Chapter 19: Good Girl, You Smell Nice

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

Like? This was the second time Ji Lianxing heard the word "like" from Jiang Shu's mouth.  

Jiang Shu had known her for less than a week, yet she said it twice.  

Ji Lianxing looked into Jiang Shu's eyes. What could she see through her eyes? Was it naturally revealed affection? No. Ji Lianxing felt she could see nothing at all. She couldn't even see the slightest sincerity in Jiang Shu's eyes.

That’s right. Who’d confess to someone they’d only known for two weeks? Unless that confession wasn’t sincere at all.  

Ji Lianxing thought that if she were only eighteen, she might’ve believed Jiang Shu’s words. But she was already twenty-four this year, and she’d seen the hypocrisy of human nature.  

So she didn’t believe what Jiang Shu said. Even if she liked Jiang Shu, and exactly because she liked Jiang Shu, she understood even more what "like" really meant.  

"Really? President Jiang, you like me?" Even though her ears were burning and her heartbeat was a little fast, Ji Lianxing still stayed clear-headed.  

"Of course, I like you." Jiang Shu reached out and pinched her ear.

Ji Lianxing sat in the passenger seat, not moving, thinking about something. She stayed like that until Jiang Shu reached out and touched her ear. When her fingertip brushed the tip of her ear, Ji Lianxing’s shoulder trembled slightly.  

She stayed silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled and spoke her mind. "President Jiang, do you think I’m easy to fool?"  

Jiang Shu froze for a second. Her hand, which had been on Ji Lianxing’s ear, loosened and hovered in the air.  

"What do you mean?"  

"If someone’s willing to spend money on me, spend time on me, and think for my sake, there’s actually another possibility." This time, Ji Lianxing didn’t avoid her. She looked straight into Jiang Shu’s eyes and said, "That possibility is that the person actually likes herself. Everything that looks like giving is actually serving herself, satisfying her own heart."

Jiang Shu lowered her hand, a bit of surprise in her eyes.  

These words made her feel like Ji Lianxing was different from what she had imagined. Was she simple? Sometimes, she really was. But was she easy to fool? Maybe not.  

This was the first time Jiang Shu got slapped in the face, and it was so sharp and to the point. Ji Lianxing had seen right through her.  

And honestly, it was true. Jiang Shu understood that she only liked Ji Lianxing’s appearance. She wasn’t actually sincere and had never even thought about being sincere.  

Jiang Shu leaned her head against the headrest and looked at Ji Lianxing again, studying her for a moment before laughing. "Little hedgehog, you always surprise me."  

"Surprised that I’m not easy to fool?" Ji Lianxing met her gaze and laughed too.  

"It’s not really about fooling you."

Ji Lianxing’s eyes flickered with doubt. "Isn’t it?"  

"Not completely. At the very least, I like your looks." 

Hearing the truth, Ji Lianxing felt much more at ease. But at the same time, she also felt a heavy weight in her heart. The mix of these two emotions was pretty complicated.  

On one hand, Jiang Shu was willing to be honest with her. On the other hand, the truth was brutally realistic. But thinking about it another way, wasn’t this exactly what she wanted to hear?  

So contradictory. Ji Lianxing felt like she was asking for trouble.  

"Don’t think too much. Let’s go home first." Jiang Shu restarted the engine and drove toward the parking lot.  

Ji Lianxing didn’t say a word along the way. She stared out the window, lost in thought. What was she expecting? And what could she even expect? Two months—that was all. Even two years wouldn’t change anything. Ji Lianxing reminded herself once again that they were casual lovers, not a couple.  

After they got home, Jiang Shu went to the kitchen for a bit and then took a shower.

Ji Lianxing sat alone in the living room, staring blankly. She held a cup of hot milk in her hands which Jiang Shu had just warmed for her.  

Maybe some people were just like this. Even if they didn’t romantically like you, they could still treat you well. Ji Lianxing felt that Jiang Shu was probably that kind of person.  

Liking someone like that was actually pretty scary. It felt like there was always a pit by her feet, waiting for her to fall in, while the other person stood safely on the shore.  

She shivered, pushing those thoughts out of her head, hoping she was just overthinking.  

Ji Lianxing took out her memo and changed the number "1" to "2," marking the second day of being Jiang Shu’s lover.  

She put down the milk, got up, and walked to the balcony outside the living room to get some air.  

Late summer turned into early autumn—the night wasn’t as hot anymore. The wind carried a slight chill as it brushed gently against Ji Lianxing’s cheeks.

She leaned on the railing and looked down at the whole city. The lights of thousands of houses were shining like stars. The cold buildings were wrapped in neon lights, removing their indifferent faces.

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

Thinking about it, it seemed she didn't dislike big cities; she was just tired of the noise. But nighttime cities were lovely. After the city quieted down, it gave off a unique, serene beauty.

Just as Ji Lianxing was immersed in the night view, the bathroom door opened.

Hearing the door click, she realized that Jiang Shu had finished her shower.

She turned around and walked towards the living room.

Two seconds later, her eyes fell on Jiang Shu.

Jiang Shu washed her hair and wiped it with a towel, so it was only slightly moist, and casually draped it over her shoulders.

She was wearing a set of loose dark blue pajamas with a V-neckline, and her two straight collar bones were exposed to the air, looking lazy and sexy.

After removing her makeup, her beauty remains unchanged. She has a very contoured face, excellent bone structure, and not to mention skin.

Her deep eyes make it difficult to capture the emotions in her eyes, and she always gives people a natural sense of coldness.

It is this sense of alienation that adds a sense of heroism to her feminine beauty, so she gives people a strong aura.

Jiang Shu walked toward Ji Lianxing. Ji Lianxing felt a strong presence pressing down on her, so she instinctively took a step back.  

Jiang Shu stopped and raised an eyebrow. "Why are you looking at me without saying anything? And why do you look scared?"  

Ji Lianxing’s throat moved slightly. She could hear the sound of herself swallowing.  

"I thought you were gonna speak first."  

"Alright, I’ll go first." Jiang Shu took two steps forward this time, but Ji Lianxing didn’t back away. "Come here."  

Seeing Jiang Shu beckon her over, Ji Lianxing suddenly remembered that night. That night in the hotel, Jiang Shu had called her over just like this.  

Seeing Ji Lianxing stay rooted in place, Jiang Shu chuckled. "What? Are you going to be a little hedgehog again?"

"No." Ji Lianxing thought I’m not a little hedgehog. To prove it, she braced herself and walked over, even though she had no idea what Jiang Shu was up to.  

But the moment she got in front of Jiang Shu, she was pulled right into her arms.  

A solid hug, crashing into a chest full of warmth and fragrance. Jiang Shu held her close, lowering her head slightly so that her chin rested on Ji Lianxing’s shoulder.  

"President Jiang…" Ji Lianxing panicked a little.  

"Just a hug. It’s been 20 hours since the last one."  

Ji Lianxing thought, Your memory is really something.

"But I haven’t showered yet." She shifted slightly in Jiang Shu’s arms as if trying to create some distance.

But Jiang Shu didn’t give her a chance to escape, holding her even tighter.  

"It’s fine, I don’t mind." Jiang Shu patted Ji Lianxing’s head and smiled. "Good girl, you smell nice."