"What to do When the Pretty Woman I Kissed is My Best Friend's Professor" - Chapter 25.2

Before Shen Jinrong could speak, she saw the young woman quickly walk up to her, shifting the two paper bags to her right hand. The empty left hand reached out to take Elder Sister’s hand, but the young woman hesitated, only gently pulling on Elder Sister’s sleeve, her tone lifted: “We can go now!”

Her right sleeve was lightly held by the young woman, a gesture that was both subtle and endearing. Shen Jinrong tried to take the bags from Yan He’s hand, but the latter dodged, her hand only brushing against the young woman’s sleeve.

“I can do it myself,” Yan He pouted, looking a little unhappy: “Elder Sister just needs to take me home.”

Elder Sister just needs to take me home.

Shen Jinrong let the drunk young woman hold her sleeve. Although the parking spot wasn’t far from the elevator, the path felt endless. The pale lights, the green floor, the neat white parking lines—all scenes she saw every day. Yet, Shen Jinrong felt something was quietly changing.

This change was silent yet pervasive. It seemed to infiltrate everywhere, cutting into a point in her life, spreading like a flood, occupying every aspect of her existence.

This feeling—this feeling of being completely relied upon and trusted—was so clearly present in Shen Jinrong’s heart. She knew this feeling was rare, only appearing after meeting Yan He.

But—can I truly love someone? Do I truly still have the capacity to love a person?

“Elder Sister,” Yan He called out to her.

Shen Jinrong didn’t respond.

“Shen Jinrong.”

Elder Sister still didn’t respond, her gaze fixed on a distant point.

“Jinrong.”

A familiar voice sounded in Shen Jinrong’s ear. At the same time, she felt her sleeve being tugged by the young woman, who then stopped walking.

“Why did you stop?” Shen Jinrong halted, looking at her in confusion.

Yan He pointed to the exit: “The elevator is here. We almost walked past it.”

Shen Jinrong realized she had been too lost in thought. She gave an apologetic smile and didn’t question Yan He’s use of “Jinrong.”

Yan He suspected she hadn’t even heard it.

While waiting for the elevator, Yan He still held tightly to Elder Sister’s sleeve. Watching the red LED numbers decreasing, she suddenly said: “I was in Teacher Tan Ning’s office that day, and that’s how she addressed you.”

The name “Tan Ning” was like the key that opened Pandora’s Box. Yan He clearly saw Elder Sister’s pupils tremble the moment she said the name. Even if only for an instant, Yan He saw it.

“Teacher Tan was my undergraduate professor,” Shen Jinrong explained. It was information Yan He already knew, and her explanation was calm and brief, as if the person whose pupils trembled was not her.

Did I misread it?

Yan He blinked, mentioning casually: “I saw Elder Sister sending her flowers.”

The elevator made a “ding” sound. Watching the slowly opening door, Yan He suddenly thought of the oven she used, which also made a “ding” sound when it finished.

They walked into the elevator. The stainless steel walls reflected their distorted figures. Yan He turned to look at Shen Jinrong, silently awaiting her answer.

“Yes, Teacher Tan’s baby’s hundred-day celebration. I wasn’t around, so I was catching up on the gift,” Shen Jinrong answered her question, pressing the 26th floor button. Looking closely at the number, it seemed to float in front of her eyes.

The display number steadily climbed, but the elevator fell into a strange silence. Neither of them spoke, only the faint mechanical noise of the elevator running could be heard.

If the elevator broke down now, trapping the two of them here, wouldn’t I have more time alone with Elder Sister? They could stay here until rescued, or maybe— Yan He looked at Shen Jinrong.

The number jumped to the 12th floor.

“Elder Sister.”

“…Mmm.”

“Elder Sister, the plum wine I drank today, it was really sweet, very delicious.”

Shen Jinrong subconsciously turned to look at her, only to be met by the young woman’s bright, clear eyes. Under the light, those eyes displayed a beautiful amber color, light and faint, like the coast at sunrise. But—what else was it like? Shen Jinrong couldn’t think of it at the moment.

Her heart began to pound faster. She seemed to have a premonition of what was about to happen. Her breathing rhythm was broken by the young woman’s sudden proximity.

“Is that so?” Shen Jinrong wanted to subtly retreat but only managed two steps before her back hit the cold elevator wall.

The number jumped to the 16th floor.

“I’ll try it next time if I’m not driving.”

The chill from the back slowly seeped in.

“I actually really like small elevators,” Yan He said out of nowhere: “Elevator compartments from the 1990s were marked for only three people.”

The number on the display turned to 18.

“But realistically, two people fit perfectly,” Yan He’s free hand cupped the back of Elder Sister’s head. Her hair lightly brushed against the palm, sending a tingling sensation: “The distance is just like this.”

She demonstrated with her hand. Their noses were practically touching.

“So, an elevator compartment is perfect for kissing.”

The 20th floor.

“Elder Sister, plum wine is sweet.”

Shen Jinrong’s head silently hit Yan He’s palm.

“I want to know which is sweeter: it or Elder Sister’s kiss.”

Shen Jinrong widened her eyes. The moment Yan He closed the distance, she seemed to see a huge, white light attacking her, overwhelmingly occupying everything in sight. The mass of white light felt substantial. In the next instant, her lips were gently sealed.

Just that.

The 22nd floor.

The warm lips didn’t deepen the kiss. Shen Jinrong opened her eyes, seeing the young woman’s lowered, slightly trembling eyelashes. She could hear her own rapid, frantic heartbeat and feel the warmth of the breath in front of her.

The 24th floor.

The tip of the tongue quietly touched the lips, like a cautious probe, or perhaps the prelude to an attack.

The 26th floor.

“Ding—” Yan He straightened up, raising her hand to touch Elder Sister’s bright red lips, but was evaded in the next second. She turned her head. Elder Sister was already standing at the apartment door, her cheeks flushed, her lips a shimmering red, and the pearl by her ear reflecting a soft glow.

“If you don’t come over, I’m closing the door.”

Yan He walked over.

As if everything just now was a hallucination.

Was it a hallucination?

She touched her own lips. A little sweetness lingered on her tongue.

The young woman smiled contentedly upon receiving her candy—Elder Sister’s lips truly were sweet!

Shen Jinrong’s headache now was no less severe than when she brought Yan He back to her room in Vienna. Yet, the young woman was sitting quietly on the sofa, her hands neatly placed on her knees, looking obedient and demure.

Shen Jinrong rubbed her temples, feeling irritated just looking at her obedient appearance—Wasn’t that the same person who just kissed me in the elevator?

The heating was on in the apartment. Yan He quietly surveyed Elder Sister’s place. The cool-toned apartment lacked a sense of domestic warmth. She thought, Elder Sister probably doesn’t cook much at home, does she?

Her gaze shifted to the cabinet next to the TV, which was taller than a person, filled with an array of neatly organized alcohol bottles. There were about seven or eight bottles on each shelf—Yan He slowly counted them up, and then the number startled her. She looked closer and realized that almost all the bottles were only half full.

“Elder Sister.”

Shen Jinrong was startled by the young woman’s sudden serious tone and looked up. She was currently sitting on the single sofa next to Yan He, debating whether she or the young woman should sleep on the sofa tonight. Her apartment had three rooms and two living areas, but she had converted the two extra rooms into a study and a studio.

The young woman pointed at the alcohol cabinet and said very earnestly: “Drinking is bad.”

Shen Jinrong laughed at her exasperatedly: “You know drinking is bad?” A drunken person telling me that drinking is bad—what kind of drama is this?

“Mmm,” Yan He nodded vigorously: “Drinking is bad for the liver.”

Shen Jinrong knew she was drunk and didn’t argue, muttering: “You’re much cuter when you’re drunk than when you’re trying to act cool sober.”

Yan He didn’t hear what she said and tilted her head, looking at her.

“I’ll get you a new set of toiletries. Go take a shower,” Shen Jinrong rubbed her temples and sighed: “You can use my face wash and stuff.”

“But I smell good,” Yan He pouted: “Doesn’t Elder Sister know?”

Shen Jinrong thought, I absolutely must never let Yan He get drunk in front of me again! Absolutely not! After all, you can’t reason with a drunk person.

“Yes, yes, you smell good, so a fragrant little one needs to become even more fragrant.”

She knew reasoning with a drunken Yan He was pointless, so she simply stood up, pulled Yan He up, stuffed a pile of items into the young woman’s arms, and shoved her directly into the bathroom: “Go on, you’re already inside.”

Yan He clung to the door: “Elder Sister, I smell good! I put on perfume to see Elder Sister today!”

“Yes, yes, yes, you smell good!” Shen Jinrong used great effort to push her into the bathroom.

Hearing the sound of water running in the bathroom, she sighed in relief, standing by the bathroom door. She then returned to the bedroom to use her own bathroom to shower.

Why did I bring the little one back?

Shen Jinrong, standing barefoot in the bathroom and blow-drying her hair, was filled with regret. But she also knew she couldn’t have let a girl who had been drinking go to a hotel alone.

But, was it just concern? Beyond that normal concern, was there something else that shouldn’t be there?

Shen Jinrong sighed again. She realized she had been sighing all evening. But what should I do? If the night in Vienna could be forcibly explained as an accident because they were strangers, then what about today? What about what happened in the elevator just now?

She didn’t know; she could only sigh.

Shen Jinrong walked out in a bathrobe. She bent down and took a bottle of whiskey from the bottom of the cabinet, grabbed a glass, and took out large, round ice cubes from the freezer to put inside.

The bottom of the glass perfectly fit the ice cube. Shen Jinrong swirled the glass. The light hit the spinning sphere. The thin mist on the ice ball evaporated, leaving it perfectly transparent. She opened the bottle. The amber liquid looked somewhat familiar—she suddenly realized why she had thought Yan He’s eye color looked familiar earlier.

The clear ice ball spun in the amber liquid, occasionally clinking against the glass, making a soft sound. Shen Jinrong raised the glass to the light. The bright light passing through the amber and clear liquid became elusive.

The bathroom door opened. Shen Jinrong didn’t turn to look. She calmly screwed the cap back on the whiskey bottle, putting it back in its original place in the cabinet. As she closed the cabinet door, it made a creaking sound, perhaps because a screw was loose.

The young woman walked out, toweling her semi-dry hair. She was only wearing the large T-shirt Shen Jinrong had given her, and the shirt was quite big, hanging down to the middle of her thighs.

When Shen Jinrong turned around with the glass, she immediately saw the young woman’s bold attire. Her hand trembled slightly. She feigned composure, turning around to order: “Put on some pants before coming out.”

“But it’s hot,” the young woman explained softly.

Shen Jinrong suddenly remembered that she was sensitive to cold and always kept the heating turned up high. She took a deep breath, walked to the sofa with her back to Yan He, crossed her legs, and emotionlessly took a sip of whiskey.

“Drinking is bad,” the young woman’s delicate eyebrows furrowed. She walked over and sat down beside her: “Drinking at night adds a burden to the liver.”

Shen Jinrong responded with a flat “Mmm.”

Yan He seemed to know she was talking nonsense while drunk and didn’t mind Elder Sister’s reaction. She pouted, hugging a cushion, and asked: “Elder Sister, where do I sleep?”

“Where do you want to sleep?”

Yan He secretly checked Elder Sister’s expression to gauge her thoughts, then whispered: “Can I sleep with Elder Sister?”