Chapter 11

Qi Jinyu glanced at Yu Ling in the passenger seat, a faint smile playing at the corners of her lips, then turned back to the road and focused on driving.

In her peripheral vision, Yu Ling’s sickly outline rested quietly in the seat, edged in the soft gold of the sunlight.

The girl seemed to be getting worse. Every so often, she gave a light cough, her voice rasping as if steeped in medicine.

“Didn’t sleep well last night, Little Ling?” Qi Jinyu asked with concern.

“Mm… I slept fine.” The three of them had shared a room, but Yu Ling had been so exhausted she hadn’t even registered anyone else’s presence. It hadn’t felt any different from usual.

As if a thought had just occurred to her, Yu Ling asked in disbelief, “You know?”

Qi Jinyu nodded readily. “Little Yi told me.”

Why does Yu Lingyi tell everyone everything? She’d told Lu Li about Qi Jinyu staying for dinner at her place last time, too.

Yu Ling pursed her lips and dropped the subject.

Her nose twitched. “Qi Jinyu, when did you change your perfume…?”

But Qi Jinyu didn’t answer. Instead, she asked softly, “Little Ling, aren’t you curious where I’m taking you?”

Yu Ling leaned back with her eyes closed, basking in the sunlight. Her voice was languid, fatigue leaving her unguarded and almost provocatively casual. “I’m already in your car. Whatever you’re planning… what can I do about it?”

The words sounded far too willing. Perhaps she hadn’t meant anything by them, but there was a distinctly suggestive note beneath the casualness.

Sure enough, Qi Jinyu suddenly laughed, her shoulders trembling as a low chuckle escaped her throat. It was rare to see her so unrestrained.

While they waited at a red light, she turned to Yu Ling. Her eyes still sparkled with amusement, but she looked at the girl with startling seriousness.

“I want to take you somewhere only I can admire you…”

The light turned green. Car horns and the steady roar of traffic outside blended with Qi Jinyu’s voice.

Her upturned lips slowly straightened. Though the sun shone bright, the amber in her eyes grew darker and darker, like a bottomless pool of black water tenderly enveloping the girl before her.

Qi Jinyu took her to an estate.

Far from the tightly packed buildings of the city, everything here felt wide open.

“What do you think, Little Ling? You must love it.”

Qi Jinyu walked around to stand in front of Yu Ling and spread her arms, as if embracing the whole world.

Golden sunlight spilled over her. Her chestnut hair fluttered gently in the breeze as she stood beneath the sun, like an angel cherished by its warmth.

She seemed like a different person from the one in the car, who had let the darker corners of her mind quietly take root.

Seated in her wheelchair, Yu Ling tipped her face toward the warm sunlight spilling from the sky. Her gaze slowly wandered over the view.

The estate stretched out in serene splendor. Layer upon layer of mountains rose in the distance, while endless green fields rolled away like waves of jade.

A breeze swept past, stirring wide swaths of lavender and daisies. The air was fragrant with the scent of plants.

“Mm. Where are we?” Yu Ling murmured. For once, she didn’t argue.

Qi Jinyu bent down and caught Yu Ling’s lips in hers, brushing against them in a kiss that was almost a bite. She kissed the girl until her face flushed, then finally pulled away, still wanting more.

Yu Ling had been so dazzled by the scenery that she’d drifted off for a moment. Now, jolted back to herself by Qi Jinyu’s kiss, she caught her breath, chest rising and falling, and glared at her.

“So, Qi Jinyu, you just wanted to find somewhere else to keep kissing me?”

“It’s one of my private studios,” Qi Jinyu replied at last, smiling as she finally answered Yu Ling’s earlier question.

She slowly pushed Yu Ling into the middle of the flower beds. They made their way through waves of blossoms, one after another.

Only when they reached the heart of the flowers did Yu Ling notice the thick white blanket already spread there. It looked clean and soft.

Qi Jinyu stopped pushing and came around to stand in front of her. That beautiful face began to lower toward Yu Ling again.

Yu Ling closed her eyes on instinct. But all that reached her nose was the clean, delicate scent of white tea in Qi Jinyu’s hair.

Realizing what had happened, Yu Ling opened her eyes in annoyance. Sure enough, Qi Jinyu’s gaze was full of teasing amusement.

Yu Ling frowned, her voice edged with exasperation. “Qi Jinyu, what are you even trying to do?”

Qi Jinyu took her time before replying. “Would Miss Yu Ling be willing to model for me again today?”

…A model again?

Was this woman really that devoted to painting?

Yu Ling woke because she couldn’t breathe.

They had left the city’s steel-and-concrete sprawl behind and driven to this estate that felt like a world apart. It had been a long trip.

Yu Ling had far less stamina than most people. After Qi Jinyu gently settled her on the white blanket, she’d fallen asleep almost at once.

Half-conscious, she could only feel Qi Jinyu adjusting her body from time to time, like a sculptor fine-tuning a favorite work. Every touch was careful and focused, touched by a devotion that bordered on obsession.

The sun was warm, the flowers fragrant, the air almost unnaturally fresh. The surroundings were so soothing that Yu Ling’s awareness sank little by little into a blank, dreamless dark.

Then, all at once, it felt as if her senses had been sealed shut.

Her breath was stolen. The taste of another person filled her mouth.

Along with it came the increasingly frantic thud of her heart.

It was as though the air had been sucked away and the sky and earth were quietly collapsing. All that remained was the searing heat of their entwined lips and tongues, closing around Yu Ling until not a breath could pass.

Nothing like the kisses before, this one was a storm—ruthless, without a trace of tenderness or restraint.

Long fingers gripped the back of her neck, holding her face in place so she couldn’t refuse. Qi Jinyu invaded every one of her senses, fierce and burning.

Really…

Yu Ling’s lashes trembled. Her fingertips weakly clenched Qi Jinyu’s shirt, trying to push her away, but Qi Jinyu held her tighter. Her feeble resistance was gently, relentlessly smothered, leaving her no choice but to endure the forceful assault.

A broken whimper escaped her throat, a helpless murmur like that of a trapped animal, carrying a faint instinct to survive. The scorching kiss swallowed it whole.

I’m going to die…

An unnatural flush spread across her cheeks. Her fingertips went numb, her ears rang, and the agony of suffocation swept through her limbs like a rising tide.

For one panicked moment, she wondered if she would really die in this kiss if Qi Jinyu didn’t let her go.

Just as she was about to lose consciousness completely, the assault on her lips finally eased. Air rushed back into her lungs, and Yu Ling gasped desperately, pain searing through her chest as if it had been burned.

Her vision slowly returned. The blinding whiteness that had nearly sent her fainting faded away, and she found herself lying limp in Qi Jinyu’s arms, one hand gently stroking her cheek.

Her eyes glistened, their corners tinged with a fragile pink. Her swollen lips were flushed red, her breathing still uneven.

For the first time, Yu Ling wondered if she’d made the wrong choice.

Perhaps she shouldn’t have chosen Qi Jinyu as her first target.

She’d known all along that Qi Jinyu wasn’t nearly as gentle and considerate as she appeared. Still, she hadn’t expected the woman to suddenly go mad and bite her like a rabid dog.

“…Qi Jinyu.” Yu Ling didn’t have the strength to interrogate her. In the end, all she could do was grit her teeth and say her name.

“Little Ling, I’m here.” Qi Jinyu’s voice carried its usual almost-smile, the final note deliberately soft and warm. Even the gaze she lowered to Yu Ling was as tender and intimate as ever.

Who knew how much time had passed? Yu Ling had lost all sense of it. The bright daylight from their arrival had faded into a murky twilight, and the temperature in the air had begun to shift.

Summoning the little strength she had left, she tugged at Qi Jinyu’s shirt collar.

Qi Jinyu obediently lowered her head, but never stopped watching her, her gaze seeming to cling to Yu Ling.

“Little Ling, you worked hard. Thank you for being my model.” Her voice was smooth as polished jade.

Yu Ling’s fingertips curled weakly. Her body felt soft and boneless. She lifted her head, her cheeks still flushed, and a strange smile curved her lips.

“What are we now?”

Yu Ling met Qi Jinyu’s amber gaze. As the light dimmed, her eyes looked like stars rising alongside the moon.

Yu Ling’s gaze drifted lower, settling on those beautiful lips.

Not long ago, Qi Jinyu had used that mouth to take her breath away as if she meant to kill her.

“Be my girlfriend,” Yu Ling demanded, one word at a time.

Otherwise, this was far too unfair.

After being kissed and bitten so many times, Yu Ling couldn’t stand the thought of remaining in this ambiguous relationship.

She watched Qi Jinyu’s lips part. The words came slowly, her tone gentle.

“You’re the one who asked for it, Little Ling.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Yu Ling was pushed back onto the white blanket once more.

Qi Jinyu leaned over her, a smile lingering in her eyes. Her kiss landed with startling heat, again and again, but this time she was gentle as before.

At the same time, her hand slid lower, tentative yet insistent, slipping through the spaces between them to graze Yu Ling’s cool skin like silk.

Perhaps the night was deepening, or perhaps their breath was simply too hot. Wherever Qi Jinyu touched, Yu Ling shivered, the sensation quickly turning scorching.

The moment that hand slipped beneath her skirt, Yu Ling raised hers. Soft and boneless, her cool fingertips pressed lightly against the back of Qi Jinyu’s hand.

“That’s enough,” she said softly, her voice hoarse and her breathing still uneven.

“Qi Jinyu, how much do you like me?” The question sounded almost like she was trying to confirm something.

The woman above her paused. She withdrew her hand, brushed the damp strands of hair away from Yu Ling’s temple, and met her eyes.

“More than I want the Qi Family.”

Qi Jinyu made no attempt to hide her ambition. She wanted power, and she wanted Yu Ling even more.

Yu Ling looked away. She didn’t say whether she believed her. Instead, she hooked her arms around Qi Jinyu’s and coaxed, “Qi Jinyu, I’m cold. Let’s go home.”

Yu Ling refused Qi Jinyu’s offer to come inside after dropping her off. She had the housekeeper wheel her into the house.

The vast mansion was completely dark.

As the housekeeper wheeled her into the living room, Yu Ling complained petulantly, “Why aren’t the lights on?”

The next moment, bright lights flooded the room, revealing a girl sitting on the sofa.

She was clearly drunk. Her long hair spilled messily over her shoulders, and two blotches of red colored her cheeks.

The instant she heard the door open, she sprang to her feet. Like a tipsy puppy, she staggered toward Yu Ling and threw herself at her.

Yu Ling shifted to the side, dodging Yu Lingyi’s clumsy embrace.

“Minors aren’t allowed to drink,” Yu Ling said with a frown. As far as she remembered, Yu Lingyi wasn’t the sort to let herself get drunk.

Her arms met empty air. Yu Lingyi immediately pouted in displeasure, her eyes narrowing slightly. The lively gleam in them was now veiled by a hazy mist; her long lashes fluttered as she tilted her head to look at her sister.

As if she hadn’t heard the prohibition from an adult to a minor, Yu Lingyi took advantage of Yu Ling’s limited range of movement in her wheelchair. She spread her arms wider and wrapped them around Yu Ling. This time, there was no escape.

“Sister…” Yu Lingyi whined, resting her chin on Yu Ling’s head and nuzzling against her.

Yu Ling wasn’t swayed. She calmly opened her phone and tapped the contact labeled “Mom.” Her finger hovered over the call button, a clear threat.

“Even if Mom has let you take over the company’s affairs, she wouldn’t allow you to drink, would she?”

It was phrased as a question, but Yu Ling sounded certain.

Yu Lingyi gave in. She crouched down, the lingering haze of drunkenness in her almond-shaped eyes as she gazed up at her sister, looking utterly miserable.

“Sister, is the person in Qi Jinyu’s Moments post you?”

“What?” Yu Ling froze, a sudden wave of foreboding rising in her heart.

She opened her phone and went straight to Moments.

There were very few people in her contacts, so she spotted the picture at once.

Beneath a brilliant sunset, two unmistakably feminine hands clasped tightly together, their shadows entwined on the grass. Strands of black and chestnut hair showed in the frame, tangling in the breeze.

The caption was just two simple words:

[Lovers]

I’m doomed.

That was all Yu Ling could think.