Chapter 26 Dream
Consciousness floated in a state of chaos.
Gu Qingyan found herself back on that small boat in the shallow lotus pond.
The cool moonlight filtered through the layers of lotus leaves, casting dappled shadows.
Ling Wei lay on her side in the cabin, her light purple summer shirt slightly loosened due to her sleeping position, revealing a section of her fair neck and rounded shoulders.
She slept peacefully, her breathing shallow, her cherry lips slightly parted, glistening alluringly in the moonlight.
As if bewitched, he gently brushed aside the strands of hair clinging to her neck with his fingertips, touching her delicate, slightly warm skin.
The girl seemed to sense something, and opened her eyes dazedly. Her beautiful peach blossom eyes were glistening with tears, reflecting his figure, and she was filled with the bewilderment of just waking up.
She didn't resist at all; instead, as if seeking support, she unconsciously moved closer to him, her soft body nestled in his arms.
"Cousin..." she called softly, her voice slightly hoarse with sleepiness.
His call made him tighten his arms, pulling her soft, fragrant body deeper into his embrace, and he lowered his head to gently cover her slightly parted red lips.
The girl let out soft moans in his arms, but instead of pushing him away, she wrapped herself around him like a vine, her slender arms encircling his neck, responding shyly yet passionately.
The scene suddenly changed.
I was in a warm, dry room. Outside, the rain was pouring down, while inside, the candlelight flickered.
Gu Qingyan leaned against the soft couch, still holding Ling Wei in his arms.
Her light purple dress was somewhat disheveled, and the neckline was slightly open.
He buried his face in the crook of her neck, greedily inhaling her sweet scent, lingering there, and showering her with delicate and burning kisses.
Every touch brings a deeper thrill, every breath intertwines with each other's scent.
The girl's slender fingers gripped the fabric of his clothes tightly. Gu Qingyan's longing poured down like the heavy rain outside the window, unstoppable.
The scene changes again.
It turned out to be the Gu family's library, with familiar rosewood desks and the familiar scent of books.
It was Ling Wei from that day standing beside him, holding a book in her hands, pointing to a line, her small face tilted up, her eyes clear yet with a hint of dependence: "Cousin, this part... I don't quite understand."
Gu Qingyan looked down at her, the passion in his heart had not subsided. He did not refuse her coldly like the first time, but naturally moved closer, wrapped his arm around her shoulder and back, and half-encircled her in his arms, his slender fingers covering her hand holding the book.
His breath brushed against her ear, carrying a barely perceptible huskiness: "This should be interpreted as..."
Ling Wei seemed somewhat absent-minded, her gaze wandering.
A spark of anger ignited in Gu Qingyan's heart. He stopped explaining, lifted her chin, and forced her to look at him: "Distracted? You deserve punishment."
Before he could finish speaking, he lowered his head and, with an irresistible force, captured her lips once more.
The girl trembled slightly in his arms, but she was powerless and had no will to resist...
Gu Qingyan suddenly sat up in shock from the couch!
The sky outside the window was just beginning to lighten, but inside the room was deathly silent, save for his own heavy breathing.
He raised his hand to cover his burning face, his earlobes peeking out between his fingers were bright red, and his heart was still pounding wildly in his chest.
Gu Qingyan slumped back against the cold wall, closed his eyes, and was filled with confusion, as well as shame and guilt that overwhelmed him.
========================
When Gu Qingyu found Ling Wei, she had her arms crossed, chin slightly raised, and an expression that said, "I know everything," and she got straight to the point:
"I know you're preparing for the female officer exam."
Ling Wei's heart skipped a beat, but she feigned composure and blinked, "Huh? What kind of official?"
"Stop pretending!" Gu Qingyu lowered her voice. "You're secretly reading on the boat, do you think I'm blind?" She paused, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Ling Wei, and bluntly stated her purpose: "I want to come too!"
Ling Wei looked miserable: "No way... your family won't agree."
Gu Qingyu snorted and her face hardened: "You're not taking me? Fine, I'll go tell my mother right now that you're secretly preparing for the female official exam."
Ling Wei's eyes widened instantly: "Gu Qingyu! You...you've gone astray!"
"Same to you. So, are you coming or not?"
Looking at her little face, which was filled with the determination to "not give up until the goal is achieved," Ling Wei sighed and rubbed her forehead in exasperation: "...Take it!"
Thus, Gu Qingyu successfully joined Ling Wei's secret boat.
That afternoon, the two of them quietly slipped away to the small boat by the lotus pond. Ling Wei held a book and whispered to Gu Qingyu about the details.
But as fate would have it, just moments ago the sky was overcast, but in the blink of an eye a strong wind picked up and large raindrops began to pelt down without warning.
Summer thunderstorms come suddenly and fiercely.
"Oh no!" "Oh no!"
The two exclaimed in surprise at the same time.
The small boat was still some distance from the shore, and the rain was so heavy and torrential that there was no time to row back.
They hurriedly raised a large lotus leaf to cover their heads, but this makeshift "umbrella" was useless in the face of the torrential rain. The rainwater gushed down the veins of the leaves, instantly soaking them to the bone.
Ling Wei hurriedly clutched the book in her arms tightly.
Gu Qingyu's eyes were so blurry from the rain that she could barely open them, and rainwater kept pouring into her mouth as she tried to speak: "I...I think...we need to find somewhere else..."
Ling Wei was equally disheveled, wiping the rain from her face, her wet hair plastered to her forehead: "...Agreed."
Suddenly, Gu Qingyu blinked away the water droplets from her eyelashes, looking as if she had seen a ghost: "Brother?!"
In the rain curtain on the shore, Gu Qingyan stood tall and elegant, holding a plain oil-paper umbrella.
Rainwater fell like beads along the edge of the umbrella, making his handsome features look like those in a traditional Chinese ink painting, exuding a calm and gentle charm.
In his other hand, he held a folded oil-paper umbrella.
His gaze, filtering through the dense rain, first fell on Ling Wei's disheveled figure protecting the book, lingered for a moment, before turning to Gu Qingyu and nodding almost imperceptibly: "Mm."
This answered her two questions: "How did you know we were here?" and "Why did you come to deliver an umbrella?"
Gu Qingyu felt as if she had been granted a pardon and quickly reached out her hand: "Quick, quick, brother, help me up!"
Gu Qingyan did as instructed, reaching out and steadily pulling his younger sister ashore from the swaying boat with fluid and natural movements.
It was Ling Wei's turn.
She carefully stood up, clutching the book, and the small boat rocked again.
Gu Qingyan stretched out his hand to her, palm up, his long, distinct fingers standing out clearly in the rain.
His expression remained calm and composed, as if he were simply doing something ordinary.
Ling Wei's gaze lingered on that hand for half a second. She turned slightly to the side, not placing her hand in his palm, but instead grabbing the top of his wrist through his clothes, using the leverage to push against him.
With swift and decisive movements, he jumped ashore with agility.
The moment she grabbed his arm, Gu Qingyan's body stiffened almost imperceptibly.
Once she had regained her footing, he lowered his hands to his sides, his eyelids slightly drooping to conceal the complex emotions in his eyes.
Gu Qingyu took the umbrella from Gu Qingyan, opened it with a whoosh, squeezed next to Ling Wei, and then complained, "Brother, why did you only bring one umbrella? This umbrella... is a bit small!"
She and Ling Wei huddled together, half of their bodies still exposed to the rain.
Upon hearing this, Gu Qingyan almost immediately handed over the umbrella he was holding without any hesitation: "Use mine."
"No need!" Ling Wei quickly stopped him, and in her haste, she placed her hand on the back of Gu Qingyan's hand as he handed her the umbrella, stopping him from doing so.
When her fingertips touched his slightly cool skin, the person opposite her trembled for a moment.
She handed the books she was tightly protecting to Gu Qingyan: "Cousin, just carry them for us, so they don't get wet."
Then she pulled Gu Qingyu over and squeezed under the smaller umbrella: "Qingyu and I will share this one."
Gu Qingyu wanted to say something more: "Hey...wait! The book..."
Ling Wei had already half-pushed and half-dragged her around, and whispered quickly in her ear, "Don't worry! Your brother knows!" She was referring to the female official.
Gu Qingyu was taken aback for a moment: "Oh! Okay!"
So, the two girls, huddled under a small umbrella, braved the torrential rain, supporting each other, and staggered towards the nearest shelter, running away in a disheveled and somewhat comical manner.
Amidst the wind and rain, one could faintly hear Gu Qingyu's exclamation and Ling Wei's voice reminding her to "watch where you're going."
Gu Qingyan was left standing alone in the same spot.
The arm she had just grabbed, the back of my hand touched by her fingertips—the fleeting sensation still seemed to linger.
Rain dripped continuously down the edge of the umbrella, splashing small water droplets at his feet.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com