Being Raised in Captivity by the Former Canary - Chapter 17

In the villa district on the outskirts of R City, two villas stood close together, separated by three years. One had changed ownership, while the other remained occupied by its original residents.

Jiang Jixue had only recently finished renovating her villa and rarely stayed there herself, making Quan Ruo’an the first guest she brought home.

That night, the air was as cool as water.

In the bedroom, the rhythmic rise and fall of warm, shallow breaths intertwined. Jiang Jixue straddled Quan Ruo’an, her legs clamped around his waist. One hand pinned his wrists, while the other moved downward to unbutton his shirt.

“Xiao Xue!” Quan Ruo’an struggled, but Jiang Jixue’s long legs and fingers held him as securely as if he were bound by rope.

“Mmm…” Jiang Jixue leaned down, pressing frantic kisses against his lips and the tender skin behind his ear.

Quan Ruo’an’s face flushed crimson as he glared at the woman atop him, her body already consumed by desire. After years apart, Xiao Xue’s hair had grown long. Now, as she straddled him, he didn’t even need to lower his head for the cool, fragrant strands to brush against his hands and face.

The silky strands swept across his skin, sending shivers of pleasure through him as their intoxicating aroma drifted into his nostrils.

Quan Ruo’an’s heart raced, her mind a chaotic swirl, yet she found herself savoring the moment.

Driven by selfish motives, she had committed many inhumane acts in the past, leaving her feeling deeply indebted to Jiang Jixue.

“Elder Sister…” Jiang Jixue leaned against Quan Ruo’an, her lips brushing against her ear as her arms wrapped around her waist from behind. Quan Ruo’an ceased resisting, allowing Jiang Jixue to cling to her for a while.

The person pressed against her closed her eyes gently, her skin as white as snow, her thick lashes fanning out like miniature crow-feather fans.

Jiang Jixue’s robe had slipped open during their playful tussle, revealing the deep hollow of her collarbone with a slight downward glance.

Quan Ruo’an’s gaze lingered on Jiang Jixue’s face, carefully absorbing every change in her features over the past few years.

Before long, Jiang Jixue’s breathing settled into a soft, steady rhythm.

Quan Ruo’an carefully eased Jiang Jixue off her.

But the moment Jiang Jixue’s back touched the bed, her eyes snapped open, showing no trace of drowsiness—only a hint of hidden terror.

Over the years, because of Quan Ruo’an, Jiang Jixue’s nerves had become critically frayed, her sleep so shallow that even the slightest disturbance could instantly rouse her.

“Don’t leave!” Jiang Jixue, lying on the bed, turned her head and grabbed Quan Ruo’an’s sleeve.

Though her voice trembled slightly, she managed to issue the command with a hint of anger.

Quan Ruo’an was taken aback by the sight of Jiang Jixue’s wide, furious eyes, slightly parted lips, and a face contorted with anger and fear. He hadn’t expected Xiao Xue to react so strongly.

“I… I’m sorry,” Quan Ruo’an blurted out involuntarily.

The rustle of fabric filled the room as Jiang Jixue sat up, her raven hair cascading down her face, her expression returning to its usual serene composure. Her slender fingers casually tied the thin sash around her waist.

Once she had adjusted her robe, Jiang Jixue lazily lifted her gaze to meet his, a hint of resignation in her eyes. She exhaled deeply. “Let’s continue.”

Quan Ruo’an: ???

Could these words really be coming from the mouth of the once pure and innocent flower of the motherland?

Quan Ruo’an reached to pull back the covers, but as if his movement had been anticipated, a hand pressed down on the blanket once more.

This time, it was a sudden embrace. Jiang Jixue’s hand firmly gripped the back of Quan Ruo’an’s stiff neck.

A seductive voice whispered in her ear, “I told you, Elder Sister… I want…”

Quan Ruo’an’s heart pounded, her veins throbbing. Her entire body burned with heat. For the past three years, she had thought she was becoming asexual, but now she realized that was far from the truth.

A faint sigh escaped Jiang Jixue’s lips, her warm breath ghosting across Quan Ruo’an’s ear. Her soft, boneless hand began stroking the back of Quan Ruo’an’s neck. Jiang Jixue’s supple body pressed tightly against Quan Ruo’an’s chest, allowing her to feel the other woman’s warmth and the rhythm of her breathing.

This teasing instantly aroused Quan Ruo’an. The floral fragrance Jiang Jixue had left lingering in her mouth from their earlier kiss still lingered.

Quan Ruo’an gritted her teeth and forcefully pushed her away.

“Xiao Xue, we can’t do this right now,” Quan Ruo’an said, her voice strained with restraint.

Jiang Jixue sighed. “I let you stay here, and you won’t even provide ‘sleep accompaniment’ services?”

Quan Ruo’an nearly choked on her own saliva at Jiang Jixue’s casual remark.

She remained silent, staring at her.

Jiang Jixue continued, her gaze pure and bright, “Even just sleeping together is out of the question?”

Phew, Quan Ruo’an actually let out a sigh of relief.

Her lifelong habit of never sharing a bed with anyone had been ingrained since childhood. But if someone could break that pattern, she was willing to try.

Quan Ruo’an’s newfound openness was entirely thanks to Jiang Jixue’s earlier, mind-blowing suggestion.

“Okay… just sleeping together is okay,” Quan Ruo’an finally conceded, the words barely audible.

Jiang Jixue’s lips curved into a smile. She patted the space beside her. “Then come over here,” she said, her tone light and cheerful, a complete contrast to her earlier demeanor.

Why does she sound like she’s coaxing a puppy? Quan Ruo’an thought to herself, but she still burrowed deeper under the covers.

Jiang Jixue exhaled deeply, a hint of satisfaction in her breath. She reached out and turned off the light, then shifted closer to Quan Ruo’an.

In the darkness, all senses sharpened. The villa district’s soundproofing was so good that the nights were always eerily silent. But with someone beside her, the night didn’t feel quite so lonely and profound.

Suddenly, Quan Ruo’an felt a weight on her shoulder. Jiang Jixue’s soft hair brushed against her cheek, filling her world with Jiang Jixue’s scent.

Time passed unnoticed. Under the moonlight, the weeping crabapple blossoms glistened with dewdrops.

Jiang Jixue’s eyelashes fluttered. Even in the darkness, she could make out the blurred outline of the person beside her on the pillow.

Her weakened nerves often caused sharp headaches, and at night she would often find herself trapped in a frigid, painful abyss, unable to sleep. Occasionally, she would be tormented by dreams of her past with Quan Ruo’an from two years ago.

Whenever sleep finally came, the bitter cold of Saint Petersburg would return. In those dark, collapsing days, she had huddled alone in a corner of her off-campus room, surrounded by scattered wine bottles, as she received the school’s final warning and the news of her grandmother’s death…

Jiang Jixue unconsciously shuddered and tightened her embrace around the person beside her. But now she had found her warmth, the only light she could cling to.

Quan Ruo’an’s fall from grace had become her readily available sun.

In the middle of the night, Quan Ruo’an woke up feeling hot. Something heavy was pressing against her chest.

She reached out and touched hair. For a few seconds, her brain froze before she realized Jiang Jixue was leaning completely against her chest.

Even in the darkness, Quan Ruo’an couldn’t help but gasp in shock. She hurriedly and gently withdrew the hand resting on her.

Aside from the dreamlike events of the previous night, this was the first time Quan Ruo’an had truly shared a bed with someone. She didn’t wake until 8:30 AM, having slept surprisingly well. It wasn’t as unbearable as she had imagined—at least, that’s what she thought when she first opened her eyes.

But as her thoughts gradually returned, she became acutely aware of something soft and heavy pressing against her chest.

Looking down, she saw another hand.

Quan Ruo’an immediately revised her opinion of Jiang Jixue.

She now strongly suspected this was deliberate.

Jiang Jixue remained sound asleep, her dark hair spread across the pillow like ink spilled across parchment. Her profile was delicate and pale, her honey-colored lips pressed into a thin line, her breathing shallow. She looked almost exactly as she had when she fell asleep, except for her wandering hand.

Quan Ruo’an silently averted her gaze, about to throw back the covers and get out of bed, when she unexpectedly met a pair of clear, cold, upturned eyes.

Jiang Jixue sat up in bed, casually adjusting her robe after noticing it had come undone.

She gazed into Quan Ruo’an’s eyes, a faint smile playing on her lips.

She really hadn’t left.

“Is this the first night we’ve truly spent together?” she asked, referring to the time she had secretly climbed into Quan Ruo’an’s bed on their first night.

“Xiao Xue, you’ve changed so much.”

Jiang Jixue’s smile remained unwavering as she ignored the comment and swung her legs off the bed. “Elder Sister, I have a gift for you.”

As she walked, she slipped off her robe.

The robe’s sash came undone, and the thin fabric slid off her body, pooling at her feet like a pristine white, multi-layered flower. The woman standing before Quan Ruo’an was flawless, her jade-like skin smooth and radiant, her shoulders rounded and delicate.

Quan Ruo’an’s pupils dilated slightly as she immediately noticed a red scar on Jiang Jixue’s slender neck.

But the scar was visible for only a moment before Jiang Jixue casually picked up a white shirt lying nearby and covered it.

Jiang Jixue opened the bedroom door and walked out, leaving Quan Ruo’an behind.

Quan Ruo’an had no choice but to follow Jiang Jixue to the guest bathroom.

The woman moved with elegant languor, tying up her thick black hair with a hairband. Sensing Quan Ruo’an’s gaze, she deliberately furrowed her delicate brows and turned to look at her. “I specifically left the master bathroom for you. Why did you follow me out here?”

Quan Ruo’an: “……”

After three years apart, the once innocent “white flower” had blossomed into something dazzlingly radiant—and increasingly wicked.

No, Quan Ruo’an thought again, perhaps I’m just truly down on my luck, always being manipulated by her.

To put it in more modern terms, this was called “black-bellied.”

Over the years, Quan Ruo’an had learned to reflect on her actions more often. She silently turned and returned to the master bathroom.

Jiang Jixue turned around, her delicate brows now genuinely furrowed.

Elder Sister actually just silently turned and left like that?

She didn’t lean against the doorframe, teasing me with that aloof, superior air like she used to?

The world has truly turned upside down.

Jiang Jixue now had the complete illusion that their identities had been switched, their souls exchanged.

While they were washing up, the housekeeper Jiang Jixue had booked the previous day arrived to prepare breakfast for them.

It was a stomach-warming meal of oatmeal porridge, brown sugar porridge, and three small side dishes.

Quan Ruo’an sat at the table, a complex emotion flickering in her eyes.

So Xiao Xue still remembers that I usually prefer Chinese-style breakfasts in the morning.

Those who knew her used to say that the icy President Quan was nothing like the domineering CEOs in dramas, who often ordered an iced Americano and a Western breakfast. Instead, she favored health-conscious Chinese sets, the kind that were so hot they were almost impossible to eat.

“This is the first time I’ve seen a guest at Miss Jiang’s home,” the housekeeper remarked with a smile before leaving, her gaze lingering on the unfamiliar yet refined and aloof woman at the table.

Jiang Jixue maintained her composure and explained, “Aunt Quan, this is my cousin. She’s staying with me for a few days.”

Quan? Quan? Or Quan?

Could it be what I’m thinking? No way!

Quan Ruo’an’s eyelid twitched as she looked up and met Jiang Jixue’s gaze across the table.

Jiang Jixue’s eyelashes fluttered as she winked at Quan Ruo’an.

Back when she was browsing the housekeeping services website, Jiang Jixue had immediately noticed Aunt Quan, whose surname sounded the same as her own. This coincidence had subconsciously made her favor the woman slightly.

Jiang Jixue propped her head with one hand, her eyes sparkling as she gazed at the “Quan” across the table.