Online Romance with an Iceberg Professor Backfired - Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Encouragement

It was eight o’clock in the evening. A strong wind was blowing outside, sweeping up sand and fallen maple leaves from the ground. The villa windows were tightly shut. The warm yellow light in the living room on the first floor created two worlds, one inside and one outside the door.

In the living room, two people: one was lying down expressionlessly, and the other was kneeling as if mourning, wishing she could dig a hole and bury her head in the floor.

“Jiang Xianhan… I’m so sorry…”

“I was wrong, I shouldn’t have used my teeth…”

“I don’t know what to do, I… I hurt you…”

Ji Pei recalled Jiang Xianhan enduring the pain, reassuring her repeatedly that she was great, amazing, and comfortable. Yet, when Ji Pei saw the cold sweat on her forehead, she felt as if she had been struck by lightning. Jiang Xianhan truly went to any length to save her face and put her at ease.

Ji Pei felt a pang in her nose, and tears began to fall uncontrollably. While wiping her tears, she helped Jiang Xianhan put on her pants. The result of excessive encouragement was that Jiang Xianhan lay on the sofa, her face pale, staring up at the glass chandelier on the ceiling. Ji Pei knelt on the rug by the sofa, massaging Jiang Xianhan’s stiff calf muscles, sniffing quietly, not daring to look at her.

Jiang Xianhan opened her mouth, intending to say something, but the words that came out were once again words of loving encouragement. “You did well. There’s still a lot of room for improvement.”

She only thought Ji Pei’s mouth was soft, but she forgot that her teeth were hard and sharp, especially those two canine teeth so pointed they could open a can. A cushion was still tucked under Jiang Xianhan’s lower back. Ji Pei massaged her waist and quietly slid the cushion away.

“You… you shouldn’t have…”

Ji Pei initially thought she hadn’t found the right spot, which was why Jiang Xianhan hadn’t made a sound. But she was, after all, an artist, well-versed in human anatomy. She knew where that spot was. Yet, for some reason, Jiang Xianhan refused to make a sound, which utterly perplexed her. Ji Pei even doubted whether she lacked the talent and wasn’t suited to be the dominant one. She held her fingers horizontally in front of her eyes. They didn’t look short at all.

It wasn’t until she leaned in to kiss Jiang Xianhan’s lips that she saw the other woman biting her finger joints, making those fingers turn white. Ji Pei’s face instantly changed. It turned out Jiang Xianhan had been enduring it the whole time. She hadn’t felt comfortable at all; rather, she was in considerable discomfort.

Ji Pei’s tears streamed down like beads of a broken necklace, one by one, dripping onto Jiang Xianhan. All her confidence and anticipation shattered at that moment.

Jiang Xianhan wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes, slowly sat up, supporting her upper body with her right arm, and gently kissed the tear droplets from Ji Pei’s chin. “It’s okay. It’s normal not to get it right the first time. I’ll practice with you more.”

“Actually, you were very good. You just didn’t find the right angle and position.”

“Your fingers are so long, you have a natural talent.”

“Next time, just don’t use your teeth…” Jiang Xianhan took a sharp breath, experiencing a strange sense of fear toward this activity for the first time. But the person was Ji Pei. No matter how much it hurt, she couldn’t bring herself to crush the child’s confidence. Besides, she was the one who suggested it initially, and she was the one who instigated Ji Pei.

If it hurts, just endure it. I’m sure she’ll be an expert someday.

Ji Pei hugged her, helped her get dressed, and sat next to Jiang Xianhan, retrieving the medical kit stored in the villa. Jiang Xianhan sat with her legs slightly apart, leaning against Ji Pei, and was puzzled to see her take out a box of cotton swabs and open a bottle of iodophor.

“What are you doing?”

Ji Pei dipped a cotton swab in the disinfecting iodophor, holding Jiang Xianhan’s leg with one hand. “I accidentally broke the skin. I need to disinfect it…”

Jiang Xianhan laughed softly. “No need. It will heal on its own.”

Ji Pei’s eyes were red, the corners looking as if they were smeared with rouge, bright red and alluring. But Jiang Xianhan knew she couldn’t continue right now, or she would surely lose half her life. Ji Pei pitifully lay on her chest, blinking her moist eyes, and asked, “Are you really sure?”

Jiang Xianhan shook her head. “Really no need. It’s just a little scrape. But you can’t touch it again for the next few days.”

Ji Pei put down the cotton swab, nodding rapidly, her face full of defeat. “I… I understand.”

Seeing Ji Pei’s low spirits, Jiang Xianhan knew her confidence had been shattered this time. She cupped Ji Pei’s face, pressed her forehead against hers, and comforted her. “The start was excellent. Just be a little gentler next time. You know that area is very delicate.”

Ji Pei looked down, full of self-reproach, and licked her two sharp canine teeth, knowing these were the culprits that had hurt the other woman. “Then I’ll go grind these two teeth down. That way, I won’t hurt you in the future.”

Jiang Xianhan gently knocked on the top of Ji Pei’s head twice, smiling. “What nonsense are you talking about? Don’t ever say that again.” What absurd ideas does this child have in her head? Can teeth be ground down casually?

Ji Pei opened her mouth, leaned toward Jiang Xianhan, and let her look at her teeth. “My teeth aren’t even protruding. Why do they always touch?”

Jiang Xianhan stroked the corner of Ji Pei’s mouth, gently wiping the dried liquid with her fingertip, and leaned in to kiss her lips first. Their teeth and tongues knocked against each other. Sometimes, when they kissed too hard, their teeth would bump and feel slightly numb.

After a few minutes, Jiang Xianhan slightly pulled away from Ji Pei’s lips, smiling. “See, they bump even when we kiss.”

“So, it’s not your problem.”

Ji Pei whispered, “Then… I’ll hold back next time. I won’t hurt you again, I swear!”

Jiang Xianhan’s left arm was no longer sore. She believed she had a relatively quick recovery constitution. The wound on her right hand had also scabbed over. Ji Pei specially stuck a large band-aid on the wound, afraid of rubbing off the scab. “This scar on the back of my hand, do you think it will leave a mark?”

Ji Pei carefully held Jiang Xianhan’s palm, touching the scabbed wound with her lips. Jiang Xianhan couldn’t resist grabbing Ji Pei’s hair and half-jokingly said, “What, you won’t like me if it leaves a mark?”

Ji Pei knew Jiang Xianhan was saying this on purpose. She gently bit her finger. “Of course not.”

“Don’t worry. I don’t have a scar constitution.”

The ingredients in the villa’s refrigerator weren’t very fresh. Ji Pei’s left index finger had a cut, and Jiang Xianhan told her not to get it wet. Ji Pei had no choice but to take Jiang Xianhan out. As the two walked, they arrived at a nearby food street. It was already past nine in the evening, and the entire night market was brightly lit and bustling with people.

Jiang Xianhan was holding Ji Pei’s hand, walking among the dense crowd. She had never particularly liked such crowded places. She always felt the air wasn’t fresh, so she had never visited any night markets or bustling commercial areas. This was her first time going out with another person.

Seeing Jiang Xianhan looking somewhat lost, Ji Pei leaned close to her ear, afraid she wouldn’t hear her. “Have you never been out to play before?”

Jiang Xianhan shook her head, standing next to Ji Pei like a complete novice in life. “I’m taking you to experience a brand-new world today.”

Jiang Xianhan glanced at her wrist watch. It was already half-past nine at night. According to her previous sleep schedule, she should be lying in bed in half an hour. But… Jiang Xianhan lowered her eyes, staring at Ji Pei’s hand, which was intertwined with hers, and couldn’t help but curve her lips. Well, I can indulge myself a little today.

The night market was very lively. The savory scent of cumin-flavored barbecue wafted over, stirring up Ji Pei’s appetite. “It smells so good.” Jiang Xianhan felt that the smell of food here was completely different from Ji Pei’s cooking, a different level of enticing. She only knew how to make simple meals. Before meeting Ji Pei, she thought simple meals, supplementing protein and calories, and some vitamins, were sufficient for basic human needs. It was Ji Pei who let her experience new things she had never encountered.

Their hands were tightly clasped together. Ji Pei held onto Jiang Xianhan, preventing her from getting lost. “Have you ever been here to hang out before?”

Jiang Xianhan shook her head. “Never.”

Ji Pei suddenly felt a little sorry for the bewildered Jiang Xianhan, not on a material level—after all, the Jiang family was the richest in S City, a wealth many people could only dream of. Right, the sole heir of the Jiang family was kidnapped as a child and narrowly escaped death. She must have been pampered since childhood. How could she go to a busy night market like this?

But now they were in a society governed by law, and in the capital city. Ji Pei didn’t believe anything could happen here, at most just some vendor disputes over stall positions. “That’s great. I’ll take you to eat some delicious food.” Ji Pei took out her phone, found the mobile barbecue stall Ye Wenzhu had recommended to her, and led Jiang Xianhan over to queue up. “I often came here to eat with Ye Wenzhu when I was in school. The boss knows me.”

Jiang Xianhan felt a sour pang in her heart when Ji Pei mentioned the years she spent with Ye Wenzhu, the intimacy between them. But on second thought, Ji Pei brought her this time, not Ye Wenzhu. Anyway, Ye Wenzhu wouldn’t have the chance in the future. Jiang Xianhan gave herself a little psychological counseling, then followed Ji Pei in line. It was her first time experiencing such a scene, and she felt like she was dreaming.

“They have so many kinds of skewers. What do you want to eat?” Seeing Ji Pei open the menu on her phone, Jiang Xianhan looked down for a while, pointing at the roasted vegetables. “I want vegetables.”

Ji Pei smiled. “Okay, I’ll order the meat, and you order the vegetables.”

After a while, it was Ji Pei and Jiang Xianhan’s turn. The female boss, who was brushing sauce on the vegetables, greeted Ji Pei with a smile. “Little Ji, why haven’t you been here for several months? Did you forget about me after graduation?”

“Sister, I’ve been very busy lately.” Ji Pei linked her arm with Jiang Xianhan’s, hugging her and pressing their cheeks together. She explained with a beaming smile, “See, I brought my girlfriend over.”

The female boss’s eyes widened. Her gaze scanned back and forth between the two of them, and she forgot to brush the sauce on her hands. “Your girlfriend! She’s so beautiful! You’re really…” The boss wanted to say, Your girlfriend is so lucky, but after examining both of their faces, she realized that saying either one was luckier would be biased. She held up her right hand and gave Ji Pei a thumbs-up. “Both of you are really lucky!”

Ji Pei ordered a bowl of deep-fried stinky tofu. She hadn’t eaten it in a long time. The boss came from Changsha to do business. Although the shop was small, customers constantly came to eat. It was open 24 hours a day, and the business was booming.

After ordering, Ji Pei led Jiang Xianhan to the cleanest table in the back. The two sat facing each other. Ji Pei sniffed the aroma floating in the air, propped her chin on her hands, and stared at Jiang Xianhan. Jiang Xianhan felt a tingling sensation all over from her intense gaze and couldn’t help but touch her face.

“What are you looking at? Is there something on my face?”

Ji Pei licked her lower lip and said with a grin, “You look so beautiful.”

Jiang Xianhan subconsciously reached for her glasses, but found nothing, realizing she wasn’t wearing them today. “Then do you think I look better with glasses or without?”

Ji Pei said without hesitation, “Both are beautiful. But, when you put on your glasses, I feel like you want to play S/M with me…” Ji Pei bit her lower lip and secretly glanced at Jiang Xianhan’s eyes, noticing a hint of anticipation flash in her gaze. She thought of the things behind that secret closet door in the walk-in closet. One day, I will use all the things Jiang Xianhan gave her on Jiang Xianhan, to show her the consequences of provoking me! However, just the thought of Jiang Xianhan wearing those clothes made Ji Pei’s heart flutter.

A plate of black stinky tofu was brought up first. Ji Pei held her chopsticks, eager to try it, her mouth watering from craving. Jiang Xianhan, however, held her chopsticks, unsure where to start. This plate of pitch-black small squares looked strange somehow.

“Stinky tofu! It’s delicious.” Ji Pei picked up a piece of stinky tofu soaked in gravy, held it to Jiang Xianhan’s mouth, and smiled. “You probably haven’t eaten it before. Try it.”

“Stinky tofu…” Jiang Xianhan leaned in to smell it. It didn’t smell very stinky, just looked very black. Why did the person who invented it call it stinky tofu? She bit into it from Ji Pei’s hand. The skin was crispy, and the rich gravy burst directly in her mouth. Jiang Xianhan’s eyes instantly lit up.

Ji Pei watched with a smile as Jiang Xianhan’s expression changed from incomprehension to shock, and then she ate the entire piece of stinky tofu. “Is it good?”

Jiang Xianhan took a tissue, wiped the gravy from the corner of her lips, and nodded. “It’s very delicious.”

“That’s good. I thought you wouldn’t be used to this kind of food. Not everyone can accept stinky tofu.”

“Delicious.” Jiang Xianhan stared at the steaming plate of stinky tofu, picked up another piece, and brought it to Ji Pei’s mouth. “Open up.”

Ji Pei smiled and took a bite. After eating one piece, she noticed people around them watching, so she quickly toned down her attention-seeking actions.

The remaining skewers were also brought up one after another. Jiang Xianhan ordered several vegetable dishes, while Ji Pei ordered the specialties here. She was indeed very hungry. The portions here weren’t small. People with smaller appetites would be full after a few skewers. Ji Pei ordered several raw grilled chicken feet. The cumin flavor was very strong, the outside was charred and crispy, and the meat came off the bone with a single suck.

Jiang Xianhan quietly ate half a plate of stinky tofu. The female boss came over to clear the plates and smiled at Jiang Xianhan. “My food is good, right? It’s a ten-year-old shop!” She took out two bottles of juice from the back fridge and placed them in front of Ji Pei and Jiang Xianhan. “Since you brought your girlfriend here, the drinks and beef skewers are on the house!”

Ji Pei winked at the boss lady and sweetly called out, “Thank you, Sister.”

After the female boss left, Jiang Xianhan used her chopsticks to pick up a piece of meat on a skewer. Staring at the smiling Ji Pei, her lips curved. “Sister?”

Ji Pei instantly straightened up, covered her mouth, and whispered close to Jiang Xianhan’s ear, “Professor Jiang, you’re being petty again. I was just being polite.”

Jiang Xianhan lowered her head and drank her water, coldly snorting.

Ji Pei ate a bite and spat out a few chicken bones, not having the spare mouth to talk to Jiang Xianhan. She felt that if any friend ever arranged a blind date, they should take the blind date to eat chicken feet. It would guarantee that the other person wouldn’t say a single word throughout the meal, busy only with spitting out bones.

The two ate for over an hour. Ji Pei felt like her masseter muscles were tired. She took a sip of water to ease the strain. So full. Jiang Xianhan also ate a lot, but not as much as Ji Pei. There were still a few skewers left. Ji Pei felt it would be a waste to throw them away, so she wrapped them in lettuce and ate them. She rubbed her slightly bulging abdomen. Her abs were all gone. She thought, After indulging this time, I’ll have to work out for several days.

Ji Pei had a constitution where she could eat a lot without gaining weight. Her body fat percentage was relatively low, and her muscles became well-defined with just a little training, which was exactly Jiang Xianhan’s favorite type. Jiang Xianhan had touched it many times, becoming addicted with each touch, simply unable to let go.

After paying the bill, Ji Pei led Jiang Xianhan out the door. “Darling, I’m so full.”

Jiang Xianhan’s palm pressed against Ji Pei’s abdomen, lightly stroking it, and she smiled. “Are you stuffed?”

Ji Pei noticed that Jiang Xianhan’s fingers were trying to move upward in this location, and she quickly grabbed her hand. “There are so many people. Just touch a little, and you can touch as much as you want when we get home.”

Besides the barbecue, this street also had many novel trinkets. Ji Pei had often come here to browse before and was relatively familiar with the area, knowing where certain stalls were clustered. Jiang Xianhan had never been here and found everything new and exciting. She was attracted to a small stall selling couple’s bracelets not far away. Seeing that Jiang Xianhan found it interesting, Ji Pei also walked over.

“Red bean bracelets for cheap! Come and take a look even if you’re not buying!” The boss sat in front of the stall, reciting his lines while stringing beads.

Jiang Xianhan picked up a string of red rope hanging on the rack. A small, irregularly shaped, light wine-red bead was strung on it. The color was vibrant and very beautiful. The boss, with candy in his mouth, glanced at it, stood up with a smile, and introduced, “This bracelet is strung with natural red xiangsi beans. Ten yuan for two. Free name engraving. The individual ones are too small, so we can only engrave initials.”

Ji Pei leaned over and asked with a smile, “Do you want it?”

Jiang Xianhan nodded. Ji Pei picked out two that looked slightly more rounded and handed them to the boss. “Please engrave our initials for us.” The boss handed over a piece of paper. Ji Pei wrote down both their initials. “Thank you.”

The boss engraved quickly. Ji Pei paid the money and took the bracelets. She found the one engraved with her initials and tied it onto Jiang Xianhan’s fair and slender wrist. The red made Jiang Xianhan’s wrist skin as white as fresh snow, creating a strong color contrast.

“You wear my initials.” Ji Pei held the other bracelet, handed it to Jiang Xianhan, and extended her left hand, smiling. “Alright, now it’s your turn to put it on me.”

After putting it on, Jiang Xianhan stared at Ji Pei’s wrist, her breath hitching. Ji Pei pulled Jiang Xianhan to a slightly quieter spot under a osmanthus tree, opened the camera, and asked Jiang Xianhan to extend her right hand. “Quick, put them together. Let’s take a picture.”

Jiang Xianhan hadn’t expected this and obediently extended her arm. The shutter clicked several times. Ji Pei changed angles, focusing on their wrists and taking five or six photos.

After taking the photos, Ji Pei leaned in close to Jiang Xianhan’s ear. “We haven’t announced our relationship on Moments since we got together.” Ji Pei looked at her scattered friends, totaling over a thousand, and smiled. “I want everyone to know that Ji Pei is in a relationship! And it’s the passionate kind!”