Gloves - Chapter 29

Is it really love? An Chujie doesn’t have the energy to delve into it any further. She says in a daze, “I know.”

Finally, Shang Zhuoxi releases her and feels relieved.

An Chujie returns to her room, and the sound of the closing door seems to isolate all other noises. The surroundings become eerily quiet, and a tremendous sense of emptiness engulfs An Chujie like a black vortex. Why? Even though the person she loves is in this room, why does she still feel uneasy and anxious in her heart?

————————————————————————————————————————

“Wuwu… Why did this French writer write like this… Wuwuwu… Zichun, please tell me that the next life of the Camellia Lady won’t repeat the tragedy of the previous life… Wuwuwu…” Yang Yiluo closes the book “Camellia Lady” in her hands and throws it aside, crying while holding onto Nian Zichun tightly.

“Zichun, why do you read such tragic books… Wuwuwu…” Yang Yiluo buries her head in Nian Zichun’s waist, speaking in a muffled voice.

“Perhaps, Marguerite is not a completely tragic character after all. At least, she experienced true love, and her soul was purified, right?” Nian Zichun smiles, gently caressing Yang Yiluo’s red head.

“Dumas created the Camellia Lady as a pitiful yet admirable beautiful woman. However, he also hoped that the flower that had already died would sprout and be reborn from the soil, far away from the dark corners, and be accompanied by sunlight every day. So, Xiao Luo, there’s no need to be so sad,” Nian Zichun repeats, stroking her hair.

Yang Yiluo is going all out for Nian Zichun. She, who has never liked reading, sacrifices her time at the bar to spend more time at Nian Zichun’s place, picking up a few books from her study to read, hoping to narrow the gap between their spiritual worlds.

Nian Zichun slowly starts to enjoy the feeling of being with this little model. She realizes that Yang Yiluo is actually very well-behaved. When she is busy, Yang Yiluo stays quietly in the study or living room, reading. She waits until Nian Zichun is finished before asking all her questions at once. Nian Zichun likes the look on Yang Yiluo’s face when she finally understands after Nian Zichun explains things to her.

“Wuwu, Zichun, if you kiss me, I won’t be sad anymore,” Yang Yiluo lifts her teary face, looking expectantly at Nian Zichun. Nian Zichun hesitates for a few seconds, then cups Yang Yiluo’s face, using her thumb to wipe away her tears. She then lowers her head and gently kisses Yang Yiluo’s cheek.

When their lips touch her skin, Yang Yiluo’s heart suddenly starts pounding. She doesn’t know why, but at this moment, she feels a pang of heartache for Nian Zichun. How did she, with no merits or qualifications, dare to make such bold demands from such a perfect woman? Yang Yiluo detaches herself from Nian Zichun’s waist, stands up, and straddles Nian Zichun’s lap, using her hands to brush aside her warm, cascading hair and instinctively wrapping her arms around her neck.

Normally, Nian Zichun always ties her hair neatly and professionally, but now, with her hair down, she appears incredibly gentle and intellectual.

Yang Yiluo leans in close to Nian Zichun’s ear and whispers, “Nian Zichun, I really, really like you.” As she finishes speaking, two hot tears splash onto Nian Zichun’s face.

“Xiao Luo… mmm… how can a book make you cry like this?” Nian Zichun is taken aback by Yang Yiluo’s emotional response.

Yang Yiluo immediately covers Nian Zichun’s mouth, removing one hand and placing it on her own waist. The two tears burn against Nian Zichun’s skin, and she can’t bring herself to push Yang Yiluo away.

Yang Yiluo’s hand slowly rubs Nian Zichun’s soft hair, teasing the back of her head. Her tongue gently flicks against her fragrant lips, then tenderly sucks on them. Nian Zichun can sense Yang Yiluo’s cautiousness, and the hand that was resting on Yang Yiluo’s waist finally exerts a little pressure. Both of their breaths become heavy.

This isn’t the first time. Nian Zichun begins to respond to Yang Yiluo’s advances, realizing that her efforts to learn have paid off. Yang Yiluo places her hands on Nian Zichun’s shoulders, and her wandering hand starts to become restless. The warmth between them transfers through their clothes. Yang Yiluo withdraws her teasing tongue and begins to kiss lower, from the chin to the neck. The tingling sensation makes Nian Zichun momentarily forget to resist. Yang Yiluo starts to unbutton her shirt.

One button, revealing a hint of her collarbone. Two buttons, her full breasts almost spilling out. Three buttons…

“Xiao Luo, stop,” Nian Zichun gently pushes away the person in front of her. She isn’t panicked; Yang Yiluo’s efforts have cultivated trust between them, and she believes that Yang Yiluo will respect her boundaries. The restless one stops her actions and looks up at Nian Zichun with a lingering desire, before obediently buttoning up the undone buttons, leaning against her not-so-wide shoulder, and breathing in her faint fragrance. The desires within her slowly fade away.

Nian Zichun has this kind of power, able to easily ignite and extinguish various desires within Yang Yiluo.

—————————————————————————————————————————

Time flies like a fleeting steed, and before we know it, summer arrives with the chirping of cicadas. Over the past year, An Chujie has earned the recognition of most people in the industry through her hard work, and she has also built up a small audience. RLM Company plans to organize her own concert this summer, so An Chujie will be very busy during this time.

Shang Zhuoxi went back to her hometown to attend a medical conference with a group of doctors. She wanted to bring An Chujie along, to have someone by her side and to take her around to relax. However, An Chujie doesn’t have any spare time.

During her leisure time, Shang Zhuoxi returns to the place where she used to live, looking at the vast grassland, and suddenly everything seems to rise from the ground.

The clean, renovated old house, the trash can her father made himself, the maple tree they used to swing on, and the Shih Tzu that always ran into their yard…

Slowly, Shang Zhuoxi sees her father through the window of the old house, wearing glasses and a stethoscope. In the garden next to him, her mother bends down, smiling as she waters the hungry flowers and plants. A bird perches on the woman’s shoulder, it likes her. It’s as if her mother sees herself:

“Oh, my darling, look at them. They’re just like you, my beautiful daughter.” Her mother approaches with the watering can in hand, her face beaming with a warm smile, reminiscent of the gentle morning sun in early summer. It’s neither scorching nor glaring, but gradually her face starts to change slightly. When she reaches Shang Zhuoxi, her face unexpectedly transforms into An Chujie’s. In an instant, Shang Zhuoxi’s vision blurs, and a glistening liquid falls. Her sight becomes clear again, and everything in front of her disappears, leaving only the green and yellow grassy lawn.

Shang Zhuoxi wants to change this place. She wants to turn this lawn into a garden, no, a sea of flowers. She wants to present this flower sea to An Chujie. One day, she will bring her here to see this flower sea, because An Chujie loves flowers and plants. Every time she visits her at the hospital, she never forgets to show care for the potted plants in her office. She is a kind-hearted woman, just like her mother.

—————————————————————————————————————————

The concert proceeded as scheduled, and An Chujie shed some of her former innocence, now displaying a more confident stage presence. The only thing that remained unchanged was her original intention and her gratefulness towards the audience.

People of all ages came to listen to her, from elderly individuals in their seventies to eight-year-old children learning to play the piano.

In the front row of VIP seats, there was only one woman with short hair sitting there, while the rest of the seats were empty. An Chujie knew that it was Qi Ruan, the woman who never hesitated to spend money and had a mischievous side.

The venue was not particularly large, so the audio and visual effects of the performance were quite impressive. An Chujie’s nimble fingers danced and lightly tapped the keys, captivating the hearts of everyone present with her music. She hoped that Shang Zhuoxi would be able to attend her concert, always holding onto that hope. However, it seemed that Shang Zhuoxi was even busier than she was.

The spotlight on the stage focused on An Chujie’s head, making her appear like a fallen angel in the mortal world. It felt as though she would fly away as soon as the music stopped. However, after the performance ended, the angel did not fly away. The bright warm light on the stage concealed the sense of loss in her eyes. After a 90-degree bow to express her gratitude, she quietly exited the stage amidst a prolonged applause.

An Chujie treated her fans well. She would generally fulfill all their requests: taking photos, signing autographs, patiently answering questions about piano playing, and more.

Qi Ruan watched her from afar until she finished her busy interactions with the fans, and then offered to accompany her back and rest after she had removed her makeup.

Qi Ruan felt delighted because only she had the privilege of being so close to this young pianist for an extended period of time.

“Director Qi, hello.”

“Boss Qi is also here.”

“Qi…”

“…”

The dressing room became lively with Qi Ruan’s arrival. The production teams were familiar with each other, and An Chujie, after quietly thanking Qi Ruan, busied herself with changing clothes and removing her makeup, paying no attention to Qi Ruan standing nearby.

“Why are you so good to them, An? I’m your number one fan, can’t you do something for me too?” Qi Ruan was accustomed to walking behind An Chujie, partly to ensure she wouldn’t get lost, and partly to secretly admire her beautiful figure without being noticed.

“What do you want me to do?” An Chujie asked as she tied up her hair while walking.

I want you, I want to be with you. But I can’t say it like that. Qi Ruan was afraid of scaring her off.

“Well… I’ll let you know once I figure it out. Where are you staying today? Can I take you there?” Qi Ruan had already become An Chujie’s dedicated driver.

“I’m not staying in Kyoto. I have to catch a flight back later.” An Chujie checked the time, it seemed like she had three more hours.

“What?! An Chujie, why didn’t you say so earlier?”

Qi Ruan sped to the airport and snatched the ticket from An Chujie’s hand. Pointing at the flight number, she said to the staff, “Are there any available seats?”

“Yes, miss. Let me check… There are two seats left, one by the window and another next to this seat,” the staff replied, pointing to the seat number in Qi Ruan’s hand.

“The one next to it! Right next to this seat!”

After the plane took off, An Chujie leaned against the seat and fell asleep due to exhaustion. In her dream, she saw Shang Zhuoxi walking towards her expressionlessly, and she peacefully rested her head on Shang Zhuoxi’s shoulder. In reality, she was indeed leaning on someone’s shoulder, but it was Qi Ruan’s, not Shang Zhuoxi’s.

Qi Ruan adjusted her position slowly, afraid of waking her up with sudden movements. She wanted An Chujie to be comfortable.

Qi Ruan had never been so trusted and relied upon by a girl before. She had never spent so much time and energy on anyone like this. She felt happy because of this trust.

However, when An Chujie murmured those two words in her dreamlike state, Qi Ruan once again tasted a deep sense of frustration. The girl leaning on her shoulder whispered, “Zhuoxi…”