Chapter 16

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Chapter 16: Drunk

Jiang Liuyi was briefly stunned after the words left her mouth—she had just told Song Xian to kiss her? In front of so many colleagues? Even at home, when no one else was around, Song Xian would never…

Song Xian paused for a few seconds, then leaned forward and placed a kiss on the corner of Jiang Liuyi’s lips, where her words had just landed.

All of Jiang Liuyi’s movements froze. In that instant, everything around her seemed to recede far into the distance. It felt oddly like an out-of-body experience. A low buzzing filled her ears, and yet it was completely silent—so quiet that she could clearly hear the sound of her own heartbeat.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

She stood there, stunned. Song Xian asked calmly, “Like that?”

With a rush, the noise of the crowd returned, flooding her ears. The flush of heat coursing through her body quickened, and her heart beat even faster for no discernible reason. Jiang Liuyi stared at Song Xian for a long moment before finally answering, “Like that.”

She then looked at Song Xian’s lips—pale pink, with a trace of red wine still lingering from when she’d leaned in close. That kiss had carried both the scent of the wine and Song Xian’s unique fragrance. Her lips had been soft and warm. Jiang Liuyi’s palms began to sweat. She asked, “Are you drunk?”

Song Xian blinked. “Nope.”

Still pretending, earnestly pretending.

Jiang Liuyi let out a laugh. She said, “Then kiss Miss He.”

Sitting on Song Xian’s other side was He Xiaoying. Upon hearing this, Song Xian obediently turned her head, about to lean in when Jiang Liuyi pulled her back. With both hands, she cupped Song Xian’s face—it was burning hot.

And she said she wasn’t drunk.

Jiang Liuyi’s eyes shimmered with amusement. She hadn’t expected Song Xian to be like this when tipsy.

Adorably so, and surprising too. Looking into those clear eyes, she’d really thought Song Xian was still sober.

Song Xian, redirected back into place, looked puzzled. “What’s wrong?”

Jiang Liuyi teased, “Kiss me again.”

Without hesitation, Song Xian leaned in again. Just as she neared Jiang Liuyi’s lips, Jiang Liuyi backed away, placing her hands on Song Xian’s shoulders to keep some distance between them. Song Xian looked confused, while Jiang Liuyi felt the heat rise in her own palms where they touched Song Xian’s shoulders.

When Song Xian leaned in just now, she’d actually wanted to kiss her back. Fiercely.

This is bad—she was drunk too.

Jiang Liuyi didn’t dare linger. Afraid others might see and things would get out of hand, she stood and pulled Song Xian up. “We’re going to head out.”

He Xiaoying quickly stood as well. “Leaving already? Aren’t we going to the KTV later?”

Jiang Liuyi shook her head. “Not tonight. You all go have fun. Song Xian and I are treating today, so you can send her the receipt later for reimbursement.”

Yuan Hong immediately asked, “Is Song Xian drunk?”

Song Xian stood beside Jiang Liuyi, her cheeks flushed red, but her eyes were unusually bright—calm and steady, no different from usual. He Xiaoying asked in a quiet voice, “Are you drunk?”

Song Xian shook her head. “No.”

He Xiaoying patted her chest in relief. “Then make sure you get Teacher Jiang home safely. She seems a little tipsy.”

Jiang Liuyi had also had a few glasses. The red wine had colored her cheeks, and even the delicate skin of her slender neck was tinged with pink. Song Xian turned to look at her, staring for a long moment before nodding. “Got it.”

So proper. She didn’t look drunk at all, but only Jiang Liuyi knew just how far gone she really was.

Taking Song Xian’s hand, she turned to the others. “You all keep chatting. We’ll head out first.”

He Xiaoying called after them, “A driver…”

Jiang Liuyi replied, “Already called.”

He Xiaoying finally relaxed.

Jiang Liuyi led Song Xian straight to the parking lot. The driver hadn’t arrived yet. The moonlight was clear and bright, the night breeze soft and slow. Song Xian tilted her head back to gaze at the moon and suddenly stopped walking. Jiang Liuyi turned to follow her gaze upward and asked, “What are you looking at?”

“A big pancake,” Song Xian said. “I want to eat it.”

The full moon really did look like a pancake.

Jiang Liuyi waved her hand in the air, pretending to grab something, then turned to Song Xian and said, “I caught the pancake.”

Song Xian turned to her with wide, eager eyes. It was the first time she’d looked at her like that. Back inside, she’d been so calm the whole time. Meeting her gaze now stirred something deep in Jiang Liuyi, like a string had been gently plucked. She held out her hand in front of Song Xian. “Want to eat it?”

“Yes,” Song Xian said sweetly, then leaned down and bit the tips of Jiang Liuyi’s fingers. Her teeth grazed the pads of her fingers—sharp, tingling. After one bite, she looked up at Jiang Liuyi with a hint of grievance. “I can’t reach it.”

A pang tugged at Jiang Liuyi’s heart. “Then I’ll buy one for you later. I’ll buy you a whole bunch…”

When the driver arrived, she saw two drunk women leaning against the car talking nonsense—something about eating pancakes. She’d seen all kinds of drunken antics and was used to it by now. After coaxing the two into the car and setting the destination, they hadn’t gone far before Jiang Liuyi insisted on getting out to buy pancakes.

The driver couldn’t dissuade her, so she took them to look for a vendor. But the kind of pancake sold in supermarkets wouldn’t do—Song Xian insisted on the kind made fresh on a griddle. At this hour of the night, where were they supposed to find that?

Fortunately, Jiang Liuyi still had enough awareness to tip the driver several times the fare. That kind of money—enough to make in a single ride what usually took all night—delighted her. She immediately began cruising the streets, taking the two of them to find pancakes. 

They finally spotted a griddle pancake vendor near a food street. Jiang Liuyi moved to get out, but the driver had already stepped out ahead of her. The area was crowded, and she didn’t feel safe letting Jiang Liuyi go alone, so she followed her down.

As they walked, the driver asked, “Are you two newly dating?”

Only people in love would be this indulgent, right?

Jiang Liuyi didn’t reply right away. It wasn’t until they reached the stall that she said, “We’re married.”

The driver blinked. “Huh?”

Jiang Liuyi emphasized, “We’re married. She’s my wife.”

The driver nodded. How rare. Married and still treating your partner with this much tenderness. How thoughtful.

The two of them walked up to the stall. Jiang Liuyi bought one of every kind of pancake they had. The driver glanced over and couldn’t help thinking she looked familiar.

Where had she seen her before? So beautiful—was she a celebrity? No, probably not. Celebrities usually had assistants with them. The driver shook her head. Maybe it’s just that beautiful people tend to look a bit alike. That feeling of familiarity wasn’t so strange after all.

Once Jiang Liuyi had finished buying the pancakes and returned to the car, Song Xian was already asleep. Jiang Liuyi sat beside her, holding the bag of pancakes. This time, there was no noise, no fuss. She quietly let the driver take them home.

Even when they reached the front of the house, Song Xian still hadn’t woken up. The driver pulled into the garage and, being kind, asked if she needed help getting Song Xian out.

Jiang Liuyi glanced at her and declined. “No. You can go.”

The driver shrugged and left.

The garage door closed. With no lights on inside the car, everything was pitch black. Jiang Liuyi switched on the interior light. Song Xian’s sleeping face was peaceful. She rested against the seat, her head tilted, bangs falling over her forehead, eyes shut. Jiang Liuyi rarely got to see her like this. Usually, they stayed up all night together, and by morning, either she had already left or Song Xian had gone off to work. It was only recently that she’d had time to quietly watch her sleep.

Her head was spinning, the alcohol finally taking hold. Everything around her looked blurry—everything except Song Xian.

Jiang Liuyi gave her a gentle nudge and softly called her name, telling her they were home, asking her to wake up.

Song Xian swatted her hand away, clearly annoyed. With her other hand, she tugged at her collar as if she were too warm. The neckline gaped wide, revealing the white tank top she wore underneath.

In her haze, Jiang Liuyi thought of earlier in the studio—Song Xian in that same tank top, assisting with the shoot. Serious, professional, meticulous. The alcohol was working its way through her system now, loosening her restraint. The Song Xian before her began to blur into the image of her at work.

Jiang Liuyi leaned in closer.

The scent of red wine hung between them, and the space that separated them dwindled to a sliver. Jiang Liuyi lowered her eyes. Her gaze landed on the pale pink of Song Xian’s lips, soft and tempting. She couldn’t help but lower her head.

Song Xian was kissed breathless. She pressed her hands against Jiang Liuyi’s shoulders, needing air, but the grip only tightened. Another wave of suffocating heat surged. Song Xian opened her eyes.

Her lashes brushed Jiang Liuyi’s cheek as she pulled back slightly, meeting Song Xian’s gaze. Song Xian’s cheeks were even redder than they’d been at dinner, but her eyes shone with clear composure.

Jiang Liuyi said, “We’re home.”

Song Xian nodded.

Then came Jiang Liuyi’s question: “Still want the pancake?”

Song Xian looked at her and answered honestly, “Yes.”

Jiang Liuyi rested her hand over the bag, but after a few seconds, she didn’t reach in. Instead, she extended her hand toward Song Xian.

“Eat this one.”

Song Xian looked up, bewildered. Jiang Liuyi placed her fingertip near her lips and whispered, “Open.”

The woman in front of her obediently parted her lips, slowly drawing in Jiang Liuyi’s slender finger.

Her fingertip was enveloped in warmth and dampness, gently sucked. It stirred a storm inside Jiang Liuyi she could no longer suppress. The madness swelling inside her, the longing to merge, to release—it surged up all at once.

Song Xian even brushed her fingertip with the edge of her teeth. That shivering numbness shot from Jiang Liuyi’s spine down to her calves. It ached for release. It wanted to burn.

She pulled her hand away. Song Xian looked at her with calm, steady eyes and said, “The pancake’s gone.”

Her voice didn’t quite sound the same as usual.

Jiang Liuyi coaxed gently, “There’s more. But we can’t eat it out here. Let’s go inside, okay?”

Song Xian nodded. “Okay.”

Jiang Liuyi held her close as they got out of the car, returned home, and unlocked the door. Everything moved in one smooth motion. Once inside, she kept her arms around Song Xian as they made their way toward the bedroom.

Song Xian stumbled along behind her. Eventually, Jiang Liuyi grew impatient with how slowly she walked and half-carried her the rest of the way. They tumbled onto the bed in a tangle of limbs. The familiar scent of the sheets, Song Xian’s body, and the heat of the alcohol surged all at once.

Jiang Liuyi tugged open her shirt, wild and burning.

The temperature spiked. Their breaths grew fast and heavy. They were one spark away from combustion.

Jiang Liuyi leaned down to kiss her, but Song Xian turned her head aside. Her voice was muffled, buried in the blankets.

“Turn off the lights.”

Above them, the crystal chandelier shimmered like starlight. Jiang Liuyi looked up and saw it swaying—though maybe it was just her consciousness that was swaying. She nodded and moved to get out of bed to turn off the light, but suddenly, her hem was seized.

Turning back, she saw Song Xian clutching the edge of her shirt with one hand, murmuring, “Don’t go.”

It was the first time she’d ever heard Song Xian say that. Her heart took a heavy blow, all four limbs going numb.

Jiang Liuyi glanced at the chandelier’s switch, then looked at Song Xian again. In the end, she bent down and scooped her up, carrying her along to turn off the light.

With a soft snap, darkness engulfed the room. The two of them folded into one another again, tangled together like fish in the sea, diving into the deep water, rising and sinking as they pleased.

Jiang Liuyi clutched the backs of Song Xian’s thighs. Collarbone and ankle collided—muted and tight. Sweat rolled down her back and slid to her tailbone. She lowered her head and bit into the soft flesh of Song Xian’s calf. Song Xian shuddered and tried to pull away, but was yanked back hard, pinned in place.

And in only a moment, she was drawn into something deeper—deeper still—a chasm of pure desire.