Our Love, A Public Service - Chapter 48
Chapter 48
"Stop torturing me..."
Jing Rui's soft sigh, filled with a mixture of resignation, tenderness, longing, and reluctance, echoed in Chi Jia's ear, her body enveloped by Jing Rui's warmth and fragrance.
As Jing Rui's soft lips brushed against the corner of her mouth, Chi Jia's defenses finally crumbled. She closed her eyes, letting Jing Rui kiss her. Whether it was impulse or something more, Chi Jia was now certain that Jing Rui, like her, was serious.
A light, fleeting kiss, then they pulled apart, their gazes locking.
Just a look, but their hearts stirred.
Chi Jia had held Jing Rui like this before, the same ambiguous embrace, but the feeling was completely different now. Being held by Jing Rui, she felt a mixture of sweetness and anxiety, the sweetness outweighing the anxiety.
Thankfully, she hadn't pushed Jing Rui away again.
Jing Rui tightened her grip on Chi Jia's hand, relieved, closing her eyes as she held Chi Jia close, a sense of peace finally settling over her. Torture was an accurate description; Chi Jia was torturing her, emotionally, repeatedly, their hearts longing for each other, yet having to play along with Miss Chi's stubbornness, pretending to be indifferent.
She had thought that by not contacting each other, she could forget, but even Jing Rui hadn't expected to fall so hard, and for Chi Jia, of all people, a stubborn, bad-tempered "innocent" girl.
Was her patience for Chi Jia bottomless? Jing Rui, who never pursued anyone in relationships, had repeatedly compromised and made exceptions for Chi Jia.
Even when rejected, she was willing.
Thinking of this, Jing Rui held Chi Jia even tighter, reluctant to let go, for the first time feeling vulnerable and seeking comfort in someone's embrace.
Jing Rui's embrace deepened, just as Chi Jia's feelings for her grew stronger, an inescapable entanglement. They had tortured each other for so long, their hearts intertwined.
As Chi Jia turned around, Jing Rui's arm instinctively wrapped around her waist, pulling her close. This time, their eyes met, no hesitation or avoidance.
Jing Rui had never thought about giving anyone a sense of security, but as she gently caressed Chi Jia's face, she couldn't help but say, "Trust me, just this once, okay?"
Chi Jia, looking at Jing Rui, realized she was hopelessly in love. She leaned her head against Jing Rui's shoulder, a muffled response, still wanting to get closer, yet hesitating.
"I'll wait for you." Jing Rui, putting herself in Chi Jia's shoes, understood her hesitation and concerns. Chi Jia needed time, and she would give it to her, but it didn't mean she would give up. Lately, she had realized that with someone as stubborn as Miss Chi, she couldn't just let her have her way.
Jing Rui gently stroked Chi Jia's back, a silent, comforting gesture. Chi Jia not resisting was the best answer she could hope for at the moment.
That "I'll wait for you" and the warm embrace filled Chi Jia with both reassurance and affection. A usually frivolous person, when serious, could be incredibly charming. Chi Jia smiled secretly, instinctively raising her arms to hug Jing Rui back, but just as her hands reached Jing Rui's slender waist, a voice called out from the kitchen doorway, "Jing Rui—"
"Need any help?" One of Jing Rui's friends stood at the door.
Hearing the voice, they quickly separated, although their intimate embrace had already been witnessed, clearly not needing any extra help in the kitchen.
Miss Chi pretended to pick up a knife and start chopping vegetables, but Jing Rui, afraid she would cut herself, took the knife away, teasing her, "Clumsy, all you can do is eat, not cook."
Chi Jia retorted, "That's why I'm learning."
"I'll teach you later, don't cause trouble today." Jing Rui took the knife from Chi Jia.
"But you were the one who asked me to help..." Chi Jia muttered under her breath.
Jing Rui, looking at Chi Jia's pouting face, couldn't help but reach out and gently caress her cheek, coaxing her like a child. "Be good, go get the cutlery."
Chi Jia loved it when Jing Rui spoke to her in that soft, gentle tone. She had been tormented by Jing Rui enough during their design discussions, Jing Rui's words sharp and unforgiving. So she especially enjoyed it when Jing Rui dropped her usual arrogance and tried to appease her, after all, she had suffered enough from the vixen.
"Try this."
The kitchen was truly a place for intimacy. As Jing Rui fed Chi Jia, Chi Jia hesitated for a moment before opening her mouth, the taste of the food forgotten as Jing Rui gently wiped her mouth.
"How is it?" Jing Rui asked.
"Just… average." Chi Jia gave her standard, stubborn reply.
Jing Rui smiled, knowing Chi Jia's personality all too well. She continued cooking, her knife skills practiced and efficient.
Although Chi Jia couldn't cook, she noticed that the ingredients Jing Rui was using were all her favorites. When had Jing Rui become so attuned to her tastes…? Chi Jia looked at Jing Rui's profile, a silent warmth spreading through her heart.
"When is your next performance?"
"Hmm?"
Jing Rui repeated, "I want to hear you sing."
Chi Jia hadn't performed since the New Year, her visits to N Bar also becoming less frequent, but hearing Jing Rui's question, she replied, "Wednesday night."
"Let's have dinner together Wednesday night." Jing Rui thought about her schedule; she would be back from her business trip on Wednesday. She turned to Chi Jia. "Just the two of us. I have a gift for you."
"A gift… for me?"
Jing Rui paused, then replied, "A gift I prepared for you last Christmas Eve. I still want to give it to you now."
Although Chi Jia seemed carefree, she was actually quite perceptive. Jing Rui's words were an indirect confession; she had also confessed her feelings on Christmas Eve, but Chi Jia had rejected her decisively then.
"Are you free? Let's have a proper talk." Jing Rui felt that they both needed to be more honest with each other.
"Okay." Chi Jia thought for a moment, then agreed.
Time truly revealed all answers. Some people could be forgotten, some couldn't. Some could be let go of, some couldn't.
Chi Jia had rejected Jing Rui with a casual "I'm not that into you," thinking it was a simple matter. But feelings were complicated, clinging to a lost cause, constantly overthinking, it was only torturing herself…
Hearing Chi Jia's soft agreement, Jing Rui couldn't suppress her smile. Chi Jia had truly put her through the wringer these past few months. She seemed to have used up all her patience on Miss Chi, to the point that she wasn't interested in any other woman.
Seeing Jing Rui's beautiful smile, Chi Jia couldn't help but smile back, although still slightly awkward, a sense of relief washing over her.
Having avoided it for so long, Chi Jia now wanted to give herself a chance. Pretending to be indifferent every time she saw Jing Rui was too difficult. That night, when Jing Rui had silently appeared beside her, holding an umbrella over her, she had wanted to go with Jing Rui.
Chi Jia realized that both rejecting Jing Rui and accepting her required immense courage.
Jing Rui had a flight that evening, and she would be busy for the next few days, otherwise she would have definitely pestered Chi Jia, who had finally softened up a bit.
Chi Jia had been working a lot of overtime lately, so she stayed home to rest tonight. Curled up on the sofa, watching a variety show, she was starting to feel drowsy when her phone rang.
It was Jing Rui.
Chi Jia instantly woke up. "…?"
"At home?" Jing Rui could hear the quietness around her. She was actually staying home, not at the bar, which was a good thing.
"Yeah, at home."
"What did you have for dinner?"
Chi Jia hugged a plush toy, although such casual conversations were normal, she still couldn't help but complain, "That's such a boring question."
Jing Rui, waiting at the airport, her mood lifting at the sound of Chi Jia's voice, continued with the "boring" topic. "I want to know."
"Mushroom stewed chicken…"
"You cooked that yourself?"
After a dramatic pause, Chi Jia replied, "…Flavored instant noodles."
Jing Rui burst out laughing, her laughter lasting so long that Chi Jia rolled her eyes. She could never have a normal conversation with Miss Jing.
"Don't eat too much of that, it's not healthy."
"Are you bored or something?" Hearing Jing Rui's laughter, Chi Jia couldn't help but smile, although her tone was still slightly annoyed.
"I wanted to hear your voice, is that not allowed?"
Chi Jia: "..."
"I'm flying to Y City tonight, I'll be busy for a few days, I won't be back until Wednesday." Jing Rui patiently informed her of her schedule.
Chi Jia paused, then asked, "Why are you telling me this?"
Such a conversation killer. Chi Jia wasn't like this with others, only with Jing Rui, instinctively wanting to argue, not wanting to play along.
"Chi Jia." Jing Rui, exasperated yet fond, lowered her voice. "Do you dislike talking to me that much?"
Did she even need to ask? A call from the vixen was enough to wake Miss Chi from her sleep.
"…Anything else?" Chi Jia avoided the question, trying to change the subject.
"Yes."
"What?"
Jing Rui chuckled, a hint of playfulness in her voice. "From now on, I'll call you every night."
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