The night was quiet and serene, as she radiated seductive charm.
Her words came like a gust of wind across the waves, and Luo Qingmeng wasn’t sure if she’d heard right until Qiu Shuxue repeated herself.
“Come sit at my house.” Qiu Shuxue blinked, a flicker in her eyes, her voice carrying the coquettish lilt of someone tipsy.
“Sister.”
She repeated it several times, extending the invitation with warm insistence.
“Then why go to your house? Why not come sit at mine?” Luo Qingmeng shot back, her emotions flaring. She couldn’t stand it when others acted so vulnerable, as if the hurt she’d suffered didn’t matter.
She glared at Qiu Shuxue, determined to slam the door shut, but Qiu Shuxue’s hand shot out fast. She reached over and blocked the door.
Qiu Shuxue’s eyes roamed over her once, at first with an indefinable glint, then she explained softly, “I’ve been to this house plenty of times before. After all, we’re neighbors.”
That made sense, so Luo Qingmeng didn’t argue, but the thought of Qiu Shuxue knocking on neighbors’ doors like this all the time struck her as creepy.
“Don’t you want to come see my place?” Qiu Shuxue asked again. “Get familiar with the surroundings.”
Before the divorce, Qiu Shuxue had always invited her over to play, but Luo Qingmeng was introverted. In her eyes, Qiu Shuxue was a white-collar professional, and she didn’t feel bold enough to get too close. She figured the invitations were just polite, and taking them seriously would be awkward, so she’d always just listened without committing.
Now… she was genuinely curious.
She wanted to catch her in the act, find evidence, figure out where she fell short as a woman—rather than clinging to the idea that the other woman was from a higher class, leaving her at a loss for where to even start cursing.
So Luo Qingmeng slammed her own door shut hard and followed Qiu Shuxue to her place.
Luo Qingmeng had planned to give Qiu Shuxue a proper scolding, but as soon as she stepped inside, Qiu Shuxue handed her a pair of fluffy slippers. Luo Qingmeng hadn’t had time to change when she came over; she was still wearing the plastic shower slippers from her bath, and her toes were red from the cold. Qiu Shuxue asked warmly, “Sister, is the heat enough?”
Luo Qingmeng’s clenched fists relaxed as she took the slippers.
She said nothing and walked into the living room. The apartment wasn’t anything special—just nicely renovated and a bit larger than the one next door.
Once the door was closed, Qiu Shuxue stripped off her tank top right there. She wasn’t wearing shoes either, padding barefoot across the floor.
She didn’t seem the least bit shy.
Qiu Shuxue turned around and picked up the kettle from the dining table, asking if she wanted tea or water. Luo Qingmeng didn’t respond, so she poured hot water and brought the cup to her. Luo Qingmeng held it to warm her hands, but despite the resentment bubbling inside, she shot her a glance and noticed her abs, her eyes trailing downward.
Her waist was narrow, swaying like a willow in the breeze, full of seductive grace as she walked—but Luo Qingmeng always saw her as a spoiled little girl, the kind that stirred a desire in people to scoop her up and hold her tight.
She’d probably whine and squirm then, saying, “Sister, you’re hugging too tight.”
No.
She’d say, “Brother, that hurts.”
Luo Qingmeng’s brows furrowed.
She gripped the cup, and after a while, her fingers grew nice and warm from the heat. If Qiu Shuxue could dress like that, so could she. She wasn’t that much worse off—just needed to show a bit more skin, wear something a little thinner…
Qiu Shuxue unscrewed a bottle, took a mouthful of mouthwash, tilted her head with a smile at her, spat it out, and called again, “Sister.”
“Sister?”
Luo Qingmeng snapped back to reality. Qiu Shuxue had sat down right next to her leg, leaning in so close that she could smell the faint mint on her breath.
Luo Qingmeng recoiled sensitively.
“So it was you who moved in.”
She acted like she’d only just found out, feigning delight.
Luo Qingmeng could tell it was all an act and ignored her. Qiu Shuxue kept chattering on her own. “The previous neighbor mentioned renting the place out just the other day. I even told her not to rent it to a male tenant. I came back earlier and saw your door wasn’t shut tight.”
Then she called Luo Qingmeng over and showed her how to lock the door properly, explaining that her own door needed to say “door locked” out loud for it to count; otherwise, it would pop open in the middle of the night.
Qiu Shuxue asked softly, “Sister, why aren’t you talking?”
Luo Qingmeng didn’t know what to say; her fingers fidgeted with the cup. Finally, she asked, “Do you live alone?”
“Friends come over sometimes.”
Friends?
Luo Qingmeng let out a huff. She’d sat down as requested, so she set the cup aside and stood to leave, but suddenly Qiu Shuxue leaned in low, their faces almost touching, their lips inches apart.
Luo Qingmeng jerked back, and Qiu Shuxue licked the corner of her lips with her finger, saying softly, “Sister, you’ve divorced Brother Li, right?”
Yes.
Just yesterday.
Luo Qingmeng snorted coldly, knowing full well Qiu Shuxue already knew. “None of your…”
But Qiu Shuxue cut in first. “Li An really doesn’t deserve you.”
Luo Qingmeng pressed her lips together tightly. Deserve her? Did he?
Her nose stung especially hard. These past couple of days, she’d barely slept, tormenting herself with self-doubt and reflection. All these years, she’d gritted her teeth and hustled alone in the big city—who knew it’d leave her back at square one? She kept wondering if she was just born under a bad star.
Qiu Shuxue leaned closer, brushing her hair back behind her ear before Luo Qingmeng could dodge. “You’re the best woman I’ve ever met. You cook, you have a beautiful smile, you’re quiet and steady—the kind of woman everyone dreams of but rarely finds. Sister, don’t keep tearing yourself down.”
Luo Qingmeng swallowed hard.
It had happened so many times before. Qiu Shuxue had wrecked her marriage and wasn’t a good person by any stretch, yet she always found her magnetic—the closer she got, the more drawn in she felt.
Luo Qingmeng thought Qiu Shuxue must be one of those clever, manipulative women who could do wrong and still come off as likable.
Suddenly, Qiu Shuxue shifted sideways, planting her hands on either side of Luo Qingmeng’s shoulders. Luo Qingmeng startled and clutched at the sofa cover as she retreated, staring at her in confusion. “What… what are you doing?”
“That little brush against me earlier was so sweet. Can I have another touch?”
“I didn’t touch you!” Luo Qingmeng glared at her in a panic. “What are you babbling about?”
“Oh? Even without touching, you smell so sweet.” Qiu Shuxue laughed, teasing her playfully. “Sister, you’re so mature. I’m totally captivated by your charm.”
Luo Qingmeng started to catch on. The “mature” she meant wasn’t about age—it was something else, a different kind of ripeness.
She began to feel a spark of confidence. Yes, she had that kind of appeal; otherwise, why would so many people eye her like that?
“You know… like a ripe peach?” Qiu Shuxue drew closer, her hair falling loose to veil half her face. As she leaned in, Luo Qingmeng caught the scent of alcohol. Qiu Shuxue kept up the metaphor. “Sister, you’re just like a delicious peach. I love them so much.”
She peered so intently, her fingers braced on the sofa. Luo Qingmeng wanted to scream, but only muffled protests escaped her throat. When Qiu Shuxue’s fingers finally grazed her skin, they burned hot. This sensation was nothing like with Li An—his body reeked when he got heated, like something rotting, enough to turn her stomach. Qiu Shuxue just smelled good.
She pushed Qiu Shuxue’s hand away, but she leaned in again. This back-and-forth happened several times until Qiu Shuxue grabbed her wrist and asked softly, “Sister, don’t you like it?”
Luo Qingmeng froze, staring blankly into Qiu Shuxue’s eyes. It was like her soul had plunged into a hellish frying pan, tossed and battered. She wanted to shove her away, but her movements lagged. Qiu Shuxue seized the moment, her hand landing on Luo Qingmeng’s shoulder with a gentle push. Instinctively, Luo Qingmeng shielded her face, but Qiu Shuxue’s breath ghosted over her. It felt like she was about to close the distance. “Don’t be scared. Try it with me?”
Try… try what?
Terror flooded Luo Qingmeng. Women with women? She’d seen plenty of lesbians since moving to the city and knew urban life was more open-minded, but she hadn’t expected bisexuals who liked both men and women—and for one to set her sights on her, no less.
“Don’t hold yourself back so much, always thinking you’re not good enough. You’re perfect.”
Qiu Shuxue spoke her mind freely, no filter. Luo Qingmeng couldn’t handle this honeyed trap; she wanted to push her away, but the mood turned awkward fast.
Qiu Shuxue’s finger hooked something, eyeing her flushed face. “…Oh? Looks like you’re all ready. Sister, you’re so brave.”
Luo Qingmeng burned with shame and went limp, desperate to explain that she’d only come over to sit for a bit. “Don’t look! Don’t talk nonsense. How can you be so… so disgusting!”
“Disgusting? It’s cute.” Qiu Shuxue praised her softly, her gaze unwavering. “Sister, you look so clean and tidy today. Your skin’s so fair—prettier than the last time I saw you.”
Luo Qingmeng clapped her hands over Qiu Shuxue’s eyes, but she just took her wrists and pulled them away, then pressed their foreheads together.
Qiu Shuxue kept praising her, cradling her face and coaxing her along. Luo Qingmeng flushed crimson, meeting those bright pupils that seemed lost in mad infatuation, brimming with joy meant just for her.
She breathed through her open mouth, swallowing hard again despite herself. She wanted to scream, but Qiu Shuxue’s voice held such allure. “Li An’s no good anymore. You’re divorced now—do you really plan to stay chaste for him? Sister, you’re so virtuous. A woman as wonderful as you with him… it kills me every time I think about it.”
Li An was Luo Qingmeng’s raw nerve. She couldn’t say what string had snapped inside her, but as Qiu Shuxue drew closer again, she didn’t resist—just trembled nonstop. Qiu Shuxue touched her, and she shook; Qiu Shuxue clung to her, and her whole body went soft.
Luo Qingmeng twisted in place, her mind going numb.
She was like a deer with a noose around its neck—able to break free several times, yet always stretching her neck back in.
No wonder Li An defended Qiu Shuxue so fiercely. She was really something—making her feel bliss one moment, despair the next.
When the kiss ended, Qiu Shuxue lowered her head to gaze at her. Luo Qingmeng turned her face away, her cheeks flushed crimson. She didn’t dare meet her eyes, her own glistening with tears as she fought the urge to cry and stop this, her head trembling with every turn.
Luo Qingmeng had no idea what she was staring at. Lacking any confidence, she stammered, “L-Let… let go! Y-You’re a pervert… You, you’ve got issues… Stop looking.”
“Mm, you looked so beautiful just now, so captivating. I want to keep looking at you, sister.” Qiu Shuxue lavished praise on her, going point by point over what made her pretty, her voice warm and coaxing. But even though she knew Luo Qingmeng was crying, she didn’t try to soothe her or tell her to stop.
Qiu Shuxue’s fingers rested lightly on the back of her hand, her expression utterly sincere. Her gaze lingered on her with unabashed greed, as if she could never get enough—as if she wanted to peer right into every single pore of Luo Qingmeng’s skin.
Luo Qingmeng had always been deeply insecure, and after the divorce, she felt even more inferior to everyone else. Now, being held in such high regard filled her with a perverse sense of enjoyment. She probably knew exactly what Qiu Shuxue was looking at; part of her wanted to cover herself up, while another part ached to let her keep staring.
Luo Qingmeng felt immensely grateful that she’d taken extra care that day—applying lotion, putting on a face mask, even doing a thorough job with her hair removal. She could outshine Qiu Shuxue. Her skin glowed with a soft pinkish translucence.
A hint of crimson at the corners of her eyes.
She wrestled with herself over and over, her movements as feeble as punching cotton. Tears welled up in her eyes; she couldn’t hold them back anymore, and her eyes grew wet. She wanted to cry again. She was always tearing up like this, her emotions crumbling so easily.
Qiu Shuxue’s fingers brushed over the corner of her eye, her lips softly grazing her eyelid. “If you tell me to stop now, I will… or else I’m going to turn ferocious.”
Luo Qingmeng couldn’t take it anymore. Her mind crumbled as she thought that if things got really bad, she could just keep tangling with Qiu Shuxue—let Li An catch them in the act and die of rage. Then she could dump Qiu Shuxue later.
Right now, Qiu Shuxue was clearly so entranced by her that she didn’t know what to do with herself.
But the problem was, Luo Qingmeng had no idea if Qiu Shuxue was sincere.
How had things between them spiraled this far?
Her other eye grew wet too. Tears slid from the corner, leaving a warm, damp trail. Qiu Shuxue touched her other eye, wiping away the tear, brushing the corner of it.
Luo Qingmeng forced a single word from her lips with great difficulty. “Dirty.”
Qiu Shuxue paused and lifted her head to look at her.
“How could it be dirty? A sister this beautiful— one glance and I want to take a bite.”
“You’re so annoying,” Luo Qingmeng said helplessly.
Qiu Shuxue’s lips trailed down from her mouth to her jaw, urging her on. “Keep crying, sister. You cry so enticingly, always trembling like this. I’m about to lose control and devour you.”
Luo Qingmeng completely lost her restraint.
Her body arched slightly, a faint shiver running through her.
Every cell in her body was screaming how much it loved this.
She still wanted to cry.
