Online Romance with an Iceberg Professor Backfired - Chapter 32
Chapter 32: Endurance
Ji Pei cried all night, her eyes were swollen, and her throat was sore and hoarse. She lay asleep in Jiang Xianhan’s arms, completely exhausted.
Jiang Xianhan was wide awake. She held the person in her arms tightly, lowering her head to kiss Ji Pei’s forehead. After the ordeal, all of Jiang Xianhan’s passion subsided, gradually replaced by a feeling of tenderness and affection. She gazed with pity at Ji Pei’s tightly closed eyes, a gentle smile curving on her lips.
What a little rascal, thinking crying could solve the problem.
She was the one in pain, yet the one who bullied her was now tearful, crying like a weeping beauty. Before they started, she had confidently declared she would make her feel like she was on a roller coaster, rising and falling. Yet, it turned out to be all talk. In reality, she barely touched the sides.
Jiang Xianhan established a grading scale in her mind, giving Ji Pei’s first attempt a score of negative twenty. The second time was standard. At least she wasn’t foolish enough to bite, so she’d give her a sixty—at least it was a passing grade. That was an improvement of eighty points! Even taking a plane wasn’t that fast. Keep up the good work. A perfect score will come eventually.
Ji Pei was sleeping soundly, looking truly exhausted. Jiang Xianhan scrutinized Ji Pei’s beautiful and delicate features from top to bottom, unable to resist kissing her eyelashes. She was indeed very well-behaved when she slept, quiet and still, without any unnecessary movement. Ji Pei’s sleeping habits were acceptable: she didn’t hog the blanket or push her, and she didn’t toss and turn excessively, but she always liked to drape her arm and leg across her, needing to press against her to sleep soundly.
Seeing Ji Pei lying obediently in her arms, Jiang Xianhan took one of her arms and placed it around her waist. This was much more comfortable.
Jiang Xianhan had never shared a bed with anyone before. She had always been a solitary person from childhood, preferring not to socialize. Although many people sought her company in this world, Jiang Xianhan generally ignored them. She merely had to sit there and hook her finger, and people from all walks of life would rush forward. When she was younger, everything was easily accessible to Jiang Xianhan, yet she felt no desire for relationships. Some people were attracted to her looks, while others sought her wealth and power. She never expected that as she got older, she would fall for someone seven or eight years her junior.
Jiang Xianhan stroked Ji Pei’s smooth chin, held her tightly, and drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, Jiang Xianhan was kissed awake by Ji Pei. In her dream, she felt she couldn’t breathe. Her mouth was blocked, and sweet spring water continuously flowed into her mouth, forcing her to swallow intermittently. The moment she opened her eyes, Jiang Xianhan saw Ji Pei’s face close to hers, a smug smile curving on her lips.
The sweet peach-mint toothpaste scent lingered in her mouth. While she was still processing what was happening, Ji Pei leaned in again and kissed the corner of her mouth. “I called you just now, but you wouldn’t wake up. I simply kissed you awake. You like it anyway.”
Jiang Xianhan’s voice was hoarse. She asked, “When did you wake up? Have you already brushed your teeth?”
Ji Pei was incredibly satisfied, both physically and mentally, from the night before. She was full of energy and refreshed, eager to run two laps around the lake.
“I’ve been awake for a long time and even made breakfast.” Seeing Jiang Xianhan curled up in the quilt, letting out two soft hums, Ji Pei pounced on her and hugged her. “You don’t have classes or work today. Let’s go grocery shopping at the mall.”
“I haven’t gone shopping with you before. Don’t couples on dates go shopping a lot?” Ji Pei wrapped both arms around Jiang Xianhan’s waist, lifting her from the bed. She smiled and said, “Didn’t you also say you wanted to get matching couple’s slippers with me? Let’s go check them out after breakfast.”
Jiang Xianhan’s entire body felt soft and weak. Ji Pei knew she had been a bit too much last night, so she nervously moved behind her to help her put on clothes. “You’ve been wearing my clothes for the past few days. Do they fit well?”
Jiang Xianhan nodded. “Our body shapes are similar. Your clothes are very comfortable to wear.”
Just as Ji Pei was about to laugh, she heard Jiang Xianhan say, “The underwear is even better. They’re all pink and tender. It’s my first time wearing something so pink.”
Ji Pei: “…” It seems I didn’t push her hard enough yesterday. Jiang Xianhan still has the energy to say things like that.
Ji Pei gritted her teeth behind Jiang Xianhan’s back. She didn’t dare say anything to refute, fearing a chain reaction that would make Jiang Xianhan even more unrestrained.
“Pink is so pretty. Your clothes seem to lack bright colors.” Ji Pei recalled the white lace-trimmed bra Jiang Xianhan had changed out of at her place before, and one word immediately popped into her mind. Prudish in public, passionate in private.
Jiang Xianhan was indeed prudish in public, but she turned into an openly passionate person with Ji Pei. She never expected her to have so many facets. If her admiring students knew that Jiang Xianhan was a beast behind closed doors, Ji Pei couldn’t help but chuckle just thinking about it.
Jiang Xianhan heard the laughter and knew Ji Pei was secretly judging her in her mind, which made her unable to hold back her own laugh. “What are you laughing at?”
Ji Pei boldly said, “I’m thinking, what would people think if they knew that the outwardly cool, self-controlled, high-and-mighty Professor Jiang is like this in bed?”
“If you don’t say anything, no third person will know.”
Ji Pei: “…” I can’t believe she turned the focus back onto me with just one sentence. Jiang Xianhan’s level is too high. I’m completely outmatched.
Ji Pei made a golden-brown, heart-shaped fried egg, sprinkled with pink rose sea salt flakes. Jiang Xianhan’s preference was the same as hers. She liked fried eggs with slightly crispy edges. Ji Pei didn’t particularly like runny eggs, always feeling a faint fishy taste in her mouth, necessitating immediate brushing after eating.
Jiang Xianhan walked up to the dining table. Ji Pei had already pulled out the chair, and small cat cushions were placed on every chair at the table. Jiang Xianhan couldn’t help but smile. She sat down in front of her breakfast, picked up her knife and fork, and cut the fried egg into small pieces.
Ji Pei posted on Moments again. Jiang Xianhan took out her phone and saw it was a photo of today’s breakfast. The fried egg photo caption read: Heart-shaped breakfast for Professor Jiang. Jiang Xianhan’s smile deepened. She liked Ji Pei’s Moments post.
After eating, the two changed their clothes, and Ji Pei drove to the mall. She grabbed a shopping cart and pushed it to the household goods section. Jiang Xianhan stood beside her. Whatever Ji Pei pointed to, Jiang Xianhan picked up.
“Didn’t you want to buy couple’s slippers?”
Jiang Xianhan looked at a pair of plaid slippers and was about to take them when Ji Pei felt the shoes looked strange, like the type her grandpa wore. Ji Pei calculated the age difference between Jiang Xianhan and herself: eight years. Three years was one generation gap. Rounding up, she and Jiang Xianhan were separated by three generation gaps.
“I want those.” Ji Pei pointed to the pink bunny head slippers on another shelf. “Those are cute. Buy two pairs.” Seeing Jiang Xianhan still holding the plaid slippers, Ji Pei snatched them from her hand, feigning indifference, and put them back on the shelf. Before pushing the cart away, Ji Pei glanced at the sign on the shelf. Elderly Supplies.
“…” Jiang Xianhan was only in her early thirties. Why was her taste more mature than Ms. Liu Yanfen’s? It had gone straight to retirement age.
Ji Pei was completely satisfied with the two identical pairs of pink bunny slippers. Although there were other colors on the side, Ji Pei just wanted to wear the exact same ones as Jiang Xianhan. She hadn’t made a shopping list for household items before coming. Ji Pei’s mind was a mess, unsure what to buy.
Arriving at the meat section, Ji Pei picked up the steak she wanted most. Jiang Xianhan didn’t seem to have visited large shopping malls much. Clothes and shoes were handled by personal assistants, and she didn’t need to worry about meals. Seeing Jiang Xianhan looking slightly bewildered in this place, Ji Pei pushed the cart with one hand and held her hand with the other.
“You haven’t been to this kind of mall, have you?” Ji Pei thought about it. It was normal for her not to have been here. After all, a person of Jiang Xianhan’s stature had personal attendants for everything, even eating and drinking.
“I’ve been here once or twice.” Ji Pei didn’t expect Jiang Xianhan to have been here. She underestimated her. “Then what did you come to buy?”
Jiang Xianhan replied seriously, “I was here to discuss an acquisition.”
Ji Pei: “…”
Arriving at the fruit section, Ji Pei saw that the strawberries here were large and beautiful, so she couldn’t resist buying two boxes. Jiang Xianhan noticed and asked, “Are you sure you can finish so many?”
“If we can’t finish them, we can make strawberry jam.” Ji Pei picked up a few more boxes of blueberries, placed them next to the strawberries, and smiled. “I’m great at making jam. It’s delicious to use as a filling when making cakes.”
Jiang Xianhan was surprised. “You can make cakes, too?”
“Yes, my cakes are very delicious.” The mention of making cakes reminded Ji Pei of Jiang Xianhan’s birthday next month. Her birthday was on November 5th, less than a month away. That’s perfect. She would buy more fruit to make jam and bake a cake for Jiang Xianhan at home.
Ji Pei was quite confident in her cake-making skills. She believed that once Jiang Xianhan ate her cake, she would fall even deeper in love with her, completely head over heels.
“One more box of mangoes.” Ji Pei was about to grab them when she belatedly realized something and asked Jiang Xianhan, “Are you allergic to mangoes?”
Jiang Xianhan shook her head. “I still don’t know what I’m allergic to.”
Ji Pei took a box and placed it in the shopping cart. She said, “My body is quite peculiar. When I eat mangoes, the juice can’t touch my mouth, or it’ll swell up, becoming itchy and painful.”
Jiang Xianhan picked up the box of mangoes, ready to put it back, but then heard Ji Pei say, “But as long as the mango flesh doesn’t touch my mouth, I’m fine.”
“And these… peaches. They’re all great for making jam.”
“Why make so much jam?”
“That’s because…” Ji Pei hesitated, thinking of making a cake for Jiang Xianhan, but it didn’t seem like the right time to say it. “Stocking up. I like to make and store them. They won’t spoil anyway.”
Seeing that Jiang Xianhan didn’t seem suspicious, Ji Pei secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She thought to herself that there was nothing to hide about making a birthday cake. It’s about a month away. I need to prepare a birthday gift for Jiang Xianhan. This is the first birthday they’ll celebrate together, so I can’t be careless. But what should she give? This stumped Ji Pei again.
Or… Ji Pei entertained some whimsical ideas. Or should I just wash myself, put myself in a box, and let Jiang Xianhan unwrap the gift box herself when she returns?
“…” That’s too perverted.
Ji Pei shook her head vigorously, thinking she must have been influenced by Jiang Xianhan. Otherwise, how could she come up with such a crazy idea? It’s all Jiang Xianhan’s fault! That’s right. She couldn’t let Jiang Xianhan say those things anymore, or she would become corrupted too.
Jiang Xianhan stood beside Ji Pei, watching her face change from white to red, even showing a shy expression. She wondered what she was thinking about.
The two arrived at the snack aisle, where the shelves were packed with a dazzling array of small snacks. Ji Pei’s eyes were overwhelmed. She took a box of strawberry chocolate finger biscuits and put it in the shopping cart. Her grandparents owned several chocolate factories. Ji Pei ate so much chocolate as a child she almost threw up, trying every flavor imaginable. She ate less as she grew older, only occasionally for a craving. However, she still thought that the chocolate products in the country weren’t as delicious as the ones made in her grandparents’ factory. She planned to visit Belgium during the New Year. The old couple were getting old and had mobility issues.
Ji Pei became lost in thought and momentarily forgot that Jiang Xianhan was walking ahead. When she realized the other woman was gone, she pushed the cart, turning around with a bewildered expression. Why did Jiang Xianhan leave without waiting for me?
Ji Pei pushed the cart and searched for a while. She found Jiang Xianhan in front of a shelf stocked with small cream cakes. A girl about a head shorter than Jiang Xianhan was talking and laughing with her, pointing to the small cake on the top shelf, looking at Jiang Xianhan.
Ji Pei quietly pushed the cart over, pretending to be a random shopper. She casually touched some other small snacks, naturally leaning in to listen. The two seemed to be chatting. The girl held her hands over her chest, carefully taking the small cake Jiang Xianhan handed her, smiling and saying, “Thank you, big sister.”
Jiang Xianhan said “You’re welcome,” and saw the hidden Ji Pei out of the corner of her eye, a smug smile curving on her lips.
After the blushing girl left, Ji Pei peeked out from around the corner, mimicking the girl’s actions, placing her hands on her chest. She pointed to an identical box of small cakes on the shelf above her head, her tone soft and excessively sweet, sounding very affected.
“Big sister, it’s too high. I can’t reach it. Could you help me get that box of little cakes, please~” She deliberately elongated the end of her sentence, her voice soft and sweet.
Jiang Xianhan’s face remained expressionless, but she could barely suppress her smile, feeling a surge of inner delight. “Say it again.”
Ji Pei grabbed her wrist and shook it, leaning close to her ear and saying softly, “Big sister, get it for me, please…” Jiang Xianhan’s fingernails dug deeply into her flesh on her left hand. Her fingertips turned slightly white from the pressure. She took a deep breath, raised her hand, and took down the box of small cakes that Ji Pei could easily reach with a slight stretch.
Taking advantage of the absence of people nearby, Ji Pei took the small cake, put it in the cart, grabbed Jiang Xianhan’s arm, and gave her a passionate kiss on the cheek. “Thank you, big sister. You’re so kind.”
Jiang Xianhan’s face flushed. She said “Stop it,” but secretly wished Ji Pei would kiss her more.
The snack aisle gradually became crowded. Ji Pei took the small cake Jiang Xianhan had taken down, squatted down slightly, and easily put it back in its original position. Ji Pei clapped her hands, crossed her arms over her chest, and bit her lower lip, looking mischievous.
“Hmph. I can put it back while squatting. She said she couldn’t reach it. She was clearly just flirting.”
Jiang Xianhan readjusted the box of strawberry small cakes that Ji Pei had placed crookedly, then heard the other woman say sourly, “Professor Jiang, you have too much charisma. I feel very insecure.”
Jiang Xianhan smiled, took Ji Pei’s hand, and led her forward. “Do you feel better now?”
Ji Pei felt the warmth of her palm, and her heart finally felt a little better. “A little, but not much.”
Ji Pei looked at the small cakes and suddenly felt a craving. She took a box of blueberry flavor and put it in the shopping cart, muttering to herself, “I don’t like the strawberry flavor for now. I’m putting strawberries in the cold palace.”
Jiang Xianhan looked at the two boxes of bright red strawberries in the shopping cart and smiled. “Didn’t you say you were putting strawberries in the cold palace? Aren’t you making strawberry jam anymore?”
“It’s too hot outside. Can’t I go to the cold palace to cool down?” Ji Pei casually picked up a box of shortbread cookies, only to find they were also strawberry flavored.
“…”
“My grandparents’ chocolate is delicious, especially the strawberry flavor. They’re retired in Belgium now. When the New Year comes…” Ji Pei curled her lips, glanced at their intertwined hands, and smiled. “If you’re free for the New Year, I’ll take you there for a few days. The old couple are very enthusiastic.”
Jiang Xianhan gripped her hand tightly, her heart thumping non-stop. Although her expression didn’t show much, she was already giddy inside after hearing Ji Pei’s words.