After Transmigrating, I Became The Heroine’s First Love! - Chapter 37

The golden moon climbed onto the tree branches, revealing its plump, round body as it gazed down at the people below.

“You’re finally here,” Qiao Yanxin said, her hands tucked into her pockets and her neck hunched as she greeted Pei Xiangwan, her tone carrying a hint of reproach.

Pei Xiangwan patted Qiao Yanxin’s coat. “Sorry, sorry! Are you wearing so many layers?” She pinched the thick fabric a few times.

Qiao Yanxin shrugged. “What else would I do? It’s freezing at night. Come inside quickly—everything’s ready. We’ve just been waiting for you.”

The place was simple, lacking any extravagant decorations.

A towering, leafless tree stood tall, its bare branches resembling countless hands reaching to pierce the night sky.

The wind couldn’t rustle its branches; it had gone silent. Beneath the starry expanse, the old house glowed brightly.

Pei Xiangwan loved houses with a sense of history. As she stepped inside, the harsh light from the inner room made her squint.

Qiao Yanxin exclaimed, “Wow! This light is so bright! I just got used to it, and now I’m not used to it again after stepping outside for a moment.”

Pei Xiangwan slowly opened her eyes and said, “It is quite bright.”

Ma Wanqing, organizing her materials, said, “Almost ready. The dye vat is in the courtyard.”

When the three emerged after Ma Wanqing finished, the courtyard lights had been lit.

Pei Xiangwan noticed rows of indigo-dyed fabrics drying on the other side.

Whoosh—whoosh— In the wind, they resembled blue-and-white flags, or perhaps white clouds drifting across the sky. Each piece was unique, a breathtaking and delightful sight.

She felt as if she were standing in a peculiar ocean, its blue-and-white waves rising and falling in gentle undulations.

The dye vat itself had been draped in blue. Pei Xiangwan approached slowly, her curiosity piqued by everything around her.

Qiao Yanxin, on the other hand, spun around wildly, darting through the blue-and-white sea like a restless little bird, unwilling to stop.

She exclaimed repeatedly, “Wow! Everything’s blue! Even the Smurfs’ village isn’t this blue!”

Pei Xiangwan smiled and said, “Aren’t the Smurfs’ homes mushrooms?”

At that moment, she inhaled the pungent aroma rising from the dye vat. The smell wasn’t pleasant, but it was beautiful.

Qiao Yanxin asked with some concern, “Will it wash off?”

Ma Wanqing pulled out a pair of unopened gloves. “You can wear these. A few dips won’t stain permanently; it’ll wash off.”

Noticing Qiao Yanxin staring at her hands, she forced a smile and said, “I started helping my parents with this when I was seven. My grandmother said I was the only child in the family, so it was my duty to carry on the tradition, or it would die out.”

Ma Wanqing’s expression turned sorrowful as she gazed at the glittering stars.

She chuckled bitterly. “Learning was so hard back then. My grandmother used to slap my palms when I made mistakes. She insisted we couldn’t wear gloves, claiming it would affect the dyeing process. After years of doing this, some color naturally seeps into your skin.”

The wind seemed to urge tears to escape her eyes. She desperately wanted to break her habit of crying easily, but Pei Xiangwan’s words cracked the fragile shell she had been trying to build.

Pei Xiangwan said, “You are a child of the blue sky. Everyone must look up to you.”

Realizing her mistake, Qiao Yanxin chimed in, “Yeah, yeah, ha ha ha.”

“Thank you,” Ma Wanqing said, her words carried away by the wind into the vast wilderness.

“It’s so hard! It feels different from how you tie it, Wanqing,” Pei Xiangwan said, her hands stained blue as she held up the square scarf, which now resembled a blooming blue water lily.

“Let me see.” Ma Wanqing took the scarf and quickly noticed Pei Xiangwan’s hands. “You’re not wearing gloves?”

Pei Xiangwan nodded. “No, it’s fine. It’s easier to work this way.” She raised an eyebrow, prompting Ma Wanqing to pinpoint the mistake. “Help me check it, Wanqing.”

Ma Wanqing examined the scarf closely. “It’s already pretty good, especially for your first time. It’s way better than my first attempt.”

Her smile bloomed like a snowdrop reborn, rekindling her hope for life.

Qiao Yanxin paused for a few seconds before stepping forward. “Check mine too! Check mine too! I’m freezing—this wind keeps blowing!”

“Not bad at all,” Ma Wanqing replied.

The three of them sat on stools in the center of the courtyard, where they could get a clearer view of the stars. The blue and white flag fluttered in the air, its rustling overlapping with their laughter and chatter.

“Xiao Jiang, I think I got some sand in my eye,” Lin Su said, closing her eyes and wincing as if in pain. “Could you take a look?”

Jiang Shiyuan smirked coldly, though her voice remained sweet. “Really, Sister Lin? Let me see.”

A sudden, blinding light forced Jiang Shiyuan to stop moving. She shielded her eyes with her hand, but she couldn’t block the voice that made her heart race.

“Jiang Jiang.”

The light vanished. Jiang Shiyuan lowered her hand and opened her eyes. The person had already gotten out of the car, closed the door, and was standing nearby, gazing at her.

Lin Su gritted her teeth, so close to succeeding… She wanted to continue her act.

“Xiao…”

“Wanwan!” Jiang Shiyuan’s excited tone completely shattered Lin Su’s pretense.

Damn it, damn it!

Like a little white fox, Jiang Shiyuan leaped into Pei Xiangwan’s arms. Luckily, Pei Xiangwan caught her.

“You really think you’re a fox, huh? What if I hadn’t caught you? Would you have lost your teeth?”

Jiang Shiyuan loved the doting tone Pei Xiangwan used when speaking to her, as if she were still favoring her.

The two had returned to their old selves, the previous gloom completely dispelled. She knew that having someone follow Pei Xiangwan had been wrong.

But she still couldn’t fully trust her. Just as it takes time to piece together a shattered mirror, even when reassembled, it might never fully regain its original form.

How much more so with them? What she wanted was for Pei Xiangwan to always be there, but the other woman kept giving her the illusion that one day she would leave her.

“It’s getting late, Xiao Jiang. I should be going now,” Lin Su said with a smile, but the look she gave Pei Xiangwan was anything but friendly.

Pei Xiangwan didn’t bother glaring at this “dead cockroach,” afraid of dirtying her eyes. She’d have to go wash them afterward, which wouldn’t be worth the effort.

She leaned down and whispered into the Little Fox’s ear, “Jiang Jiang, you need to stay away from this woman.”

Jiang Shiyuan, nestled in her arms, couldn’t bear the soft brush of Pei Xiangwan’s breath against her ear, which made it burn. She lifted her head and pressed her hand over Pei Xiangwan’s mouth to stop her from saying more.

Jiang Shiyuan’s smile shone brilliantly under the moonlight, outshining everything else that glowed in the area. Yet it lacked its usual tenderness, replaced by a seductive allure.

“Just a little bit more,” she murmured. “She’ll be where she belongs soon.”

Pei Xiangwan blinked, her lips frozen by the icy touch of Jiang Shiyuan’s finger, like a talisman holding her still. She dared not move, her heart pounding so violently she feared Jiang Shiyuan would hear it.

Jiang Shiyuan’s possessiveness toward Pei Xiangwan was like her obsession with the scent of gardenias—it only grew stronger, never waning.

“Wanwan, coming home so late? Where have you been?” Jiang Shiyuan’s gaze held an intense possessiveness, as if she were looking at a doll that already belonged to her, branding it with her mark.

Her eyes drifted downward, lingering on Pei Xiangwan’s unzipped navy blue athletic jacket, revealing the hollow of her neck—the very spot Jiang Shiyuan longed to kiss.

Her hand twitched with anticipation as she muttered, “Something’s missing.” Her fingers slowly traced the curve of Pei Xiangwan’s lips.

This made Pei Xiangwan feel ticklish. She tugged on Jiang Shiyuan’s hand. “What did Jiang Jiang say?”

Jiang Shiyuan smiled. “I said Wanwan doesn’t seem to like wearing necklaces. You’ve never worn one.”

Pei Xiangwan touched her neck. “I don’t really like them. They feel uncomfortable.” She still hadn’t gotten used to Jiang Shiyuan’s wet, fox-like eyes.

Every time they made eye contact, Pei Xiangwan would lose after only a few seconds. It was as if there was an invisible hook in Jiang Shiyuan’s eyes, drawing anyone who looked into them to bite down willingly and be reeled in.

Pei Xiangwan could only run. She couldn’t offer Jiang Shiyuan the eternal companionship she craved.

Jiang Shiyuan’s hand gently touched the hollow of Pei Xiangwan’s neck. “This is perfect,” she murmured. “It’ll be even more noticeable.”

Pei Xiangwan placed her hands on Jiang Shiyuan’s cheeks, kneading them like dough as she teased the Little Fox who spoke in such strange ways.

“Why are you talking so strangely today, hmm?” Jiang Shiyuan’s cheeks were even softer than dough, making Pei Xiangwan reluctant to let go.