Self-Perception - Chapter 43

The hotpot was a “Yuan Yang” split pot. Gu Wansheng brought over juice, red wine, and beer. She asked, “Auntie, what would you like to drink?”

“Juice, please. I have to drive later.”

As Gu Wansheng poured the juice, Wen Qiuyi asked, “Wansheng, will you be free later on?”

Gu Wansheng set the bottle down and replied, “I’m not busy lately.”

“Next year, I’m starting a piano tour in Jiangcheng. If you two aren’t in a rush, you should come and see it.”

She said you two.

Gu Wansheng placed a beef ball into Wen Jinyan’s bowl and raised her glass. “Auntie’s tickets are incredibly hard to get. Jinyan and I will definitely be there.”

“When the time comes, I’ll have my assistant reserve the best seats for you.”

Wen Jinyan listened while taking a bite of the beef ball. The juice inside burst out instantly; she let out a soft muffled groan, breathing slightly through her open mouth to cool down before finally swallowing. She reached for a tissue, but the back of her hand brushed against a glass, it was the juice Gu Wansheng was handing to her.

So, she had noticed.

Wen Jinyan glanced at Gu Wansheng. This person was clearly chatting and laughing with her aunt, yet she could still spare the attention to watch her. She really was a multi-tasker.

She quite liked that.

Underneath the table, Wen Jinyan reached out and quietly let her fingers “crawl” onto the back of Gu Wansheng’s hand, playfully pinching the space between her thumb and forefinger like a child.

Gu Wansheng flipped her hand over, interlacing their fingers and gripping her hand firmly.

The corners of Wen Jinyan’s mouth curled upward as she felt Gu Wansheng’s thumb slowly stroke her palm.

After seeing Auntie off, Gu Wansheng and Wen Jinyan finished cleaning up the mess.

Gu Wansheng stood motionless in front of the range hood. Even when Wen Jinyan approached, she didn’t react. Wen Jinyan called out softly, “Gu Wansheng?”

Gu Wansheng shook her head with a slight delay, humming a dazed, “Hmm?”

“Are you drunk, or are you deep in thought again?” Wen Jinyan put the leftover vegetables in the fridge. When she walked back, Gu Wansheng was still standing in the same spot.

Wen Jinyan went to pull her sleeve, but her hand was caught by the other woman. Gu Wansheng’s gaze slowly drifted to Wen Jinyan’s hand, staring intently at one specific spot.

After a long silence, she said in a slow, drawling tone, “The ring.”

Wen Jinyan was very patient. “You bought it.”

Gu Wansheng’s eyelids lifted slightly. Her eyes were misty and blurred. As she leaned closer, she carried the scent of alcohol, hotpot, and Silver Mountain Water tea fragrance.

“I bought it. It suits you. It looks beautiful.”

Their breaths mingled. Gu Wansheng’s reflection occupied Wen Jinyan’s pupils, becoming the sole focus of her vision. She whispered, “Mumu… is that your nickname?”

“Yes.”

Hearing this, Gu Wansheng’s eyelids drooped, and her entire aura became soft. She rested her forehead against Wen Jinyan’s shoulder, her voice muffled by the fabric of her clothes. “You never told me.”

Her tone sounded… aggrieved?

Wen Jinyan’s gaze traveled down the curve of Gu Wansheng’s back to the top of her head. Gu Wansheng’s hair was very soft. When they were in bed before, Wen Jinyan had touched it. Gu Wansheng had cried out when she pulled too hard, telling her to try a different way. Now, her hair lay obediently against Wen Jinyan’s shoulder, intertwining with her own, just like before.

Wen Jinyan smoothed her hair. “You never asked.”

Gu Wansheng stopped moving, and Wen Jinyan remained still as well, her body tensed.

After a long time, long enough for Wen Jinyan to think she had fallen asleep, and long enough for her shoulder to feel a bit stiff, the person on her shoulder spoke, her voice somewhat deep.

“Which ‘Mu’ is the ‘Mu’ in Mumu?”

“The ‘Mu’ for wood.”

The head on her shoulder shook slightly, she wasn’t satisfied with that answer. “It’s not the ‘Mu’ for wood.”

“It’s the ‘Mu’ for Hibiscus,” Gu Wansheng repeated in a small voice. Then she added, “Not wood. Not a blockhead.”

Wen Jinyan felt as if a kitten had scratched her heart. She affirmed, “Mhm, the ‘Mu’ for Hibiscus.”

Since the alcohol had gone to Gu Wansheng’s head, Wen Jinyan led her to the bedroom first.

Gu Wansheng looked at Wen Jinyan with wide, pleading eyes, her thoughts still a jumbled mess. “Where is Mumu going?”

Wen Jinyan, who had just tucked the corner of the quilt around her, replied, “To wash the dishes.”

As soon as Gu Wansheng heard this, she flipped over, trying to get out of bed, but Wen Jinyan pressed down on her shoulder. “Where are you going?”

“To wash dishes,” Gu Wansheng said loudly, then immediately wilted. “You can’t wash dishes. Wives are meant to be spoiled, they can’t wash dishes.”

Wen Jinyan let out a breathless laugh, her fingers pinching the fabric on Gu Wansheng’s shoulder. “Then who are you to me?”

Gu Wansheng replied seriously, “I am your wife.”

Wen Jinyan pulled her back down to lie down, drawing the quilt up to her shoulders, revealing a flushed face. “So, a wife is meant to be spoiled and can’t wash dishes.”

“Right!!!” Gu Wansheng nodded vigorously, processing the logic.

“So, I’m going to let the dishwasher do the dishes.” Wen Jinyan took off her glasses, placed them on the nightstand, and instructed, “Watch my glasses for me, okay? I’ll be back soon.”

She was met with more enthusiastic nodding.

Gu Wansheng was different when she was drunk. Last time, she was a woman of direct desire, beautiful, alluring, and full of charm. This time, she was a bit dazed, cute and obedient.

How many more versions of her have I not yet explored? Wen Jinyan thought. It felt like opening a blind box, filled with both surprise and excitement.

True to her word, Wen Jinyan returned quickly, holding a glass of honey water.

Gu Wansheng was curled up in the quilt with her back to the door, her breathing steady. Wen Jinyan pushed her gently through the blankets.

“Gu Wansheng.”

No response. Wen Jinyan turned on the air conditioner. Once the temperature rose, she pulled back a section of the quilt, reached inside, caught the hem of Gu Wansheng’s clothes, and pulled upward.

She smelled of hotpot and alcohol, she probably wouldn’t like that lingering on her.

Gu Wansheng whimpered a few times but was quite cooperative. Her outer clothes were removed, but her undergarments remained.

She was now lying flat, her skin exposed to the air. Gu Wansheng reached out blindly to pull the quilt back over herself.

Wen Jinyan pulled it down again, this time only to just below her chest. Gu Wansheng’s bra wasn’t a standard style, it clipped in the front. It was black, but not plain, the edges were adorned with lace. With the quilt only covering her from the ribs down, she looked sexy and mysterious.

Wen Jinyan easily unfastened the front clasp, allowing the softness to be released. She stared for a moment until Gu Wansheng reached for the quilt again, only then did she pinch her own burning ears.

The shape was beautiful.

After coaxing Gu Wansheng to take a few sips of honey water, Wen Jinyan went downstairs to shower. Once cleaned and refreshed, she dried her damp hair and climbed into bed.

Gu Wansheng immediately clung to her, wrapping an arm around her waist in an unconscious embrace. Wen Jinyan turned her head to look at her profile. A sleeping Gu Wansheng was very gentle, even her hair was tucked neatly against her cheeks. Wen Jinyan leaned into the crook of her neck, slowly moving her head down until it rested near Gu Wansheng’s heart.

Gu Wansheng’s breathing was steady, and her heartbeat was rhythmic, like a musical note, or a lullaby. Listening to it, Wen Jinyan drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, when Wen Jinyan woke up, the space beside her was empty. She called out, but no one answered. She checked her phone, it was only seven o’clock.

She got out of bed, and just as her feet touched the carpet, the door opened. Gu Wansheng, wearing cotton pajamas and slippers, locked eyes with Wen Jinyan, who was dressed similarly.

Having just woken up, Wen Jinyan’s mind was foggy and her voice was slightly raspy. “Gu Wansheng, where did you go?”

“I just showered downstairs,” she said. “I didn’t want to wake you.”

She walked closer, smelling of body wash, her voice low. “Going back to sleep? It’s still early.”

Wen Jinyan’s hair fell flat against her shoulders, except for a small stray tuft sticking up at the top. Gu Wansheng reached out to smooth it down.

“Yes,” Wen Jinyan squinted her eyes, pulling Gu Wansheng along as she turned back to the bed. “Stay with me.”

The two lay back down. Gu Wansheng held her, rhythmically patting her back as if soothing a child. “Go to sleep.”

After sleeping for another hour or so, Wen Jinyan woke up again.

“You’re awake,” Gu Wansheng put down her phone. “Getting up?”

“Mhm.” Her voice wasn’t clear yet, it was deep and drawn out, sounding like a pout.

“I’ll go make breakfast.” Gu Wansheng kissed the corner of her eye and got out of bed.

She cooked enough millet porridge for two and prepared two cold side dishes. Seeing that Wen Jinyan hadn’t come downstairs yet, she took off her apron and went back up.

Wen Jinyan was facing away from the door, her shirt hem bunched up against her slender waist, both arms raised, her head caught inside the garment.

“Yanyan?” Gu Wansheng approached. A strip of delicate skin shimmered before her eyes, the small mole in the hollow of Wen Jinyan’s lower back was clearly visible.

Hearing the voice, Wen Jinyan turned around, her voice muffled by the clothes. “My bra clasp seems to be caught on a button of the shirt.” She struggled a bit more but couldn’t get free. She called out for help, “Gu Wansheng.”

Wen Jinyan’s waist was very thin. Even this small exposed section was as smooth as jade, beautiful and provocative. Not to mention, Gu Wansheng knew exactly how delicate that skin felt to the touch.

Perhaps because she had been holding her arms up for too long, Wen Jinyan’s hands dropped slightly, her arms unable to stay straight. They were going numb. With her vision blocked by the fabric, she couldn’t tell what Gu Wansheng was doing.

After a few seconds of silence, she asked in confusion, “Gu Wansheng?”

The hem of her shirt was suddenly grabbed. Wen Jinyan’s voice jumped an octave as she gasped, “Gu Wansheng!”

Gu Wansheng lifted the hem and ducked inside. The shirt wasn’t skin tight, so she slipped inside easily, the fabric and skin rubbing together.

Wen Jinyan’s hands were still forced upward. Her chest was pressed against Gu Wansheng. She was already flushed from being muffled by the clothes, now it was even more stifling. They were so close that Gu Wansheng’s breath fanned across her face, not damp, but dry and slightly ticklish. She held her breath. “Gu Wansheng, what are you doing?”

The voice was soft, lacking any real deterrent power.

“I want to kiss you.” As soon as the words were out, Gu Wansheng leaned in and kissed her effortlessly.

With her hands trapped above her head, Wen Jinyan felt dizzy and hot. Lacking vision and balance, she instinctively stepped back, only to be caught by a pair of warm palms and pulled back in close.

Fingertips traveled over her delicate skin. The exposed skin shivered upon contact with the heat source before the fingers moved to the hollow of her back, accurately tracing circles around the small mole. She was lightheaded from the kiss, but her body felt a wave of numbness from the inside out, a sensation both tingling and pleasurable.

She felt as if she were falling into the clouds, drifting and sinking.

“Stop moving…” Wen Jinyan finally caught a breath. Her chest had become sensitive from the friction, even the contact of the fabric was intense.

“Why?”

Why? How could she not know why?

The air was cold, but the hands on her were hot. Wen Jinyan held her breath and whispered, “I’m cold.”

“Then it’s a good thing I’m here to warm you up.”

Though she said she was warming her, her hands never stopped moving near that mole, occasionally pinching her waist. It didn’t hurt, it just sent jolts of electricity through her entire body.

“Are you warm now?” her voice whispered right against Wen Jinyan’s ear. One hand slid around from the back, wandering over the surrounding skin.