The Devious, Seductive Older Woman Has Been Plotting to Get Me for a Long Time - Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Tacit Understanding

Under the warm yellow light, the figure was hazy, the oversized T-shirt outlining a slender silhouette, shadowed and indistinct.

Xiang Shuxing felt as if her gaze had been scorched; she quickly looked away. “You…why are you dressed like this?”

Perhaps realizing it wasn’t quite right, Chu Yingqiu leaned against the doorframe, hesitant to enter. “This was the only thing that fit.”

“How is that possible?” Xiang Shuxing lowered her eyes and ran to the wardrobe. She had checked earlier, there were matching sets of pajamas prepared. She pulled the door open and, sure enough, saw several light-colored cotton sets inside. She walked over slowly and held them out from a distance. “Here.”

“Those were prepared for you,” Chu Yingqiu didn’t take them.

“So what?” Xiang Shuxing shoved the pajamas into her hands, not caring about the details. “You can wear my clothes, too.” Leaving that behind, she didn’t dare look around, keeping her head down as she hurried back to her seat. Afraid Chu Yingqiu might still be hesitating, she couldn’t help but add, “Hurry up and change, don’t catch a cold.”

Feeling the person at the door take the clothes and leave, Xiang Shuxing let out a silent breath. She didn’t know where this tension was coming from, but the thought of Chu Yingqiu in ill-fitting clothes, the way she might catch a glimpse of pale skin, and the fact that they would be sharing a bed, made her heart race. She knew Chu Yingqiu had a touch of OCD, thankfully, the pajamas were new, and the woman hadn’t minded.

While waiting for Chu Yingqiu to return, Xiang Shuxing aimlessly scrolled through her phone. It wasn’t long before Chu Yingqiu came back. Xiang Shuxing looked up to see her looking calm and composed again, the thin T-shirt replaced by simple, warm pajamas.

With that, her racing heart finally settled. She put down the plush toy she had been clutching and headed to the bathroom with her own things.

Warm water cascaded over her, bringing waves of comfort. Xiang Shuxing half-closed her eyes, her chaotic thoughts slowly stabilizing.

After spending time with Chu Yingqiu, she’d realized the woman had both a mild obsession with cleanliness and severe OCD, things had to be arranged in specific sequences, wardrobe doors had to be fully open or fully closed, never halfway.

Oh, and her memory was terrifyingly sharp, she’d even pointed out a bowl Xiang Shuxing hadn’t aligned properly while washing dishes.

The bathroom sink couldn’t have any water spots or soap bubbles, either. Xiang Shuxing could easily imagine the scene: if she left bubbles on the edge, Chu Yingqiu would likely frown and tell her to clean it up in a cold voice. If she tried to play dumb, Chu Yingqiu would eventually lose patience and clean it herself. Thinking of this, Xiang Shuxing checked the sink. Sure enough, water had splashed onto it. Before leaving, she meticulously wiped it dry and put everything back in its place until it met her own standard of “orderly,” just to avoid having Chu Yingqiu get up in the middle of the night to tidy up.

Standing outside the door for a moment, Xiang Shuxing pushed it open and stepped inside quietly. To her surprise, Chu Yingqiu wasn’t asleep; she was resting against the headboard, eyes lightly closed, not even working.

The bedside lamp cast a warm glow on her elegant features, adding a touch of softness. Xiang Shuxing walked over slowly, hugged the plush toy from the side, and climbed into bed.

There was a distance between them, neither near nor far, yet Xiang Shuxing felt the quilt was significantly warmer than usual. She waited a moment, but Chu Yingqiu didn’t offer any gentle concern as before; she remained in the same posture, eyes closed, lips pressed together, silent. Knowing she wasn’t asleep, Xiang Shuxing let out a loud cough to get her attention.

“What is it?” Chu Yingqiu asked calmly.

“Where did this plush toy come from?” Xiang Shuxing looked at her with a hint of anticipation. She must admit it, she noticed I liked these toys and bought one specially. If Chu Yingqiu admitted it, Xiang Shuxing could let go of all previous grudges. Her eyes brightened as she prodded, “Did you buy this specially?”

To her surprise, Chu Yingqiu didn’t play by the rules. “It was a gift when I bought the other household items. I just picked it up along the way.”

What…Xiang Shuxing stared at her, unwilling to give up. “Didn’t you notice I have a similar one in my room?”

“Is that so? I didn’t really notice.”

“I see.” Xiang Shuxing lowered her voice. Seeing Chu Yingqiu’s indifferent expression, she realized she probably hadn’t noticed that much, and its presence might truly be a coincidence. A nameless disappointment flared up, one she couldn’t even define. She tucked herself into the quilt, her voice muffled: “I’m sleepy.”

“Mmm.” The lamp was clicked off, and the room plunged into darkness. Moonlight spilled across the floor. Xiang Shuxing stared at the light, feeling wide awake. She remained on her side, back to Chu Yingqiu.

The dark room amplified the stillness, and despite her efforts to ignore it, the rhythm of Chu Yingqiu’s breathing was incredibly prominent. The bed dipped slightly as Chu Yingqiu lay down, and a familiar, faint, clean scent enveloped her, as if embracing her.

Xiang Shuxing closed her eyes, clutching the toy tighter. She remained perfectly still, breathing evenly to look like she had no reaction, though she was incredibly tense inside. In truth, she had lied earlier: aside from cuddling with her mother when she was afraid of the dark as a child, she had never shared a bed with anyone. Fu Jin was her best friend, but they maintained boundaries, always booking double beds when they traveled.

She remembered Chu Yingqiu’s expression earlier, the way the woman’s face had gone cold and visibly displeased when she mentioned sleeping in the same bed as Fu Jin. She didn’t understand why, yet she had kept the act going, pretending that sharing a bed with Chu Yingqiu was an ordinary, trivial matter. It was anything but.

She inhaled deeply, trying to force sleep, but the more she tried, the harder it became. When she closed her eyes and lost her sense of sight, her hearing heightened. Chu Yingqiu’s presence was so distinct, her body heat and scent invaded every corner of her space.

She didn’t dare move, fearing she would accidentally cross the line. She felt an agonizing, indescribable turmoil, suddenly regretting her request to have Chu Yingqiu stay. The sofa in the living room would have sufficed.

After what felt like ages, her side began to ache. Trying to be careful, she turned over from her side to lie flat. In doing so, she accidentally knocked the plush toy over to Chu Yingqiu’s side.

Xiang Shuxing: …

She was used to holding the toy, its sudden absence left her feeling hollow. After a moment of internal struggle, she quietly leaned over. She moved gently, and because the toy was inside the quilt and it was pitch black, she didn’t know where it had rolled.

She couldn’t very well lift the quilt to look, so she felt around with her left hand. Unexpectedly, her palm brushed against something soft and warm. It was Chu Yingqiu’s hand.

Her eyelashes fluttered. Afraid of waking her, she tried to pull back, but Chu Yingqiu’s hand gripped hers tightly. A familiar, teasing voice whispered in her ear: “What are you doing, sneaking around?”

Xiang Shuxing froze. “You aren’t asleep?”

“What do you think?”

So, she had been caught all along, yet Chu Yingqiu had said nothing, wickedly watching her fumble around. Since the jig was up, Xiang Shuxing opened the quilt. “Don’t get the wrong idea. I was just looking for the plush toy.”

Chu Yingqiu curled her lips. “What wrong idea should I have? Is it this?” She held up their tightly intertwined hands. To be precise, Chu Yingqiu was the one holding hers.

Xiang Shuxing struggled, refuting: “Who wants to hold hands with you? I just touched you by accident.”

“Is that so?” Chu Yingqiu let go. The strange force vanished, and with it, the unique warmth of the woman’s palm.

Xiang Shuxing huffed and quickly found the toy. Being in bed with this person was dangerous. To prevent further teasing, she placed the toy between them and said seriously: “Let this toy be the boundary. No one is allowed to cross it.”

Chu Yingqiu’s eyes danced with amusement. “And if you’re the one to cross it?”

“Absolutely impossible.” Xiang Shuxing was adamant. She was always composed in her sleep; she had even tried maintaining a single posture for an entire night before. How could she possibly lean toward Chu Yingqiu?

Chu Yingqiu smiled. “So confident? Let’s make a bet. If you cross the boundary first, you owe me a favor.”

Not knowing what mischief she was up to, Xiang Shuxing was wary. “What favor?”

“That’s a secret for now.”

Xiang Shuxing hesitated, her delicate brows knitting as she weighed the options. Chu Yingqiu added lazily: “Scared? It seems even you feel like you’ll be the one to cross the line first.”

“How could that be?” Xiang Shuxing shot her a look. “You’re on. We’ll see.” She turned away, back to Chu Yingqiu, determined not to move a muscle.

The night deepened. Drowsiness finally overcame her, and Xiang Shuxing fell asleep. Soon, only the sound of steady breathing remained in the room. Sensing the girl was truly asleep, Chu Yingqiu got out of bed and took out a medicine bottle from her bag. She didn’t mind that there was only cold water in the living room; she took the medication regardless.

Before returning to China, Tan Yishu had reminded her several times to take the medicine, or the symptoms would worsen. It wasn’t a major problem, just chronic insomnia that had persisted for years, but the medication offered little relief.

Tan Yishu had even hired a psychologist, but after discovering it might be tied to psychological trauma and reflecting on the events involving the Chu family, even she had eventually given up, telling her, “The heart is difficult to heal.”

Recalling the past, Chu Yingqiu pressed her lips together and pushed the thoughts aside. Putting down the cup, she passed the bathroom on her way back. A glance inside showed everything organized, not a water stain to be seen. After this period of “training,” the girl had clearly improved, unconsciously changing for the better.

Back in the room, Xiang Shuxing was sleeping obediently with her back to her, the toy still between them. The quilt had slipped, perhaps feeling cold, the girl stirred restlessly.

Chu Yingqiu reached out to tuck the quilt in, her gaze falling upon the girl’s face. Long lashes cast soft shadows, and loose strands of hair framed a peaceful, gentle expression. She looked so docile when she was asleep.

Chu Yingqiu gazed at her, then lay down again. The new medication seemed to have some effect, by the second half of the night, she finally felt a wave of drowsiness. Before it could take root, a soft, warm body suddenly pressed toward her. An arm was wrapped tightly around her own. Looking over, Xiang Shuxing’s eyes were closed and her breathing was steady—she was clearly still fast asleep.

Recalling the girl’s confident boast that she wouldn’t cross the boundary, Chu Yingqiu smiled faintly. Not satisfied, the girl leaned in even closer. Being held like this by the arm, Chu Yingqiu could feel the soft rise and fall of her breathing. She turned over, which gave the girl even more room to lean in.

Instinctively moving toward the source of heat, the sleeping girl seemed to treat her like a body pillow, wrapping her limbs around her like a vine and leaning in naturally, her light breathing brushing against the skin of her neck again and again. At this moment, there was almost zero distance between them.

Chu Yingqiu watched her, couldn’t help but reach out and drape her arm loosely around her waist. They seemed to have returned to the days of their past, when they were inseparable. Feeling the warmth in her arms, Chu Yingqiu lowered her eyes and murmured: “Suisui, when will you finally remember?”

The person in deep sleep naturally provided no answer, and she hadn’t expected one. Having her here, right by her side—that alone was enough.

Chu Yingqiu laughed softly and pulled the girl closer. The plush toy that was supposed to be the boundary had been abandoned somewhere unknown. She was truly looking forward to the expression on Xiang Shuxing’s face when she woke up tomorrow morning.