Chapter 10

“Fu Yilan!” a startled cry echoed in the dream. Fu Yilan frowned and curled up tightly.

The city was prosperous, but between the streets, there were often small food stalls not found in the busy market. Little Fu Yilan loved to come here, not for any other reason than to be a show-off.

In the morning, her aunt styled her hair in pigtails, adding pink bows and a little skirt, and put a small crown on her head. When the driver dropped her off, he called her a little princess.

After showing off for a whole day at school, even with one corner of her crown broken, it didn’t stop little Yilan from patrolling her territory. Of course, she wouldn’t say it out loud, she would just whine that she wanted braised rice and yogurt, as well as sticky rice cakes and hand-made cold jelly with yogurt and peanuts.

The elderly vendors at the stalls loved to pinch Yilan’s little cheeks, very gently, but their palms were rough, and a single touch would make a six-year-old’s cheeks as red as a little butt.

The driver watched over Fu Yilan, and Fu Yilan watched over her sticky rice cakes and yogurt. With two red cheeks, she hugged her little arms in silent protest.

In reality, she was secretly thrilled. Especially when someone walked by, she would immediately adjust her small crown. The people here were sincere with their compliments. She could sit here for half the night, and they would compliment her for half the night, unlike the kids at school who only wanted her snacks and hair clips, and unlike the teachers and adults who would ask her about her parents after two or three sentences.

And nothing like her parents, who never came home.

Little Yilan held her spoon and ate the sticky rice cakes. The cakes stuck to the bowl, but she didn’t get angry. She just imagined herself as the elegant and calm female celebrity in the photo frame on her mommy’s bedside table. What was the celebrity’s name again?

It sounded something like Audrey Hepburn, and her elegance was far beyond the vocabulary of a third-grader.

“Little Yilan, we should go back,” the driver said with a smile.

Little Yilan let out a hum, pouting her lips so much they could hang an oil bottle. She wasn’t happy, but in an instant, an angry roar sounded, startling her and making her turn to look behind her uncontrollably.

The familiar street scene was pulled away, the voices disappeared, a black curtain fell, the sky receded, and the houses around her twisted and rose. The place where little Yilan stood became the bottom of a kaleidoscope.

“Fu Yilan!”

“Your parents are dead!”

“You good-for-nothing…”

All the voices enveloped her!

“Fu Yilan!” a startled cry came from outside the dream.

Fu Yilan felt a push on her back, and the momentary loss of balance made her instantly wake up, her eyes wide as she looked behind her!

Fu Haitang frowned: “You had a nightmare.”

Fu Yilan was still shaken, cold sweat soaking her chest and back. She looked at Fu Haitang in a state of alarm.

“Hiss…” Fu Haitang was grabbed by the arm by Fu Yilan. The latter’s grip was too strong, and her fingernails were almost digging into her flesh. The heart-piercing feeling was not pleasant. “Fu Yilan, wake up.”

A strand of black hair fell from Fu Haitang’s face to the tip of Fu Yilan’s nose. She felt an itch and also smelled a faint scent.

“You disturbed my sleep,” Fu Yilan said, now fully awake.

Fu Haitang felt she wasn’t awake enough: “Blaming the victim?”

Fu Yilan closed her lips, defiantly pursing them into a small bead of a lip. The lip bead hung on her straight lip line, a bright, startling red, accompanied by the sound of her rapid, uneven breathing.

Fu Haitang felt annoyed for no reason: “Let go.”

Fu Yilan’s grip tightened.

Fu Haitang emphasized: “It hurts.”

Saying that, she tightened her grip even more. It was rare for Fu Yilan to show such a spoiled personality. She was lashing out from embarrassment, as if loosening her grip even a little would reveal her fragile past to Fu Haitang. So it was better to be completely fierce, so that Fu Haitang would be so angry she’d lose her rationality.

This way, no one would see her nightmare, and no one would be kind enough to comfort her. She didn’t need condescending kindness, especially not Fu Haitang’s condescending kindness.

“…”

Fu Haitang frowned. If Fu Yilan weren’t the protagonist of the original book and she couldn’t pass the blame to anyone else, she would definitely give Fu Yilan a slap that would turn her oval-shaped face into a flat one!

“Be good…” Fu Haitang forced a smile. She freed her other hand and stroked Fu Yilan’s black hair, comforting her and saying, “Let go of me first, okay?”

Fu Yilan: “Tch.”

Fu Haitang’s smile froze. The sincere smile she had worked so hard to create instantly turned sinister. She gritted her teeth: “Fu Yilan, you’re asking for trouble, I’ll—”

Her actions took the place of her unsaid words. Fu Haitang backhanded and pinched Fu Yilan’s waist. The ticklish spot on the waist is the weakness of most people.

With a single touch, at the very least, it would be so ticklish that you’d lose your ability to resist, like the effect of a seductive woman’s voice. At worst, it would feel like a piercing blow, making you jump and curse.

“Ah!” Fu Yilan shrieked. What nightmare, what past, and what self-esteem? Fu Haitang’s two fingers pinched her soft flesh and turned it. The pain and itchiness made her body reflexively spring up.

The camp bed’s center of gravity shifted, making Fu Yilan fall towards Fu Haitang.

The camp bed was small, not even knee-high, and it was set up behind the counter. The space was limited, and the height was low. Fu Haitang was in a half-crouching position, with the counter and other things behind her.

There was no way to avoid it. She was thrown down hard, and the back of her head hit the glass cabinet.

BUMP.

Fu Yilan: “…”

One of Fu Yilan’s legs was propped on the overturned camp bed, and the other was forced to rest between Fu Haitang’s knees.

One hand was supporting herself on Fu Haitang’s left collarbone area, and the other hand went through Fu Haitang’s waist and pressed on the back of Fu Haitang’s hand that was supporting herself on the ground.

Fu Haitang, in her haste to break her fall, grabbed everything she could—Fu Yilan’s pajamas.

Right now, the pajamas were twisted and deformed in her hand. What was even more terrifying was that Fu Yilan’s neckline was pulled open by half a meter and pressed against her palm.

A suddenly open view.

The scene of the ripped-open neckline was both beautiful and horrifying. It was beautiful because the scenery was gorgeous, and it was horrifying because this person was Fu Yilan, who had a male protagonist backing her, an official love interest, was an omega, and was the rival that her patron hated the most.

And the distance between them. It could no longer be described as ambiguous. An affair would be a more fitting description.

Fu Yilan’s face turned red. She squeezed out a low growl that she thought was intimidating, “Let go of my clothes.”

“You let go of my hand first,” Fu Haitang said.

Fu Yilan: “…”

Fu Haitang’s gaze moved downward. Just as she was about to say something, she saw something and had to look up, staring at the ceiling: “And your legs.”

Fu Yilan didn’t notice her own posture. She just thought Fu Haitang had given her a dismissive eye roll. She was annoyed: “You rolled your eyes at me?”

Fu Haitang: “…You’re not wearing a bra.”

Fu Yilan: “?”

Fu Yilan: “!”

Before Fu Haitang could say anything, Fu Yilan grabbed back her neckline. Fu Haitang’s palm felt empty. The sudden forceful pull almost made her fall again!

“You—” Fu Haitang looked up, about to get angry, but met a pair of profound eyes.

There was no place for Fu Yilan to sit. After pushing away the camp bed, the space behind it became smaller. She could only kneel on the ground towards Fu Haitang. One hand clutched her neckline, and the other hand, which was on Fu Haitang’s left chest, pulled the half-lying Fu Haitang up.

The distance between them was even closer. Their breaths mingled, sharing a very small, cramped space.

If they were a couple, the air at this distance would be so thick it could be pulled like silk.

Unfortunately, Fu Haitang and Fu Yilan had already caused a lot of trouble for each other.

“What did you see?” Fu Yilan asked in a bad tone. “Tell me!”

Two soft, puffy buns. Fu Haitang would, of course, not say that. She raised her hands, hoping her gesture of surrender would calm down the embarrassed omega: “I didn’t see anything.”

“You’re lying!” Fu Yilan threw Fu Haitang away.

Fu Haitang let out a breath, “I’m so hot.”

Fu Yilan: “…”

“What do you mean?” Fu Yilan gave her a side glance.

Fu Haitang was confused: “Hmm?”

The thin air changed quietly at this moment, becoming murky.

Fu Yilan knew she had misunderstood, and Fu Haitang naturally knew Fu Yilan had misunderstood. But at this point, whoever acted more innocent and clueless, more naive and unaware of the ambiguous undercurrents, won.

After all, they were too close. A slight movement would make their elbows or knees rub against each other. And they were both wearing Fu Yilan’s childish high school pajamas, which were either a little too short in the hem or in the pant legs.

It was very hard not to misunderstand Fu Haitang’s words “I’m so hot.”

“Your skin is nice,” Fu Yilan reacted quickly and praised Fu Haitang directly. “It’s so smooth.” After saying that, she raised her hand and innocently stroked the other person’s thigh.

A numbing sensation spread. As the heat period approached, all senses were silently heightened. Fu Haitang instantly clenched her butt and gave two dry laughs to cover up her awkwardness. She then immediately fought back.

“You’re not bad either,” Fu Haitang said while stroking Fu Yilan’s calf. “Like a fish, it’s so exaggerated. What lotion do you use?”

Fu Yilan bit her lip. It was a little itchy, but she couldn’t move away. Whoever moved away was guilty. Whoever left was defeated.

She could only let that hand press on her thigh, moving up and down. The owner of the hand looked like they couldn’t get enough of it, repeatedly asking for the brand name of her body lotion, as if she was genuinely only interested in the way she maintained her good skin.

“Hmm? It doesn’t feel as good as yours,” Fu Yilan also wondered, pressing her hand back on Fu Haitang’s thigh and rubbing it repeatedly.

Both of them: “…”

“Haha,” Fu Haitang said with a forced smile.

Fu Yilan gritted her teeth and replied, “Hehe.”

Their expressions and actions could be faked, but their pheromones wouldn’t lie. Fu Yilan’s actions in the bathroom showed that she was in a very restless period. Fu Haitang knew it well and also found it difficult to pretend to be oblivious.

Her palm became hot. Fu Haitang recalled what happened to Fu Yilan in the bathroom and couldn’t help but slow down her movements.

As the rubbing slowed, the heat transfer became clearer. Fu Yilan stared at Fu Haitang’s lips. She thought that the omega in the video wasn’t as good-looking as Fu Haitang.

DING-DONG—

The wind chime rang. Someone pushed the door, wanting to buy coffee.

Fu Yilan came back to her senses and tried to get up, but Fu Haitang covered her mouth and pulled her back to the ground!

I can’t let anyone see me so close to the female protagonist! Fu Haitang’s movements were decisive. The action of covering her mouth was fierce and shocking. Fu Yilan’s eyes widened, and she was stunned for a moment.

Fu Haitang naturally had phoenix eyes and a strong face. When she lowered her eyebrows and turned to listen, the gloomy aura of a small alley could not be hidden.

The omega’s palm was covering her mouth, and the scent of crabapple flowers on her body became even clearer. Fu Yilan’s eyes became hot. Her actions were faster than her thoughts. She licked her lips.

The tip of her tongue scraped against her palm. Fu Haitang’s mind went blank. She let go of Fu Yilan and stared at her stiffly.

The stickiness in the air became even more intense.

After a brief silence, Fu Yilan slowly forced a smile, using another excuse to cover up her inappropriate behavior. “It must be a customer. The door is locked, so they can’t get in.”

Fu Haitang: “…”

Whoever was confident spoke, and whoever was guilty stayed silent. Fu Yilan was also well-versed in this. So she proposed with a kind attitude, “This bed is foldable. When it’s open, it’s big enough for two people. You might as well just spend the night here.”

Fu Haitang clenched her fist and coughed lightly into her chin. Then she grabbed her head, messed up her hair, and turned her head away in guilt, doing more than ten fake actions in ten seconds.

Fu Yilan’s eyes curved in a smile, and even the rare dimple at the corner of her mouth appeared.

According to Fu Yilan’s own imagination, Fu Haitang should have gotten up in a panic, said a hasty goodbye, and gone home immediately, while she would have won this round and gotten a good night’s sleep.

When they met the next day, Fu Haitang would still be thinking about the kiss on her palm. She would be like a mouse seeing a cat, while Fu Yilan would be her usual self, natural and innocent.

However, Fu Haitang turned her head, observed her for three seconds, and said the word “good.”

Fu Yilan’s smile froze.

Fu Haitang picked up her phone and pointed at the time, “It’s past 3 a.m.”

“Let’s go to sleep,” Fu Haitang said. “We can get up at 8 o’clock tomorrow.”

Fu Yilan: “Do you clock in at 9 a.m.?”

“Yes,” Fu Haitang complained to Fu Yilan like a normal friend. “I just finished writing the proposal and found you were having a nightmare. By the way, what time do you trainees usually get up?”

Fu Yilan: “I get up at 6 a.m. to train in the practice room, and then I have breakfast and so on.”

Fu Haitang sighed with emotion: “So hardworking?”

“Yeah, you sleep here, okay…”

The conversation between the two seemed to be without any problems, but on closer inspection, it was full of holes. For example, their conversation was rushed. The previous person would often not even finish their sentence before the next person would eagerly take over.

It seemed that as long as there was a second of silence, the ambiguous atmosphere would take advantage, and pheromones would take control of their rationality.

The camp bed was put away, and the thin futon on the floor was barely enough for two people. The air conditioner hummed, but it was difficult for the air to get into the three-sided enclosed space.

“Good night!”

“Good night!”

They both spoke at the same time, lay down at the same time, chose to turn their backs on each other at the same time, and felt each other’s undeniable butts at the same time.

Their breaths instantly tightened. They straightened their backs to create distance, and just as they were about to suffocate, they finally couldn’t help but relax their tense back muscles.

And at the same time, their skin touched again.

Moving away again would only make it seem like they had something to hide.

Now, neither of them dared to move, only hoping that the other would think they were asleep, so they could pretend to be a proper, innocent person.

Because the worst-case scenario had already happened: in each other’s eyes, they saw their own desire for the other.