Chapter 73 Part 1

Nan Qi had a somewhat reserved personality and wasn’t one to pour out her deepest, most genuine feelings in long speeches in front of Tang Lian. So, cherishing the moment, she simply offered a brief sentiment.

After flipping through the photo album, she thought ahead to the dyeing process and the risk of stains. With care, she set the album aside in a safe spot.

Tang Lian dragged over a chair for her to sit on, making things easier for the procedure ahead.

Once Nan Qi was settled, Tang Lian rubbed her chin and gave her a once-over, musing thoughtfully, “This won’t do.”

Nan Qi looked puzzled. “What’s wrong with it?”

“Your clothes. They’ll get ruined if the dye splashes on them. Hang on, I’ll grab some old clothes for Big Sister. You can change into them for now, and switch back after we’re done with your hair?” Tang Lian pondered aloud.

Nan Qi fixed her with a steady gaze, her voice flat and even. “Little Tang seems pretty confident about this. How come you didn’t remind me to change into old clothes before we headed home?”

Tang Lian blinked innocently, not a trace of guilt in her eyes. She declared righteously, “I was too busy being thrilled about inviting Big Sister home. I didn’t think that far ahead. Alright, I’ll go get the clothes!”

With that, she spun on her heel and dashed back to the bedroom to fetch some old clothes for Nan Qi, leaving behind a cheerful silhouette.

Watching that shadow flit swiftly past her, Nan Qi fell silent for a moment, the corners of her lips curving up bit by bit.

She found Little Tang utterly adorable when she pulled these little schemes. It always sparked her interest—she wanted to savor it a little longer.

Tang Lian was quick about it. She soon emerged from the bedroom, clutching a set of old clothes.

They were “old” in name only—purchased but only washed, never worn.

She’d picked them with a selfish motive: a fitted style in soft, comfortable fabric. Nan Qi took them, glanced at the outfit twice, said nothing, and headed to the bathroom to change.

While Nan Qi was changing, Tang Lian didn’t idle. She anticipated how Nan Qi would look in her picks while hurriedly prepping for the dye job—mixing the colorant to the perfect consistency, gathering tools, and so on.

By the time she finished, Nan Qi pushed open the bathroom door.

The moment she appeared, dazzling sparks ignited uncontrollably in Tang Lian’s eyes, her heart pounding fiercely.

Seeing the person she adored gliding forward in clothes she’d chosen sent Tang Lian into a euphoric daze, her pulse racing.

She’d selected a light blue velvet square-neck fitted blouse paired with a black knee-length embroidered horse-face skirt.

Nan Qi was tall and slender yet softly curved in all the right places, her skin milky white and velvety smooth. The pale blouse accentuated her porcelain beauty, the tailored cut hugging her slim waist—as if one hand could encircle it entirely. Long, straight legs peeked from beneath the skirt, each step graceful as blooming lotuses. Her features were strikingly refined, her demeanor poised and dignified, evoking the image of a cool, top-student beauty admired by teachers at a school formal gala.

As she drew closer, Tang Lian’s gaze lingered involuntarily on the skin at Nan Qi’s collarbone—dazzlingly fair, like the finest mutton-fat jade, gleaming with irresistible luster right before her eyes. Yet Nan Qi’s face held no overt allure; it remained cool and composed. That only stoked Tang Lian’s heartbeat, leaving her craving more. She yearned to embrace Nan Qi, to trace her waist and test if her hand could truly span it…

The effect was ten—no, a hundred times more stunning than she’d imagined.

Tang Lian stared, mesmerized, for a good while. She said nothing, but the heat in her eyes was scorching, giving Nan Qi the uncanny sensation of being devoured whole.

Nan Qi touched her nose, letting Tang Lian gaze a moment longer before clearing her throat lightly to signal it was time to start dyeing.

“Oh, right.”

A flush of shyness colored Tang Lian’s cheeks. In Nan Qi’s presence, she turned into a bashful little fox, shedding her usual poise and fumbling about.

But the moment passed quickly, and she composed herself.

She directed Nan Qi to sit properly, turned on the AC to a comfortable temperature, connected Bluetooth to the speakers for some warm, touching tunes, transforming the space into a cozy, ritualistic haven.

“Step by step / heartbeat unbroken / will you take this chance / of course I will,

A game full of danger / eyes locking by chance / why oh why / silence makes us surer still,

Hand reaching out / drawing you near / tangled feelings / you and me here,

Yin and yang in harmony / butterfly shadows in the night sky…”

With preparations complete, Tang Lian draped a protective scarf around Nan Qi’s neck, fitted ear covers, combed her hair smooth, slipped on gloves, and began applying the dye. She parted Nan Qi’s glossy black locks strand by strand, working in the fresh-scented colorant. In the close quarters, faint sounds arose—the rub of fingertips against gloves and hair—like a rhythmic melody that drew Nan Qi in.

It felt less like dyeing and more like a luxurious spa treatment.

As she relaxed, the speakers shuffled to a familiar tune. Her foot tapped unconsciously along, and as she parsed the lyrics, she paused. This song…

She’d once looked up the story behind this duet by female singers. It featured added original dialogue across versions about two girls in love—a tale that had stuck with her.

Nan Qi found it amusing.

This was surely Tang Lian’s doing.

“All done! The dye mix I prepped for Big Sister is just the right strength,” Tang Lian announced, tapping the empty container to declare the coloring phase over.

Nan Qi’s head was now a sticky, flattened mess, the final result still hidden.

Tang Lian peeled off her gloves, took Nan Qi’s hand, and led her to the bathroom. She removed the scarf from around Nan Qi’s neck. “Come on, let’s rinse. Just one step left.”

She adjusted the water temperature and had Nan Qi lean forward.

Nan Qi hesitated. “Maybe I should do it myself?” She wasn’t used to someone washing her hair—it felt too vulnerable, like surrendering control, and it made her uneasy.

“Come on, I’ve done ninety-nine steps. Let me handle the last one—Big Sister, just relax!” Tang Lian insisted, already turning on the showerhead.

Nan Qi finally relented with poised restraint, bowing her head as Tang Lian massaged her scalp, rinsing away the residual dye.

After the initial discomfort and urge to bolt faded, it started feeling good. Tang Lian’s palms were warm and gentle, the steady streams of water like a soft down comforter enveloping her completely, shielding her from the world’s harsh edges.

“There, all good.”

At the word, Nan Qi straightened abruptly. Caught off guard, Tang Lian’s arm—still holding the showerhead—jostled from the sudden movement. The showerhead slipped from her grasp, clattering to the floor face-up and spraying clear jets of water. They aimed straight at Tang Lian.

Amid startled yelps, Tang Lian’s upper body and face got thoroughly soaked as she scrambled across the streams to retrieve it.

“I wasn’t finished! I meant to say we need to rinse this side a bit more.”

“Big Sister, lean in closer—left side to me, yeah.”

Tang Lian pressed a hand to Nan Qi’s butterfly bone, easing her back down.

Realizing she’d missed part of the instruction, Nan Qi didn’t resist. She followed along without glancing at Tang Lian’s drenched state, not wanting to waste time and risk her catching a chill.

This time, she waited for Tang Lian’s clear “all done” before rising cautiously. A dry towel soon draped over her head as Tang Lian rubbed vigorously to soak up the moisture.

“Hang on,” Nan Qi said, tugging down her scarf to finally get a clear view of Tang Lian.

Tang Lian’s exposed skin and face were utterly drenched, water droplets beading clearly on her cheeks. Worse still was her cotton-linen loungewear, sodden enough to wring out.

“You should dry off first.” Instinctively, Nan Qi offered the towel, even moving to wipe the wet spots herself—but she froze and pulled back upon seeing where.

The loungewear clung in a massive wet patch, most prominently at the chest. The pale skin beneath was visible, the curve cradled by black lace starkly outlined against the thin, clinging fabric. Nan Qi averted her eyes at once.

Yet that fleeting glimpse replayed relentlessly in her mind. Tang Lian, wet hair dripping down her cheeks, looked anything but disheveled—instead, like vibrant blossoms after a rain, radiating intoxicating allure. It was innate seductiveness, impossible to forget, tempting one to peel back the petals and uncover the heart.

Nan Qi’s face burned crimson as she stammered, suddenly at a loss with the situation.

Tang Lian broke the silence at last. She snatched the towel, chuckling twice, and fetched a fresh one for Nan Qi. One each—no need to stand on ceremony.

“You kept me waiting forever without drying me off, Big Sister. Guess I’m on my own.”

She mechanically toweled her hair. How was Nan Qi supposed to help dry those clothes? The soaked areas were… ah!

Tang Lian’s laughter held an enchanting magic. One giggle, and Nan Qi wanted to crawl into a hole from sheer embarrassment.

The boxy bathroom amplified her trapped panic, like a bird in a cage with no escape.

Thankfully, Tang Lian could always sense her moods and did her best to keep Nan Qi in a comfortable environment. After giving her a light wipe-down with a towel, she helped her into a fresh set of loungewear and grabbed the hairdryer to blow her damp hair until it was about eighty percent dry.

The platinum shade gradually emerged, her long locks spilling over Nan Qi’s shoulders.

Tang Lian’s praises rang nonstop in her ears.

“Oh my god! Big Sister looks exactly as gorgeous as I pictured after the dye job! Your beauty is slaying me!”

“If beauty could kill, I’d have died a thousand deaths right in front of you already.”

“If you walked down the street like this and told people you’re a brand-new idol, they’d totally buy it!!”

“It’s so stunning. Your natural lip color with the pale platinum hair makes you look a tad washed out, though. A bit of lipstick will fix that right up.”

Tang Lian was like a one-woman hyperactive cheer squad. She dashed off and returned with her makeup bag in a flash, rummaging through it to pick out a shade that matched Nan Qi’s new hair perfectly.

Nan Qi noticed that the cosmetics in this bag were a little different from the ones in the box she’d seen in Tang Lian’s living room. “Why not use the ones in the living room? Wouldn’t those be handier?”

Tang Lian paused for a split second, then shrugged it off casually. “They’re different.”

“How so?”

“You really want to know?”

“Then don’t freak out when I tell you~”

Tang Lian’s tone suddenly turned mysterious.

Nan Qi figured Tang Lian was just messing with her again in that offhand way of hers, so she approached whatever came next with heavy skepticism.