9

After that day, Qin Ruan began accompanying Wen Yixin to the dance studio almost every time she went. While Wen Yixin practiced, Qin Ruan would either watch or join in, often guided by Wen Yixin through various dance routines.

Whenever Qin Ruan made a mistake, Wen Yixin would personally correct her posture, leading to inevitable physical contact. Every time this happened, Qin Ruan couldn't help but smile softly, savoring each touch.

As the days passed, Wen Yixin noticed that Qin Ruan seemed to be making more mistakes than before, as if she was regressing instead of improving. Although the dances were getting more complex, Qin Ruan's errors were too frequent to be attributed solely to that.

It felt almost as if she was deliberately making mistakes.

Finally, after another dance session, Wen Yixin wiped the light sweat from her forehead and, as was becoming a habit, picked up a clean towel to help Qin Ruan do the same.

Carefully, she brushed aside the damp strands of hair clinging to Qin Ruan's temples, dabbing away the sweat before tucking the hair behind her ear.

She folded the towel into a small triangle, gently pressing it against Qin Ruan's forehead to absorb the fine beads of sweat.

Qin Ruan tilted her head back slightly, staring at Wen Yixin without blinking. But just as their eyes were about to meet, she quickly looked down, hiding her expression.

The entire process was so subtle that it would be difficult for anyone to notice anything unusual.

After finishing, Wen Yixin placed the towel on a nearby rack and, following Qin Ruan's example, sat down on the floor.

Facing the mirror, she raised her hand to tidy her messy hair while glancing at Qin Ruan's reflection. In a soft voice, she asked, "Qin Ruan, I'm planning to go out for a bit later. Do you want to come with me?"

Qin Ruan looked up, "Where are you going, Big Sister Wen?"

"A few days ago, I asked someone to help me find a suitable location for a dance studio. That person told me yesterday that they've found a few options for me to check out today," Wen Yixin explained as she gathered the loose strands of hair at the nape of her neck and secured them with a wide hair clip, exposing her smooth, white neck.

Qin Ruan's gaze lingered on that delicate neck for a moment, her eyes flickering slightly, "I'll go with you."

"Alright, let's go back to our rooms to freshen up, and then we'll head out together."

"Okay," Qin Ruan agreed.

Wen Yixin and Qin Ruan left the house at two in the afternoon, but by the time they finished looking at potential dance studio locations, it was already five.

Fortunately, the trip wasn't in vain. Wen Yixin found herself particularly taken with the last location, which was spacious, well-equipped, and situated in a good area.

After finalizing the deal with the agent, the sun had dipped low in the sky, casting a golden glow over Wen Yixin as if enveloping her in a soft, radiant light. The glow was gentle yet striking.

Qin Ruan's gaze was fixed on Wen Yixin, unable to look away.

When Wen Yixin finished her discussion and walked over to her, Qin Ruan blinked, finally breaking her stare. She lowered her gaze slightly, "Big Sister Wen…"

Wen Yixin responded with a gentle hum, "Are you hungry?"

"Not really."

Wen Yixin chuckled softly and asked, "It's getting late. How about we have dinner out tonight?"

"Sure, I'm fine with that," Qin Ruan nodded slowly.

"What would you like to eat?" Wen Yixin asked.

Qin Ruan shook her head, "I'm not that hungry. Whatever you decide is fine."

Wen Yixin thought for a moment before suggesting, "I noticed a nicely decorated Sichuan restaurant nearby earlier. How about we try it?"

Without hesitation, Qin Ruan agreed, "Okay."

With that, Wen Yixin led Qin Ruan across the street toward the restaurant.

As they walked through the warm, fading light of the setting sun, their shadows stretched long on the pavement. Occasionally, their shadows overlapped, creating fleeting moments of unity that caught Qin Ruan's eye.

At the Sichuan restaurant, Wen Yixin ordered a couple of their signature dishes and then handed the menu to Qin Ruan with a smile, "Qin Ruan, why don't you pick two dishes as well?"

Qin Ruan hesitated for a moment, glancing down at the menu in her hands. She carefully looked over the options before settling on two dishes that weren't too spicy.

"These two will be fine," she told the waiter.

The waiter noted her choices and was about to leave when Wen Yixin called out, "Wait."

"Could you also add an order of Eight Treasures Stuffed Pear?"

"Of course, please wait a moment," the waiter replied before heading off.

For a while, Wen Yixin and Qin Ruan were left alone in their cozy corner by the window.

Qin Ruan looked at Wen Yixin, about to say something, but Wen Yixin spoke first, "The stuffed pear helps with the spiciness. If the food is too spicy later, you can have more of it to cool down."

Hearing this, Qin Ruan's eyes curved into a soft smile, "Okay."

By the time Wen Yixin and Qin Ruan leisurely finished their dinner, it was nearly eight o'clock.

Wen Yixin glanced at her white wristwatch, then looked up and asked Qin Ruan, "I heard the area nearby is quite lively. How about we walk around for a bit to digest our food?"

This would also give her a chance to familiarize herself with the area around the dance studio.

Qin Ruan seemed to understand Wen Yixin's intentions, so she readily agreed, "Sure."

Pleased with the response, Wen Yixin's lips curved into a smile as she gazed at Qin Ruan, who looked as sweet and obedient as ever.

Seeing Wen Yixin's smile, Qin Ruan's own smile deepened slightly.

She followed closely behind Wen Yixin as they left the restaurant, wandering around the area. Along the way, Wen Yixin treated her to various snacks.

Qin Ruan's mood improved with every bite Wen Yixin offered her. At one point, she even wished that time would stop so she could stay in this moment forever.

But all her thoughts came to a halt when the smell of alcohol and the rowdy voices of people drinking grew stronger as they passed by a roadside stall.

Qin Ruan tightened her grip on Wen Yixin's hand, her lips pressed into a thin line, "Big Sister Wen, let's go a different way."

"Why?" Wen Yixin asked, puzzled.

Qin Ruan bit her lip so hard that it almost bled, but she seemed unaware of it. She just held onto Wen Yixin's hand tightly, lowering her gaze and saying nothing.

She stood there silently, refusing to move forward.

Had Wen Yixin not felt the increasing pressure on her hand, she might have thought that Qin Ruan had become a mere shell, her soul having left her body.

Qin Ruan kept her head down, so Wen Yixin couldn't see her expression. But through the hand they held, Wen Yixin could sense that Qin Ruan's emotions were unstable, even repressed.

Sighing softly, Wen Yixin gently squeezed her hand and led her toward a quieter area.

She intended to find a secluded teahouse where they could sit and talk.

But before they could reach the teahouse, a group of teenage girls suddenly burst onto the street from the nearby road.

Leading the group was a girl who was clearly the center of attention. Though young, her features were already striking, hinting at her future beauty.

She had clear, bright eyes full of innocence, the kind that naturally drew people in.

Everything about her suggested she was a girl who had been raised with love and care.

Wen Yixin watched the girl who had appeared in front of her, finding her familiar but unable to place her. She couldn't help but study the girl more closely.

However, just as Wen Yixin's gaze settled on the girl, the hand that had been tightly gripping hers suddenly loosened slightly.

Wen Yixin was startled and turned to look at Qin Ruan, only to see her turning away, avoiding her gaze.

"Qin Ruan…" She began, but her words were cut off by the clear, youthful voice of the girl.

"Big Sister, you're here too!"

Wen Yixin was momentarily stunned, following the sound to see that the girl wasn't addressing her, but Qin Ruan.

At that moment, Wen Yixin remembered who this girl was—Qin Ruan's younger sister, Qin Yi, the original protagonist of the novel.

The original host had seen Qin Yi a few times before, which was why she had seemed familiar.

After greeting her sister, Qin Yi turned to Wen Yixin, her eyes bright with energy, "Good evening, Teacher Wen."

Wen Yixin nodded politely, "Good evening."

Qin Yi looked back and forth between Wen Yixin and Qin Ruan, curiosity evident in her gaze, "Why are you with my sister, Teacher Wen?"

"Nothing much. I just wanted to walk around the neighborhood with her. I didn't expect to run into you, Second Miss Qin."

"I see." Qin Yi accepted this explanation easily but quickly shifted her attention back to Qin Ruan, "Big Sister, I haven't seen you at home lately. Where have you been?"

She then added, "Have you been with Teacher Wen all this time?"

Listening to her sister's rapid questions and recalling Wen Yixin's gaze earlier, Qin Ruan bit her lip, her lips forming a tight line.

She tensed, her grip on Wen Yixin's hand fluctuating between tight and loose as if she was deliberating something.

But before she could decide, Wen Yixin spoke up.

Her voice was calm, "Second Miss Qin, you've lived under the same roof as Qin Ruan for so long, yet you don't know anything about her?"

Both Qin Ruan and Qin Yi were caught off guard by Wen Yixin's words.

Qin Yi was the first to recover, asking Wen Yixin, "What do you mean, Teacher Wen?"

"Is there something I should know?"

Wen Yixin looked down, gazing into Qin Yi's pure eyes. A cold smile tugged at her lips.

How interesting.

The Qin family had two daughters—one pure and bright, adored by all, capable of rivaling the sun and moon; the other, dim and flickering like a firefly, easily snuffed out by the wind.

In the original story, this firefly did indeed fade away during Qin Yi's grand eighteenth birthday celebration, quietly disappearing from the world.

Thinking of this, a wave of discomfort washed over Wen Yixin.

She lowered her gaze, concealing her emotions as she parted her lips to speak, "Second Miss Qin, perhaps you should…"

But before she could finish, Qin Ruan interrupted, "Big Sister Wen, let's go."

Wen Yixin paused, turning to look at Qin Ruan, who shook her head slightly, signaling her not to continue.

Seeing this, Wen Yixin fell silent, stepping aside without saying more.

Qin Ruan glanced at her, then turned back to Qin Yi, "Qin Yi, you should head home."

"What about you? Aren't you coming with me?" Qin Yi asked.

Qin Ruan lowered her gaze, "I won't be going back for a while."

"You go on. I'm leaving now."

Without waiting for a response, Qin Ruan turned to Wen Yixin, her lips pressed together as she asked softly, "Big Sister Wen, can we go home?"

Wen Yixin looked at her, noticing the anxiety in her posture, and said nothing. She just tightened her grip on Qin Ruan's hand and led her away.

They walked in silence, neither speaking.

It wasn't until they were seated in the car on their way home that Wen Yixin finally asked, "Why didn't you let me finish?"

Qin Ruan lowered her gaze, "It's not her fault."

"She doesn't know anything, not about anything." As she spoke, Qin Ruan's fingers absentmindedly traced the edge of her seatbelt.

Qin Yi really didn't know anything…

She had been kept in the dark, protected so well that none of the dirty secrets ever reached her. In her world, there was only beauty and more beauty.

That world was the polar opposite of Qin Ruan's.

But Qin Ruan couldn't blame anyone. She had no other choice but to accept her reality.

Wen Yixin watched Qin Ruan in silence for a moment, then, as if making a decision, said softly, "Qin Ruan, if you ever need anything, you can always come to me. I'll help you."

"Mm, thank you, Big Sister Wen." Qin Ruan's reply was as polite as ever, but Wen Yixin could tell that her spirits were low. The usual sweetness in her voice was absent.

Knowing that Qin Ruan likely wanted some quiet, Wen Yixin didn't say anything more and turned her gaze to the window.

When they arrived home, Qin Ruan apologized, saying she wanted to rest early before retreating to her room.

Once inside, she rushed to the bathroom, leaning over the sink as she dry-heaved.

It took some time before she managed to straighten up, her face pale as she braced herself against the cool sink.

She then moved to the shower, quickly rinsing off before slipping into her pajamas and crawling into bed. The moment her head hit the pillow, exhaustion weighed heavily on her.

In her own room, Wen Yixin had also gotten ready for bed early, but she couldn't seem to fall asleep. After tossing and turning for a while, she finally gave up and lay staring at the ceiling, letting her mind drift.

The stillness of the night slowly lulled her into a state of drowsiness.

Just as she was about to drift off, a piercing scream shattered the silence!

"Ahhh—"

The scream jolted Wen Yixin awake, her drowsiness vanishing instantly.

That voice—it was Qin Ruan's.

Realizing this, Wen Yixin sprang out of bed, quickly slipping into her slippers as she hurried to the next room.

Luckily, Qin Ruan hadn't locked the door, so when Wen Yixin twisted the knob, the door swung open easily.

As soon as the door opened, Wen Yixin reached for the light switch, flooding the room with light. In the sudden brightness, she saw Qin Ruan huddled on the bed.

Her face was pale, her forehead slick with cold sweat, and she seemed deeply shaken as if she had just experienced a terrible nightmare.

Even though she had seen Wen Yixin, she remained curled up, hugging her knees as if still trapped in the aftermath of her nightmare.

Qin Ruan kept her head down, arms wrapped tightly around her knees. When she heard Wen Yixin's footsteps approaching, she buried her face even deeper, trying to hide.

She didn't dare close her eyes, fearing that if she did, she would once again be haunted by the images of blood and the sickening, sticky feeling at her fingertips. The sensation was nauseating and overwhelming.

At that moment, Qin Ruan couldn't tell if what she had experienced was real or just a nightmare. All she knew was that she didn't want to see it again, not even in her mind.

Seeing Qin Ruan curled up like this, Wen Yixin felt a surge of compassion and heartache.

She sat on the bed, gently pulling Qin Ruan into her arms, her hand resting on her back in a soothing gesture.

"Don't be afraid."

"I'm here with you."

As she felt the warmth of Wen Yixin's embrace and heard the kindness in her voice, Qin Ruan's turbulent emotions finally began to settle, and her eyes welled up with tears.

Slowly, she wrapped her arms around Wen Yixin's waist, pressing her pale face against the smooth skin of her neck. Her lashes fluttered, brushing against Wen Yixin's neck and leaving a trail of dampness.

"What happened?" Wen Yixin's voice was tinged with concern.

Qin Ruan didn't respond, choosing instead to remain silent as she tightened her grip on Wen Yixin's waist.

It was only when she felt the warmth of Wen Yixin's body and her soothing touch that Qin Ruan started to feel grounded again, the nightmare slowly losing its hold on her.

But the images from her dream lingered, reminding her that the happiness she had experienced in recent days felt like a fleeting dream.

Qin Ruan stayed silent, and Wen Yixin didn't press her for answers. She simply held her close, her hand gently patting her back in a calming rhythm.

Time passed, and eventually, Qin Ruan found her voice, though it was hoarse, "Big Sister Wen…"

"Will you always be this kind to me?"

"I will," Wen Yixin replied softly, "I'll always be good to you."

Burying her face deeper into Wen Yixin's neck, Qin Ruan's voice grew faint, "Really?"

"But I…" She trailed off, thinking about the vast differences between her and Wen Yixin.

The gap between them was like a chasm, impossible to cross. Could she even hope to be close to someone like Wen Yixin?

The thought left her heart aching, her voice barely above a whisper, "It's enough for me to have your promise. Even if you tire of me someday, it's okay."

"After all, they all say I'm not worth it. I've gotten used to it."

Wen Yixin let out a nearly inaudible sigh.

"I don't make promises lightly. But when I do, I keep them."

She held Qin Ruan's fragile frame close, her fingers gently brushing through her hair, her gaze warm as she reassured her.

"Besides…"

"In my eyes, you're like the bright moon, pure and radiant."

"Of course, you deserve the best of everything."