Two Faced Lover - Chapter 72

72: Deep Affection

Meng Xuran ran against the wind into the apartment building. The elevator was just descending from a higher floor, its numbers changing one by one, matching the rhythm of her heartbeat. Meng Xuran couldn’t stand still—she was like an ant on a hot pan, pacing back and forth in the small space in front of the elevator, her toes tapping impatiently against the floor. Unable to resist, she pressed the elevator button a few more times.

The other people waiting in the elevator glanced at her curiously.

Meng Xuran didn’t notice.

Her mind was filled with Meng Yao’s retelling of Bo Mingyan’s words: “As long as she’s willing, my feelings for her will never fade.” Meng Yao’s voice was nothing like Bo Mingyan’s, but carried by the wind and lingering in Meng Xuran’s ears, it transformed into Bo Mingyan’s low, intoxicating tone. For a second, Meng Xuran’s mind went blank, and all she could see was the way Bo Mingyan had looked at her before saying those words.

That gaze had been like a cup of fine wine, shimmering with rippling light.

At the time, she had only been like someone sipping that wine—enchanted, heart fluttering, unaware of the depth of emotion hidden within.

Now, she was drunk. She was going mad. She desperately wanted to see Bo Mingyan, to hold her, to kiss her, to tell her—

I feel the same.

As long as you’re willing.

My love for you will never cease, even in death.

When the elevator doors opened, Meng Xuran hurried down the long hallway and came to a stop in front of the apartment door. The strands of hair that had been tousled by the wind fell back against her cheeks as she caught her breath, steadying her pounding heart.

Inside, Bo Mingyan stood by the entryway cabinet, holding a golden dried silk flower in one hand and a vase in the other. She arranged the silk flower and white baby’s breath in the vase with deliberate care. Glancing at her watch, she estimated that Meng Xuran would be back soon. Just as she pushed the door open from inside, she came face-to-face with Meng Xuran on the other side.

Bo Mingyan froze for a moment, her gaze slowly sweeping over Meng Xuran’s face before a sudden unease settled in her chest. “Why are you crying?”

She had been fine when she left earlier, but now she was back with tears streaming down her face.

Meng Xuran touched her cheeks, her fingers coming away wet. She hadn’t even realized she’d been crying.

Bo Mingyan frowned slightly, pulling Meng Xuran inside and shutting the door behind them. Leaning back against the cabinet, she wrapped her right arm around Meng Xuran’s slender waist while her left hand cradled Meng Xuran’s cold face. Gently, she wiped away the tear tracks with her thumb, her dark eyes searching Meng Xuran’s misty ones. “Did your mom say something to upset you?”

Meng Xuran stared at her, Bo Mingyan’s words surfacing in her mind again. Her nose tingled with renewed emotion, and she blinked, sending another tear rolling down—this one scalding against Bo Mingyan’s hand. Bo Mingyan’s gaze flickered, her fingers twitching slightly as she wiped the tear away. Her touch was tender, her voice even softer. “Why won’t you talk? Little crybaby, what did your mom say to make you this upset?”

“It’s not because of her,” Meng Xuran sniffled, shaking her head.

Bo Mingyan waited patiently. “Then what is it?”

Meng Xuran’s tear-damp lashes fluttered as she gazed into Bo Mingyan’s eyes through the haze. After a long moment, she slid her arms around Bo Mingyan’s neck and pulled her down, pressing tear-stained kisses from her brows to the tip of her nose before finally landing on her lips.

The softness of Meng Xuran’s mouth against hers made Bo Mingyan slowly close her eyes.

This time, Meng Xuran kissed her more gently than ever before—light, unhurried brushes of her lips, the slow tracing of her tongue along every delicate crease of Bo Mingyan’s mouth. The salt of her tears mingled with the sweetness of her breath, seeping between their lips.

When Meng Xuran kissed her fiercely, Bo Mingyan could still restrain herself.

But strangely, when Meng Xuran took her time—teasing, tasting, retreating and advancing like a playful fish darting between her lips and teeth—Bo Mingyan found herself losing control. She leaned in, parting her lips to deepen the kiss.

Xiaoman lay sprawled on the cat tree, belly up as he dozed. His ears twitched slightly at the soft, wet sounds filling the quiet room. The atmosphere grew warmer, the tension rising like the bubbles from the aquarium’s oxygen pump.

Bo Mingyan’s tongue traced Meng Xuran’s lips with varying pressure, nipping lightly at her lower lip before soothing it with slow kisses. Meng Xuran’s mind went blank, her body responding instinctively as she kissed back, her lips parting to let Bo Mingyan in.

The taste was intoxicating—like molten sugar stretched thin under heat, never enough no matter how much she savored it.

Bo Mingyan’s grip on Meng Xuran’s waist tightened unconsciously.

A shiver ran through Meng Xuran, her legs nearly giving out as a soft whimper escaped her. “Mmn—”

The moment that fragile sound reached her ears, Bo Mingyan’s kisses gentled, brushing over her lips like a breeze before finally pulling away.

Meng Xuran’s arms remained looped around Bo Mingyan’s neck, her forehead resting against hers as she caught her breath. Her gaze, still hazy with desire, met Bo Mingyan’s—only to find her dark eyes smoldering with restrained fire. Suddenly, she laughed.

Bo Mingyan nuzzled her nose playfully. “Crying one second, laughing the next. What a little mess.”

“I cried because of someone’s promise to my mom.” Meng Xuran murmured, pressing a kiss to the corner of Bo Mingyan’s mouth. “And I’m laughing because of it too. Manman, I’m willing.”

Emotion rippled in Bo Mingyan’s eyes, her lips curving into a faint smile. “Silly.”

Meng Xuran bit her lightly in protest.

After a beat of silence, Meng Xuran spoke again. “You know… sometimes I wonder if you don’t like me as much as I thought.”

Bo Mingyan immediately understood what she meant, her gaze deepening as she studied her. “Why would you think that?”

“Because…” Meng Xuran’s fingers twirled absently in Bo Mingyan’s hair, winding and unwinding the strands. She hesitated before admitting, “You never want to take things further. I’m always the one initiating kisses, teasing you, tempting you. The way you respond… it feels like you’re dancing in chains. Restrained. Holding back.”

At first, Meng Xuran had thought it was because they were newly together, and rushing into things might not be right. But then she’d stumbled upon posts online—other girls in relationships who had already taken that step, some even before officially dating. Compared to them, she and Bo Mingyan felt… strange. They kissed passionately, their mouths tangled in ways that left them breathless. They touched, explored—she’d even sat in Bo Mingyan’s lap, overwhelmed. But it never went further. Their intimacy was like floating sparks—visible, bright, but impossible to grasp, never quite solid enough to land.

Her fingers circled the nape of Bo Mingyan’s neck. “Manman, is it because I’m not attractive enough?”

Bo Mingyan lowered her eyes, shaking her head slightly. “You’re so attractive, I don’t dare look at you for too long.”

Because even a second longer, and she’d lose control.

Bo Mingyan understood what Meng Xuran meant—she had been holding back. Partly because of childhood shadows that made her wary of intimacy. And yet, she’d imagined it countless times—in her mind, in her dreams—what it would be like to take that step with Meng Xuran. If Meng Xuran ever truly lost herself in desire, Bo Mingyan would willingly follow. But if she could restrain herself, she’d prefer to stop where they were. Because going further would entangle them even more.

She wanted to leave herself an escape route.

And she wanted to leave one for Meng Xuran too—so that if things ever ended, they could part without regrets.

But when Meng Xuran said “I’m willing”—those two simple words, paired with her tearful, proud, yet deeply affectionate gaze—Bo Mingyan knew.

All her rationality and restraint had crumbled in an instant.

There was no turning back now.

Meng Xuran’s eyes drifted to the golden silk flowers behind Bo Mingyan before she leaned in, her lips brushing Bo Mingyan’s ear. “Manman, why silk flowers today?”

Then, softer, more hesitant: “Do you… want to take things further with me?”

The quiet uncertainty in her voice pulled Bo Mingyan back to the present. Her lashes fluttered once, twice. After a long silence, she finally answered. “I do. So much.”

The shower door slid open, steam rising toward the ceiling. Bo Mingyan glanced down at the lingerie she’d never worn before—a “gift” Meng Xuran had insisted on—then turned to check the back. It might as well have been nothing at all. She pinched the bridge of her nose, cheeks flushed, before tightening the sash of her robe and slowly making her way to the bedroom.

The room was warm from the air conditioning, like spring.

Meng Xuran, already freshly showered and sweetly scented, lay on the bed in a pale pink silk robe that clung to her curves. She was fiddling with some kind of remote.

Hearing footsteps, Meng Xuran set the remote aside and knelt up, patting the space beside her. “Come here.”

As she moved, the collar of her robe slipped open, revealing a glimpse of smooth, fair skin.

“…” Bo Mingyan averted her eyes, her ears burning as she inched closer and sat down. Despite all their previous kisses, she felt inexplicably nervous now. “How do we…?”

The rest of her question was swallowed by Meng Xuran’s mouth.

Bo Mingyan sat while Meng Xuran knelt, her fingers gripping Bo Mingyan’s chin firmly as she kissed her hard, her teeth grazing Bo Mingyan’s lips. Her hands slid from Bo Mingyan’s jaw to her cheeks, then into her hair, the kiss growing hotter, more demanding.

Meng Xuran’s palms were always cool, but her kisses burned.

Her delicate fragrance filled the air, enveloping Bo Mingyan completely, as if trying to consume her.

From her cheeks to her earlobes—Meng Xuran seemed particularly fond of the small mole on Bo Mingyan’s ear, lavishing it with attention until the shell of her ear was damp.

Bo Mingyan cradled the back of Meng Xuran’s head, suppressing the sounds threatening to escape as she let Meng Xuran kiss her way down to her neck. She exhaled shakily. “Meng Jiaojiao, turn off the lights.”

Meng Xuran gave her one last fierce kiss before pulling back. “Later. I want to see your tattoo.”

Bo Mingyan licked her lips, hesitating before turning around. She loosened the sash of her robe, letting it slip open to reveal the fiery red spider lily on her back—alluring, breathtaking.

Meng Xuran’s kisses fell like spring rain.

Gentle, lingering touches against the petals of that flower.

The bright ceiling lights were almost blinding. The hum of the air conditioner mixed with the soft sounds of kissing, amplifying the tension in the quiet room. Bo Mingyan trembled uncontrollably.

For some reason, Meng Xuran’s kisses on the tattoo made her ache. She couldn’t see Meng Xuran’s face, couldn’t read her expression, but she had the distinct sense that Meng Xuran was crying again. Bo Mingyan started to turn, but Meng Xuran pushed her back down.

As her face met the pillow, the lights went out. A mechanical whirring—whether from the air conditioner or something else—filled the darkness before Bo Mingyan was flipped onto her back.

Warm lips covered hers, her lower lip caught and teased until it throbbed.

A tongue slipped past her teeth, tangling with hers in a playful chase where neither knew who was leading anymore.

Meng Xuran kissed the corner of her mouth, then trailed down to her jaw.

The slow burn of desire spread, scorching every inch of her.

Bo Mingyan’s breaths came in shaky gasps, her body overheating.

When Meng Xuran’s touches finally dipped lower, Bo Mingyan couldn’t hold back a startled cry—a muffled sound that echoed in the room.

Then, warm yellow light flooded the space. Bo Mingyan’s dazed eyes widened as she caught sight of the mirror on the ceiling, the blurred figures tangled together within it. Instinctively, she kicked the person on top of her off the bed.

“Ow!”

The motion-activated lights turned off, then back on as Meng Xuran sat on the carpet, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, the corners flushed a tempting pink. Her lips were red and slightly swollen, glistening faintly under the light. Bo Mingyan glanced again at the mirror and the lights, suddenly realizing what Meng Xuran had meant when she’d said her room had “features.”

The floor-to-ceiling windows were nothing compared to this.

Bo Mingyan pointed upward, “?”

Meng Xuran climbed back onto the bed, biting her lip coyly. “Don’t you like it?”

Bo Mingyan countered, “You like it?”

“Of course. It enhances the mood, makes everything more enjoyable.” Meng Xuran said it like it was obvious. Why else would she have installed it?

The moment the words left her mouth, she let out a soft “Ah—!” as Bo Mingyan flipped her onto her back, pinning her wrists. Leaning down, Bo Mingyan’s husky voice triggered the lights again, bathing the room in brightness.

“Then enjoy yourself, Princess.”

Meng Xuran’s fingers clenched in the sheets. “I—” Damn it.

Outside, the wind howled through the trees, a mournful melody in the dark. Raindrops began to fall, scattering across the ground until every dry patch was soaked. By morning, the freshly bloomed white flowers on the branches hung limp, battered by the storm.