Two Faced Lover - Chapter 28

28: Ice Skating

Meng Xuran stared blankly at Bo Mingyan, her long, curled eyelashes fluttering several times after a long pause. It was as if she was slow to process the image Bo Mingyan had of her in her mind.

“I’m not tsundere or spoiled, let alone some delicate ‘Jiaojiao’—”

Meng Xuran puffed out her cheeks, refuting indignantly, only to abruptly pause mid-sentence. Then, shifting her tone, she added, “Actually, it sounds kinda nice. From today on, that’ll be my nickname~ You should call me that.”

“Come on, Manman.” Meng Xuran curled her lips, her eyes lifting in a mischievous, princess-like tsundere manner, her voice lilting teasingly, “Say it, let me hear it.”

Not only had she failed to uncover Meng Xuran’s real nickname, but she’d ended up giving one away instead. Bo Mingyan let out a faint, almost imperceptible chuckle and shot Meng Xuran a cool, languid glance. “What, are you teasing a cat?”

It really did resemble how she teased her cat at home. Meng Xuran burst into laughter, thoroughly amused by the comparison.

Watching Meng Xuran laugh like a little fool, Bo Mingyan’s eyes also rippled with faint traces of amusement.

Someone like her—outwardly gentle but inherently aloof, neither warm nor inclined to nurture relationships—had gone all these years without many friends.

A person like Meng Xuran was someone Bo Mingyan was encountering for the first time.

Like the early spring breeze—sometimes carrying the chill of lingering winter, sometimes soft and soothing—one could never predict from which angle or with what warmth it would suddenly brush past.

Just enough to never be annoying.

Meng Xuran’s eyes curved into crescents, her fair, delicate face lit up with a captivating smile. Today, her hair was tied into a ponytail, fluffy and sticking up at the crown of her head.

The ice rink’s lights spilled over it, making it look soft and tousled.

Bo Mingyan suddenly felt the urge to ruffle her hair.

Meng Xuran, hands braced on her thighs, had been laughing so hard she was out of breath and only now managed to recover. Between gasps, she explained, “No… I meant for you to say… my new nickname.”

“Oh.” Bo Mingyan glided leisurely past her, raising a hand to casually tousle Meng Xuran’s hair the same way she would stroke Xiaoman’s round little head at home. “Come here, Meng Jiaojiao.”

At home, Bo Mingyan occasionally fed Xiaoman cat treats, calling her name in that same flat, lazy tone—Meng Xuran had heard it twice before.

“You’re the one treating me like a kitten.” Meng Xuran grabbed Bo Mingyan’s sleeve with one hand while the other pressed against her head, fingers combing through the strands Bo Mingyan had messed up.

Then, her movements suddenly stilled.

“What did you just call me?” Meng Xuran lifted her head, eyes widening slightly as she stared at Bo Mingyan.

Just like the occasional look of disbelief on their cat’s face at home.

Bo Mingyan’s lips curled almost imperceptibly. Instead of answering, she countered, “What did I call you?”

This time, Bo Mingyan wasn’t deliberately teasing Meng Xuran. Though the three words had slipped out effortlessly earlier, now, face-to-face with Meng Xuran, she found them inexplicably difficult to say again.

Meng Xuran stared at her without blinking.

After just two or three seconds of eye contact, Bo Mingyan lost the battle and averted her gaze first. She tugged the hem of her clothes free from Meng Xuran’s fingertips, glided forward a couple of steps, and said, “I called you over.”

Meng Xuran was clearly unsatisfied with this answer. She pursed her lips and scoffed. Slowly, she adjusted her direction, gripping the railing beside her, and inched forward at a snail’s pace.

“…And this is what you call fast and self-taught mastery?” Bo Mingyan deliberately emphasized the last few words with a meaningful tone.

Meng Xuran felt embarrassed inside but maintained a composed facade. “At least I didn’t fall.”

Bo Mingyan nodded. “Impressive.”

Meng Xuran, thoroughly pleased, didn’t bother with modesty. “Of course.”

“If you’re this skilled, you probably don’t need me to teach you.” Bo Mingyan seized the opportunity to add.

Meng Xuran: “……”

The look of speechlessness on Meng Xuran’s face, paired with the pink turtle-shaped anti-fall pad strapped to her back, created a stark contrast—adorably silly and downright hilarious.

Bo Mingyan couldn’t suppress the upward curve of her lips.

For Meng Xuran, the current situation presented a dilemma: either stubbornly cling to her pride and refuse Bo Mingyan’s help, or swallow her pride and ask for assistance.

She could only keep one—her dignity or Bo Mingyan.

So, the choice was clear… she’d have to ditch the dignity.

Meng Xuran bit her lip, lowered her lashes, and glanced down, gauging the distance between her and Bo Mingyan.

Letting go of the railing, she waddled like a penguin toward Bo Mingyan, grabbing her wrist for support to steady herself. With remarkable adaptability, she admitted, “I was bluffing. I’m not skilled at all. Hurry up and teach me.”

Perhaps from gripping the railing for too long, Meng Xuran’s hand was icy cold. The way it circled Bo Mingyan’s wrist felt like wearing a frosty bracelet, sending a chill through her and making her instinctively pull her hand back.

Sensing Bo Mingyan’s retreat, Meng Xuran froze for a moment, then slowly loosened her grip.

Bo Mingyan glanced at Meng Xuran’s curled fingertips, her gaze skimming over the other girl’s dejected face before she couldn’t help but explain, “Your hand’s too cold.”

Oh. That’s why.

Meng Xuran let out an “Oh,” then exhaled warm breath onto her own hands and rubbed them together until they regained their warmth. She stretched her hand out toward Bo Mingyan, raising one eyebrow: “They’re not cold now. Will you hold my hand and teach me?”

If the reason for refusing earlier was because they were cold, then now that they’re not, there’s no excuse to say no.

Bo Mingyan chuckled helplessly. She mentally reassured herself-it’s not like this is the first time we’ve held hands; we even did it that day on the business trip.

But for some reason, it felt different this time. She just couldn’t pinpoint exactly how.

Bo Mingyan took a slow breath and finally clasped Meng Xuran’s hand.

Where their palms pressed together, it was warm. Meng Xuran lowered her head, pressing her lips together to suppress a rising smile.

Bo Mingyan instructed, “Lean your upper body forward, bend your knees, and lower your center of gravity.

Meng Xuran obediently followed.

Bo Mingyan looked down, assessing her posture, then after a pause, reminded her: “Spread your legs.”

Her voice was soft, low, and unhurried when she said this, carrying a faint, lazy allure.

But after days of absorbing practical knowledge-her mind now filled with indecent thoughts-Meng Xuran’s imagination immediately ran wild.

Bo Mingyan felt Meng Xuran’s spine stiffen.

Just a second ago, she was acting all soft and clingy, begging me to teach her, and now she’s frozen stiff like a little wooden doll.

Is she really this nervous about skating without the handrail?

Bo Mingyan soothingly stroked Meng Xuran’s hand, softening her tone: “Relax a little.”

“…” Meng Xuran drew in a sharp breath.

Bo Mingyan also took a slow, deep breath, patiently repeating, “Don’t be nervous. Relax. Spread your legs.”

Meng Xuran cleared her throat and denied it outright: “I’m not nervous.”

“You. Are. Not. Nervous?” Bo Mingyan enunciated each word sharply, her gaze flickering sideways to their intertwined hands before she finally snapped, “My hand’s about to break.”

“…”

What kind of raunchy dialogue is this when you put it all together?!

Meng Xuran’s face flushed scarlet in an instant. She hurriedly let go of Bo Mingyan’s hand, dropping her own to her side and clenching it tightly. Her fingertips dug into her palm, the slight sting spreading instantly and calming her somewhat. She muttered, “I really wasn’t nervous.”

Bo Mingyan massaged her knuckles, studying Meng Xuran’s fair, pink-tinged face for a moment before deciding not to dwell on the issue any further. “Let me demonstrate for you,” she said.

Meng Xuran snapped back to attention. “Okay.”

“Use the inside edge of your right foot to push off the ice, like this. Don’t lift it too high. Control the direction with your left foot as you glide forward. After pushing off with your right foot, quickly bring it back and glide on both feet. Then, switch to your left foot…”

After finishing the demonstration, Bo Mingyan circled back and naturally reached out her hand for Meng Xuran to hold. “Give it a try,” she said.

Meng Xuran nodded and mimicked Bo Mingyan’s posture, skating a fair distance smoothly.

Seeing how well she was doing, Bo Mingyan suggested, “How about I let go, and you try skating on your own for a bit?”

“Okay.”

Meng Xuran assumed the stance perfectly, then… shifted slightly, her hands flailing a little in the air.

The motion was comical, her expression adorable.

Bo Mingyan couldn’t help it—a soft chuckle escaped her throat. “What are you doing?”

Meng Xuran turned her head, glaring at her with wide eyes, and mumbled, “I’m scared.”

Bo Mingyan found it amusing. “Scared of what?”

“I’m right beside you.”

“I won’t let you fall.”

Even when Bo Mingyan spoke with a smile, her tone was always even, devoid of emotional fluctuations. But those smoke-gray eyes held a gentle shimmer, like a pool of water reflecting tender light.

It was deeply reassuring.

Meng Xuran turned back, focusing intently as she skated forward, slow and cautious.

At first, it went smoothly. But then, someone ahead suddenly fell, dragging their skating instructor down with them. Panicking, Meng Xuran lost her balance. Instinctively, she reached for Bo Mingyan’s hand—only to let go the moment their fingers touched.

Bo Mingyan frowned. One hand clasped Meng Xuran’s firmly, while the other wrapped around her waist, steadying her before releasing her. “Take it slow. Don’t panic,” she said.

The lingering warmth at her waist seemed to sear into her skin. Meng Xuran pressed a hand to her chest and nodded.

Her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might leap out of her ribcage.

As they skated past the two fallen strangers, Bo Mingyan’s gaze slid sidelong to Meng Xuran’s tense, nervous face. Lowering her lashes, Bo Mingyan rubbed her fingertips together.

Someone so afraid of falling had let go in the moment of panic—because she was afraid of dragging her down too.

The realization struck like a missed step on the stairs—or like something had lightly scratched at her heart—making Bo Mingyan’s pulse skip a beat.

Lu Yo and Yue Yunxi glided over from somewhere, calling out, “Manman, let’s go eat.”

The fleeting moment of subtle tension vanished. Bo Mingyan snapped back to reality and replied, “Oh, okay.”

“Huh?” Meng Xuran asked Lu Yo curiously, “You didn’t hire a coach either?”

“Nope.” Lu Yo tossed her hair and glanced at Yue Yunxi beside her. “She said she forgot about me, so as compensation, she’s teaching me personally.”

Meng Xuran drew out an “Ohhh,” her gaze lingering thoughtfully on Yue Yunxi before she smiled faintly and said nothing more.

Seeing how smoothly Meng Xuran was skating now, Lu Yo teased, “Pretty impressive, huh?”

“It’s Teacher Bo who’s impressive. She’s a good teacher.” For once, Meng Xuran wasn’t full of herself.

Bo Mingyan shot her a sidelong glance.

“She really is amazing. Back then, we all called her the Ice Queen.” Lu Yo said. “Actually, it’s not just ice skating—she’s ridiculously talented at sports in general.”

Meng Xuran asked curiously, “Is she good at every sport?”

“Not exactly.” Lu Yo, supported by Yue Yunxi, stepped off the rink. “It depends on whether she’s interested in it.”

“Ohhh~ So she’s exceptionally talented at the sports she likes.” Meng Xuran summarized breezily.

Just this morning, before heading out, she had summarized Bo Mingyan’s “favorite sport” as “bedroom activities.”

Now, pairing that with “exceptionally talented”…

Bo Mingyan’s ears burned, and her steps faltered, nearly achieving her first-ever fall on ice.

Meng Xuran peeked at Bo Mingyan’s flushed ears and hid a smirk.

Author’s Note:

Meng · Brain full of dirty thoughts · Master of comprehension and summarization · Jiao Jiao

VS

Bo · Enjoys bedroom activities · Exceptionally talented · Manman