63 - Cinderella’s Dream: Together Forever

Late in the evening, Jiang Yanxin had finally lulled the little one to sleep. She leaned lazily against Chen Wan's shoulder, eyes half-closed in rest. Memories of Chen Wan returning to the RV covered in blood from the day before still sent a shiver of fear through her. She tugged softly at Chen Wan's wrist, cautioning, "Next time, you can't push yourself so hard. I'd rather go without mutant beef. When you came back covered in blood last night, I was nearly scared to death, and that's not even considering the baby's reaction." "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I have two attributes enhanced by the system. I won't get into trouble easily." Chen Wan, understanding Jiang Yanxin's worries, hastily reassured her in a gentle tone. Jiang Yanxin lifted herself slightly from Chen Wan's embrace, looking serious as she spoke, "I'm being serious, Chen Wan. You're not alone anymore. You have me and Yangyang to think about. So, whatever you do in the future, make sure you're safe." "Alright, I'll definitely be cautious and make sure I don't get hurt, okay?" Chen Wan patted Jiang Yanxin's back softly, trying to comfort her. "Mhm." Jiang Yanxin buried herself back in Chen Wan's embrace, her expression a bit somber as she admitted, "I wish I was like Qin Ke, who can do everything. That way, I could help you more, instead of making you worry about protecting me when we're out." Noticing the hint of discouragement in Jiang Yanxin's tone, Chen Wan quickly reassured her, "What are you talking about? Do you have any idea how strong you are compared to many Omegas? Think about it—are you not already capable of taking down zombies on your own? And didn't you learn how to use a gun? Plus, your stamina's improved a lot compared to other Omegas. Remember how much you carried that day at the mall?" As she gazed at Jiang Yanxin in her arms, Chen Wan continued to comfort her, "Everyone sees how much you've improved. Don't undervalue yourself. You've already achieved so much, and you'll only continue to get better." Jiang Yanxin felt her spirits lift a little thanks to Chen Wan's words. She realized she was already stronger than many Omegas and had been momentarily discouraged because she wanted to do more to assist Chen Wan. Talking about it openly made her feel much better. With a sparkle in her eyes, Jiang Yanxin leaned towards Chen Wan's face and planted a kiss on her cheek, snuggling back into Chen Wan's arms with a soft pout. "Thank you, my dear, for cheering me up. I feel much better now and will work hard to learn more so I can help you more in the future." The kiss caused a light blush to rise on Chen Wan's ears. Staring at Jiang Yanxin's lips for a few moments, she blushed even more before replying, "We'll work hard together and definitely raise Yangyang safely." "Mhm, so tomorrow, could you spare some time to teach me combat? I want to learn more skills." Jiang Yanxin's voice was soft and playful. Although she could use a gun, she worried about the day she might not have one and didn't want to always rely on Chen Wan's protection. Of course, Chen Wan was eager to teach and quickly agreed, "Sure, I'll teach you during tomorrow's break. Let's sleep early; we may need to leave here first thing in the morning." "Good night, my dear," Jiang Yanxin said effortlessly, snuggling more comfortably into Chen Wan's embrace and closing her eyes to drift into sleep. Chen Wan couldn't help but be drawn to the sight of Jiang Yanxin's pink lips even as the lights dimmed. She pondered if stealing a kiss at the corner of Jiang Yanxin's lips in the dark would go unnoticed. After all, with no lights, it might just seem like an accidental misstep. Her heart raced as she calculated the proximity to Jiang Yanxin's lips over and over again, her ears reddening deeper with each thought. Chen Wan took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and, after confirming the distance in her mind once more, turned off the bedside lamp, letting the room fall into darkness. In the concealment of the dark, Chen Wan was acutely aware of her heartbeat's loud "thump-thump," alongside her slightly hurried breaths. She mentally spurred herself on before nearing Jiang Yanxin’s lip corner according to her silent calculations and, in an unambiguous fluster, whispered, "Good night, my dear." "Mhm~" Jiang Yanxin let out a sleepy murmur, saying nothing more. Believing Jiang Yanxin might be too tired to notice her little maneuver, Chen Wan relaxed somewhat, her breathing gradually leveling out. Just as Chen Wan was about to settle into sleep herself, Jiang Yanxin spoke up in a nonchalant tone, "Dear? Did you just intentionally kiss me there?" Chen Wan nearly jumped in startle from the bed, though she couldn't exactly leap up with Jiang Yanxin nestled in her arms. Quickly, she tried to explain, panic in her voice, "I—I didn't, it was an accident. It's too dark with the lights out, and I just missed the mark." Amused by Chen Wan's flustered attempt at an explanation, Jiang Yanxin chuckled quietly, her body shaking slightly with laughter. Her alpha was quite the adorable character, and her excuse seemed rather insincere. After laughing enough, Jiang Yanxin let the sound of her alpha's fast-paced heartbeat serve as a reminder as she commented, "Your heart is beating so fast." Her body froze, scared to move. If she knew this would happen, she wouldn't have kissed her. What if Yan Xin thought she was being inappropriate? Unaware of the extent of her alpha's internal turmoil, Jiang Yanxin sensed Chen Wan's rigidity and feared she might scare her alpha from ever kissing her again. She quickly plied her teasing tone and said sweetly, "Oh come on, I was just teasing. It's not like I won't let you kiss me, silly. Why are you so afraid of me? I don't get mad no matter where you kiss me." As she spoke, Jiang Yanxin tilted her face slightly, planting a soft kiss on Chen Wan's slender neck and even giving it a gentle suck. Chen Wan felt her entire body heat up, nearly glowing red at Jiang Yanxin's forwardness, who had not only kissed her but also…sucked on her neck? And did she just say it was okay to kiss her anywhere? Reflecting upon this, Chen Wan's breathing became noticeably heavier. She had a hard time dealing with the fiery sensation words couldn't quite extinguish, attempting to calm herself. Having been solo her whole life, Chen Wan was clueless about how this playful teasing from Jiang Yanxin sparked such a fire inside her. Jiang Yanxin knew, hearing the rapid drumming of Chen Wan's heartbeat echo in her ear, coupled with the slightly labored breath of her alpha. Jiang Yanxin thought her alpha's innocence was rather endearing. Who knew if Chen Wan might become overwhelmed by her teasing in the future? After playfully stirring Chen Wan for a while, Jiang Yanxin truly decided to rest and, without bothering to put out the fire she sparked, nestled quietly back into Chen Wan's arms, intent on sleep. It took Chen Wan nearly an hour to finally drift off, her forehead slightly dampened with sweat from Jiang Yanxin's teasing. At six in the morning, Chen Wan awoke drenched in sweat, her complexion as rosy as a ripe apple. The reason was straightforward; she'd had a dream about Jiang Yanxin early in the morning. In the dream, she was back to the night they first came onto the RV—the night Jiang Yanxin was wearing nothing but her underwear and sat on her lap, asking if she was ready. Dreaming, she'd actually responded "Yes," and then they engaged in a passionate embrace on that cramped foldable sofa. Even just recalling it now, she could still feel the impression of Jiang Yanxin's soft lips. Feeling hot, Chen Wan waved her hand to cool herself down, but with Jiang Yanxin right beside her in bed, it was futile, only intensifying her fluster. Gently moving Jiang Yanxin to lie comfortably on the pillow, Chen Wan noticed the slight furrowing of Jiang Yanxin's brow, seemingly bothered by the pillow's position as she mumbled something unintelligible before falling back into deep slumber. It wasn't until then that Chen Wan went to the bathroom, taking a shower to wash away the sweat from the restless night. While trying to clean up, she silently chastised herself, “Chen Wan! How could you be so indecent, dreaming about something like that with Yan Xin? This isn’t right, she trusts you so much…” Despite her mental rebuke, the fervent burn inside didn't subside. After showering and getting dressed, Chen Wan caught a glimpse of her reflection in the bathroom mirror, spotting a cold sore on her lip corner that stung under her touch. Glaring at her mirrored self, she muttered, "Serves you right for being indecent, now you’ve got a blister to show for it!” Unaware that Jiang Yanxin's teasing was the cause of her fired-up state, not her own indecency, Chen Wan spent a good half-hour lecturing herself in the mirror, too embarrassed to face a still-sleeping Jiang Yanxin. She headed out on her own, making her way to find Qin Ke. Qin Ke, who typically refrained from showering in the morning, had finished her morning routine quicker and was preparing breakfast. There was leftover stewed beef from the previous night, perfect for beef noodle soup in the morning. But Qin Ke only cooked enough for herself and Chen Wan, knowing Jiang Yanxin and the baby were late risers and afraid extra noodles would get soggy. As Chen Wan emerged, Qin Ke grinned, ladling out noodles as she called, "You're up? Slept in a bit today, huh? Perfect timing though, noodles are ready, come eat." "Just felt a bit hot, so I took a shower to wake up." Chen Wan explained, taking the bowl from Qin Ke. "Taking a shower so early? Is it really that hot?" Qin Ke interjected, taking a bite of her noodles. "I've been feeling a bit overheated these past few days," Chen Wan explained, using it as an excuse. As she picked up a bite of noodles and brought it to her mouth, she let out a "tss" in reaction to the heat. Qin Ke couldn't help but feel something was off about Chen Wan today. Her gaze lingered on Chen Wan's face before finally settling on her lips. "You've got a blister at the corner of your mouth. Be careful and eat slowly." "Okay." Chen Wan replied, wincing slightly as she blew on the noodles to cool them before cautiously eating from the opposite side of the wound. "I told you I was overheated, now I've got a blister to show for it." Qin Ke raised an eyebrow in confusion, wondering how, living in the same environment, Chen Wan suddenly developed a blister. However, she decided not to probe further and continued with her meal. Chen Wan ate her noodles slowly, wary of hurting her lip, unable to devour them quickly or eat while they were too hot. All the while, she mentally scolded herself, thinking she deserved it after taking advantage of Yan Xin in her dreams last night. By now, Chen Wan had completely tossed aside any notion of "being straight." After berating herself, a hint of regret crept in—why had she rejected Yan Xin back then? Was she out of her mind?