When Spring Burns - Chapter 40

The woods outside the courtyard were tranquil, with a full moon hanging high in the sky.

Sheng Tingmian stared wide-eyed, at a loss, at the woman before her. The aura of elegance and nobility emanating from her made Sheng Tingmian hesitant to speculate further.

Yet the contact on her lips felt undeniably real, telling her that her sister was kissing her.

“Mianmian…” a husky voice murmured her nickname tenderly.

Her hands, which had been clutching the hem of her sister’s clothes, gradually loosened their grip and found the blanket, unconsciously tightening around it.

She closed her eyes and held her breath.

After what felt like an eternity, Sheng Tingmian felt the pressure on her lips ease and sensed the other person pulling away. Slowly, she opened her eyes and saw He Jianxue massaging her temples, seemingly in great discomfort.

The earlier contact felt like an illusion. Sheng Tingmian couldn’t quite articulate the emotions swirling inside her. “Sister?”

“Hmm?”

“Are… are you still in pain?”

“…Yes.”

As soon as the words were spoken, Sheng Tingmian watched as the woman, still heavily intoxicated, fell backward, unconscious.

“Sister…” Sheng Tingmian tried to catch her but was a step too late. Gazing at the woman on the bed, she hesitantly touched her own lips.

Had her sister really kissed her just now?

Or was it just her imagination? Her sister was so drunk, how could she have been conscious enough to kiss someone?

Or perhaps her sister’s feelings for her were different?

As soon as this suspicion surfaced, Sheng Tingmian immediately dismissed it, convinced it was impossible.

It must have been an accidental touch. Her sister had been so unsteady earlier, leaning in and accidentally brushing against her lips. That seemed plausible.

Just like when she herself got drunk and started singing opera, completely unaware of what she was doing.

With that thought, she felt she understood.

Sheng Tingmian looked tenderly at the woman on the bed. How could her sister possibly have such feelings for her? She was merely her adopted younger sister.

Feeling sorry for her sister’s body suffering from the alcohol, Sheng Tingmian once again threw herself into the role of the devoted little maid, carefully changing her sister’s clothes.

After much effort, she managed to remove the outer garments, leaving only a bra on her upper body. Sheng Tingmian’s gaze lingered for a couple of seconds, marveling at how her sister excelled in everything, from her family background to her figure and beauty.

She fetched a nightgown and, out of respect, slipped it over her sister’s head first. Then, reaching under the hem of the gown that fell to her waist, she unfastened the bra by hand and removed it.

She repeated the process for the lower half.

Once everything was done, Sheng Tingmian gently pulled the blanket up to her sister’s chest and neatly folded the clothes on a nearby chair, planning to have them washed the next day.

Feeling a bit sweaty, Sheng Tingmian decided to wash her face in the bathroom. As she looked up, she caught her reflection in the mirror and noticed her sister’s lipstick smudged on her lips.

Uncontrollably, her mind flashed back to the moment her sister had accidentally kissed her.

She stared blankly for a few seconds before lowering her gaze, pulling out a tissue, and slowly wiping it away.

Overcome by drowsiness, she returned to the bedroom, circled to the other side of the bed, lifted the blanket quietly, and slipped in.

“Goodnight, sister.”

…

The next morning, He Jianxue woke up with a heavy head. Glancing at the clock, she saw it was already seven.

The morning sunlight outside the window was gentle and bright. Suddenly, a figure stepped into her line of sight, the thin nightgown silhouetting a graceful figure against the light.

“Sister, you’re awake?” Sheng Tingmian walked over and sat at the foot of the bed, watching her rise.

“I drank a bit too much last night,” He Jianxue said as she put on her shoes. The moment she stood up, she realized her clothes had been changed. “Did you change them?”

“Yes, I did,” Sheng Tingmian replied with a cheerful smile. “Taking care of my sister is my duty as a younger sister.”

He Jianxue glanced at her, let out a soft hum from her throat, and curled the corner of her lips. “Don’t you have to go to work?”

“I do.” Sheng Tingmian walked into the walk-in closet. Considering that her sister would likely need to use the bathroom, she decided to change there instead.

Just as He Jianxue entered the bathroom to freshen up, her phone rang. She had no choice but to turn back, walk over to the chair, and pull her phone out of her bag. As soon as she answered, her secretary asked how she was feeling today.

“I’m fine.” He Jianxue turned her head and paused, her gaze lingering.

Inside the walk-in closet, the young girl was changing clothes. Her smooth, flawless back was so fair it seemed to glow, like fine mutton-fat jade.

She averted her eyes and murmured, “I won’t be going to work today. I’ll take a day off.”

After hanging up, He Jianxue bent down to set her phone aside. As she turned, her eyes inadvertently swept over the graceful figure in the walk-in closet once more.

For a fleeting moment, her thoughts scattered like garbled code before snapping back to normal. She tried to grasp that elusive feeling but couldn’t hold onto it.

Frowning, He Jianxue stepped into the bathroom and picked up her toothbrush. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a tissue in the wastebasket with a smear of red on it.

Hesitating, she picked it up and unfolded it, only to find it stained with a mottled red substance. The texture of the red residue somewhat resembled her lipstick.

Did her sister help remove her makeup with a tissue last night?

But the next moment, she dismissed the thought, tissues weren’t part of the usual makeup removal routine.

So, did Tingmian use it herself? But why was the lipstick on it identical to hers?

Just as He Jianxue was about to discard the tissue, unable to recall the reason, a sudden memory flashed in her mind, a fragment of her kissing Tingmian…

After changing her clothes, Sheng Tingmian noticed the bathroom door was ajar. She walked in and found her sister staring into the mirror, lost in thought.

“Sister, aren’t you going to freshen up?” she asked, puzzled.

Hearing her voice, He Jianxue snapped out of her daze and looked over, her gaze lingering with complexity on Sheng Tingmian’s lovely, apricot-pink lips.

“Sister?” Sheng Tingmian didn’t understand.

“I’m about to.” He Jianxue replied.

“Alright, I’ll head out first then.” Sheng Tingmian turned and left.

He Jianxue turned on the faucet, letting the water run over her fingers, and closed her eyes deeply.

She couldn’t accept that her feelings for Tingmian had twisted into something beyond sisterly affection.

Tingmian was her sister, someone as dear to her as He Xiu.

How could she have defiled her own sister?

He Jianxue scooped a handful of cold water and splashed it on her face, calming herself slightly.

If Ji Siyi pursued Tingmian out of affection, did she kiss Tingmian while drunk for the same reason?

Would Tingmian be frightened by her?

Too many questions remained unanswered, and He Jianxue felt a headache coming on.

…

At the breakfast table, Sheng Tingmian and her sister were eating.

He Jianxue’s gaze repeatedly drifted toward her. Whenever Sheng Tingmian seemed to notice, she would subtly look away.

Sheng Tingmian smiled at her. “Sister, you should drink less in the future. It’s not good for your health.”

He Jianxue responded ambiguously, “Last night, I was drunk. I didn’t do anything strange, did I?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, He Jianxue noticed her sister visibly stiffen, pressing her lips together slightly before replying after a few seconds, “No, you didn’t do anything unusual.”

He Jianxue’s gaze darkened, but she said nothing.

“Sister, there’s something I want to ask you.”

“Go ahead.”

“Du Jingya said the dean asked all of us lead actresses and actors to create social media accounts. Was that your idea?”

“Yes.”

Sheng Tingmian received the affirmative answer and pressed further, “Then can Du Jingya and I become the best partners?”

Du Jingya… Du Jingya…

He Jianxue narrowed her eyes and silently watched the person across from her for a moment.

“I’ve already discussed it with her.” Sheng Tingmian thought about how they would be fixed partners from now on, with each other’s IDs already listed in their account bios.

After a while, she heard the woman across from her utter a faint “Mm,” which inexplicably felt somewhat dismissive.

“I’m done eating. Take your time.” He Jianxue rose from the dining table and headed straight for the study.

Not long after she sat down, she heard a car starting in the yard. Without even guessing, she knew it was her younger sister heading to the theater for work.

He Jianxue took out a box of cigarettes from the drawer. Normally, she would smoke one or two.

But today, she lit one after another.

She couldn’t focus on her work at all.

Her mind was filled with memories of Sheng Tingmian, from the very moment she had appeared in her life.

From that spring day when she, as the stunning “Liangzhou Diqi” had captivated her, to the time she pleaded with He Jianxue for investment and support for the Liqing Theater Troupe, and then to He Xiu’s death…

She still remembered that night, when she was lying awake, tormented by He Xiu’s passing, this girl had thrown herself into her arms, softly comforting her, saying that if she didn’t mind, she could treat her as a sister.

From then on, He Jianxue truly regarded her as a younger sister, and this girl, in turn, earnestly played the role of He Jianxue’s sister, taking her to see fields of flowers, allowing her, a person with disabilities, to experience the beauty of nature. Her instinctive care, like throwing herself forward in fear of He Jianxue getting hurt, was genuine. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have persistently urged He Jianxue to see the traditional Chinese doctor.

Later, when she learned the truth about her paralysis and the cause of He Xiu’s tragic fate, she had lashed out in anger and struck someone. This girl, witnessing it all, had unhesitatingly stood by her side, silently supporting her.

The second time she made a request was during their trip to Thailand. She wanted to bring a stray cat back home to care for, cautiously and hopefully asking He Jianxue if it was possible.

During the Dragon Boat Festival program incident, when she rushed to the studio, her first instinct upon opening her eyes, despite her immense fear, was to throw herself into He Jianxue’s arms.

She trusted and relied on her older sister so wholeheartedly.

Yet, He Jianxue had taken advantage of being drunk and violated that trust…

He Jianxue lit another slender cigarette, closing her eyes deeply. In her chaotic thoughts, she tried to justify her actions by telling herself it was because she loved Mianmian too much. If Mianmian were willing to accept her, she would treat her well for the rest of her life.

But the morning’s inquiry and Mianmian’s denial served as a stark reminder, if Mianmian felt the same way, she wouldn’t have denied that kiss.

A faint trail of smoke escaped her red lips, stinging her eyes slightly. He Jianxue thought of Ji Siyi, the one her sister had outright rejected.

After He Jianxue’s interference, the frequency of interactions between Ji Siyi and her sister had plummeted, even reaching zero.

On the rare occasions they ran into each other at the company, her sister maintained a polite distance, barely exchanging a few words.

Initially, He Jianxue had been pleased to see them keeping their distance, but now…

If she were to confess her feelings, would she end up following in Ji Siyi’s footsteps?

Ji Siyi, at least, had the relief of surviving nine years of studying in Germany to console herself after the pain of rejection. What did He Jianxue have?

If she were rejected like Ji Siyi, it would mean that He Jianxue had lost another sister.

A sister who trusted and respected her with all her heart.

He Jianxue stubbed out the cigarette butt and opened the documents to start working. She picked up a fountain pen and was about to sign her name when she paused.

This fountain pen was a gift Mianmian had bought for her with her first paycheck, as a token of gratitude for He Jianxue’s willingness to bring Tyrande back to the country to raise.

The pen had an exceptional texture, a distinctive design, and the ink flowed smoothly, she found it very comfortable to use.

So… would Mianmian like a woman ten years older than her?