Chapter 30: The Unwilling Bedmate

On that particular evening, Cai’s most frequent utterances were these three sentences:

“Please, do not approach.”

“Please show some respect.”

“Please, have some self-respect!”

Cai was, in some respects, exceedingly cautious. Even if the gender was the same, if someone gave her even a hint of masculine energy, she would instinctively and without hesitation maintain her distance. Wang had often fallen victim to this particular aspect of her psychology. Both women were girls, yet even the thought of Cai spending the night in the same room as Wang was met with considerable reluctance on her part.

What made matters worse was Wang’s rather audacious demand; she had directly told Cai:

“Get in my bed and sleep!”

Wang harbored no truly malicious intent; she simply couldn’t bear the thought of Cai, a young woman, forsaking the comfort of a bed to struggle to sleep on the carpet late at night. Yet, recalling the semi-transparent dress Wang had worn earlier that day, Cai found it impossible to believe that only pure thoughts resided in her mind. Now, driven by a woman’s innate sense of self-preservation, she watched Wang’s every move with intense vigilance.

However, given their quasi-master-servant dynamic, Cai couldn’t be too blunt. She could only express herself tactfully:

“Please, there’s no need to consider my feelings. If you find my sleeping on the carpet unsuitable, I could always find a rope and suspend myself from the ceiling beam…”

Wang briefly pictured the scene in her mind.

‘That sounds rather terrifying…’

She immediately dismissed the suggestion, delivering a forceful ultimatum:

“The silly woman has two choices: either you obediently climb up yourself, or I will get out of bed and expend some effort dragging you up here!”

“Wuwu, I don’t want either of them…”

Cai had once overheard other women in the village discussing a tale: A girl who had left the village, while camping outdoors, encountered an old woman and was almost forcibly subjected to something shameful. After a difficult escape from the old woman’s grasp, the girl fled home as if her life depended on it, vowing never to leave the house again. Later, her parents, who had already moved to the city, returned to the village; only after a concerted effort to persuade her did they finally manage to take their daughter away. The incident had spread like wildfire at the time, even reaching Cai, who was often bullied by other women in the village.

In the past, Cai might have found something amiss with the story; but after meeting Wang, she began to believe that some girls could be just as dangerous as men!

Though even now, Cai didn’t fully understand: If Wang truly made a move on her, what exactly would she do? But even without knowing, she was certain it wouldn’t be anything good! Cai tapped into her limited imagination on the matter, and after a moment’s thought, her entire face flushed as if it had been steeped in tomato juice. She vigorously shook her head, banishing the dreadful images from her mind, and simultaneously strengthening her resolve to resist.

Given Wang’s rather unconventional personality, Cai believed that if she were to climb into the bed, there was no telling what irreversible things might happen to her while she was sound asleep. And even if Wang honored her previous promise, Cai, having changed back into that dreadful dress, couldn’t bring herself to brazenly draw closer to her in such a state. Her apprehension kept the nun from approaching even a single step.

Seeing that Cai had no intention of complying, Wang’s patience finally wore thin. Unlike some who merely bluffed, Wang was a woman of her word. Seeing Cai’s disobedience, she genuinely got out of bed.

What happened next was devoid of any suspense: Cai attempted to evade Wang’s grasp but failed; the scene that unfolded in the room was akin to an eagle catching a chick, with the former forcefully dragging the latter onto the bed.

Wang was willing to promise once more:

“As long as you obediently lie beside me, this night will pass peacefully…”

“Noooooo!”

Just like a fish thrashing on dry land, Cai on the bed struggled with an intensity that could rival it.

Wang didn’t understand, truly she didn’t. ‘Why did her good intentions provoke such fierce resistance from this silly woman? Was I wrong to want you to sleep in the bed? Why are you screaming as if you’re being abducted by human traffickers?’

After a brief moment of self-doubt, Wang’s expression turned ‘fierce’. She swiftly extended her left hand to cover Cai’s noisy mouth, then rolled over on the bed, pressing down on the soft body beneath her.

Cai possessed an undeniable virtue: courage! Even with Wang pressing down on her, she showed no sign of tears, her wide eyes merely blinking.

“Wuwuwuwu~”

“Your mouth is covered; I can’t hear what you’re saying.”

‘The one covering her mouth actually had the nerve to say that.’

“Now, listen closely. If I intended to do anything, I would simply take you now, without any need for stealth.”

There was indeed logic to her words. Cai stopped ‘wuwu-ing,’ indicating she wanted Wang to continue.

“This is your final warning: be obedient, and you will be fine. Otherwise, today will be your last day as a maiden!”

“…”

“Your answer?”

Wang lowered the hand covering Cai’s mouth. Cai then took a deep, gasping breath and replied, or rather, counter-questioned:

“Can I truly trust the promise you just made?”

“Come, prepare to ascend the ladder of adulthood!”

Having said that, the person above lowered her head, preparing to give the person below a hickey.

“I believe you! I believe you!”

Had she spoken a moment later, what might have befallen Cai would likely have made her feel utterly defiled.

‘(Why couldn’t she have just done this sooner?)’

Complaining internally about the ‘trouble,’ Wang rolled her eyes at the girl beneath her, then released her hold. Given Cai’s newfound cooperativeness, Wang decided against any further antics, simply lying on her side with an arm tucked under her neck. Now sharing a single blanket, the two lay relatively close, yet with their backs pressed against each other.

Cai wrapped herself tightly in the blanket, her consciousness unwilling to relax even slightly, suggesting she wouldn’t be sleeping well anytime soon.

After an indeterminate amount of time, Cai watched the moon outside her window, noting its slight shift along its daily trajectory; it was then that she heard a voice from behind her:

“Speaking of which…”

Cai instinctively tensed, her legs scuttling across the bed, moving her body a little closer to the edge.

“I don’t quite understand: why is the silly woman’s tone always so humble?”

This was a question Cai felt she could answer:

“After I was left alone in my home, I unconsciously maintained this demeanor towards others. After all, being humble makes it easier for me to live in the village.”

“Oh, change that habit!”

“You always say such unreasonable things.”

“I’m serious! Get rid of this flaw. Even if you continue to be polite to others in the future, it shouldn’t stem from genuine humility.”

“Are you telling me to become a hypocrite?”

“Not entirely a hypocrite. At least when you’re facing me, the silly woman’s reactions can be genuine. Because I am also very sincere with you!”

After uttering this, Wang truly fell silent, turning her body back to continue sleeping.

‘(Quietly) “Duplicity, hypocrisy, sincerity…”‘

Suddenly, Cai felt as though she understood something; yet, upon reflection, she realized she hadn’t understood anything at all.

At that moment, neither of the two inside noticed that someone else was just outside the room. As no hostility was emitted, Wang Xiaole was unaware; and lacking the power to sense others’ presence, Cai was also unaware. Neither of them knew that Little Eagle was waiting outside at that very moment!

‘(I missed my chance…)’

Her daytime resolve had not faded. Little Eagle’s original intention was to spend some time alone with Wang that evening. However, luck was not on her side; Wang had gone to bed earlier than usual today. When she arrived, she happened to hear Cai shouting, “No!” Peering through the window, Little Eagle saw a rather compromising scene, and the sounds she had just heard were certainly prone to misinterpretation. Yet, Little Eagle harbored no misunderstanding, for she absolutely believed that Wang was not that kind of person! Upon her arrival, the late hour meant Little Eagle had missed the opportunity to spend time with Wang; and out of curiosity for what might unfold, Little Eagle had remained at the window, watching until no further sounds emanated from the room. Now, with Wang all but asleep, Little Eagle had completely lost even the chance to slip in and bid her goodnight!

‘(I’ll find another chance tomorrow…)’

Wishing them both goodnight in her heart, Little Eagle departed silently. Of the three, Wang would undoubtedly enjoy a sound sleep, Cai would struggle to fall asleep due to her nervousness, and Little Eagle would return home feeling disheartened for a while; as for the ‘humanoid creatures’ in the village, not a single one would find peaceful sleep that night.