Chapter 52: She doesn’t belong to you

A dazzling bolt of lightning tore across the sky, momentarily bisecting the scene and illuminating the varied expressions on the young women’s faces.

Yin Xuelian glared, her eyes blazing with fury, at Lin Shiyue who sat on the sofa, cradling the unconscious Su Cheng in her arms.

The initial confusion quickly drained from Lin Shiyue’s face, replaced by an expression of vexation.

Bolstered by the numbing effects of alcohol, Lin Shiyue brazenly tightened her embrace around Su Cheng, her almond-shaped eyes widening with undisguised displeasure.

She lifted her chin, a smirk twisting her lips into a contemptuous curve. “What do you mean, ‘your little Orange’? Is your name etched onto her, then? Hmm?”

“You—!”

Yin Xuelian’s knuckles turned white as her fists clenched, her nails digging painfully into her palms. She pointed a trembling finger at Lin Shiyue’s nose, gritting her teeth.

She swiftly cast a glance at Su Cheng, who remained utterly unresponsive. Her own expression shifted rapidly from initial fury to shock, then settled into a simmering indignation.

Su Cheng’s lips were still visibly swollen and reddened, and fresh tear tracks gleamed at the corners of her eyes. Her entire being exuded a fragile vulnerability, as if she had been thoroughly ravaged—a sight that would undoubtedly raise suspicion in anyone.

And then there was Lin Shiyue, whose lips were similarly flushed.

These were undeniably the tell-tale signs of what had transpired.

While she had anticipated Su Cheng might become inebriated, this outcome was far beyond anything she could have imagined.

“You took advantage of my little Orange’s drunken state, laying your hands on her! You’re despicable!” Yin Xuelian’s voice trembled, whether from the chill in the air or the raw heat of her fury, she couldn’t tell.

Lin Shiyue stared, wide-eyed and dumbfounded, a prickle of cold sweat breaking out on her back.

She quickly lowered her gaze to Su Cheng, nestled in her arms. The girl’s long, delicate eyelashes cast tangled shadows under the soft light, and her lips were indeed slightly swollen—a clear indication of a passionate kiss.

While she harbored no fear of being discovered, Yin Xuelian’s accurate deduction was nonetheless astonishing.

She felt like a mouse caught red-handed, cornered by the very cat guarding the cheese. She was not only being forced to relinquish her stolen prize but also braced for the inevitable punishment.

Fine beads of sweat began to form on Lin Shiyue’s forehead, betraying a flicker of guilt.

Yin Xuelian had expected Lin Shiyue to meekly comply, yet what she received in return was a scoff of contempt.

“Yes,” Lin Shiyue drawled, deliberately prolonging the word, “but so what?” Her fingers idly brushed against Su Cheng’s cheek. “To have her, I simply did what you longed to do but never dared.”

Her words struck Yin Xuelian’s heart like a sharp blade, and a cold dread began to quietly unfurl within her.

Her pupils constricted sharply, and her chest heaved with rapid, shallow breaths. “You… you utterly…”

The sheer terror of seeing her treasured artwork defiled by another’s hand made Yin Xuelian’s heart throb with frantic beats.

“This despicable villain, you mean?”

Lin Shiyue abruptly rose to her feet, the sudden movement causing Su Cheng to let out a soft groan in her arms.

She quickly adjusted her stance, carefully resting Su Cheng’s head against her shoulder, yet her words remained aggressive. “I like her. She is my Su Cheng.”

“Chengcheng,” she continued, “she just told me she liked me. Therefore, she is not your little Orange!”

Lin Shiyue’s slender fingers gently cupped Su Cheng’s chin, as if she were admiring a prized trophy, and a morbid, triumphant laugh escaped her lips.

Thunder boomed overhead, providing a dramatic backdrop to their escalating confrontation.

Yin Xuelian felt a wave of dizziness wash over her. She had never imagined that Lin Shiyue and Su Cheng would develop such a relationship, yet she couldn’t bring herself to fully believe Lin Shiyue’s claims.

After a few moments of intense thought, she pinpointed the flaw in Lin Shiyue’s words.

“How could little Orange possibly declare her affection for you when she’s completely inebriated?” Yin Xuelian’s voice was low but firm. “That’s nothing more than a pathetic fantasy from a losing dog!”

“What more is there to say?”

Lin Shiyue’s expression stiffened for a fleeting moment, but she swiftly recomposed herself, resuming her air of absolute triumph. “But she was clearly drunk, and she kept saying she liked me… what more could I possibly say?”

Yin Xuelian flexed her wrists, then moved with lightning speed, lunging towards Lin Shiyue.

“I’m done wasting words on you. Give me back my little Orange!”

“Never! She’s mine!”

Lin Shiyue tightened her hold on Su Cheng, attempting to pivot and evade the attack.

Her unsteady steps, however, faltered, and losing her balance, Lin Shiyue stumbled, inadvertently crashing into the edge of a table.

A searing pain shot through her waist, causing Lin Shiyue to gasp sharply and clutch at her side. Leaning against the table, she half-crouched, forced to relinquish her hold on Su Cheng.

Yin Xuelian seized the opportunity, sweeping the ‘fragrant, soft jade’ from the sofa into her embrace. The profound sense of peace that washed over her, holding Su Cheng close, was utterly incomparable to anything else in the world.

The glass cup, precariously balanced on the table’s edge, finally toppled, shattering against the floor with a sharp crack that roused the slumbering beauty.

Su Cheng’s fine, long eyelashes fluttered open, and a low whimper escaped her lips. Her blurry gaze slowly focused on Yin Xuelian’s beautiful face.

“Mmm… Sister Lian, why are you here…? Do you want to drink with me…?” Su Cheng’s face was a mixture of confusion and mild surprise, a faint smile gracing her lips.

She had no idea what had just transpired, nor why Yin Xuelian was suddenly present. Yet, to her drunken mind, any encounter was destiny, and one could never have too many companions for a drink.

A beautiful curve formed on Yin Xuelian’s lips as she gazed down at Su Cheng in her arms. A hazy, tender glow filled Yin Xuelian’s eyes, while Su Cheng’s adorable face still retained the charming blush of her intoxication.

“Little Orange, it’s time for us to go home now. You’re quite drunk; no more drinking for you,” Yin Xuelian murmured, her voice soft and warm, attempting to coax Su Cheng out of her stupor.

Yet, with blood already thoroughly numbed by alcohol coursing through her veins, Su Cheng was too far gone to grasp the situation. She merely whined and struggled playfully.

‘Hiss…’

‘This little imp, even when she’s acting drunk, she’s utterly adorable…’

‘I just want to devour her whole…’

“Ahem, little Orange, how about this: once we’re back home, your sister will drink with you, alright?” Yin Xuelian’s eyes twinkled with amusement, having already suppressed the tempting fantasy that had sprung to mind.

Su Cheng’s smile was so wide it seemed her mouth couldn’t close, and she giggled with the sweet innocence of a young child. “Okay, okay! Sister Lian will drink with me until dawn~”

“Haha… alright then…”

A faint flush of embarrassment crept onto Yin Xuelian’s cheeks, and the corner of her mouth twitched.

Setting aside whether she herself could drink until dawn, Su Cheng, in her current state, seemed capable of getting drunk simply by existing, without needing another drop.

“Then… we should… head back… now…”

Like a clockwork doll whose spring had unwound, Su Cheng’s strength to speak gradually ebbed away. She finally collapsed, limp and pliant, into Yin Xuelian’s embrace, her head resting against her shoulder.

“Don’t… leave… Put her down…” Lin Shiyue gasped, the words emerging as a strained, low croak.

Yin Xuelian cast a cold glance over her shoulder, then turned and walked away, exuding the undeniable air of a victor.

“She doesn’t belong to you.”

“No…”

****

The private room door swung shut with a resounding thud, severing Lin Shiyue’s desperate plea.

Her arm, still outstretched in the air, seemed to have frozen in place, unwilling to retract even after a long moment.

Her eyes, hollow and vacant, seemed to have lost all trace of life.

Gu Xiya stumbled in, bracing herself against the doorframe, her steps decidedly unsteady. Her complexion was noticeably worse than when she had left, her eyes unfocused and glazed, indicating a much deeper level of intoxication.

She hazily scanned the private room, her gaze finally settling on Lin Shiyue, who was now the only one left.

“Mmm… everyone… everyone’s gone?” Gu Xiya slurred, her voice thick with drunkenness.

Lin Shiyue offered no immediate response. As her mind slowly cleared, her body, regaining some semblance of awareness, finally lowered the arm that had remained suspended in the air.

“They’re all gone…” Lin Shiyue replied, her voice devoid of emotion or vitality.

Utterly bewildered by what had transpired, Gu Xiya could only stumble out of the room.

Having lost her objective, there was no reason for her to remain.

Lin Shiyue remained rooted to the floor, curling into herself, burying her head tightly in the crook of her arms.

The intoxicating impulse and sweet afterglow of moments past had vanished, leaving only a chilling wave of regret and a heavy, guilt-laden emptiness.

The sweetness of that stolen ‘cheese’ had, after all, come with a dangerous price.

The warm glow of the private room lights fell upon her, yet cast only a cold, stark shadow.

“But… you said it yourself…”

“You liked me…”