Chapter 57: Like you

Yin Xuelian embraced Su Cheng, their warm, smooth skin pressing tightly together, their subtle fragrances mingling.

“Sister Lian… why…” Su Cheng’s eyes, wide with confusion, could only gape, unable to utter the rest of her question as she struggled to catch her breath.

Yin Xuelian offered a faint smile, brushing away the fringe that obscured Su Cheng’s vision. “It’s perfectly normal for best friends to share a kiss, you know.”

A singular bewilderment settled upon Su Cheng.

Even if one were to ask Duniang (TL Note: A playful nickname for the Baidu search engine, akin to ‘Ms. Baidu’ or ‘Baidu Girl’), whether best friends kiss, the probability of the answer being ‘no’ would be 99.99%.

Su Cheng placed her hands on Yin Xuelian’s shoulders, gently pushing to create some distance.

“I can’t help but suspect you’re trying to fool me.”

Yin Xuelian feigned an air of absolute certainty. “I’m not deceiving you, I promise.”

“I don’t believe you, not unless you ask Duniang.”

“Asking Duniang is useless. Instead, let me ask you: do you like me?”

Yin Xuelian’s question was like a stone cast into a still lake, instantly erupting into countless chaotic ripples within Su Cheng’s mind.

“How… how sudden…” Su Cheng’s heart immediately began to pound.

She dared not answer Yin Xuelian, nor could she.

If she were to give an answer now, regardless of whether it was affirmative or negative, her relationship with Yin Xuelian would irrevocably change based on her choice in this moment.

Yet, Yin Xuelian stared at Su Cheng with an intense seriousness, granting her not a single moment to think. “Answer me, do you like me?”

Su Cheng tried to turn away but found herself unable to move, so she merely lowered her gaze, attempting to evade Yin Xuelian’s stare. “Can… can I not answer?”

“No,” Yin Xuelian stated, her tone brooking no argument.

Su Cheng’s mind went utterly blank.

Yin Xuelian’s body heat radiated through their closely pressed skin, terrifyingly hot, and that focused, undeniable gaze left Su Cheng with nowhere to flee.

She could feel the temperature of her cheeks rapidly rising, even her earlobes burning, her body stiff as a plank of wood.

To say she disliked Yin Xuelian would be a lie.

At the very least, she had been truly happy when she was with Yin Xuelian in her previous life.

It was only to avoid hindering Yin Xuelian’s future that she had made her own choice.

Now that they had met again, a certain flutter for Yin Xuelian still stirred deep within Su Cheng’s heart.

Although it was highly probable they could never return to how things once were, it was incredibly difficult to completely abandon her feelings for Yin Xuelian.

Su Cheng hesitated.

“I…”

Su Cheng’s lips trembled, her voice a mere whisper, thin as a mosquito’s buzz, laced with a tremor she herself hadn’t noticed.

She attempted to form words, only to find all vocabulary swirling into a muddled mess within her mind.

‘If I said ‘like,’ what would Yin Xuelian misconstrue it as?’

‘If I said ‘dislike,’ that would undeniably be a monstrous lie.’

Su Cheng’s anxious eyes met Yin Xuelian’s, which held a trace of imperceptible tension, and she found herself speechless.

Whether it was two words or three, she simply couldn’t utter them.

Yin Xuelian did not press, merely waiting patiently, yet with an undeniable sense of pressure.

Her gaze was like a spotlight, meticulously scanning every subtle shift on Su Cheng’s face.

The dilated pupils, the cheeks flushed with a rosy hue, the tightly pressed yet slightly trembling lips, and the restless eyes, attempting to evade but firmly captured by her own.

Time seemed to freeze amidst the swirling mist.

Only the sound of water droplets trickling from their hair occasionally broke the silence, each drop a hammer blow to Su Cheng’s fraying nerves.

‘Since she had already hurt her once, what difference would it make to hurt her again this time?’

‘To survive, what did it matter if she played the villain?’

The indecision in Su Cheng’s eyes vanished completely, replaced by a certain resolve and ruthlessness.

“Sister Lian… I… don’t…”

A flicker of understanding and apprehension crossed the depths of Yin Xuelian’s eyes. She closed them, pulling Su Cheng into a forceful embrace, unwilling to hear those three words.

In truth, she was even more afraid of hearing Su Cheng utter those three words herself.

She lacked the courage, and she simply refused to hear them.

“Little Chengzi.”

Yin Xuelian’s voice deepened, like the richest wine, damp with moisture, pouring directly into Su Cheng’s eardrums.

She lowered her head, pressing it against Su Cheng’s flat chest, right over her heart.

“Your heartbeat… it’s so fast.”

“Your body, it’s far more honest than your little mouth.”

Listening to the faster-than-usual rhythm of her heart, Yin Xuelian already understood Su Cheng’s true feelings.

Even if the words she intended to say were a negative answer, none of that mattered anymore.

Yin Xuelian’s slightly heavy breaths fanned against Su Cheng’s chest. Su Cheng was already flustered, but now she felt even more overwhelmed.

The difficult decision she had finally made was intercepted by Yin Xuelian.

Su Cheng surmised she would never again find the courage to utter those words.

“Sister Lian, what can you hear?”

Yin Xuelian mischievously replied, “I hear your heart saying it likes Sister Lian.”

“…”

Su Cheng remained silent, her expression complex.

‘Yes, Yin Xuelian was right, but Su Cheng had to deny it.’

‘One wrong step would lead to a cascade of errors.’

‘She feared falling into an abyss of no return.’

Yin Xuelian slowly pulled away from Su Cheng’s heart. Although she knew her own words couldn’t truly deceive Su Cheng, at least she wouldn’t have to hear those painful words.

Releasing Su Cheng’s body, they returned to a normal distance.

Yin Xuelian gently stroked Su Cheng’s head, her eyes narrowing slightly with a hint of disappointment.

‘Having already guessed Su Cheng’s answer, it was better to maintain some distance for now.’

‘It was for the best for both of them…’

‘But why did her heart ache so much?’

A veil of mist, thin as gauze, blurred her vision. Yin Xuelian quickly raised a hand to rub the corner of her eye. As the mist dispersed, her sight cleared considerably.

Su Cheng, witnessing this, was momentarily stunned. The glistening tear that escaped the corner of Yin Xuelian’s eye was a clear sign of her sorrow.

Her lips involuntarily pressed together. Su Cheng’s heart was a tangled mess of emotions, her eyes beneath her lashes no longer bright, as conflict and apology flitted across her face.

In the end, she had still hurt her.

Unresolved emotions piled up in Su Cheng’s chest, and the current scene merged with the memory of their breakup that day.

Though the time and place were different, the outcome was the same.

The pain was doubled.

Yin Xuelian sniffled, her shoulders trembling slightly.

“Alright, I won’t tease you anymore… I… I’ll go out for some fresh air…”

The sorrow hidden deep within Yin Xuelian’s eyes flashed and disappeared, yet Su Cheng’s keen gaze still caught that fleeting, lightning-fast glimpse.

Yin Xuelian’s face grew somber, her smile completely vanished, and she rose to leave the bathtub.

Su Cheng stared at Yin Xuelian’s desolate back, a bitter taste in her mouth.

Clenching her fists, Su Cheng followed Yin Xuelian out of the bathtub. A resolute glint reappeared in her eyes, clear as spring water. Having made a certain decision, she took firm steps and seized Yin Xuelian’s wrist.

“Sister Lian,” Su Cheng said, turning to face Yin Xuelian, her gaze unwavering. “What I wanted to say is, I don’t dislike Sister Lian.”

Su Cheng deliberately paused, composed herself, and forced out a sweet smile.

“Silly Sister Lian, you didn’t actually think I was going to say I don’t like you, did you?”

Seeing Yin Xuelian stunned into silence, Su Cheng continued.

“Sister Lian is beautiful, kind, and considerate. Anyone would like you.”

“And I’m no exception.”

Yin Xuelian’s eyes instantly brightened, like sunlight breaking through clouds, and she took a step forward.

Su Cheng instinctively recoiled, her back hitting the wall with a thud, just as Yin Xuelian, now directly in front of her, raised both hands to brace against the wall, effectively pinning her.

Su Cheng had never experienced such a stance before, and an indescribable nervousness welled up within her.

‘Isn’t this a scene only for domineering CEOs?’

‘Am I playing the role of the pampered wife in this drama?’

Su Cheng was still bewildered, but as she saw the shimmering, excited ripples in Yin Xuelian’s close-set, light brown eyes, she knew everything was spiraling beyond control.

“Little Chengzi, you said you like me, didn’t you?”

Su Cheng froze for a moment, then nodded in confirmation, but immediately began to explain.

“The ‘like’ I meant wasn’t that kind of… Mmph, mmph, mmph…”

Before Su Cheng could finish her sentence, Yin Xuelian’s kiss descended upon her.

“Could you… could you at least let me finish speaking…”

Su Cheng gasped for air, feeling a mix of shame and indignation.

Yin Xuelian, her face alight with eagerness, gave Su Cheng no chance to finish. “It doesn’t matter, none of it matters.”

“All I know is that you like me, and I like you. That’s enough.”

“But my ‘like’ is the kind between best friends…”

Yin Xuelian interrupted her with another kiss, this time distinctly more possessive.

“Ha… ha… why can’t I just…”

“Can’t…”

Yin Xuelian once again used her actions to tell Su Cheng that she had no right to speak.

After several more interruptions, Su Cheng’s face was flushed with shame and indignation, yet she was utterly powerless against Yin Xuelian.

“Not enough, not enough, I want more…”

“No, Sister Lian… please don’t…”

“Since we’re such good friends, let’s deepen our bond.”

“But who deepens their bond like this?! Mmmph, mmmph, mmmph…”

The sensation of skin-to-skin contact spread through her like an electric current, leaving Su Cheng, embraced by Yin Xuelian, utterly flustered and shy.

In that moment, Yin Xuelian exuded the full aura of a domineering CEO.

Her swan-like neck, her jade-like collarbones, her fragrant cheeks, and finally, her cherry lips — all were imprinted with Yin Xuelian’s presence.

Only after extracting the last breath of air from Su Cheng’s mouth did Yin Xuelian finally relent.

“My little darling, your sister is so happy…”

“Ah-bah, ah-bah…”

Yin Xuelian beamed with a radiant smile, and the intimate endearment made Su Cheng’s already flushed face deepen further with bashful crimson.

Su Cheng, her eyes hazy, completely forgot that what they were doing had long since surpassed the boundaries of normal best friends.

It seemed they could only continue further down this path.

“You are mine…”

Su Cheng entirely failed to notice the sickly flush that had appeared on Yin Xuelian’s face and neck, as her persistent possessiveness spoke through another means.

‘My darling, I like you the most, and I love you the most…’