Chapter 28 part 1: Craving

“Huh? Why are there two pairs of shoes at the door?”

Ji Fan noticed something off the moment she stepped in. Her sister usually wore light-colored casual shoes.

The white, low-heeled women’s leather shoes at the entrance clearly weren’t Ji Pei’s style.

Was there a guest?

The girl in the red jacket trailing behind Ji Fan saw her tense expression, hesitating to enter, her face full of doubt.

“What’s wrong?”

“I feel like something’s off in the house.”

The girl pulled out her phone, dialed 110, and held it to her ear. “What if it’s a thief? I’m calling the police!”

Ji Fan snatched her phone. “Hold on! Let’s check first.”

On the sofa, Ji Pei clutched a mug, sipping water, nearly burying her face in it.

Jiang Xihan sat across from her, also holding a cup, but far less flustered.

Jiang Xihan’s strength was overwhelming; Ji Pei couldn’t push her off. In the end, Jiang Xihan had gotten up on her own, or Ji Fan’s sudden return would’ve scared them senseless.

“Sis?”

Ji Fan crept in, spotting the two on the sofa, momentarily speechless.

“And Professor Jiang.”

“What… are you doing here?”

Ji Pei’s expression softened slightly as she set down her mug. “This is my house. Why can’t I be here?”

Her gaze landed on Ji Fan, who looked nervous, and the girl in the red jacket behind her.

The girl seemed familiar. Ji Pei studied her briefly and realized she was the one who’d borrowed Ji Fan’s jacket a few days ago.

The girl’s name was unique, and Ji Pei still remembered it.

Gu Nian—a name fit for a novel’s heroine.

“You brought a friend home.”

Ji Pei’s face relaxed further. She set down the mug, stood, exchanged a glance with Jiang Xihan, and approached Gu Nian.

“Hi, I’m Ji Fan’s sister. We met last time.”

Gu Nian was startled at first sight of Ji Pei, finding her oddly familiar.

But Ji Fan had called her “sister,” yet last time, she’d claimed to be Ji Fan’s neighbor.

“Sister.”

Gu Nian called her sweetly, saying, “I didn’t properly thank you last time.”

Jiang Xihan, on the sofa, listened to their exchange, intrigued.

The more Ji Pei looked at Gu Nian, the more she liked her—pretty and polite.

“Come, sit down.”

Gu Nian smiled and agreed, but as she stepped forward, Ji Fan grabbed her wrist.

“Aren’t we going for hotpot? Let’s go now.”

Ji Fan shot Gu Nian desperate signals, her gaze flicking to Jiang Xihan, certain her sudden return had interrupted something.

Gu Nian caught her hint and nodded quickly. “Yeah, we booked a spot. We can head there now.”

“Sis, we’re leaving…”

Ji Fan pushed Gu Nian out, slamming the door, vanishing in an instant.

Ji Pei had been about to grab new slippers for Gu Nian to sit and chat.

She hadn’t expected them to conspire and flee so quickly.

Still, seeing Ji Fan reconcile with Gu Nian warmed Ji Pei’s heart.

Ji Fan had been in the wrong—meeting someone, then ghosting them, even discarding their clothes.

Jiang Xihan, seeing Ji Pei smile toward the door, asked, “What’s up? You know that girl?”

“That’s Ji Fan’s online… friend.”

“Online?”

Ji Pei’s thoughts drifted to the day she covered for Ji Fan in class and got caught by Jiang Xihan.

“When I subbed for Ji Fan and failed your class, she went to meet someone in S City, but…”

Jiang Xihan chuckled. “But it was a girl?”

“Yeah.”

Ji Pei sighed, thinking of Ji Fan’s impulsive nature. “They didn’t even check each other’s gender before meeting. It was a mess right away, and she ditched her.”

“She thought she was meeting a hot guy, and Gu Nian thought she was meeting a girl. Neither asked.”

Jiang Xihan smiled. “You didn’t ask me either.”

“Our app was real-name verified.”

Ji Pei sighed again. “Ji Fan’s always been reckless. I spoiled her.”

***

After Ji Fan and Gu Nian left, the large house felt empty with just Jiang Xihan and Ji Pei.

The quiet made Ji Pei uneasy. She considered letting the cats and dog out to liven things up.

But Jiang Xihan was injured—what if they pounced and made things worse?

“Dear, you hungry? Come, I’ll make dinner.”

Ji Pei smiled, then slipped into the kitchen, hoping cooking would distract her.

But Jiang Xihan stood, walked behind her, and gently wrapped her arms around Ji Pei’s waist.

Soft lips brushed Ji Pei’s ear, breath warm and teasing.

“Didn’t you invite me over? Why not spend some time with me?”

Ji Pei glanced at her watch, stalling. “It’s past five. Time for dinner.”

Jiang Xihan laughed softly in her ear, not letting go, holding her tighter.

“I’m not hungry, but…”

She lifted Ji Pei’s chin, turning her head, lips grazing the corner of Ji Pei’s mouth.

“I could eat something else.”

Ji Pei’s cheeks flushed. She subtly shifted aside, to little effect.

“You’re injured. Don’t move.”

Jiang Xihan raised her right arm, smiling. “It’s bandaged, and it doesn’t hurt.”

Ji Pei held her wrist, careful not to touch the wound. “Your left arm doesn’t hurt? The doctor said not to move. You’re a professor, yet you ignore medical advice.”

Jiang Xihan hadn’t expected to be scolded by someone so much younger.

“Fine, I won’t touch.”

Ji Pei secretly relaxed, only to hear Jiang Xihan say, “But you could be more proactive. That way, I won’t get hurt.”

“…”

As Ji Pei tried to retort, Jiang Xihan added, “Those things I bought you—have you tried them?”

Ji Pei froze, struck by lightning. Why would Jiang Xihan bring that up? She’d never mentioned it.

Jiang Xihan’s hands were restrained, no longer on her abs, but her words grew bolder.

“Put them on for me. I haven’t seen yet.”

Ji Pei muttered, “Didn’t you see the photos?”

Jiang Xihan chuckled. “Online can’t compare to in-person. I want you to try them one by one in front of me.”

Ji Pei, emboldened by her teasing, said, “Why do I have to wear them? I want to see you in them.”

Jiang Xihan paused, her smile widening.

“Sure, but if I wear them, I might not make it home tonight.”

Ji Pei: “…”

She stiffened, saying, “I’m not that kind of lustful person. I’m proper.”

Jiang Xihan’s palm rested on Ji Pei’s firm yet soft stomach, gently nibbling her earlobe.

“Indeed, very proper.”

“Then let me be the rogue.”

Ji Pei: “…”

She struggled briefly, but knowing Jiang Xihan’s martial arts background, she didn’t dare move much.

This was the pinnacle of shameless flirting. Ji Pei was in awe.

She tried changing the subject. “Why’d you learn martial arts?”

Jiang Xihan answered calmly, “As a kid, I was kidnapped by Southeast Asian criminals. They demanded two billion dollars.”

Ji Pei’s heart sank. She grabbed Jiang Xihan’s fingers, rubbing them gently.

“Did the kidnappers hurt you?”

Jiang Xihan smiled lightly. “No, but they planned to cut off my pinky to threaten my family.”

Ji Pei recalled overhearing Liu Yanfen and her friends talk about a notorious kidnapping case twenty years ago.

The Jiang family, S City’s richest, had their eldest daughter, fresh from her baby’s full-month celebration, kidnapped on her way home.

Their eleven-year-old youngest daughter was taken too, her whereabouts unknown.

A month later, when all hope seemed lost, the younger daughter escaped unharmed in the kidnappers’ car.

The elder wasn’t so lucky—multiple fractures, severe head trauma, and after three days of treatment, she became a vegetable.

That young girl was Jiang Xihan.

And the vegetable was her sister, Jiang Xianyun.

Rumor had it Jiang Xianyun sacrificed herself to distract the kidnappers, allowing her sister to escape.

But she’d remained a vegetable for twenty years, never waking.

Ji Pei turned, cupping Jiang Xihan’s cheeks, her nose brushing Jiang Xihan’s.

“So, you learned martial arts after that?”

Foreheads touching, Jiang Xihan said, “Yes, to protect myself.”

“I heard about your sister…”

Jiang Xihan sighed, her expression tinged with sadness, perhaps resigned.

“Her limbs were shattered, muscles necrotic. Both arms and legs were amputated. The doctors say she’ll likely never wake.”

Ji Pei frowned, resting her chin on Jiang Xihan’s shoulder, murmuring, “Coming back alive was already a miracle.”

She rubbed her stomach, thinking to distract Jiang Xihan.

“I’m a bit hungry. Let’s eat.”

Ji Pei opened the fridge, finding only wilted vegetable leaves and a shrunken piece of ginger.

“…”

She’d forgotten to stock up.

“How about we order takeout?”

Jiang Xihan shook her head, feeling dizzy but persistent. “I want your cooking, not takeout.”

Ji Pei’s heart warmed at the approval. “I’ll go to the mall to grab some ingredients.”

Seeing Jiang Xihan want to join, Ji Pei held out a hand. “You just got vaccinated, and your hand’s bandaged. You can’t go.”

Jiang Xihan looked a bit aggrieved. “But I want to be with you.”

Ji Pei, unable to find a perfect solution, ordered takeout.

They snuggled on the sofa, Ji Pei cross-legged, Jiang Xihan leaning on her shoulder, staring at her fingers.

Ji Pei’s fingers were beautiful—slender, distinct knuckles, healthy nails with a faint pink hue. A work of art.

Jiang Xihan couldn’t resist, grabbing Ji Pei’s left hand, playing with it like a treasure.

A tiny red mole on Ji Pei’s wrist looked like a drop of red ink blooming on her fair skin.

Impulsively, Jiang Xihan lowered her head, her soft lips kissing the mole.

Ji Pei felt a warm, wet sensation on her wrist, looking down at Jiang Xihan’s actions.

“Well? My hand’s pretty, right? Hand-model agencies were dying to sign me.”

Jiang Xihan caressed the damp wrist. “You didn’t sign?”

Ji Pei shook her head, goosebumps rising at the thought.

“No way, too creepy.”

Seeing Jiang Xihan’s surprise, Ji Pei explained, “I once used a photo of my hand holding a coffee cup as my profile picture on an app, and…”

She hesitated. “My inbox exploded with creeps harassing me!”

Ji Pei grew animated. “I changed it immediately, but the review took three days. You don’t know how I survived!”

A shadow passed through Jiang Xihan’s eyes. She held Ji Pei’s wrist, stroking it lovingly.

Ji Pei’s skin was cool, her wrist bone like polished jade, smooth and cold.

Jiang Xihan kissed it again, her lips lingering.

Ji Pei glanced down, her wrist ticklish. “Why do you love my hand so much?”

Jiang Xihan said matter-of-factly, “I’m a lesbian too.”

As her fingertips grazed the mole, Ji Pei said, “I want to remove it.”

“No way.”

Jiang Xihan rubbed her nose against the wrist, finding the mole’s color, position, and shape perfect, igniting her deepest desires.

Ji Pei was too perfect, down to every strand of hair.

Seeing Jiang Xihan’s infatuated look, Ji Pei’s heart trembled. “Why?”

“I love it.”

Ji Pei disliked moles, feeling they marred her flawless skin, especially irregular ones with cancer risks.

But…

She stared at the tear mole at Jiang Xihan’s eye, swallowing hard.

Fine, it depends on the person.

On Jiang Xihan, it was the cherry on top.

With glasses, Jiang Xihan looked stern and distant.

Few saw her without them, revealing a mischievous, beastly side.

Back in college, Ji Pei saw Jiang Xihan’s photos on forums—high-res or blurry candids.

Standing anywhere, she was a breathtaking painting.

At first, Ji Pei thought she was a new celebrity, not a professor.

As the admissions director, Jiang Xihan likely got in on looks and talent, plus her calligraphy was stunning.

Ji Pei recalled her A University acceptance letter, its gilded words likely penned by Jiang Xihan.

Jiang Xihan’s hands…

Ji Pei stole glances, realizing she could look openly or even kiss them, so she didn’t hold back.

“I used to see your photos on forums and confession walls.”

Ji Pei admitted honestly, “I thought you were a celebrity. I hoped to snag your elective.”

Jiang Xihan smiled. “Then why didn’t I see you in class?”

Ji Pei fidgeted. “Well… they said you were too strict, so…”

Her voice trailed off. “I dropped you from my list.”

But Ji Pei hadn’t expected Jiang Xihan’s classes to fill up instantly, despite her strictness. It was obvious why.

In her first two college years, Ji Pei learned about Jiang Xihan through Ran Feifei’s complaints.

Ran Feifei, who got into her class, dressed up daily, waking at six for full makeup, ignoring her dormmates.

Back then, Ji Pei and Xie Zhen were friends, and she often heard about Ran Feifei.

Xie Zhen said Ran Feifei, from a small county, aimed to find a local A City man to support her.

Ji Pei thought Xie Zhen was gossiping.

But overhearing Ran Feifei’s coy video calls with men, even aiming the camera at them, changed her view.

Their four-person dorm was chaotic enough with one oddball, but Xie Zhen’s antics drove Ji Pei to move out overnight.

Thinking of this, Ji Pei rested her chin, scooting closer to Jiang Xihan. “Our dorm had a girl, Ran Feifei, who got into your class.”

“Ran Feifei?”

Jiang Xihan thought, smiling. “I remember that name.”

Ji Pei sensed gossip, wrapping her arms around Jiang Xihan’s waist on the sofa. “Is there tea? Spill it!”

Seeing Ji Pei’s eagerness, Jiang Xihan said, “She talked in class and passed notes.”

She tsked. “I caught a paper ball once, opened it, and it was…”

Ji Pei’s eyes lit up. “What!”

Jiang Xihan pinched her chin, shaking it, raising an eyebrow. “Explicit content, not for kids.”

Ji Pei thought, ‘No matter how explicit, it’s not as… bold as you.’

“After that, she left an impression, but she dropped out and never came back.”

“She dropped out for stealing dormmates’ skincare, got caught.”

Ji Pei bit her fingertip, giggling. “Guess why she got caught?”

Jiang Xihan leaned on Ji Pei’s chest. “Why?”

“Her roommate added fluorescent dye. When the lights went out, her face glowed like The Mask!”

Ji Pei tilted her head, laughing. “She also stole shampoo and body wash, but it was swapped with depilatory cream. Nearly lost her hair.”

Ye Wenzhu, always on the gossip frontline, had told her, and they laughed for days, revisiting it when bored.

Jiang Xihan pursed her lips, watching Ji Pei laugh uncontrollably, sighing.

Ji Pei clutched her aching stomach, barely able to sit up.

She shared college stories with Jiang Xihan, dragging up everyone she disliked.

Except Xie Zhen, who gave her endless trauma—Ji Pei shivered at the name.

The past was past; she didn’t want to dwell on it.

Jiang Xihan listened quietly, as if reliving Ji Pei’s four years.

“Oh no, I forgot something important!”