Shadowed Love: A Lover Who Refuses to Let Go - Chapter 27.2

For the first time, their time together was purely about companionship, devoid of any lingering gazes at each other’s bodies.

Yin Yunzhu stayed curled up on the bed with Jiang Menghe when, just after ordering takeout, Shan Songyue’s video call suddenly popped up.

The screen showed half of the woman’s face, and for a moment, Yin Yunzhu’s heart rate spiked, fearing their secret had been discovered.

Jiang Menghe, ever perceptive, scooted aside with a teasing smirk in her eyes though to Yin Yunzhu, it felt like a blatant threat.

“Don’t mess around.”

Yin Yunzhu flushed with urgency. Her fair complexion made every hint of anger or embarrassment painfully obvious.

She answered the call, only to see Yin Xuan’s little face on the screen. The girl hadn’t adjusted the angle properly, her smooth forehead awkwardly filling the lower half of the frame like an elderly person unfamiliar with technology.

Recalling her earlier panic, Yin Yunzhu felt foolish for being tricked and spoke through gritted teeth, “Yin Xuan, why are you sneaking around with Mom’s phone again?”

Jiang Menghe’s shoulders shook with laughter, her almond-shaped eyes curving like a sly fox’s.

“Big Sister is scolding me!” Yin Xuan wailed, poking at Yin Yunzhu’s face through the screen as if bullying her from afar.

Cornered, Yin Yunzhu took a deep breath. “Did you call for a reason?”

“Do I need a reason?”

“Yes, I’m busy.”

Eager to reclaim her dignity after Jiang Menghe’s mockery, Yin Yunzhu hardened her tone like cold steel, as if disciplining the child would restore her authority.

“I missed you.”

The camera spun wildly, shifting from the floral chandelier above to Yin Xuan’s flushed face. She must have just come back from playing outside, her cheeks rosy as if tipsy.

The soft, cooing tone melted Yin Yunzhu’s frustration, no matter how much she wanted to scold the girl for nearly exposing them.

“When are you coming back? Mom misses you too, you know.” Yin Xuan’s bright eyes darted around the screen, unsure where to focus.

Shan Songyue was the epitome of a rigid parent even if she knew she was wrong, she’d never admit it in front of her child. At most, she’d casually change the subject to save face.

Since their unpleasant argument on New Year’s Day, Yin Yunzhu and Shan Songyue hadn’t exchanged a single word, as if locked in a silent standoff.

“It depends,” Yin Yunzhu replied vaguely.

Jiang Menghe rested her chin on her hand, surprised. “You’re not planning to go back for the Spring Festival?”

She had assumed Yin Yunzhu was the type with strong family values someone who, despite deep conflicts, would reconcile over a peaceful reunion dinner.

As it turned out, she was right.

Hearing the murmurs on the other end, Yin Xuan’s ears perked up. “Big Sister, who’s with you?”

Yin Yunzhu, mid-explanation to Jiang Menghe, instinctively denied it. “No one.”

“I heard them!” The little girl’s shrill voice turned unusually fierce.

Afraid she’d dig deeper and eventually report back to Shan Songyue, Yin Yunzhu reluctantly adjusted the camera.

Outside the window, snow fell silently, piling on the bare branches and brightening the sky.

Jiang Menghe appeared on the screen, her brows and eyes tinged with drowsiness as she forced herself to stay awake and greeted Yin Xuan.

“Xiao Xuan, long time no see.”

Yin Xuan never expected it to be Jiang Menghe. Children don’t overthink things, so she squealed in excitement, chattering loudly into the mic.

“Jiang Jiang!” Yin Xuan was so thrilled she started frantically taking screenshots, only to be caught by Yin Yunzhu, who quickly stopped her.

“Don’t take random pictures Mom won’t be able to delete them later,” she warned.

Yin Xuan didn’t care. She huffed and immediately forgot about it. “But I haven’t seen Jiang Jiang in so long.”

The last time they had grilled fish together was back in early December.

Jiang Menghe exchanged a glance with Yin Yunzhu, reading the latter’s thoughts, and smiled gently. “Xiao Xuan, you have to keep mine and your sister’s matters a secret, okay?”

With that, she raised a finger to her lips in a shushing gesture.

Yin Yunzhu immediately elbowed her. Yin Xuan hadn’t thought much of it before, but now it seemed like the two had some tangled relationship.

She knew her sister’s personality too well she’d take a hint and run with it, embellishing the story beyond recognition. If even an offhand remark reached Ms. Shan’s ears, suspicions would surely arise.

Yin Xuan wasn’t stupid. She hugged her phone, frowning and staring until it made the others uncomfortable, before finally mumbling,

“Fine,” she said reluctantly. “But you have to promise to treat me to a meal!”

“Don’t push your luck!” Yin Yunzhu grumbled. To Yin Xuan, Jiang Menghe’s words carried more weight than an imperial decree, which was downright humiliating for her as the actual older sister.

But no matter how angry she got, it held no intimidation for a child. At most, Yin Yunzhu could only scold her verbally nothing compared to Shan Songyue’s ruler or slipper discipline.

As for Jiang Menghe, she had completely won Yin Xuan over with sheer charisma.

“So, what would Xiao Xuan like to eat?” The woman who’d been asked for a favor wasn’t the least bit annoyed. Instead, she leisurely turned her gaze to the other side.

Yin Xuan hesitated, humming for a long time without coming up with anything.

“Xiao Xuan,” Yin Yunzhu dragged out her tone in a low warning. “What did I teach you? Don’t go demanding things from others.”

At that, Jiang Menghe raised a brow. “In your eyes, I’m an ‘other’ now?”

She’d grown wiser. She knew winning over Yin Yunzhu was just a matter of time, but Yin Xuan was far simpler-minded than adults and much easier to handle.

“Yeah, exactly!” Yin Xuan chimed in, scratching her head anxiously like a restless little monkey.

“You know that’s not what I meant.”

Even in front of Jiang Menghe, Yin Yunzhu had learned to behave. She mumbled for a while but couldn’t articulate a proper response.

Yin Xuan finally seized her weak point and loudly tattled, “Jiang Jiang, my sister isn’t usually like this! She’s not like this at all!”

Jiang Menghe was amused by the sisters’ antics. Seeing Yin Yunzhu beside her puff up like an angry pufferfish, she really wanted to pinch her cheeks but held back since there was a child watching.

Meanwhile, Shan Songyue was drawn over by the commotion, wielding a spatula as she scolded, “Who said you could play with your phone? Have you finished your winter break homework?”

Noticing a fourth person appearing on the screen, Jiang Menghe handed the phone back and got out of bed to freshen up.

“I was just calling my sister.”

“Hurry up! You ranked second-to-last in your class this time, do you really have time to argue here?”

“That’s because a few others tied for sixth-to-last. I’m not any worse than them.”

“Get lost, get lost!”

Her ear red from being twisted, Yin Xuan finally quieted down, tears welling up in her eyes as she ran back to the study and shut the door.

With that little episode over, Dan Songyue set the spatula in the dish rack and picked up her phone.

“Yunyun, when are you coming back for the New Year?” Her tone was as casual as ever, as if she had completely forgotten their earlier disagreement.

“Not sure yet, maybe in a few days,” Yin Yunzhu replied.

The white hotel sheets were crumpled from restless movement, and strands of hair from two women tangled together, difficult to clean.

Dan Songyue watched for a moment before suddenly asking, “Where are you right now? This doesn’t look like your little apartment.”

Yin Yunzhu sat up and flipped the camera toward the floor-to-ceiling window to give a clearer view.

Dark clouds hung low in the sky, and the snow fell heavier than the day before, like goose feathers chased by the wind onto the ancient town’s upturned eaves, settling on the delicate bronze statues of mythical beasts.

From this angle, Jiang Menghe’s film studio wasn’t too far away.

“I’m in Pingcheng. I’ve been stuck on my new story, so I decided to take a trip to clear my head.”

Yin Yunzhu adjusted the camera to widen the view.

Suddenly, she felt an arm wrap around her waist. Then, a weight settled on her left shoulder, and in the screen’s reflection, she could just make out Jiang Menghe’s features.

The woman clung to her like an elegant dodder vine, leaning against her for support. Her eyelids lowered slightly as she gazed at Yin Yunzhu’s lips, mouthing a single phrase.

Kiss me.

Adults knew exactly what that predatory look meant especially when the two of them had such perfect chemistry in bed. The gesture left Yin Yunzhu’s mouth dry, and she swallowed reflexively.

Yet her mind had never been clearer. She knew Jiang Menghe was deliberately teasing her at this moment, so she feigned composure.

“Why go somewhere so far away? It’s freezing there, when are you coming back?”

Dan Songyue was sharp enough to recognize the generational gap between mother and daughter and avoided bringing up their taboo topic again. Normally, she would’ve criticized the writing profession endlessly.

“Before the New Year,” Yin Yunzhu answered vaguely.

She felt the damp warmth of lips closing around her earlobe, followed by the slow drag of a tongue and a teasing nip. The repetition was unbearable.

Naturally, she missed whatever her mother said next.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?” Dan Songyue fussed with the camera for a while.

“Got something to do. I’ll call you later.” Afraid of being caught, Yin Yunzhu quickly hung up.

The bedroom fell silent again, the hum of warm air from the vents drowning out the sound of melting snow outside.

Seeing her victory, Jiang Menghe embraced her from behind, guiding her hand toward her own abdomen.

“So composed? You weren’t like this before.”

As if doubting her own charm, she traced Yin Yunzhu’s fingers along her waist.

“We didn’t do anything yesterday,” the woman murmured, her voice husky with complaint.

Unless there was a third person present, every time they met, it was like kindling meeting flame, an unstoppable entanglement. But now, with Yin Yunzhu showing no reaction, Jiang Menghe’s tone grew urgent.

She refused to believe Yin Yunzhu felt nothing. Even if she just sat on the edge of the bed and beckoned, Yin Yunzhu would drop to her knees, blushing.

When the other woman remained unmoved, Jiang Menghe slid into her lap, deliberately lowering herself to wrap her arms around Yin Yunzhu’s neck, her demeanor provocative.

“Yin Yunzhu, I still have a fever.”

“They say it feels best like this want to try?”

Her entire body burned as if engulfed in flames, reaching climax with a high-pitched moan that carried them both over the edge together.

Jiang Menghe thrived on excitement. Perhaps having conformed to societal expectations for too long, she found herself able to reveal her true self only in front of Yin Yunzhu.

She had assumed Yin Yunzhu would agree, never imagining that someone could actually resist temptation so steadfastly.

With a sigh, Yin Yunzhu grasped her shoulders, firmly pushing her back onto the bed before tucking her tightly under the covers.

“You’re getting out of bed before your fever’s even gone, aren’t you afraid of catching a cold?” She opened the bedside drawer and pulled out the instructions for the fever-reducing medicine taken the night before.

Jiang Menghe gave a light hum, lazily resting her head on the pillow. “Won’t you really consider my suggestion?”

“Don’t joke about your health like this.”

Yin Yunzhu poured a glass of warm water and slipped the remaining half-pill into her mouth.

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