Chapter 13: Sleep Together Everyday

Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5310224
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com

Five minutes ago, Jiang Shu said she was going to the study to continue working for a while.  

Now, Ji Lianxing was sitting on the sofa, holding the nightgown in her arms, feeling a little dazed. She held up the straps on both sides of the nightgown, spread it out, and examined it carefully. Suddenly, she felt a bit impressed with herself for that night, daring to wear it, and stood in front of Jiang Shu.  

She glanced at the time. It was half-past ten, so she got up to prepare for a bath.  

Ji Lianxing walked into the bathroom holding the nightgown and turned on the light. The bathroom was spacious, with a dark marble bathtub in the center, facing a fully extended floor-to-ceiling window.  

If one lay in the bathtub, it seemed like they could just see the landmark building of the city center. It was a very tall tower, said to offer a view of the entire city from the top. A few white lights flickered on it, surrounded by dense clusters of stars.  

Ji Lianxing walked to the bathtub and noticed several bottles of red wine placed on a small counter. One of them had already been opened.

Oh, so this is how rich people live? Drinking wine while taking a bath? That does not seem right. Isn't it said that drinking wine while bathing is bad for your health?  

Ji Lianxing had already dismissed the idea of drinking wine during a bath in her mind. She walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and pressed the curtain switch. Although nothing could be seen from outside even if the curtains were open, just having them open facing outward made her feel uneasy.  

She observed again. Thankfully, there was a separate shower. Lying in the bathtub was out of the question; it felt too personal. Even if Jiang Shu did not mind, she thought it would be impolite to use her bathtub.  

Ji Lianxing stood under the showerhead and began to bathe.  

She often spaced out while showering, enjoying watching the warm water flow over her body. The transparent streams slid across her smooth skin. She stared at the texture of her skin, and after looking at it for a while, she would often have a strange illusion, as if this body did not belong to her. Of course, this thought was fleeting.  

Ten minutes later, Ji Lianxing turned off the shower. Her gaze fell on the black nightgown...

****

Jiang Shu was very focused when she worked, but this focus was limited to when she was alone.  

When she heard the bathroom door make a soft click, she set aside her work.  

As she stepped out of the study, she happened to see Ji Lianxing coming out of the bathroom.  

A faint fig scent wafted over, just like the first time she had smelled it—a scent from Ji Lianxing's body.  

"Done with your bath?" Jiang Shu looked at her.  

Ji Lianxing placed one hand on her neckline, covering the small clip pinned there. Earlier, she felt the neckline was too low and used a hair clip to secure it. She had no idea how Jiang Shu would react if she noticed.  

"Mm, done."

Jiang Shu noticed her slender shoulders and back. Her arms were thin, her skin was fair and radiant, and a few water droplets clung to her straight collarbones. With just one glance, she felt the air grow a bit thin, and her face heated slightly.  

She looked rather attractive. Jiang Shu feigned composure. "My room is upstairs. Go up and dry your hair. I will take a bath—wait for me."  

"Wait for me"—those words sounded a bit ambiguous.  

"Mm."  

Ji Lianxing walked upstairs. Upon reaching the second floor, she felt that the layout seemed a bit strange. How could she describe it? The furnishings felt... abrupt.

For example, where it should have been an open space, there was a wardrobe, a vanity, a small sofa, and various other things that would normally be placed in a room, all arranged outside. So what exactly did Jiang Shu keep in her room?  

With this question in mind, Ji Lianxing opened the door to Jiang Shu's room.  

When the door opened, she was genuinely surprised.  

Jiang Shu seemed to have chosen the narrowest possible area for her room, possibly a storage room or something similar because this room was incredibly small.  

Why would anyone's room be this tiny? It was half the size of her peeling rental apartment!!!

There was a bed, a small bedside table with a lamp on it, an eye mask hanging from the lamp, a charger plug as an essential item, a replica of a Monet painting hanging on the wall, and a window. And... that was it.  

So, to be precise, Jiang Shu's room was extremely small. Saying it was so small that it only fit a bed would not be an exaggeration. She had moved everything else that should have been in the room outside of it. No wonder Ji Lianxing felt something was odd when she reached the second floor.  

Ah, how could someone arrange their room so strangely? Jiang Shu is really a strange person, Ji Lianxing thought.

Ji Lianxing sat down on the edge of the bed, still a bit unaccustomed to such a confined space. She stared at the painting on the wall, which was from Monet's ‘Cliff’ series.  

The painting's primary colors were blue, green, and yellow— bright and vivid. Two people stood at the edge of the cliff. One held a red umbrella, standing in the grass as if speaking to the other.  

In the painting, ships were sailing in the distance, with white sails, rolling waves, a blue sky, and white clouds. The imagery was so vivid that she almost felt as though she could hear the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks.  

Ji Lianxing has always liked this painting quite a lot.  

She then glanced at Jiang Shu's bed. The sheets were a light gray, and the pillow was a soft white, looking very clean. Ji Lianxing sat on the edge of the bed, her palm resting against the sheets, feeling a brief moment of peace. 

This was the first time Ji Lianxing got close to Jiang Shu, stepped into her life, and saw her true self. Even though she found Jiang Shu a bit strange now, it was precisely this strangeness that made her even more curious about her.  

Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5310224
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com

What kind of person was she really?  

How many peculiar habits did she have?  

How many unfamiliar sides to her remained unseen?  

Ji Lianxing was extremely curious. This curiosity tinged with admiration, made her heart race wildly. It was as if someone was leading her through a maze to hunt for treasure, filling her with anticipation for every step to come.

After thinking for a while, the faint sound of footsteps echoed up the stairs. It must be Jiang Shu coming upstairs.  

Ji Lianxing sat up straight, feeling a bit nervous.  

After her shower, Jiang Shu had shed the scent of roses and cedarwood. It was replaced with another fragrance, something akin to vetiver, or perhaps just her natural scent.  

Ji Lianxing lifted her head to look at her, her gaze landing on Jiang Shu's face. "President Jiang, your room really surprised me."

Jiang Shu sat beside her, and the mattress sank a little. "Too small?"  

"Mm, it's the smallest I've ever seen."  

"Small spaces make me feel very safe, especially rooms. The smaller, the more wrapped up it feels, and that gives a sense of security."  

So that's how it is. Was she someone who lacked a sense of security, or was it just a personal habit? Ji Lianxing couldn't conclude yet.

The light from the desk lamp wasn't very bright. Its halo was more like that of a nightlight, casting a faint glow that filled the small room and created a subtle atmosphere.  

Ji Lianxing could hear her own heartbeat.  

Thump, thump, each beat growing faster because of the person sitting beside her. As far as she could remember, she had never been in the same room with a woman in such a relationship. Jiang Shu was the first.  

She saw Jiang Shu's hair, black and smooth, flowing from her slender shoulder, cascading onto her smooth arm. The dim light fell on her skin, so subtle that it illuminated even the fine hairs.

The scent of vetiver drifted into Ji Lianxing's nostrils, so intoxicating that it made her feel a desire for Jiang Shu.  

But this desire seemed to be forbidden between them.  

Ji Lianxing swallowed but said nothing.  

"Little hedgehog."  

"Huh?" She was still not quite used to this nickname but responded to her anyway.  

"I have something to say."  

"Go ahead."  

"Can I hug you?"

It was such a strange question. If she wanted to hug her, then just hug her; they had signed an agreement after all.  

Ji Lianxing leaned a little closer to Jiang Shu's shoulder, and Jiang Shu reached out, pulling Ji Lianxing into her arms.  

She was a slender little hedgehog, looking bony and prickly, but when hugged, she was soft and fragrant. Even a simple embrace conveyed warmth.  

"You're not nervous anymore, right?" Jiang Shu whispered in Ji Lianxing's ear, her breath warm as it hummed out of her nostrils, entering Ji Lianxing's ear, and making her head spin.  

"No, I’m still nervous." Ji Lianxing let Jiang Shu hold her, her arms suspended in the air, unsure where to place them. She still didn't dare to hug her back.  

"There's nothing to be nervous about." Jiang Shu pressed her nose gently against Ji Lianxing's ear.

Jiang Shu's nose was cool, while Ji Lianxing's ear was burning. The contrast in their temperatures made Ji Lianxing's shoulder tremble slightly.  

"President Jiang, it's a bit itchy." She lifted one shoulder to her ear, trying to resist Jiang Shu's closeness.  

"Oh, okay." Jiang Shu pulled back slightly, her gaze dropping to Ji Lianxing's collar, where a small black clip was pinching the fabric, blocking her view. "Why are you clipping it?"  

"This dress... it's a bit too revealing."  

"Oh~" Jiang Shu's lips curved into a smile. "But I think I've already seen it?"  

She was deliberately teasing Ji Lianxing as if it was fun to make her blush.

Sure enough, Ji Lianxing's face turned bright red in an instant, her gaze flustered, her words caught in her throat, unsure of what to say.  

Having reached her goal, Jiang Shu smiled with satisfaction and pulled Ji Lianxing back into her embrace. "It's fine. If you don't like wearing this, then don't wear it. You can bring your pajamas over another day."  

"Do I have to come then, too?" Ji Lianxing's voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz.  

"Yes, you have to come. Every day for the next two months," Jiang Shu said as her lips lightly brushed against Ji Lianxing's ear, quick and fleeting like a dragonfly skimming water.  

Ji Lianxing’s head buzzed from the kiss.  

So sleeping together included kissing too? Even if it was just a light one.

Before Ji Lianxing could react, the small lamp was switched off with a snap, and darkness once again filled the room.  

Jiang Shu reached out and pulled Ji Lianxing into her arms. Ji Lianxing was pressed against her, surrounded by her fragrance, her head resting on Jiang Shu’s arm. She didn’t dare make a sound.  

“I’m a little sleepy,” Jiang Shu said, her hand resting on Ji Lianxing’s waist. “Are you sleepy?”  

“A little.”  

In truth, Ji Lianxing wasn’t sleepy at all.

“Alright, let’s sleep,” Jiang Shu said, tightening the arm around Ji Lianxing’s waist and holding her firmly. The two of them were locked in an embrace.  

“What’s this?” In the darkness, Jiang Shu’s hand reached over to Ji Lianxing’s neckline. “Ah, a hair clip. Next time, don’t clip this here.”  

She removed the black hair clip for Ji Lianxing and tossed it to the corner of the bed.  

Then she adjusted her position and pulled Ji Lianxing back into her arms.

Ji Lianxing could only follow her strength and burrow into her embrace. Her ear pressed against Jiang Shu's collarbone, faintly catching the soft rhythm of her heartbeat.  

“Good night, little hedgehog~”  

Ji Lianxing closed her eyes, steadying her chaotic breathing, and spoke calmly, “Alright, good night.”