Yaoyao

Would You Try to Fall in Love with Me?

Other snakes might not have tear glands, but that did not mean they could not cry. They simply shed no tears when they did, and their grief was no less than a Fire Snake's.

Xing Yue was at a loss for words. She had thought Bu Yao had left. Given Miss Bu's temper, she would have gone home barefoot if she had to, then sent someone back to deal with her.

She let out a long breath, pushed Bu Yao away as she clung to her, and sat against the headboard. "How could I not cry after getting slapped?"

Xing Yue did not really mind the slap. After what she had said, who could have held back? She had only wanted to make Bu Yao angry enough to leave. Instead, Bu Yao had stayed and slapped her.

Xing Yue had just woken up. Her long black hair was slightly tousled, her eyes alluring and hazy. Even her casual movements had an unrestrained charm, softened by a dreamlike veil of white mist.

Seen like this, Xing Yue seemed even more of a bastard. Bu Yao liked her all the more.

She leaned in and gently licked the swollen half of Xing Yue's face with her warm, jade-soft Snake Tongue. She was comforting Xing Yue, but she was not going to apologize.

"You were the one who... toyed with me." She searched for a word that was not quite right, but was not too harsh either. "I'm serious about you. Can't you like me a little more?"

Bu Yao's complaint came out quietly, her exquisite face filled with hurt. No one could be happy after being treated that way by the person she loved. Even calling it broken heart syndrome would have understated how she felt.

She did not stubbornly wait for Xing Yue's answer. Perhaps she already had some idea of what it would be.

Before Xing Yue could reply, she ran to the dressing table and sat on the floor. She picked up the scattered makeup and skincare products, identifying each bottle and jar with her phone so she could buy Xing Yue replacements.

Miss Bu had thrown such a huge fit, yet she could still coax herself out of it.

When Xing Yue got carried away, there were moments when she felt like a real bastard. She got out of bed and began cleaning up the mess on the floor, her tone much gentler. "Why did you come back to me? I always make you cry."

She wiped Bu Yao's face. A Fire Snake's tears were hot.

Bu Yao turned her back on Xing Yue, still holding a cracked bottle of toner. The clear, watery liquid coated her hand. If she had not come back, she could only have cried alone. Here, at least, she could cry in front of Xing Yue.

Her mother had said that caring about someone meant loving her. If you did not ache for her, you did not love her. When you loved someone, her bad moods and misfortunes felt many times worse to you. You pitied her more, comforted her all the more, and treated her very, very well.

Xing Yue clearly cared when Bu Yao was hurting, so why did she not love her? Why did she not treat her well? She had even said that sleeping with her was just a way to relieve stress, and she was always telling her to leave.

"All right. I'm doing what I promised you, aren't I?" Xing Yue was the first to give in. She came around to face Bu Yao and took the broken bottle from her. "I haven't contacted my ex, and I haven't fooled around with anyone else. Have you been learning to cook? How far have you got?"

She could not bear to see Miss Bu like this, crying without making a sound. It was heartbreaking.

Bu Yao showed off what she had learned. "I can tell Chinese cabbage from baby cabbage now."

Xing Yue nodded approvingly. "What about salt and sugar? That one's more important."

Miss Bu stared at her. "I'm not an idiot!"

"I'd like to give you more credit, but you make it difficult." Xing Yue flicked Bu Yao's forehead. The fact that a young lady who could barely take care of herself was actually learning to cook came as an enormous shock.

She did not care whether Bu Yao turned out to be a good cook. She just wanted some sense of balance, enough to feel that they were both putting something into the relationship.

Love was not about keeping score, but she could not bear to spend all her time taking care of Bu Yao and receive nothing in return.

She wanted someone to truly love her.

Once she had cleaned up the mess on the floor, Xing Yue stretched and saw Bu Yao coming over with a cup of ice.

"Aren't you going to the company this afternoon?" Bu Yao asked. Her gaze darted away from Xing Yue's still-swollen face. "Should I put some ice on it?"

Would Xing Yue really become a huge singing star? If she got famous, would she really trade Bu Yao in for a hotter girlfriend? The questions made Bu Yao's heart itch. But was there another woman in the world hotter, prettier, or richer than her?

What was Xing Yue thinking? Then again, it was possible something was wrong with Xing Yue's head...

"Yaoyao." Xing Yue suddenly used the nickname she had not spoken in so long. The last time had been when they were newlyweds. She rested her head on Bu Yao's tail and turned the injured side of her face up. "Your grandmother seems to be an excellent doctor. Could you ask your mother to help me find someone who can treat my inability to bring out my tail? Hmm?"

Only Xing Yue's parents, her best friend, and her two exes knew she could not bring out her tail. It was hardly something she could tell people easily.

Bu Yao knew Xing Yue had a disability, but Xing Yue was sensitive about it, so she had never brought it up.

Now Xing Yue suddenly wanted treatment and was even asking her mother to use her connections. That meant letting more people know. For someone who had always been so sensitive about it and dreaded anyone finding out, it was unusual.

"Why bring this up all of a sudden?" Bu Yao did not agree right away. Her jewel-bright eyes were full of doubt.

Her vivid red tail curled around a piece of ice in the cup and moved it gently up and down Xing Yue's face.

Xing Yue held the snake tail in both arms, running her fingertips over its scales. "From what your mother said, I'll have to become famous to earn more money. Don't you want me to be capable enough to marry you? Once I start appearing on shows and go down this path, everyone will soon find out I can't bring out my tail. I don't want to be mocked. You're the only one who can help me."

She took Bu Yao's hand and looked steadily at her, as though she truly needed the woman before her, as though Bu Yao was the only person in the world who could save her.

Xing Yue had figured it out. If she could not fight it, she might as well make the most of it.

Given her current status, Mrs. Bu could crush her in a heartbeat. If she wanted Xing Yue to play the clown, she would be a clown. If she wanted her silent, she would have to keep quiet.

Rather than swallow her anger, she might as well use the Bu Family's influence to get something good for herself. It might be shameless, but if it let her fight back, why not sink a little lower?

Xing Yue had never liked the entertainment industry's turbulent world. Madam Bu was forcing her into it to teach her a lesson. Xing Yue would ride that gust of wind and make her regret it.

How could the little green stone snake have known she had accidentally shown Xing Yue a new way forward?

Bu Yao bent down and looked more closely into Xing Yue's eyes. "Are you planning to dump me once you're famous?"

"..."

Xing Yue had not expected this woman to remember what she had said yesterday just to upset her. "No. The promise I made still stands."

"Then will you try to fall in love with me?" Bu Yao flicked out her forked tongue, her ears growing a little warm.

Xing Yue kissed her hard. Bu Yao had no time to pull her Snake Tongue back, and Xing Yue caught it in the kiss. "I don't have to try to like you this much. Miss Bu is beautiful and cool, like snow high on a mountain. Falling for you is the most natural thing in the world."