Adopting Myself from the Young Heiress - Chapter 19

“Tuantuan, with such a high fever, you can’t possibly do all that work,” Yan Ciwei murmured, sensing An Chixu’s momentary tension. She tightened her grip, wrapping her arms around An Chixu from behind, binding her waist so tightly it was almost suffocating.

Yan Ciwei’s seaweed-like black hair cascaded over An Chixu’s shoulders, enveloping her head in a damp, oppressive heat, like the muggy rainy season in S City.

There was no escape from this suffocating embrace.

Yan Ciwei pressed herself even closer. Despite the early summer warmth and the air conditioning, their bodies still grew damp where they touched.

Yan Ciwei didn’t care if her clothes got wet from An Chixu’s sweat.

She completely enveloped An Chixu’s back, wrapping herself around her entirely.

Her actions mirrored her words: a protective cage, rigid and heavy.

“If you let it pile up, you’ll be exhausted for the entire next week,” Yan Ciwei’s voice became a thick, damp mist, enveloping An Chixu’s head.

Yet her breath remained soft, delicate tendrils caressing An Chixu’s face with a hint of stickiness.

There was no escape.

An Chixu closed her eyes and relaxed her breathing.

Yan Ciwei was like a trap. When An Chixu tensed, she tightened her grip even more forcefully. When An Chixu relaxed, she transformed into a considerate, gentle dream lover.

Now, An Chixu had given up struggling.

Weakened by illness, she perhaps even felt, deep down, that Yan Ciwei was right.

She knew how demanding her job was.

Leaving a day’s work unfinished meant spending three extra days catching up.

Besides, trending topics on social media waited for no one. An Chixu wondered how many Shen Jibai-related trends she had missed during her illness.

If Yan Ciwei was willing to help her, surely returning a hug wouldn’t hurt?

“Thank you,” An Chixu whispered, her breathing softening. She turned back into Yan Ciwei’s embrace and reached out to her.

“My sweet Tuantuan, there’s no need to thank me,” Yan Ciwei said, her eyes flashing with an unusual satisfaction before softening with tenderness. She stroked An Chixu’s hair, gently kissing the prey she had finally ensnared.

Sometimes, An Chixu felt like Yan Ciwei was merely hunting her, like a siren capturing her helpless prey and offering a final kiss before devouring it.

She was Yan Ciwei’s prey, and Yan Ciwei was savoring her.

Trapped and weakened, An Chixu was too weak to struggle.

She could only wait to be completely consumed.

An Chixu returned her hands to Yan Ciwei’s waist, hugging her tightly, and stopped her wandering thoughts.

She had given herself away.

Yan Ciwei said nothing, simply holding her close and kissing her for a long moment.

“I’ll go make you some food and prepare your medicine,” she said, rising and gently setting the limp An Chixu down.

After a moment’s thought, she scooped An Chixu back up.

“I’ll take you to the living room to wait for me.”

An Chixu loosely wrapped her arms around Yan Ciwei’s neck, murmuring her agreement in a daze.

Dinner was steamed beef with loofah and tomato-egg noodles.

Yan Ciwei took An Chixu’s temperature again. Her fever had subsided to 37.8 degrees Celsius; another night’s rest should do the trick.

“I’ve made extra meals for you, enough for two days, and put them in the fridge. Remember to eat when you get home tonight, okay? Don’t skip meals again.” Yan Ciwei fussed, her voice full of concern. An Chixu nodded slowly, stuffing food into her mouth.

She couldn’t quite taste the seasoning, but she trusted that Yan Ciwei’s carefully prepared dishes wouldn’t be unappetizing.

“When did you buy the groceries?” An Chixu asked, her voice a little hoarse after finishing her meal. The second stage of her cold was beginning.

As she carried the dishes to the kitchen, Yan Ciwei gently pulled her back by the hand, wrapping an arm around her waist and tickling her.

“How long do you think you were asleep, Tuantuan?” Yan Ciwei teased.

Only then did An Chixu remember to check her phone.

Her phone was flooded with unread messages. It had been nearly two days since she last checked them.

She had slept almost an entire day. No wonder Yan Ciwei had found time to cook so much.

An Chixu prioritized the most important messages, starting with Pei Yuxi’s.

Oddly, Pei Yuxi had sent a flurry of messages on Sunday, but had gone silent on Monday, even telling her to rest well.

Only then did An Chixu notice that Yan Ciwei had posted a message on her WeChat Moments, saying she was sick and unable to check messages.

So Yan Ciwei had seen everything. She must have known An Chixu wanted to call her.

An Chixu suppressed her irritation, forcing down the discomfort that felt like sitting on a sharp rock.

Special circumstances, she sighed inwardly, replying to Pei Yuxi that she could pick up Orange next Monday.

Just as she was about to check on Shen Jibai, Yan Ciwei snatched her phone away.

“Work or… friends?” Yan Ciwei tried to keep her tone as neutral as possible.

“Ah, both,” An Chixu replied, still caught off guard. She looked up, startled by the flash of displeasure in Yan Ciwei’s eyes.

“Ignore them. Get some rest.”

Seeing An Chixu’s stunned expression, Yan Ciwei softened her gaze and gently placed a hand on her head. “Let’s go back to the bedroom, okay?”

An Chixu could only extend her hand.

That night, after taking her medicine, An Chixu’s mind was already hazy. Yan Ciwei coaxed her for a while longer, and she fell asleep almost instantly.

Once An Chixu was sound asleep, Yan Ciwei rose on tiptoe and quietly slipped out of the bedroom.

She walked to the guest room where An Chixu had left Orange and opened the door.

Her expression darkened as she surveyed the pile of cat supplies.

So it really was her.

The next morning, An Chixu woke up fever-free.

Yan Ciwei was still asleep beside her, half-embracing her.

Upon closer inspection, An Chixu noticed strange red marks on her wrist, as if she had been bound by a rope.

She moved her hand, but felt nothing unusual.

If anything, the lingering sensation from their passionate encounter the previous day was more noticeable.

It had been a long time since she had done anything like that, and her hand felt stiff and slightly sore.

Her fingertips also retained a faint tenderness.

While washing up, An Chixu stretched her limbs. Aside from a lingering hoarseness in her throat and a slight dizziness from sleeping too long, she felt fine.

It was time to go to work.

An Chixu didn’t wake Yan Ciwei. Instead, she slipped into the kitchen.

She wanted to make breakfast for Yan Ciwei.

She wasn’t a teenager anymore; she could take care of herself.

And after Yan Ciwei had cared for her, she could certainly return the favor.

An Chixu moved with her usual quiet grace, even the sound of whisking eggs was barely audible.

The kitchen was soundproofed, so no noise carried beyond its walls.

But An Chixu didn’t manage to finish cooking the two fried eggs.

Her waist was suddenly encircled by warm arms.

Yan Ciwei seemed half-asleep. An Chixu didn’t know that Yan Ciwei had stayed up all night watching over her the day before, and had slept fitfully last night, waking frequently to check if An Chixu was still there.

Yan Ciwei had unexpectedly fallen into a deep sleep for an hour. When she opened her eyes again, An Chixu was gone.

“Tuantuan…” Yan Ciwei’s voice was thick and muffled.

Yet her grip was unyielding, holding An Chixu tightly and stroking her body possessively.

You’ve been naughty, her actions seemed to say.

Why are you making breakfast? Yan Ciwei had already prepared everything. An Chixu only needed to heat it up.

Besides, she was right here beside her.

Why can’t you rely on me completely, like you used to?

Yan Ciwei’s fingers gradually tightened, trembling imperceptibly for a moment.

“The timing was perfect. I wanted to make breakfast for you,” An Chixu said, turning off the stove and setting down the spatula.

The eggs were already burnt. Yan Ciwei’s sudden, silent intrusion had startled An Chixu, leaving her unable to react in time.

“It’s all burnt,” Yan Ciwei chuckled softly, finally fully awake, her voice losing its earlier clinginess.

She took An Chixu’s hand, relieved her of the spatula, and kissed her forehead.

The entire sequence unfolded in mere seconds, too fast for An Chixu to process.

An Chixu was, after all, a slow and gentle girl. Yan Ciwei understood this well.

To get her to agree to anything, all she needed was to act quickly, forcing An Chixu into compliance.

Beyond her slow nature, An Chixu was also remarkably patient. When faced with her beloved, she would always retreat.

Especially over something so trivial.

As expected, An Chixu said nothing and released her hand.

Yan Ciwei immediately kissed An Chixu’s cheek, the tip of her nose, her eyelashes, and the corner of her eye, until An Chixu was practically paralyzed. Clutching Yan Ciwei’s collar, An Chixu’s ears burned.

“I’ll take care of it,” Yan Ciwei said, having kissed An Chixu all the way to the kitchen door. “Tuantuan, go take another nap, or… reply to messages?” Her smile turned slightly sinister as she spoke those last three words.

An Chixu, accustomed to Yan Ciwei’s dark smiles, brushed past her shoulder and left the kitchen.

It was just breakfast, after all. Nothing to worry about.

When An Chixu checked her messages, she noticed Shen Jibai had been trending on social media several times in the past two days.

One post, a live performance video from a promotional event, had climbed particularly high. Though it appeared to be posted by a random fan, the comments clearly showed signs of company manipulation.

An Chixu clicked on Shen Jibai’s profile and saw her follower count had surged. The selfie from yesterday had garnered thousands more comments than her previous post, all from active accounts.

Good for her, An Chixu thought sincerely, wishing the young starlet continued success. The sooner she dumps me, her lowly assistant, the better.

After finishing Yan Ciwei’s breakfast and hitching a ride in her car, An Chixu kissed Yan Ciwei before getting out.

She ran quickly, eager to catch up on the work she had fallen behind on these past two days.

Yan Ciwei gently touched the tip of her ear.

She’s being greedy again, she thought, even after An Chixu had already apologized.

“Sister An, you’re finally back! Feeling better from your cold?” Tian Ming, the intern An Chixu was mentoring, rushed over as soon as she saw her.

“Much better, thanks. Anything urgent these past two days?” An Chixu set down her things and immediately switched into work mode.

After two days of pampering by Yan Ciwei, she’d grown too lazy to even move her bones.

“Yes, something huge!” Tian Ming glanced around, pretending to keep it a secret, but didn’t lower her voice. After all, it was an open secret by now.

“Team Leader Tang got fired—” Tian Ming said, raising an eyebrow for emphasis.

No one would ever suspect An Chixu had anything to do with it.

An Chixu’s hand froze mid-motion as she was about to turn on her computer.

She suddenly remembered her high school study monitor. Even though she couldn’t recall the girl’s name or face, she vividly remembered that the girl had dropped out the day after An Chixu mocked her.

How similar. Only Yan Ciwei would do something like this.

“Why?” An Chixu asked, her peripheral vision sweeping over Tian Ming’s face as she quickly regained her composure.

“Rumor has it he messed up his work, they found tons of loopholes, and there might have been some shady dealings…” Tian Ming, always on the front lines of office gossip, had her finger on the pulse.

None of the reasons she mentioned matched the truth: stealing others’ project plans and suppressing subordinates.

So, should my twenty-five-year-old self believe this again?

An Chixu felt a pang of confusion. She could only guess that Yan Ciwei had intervened, but she couldn’t ask directly, nor did she have the right to question Yan Ciwei, who had clearly helped her.

She was simply… a little annoyed by Yan Ciwei’s unsolicited kindness.

She had a plan, after all. Besides, ignoring Tang Shu hadn’t caused any real harm.

Couldn’t Yan Ciwei have at least consulted her beforehand?

An Chixu splashed water on her face in the restroom and took a deep breath.

Just Tang Shu. He’s not worth dwelling on.

With Team Leader Tang fired and no replacement yet appointed, there wasn’t much to do at work today.

An Chixu left on time and returned home to find Yan Ciwei waiting at the door.

Meeting Yan Ciwei’s smiling eyes, An Chixu let go of her annoyance about Tang Shu.

Just an insignificant person.

She had made her choice long ago, and she wouldn’t change it now.

“You’re off work already?” An Chixu tacitly allowed Yan Ciwei to come inside.

After all, this was Yan Ciwei’s house. An Chixu was merely renting it long-term, paying 60% of the market rate annually.

She had originally wanted to pay the full market price, but Yan Ciwei had stubbornly refused during their breakup.

Let her come home.

Maybe we really can…

“I can finish the rest of my work here,” Yan Ciwei said, stepping forward to take An Chixu’s things.

An Chixu spontaneously hugged her. Yan Ciwei couldn’t resist wrapping her arms around An Chixu’s waist.

This was a fleeting dream, one that could end at any moment. Yan Ciwei knew this perfectly well, yet she savored every moment.

She simply missed An Chixu’s embrace too much—her warm, wet kisses, her adorable and earnest fingers…

An Chixu nestled silently in her arms.

Yan Ciwei felt a pang of frustration, but it vanished in an instant as she surrendered to the moment.

She loved Yan Ciwei’s embrace. It was the first time she had ever felt love in the world—an intense, biased affection, a selfless, devoted love.

Just let me indulge for a little longer.

Perhaps Yan Ciwei has changed a lot since two years ago?

Yan Ciwei made dinner. After they finished eating, she fed An Chixu her medicine.

“I’m pretty much fine today,” An Chixu said, holding her cup and looking at Yan Ciwei.

“You still need to take it. You definitely forgot during the day,” Yan Ciwei said, pinching An Chixu’s cheek.

“But I’m clearly better…” An Chixu didn’t argue further, finishing her medicine and leaning back into Yan Ciwei’s arms.

They watched a movie, kissing absurdly.

The next day was much the same.

By the weekend, An Chixu needed to clean out the cat room to prepare for bringing Orange home.

She hadn’t told Yan Ciwei about this yet.

Would Yan Ciwei agree? Or would they adopt a new cat together now that they were back together?

An Chixu pondered this, a sense of joy bubbling within her.

It felt as if her future was filling up again, as if she were no longer an empty shell. The love that had once filled her was returning.

She opened the guest bedroom door.

The room was empty.

The litter box, cat tree, and cat bed…

All gone.

An Chixu’s smile lingered at the corner of her eye.

She thought of someone.

That person was now standing beside her.

Without offering an explanation, Yan Ciwei simply gazed at her silently.

How quiet. This scene felt familiar; four years ago, they had faced each other like this.

The difference was that back then, An Chixu had been emotionally charged, while Yan Ciwei had refused to yield.

They could never reconcile.

An Chixu heard the sound of shattering glass.

She turned her head and met the dark cloud in Yan Ciwei’s eyes.

“You should leave now.”

The weather mirrored their mood, growing overcast as a sudden downpour threatened.