Two Faced Lover - Chapter 74

74: Practice

The faint light of dawn pierced through the thin mist, spilling into the room through the gap in the floor-to-ceiling window that hadn’t been fully closed.

The air conditioner, having rested for a long time during defrosting, started up again, lowering the room’s temperature slightly, leaving a faint chill in the air.

The cool air carried a dampness that felt like after the rain or after certain activities, lingering sensually in every corner of the inner room.

The short-pile fleece blanket was damp with sweat and other fluids, making it uncomfortable beneath her. A thin layer of sweat clung to her body, sticky and unpleasant, with even the wisps of hair at her temples plastered to her skin.

The sash from the sleep robe that had been covering her eyes now lay in Bo Mingyan’s palm. Her fingertips slowly traced over it before suddenly clenching tight.

Behind her, Meng Xuran used her still-damp fingers to trace the vibrant red spider lilies blooming across Bo Mingyan’s back.

Inch by inch, stroke by stroke, she slowly smudged the remnants of ink over the two spider lilies, from their fiercely curling petals down to their stems. Beneath her fingertips, she could feel the scars hidden beneath the tattoo. Meng Xuran paused for a moment.

A subtle feeling surged in her heart—uncomfortable.

Bo Mingyan wasn’t faring well either, though her discomfort was of a different kind. As she felt Meng Xuran’s tracing, she unconsciously shifted her legs.

The movement startled Meng Xuran, who propped herself up on her elbows and leaned over Bo Mingyan’s shoulder, brushing aside the stray hairs clinging to her face. Her voice was slightly hoarse as she murmured, “I thought you were asleep.”

Bo Mingyan grabbed her wrist, her voice even huskier: “With you drawing on my back like this, who could sleep?”

“All I did was draw on your back, and you couldn’t sleep?” Meng Xuran leaned closer, her lips brushing Bo Mingyan’s earlobe as she whispered, “Manman~ are you perhaps~ hmm?”

She left the sentence hanging.

“Hmm? What?” Bo Mingyan pretended not to understand.

Meng Xuran pressed closer, murmuring into her ear: “Do it again?”

The drawn-out tone, slightly raspy, slipped into her ear, carrying an extra layer of teasing compared to usual.

Bo Mingyan blinked slowly before decisively refusing: “No.”

“Why not?” Meng Xuran nibbled on her fingertip, slowly grinding her teeth against it.

Bo Mingyan couldn’t help but admire Meng Xuran’s quick recovery. Just minutes ago, she had been whining about “how exhausting it is to be the top” while lying limp in her arms, and now she was full of energy again.

She coughed lightly and reminded her: “What time is it?”

“We’re not going to work today,” Meng Xuran dismissed, repeating her question, “So, were you satisfied or not?”

Bo Mingyan’s ears burned as she replied in a barely audible voice, “Mhm.”

Meng Xuran pressed further: “How good was your girlfriend?”

Her tone lifted slightly at the end, curling like a tail wagging proudly, brimming with self-satisfaction.

Bo Mingyan tilted her head slightly, casting a sidelong glance that seemed to say, What do you think?

From fumbling around cluelessly at first, to slowly dragging things out for half the night, to finally getting excited like she’d been injected with adrenaline—only for the tunnel to dry up again, forcing her to start over by lighting a fire with her lips and tongue, melting the lava before finally setting the plains ablaze.

Looking back at the whole process, it could hardly be called “good.”

Meng Xuran understood her gaze and pouted, protesting, “But it was my first time! I had no experience, of course I’d be a bit clumsy. And besides, it’s your fault—”

She paused mid-sentence.

A moment later, she leaned in again, whispering into Bo Mingyan’s ear: “You were like a desert—so dry and tight, hard to moisten…”

“……”

Bo Mingyan’s ears burned as if bitten, heat rushing up in an instant.

The words uncontrollably dragged Bo Mingyan back to memories of Meng Xuran’s mischievous behavior.

Bo Mingyan’s impressions of such matters were still tangled with childhood panic and unease. She had no doubt about wanting to deepen things with Meng Xuran, but when it actually came to that point, she couldn’t suppress her fear.

Her excessive tension made everything painfully tight. The slower the progress, the more unbearable it felt for Bo Mingyan, to the point where she couldn’t even distinguish what that strange sensation was—like a candle burning out in the rain, neither fully extinguished nor fully alight.

It was maddening. She wished it would either burn out quickly or be doused by the rain altogether.

But for Meng Xuran, who was so inexperienced she nearly cried, making the candle burn faster in the rain or letting it be extinguished by the rain were both difficult tasks.

Unless the rain stopped.

So, after hesitating for a long time, Bo Mingyan called out hoarsely: “Meng Jiaojiao… let’s just forget it.”

Meng Xuran was also on the verge of breaking.

Years of longing were gnawing away at her rationality bit by bit, yet she still had to restrain herself and take things step by step.

In the end, she’d made a mess of things—but she was trying.

Hearing this, Meng Xuran immediately frowned: “Why?”

Bo Mingyan said, “It hurts.”

Meng Xuran froze, hesitating for a brief moment. She didn’t speak or move.

Another, even more peculiar feeling surged up—like the sudden emptiness of falling off a cliff in a dream, or the restless urge to stretch out a half-numb leg.

Bo Mingyan unconsciously shifted her legs again.

The next moment, she felt Meng Xuran’s hand move as well.

At the same time, Meng Xuran’s husky voice broke the quiet: “Where does it hurt?”

Under the warm light, Bo Mingyan’s red lips were pressed tightly together. Her striking eyes—the focal point of her delicate features—were hidden beneath the pale pink sash, her cheeks tinged with a soft blush. The usual sharp, restrained aura was softened, replaced by a contrasting, breathtaking beauty.

Meng Xuran felt as though the beast named “obsession,” long caged in the depths of her heart, was about to break free. Her desires were nearly impossible to suppress.

“If you don’t tell me, how am I supposed to know? How can I adjust for you?” Meng Xuran brushed aside the hair clinging to Bo Mingyan’s cheek with her left hand. “Manman, talk to me. Where does it hurt?”

Behind the sash, Bo Mingyan’s smoke-gray eyes fluttered shut. She couldn’t speak.

“If you won’t talk, I’ll assume you can take it.” Meng Xuran’s actions were as mischievous as her words. She nipped at Bo Mingyan’s upturned chin, adding meaningfully, “Endure it a little longer, and it won’t hurt anymore.”

……

Cool fingertips brushed over Bo Mingyan’s burning ear as Meng Xuran murmured softly, “I thought you were so skilled because you’d practiced on yourself a lot.”

Bo Mingyan snapped out of her daze, amused by Meng Xuran’s muttering: “So, have you been practicing on yourself?”

“Of course not!” Meng Xuran turned away in embarrassment, vehemently denying it.

Bo Mingyan sat up and draped her sleep robe over herself: “Then you should practice more. I can even give you personal guidance.”

Realizing what Bo Mingyan meant, Meng Xuran covered her face with her hands. The scent of Bo Mingyan still lingered on her fingers, and in an instant, her entire body seemed to burn up. She quickly lowered her hands again.

Hearing movement, Meng Xuran turned to see Bo Mingyan already at the bedroom door. “Where are you going?”

Bo Mingyan opened the door. “To get some water.”

“Drink more, drink more.” Meng Xuran seized the chance to counterattack. “The more you drink, the more you’ll… produce.”

Bo Mingyan: “……”

A short while later, Bo Mingyan returned, holding Meng Xuran’s enamel cup filled to the brim with water. She handed it to Meng Xuran: “You lost too much fluid. You should replenish it—drink more.”

Meng Xuran’s lips twitched: “……”

She was thirsty. Wrapped in the fleece blanket, Meng Xuran cradled the cup and drank half of it. She glanced up, meeting Bo Mingyan’s gaze, then looked away—only to meet it again.

Bo Mingyan raised a brow. “What’s wrong?”

Meng Xuran curled her legs slightly and shook her head.

Assuming she was just uncomfortable, Bo Mingyan said, “Take a shower, then sleep in my room.”

Meng Xuran gave an “Mhm” and set the cup on the nightstand. “Don’t wanna shower.”

Bo Mingyan asked, “Isn’t it uncomfortable?”

“A little, but I’m too tired.” Meng Xuran wiggled her toes. “Aren’t you tired?”

“Not really.” Bo Mingyan couldn’t stand the idea of sleeping without washing up and coaxed her, “Just a quick rinse will do.”

Meng Xuran burrowed into her arms. “Then help me. I really can’t move. You were the one enjoying yourself all night—I was the one working hard. My arms are too sore to lift.”

“……”

Bo Mingyan got up and went to the shower, turning on the heater and filling the bathtub with water. When she came out, she called softly, “Meng Jiaojiao.”

Meng Xuran looked up, puzzled. “Hmm?”

“This nickname really suits you.” Bo Mingyan draped Meng Xuran’s sleep robe over her and lifted her into her arms. “The delicate kind of ‘Jiao.’”

Meng Xuran looped an arm around Bo Mingyan’s neck, playing with her hair. “And the other ‘Jiao’?”

Bo Mingyan chuckled. “The coquettish kind.”

The pronunciation of “qi” was so light that Meng Xuran couldn’t tell if she meant “coquettish” or “wife.” How strange—even after everything they’d done, Bo Mingyan’s casual words could still make her heart race uncontrollably.

Once in the shower, Bo Mingyan placed Meng Xuran in the bathtub, which was already half-filled with warm water. She removed the sleep robe and picked up a towel, meticulously cleaning her.

Meng Xuran closed her eyes in contentment. From her angle, she could see the curves beneath Bo Mingyan’s loosely tied robe.

When Bo Mingyan’s touch reached her legs, Meng Xuran leaned in to kiss her while gripping her wrist.

Ripples spread across the water’s surface.

Just like the flickering light in Bo Mingyan’s eyes. She suddenly realized why Meng Xuran had been shifting her legs earlier.

They had planned to sleep after showering, but by the time they finished, the bathroom was a mess again.

The culprit sat on the sink, her head resting on Bo Mingyan’s shoulder as Bo Mingyan blow-dried her hair. Comfortable and drowsy, Meng Xuran could barely keep her eyes open, but she didn’t want Bo Mingyan to overexert herself. “Manman, did you really never practice before?”

“I did.”

Meng Xuran laughed weakly. “But you said you didn’t earlier.”

“I didn’t practice on myself,” Bo Mingyan clarified. “I practiced with you.”

“?!” Meng Xuran was stunned. “When? How come I didn’t know?”

Bo Mingyan gave her an exasperated but amused glance, set down the hairdryer, flexed her sore wrist, and carried her back to the bedroom.

The whole way, Meng Xuran kept pestering her: “When was it?”

Burrowed under the covers, Meng Xuran finally heard Bo Mingyan say, “In my dreams.”

Surrounded by Bo Mingyan’s scent, Meng Xuran found a comfortable position and forced her eyes open to look at her, smiling. “Must’ve been a sweet dream.”

But as she smiled, the curve of her lips slowly faded. She murmured, “I never dared to dream like that…”

Bo Mingyan asked, “Why?”

Because if the dream was too sweet, reality would feel too cruel. Meng Xuran was too tired to voice the thought. Instead, she parted her lips and answered, “Now I dare…”

Bo Mingyan chuckled softly.

Daring wasn’t limited to dreams anymore.

——

By noon, the sky had cleared, and sunlight spilled through the curtains onto Meng Xuran’s face, waking her. Her phone vibrated on the bedside table. Still half-asleep, she rolled over and grabbed it to check the time.

But when she saw the notification on the screen, she absentmindedly replied without even checking the sender’s name.

After sending the reply, her hand went slack, and the phone slipped from her grip. She snuggled closer to Bo Mingyan beside her, and after a few seconds, draped a leg over her.

The sudden weight on her waist made Bo Mingyan frown slightly. She was too exhausted to move, so after a moment, her brow smoothed, and she fell back asleep.

By the time they woke again, the sun had already dipped below the horizon. For a moment, they couldn’t tell what day it was. Perhaps because they’d been so tired, this sleep had been deep and dreamless, washing away all their exhaustion.

Seeing Meng Xuran still sound asleep, Bo Mingyan gently brushed her fingertip over Meng Xuran’s nose.

The sleeping girl had a fierce temper—she swatted Bo Mingyan’s hand away and turned over, taking all the blankets with her.

Bo Mingyan stared at the red mark on her hand, amused. She didn’t disturb Meng Xuran again, quietly getting up and slipping into loungewear before leaving the bedroom.

In the living room, Xiaoman, who probably hadn’t slept well, was napping on the cat tree. Bo Mingyan added two scoops of kibble to her bowl and fed her some fish, then headed to the master bedroom to clean up the mess from the night before—both the bed and the shower.

As she was finishing up, Meng Xuran shuffled in wearing one of Bo Mingyan’s shirts, barefoot, rubbing her eyes. “Why didn’t you wake me, Snail girl?”

“I tried. But someone has a terrible temper—she even hits people when woken up.” Bo Mingyan walked over to her, watching as Meng Xuran lowered her head in embarrassment. Following her gaze, Bo Mingyan noticed her bare feet. “No shoes, and dressed so lightly—aren’t you cold?”

Meng Xuran stepped onto Bo Mingyan’s slippers. “Then pick me a New Year’s ‘battle outfit.’ I want to wear yours.”

Bo Mingyan held Meng Xuran’s waist as they shuffled back together.

After rummaging through the closet for an outfit, Meng Xuran started planting kisses on Bo Mingyan’s neck again. Bo Mingyan warned, “If you keep this up, we won’t have time for dinner—or fireworks at Jiangxinzhou.”

The mention of fireworks made Meng Xuran freeze instantly.

They washed up together in the bathroom. Meanwhile, Meng Yao called to ask what Meng Xuran was having for New Year’s Eve dinner, and the mother-daughter pair chatted for a while. Bo Mingyan’s phone buzzed incessantly—mostly New Year’s greetings. She replied to each one.

When she got to Lu Yo’s message, her eyelid twitched slightly.

Before the festive greetings, at 12:05 PM, Lu Yo had asked:
[How’s the relationship going? How do you feel now?]

Since their heart-to-heart talk, Lu Yo had been busy, and they hadn’t spoken much.

At 1:08 PM, a reply came through:
[Very deep. The experience was amazing.]

Lu Yoyo: [? What did I miss?]

The reply:
[I’ve gained experience as a top now. I’ll teach you later!]

Lu Yoyo: [Okay…]

At 1:14 PM, Lu Yo posted a status:
[Being in love with someone you like really changes a person [thoughtful]]

“…”

By now, Meng Xuran had finished her call. As she applied skincare with one hand, she scrolled through her phone and muttered, “Was I dreaming? Why are all the messages Gu Miao sent me gone?”

Bo Mingyan rubbed her temples and slid her phone toward Meng Xuran.

Meng Xuran glanced at the screen: “…”

Bo Mingyan: “Don’t teach the wrong person, top.”