Crossing the Line – Chapter 63
by Little PandaRadiant Water Hues
When lunchtime rolled around, Duan Ning’s eyes sparkled with gossip as she came to drag Jiang Siyi out to eat.
“Come on, come on, my treat.”
Lately they’d been alternating between the company cafeteria and the mall across the street.
Both sides had great food stalls and shops—so many choices. Life was getting better.
Duan Ning took Jiang Siyi to a popular mixed rice noodle shop and generously ordered two bowls of the fully-loaded version. After submitting the order, she asked with a grin:
“Has the foundation come off? Need me to touch up your little love mark?”
Jiang Siyi shot her a look that cursed her for being improper, but still felt a twinge of worry and turned her neck to let Duan Ning check.
Neither of them noticed the gaunt woman who had sat down in the corner behind them.
That woman’s long hair hadn’t been maintained in some time—frizzy, casually draped, utterly shapeless.
Her thin face had lost the elegance and beauty it once held when fuller. No amount of heavy makeup could conceal the dark circles or the air of decay that clung to her.
At first glance, few would have recognized her as Song Ti, daughter of the Song family.
Jiang Siyi and Lin Ji’s marriage had dealt Song Ti a devastating blow.
During those dazed, hollow days, she had been messing around with a minor celebrity who looked somewhat like Jiang Siyi.
She had thrown down several million, but it grew more pointless by the day.
Only a face—nothing else resembled Jiang Siyi.
Not Jiang Siyi’s gentle thoughtfulness, and none of her delicate charm.
Even the passable face, when compared to photos and videos of Jiang Siyi, was instantly exposed as a shoddy knockoff.
The agent finally took the minor celebrity away. Song Ti didn’t contact her again and soon forgot the whole affair.
She sank back into emptiness.
The matter of Biaojie and Jiang Siyi had been haunting her constantly.
Other people’s lives had somehow become the central purpose of her own existence.
Why did Biaojie marry Jiang Siyi?
Biaojie’s conditions were so exceptional—why did she have to choose Jiang Siyi?
If not for overhearing her mother and eldest aunt’s conversation that day, Song Ti might never have figured it out.
Now, she somewhat understood.
It turned out Biaojie hadn’t, as everyone believed, been studying abroad since childhood, living a glamorous life, receiving the most elite education, an enviable top student.
She had been trafficked.
Trafficking—what kind of place would one be sold to, what kind of terrifying life would one endure—Song Ti had looked into it recently, and it exceeded imagination.
That would absolutely be the greatest stain on a person’s life.
No wonder Biaojie’s personality was so cold and dark, so different from normal people. It must have been the distortion caused by those years of trafficking.
If Jiang Siyi knew that Lin Ji had a filthy past and major character defects, would she still think spending the rest of her life with her was a shrewd choice?
As for why Biaojie had to snatch Jiang Siyi, Song Ti put herself in those shoes.
If she had been trafficked as a child, suffered and endured hardship, she would definitely harbor resentment.
After coming back, whatever she wanted or didn’t want—as long as it should have been hers, she would take it all back.
Including her former fiancée.
With Biaojie’s domineering personality, she would be even more extreme than Song Ti herself.
As for why she only acted now.
Perhaps it was because her career was finally stable, and she had accumulated enough wealth to tempt Jiang Siyi.
And she had learned about her and Tan Ya’s situation, wanting to exploit the vulnerability.
That made sense. Everything was clear now.
If it was merely about filling an inner void, then Biaojie’s feelings for Jiang Siyi were obviously just possessiveness—she couldn’t truly love her.
This wasn’t Song Ti’s speculation; there was evidence.
Jiang Cheng had crashed into a vegetative state, Jiang Luo had gone bankrupt, Zhao Jun was rushing around seeking medical help, the household staff and servants had all been dismissed, the house was sealed, and they could only live in a cramped old apartment in the suburbs.
The Jiang family was in such dire straits, yet Lin Ji showed no intention of helping at all.
True, Jiang Siyi’s relationship with the Jiang family was bad.
But no matter how much she disliked them, they were still her natal family.
Before the engagement with Jiang Siyi was broken, no matter how much Song Ti looked down on the Jiang family, she would never have let them fall this far.
When the Jiang family invited her to family dinners, she went.
No matter what she thought inside, at least she kept up appearances, right?
Not even bothering with surface-level courtesy—could it be that she truly didn’t care how others viewed them?
Biaojie really was cold-hearted and cold-blooded.
Not lifting a finger for her in-laws’ family after marriage—how could she possibly be sincere about Jiang Siyi?
The high-profile displays were all an act.
With Jiang Siyi’s soft personality, no matter how dissatisfied she was, she wouldn’t dare defy Biaojie.
Biaojie’s cold and dark personality was loveproof—she couldn’t possibly know how to love anyone.
Song Ti reviewed her assets. She still had a chance.
Help the Jiang family through their immediate crisis, then buy the Jiang Family Old Mansion at auction.
Jiang Siyi and Biaojie’s marriage wouldn’t last.
She would find it hard to endure Biaojie’s coldness.
Once Biaojie’s possessiveness was satisfied, she would quickly tire of her.
When they divorced and Jiang Siyi had nowhere to go, Song Ti would take her into the Jiang Family Old Mansion.
By then, Jiang Siyi would have no choice but to depend on her.
She could treat Jiang Siyi however she pleased, depending on her mood.
Everything was planned out. Unfortunately, the wait would be painfully long.
Fantasized rain couldn’t quench a present thirst.
She had secretly followed them to the building below Jiashibi, trailed Jiang Siyi and Duan Ning to this restaurant, sat in an inconspicuous corner, and ordered a bowl of mixed rice noodles she didn’t even like.
She had only wanted to quietly observe Jiang Siyi, to hear whether she would complain about her life to her friend.
She wanted more details about how miserably she was doing now.
But—what were they talking about?
What foundation coverage? Covering what?
It couldn’t be what she was thinking…
Why did that Duan woman sound so envious?
The hickey was near the back collar area. Even with foundation, it could easily rub off. After a morning of work, the red mark was indeed faintly visible.
Duan Ning didn’t hold back on the gossip while touching up her makeup.
Jiang Siyi wouldn’t discuss her private matters with anyone else.
Duan Ning was different. They were classmates, had worked together after graduation, grown together, shared quite a few experiences—she was essentially Jiang Siyi’s only close friend.
As a rare witness to Jiang Siyi’s deepening relationship with Lin Ji, Duan Ning had kept her mouth shut, proving trustworthy.
Jiang Siyi could confide in her more freely.
Not to mention, she had already spoken without filter after a few drinks at Auntie Liu’s food stall.
Duan Ning teased her: “What did I tell you back then? Your wife looked like she’d know how to do everything! And you slandered her for not knowing how to date, even said the odds of her being brave and skillful in battle were zero.”
Jiang Siyi: “I didn’t expect it either. I’ve known Lin Ji for over ten years, and I never knew she was so good at…”
The words “kissing” were spoken so softly they barely registered.
Of course, they hadn’t only kissed.
Jiang Siyi was too embarrassed to share the rest.
But someone else was not.
Duan Ning went “ooh ooh ooh” several times. “Ah, so how do you know now? I’m guessing ‘so good at’ isn’t just kissing, is it?”
Having already been pinched once that morning, Duan Ning was prepared before joking and dodged immediately, escaping Jiang Siyi’s second pinch.
“I cover your hickey and you still pinch me. Are you a battle goose, Jiang Siyi!”
Duan Ning took the foundation and moved back to her own seat, putting distance between them. Her teasing grew even more shameless.
“Personal experience has taught you how razor-sharp my eye for people is, hasn’t it? Our Lin Ji-jie… no, your darling wife treats you so well, even a blind person could see it. Even if she didn’t know how before, she would learn for your happiness. Unlike some unlucky dead ghost.”
Song Ti, sitting in the corner: ??
The rest was debatable, but who was the unlucky dead ghost?
…It couldn’t be me, could it?
Duan Ning: “Never mind, on such a happy day, let’s not bring up that Song woman. Bad luck.”
Song Ti: …
The rice noodles arrived. Duan Ning loaded her bowl with chili, and the two chatted about other things while eating.
Song Ti’s noodles arrived too, but she sat frozen, forgetting to eat.
Her brain was buzzing.
Jiang Siyi and Biaojie… had already kissed?
Biaojie, with that personality like a block of ice—she could develop feelings for someone? She could leave hickeys?
And… very good at it?
Even Jiang Siyi’s friend didn’t seem afraid of her, and seemed quite familiar with her.
So they weren’t putting on an act. They were genuinely in love.
How was that possible.
How was that possible…
By the time Song Ti snapped out of it, Duan Ning and Jiang Siyi had finished eating and returned to Jiashibi to continue working.
The entire afternoon, Song Ti wandered the vicinity in a daze.
Constantly inventing reasons to reassure herself.
She wanted to wait for Jiang Siyi to get off work, wanted to see her one more time, wanted to gather more evidence that her romance with Biaojie was all a facade…
She waited and waited downstairs, watching many people leave work, even spotting Duan Ning—but never catching a glimpse of Jiang Siyi.
Until she saw a Bentley.
Biaojie’s Bentley.
Normally, Lin Ji insisted on driving Jiang Siyi to work.
Their end-of-day timing was unpredictable, so Jiang Siyi had told Lin Ji not to pick her up—she would head back on her own whenever she finished work, and definitely be home for dinner.
Today, Lin Ji felt a bit guilty about last night and genuinely missed her wife. Even getting to see her half an hour earlier would be worth it.
She efficiently wrapped up all her work. By Jiang Siyi’s quitting time, Lin Ji’s car was already parked in the underground garage.
Jiang Siyi finished work, saw Lin Ji’s WeChat message, and immediately packed up and headed downstairs.
They got into the same car and headed home together.
The September evening weather was lovely, the car windows half-open.
The cool breeze had been comfortable.
Until she saw Song Ti.
That gray, haggard silhouette by the roadside was staring at them with disbelief.
Jiang Siyi hadn’t noticed Song Ti. She was smiling as she talked to Lin Ji.
Lin Ji responded to her while locking eyes with Song Ti, unflinching and unhidden.
Song Ti’s gaze desperately bore into the car. Lin Ji lowered her gaze slightly and pressed the chrome button.
The window rose slowly, blocking Song Ti’s prying view of Jiang Siyi.
All she caught was a flash of cold from Lin Ji’s eyes.
Back home.
Not wanting to make Jiang Siyi wait too long, Lin Ji skipped cooking tonight and had dinner delivered from the community clubhouse.
During the meal, Jiang Siyi remembered that “see you tonight” WeChat message.
She ate somewhat distractedly, and after dinner they each showered and returned, fresh and clean.
Only eight o’clock.
The night had just begun.
Lin Ji said, “Want to watch a movie? A few new theatrical releases just synced.”
A private cinema—an intimate, romantic space for just the two of them.
What would Lin Ji do to her…
When Jiang Siyi softly said “sure,” her thoughts were already in complete disarray.
The cleaning team Lin Ji hired came to the house three times a week for maintenance.
No live-in nanny. Neither of them liked having outsiders permanently in their private space.
Entering the cinema, the spacious room carried the faint scent of recent cleaning.
It was very similar to Lin Ji’s signature sandalwood fragrance.
Whirrr—
The popcorn machine dispensed a full large box of caramel popcorn.
Lin Ji held the popcorn tub—bigger than her head, overflowing with sweet fragrance—in one hand and asked Jiang Siyi:
“Want something to drink? Soda or wine?”
Dating at home, with just the two of them—having a little wine should be fine.
And Lin Ji had included wine as an option. If she actually chose it, Lin Ji probably wouldn’t object.
Jiang Siyi walked over and took the popcorn tub with both hands.
“Then let’s have some wine.”
Lin Ji gave Jiang Siyi a “you really are a wino” look.
Jiang Siyi: “Well, you’re the one who made me choose…”
Lin Ji suddenly kissed her on the lips, cutting off whatever she was about to say.
Jiang Siyi: …
Completely caught off guard.
Lin Ji admired the girl who went speechless from a single kiss, her face visibly flushing red in an instant.
“Would sweet white be okay?”
“Mm…”
“Sit wherever you like, pick a movie you want to watch. Wait for me, I’ll go pour you some wine.”
“Mm-hm…”
She was back to only being able to say “mm-hm” again.
Jiang Siyi’s heart was beating wildly. She sat down in the second row with the popcorn.
She picked a movie at random, not even registering what it was.
While waiting for Lin Ji, her back was stiff with nervousness.
But by the time the movie ended, the wine on the folding table had gone three rounds, the popcorn was finished, and their intimacy for the evening had been limited to that one kiss at the start.
Jiang Siyi: ?
What was going on.
Did I think too much?
Lin Ji didn’t actually want to do anything…
The movie ended. Lin Ji was about to get up to leave, but Jiang Siyi remained seated.
Jiang Siyi, eyes showing a hint of tipsiness: “Heading back?”
Lin Ji sat back down.
“What?”
“…Nothing.”
So she really had been overthinking.
She stood to leave, but her wrist was suddenly caught by Lin Ji.
The alcohol combined with the unexpected pull made Jiang Siyi lose her balance in an instant.
She landed on Lin Ji’s lap.
Sideways.
“Sorry…” Jiang Siyi apologized out of habit and tried to get up.
An arm wrapped around her waist.
She was held firmly in place, not allowed to leave.
The credits were still rolling on the big screen.
Amid the subtitles and the romantic end-credits song, Jiang Siyi looked down at the person holding her.
Lin Ji looked up. In the dim light, the focus and brightness in those eyes were breathtaking.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to—she had been holding back.
She had gone too far last night. Doing it again today, she was afraid Jiang Siyi would be uncomfortable.
Besides, this morning Jiang Siyi had insisted on going to work on her own, even walking there alone, refusing to let Lin Ji drive her—she wanted a little personal space after their intimacy.
She understood.
No matter what she decided, she would follow Jiang Siyi’s lead.
She wanted to badly, and holding back was hard.
But she hadn’t expected to be the one killing the mood.
Lin Ji held Jiang Siyi with lingering tenderness, both arms wrapped around her waist.
“One more.”
“Hm? Watch another?”
The position of sitting on her lap was far too intimate, and a little unsteady.
Lin Ji’s legs were too long. Jiang Siyi’s toes were forced to stretch downward, barely reaching the floor, and even then only tenuously.
“Watch.”
She said that, but her gaze never left Jiang Siyi’s face.
One arm around her, the other hand reaching for something.
A faint scent of alcohol mixed into the sweet white wine and popcorn aroma.
Jiang Siyi understood in an instant.
The hand that had been resting on her lower back had now climbed along her spine to the back of her head, fully supporting her.
Long fingers slipped into her hair, gently stroking while controlling her head, guiding it downward to meet Lin Ji’s upward kiss.
Fitting together, deepening, tangling.
Breathing quickly grew ragged.
The next movie played automatically.
Light and shadow shifted.
The person in her arms trembled uncontrollably.
Her thin chest heaved more and more violently.
She clung tightly around Lin Ji’s neck.
Muffled sounds escaped through the kiss.
Soft and slight, like a kitten being bullied but unable to fight back.
Her toes, already barely reaching the ground, now dangled with a dizzying sense of suspension.
Even the tops of her thighs began to tremble.
Like a little sparrow caught in Lin Ji’s palm, shivering.
At some point in the movie, the sound abruptly stopped.
The patter of water—they both heard it.
Ears and neck flushed crimson from their own movements.
She could only plead in muffled, barely articulate whispers—”slower, slower.”
Lin Ji’s eyes had also grown hazy. She answered “okay,” but her possessiveness said the exact opposite.
Jiang Siyi buried her face in Lin Ji’s neck, her waist so numb it barely existed anymore.
The next moment, the arms around her tightened sharply, trembling as if about to shatter.
Faint, lovely whimpers flowed into Lin Ji’s ears, drawing out a dazed sigh.
Water traces trailed over the red mole on the inside of Lin Ji’s wrist.
The cinnabar red, set off by the water, grew all the more vivid—radiant with bright water color.
The author has something to say:
Lin Ji: Wife-pampering step 29, those who know, know 3.0 😏
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