Beyond Reach - Chapter 9 - Transition to a Proper Relationship

By the time Shi Sui emerged from the building, it was already evening.

She descended the steps slowly. Normally, she would have found any excuse to make a quick getaway, but today was different. Song Jie had entrusted her with a task that was yet to be completed.

With a silent sigh, Shi Sui found an excuse to let her roommate leave first, then she circled back to the rear entrance alone.

The rush hour had passed, and only a few silhouettes occasionally appeared at the back door.

Shi Sui entered the courtyard, standing behind the tall greenery, peering around cautiously.

Suddenly, a hand wrapped around her waist from behind, the arm’s distinct joints and faintly visible veins firmly holding her in place.

He bent his neck, his breath lightly brushing against her ear.

Shi Sui’s eyelashes fluttered.

In a hushed tone, she said, “We’re still outside, let go.”

“No one’s watching,” he replied indifferently.

Shi Sui avoided his breath, her eyes still scanning the surroundings, her whole body tense.

“But there are cameras.”

“Don’t like it?”

“…” Shi Sui tried to pry his fingers away, “Who would like this?!”

“Really?”

“I thought,” Yan Tingli chuckled softly near her ear, “you enjoyed this sneaky feeling.”

“…”

Just then, footsteps echoed from the spiral staircase nearby; a few more steps and they would be visible.

She didn’t dare gamble on them not recognizing Yan Tingli.

“Someone’s really coming!” Shi Sui urged him, “Let go of me.”

Yan Tingli frowned impatiently. As soon as his grip loosened, Shi Sui seized the chance to dart aside, smoothing her hair with a casual demeanor as if she were just a passerby.

The newcomer indeed knew Yan Tingli and even greeted him.

Shi Sui’s pace quickened, moving further away.

Yan Tingli narrowed his eyes.

The gaze from behind felt like needles, making her uneasy. She paused, hesitating, her toe grinding into the ground.

“Senior brother?” The junior brother sensed Yan Tingli’s distraction and hesitated. He had intended to get closer for future benefits.

“Anything else?”

“No, nothing.”

Yan Tingli’s silence was laden with obvious disinterest.

No one dared to linger: “…Then I’ll be off, goodbye, senior brother.”

Yan Tingli’s footsteps approached again.

Shi Sui’s heart tightened, fearing he might act out again.

“I have no interest in kissing you in public.”

As Yan Tingli brushed past her shoulder, he left behind a remark tinged with sarcasm.

He entered the elevator.

Shi Sui was left fuming after a biting remark and followed him, staying a meter behind: “If you’re so capable, then never kiss me again.”

With a “ding,” they reached the underground parking garage.

As soon as Shi Sui steadied herself, she was pulled by her wrist and dragged into the back seat of the car. The parking lot was nearly empty; few students had cars, and even fewer could drive them into the school building.

“I’m not capable.”

“?” Shi Sui hadn’t yet reacted when Yan Tingli pressed her head down, his teeth grazing a spot on her neck.

Shi Sui hissed in pain.

If she remembered correctly, he had bitten her there just the night before, and the mark had not yet faded.

“Yan Tingli, stop biting me! Are you a dog?”

“Okay.”

“Okay, what?” Shi Sui pinched his arm. Why wouldn’t he let go!

“Being a dog.” Yan Tingli continued to nibble and lick, sending tingling sensations through her, and Shi Sui felt a shock run through her body as she heard his words, baffled for a moment.

She couldn’t believe he could be so shameless.

“You’re sick, you’re a pervert,” she scolded.

As he caressed her neck, she berated him, yet he chuckled in pleasure.

He was impervious to persuasion, so Shi Sui simply closed her eyes and pretended to be dead.

Suddenly, he sat her upright, holding her waist, and whispered close to her ear, “Did my bespectacled roommate bump into you?”

“No.” Shi Sui thought he was jealously making things up again. “Weren’t you holding me back?”

“I know.”

He kissed her cheek as if to reward her.

Shi Sui was confused until she heard Yan Tingli casually say, “I was wrong, actually he wasn’t wearing glasses today.”

Several seconds passed.

She slowly grasped the meaning behind Yan Tingli’s words, feeling a chill of goosebumps rising on her back.

-He was testing her, to see if she had paid attention to other men’s faces.

Why he asked about this particular roommate, she did not know.

“I’m very happy today.”

Shi Sui: “…Ah?”

She often couldn’t make sense of Yan Tingli’s thought processes.

“Did you come here for me?” he teased a lock of hair beside her ear.

“I came for class.” Shi Sui initially wanted to explain that she wasn’t there just for him, but remembering what Song Jie had told her, she changed her tune, “But I did want to see you.”

Yan Tingli responded by pressing his face against hers from the side, rubbing it slightly.

Every intimate moment with him at school left Shi Sui feeling out of place, even inside the car.

She shifted her face slightly away and finally voiced the question she’d been rehearsing: “Where were you yesterday, why didn’t you answer my calls?”

Shi Sui rarely asked about his whereabouts.

Yan Tingli was silent for a moment.

Suddenly, he asked, “Who told you to ask?”

Shi Sui’s heart skipped a beat, almost thinking he could read minds.

“Zhou Xuyan?” Yan Tingli’s tone was cold. “What does she want to know?”

“No, she didn’t ask!”

Yan Tingli pressed his eyelids down, observing her.

Seeing that it was just a routine inquiry, Shi Sui regained her confidence, raising her voice: “Can’t I ask what you’ve been up to?”

This time, Yan Tingli’s silence lasted a bit longer.

As Shi Sui’s heart raced with uncertainty, her cheek received another soft kiss.

Like a fluttering feather.

Shi Sui’s eyelashes fluttered: “…Why did you kiss me again.”

“A memento.”

“A memento of what?”

“The first time you cared.”

Shi Sui lowered her head and muttered, “Do you actually like being cared for?”

He slowly smiled: “That depends on who’s doing the caring.”

Shi Sui had a nagging feeling something was off.

After a long while, she managed to suppress this strange sensation, shifting the topic: “So what were you doing?”

He seemed especially patient today, willing to engage in such trivial conversation.

“I went back to the Yan Family,” he said, “and had dinner with them.”

“Oh,” Shi Sui replied, “I knew about that.”

“Professor Su’s family was there too, including Su Han,” Yan Tingli paused, “Did you know that as well?”

Shi Sui wanted to feign ignorance, but unfortunately, she wasn’t good at lying. She could only mumble, “I heard you mention it on the phone.”

“You eavesdropped on my call?” Yan Tingli’s voice rose slightly, carrying an indescribable undertone.

“I didn’t eavesdrop,” Shi Sui defended herself, “I just overheard.”

“Mm, overheard.”

“It was just by accident,” Shi Sui’s face grew hotter, “Stop kissing me.” He continued to kiss her, like a cat nuzzling against her cheek.

“I won’t have anything to do with Su Han,” Yan Tingli suddenly whispered in her ear.

Each word was clear, the intimacy more intense than any bedroom whispers.

The temperature inside the car kept rising.

She hadn’t even asked about Su Han, yet things were spiraling out of control.

Shi Sui pinched her palm, trying to calm down. “Actually, that’s not what I was asking.”

After she spoke, she felt Yan Tingli’s gaze fix on her, the warmth cooling a bit.

That subtle bubble of intimacy seemed to be pricked by an invisible needle.

“After dinner, where did you go? You got caught in the rain,” Shi Sui shifted the topic, “Did something happen?”

Her heart raced.

Yan Tingli’s pause was longer than ever.

“I ran away from home.”

Shi Sui: “Did you… argue with Uncle Yan and them?”

Yan Tingli lowered his eyes: “Yeah, they wanted to kick me out.”

Shi Sui’s eyes widened: “That can’t be true.”

“It is,” he said seriously, “I can only elope with you now.”

Shi Sui was taken aback, her expression conflicted.

Song Jie hadn’t mentioned any of this!

“Then,” she stammered, “why don’t you call Aunt Song and apologize?”

Yan Tingli lifted his gaze, giving her a look.

That look made Shi Sui avert her eyes, her fingers fidgeting.

She didn’t dare say it was Song Jie’s request, instinctively knowing Yan Tingli wouldn’t comply.

“Why should I apologize?”

Shi Sui was taken aback.

Yan Tingli’s voice was cold: “You don’t know the whole story, yet you want me to apologize?”

Realizing her mistake, Shi Sui mumbled, “…I’m sorry.”

Yan Tingli: “I didn’t ask you to apologize.”

Shi Sui suddenly didn’t know what to say.

She regretted not finding an excuse to refuse Song Jie’s request.

After a few seconds of silence, she said, “Let’s not talk about this anymore.”

Suddenly, Yan Tingli’s phone rang.

Shi Sui saw-it was Song Jie.

He didn’t react, as if he hadn’t seen it, and didn’t answer.

Having learned from past experience, Shi Sui didn’t ask.

But she didn’t expect that as soon as Yan Tingli’s ringtone stopped, her phone in her bag started ringing continuously.

Shi Sui’s expression changed.

Her eyes couldn’t hide anything. As soon as the ringtone started, she couldn’t help but get nervous.

“Probably a spam call.” She hurriedly reached for her bag to hang up.

Before she could touch it, Yan Tingli had already taken it out. He held it up, glanced at it.

A short scoff escaped his throat.

Yan Tingli’s finger slipped, pressing the answer button. His face remained expressionless.

Shi Sui’s heart was about to leap out of her chest, and she hurriedly tried to grab the phone.

Yan Tingli held her arm steady with one hand and spoke into the phone, “There’s only one reason I don’t answer calls-because I don’t want to. No one can change that.”

“As for what you’re worried about, I can give you a clear answer. I’ve heard it, loud and clear.”

“If you’re really missing Yan Congjin, Northern Suburb Cemetery, plot 089, you can visit him anytime.”

He hung up, tossing the phone onto the seat cushion.

Silence filled the car.

Shi Sui knew Yan Tingli was bold, but she hadn’t expected him to be this audacious.

…Rebellious, indeed.

His gaze shifted to her, and she was next in line. Shi Sui didn’t know what expression to put on.

Yan Tingli was too clever; such tricks couldn’t fool him. He could see through them instantly.

He didn’t say anything.

His long lashes cast shadows, and the warmth in his eyes seemed to vanish.

Suddenly, he chuckled, “No wonder.” His tone was dripping with sarcasm, “Usually, you’d run away.”

Shi Sui’s voice was barely audible, “…I just didn’t know how to refuse Aunt Song.”

“Aren’t you curious?”

“What?” Shi Sui didn’t understand.

Yan Tingli slightly tilted his head, his expression cool as water, “Like asking me who Yan Congjin is. You don’t seem surprised.”

Shi Sui’s expression froze for a moment, then quickly masked it.

Yan Tingli let out a cold laugh, “Zhou Xuyan is quite daring.”

“No, it wasn’t her. She didn’t say anything,” Shi Sui hurried to clear her friend’s name.

His eyebrows arched with more irony, “Seems you really know.”

“……”

Yan Tingli was cunning; she was too easily trapped by him.

The more she said, the more mistakes she’d make, so Shi Sui simply shut her mouth.

For a while, Yan Tingli didn’t speak again.

Thinking he was plotting something big, Shi Sui held her breath, sneaking a glance at him, slightly surprised.

Yan Tingli only showed her his profile.

His lashes were lowered, obscuring his expression.

Even though she couldn’t grasp anything, Shi Sui felt a cold, fragile loneliness.

But it was only for a fleeting moment, so quick it felt like an illusion.

Yan Tingli turned his face back, his usual indifferent demeanor, “What’s with that look?”

Shi Sui was taken aback.

“Feeling sorry for me?”

“No, I-”

“Do I need it?”

Shi Sui paused for a couple of seconds, understanding the meaning behind his words.

…It was indeed an illusion.

Of course.

With his top-tier life, getting whatever he wants, why would he need her pity!

Though Shi Sui was indignant, she oddly felt a bit relieved, muttering softly, “Then I’ll take it back.”

“Who said you could take it back?”

Shi Sui: ?

Yan Tingli, expressionless, pulled her back onto his lap, moving her up, spreading his legs.

Shi Sui was wearing a pleated skirt today, with only a thin layer of stockings underneath.

“Pitying it works too,” Yan Tingli whispered in her ear, “Never tried it in a car before.”

The hairs on the back of Shi Sui’s neck stood up, and she snapped, “You’re a pervert, this is a school!”

Yan Tingli glanced out the window, “Should I drive us home then?”

“No way!”

Yan Tingli didn’t respond, playing with a strand of her hair.

He didn’t bring it up again, leisurely asking, “Let me guess, Zhou Xuyan told you yesterday?”

Shi Sui: “……”

He spoke in a casual tone, “Casually spilling my secrets, did you think about the consequences?”

“No…” Shi Sui had to cover for her good friend, “I insisted on asking.”

Yan Tingli leaned closer, his hand resting on her leg, his breath light:

“Knowing so much is dangerous.”

Shi Sui stopped his hand from moving further, “Just pretend I don’t know, I won’t say anything.”

Yan Tingli chuckled.

“No can do,” he said, “Knowing is knowing.”

Shi Sui felt guilty for prying into Yan Tingli’s privacy.

“What do you want?”

He traced circles on her knee, “What are we?”

“What else could we be,” Shi Sui said defiantly, “An improper relationship!”

“Then let’s make it proper.”

Shi Sui’s pupils widened slightly, her eardrums vibrating, “What proper… relationship.”

Yan Tingli’s tone was casual, “If you were my girlfriend, I wouldn’t mind you knowing so much.”