Crossing the Line – Chapter 52

Insatiable

The lips and tongue, both skilled and possessive, kept invading, already making Jiang Siyi’s waist go soft, unable to hold her ground.

That right hand wrapped around her slid upward from her burning waist, caressing to the back of her head.

            

Scorching heat spread along her spine.

Unable to bear the stimulation of the caress.

Jiang Siyi’s lips, unable to close, trembled slightly.

            

Her soft tongue, at a loss, was still being seduced, entangling ceaselessly.

The unfamiliar rush of stimulation, more overwhelming than imagined, made both of Jiang Siyi’s ears flush red.

Her fingers gripping Lin Ji’s shoulder pressed unconsciously, pinching her shoulder.

            

Pinching her own fingertips white.

Fragmented sounds nearly losing control, her fevered mind in a daze, every last bit of energy devoted to self-restraint.

Whether due to her innate disposition or the suppression shaped by circumstance, Jiang Siyi had little talent for intimacy.

            

When playing along as Lin Ji’s “girlfriend for a day,” she couldn’t flirt or act coy.

Truly like an ascetic with no worldly desires.

Only thinking of cultivation through career, believing she could only stand firm by relying on her own two feet.

            

Rarely thinking of skin-to-skin closeness, let alone craving it.

When it actually came to intimacy, because she was unfamiliar, she was bewildered.

Whether moved by emotion or desire, it was all suppressed.

            

Hard to express, not knowing how to express.

Even having long melted in Lin Ji’s kiss, she could only let out fine, nearly inaudible, burning breaths.

Entirely following Lin Ji’s rhythm.

            

Whether held or suckled, embraced or caressed, she yielded to the other, utterly passive.

Jiang Siyi’s stiffness and restraint were impossible for the person kissing her so passionately not to feel.

Lin Ji’s kiss suddenly lightened, as if about to withdraw.

            

Jiang Siyi, who had kept her eyes shut the entire time, sensed the other’s retreat and furrowed her brow slightly in confusion.

Was it ending?

After days apart, Lin Ji’s scent and the sweet softness of the deep kiss made her lose her senses.

            

No matter how passive her nature, the unfamiliar yearning deep within had long been awakened.

If it stopped like this, she would be reluctant to let go.

As they slightly parted, the tight kiss gained a sliver of space.

            

Jiang Siyi felt a faint disappointment and was about to open her eyes.

But the woman whose single hand pressed against the back of her head suddenly kissed her deeper.

Caught off guard, an uncontrollable “Mmph” slipped from deep in her throat, spilling out along with noticeably heavier breaths.

            

Her beautiful neck, bearing the weight of the kiss, arched into an elegant curve as she tilted her head back.

That slender, pale hand controlled her movements, leaving her no chance to evade.

Fingers threading into her hair, caressing through her thick black locks with passion and commanding possessiveness.

            

Tousling her hair, stirring her heartbeat.

Black and white in stark contrast, beautiful as an oil painting.

The other hand traced along her neck and cradled her face.

            

Fingertips seemed to brush past her burning earlobe almost unintentionally.

A gentle flick.

Each flick and tease plucked at Jiang Siyi’s heartstrings.

            

Jiang Siyi let out another sound.

The flush spread from her ears down to her neck.

On her slender nape, the pair of little wings tattooed by Lin Ji herself was now completely steeped in that alluring crimson.

            

How they ended up kissing on the bed, Jiang Siyi had no idea.

Her hands were interlaced with Lin Ji’s, pressed down against the mattress.

Fingertips spreading and clenching, like her long-over-speeding heart, contracting forcefully.

            

The person kissing her showed no sign of satisfaction.

And she, in her daze, yielded mindlessly to whatever was taken.

The girl who was so bad at kissing grew increasingly breathless.

            

Nearly gasping for air, whimpering in discomfort.

Lin Ji could tell the difference between restless need and genuine distress.

Between heavy breaths, she finally stopped, reluctant.

            

“Breathe.”

Lin Ji instructed.

Jiang Siyi swallowed silently a couple of times, following Lin Ji’s guidance, slowly steadying her rhythm.

            

In the dim room, warm breaths intertwined and lingered after the deep kiss.

Two buttons of Jiang Siyi’s nightgown had come undone.

The hem was also bunched at the crease of her thighs.

            

Her eyes, looking elsewhere, glistened with moisture.

Her slender chest heaved continuously; her hair—always neatly and meticulously styled—was now spread across the sheets in complete disarray.

Her lips so red, still swollen, looked vivid and dripping, so pitiful, as if one more touch would draw blood.

            

Lin Ji certainly knew who had bullied her into this state.

Who had left her, with her hunched shoulders, in such a mess.

Even though Jiang Siyi was too tempting, too mesmerizing, the kiss just now had gone a bit far.

            

Lin Ji thought with some regret—would she think I’m frightening again?

After such a passionate kiss, this close face-to-face made it too easy to reveal her state.

Jiang Siyi truly didn’t know what expression to face Lin Ji with after their intimacy.

            

Afraid her face would betray too much hidden desire, she didn’t dare look at her.

Sensing the silence and feeling she had recovered slightly, she turned her gaze to the person above her.

In those eyes, she saw worry.

            

Her lips hurt, but she was happy.

She actually liked Lin Ji’s possessiveness toward her.

Whether this possessiveness was temporary, one year or two… it was all fine.

            

She liked it all.

Seeing no real anger in Jiang Siyi’s gaze, Lin Ji breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Having studied carefully, the actual practice still differed from imagination.

            

Lin Ji wasn’t quite satisfied with herself.

“Does it hurt a lot?”

A knuckle skimmed over Jiang Siyi’s swollen lips like a dragonfly skimming water.

            

“I told you, I’m not afraid of pain.”

Jiang Siyi smiled softly, without the slightest blame.

Instead, she worried whether Lin Ji was too tired.

            

From this close, the dark circles under her eyes looked alarming.

She wanted to touch Lin Ji’s face, but her hand stirred in place and then lowered, saying with concern:

“Try to sleep, okay?”

            

Jiang Siyi’s gentle tone and tender smile had a kind of magic.

Tell Lin Ji to sleep, and Lin Ji actually felt drowsy.

Within five minutes of the kiss stopping, she sank into deep sleep.

            

She had never experienced such effortless sleep.

The restlessness of sleeping alone, the exhaustion that exceeded its limit and made sleep even harder, dissolved in the warmth of Jiang Siyi’s presence.

Her breathing steadied, hands resting on her abdomen.

            

Sleep embraced her, pulling her down into the sea of dreams.

Jiang Siyi lay on her stomach, observing her sleeping face.

They had slept together before, but Lin Ji always went to bed later and woke earlier, so there was never a chance to observe her sleeping face.

            

Even earlier, before they truly lived together, because of her own terrible sleeping posture, she would wake up in chaos, with no time to savor the moment.

Jiang Siyi rested her chin on her arm.

So even Lin Ji’s sleeping posture was this restrained.

            

The space between her brows was still slightly furrowed.

What was she dreaming about… so tense.

She lifted her fingertip, gently touching that inexplicably furrowed brow.

            

First a tap, confirming it wouldn’t wake her, before slowly rubbing, wanting to smooth away the worry for her.

A warm breath infused the tangled dreams, which gradually dimmed and faded.

Lin Ji finally sank into a rare, dreamless dark slumber.

            

The furrow between her brows smoothed, and Jiang Siyi smiled with satisfaction.

With that smile, her lips really did hurt a bit.

She got out of bed, found lip balm in her suitcase, and gently applied it to her own swollen lips.

            

After thinking, she tiptoed back to the bed and applied some to Lin Ji as well.

Such beautiful lips, and so skilled at kissing.

They needed proper protection.

            

Thinking of what she and Lin Ji had just done, Jiang Siyi’s face, which hadn’t fully lost its flush, gained another wave of heat.

Afraid of pressing too hard with the lip balm and waking Lin Ji, who had finally fallen asleep.

She dabbed the moisturizing balm onto her fingertip, then carefully and slowly spread it across Lin Ji’s lips.

            

When Lin Ji woke up, her lips wouldn’t be dry and uncomfortable.

…

When the rain outside the window stopped, when the flowing light faded—the two women sleeping side by side had no idea.

            

Jiang Siyi also fell asleep, waking at 7:00 AM London time.

A perfect time to wake up, barely any jet lag adjustment needed.

Lin Ji was still asleep, her posture unchanged, still lying flat on her back.

            

Jiang Siyi’s sleeping posture was still terrible, but fortunately this time she hadn’t flailed about—she had just scooted closer to Lin Ji, her forehead pressed against Lin Ji’s arm.

Like a puppy dependent on its owner, yet not daring to be too presumptuous.

Before sleeping, she had been lying properly, but in her sleep she unconsciously gravitated toward Lin Ji.

            

As expected, with every boundary crossed, she sank deeper and deeper…

Jiang Siyi silently lamented in her heart, yet didn’t pull away immediately.

Since she was already pressed against her, she took the opportunity to nuzzle her head gently against Lin Ji’s arm.

            

Fan Qing said Lin Ji’s insomnia was severe this time—over 40 hours without sleep, still working at high intensity, dealing with troublesome matters and troublesome people. Among them was Song Hui, brought on by Jiang Siyi herself.

The moment she arrived, Lin Ji fell asleep, and slept for so long.

Hehe.

            

Distressed about falling so deeply in love, but able to coax Lin Ji to sleep in a special way, solving the big problem of her insomnia—she felt quite accomplished.

A bit hungry, she quietly got out of bed, washed up, and sat on the living room sofa, picking up the thick menu to see what there was to eat.

Not wanting to go out for food, she ordered some simple set meals to the room.

            

While waiting for the food, she contacted the colleague in charge of the exchange conference’s personnel coordination to cancel her company hotel reservation.

The colleague handling the exchange conference’s personnel wasn’t very familiar with Jiang Siyi.

They had only connected via video call the day before yesterday.

            

The other party had been stationed in London for two years, a young woman with a lovely voice.

On the phone, the colleague asked: 【Then where are you staying? It’s best to leave an address, so we know where to find you if anything comes up. After all, we’re abroad, safety first.】

Jiang Siyi: 【I’m staying with my wife, I’ll send you the hotel address in a bit.】

            

Saying the term “wife,” Jiang Siyi subconsciously glanced toward the bedroom.

And secretly said it again.

The colleague was clearly a bit surprised, letting out a “Wow”: 【Xiao Jiang, you’re married?】

            

【Mm, just this year.】

【Congratulations, happy newlywed! Xiao Jiang, you’re only twenty-five, right? Getting married so young, you must have met someone you really like—】

The old Jiang Siyi rarely discussed her private matters with others—it was unpleasant, uncertain.

            

But her mood now was different.

It was also just the natural flow of conversation, and the other person was someone she rarely saw, giving a sense of cover, making it easier to say.

Someone she really liked…

            

She lowered her head and smiled, dimples appearing faintly.

A soft “Mm.”

…

            

After hanging up, the butler had just delivered the food.

At the same time, Fan Qing appeared at the door, not entering rashly, knocking on the open door.

“BOSS should be asleep by now.”

            

After all, since last night, Fan Qing hadn’t received a single reply from her.

Jiang Siyi tore open a bread roll, dipped it in some olive oil and vinegar, her gaze on the phone screen.

“She’s been asleep for at least 14 hours.”

            

14 hours.

Fan Qing gasped inwardly.

She immediately relayed the good news to Lin Xuebo.

            

At this time, back home, lights were just coming on.

With her daughter and daughter-in-law both abroad, Lin Xuebo was feeling quite empty, going to a wine gala with Qiao Jin for some diversion.

The moment her daughter went abroad, Lin Xuebo worried, afraid her insomnia would act up, making her own sleep suffer too.

            

If she didn’t have a business to run, and if she wasn’t afraid her daughter would find her too clingy, Lin Xuebo would have loved to follow Xiaoyou wherever she went.

Hearing that Jiang Siyi had also gone to London—news she learned from Qiao Jin—Lin Xuebo suddenly felt she had someone to rely on, telling Qiao Jin:

“That child Siyi looks so introverted, and she’s so busy with work, yet she flew to London without a word. I hope Xiaoyou can get a good night’s sleep seeing her wife.”

            

Just as she said that, Fan Qing’s WeChat message came through.

Lin Xuebo looked and was shocked.

“Xiaoyou slept for 14 hours…”

            

Qiao Jin: “Isn’t that a good thing?”

Lin Xuebo: “The last time she slept this long, she was still in my belly.”

Qiao Jin: …

            

Not far away, Lin Yunting had also come to the gala with friends.

Seeing her eldest sister’s figure, she hesitated over whether to go over and greet her.

At the Huanwei 5th Anniversary Banquet last time, Lin Yunting had been thoroughly scolded by her eldest sister, and her WeChat messages since had gone unanswered.

            

Lin Yunting had been thinking about how to repair their relationship, and now seeing her eldest sister, she wanted to go talk to her, but was afraid of being rebuffed, hesitating as she slowly walked toward them from behind.

She happened to hear Lin Xuebo say happily: “Siyi really is our family’s little lucky star¹.”

At the mention of Jiang Siyi’s name, Lin Yunting’s footsteps halted.

            

“You know, all these years, to treat Xiaoyou’s insomnia, I’ve invested in so many medical research institutions, spent so much energy, with little result. And then Siyi stays by her side and she sleeps for 14 hours. 14 hours—that makes me happier than giving me 1.4 billion.”

Qiao Jin: “That’s also because Siyi was willing to fly all this way to be with her.”

Lin Xuebo’s eyes sparkled with brightness.

            

“Yes, yes, so I say Siyi is truly rare.”

Seeing the old friend’s favorite wine on a server’s tray, Qiao Jin grabbed a glass and handed it to her.

Lin Xuebo sipped the wine, continuing happily: “If insomnia hadn’t plagued her, draining her energy, Xiaoyou’s achievements would go beyond where they are now. If Siyi stays by her side from now on, and she can sleep well every day, she’ll keep climbing, reaching new peaks.”

            

She paused, then reflected: “Actually, peaks or no peaks don’t matter. As long as she’s healthy, I’m content.”

Qiao Jin clinked glasses with her. “She will. Now that the little lucky star is back, everything’s looking up.”

Lin Xuebo happily clinked glasses with Qiao Jin—”Cheers.”

            

The crisp clink of glasses fell upon the ears of Lin Yunting, whose face was ashen, piercing through her with a harsh crack, her nerves throbbing uncontrollably.

This was the safety net she had wanted.

The Jiang Siyi she had wanted to prop up Song Ti’s life, to keep her from falling.

            

But with the engagement transferred, everything had shifted to her eldest sister’s family.

Jiang Siyi wasn’t just propping up Lin Ji—she was pulling her upward.

Lin Yunting thought with bitter regret: Lin Ji’s achievements were already so high, what more peaks did she need to reach?

            

Meanwhile, Song Ti had broken up with that woman Tan Ya.

And turned right around to keep a starlet at home.

Song Liming had been in her ear, half-threatening and half-nagging, saying if Stella didn’t come to the office, she needn’t bother coming back.

            

Lin Yunting was truly annoyed.

What good was threatening her? Wasn’t this daughter his responsibility too?

Annoyed as she was, she still worried about Song Ti.

            

She went to her house, hoping they could have a proper heart-to-heart as mother and daughter.

But she found Song Ti getting hot and heavy with a strange young woman.

Before Lin Yunting could even speak, another middle-aged woman came in and grabbed the girl.

            

She thought it was another sordid love triangle, but the middle-aged woman said she was the girl’s “manager,” saying the company spent money feeding her resources, not letting her come here to date.

Lin Yunting was speechless, watching Song Ti sit on the sofa as if it had nothing to do with her, saying nothing—that utter lack of responsibility was just exasperating.

Even more exasperating was when Lin Yunting realized the starlet bore some resemblance to Jiang Siyi.

            

Still not over her.

The other person was already married, and she was still hung up.

What was she doing before?

            

After the manager and the starlet temporarily left, Lin Yunting pointed at Song Ti:

“Don’t let your Eldest Aunt’s family see her, or what will they think of us? How can you always be thinking about these things? You’re a grown woman, can’t you have some ambition? No wonder Jiang Siyi chose your Biaojie over you!”

Song Ti suddenly stood up and went to the bedroom without looking back, slamming the door so hard it shook.

            

After that day, Lin Yunting didn’t try to manage Song Ti anymore.

She couldn’t afford to.

The housekeeper Ming Jie reported that the starlet had moved back in, and the two often stayed home all day without going out, just having food delivered—God knows what they were doing.

            

What could they be doing? Lin Yunting could guess with her knees.

Song Ti was sinking step by step, while Lin Ji’s chronic condition was improving.

Lin Yunting left the gala in a daze, gazing at the night sky where not a single star could be seen, and couldn’t help but think—

            

If only she had treated Jiang Siyi a little better back then, if her daughter were still with Jiang Siyi, even if it was just pretending to be well-behaved, it would still be better than the mess she was now…

A hundred times better.

---

Jiang Siyi invited Fan Qing to join her for breakfast, but Fan Qing politely declined:

            

“I’ve already eaten.”

“You finished eating this early?”

“Mm, I finish breakfast after my morning workout every day.”

            

Fan Qing said she woke up at five, did an hour of anaerobic exercise without fail, then ran five kilometers, and ate fast carbs after working out—never delayed.

Jiang Siyi thought of Zhou Ni’s skills; the two were probably comparable, and given Fan Qing’s taller frame, she felt like one Fan Qing could personally deliver three Jiang Luos to the police station.

Fan Qing kept checking her watch. Jiang Siyi asked, “Do you have work?”

            

“Mm, today’s schedule includes a meeting with government department representatives.” Fan Qing said with some frustration, “If BOSS doesn’t get up soon, we might not make it in time. Other meetings can be postponed or rescheduled, but the whole purpose of this trip is to persuade those people, so it’s not ideal to change the time…”

Jiang Siyi blinked. “14 hours should be enough sleep. If she sleeps any longer, she won’t be able to sleep tonight.”

Even with that said, Fan Qing still stood in place, not going in to wake Lin Ji.

            

Meeting Jiang Siyi’s questioning look, Fan Qing said:

“BOSS has a bit of a morning temper². Understandable, given her long-term sleep issues. She won’t scold anyone or do anything, but the atmospheric pressure is a bit low. You know BOSS’s face—she doesn’t have to do anything, just looking stern is intimidating enough.”

Jiang Siyi’s mind filled with images of Lin Ji smiling at her.

            

Sometimes even looking a bit aggrieved, making her heart ache.

How could that be intimidating.

Bewitched by Lin Ji to the point of dizziness, Jiang Siyi had forgotten how terrified of her she used to be.

            

“And…”

Fan Qing added the most important part.

“If Miss Jiang goes to wake her, seeing you first thing when she opens her eyes will put her in a very good mood all day.”

            

Her face warming at Fan Qing’s words, Jiang Siyi asked skeptically:

“…Really?”

“Of course it’s true. So, for the sake of BOSS’s good mood for the day, I’ll trouble you, Miss Jiang.”

            

Tap, tap, tap—

She walked slowly back to the bedroom.

She saw that Lin Ji had shifted positions slightly, turning toward the side where Jiang Siyi had been sleeping.

            

Her hand reached forward, loosely grasping, as if trying to hold onto something.

Jiang Siyi lay down beside her, slipping her index finger into the gap of that loosely grasped fist, gently probing.

Done.

            

Morning’s quota of secret hand-holding, complete.

Jiang Siyi was about to softly wake her, but when she looked up, she noticed that the neckline of Lin Ji’s sleepwear had folded lower from the side-sleeping position, creating a gap.

A small design over her heart?

            

She suddenly remembered—at that fusion restaurant before, Lin Ji had pointed to her left chest and said she had a tattoo there too.

So it was a tattoo?

She could only see half the design, with what looked like two corners.

            

The other half was hidden by the clothing.

Curious, Jiang Siyi stole a glance at Lin Ji—still not awake.

Carefully, she hooked the neckline with her fingertip and saw the full tattoo.

            

Jiang Siyi: ?

Completely different from what she had imagined.

Not a cool, or highly designed tattoo.

            

It was a cute, very simple line drawing of a little bunny cartoon.

Even… a bit childish.

The contrast with Lin Ji’s aura was just too huge, wasn’t it?

            

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The author has something to say:

Lin Ji: Another day of being pampered by my wife

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