She's Honest

How could someone ask such a question? Yu Shuman found herself getting distracted by the thought, but before she could respond, Qin Ran leaned in and kissed her.

Qin Ran had her hair tied up in a ponytail that day. As she lowered her head to kiss Yu Shuman, the light around them dimmed slightly, and some strands of her hair fell onto Yu Shuman's neck.

It tickled...

Yu Shuman couldn't help but think that. Earlier, at the event, she had acted on impulse when she kissed Qin Ran, but now, as Qin Ran slowly leaned in to kiss her, Yu Shuman started feeling embarrassed.

She couldn't help but think, That was my first kiss...

While her thoughts wandered, she suddenly felt a soft touch on her lips. Her eyes widened, and she saw Qin Ran kissing her, eyes closed, trembling with fear.

Realizing that Qin Ran was more nervous than she was, Yu Shuman relaxed. Her wide eyes softened, and she reached out with her hands. The loose sleeves of her outfit slipped down her arms, revealing her fair skin.

Yu Shuman wrapped her arms around Qin Ran's neck, her hands cupping the back of Qin Ran's head, deepening the kiss.

Qin Ran gradually got lost in the kiss. She had never imagined that kissing someone could feel like this. Yu Shuman's lips were full and soft, with a hint of coolness and moisture, likely from just having bathed. If she had to describe it, Qin Ran would say it was like eating a daifuku—soft, sweet, and something she didn't want to let go of.

Although Qin Ran had lived a long life in both her previous and current lives, it would be unrealistic to say she knew nothing about intimacy. Now, she was torn about whether or not to use her tongue. When Yu Shuman's arms wrapped around her neck, Qin Ran felt the last thread of her rationality snap. She couldn't resist and deepened the kiss.

Despite Yu Shuman having better stamina and lung capacity, she was still left breathless when the kiss finally ended, while Qin Ran, surprisingly, appeared to have the upper hand, looking composed.

Yu Shuman's breathing was ragged, her face flushed, and even her lips were now stained with Qin Ran's lipstick. Qin Ran's natural lip color and complexion were pale, so the makeup artist had chosen a light orange lipstick for her. Yu Shuman's lips were naturally darker, with a small mole below that made them particularly enticing. Now, with Qin Ran's lipstick on them, Yu Shuman's lip color looked much lighter.

It felt as though Qin Ran had left her mark on Yu Shuman.

Qin Ran couldn't truthfully swear that she had never had improper thoughts about Yu Shuman in her dreams. While her feelings for Yu Shuman were pure and sincere, her dreams often strayed into inappropriate territory, beyond her control.

Now that they were officially a couple, Qin Ran's overwhelming joy had clouded her judgment. Of course, she wanted to turn her once-impossible fantasies into reality.

However, they had only been together for less than two hours. Doing anything beyond kissing would be moving too fast! Qin Ran suppressed the flames of desire within her, simply hugging Yu Shuman tightly as she lay on top of her. "Senior, am I dreaming...?"

Yu Shuman chuckled softly. "No, you're not dreaming. It's all real."

Qin Ran asked again and again, until Yu Shuman, feeling sleepy, gently reminded her. Finally, they said goodnight and were about to head to their separate rooms.

When they reached their doors, Yu Shuman stepped into her room first, only to see Qin Ran still standing at her door, not going in.

Yu Shuman laughed. "Come on, go to sleep, Junior!"

It was only after watching Yu Shuman close her door that Qin Ran finally entered her room. She closed the door and leaned against it, her mind still replaying the events of the evening. It wasn't until she pinched herself and felt the pain, realizing she wasn't dreaming, that she began to bounce around with joy.

She smiled widely, even spinning around in excitement as she walked. Her ponytail swayed with her movements, and she ended up flopping onto her bed, spreading out like a starfish. The soft mattress bounced her slightly before settling down.

Lying there, staring at the ceiling, Qin Ran couldn't stop smiling.

In just two short hours, she had gone from despair to elation. She could hardly believe it—she was really dating Yu Shuman now. And... they had even kissed! Twice!

Qin Ran rolled onto her side, burying her face in the blanket. Some of her makeup, which she hadn't removed yet, rubbed off on the fabric, but she didn't care. She squirmed around for a while before finally getting up to take a shower and dry her hair. Afterward, she flopped back onto her bed, wriggling around again.

If Yu Shuman saw her, she'd probably cover her eyes and say, "I can't watch this."

Qin Ran was so excited that she barely slept a wink. To make sure she didn't oversleep the next morning, she even set an alarm. When the alarm blared, she was still groggy. She hit the snooze button, but when it rang again ten minutes later, she remembered why she had set it.

After turning off the alarm, Qin Ran shot out of bed and quickly got ready, tying up her hair with deft hands. Once she was done, she sneaked out of her room and was relieved to find that Yu Shuman was still asleep.

Qin Ran headed to the kitchen, put on an apron, and started making breakfast. She had only slept for about three hours, finally dozing off around 3 a.m., but she was still buzzing with energy. The excitement of dating Yu Shuman and getting two kisses last night had filled her with vitality.

She had woken up early to make a special breakfast for Yu Shuman.

There was no risk of her messing up the meal because... breakfast mostly involved reheating semi-prepared dishes, with the exception of the yam and pork ribs porridge she had learned from their housekeeper, Auntie. The rest just needed to be steamed or air-fried. It wasn't that Qin Ran was lazy—she knew that if she tried to make everything from scratch, she'd probably end up blowing up the kitchen.

Things like deep-fried dough sticks and custard buns were beyond her culinary skills.

After finishing the porridge and seeing that Yu Shuman was still asleep, Qin Ran set the food to keep warm and sat at the dining table, scrolling through the trending topics on her phone.

As the owner of an entertainment company, keeping an eye on trending topics was part of her job, or at least that's what she told herself. In reality, she just enjoyed browsing the latest gossip. Today, she saw that Ling Miaohan was trending. The headlines were all about the pink diamond necklace she had worn, which was reportedly a multi-million-dollar gem that Pei Qi had bought at an auction.

Just after midnight, rumors were swirling about a possible secret relationship between Ling Miaohan and Pei Qi. After all, he was the head of an entertainment company, and she was the heiress of the Ling family. Despite the age gap, they made a striking couple, and her fans quickly jumped on the bandwagon, shipping them together.

But by the early hours, the rumors had become official. Pei Qi had posted on his personal blog, tagging Ling Miaohan and openly confessing his feelings. Shortly after, Ling Miaohan retweeted his post, adding, "Looking forward to our journey together."

The comments section was flooded with:

[Ahhh, I'm dying! This is the best ship ever!]

[Mom! My OTP is real!]

[This is the ultimate love story—no arranged marriages, just true love between a CEO and a wealthy heiress!]

[This is what true love looks like! Can't wait for the wedding!]

Qin Ran couldn't help but pout. She wouldn't admit it, but she was a little envious. She wished she could publicly announce her relationship with Yu Shuman, boldly declaring, "She's mine."

But she knew that wasn't possible. Qin Ran was a businesswoman, and she understood that doing so could jeopardize Yu Shuman's career. Yu Shuman loved being in the spotlight, basking in the glow of fame. Qin Ran couldn't let her own desires cause Yu Shuman to sacrifice her dreams. True love meant putting the other person's needs first, even if it made her feel like a lovesick fool.

Last night at the event, Qin Ran had noticed Ling Miaohan's pink diamond necklace. She knew Ling Miaohan had hoped to dominate the trending topics, especially after Yu Shuman's jade pendant had taken over the headlines. With Yu Shuman not attending, Ling Miaohan had thought she would have the top spot secured with her stunning jewelry.

But then Yu Shuman showed up, and as usual, she stole the show. Ever since her debut, Yu Shuman had been a hot topic, constantly trending without even trying.

Ling Miaohan must have been jealous. In the novel, she was portrayed as a fiercely competitive "queen bee" type. It made sense—how else could she have juggled so many identities? Seeing her spotlight threatened again, she resorted to this public declaration.

It worked, of course, putting her at the top of the trending list, where she remained.

Qin Ran also remembered the look Ling Miaohan had given her last night. It was clear she had something to say, but she never got the chance. Qin Ran could guess what it was about—probably the video she had received earlier. Maybe Ling Miaohan wanted to confront her about it or flaunt that no matter what Qin Ran did, she couldn't come between her and Pei Qi.

Qin Ran had been ready to snap back with some sharp words if Ling Miaohan approached her.

In Ling Miaohan's mind, Qin Ran was probably the villain, the evil side character trying to ruin the main couple's happiness. In a typical novel, the author would likely have given Qin Ran a miserable ending.

After all, anyone who gets between the protagonist couple is usually doomed to a bad fate.

But this wasn't a novel—this was real life. In the real world, things were more complicated, and not every love story had a fairy tale ending.

Pei Qi was a businessman, and as long as he saw value in Ling Miaohan, his love for her would never be pure.

Some people liked to boast about their "true love," as if adding any other factors would taint it.

But Qin Ran was different. She was honest—she wanted Yu Shuman's body, too.

Qin Ran: I'm honest!