing and asked.

On the other end of the phone, Su Muqing took a few shallow breaths before saying, “I can.”

“Then I’ll hang up now,” Wen Jinyan ended the call, folded her clothes, and put them into her suitcase. She then took out Gu Wansheng’s suitcase, opened it, and started packing.

Gu Wansheng had two suitcases, mostly filled with clothes and cosmetics sent by brands. Wen Jinyan felt the fabric of the clothes; the texture was smooth. Just by touching them, she knew they were worth a fortune.

She folded the clothes neatly and placed them in the suitcase. After finishing, she sat down on the small sofa outside the bedroom to wait for Gu Wansheng.

Gu Wansheng returned around noon. Wen Jinyan heard the doorbell and opened the door, confused. “Did you forget your key card?”

Gu Wansheng nodded gently, confirming it. She asked, “Haven’t eaten lunch yet, have you?”

Wen Jinyan shook her head.