Forbidden Deep Affection (GL) - Chapter 6

Chapter 6

After breakfast, Ye Ting Shuang returned to her room to continue working on her designs.

Last night, she’d only bought small gifts for her family, not finding the materials she wanted, so she’d have to pick them out later back home.

Sitting at her desk, she closed her eyes quietly. Suddenly, her mind replayed the image of daisies—one after another, white, yellow, blue—clustered in front of a beautiful face.

Last night, when the car reached the hotel, she paid and got out.

Ming Shuang stood a meter away, arranging the daisies in her arms. She looked up, the hotel’s lights casting shadows on her profile, blending light and dark, making her look like she’d stepped out of an oil painting, carrying a natural burst of color.

Daisies…

The sketch took shape as she put pen to paper.

She finished three drafts in one go, only stopping when her stomach growled. She left the room to find food.

Ming Shuang was on the couch, a tablet on her lap, earphones in, watching a video intently, oblivious to Ye Ting Shuang’s footsteps.

Ye Ting Shuang walked behind her, glanced at the screen—a financial interview show—and tapped her shoulder.

Ming Shuang turned, pulling out an earphone. “What?”

“Eaten yet?”

“Nope.”

“Go get some food downstairs.”

“…” Ming Shuang closed the video, went downstairs to buy food, and got a call from Ye Ting Shuang.

“By the way, I can handle spicy. Get something spicy.”

Half an hour later, Ye Ting Shuang stared at a big bag of spicy snacks, speechless.

“The clerk said these are the spiciest. They didn’t have anything else,” Ming Shuang said.

Ye Ting Shuang ignored the snacks, pulling two takeout boxes from another bag. The food was mediocre.

Finding decent Chinese food abroad was tough.

She sighed.

“Really craving some proper Chinese food, huh?” Ming Shuang asked, picking up chopsticks.

Ye Ting Shuang nodded.

“Me too. Lucky for me, my neighbor’s a great cook. I often mooch off her. You cook?”

Ye Ting Shuang, chewing on a spare rib, didn’t answer.

“You know any other international students or Chinese folks? Maybe you could mooch too,” Ming Shuang suggested, then added, “By the way, how long have you been abroad?”

Ye Ting Shuang spit out a bone and casually asked back, “You?”

“Seven years.”

Ye Ting Shuang looked surprised—she seemed young. “You came out early.”

“Yeah, my dad didn’t want to deal with me. Said I was annoying, so he shipped me off.” Ming Shuang opened a can of cold beer, its fizzing sound crisp. She slid her fingers along the cool can and offered it to Ye Ting Shuang. “Want some?”

“No thanks.”

The fizzing stopped as Ming Shuang pulled the can back, took a big gulp, her smooth jawline sharp like a single stroke of a pen, no dullness to it.

“You want to go back to China?” Ye Ting Shuang asked, staring at her jawline, picturing a lonely girl struggling abroad. It wasn’t hard to imagine the hardships—maybe that’s what pushed her down this path?

“I’m on my own, free as a bird. Why go back?” Ming Shuang laughed, turning to her. “What about you? How long have you been abroad? When you heading back?”

Ye Ting Shuang focused on her food, pretending not to hear.

Seeing her ignore the question, Ming Shuang didn’t bother asking again. She’d probably just get a cold “none of your business” anyway.

After eating, Ye Ting Shuang went back to her room.

A moment later, there was a knock.

She opened the door to see Ming Shuang leaning against the frame.

“Not going out today?” Ming Shuang asked.

“Nope.”

“What about me?”

“You’re free today. Go have fun wherever,” Ye Ting Shuang said.

“Cool.” Ming Shuang turned and left with a carefree stride.

Back at her apartment, Ming Shuang saw Zhu Bingzhi’s door wide open, the girl organizing things in the living room.

She knocked.

“Hey, you’re back! Come in, sit. I’m almost done,” Zhu Bingzhi called.

“What’re you up to?” Ming Shuang walked in.

“Exams are over in a couple days, then I’m heading back to China for summer break. Just packing, figuring out what to bring.”

Zhu Bingzhi was a few years younger, in her junior year.

When she first moved here, struggling with the language, Ming Shuang’s help kept her from suffering too much or feeling too lonely.

“I’ll be back next month. Want me to bring you anything?” Zhu Bingzhi knew Ming Shuang didn’t go home for breaks. She’d asked once, got no answer, and didn’t ask again, just brought her local specialties each time.

“Nah.” Ming Shuang glanced around. “Where’re your roommates?”

“One finished exams and left. The other’s traveling with her boyfriend,” Zhu Bingzhi said.

The apartment housed three people, Zhu Bingzhi the only Chinese, but that didn’t stop Ming Shuang from befriending the others. They often hung out and ate together.

“You’re graduating next year, right? Heading back to China?” Ming Shuang asked.

“Yeah, to work. You? Finishing your MBA next year—staying here?”

“Maybe… we’ll see. Still a year to go, plans change.” Ming Shuang leaned back on the couch, legs up, eyes closed.

The rustling stopped. Zhu Bingzhi sat beside her with a bag of chips. “So, how’s it going with the rich lady?”

“What’s going?” Ming Shuang opened her eyes slowly, grabbed a chip, and crunched it.

“Isn’t she chasing you under the guise of keeping you?”

“Hm… she gave me these.” Ming Shuang pulled out the earrings from her bag.

“Wow! She’s got taste!” Zhu Bingzhi exclaimed, admiring them.

Ming Shuang smiled vaguely, teasing, “That’s not all. Guess what else she gave me?”

“What?”

“Flowers!”

“You’ve gotten plenty of flowers. Why so excited?”

“Who’s excited?” Ming Shuang straightened her lips. “You don’t get it. She gave me daisies—cheap ones—but the time and place… I don’t know, I just really liked those flowers.”

Zhu Bingzhi grinned, leaning closer. “Do you like the flowers or the person? She’s a beauty, right?”

Ming Shuang pushed her face away. “Just the flowers. She’s not my type, okay? It’s just… weird. One minute she’s all cold, barely glancing at you, the next she’s staring like she wants to pin you with her eyes.”

Zhu Bingzhi laughed, slapping her thigh. “You’ve met your match! You like bold and fiery, but now you’re stuck with someone moody, and you can’t figure her out.”

Ming Shuang sighed deeply. “Think it’s a tactic?”

“Could be. It’s called playing hard to get. You’ve met a pro,” Zhu Bingzhi said.

Ming Shuang rubbed her chin, musing, “I told her straight—‘like me, just say it’—but she won’t admit it.”

“You want her to?”

“I just want to be sure. I don’t like the reins in someone else’s hands.”

“If she won’t say it, watch her actions, her body, her eyes. Those don’t lie. Just sprawl on her bed and see how much restraint she’s got!” Zhu Bingzhi suggested.

Ming Shuang looked at her thoughtfully. “You ever been in love? Acting like a relationship guru now?”

“What guru fights on the battlefield?”

“…”

Ming Shuang didn’t stay long. Back at her apartment, she set the earrings on the table, then returned to put them on in front of the mirror.

“Pretty nice,” she muttered.

She packed a few outfits for the hotel, closed the door, then paused, went back, grabbed a set of pajamas, and stuffed them in her bag.

Downstairs, she hailed a cab and tossed her bag in. Zhu Bingzhi’s voice rang out from the hallway. “Wait up!”

Ming Shuang turned to see her running out with a big bag of snacks.

“These are about to expire. Don’t waste them—take care of them.” Zhu Bingzhi shoved the bag into the car, waved, and said, “Alright, go. Bye.”

Ming Shuang nodded helplessly, then headed back to the hotel with her clothes and snacks.

The living room was empty. She knocked on Ye Ting Shuang’s door. “Hey, you in there?”

“What’s up?” Ye Ting Shuang opened the door.

“Nothing, just checking if you’re here.” Ming Shuang smiled.

“Went shopping?” Ye Ting Shuang glanced at the plastic bag of snacks on the table.

Ming Shuang shrugged, pulling out a croissant. “Want one?”

Ye Ting Shuang, a bit hungry, took it and grabbed a box of milk from the bag.

“This milk’s good.” She took a sip, then a big gulp.

“It’s local fresh milk, but I’m not a fan,” Ming Shuang said.

“You don’t like it, but you bought it?”

“My friend forced it on me.” Ming Shuang gave a sheepish smile.

Late at night, a clap of thunder roared.

A sudden downpour began.

A thud came from outside.

Ye Ting Shuang opened the door to find Ming Shuang on the floor, rubbing her ankle, cursing under her breath.

“What happened?” Ye Ting Shuang walked over, helping her sit up.

“A thunderclap spooked me, and I slipped,” Ming Shuang said, glaring at the rain outside.

She’d just showered, her wet hair draped over her shoulders, water droplets clinging to her collarbone, tangled with a few strands. Her face, washed clean, was bare except for the dark of her lashes and the red of her lips, strikingly captivating.

“Hey, what’re you staring at?” Ming Shuang asked, meeting her direct gaze.

“You’re a beautiful woman,” Ye Ting Shuang said bluntly.

Ming Shuang raised a brow, glancing at her black camisole pajamas, and smirked.

Gotcha.

Recalling Zhu Bingzhi’s words and seeing Ye Ting Shuang’s gaze, it was clear enough.

Ming Shuang straightened proudly, stretched her legs, and spread her arms. “Pick me up.”

Ye Ting Shuang checked her ankle, scooped her into her arms, and tried to stand—unsuccessfully.

The next second, Ming Shuang yelped, tumbling onto the carpet.

She looked up, eyes wide.

Ye Ting Shuang: “Sorry, you’re a bit heavy.”

?!!

“My figure’s perfect! How am I heavy? That’s on you, not my weight!” Ming Shuang shot up, limping back to her room in a huff.