Sis, Do You Need a Dog? - Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Possession

Moving into the new dormitory seemed to have no real impact on Si Tingbai.

This was largely because her new roommate was a super-indestructible busybody. Every day, before dawn, Meng Ningjiu would get up, and she wouldn’t return until the early hours of the morning after practicing. Meng Ningjiu spoke very little—so little that it was almost non-existent. Aside from the greeting on the first day of moving in, the two had almost no interaction.

Si Tingbai continued her training as usual, waiting for news from Cheng Shuyi. Shao Su’s promise that day had been useless. Two days had passed in a flash, and her so-called message had received no response. Si Tingbai’s longing was like a light little feather; it could be easily blown anywhere by the wind, yet it couldn’t seem to land in Cheng Shuyi’s heart.

The game hadn’t even truly begun, yet she had already encountered a difficult problem. She had originally thought that as long as she saw her “Sister” again and told her about the longing of the past nine years, she would get a response. But Si Tingbai had overlooked the vast disparity in their status; Cheng Shuyi was like the moon hanging far away in the sky. And she was the moon-chaser running headlong across the plains. No matter how hard she worked or how much she yearned, right now, even seeing the moon was difficult.

Si Tingbai resented how slowly time passed—so slowly she wished she could personally seize the progress bar and drag it straight to the evaluation period. That way, she could be with Cheng Shuyi every day. Unfortunately, she was just a lowly trainee who couldn’t get a message from Cheng Shuyi, a pitiful moon-chaser who couldn’t catch up to the light.

Under the vocal teacher’s favoritism, Si Tingbai’s progress was rapid, and her relationship with the teacher grew closer. It had reached the point where they could joke with each other. After the morning training ended, Si Tingbai packed her things and asked tentatively, “Teacher, did you speak to Sister Cheng last time?”

The vocal teacher, who was drinking water, paused before reacting: “Ah, yes, I did. She even praised you.”

“Really?” Si Tingbai’s eyes lit up instantly. “When did you tell her, Teacher? How exactly did she praise me?”

“This…” The vocal teacher had only intended to offer a casual comfort; she didn’t expect to truly spark the girl’s curiosity.

In truth, it wasn’t just a trainee like Si Tingbai who lacked the status to see Cheng Shuyi. Even a vocal teacher like herself couldn’t see her whenever she wanted. One had to understand that a top-tier manager held more clout than a second-tier artist. But the lie had already been told, and the person before her was looking at her expectantly.

Si Tingbai had very beautiful eyes. Her pupils were clean and deep, like a clear lake. Being stared at, the vocal teacher felt the guilt of deceiving a child. She rubbed her nose and said, “Just yesterday. She told you to practice hard and strive to be signed by her.”

“And then?” Si Tingbai blinked and pressed on: “Did she say anything else?”

“Uh… she said there are more praises she wants to tell you in person.” The vocal teacher gritted her teeth and finished the lie, standing up immediately before Si Tingbai could ask more: “Alright, today’s training ends here! I’m leaving first.”

The guilt-ridden vocal teacher fled as if running for her life, not noticing that the person behind her had already fallen into deep thought.

The sun hung high; by June, Jiangcheng had fully entered summer. A girl wearing a mask and a low-pressed hoodie walked out of the training camp.

Jiangcheng Entertainment, which monopolized half of the industry, was not only the leader of the circle but also a vital part of the city’s development. The company headquarters consisted of five buildings clustered along the Yangtze River, overlooking the entire river view with incredibly luxurious interiors.

A taxi stopped at the company entrance. Si Tingbai took off her mask and hat and stepped into the lobby.

“Miss, please show your work ID,” the security guard at the door stopped her dutifully.

Si Tingbai let out an “oh” and took out her phone to show a QR code credential. “I’m the assistant to Ji Linlin from the wardrobe department. She asked me to bring something for Sister Cheng to sign. I’ve already made an appointment with her assistant, Shao Su.”

The security system at Jiangcheng Entertainment was very strict; entry and exit required a work ID. After repeatedly checking the account and ID on the phone and confirming they were correct, the security guard stepped aside.

After scanning the code a second time to verify her identity in the lobby, Si Tingbai turned her back to the guard and pretended to answer a call: “Hey, Sister Shao Su, I’ve arrived. My Master’s wife didn’t give me the specifics—is it the elevator on the right? What, you’re in a meeting? Ah, but this thing is very urgent.”

As she spoke, Si Tingbai turned around and tilted her head toward the security guard.

“The direct elevator on the left will be faster,” the guard subconsciously chimed in. “The conference room is on the 33rd floor.”

“Ah, no need to come pick me up, I know now.” Si Tingbai was still holding the phone, mouthed a “thank you,” and turned toward the elevator.

The phone screen had long since gone black; there was no outgoing call at all. Pressing the floor number, Si Tingbai let out a soft breath. She knew she was being risky, but she missed Cheng Shuyi too much. That was why she borrowed Ji Linlin’s ID account, pretended to help deliver documents, and put on that performance for the guard just to sneak in.

In reality, Si Tingbai realized the vocal teacher’s words were most likely fake. But she was willing to believe the lie. As long as she could see Cheng Shuyi, it didn’t matter what means or tricks she used. As long as she could see her, that was enough.

The red numbers kept jumping. As the 33rd floor drew closer, Si Tingbai suddenly felt nervous. How long had it been since she last saw Cheng Shuyi? If she counted carefully on her fingers, it had only been a week. Yet in the past nine years—the nine years where she never had the chance to meet—longing for Cheng Shuyi was the only thing that sustained her.

Every time she had an episode and couldn’t stop the urge to self-harm, every time her self-destructive tendencies peaked, and every sleepless night, Si Tingbai would constantly outline Cheng Shuyi’s face and name in her mind, remembering the sound of her breath. If she had never possessed it, perhaps it wouldn’t be this painful. So even though it had only been a week, for Si Tingbai, it felt like she had endured many long, weary years.

Ding—

The elevator stopped, and Si Tingbai pulled her thoughts back. She pressed her hat down and walked toward the conference room in the corridor. As her steps drew closer, her vision became clear.

A crowd of people sat scattered on both sides of the conference room, all facing the same direction. No one dared to look down or daydream. Everyone’s eyes were focused on the woman in the very center.

She wore a handmade black suit paired with a long skirt of the same fabric. A gold-buckled belt marked the boundary while outlining the woman’s slender, willow-like waist. Her long hair was pinned behind her head; her red lips echoed the gold earrings on her lobes, and her rimless glasses reflected the cold light. Based on a foundation of simplicity, she added a touch of sexiness and alluring beauty.

The moment Si Tingbai’s gaze landed on her, she couldn’t look away. The person she had yearned for all week, the person she dreamt of possessing, stood there at the center of everyone’s attention. The room was silent, save for the woman’s cool, clear voice echoing throughout.

The room held an undeniable sense of pressure; the woman before her was dangerous and full of temptation. Si Tingbai couldn’t help but want to get closer, closer, and even closer. But she couldn’t move her feet.

Cheng Shuyi, who was focused on her presentation, sensed something. Her gaze swept toward the door, caught a glimpse, and then moved away. She didn’t linger. At work, Cheng Shuyi was always cold, like the most sacred, untouchable patch of white on a mountaintop.

Si Tingbai’s breath hitched as the gaze passed over her; she swallowed silently. The next second, the curtains surrounding the room dropped, blocking all views of the conference room. Hidden outside the door, Si Tingbai was stunned, realizing she had been exposed.

Just as she was about to dodge away, the conference room doors opened. The crowd filed out, leaving Si Tingbai standing there, looking completely out of place. Once the last person had left, Si Tingbai raised her eyes to meet the woman who was staring at her.

Sitting at the very front and center, Cheng Shuyi rested her long fingers on the table, watching Si Tingbai at the door with a slight smile. From the moment she appeared, Cheng Shuyi had sensed her presence. She had expected her to do something, but she had done nothing at all, only hiding outside looking at her. That look was incredibly burning—especially that trace of possessive desire, so strong that Cheng Shuyi couldn’t ignore it.

“Come here.” Her red lips parted, and the woman’s voice echoed around them.

Logic urged her to stay away, but her feet betrayed her and moved forward.

“Sister.” As soon as Si Tingbai stood still, the door behind her slammed shut.

“Did you hear anything just now?” Cheng Shuyi leaned back lazily in her chair, appraising the person before her. Having been in the industry for nine years, Cheng Shuyi had developed a keen eye. Judging by appearance alone, Si Tingbai was the type that God personally fed with a silver spoon. She just didn’t know what her purpose was in going through such lengths to get close to her.

“A gentleman does not stand under a crumbling wall, and a great woman does not eavesdrop,” Si Tingbai defended herself before bowing her head to apologize. “I’m sorry, Sister. I didn’t mean to stand at the door on purpose.”

Cheng Shuyi gave a cold laugh and said flatly, “So you did it intentionally?”

“No, no.” Si Tingbai pursed her lips and said softly, “I just wanted to find Sister to ask a question.”

Cheng Shuyi raised an eyebrow slightly but didn’t speak.

“The vocal teacher said my performance lately has been very good. I wanted to sing for Sister, but I didn’t have the chance, so the teacher said she would report to Sister.” Si Tingbai paused, looking up at Cheng Shuyi. “She said you praised me. I wanted to…”

“It’s fake.” Cheng Shuyi’s voice was thin, devoid of emotion.

Two short words mercilessly tore away the final disguise of the lie. Cheng Shuyi stared into Si Tingbai’s eyes, expecting a reaction, wanting to know what she would do next. But those eyes only blinked very softly.

Si Tingbai had very beautiful eyes. That was the impression Cheng Shuyi had from their first meeting, and it hadn’t changed. Those clear pupils weren’t like a lake or the sky; they were like a mirror. When meeting her gaze, one would inexplicably feel that the base color of her eyes should be transparent. These eyes were the reason Cheng Shuyi decided to bring her back. Because she looked too much like that person. Even knowing it was just a resemblance, Cheng Shuyi couldn’t help but want to keep her.

“I know,” Si Tingbai let out a soft sigh. “I know it’s fake, but I still believed it.”

An unexpected answer. Cheng Shuyi asked, “Why?”

“Because I needed an excuse to get close to Sister,” Si Tingbai said honestly and seriously. “Even if it’s a lie, I’ll believe it.”

“I haven’t seen you for a week, Sister. I miss you very much.”

The words that had been bottled up in her heart were finally spoken. Si Tingbai swallowed slightly. Her nervousness and childishness were fully seen by Cheng Shuyi. The defenses she had just built crumbled completely. She had thought she was calculating, but it turned out she was just a fool.

Cheng Shuyi couldn’t help but curl her lips. Seeing her smile, Si Tingbai’s racing heart finally settled. Compared to the powerful, intimidating Cheng Shuyi, Si Tingbai preferred the way she looked when she smiled. Cheng Shuyi was a standard “snake-like” beauty; she was formidable when her face was cold and her lips were red. But once she smiled, those eyes full of danger and ambition became like a mountain spring melting in early spring—layers of ice fading to reveal a softness she never showed to others.

“You remember so clearly. Are you resenting me for not seeing you?” Cheng Shuyi’s voice was light; clearly, she was in a good mood.

Si Tingbai thought she had hidden it well enough, but she didn’t expect her little emotions to be seen through. It would be a lie to say she had no feelings. But it wasn’t resentment.

“I will never have negative feelings toward Sister,” Si Tingbai pursed her lips. “I just miss you very much, Sister.” Her posture was submissive, but her spine remained straight; the stubbornness and pride in her bones could not be broken.

“So good,” Cheng Shuyi curled her fingers, signaling Si Tingbai to come closer. “If you miss me, why didn’t you contact me?”

“I don’t have a communication device, Sister.” Si Tingbai lied without changing her expression, her clear eyes looking pure and innocent. “My phone broke in the heavy rain that night, and I didn’t have the money to fix it.”

Cheng Shuyi was very satisfied with her obedience, so she coaxed, “I’ll arrange one for you. That way, it will be convenient for me to contact you.”

Contact you.

Si Tingbai caught the key point of that sentence, her heart filling with uncontrollable joy. Seeing the person before her break into a childishly radiant smile, Cheng Shuyi rested her chin on her hand and felt an inexplicable urge to kiss her. Thinking this, she did it.

Si Tingbai, still in the middle of her ecstasy, looked a bit dazed when she felt the light kiss land.

“Do you know when you’re the most adorable?” Cheng Shuyi raised her hand to undo the restraint in her hair. As her long hair fell, she proactively reached out to hug Si Tingbai. The distance between them was very short—so short that Si Tingbai could feel the heartbeat as Cheng Shuyi pressed against her. There was also the shallow scent lingering in her breath—Cheng Shuyi’s perfume. A cold-toned forest scent composed of geranium and iris. It was chillingly charming and noble, fitting her outfit today perfectly.

Si Tingbai shook her head; she couldn’t answer. At this moment, her attention was entirely trapped in Cheng Shuyi’s eyes, which were like a clear lake, and she was the animal being lured over, stumbling and drowning inside.

“When you say you miss me and need to meet, and,” Cheng Shuyi’s voice dropped low, a lingering kiss falling on Si Tingbai’s earlobe, “like right now.”

“When your heart and eyes are filled with nothing but the desire to possess me.”

Si Tingbai’s mind had already lost the ability to think from the teasing, leaving only a final shred of logic to hold her: “Sister, if one day my achievements surpass that Lola person, can you look at me and me alone?”

“That,” Cheng Shuyi stood on her tiptoes and lightly brushed Si Tingbai’s lips, “will depend on your ability.”

Si Tingbai looked into Cheng Shuyi’s eyes, her tone firm. “I will.”

One day, I will possess you completely.

I will turn you into Cheng Shuyi, mine and mine alone.

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