Transmigrated into the Villainous Scummy Alpha in a Talent Show Novel - Chapter 59

After taking turns to freshen up, Lin Qi dried her hair and sensed the momentary silence between them. She hung the towel on the hook by the sink, pressed her lips together, and turned her gaze toward Jiang Ming on the bed.

She could clearly feel the girl stealing glances at her from time to time, yet whenever their eyes met, the shy one would hide her face under the blanket, like the adorably naive act of covering one’s ears to steal a bell.

“Nuo Nuo, can you breathe under there?”

The gentle, amused voice from outside the blanket made Jiang Ming clutch her makeshift shield even tighter, her ears burning red. She didn’t understand why even though they had already confessed their feelings, she had become even more hesitant to face Lin Qi.

Just seeing her made her shy; just meeting her gaze made her nervous. Her heartbeat raced uncontrollably.

Truth be told, Lin Qi also felt those strange, fluttery emotions that came with a first love, but she was thicker-skinned. She walked over to Jiang Ming’s bedside and lightly patted the lump under the blanket, her voice softening further. “Come out. Don’t tell me you’re scared of me?”

The blanket was pushed aside, revealing Jiang Ming’s flushed face whether from lack of air or embarrassment was unclear. She hugged her bent knees, her gaze fixed on the sheets below, avoiding Lin Qi’s eyes. “I’m not scared of you.”

“Then look at me, won’t you?”

Perhaps out of stubbornness, the little white rabbit lifted her head, her delicate brows furrowed, looking both indignant and soft.

The moment their eyes met, Lin Qi’s affectionate gaze brimmed with amusement. She could only laugh inwardly at how easily Jiang Ming fell for her teasing. Leaning forward, she pressed a firm kiss onto those soft lips. The passive recipient froze, instinctively tilting her head up, seeking deeper contact.

The sound of their breaths intertwined, forming a swirling vortex in the empty room, slowly engulfing them both. Naturally, their lips met again. This time, Lin Qi took the lead no longer the tentative pecks of before. With tender devotion, she traced the sweet softness of the girl’s lips, like savoring the finest marshmallow, coated in sugary nectar.

A hazy mist of tears welled up in Jiang Ming’s eyes as she endured no, welcomed the overwhelming intimacy from the one she adored. She had never been one for close contact with others, but if that person was Lin Qi, she would retract all her sharp thorns, willingly baring her vulnerable core. She’d even fear that her own edges might hurt Lin Qi, choosing instead to endure the pain alone if it meant a chance to be close.

No longer content with mere fleeting touches, Lin Qi, uncharacteristically flushed ventured into uncharted territory. Past the trembling rows of pearly teeth, the slightest brush sent shivers through Jiang Ming, her body going limp as she sank back onto the bed.

Catching Jiang Ming’s unsteady form, Lin Qi cradled her as they slowly descended together. The plush mattress gently embraced the pair, still locked in their kiss. Outside the open window, the cool summer night breeze drifted in, but it did nothing to dispel the heated intimacy between them. Warmth clung to their skin, whether from their deepening flush or the feverish energy radiating between them.

Perhaps sensing permission or maybe because Jiang Ming was running out of breath Lin Qi finally pressed forward, capturing the timid tongue that had been hiding behind those pearly teeth. She could feel the girl’s inexperience, the way her tongue instinctively retreated, as if seeking refuge in its safe haven, unsettled by the unfamiliar intrusion.

No longer pressing Jiang Ming, who had begun to pant slightly, Lin Qi gently bit her plump lower lip one last time to leave a mark of her visit. Then she propped herself up to look at the little white rabbit beneath her. Everywhere she looked was flushed her cheeks, the tip of her nose, the corners of her eyes, her earlobes all tinged with a vivid, bashful red.

“Jiang Ming, we’re lovers now.”

Jiang Ming had her fists pressed against the shoulders of the person above her, maintaining just the right distance close enough to clearly see Lin Qi’s expression. Her clear peach-blossom eyes held affection like honey aged for years, so sweet it could melt.

They had already reached the point of understanding each other without words. Jiang Ming could fully guess the subtext of Lin Qi’s statement: We’re already lovers, so don’t be so reserved.

Yes, they were lovers now, partners who would walk through life hand in hand…

Just the thought of it was enough to make her heart swell with sweetness. Jiang Ming lifted her arms to wrap around Lin Qi’s neck, using the leverage to rise slightly and press a fleeting kiss to her impossibly red cheeks.

Even though they had already shared far more intimate contact, this innocent peck on the cheek still made both of them blush down to their ears. Just as Lin Qi was about to tease her for being bold, she felt Jiang Ming pinch her earlobe, her voice sweet and coy.

“We’re lovers now, and you’re still calling me Jiang Ming? Call me Nuonuo.”

Stunned by the sudden counterattack, Lin Qi, who had always firmly believed herself to be the alpha in the relationship and wielded her beauty like a weapon felt the increasingly unruly pounding in her chest. Her throat tightened before she managed to speak in a low, magnetic voice, “Nuonuo, have you considered the consequences of teasing me like this?”

Her tone was undeniably seductive, her fingertips trembling slightly with barely restrained emotion. But Jiang Ming only grew bolder, her fingers trailing to the back of Lin Qi’s neck, where she rubbed mischievously. She arched a delicate brow. “What consequences?”

At twenty-six or twenty-seven in her original world, Lin Qi knew everything, what was proper, what wasn’t, even all sorts of tricks. Her gaze darkened momentarily before she squeezed her eyes shut and forced it back to its usual clarity. No. Jiang Ming is only nineteen. We just got together tonight.

She couldn’t come across as someone who was just lusting after her body, could she?

Even though she was admittedly quite tempted. During dance practice, Jiang Ming, who knew where she picked up the habit always liked to tuck the hem of her training clothes under the edge of her sports bra, revealing her slender waist with its faint hint of toned abs…

“N-no consequences,” Lin Qi stammered weakly, her voice lacking any of its usual confidence. She braced her hands on either side, intending to pull away, but felt the pressure around her neck Jiang Ming had no intention of letting her go.

Meeting her gaze with a questioning look, the desire she had been suppressing flared when she saw the deliberate provocation in Jiang Ming’s eyes. She had never seen her look so alluring, so bewitching. Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, Jiang Ming murmured, “Really, no consequences?”

Lin Qi’s breathing hitched. It took her a long moment to find her voice again. “D-do you even know what you’re saying?”

After that question, silence fell between them. Perhaps it was due to her years of rationality and emotional detachment, but Lin Qi wasn’t sure if she was being overly sensitive or if she truly saw a flicker of unease in Jiang Ming’s eyes. Suddenly, she understood.

“Jiang Ming no, Nuonuo. What are you afraid of? You…” Are you trying to bind me to you with your body?

The deepest insecurities hidden within were exposed. Jiang Ming loosened her grip and turned her head toward the wall. While she did have some intention of teasing Lin Qi, her main goal was to push things to the point of no return today, binding Lin Qi to her with a sense of responsibility.

“I, I’m scared”

Her voice trembled with unshed tears, and the proximity allowed Lin Qi to see the teardrops sliding from the corners of her eyes, soon falling onto the pillow, shattering into damp stains.

Lin Qi’s heart ached instantly. She understood that before meeting her, Jiang Ming had endured too much. Her low self-esteem was ingrained, not something that could be changed overnight.

Biting her lower lip, Lin Qi was momentarily at a loss for how to comfort her. She had made promises many times before, but for Jiang Ming, actions spoke louder than words. The only thing she could do now was to stabilize their relationship, treating it like a normal romance, gradually helping Jiang Ming overcome her insecurities.

“Nuo Nuo, how about we sleep together tonight?”

The sudden shift in topic caught Jiang Ming off guard. Her tears hadn’t even stopped yet, and she blinked in surprise, her reddened eyes widening slightly.

“You’re just, really soft. I want to hold you while we sleep. I’m your girlfriend now can’t I hold you?”

“Y-yes, you can.”

They shifted positions, moving from top and bottom to side by side. Lin Qi wrapped her arms around Jiang Ming, who was facing her, and gently patted her slightly frail back, where the prominent shoulder blades stood out like the marks left behind when an angel’s wings were broken.

“Nuo Nuo, I want to tell you, you’re truly something beautiful. You were the first good thing I saw after experiencing the pain of death. You need to see yourself clearly and cherish yourself. No matter what, as long as you’re Jiang Ming, I’ll love you. And I came into this world just for you do you really think I’d run away?”

Buried in Lin Qi’s embrace, Jiang Ming clutched the fabric of her pajamas tightly, hiding beneath the warmth of the blanket as she alternated between crying and laughing. Too shy to look at the person holding her, she also didn’t want her emotionally overwhelmed self to be seen.

Carefully, she concealed both joy and sorrow. Deep down, she had always believed in Lin Qi’s steadfastness she just didn’t believe in herself.

Jiang Ming had never considered herself a particularly charming person. Even though Lin Qi had repeatedly emphasized her “beauty,” years of low self-esteem made her first reaction one of doubt Is she lying to me?

Facing Lin Qi, she felt happiness, excitement, and unease, her heart feeling tightly constricted. Jiang Ming pressed her head closer to the other heartbeat, her chest rising and falling slightly, only to feel a pang of disappointment when she heard how calm it was.

My own heart is pounding so wildly, why does Lin Qi’s sound like she’s half-dead?

Lifting her head, before she could voice her complaint, Jiang Ming realized that Lin Qi, exhausted from two busy days, had already fallen asleep after saying those words. She looked peaceful, her striking features softened in slumber, her straight nose, her closed lips, unpainted yet sweet, as Jiang Ming had tasted many times before.

With a slight struggle, Jiang Ming found that Lin Qi was truly deep in sleep. She even lifted a hand, tracing from Lin Qi’s forehead down to the tip of her nose. All Lin Qi did was furrow her brows slightly at the ticklish sensation.

Her eyes, still red and swollen from crying earlier, now held a hint of a smile, as if she had found salvation. Jiang Ming once again buried herself in Lin Qi’s warm embrace. The hand that had been patting her back slid down to her sensitive waist, making her blush slightly as she hid her face in the crook of his shoulder, which carried a faint woody scent.

Her voice came out muffled, hindered by the embrace, “So proper when awake, yet so mischievous when asleep.”