Chapter 40: Lustful Night
Night deepened, the darkness swirling with the night, faint moonlight slipping through the cracks of the curtains, illuminating the inky black pupils and the pale skin, like the first frost of winter, fragile and sickly.
The air conditioner in the room hummed softly, keeping the temperature just right, but the heavy blanket was a bit too warm.
The blanket suddenly opened, letting out a puff of hot air, the heat almost scorching the skin. A moment later, fresh oxygen filled the space, the temperature finally dropping slightly, allowing her to breathe.
The girl’s face was flushed, her breath moist, dampening her slightly curled bangs, which stuck to her forehead, blurring her vision.
She could only keep giving herself psychological suggestions, constantly reminding herself, until finally, the intense desire to completely possess him in the future suppressed her current physiological reactions.
She fought back the lust, stopping her fingers from drifting further down her abdomen. But the dull ache between her thighs pulled at her consciousness, sinking her deeper and deeper into the abyss. She could only clench her legs together, struggling on the edge of the cliff.
She didn’t know what she was doing, her mind was a muddle. After the injection, the temperature that had just subsided began to rise again, even higher than before, so much so that her cheeks were flushed and the whites of her eyes were bloodshot. But she didn’t dare to move, for fear of waking him.
She huddled under the blanket, feeling as if she had fallen into a furnace.
To dissolve… to melt into flesh and blood, to merge with his body, not for a moment’s separation, not for a second’s distance.
Perhaps she was indeed sick, and seriously so. A fever… and a mild stomach ailment. The medicine was injected into her veins through the sharp needle, reaching every corner of her body with her blood.
The effects of the medicine were immediate. The mercury in the thermometer slowly receded, the cramps in her stomach subsided, the pain of her illness disappeared. She was well again.
But was she really?
The doctor, her roommates, everyone who had gathered around her bed had sighed in relief, genuinely happy for her recovery. But she couldn’t smile.
Because… the sickness was still there, it had never gone away. It was like the most cunning virus in the world, hiding in every one of her cells, merging with her, lurking in the dark corners of her body, laughing a nasty, hissing laugh that echoed in her mind, a whisper that could drive one mad.
Her illness could not be cured, unless… she died.
But the boy was by her side. He was the cure for her illness, yet he was also an unbearable torture. How could she sleep on this lustful night?
Her craving came, dousing her in the juices of desire, slowly grinding against her body, her soul not finding a moment of peace.
This must be a punishment for her lies. She had lied… to lure him here.
But this… this wasn’t her fault. It really wasn’t.
Qingchuan was too big, so big that she couldn’t even see the boy’s shadow, only watch as he grew smaller and smaller in her eyes, until he disappeared completely. There was nothing wrong with loving someone. She just loved him, what was so wrong with that?
A terminally ill person, wanting to live, what was so wrong with that?
The sound of her swallowing was clear in her throat, the saliva making her chapped lips peel. The unbearable heat made her mouth dry, but she could only endure.
Slowly, she lifted the blanket, revealing eyes with bloodshot whites. She secretly watched the boy, who was sleeping with his head on the side of the bed, and suddenly felt less thirsty, her steps halting on the edge of the cliff.
The boy’s sleeping face was serene and clear. His thick black hair fell over his closed eyes, leaving only a small slit. Looking through, she could see clear, pool-like eyes. His eyebrows were gentle, his lips thin, like a jade tree, like an orchid by a pond.
So beautiful… his soul and his body were so coveted, so desired… yet unattainable, like an itch on her heart, unreachable, leaving her to suffer.
But if she was destined not to have him, she couldn’t bear to see others get too close. Even if her heart itched unbearably, it was a way to quench her thirst by gazing at plums, a way for her to survive, even in rags.
She had heard every word from the phone call the boy had taken, every name that had been mentioned. The party… many girls… and Luo Xiaoxiao.
She suddenly remembered the provocative girl at the party, sitting at the drum set, drawing everyone’s attention, everyone cheering for her. But she had simply thought of her as a slut.
Luo Xiaoxiao, so that was the girl’s name. A cute name, just like her pretty face.
There seemed to be more and more people around the boy. How many more Luo Xiaoxiaos would there be in the future… A puzzle board has only so much space, it can’t fit too many pieces. The ones who are squeezed out are the first to be eliminated.
But she wouldn’t lose. She had never lost.
…
“Qian Ge, I’m sorry.” The boy lay by the bed, a white blanket draped over him, protecting him from the cold night air. “I’m sorry…”
Su Yu opened his eyes, waking up from his dream. He moved and felt the warm blanket. He raised his head in a daze and met the girl’s dark pupils. They were very close, Su Yu could even see the dark brown iris of her eyes, her breathing clearly audible.
His heart stopped for a moment, but it quickly calmed down. He let out a long, heavy breath.
“Thank you, I’m not cold.” Su Yu propped up his tired eyelids and returned the blanket to Xia Qian Ge. “Why are you awake? Are you still not feeling well?”
“No, I’m much better.”
Xia Qian Ge shook her head, the blush on her face long gone. She smiled, her expression normal. “I just couldn’t sleep.”
“You must be thirsty.” Su Yu saw the dryness on Xia Qian Ge’s lips. “I’ll get you a glass of water.”
Su Yu picked up the glass on the table, got up, and went to the water dispenser in the room to get water. The scene looked so peaceful and warm.
Xia Qian Ge stared blankly, feeling her body temperature rise again, her throat dry, the words stuck, unable to come out.
The sound of trickling water filled the quiet room. He suddenly felt that the room was a bit warm, even the air behind him felt hot.
“Here, have some water.”
“Mm-hmm.”
Xia Qian Ge took the glass and took a small sip, moistening her chapped lips. Her complexion looked much better.
“Thank you.”
“It’s nothing, we were classmates for three years after all.”
“Classmates…”
Xia Qian Ge was stunned for a moment, but then she smiled faintly and repeated, “Yes, classmates.”
“I’m tired.” Xia Qian Ge supported her forehead, her eyes filled with sleepiness.
“Then go to sleep.”
“Okay.”
Xia Qian Ge lay back down, her back to Su Yu, her clear, black and white eyes slowly going blank, the dark mist in them swirling, something hidden deep inside again.
It wasn’t time yet. She had to endure for a little longer.
