Lin Xingzhu blinked her eyes open, staring blankly at the ceiling above her that she hadn't fully gotten used to yet.
Beside her, steady breaths rose and fell; clearly, the other person was sound asleep.
After a moment of daze, Lin Xingzhu realized they were in Bai Xiying's bedroom.
Last night, the two had practically caused a ruckus for half the night. The bed was damp not just from the steam after coming out of the hot spring, but also from other stains, making the sheets completely unfit for sleeping.
Exhausted after bathing, they had no energy left to change the sheets, so they had moved to Bai Xiying's bed.
She rolled her eyes, trying to recall the craziness of last night.
Just then, she felt a body nuzzle against her bare shoulder, and Lin Xingzhu felt herself being embraced from beneath the covers.
"What are you thinking about?"
Bai Xiying's voice was playful, though it lacked its usual clarity, sounding instead slightly hoarse from overuse.
"Are you reminiscing?"
Seeing Lin Xingzhu remain silent, Bai Xiying raised an eyebrow with a teasing glint.
Lin Xingzhu thought, "Is it really okay to say these things this early?"
She glanced out the window, changing the subject. "Are you hungry?"
As she spoke, she picked up her phone to check the time—it was almost noon.
In the next moment, a hand stirred beneath the covers, playfully brushing against Lin Xingzhu.
Lin Xingzhu cleared her throat, "Behave yourself."
Bai Xiying smiled innocently, "What can I do? Just being this close to you makes it hard to resist."
Lin Xingzhu shot her a sidelong glance, choosing to ignore her.
She didn't believe Bai Xiying could really take any more.
Seeing her teasing was in vain, Bai Xiying pouted slightly but didn't press the issue.
Last night's feast had left her feeling incredibly satisfied.
But it was precisely because of that satisfaction, combined with her long-held desires, that Bai Xiying had clung to Lin Xingzhu, pursuing every peak of pleasure she could offer.
"Let's order food," Bai Xiying suggested. "I don't really want to move today; let's have the hotel bring it up."
Lin Xingzhu nodded, inquiring about Bai Xiying's preferences before placing the order for both of them.
That gave her the perfect opportunity to freshen up and change clothes.
Since they had showered in Lin Xingzhu's bathroom last night, Bai Xiying still had Lin Xingzhu's bathrobe that she had arrived in.
But there was only one robe, as Bai Xiying had come in without anything underneath.
The robe was draped over the sofa a few steps away, so she'd have to get out of bed to retrieve it.
Thinking this, Lin Xingzhu hesitated with her hand on the covers, glancing at the bright-eyed person watching her.
"...I need to get dressed," Lin Xingzhu hinted gently.
"Go ahead, go ahead."
Her tone was cheerful, but her eyes remained fixed on Lin Xingzhu.
Lin Xingzhu gave her a steady look, suddenly smiling. With a wave of her hand, she lifted the covers and playfully tossed them over Bai Xiying's head, like covering a curious kitten.
Taking this chance, Lin Xingzhu quickly got out of bed and threw on the bathrobe.
So when Bai Xiying pulled the covers off, her eyes adjusted to the light and landed on Lin Xingzhu, who was already dressed.
Bai Xiying's eyes sparkled, landing on the bite marks on Lin Xingzhu's delicate, fair collarbone, and her mood brightened.
Before they had defined their relationship, Bai Xiying had never hesitated or felt shy; now that everything was settled, she felt even less need to hold back.
She casually tossed her hands in the air, exposing her own marks to the air.
With such a large person right under her nose, it was impossible for Lin Xingzhu not to see.
But as her clear gaze fell on the more vibrant marks on Bai Xiying after the night, her face suddenly turned a bit red.
...Wait, there are marks on her inner thighs too?
Bai Xiying smirked, unfazed, as she picked up her own bathrobe and slowly tied it.
Avoiding her gaze, Lin Xingzhu briefly furrowed her brows. "Why do I feel like yours has gotten a bit bigger?"
She remembered the measurements she had taken the day before; it seemed smaller today.
Bai Xiying looked down. "Has it?"
As she felt herself again, she shrugged nonchalantly. "Maybe you were just a bit too rough."
Lin Xingzhu: "..."
Bai Xiying smiled, complaining, "You were all over me yesterday. Either you're mistaken or you made it swell."
Lin Xingzhu began to doubt herself.
But she didn't think too much about it, figuring it might indeed be her fault.
The two got out of bed, tidied up, and enjoyed the hotel's lunch delivery while lying back on the sofa.
After watching a movie for a while, as the plot became increasingly melodramatic, Lin Xingzhu turned to Bai Xiying, who was curled up against her on the couch, and suddenly asked, "When did you realize I liked you?"
Bai Xiying's head moved slightly on Lin Xingzhu's lap as she swallowed the gummy candy in her mouth, pondering for a moment before replying, "Just a feeling."
"Hmm?"
"When someone is liked, they can feel it," Bai Xiying said. "Moreover, I know exactly what kind of person you are. You're polite and restrained with others. If you didn't like someone, your personality wouldn't give them any room for speculation."
If Lin Xingzhu didn't like her, she wouldn't occasionally send signals through her gestures, even if she might not be aware of it herself.
But the moment Bai Xiying sensed this, she was almost certain that Lin Xingzhu definitely had feelings for her.
Lin Xingzhu pondered, "So that's how it is."
She suddenly recalled a memory from her previous life, before she entered this story—at a friend's gathering on the night of her university graduation, when a girl confessed to her.
The memory was somewhat hazy, but she vaguely remembered the girl's tearful smile and her open-hearted confession.
"At that time, Lin Xingzhu, you were so cruel yet so gentle. When you don't like someone, you really don't give her any false hope."
That girl had been a close friend, yet after the confession, they lost contact completely.
But now, Lin Xingzhu felt she understood what the girl had meant.
"But isn't that a good thing?" Lin Xingzhu said, placing her palm on Bai Xiying's forehead and calming her thoughts. "At least I didn't give you any wrong signals."
Such as the option of not liking her.
Bai Xiying blinked, breaking into a bright smile. "Of course."
Although this might not be great for Lin Xingzhu's admirers, for Bai Xiying, who was now Lin Xingzhu's official girlfriend, it was simply wonderful!
Thinking this, Bai Xiying's eyelashes fluttered as she added slowly, "That's really nice."
Lin Xingzhu looked down at her, but Bai Xiying seemed to be merely sighing without any deeper meaning.
As their eyes met, the narration of their movie began to fade away, and Bai Xiying didn't know when she had sat up, pressing Lin Xingzhu back against the sofa to kiss her.
After the kiss, both their gazes sparkled with affection; a mere glance could create the strongest chemistry in the air.
Lin Xingzhu played with Bai Xiying's hair, savoring the moment of tranquility.
After a long while, Bai Xiying picked up the remote and clicked off the movie's ending theme. "Are you going home tonight?"
Tomorrow was Monday, and Lin Xingzhu had to work.
Thinking of this, Lin Xingzhu contemplated for a moment. "Let's go back to City A the day after tomorrow. I need to visit my uncle's house tomorrow."
After dropping off Jiang Yeyue yesterday, she had rushed off, concerned about Bai Xiying, and figured that if she didn't have a meal before leaving, her uncle and aunt wouldn't let her off easy.
With that in mind, Lin Xingzhu proposed, "Why don't you come with me?"
Bai Xiying raised an eyebrow. "Me?"
Lin Xingzhu nodded. "You're my girlfriend; it wouldn't be appropriate for me to go alone."
"But if you don't want me to go, that's fine too."
Bai Xiying thought for a moment, and Lin Xingzhu didn't disturb her.
For Lin Xingzhu, she took this relationship seriously and was especially serious about Bai Xiying, so naturally, she hoped Bai Xiying could accompany her to meet her family.
However, they had just confirmed their relationship and hadn't even been together for twenty-four hours. For Bai Xiying, it might feel too rushed.
After a moment, Bai Xiying said, "Since you want me to go, I'll gladly accept."
She looked at Lin Xingzhu. "But you'd better take good care of me."
Lin Xingzhu responded matter-of-factly, "Isn't that obvious?"
Bai Xiying smiled.
Later, after they had dinner, the uncomfortable feelings had mostly dissipated, and they wandered hand in hand through the lush estate.
Seeing the same scenery at night felt different from seeing it during the day; the same people walking together experienced different moods yesterday and today.
Yesterday, they were two single friends taking a walk; today, they were a couple in love passing the time.
Could the feelings of being single and being in a relationship really be the same?
...
Since Lin Xingzhu had called ahead to the Jiang family, she wasn't worried that bringing Bai Xiying would seem abrupt.
In the trunk were shrimp and crabs that her uncle and aunt liked, specially ordered from the estate before they left.
When they arrived, Lin Xingzhu glanced at Bai Xiying, squeezed her hand, then got out of the car to bring in the food.
Inside, Jiang Yeyue had long been aware that Lin Xingzhu and Bai Xiying were coming, and upon hearing the car, she rushed out like a cannonball.
"Cousin! Sister Xiying!"
Noticing the two holding hands, Jiang Yeyue's eyes lit up, and she shot Lin Xingzhu an admiring look.
Wow, just the morning before, there hadn't been any signs, and now they were holding hands.
Lin Xingzhu's aunt hurried out behind her.
"I was wondering why Yeyue was running so fast," she said, her eyes brightening as she smiled at Bai Xiying. "This must be Xiying, right?"
Bai Xiying greeted her with a smile. "Hello, Aunt."
Jiang's mother immediately covered her mouth with a smile. "Come in, come in!"
Since Lin Xingzhu had mentioned she would bring her girlfriend yesterday, Jiang's mother had been looking forward to this moment. Now that she saw Bai Xiying in person, she found her even more beautiful than she had imagined, not to mention how perfectly she matched with Lin Xingzhu!
As they entered the living room, Lin Xingzhu handed the shrimp and crabs over to the kitchen, then returned to join the conversation.
They were chatting when suddenly they heard another voice from outside.
"Auntie! I'm here to see you again!"
It was a bright, cheerful female voice coming closer.
At first, Lin Xingzhu didn't pay much attention, but when she saw Jiang Yeyue's body tense up in disbelief, she had a feeling she knew who it was.
"It's Tian Tian!" Jiang's mother said, not surprised at all. Instead, she smiled and said to them, "This is Yeyue's good friend who always comes to find her when she's away. Yeyue, this is the friend I told you about."
Meanwhile, Lin Xingzhu saw a delicate and lovely girl smiling as she stepped into the door.