Crossing the Line – Chapter 24

by Little Panda

Mature Charm

Auntie Liu’s voice brought Jiang Siyi back from the release of her emotions.

The soft sensation against her arms and forehead made her realize she was clinging tightly around Lin Ji’s waist, buried against her chest.

Lin Ji had one palm pressed against her back, her other arm still holding Xueqiu firmly.

This embrace that crossed the boundary of social distance made Jiang Siyi realize it had been a long time since anyone had held her like this.

Xueqiu, sandwiched between them, had the whites of his eyes showing, looking utterly done with life.

Seeing Xueqiu unharmed and the two young women locked in each other’s arms, Auntie Liu gave a mental “oh my” and stopped where she was, not coming any closer, her face breaking into a doting auntie smile.

People were coming and going along the riverbank. Jiang Siyi felt a bit self-conscious and let go of Lin Ji.

She wiped haphazardly at the tears on her face, took Xueqiu into her arms, and checked him over carefully for wounds.

Lin Ji slowly withdrew the hand that had been resting on Jiang Siyi’s back.

“I checked. No injuries. Just a bit frightened, that’s all.”

By now Xueqiu had collected himself too. Back in his owner’s familiar embrace, he whined pitifully, nuzzling his head against Jiang Siyi’s chest. His woebegone look made even Auntie Liu cluck sympathetically.

Lin Ji noticed that Auntie Liu had come with Jiang Siyi and gave her a polite nod.

Auntie Liu smiled back, her mind churning. My, who was that, holding on so tight, so reluctant to let go?

And most importantly — what a beauty. Like a movie star. The prettiest girl she’d ever laid eyes on, and polite too.

Fan Qing followed Lin Ji up from the riverbank, also soaked to the skin.

The two of them had rescued Xueqiu together — the dog had already drifted into the river.

Lin Ji gave her a look. Fan Qing understood: the boss didn’t want her to mention how close Xueqiu had come to disaster.

The truth was, if they hadn’t arrived when they did, Xueqiu might well have drowned.

That possibility was too frightening to contemplate.

Lin Ji didn’t want Jiang Siyi’s hard-won calm shattered by unnecessary terror.

Fan Qing kept her mouth shut, her gaze landing hesitantly on Lin Ji’s left hand.

Following Fan Qing’s eyes, Jiang Siyi also noticed something off about Lin Ji’s lowered palm — a hint of crimson.

“Your hand…”

Jiang Siyi frowned slightly. Her still-damp eyes held unshed tears, and her fair cheeks still bore the flush of her recent emotional outburst. The worry in her expression carried a fragile, heart-wrenching quality.

Lin Ji: “A minor wound.”

Sure enough…

Xueqiu wasn’t hurt, but she was.

“Can I see it?”

Jiang Siyi said only that one short sentence, and Fan Qing watched her boss — who never showed vulnerability in front of anyone — open her hand toward the one who’d asked.

A clear gash ran across the palm, like a crack in flawless white jade. It was startling to see.

Just looking at it made one’s teeth ache.

Jiang Siyi looked up, her wet eyes seeming to redden another shade.

The injured one comforted the other: “It’s not deep. It’ll heal in a week.”

Jiang Siyi: “Let’s go to the hospital? I’ll take you.”

Lin Ji: “No need for all that. Just disinfect it and put on a band-aid.”

“Then…”

Lin Ji had gotten hurt saving Xueqiu. She ought to take responsibility.

“Then… come to my place? I’ll help you disinfect and stop the bleeding.”

At this sincere, responsible-sounding invitation, Lin Ji’s brow relaxed almost imperceptibly.

…

While Jiang Siyi was still crying in Lin Ji’s arms, Fan Qing had already called the police.

The station responded that they’d send someone to Miss Jiang’s home in half an hour to follow up.

Fan Qing’s clothes were also wet, so Lin Ji told her to go straight back and change.

Fan Qing drove off. After Jiang Siyi thanked Auntie Liu, she and Lin Ji walked together toward her apartment.

It was getting late. The night had shed its mugginess. A gentle breeze blew, the clouds had cleared, and pale moonlight spilled over the treetops.

Foot traffic had thinned out. Jiang Siyi held Xueqiu close and walked side by side with Lin Ji on the way home.

She’d walked this route countless times, but tonight, with an unfamiliar companion beside her, it carried a strange new quality.

Lin Ji asked why someone would target Xueqiu.

“When I got to the riverbank, I saw two men sneaking away. They must have done it on purpose.”

That matched what the milk tea shop employee had said.

Jiang Siyi briefly described what happened at the auction today and how Xueqiu had gone missing, sensing a connection between the two.

Lin Ji considered. “These two things happened back to back — it feels like continuous intimidation. Do you have any idea who’s behind it, or what they’re after?”

“Probably related to the broken engagement. That touched a lot of people. Jiang Luo… my father, he’s not willing to accept it either.”

Jiang Siyi didn’t mention Song Ti, nor did she bring up the fit Song Ti had thrown yesterday when she snatched the watch.

After all, Song Ti was Lin Ji’s cousin. She wasn’t sure what their relationship was like, so it wasn’t her place to name her directly.

Besides, that watch was a gift she’d meant to give but never could. Mentioning it directly would be awkward.

Sensing that Jiang Siyi’s answer was vague — which meant there were things she’d rather not say — Lin Ji didn’t press further.

The two of them stepped into the elevator together.

As the doors slowly closed, Jiang Siyi asked the question that had been on her mind the whole walk:

“How did you happen to be here? What a coincidence.”

Clearly, Lin Ji didn’t live nearby.

Actually, it was no coincidence. Lin Ji couldn’t very well tell her that when she was tired or in a bad mood, she liked to quietly linger near Jiang Siyi’s neighborhood — and today she’d happened to witness Xueqiu being stolen.

Then Jiang Siyi would probably feel she’d barely escaped the tiger’s den only to fall into a wolf’s den.

Lin Ji was silent for two seconds, then could only say, “I was planning to come return the hair clip.”

Jiang Siyi pressed the button for the third floor.

A special trip just to return a hair clip?

By normal logic, having said that, Lin Ji should produce the clip and hand it back.

But under Jiang Siyi’s gaze, Lin Ji stood there without the slightest intention of moving.

But she wasn’t even taking it out.

Lin Ji read the look in Jiang Siyi’s eyes.

“Forgot to bring it.”

Came specifically to return a hair clip, but forgot the hair clip?

Jiang Siyi: .

They soon reached the third floor.

When she opened the door, Jiang Siyi thought nervously that this time she truly had no clothes for Lin Ji at home.

She took the dry, comfortable bath towel off the balcony rail and told Lin Ji to shower first.

Before Lin Ji went into the bathroom, Jiang Siyi added, as if worried she lacked basic life skills:

“Be careful not to get your palm wound wet.”

The moment she said it, she winced inwardly.

She sounded like a kindergarten teacher.

Lin Ji seemed quite happy to have Jiang Siyi manage her affairs. Without any objection, she replied:

“Mm.”

Lin Ji went to shower, and Jiang Siyi rifled through her closets once more.

From a pile of clothes, she found a loose T-shirt whose edges hadn’t yet been washed into ruffles.

Then she picked out a pair of athletic shorts whose drawstrings hadn’t been twisted into spirals by the washing machine.

Trying to minimize the slovenly impression of living alone.

She held them up and eyed the measurements. Lin Ji should be able to fit into them.

It was just… Jiang Siyi scratched her chin. The athletic pants were shorts — the kind that exposed the entire calf and half the thigh. She didn’t know if Lin Ji would mind.

Oh, and disposable underwear. Jiang Siyi pulled open another drawer.

They were one-size-fits-all. Should work.

Back in the living room, the sound of water came from the bathroom.

The silhouette was still faintly visible.

Who would have thought that before she could do something about the far-too-revealing glass door, her previous guest would visit again — and need to shower?

The water stopped. Jiang Siyi stood by the door holding the clothes and said:

“Lin Ji-jie, I brought you clothes…”

She’d meant to say she’d leave the clothes on the low cabinet by the door, within easy reach, and then go back to the living room.

But before she could finish, the silhouette behind the glass door suddenly drew close.

A mature, graceful figure — unmistakably a woman’s silhouette — suddenly filled her view.

Caught completely off guard, Jiang Siyi’s breath caught.

With a click, the bathroom door opened from the inside.

Damp mist poured through the gap, carrying the scent of body wash to wash over Jiang Siyi’s dazed face.

The warm light and steam inside merged into a dreamlike, intimate atmosphere that quickened the pulse of anyone standing outside.

A hand still dewy with moisture reached out.

“Thank you.”

Jiang Siyi startled, handed over the clothes, and immediately looked away.

“They should… all fit!”

She didn’t need to say that.

To cover up unusual feelings, people always said unnecessary things and did unnecessary things.

The enclosed bathroom had an amplifying effect. Jiang Siyi thought she caught a low, nasal chuckle from inside.

“I’ll try them on.”

The clothes were taken. The door closed again.

Xueqiu, still sporting his unkempt, not-yet-groomed fur, circled Jiang Siyi relentlessly, never leaving her side for a moment.

Jiang Siyi stroked his head to soothe him. As she petted him, her thoughts began to drift.

Lin Ji’s words — “I’ll try them on” — were like some kind of trigger, pulling Jiang Siyi’s mind unbidden toward a picture of what was happening in the bathroom right now.

Dark hair like a waterfall, slim waist, long legs…

Wait, what am I thinking.

Realizing her impropriety, Jiang Siyi rubbed her burning ears, thoroughly uncomfortable.

She swore she had never been this kind of person before. She rarely even had thoughts along those lines. Her sister had once joked that she lived like an ascetic.

Then again, she’d never encountered a figure quite this stunning before…

If Lin Ji knew that the person helping her was having these thoughts, would she be disgusted?

How awful.

Jiang Siyi fanned her face with her hand, trying to dispel the heat.

Fortunately, the police arrived just then. The righteous police uniforms interrupted the filthy little thoughts in her head.

After asking about the specifics, the officers told her to be careful. They said they’d contacted the property management to increase patrols, and instructed her to come to the station tomorrow to make a formal statement.

…

The police left. The bathroom door opened again.

Jiang Siyi was sitting on the sofa with Xueqiu — once again a clean, fluffy cotton ball — in her arms, watching a childish cartoon to purify her brain.

In her peripheral vision, she saw Lin Ji approaching from the bathroom, long hair worn loose.

“Does it fit?”

Jiang Siyi’s gaze stayed fixed on the TV screen, watching with great concentration.

It was neither polite nor natural, and she knew it.

At the edge of her focus, Lin Ji had put on her athletic set, yet mature charm still radiated effortlessly from beneath the fabric.

The superb curve of her legs and hips followed her stride like rolling waves.

Her porcelain skin carried a flush of pink, and the familiar camellia-scented body wash seemed to carry warmth.

The beauty was too intense. She almost didn’t dare look directly.

Her loose black hair was casual and languid, as if they’d been living together for a long time and her girlfriend had just stepped out of the shower, waiting to spend the evening with her.

Jiang Siyi had never known that when a figure was good enough, even athletic wear could show off the waistline…

The TV clanged and jingled; that little pink pig was chattering at top speed.

The viewer’s thoughts were elsewhere the entire time. When Lin Ji sat down beside her, Jiang Siyi — terrified of being caught with her thoughts running wild — tried to capture the vibe of the cartoon and laughed deliberately, protesting too much to show how absorbed she was.

Lin Ji withdrew her gaze from the screen — where the pig was recounting how he’d been an orphan since childhood — and, after studying Jiang Siyi’s stiff smile, said:

“First aid kit.”

“Oh, right, right, right…”

She’d forgotten the real business at hand. She set the sleeping Xueqiu aside and went to get the first aid kit from the TV cabinet.

Xueqiu was simply too sleepy. Finding himself no longer held, he shook himself, padded across the sofa cushion, and wobbled drowsily toward Lin Ji.

Lin Ji watched as he climbed onto her lap, settled down with practiced ease, and promptly began to snore softly.

A small, white, warm little ball.

Just like that, no wariness of a stranger?

Lin Ji looked down at him. A bit cute, and lighter than expected — she could hold him with one hand.

Didn’t feel very dangerous.

Jiang Siyi came back with the first aid kit and turned to see this heartwarming scene.

It was rather unusual. Xueqiu’s temperament was fine, but he’d never been this affectionate with anyone.

Dogs knew who’d saved them, who treated them well.

She sat back down beside Lin Ji, who opened her hand willingly.

The palm was somewhat curled, making it hard to apply iodine.

Jiang Siyi held her fingertips and slowly straightened the hand out.

“This might sting a little. Bear with it.”

As she spoke, Jiang Siyi instinctively blew gently on the wound, as if she could blow the sting away.

While applying the medicine and band-aid, Lin Ji’s pale thighs remained in her line of sight.

Jiang Siyi spent the entire process challenging herself to “not look there,” trying hard to ignore those legs — too well-proportioned, too toned — and focus on the task at hand.

After treating the wound, as Jiang Siyi was putting away the first aid kit, she asked Lin Ji:

“When will Miss Fan come pick you up?”

Testing her hand with a small flex, Lin Ji said, “She’s not coming.”

Jiang Siyi’s voice rose slightly in surprise.

“…Hmm?”

“If you’re the only one at home, we don’t know if something else might happen.”

The reflected light of the ambient lamp shimmered in Lin Ji’s eyes like scattered gold dust.

“I’d like to stay.”

Meaning… overnight?

Jiang Siyi parted her lips, momentarily unable to answer.

Lin Ji added, “I’ll sleep on the sofa.”

Said with certainty. She’d clearly made up her mind…

At the moment Lin Ji decided to stay overnight, Jiang Siyi was a little surprised, but deep down, what filled her more was a sense of security.

She had indeed worried that whoever stole Xueqiu might come to her door.

After all, they’d followed her to the night market — they might well know where she lived.

Just now, while watching cartoons alone, the thought had flashed through her mind — that a pair of eyes was silently watching her through the window.

She’d been planning to clutch a dumbbell and tough out the night.

Now Lin Ji was saying she’d stay. That sense of safety was genuinely hard to refuse.

“Then… thank you.”

She said nothing more, her voice soft with gratitude — and she truly was grateful.

“But I won’t let a guest sleep on the sofa. If you don’t mind, take my bed.”

The word “guest” was a bit unflattering, but fortunately Jiang Siyi was cute enough.

Her eyes, dark and bright, looked just like Xueqiu’s.

Lin Ji’s fingers twitched. She wanted to pat Jiang Siyi’s head the way she patted Xueqiu — it would definitely feel even better than the dog’s fur.

But now wasn’t the right time.

She held back the impulse for now.

Jiang Siyi briskly fetched the step ladder, took down fresh bedding from the high cabinet, and quickly made the bed.

A forest-green three-piece set, pure cotton, very comfortable.

At the head of the bed sat an enormous red mushroom pillow, flanked by two smaller versions of the same design, lined up as if they’d grown there themselves.

Sleeping in the middle, it would feel like sleeping in a forest.

Maybe a bit too childish…

She thought Lin Ji might laugh at her and sneaked a glance.

Instead, she heard Lin Ji say, “Very cute.”

Those words made Jiang Siyi’s fingertips twitch, her breath losing its rhythm in the dark.

“Then… then I’ll leave them there. On the bed.”

“Mm.”

“Good night. I’m heading out.”

“Good night. Call me if you need anything.”

“Okay. Good night.”

Standing outside the closed door, she realized she’d said “good night” one extra time out of nervousness.

…She wondered how foolish she must look in Lin Ji’s eyes.

She padded toward the sofa. Xueqiu cracked one eye open, curious why she was sleeping out here tonight.

Jiang Siyi curled into a small ball with Xueqiu in her arms, comforted by the beat of his small heart — and thought of something.

Was Lin Ji’s body temperature a bit high?

When she’d been applying medicine just now, her fingertips had felt so hot against Lin Ji’s skin.

In the bedroom, Lin Ji’s eyelids felt warm.

She pulled a small mushroom pillow into her embrace and rolled over.

It’s fine. A night’s sleep and she’d be better.

But she couldn’t sleep too deeply. She needed to stay alert for any sounds outside.

Even with fresh sheets, the bedroom still carried Jiang Siyi’s scent.

Lin Ji’s lashes trembled.

The scent of camellias — the same body wash she used herself.

One wall away, Jiang Siyi couldn’t sleep. She shifted position, thinking of Lin Ji.

It wasn’t just the elevated temperature — her eyes and lip color had seemed a bit off too.

Summer notwithstanding, being soaked through could still lead to a fever, right?

Should she go check on her, take her temperature?

But… they’d already reached the sleeping stage. Going in now — would it be misread as wanting a late-night tryst?

Not something a proper person would do.

But she couldn’t stop worrying.

After going back and forth, Jiang Siyi wanted to check the time. She swiped her phone — it had died at some point, out of battery.

The charger was in the bedroom.

Normally, having already settled in only to realize she’d left something in another room, she’d be grumbling.

This time, though, she perked up, a voice in her head crying:

Perfect. An excuse.

She got up immediately, naturally picked up the thermometer, and walked to the bedroom door. She knocked softly and asked:

“Lin Ji-jie, I’m coming in to grab my charger.”

No answer.

She called a few more times softly. Still nothing.

Could she really be running a fever?

Setting aside propriety, Jiang Siyi pushed the door open.

“Lin Ji-jie?”

The night light cast a faint glow on the floor in the distance. Jiang Siyi approached the bed and found her asleep.

Her breathing was steady. She seemed to be sleeping deeply.

She couldn’t bear to wake her for a temperature check. She’d use the oldest method — the back of her hand.

Gently. That shouldn’t wake her.

She pressed her palm lightly against Lin Ji’s forehead. The temperature seemed all right — not especially hot.

Somewhat relieved, she was about to pull her hand back when it was suddenly caught.

“Ah… sorry, did I wake you? I just wanted to check if you had a fever.”

Flustered, Jiang Siyi rattled off an entire string of explanations.

After her explanation, the person holding her hand gave no response. Her breathing remained steady.

In the dim light, Jiang Siyi realized Lin Ji hadn’t opened her eyes at all.

She wasn’t awake…

Catching someone’s hand that precisely while dreaming?

How tense must she be in her sleep?

The grip was quite firm. As Jiang Siyi was trying to figure out how to slip free without waking Lin Ji, she heard sleep-talking.

“…Jiang Siyi.”

Soft, nostalgic, tinged with an inexplicable sadness.

Did she just hear her own name?

Jiang Siyi blinked, then smiled.

How could that be.

Why would Lin Ji call my name in her sleep… Don’t be full of yourself.

Her hand was held tightly. Pulling it out with force would probably wake Lin Ji.

Even if Lin Ji wasn’t actually feverish, her temperature was still elevated. What if she really did burn up in the middle of the night when no one was around?

With these thoughts turning, she stopped trying to pull free and let Lin Ji keep holding her hand.

Jiang Siyi sat down by the bed to wait and see how things went.

And while waiting, she fell asleep.

When morning light filtered through the curtains the next day, Jiang Siyi woke with a start to find herself on the bed, her head on half of the pillow.

And Lin Ji’s sleeping face filled her vision in extreme close-up.

Jiang Siyi: ???

The author has something to say:

Lin Ji: Wife-luring Step 12 — let the wife unknowingly end up in your bed.