Chapter 18

The screams from outside sounded like a pig being slaughtered. Luo Qingmeng, that venomous bitch, listened with great delight. She stealthily peeked through the crack again. Li An was rolling around on the floor out there. Both men and women had been jolted awake by his cries. Lights flicked on one by one. When the women saw the spot he was clutching, they let out piercing shrieks one after another and cursed him for whatever the hell he was doing.

Once Luo Qingmeng had her fill, she turned around—and jumped in fright. Qiu Shuxue was already awake, squinting at her with sleepy eyes. She was still drowsy, sitting cross-legged with one hand propping up her cheek as she gazed at Luo Qingmeng by the door. In a groggy voice, she said, “Did you cause this mess?”

Luo Qingmeng bristled at her tone. What was that supposed to mean? It sounded like she was the older sister here.

Qiu Shuxue sighed and got out of bed to look for her clothes. She was naked. After glancing around for a bit, she spotted her nightgown on Luo Qingmeng’s body. She flicked on the room light. Luo Qingmeng’s eyes stung from the sudden brightness. She raised her hand to shield them, then shuffled slowly to the bedside and sat down, still covering her eyes. Qiu Shuxue rummaged around but eventually shook out her own clothes and underwear from under the bedsheet.

Qiu Shuxue slipped into Luo Qingmeng’s sexy nightgown. She glanced down at her cleavage and said, “This isn’t great. There are three male colleagues outside.”

Luo Qingmeng had always seen Qiu Shuxue as that shameless little slut, all seductive and slutty, stripping wherever she went and using her allure and lust to tempt others.

Sometimes, even Luo Qingmeng got a little stirred up by her. She really hated it.

The cries from outside kept coming in waves. The bathroom was on their side of the apartment, and there was only one. Li An was in agony and desperately wanted to pull down his pants, but all the female colleagues had been roused and were watching him. The male colleagues, seeing that cursed note, felt a twinge of apprehension and didn’t dare help.

Yin Sisi spotted the crumpled paper on the floor and said, “Who stuck this on him? We were all together, so no one here should have it in for you. Go wash it off. Head to the bathroom and sort it out. Shuxue! Where’s Shuxue?”

Luo Qingmeng grew annoyed at the sound of her voice. She shot Qiu Shuxue a sarcastic look and said, “Hurry up. Your friend’s about to worry herself to death over Li An. Why are you digging for your phone? Get out there already.”

Qiu Shuxue fished her phone out from under the desk. As for why it was there, it was because they’d done it right here too—Qiu Shuxue had picked her up, set her on the desk, and used the glow from the sensor light underneath to find her entrance.

The hard desk hadn’t been all that comfortable, but it sure made for good sex.

Luo Qingmeng snorted coldly and urged Qiu Shuxue on. This high-and-mighty crew, who usually looked down on everyone, sure looked pathetic now.

Qiu Shuxue said, “I need to delete the surveillance footage. You want him figuring out it was you right now?”

“What if he does?” Luo Qingmeng felt completely justified. The one who should feel guilty was Li An. Even if they went toe-to-toe yelling outside, who knew who’d come out on top.

Still, she really didn’t want to argue with him right now. She wanted him to suspect it was her but be powerless to do anything, then start wondering if it was a colleague—sparking rumors among them, making him infamous, and tormenting the hell out of that scumbag.

Qiu Shuxue fiddled with her phone. Curious, Luo Qingmeng said, “You can mess with the door camera from your phone?”

“Yeah.” Qiu Shuxue replied, “It’s remote-controlled.”

Luo Qingmeng gave an “oh.” Better safe than sorry—after all, the way she’d rung the doorbell hadn’t exactly been ladylike.

Soon, another female colleague knocked on the door. “Is Shuxue in there? Something happened. Come out and take a look.”

Qiu Shuxue murmured an “mm-hmm.” “I’m getting dressed. Give me a sec.”

Qiu Shuxue finished up and tossed her phone onto the bed. She glanced at Luo Qingmeng, who said, “Don’t close the door all the way. I want to watch.”

“What if they come in…”

“You’ll figure it out.”

Qiu Shuxue said, “Fine.”

Qiu Shuxue stepped out of the room. Outside was total chaos. Somehow, someone had splashed a cup of water on Li An’s crotch. The floor was soaked, streaked with red oil that looked utterly disgusting.

Luo Qingmeng was quite the schemer too—she’d locked the bathroom door when she ran over earlier, so Li An couldn’t even get in. The group was cupping water from the sink for him one handful at a time.

Qiu Shuxue frowned and asked, “What happened?”

“No idea.” Yin Sisi narrowed her eyes at her and said, “Looks like someone did it on purpose. They even left a note specifically for him.”

Qiu Shuxue went over to look and saw the writing. Luo Qingmeng’s handwriting was elegant and bold. No one else would recognize it, but she and Li An both knew it well.

Qiu Shuxue asked Li An, “Do you know who wrote it?”

Li An was gasping for air in pain, sweat beading on his face. His hand clutched his groin, the swollen bulge unsightly—but at this point, no one cared about decorum. Everyone was thinking that with heat like this, he was probably ruined. Li An hated Luo Qingmeng to the bone, but he couldn’t outright say it was her. He shook his head. “No idea… I can’t figure it out. I really… ah…”

It burned and hurt so much; he just wanted to rub it.

A few female colleagues scolded him. “Li An! Li An! Hang in there! Everyone’s right here!”

“Should we call the cops?”

“Check the surveillance?”

Everyone chimed in chaotically. Only now did they think to turn on the light in the entryway. They bustled about for ages but got nowhere.

Finally, Qiu Shuxue cut to the chase. “Li An, shouldn’t you go to the hospital?”

That would mean a second trip there. Hunched over, Li An said, “I’ll be fine after washing it off. Can I use the bathroom… just the bathroom.”

Qiu Shuxue’s expression darkened, looking accusatory. “Did one of you do something messed up in my place…”

“No!” Li An knew damn well it was probably his ex-wife, but he couldn’t figure out how Luo Qingmeng had tracked them down or where she was now. Gritting his teeth, he didn’t mention her.

“Shuxue, the bathroom…”

Luo Qingmeng was oddly curious too. Li An wasn’t even cursing her out this time. She peered through the crack, eyes glued, lips curling up. Seeing his face drain of color, looking like he might explode or die, she muttered curses under her breath. Serves you right! Serves you right!

Qiu Shuxue walked back toward the living room. Luo Qingmeng hastily retreated and accidentally triggered the room’s sensor light. Suddenly, she felt a gaze on her. Yin Sisi, sharp as ever, whipped her head around. Luo Qingmeng’s breath caught; she slammed the door shut.

Talk about making it more obvious while trying to hide it!

Qiu Shuxue went to the bathroom door and gripped the handle, but it wouldn’t budge. She said, “It was fine when I went to bed. Has anyone been in there? Why won’t it open now?”

Li An could barely straighten up, knees bent. “Is there water? Get me a bucket, please. I beg you.”

He was on the verge of kneeling, dignity be damned.

“The bucket’s in the bathroom.”

“Use the trash can for water.” One female colleague fetched the trash can but spotted the note again and shoved it at another male colleague. “I can’t touch it.”

The male colleague told Li An to do it himself. “Remember to hire a cleaning service for Shuxue’s place. What a mess. We were all sleeping soundly. You really have no clue who? Your ex-wife? Could it be…”

“No way. How would his ex even find this place?”

The group was in pandemonium, turning Qiu Shuxue’s home upside down. A few pitched in to clean up. Qiu Shuxue stood there with her arms crossed by Luo Qingmeng’s door. Xiao Ninghe, who was close to her, came over and patted her shoulder. “Don’t be mad. It’s your birthday. We’ll get those guys to leave soon enough.”

Qiu Shuxue let out a displeased “mm.” She eyed the men with clear disgust. The men, unfairly lumped in with Li An, dreaded how this would spread at the office. They glared daggers at him.

Xiao Ninghe mused, “This whole thing feels off. Who could it be?” She scanned the room; everyone looked shocked. After staring around, she couldn’t spot the culprit.

Qiu Shuxue didn’t respond. Yin Sisi came over too. She asked, “Shuxue, were you asleep the whole time?”

Qiu Shuxue nodded. Yin Sisi sighed. “Then that’s…” She patted Qiu Shuxue’s shoulder too, eyeing the nightgown she wore.

It didn’t seem like Shuxue’s usual brand.

The burn was too intense; even after washing, it showed no sign of fading. Under insistent urging from the female colleagues, the men hauled Li An out.

It was three in the morning, pitch black outside. Once the men left, the women started gossiping freely.

“Karma, huh? Li An’s such a creep. He spent all night badmouthing his ex. That woman was just a hopeless romantic who fell for him—nothing else wrong with her.”

“Can’t really call her hopeless. A hopeless romantic wouldn’t snap out of it and divorce so fast. She probably uncovered something. Her real mistake was leaving too soon—should’ve skinned him alive first.”

“A thirty-two-year-old geezer. Fuck, he was cleaner with her. Now he reeks of that sleazy old-man vibe. Today he played the big shot, bragging about every damn purchase.”

“What was Old Lu saying before? He acts generous around girls, but with Shunzai and Xiao Liu, he’s something else. Shunzai said at the company cafeteria, if Li An snags a piece of tofu from you today, you’ll owe him one tomorrow. He watches your bowl like a hawk.”

“Shuxue, don’t let it get to you. Things will turn around. We’ll make him foot the cleaning bill for sure. Speaking of, isn’t Li An hitting on the new interns lately? A thirty-year-old dog chasing barely-twenty girls. Disgusting. Urgh—”

“So in the end, who was the hero who beat the crap out of that old man? Hahaha!”

“Got any Sprite? I could use a sip.”

Luo Qingmeng listened carefully. She froze in surprise. She had thought these women just looked down on her, but now she realized they despised Li An even more. Their attitude toward her was more like disappointment that she hadn’t lived up to her potential. That put her mind at ease.

Fine, let them look down on her. She had been pretty foolish before anyway, with rocks in her head, thinking Li An was her lifelong partner.

Then she heard Qiu Shuxue open the fridge and say, “That Sister Luo is actually pretty great. She got married and divorced right after getting their certificate. At first, Li An put on a really good act, but she saw right through it. She can cook, she keeps a tidy house, she’s gorgeous, and her personality is gentle. It’s just that we don’t know her all that well.”

“That’s true. Her cooking is delicious. But Shuxue, do you know her? You always seem so familiar with her.”

Qiu Shuxue replied, “I’m not sure how well we know each other. I’ve just seen her a few times when buying books.”

As she spoke, the women outside burst into laughter again, reminiscing about the scene from earlier. It was getting late, and they were all exhausted from laughing. They headed back to their rooms to sleep.

Qiu Shuxue returned to her room too. Luo Qingmeng was already lying in bed, pretending to be asleep with her eyes closed. Qiu Shuxue climbed into bed and wrapped her arms around Luo Qingmeng’s waist. Her breath fell on Luo Qingmeng’s neck, sending Luo Qingmeng’s heart into turmoil. She was astonished—Qiu Shuxue didn’t say a word.

They slept until ten-thirty the next morning. Qiu Shuxue’s fingers trailed over Luo Qingmeng’s body. She woke Luo Qingmeng in another way, burying herself between Luo Qingmeng’s legs. Luo Qingmeng pretended not to wake, her toes curling tight. She bit her lip hard.

The female colleagues outside called for Qiu Shuxue several times before she finally got up to see them off. Luo Qingmeng opened her eyes, and the tension in her toes eased. She had nearly lost control.

She let out a breath.

Qiu Shuxue made a point of rinsing her mouth. It felt so refreshing.

Luo Qingmeng prepared to leave too. Qiu Shuxue’s place was a mess, and she had no intention of staying to help clean up the chaos.

But Qiu Shuxue hadn’t returned her clothes. Luo Qingmeng had brushed her teeth and forced open the bathroom door that morning. She headed straight for the entryway.

Composing herself, Luo Qingmeng said, “About what happened yesterday, I can only say Li An had it coming. But I’m not going to apologize.”

Qiu Shuxue leaned her back against the door. She let out a casual hum and said indifferently, “Whatever makes you happy.”

Luo Qingmeng wanted to leave, but Qiu Shuxue wouldn’t let her. She kept blocking the way, her fingers resting on the door handle.

“What are you doing now?”

Qiu Shuxue squinted as she eyed her. Luo Qingmeng was on vacation and in no rush to get to work, so Qiu Shuxue figured she might as well keep her big sister locked in the room and have some fun with her for the next two days.