As they fell, the pain Su Yirao anticipated never came. Instead, the warmth of soft skin through clothing absorbed all the force.
It was a gentle, sweet-smelling cushion.
In that moment, the phrase "tender and soft" popped into Su Yirao's mind, and she began to understand why people spoke of "losing oneself in softness."
"Sister, are you okay?"
Guan Qingtong came to her senses and, seeing that Su Yirao hadn't moved, worriedly asked if she was hurt.
Su Yirao smiled and replied, "A girl's body is different—so soft. With such a cushion, how could I be hurt?"
Guan Qingtong blushed and then, remembering something, asked, "Sister, have you ever been this close to a guy? Otherwise, how would you know the difference?"
"Nosy!" Su Yirao flicked her forehead as she stood up. "I was engaged once, remember?"
There had been a time when she foolishly tried to get close to Yu Xingye, even though he usually rebuffed her. There were a few rare moments when she succeeded, but now they were just embarrassing memories.
Not wanting to dwell on it, Su Yirao quickly changed the subject.
"You're still young and full of collagen," she said, playfully pinching Guan Qingtong's cheek. "Even though there's only a five-year difference, and I take good care of myself, how is there such a big gap?"
"I'm just fresh, while you're mature," Guan Qingtong said, sitting up and looking at Su Yirao with sincere admiration in her eyes. "It's a different kind of beauty at a different stage of life. I think you're better, Sister—mature, charming, capable, successful..."
"Stop, stop!" Su Yirao interrupted with a laugh. "When did you join a praise club?"
Thinking about her unpleasant life as a villainess, Su Yirao's toes curled with embarrassment. She felt undeserving of such compliments.
"It's not just flattery; I mean it."
Su Yirao leaned back beside her, her tone lazy. "Your filter is way too thick. I'll have to find a way to shatter it so you can see the real me."
"Hahaha, Sister Su..." Guan Qingtong started to say, but her words were cut off.
Her lips were pinched shut by Su Yirao again.
Su Yirao's grin widened as she looked at her and said, "What were you trying to say? That you want me to apply the medicine? Sure, no problem."
She let go and poured the herbal oil into her palm.
"Sister, you're so annoying, always pinching my mouth."
Guan Qingtong lowered her head and lifted her shirt to let Su Yirao apply the ointment.
But the moment Su Yirao's hand touched her waist, Guan Qingtong instinctively jerked away.
"That tickles?" Su Yirao teased, raising an eyebrow.
"It seems like it doesn't hurt as much..." Guan Qingtong stammered, her face flushing with embarrassment. "Maybe I should do it myself?"
"I've already got the oil in my hand; we can't waste it," Su Yirao said. "Come here, I'll do it slowly so you can get used to it."
Guan Qingtong bit her lower lip, wanting to refuse, but seeing how serious Su Yirao looked, she reluctantly agreed.
This time, Su Yirao moved much more slowly.
She warmed the herbal oil in her palm before gently placing her hand on Guan Qingtong's waist.
But Guan Qingtong flinched again, trying to pull away.
However, Su Yirao was prepared. Just before Guan Qingtong could move, she quickly wrapped her other arm around her shoulder, holding her close.
Feeling Guan Qingtong's body tremble, Su Yirao spoke softly, "If you're this scared of being close to me, how are we going to pull off our act? You need to get used to me being close."
Because she was holding Guan Qingtong with one arm, Su Yirao was very close to her, and her breath brushed against Guan Qingtong's ear as she spoke.
At the same time, Su Yirao's warm palm began to gently massage her waist.
But instead of soothing the pain, it made Guan Qingtong feel a strange mix of dizziness and warmth.
She realized something was off, that her reaction was too intense.
"I'll get used to it," Guan Qingtong said, biting her lip to stay focused.
"No rush. We're living together, so there will be plenty of opportunities to practice," Su Yirao said casually.
Guan Qingtong's eyes widened, wanting to refuse but finding no good reason to do so.
"All done," Su Yirao said, pulling back. "Now it's your turn to help me."
"Okay."
Guan Qingtong kept her head down, avoiding Su Yirao's gaze as she fumbled for the burn ointment.
She applied the ointment to Su Yirao's burn with mechanical precision, then turned away to pack up the medicine kit.
"Sister, goodnight. I'll go to bed now," she said with her back to Su Yirao.
Watching her retreat, Su Yirao couldn't help but tease, "You really are shy. I only held you for a moment, and I didn't even tease you this time, but you can't look at me?"
"No, I'm not."
"Stubborn again?" Su Yirao sighed.
Guan Qingtong finally turned around and admitted, "Maybe a little. No one else has ever been this close to me."
Su Yirao suddenly thought of something, her eyes narrowing as she asked, "That doesn't add up. If you're so shy, how did you have the courage to sit on my lap last time?"
Guan Qingtong's face flushed red.
"That... that was different."
Su Yirao, amused, pressed on. "How was it different?"
"That time I was the one taking the initiative... This time I was on the receiving end."
"Oh..." Su Yirao drew out the word, sounding unconvinced. "And your other female friends? Didn't they ever catch you off guard?"
Guan Qingtong's expression darkened as she shook her head. "My dad used to owe a lot of money, so we never stayed in one place for long. I never had the chance to keep friends for very long. The few I stayed in touch with were mostly online, and we were never this close."
If Su Yirao hadn't known Guan Qingtong was the heroine, she might not have believed someone with such a background could be the protagonist.
Left speechless, Su Yirao lost her desire to tease Guan Qingtong further.
"Alright, then I'll be your first close female friend."
"Deal!" Guan Qingtong's eyes lit up as she looked at her expectantly.
Unable to stand that adoring gaze, Su Yirao waved her off, saying, "Alright, you'll get used to it in time. Go get some rest."
"Oh, and Sister Su, I received two messages earlier," Guan Qingtong suddenly remembered.
"What messages?"
"Here, take a look." Guan Qingtong handed her phone to Su Yirao.
198×××: Hello, this is Yu Xingye. I apologize for the late message. My company is currently hiring for a clerical position that fits your qualifications. The café job doesn't offer much of a career path, so I'm extending a sincere invitation for you to work at our company.
198×××: I'll visit the café in two days to discuss the details. Please have your documents ready so that if everything goes well, we can proceed with the hiring process immediately.
"Does he think I'd brainwash you to keep you from meeting him, so he's coming up with a fancy excuse for a direct recruitment?" Su Yirao scoffed.