Chapter 50
The barbecue was salty, and the two of them were almost pickled into two small salted fish. Pei Yunle licked the cumin grains remaining on the corner of her lips, her tongue numb from the saltiness.
There were only small restaurants around the community, and the greasy signs glowed with a pale white light in the night.
Pei Yunle curled up on Chen Qingtang’s lap and ordered two cups of milk tea, her fingers leaving small sweat marks on the phone screen. The takeout was expected to arrive in forty minutes, which was enough time for the salty taste to take root in her mouth.
She had had two cups of rice wine just now. Although the alcohol content was only a little, Pei Yunle’s face was still flushed, and it didn’t fade for a long time. The smell of alcohol mixed with the smoky smell of the barbecue, weaving a warm net in her hair. She looked up at Chen Qingtang’s face. The warm light from the television shone on Chen Qingtang’s face, softening every sharp line. The shadow of her chin was cast in the hollow of her neck, like a crescent-shaped shallow pool.
Chen Qingtang was watching the television seriously, her brows couldn’t help but furrow slightly. Her eyelashes cast a dense fence on her cheekbones, trembling slightly with the ups and downs of the plot. Pei Yunle’s lips curved up for no reason. The alcohol made Chen Qingtang’s tightly pursed lips particularly interesting.
She raised her hand to pinch Chen Qingtang’s soft and smooth cheek. Her fingertips sank into the cream-like skin and were immediately slapped back without mercy. Chen Qingtang’s palm hit the back of her hand with a crisp “thud.” Pei Yunle, not learning her lesson, went to poke Chen Qingtang’s chin again. There was a cute little dimple there, as if it had been gently pressed out by God’s finger.
Chen Qingtang was busy and had to hold Pei Yunle’s two restless hands. Her palms were pressed against her wrist bones, and the heat was transmitted through her capillaries. But her eyes never left the television screen, and the changing light and shadow were reflected in her pupils.
Pei Yunle struggled a few times, but other than the dense sweat that was rubbed out from her wrist, there was no change. A faint pink appeared where their skin was touching, like a cloud dyed by the sunset. Chen Qingtang’s arm strength was as good as ever. She easily pinned her on her lap, as if she were subduing a disobedient cat.
She turned over from side to side, like a fish wagging its tail. The silk nightdress rustled on the sofa. She was slapped on the butt by Chen Qingtang, and the crisp sound exploded in the living room. The fishtail wagged a few times, and finally lay still, only its eyelashes still fluttering restlessly.
Pei Yunle rolled her eyes, turned to the left, and then moved her head closer to Chen Qingtang. The tip of her nose brushed against the hem of the cotton T-shirt, and she smelled the faint scent of laundry detergent. She suddenly bit her waist, her teeth sinking into the soft flesh through the fabric. Chen Qingtang immediately bent her back and lifted her up like a little chick, the stray hairs on the back of her neck standing on end.
“You’ve twisted my hand red.” Pei Yunle lifted her wrist to her eyes, her voice drawn out and sticky. There were indeed two faint pink finger marks, which were particularly obvious on her porcelain-white skin.
Chen Qingtang was watching the exciting part. She leaned her head to the right, and the wrist was wrapped around her, moving to the right. The hair strands brushed past Pei Yunle’s knuckles, tingling. Chen Qingtang glanced at Pei Yunle, pulled her wrist to her mouth, and pecked it. Her lips lightly touched her pulse, and then left.
Pei Yunle scratched the place that had been kissed. It wasn’t itchy, hot, or wet, just like being brushed by a feather. “Normal people have two hands.” She shook her other intact wrist, a cunning light flashing in her eyes.
Chen Qingtang glanced at her again and had to grab her other hand and peck it twice. This time, she deliberately made a “pop” sound.
Pei Yunle held her hands, her face full of dissatisfaction. Her fingertips unconsciously rubbed the place that had been kissed, where the touch of her lip lines seemed to still linger. She turned her head to face the television. What was so good about this stupid television?
The two of them had randomly chosen a domestic movie that discussed a bunch of concepts of family and love. It wanted to express too many things, and neither end was written clearly, occasionally presenting a burst of dog blood.
So much so that when she saw the main characters kissing, a scene that should have been beautiful and heart-fluttering, Pei Yunle also found it tasteless. The actors’ lips were like two pieces of rubber stuck together, with no aesthetic sense at all. She turned her head to look at Chen Qingtang, who was still frowning. How could she watch something so bad with such relish? This contradictory appearance made Pei Yunle unable to resist teasing her.
She twirled a strand of Chen Qingtang’s hair, wrapping it around her knuckles a few times. The hair was as cool and smooth as satin, and after leaving a white mark, it quickly sprang back. Chen Qingtang’s hair always had a faint jasmine scent, the residual smell of shampoo.
“I don’t think the actors kissed well.” Pei Yunle suddenly spoke, her voice carrying the sweetness of rice wine.
Chen Qingtang blinked a few times. She looked at Pei Yunle, her gaze unconsciously moving to her lips. They were glistening with water from just being licked, and her rosy, full lips were similar to the female lead in the movie. They looked soft and should be very nice to kiss.
“They didn’t kiss well. They should have done this first, then that, and finally that.” Pei Yunle held out her hand and waved it in front of Chen Qingtang’s eyes, her fingertips drawing an ambiguous trajectory. The red nail polish she had applied a few days ago was still on her nails.
Chen Qingtang’s eyes were dazzled, and then she heard a knock on the door. The delivery man’s voice came muffled through the door, startling away the brewing intimacy in the air.
Pei Yunle jumped down from the sofa and ran to open the door barefoot. Her feet made a muffled “thump, thump” sound on the wooden floor. Then she ran back with the paper bag barefoot, the sound particularly clear in the quiet living room.
She took both cups out of the paper bag, and a layer of fine water droplets immediately condensed on the cup walls. “Which cup do you want?”
Chen Qingtang leaned over to look. One cup was milk, and the other was also… milk? The crisp sound of the straw piercing the sealing film exploded in her ear. She looked up, her eyes full of confusion, her eyebrows slightly raised like a confused cat.
Pei Yunle tore off the tops of both cups. She could see the thick white milk below, and the transparent ice cubes floating on the surface, gently colliding. The sound of the ice cubes hitting the cup wall was crisp and pleasant, like a wind chime shaking in the summer.
“Drinking too much milk tea is not good for your health, so I ordered two cups of pure milk. And there are ice cubes, so it’s very refreshing to drink.” As she spoke, she had already taken a big gulp, and a circle of milk mustache was on her upper lip.
Chen Qingtang couldn’t quite understand her train of thought. She didn’t understand, but she still had to take it and take a big gulp. The cold liquid slid down her throat, and the milky fragrance was a little faint from the ice cubes, but it was still very good.
Because it was not sweet or greasy, the two of them almost never stopped drinking. The ice cubes swirled in the cup, making a fine sound. Pei Yunle drank very happily and almost finished it quickly. Only a thin layer of milky white liquid was left in the cup, hanging on the cup wall and refusing to fall. She licked the corner of her mouth, her tongue sweeping over her lips, leaving a moist mark.
“Is it good?” she asked, leaning closer, her breath carrying the sweet fragrance of milk.
Chen Qingtang nodded.
“Are our tastes different?” Pei Yunle tilted her head, and a strand of hair slid down from her shoulder. She deliberately tilted the cup, letting the last drop of milk hang on the rim, about to fall but not yet falling.
Chen Qingtang’s throat slowly bobbed. She glanced at her own milk, and then sniffed the residue in Pei Yunle’s hand. Their breaths intertwined, and she couldn’t tell whose exhaled milky fragrance it was. There was no difference, but Pei Yunle’s seemed to be a little sweeter.
“You should praise me for buying such a delicious milk, right?” Pei Yunle stood up from the carpet and bent down in front of Chen Qingtang. The collar of her nightdress drooped with her movement, revealing a small patch of snowy white skin. She pointed at her own cheek, which was still faintly pink from the rice wine earlier.
Chen Qingtang understood and printed a milk water mark on it. When her lips left, there was a light “pop” sound. The cool touch spread along the lip mark, which was very unique in the warm room, making people want to catch that bit of coolness.
So Pei Yunle turned her head and brushed against Chen Qingtang’s face. The tip of her nose brushed against her cheekbone, bringing a shiver. She kissed the corner of her lips, where there was still a milk stain. She stuck out her tongue and ate it bit by bit. The sweetness exploded on her taste buds, even richer than drinking milk directly.
Their lips were cool, and their tongues were hot, occasionally intertwining and chasing, licking and grinding. The lines on Chen Qingtang’s lips were filled with the unmelted milky fragrance, and Pei Yunle patiently traced them with the tip of her tongue. A little bit of milk flavor was squeezed out, adding a bit of sweetness to the kiss, making people want to lick it down, and then eat it down. Their breathing became ragged. When they separated, a silver thread broke, drawing a fine, bright arc in the air.
Chen Qingtang closed her eyes. By the floor lamp, you could see her slightly trembling eyelashes, casting a small shadow downwards. The pale blue blood vessels on her eyelids were faintly visible, as thin and fragile as the veins of a leaf.
Pei Yunle wiped that small area with her fingertips, wanting to see her eyes open in a daze, whether they were shimmering with water. The skin under her fingertips was surprisingly hot, as if it could burn her fingers.
So she took advantage of her standing position and, with a slight straightening of her back, her head was raised a little. Chen Qingtang didn’t know her bad intentions, but just subconsciously raised her head to find Pei Yunle’s lips, and then chased after them to meet them.
Pei Yunle looked down at her, her heart itching as if it had been scratched by a kitten’s paw, and she couldn’t help but soften. Her knees rested on the edge of the sofa, sinking into the soft cushion.
She raised her head a little more, and their lips touched and then separated. Chen Qingtang’s slightly pouting lips were pursed. After coming to her senses, she raised her hand and slapped Pei Yunle on the face. The force was very light, like a flirtation. When her palm brushed against her cheek, it brought a tingling sensation.
Pei Yunle covered her face and had to obediently go back to kissing her. But Chen Qingtang was already angry, and she dodged left and right, not allowing it. Her hair flew with the movement of her head, and a few strands stuck to her wet lips.
“Aiya, I was wrong. I won’t tease you next time.”
As Pei Yunle spoke, her tone carried a hint of an irrepressible smile. A sweet dimple appeared on her cheek. She fell onto the sofa, her arm covering her eyelids. From Chen Qingtang’s perspective, she was a fish at the mercy of others, her fair neck exposed without any defense.
She pressed one leg on the side of Pei Yunle’s waist, her knee sinking into her soft abdomen. She slowly leaned over and, with her fingertips, picked up a touch of milk and wiped it on the corner of Pei Yunle’s lips. The cool liquid made her shiver lightly. The pink lips stood out in the creamy white, looking like a newly bloomed small flower, still with morning dew.
Chen Qingtang softened her back and bent down to pick that flower. The tip of her nose first brushed against her cheek, and then pressed against her lips. The tender flower was rolled into her mouth and kneaded into different shapes. Her teeth gently bit her lower lip, leaving a faint tooth mark. When the two of them separated, panting for the hard-won freshness, her lips immediately returned to their original state, even with a little swelling.
The leather surface of the sofa shone with a subtle luster under the heat of their bodies. Pei Yunle’s bent knee rested against Chen Qingtang’s leg, and the silk skirt was crumpled into the shape of a wave, revealing two sections of porcelain-white calves, which shone with a mother-of-pearl-like iridescence in the neon light that leaked in from the window. The milk on her fingertips was accumulating in the hollow of Chen Qingtang’s collarbone, forming a small lake, reflecting the swaying light and shadow of the chandelier on the ceiling.
Pei Yunle suddenly lightly bit that trembling skin with her canine teeth, and watched with satisfaction as a faint pink mark appeared on the porcelain-white background, like a cherry blossom petal falling in the snow. The spilled milk dripped along the edge of the sofa, and every drop that hit the ground caused a fine shiver on Chen Qingtang’s tense waistline.
The skin exposed in the air raised a few goosebumps. Pei Yunle wiped the milk with her fingertips, drawing different patterns, an unfolded flower petal, a closed one, both large and small. The milk was a touch of embellishment on it, like morning dew or nectar.
Pei Yunle propped herself up and deliberately drew a circle on Chen Qingtang’s lips with her milk-stained fingertips, and then covered her lips again. This kiss tasted like melted toffee, and a silver thread fell on Chen Qingtang’s heaving chest.
“Do you think the milk is better when it’s just delivered, or after it’s been processed?”
Pei Yunle wiped a little of the remaining milk from her neck and fed it to Chen Qingtang’s mouth.
Chen Qingtang’s eyes were filled with tears, on the verge of crying but not crying. She turned her head away and wanted to push Pei Yunle’s hand.
Pei Yunle listened to her words and didn’t move, then put her fingers in front of her eyes and asked with a smile, “One, two, or three?”
The occasional excessive movements of the two of them knocked over the other cup of milk, and the sticky sound of water sounded in their ears.
Chen Qingtang was a little tired. Her upper body fell onto Pei Yunle’s. Their chaotic breathing was in sync at a certain moment, and the sound of their heartbeats was all over their bodies, making up for the regret of not having a heartbeat on the right side of her chest.
Chen Qingtang listened to Pei Yunle chattering on and on. She felt the rise and fall of Pei Yunle’s chest, so she moved her hand up and, following Pei Yunle’s waistline, caused a shiver to run through her body, and she couldn’t help but hum a few times.
This sound seemed to also cause a vibration in her neck. Chen Qingtang put her hand on the middle of Pei Yunle’s neck, her index finger lightly tapping. When Pei Yunle spoke, this place would vibrate.
She lifted her head, her lips forming the shape of words but without a sound, as if a tight door had been locked there.
Pei Yunle covered her with the skirt and lowered her eyes to ask her, “What are you doing?”
Chen Qingtang poked the place where Pei Yunle would vibrate, and then also touched her own.
Pei Yunle brushed the hair that was stuck to her face behind her ear. “If the vocal cords can vibrate, there will be a sound.”
Chen Qingtang’s hand was still touching that eternally silent place, like a pool of stagnant water, with no beating and no ripples.
Pei Yunle smoothed her furrowed brows again. “Actually, I’ve heard your voice.”
Chen Qingtang lifted her small face to look at her.
“The last time you wore the rabbit costume.”
Chen Qingtang was taken aback and picked up a pillow from the side and covered Pei Yunle’s face.
Pei Yunle’s laughter overflowed from the thick cotton. “Are you angry again?”
Chen Qingtang closed her eyes and didn’t want to pay attention to her.
Pei Yunle went to hold her hand. Chen Qingtang resisted. Pei Yunle had no choice but to shrink under the sofa and put her fingers on her vocal cord area.
The sofa was quiet, and the television was also turned off because the movie had ended. The surroundings were dead, only that little bit at the tip of her fingers was jumping.
Pei Yunle’s voice was very, very small, so low that Chen Qingtang could hardly hear what she was saying specifically. If it weren’t for the vibration at her fingertips, she wouldn’t even be sure.
Chen Qingtang kicked away the skirt that was covering her legs. Pei Yunle’s lips were still moving. Originally, she couldn’t distinguish them, but she found that Pei Yunle’s lip shape seemed to be repeating, back and forth only those three shapes.
She subconsciously also learned from Pei Yunle, her lip movements a little more exaggerated, but because of this, she gradually heard what those three words were.
I love you.
Pei Yunle’s love was transmitted to Chen Qingtang’s fingertips through the vibration. She read her heart through this blurry lip shape, so at this moment, the silent love also became deafening.
Chen Qingtang pulled the skirt over her slightly curved lips.
Seeing that she was not as angry as before, Pei Yunle covered the sofa again and squeezed in next to Chen Qingtang, until Chen Qingtang’s fingertips returned to her neck, like a Braille reader, piously stroking every vibrating syllable. This time, Pei Yunle slowed down, turning every word into a tangible promise.
