How Could I Stay So Chaste? / Sleepless Tonight

"You're definitely not a bad kid like that." As she spoke, Shuxuan moved closer to Xiangyi and reached out to take off her glasses. Admiration showed in her expression as she praised Xiangyi's face, thinking it looked beautiful no matter how she saw it.

It didn't seem real, either. Xiangyi was beyond the heights humans were supposed to reach, like a fairy.

"Xiaoyi, have you never wondered who your mother is?"

"That's not important, is it?" Xiangyi shook her head and looked at the TV, pretending she didn't want to discuss the subject.

But Zhang Mou's words earlier that day had piqued Shuxuan's interest. Seeing Xiangyi avoid the subject, she thought Xiangyi might know something, so she asked, "Why not?"

"What kind of good person could a woman be if she didn't come looking for me for more than ten years?"

Shuxuan was left speechless. She gently turned Xiangyi's body toward her and said, "Listen, Xiaoyi. Maybe your mother didn't mean to abandon you. Maybe she had something important to do. Maybe she passed away."

"But no matter what, what happened happened. There's nothing to discuss." Xiangyi stood up. Shuxuan's tone had made it clear there was no point talking about it.

"Xiaoyi..." Shuxuan was even more helpless, but could only watch Xiangyi leave. Worry showed on her face, yet in the end, she chose not to press her about it.

Xiangyi, meanwhile, barely felt anything. Even she didn't know what sort of identity this world had made up for her. After staring at her beautiful but unfamiliar face in the mirror for about five minutes, she decided to take a shower.

By the time she came out, it was past midnight. Shuxuan had gotten into bed and looked drowsy, but for some reason she hadn't fallen asleep. Her expression was serious, as though something had come back to her while Xiangyi was away.

Xiangyi: You were watching TV with Shuxuan just now. Tell me, did she realize something?

The two flower people shook their heads in confusion, apparently just as unsure what had caused Shuxuan's mood. Xiangyi was even more helpless. She scanned the room, checking whether any of her props had given her away, but didn't find anything.

"Come here." Shuxuan looked fierce, as if she were about to demand an explanation from Xiangyi.

"Ah, Sister Shuxuan, what's wrong?" Xiangyi approached cautiously. Shuxuan grabbed her and pulled her onto the bed, then showed her a photo.

It was a picture of Xiangyi kicking the older man while she wasn't wearing her glasses. Because of the special nature of the banquet, a paparazzo had happened to catch the moment. The footage wasn't exactly highbrow, so it had spread around in a small way. Xiangyi's kick in particular had become a meme, played over and over with an audio clip of her shouting "Scumbag!"

"..."

Xiangyi was even more speechless. She had never thought she'd become famous in such a ridiculous way.

"I forgot about it yesterday because I was drinking. You caused such a huge mess—tell me, how am I supposed to punish you?"

As she spoke, Shuxuan's gaze swept over Xiangyi's face, as if she wanted to take advantage of Xiangyi's reckless behavior to come up with some outrageous punishment...

How Could Anyone Be a Virtuous Gentleman?

Her eyes went to Xiangyi's face, then settled on her lips. Xiangyi hadn't done anything, but her lips seemed to be silently inviting Shuxuan, giving her a strange feeling.

"Sister Shuxuan, how are you planning to punish me?" Xiangyi, on the other hand, was secretly delighted. She put on a pitiful expression, hoping to keep the punishment going.

"What do you think I'm going to do?" That expression had a way of making people show their true colors. Shuxuan was getting carried away, and found herself asking along with it.

"I don't know... But could you go easy on me? I'm kind of afraid of pain." Xiangyi continued to pretend she was nervous, pursing her lips to hint at what Shuxuan should do.

"Am I the sort of person who'd do that? If I punish you, I'll be gentle." Shuxuan drew in a sharp breath. Something felt off no matter how she looked at it. Xiangyi didn't seem like a high school student at all. Her posture and bearing were more bewitching than those of any woman Shuxuan had ever met.

It was as if she were a natural-born man-eater, drawing every eye and making it impossible to look away.

Thinking of Young Master Chen falling in love at first sight, Shuxuan suddenly understood. It wasn't just men—even women who saw such a beauty couldn't help wanting to get their hands on her.

As Shuxuan thought this, her hand had already moved. Her fingers lightly touched Xiangyi's lips, her expression focused and absorbed.

Xiangyi didn't say anything. She knew any movement now might make Shuxuan back off. So she simply waited for Shuxuan to take the initiative and decide to kiss her. It was a little manipulative, but it didn't break the rules of the system's game.

"Xiaoyi, have you ever kissed anyone?" Shuxuan asked again, her fingertip still brushing Xiangyi's lips. No matter how she touched them, they felt wonderful—soft and warm. And since Xiangyi had just showered, a faint fragrance clung to her, mingling with her natural scent and making her seem like a delicious little treat.

"No..." Xiangyi nearly bit her tongue, but managed to tell the truth.

Shaoyao and Hua Nu, watching from the side, exchanged knowing looks. They were even more certain Xiangyi was a natural-born love cheat; even when she lied, her expression never changed.

It was also because the two flower people were watching that Xiangyi was fully aware of her mission. She silently repeated, You're tools. You're all my tools, keeping herself calm in the face of this visual assault.

No one was a saint. How could anyone be a virtuous gentleman?

Especially when a beautiful woman wore pajamas that suited her so well, and the angle of Shuxuan's hold revealed the curves of her figure. Her hair rested lightly against her neck, her expression full of ambiguity, and one shoulder strap was playfully slipping down. Little by little, slowly, as if the scene were playing in slow motion.

Xiangyi was a little distracted, but didn't show any fear or shyness, so she clearly wasn't giving Shuxuan the satisfaction of teasing her further.

Shuxuan hesitated, and her grip loosened a little. She asked again, "So you've never kissed anyone?"

Xiangyi sensed trouble. "I have, sort of, with Muning..."

At that, Shuxuan's brow twitched. "Oh? How did you kiss?"

Xiangyi already knew Shuxuan and Muning were hostile toward each other. Now that she saw how effective her answer had been, she knew she'd found the right approach. She acted coy, then continued in a soft voice, "One day, we were watching a movie. I got curious about what kissing felt like, so I clung to her and kissed her..."

"Oh? Where?"

Shuxuan kept questioning her, and her grip tightened again without her realizing it.

"On... on the lips, I guess."

Xiangyi's eyes began to dart away. In that moment, she seemed like a child who'd been caught doing something wrong by an adult. Of course, she was putting on an act. She wouldn't claim expertise in every field, but when it came to kissing, Xiangyi considered herself a seasoned veteran.

"You two were way out of line," Shuxuan said, scolding her as if she were deeply displeased. Xiangyi immediately put on a wounded expression and said softly, "I just wanted to know what it was like. But..."

Xiangyi kept Shuxuan interested in the topic. If Shuxuan responded more, she'd know she'd succeeded, and could move on to what came next.

"But what?"

Shuxuan asked at once, though her expression suggested she wasn't happy.

The bedside lamp cast an intimate, warm glow. Xiangyi shifted her gaze to Shuxuan's forehead and continued, "But it didn't feel like what they say in TV dramas."

Shuxuan let out a breath of relief, then smiled. "Of course not. What would two kids like you know?"

She seemed to have calmed down. Noticing that she'd been pinning Xiangyi down rather firmly, she smiled ruefully, thinking she'd been far too tense around the younger girl.

After all, whether Xiangyi got close to anyone had nothing to do with her. Yet in just a few days, Xiangyi had somehow become captivating to her. The feeling left Shuxuan confused, but when she looked at Xiangyi's lips, the warmth she'd felt earlier hadn't faded. It had only grown stronger.

"Then you're an adult, Sister Shuxuan. You don't know either, do you?" Xiangyi retorted, continuing to draw the conversation out. Just as she'd expected, Shuxuan's expression turned serious.

Shuxuan was ambitious and liked a challenge. An unknown field stirred her fighting spirit. On top of that, she seemed to have the slightest improper interest in Xiangyi, which had fully stirred her sense of rivalry and left her a little flustered.

"Of course I know."

"But didn't you say before that you'd never had a boyfriend?" Xiangyi bluffed casually. In her memory, all the heroines had the same pristine setup. Even if they'd dated, they'd never so much as held hands.

So Shuxuan should fit the same mold.

"How could that be? I had a new boyfriend every year in college!" Shuxuan awkwardly protested. But from her expression, her pride as an older woman had taken a hit, and she instinctively lied to Xiangyi, claiming she'd already had her first kiss.

It was a common lie. Xiangyi knew Shuxuan had taken the bait, so she pretended to be curious and asked, "Then tell me, what does a kiss feel like? Do little stars really appear in your head like they do in TV dramas?"

No Peace Tonight

Shuxuan had been about to keep up her serious act, but that description nearly made her burst out laughing.

"Xiaoyi, no matter how much you kiss, you won't see little stars in your head. What kind of trashy TV shows are you watching?" Shuxuan laughed uncontrollably. She seemed to like looking down at Xiangyi from this position, since she made no move to get up.

If Xiangyi weren't in such excellent shape, she'd have been uncomfortable from being pinned down for so long.

"So I went and tried it with Muning. There really weren't any little stars, but Muning's lips felt really nice." Xiangyi continued her outrageous provocation, but from this point on, she knew there was no chance Shuxuan and Muning could ever become friends.

"You've got something wrong with your head. Why are you always thinking about such nonsense?" Shuxuan sighed, then leaned back and let Xiangyi go.

Xiangyi was baffled. This was completely different from what she'd imagined. By rights, after what she'd just said, Shuxuan should have been provoked into kissing her.

But...

"Sister Shuxuan, are you angry?" Seeing Shuxuan lie down and turn away, Xiangyi realized just how hard she was to fool. Or rather, Shuxuan's age and maturity kept her restrained and clearheaded.

Xiangyi had managed to upset her, but her reason stopped her from going too far.

"No. Go to sleep. I have work tomorrow." Shuxuan repeated herself. Xiangyi said, "Oh," and was just about to take out her phone to set an alarm when she noticed a WeChat message.

It had been sent more than half an hour ago, by Zhang Mou.

WeChat — Zhang Mou: I can't sleep. Are you asleep? Can you keep me company and chat?

Zhang Mou was just as eager as ever. She followed up by sending a photo, as if to stimulate Xiangyi's nerves in the middle of the night.

If everyone were as enthusiastic as Zhang Mou, perhaps Xiangyi wouldn't be so miserable every day. Shuxuan had already fallen asleep, and the first-kiss plan had fallen through. Xiangyi could only continue chatting with Zhang Mou on her phone.

WeChat — Xiangyi: Sure. Are you asleep?

As soon as Xiangyi sent the message, she was about to lie down and wait for Zhang Mou's reply. But the other woman had already sent a line of text.

WeChat — Zhang Mou: No. Can we video chat?

She seemed to love seeing Xiangyi's face. Xiangyi glanced hesitantly at the sleeping Shuxuan and then replied.

WeChat — Xiangyi: Hang on. I'll find somewhere else to talk.

After sending that, Xiangyi got out of bed on tiptoe. She quickly put on her shoes and went to the balcony to draw the curtains, so Zhang Mou wouldn't notice that the living room looked the same as Shuxuan's.

Of course, so she wouldn't wake anyone, she put on headphones and told Shaoyao and Hua Nu to keep an eye on Shuxuan. If she came over, they had to tell Xiangyi right away.

Once she had everything ready, Xiangyi started a video call. Zhang Mou answered quickly, and her image appeared on the screen. She wore a bathrobe and looked as though she'd just finished showering. Her hair was damp, bringing out her married-woman allure to the fullest.

She was undeniably beautiful. Her mature charm was something young beauties couldn't imitate. Xiangyi stared at Zhang Mou, and Zhang Mou openly enjoyed the attention.

From this angle, Zhang Mou's charm was on full display. She took excellent care of her figure and skin, making it hard to imagine she was a forty-year-old woman.

"Do I look good?"

"Very."

"Want to touch me?"

"Yes."

Their conversation was short and blunt. Zhang Mou smiled brightly as she listened, as though she loved how direct Xiangyi was.

Perhaps she'd seen too much scheming and deceit. To Zhang Mou, Xiangyi's straightforwardness was fresh and endearing.

"You're so cute."

"You're so beautiful."

Xiangyi blushed. After all, she wrote wrestling stories, but saying it aloud still felt unreal. Zhang Mou was still smiling, but she seemed to have just remembered something important.

"By the way, I still don't know your name."

Only then did Xiangyi remember she'd never introduced herself to Zhang Mou.

"My name is Hua Linglong. Hua as in flower, Linglong as in exquisite." Xiangyi used the fake name she'd come up with earlier. She'd considered names like Gu Qingcheng or Feng Qiwutong, the sort that were everywhere, but they'd felt too self-important, so she stuck with the first name she'd invented.

"Your real name?"

Zhang Mou raised an eyebrow.

"No."

Xiangyi answered honestly. Zhang Mou kept smiling and didn't seem to mind. She slowly sat up and introduced herself.

"Fine, my turn. My name is Zhang Mou. Zhang as in the bow radical and long, and Mou as in 'someone.'"

Xiangyi copied Zhang Mou's earlier question. "Fake?"

Zhang Mou smiled and replied, "It's real."

Xiangyi looked unconvinced and asked about the story behind her name. "How could parents give their child a name like that?"

Zhang Mou took a sip of the red wine beside her and continued, "My family was poor, and my parents had seven daughters."

"Don't tell me your eldest sister was Zhang Yi, your second sister Zhang Er, and you were the youngest, so they called you Zhang Mou?"

Xiangyi silently apologized once more. If she'd known even a minor character could become a flower spirit, she never would have given Zhang Mou such a careless name. Of course, this melodramatic backstory had been her idea, too.

"You guessed right. I was originally called Zhang Mo. When my mother filled out my ID paperwork, her handwriting was unclear, and they registered me as Zhang Mou instead. There was a famine at the time, too, and my family thought giving me an ordinary name would make me easier to raise. So I've been called Zhang Mou ever since."

Xiangyi pretended to be enlightened, but she also felt the world had filled in the details remarkably well, and made them feel real.

It made her feel as though she hadn't created this world at all—as if the world had chosen her. It had only told her some of its secrets in advance so she wouldn't die too quickly.

But that was just a guess. Xiangyi had no evidence to support the theory in her mind.