Contractual Cohabitation GL - Chapter 29

“Don’t…”

Taking advantage of the moment the agile tongue slightly released her, Ye Luochen softly uttered these two weightless words, almost like a whisper. After speaking, she realized that the words sounded like a moan, inviting yet resisting, not at all like a genuine protest. She reached out and firmly pressed against Jing Xiaonan’s shoulder, pushing the distance between them slightly, then curled her slender fingers, gripping the shirt the other person was wearing—which she had personally chosen—to support her slightly weakened body. Lowering her head, she struggled to control her rapid breathing. Her flushed face was half annoyed, half shy.

Jing Xiaonan’s breathing was also clearly unstable. With years of attention to physical training, her lung capacity was much better than Ye Luochen’s, so her panting at this moment was only due to genuine arousal.

Allowing herself to kiss Ye Luochen like that just now, completely following her own desire to be close to her and dote on her, intertwining her tongue with her fragrance, feeling her breath, and tasting her flavor. The primitive desire that Jing Xiaonan had always perfectly suppressed with reason surfaced at this moment, swelling in every one of her veins with intense longing, gathering in her chest and transforming into a clamorous urge that momentarily made her almost unable to control herself.

It felt like the longer it was suppressed, the better it was concealed, the more fiercely it would burn like a raging fire when released. She licked her lips, panting, and looked at Ye Luochen with lingering desire, wanting to say something.

“Luochen, I…”

A slightly sexy, husky voice sounded in the fitting room. Hearing the sound, Ye Luochen pushed against the wall behind her to stand up straight, walked two steps around Jing Xiaonan, as if wanting to leave this cramped, ambiguous space. This sudden movement interrupted Jing Xiaonan’s unsaid words. The two stood back-to-back at this moment, quietly.

“Let… let me think about it first, okay?” The slightly cold words broke the silence. Jing Xiaonan couldn’t see her expression at this moment, but she could tell from all her behaviors that this woman indeed needed time to think. She seemingly nodded her head in a lowered posture, but remembering that Ye Luochen couldn’t see her current movement, she had to switch to an audible agreement.

“Okay.” The voice was deep, disappointed but without discontent. Ye Luochen heard it but didn’t know what to think. She paused, then smoothed her slightly messy hair and stepped out of the fitting room first.

“How was the fitting?” The Asian cashier, wearing a staff badge and tidying the clothes on the rack, greeted them with a friendly nod and smile as the two emerged one after the other, asking politely.

Ye Luochen’s gaze nervously avoided contact. Her already pale face instantly flushed scarlet, radiating the look of a young girl’s first blush of love, completely losing the usual aura of the Ye family’s young lady.

“These are all good. We’ll buy two sets of each.”

Deputy General Manager Jing followed her out, smiling gracefully to rescue the certain woman, instantly drawing the sales clerk’s attention. Just as she was about to hand over the clothes she was holding for the clerk to find another set for payment, a calm voice interrupted her.

“No need.”

Two pairs of questioning eyes looked simultaneously in Ye Luochen’s direction. The woman, however, maintained her elegant stride, reached out to take the selected clothes, raised her head to look at the clerk, and deliberately acted as if she were merely answering the confused clerk’s question.

“We will come back to buy more later.”

With that, no one raised any further objections. Jing Xiaonan reached back and scratched her nose, smiling as she lowered her head and used her toe to nudge a price tag that had fallen to the floor. She couldn’t be too proud, nor could she be too impatient. If she didn’t grasp the correct measure, her cute, shy, and thin-skinned little roe deer at home might be scared into running away to who knows where again…

The two had a quiet lunch in a small restaurant in the shopping center. Seeing that Ye Luochen showed no intention of returning home, Jing Xiaonan patiently accompanied her as she browsed the shops. In addition to the few items of clothing bought in the Asian store earlier, two pairs of trousers and a pair of casual, unisex shoes were added to the spoils of war, all of which were, of course, bought for Jing Xiaonan.

By now, she was carrying four bags in her hands, two in each, leaving her arms free in case Ye Luochen wanted to link arms. Ye Luochen did not, however, just walking quietly side-by-side with Jing Xiaonan. Occasionally, if she saw something interesting in a shop window, she would walk over to look, and after looking, she would return to Jing Xiaonan’s side. Although there was no physical contact, a silent understanding could be seen in the pace and posture of the two.

Passing a wedding photography studio, Jing Xiaonan paused, tilting her head and letting her gaze fall on the sample photos displayed by the door. Ye Luochen stood still with her at the entrance and asked:

“What’s wrong?”

“Hmm… I was just thinking. I’ve always heard that people who apply for cohabitation immigration are subject to random checks by the local immigration office. I’m not clear on the specifics, but it’s probably them blocking the door and asking the two people some questions, then touring the house to see the living atmosphere and whether there is cohabitation evidence.”

“Hmm?” Understanding her words, Ye Luochen thought for a moment and connected the dots. “You think we don’t have a joint photo at home?”

“That’s right.” Jing Xiaonan replied while reading the various photography package introductions in front of the shop. “Joint bank accounts, common property, and other evidence—A-Jiong has helped us process all of those. It’s just that at home, it seems to lack the feeling of a married couple living together.”

After a moment of silence, Ye Luochen always knew when Jing Xiaonan was being serious and when she was fooling around, and she understood that what she said made sense.

“You mean we should take some wedding photos here?”

Jing Xiaonan turned her head to look at her. The smooth, exquisite profile of the woman beside her was so beautiful that she couldn’t bear to look away. She asked softly: “Luochen doesn’t want to?”

Feeling a little unnatural under her gaze, Ye Luochen turned her face away.

“It doesn’t matter. It’s just performing a part of the contract.”

The voice was cool, not revealing much emotion, but instead giving off a subtle flavor of self-deception. Jing Xiaonan understood, but neither refuted nor got angry. She chuckled, transferred all the bags in her right hand to her left, and generously took Ye Luochen’s hand, leading her into the shop.

“What kind of photos would you two ladies like to take?” A staff member greeted them with a professional smile.

“Wedding photos.” Jing Xiaonan met the clerk’s gaze and replied without hesitation.

The other party seemed to not understand for a moment, pointing at Ye Luochen and then at Jing Xiaonan, unsure whether the elegant long-haired beauty or the delicate short-haired lady wanted to be the bride. Jing Xiaonan did not shy away, explaining calmly: “We are taking them together. Wedding photos.”

A fleeting look of surprise crossed the clerk’s face, who then quickly reacted and smiled. Unlike the previous, uniform, signature smile, this one showed sincerity and enthusiasm.

“Then will both of you wear wedding dresses, or will one of you be wearing a suit?”

Hearing this, Jing Xiaonan subconsciously turned to look at Ye Luochen. The latter also looked up at her, with a hint of playfulness in her smile. The lighting in the shop was expertly arranged to enhance the effect of the indoor photography, highlighting the visitor’s delicate beauty. Jing Xiaonan was slightly stunned by the sight. Ye Luochen shook their clasped hands and followed the clerk’s question, asking her:

“Hmm? Will both of us wear wedding dresses, or will I wear a suit?”

Jing Xiaonan still hadn’t fully recovered, asking dumbly: “You… you wear a suit?”

Her rare display of clumsiness made Ye Luochen want to tease her a little, otherwise she was always the one being teased. Ye Luochen simply took this as Jing Xiaonan’s answer and, reversing her previous passivity, smiled lightly and said to the clerk: “One wedding dress and one suit.”

Following Ye Luochen, Jing Xiaonan was led by the clerk with a smile to the waiting room. The clerk then left to arrange various matters, leaving the two of them alone once again. Jing Xiaonan stood opposite Ye Luochen and asked: “You wear a suit? I wear a wedding dress, and you wear a suit?”

“Mhm~” Ye Luochen looked up at her without fear, her expression half-smiling, half-not, much like a kitten that imagines itself to be a little tiger.

“I’m the husband and you’re the wife, yet you want me to wear the wedding dress. Is my little lady planning a rebellion?” Her words became much more articulate, and Deputy General Manager Jing had completely regained her composure.

“Who said you’re the husband and I’m the wife? The contract didn’t stipulate that, you know.”

Jing Xiaonan narrowed her eyes upon hearing this, took a step closer, and looked down at her, radiating a little danger.

“Are you sure?”

Ye Luochen’s gaze lowered slightly, directly facing Jing Xiaonan’s lips, which were only an inch away. They looked quite smooth and a little glossy, curled into a slight curve. Involuntarily, the memory of the touch when this person forcefully kissed her in a similar setting earlier—soft, yet with a hint of dominance in the force—suddenly flashed in her mind. Blushing, the slightly reddened little face subtly lowered, no longer daring to talk back.

“Hehe!” Jing Xiaonan smiled with satisfaction, pulling Ye Luochen to sit down on the two-seater sofa. “Actually, I’m not against both of us wearing wedding dresses. I just think my suit can better complement your beauty in a wedding dress. However, since I am a woman, how about I choose a white suit later?”

Ye Luochen didn’t respond to the question, instead slightly furrowing her slender eyebrows, her voice a little muffled: “Actually… you are also a girl. Haven’t you ever longed for a day when you would wear a long dress, dressed as nobly as a princess, and be cherished and doted upon as the bride?” She bit her lip, her voice so soft it made one want to sympathize. “But now, taking photos with me like this, wearing a suit, and lowering yourself to the position of complementing others, don’t you feel wronged?”

Jing Xiaonan sighed softly, resting her hand on Ye Luochen’s slender shoulder, leaning down, and looking up at her. The tender affection in her beautiful peach-blossom eyes was impossible to ignore: “To be honest, I have also dreamt of this day. But in my dream, I am holding hands with someone who understands me, loves me, and is willing to accompany me for the rest of my life. Because she is kind, I am very willing to be the green leaf to set off her beauty. Because she is gentle, I am very happy to protect her and hold her in the palm of my hand. Being together doesn’t require so many rules. As long as the two people feel right, and can keep walking together, that’s enough.”

Ye Luochen slowly raised her head, meeting those crystal-clear eyes, and softly said: “But I truly don’t want you to have any regrets. I don’t want you to feel remorse.”

Smiling reassuringly, Jing Xiaonan was deeply touched by the tenderness in her words, her nose slightly tingling. She spoke softly: “If that’s what you think, then you should seriously consider the relationship between us, and don’t easily refuse me, okay?”