Chapter 66: Blockage
Xia Qian Ge walked barefoot into the bathroom. Her already light makeup washed away with a splash of water. The showerhead, for some reason, squeaked loudly when the water was turned on, a bit noisy, just like the restlessness in her heart.
Without the restraint of her clothes, she seemed to become more unrestrained. The desire surging in her heart gradually warmed, like the increasingly hot water pouring down from above. She was never a good person, Xia Qian Ge thought to herself.
She had a soft and gentle face, one that easily made people lower their guard. She acted this way in front of others, and they all thought she was a well-behaved and sensible child. As long as they didn’t see the twisted and dark thoughts in her heart, this impression would continue.
The shower was turned on to full blast, the water splashing violently against her body. Xia Qian Ge scrubbed her skin desperately, turning her fair complexion a delicate, translucent red. It was as if she were trying to wash something away.
It was the desire in her mind that was about to consume her. But desire was like the mud stuck to the soles of her shoes, as if it had taken root. Even if she pulled out the exposed branches and leaves, the deep roots were still embedded in the soil. As long as they came into contact with a little bit of nourishment related to him, they would grow wildly, almost consuming her body as their sustenance.
Xia Qian Ge stepped out of the bathroom wearing only a bathrobe, her delicate skin glowing as if it had been replenished with water. A fragrant steam rose from her body, mixed with the rose scent of the guesthouse’s shampoo.
Her damp feet arched slightly, landing almost silently, leaving only a trail of wet footprints. She slowly squatted down in front of the boy sleeping on the sofa, unconcerned about the sliver of her chest that was exposed.
She tilted her head and watched for a while, her delicate skin turning a milky white again. Her chest rose and fell, her breath laced with an ambiguous air. Her damp hair stuck behind her ears, a few mischievous strands falling to her lips. Xia Qian Ge parted her lips, flicking the hair away with the tip of her tongue, leaving it clinging to the corner of her mouth.
The dim, warm light of the living room shone into her inky eyes, her pupils glowing faintly. The boy’s sleeping face looked pure and harmless, as docile as a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.
Pandora’s box should not be opened, not even peeked into. But the craving in her heart kept speaking, tempting… The boy was right in front of her, how could she ignore him?
Desire… once it starts, it can never be stopped.
She wanted to trace the outline of the boy’s features with her fingertips, to run her hands through his thick, smooth hair, to have his eyes see only her… these things required patience.
But even patience deserved a little interest!
A deafening voice roared in her ear, striking at the very pain she had been trying to avoid.
Xia Qian Ge… what are you being so high and mighty for? Do you really think he sees you as a good girl? You’re just a puppet controlled by desire, with no room to fight back. In the past, you would have been a lowly prostitute. Now, you’re a bitch everyone curses. Once he sees the ugly soul beneath your beautiful skin, what do you think he’ll do?
The voice in her heart sneered with deep contempt, a poison-laced needle piercing her heart.
He’ll call you a madwoman, use the filthiest words to describe you, and kick you back into the hell you just crawled out of, without even a hint of pity.
Never… her sharp nails almost dug into her flesh.
The struggle ended in failure once again. Reason had lost to desire. She had long since accepted her own debasement. It was all because of her illness, a despair that medicine could not cure.
Xia Qian Ge gently brushed aside the damp hair from her ear and knelt on the cold floor. Her lips, bitten until they bled, were a vibrant red, sticky with saliva, a thin silver thread stretching as she slowly drew closer. The boy’s lips were thin. She didn’t know what they would taste like. Would they be as soft as when she had secretly kissed his cheek at the party? Perhaps even sweeter, the sweetest… poison in the world.
She held her breath and leaned in, so close she could hear the pounding of her heart. Just an inch away.
“Creak.”
In the tense silence, the faint creak of the door hinge was magnified infinitely. Xia Qian Ge abruptly pulled away from the sofa, her damp hair falling, hiding her face.
“Huh? Sister, you’re back?”
An Zhi hadn’t seen anything clearly, just rubbed her sleepy eyes. She tilted her head in confusion. “Sister, what are you doing? It’s so late.”
“I just finished showering. I was about to blow-dry my hair.”
Xia Qian Ge ran her fingers through her damp hair, shaking off a few drops of water. She took the hairdryer from under the coffee table and looked up with a smile. “I stayed out a bit late.”
“Oh, okay. You should go to sleep soon after you dry your hair. We have to get up early tomorrow.”
An Zhi didn’t think much of it, her eyes still heavy with sleep. She didn’t notice the lingering flush on Xia Qian Ge’s face, or her lips, bitten a bloody red. The little white rabbit suddenly felt a chill and pulled the hood of her pajamas over her head, the two long rabbit ears bouncing as she trotted to the bathroom.
The sound of running water from the bathroom broke the dead silence of the living room. Xia Qian Ge knelt on the cold floor, her hair disheveled, looking like a ghastly ghost. But she couldn’t care less.
She was only wearing a thin bathrobe, but her body was burning hot. Desire was the fuel, and once it started, it was endless, threatening to burn her flesh to ashes.
The path of release was blocked, the explosive energy rampaging through her body, finding no exit. She panted heavily, turning her head to look at the bathroom through the cold, damp night air, her gaze as cold as an icicle on a winter’s eave.
Xia Qian Ge propped herself up from the floor and walked impatiently towards the bathroom. The sound of the toilet flushing came from inside. She stood at the door for a moment, staring at the small silhouette behind the frosted glass, her nails scratching the countertop, leaving a faint white mark.
The bathroom door opened from the inside. An Zhi walked out and was stunned to see Xia Qian Ge standing outside. She put her hands on her hips and frowned at Xia Qian Ge, who was only wearing a thin bathrobe. She put on a stern face and said seriously.
“Sister, why are you wearing so little? You’re not being careful. What if that guy in the living room wakes up and sees something he shouldn’t? A girl… has to protect herself, have some self-respect, you know?”
An Zhi walked up and straightened the messy collar of Xia Qian Ge’s bathrobe, acting like a little adult. “I’m going back to sleep now. You should hurry up, sister, or you’ll catch a cold.”
Before Xia Qian Ge could answer, An Zhi yawned and went back to her bedroom.
Xia Qian Ge watched as the little white rabbit bounced away, the irritation in her heart growing even more intense. The heat between her legs, fueled by desire, was rising, threatening to consume her entirely.
She glanced at the closed bedroom door one last time and plunged into the now-clear shower room, as pathetic as a cornered villain.
