Chapter 36: Lovey-dovey
Xiao Moyan, who was pouting and struggling to poke at the zongzi Mrs. Xu just wrapped with chopsticks, heard Mrs. Xu's words, her already weak left hand trembled, and the two chopsticks almost flew toward that mischievous old face.
Mrs. Xu rolled her eyes at Xiao Moyan, pursed her lips, said no more, and continued to wrap her zongzi with a smiling face. Xia Lingying fell into a brief silence, while Xiao Moyan occasionally glanced at her sideways. A moment later, she turned around, crossed her arms over her chest, and stared at Xiao Moyan expressionlessly, without saying a word.
Feeling uneasy under Xia Lingying's stare, Xiao Moyan lowered her head guiltily and continued to torment the zongzi, which had already split open to reveal the glutinous rice inside, waiting for Xia Lingying's outburst. What was she afraid of? Has she ever been scared of anyone? Youthful recklessness was inevitable. Why bring up the past? She had turned over a new leaf, right? She hoped Xia Lingying would not keep holding onto this small mistake. It was good, though. Although the old lady had bad intentions, she had finally voiced the thoughts Xiao Moyan had kept bottled up inside. There was no need to carefully hide the ugly marks of the past anymore.
After a long wait, Xia Lingying's unusually calm voice floated over.
"Xiao... after I finish filming 'Inseparable,' the company will arrange a vacation for me. You should adjust your schedule, and we can go on a trip together."
"Huh..."
This time it was Mrs. Xu's turn to choke. She raised her head and looked at Xia Lingying with wide eyes. She smiled at her, then elegantly picked up the bamboo leaves and started making zongzi, as calmly as if she hadn't heard anything.
Xiao Moyan, now feeling triumphant, made faces at Mrs. Xu. How about that? No wonder she's Xiao Moyan's woman, not falling for your provocations at all!
Mrs. Xu pursed her lips, undeterred, paused her actions, and continued to provoke.
"The Miss’ hobbies are quite unusual, aren't they?"
"Oh?" Xia Lingying raised an eyebrow at Mrs. Xu, who continued confidently.
"Our Miss is particularly fond of art, especially painting. Look, that small house next to the study on the right is her art studio."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Moyan's left hand began to tremble. Xia Lingying, surprised by her reaction, looked at Mrs. Xu in confusion. What's wrong with painting? It's quite normal. In college, she even chose oil painting classes because of her interest. For someone like Xiao Moyan, who had received a good education since childhood, having such hobbies was perfectly normal. What could be said about this? But Mrs. Xu never spoke without reason. Could it be...
Mrs. Xu tightened the zongzi and continued slowly.
"Xiaxia, I see you're eager to go on a trip. Is it because you want to meet the miss's former lovers? Visit her art studio, and you'll see them in their truest form.”
Xia Lingying blinked, still not understanding Mrs. Xu's words, while Xiao Moyan beside her felt cold sweat forming in her palms. She leaned towards Mrs. Xu, signaling her desperately with her eyes, but was habitually ignored.
Mrs. Xu had been waiting for Xia Lingying to eagerly inquire so she could continue with her unique stance, but Xia Lingying just kept her head down, furrowing her brow, lost in thought. Although there was no lifeline, she couldn't just leave her hanging like that. Mrs. Xu thought for a moment and continued,
"The Miss' favorite subject to paint is the human body. Any woman who has been 'intimate' with her should have been painted."
“...”
Xia Lingying was indeed provoked by these words. She suddenly looked up, gripping the zongzi leaves tightly, glaring at Xiao Moyan with fiery eyes. Xiao Moyan kept her head down, stubbornly poking at the zongzi, refusing to look at her.
Seeing her plan succeed, Mrs. Xu decided not to add fuel to the fire anymore. She happily continued wrapping her zongzi, glancing at Xiao Moyan with a smirk. She felt satisfied. Serves you right! Who told you not to respect your elders? That kick on my leg in the bathroom just now was so disrespectful. It still hurts! Hmph, revenge is a dish best served cold! Let your black-hearted wife deal with you. I'll just sit back and enjoy the show!
Xia Lingying pursed her lips, stared at Xiao Moyan for a while, and after a moment, a strange smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. She didn't say anything more and continued with her work.
Xiao Moyan breathed a sigh of relief and gave Mrs. Xu a fierce glare. Mrs. Xu noticed but remained steadfast, calling out defiantly,
"Miss, I asked you to wrap zongzi, not make sesame balls! And you didn't help much either. How did you manage to mess up two of them? What am I supposed to say to you!"
"Do you understand? This is called innovation!"
"Innovation? Why didn't you wrap them into dumplings then!"
Amid their bickering, the zongzi were finally wrapped. After Mrs. Xu cooked and brought them out, the three gathered around to taste the hard-earned fruits of their labor. Peeling back the verdant leaves, the snow-white, fragrant zongzi made mouths water. Xia Lingying watched as Xiao Moyan held up one in her right hand, eyes fixed hungrily on it, and smiled affectionately. She pulled a chair closer to her, peeled one, placed it in a bowl, dusted it with sugar, and offered it to Xiao Moyan.
Xiao Moyan, not one to refuse, graciously enjoyed the beauty's care. Taking a big bite, the sweetness made her face bloom with joy, her eyes gleaming with happiness. Mrs. Xu, feeling neglected, wore a disgruntled expression, but continued to sulk and wrap zongzi. Xia Lingying shook her head at this sight, then dipped the remaining half in sugar and fed it to Mrs. Xu. Mrs. Xu smiled happily and took a bite, her eyes squinting into a smile.
Xiao Moyan squinted at the two of them, feeling a bit sour inside, and said unkindly,
"I've already eaten it, and now you're eating. Do you know this is like indirect kissing? Shameless—"
Mrs. Xu clicked her tongue and chewed the zongzi forcefully in her mouth.
"Why didn't you say this when you were little? Back then, you were like a little puppy, running to me. I chewed it up and fed it to you, and you happily ate it, didn't you?"
“...”
Xia Lingying and Xiao Moyan both frowned in disgust. Xiao Moyan was about to say something, but Xia Lingying pressed her down, shaking her head at her, and continued feeding her. Feeling obedient now, Xiao Moyan smugly swallowed the zongzi. Was she showing off in front of Mrs. Xu? Mrs. Xu, seeing that, felt a chill. If Xia Lingying treated Miss better, she'd be willing to cut her own head off. Mrs. Xu felt angry and helpless, finished her meal quietly, tidied up the chopsticks, and retreated, leaving space for the two of them.
With Mrs. Xu no longer disturbing them, Xiao Moyan was even more unrestrained. With her true colors exposed, there was no need to bring up who was dominant or submissive. She simply put her legs on Xia Lingying's legs, rested her head on her chest, and happily ate zongzi, looking at the beautiful woman before her. Xiao Moyan's heart fluttered, occasionally kissing her with her sugar-coated lips.
At first, Xia Lingying let her fool around until she was bitten on the sensitive spot of her chest through her clothes. Her face flushed red, and she looked at Xiao Moyan with a mixture of anger and shyness. Xiao Moyan gave her a coquettish smile, wearing an expression that said, ‘What can you do about it?’ Xia Lingying, feeling helpless, lowered her head and affectionately rubbed her nose against Xiao Moyan's fair cheek, gently saying,
"Don't fool around. We have important things to do after we finish eating."
Hearing it was something important, Xiao Moyan immediately thought the wrong thing, her eyes gleaming mischievously.
"Important things can be done anytime, anywhere. Why wait until after eating? Doing it while digesting is also good, right?"
Xia Lingying wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. She stuffed the zongzi in her hand into Xiao Moyan's mouth. Xiao Moyan whimpered, wrapped her left arm around Xia Lingying's neck, and looked up at her with pouting lips. Xia Lingying shook her head, smiled gently, and bit the part of the zongzi sticking out. Her face was full of affection. The light fragrance of the zongzi spread from their lips and teeth. Slowly, their soft lips pressed tightly together, rubbing and caressing each other, tasting each other's flavor, a faint smile spreading across their lips.
Sweet bubbles rose in Xiao Moyan's heart. She had never known that a light kiss could feel so wonderful. Unlike direct physical contact, kissing the one she loved felt like a connection of the souls. The tingling sensation made her feel as if she were floating in the universe, her whole body light and soft. She no longer had the strength to banter with Xia Lingying, losing herself in her tenderness. Every cell in her body was activated as their small tongues intertwined, the intimacy making her forget all worries.
After a long while, Xia Lingying gently pushed Xiao Moyan away, both of them already flushed. Xiao Moyan, equally breathless, licked her lips like a greedy puppy and looked at Xia Lingying with unsatisfied eyes. Xia Lingying chuckled, flicked her forehead, moved Xiao Moyan's legs off her, and stood up, saying,
"Xiao... can I ask you for one thing?"
Xiao Moyan immediately nodded, still staring intently at Xia Lingying. Forget one thing, she would gladly do a hundred! At this moment, the sight of Xia Lingying with her flushed cheeks, sparkling eyes, and disheveled hair was incredibly alluring, like an unparalleled beauty. Xiao Moyan was a bit dazed, yet she hated her useless arm for failing at such a critical moment.
Xia Lingying looked at her with a smile and said softly, "I want to see your studio."
"Uh..."
Xiao Moyan instantly stiffened upon hearing this, looking at her in embarrassment and unease. Seeing Xia Lingying's face growing increasingly sullen due to her hesitation, she gritted her teeth, steeled herself, and nodded firmly. What was there to be afraid of? It's not like she could eat her!
Satisfied, Xia Lingying nodded and turned to walk toward the studio. Xiao Moyan couldn't let her go in alone, so she quickly grabbed a napkin from the table, wiped her mouth, and hurriedly followed. As she walked, she started to plan her strategy. She really couldn't figure Xia Lingying out now. By right, she should have been upset and thrown a tantrum after hearing what Mrs. Xu said earlier. But she acted as if nothing had happened. Xiao Moyan thought the matter had passed, but who knew that Xia Lingying would bring it up again at such a sweet moment? Seeing her stance, if she didn't agree, it would definitely lead to a fallout. What exactly was she planning?
Xiao Moyan couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed. Xia Lingying had once told her she felt sad for not being part of her past, and now Xiao Moyan felt the same regret. She shook her head and comforted herself, thinking that they had a long time ahead of them. One can't rush a relationship, and feelings don't deepen overnight. Everything had to be taken slowly. At least Xia Lingying was finally willing to accept her now, wasn't she?
She opened the door to the studio and turned on the light. The orange glow instantly illuminated the dark room, and Xia Lingying widened her eyes, staring in disbelief at everything inside.
Author's Note:
Sweet, oh, sweet, so you won't say later that Yezi is a stepmother who doesn't even give a drumstick! \(^o^)/~