Substitute Lover (GL) - Chapter 4

They had been together for a long time, if you counted.

Jiang Cha had realized her feelings early on, in middle school. She discovered she liked girls. When she went to high school, the gender ratio in her science class was imbalanced, and there were very few pretty girls. The sudden appearance of Ji Fan, who was excellent, beautiful, and had an outstanding temperament, easily became her whole world during her adolescence.

Recalling the past, Jiang Cha curled up on the sofa, her fingertips trembling as she clicked on the forum where she often posted.

Ji Fan never checked her phone, so the page was automatically logged in when she entered. Her ID was “GingerSoupIsDelicious”, and her avatar was the same as her ID, a small white porcelain bowl with floating ginger shreds.

Below were her posts.

She had only posted one thread: “Me and my senior.”

Compared to those about teacher-student relationships, it was just a very ordinary title, so not many people saw it.

Jiang Cha posted casually, and people commented casually, like a private anonymous diary.

The first post was six years ago, when she was a freshman and had barely managed to get into THU, the same university as Ji Fan. When she got in, Ji Fan was a senior and was about to graduate and go abroad.

—“I first met my senior on a morning in autumn, at our high school alma mater.”

—“I was standing in the stairwell reciting vocabulary when a girl suddenly ran over, hugged me from behind, and whispered in my ear, ‘Why are you here?'”

—“I was startled and turned around.”

—“As I looked up, I met a pair of black and white eyes, and my heart skipped a beat. I was amazed: Wow, there’s actually someone who looks like this in the world, it’s unbelievable. She was wearing a loose white school uniform, taller than me. She lowered her head, and the tip of her chin rested just on my shoulder, just looking at me with clear and innocent eyes.

A fair face, a high nose bridge, and slightly cold, thin eyelids, such a beautiful girl.”

—“She stared at me for a while, blushed, and suddenly said, ‘Sorry’, then turned around inexplicably, as if she was a little embarrassed.”

—“I didn’t understand what was going on either, and I didn’t know who she was. But if there was such a beautiful girl in the school, why did I only discover her now?”

—“Later I found out that it was the senior high school orientation that day, and there were university student representatives from prestigious schools who returned to their alma mater for a presentation. Because the school had strict rules about uniforms, they had to wear uniforms to enter the school. My senior was already a junior and was a student representative of THU, sharing her exam preparation experience with the younger students in the auditorium.”

—“After the speech, a group of younger students surrounded her, and I was among them. My senior suddenly saw me and asked, ‘What’s your name?’ I looked around and realized she was really asking me, so I told her.

She smiled, very gently, ‘It’s a pretty name.'”

—“Later I couldn’t help but wonder why she hugged me at that time, and why she asked me my name. Did she like me?”

—“It was from that time when I started to like her.”

Jiang Cha looked at her old post, buried her head in the pillow like an ostrich, revealing only her ruby-like earlobes.

She felt a little embarrassed, but more of a bittersweet sweetness.

Dazed for a moment, she clicked on WeChat again. Ji Fan hadn’t replied yet, and she didn’t know if she would come back tonight. Jiang Cha sighed softly, feeling a little lost.

She stood up and thought, I’d better start cooking the soup.

••••

The cobalt blue Porsche stopped at the crossroads, turned a corner, and entered a villa area.

There were French sycamores on both sides of the empty asphalt road.

The residential area was well-developed, with coffee shops, bakeries, luxury brand stores selling clothes and bags, and even a newly opened shopping mall.

The driver rolled down the window, swiped his card, and entered the community.

The villa was three stories high, in a European style, with a warm-colored exterior wall and a top floor and garage. The owner was obviously someone who loved life. There were several rose bushes and gardenias planted in the fenced garden, and the lawn was green and well-maintained, clean yet warm.

It would be too empty for one person to live in, but it wouldn’t be so lonely for two.

Ji Fan got out of the car, walked into the garden familiarly, and pressed her slender white index finger on the doorknob, a soft “beep” sound opened the door.

The first thing she saw was a floor-to-ceiling window. The setting sun shone in, casting a slanting shadow of the window frame on the cold white marble floor, which was reflected all the way to the sofa. A large oil painting hung on the wall behind the sofa, enlarging the sense of space. The abstract, hazy and misty colors matched well with the simple and clean style of the room.

Jiang Cha’s bag and knitted sweater were on the sofa, and there were several books of varying thickness stacked on the coffee table, all professional books, magazines, film reviews, scripts, acting analysis, and the like. It seemed as if they had just been flipped through, and one of them still had a tea-colored leaf bookmark tucked in.

Jiang Cha didn’t know how long she had been home, the kitchen lights were on, and the sound of the range hood was humming softly. Through the frosted glass, a slender and graceful figure swayed inside the door, and the blurred shadow of her busy movements was swaying.

Ji Fan put down her bag, pulled open the sliding door, leaned against the light wooden door frame, and looked at her leisurely.

Jiang Cha was unaware, her movements gentle and patient –

She washed the corn and carrots, cut them into sections, and put them in a small earthenware pot. Then she hooked her white little finger on the soft long hair hanging from her left earlobe, tucked it behind her small, lustrous ear, bent over, revealing a small patch of snow-white skin on her lower back, and found several bottles of sauce from the cupboard, such as white vinegar and soy sauce.

She had taken off her coat and was only wearing a black suspender and seven-point jeans, revealing her beautiful and delicate ankles. Her shoulders were bare, black against white, making her skin appear even whiter and more tender. Her long, thick black hair was scattered casually like a waterfall, and her legs were long and her waist was slender.

As if looking for something, Jiang Cha turned around and saw Ji Fan who had suddenly appeared, startled, and instantly stopped moving.

She was back.

Jiang Cha’s heart skipped a beat.

When did she get home?

How long had she been… looking at her like this?

Their eyes met, and Jiang Cha was immediately so nervous that she didn’t know what to do.

Ji Fan, was more mature than the “senior” in Jiang Cha’s memory, stood silently at the doorway, her gaze fixed on her. She was dressed in a deep blue silk shirt with a large lapel, its satin sheen shimmering. Her sleeves were rolled up slightly, revealing a glimpse of her collarbone where a strand of her slightly curled hair rested. Silver earrings, adorned with tanzanite, dangled gently, casting a cool, shimmering light. She wore a pure black pencil skirt that accentuated her slender legs.

Her long, dark hair was loose on one side and tucked behind her ear on the other. Her nose was high and straight, her lips were elegantly shaped, and her eyes were deep and bright, holding a hint of an imperceptible smile as she watched Jiang Cha.

The cold light illuminated Ji Fan’s slender profile, making her appear as cool and white as jade. Her eyelashes were long and thick, yet straight, and her eyes were exceptionally bright. Under Ji Fan’s focused gaze, Jiang Cha’s heart pounded uncontrollably.

Seeing Jiang Cha’s reaction, Ji Fan chuckled softly, “Did I startle you?”

One hand carrying her bag, she used the other to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear as she leaned casually against the doorframe. “Come here. Closer.”

A blush crept up Jiang Cha’s fair cheeks. She walked over and gently wrapped her arms around Ji Fan’s supple waist, resting her chin on her collarbone.

Tilting her head slightly, Jiang Cha whispered softly into Ji Fan’s ear, “Aren’t you supposed to be working at this time?”

Ji Fan looked at her and said softly, “I missed you, so I came back to see you.”

Jiang Cha’s long eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings as she lowered her head, a slight smile curving her lips, hiding a moment of joy.

Ji Fan lowered her head and kissed Jiang Cha’s long eyelashes, her movements gentle and tender.

Jiang Cha knew that Ji Fan loved to hold her and kiss her eyes. She especially liked it when Ji Fan lowered her gaze. Jiang Cha wondered secretly if it was because it made her look especially gentle, or because it reminded Ji Fan of the first time they bumped into each other.

••••

With a soft “click,” the buttons on her back were gently unfastened, and fingertips trailed across her soft skin.

Jiang Cha shivered slightly, as if ticklish. Her snow-white earlobes turned a delicate shade of pink, and a thin layer of sweat beaded on her smooth forehead. She slowly opened her eyes, her long lashes fluttering innocently as she looked at Ji Fan. Her lips parted slightly, and she breathed softly.

Beneath her small, delicate nose, her lips were rosy, soft, and glossy. As if parched, she lightly licked her lips, leaving a trail of moisture. It was a silent invitation.

Ji Fan’s thick eyelashes fluttered, and a fleeting look of emotion crossed her face.

Without hesitation, she leaned in.

The kiss was overwhelming. Jiang Cha felt as if she were about to melt. She couldn’t help but let out a soft moan.

Her voice was soft and gentle, like a young bird. It made one reluctant to hurt her in any way, as if she were a fragile thing that would shatter with the slightest touch.

But the moment she made a sound, Ji Fan froze.

Ji Fan lowered her gaze, closed her eyes, and frowned slightly.

After a moment, as if unable to bear it any longer, she pushed her away.

“What’s wrong?”

“Don’t make a sound,” Ji Fan ordered, her brow furrowed as she turned her head away. Her voice was filled with a sigh.

“Why?”

Jiang Cha blinked, confused, her voice still slightly breathless.

Ji Fan responded with a soft chuckle, tinged with both helplessness and coldness.

Don’t make a sound, because your voice isn’t like hers at all.

If your voice isn’t the same, how can this dream be complete?

——
A/N:  I want to write about a white moonlight becoming a love rival. ^O^/

T/N: Hmp… This scumbag! Jiang! Cha! Don’t forgive this scumbag so easily later.