That “Bad” Woman Next Door – Chapter 15

Do You Need Me to Hold You While You Sleep?

Perhaps her intention was too obvious. After the words left her mouth, Yu Xi didn’t respond for a long time, her enigmatic eyes fixed tightly on her.

Yuan Yue threw all her shame away, her body consciously scooting inward to make room for Yu Xi. Yu Xi held her in place. “Don’t move around if you’re uncomfortable.”

Are you coming, then? Yuan Yue blushed, her crystal-bright eyes gazing at her in a silent invitation.

It was truly hard to refuse. Yu Xi smiled lightly, took off her shoes, and climbed onto the bed gently and quietly, lying down at Yuan Yue’s side.

The rather large bed suddenly seemed to become crowded. Yuan Yue struggled to turn over, and when she was face-to-face with Yu Xi, her heart thumped rapidly a couple of times. She suddenly felt the weather was stuffy and hot, and felt the urge to break out in a sweat on her forehead. Then, with belated realization, she discovered that she seemed to have complicated things. It was clearly just her great aunt¹ coming, just some cramps, was it really necessary to call Yu Xi over?

Calling her over was one thing, but how did the two of them end up inexplicably lying on the same bed?

So fussy, and so strange.

Such a close distance, such an ambiguous atmosphere, it was a little hard to bear. Yuan Yue unnaturally shrank back a little. Yu Xi said, “Don’t move,” and she obediently stopped again, blinking her eyes as she looked at Yu Xi and said softly, “Am I being too unreasonable?”

Yu Xi adjusted her pillow, watching her from a close distance in a side-lying position. Hearing this, she was mystified. “Unreasonable in what way?”

“It’s just…” Yuan Yue stammered, “I just rejected you, and now I’m making you stay and keep me company. Don’t you think I’m being very fussy and unreasonable?”

That awkward matter from before was brought up by her again. A peculiar expression flashed across Yu Xi’s face. She froze for a moment, then said softly, “You’re a patient right now. When you’re sick, you definitely need someone to take care of you.”

Having cramps makes me a patient? Yuan Yue knew Yu Xi was giving her steps to walk down², but she still felt a bit awkward. She hesitated for a moment, then asked again, “Then… do you think I’m very fickle?”

“Aren’t all women fickle? I can be indecisive from time to time myself.” Yu Xi smiled, teasing herself as well.

Yuan Yue had no rebuttal and gazed at her in silence.

Yu Xi knew what she was struggling with, but she didn’t want to talk about those topics at this time. Since her body was already uncomfortable, her heart shouldn’t be thinking so much. She reached out, wanting to touch her face, but felt it was inappropriate. In the end, her hand landed on her shoulder. Yu Xi comforted her, “Don’t overthink it. I’ve said it before, I won’t force you. You don’t need to feel pressured.”

Yuan Yue paused for a few seconds, then let out a soft “mhm.”

Seeing the color in her face improve, Yu Xi asked, “Feeling any better?”

She didn’t know if it was the bowl of brown sugar ginger water from earlier taking effect or if Yu Xi’s massaging technique was just that good, but Yuan Yue felt her stomach wasn’t as uncomfortable as before. She nodded.

“So, can we turn off the lights and sleep now?” Yu Xi’s fingers brushed through her hair as she spoke in a tone like she was coaxing a child.

Yuan Yue still wanted to take the opportunity to admire her beautiful face, so she pressed her lips together and said nothing.

“Not sleepy yet?” Yu Xi asked again.

Yuan Yue’s eyelids twitched. Carefully harboring her little secret thoughts, she looked left and right and spoke of other things³. “Do you have trouble sleeping in a strange bed?”

“I don’t think so.” Yu Xi thought for a moment and said, “I used to stay in hotels often, and I basically fell asleep the moment my head hit the pillow.”

“Oh, that’s good then.” Yuan Yue agreed with a very vapid remark.

Suddenly, no one was speaking.

She looked at Yu Xi, and Yu Xi was also looking at her. Yuan Yue couldn’t quite take that gaze and quickly turned her head away.

Forget it, I should just sleep.

If I don’t sleep soon, I’m afraid I’ll let my imagination run wild.

Yuan Yue turned over with difficulty. Just as she reached for the switch on the headboard, Yu Xi pressed down on her shoulder. Her body pressed against Yuan Yue’s back, and her warm breath brushed past her ear along with her voice. “I’ll get it.”

With a click, the room was plunged into darkness.

Yuan Yue felt Yu Xi lie down behind her, but she held her breath, not daring to move⁴, as if the warmth by her ear was still lingering.

The darkness slowly drew out the things hidden in the depths of one’s heart. As if ghosts and gods were at work⁵, Yuan Yue thought of that absurd and intense night. She couldn’t remember any of the details, but she remembered that suffocating feeling, remembered the tingling numbness that flowed through her whole body like an electric current, remembered the trembling sensation when hot lips and a tongue touched her skin… All of this was what Yu Xi had given her—an unprecedented experience and passion that left her unable to stop.

The more she thought, the less she could sleep. Restlessly, Yuan Yue turned her body toward Yu Xi again.

Yu Xi quickly sensed it and asked in the darkness, “Are you uncomfortable again?”

Yuan Yue shook her head, then realized Yu Xi couldn’t see. Suppressing the heat in her heart, she said in a muffled voice, “No, it’s just that my back aches and it’s uncomfortable to lie down.” She tried to find the most comfortable position, her body twisting and turning.

Suddenly, she heard Yu Xi say, “Do you need me to hold you while you sleep?”

Yuan Yue’s body stiffened. From that one sentence alone, some scenes not suitable for children⁶ flashed through her mind. Everything from the neck up instantly burned fiery hot. It was a good thing the lights were off, otherwise, if Yu Xi saw her like this, how could she ever explain it?

What would it feel like to be held while sleeping? Yuan Yue’s heart was stirring restlessly, but she forced herself to remain rational and cruelly refused, “No need, I’m not a child…”

Yu Xi was silent for a moment, then reached out to pat her on the back. “If you don’t need to be held, then lie still. If you keep moving around like this, you might get side leakage.”

Anyone who has ever had their great aunt understands just how terrible side leakage is. Yu Xi’s warning was very effective; Yuan Yue became completely still and didn’t dare to move.

But I still can’t sleep…

In the dark night, her senses became abnormally sensitive. Yuan Yue could feel Yu Xi’s breath just inches away, could smell the faint, sweet fragrance on her body. This experience of their scents mingling was extremely subtle, and also extremely ambiguous, disturbing her peace.

After lying rigidly for a while, Yuan Yue finally couldn’t hold it in any longer and probed in a small voice, “Are you asleep?”

Yu Xi’s voice drifted over softly, without a hint of sleepiness. “I’m waiting for you to fall asleep first.”

Yuan Yue was too embarrassed to tell her that she wasn’t the least bit sleepy. Right now, she just wanted to find someone to talk to. With one hand pillowed under her head, she faced Yu Xi’s direction in the darkness and said cautiously, “Are you very unused to this?”

“Mhm.” Yu Xi answered without hesitation.

“Then… have you ever slept with anyone else before?”

“No.” Still no hesitation.

A trace of secret delight slipped through Yuan Yue’s heart. The corners of her mouth turned up slightly as she suppressed a smile, a little shy. “Me neither. You’re the first.”

This time, Yu Xi didn’t respond.

Yuan Yue sensed something was off. Holding her breath, she thought: Am I being too shameless?

A warm breath suddenly drew near, a soft touch on her cheek, there and gone in an instant.

Yuan Yue was still in a daze. Yu Xi’s body had already settled back down, and immediately after, she heard her low, slow, and gentle voice, “Don’t talk anymore. Sleep.”

…

Yuan Yue did not sleep soundly. She slowly woke up to the double torment of a heavy, bloated feeling in her lower abdomen and an aching back. She had originally thought she would see Yu Xi’s sleeping face the moment she opened her eyes, but her hope was dashed.

She touched the sheets beside her; the residual warmth was long gone. Her heart was instantly filled with disappointment.

She just left like that?

Fumbling for the phone on her nightstand, Yuan Yue saw that it was still early. She felt even more disappointed, and after holding back again and again, she finally couldn’t resist and gave Yu Xi a call.

The moment the call connected, she was a bit impatient. “Did you leave?”

“You’re awake?” Yu Xi said. “I saw it was still early, so I came down and was just about to buy you breakfast. What do you want to eat?”

So she went to buy breakfast. Yuan Yue’s heart instantly warmed up, and the corners of her mouth curved up unconsciously. “Just buy whatever. I’ll eat whatever you buy.”

Yu Xi was only gone for fifteen minutes.

When the doorbell rang, Yuan Yue had already washed up. Hearing the sound, she hurried over to open the door and saw Yu Xi returning with breakfast. She was suddenly touched for a moment, a warm feeling in her heart. She looked at Yu Xi with a beaming smile. “That was fast.”

“Mhm, I bought it downstairs.” Yu Xi walked in, bringing the heat from outside with her. Her concerned gaze lingered on Yuan Yue’s face. “How are you feeling now?”

“It doesn’t hurt anymore.” Although there were still some after-effects, as long as she saw her, Yuan Yue felt like she was doing incredibly well. She looked down at the fragrant breakfast in Yu Xi’s hands. “What delicious things did you buy?”

Yu Xi: “Fresh meat xiaolongbao⁷, some jianjiao⁸, and also century egg and lean pork congee. I don’t know if you’ll like them.”

Yuan Yue: “What a coincidence, these are all things I like to eat.”

Yu Xi smiled at her. “That’s good, then.”

Bathed in the morning sunlight, they enjoyed the comfortable air conditioning, sitting face-to-face and eating breakfast together.

Perhaps the atmosphere was too wonderful. As Yuan Yue ate the fragrant baozi and watched Yu Xi eat with quiet elegance, she couldn’t help but think: If I hadn’t had so many reservations last night, if I had agreed to be with Yu Xi in a moment of passion, then would they have such a warm and sweet breakfast together every day in the future?

Just thinking about it made her heart flutter a little.

But it only fluttered for a moment. The thought was quickly extinguished by her. Yuan Yue took a bite of her baozi and sighed.

“What’s wrong?” Yu Xi looked up.

“Nothing…” Yuan Yue’s gaze flickered, and she covered it up with a smile. The sunlight sprinkled across Yu Xi’s fair face, and she suddenly noticed the faint dark circles under Yu Xi’s eyes. She stared blankly for a moment, then asked, “Did you not sleep well last night either?”

Yu Xi took a sip of congee and gave a nonchalant “mhm.”

Yuan Yue, however, felt guilty. If she hadn’t been such a handful last night, Yu Xi wouldn’t have slept poorly. “I’m sorry. I really shouldn’t have asked you to stay last night.”

But Yu Xi just smiled dismissively and said, “Don’t blame yourself. I was willing to take care of you.”

Yuan Yue bit her lip, her eyes fixed on her.

Yu Xi started to feel a little uncomfortable under her gaze and joked, “What are you looking at? Is there something on my face?”

“No.” Yuan Yue shook her head, her expression very serious as she said, “Yu Xi, you’re a really good person.”

Suddenly being issued a good person card⁹, Yu Xi couldn’t help but laugh. She stopped drinking her congee, put down her spoon, raised an eyebrow, and continued to tease her, “Are you starting to think I’m very suitable to be a girlfriend?”

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