"What to do When the Pretty Woman I Kissed is My Best Friend's Professor" - Chapter 25.1

The northern winter night was always characterized by a fierce, howling wind. Even with the car windows closed and the engine off, Yan He  could hear the wind wailing outside. Separated by a car window, she looked out blankly. Her mind was a chaotic mess from the alcohol, only registering fragments of light blocked by the dark window tint, vaguely making out the LED sign of the cake shop she had entered earlier.

Elder Sister  was sitting right beside her. But this realization wasn’t entirely clear; she needed the familiar scent wafting from Elder Sister to truly sense her presence. Perhaps it was because the alcohol had muddled her mind, or perhaps it was because Elder Sister herself was an irresistible enchantment to her.

The faint citrus scent was less crisp than when they first met today. Instead, it seemed to have merged with Elder Sister’s body temperature, warm and enveloping. For some reason, Yan He thought of that tiny lime again—did it really smell like Elder Sister? She thought she might try to find out when she got home tomorrow.

Elder Sister thoughtfully turned on the air conditioning. Warm air blew from the right vent, making the right side of Yan He’s face hot, turning both her ears completely red. Her body slowly warmed up, starting at her heart, then the blood carrying the heat throughout her body, finally warming her cold fingertips.

“Are your parents not home?” Shen Jinrong asked her.

Yan He swore she clearly saw hesitation in Elder Sister’s eyes the moment she pressed her hand and asked if she could take her home. The doubt in those clear eyes was too explicit, like a silent refusal.

“They’re on a business trip,” Yan He lowered her gaze, trying to hide the welling tears. Her nose couldn’t help but sting, a strange, baseless feeling of acidity and grievance. Elder Sister’s hesitation was what she expected, but not what she had hoped for.

Shen Jinrong pursed her lips. Before Elder Sister could say anything more, Yan He rushed to speak: “I can just find a hotel or stay at a friend’s place!”

Rather than waiting for Elder Sister to explicitly refuse, it was better to take the initiative from the start, responding gracefully even in rejection.

However, the thoughts in her brain and the bitterness in her heart were completely at odds. She felt as if she was split into two parts at that moment: logic and emotion, pessimism and resolve.

Yan He lowered her head, her gaze unfocused. Waves of grievance surged up only to be forcibly suppressed, like a small boat on turbulent waves, foolishly sailing into the deep sea, its final fate already sealed.

Although the young woman’s tone was upbeat, Shen Jinrong couldn’t miss the subtle catch in her voice. When Yan He said, “They’re on a business trip,” Shen Jinrong frowned slightly, her eyes momentarily lost in thought. She seemed to see the little girl who used to sit by the door, doing her homework while waiting for someone to open it.

How long did she wait back then? Did anyone open the door for her? Shen Jinrong couldn’t clearly remember, but she decided she would be the one to open the door now.

“Buckle your seatbelt,” Shen Jinrong sighed inwardly, turned off the navigation, and looked at Yan He after buckling her own belt. The young woman, with her head bowed, looked like she had done something wrong, even her eyes were drooping, but her exposed ears were bright red, like ripe pomegranates.

Yan He was still lost in her sad world and didn’t hear Shen Jinrong’s words.

Shen Jinrong had started the car and was holding her right hand lightly on the steering wheel, waiting for Yan He to buckle up, occasionally tapping the leather steering wheel cover with her index finger. Seeing no reaction from Yan He, she thought, is the little one asleep?

She unbuckled her seatbelt, took a deep breath, and prepared to help Yan He fasten hers. Just as she leaned over toward Yan He, the young woman, who had been sitting with her head down, suddenly looked up as if sensing her presence. Shen Jinrong was startled.

Too close.

It was truly too close.

Yan He’s eyes were still glistening with unshed tears, her grievance about to spill over. Elder Sister was less than ten centimeters away, far closer than the safety boundary. The light above the rearview mirror was dim, yet the car interior felt deliberately bathed in a warm, soft atmosphere.

A silent scream went off in her heart. Elder Sister’s right side profile was fair and flawless. She had a fleeting thought of the tiny tear mole below Elder Sister’s left eye. If it were on the right side, I should be able to see it now, right?

The pearl earring on Elder Sister’s earlobe was so within reach. Yan He suddenly wanted to touch that tiny pearl. She thought, if this is all a dream, will it shatter if I touch it?

A frantic thought suddenly crossed Yan He’s mind: is this beautiful moment, which feels like my own fantasy, real? Is it a delusion, a hallucination, or a beautiful moment intentionally created by an artist?

If God truly exists, could he freeze time right here? So that even after the seas turn to fields, even at the end of time, they would still be this close.

She could hear Elder Sister’s breathing, feel Elder Sister’s body temperature. She watched as Elder Sister’s left hand swept past her eyes, the silver watch strap on the wrist reflecting a flash of light. The white light vanished instantly, like the kiss in Vienna—it felt like a phantom, yet it happened.

A sound in her ear brought Yan He back to reality. Elder Sister’s hand grasped the seatbelt on her right side, pulling slightly. The belt grazed Yan He’s shoulder, then her chest, and finally clicked into the buckle near her left hip. After the “click“, the warmth in front of her retreated and disappeared, leaving only a rush of warm air.

Yan He turned her head to look at Elder Sister. She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but Elder Sister’s ear tip seemed redder than before.

I want to bite it.

“You need to wear a seatbelt,” Shen Jinrong spoke, breaking the ambiguous atmosphere in the car. But the moment the words left her mouth, she noticed her own voice was low and husky, so she cleared her throat and added: “Be careful.”

Yan He quietly acknowledged her, sitting properly in the passenger seat, her back straight. She secretly glanced at Shen Jinrong. Seeing that the latter wasn’t looking at her, she gently rubbed the spot on the seatbelt Elder Sister had just touched with her left hand.

Shen Jinrong started the car, her tone calm as if discussing a trivial matter: “Let’s go to my place.” The moment the words were out, she could feel the young woman’s burning gaze without even turning her head. The scrutiny felt like it had a temperature, making Shen Jinrong’s ears flush.

Yan He widened her eyes, opening her mouth to say something, but only managed a sharp inhale.

Shen Jinrong added: “Next time you go out with someone, you are not allowed to drink! It’s not safe to stay in a hotel alone without your keys.” It was clearly an attempt to justify her own actions.

Yan He didn’t care what she said—the young woman leaned against the seat back, giggling foolishly. No matter what, Elder Sister is taking me home!

Shen Jinrong groaned inwardly. She suddenly remembered, didn’t the little one also say she couldn’t find her room key back in Vienna? This was far too coincidental! Fine, I’ll just consider it bringing home a lost puppy!

While waiting at a red light, she turned to look at Yan He. The young woman’s hands were neatly placed in front of her abdomen, her posture proper. Seeing Shen Jinrong look over, she tilted her head and smiled. Those eyes were wet and bright, truly like a little Golden Retriever.

Shen Jinrong quickly started the car as the light turned green, turning off the air conditioning—it’s too hot, too hot! I set the temperature too high today!

It was already 9:30 PM when the car passed through the gate and entered the complex. Unlike summer, there weren’t many people out for evening strolls in the winter. The few people on the road were bundled up and hurrying. With the Lunar New Year approaching, everyone had less interest in working, eagerly awaiting the holiday.

The security guard at the gate booth nodded and greeted Shen Jinrong.

Shen Jinrong drove into the underground parking garage, where it was deserted. Even inside the car, a chill could be faintly felt. She was confident in her driving skills and a bit obsessive, only satisfied after parking the car perfectly in the designated spot.

When she turned off the engine, Shen Jinrong realized the young woman beside her had woken up sometime and was staring intently at her. The white LED lights of the underground parking garage shone on the young woman’s face, making it look sickly pale. Shen Jinrong subtly reached up and turned on the dome light.

“What are you looking at?” Shen Jinrong asked.

“Elder Sister’s earrings are so beautiful.”

If anyone else had said this, Shen Jinrong might have simply chuckled. Plenty of people complimented her looks, and even more paid her subtle compliments. But Yan He saying it—meeting those clear, unrestrained eyes, Shen Jinrong was uncontrollably captivated.

“I made them myself,” Shen Jinrong smiled and explained slowly: “It was probably during college. I sourced the pearls myself and made the earrings myself.”

She was sitting in the driver’s seat, so Yan He could only see her profile. Seeing Elder Sister smile, Yan He smiled too. Smiles are contagious, Yan He only fully realized this now.

“It wasn’t easy to find four—two pearls of similar shape and size,” Shen Jinrong lowered her eyes. She always lowered her eyes when recalling the past, as if hiding or avoiding something: “I searched for a long time and then learned how to make earrings from an art student, borrowing their studio.”

Yan He unbuckled her seatbelt and leaned her head against the seat back to watch Shen Jinrong. She noticed that when Shen Jinrong spoke about memories related to the past, she was always downcast and thoughtful. Yan He didn’t know what Elder Sister had gone through, but the youthful audacity in her always made her want to give Elder Sister a hug—even if just to say, I’m here.

Would an older person need that hug? Would she need that “I’m here”? Would she need comfort? Yan He thought that if she were to get to the root of the question, the answer should be no. Her heart was tempered long before you came along, so naturally, she wouldn’t need a futile piece of comfort.

“They’re very beautiful, truly lovely,” Yan He didn’t know what else to say at the moment, so she mechanically praised Elder Sister’s earrings.

Shen Jinrong wasn’t used to being stared at her ears so intently. She cleared her throat and said: “Let’s go up—” “Can I touch them?”

They both spoke at the same time, then both stopped. Elder Sister slowly turned her head, and in the next second, the young woman’s fingertips brushed against her. Yan He’s fingertips weren’t warm; they were cool, and the contact with Shen Jinrong’s hot earlobe triggered a shiver.

Elder Sister’s body trembled slightly, her throat tightened, and she thought, she wasn’t asking for permission, she was informing me?

“They’re really beautiful,” Yan He narrowed her eyes. Realizing she couldn’t see clearly, she leaned in closer, wanting a better look. She rested her hand on the center console armrest between the driver and passenger seats. Her palm was clammy and suddenly slipped. The young woman stumbled and fell into Elder Sister’s lap.

Shen Jinrong stared at her blankly.

Yan He belatedly felt the softness next to her cheek. Her brain took five seconds to realize what it was. She frantically tried to get up but slipped again, falling back onto Elder Sister’s chest.

—Help! I swear! I really didn’t do that on purpose!

Sitting upright, the sobered-up Little Yan didn’t dare to move carelessly. Her hands were nervously clasped together, but the effects of the alcohol hadn’t worn off.

Shen Jinrong was amused by her actions. It was the young woman’s accident, yet it seemed like Shen Jinrong was the one who had done something wrong. She felt like teasing her and asked: “How beautiful?”

Yan He answered meekly: “Especially, especially beautiful.”

“…Is that so?” Shen Jinrong raised an eyebrow. If the young woman had looked up now, she would have seen the amusement in Elder Sister’s eyes: “Do you plan to spend the night in the car?”

Yan He secretly peeked at her: “Huh?”

“If you want to look, look openly. I didn’t say you couldn’t.” Shen Jinrong crossed her arms and pointed to the car door: “Do you want me to open the door for you?”

Yan He looked lost. Shen Jinrong simply stopped talking, pulled open the car door, and stepped out. Before closing the door, she bent down and asked the young woman, who was staring blankly inside the car: “Little One, if you don’t get out soon, Elder Sister will abandon you, you know.” Her eyes curved, and she put her index finger to her lips: “Oh, I forgot to tell you, there’s a big bad wolf in the garage.”

Yan He: ???

!!!

A big bad wolf!

Scrambling out of the car, Yan He realized that Elder Sister was joking. The drunken puppy felt annoyed: Why was I fooled so easily? But then she thought that Elder Sister was taking her home, so even being fooled was a joy!

Yan He sidled up to Elder Sister, actively taking the two bags from her hand. Elder Sister pointed toward the elevator: “Take the elevator.” As if afraid the confused young woman would take the wrong path.

She took two steps, heard no footsteps behind her, and turned around to find the young woman standing rooted to the spot, looking pathetic with the two paper bags in her hands. Shen Jinrong stood with her hands in her pockets and asked: “Are you not feeling well?”

Yan He pouted and accused: “Elder Sister didn’t hold my hand.”

“Shouldn’t Elder Sister bring the lost puppy home?”

“How can you not hold my hand.”