Chapter 124

Kong Xiyan and Chi Wanzhao were in the middle of a cold war.

All because of a dream.

Chi Wanzhao found it both amusing and exasperating.

That afternoon, when she got off work and came home, Kong Xiyan was nowhere to be found. Just as she was wondering whether to call, she saw Yanyan padding out of the guest room on the second floor.

That room had previously been Wang Haining's.

Since Wang Haining left, it had remained empty, so Chi Wanzhao hadn't thought to check inside. But now, standing at the guest room door, she heard sounds from within. She pushed the door open and went in—Kong Xiyan was on the phone.

She wore only a thin nightgown. The window was cracked open, letting in a breeze that lifted her dark, silky hair. From Chi Wanzhao's angle, she could see her profile.

Long lashes, a delicate nose, lips tinted pink and currently bitten, revealing her teeth.

Kong Xiyan listened for a while before speaking: "Mm? Okay, send me a picture later."

"Really? It must have changed a lot."

"Me? I'm doing fine."

"Got it, got it. If you keep nagging like this, who's ever going to marry you?"

Chi Wanzhao's foot, which had been about to step inside, paused, and she took a few steps back. She gazed at Kong Xiyan's slender back, her eyes soft and affectionate.

Just as Kong Xiyan hung up, Chi Wanzhao asked, "Wang Haining?"

Kong Xiyan's movements froze for a moment. She turned her head to look at Chi Wanzhao, startled, then quickly recovered: "Mm."

Her expression betrayed nothing unusual.

As if her earlier anger over a dream had been a figment of imagination.

But Chi Wanzhao knew.

She was angry.

The room fell quiet for a while. Yanyan trotted in, rubbed against Chi Wanzhao's leg, then jumped onto the bed and curled up in Kong Xiyan's arms, looking up with round eyes, begging for a pat.

Seeing her stroking Yanyan's white fur, Chi Wanzhao walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. "What did you talk about?"

Kong Xiyan's expression was normal: "Just chatting."

Chi Wanzhao's eyes flickered, and she let the topic drop, asking casually, "What do you want for dinner? Or should we eat out?"

Thinking about it, they had rarely eaten out together.

Kong Xiyan declined the suggestion: "No need. I'm not hungry."

Chi Wanzhao frowned. "Not eating?"

Kong Xiyan, still stroking Yanyan without looking up, said, "Losing weight."

"I have an ad shoot tomorrow, need to stay in shape."

...

That was a good excuse.

Chi Wanzhao had no comeback.

Kong Xiyan didn't wait for her reply. She leaned against the pillow, resting her hand on her forehead, eyes closed. Chi Wanzhao asked, "Feeling sleepy? Want me to carry you back to the bedroom?"

"No need. Take Yanyan out."

With that, she placed Yanyan into Chi Wanzhao's hands. The cat and the woman exchanged a glance, and Yanyan, knowing her place, jumped out of Chi Wanzhao's arms and left the room.

Without Yanyan, the room was utterly silent. Chi Wanzhao stared at Kong Xiyan for a moment, then said, "Xiyan."

Kong Xiyan turned over in bed, replying in a muffled voice, "I'm tired. I want to rest."

Chi Wanzhao reached out to touch her shoulder, but her hand stopped mid-air, fingers curling, then withdrew. She lowered her head. "Then rest well."

"Mm."

Still the same muffled voice, making Chi Wanzhao's chest feel tight. She looked at Kong Xiyan's back, and after a long while, she pulled the thin blanket up to cover Kong Xiyan's shoulders, patted her, and said, "I'll go out first."

This time, the only reply was Kong Xiyan's steady breathing.

The person on the bed seemed to have fallen asleep.

Chi Wanzhao quickly left the room.

Since Kong Xiyan had no appetite, Chi Wanzhao had even less. After leaving the room, she took a quick shower and sat on the living room sofa watching the news, but she kept glancing toward the guest room upstairs.

No movement.

The only sounds in the apartment were Yanyan's thumping as she ran up and down the stairs. Chi Wanzhao sat on the sofa, baffled that Kong Xiyan would give her the cold shoulder over a dream.

She leaned back against the sofa, pressing her fingers to her temples.

A dull throb pulsed there.

Time passed unhurriedly, and soon dusk fell. Chi Wanzhao remained on the sofa without moving. The news had long ended, and a TV drama was playing. Chi Wanzhao leaned back, her eyes dark and unfathomable.

Yanyan, perhaps tired from playing, was now peacefully curled up beside Chi Wanzhao, purring.

The TV showed a melodramatic scene of a car accident and a tragic parting.

The only sound in the living room was the television.

The male lead roared in grief, trembling hands clutching the female lead, hands stained with bright red blood. Chi Wanzhao watched the screen, and upon seeing such a scene, instinctively reached for the remote to change the channel. But as her hand touched it, she paused, lost in thought.

Then she put the remote down.

She continued watching the prime-time soap opera.

Kong Xiyan, just one floor above, couldn't fall asleep at all. After driving Chi Wanzhao away, she had lain on the bed and tossed and turned.

She knew she was the one making a fuss this time, but she couldn't ease the stifled feeling in her chest.

Kong Xiyan stared up at the ceiling.

This feeling—it was really unpleasant.

As she was staring intently at the crystal chandelier above, she heard a loud crash from the next room.

The sound was sharp.

It startled her so much that she jumped right out of bed.

Then, slipping on her slippers, she got out of bed.

Kong Xiyan stood outside Chi Wanzhao's door, knocking and calling, "Xiao Wan?"

"Xiao Wan?"

No one answered.

Kong Xiyan grew anxious and called out again, "Chi Wanzhao!"

Still no response.

Kong Xiyan bit her lip, turned the door handle, and went in.

The room was lit only by a yellow bedside lamp, casting a warm glow on the person, but Kong Xiyan didn't have the mind to notice that. Her eyes quickly scanned the room, but she didn't see Chi Wanzhao.

However, she did see Yanyan.

Yanyan was crouched outside the bathroom door, scratching at it with her claws, making a harsh sound.

Kong Xiyan quickly stepped forward and knocked on the door. "Xiao Wan? Are you in there?"

"...I'm here."

Chi Wanzhao's voice came from inside. Kong Xiyan's tightly clenched heart loosened. She tried to open the door, but it was locked from the inside. Helpless, she stood outside and said, "What happened? What was that noise?"

"Nothing. Go back to rest first."

Chi Wanzhao's attitude was too unusual. Kong Xiyan frowned. "Open the door!"

"I'm really fine."

Kong Xiyan gritted her teeth. "Chi Wanzhao."

A sigh came from inside.

Click—the door opened. Kong Xiyan saw Chi Wanzhao standing at the entrance wrapped in a bathrobe. At first glance, she seemed fine, but a closer look revealed her hand pressing against her thigh, and her face was faintly pale.

Kong Xiyan squeezed in and stood beside her. "What's wrong?"

Chi Wanzhao no longer hid it. "I just took a fall."

She let Kong Xiyan support her as she walked out of the bathroom.

Kong Xiyan put her arm around Chi Wanzhao's waist, letting half of her body lean on her. They walked slowly. When they reached the bed, Kong Xiyan helped her sit down slowly, then crouched beside her and lifted the hem of Chi Wanzhao's bathrobe.

On her inner thigh was a dark bruise. Chi Wanzhao's skin was already fair, so the patch of purplish blue was especially glaring. Kong Xiyan's fingers brushed over it, and she asked with concern, "Does it hurt?"

"Why weren't you more careful? A grown woman like you, falling down."

Chi Wanzhao pursed her lips, unconcerned. "It's nothing. It'll be fine after a night's sleep."

Kong Xiyan looked up at her. "Sleeping will only make it hurt more. Lie down, and I'll rub it for you."

Hearing this, Chi Wanzhao obediently lay down on the bed. Pad-footed Yanyan, who was perched on the dresser not far away, exchanged a look with Chi Wanzhao, then shifted her body, turned her back to the two on the bed, and flicked her big tail.

Kong Xiyan hurried into the bathroom, grabbed a towel, rushed downstairs, and returned to the room moments later.

Before Chi Wanzhao could say anything, she watched Kong Xiyan place the towel over her bruised thigh.

An icy chill shot straight through her, and Chi Wanzhao's expression changed. Kong Xiyan held her hand and said, "Bear with it. It'll be better after an ice compress."

Seeing Kong Xiyan's serious look, Chi Wanzhao lowered her gaze and said, "Xiyan."

"Are you worried about me?"

Kong Xiyan raised her eyes to meet hers. "Of course."

Ignoring the discomfort in her thigh, Chi Wanzhao felt joy rising in her heart. "Then why were you angry with me? You know perfectly well there's nothing between me and Chai Yin."

Kong Xiyan fell silent.

It was a long time before her voice filled the room again.

"What good does it do if I know?"

"The people online don't know."

"The people at your company don't know."

"Everyone in the world, except for me, doesn't know."

"Shouldn't I be angry?"

She muttered, her tone melancholy, even the light in her eyes dimming as if with annoyance. She pressed the towel down hard, and Chi Wanzhao let out a sharp hiss.

Kong Xiyan quickly removed the towel and stood up.

"Alright, let's sleep first. It should be fine by tomorrow."

She started to leave, but Chi Wanzhao reached out, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her sharply toward herself. Kong Xiyan stumbled and fell onto the bed!

She tried to get up, but Chi Wanzhao used her leg to press her down.

Kong Xiyan struggled, but Chi Wanzhao restrained her. In their tugging, Chi Wanzhao's bathrobe had fallen open, revealing she wore nothing underneath. Her fair skin rubbed against Kong Xiyan through the thin fabric, and the temperature in the room was rising rapidly.

Chi Wanzhao held both of Kong Xiyan's wrists, bent down, and whispered in her ear, "I'm sorry. I was careless."

Kong Xiyan was startled, then stopped resisting.

Chi Wanzhao released her grip on Kong Xiyan's wrists, sliding her hand from her arm down to her waist, her voice still soft. "Give me a little more time, okay?"

Kong Xiyan turned her head to look at Chi Wanzhao. "I should be the one to apologize. I was being unreasonable."

She knew exactly how Chi Wanzhao treated her, yet today she had taken her anger out on her over an unreal dream.

She was truly ridiculous.

Chi Wanzhao lowered her head and kissed Kong Xiyan's clean, smooth forehead. "You're not at fault. I'm the one at fault."

"Punish me."

Kong Xiyan asked, "Punish you for what?"

"Punish me for not getting off this bed today."

Kong Xiyan chuckled, her eyes glistening with a hint of moisture. Chi Wanzhao's heart stirred at the sight. Her fingertips ignited sparks wherever they roamed on Kong Xiyan's body.

The room rippled with warmth. The bedside lamp still cast its yellow glow. Chi Wanzhao gently stripped off Kong Xiyan's clothes, tossing them casually to the floor. Soon, they were bared to each other. A blush still tinted Kong Xiyan's lovely face, her bright eyes holding drops of water, her fair skin flushing red. Chi Wanzhao sealed her lips, playing with her for a while before slowly moving lower. Kong Xiyan was forced to arch her neck, fine sweat beading on her forehead.

Occasionally, a soft, flirtatious moan escaped the room.

"Your leg."

"It's fine."

"No, your leg is hurt..."

"It's okay..."

Kong Xiyan tried to say more, but Chi Wanzhao pressed a finger to her lips, intending to silence her. Unexpectedly, Kong Xiyan licked her fingertip with her tongue.

A strange sensation rushed from Chi Wanzhao's fingertip straight to her heart.

She raised her eyes to see Kong Xiyan's hair spread across the pillow, her cheeks flushed, her eyes seductive and hazy, her tongue still tracing along Chi Wanzhao's fingertip.

Chi Wanzhao's palms grew sweaty, her starry eyes darkening.

Moonlight slanted in through the window.

The room was filled with spring's warmth.