The Heroine Pays Me to Fall in Love (Quick Transmigration) - Chapter 49

“Stay with me, okay?”

Those words struck right at Su Jin’s heart. It was as if everything around her suddenly quieted; the only thing left in her ears was the voice of the person standing before her.

They were lovers—she could have acted spoiled with her, clung to her without restraint, been unreasonable in a thousand different ways. She had every right to.

But Jiang Zhinan never was. She was always too well-behaved, too considerate—so much so that a slow ache of guilt filled Su Jin’s chest, softening her completely. In that moment, she wanted nothing more than to pull the girl into her arms, kiss her cheeks, and give her the whole world.

“Okay.” Su Jin’s eyes darkened slightly. After a moment, she lifted the steaming bowl of beef noodles and set it in front of Jiang Zhinan. “Eat while it’s still hot. It’ll get cold soon.”

“I’ve been too busy lately, and I haven’t kept you company the way I should have.” She spoke quietly, reflecting on herself bit by bit. “Tonight, let me stay with you at your place, alright?”

“Mm.” Jiang Zhinan nodded, her eyes bright—brighter than the stars scattered across the sky. “That sounds wonderful.”

“Mm.” Seeing her smile again, Su Jin finally relaxed and smiled as well. After a beat, she lowered her gaze and murmured, just as softly, “Really wonderful.”

By the time they finished eating, the streetlights outside had all come on. The city lay wrapped in overlapping shadows of light—beautiful, lonely, noisy, and peaceful all at once.

Su Jin hailed a taxi, and the two of them headed back to Jiang Zhinan’s apartment.

Unlike Su Jin’s more tranquil neighborhood, the area where Jiang Zhinan lived was livelier. Even though it was late and the wind was strong, groups of elderly men and women were still dancing enthusiastically in the square.

Before going in, Jiang Zhinan tugged Su Jin to stand with her beneath a streetlamp, shoulder to shoulder, watching for a long moment. As she watched, she sighed softly, “What do you think we’ll be like when we’re old someday?”

“Probably like them.” Su Jin chuckled, the light in her eyes gentle. “We’ll come out with a boombox and dance too. We’ll bring all our friends and take over the whole square.”

“That’s a great idea.” Jiang Zhinan laughed, turning to look at Su Jin. Then she shook their tightly linked hands. “Then I’m going to play your songs on the boombox.”

“How impressive would that be? All the other grannies and grandpas will definitely ask who sings those songs—and if they can get a copy.”

“And what will you tell them?” Su Jin raised a brow.

“I’ll tell them absolutely not.” Jiang Zhinan blinked mischievously, her voice playful and sweet. “They’re my girlfriend’s songs. One of a kind. If they want one, they can go sing their own.”

“So cool.” Su Jin laughed and leaned in to press a kiss to her forehead.

After watching the dancers for a while longer, they finally headed upstairs. By the time they opened the door, it was almost nine.

Both had showered before going to get their tattoos earlier, and after eating, neither felt like moving. They washed up briefly and went straight to bed, curling into each other, cheek to cheek, shoulder to shoulder, soaking in each other’s warmth.

Jiang Zhinan was half a head shorter than Su Jin, and lying down like this made her look even smaller—like a little curled-up bundle.

Adorably so.

Su Jin didn’t speak. She simply wrapped her arms around her, lowered her head, and breathed in the soft, sweet scent of her skin, desperately wanting to memorize this moment.

After tonight, she didn’t know when they would be able to meet again. She wanted to carve Jiang Zhinan into her memory, into her heart—carry her everywhere.

Always, always care about her.

Some words were already at the tip of her tongue. After hesitating for a long time, Su Jin finally opened her mouth to confess.

“Zhou Ying,” she said quietly, seriously, “there’s something I need to tell you.”

“What is it?” Jiang Zhinan turned to look at her, lips curved in a soft smile.

“It’s about the fact that I’ll be leav—”

She didn’t finish.

Jiang Zhinan suddenly leaned in, like a mischievous cat sneaking a treat, and brushed a light kiss across her lips.

“Tell me tomorrow.” She yawned softly, her eyes misting over, her expression growing hazy and tender under the warm light. “Right now I’m sleepy, and I want to do something more important before bed.”

“What?” Su Jin blinked.

“What do you think?” Jiang Zhinan lifted a brow, her almond-shaped eyes bright and clear.

She suddenly sat up, cupped Su Jin’s face with both hands, and under the glow of the lamp, her entire expression softened into something warm and gentle.

“Hush.” She smiled beautifully, irresistibly, and before Su Jin could say another word, she leaned down and kissed her again.

It was tentative, then bold—arrogant, unstoppable.

It was the first time Jiang Zhinan had ever taken the lead like this.

Su Jin froze in place, overwhelmed. Every sensation sharpened—the brush of fingers through her hair, the warmth of their skin pressed together, the soft heat spreading from their lips. All of it pulled her deeper and deeper.

“I like you so, so much.” Jiang Zhinan murmured when she finally pulled back, her cheeks flushed a lovely pink.

“I like you too.” Su Jin’s heart trembled, her voice turning rough with emotion.

“Leave the rest to me.” She drew Jiang Zhinan into her arms again, taking back control as she pulled them both into the freefall—down into an endless, beautiful abyss.

The air was filled with Jiang Zhinan’s scent. Her face, her voice, her breath was everywhere.

Sweet—sweet enough to melt straight through the heart.

The next morning, when Su Jin woke up, Jiang Zhinan was still fast asleep.

No matter the time, the girl was always beautiful. And now, curled up under the covers like a tiny sleeping sprite, she was especially adorable.

Su Jin sat at the edge of the bed and gently brushed her fingers across Jiang Zhinan’s face, tucking away the stray strands of hair that had fallen across her cheek. Her movements were feather-light, her eyes filled with quiet tenderness.

As much as her heart clung to the moment, she knew she truly had to leave this time.

With a soft sigh, Su Jin carefully got to her feet, washed up, then went to the kitchen to make breakfast with whatever ingredients she could find. After that, she put on her coat, intending to slip away quietly.

She had originally planned to leave a note for Jiang Zhinan, but that felt far too impersonal. In the end, she decided she would call and explain everything to her once she woke up.

With that thought, Su Jin returned to the bedside, placed a gentle kiss on Jiang Zhinan’s cheek, and finally—reluctantly—turned to go.

The morning air was chilly, but plenty of people were already out and about.

Morning joggers. Dog walkers. Students heading to class with backpacks slung over their shoulders.

Lively and full of cheerful voices.

Su Jin exhaled and walked in the opposite direction, putting distance between herself and the noise. She had barely taken a few steps when her phone vibrated in her pocket.

She pulled it out, only to find a voice message—from Jiang Zhinan.

Her heart instantly dropped. She was terrified the message would be something like: Why did you leave? Why didn’t you wait for me?

Her heart thudded wildly in her chest. Her thoughts scattered, buzzing loudly in her mind.

Almost on instinct, she tapped the message open, holding the phone to her ear with a mix of dread and unease.

But what came wasn’t reproach.

It was a soft, gentle: “Turn around and look.”

Su Jin froze, then quickly turned back.

And there she was—Jiang Zhinan’s reflection in the eighth-floor window.

She had clearly just woken up. Her clothes weren’t even changed. She had simply wrapped herself in a fluffy little blanket and rushed to the window to see her off.

Looking at her, Su Jin felt her nose sting, her eyes turning red in an instant.

Another voice message appeared. Su Jin sniffed, lowered her head, and tapped it open. Jiang Zhinan’s warm voice flowed through the speaker.

“Open your phone case and take a look.”

Su Jin typed back an okay, then quickly popped open the phone case—only to find an unfamiliar bank card hidden inside.

“What’s this?” she typed back immediately.

“It’s pocket money for my girlfriend’s trip,” Jiang Zhinan replied in another voice message, her tone carrying a smile. “My girlfriend is going somewhere very, very far for quite a while. I’m scared she’ll suffer, or go hungry, or be cold.”

“So, I secretly slipped a card in there. The password is your birthday. Just think of it as me going with you.” She paused, then added, “No matter what you’re going to do, you have to work hard, okay? Earn lots of money and come back sooner to support me.”

So, she knew.

People are always at their most fragile right before a parting. That fragility rarely spills over—it just sits heavy in the chest, unmoving.

But this time was different. Jiang Zhinan’s words were like a spark, igniting all the unease and fear suffocating Su Jin’s heart, burning it away until all that was left was warmth—and emotion.

It was her first time crying like this in front of so many people. Her tears fell uncontrollably, like a string of beads snapping loose.

“My girlfriend’s crying from how touched she is, isn’t she?” Jiang Zhinan teased in yet another message, deliberately poking at her.

“No,” Su Jin said aloud as she wiped her tears away. “You’re seeing things.”

“Is that so?” Jiang Zhinan laughed, then pushed open the window and waved vigorously in Su Jin’s direction.

“Do your best!” she shouted at the top of her lungs, not caring about any strange looks. “I’ll be waiting for you to come back!”

“Okay!” Su Jin burst into a watery smile and waved back just as hard, bathed in a wash of golden sunlight. “I know—wait for me!”

Neither of them said goodbye.

There was no need to.

A simple come back soon already said everything.