Contractual Cohabitation GL - Chapter 28

The remainder of the weekend for Jing Xiaonan and Ye Luochen was still relaxed.

Vice President Jing, who had long been intensely interested in her work and had almost dedicated herself to building her career to the point of forgetting to eat and sleep for over a decade, finally understood a principle she had always struggled with since registering their cohabitation: why some people enjoy doing nothing and wasting time.

Since Miss Ye moved into the Jing residence, Jing Xiaonan’s life began an unprecedented major adjustment. In the naturally formed mode of interaction between the two, there were always some big or small changes day after day. Many of these changes were welcomed by Jing Xiaonan, but some required her to gradually adapt. Overall, however, this legally paired couple got along very well.

On Sunday morning, Jing Xiaonan slept in a little later to catch up on sleep. After washing up, she looked in the mirror and found that the heavy dark circles accumulated from a week of sleep deprivation had mostly disappeared. The sunlight streamed in from the side window, reflecting in her eyes, making the black pupils very bright, and her whole person felt refreshed. In high spirits, she ruffled her hair, opened the guest room’s wooden door, and habitually and subconsciously wanted to look for a certain graceful figure in the house.

Before she could take the first step out of the door, Jing Xiaonan saw Ye Luochen coming down the stairs, holding the railing, and immediately felt like she was coming to find her. A thought flashed through her mind. Before she could grasp it, her body acted faster than her thoughts, and she flashed behind the door, closing it gently. Only then did she suddenly reflect, why… why did she suddenly want to do that?

After thinking for a while, she realized she had completely forgotten, but a knock on the door reminded her of the original intention. Jing Xiaonan stood stiffly behind the door, listening intently to the movements of the woman outside.

Three light knocks echoed in the room. Ye Luochen patiently lowered her hand to give the person inside some time to respond. However, the usually early-rising and sharp-eared Jing Xiaonan was completely unresponsive this time. Having lived together for over a month, Ye Luochen was very familiar with Jing Xiaonan’s habits; this person loved fresh air and sunlight very much, and if she wasn’t in the room, the door would certainly not be closed.

So she knocked again with some doubt, using a little more force this time.

After a long while, there was still no response.

She frowned slightly, and her tender, naturally red lips moved slightly, as if she were about to say something. A second passed, but still no sound came out. Jing Xiaonan, through the shadow in the gap under the door, judged that Ye Luochen was still standing in the same spot, but was feeling a bit awkward.

Awkward about what? Awkward, of course, about how to address Jing Xiaonan.

In these days of cohabitation, there were only two people and one cat in the house, so there was no need to use titles when speaking. Jing Xiaonan liked the other person’s name and would occasionally call her ‘Luochen,’ but Ye Luochen had never called Jing Xiaonan by name. Of course, in public or when the atmosphere was tense, she never hesitated to call her ‘Vice President Jing,’ but given their current relationship, what should she call her?

With a telepathic connection, Jing Xiaonan could feel the hesitation of the person outside, even through a closed door, and she was in a very good mood, shamelessly wanting to laugh. She waited for a while longer, but then vaguely heard footsteps moving away.

Oh no, why is she leaving? Jing Xiaonan was a little anxious. If the main character leaves, how is she supposed to continue this act?

She was a bit anxious, but there was nothing she could do at this point but maintain her composure and pretend not to know, planning what to do next, when her phone vibrated in her trousers pocket. Jing Xiaonan’s mind was completely focused on Ye Luochen right now, and she didn’t feel like answering the phone. But after thinking about it, in case of an emergency, she took it out of her pocket and glanced at the caller ID.

It was a good thing she looked. Jing Xiaonan couldn’t help but laugh softly. The words ‘Goddess Luo’ (洛神) were flashing conspicuously on the screen. This woman! She would rather resort to this method than overcome her awkwardness to call her by name.

She felt both helpless and amused, and yet still had no recourse. Shaking her head, she answered the call:

“Luochen, what is it?”

The person on the other end didn’t answer immediately but paused for a moment before asking: “Did I wake you up?”

Jing Xiaonan imagined the slightly worried look on her face as she checked the clock. It was already ten o’clock, and she really did rarely sleep in this late. After thinking for a moment, she replied: “No, are you outside?”

“No,” the soft voice sounded a little unnatural, and Jing Xiaonan naturally knew why: “I just came to your room to look for you. Why didn’t you hear me?”

“Oh! I was just listening to music with my headphones on.”

“Mhm, come out to eat. Do you have any work arrangements today?”

“No, what’s up?” Sensing that the woman had an idea, Jing Xiaonan instantly perked up and asked.

“Come out to eat first.” After saying that, Ye Luochen waited for a moment without hearing any objection, then hung up the phone and went downstairs.

Breakfast was very simple. Jing Xiaonan was always accustomed to eating the Australian local breakfast staple, Weet-Bix soaked in milk, plus one or two pieces of fruit. Weet-Bix is a cereal that looks like wood chips stuck together, tasteless but very nutritious. Ye Luochen was not used to it, so she would take Chinese-style breakfast items like steamed buns, xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), and shrimp dumplings, which she had prepared and stored in the freezer, steam them, and eat this Chinese-style breakfast. Jing Xiaonan, tempted by the sight, would occasionally “steal” one, pick it up and put it in her mouth, hissing out hot air, but her eyes would be curved in a very infectious, happy smile.

“Do you really not have any work arrangements later?” Ye Luochen held a steamed bun lightly in her left hand, and with the thumb and forefinger of her right hand, she elegantly tore off a small piece of the pastry, quietly eating her meal.

“No, why?” Jing Xiaonan put down her cup. A thin white film of milk residue on her slightly upturned upper lip involuntarily drew Ye Luochen’s gaze. The certain person, who was unaware of the crime of being adorable, widened her peach-blossom eyes, looking at her and waiting for her leader to speak.

“Mhm,” she lowered her head to eat, and after a long silence, she spoke again, “If you can, will you accompany me to buy some clothes?”

“Buy clothes?” Jing Xiaonan was truly a bit surprised this time. Her eyes wandered across the table, searching as if for something. She didn’t like to buy clothes.

In fact, the dignified Vice President Jing was bad at two things, besides cooking: dressing herself well. Most of her casual clothes were bought by family members on her behalf, and the suits she wore for work were custom-made by someone Qin Yan entrusted. Only a very small number of sportswear items were bought by her when she found them pleasing to the eye. If fashion were an academic subject, Jing Xiaonan would be a perpetual repeat student.

Ye Luochen looked at her, wondering why such a simple request to buy clothes would elicit such a big reaction from this person. Jing Xiaonan felt a little embarrassed by her gaze. She gritted her teeth, as if adopting a do-or-die attitude, and nodded emphatically in agreement. Despite this, she still felt a little reluctant in her heart. It was a perfectly good weekend, couldn’t this woman just peacefully stay with me at home or go out and play? Alas, that’s why shopping is the bane of all women. She paused at that thought. Well, she herself was a non-mainstream woman, an exception.

Driving to the mall, Jing Xiaonan, for once, walked behind Ye Luochen, shuffling along and looking around, planning in her mind where to place Ye Luochen and politely ask her to kindly store her somewhere, or maybe let her wander off to find good food, and then return to find her after this woman finished her shopping spree, so they could go home together. However, Ye Luochen’s pace was quick, seemingly with a specific destination, and before long, Jing Xiaonan found herself staring wide-eyed at a beckoning cat on the counter in a casual wear store.

Of course, the beckoning cat couldn’t possibly lose the staring contest. Jing Xiaonan was bored and turned around dispiritedly to see what Ye Luochen was doing. Today, the woman was wearing a milk-white sweater made of fine wool yarn, simply paired with light blue jeans. The hair on her temples was tucked behind her ears and gathered together, tied behind her head, while the rest flowed naturally like seaweed below her shoulders, adding a comfortable and beautiful grace that was absent from her usual dress-and-skirt look.

After admiring the person, she finally paid attention to the clothes in her hand. Ye Luochen had three or four hangers hooked on her left hand and was using her right hand to flip through the clothes hanging on the rack, continuing to look for ones that pleased her eye. Jing Xiaonan walked a few steps closer to look at the clothes she had selected. Two T-shirts and two casual shirts. Although the styles were clearly feminine, why were the colors mostly neutral? And no matter how she looked at them, this wasn’t Ye Luochen’s dressing style!

Could they be for her?

Just as she was about to ask, Ye Luochen picked out a gray sweater, held it up to Jing Xiaonan to estimate a size, and then contentedly handed them all to her: “Just these for now. An Asian-owned clothing store should be more suitable for an Asian figure, but you should still try them on.”

It really was for her. Jing Xiaonan picked up the clothes and looked at them. Winter was over and the temperature was gradually rising. The clothes Ye Luochen bought for her were all for spring and autumn. Since childhood, she had always been impatient with trying on clothes, but today…

“Mhm, I’ll go try them.”

Following the sales assistant’s gesture, she walked cheerfully into the fitting room. Jing Xiaonan hung the five items on the hook, took out one shirt and sweater, paired them together, smoothed the sleeves, turned the wooden door of the cubicle, and walked out confidently.

“It fits well.” Ye Luochen was indeed waiting behind the door, wanting to see her in the changed clothes. As Jing Xiaonan walked out of the fitting room, she clearly caught a flicker of joy in those crescent eyes. But after the fleeting moment, the woman quickly resumed her gentle smile, stepped forward, and raised her hand to smooth Jing Xiaonan’s slightly messy collar.

“I like it too.” Saying this, she turned around to go back into the cubicle to change into the other clothes, but Ye Luochen called out softly from behind.

“Ai…”

Jing Xiaonan turned around at the sound, her clear, black-and-white eyes fixed on her. Ye Luochen’s only sign of panic was a slight lowering of her head, and she said softly: “If you don’t like changing clothes, you can try the rest at home. The size is the same, so there shouldn’t be a problem.”

Her heart suddenly warmed. Jing Xiaonan softened her gaze, followed her lead by lowering her head, and looked into her beautiful eyes, her voice gentle: “Do you dislike my name that much?”

She glanced at her, but then turned her head away without answering.

“Are the two words, ‘Xiaonan,’ really that unpleasant to hear?” With a hint of coaxing, the person moved a little closer and asked softly.

Sighing faintly, Ye Luochen’s voice was barely audible. Jing Xiaonan had to lean in a little closer to hear her.

“Xiaonan (霄楠), Xiao Nan (小楠). They sound so similar. Gao Jiong, Qin Yan, most people around you call you Xiao Nan.”

Jing Xiaonan froze, staring blankly at Ye Luochen, unsure how to respond. Did she mishear? No, she hadn’t misheard. What the woman meant was…

Coming back to her senses, she couldn’t hide the desire for her lips to curl up, no matter how hard she tried. Jing Xiaonan was overwhelmed with joy. She wrapped her arms around Ye Luochen in a somewhat dominating move, yet the strength in her hands was so gentle. She pressed her other hand against the door and pushed, isolating the two of them from the people outside the fitting room. She leaned down close to Ye Luochen, forcing the somewhat unresponsive girl back against the wall. Jing Xiaonan smiled as she looked at her, her lips curving mischievously, yet her eyes were full of joy and tenderness.

Ye Luochen finally reacted a little. Her cherry lips parted slightly as she was about to say something, but Jing Xiaonan was determined not to give her the chance. Lowering her head, she kissed her, first gently holding her upper lip and lightly sucking and rubbing, then kissing her lower lip. The sensation made Jing Xiaonan abandon the thought of keeping it a brief peck. She extended the tip of her tongue, brushed Ye Luochen’s pearly teeth, gently probed past them, and entered.

This should be their first kiss, and it was so beautiful. Jing Xiaonan’s nimble tongue hooked the slightly bewildered little tongue, playing, teasing, and circling in the warm, small space. Ye Luochen was initially surprised by Jing Xiaonan’s sudden change, but even after realizing it, she gradually lost herself in this wonderful feeling and forgot to resist. Wave after wave of unfamiliar sensations washed over her consciousness, and her body against the wall slowly went limp.

Jing Xiaonan felt Ye Luochen slide down a few centimeters and immediately reached her hand into the gap between her back against the wall and her alluring rear. Holding her in this half-embrace, she deepened the kiss. It was only when she truly and deeply kissed this woman that Jing Xiaonan realized how long she had yearned for this intimacy with her. And what she was doing now was far from enough compared to what she wanted to achieve!