“Senior Sister, do you really like wearing high heels that much?”
Shen An held her gently in his arms, leaning in affectionately to sniff the faint fragrance at the tips of her hair before asking the question out of the blue.
Zhao Qingyu’s eyes were half-closed, a look of contentment on her face—perhaps even a touch of drowsiness.
Leaning against his chest like this always filled her with an inexplicable sense of security that soothed her heart.
She was someone who desperately craved that kind of reassurance, and this warm intimacy was exactly what she had been longing for.
“What?”
She had been so blissfully comfortable that she hadn’t quite caught his question. With a lazy drawl, she asked again, “What did you just say?”
“I said high heels.”
Shen An chuckled softly. “It seems like every time I see you, you’re wearing them. Do you not own any other shoes besides high heels?”
Zhao Qingyu heard him clearly this time.
She opened her eyes with a hint of impatience and muttered, “You’re the one who doesn’t own any other shoes.”
“Then why do you always wear high heels? Even to the beach? Doesn’t it hurt to walk in them?”
Shen An asked curiously. “I’ve tried those height-boosting dress shoes a few times before. The insoles pressed right against the soles of my feet, and after just a short walk, they left me exhausted.”
Zhao Qingyu inwardly fumed at his lack of romantic intuition. Of course they hurt! What a ridiculous question.
But shoes were an essential part of any outfit—one of the most important parts, in fact.
They had to match the overall style.
She had chosen a long skirt for tonight; pairing it with sneakers would have looked utterly ridiculous.
On second thought, though, Shen An’s ignorance about even this most basic aspect of fashion seemed to confirm that he didn’t have much experience with girls.
And it was precisely because of that lack of experience that he was asking such questions, wasn’t it?
If he understood women’s fashion better than women did themselves, that would imply a far more… colorful past.
With that in mind, Zhao Qingyu suddenly found his question quite endearing. She answered patiently, “Shoes have to match the outfit. Look at my usual style—do you think it suits any other kind of shoe?”
“Uh…”
“Take tonight, for example. I’m wearing such an elegant dress. You can’t seriously expect me to pair it with sneakers. That would look so weird.”
“But couldn’t you just choose a different outfit?”
Shen An blinked. “I think you could pull off a lot of different styles, Senior Sister. You don’t have to stick to something that matches high heels.”
Zhao Qingyu let out a soft hum, her fingertip brushing teasingly along his jaw as a sultry note crept into her voice. “But don’t you like it when I wear high heels?”
Shen An raised an eyebrow. “Huh?”
“Why act so surprised?” Zhao Qingyu said with mock exasperation. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed you sneaking peeks.”
Yes, that was the real reason Zhao Qingyu had chosen the long skirt and high heels tonight.
She wasn’t an idiot. There was no way she’d wear high heels to the beach just to torture herself for no reason.
All she wanted was to draw a little more of Shen An’s attention—to earn a few more compliments from him.
Besides, if she hadn’t worn them, how else would he have found an excuse to hold her hand?
All that talk of being thoughtful and caring? It was just surface-level sweet talk. The real subtext lurked beneath.
“It’s not just you, though. Most guys are the same.”
Zhao Qingyu’s lips curved into a sly smile as she teased him. “Take summer, for instance. Suddenly, the campus is crawling with guys wandering around.”
“They hole up in their dorms playing games all year round, but come summer, they come out in droves. As if their intentions aren’t obvious.”
Shen An replied solemnly, “It’s pure instinct. No one can control it.”
“Exactly. So when I go out of my way to cater to your instincts, shouldn’t you be thrilled? Instead of asking like some clueless fool.”
Zhao Qingyu pressed her lips together in a mocking smile.
Her intentions were growing more obvious by the second, and she was done hiding them.
Shen An cleared his throat. “I am thrilled. But if you don’t say it outright, I might misread the situation.”
Then, with a spark of interest in his eyes, he shifted gears. “So, Senior Sister, you really wore high heels tonight because of me? To stroll on the beach?”
Senior Sister gave a soft hum. “Well? Aren’t you going to thank me profusely?”
“No can do. After all, I didn’t ask you to wear them.”
“Heh.”
Zhao Qingyu rolled her eyes at Shen An’s blatant hypocrisy. The guy had a silver tongue that was impossible to counter.
Something stirred in Shen An’s chest, and he murmured, “I do like you in high heels, but it depends on the occasion.”
“Like right now? I think you’d be even more alluring without them.”
Zhao Qingyu gave him a knowing half-smile. “Are you talking about the shoes… or something else?”
“Of course the shoes.”
With that, Shen An released her and sat up on his own. He kicked off his shoes, peeling off his socks along with them.
His bare feet sank into the sand, and he let out a satisfied sigh. “Ah, this is the feeling.”
Zhao Qingyu’s lips pursed slightly, but she didn’t argue.
In truth, nothing paired with the beach quite like bare feet.
She had only worn the high heels to cater to his tastes, enduring the discomfort for his sake.
Shen An turned to her. “Senior Sister, why don’t you give it a try?”
Zhao Qingyu sat up a little, resting her chin on her knees as she met his expectant gaze with a mischievous glint. “Beg me.”
Shen An’s mouth twitched. Zhao Qingyu added playfully, “I’m fine either way—keeping them on or taking them off. But right now, you’re the one who wants me to take them off.”
“Please.”
Shen An set aside his negligible pride without a second thought.
A soft chuckle escaped Zhao Qingyu’s lips as she flashed a triumphant smile. She lowered her head to unfasten her high heels.
But then, she paused.
“Senior Sister?”
“Ah~ I’m so tired.” Zhao Qingyu lifted a small hand and propped it against the sand.
With that, she elegantly extended one long leg, putting her strappy high heel and sheer black stockings on full display for Shen An.
The toe of her shoe pointed right at him, her delicate foot swaying gently. The hint couldn’t have been more obvious.
Shen An got the message at once. With an amused shake of his head, he leaned down, his fingers brushing her high heel as he slowly slipped it off.
One heel came free, revealing the exquisite curve of her foot wrapped in black silk. Beneath the sheer fabric, her red-polished toenails gleamed with a seductive allure under the moonlight.
Whether by accident or design, Zhao Qingyu stretched out her curled toes, the tight black stockings accentuating their dainty, bean-like shape as they wiggled playfully.
Gulp.
Shen An swallowed hard despite himself.
He was, without a doubt, a hopeless foot enthusiast.
Seeing the intense hunger in his gaze fixed on her feet, Zhao Qingyu felt a flush of shy embarrassment.
She lifted her other leg, nudging his knee lightly with the heel. “There’s still one more.”
“Mmm.”
This time, Shen An took it slow. His fingertips first circled her ankle, feeling the subtle tremor in her foot before he carefully removed the last high heel.
Zhao Qingyu’s lips curved upward as she murmured huskily, “Want to take these off too?”
Shen An’s heart skipped a beat, his voice thick with desire. “Aren’t they already off?”
“I only took off the shoes. The stockings are still on.”
Zhao Qingyu’s slender hand trailed seductively from her calf up to her thigh, deliberately lifting the hem of her skirt just a touch.
Shen An’s anticipation grew. “Need a hand?”
Zhao Qingyu giggled softly. “I’d love that, but unfortunately, these are pantyhose. You’d have to take the whole dress off to get them down.”
Damn it—pantyhose!
“What? Do you want to strip my dress off too?”
From her position as the provocateur, Zhao Qingyu’s fingertip hovered teasingly at the buttons on her skirt hem—a loaded gesture that pushed Shen An right to the edge of his restraint.
Shen An licked his lips. “I wouldn’t mind.”
The flirtatious softness vanished from Zhao Qingyu’s smile, replaced by a sharp edge. With a light scoff, she said, “In your dreams!”
Shen An knew it was a long shot anyway. He shrugged. “I’ve heard it’s pretty nice walking on sand in stockings, though. No need to go barefoot.”
“Plus, what if there’s something sharp in the sand? It could cut your foot, Senior Sister.”
Zhao Qingyu was at a loss for words. “As if this thin layer of silk could stop anything sharp.”
“It might not stop it, but it provides some cushioning, right?”
Grinning, Shen An extended a hand to Zhao Qingyu.
Without hesitation, she took it, letting him gently pull her to her feet.
Once she was up, Shen An thoughtfully gathered her high heels and set them neatly together before taking her hand again. “Time for our walk.”
Zhao Qingyu pressed her red lips together and followed his light steps, her stockinged feet sinking into the soft sand.
It was her first time doing this.
She had never strolled on a beach in stockings before.
And the sensation… The fine grains of sand scratched lightly against her soles, mingled with the unique silky smoothness of the nylons.
Hey…
It actually felt pretty good.
Step by step, they walked and paused, leaving a trail of footprints in the sand.
By now, the fireworks in the sky had faded into irrelevance.
But as they went along, Zhao Qingyu gradually sensed something off.
This guy was leading her…
Straight toward the water.
She stopped dead in her tracks, gripping his hand tightly to halt him as well.
Shen An blinked in surprise and looked back. “Tired already?”
Zhao Qingyu eyed him warily. “Where exactly are you trying to take me?”
She arched an eyebrow. A few more steps brought them to the seaside, where waves rolled in with the tide.
“How can you come to the beach and not dip your feet in the seawater? That wouldn’t count as really being here.”
Shen An saw his little scheme exposed and dropped the pretense.
A mischievous grin tugged at his lips, his tone light and teasing.
Zhao Qingyu frowned. “I’m wearing stockings!”
If she’d been barefoot, Zhao Qingyu wouldn’t have minded at all. She might have even enjoyed it.
But stockings… they weren’t waterproof.
She’d have to walk back in her high heels with drenched stockings clinging to her feet—how miserable that would be.
And that wasn’t even mentioning the elegant pale red long skirt she had on right now!
If the skirt got splashed by the waves too…
“The whole point of coming here to play is the experience. Just try it—maybe you’ll love the feeling, Senior Sister?”
Shen An urged her on enthusiastically.
Zhao Qingyu wasn’t buying his nonsense. She tried to yank her hand free, her small feet already edging backward stealthily.
“Tsk~”
But Shen An wasn’t about to let her escape that easily.
He gripped her small hand tightly. No matter how she struggled, it was no use.
“Come on, just give it a try!”
As he spoke, Shen An pulled Zhao Qingyu firmly toward the water’s edge.
“I don’t want to!! Let go of me… I… I’ll get mad!! Shen An!!!”
Zhao Qingyu’s voice sharpened with fury. She struggled with all her might to thwart Shen An’s wicked idea, but it did nothing.
She could only watch helplessly as he dragged her, step by step, toward the sea.
Until the surging waves enveloped her stockinged feet, sending jolts of wet chill racing up to her soles.
Hiss…
Zhao Qingyu gritted her teeth. “Shen An, you owe me another pair of stockings now!”
“I’ll make it up to you~” Shen An nodded without a care.
“And my skirt! It got wet too.”
“I’ll make it up to you!”
Shen An nodded again.
Her threats had become utterly meaningless.
Zhao Qingyu fretted inwardly as he chipped away at her control bit by bit, leaving her utterly powerless.
Just like right now, pulled to the water’s edge and able only to glare at him.
Aaaah…
Zhao Qingyu puffed out her cheeks, looking both adorably petulant and deeply annoyed.
But Shen An was even happier. He longed to strip away Zhao Qingyu’s masks, layer by layer, with his own hands.
They ventured farther out, the seawater growing deeper.
Now Zhao Qingyu’s long skirt was truly soaked, the waves surging past her knees.
Only then did Shen An release her hand. With his back to her, he asked, “Feels good, doesn’t it?”
Like hell it does.
Zhao Qingyu grumbled silently to herself.
But they’d come this far; it was soaked now anyway. She wasn’t about to turn back like a fool.
Time to make this guy pay~
Her eyes sparkled with mischief. Seizing the moment while Shen An’s back was turned…
Hehe.
She flashed a sly smile, bent down, scooped seawater into her palm, and hurled it at Shen An with all her strength.
Shen An had just started to turn when the splash hit him square in the face, drenching his features and clothes completely.
The words on his tongue were drowned out by saltwater. He licked his lips on instinct…
So salty!!!
“Zhao Qingyu!”
Shen An arched an eyebrow and bellowed.
All that answered him was Zhao Qingyu’s bright, tinkling laughter and her swiftly retreating figure.
Hit and run?
Shen An chuckled softly, scooped up his own handful of seawater, chased her down, and returned the favor.
Splash~
The water slammed into Zhao Qingyu, soaking her hair, forehead, eyebrows, and entire face.
Salty stains bloomed across her long skirt.
Zhao Qingyu touched the seawater on her face. After standing there stunned for a good ten seconds, she erupted.
You could have snowball fights in the snow.
And when wading into the sea, there were sea fights, of course.
Zhao Qingyu cast aside her usual image of refined elegance, transforming into a fiercely vengeful little girl. She threw herself into the splash battle with Shen An at the water’s edge, giving it everything she had.
Her stockings were done for, that much was certain.
The skirt was probably ruined too.
But the irritation melted away, leaving only peals of crisp laughter—her laughter.
Beneath the moonlight, Zhao Qingyu suddenly froze.
She watched Shen An scampering away, his disheveled panic bringing a faint smile to her lips.
She hadn’t realized… how long it had been since she’d laughed this freely, this happily.
