Chapter 44: The Enticing Little Green Tea

She only touched it briefly before letting go.

“By the way, Miss Dai…”

She lifted her eyes.

“As… as thanks for reminding me and comforting me today, could you please accept this?”

She took the delicately wrapped mint-green candy from her clutch, held it in her palm, and extended it toward Dai Feng.

“This is…”

Dai Feng’s gaze fell on the small candy in her hand, a bit puzzled.

“A small gift.”

Yan Yu’s eyes curved, her smile intimate, as if sharing a secret.

“It’s… well, it’s a candy I came across. I heard it’s handmade by a famous old master abroad. The taste is unique and very refreshing.”

“Miss Dai, if you don’t mind, would you like to try it?”

Dai Feng didn’t really like sweets, especially cold things like mint candy.

But at that moment, looking at Yan Yu’s eyes—full of hope and afraid of rejection—the words “No, thank you” lingered in her throat for a long time, never making it out.

“Okay.”

Almost without thinking, Dai Feng heard herself answer.

She reached out and took the candy from Yan Yu’s slightly cool palm.

She unwrapped the paper and placed the small, pale green, transparent candy in her mouth.

Unexpectedly, it wasn’t very sweet.

A particularly refreshing coolness spread across her tongue, quickly expanding, as if it could chase away the frustration in her heart.

“How is it?”

Yan Yu tilted her head slightly, watching her intently, with a hint of curiosity.

“Hmm… it’s cool,” Dai Feng said honestly, then added, “It’s not very sweet, but it’s pretty good.”

“Really?”

“Really. Thank you.”

Watching Dai Feng’s throat move as she swallowed the melted candy completely, a glint of understanding flashed deep in Yan Yu’s eyes, and the corner of her mouth lifted slightly.

Good.

Now that the target had eaten it, it was time to take a preliminary look at the candy’s effect.

She lifted her eyes, let them roam over Dai Feng’s face for a moment, thought briefly, and quickly came up with a test method.

“Miss Dai, um… this might be a bit presumptuous, but…”

She spoke, then lowered her head slightly, revealing a pale, fragile neck, her fingers unconsciously picking at the dry stain on her dress.

“My dress got stained by a drink just now. It doesn’t look good, so I want to change. But you know my leg… it’s not convenient.”

“Miss Dai, could I ask you… to help support me while I change? I… I have a bit of trouble alone.”

The look was helpless, shy, and full of cautious trust and dependence on the person before her.

Dai Feng was clearly caught off guard by the request. She froze.

Her gaze instinctively fell on the dark stain on Yan Yu’s chest, then quickly darted away. The heat at the roots of her ears seemed more pronounced.

“…Support you?”

“Mm.”

Yan Yu’s voice grew softer, her head drooping lower, revealing the pale back of her neck.

“I… I can’t keep my balance well alone. I’m afraid I’ll fall. Sorry to trouble you, Miss Dai. Just for a moment.”

Her words were reasonable, and her posture was extremely humble.

The refusal rolled on Dai Feng’s tongue, but when she met Yan Yu’s pleading eyes, she swallowed it completely.

“…Okay.”

Dai Feng heard herself say, her voice a little dry.

She straightened up, haphazardly buttoned a couple of buttons on her loose shirt, cleared her throat to cover, and walked behind Yan Yu.

“How should I support you? Hold the wheelchair, or…”

“Please just support my arm.”

Yan Yu said softly, her hands gripping the wheelchair’s armrests as she tried to stand slowly. But her movements seemed unsteady, and her body swayed slightly.

“Careful!”

Almost instinctively, Dai Feng reached out with both hands, firmly supporting her arms.

The skin under her touch was slightly cool, and through the thin fabric, she could clearly feel its delicate softness.

Dai Feng’s heartbeat skipped a beat. Her fingers unconsciously tightened a little, then immediately relaxed, afraid of hurting her.

“You… take it slow.”

“Thank you.”

Yan Yu thanked her quietly, her body seeming a bit weak as she leaned slightly against Dai Feng’s supporting arm.

The distance instantly became very close. Close enough for Dai Feng to smell the faint, fresh scent of her hair, to see the fine trembling of her lowered eyelashes.

The changing room was very quiet. Quiet enough to hear each other’s breathing.

Dai Feng’s arms remained stiff in their supporting position, but her eyes had nowhere to rest.

The mirror in front of them reflected their current posture—Dai Feng was half-encircling Yan Yu from behind, and Yan Yu was slightly turned, leaning into her embrace. Her slender neck, thin shoulders, and the back of the dress ruined by the stain left large patches of smooth skin exposed to the air.

Dai Feng’s throat went dry.

She forced herself to look away, to look elsewhere.

“Which one do you want to change into?”

“Over there… that beige one. Could you please bring it to me?”

Yan Yu’s voice was soft, a little breathless, her finger pointing vaguely at the wardrobe.

“Okay.”

Dai Feng, relieved, carefully helped her sit steadily on the soft stool nearby, then let go and turned to get the dress.

She walked quickly, took down the dress, and came back. As she handed it over, she tried to avoid looking at Yan Yu’s body.

“Here.”

Yan Yu took the dress but didn’t move immediately.

She looked up at Dai Feng, a faint blush still lingering on her cheeks and the corners of her eyes.

“Miss Dai… could you please turn around? I… I need to undo the buttons in the back. I’m a bit shy.”

“Oh! Oh, okay, of course!”

Dai Feng snapped back to reality, almost immediately turning a hundred and eighty degrees, her back to Yan Yu. She stood upright, her eyes fixed on the wardrobe door in front of her.

Behind her came the soft rustling of fabric. It was very light, but in the overly quiet environment, it was exceptionally clear.

The sound was like a tiny feather, scratching at her eardrums and her heart.

Uncontrollably, a few images flashed through Dai Feng’s mind—a smooth back, a dress slipping off a shoulder…

She closed her eyes tightly, cursing herself inwardly for letting her imagination run wild.

But the more she forced herself not to think, the clearer those images became, mingling with the warmth and touch she had felt when supporting her, surging up and unsettling her.

Her heart pounded in her chest, a bit fast, with an unfamiliar flutter.

“Miss Dai…”

A soft voice came from behind, sounding a little weak.

“I… the button in the back seems to have caught my hair. I can’t reach it. Can you help me?”

“How?”

“Just… untie it for me. It seems my hair got tangled.”

“…Okay.”

Dai Feng took a breath, finally gathering the courage to turn around.

Yan Yu was facing away from her. The top half of the dress had slipped to her arms, barely hanging at her elbows, revealing her entire back.

Her skin was a snow-white luster, like jade soaked in cold water—smooth, flawless, and unblemished. Her thin shoulders had soft, flowing lines, and her graceful shoulder blades slightly protruded, outlining a gentle contour.

A shallow groove ran down the center of her spine, casting a faint, hazy shadow that extended downward along her back, stirring a dazed feeling.

Dai Feng’s fingers trembled as she carefully lifted her hand, gently brushing aside the tangled strands of black hair that had wound around the button.

The air around them seemed to freeze. Her heart hammered against her chest, already out of control, as an irresistible surge of emotion spread in the depths of her heart.