"Had enough?" As soon as Chu Lian loosened her hold slightly, Cai Ya immediately pulled away, putting some distance between them as she frowned at her.
"Uh, never." What else could Chu Lian possibly say at a time like this? Sweet talk was king. Since she had already begun conquering her, she could not stop now.
"Your words are always so pleasant to hear." Cai Ya glanced at her and replied indifferently.
"Would you rather I say unpleasant things instead?" Chu Lian did not quite understand. Naturally, one should choose nice things to say. Why would anyone deliberately say something unpleasant?
"Exactly. That's how you managed to deceive so many people." Cai Ya turned her head aside and raised a hand to cover her soft lips, preventing Chu Lian from forcefully kissing her again out of embarrassment and anger.
"Um, can we not talk about that? It's rare for the two of us to be alone together." Hearing that, Chu Lian inevitably felt awkward. Why did Cai Ya have to bring up this particular subject? Was she not deliberately leaving Chu Lian with no way to respond?
"Not talk about that? Fine. Let's talk about who you were fooling around with just now." Cai Ya's tone carried a faint sourness. Although Chu Lian could sometimes be rather dense about such things, even she could hear it.
"Ahem, I really wasn't..." She felt guilty, but surely denying it outright was still better than admitting it... probably.
"Oh? Is that so? Your saliva doesn't normally taste like this. It carries the scent of two other women." Cai Ya raised her head and looked at Chu Lian with furrowed brows. It was obvious that she was unhappy.
"Pfft..." The implications hidden within those words were so immense that merely thinking about them left Chu Lian dumbfounded. Just what had this girl been thinking?
"I didn't say anything just now. Forget it." Cai Ya also realized something was wrong and immediately returned to her tsundere demeanor, issuing an order.
"What did you say just now? Didn't you say my saliva tasted rather good?" Since Cai Ya wanted her to play dumb, she would play dumb. Challenging her right now would only cause trouble for Chu Lian herself.
After staring at her for a while, Cai Ya turned back around and looked at the figure reflected in the mirror. "Why did you come looking for me? To apologize? That shouldn't be necessary. I'm not someone who holds grudges so easily."
True, you don't hold grudges, but you do get upset, and once you do, it lasts for a very long time. That was what Chu Lian thought, but she could not say it aloud. Otherwise, Cai Ya would definitely throw her out of the room.
Thus, to make the girl happy, Chu Lian deliberately adopted a mysterious tone. "Close your eyes. I have something to give you." As Chu Lian leaned closer, Cai Ya instinctively raised her hand to cover her lips again, obvious vigilance in her eyes.
"Hey, hey, I'm really not going to kiss you." Only give you a little kiss.
"I don't believe you. You always suddenly do things like that to me. Had you not been Chu Lian, I would have gotten angry long ago." Cai Ya shook her head. She was not stupid. After spending so long with Chu Lian, how could she truly fail to understand the meaning behind her every action?
"I really do have a gift for you." Chu Lian was not lying this time. She genuinely had something she wanted to give Cai Ya.
"Really?" Cai Ya blinked and eyed the girl suspiciously. She was not lying, was she?
"Really." Chu Lian nodded with absolute certainty.
"I'll believe you for now." After studying her for a moment, Cai Ya saw nothing but sincerity and anticipation in her eyes. It seemed she truly did want to give her a present.
That bastard. It took her this long to think of giving me a present? She gave me a little pet last time, but that doesn't count as a real gift.
She took my body and took my heart. Aside from returning my feelings, she should give me something precious too!
It's supposed to be a token of our love, understand? Idiot Chu Lian!
"Then close your eyes first. If you keep looking at me, I'll feel embarrassed." This was Chu Lian's first time giving someone a gift of this sort. It truly did carry the meaning of a token of love.
"Don't let my anticipation turn into disappointment." With those words, Cai Ya slowly closed her eyes. If Chu Lian deceived her again this time, she truly would become angry.
Jingle... The sound of a necklace falling and being drawn taut rang beside her ear and drifted through her heart.
A necklace... She finally understood. Idiot Chu Lian...
"This crystal is extremely precious. It can protect you. As long as you have it, no harm will ever reach you." Cai Ya felt something being fastened around her neck. A pendant slid down from her chest and settled against her cleavage. Its warmth made her feel extraordinarily comfortable.
"I'll forgive you for now..." She had not yet seen what it looked like, but Chu Lian's words were so gentle that Cai Ya could no longer bear to criticize her.
"I knew you would forgive me." Chu Lian's hands slid from Cai Ya's shoulders to her neck. She gently lifted the girl's chin, leaned down from above, and met Cai Ya's head as it tilted backward.
Their soft lips pressed together. At first, they merely savored each other's breath. Then, as though by mutual understanding, they parted their lips and opened their tightly closed teeth. Their small tongues entwined as though demanding more from one another.
This was the first time Cai Ya had ever taken such initiative, and it was also the first time she had become so deeply aroused. This passion was different from her confession on the rooftop and different from the forced intimacy during the stormy night. This time, she truly wanted Chu Lian to cherish and dote on her.
"Kiss me, kiss me, kiss me..." Although her face was crimson, she continued murmuring those words between kisses, demanding more from Chu Lian.
How could Chu Lian refuse her? Since Cai Ya wanted it, Chu Lian would give her the fiercest passion and the deepest tenderness.
Hooking Cai Ya's tongue toward her, Chu Lian drew it between her lips and gently teased it. Cai Ya's body slowly turned around until she was straddling Chu Lian's thighs.
She reached out with both arms and tightly embraced Chu Lian's waist, pulling her even closer.
She would not think about anything else. She would not think about the other girls who would come later, nor would she wonder whether she could ever have Chu Lian all to herself.
At this moment, Chu Lian belonged to her. She belonged to her alone. I know nothing about anything else, nor do I want to know.
"Lian..."
"Ya..."
"Lian..."
"Ya..."
They continued calling each other's names like that, their desire for one another seemingly endless, as though they wished to remain in this moment forever.
Only after a very, very long time did Chu Lian finally release the breathless girl. Cai Ya's eyes were hazy, and the springtime allure within them seemed capable of drowning anyone who looked too deeply. Chu Lian asked, "Do you want more?"
"Yes..." Cai Ya answered without the slightest hesitation. She no longer wanted to consider what this meant. Even if Chu Lian had come with another purpose, that was fine. She would simply allow herself to enjoy it.
"Then, as you wish." Chu Lian leaned closer and kissed her again.
White roses bloomed and surrounded the two of them. The knowledge transfer began, conveying every last fragment of knowledge concerning the songs into Cai Ya's mind.
I knew it, but I'm still so happy... As Cai Ya examined the information she had received, bitterness rose within her heart, only to be overwhelmed by an even greater flood of joy.
No matter what, Chu Lian cared about her, did she not? That alone was enough for Cai Ya to overlook many, many things.
"Hah..." Chu Lian drew away from her soft lips and panted lightly. Breathing in Cai Ya's scent, the two girls gazed into each other's eyes, each seeing herself reflected within them.
"If this was what you wanted to do from the beginning, you could have told me. I would have cooperated with you." Cai Ya looked at her and could not resist becoming temperamental again.
"That was what I intended at first, but once I kissed you, I cast that thought aside. All I could think about was you and how much I wanted your tenderness." Chu Lian shook her head. She did not deny her original purpose. She simply liked Cai Ya very much.
"Hmph. I'll believe you for now." Cai Ya turned her head slightly. She knew Chu Lian was telling the truth, and her heart was filled with happiness, yet she still wanted to discipline her for being so presumptuous.
Who told her to assume I would definitely accept this gift...? No, I absolutely have to accept this gift... Who told her to think I would definitely obey her? I'll resist just to see what she can do about it.
"All right, can you stop acting like this? You've always had a place in my heart. Perhaps you think those words carry too little weight now that I have so many people beside me, but just as all of you said, give me half a year. I'll prove it to you..."
"I know. In half a year, you'll give us a satisfactory answer, won't you?" Cai Ya's expression became solemn. She needed to know whether Chu Lian truly possessed enough confidence to guarantee that she could accomplish it.
"Yes. I definitely will." Chu Lian nodded, answering her with complete certainty. She would absolutely devote every ounce of effort she had to achieving it. This was not merely a promise. It was also her way of protecting those she loved.
"Then go and do what you need to do. I won't disturb you any longer. As long as you can give me an answer that satisfies me, I won't interfere with these matters again. After all, this was my choice." Cai Ya pushed her away, making Chu Lian stand beside her, then looked at herself in the mirror.
Mm, I still look the same, but I'm no longer alone. She's standing beside me, looking at me. How similar this is to that scene in my dream.
"Then good night. Get some rest early." Chu Lian knew she was being terribly unfair, but this was also the result of her own excessive greed.
"Go on. Don't stay up too late. I'll have someone prepare the costumes and venue, so you don't need to worry." After saying that, Cai Ya ignored her and allowed her to leave. Hearing the door open and close, Cai Ya sighed softly and smiled at herself in the mirror. "Why put yourself through this? But I've already fallen so deeply... Perhaps from the moment I made that wager with her, my defeat was inevitable. Still... at least I don't regret any of it now..."
Reaching beneath her collar, she drew out the pendant resting against her chest. Looking at the pendant formed from two diamond-shaped crystals, one blue and one red, and feeling the warmth it conveyed to her, all the unhappiness in Cai Ya's heart disappeared. "You may be clumsy, but you have a good eye for gifts. I forgive you."
She liked this pendant very much. It was not merely because Chu Lian had said it could protect her. More importantly, it was something Chu Lian had given her—the first gift that truly carried meaning.
She had already regarded it as their token of love. From now on, it would serve as proof of the bond between them.
She was blue, an icy blue. Chu Lian was red, a blazing red. She warmed Cai Ya until, in the end, she became as gentle as water...