Chapter 30 part 1: Encouragement

At eight in the evening, a strong wind howled outside, sweeping up dirt and scattered maple leaves.

The villa’s windows were shut tight, warm yellow light glowing in the living room, creating two separate worlds inside and out.

Inside, two people: one lying down, expressionless; the other kneeling, looking like she’d lost everything, wishing she could bury her head in the floor.

“Jiang Xihan… I’m so sorry… I messed up. I shouldn’t have used my teeth… I didn’t know how to do it… I hurt you…”

Ji Pei recalled Jiang Xihan enduring the pain, saying she was great, amazing, comfortable—yet her forehead was covered in cold sweat. Ji Pei felt like she’d been struck by lightning.

To save her face and reassure her, Jiang Xihan spared no effort, no matter the cost.

Ji Pei’s nose stung, tears falling uncontrollably as she wiped them, helping Jiang Xihan put on her pants.

The consequence of excessive encouragement was Jiang Xihan lying pale on the sofa, staring at the glass chandelier above.

Ji Pei knelt on the carpet, massaging Jiang Xihan’s stiff calves, sniffling, too ashamed to look at her.

Jiang Xihan opened her mouth to speak but swallowed her words, turning them into affectionate encouragement.

“You did well. There’s plenty of room for improvement.”

She’d thought Ji Pei’s mouth was soft but forgot her sharp, can-opening canines.

Jiang Xihan’s lower back rested on a pillow. Ji Pei massaged her waist, quietly removing the pillow.

“Just… don’t…”

Ji Pei initially thought she’d missed the right spot, explaining Jiang Xihan’s silence.

As an artist, she knew human anatomy well, knew where that spot was.

But why didn’t Jiang Xihan make a sound? It baffled her.

Ji Pei even wondered if she lacked talent, unfit to take the lead.

She examined her fingers—they weren’t short.

Only when she kissed Jiang Xihan’s lips did she notice her biting her knuckles, fingers white.

Ji Pei’s face fell.

Jiang Xihan had been enduring, not comfortable—suffering.

Tears rolled down Ji Pei’s cheeks like broken beads, dripping onto Jiang Xihan.

Her confidence and expectations shattered.

Jiang Xihan wiped her tears, propping herself up, kissing the tears on Ji Pei’s chin.

“It’s fine. It’s normal to struggle the first time. We’ll practice more. You were already great, just didn’t find the right angle or spot. Your fingers are so long—natural talent. Just… no teeth next time…”

Jiang Xihan inhaled sharply, feeling a new fear about this.

But it was Ji Pei. Even in pain, she couldn’t crush the girl’s confidence.

She’d started it, teased Ji Pei first.

Pain? Endure it. One day, they’d master it.

Ji Pei hugged her, dressed her, and sat beside her, pulling out the villa’s medical kit.

Jiang Xihan, legs slightly apart, leaned on Ji Pei, puzzled as she took out cotton swabs and iodine.

“What are you doing?”

Ji Pei dipped a swab in iodine, holding Jiang Xihan’s leg. “I accidentally broke your skin. Gotta disinfect…”

Jiang Xihan laughed. “No need. It’ll heal.”

Ji Pei’s eyes were red, rims like rouge, captivating.

But Jiang Xihan knew they couldn’t continue—she’d lose half her life.

Ji Pei, pitiful, leaned on her chest, blinking wet eyes. “Really don’t need it?”

Jiang Xihan shook her head. “Really. Just a scratch. But no touching for a few days.”

Ji Pei set the swab down, nodding vigorously, her face full of defeat. “I… I understand.”

Seeing Ji Pei’s low spirits, Jiang Xihan knew her confidence had taken a hit.

She cupped Ji Pei’s face, foreheads touching, comforting her. “You started off great. Just be gentler next time. You know how sensitive that spot is.”

Ji Pei, guilt-ridden, licked her sharp canines, knowing they were the culprits.

“I’ll grind these teeth down so I won’t hurt you again.”

Jiang Xihan tapped her head, smiling. “Nonsense. Don’t say that again.”

Teeth aren’t something you just grind down.

Ji Pei opened her mouth, leaning toward Jiang Xihan.

“My teeth aren’t crooked. Why do they always hit?”

Jiang Xihan touched her mouth, wiping dried liquid from the corner, and kissed her gently.

Sometimes, kissing too hard, their teeth clashed, tingling.

After a few minutes, she pulled back, smiling. “See? Even kissing, teeth bump.”

“It’s not your fault.”

Ji Pei whispered, “I’ll be careful next time. I won’t hurt you. I swear!”

***

Jiang Xihan’s left arm no longer hurt. She had a fast-healing constitution.

The scab on her right hand was covered with a large bandage by Ji Pei, who feared it’d reopen.

“Will this scar leave a mark?”

Ji Pei held her palm, kissing the scabbed wound.

Jiang Xihan playfully tugged her hair. “What, you won’t like me if it scars?”

Ji Pei, knowing it was teasing, bit her finger lightly.

“No way.”

“Don’t worry, I don’t scar easily.”

The villa’s fridge had stale ingredients. With Ji Pei’s cut finger, Jiang Xihan forbade her from touching water.

Ji Pei took her out, and their walk led to a nearby food street.

It was past nine, the night market bustling with bright lights.

Ji Pei held Jiang Xihan’s hand, weaving through the crowd.

Jiang Xihan disliked crowded places, finding the air stuffy, and had never visited such markets.

This was her first time following someone out.

Seeing her unease, Ji Pei leaned close to her ear, worried she wouldn’t hear.

“Never been out like this?”

Jiang Xihan shook her head, standing by Ji Pei like a life novice.

“Today, I’ll show you a new world.”

Jiang Xihan glanced at her watch. Nine-thirty. Normally, she’d be in bed in half an hour.

But…

She looked at their clasped hands, lips curving.

Today, she could indulge.

The market was lively, the smoky scent of cumin barbecue stirring Ji Pei’s hunger.

“Smells so good.”

Jiang Xihan found the food’s aroma different from Ji Pei’s cooking—enticing in another way.

She used to eat simple Western meals for protein, calories, and vitamins, meeting basic needs.

Ji Pei introduced her to new delights.

Hands tightly clasped, Ji Pei held on to keep her from getting lost.

“Ever been here before?”

Jiang Xihan shook her head. “Never.”

Ji Pei suddenly pitied her—not materially, as the Jiang family was S City’s richest, a dream for many.

The sole Jiang heir, kidnapped as a child, narrowly escaping death, was likely sheltered, never visiting chaotic markets.

But in a lawful society, in the capital, Ji Pei doubted trouble would arise—maybe just vendors squabbling over spots.

“Perfect. I’ll take you to eat something good.”

Ji Pei pulled up her phone, finding the mobile barbecue stall Ye Wenzhu recommended, leading Jiang Xihan to queue.

“When I was studying, I’d come here with Ye Wenzhu. The owner knows me.”

Hearing about Ji Pei’s school days with Ye Wenzhu, Jiang Xihan felt a pang of jealousy.

But then, Ji Pei brought her, not Ye Wenzhu. That chance was gone for Ye Wenzhu.

Mentally reassuring herself, Jiang Xihan queued behind Ji Pei, experiencing this dreamlike scene for the first time.

“They have so many skewers. What do you want?”

Ji Pei showed her the menu. Jiang Xihan pointed at grilled vegetables. “I want veggies.”

Ji Pei grinned. “Okay, I’ll get meat, you get veggies.”

When their turn came, the female owner, brushing sauce on vegetables, greeted Ji Pei.

“Little Ji! Haven’t seen you in months. Forgot me after graduating?”

“Sis, I’ve been super busy.”

Ji Pei hugged Jiang Xihan’s arm, pressing their cheeks together, beaming. “See, I brought my girlfriend.”

The owner’s eyes widened, looking between them, forgetting her sauce.

“Your girlfriend? She’s gorgeous! You’re…”

She almost said Jiang Xihan was lucky but, seeing their faces, couldn’t pick who was luckier.

Raising her hand, she gave Ji Pei a thumbs-up. “You’re both lucky!”

Ji Pei ordered fried stinky tofu, a favorite she hadn’t had in ages.

The owner, from Changsha, ran a small but busy stall, open twenty-four hours, always packed.

Ji Pei led Jiang Xihan to a clean table inside.

Facing each other, Ji Pei inhaled the fragrant air, hands propping her face, staring at Jiang Xihan.

Her intense gaze made Jiang Xihan tingle, touching her face.

“What? Is my face dirty?”

Ji Pei licked her lips, grinning. “You’re gorgeous.”

Jiang Xihan touched her glasses, realizing she wasn’t wearing them.

“Do I look better with or without glasses?”

Ji Pei answered instantly. “Both. But with glasses, I feel like you’re ready to play S/M…”

She bit her lip, sneaking a glance at Jiang Xihan, spotting a flicker of anticipation in her eyes.

Ji Pei thought of the secret closet in the wardrobe.

One day, she’d use everything Jiang Xihan gave her on her, showing her the consequences of teasing.

But imagining Jiang Xihan in those clothes made her heart race.

The black stinky tofu arrived. Ji Pei grabbed chopsticks, drooling.

Jiang Xihan, unsure, eyed the dark cubes, finding them odd.

“Stinky tofu, so good.”

Ji Pei offered a juicy piece to Jiang Xihan’s mouth. “You’ve never had it. Try it.”

“Stinky tofu…”

Jiang Xihan sniffed—no bad smell, just very black. Why call it stinky?

She took a bite from Ji Pei’s hand. The crispy exterior burst with rich juice, her eyes lighting up.

Ji Pei watched her expression shift from confusion to shock, eating the whole piece.

“Good?”

Jiang Xihan wiped her lips with a tissue, nodding. “Really good.”

“Great. I thought you wouldn’t like it. Not everyone can handle stinky tofu.”

“Delicious.”

Jiang Xihan picked another piece, offering it to Ji Pei’s mouth.

“Open.”

Ji Pei bit it, laughing, noticing onlookers, and toned down her flair.

The skewers arrived—Jiang Xihan’s vegetables, Ji Pei’s signature picks.

She was starving. The portions were generous; a few skewers filled smaller appetites.

Ji Pei got grilled chicken feet, cumin-heavy, crispy, and easy to debone.

Jiang Xihan quietly ate half the tofu. The owner, clearing plates, smiled. “Not bad, right? Ten-year-old shop!”

She grabbed two juice bottles from the cooler. “Rare girlfriend visit—drinks and beef skewers on the house!”

Ji Pei winked, calling sweetly, “Thanks, sis.”

After the owner left, Jiang Xihan, holding a skewer, eyed Ji Pei’s smile, lips curving.

“Sis?”

Ji Pei sat up, covering her mouth, whispering, “Professor Jiang, don’t be petty. It’s just politeness.”

Jiang Xihan sipped water, huffing coldly.

Ji Pei spat out chicken bones, too busy to talk.

She thought if friends set up blind dates, chicken feet would keep them silent, focused on bones.

They ate for over an hour. Ji Pei’s jaw ached, sipping water to relax.

So full.

Jiang Xihan ate less but plenty.

With leftover skewers, Ji Pei wrapped them in lettuce, eating them to avoid waste.

She touched her slightly bloated stomach, abs gone, knowing she’d need days of exercise.

Ji Pei ate freely without gaining fat, her low body fat and toned muscles Jiang Xihan’s favorite.

Jiang Xihan, addicted to touching her, couldn’t get enough.

After paying, Ji Pei held Jiang Xihan’s hand, leaving.

“Darling, I’m stuffed.”

Jiang Xihan’s palm rested on Ji Pei’s stomach, smiling. “Too full?”

Ji Pei caught her hand trying to move upward, grabbing it. “So many people. Touch a little now, more at home.”

The street had more than food—novel trinkets too.

Ji Pei, familiar with the market, knew the stalls.

Jiang Xihan, new to it all, found everything thrilling, spotting a couple’s bracelet stall.

Seeing her interest, Ji Pei joined her.

“Red bean bracelets, cheap! Come look!”

The vendor, stringing beads, chanted her pitch.

Jiang Xihan picked a red rope with a wine-red bead, vibrant and pretty.

The vendor, chewing candy, stood to explain. “Natural red bean bracelets. Two for ten bucks, free name engraving. Singles can have initials.”

Ji Pei smiled. “Want it?”

Jiang Xihan nodded. Ji Pei picked two rounder beads, handing them over.

“Engrave our initials.”

Ji Pei wrote their initials on paper. “Thanks.”

The vendor worked fast. Ji Pei paid, tying the bracelet with her initials on Jiang Xihan’s wrist.

The red contrasted her snowy skin, striking.

“You wear mine.”

Ji Pei handed the other to Jiang Xihan, offering her left wrist. “Your turn.”

Jiang Xihan, staring at Ji Pei’s wrist, caught her breath.

Under a quieter osmanthus tree, Ji Pei opened her camera. “Put your hand out. Let’s take a photo.”

Jiang Xihan, surprised, complied.

The shutter clicked multiple times as Ji Pei took five or six shots from different angles.

After, she whispered, “We haven’t posted to Moments yet.”

With over a thousand contacts, Ji Pei grinned. “I want everyone to know I’m in love—wildly!”

By the park lake, they sat on a bench under a streetlight, shoulders touching, heads together.

Ji Pei edited her Moments post, choosing the best angle but feeling something was missing.

Past ten, Ji Pei showered, removing her bracelet.

The vendor said red beans couldn’t touch water, or they’d soften, fade, rot, or sprout.

While Ji Pei bathed, Jiang Xihan picked up the bracelet with her name, smiling.

Ji Pei returned, helping Jiang Xihan wipe down with warm water, not a full bath.

Sitting on a chair, Jiang Xihan stripped to her underwear.

Ji Pei filled half the tub, wetting a towel, wringing it, and wiping Jiang Xihan’s back.

Her skin, smooth as silk, had no moles.

Ji Pei’s fingers rested on her shoulder, gently wiping, tempted to mark the flawless skin.

A wicked thought flashed—marks on pure white would be maddening.

But after hurting Jiang Xihan today, she dared not act.