Being Raised in Captivity by the Former Canary - Chapter 12

A City glittered with dazzling lights and bustling traffic at night. Inside the presidential suite, a woman stepped out of the bathtub, her naked, fair-skinned legs reflected in the glass.

Water droplets clung stubbornly to her body and long hair, some falling with each step, while others lingered stubbornly on her exquisite figure.

She leisurely tied her bathrobe and hesitated between the two phones lying flat on the bed.

After a moment’s contemplation, she picked up one of them. Quan Ruo’an’s eyelids drooped, her cheeks flushed with a rosy hue, giving her a rare, patient, and serene appearance.

She turned on the phone and waited.

Night always stirred restless desires within people. Though vague and undefined, Quan Ruo’an likely knew what she wanted.

As soon as the phone powered on, several messages popped up.

The WeChat account on this phone contained only one contact—a number without a saved name. A red notification badge with a number hovered over the snow-white profile picture.

Two days ago, at 10:58 PM:

Jixue: Elder Sister, when are you coming back?

Jixue: I miss you.

Jixue: Kitten begging.jpg

Quan Ruo’an smiled, but it was merely a stiff twitch of her lips. A fleeting ripple crossed her eyes before vanishing. Her fingers moved across the screen, and the video call rang out abruptly.

Only after the ringing began did she realize how abrupt and unnatural her actions had been.

Never mind, she thought. She’s the Gold Master. She can contact her whenever she wants.

In an instant, the faint guilt and sense of wrongdoing she had felt vanished.

One second, two seconds, three seconds, four seconds…

Quan Ruo’an silently counted the beats. After several dozen seconds, a hint of displeasure finally flickered across her icy face.

It’s only 11:30 PM. Do college students go to bed this early?

Just as the thought formed, the video call connected with a chime.

The first frame showed a snow-white ceiling. As the camera tilted downward, Jiang Jixue’s shyly surprised face appeared. Her eyes were clear and bright, as pure as spring water, and seemed to gaze at Quan Ruo’an with a hint of bashfulness.

No matter how many times Quan Ruo’an had seen her, the sight of that ethereal face still stirred a surge of delight and surprise within her.

Quan Ruo’an’s gaze swept downward, taking in every detail visible in the video. When she noticed the rosy flush on Jiang Jixue’s cheeks and the tiny droplets of water clinging to her collarbone, the displeasure she hadn’t even realized she felt vanished in an instant.

It was beautiful, and she wanted to see more.

Quan Ruo’an remained silent, causing Jiang Jixue’s heart to pound with unease.

“…Elder Sister?” Jiang Jixue ventured.

“Ah,” Quan Ruo’an snapped out of her reverie. “Still awake?”

“Mm… I just finished showering,” Jiang Jixue replied, her gaze drifting to the woman’s flushed cheeks and damp eyelashes on the screen. “Did Elder Sister just shower too?”

“Can’t you tell?” Quan Ruo’an’s lips curved into a casual smile.

“I can tell,” Jiang Jixue nodded obediently.

Quan Ruo’an fell silent again, seeming lost in thought or perhaps carefully choosing her words.

Jiang Jixue stared intently at the figure on the phone, waiting with rapt attention for her to speak.

“Xiao Xue,” Quan Ruo’an suddenly said.

“Mm?” Jiang Jixue responded, leaning closer as if they were face-to-face.

Quan Ruo’an’s lips curved into a gentle smile, her eyes softening momentarily.

Before Jiang Jixue could recover from that tender gaze, Quan Ruo’an’s voice crackled with sudden intensity.

“Xiao Xue, I’m so bored tonight. Why don’t you play for Elder Sister?”

Jiang Jixue’s mind went blank, her ears ringing.

The words that had just reached her ears were not only shocking but also utterly unbelievable.

Jiang Jixue’s lips moved soundlessly, but no sound escaped.

Suddenly, despair washed over her. Could she selfishly, subjectively, interpret her request as mere playful banter between lovers?

Jiang Jixue desperately wanted to deceive herself into believing that.

“Elder Sister, I won’t…”

I won’t play alone.

Quan Ruo’an’s gaze grew sharper and clearer, as if he hadn’t heard her murmured words. He continued speaking as if she hadn’t said anything at all: “There are toys in the second drawer of the left bedside table, aren’t there? Take out the one we use most often.”

Quan Ruo’an’s voice was flat and cold, yet soft and delicate.

Jiang Jixue remained motionless, the air seeming to freeze around her. After three seconds of silence, she could feel Quan Ruo’an’s patience wearing thin. After agonizing for what felt like an eternity, she finally spoke in a voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz, desperately clinging to her last shred of dignity: “…Can we not record a video?”

Whether it was her imagination or not, Jiang Jixue heard a scornful snort. Immediately afterward, Quan Ruo’an’s voice cut through the air: “Do you really think I’m that kind of person?”

After all this, she hadn’t received a clear answer, but a question in return.

Jiang Jixue unconsciously bit her lower lip, torn between conflicting emotions and a sense of helplessness.

I can’t keep Elder Sister waiting too long… As soon as Quan Ruo’an finished speaking, Jiang Jixue began unbuttoning her pajamas. Her collarbones and shoulders gradually came into view.

Quan Ruo’an propped his phone up and reclined lazily, half-lidded eyes and thick lashes partially obscuring his probing, appreciative gaze.

That gaze burned into her skin, and Jiang Jixue, unsure if he was truly watching, hastily removed her clothes.

“Go get the toy,” Quan Ruo’an instructed casually, as if discussing the weather, while lying on the bed with one hand propping up his head.

Following his instructions, Jiang Jixue retrieved their most frequently used model.

Under his watchful eyes, she awkwardly began caressing her body.

Her breathing was shallow, tears shimmering in her eyes. The silver thread of saliva between her slightly parted lips glinted faintly. Her cheeks flushed pink with a mixture of shame and arousal, her movements clumsy yet restrained, as if afraid to disturb a delicate flower trembling in the night.

By the time Jiang Jixue finished and fell asleep, the video call had ended. Quan Ruo’an stood alone by the window, suppressing his inner turmoil. After smoking a cigarette and taking a shower, he finally went to bed.

But the images from earlier replayed vividly in his mind, disrupting his sleep.

The next morning, the damp stain on his underwear confirmed his body’s reaction.

The day of the promised dorm gathering arrived quickly.

But the message at the top of their chat group remained from their last video call. Jiang Jixue hadn’t received any further word about Quan Ruo’an’s return.

University gatherings were typically just the usual: Haidilao hotpot, Korean barbecue, or hotpot. The people she’d be seeing weren’t particularly important to her, and with Quan Ruo’an away these past few days, coupled with the lingering memories of that unfinished night, Jiang Jixue felt a persistent sense of longing.

To put it plainly, she was lovesick.

In low spirits, Jiang Jixue kept her appearance simple. She applied a light layer of tinted moisturizer, put on a baseball cap, and hailed a taxi from her apartment.

The group chat buzzed incessantly. Qu Fang tagged her, asking if her girlfriend was coming, followed by a dog emoji.

Jiang Jixue’s fingers flew across her phone screen.

Jiang Jixue: She’s busy.

Qu Fang: Alright.

Among her dormmates, Jiang Jixue was closest to Yue Tingqin, a girl majoring in the same field. They often stayed late in the studio, painting until the early hours, before walking back to the dorm together.

Yet both were reserved and quiet by nature, so their bond remained somewhat superficial.

No sooner had Qu Fang messaged her in the group chat than Yue Tingqin sent Jiang Jixue a private message.

With many students moving out in their junior and senior years, only the two of them remained in the dorm.

Yue Tingqin messaged: Yesterday, Qu Fang was saying in the dorm that she wanted to see what your girlfriend looks like.

Jiang Jixue snorted when she saw the message. She probably wants to see if I’m dating some old lady or a grandma, right?

Too bad Quan Ruo’an isn’t some old lady or grandma, but a sophisticated woman only five years older than me, Jiang Jixue added to herself mentally.

The humor was only amplified by Yue Tingqin’s dry reply: I think so.

The group unanimously agreed to go for hotpot, followed by a night out at a bar until midnight.

Since confirming her sugar relationship with Quan Ruo’an, Jiang Jixue had rarely touched alcohol, and when she did, she never drank to excess.

But…

Jiang Jixue hesitated. Quan Ruo’an was currently away on a business trip, her location unknown. Perhaps she could indulge herself just this once while her benefactor was away…

At the hotpot table, Qu Fang and another roommate dominated the conversation, Yue Tingqin occasionally chiming in with a laugh. Jiang Jixue, however, remained mostly silent, diligently dipping vegetables into the tomato broth.

“Our Jixue really is a pampered young lady—can’t handle any spice,” Qu Fang remarked, her gaze sweeping across the table before settling on the snow-white girl sitting opposite her.

Jiang Jixue: “Isn’t it a bit narrow-minded to determine someone’s social class based solely on their personal taste?”

“I was just saying, don’t take it seriously,” Qu Fang said, then added, as if to justify herself, “Anyway, all my wealthy friends have never eaten spicy food since they were kids.”

Qu Fang deliberately emphasized the word “since they were kids.”

Jiang Jixue lowered her head and casually picked up a piece of baby bok choy with her chopsticks, saying, “Your friends sure are remarkably consistent.”

Qu Fang, having run out of conversation, could only pick up a piece of tofu and swallow it.

After finishing the hotpot, the group walked to a nightclub on another street. Qu Fang had reserved a VIP booth in advance, and the table was already laden with drinks when they arrived.

The nightclub was dimly lit, with various colored lights intertwining and rotating across the room, bathing the patrons in alternating hues. The overwhelming fragrance made it difficult to adjust at first.

The group had arrived early. After sitting for about half an hour, as more people seeking entertainment or solace began to fill the club, the others went to the dance floor to dance.

Jiang Jixue remained alone at the booth, steadily drinking glass after glass. After who-knows-how-many drinks, when she tried to stand up, the world spun violently, and she collapsed back onto the sofa.

“Damn it,” Jiang Jixue cursed under her breath.

It’s been so long since I drank.

I got carried away.

This is bad.

The realization flooded her mind, accompanied by a pang of regret.

Unable to get up, Jiang Jixue curled up on the sofa, using her arm as a pillow, and drifted off to sleep.