On the Wedding Night, I Transmigrated to After the Divorce – Chapter 9
by Little PandaRascal
Lying on her owner’s lap and being petted
Yu Yan also listed the reasons she was feeling shy. They amounted to the following points. One, the other woman was too beautiful. Two, her own English wasn’t very good. Three…
“Fu-jiejie.”
Mid-thought, Fu Yunqing felt a sudden nudge against her arm.
Her wayward focus called back by the touch, Fu Yunqing turned her head to look at her.
“Look, her wife is here too,” Yu Yan said, pointing toward the side of the stage.
Fu Yunqing looked in the direction she was pointing. The woman who had made even Yu Yan lose her nerve had stepped off the stage. Now, standing in the shadows, she had her arms wrapped around another woman’s waist, nuzzling and kissing her with clear intimacy.
Fu Yunqing froze for a moment, stringing the scene before her together with Yu Yan’s reaction.
Yu Yan had known she was married.
And was actually quite happy about it—
“Her wife is Asian. They post photos together on Instagram all the time. Both of them are massive beauties; they’re such a perfect match.”
No sooner had Yu Yan spoken than the lovers in the shadows retreated to an even more secluded spot and began to kiss. The sight thrilled Yu Yan—Fu Yunqing felt the grip on her arm tighten.
“Watching them makes me so shy,” Yu Yan whispered in her ear, thoroughly flushed. “Newlyweds really are so sweet.”
But they had gotten their marriage certificates.
Did getting a certificate feel like a ceremonial, romantic milestone in Yu Yan’s eyes?
If so, Fu Yunqing thought, did she feel regret over how hastily they had gotten their own?
Fu Yunqing wasn’t entirely sure. But looking at Yu Yan now, seeing the pure, uncomplicated blessing in her gaze, the unseemly emotion that had flared up in Fu Yunqing’s heart was smoothed away once more.
This time, and the last time.
Both instances had happened without Yu Yan even realizing.
Her arm still securely in Yu Yan’s grasp, Fu Yunqing deliberated for a brief moment before telling her, “Actually, your English is quite good.”
“You have no problem communicating. It’s better than many people’s.”
Why the sudden praise? Yu Yan looked up at her. “Really?”
“Mhm.” Fu Yunqing said, “Be confident.”
Fu Yunqing was a rather reserved person, and her compliments were always understated. So why did a single sentence from her carry such immense emotional value? She really had managed to talk Yu Yan into feeling confident.
One had to know, Yu Yan’s grades had been terrible since childhood; her English was her only decent subject.
Her newfound confidence mingling with a touch of bashfulness, the corners of Yu Yan’s lips curled up as she took a heavy gulp of her drink. “Thank you…”
East Asian faces stood out in the European pub, drawing a steady stream of people holding glasses and coming over to strike up a conversation. Yu Yan and Fu Yunqing sat side by side. Yu Yan was by the window; Fu Yunqing took the aisle seat, effortlessly handling the overly enthusiastic foreigners. She continued to introduce Yu Yan as her meimei, and Yu Yan stayed true to the role of a meimei, remaining under her shelter. Whenever she didn’t want to engage or felt uncomfortable, she could simply depend on her.
With so many people coming over to toast them, the whiskey slowly bottomed out. Yu Yan ordered a different drink. She was drinking happily, and by the time her second glass ran dry, she was already showing faint signs of intoxication.
She gradually loosened up, but she still hadn’t gone over to greet the pub singer.
Had she forgotten?
When Fu Yunqing casually asked about it, Yu Yan shook her head. “I’m not going.”
Her voice had taken on the slight, drifting quality of the drunk; she sounded utterly lazy. Fu Yunqing’s curiosity swelled. What she wanted to explore was perhaps not just the reason why Yu Yan refused to go, but the intoxicated Yu Yan herself.
“Why aren’t you going?” Fu Yunqing asked.
“I just don’t want to.”
Why didn’t she want to go? Yu Yan actually stopped to think about it herself.
She really was quite drunk. Her physical coordination was slipping, and her body slumped against Fu Yunqing’s. With her forehead resting on Fu Yunqing’s shoulder, she traced the moisture left behind by her glass. Without looking up, she murmured softly, “I want to keep you company.”
“You came here to keep me company,” she said. “How could I just abandon you to go play with someone else? I’m not some ungrateful wretch. Besides… besides…”
Perhaps finding the angle uncomfortable, Yu Yan rubbed her chin against Fu Yunqing’s shoulder. Fu Yunqing had been sitting perfectly upright. Realizing her shoulder might be a bit too high for the limp, pliant Yu Yan, she subtly lowered it. Yu Yan immediately snuggled right into the groove. When she spoke, she tilted her head up just enough that her warm breath fanned across Fu Yunqing’s neck.
Smiling, she said, “Besides, Fu-jiejie is a little more important.”
A sudden, electrifying numbness swept across her neck. Fu Yunqing turned her head, gazing down at the girl’s flushed face.
—I really like Fu-jiejie.
—Fu-jiejie is a little more important.
Because they had an itinerary for the next day, Yu Yan couldn’t afford to get too drunk tonight. Halfway through her third glass, Fu Yunqing intervened.
Cut off from her alcohol, Yu Yan furrowed her brows. She complained that she still wanted to drink and told Fu Yunqing to go away, wearing the exact same expression she had when waking up cranky.
Just moments ago she was saying Fu-jiejie was more important; now she was throwing a temper tantrum at Fu-jiejie.
In this state, she truly resembled a rascal of a drunk.
“Alright, no more drinking. We have to wake up early tomorrow.” Fu Yunqing took the glass away, refusing to indulge her any further. “We’re heading back.”
“No… I’m not even drunk. I don’t want to go back yet.” Yu Yan had no intention of submitting. Frowning and shaking her head, she wanted to keep drinking; she wanted to keep playing.
She resolved to absolutely not listen. She hadn’t done anything wrong—she just wanted half a glass more. Why wasn’t she allowed to drink it?
But then, Fu Yunqing lifted a hand and gently stroked her hair. “Be good,” she said softly. “Listen to me.”
“…”
Yu Yan really was destined to be manipulated by women.
She couldn’t handle Fu Yunqing using such a gentle tone to tell her to “be good,” nor could she handle Fu Yunqing petting her head. It was as if she had an obedience switch installed on her crown—the moment Fu Yunqing lightly touched it, she stopped fussing and whining, turning into a perfectly well-behaved puppy.
Yu Yan looked up, staring at Fu Yunqing with wide, longing eyes.
Suddenly, she wanted to hug her again.
Fu Yunqing flagged down a waiter to settle the bill. Gathering their bags, she stood up and reached out to pull Yu Yan to her feet. But Yu Yan remained firmly planted in her seat.
Why wasn’t she getting up? Hadn’t she promised to go back with her jiejie?
“Are you dizzy?” Fu Yunqing asked.
Yu Yan let out a long, drawn-out “Mhm,” ambiguous enough that it could have been either agreement or denial. As Fu Yunqing tried to parse it, Yu Yan suddenly opened her arms.
She threw them around Fu Yunqing’s waist, pressing herself against the older woman’s body. With one standing and the other sitting, the angle perfectly buried Yu Yan’s face against Fu Yunqing’s upper abdomen, separated by only a thin layer of white shirting.
Her face was burning hot.
Unaccustomed to such contact, Fu Yunqing’s body went slightly rigid, her breathing instantly hitching.
Perhaps realizing the effect head-pats had on Yu Yan, Fu Yunqing slowly lifted her hand. She rested it on the crown of Yu Yan’s head, stroking gently to coax her.
“Alright…”
Not only did Yu Yan refuse to let go, she hugged her even tighter, burying her face deeper. “Wu…”
Fu Yunqing’s breathing grew a fraction heavier.
Coaxing a rascal into a taxi was neither entirely easy nor particularly difficult.
Dealing with her required technique.
In the end, Fu Yunqing successfully tamed the little drunkard who went right when told left, and whined “wuwu” when told it was time to leave.
Once in the car, Yu Yan quieted down significantly. Aside from a lingering clinginess, she didn’t throw any more drunken fits. She leaned against the window, watching the scenery outside. By now, night had fully descended on Dublin; it was actually already ten o’clock.
Without fussing or speaking much, she simply stared out the window with a childish curiosity. Her deep brown eyes reflected the unfamiliar streetscapes flashing by like a movie reel. When the car stopped at a red light, a peculiar cat caught her eye.
It was an exceptionally majestic-looking Bengal cat.
Standing on a roadside bench, the cat locked eyes with Yu Yan, its gaze glowing in the dark. Its vigilant stare was vastly clearer than Yu Yan’s half-lidded, hazy eyes. It took Yu Yan a full three seconds to process the sight. She patted the back of Fu Yunqing’s hand, silently urging her to look too.
“There’s a cat.”
Fu Yunqing had seen it too. Ever since they got in the car, her gaze had remained fixed on Yu Yan, so she always knew what the younger woman was paying attention to.
“She’s so striking.”
“Mhm, very beautiful.” In truth, she couldn’t see the animal clearly in the dim lighting.
“I want to get out and kidnap her…” Yu Yan said with immense childishness. “My dream is to have a kitty of my own.”
What a massive yearning, for it to have reached the level of a dream.
This piqued Fu Yunqing’s curiosity anew. “Then why don’t you keep one?”
“I wouldn’t dare.”
Wouldn’t dare?
Yu Yan explained gloomily, “My mom hates cats.” Yu Lan’s aversion to cats and dogs bordered on a stress response the moment she saw them. Expressing even the slightest desire to keep a pet in front of her would result in an immediate, harsh rejection, complete with a vicious scolding.
Yu Yan could, of course, act willfully and raise one in secret—just as she ignored so many of her mother’s other rules. But…
She didn’t dare.
Why didn’t she dare?
Mumbling, Yu Yan counted her reasons off on her fingers. “I’m still in school. I don’t have a stable income of my own. Plus… I’m not responsible enough. I can’t even take care of myself; how could I raise a kitty…” Raising a cat was a commitment of over a decade. Yu Yan didn’t feel much security about her next ten years.
Who knew? Maybe one day she would upset Yu Lan, and the woman would cut off her cards or abandon her entirely. What then? Yu Yan thought back to many years ago, when a little kitten had wandered into their courtyard, terrifying Yu Lan into a screaming fit. It was so funny. Yu Yan let out a laugh.
It had been a scrawny, skin-and-bones kitten. It was chased away. Yu Yan had searched for it in secret for a long time but never found it. Actually, it wasn’t funny at all. Her smile drooped.
Fu Yunqing had guessed at some of the reasons, but she hadn’t expected Yu Yan to factor in “I’m still a student with no stable income.” This was the first time she had ever heard a second-generation heir1 voice the kind of practical worry that normally belonged to ordinary people.
Though, she highly suspected Yu Yan was likely just talking nonsense and hadn’t truly experienced such struggles. After spending these past few days together, she had gained a certain understanding of the girl’s temperament. With that mouth of hers, she could spin out absolutely anything.
“Is that so? Then what do you want to do after you graduate?” Fu Yunqing wasn’t entirely sure if modern university students appreciated being asked such questions.
Yu Yan, however, answered cheerfully, as if she had planned it long ago. “I want to be a house painter.”
Caught off guard once more, Fu Yunqing murmured, “Hm?”
At the mention of this, Yu Yan instantly perked up. The car lurched forward just as she turned her head, looking at Fu Yunqing with bright enthusiasm. “I’ve got it all planned out! I’m an oil painting student, anyway. Sure, I goof off every day and haven’t really learned anything, but painting walls is definitely within my skillset. Once I graduate, I’ll haul my gear over to newly built neighborhoods and stand under the shade of a tree. Whenever a pretty girl walks by, I’ll say, Hello, Miss, need your new house painted? I’ll only take female clients. Fifty percent off for female homeowners.”
“Wouldn’t that be amazing?”
Fu Yunqing pictured the scene.
Suddenly, Yu Yan remembered something else, and her expression deflated. “But I guess I can’t do that anymore. I’m your Wife now. Acting like that would bring shame to your family…”
“It wouldn’t be shameful.” Fu Yunqing found the image somewhat endearing. After a moment’s thought, she added, “If you did that, they would only think you’re very capable.”
“…”
Having her nonsense complimented made Yu Yan bashful all over again. Heavens, how was Fu Yunqing so good at praising people? …Suddenly, her head spun. Her face felt sweltering. The alcohol was fully kicking in. Unable to sit upright, she slumped heavily against the window. It was incredibly uncomfortable, and she kept shifting, searching for a posture that offered some relief.
Catching onto her distress, Fu Yunqing asked if she was dizzy. In a daze, Yu Yan shook her head. What she didn’t realize was that her face was completely flushed and her eyes were damp. As the discomfort steadily climbed, it genuinely began to ache. Yu Yan turned those wet eyes toward Fu Yunqing in a silent plea for help.
Fu Yunqing let the girl lean against her, but Yu Yan still felt terrible. Taking hold of Yu Yan’s shoulders, Fu Yunqing shifted to the side. “Rest your head on my lap.”
Bleary-eyed, Yu Yan followed the guiding pressure and lay down, resting her head on Fu Yunqing’s thighs.
They were firm, yet warm. Her vertigo found an anchor. As the car drove through the night streets, the neon lights outside blurred and swayed. Eyes wide with a kind of bewildered marvel, she stared up at the woman above her.
Fu Yunqing was truly so beautiful, even from this death angle2.
Fu Yunqing was so gentle. She smelled amazing—a clean, soft scent that worked like a hangover cure, pulling Yu Yan out from the miserable depths of her intoxication. Her hand rested on the crown of Yu Yan’s head, fingertips softly massaging. Her palm was soft and warm. Yu Yan’s gaze grew unfocused and hazy. Was she dizzy from the alcohol, or from Fu Yunqing?
Yu Yan couldn’t tell anymore.
Being a woman’s simp3 was Yu Yan’s destiny; she knew this.
But with Fu-jiejie, it felt like she could be a pampered little puppy, allowed to lie on her owner’s lap and be gently petted.
It truly was something else.
She lay there, her eyes fixed directly on Fu Yunqing, her gaze carrying a stark, naked scrutiny. Unable to withstand it, Fu Yunqing lifted her hand and covered those trembling eyelashes with her palm.
Yu Yan’s eyes were shielded.
She couldn’t see anything anymore.
And yet…
Yu Yan’s heart raced.
Heart pounding, Yu Yan slept obediently in her embrace, making no fuss, making no noise.
Feeling the steady pace of the car, she wished time would slow down, wished the journey would stretch out longer. Ideally, the driver would be a scammer who took them on a massive detour, driving them in a massive circle all the way around Dublin in the dark of the night.
Footnotes
- 'Èrdài' (second generation) usually refers to 'fù'èrdài' (the second-generation rich) — children of wealthy entrepreneurs who inherit immense wealth and privilege.
- 'Sǐwáng jiǎodù' (death angle) is modern slang for an extremely unflattering viewing or camera angle — typically looking directly up from below the chin — that would normally make almost anyone look terrible.
- 'Tiǎngǒu' is slang for a 'simp' who debases themselves for affection.
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