Rumor Has It I Don’t Follow A-Class Morals - Chapter 44

If yesterday’s kiss was because neither of them could resist the attraction between them, then today’s kiss was something Ming Muyao did on purpose.

She had thought it through. She genuinely liked Su Yin. Even if she wasn’t entirely sure why—whether it was simple sympathy or the influence of pheromones—Ming Muyao wasn’t someone who liked overthinking things. Since she had feelings for Su Yin, then naturally, she wanted to treat her well. So the kiss just now was only a light taste.

As she let go of Su Yin’s lips, Ming Muyao looked at the girl in her arms. Her breathing was shaky, the corners of her eyes flushed red, and her watery eyes were glistening. Even the tip of her nose was pink from the warmth, making her look like she’d just finished crying.

“If you don’t like it, you can push me away anytime…”

Ming Muyao wrapped her arms around Su Yin’s waist, holding her close. She gently pressed her forehead against hers and said softly, “I like you. I know you might still be scared of me. I won’t force you. As long as you push me away, I promise I won’t touch you.”

Su Yin stared blankly at the woman so close to her. She’d clearly heard what Ming Muyao said, but her head felt fuzzy and she couldn’t quite process it right away.

Was Ming Muyao saying… she liked her?

But why?

Su Yin truly didn’t understand what Ming Muyao could possibly like about her. She was still the same timid, cowardly person who didn’t even have the courage to speak loudly. What was there to like?

She didn’t get it.

But Su Yin didn’t push Ming Muyao away. She just lowered her gaze and clutched the edge of her clothes tightly, as if she were trying to make a difficult decision.

The pheromones in the room were getting stronger. Su Yin felt like she was floating in Ming Muyao’s scent—like she’d had a bit too much to drink. Her head was spinning, and hearing those words made her strangely happy.

Ming Muyao glanced at the way Su Yin was clutching her skirt and smiled faintly. She cupped Su Yin’s face and gave her a light kiss.

“Mm…”

Su Yin closed her eyes contentedly, just like a little kitten.

Her whole body trembled slightly. Her normally pale skin turned bright red, and her long, slender limbs fidgeted nervously. Her chest was lightly pressed against Ming Muyao’s, as if silently saying something.

No one spoke again. Ming Muyao gently licked Su Yin’s lips, then smiled when she felt the girl shiver in her arms.

“Open your mouth,” she said softly.

Su Yin looked at her in confusion but obediently parted her soft lips.

The tip of her pink tongue peeked out between her teeth. Ming Muyao could feel her heart pounding faster. She wrapped her arms around Su Yin’s waist and deepened the kiss.

Considering Su Yin still wasn’t feeling well, Ming Muyao didn’t push things further. After about half an hour, when Su Yin had fallen asleep, she tucked her under the covers and sat quietly at the edge of the bed, watching her rosy cheeks and reddened lips.

If she doesn’t get upset when she wakes up tomorrow… maybe it means she’s accepted me.

Ming Muyao lowered her gaze and gently brushed her fingers against Su Yin’s soft cheek, whispering, “I hope I didn’t do the wrong thing…”

The next morning, when Su Yin woke up, the first thing she saw was the small, bright red strawberry on the desk by the bed.

She lay in bed dazed for a while. Once the memories from last night started coming back, she let out a quiet groan and pulled the blanket over her head, too embarrassed to come out.

Being kissed like that had felt… really good. Ming Muyao had never kissed her that way before. In the past, the only times they got close were during heat cycles, or when Ming Muyao pinned her down and bit into her gland without warning.

Everything that followed had always been painful. Even now, the thought of it sent shivers down Su Yin’s spine.

But last night… Ming Muyao had kissed her so gently. The feeling was so unfamiliar it made her panic. She reached a hand out from under the blanket to touch the back of her neck. Her gland still felt warm and tingly. Su Yin quickly buried her face in the pillow in shame.

This version of Ming Muyao felt like a stranger. She was so different from the past that it felt like she was a completely different person.

Su Yin peeked out from under the blanket, looked at the little strawberry on the desk, then quickly ducked back under the covers.

Ming Muyao was being too nice to her. So nice that it didn’t feel right.

Looking back, Su Yin realized something had changed after the car accident. Ming Muyao had been acting differently ever since. And after spending more time with her recently, Su Yin was starting to wonder—was she even the same person as before?

But it was just a thought. In the end, she decided to face reality. She threw off the blanket and got out of bed to see what Ming Muyao was up to.

After getting dressed, she stepped out of the room. From the second-floor landing, she could see Ming Muyao sitting in the living room downstairs, dressed in a silk pajama set. There was a tablet on her lap with what looked like some work documents, and she was leisurely sipping tea.

She had a white knitted cardigan draped over her shoulders, her long hair loosely tied to one side and falling softly over her chest, giving her a gentle, relaxed look.

Hearing movement upstairs, Ming Muyao looked up at Su Yin. Her eyes lit up as she smiled and said, “You’re awake?”

Su Yin’s face turned red. She gave a quiet “mm” and quickly ran downstairs in her slippers.

“Careful,” Ming Muyao said, watching her. “Aunt Chen left some breakfast for you in the kitchen. It’s still warm. Go ahead and eat.”

Hearing that, Su Yin slowed her steps. When she looked up at the clock and saw that it was already 9:30 a.m., her eyes widened in surprise.

She’d slept for eleven hours?!

Still reeling from that, she noticed Ming Muyao smiling at her again. Their eyes met, and Su Yin quickly turned and dashed into the kitchen.

Aunt Chen was startled by her sudden entrance and patted her chest. “What’s with the rush? Is there a ghost chasing you?”

It’s scarier than a ghost… Su Yin thought, but her face went red again, and she stammered, “Ming Muyao told me to eat breakfast…”

“Then just eat,” Aunt Chen said, clicking her tongue. “No need to run like that. What if you slip and fall?”

She picked up some tongs and placed two buns on a plate for Su Yin. “It’s late already, so at least eat something to hold you over. Or you won’t have room for lunch later.”

The buns were just the right size, handmade and fragrant. Aunt Chen was especially good at making dough-based dishes. Su Yin carried the plate and started eating right there.

Aunt Chen waved her off. “Go sit down in the dining room. Don’t just stand there like that.”

But Su Yin didn’t seem to mind. She finished the buns in two or three bites and handed back the empty plate. “I’m going to see my mom. I probably won’t be home for lunch.”

“I know. Muyao already told me this morning. You’re going together.”

“She’s coming too?”

“Yeah,” Aunt Chen said with a puzzled look. “Didn’t she tell you?”

Su Yin suddenly remembered that Ming Muyao had mentioned it last night. She quickly nodded. “She did—I just forgot.”

Aunt Chen shook her head and waved her out. “Go on, then. If there’s anything you want for dinner, message me in advance. I’ll go grocery shopping this afternoon.”

“Okay.”

Su Yin agreed and headed out the door—only to almost run straight into Ming Muyao. The older woman caught her by the waist just in time to steady her.

Seeing how flustered she looked, Ming Muyao chuckled and said, “Don’t forget, we’re going to the care center today.”

Su Yin nodded, took two steps back to avoid her, and hurried back upstairs.

Aunt Chen stared after her, confused. “What’s up with Yinyin today?”

Ming Muyao just smiled and said, “She’s probably got something on her mind.”

Aunt Chen: “?”

What kind of “something”?

Ming Muyao had changed into a white suit and was sitting in the driver’s seat, replying to messages. When she saw Su Yin getting into the car, she put away her phone and asked, “Did you pack everything?”

Since they were planning to spend the whole day at the care center, Su Yin had gone upstairs earlier to pack her schoolwork so she could stay until the afternoon.

“Yeah, I brought everything.” Su Yin placed her bag at her feet and buckled her seatbelt, avoiding eye contact.

Ming Muyao smiled and didn’t say anything else. She waited for her to buckle in before starting the car and driving off toward the care center.

The weather was pretty nice—sunny and bright. On the way there, Su Yin was already thinking about how she’d take her mom outside to get some sunshine.

Once they arrived, Ming Muyao parked the car, and Su Yin was eager to head upstairs. But remembering that Ming Muyao was technically the one paying for all this, she waited by the car for her.

Su Yin’s mom was taken care of by a live-in caregiver, so they didn’t visit that often. Between work and school, it was hard to find time for both of them to come together.

The caregiver that Ming Muyao hired was a kind person, and Su Yin’s mother didn’t require intensive care, so most days the woman would just watch TV in the room. A bit of background noise was said to be good for stimulating brain activity, so no one complained.

When the caregiver saw them, she stood up and greeted them. Ming Muyao nodded in response while Su Yin rushed over to the bed. Her mom looked slightly healthier than before, and the smile on Su Yin’s face lit up her whole expression.

“Auntie Cui, we’ll take care of her today. You can take a break,” Ming Muyao said. “We’ll be here until around four. You can come back then.”

The caregiver nodded and left without hesitation, glad for the rare time off, leaving the little family some space to be alone.

Su Yin pulled over a chair and fetched a basin of warm water from the private bathroom. She soaked a towel and started wiping her mother’s body.

Technically, the caregiver did this every other day, but Su Yin always preferred doing it herself when she could.

Ming Muyao couldn’t just stand around watching, so she rolled up her sleeves and started helping too.

Once they were done, Su Yin adjusted the bed so her mom could lie in the sun, then draped a cloth over her eyes to keep the light from being too harsh.

Looking at her mom lying peacefully in the sunlight, Su Yin felt her mood finally lift.

It was Ming Muyao’s first time helping with this kind of care. It wasn’t just delicate work—it also required a lot of strength. The two of them had to work together to turn her mom over so they could clean her back. The previously infected sores had healed a lot, and at least didn’t look as scary now.

Shaking out her sore arms, Ming Muyao looked at Su Yin sitting quietly by the bed, keeping her mom company in the sun.

The moment felt so gentle, it was like a painting.