Forbidden Deep Affection (GL) - Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The cars ahead finally started moving slowly, and Ming Shuang jumped off the car and said, “We can go now.”

The movement progressed slowly, but they finally passed the congested road.

“We’ll probably reach Vegas in the middle of the night,” Ming Shuang said, checking the navigation. They originally could have made it for dinner, but skydiving and traffic delayed them.

“We’ll definitely feel tired at midnight, and finding a hotel will be troublesome. Let’s find a motel to stay in first,” Ye Ting Shuang suggested.

“Okay,” Ming Shuang agreed.

The sky turned completely dark, and Ming Shuang stopped at the first motel along the route.

Perhaps because of the traffic, many people came to stay, and the owner told them the rooms were fully booked.

They searched a map and found the next place to stay was over two hours away. While discussing whether to try their luck at the next one, the owner’s wife suddenly said an attic room was available at a cheap price, as long as they didn’t mind the cramped space.

“Let’s check the room first,” Ye Ting Shuang said.

The attic had a sloped roof, low eaves, and a ceiling they could touch with their hands. The space felt very confined, without even a private bathroom.

The owner’s wife said they could use her daughter’s bathroom since her daughter was traveling.

“What do you think?” Ye Ting Shuang asked, leaving the choice to Ming Shuang, as she could stay or not.

Ming Shuang looked up at the skylight, and after a moment, she suddenly turned off the light.

The owner’s wife instinctively shouted, “What happened?”

“Don’t worry; she just wants to see if she can spot the stars,” Ye Ting Shuang explained.

The light brightened the room again, and Ming Shuang grinned at her and said, “You figured me out?”

Ye Ting Shuang had likely guessed her answer already and turned to look at the flowers and plants under the windowsill.

“Let’s take this one, but it’s really small. Can you lower the price more?” Ming Shuang asked the owner’s wife.

“I’ve already given you the cheapest price, but I can offer you dinner,” the owner’s wife replied.

“Great, thanks,” Ming Shuang said.

The owner’s wife went downstairs to prepare dinner, and Ye Ting Shuang gently touched the flower petals and said, “You’re quite good at bargaining.”

“I learned from friends. When you’re out, haggle as much as you can; a little effort saves a bit,” Ming Shuang explained.

“I thought you were used to splurging,” Ye Ting Shuang said, recalling how Ming Shuang called her stingy more than once.

“It depends on my mood,” Ming Shuang replied.

Ye Ting Shuang opened the window and pointed outside. Ming Shuang looked and saw an open balcony, but the only door led to the hallway. To get to the balcony, they had to…

Ye Ting Shuang watched Ming Shuang climb through the window, glanced at her own skirt, figured it was dark and no one was around, and climbed over with her arms.

As soon as she landed, Ming Shuang said playfully, “You flashed.”

Ye Ting Shuang gave her a fleeting glance and walked around the balcony casually.

“Are you using silence to hide your embarrassment now?” Ming Shuang teased.

Ye Ting Shuang didn’t respond.

“Are you getting annoyed and cursing me in your head?” Ming Shuang continued.

Ye Ting Shuang turned back, her eyes sharp, as if warning her.

Seeing this, Ming Shuang tilted her head and laughed.

Even she didn’t realize how much she enjoyed teasing Ye Ting Shuang these past two days.

“Hey! Nana姐, Lily姐! What a coincidence!” a clear voice called from below.

They looked down and saw Cola waving at them.

“You staying here too?” Ming Shuang asked.

“Yeah, we got the last two rooms!” Cola replied.

“So we’re stuck with the attic,” Ming Shuang said.

They went downstairs, and dinner was ready, so they ate with the owner’s family. Cola came over, and Ming Shuang invited her to join, but Cola shook her head and said, “We just ate instant noodles in the car; we’re full.”

Soon, Cola’s parents came downstairs, nodded greetings to them, and went out.

Cola glanced a few times and followed them out.

After dinner, Ye Ting Shuang went upstairs. Ming Shuang wandered around the motel, found nothing fun, and returned to the room. She noticed the room was empty, and the balcony was too.

“Lily, Lily! Lily!” Ming Shuang called.

“Calling my soul?” Ye Ting Shuang’s helpless voice came from above.

Ming Shuang climbed out the window, looked back, and saw her lying comfortably on the attic roof.

She climbed up, lay beside her, stared at the few scattered stars, and said, “There are way fewer stars here; the sky’s not cooperating.”

“Having some is nice enough,” Ye Ting Shuang replied.

“True,” Ming Shuang agreed.

Ming Shuang quietly stared at the sky, zoned out for a bit, stretched her arms lazily, and said, “It’s been a while since I relaxed like this.”

Ye Ting Shuang turned her head, not believing her one bit, and said, “You seem pretty relaxed every day to me.”

Whether working as a maid in a bar, dancing at a party, or shaking her hips on a car roof, Ming Shuang called it cool when Ye Ting Shuang teased her for acting silly.

“Of course, you gotta live happily every day,” Ming Shuang said.

At that moment, a knock came from a room below, along with Cola’s voice, “Nana姐, are you in the room?”

“What’s up?” Ming Shuang asked, returning to the room and opening the door.

“My parents are fighting; can I hang out with you for a bit?” Cola asked.

“Come in,” Ming Shuang said, leading her inside and pointing upward. “Want to see the stars on the roof?”

“Sure!” Cola agreed.

The three lay side by side on the roof, and Cola, like a funnel, spilled her worries, “My parents always fight, sometimes even in front of me. I don’t know who to help or what to do.”

The other two listened quietly to her troubles.

“Is that how the adult world works? Do your parents fight too?” Cola asked.

Silence fell.

After a long pause, Ming Shuang said, “My parents never fought; they always respected each other.”

“That’s nice,” Cola sighed.

“But soon after my mom passed, my dad found a young woman, a year younger than my sister, and she was his employee,” Ming Shuang added.

Cola looked at her in surprise, then at Ye Ting Shuang beside her, hoping she’d say something.

“My parents don’t fight either; they get along great,” Ye Ting Shuang said.

“Really?” Cola said, relieved. “That’s awesome.”

“But?” Ming Shuang asked, turning her head.

“What ‘but’?” Ye Ting Shuang replied.

“There’s gotta be a twist after that sentence,” Ming Shuang insisted.

Ye Ting Shuang opened her mouth but said, “Why should there be a twist?”

“Your tone lacked confidence; it’s not how you usually talk,” Ming Shuang pointed out.

They’d only known each other a few days, and she could already read her tone?

Yet Ye Ting Shuang couldn’t argue; there was indeed a twist to her story.

—

But they had a thorn in their hearts.

That thorn pierced everyone in the family, and they all tried to maintain harmony, careful not to hurt each other, treading cautiously.

“If you don’t want to talk, don’t,” Ming Shuang said.

“Yeah, I was just asking casually; I’m not after your gossip,” Cola quickly added, looking at Ming Shuang guiltily.

Ming Shuang laughed and said, “Why do you look sadder than me? I don’t care anymore; it’s just a funny story now.”

Ye Ting Shuang turned her head, feeling Ming Shuang’s smile seemed borrowed from someone else.

Was this what she meant by living happily every day?

After a while, Cola’s mom called her, and she went back.

Only the two of them remained on the roof. Ye Ting Shuang sat up, took out her phone, and replied to messages.

Ming Shuang, resting her arms behind her head, glanced at her profile, sat up, and asked, “Can I lean on your shoulder?”

Ye Ting Shuang looked at her, thought for a moment, and nodded silently.

Ming Shuang leaned on her shoulder, and after a bit, asked, “Can I hug your arm?”

“Stop acting pitiful; get down,” Ye Ting Shuang refused coldly.

Ming Shuang laughed, climbed down, turned, and saw her looking at her phone. She reached out, lifted Ye Ting Shuang’s chin, and said, “Were you feeling sorry for me just now?”

Before Ye Ting Shuang could speak, Ming Shuang continued, “I, classmate Xiao Ming, am tough as nails and don’t need anyone’s pity.”

Ye Ting Shuang grabbed her hand, moved it aside, and said, “You’re overthinking; I just thought you looked sleepy.”

Ming Shuang yawned, pulled her down, and said, “You’re right. Let’s go sleep.”

Ye Ting Shuang grabbed her arm, twisted it in a hold, and pinned her, saying, “No manners; you sleep under the bed.”

“No way,” Ming Shuang pleaded dryly, “Ow, that hurts! Easy, you’re hurting me, you meanie.”

Ye Ting Shuang felt like she needed legal assistance.