Chapter 86: What Can Be Done
The footsteps outside grew clearer, mixed with the excited teasing of men and women who were obviously drunk. Fang Ruoxi’s long-waiting heart pounded wildly. She stared at the door, bit her lip, and in the last few seconds, thought it over, but still decided to go for it.
Fang Ruoxi picked up her phone, dialed that familiar number, and didn’t speak. She just set the phone on the table beside her. Taking a deep breath, she looked at the faint blue glow of the screen. A faint smile curled on her lips. She knew the person on the other end would never hang up.
The towel slipped off. Her perfect body glowed faintly under the lights. Her full chest was round and sensual, her whole body white and flawless. Shy yet full of expectation, Fang Ruoxi sat on the bed, staring straight at the door.
At last, the door slowly opened. Xiao Moyan’s steps were unsteady as she walked in, steadying herself on the white walls. Stumbling along, she finally found the soft bed. It looked like it had been a struggle to reach it, and as soon as she got there, she lay straight down, completely ignoring the soft creak below her.
Fang Ruoxi almost got crushed by Xiao Moyan’s leap onto the bed. She had to reach out and push hard against her. Xiao Moyan’s cheeks were flushed red. With eyes closed, she frowned and waved her hand impatiently to protest, but her hand grabbed that smooth, delicate body anyway. The soft feel was different from any mattress before. Xiao Moyan smiled coquettishly, slightly opening her eyes, staring straight at the now flushed Fang Ruoxi.
Though she had planned to seduce, Fang Ruoxi never imagined… never imagined Xiao Moyan would grab so accurately. Her chest was pressed painfully. She didn’t know what to say, so she just stared stupidly at Xiao Moyan, stared at her obviously drunk eyes. Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest.
She, she recognized me?
Xiao Moyan stared at Fang Ruoxi for a moment, then withdrew her hand. She flipped over, pulled the blanket over her head, kicked her legs, and yelled drunkenly,
“Xiaxia, why didn’t you say hi when you came to see me? You had to wait until I got drunk. I feel bad, I need water!”
“…”
Freed from restraint, Fang Ruoxi hurriedly sat up on the bed. She brushed the long hair that had fallen over her forehead. Her breathing was still uneven, but it couldn’t match the ache in her heart.
You thought I was her? Xiao, how could you…
Barefoot, Fang Ruoxi looked at Xiao Moyan lying on the bed, whining for water. She sighed, walked to the minibar, grabbed a bottle of purified water, bit her lip, and returned to the bed, gently handing it to Xiao Moyan.
Xiao Moyan took the bottle, flopped up on the bed, and drank greedily. Her flushed cheeks deepened, and her brows drew tightly together. She clearly felt uncomfortable.
Sitting lightly beside her, Fang Ruoxi watched silently, looking at the delicate face she had once been deeply in love with. Breathing in the familiar mint scent, her heart stirred. She reached out slowly and brushed Xiao Moyan’s cheek.
Suddenly, an empty water bottle flew straight at her. Fang Ruoxi dodged instinctively and jerked her hand back, breaking out in a cold sweat. She looked up angrily, only to see Xiao Moyan squinting, smiling coquettishly.
“Xiaxia, you came to see me. I missed you so much. Those old men kept forcing me to drink. Everyone’s scheming against me. My stomach hurts, and it still hurts—”
The cheerful smile just moments ago vanished. Her drunken eyes filled with tears. She looked at Xia Lingying pitifully, like a stray dog who can’t find home, wagging and seeking comfort.
Just that look left Fang Ruoxi’s mind blank. She stared at Xiao Moyan, at this woman who had lingered in her heart for years.
In Fang Ruoxi’s memory, Xiao Moyan was always strong and overbearing. She never revealed her feelings in front of others. Even the biggest grievances were hidden behind her calm smile. All hardships were swallowed alone. How could she tell anyone?
A sharp pain hit Fang Ruoxi somewhere deep in her heart. She stared blankly at Xiao Moyan, looked at her tired eyes, and stepped forward to hug her.
Patting Xiao Moyan’s shoulders gently, Fang Ruoxi whispered,
“Be good, hold on a bit, it’ll be fine soon~”
“My head hurts—”
Xiao Moyan frowned and yelled angrily, as if Fang Ruoxi must fix her head, and if she didn’t, it’d be unforgivable.
Fang Ruoxi lowered her head slowly, watching Xiao Moyan’s side profile, her bloodshot eyes from the alcohol. Her heart ached. She wanted to pick up a pillow for her, but her eyes caught the phone on the table, still glowing blue. Her heart stung. All patience turned to jealousy in an instant. She grit her teeth and, with resolve, pushed Xiao Moyan onto the bed.
“My head hurts!”
Xiao Moyan waved her arms and shouted. Fang Ruoxi pressed her soft body against her. The instant their skin touched, she felt even hotter than Xiao Moyan. Her face flushed, but her heart burned.
Fang Ruoxi leaned over Xiao Moyan, half raising herself, pressing lightly on her flailing arms. She looked at her softly for a moment, reaching for her red lips, but Xiao Moyan rolled away.
“I said I feel bad, my head hurts, and you still want to take advantage of me. Xia Lingying, I feel bad, bad, bad!!!”
Xiao Moyan yelled like she was venting, her voice cutting through the thick door. A’Sen, passing by, froze at the sound. He became alert, stopped, frowned, and listened carefully. Hearing nothing more, he still knocked on the door to be safe.
“Miss, are you okay?”
Fang Ruoxi held her breath, staring at Xiao Moyan without blinking, heart frozen in place.
Half covering her eyes, Xiao Moyan pouted and shouted impatiently,
“My stomach hurts, I want the frog porridge Xiaxia cooked for me!”
“…”
A'Sen’s face turned grim as he listened. He stared at the door in frustration, sighing. Where am I supposed to go to get Miss Xia to make porridge for her? Looks like the Miss really drank too much this time… A'Sen shook his head and turned to leave, but felt a little puzzled. He had followed the Miss for so many years, he knew her drinking capacity. Today she was forced to drink by a lot of people, but it should be bearable. By habit, she should have just collapsed on the bed and slept. How could she make a fuss for no reason? Maybe… maybe she missed Miss Xia too much…
Until there was no more sound outside, Fang Ruoxi’s heart slowly settled. She bit her lip, looking at Xiao Moyan, who was now fast asleep on the bed, then looked at her own naked body. A wave of sadness instantly spread through her.
Sighing, Fang Ruoxi bent down, picked up all the clothes Xiao Moyan had kicked off the floor, put them on one by one, slipped on her shoes, and went to the bathroom to get a basin of clean water.
She gently dipped the cool towel in water. Knowing Xiao Moyan’s cleanliness obsession, Fang Ruoxi changed the water and washed it again. Only then did she carefully roll up her sleeves and lightly wipe Xiao Moyan’s flushed cheeks with the towel.
The towel passed over the face that had appeared countless times in her dreams. Every frown and smile had made her crazy. She touched the familiar skin again, feeling its warm temperature. A clear tear slowly slid down Fang Ruoxi’s cheek. Beneath her fragile back, her thin, shapeless shoulders trembled helplessly. The towel slipped and fell to the floor, carrying Xiao Moyan’s warmth, carrying Fang Ruoxi’s obsession, thrown by her own hands.
Fang Ruoxi lowered her head, stretched out her arms and tightly hugged Xiao Moyan. No matter how much she struggled, Fang Ruoxi just held her tight. Tears quietly flowed, her trembling lips weakly whispered her heartache:
“Xiao, I beg you, please let me hug you, just once, just once.”
The struggling body stopped at this moment. Though still frowning and with eyes closed, Xiao Moyan clearly had no alcohol left in her system, quietly lying in Fang Ruoxi’s embrace.
Fang Ruoxi held Xiao Moyan tightly, gripping her hard. Her ten fingers even left marks on her body.
“Xiao, I know you’re not drunk, I know, I know everything…”
Tears flowed down her face, tears flowed down her face. Facing a love that was already gone, facing a lover who no longer belonged to her, everything Fang Ruoxi did was only the last struggle.
“I’m a lowly person, shamelessly seducing you, Xiao, I know you’re annoyed with me, you hate me, so you kept repeating her name to provoke me, telling me you already have a lover, already have a lover… I shouldn’t keep dreaming. But, Xiao, I didn’t do anything wrong. If back then Xiao Nian hadn’t looked down on me because of my family background, if he hadn’t stirred trouble because you truly fell in love, using my mother’s life as a leverage, I wouldn’t have left you, I wouldn’t have…”
Murmuring softly, murmuring softly, her hands slowly loosened. Fang Ruoxi weakly sat on the cold floor, hair messy, staring blankly at Xiao Moyan.
She was just unwilling. She had never had another thought for Xiao Moyan. Back then, Xiao Nian was so cruel and ruthless. Watching the mother who had raised her single-handedly get dragged into trouble because of her and Xiao Moyan, the sudden car accident, her voiceless sobs, and the agonizing day her mother spent in the ICU fighting for her life; Fang Ruoxi finally gave in under Xiao Nian’s last threat. She left the sorrowful city with her mother and her love for Xiao Moyan. Countless days and nights of longing were accompanied only by tears. The name Xiao Moyan had been whispered a million times, but in the end it was just a bubble in the water, gone at a touch.
Sweet memories flashed in her mind. Fang Ruoxi’s hands and feet grew cold from crying, yet she stubbornly stared at Xiao Moyan on the bed.
Yes, it was her fault to give up first, to leave first. Even today, she could not bring herself to blame Xiao Moyan at all, she couldn't.
Stumbling to her feet, she clumsily ran out of the room, covering her face, crying silently. Only Xiao Moyan lay quietly on the bed, and the phone glowing with faint blue light remained.
Author’s Note:
On such a beautiful Valentine’s Day, could there be someone alone in an empty room, lying under the covers reading Yezi’s novel? Come, come, roses are free, one for each~ ^_^