The Premeditated Seductress Childhood Friend - Chapter 31

Chapter 31: Right Here

Song Yixi’s fingers curled slightly; she felt someone wiping her hand. She wanted to open her eyes to see, but she was so exhausted that her eyelids felt like lead.

She had been dreaming. She dreamed she was skin-diving in the ocean, surrounded by a swirling school of fish. One of them had delicately nibbled on her finger. It didn’t hurt, so she didn’t struggle—she just thought the fish was incredibly cute.

Like Xu Qingyu.

When she woke up in the middle of the night, Song Yixi reached out to feel the other side of the bed. It was empty. She scrambled up in a panic, but then saw the bathroom light was on. Relaxing, she looked down at her clothes—she hadn’t had a chance to change yet—and got up to find her pajamas in the closet.

Soon, Xu Qingyu stepped out of the bathroom. Seeing Song Yixi awake, Xu Qingyu merely gave her a cool, sideways glance before heading to the balcony to hang up her clothes.

Confused by the sudden shift in attitude, Song Yixi bit her lip and decided to shower first. Opening the bathroom door, she was greeted by the rich scent of herbal medicine. On her vanity sat Xu Qingyu’s specialized shampoo and body wash, along with several skincare products Song Yixi didn’t recognize.

Song Yixi picked one up and sniffed it. It was the exact scent of Xu Qingyu. She carefully set it back down and swapped in her own toiletries; she wasn’t used to those heavy herbal scents.

By the time she finished her shower, Xu Qingyu was already lying in bed. The bedside lamp had been left on for her. Song Yixi lifted the covers and climbed in. On the two-meter-wide bed, Xu Qingyu lay with her back turned, leaving a gap between them wide enough for a third person.

Song Yixi gripped the edge of the blanket, feeling a surge of inexplicable awkwardness. It was strange—she had only taken a nap. Had they said something before sleeping? No, she had just been brewing medicine.

Wait, the medicine!

Song Yixi bolted upright, but the bowl that should have been on the nightstand was gone. “Did you drink it?”

Xu Qingyu gave a soft “Mhm.”

“Oh. Good.” Relief washed over Song Yixi as she lay back down. But sleep wouldn’t come. She tossed and turned, wanting to talk.

However, Xu Qingyu remained resolutely turned away, silent and unmoving. Finally, Song Yixi couldn’t take it anymore. “Are you asleep?”

There was no response. Song Yixi didn’t believe she could have fallen asleep that fast. “Are you tired? Should I have not kept you out playing so long?”

“No.” After a long silence, Xu Qingyu finally spoke. “Just sleepy.”

Feeling that the mood was off, Song Yixi propped herself up to peek at her. “Are you feeling unwell anywhere?”

Xu Qingyu pulled the blanket tighter, hiding. “I’m fine.”

“Let me check.” Song Yixi reached out in the dark to touch her forehead. It was cool. But when her hand slipped down to her cheek, it was burning hot.

“Ow.” Song Yixi pulled back. “Do you have a fever or not? Is your body hot? Do you feel sick?”

The barrage of questions seemed to irritate Xu Qingyu. “I said I’m fine. Stop asking.”

“Oh.”

Stung by Xu Qingyu’s coldness once again, Song Yixi gave a muffled reply and lay back down. She hadn’t felt this kind of coldness since they started university. She had thought Xu Qingyu had changed. I shouldn’t have had such unrealistic expectations, she thought, pouting as she turned her back to Xu Qingyu.

The blanket tugged slightly as Song Yixi turned over. Xu Qingyu felt the movement, her gaze drifting through the darkness. Actually, she had regretted the words the moment they left her mouth. Lately, she had been forcing a different persona with Song Yixi, but pretending is exhausting—especially when emotions suddenly surge back.

Slowly turning over, Xu Qingyu poked Song Yixi’s shoulder. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

Song Yixi buried her face in the pillow. “Mhm.” She still sounded dejected.

Xu Qingyu sighed. “Are you mad?”

Song Yixi let out a cold huff. “No.”

Which clearly meant she was upset. Xu Qingyu lowered her eyes and fell silent. Her emotions hadn’t fully recalibrated, but she didn’t want to expose her true nature to Song Yixi just yet.

After a long while, Xu Qingyu said, “Song Yixi.”

Song Yixi shifted but didn’t answer. Xu Qingyu watched her from the side.

“I don’t feel unwell, and I’m not trying to ignore you, but… when you were asleep just now, you seemed to be dreaming. And, well…”

Song Yixi frowned and turned back to face her. “I was dreaming. And then what?”

Xu Qingyu let out a slow sigh. “You touched me.”

Song Yixi was dumbfounded. A bizarre silence descended upon the room. It took her a long time to recover.

“Touched… touched you where?” her voice trembled.

The bedside lamp was still on, casting a glow that allowed Xu Qingyu to see her expression clearly. She looked panicked. Naturally, Song Yixi could see Xu Qingyu’s expression too. Xu Qingyu didn’t look panicked; instead, her eyes held a hint of grievance, as if she had been taken advantage of.

“Do you really not know?”

Song Yixi’s lip twitched. She began to doubt her own dream. Was it the fish in the dream? Her gaze swept up and down Xu Qingyu, trying to figure out where a “fish” would correspond.

While her thoughts were in a mess, Xu Qingyu added, “You also said some… rather embarrassing things.”

Song Yixi panicked even more. “What?” She swallowed hard, a movement Xu Qingyu watched closely.

“You said… that holding me was soft, fragrant, warm, and very comfortable.”

Song Yixi: “…”

She couldn’t believe she would say such things out loud. But if it was sleep-talking, it was highly plausible. She had thought those things; she just hadn’t dared say them.

Believing it about eighty percent, Song Yixi turned her head away in mortification. Xu Qingyu seemed embarrassed too. “You also touched…” Her eyes flickered downward in a vague gesture.

Song Yixi understood, but didn’t quite understand. “Where?”

Xu Qingyu covered her face. “I can’t say it.”

“Then you…” Song Yixi was frantic. In her desperation, she grabbed Xu Qingyu’s hand. “How about… you touch me back?”

Xu Qingyu looked extremely bashful. “How could I do that?”

“I’m the one who took advantage of you,” Song Yixi said. “Take it back.”

As she spoke, she pulled Xu Qingyu’s hand and tucked it under her own shirt. Xu Qingyu could feel her urgency. Song Yixi’s hands were shaking, and her breathing was erratic. The bashful expression on Xu Qingyu’s face slowly faded, replaced by a triumphant glint in her eyes.

Beneath the fabric, Xu Qingyu pinched her waist. Song Yixi let out a soft cry of pain and accidentally pressed down on her. Xu Qingyu took the opportunity to pull her into an embrace. “Taking advantage again?”

Song Yixi quickly propped herself up with her arms to avoid crushing her. With Xu Qingyu’s physical condition, she probably couldn’t handle Song Yixi’s weight. She wanted to pull away, but since Xu Qingyu was holding her, she could only manage to keep a tiny bit of distance.

This proximity made it impossible to stay calm. “You…”

“Where exactly was it?” Song Yixi asked. If it was just the waist, Xu Qingyu wouldn’t have reacted like that.

“Do you really want to know?” Xu Qingyu gave her a little squeeze.

“Right here.”

Song Yixi’s face instantly turned a deep, burning crimson.