32

"Turn around," Wen Yixin sighed softly.

A smile crept onto Qin Ruan's lips. "Thank you, Sister."

She took a few steps closer to Wen Yixin and then turned her back to her, exposing the untied apron strings.

The long, flat strings hung loosely around her slender waist, making her waist appear even more delicate.

Wen Yixin's gaze flickered as she reached out and carefully crossed the strings, tying them into a neat bow.

"It's done," she said.

Qin Ruan turned around and immediately extended her hands towards Wen Yixin.

"Sister, the gloves," Qin Ruan said, blinking expectantly, as if waiting for Wen Yixin to help her put them on.

Wen Yixin froze for a moment, hesitating for a few seconds. "You..."

"What's wrong?" Qin Ruan asked, her eyes wide with innocence.

Meeting Qin Ruan's clear gaze, Wen Yixin felt momentarily speechless. She shook her head lightly. "Nothing."

With a sense of resignation, she picked up the gloves and carefully helped Qin Ruan put them on.

Throughout this process, she didn't notice the subtle smile that played on Qin Ruan's lips.

After washing the dishes, the two of them sat together on the couch in the living room.

Qin Ruan thought about the tabby cat they had found earlier that day. She glanced around at the layout of Wen Yixin's home and then asked:

"Sister, where should we keep the cat once we bring it home? Is the living room okay? Or maybe the balcony? But I'm worried the cat might fall or escape."

Wen Yixin considered it for a moment before pointing to a small room near the bathroom. "We can put the litter box and some of the cat's things in that room. That way, the rest of the house won't smell."

"As for the cat, we can let it roam freely around the house. No need for a cage."

"Alright," Qin Ruan agreed, then added, "Should we also secure the windows and balcony? I've heard cats can climb windows, and if we don't secure them, it might fall."

Wen Yixin nodded. "You're right. We should secure them."

"That way, we won't have to worry about the cat running off, even with the windows open."

"Luckily, we still have a couple of days. We can find someone to secure the windows and balcony, and we can also organize the things we bought for the cat in that small room."

Thinking about this, Wen Yixin also realized that they hadn't bought enough supplies at the pet store. The cat food they had might only last a month or so, and she wasn't sure if the cat could eat solid food yet or if it would need formula.

She had forgotten to ask the vet about it in detail, so now she would have to wait until they picked up the cat to ask.

With that in mind, Wen Yixin shook her head and decided to order more supplies online just to be safe.

Wen Yixin, thinking out loud, picked up her phone and opened a shopping app. She said to Qin Ruan:

"I'm going to order more cat food, litter, and other things. Want to help?"

"Sure," Qin Ruan replied, scooting closer to Wen Yixin so they could look at the items together on her phone.

The two were so close that their faces almost touched, their heads practically resting against each other. But Wen Yixin was so focused on shopping that she didn't notice how close they were.

She added some well-known brands of cat food and litter to her cart. As she browsed through the recommended items, she couldn't help but be tempted by a large cat tree and clicked on its details.

Before she could add it to her cart, Qin Ruan said, "Sister, let's get one of these for Little Li, too."

"A tall, big one."

"Little Li" was the name they had decided on for the tabby cat while shopping for supplies.

Wen Yixin was already tempted, and hearing Qin Ruan's suggestion made her add the largest cat tree to her cart.

It wasn't long before Wen Yixin had placed her fifteenth order, and both of them finally felt they had enough.

"This should be enough..." Wen Yixin began, turning to Qin Ruan.

She intended to say they were done, but as soon as she turned, the words caught in her throat.

For a moment, time seemed to stand still, and everything around them fell silent. In that stillness, Wen Yixin could almost hear her own heart racing.

It was pounding wildly.

"Sister..." Qin Ruan's voice was soft as she gazed at Wen Yixin, her eyes lingering on the lips that were just centimeters away from hers. She couldn't help but lick her own lips.

Her voice was light, her breath warm.

Wen Yixin's throat tightened, her voice growing thick.

Qin Ruan seemed to hear it, her breath hitching as she exhaled, her warm breath brushing against Wen Yixin's face and lips.

Even though Qin Ruan hadn't moved closer, Wen Yixin felt as if they were about to kiss.

Suppressing the rapid beating of her heart, Wen Yixin quickly turned her head away, avoiding Qin Ruan's warmth and the closeness of her lips.

"I'm going to my room to get my clothes and take a shower," Wen Yixin said, standing up abruptly and quickly leaving the room.

Qin Ruan watched her go, gently touching her lips with a smile, her eyes deep with thought.

She no longer resembled the timid and insecure girl Wen Yixin had first met. Back then, Qin Ruan had been shy, hesitant, and full of self-doubt. But now, ever since she had sensed that Wen Yixin might distance herself from her, she had become determined to close the gap between them, even if it meant crossing boundaries.

She would stop at nothing to get closer to Wen Yixin, even if it meant going all the way to possess her.

If Wen Yixin retreated, Qin Ruan would advance, pushing until Wen Yixin had nowhere left to run. And then...

Qin Ruan's eyes gleamed with a secret thought, though it was unclear what exactly she was plotting.

In her room, Wen Yixin leaned against the door, her heart pounding much faster than usual. She pressed her hand against her chest, trying to calm the wild beating inside her.

Her throat felt dry.

Wen Yixin licked her lips and walked to the bed, picking up the water bottle on her bedside table and draining it in one gulp.

She sat on the edge of the bed, resting against the pillows as she tried to steady her breathing and heartbeat.

Qin Ruan...

Just thinking about her made Wen Yixin's heart race all over again.

She bit her lip, lowering her gaze.

Situations like what had just happened had occurred between her and Qin Ruan before. Strictly speaking, this wasn't the first time. In the past, Wen Yixin hadn't paid much attention to it, but ever since she started suspecting that Qin Ruan might be attracted to women, she had tried to limit their physical contact. But...

The memory of their almost-kiss replayed in her mind, and Wen Yixin's breath quickened.

She licked her lips and couldn't help but open a forum she often visited, hoping to find some answers. But after searching for related posts and finding none, she hesitated for a moment before deciding to create her own post. She titled it, "How to tell if you or your friend is attracted to the same sex?"

It only took a few minutes for replies to start rolling in.

User1: It's pretty easy to tell with yourself. Just think about whether you have any desire for the same sex. As for figuring out if a friend is, I'm not sure. Let the next person answer that.

User2: Not sure, I'm just here to see the answers.

User3: Well, if you want to sleep with the same sex, want to taste her, touch her, then you're definitely gay because I love being with my sister.

User3: As for telling if a friend is, that's tricky. If she hasn't told you her orientation, the best you can do is see if she acts intimately or flirtatiously with you or other female friends. If she tries to kiss you or touch you, she's probably gay.

The latest replies were direct and to the point. Staring at the second-to-last reply, Wen Yixin's gaze flickered, her lips reddening slightly.

She and Qin Ruan...

Wen Yixin's thoughts lingered on that reply, trying to apply it to Qin Ruan. When she snapped back to reality, she realized her hands were trembling slightly as she held her phone.

And just then, a knock sounded on the wooden door, followed by a soft voice from the other side:

"Sister."

Hearing Qin Ruan's voice made Wen Yixin's heart beat even faster.

Especially now, after linking the forum replies to her thoughts about Qin Ruan and herself.

She glanced at the still-open forum post, her gaze frozen as one question echoed in her mind:

Did she want to be with Qin Ruan?

Wen Yixin hadn't yet figured out the answer when Qin Ruan's voice called out again from behind the door, "Sister, are you there?"

"I'm here," Wen Yixin replied, snapping out of her thoughts as she got up and walked to the door.

She opened it to find Qin Ruan standing there, her gaze lowering slightly to avoid eye contact.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Qin Ruan shook her head, her voice soft as she replied, "Nothing's wrong. I just noticed that you've been in your room for a while and got worried. You said you were going to get your clothes and take a shower, but you haven't come out yet. I was concerned that something might have happened."

Wen Yixin, hearing Qin Ruan repeatedly call her "sister," couldn't help but ask, "Qin Ruan..."

"Why did you stop calling me 'Sister Wen' and start calling me just 'sister'?"

Qin Ruan paused, clearly surprised by Wen Yixin's question.

But she only hesitated for a moment before she smiled and replied, "Because it feels more intimate this way."

"Between the two terms, 'sister' feels much closer than 'Sister Wen.'"

Qin Ruan's explanation seemed reasonable, and it was true that "sister" sounded more intimate than "Sister Wen."

But Wen Yixin still couldn't help but ask, "Is that the only reason?"

Qin Ruan's gaze fixed on Wen Yixin's face, "It seems like you're not satisfied with my answer."

She took a step closer to Wen Yixin, closing the distance between them, her eyes never leaving Wen Yixin's face.

Wen Yixin felt a growing discomfort as Qin Ruan continued to approach her. When Qin Ruan finally grabbed her hand, she was forced to stop retreating.

Wen Yixin raised her gaze, meeting Qin Ruan's intense stare.

Qin Ruan held her hand, a faint smile playing on her lips as she spoke softly, "Sister..."

"If you're not satisfied with the answer I gave, then tell me—what kind of answer would you like? You can tell me."

Wen Yixin's heart pounded faster, and she found herself at a loss for words under Qin Ruan's penetrating gaze. She had no idea what kind of answer she was truly looking for.

After a few moments of tense silence, Wen Yixin gently pulled her hand away from Qin Ruan's grasp and said, "I think you should go rest. I'll take my shower now."

Qin Ruan's gaze darkened slightly as she let go of Wen Yixin's hand, a trace of reluctance in her eyes. But she quickly hid it with a smile, nodding obediently. "Alright, I'll go rest then."

With that, she turned and walked away, leaving Wen Yixin standing at the door, her heart still beating wildly.

After closing the door, Wen Yixin leaned against it, closing her eyes as she tried to calm her racing thoughts. She couldn't understand why she felt so uneasy around Qin Ruan lately, and why simple interactions between them seemed to carry so much tension.

Wen Yixin sighed, pressing a hand to her chest as if that could slow her heartbeat. Her thoughts drifted back to the forum posts she had read earlier.

Was it possible that Qin Ruan had feelings for her? And even more importantly, what were her own feelings towards Qin Ruan?

The questions swirled in her mind, and for the first time, she found herself unsure of how to face Qin Ruan.

But one thing was certain—things between them were no longer as simple as they used to be.