The Second Fall - Chapter 45

Chapter 45: Consider Her a Bed Partner

Just seeing Rong Yushu’s eyes made Lan Cixing’s body go soft.

Her entire skin was still saturated with the tactile memory of being scrubbed and washed by Rong Yushu just moments ago.

It was as if those fox-like eyes were Rong Yushu’s hands; with a single upward flick, they stripped away Lan Cixing’s final layer of defense. The tips of her nails were as sharp as that piercing gaze, scraping against Lan Cixing so acutely it was painful.

She wanted that touch to become real.

“But, but…” When Lan Cixing spoke, her fingertips unconsciously gripped Rong Yushu’s sleeve. Half-pleading, half-faking weakness, she gave it a gentle tug.

This drew Rong Yushu’s gaze down to her fingertips. It scorched Lan Cixing’s fingers. Those same fingers had just… quietly entered a forbidden land. The temperature was familiar, sparking a sense of intimacy.

Lan Cixing finally withdrew her hand, stuttering for a long time before managing a single sentence: “Single tents are very small. If I squeeze in, you won’t sleep comfortably.”

She desperately wanted to agree to Rong Yushu—to go soft in her arms right now and be carried into the tent. Yet her mouth insisted on working against her heart’s desire.

Rong Yushu scanned her eyes, seeing the shame hidden within her hollow gaze. Lan Cixing lowered her head. Suddenly, the tip of her ear was pinched by forest-green nails. Rong Yushu’s movement was a bit ruthless; she didn’t care about the force, as if she wanted to pinch through Lan Cixing’s flesh and bone, lifting her by the earlobe.

Lan Cixing’s ears were already sensitive; she couldn’t handle this kind of pain. With a shiver, she nearly collapsed against Rong Yushu’s arm. Out of necessity, she grabbed Rong Yushu’s skirt, only to release it an instant later.

“I didn’t see you complain about the single shower unit being small. Weren’t your movements just as ruthless then?” Rong Yushu pinned her wrist down, forcing her to stand steady. She then reached out, unclipped the ear-mic, and leaned in close.

She whispered a single sentence.

Lan Cixing’s entire ear and half her face instantly turned scalding hot. Even her eyes began to well with moisture from the heat.

“But… but this kind of camping… usually everyone has to… take turns standing guard at night…” Lan Cixing meant that she and Rong Yushu should stand guard first, together.

It was unclear if Rong Yushu understood. Regardless, the pressure of her pinch loosened slightly. Her finger pad gently rubbed over Lan Cixing’s skin. Lan Cixing began to tremble visibly.

Yu Mingsong couldn’t watch any longer. She truly hadn’t known Rong Yushu was so capable of bullying an Alpha. No wonder she liked Lan Cixing; other Alphas probably wouldn’t be able to handle her antics, or would try to mess with her instead.

Yu Mingsong raised both hands in surrender first. “I’m a night owl; I’ll take the first watch. I’ll wake you up when I’m sleepy.”

The moment she spoke, Lan Cixing let out a sigh of relief. But she was only halfway through the breath when she was grabbed by Rong Yushu and dragged into the single tent. Without hesitation.

The tent was zipped shut in a second. The drones couldn’t see in, and the ear-mics were disconnected. Yu Mingsong and the director stared at each other through the screens.

“We should be used to this by now,” Yu Mingsong muttered, sitting down and adding a handful of wood to the fire, truly beginning her watch.

Inside the tent, things weren’t as “ambiguous” as the onlookers imagined.

Lan Cixing was essentially imprisoned by Rong Yushu in a “live capture” posture—unable to move, her breathing obstructed. Rong Yushu was angry today, and despite being taught so many times, Lan Cixing had committed a repeat offense.

Rong Yushu felt this person was simply begging for a lesson. She bit down on Lan Cixing’s ear, as if determined to tear a piece of flesh away.

“Ugh…” The Alpha’s muffled sob echoed hollowly inside the tent.

Lan Cixing kept her voice low. To Rong Yushu’s ears, she sounded like a trapped beast. The low whimper was a plea for mercy. Her breathing grew ragged, and her entire body began to heat up.

Only then did Rong Yushu release her hand, pinning her down and continuing to bite her earlobe.

“I know I was wrong…” Lan Cixing cooperatively tilted her head, yielding her earlobe. Her hands unconsciously rested on Rong Yushu’s waist, seeking an embrace.

Rong Yushu finally let go with a huff and let her hold her tight. She moved to bite a different spot.

“You said it yourself—you did something wrong, and the one who should be punished is you,” Rong Yushu said, noticing that Lan Cixing truly seemed uncomfortable. Her tone carried a deliberate harshness.

Lan Cixing paused, then nodded gently. “Okay… punish me then…” She hadn’t been resisting the punishment to begin with. She even invited Rong Yushu to hold her to make it easier to apply force. She had said it: she was resilient to pain. If Rong Yushu wanted to abuse her, let her. She didn’t want to see Rong Yushu get hurt again.

Lan Cixing tightened her arms, turning the embrace more fervent.

“It’s my first time seeing someone ask for punishment,” Rong Yushu said, her nail scraping the back of Lan Cixing’s ear, leaving a long red mark. Her eyes were mocking and sharp; her silent insults were almost tangible.

Lan Cixing blinked away tears to meet the fox-eyes, feeling as if she were being called a “worthless dog.” She shivered all over. But she wasn’t bitten again.

Lips touched lightly. The next moment brought endless softness. This time, Lan Cixing actually wanted to flee. Pain was always more familiar to her than comfort. The latter was too unsafe, making it easy to lose control.

Lan Cixing gripped Rong Yushu’s back. But her hands were pinned down again. She was forced to accept this kiss—a kiss more painful than punishment.

After the kiss, Lan Cixing’s breathing was unstable, and tears fell intermittently. Rong Yushu, however, looked satiated, licking her lips as if she truly were a fox spirit who had just sucked the essence out of a person.

“Did you learn your lesson?” Rong Yushu tapped the tip of Lan Cixing’s nose. She moved down to touch her lips, then her chin, her throat. Finally, she stopped at the collar she had personally buttoned for Lan Cixing, giving it a flick. The collar snapped against Lan Cixing’s neck.

Lan Cixing nodded through her tears.

“You are not allowed to refuse me. And you are definitely not allowed to run away.” Rong Yushu felt her dog was quite stupid, so she had to make things clear.

“I know I’m wrong.” Lan Cixing nodded again, shaking her tears onto Rong Yushu’s hand. “Sister Shushu, I’m sorry.” She tried to move slightly to the side to make space. The single tent didn’t have much room, but they could fit two people if they squeezed.

Before she could shift even a centimeter, her waist was pinched by Rong Yushu again.

“I called you in here to be my mattress. The ground is so hard; how can I sleep by myself?” After saying this, Rong Yushu leaned directly onto Lan Cixing’s body, lying in her arms and circling her neck. She truly treated her as a body pillow.

“…Sister.” Lan Cixing slowly exhaled. In truth, she had laid several layers of soft mats on the ground. She could sleep on it, and anyone else could too. She had only forgotten that Rong Yushu, raised in luxury, truly couldn’t get used to such a poor bed.

Lan Cixing lightly held Rong Yushu, willingly acting as her mat. “Can I kiss you?” she whispered quietly.

“…You didn’t kiss me when I gave you the chance just now.” Rong Yushu turned her face to look at Lan Cixing, startled for a moment by the brilliance filling her eyes. Only for a second. Rong Yushu reined in her emotions and rubbed the corner of Lan Cixing’s eye again. She closed her eyes. It was an invitation.

Lan Cixing curved her eyes and leaned in, kissing the corner of Rong Yushu’s mouth. She thoroughly tasted those lips that had punished her so harshly. Her words were so spicy, but these lips were sweet and soft.

In the middle of the night.

Yu Mingsong was using the leftover raw food to try and roast it herself. They had a group cooking competition scheduled for a later episode. Rong Yushu definitely couldn’t cook, so she had to prepare in advance to prevent the “little ancestor” from switching partners again.

However, Yu Mingsong didn’t understand how to control the heat of a wood fire. The first time, it wasn’t cooked through. The second time, it was charred. She simply didn’t want to hear the rustling and occasional strange breathing sounds coming from the tent, so she cooked to pass the time. It seemed “Heavenly Grandma” had not opened the door of culinary arts for her.

Yu Mingsong stood up to stretch. It was about time. After a full thirty minutes of mental preparation, she finally approached Rong Yushu’s tent, ready to wake them up. Before she could knock, Lan Cixing emerged from the tent. Alone.

“We can switch now.” Lan Cixing kept her voice light and promptly zipped the tent shut to prevent Yu Mingsong from seeing the situation inside.

“…Where is she? Not together? You’re standing the second half of the night alone?” Yu Mingsong’s voice wasn’t loud either. However, she was wearing her mic; Lan Cixing wasn’t, though she had remembered to put on her hat and mask.

“Let her rest properly.” Lan Cixing gave Yu Mingsong a look as if she were an idiot. Her Shushu was a precious little princess. Why would she wake her up in the middle of the night to stand guard? Since she, the bodyguard, was there, she had to be responsible. Yu Mingsong had pursued Rong Yushu for so long; surely she knew at least this much?

Yu Mingsong raised a hand. “Fine. You really do like her.” Who knew what these two had done that required Rong Yushu to “rest properly.” They were truly bold, daring to be so intimate on a show. Wasn’t Lan Cixing afraid of being torn apart by Rong Yushu’s fans again?

“Like?” Lan Cixing had already stood up and walked to the center of the camp to add wood to the fire. Hearing this, she glanced at Yu Mingsong, finding her words strange. Weren’t they just bodyguard and Master? What was there to talk about regarding “liking”?

“Then what, do you call this ‘protecting the Master’?” Such a loyal dog—helping with baths and sleeping over. If any other dog protected their Master this way, they would have been kicked out as a pervert long ago.

Yu Mingsong rolled her eyes and gestured to the drone. The drone had no choice but to fly far away. Yu Mingsong then covered the few remaining cameras near the camp and took off her mic. She led Lan Cixing to the edge of the camp. She clearly had something to say.

Lan Cixing also wanted to know what this Alpha—who had publicly pursued Rong Yushu yet didn’t act jealous of her—wanted to say, so she followed.

“Let’s be direct. I know who you are.” Only a distant light hit Yu Mingsong’s eyes, outlining half her body. The firelight flickered, making her gaze fluctuate.

Lan Cixing knit her brows, adopting a defensive stance. She was completely backlit, and her usually light-colored eyes darkened.

“You are the little Alpha girl Rong Yushu has been thinking about. The one who had a scandal with her four years ago.” Yu Mingsong didn’t say the name directly, but this was no different from stripping off Lan Cixing’s mask.

Lan Cixing’s eyes turned fierce. Yu Mingsong saw blatant killing intent. It felt as if Lan Cixing would strike her down if she took another breath. Truly terrifying. How on earth did Rong Yushu pick up such a dog?

“Don’t be so nervous, we’re all family.” Yu Mingsong managed a weak attempt to soothe Lan Cixing.

Lan Cixing’s brow remained tightly knit with no sign of relaxation; she was truly in an offensive posture. Yu Mingsong took a step back to grant a safe distance.

“Official self-introduction: I am Rong Jinhuai’s lover.”

“…” Lan Cixing was stunned, her killing intent replaced by a blank stare. Only for an instant. She shivered and stared at Yu Mingsong again. In all the time she had known Rong Yushu, she had never heard of her sister having any lover. It was true that both Rong sisters were Omegas, but Rong Jinhuai was even more indifferent to romance than Rong Yushu, focusing entirely on her career. The industry joked that she treated the corporation as her wife, saying that the next generation of the Rong family would have to rely on Rong Yushu.

“I’ve been with her much longer than you’ve been with the little ancest—Yushu,” Yu Mingsong said, nearly slipping up with the nickname she and Rong Jinhuai used for her in private. “But it’s on and off, and we don’t often appear in public. She has no intention of going public, and neither do I.”

Lan Cixing finally noticed her choice of words. Not girlfriend, fiancée, or secret wife. Just “lover.” Lan Cixing’s expression changed several times before she finally exhaled.

“Then… why did you publicly pursue her?” Lan Cixing couldn’t understand. Did this family have some special hobby? A sister letting her own lover pursue the sister she held in the palm of her hand. Publicly, no less.

“You think I wanted to? It was to help her block rotten peach blossoms (unwanted suitors).” Thinking about it gave Yu Mingsong a headache. Rong Yushu hadn’t asked her sister for help; she actually enjoyed her group of suitors, occasionally teasing them. This was entirely something Rong Jinhuai did on her own because she kept too tight a watch on her sister. She heard the sisters had an unpleasant falling out over it. During that time, it was hard for Yu Mingsong to see Rong Jinhuai; once she could enter the Rong house again, the two had made up.

“Then this time…” Lan Cixing seemed to understand a bit. So the intimacy this morning was an act. Rong Yushu probably saw Yu Mingsong and felt like her sister was looming over her, which was annoying. Her conflicting emotions made sense now. The jealousy that had fermented all day finally dissipated. Lan Cixing’s heart felt light, her emotions slowly rising like a tide.

“What else could it be? She saw the little ancest—Yushu suddenly join a dating show without telling her, so she got anxious.” Yu Mingsong shrugged, recalling Rong Jinhuai’s expression when she tossed this show at her. It was foul enough to scare people away for miles.

“Even though I’m not her suitor, there really is someone on this dating show who pursued her all the way to the Rong house.”

Rong Jinhuai never expected a Lan Cixing to jump out midway. She thought Lan Cixing had long ago “withdrawn from the race,” and she didn’t know Rong Yushu had recently found a personal bodyguard behind her back. If she knew, the sisters would inevitably fight again. The security detail Rong Jinhuai provided for Rong Yushu was quite strong—mostly “shadow guards” and elite fighters. Some were world-renowned; why would she need someone with no lineage in martial arts and a “history” with Rong Yushu to be her personal bodyguard?

“Feng Shi from Group 3. Do you know her?” Yu Mingsong was thrown into the group by Rong Jinhuai specifically to prevent Feng Shi from pairing with Rong Yushu. To Rong Yushu, Yu Mingsong was just a sister viewing her as a sister-in-law. Toward Feng Shi, she not only had no good feelings but actually felt quite disgusted. Rong Jinhuai had good intentions.

As a result, a “wild dog” had slipped through the gap.

“Never heard of her.” Forget pursuit; Lan Cixing hadn’t even heard of this Feng Shi person.

“You had left the industry during the time she was active. She doesn’t do acting; she does variety shows and red carpets. It’s normal that you don’t know her.” Yu Mingsong looked at Lan Cixing with wonder. She was quite curious what Rong Jinhuai would do once she found out about her existence. As for when to tell Rong Jinhuai, that depended on how many benefits Rong Yushu was willing to give her after the show.

“Anyone who truly intends to pursue Rong Yushu wouldn’t be so high-profile, for fear of annoying her,” Yu Mingsong added.

“So you just annoyed her instead,” Lan Cixing said blankly, her killing intent toward Yu Mingsong gone. Family, huh… She thought Yu Mingsong and Rong Jinhuai were quite a mess themselves.

“I didn’t mean to. Her sister made me. If she’s unhappy, she can go convince her sister.” Yu Mingsong shoved her hands in her pockets. Having explained everything, she finally felt relaxed; otherwise, she was afraid Lan Cixing would continue to hunt her down. The show would film for two months; she didn’t want to spend two months in fear of having her palm crushed by Lan Cixing.

“You like Yushu, don’t you?” She changed the subject, staring at Lan Cixing as her gaze dimmed.

Lan Cixing met her eyes squarely. Her breathing went quiet. A moment later, a light sneer escaped her throat.

“At most… I’m just her bed partner.” How could she dare speak of “liking”?

Lan Cixing slowly exhaled. The island night was cold, and white mist drifted upward. Seeing the surprise in Yu Mingsong’s eyes, she wanted to say more. But instinct told her to shut her mouth, and her body tensed.

“You two are having a secret tryst behind my back.”

Rong Yushu had appeared behind them at some point. The scent of white tea hit the base of Lan Cixing’s ear. Like a bite.

“Is the affair pleasant?” Rong Yushu’s voice was full of laughter.

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