“What are you staring at? You look like a total idiot.”
Sharing a pillow once again, Zhao Qingyu felt just as shy deep down as she had the last time, but the frantic edge had dulled a little. She even had the spare wit to tease his dazed expression.
As the saying goes, first time’s the hardest, second time’s a breeze.
Shen An stared straight at her, holding back for ages before managing to say, “If this skirt of yours gets torn, you’re not gonna make me pay for a new one again, are you?”
Zhao Qingyu: ?
“Cough. I’m not trying to kill the vibe on purpose, but Senior Sister, there’s not a single cheap thing on you from head to toe. It’s got me on pins and needles.”
“Shh.”
“Shh?”
“Shh!”
“Shh~” Shen An nodded quickly.
Hmph~
Zhao Qingyu itched to thwack this fool on the head a few times. Why drag that up out of nowhere?
Still, it was kind of endearing. And entertaining.
Zhao Qingyu turned her head away with a sneaky smile, while Shen An tentatively extended a hand, inching it slowly toward her.
Even the tiniest motion stood out at such close quarters.
Especially with Shen An lying right beside her.
Zhao Qingyu whipped her head back around, fixing a sharp glare on the hand he’d just raised.
Shen An blinked and murmured softly, “If you keep your head pillowed like that, Senior Sister, sand’s gonna work its way into your hair. It’ll be a nightmare to wash out later.”
The corner of Zhao Qingyu’s mouth quirked up. “So?”
“So!” Shen An said with dead seriousness. “In the spirit of thoughtful care, I figure it’s my duty to sacrifice my hand and serve as your pillow.”
Zhao Qingyu narrowed her eyes, poking fun at him. “What, only you’ve got hands? Don’t I?”
“That’s different.” Shen An slid her a sidelong glance, his eyes drifting to her fair, slender hands. In a gentle voice, he added, “Your hands are too precious for that. Plus, I’m worried I might accidentally nick your ring or something.”
Zhao Qingyu’s heart fluttered, a flush of shyness rising. “All you ever do is spout nonsense.”
“It’s not nonsense.”
Shen An dropped the act and clasped her small hand outright, lifting it gently. “A girl’s hands deserve proper care. They belong right here—not doubling as a pillow.”
With that, he settled her hand on his waist, sliding his own arm beneath the nape of her neck.
Zhao Qingyu let out a helpless chuckle and lifted her head just enough for his hand to slip through.
Then she settled back down, resting on his arm.
Mmm~
Playfully, she wiggled her head a few times, rubbing deliberately against his arm.
“Hiss—hit a nerve there, Senior Sister. Don’t squirm.”
Shen An yelped.
Mischief danced in Zhao Qingyu’s eyes as she rolled onto her side to face him. “Happy now?”
“Cough. The important thing is, are you happy, Senior Sister?”
Shen An replied softly.
“Before college, I used to come here all the time.”
They gazed into each other’s eyes, and Zhao Qingyu spoke in a sudden daze.
Shen An’s heart stirred. He knew this was the moment for opening up—heart-to-heart matters from the past.
Every date followed the same rhythm. Start with banter and teasing to warm things up, build the mood.
Get your heart ready to crack open.
Then find a quiet, comfy spot—like this, lying side by side. Or just sitting somewhere.
The usual haunts were dark corners on campus or tucked-away booths in shops.
Getting close to a girl meant listening to her story. Her history.
He shifted slightly, settling in to listen. “By yourself?”
Zhao Qingyu’s smile held a touch of melancholy she couldn’t quite hide. “I was always by myself.”
“No, no—now it’s two of us.”
Shen An said gently, “I’m right here with you, aren’t I?”
“Do you like it here?”
Zhao Qingyu didn’t reply. Her eyes drifted to the endless waves crashing ahead, and she pressed on.
“The spot’s nice enough,” Shen An said honestly. “Just pricey as hell.”
“But I hate this place.”
A sardonic curl touched Zhao Qingyu’s lips. “I used to think, one day when I can pick my own destinations, I’d never set foot here again.”
Shen An arched a brow. “Why? You don’t even have to pay for it.”
Zhao Qingyu shot him a look. “Mention money one more time, and I’ll beat you senseless.”
Cough, cough.
Shen An cleared his throat lightly. “Please, go on.”
“Truth is, it’s great here. Everything you could want, nothing lacking.”
Zhao Qingyu sighed. “But stay anywhere long enough, and the novelty fades. Then it’s just… boring.”
“Uh… Don’t you just pop in occasionally for a getaway, Senior Sister?”
“Ha~ That’s a college thing.”
Zhao Qingyu turned her head and whispered, “Here’s a little secret: This place isn’t some vacation spot for me. I’ve lived here since way back.”
“This was my first home.”
Her fingertip flicked toward the Grand Hotel. “That room I took you to? It’s always been mine.”
Shen An paused, then muttered under his breath, “No wonder it was such a wreck…”
His words obliterated the melancholy brewing in Zhao Qingyu’s brow. She scowled and clamped down on his neck with a hard pinch. “I told you! That wasn’t my mess!!!”
Shen An “thrashed” in mock agony. “Talk it out—let go first! Can’t… breathe!!”
“Hmph.”
Zhao Qingyu rolled her eyes, growling, “Didn’t you say you trusted me?”
“I do trust you, but… you’ve gotta give me something to work with.” Shen An sounded just as put out. “If it’s just an occasional crash pad, I could buy an accidental mess.”
“But you said it’s your first home. That room’s always been yours…”
“Does someone else share it with you or what?”
Zhao Qingyu pouted. “Not sharing, exactly. But I’m not the only one who can go in there.”
“Huh?”
“What huh? Can’t your parents go in your room?”
“Ohhh, so your folks trashed it? What’s their deal?”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Zhao Qingyu latched onto his neck again, pinching fiercely.
“Watch your mouth!”
“I… was… wrong…” Shen An’s voice rasped out like it was being strangled.
Zhao Qingyu released him and buried her face in her hands, exasperated. “I was just using that as an example. My parents wouldn’t barge in or trash my room.”
“But… my family’s pretty big…”
Shen An rubbed his neck with a light chuckle. “Figures. Rich families always have messy dynamics.”
“You’ve always wondered if my Zhao connects to the school’s Zhao, right?”
“Huh? Isn’t the school public?”
“Quit playing dumb.” Zhao Qingyu narrowed her eyes. “I know you’ve been digging around about me behind my back.”
“Not digging—just curious.”
Shen An absolutely wouldn’t cop to it.
At the same time, his heart skipped. He’d been discreet, only asking folks he trusted.
How had Zhao Qingyu found out?
Was her network that sharp, or was she just fishing?
“Heh~ Curious~” Zhao Qingyu dragged out the word, then pinched his chin. “Next time you wanna know something, ask me straight. Don’t sneak around—who knows if the gossip’s even true.”
“I figured you might not wanna tell me, Senior Sister.”
Shen An said softly. “Curiosity has no limits, but people do. What if I hit a sore spot by accident and pissed you off for nothing?”
Zhao Qingyu tightened her grip on his chin. “You piss me off plenty as it is.”
The line hung heavy with meaning; Shen An couldn’t tell if it was a joke or a warning.
“Ouch, Senior Sister.”
“You hiked all afternoon without a peep, but a few pinches and you’re whining? When’d you turn into such a delicate flower?” Zhao Qingyu teased with a smirk.
Shen An blinked at her. “Ever since I met you, Senior Sister, I’ve been fragile as glass.”
“Gets worse when I’m this close to you.”
Pfft~
Zhao Qingyu released his chin in disgust. So corny!
“Fine, since you’re dying to know, I’ll spill.”
She shifted gears. “My Zhao and the school’s Zhao? Same Zhao.”
“My dad’s the biggest shareholder at school.”
“Wow…”
“Wow what? Hey—what the hell are you doing?”
Panic edged into Zhao Qingyu’s voice, her body quivering faintly.
Shen An had inexplicably slid a hand toward her thigh.
His fingertips grazed the silk of her stockings, sending an exquisite silkiness through him.
But he wasn’t groping for kicks—he just wrapped around it. “Hugging your thigh.”
Hugging her thigh?
Zhao Qingyu’s brain short-circuited for a second before it clicked.
He didn’t seem to be copping a feel, so her instinctive resistance ebbed away.
A smile tugged at her lips as she switched to pinching his ear. “You wanna hug my thigh?”
“More like, I wanna provide top-tier, thigh-hugging service to you, Senior Sister.”
Shen An said without a shred of shame.
“Then, can you tell me…?” Zhao Qingyu’s eyes flickered with hesitation.
“Hm?”
Shen An smiled softly. “Senior Sister, what do you want to know? If I know it, I’ll answer without reservation.”
She had always wanted to know if he was truly unaware.
She had always wanted to know if the deal between him and… Zhao Li… was really as simple as he claimed.
She…
But in this moment, as she looked at him, the deepest doubt weighing on her heart rose to her throat. Yet she couldn’t bring herself to voice it plainly.
Should she ask?
No.
Zhao Qingyu spoke softly. “If you want to hug my thigh, I can give you a chance.”
“But only once. Do you understand?”
Shen An blinked in surprise, tilting his head. “Another tough mission?”
“No mission.”
Zhao Qingyu lifted her gaze to meet his steadily. “You must swear to the heavens that you’ll never deceive me.”
“If… if I ever find out you’ve lied to me—even about the most trivial thing—you’ll lose this chance.”
“And you’ll never regain my trust.”
“I’ll hold this grudge against you until you vanish from my sight forever.”
Hiss…
Shen An looked a little stunned. “This…”
“What, unwilling?” Zhao Qingyu reached out, but she didn’t push away the hand pressed against her thigh.
On the contrary, she placed her palm over the back of his hand, letting him press harder against the silky smoothness of her stockings and the soft fullness of her thigh.
“What I want is simply trust.”
“It’s a very straightforward request. Is it really that hard?”
“Compared to what you stand to gain, it’s utterly insignificant.”
Shen An didn’t pull away. Instead, he followed her pressure, his voice dropping low. “Then what will I get?”
Their eyes locked. The profound depth in his gaze collided with the eager anticipation in hers.
Gradually, that anticipation turned sultry and alluring.
Even a touch erotic.
Zhao Qingyu bit her tender red lip, her voice shy. “You’ll get everything you want from me.”
“Everything?”
The corner of Shen An’s mouth curved upward as he shifted from hugging to caressing.
His fingertips seemed enchanted. A mere light brush ignited wave after wave of exquisite, otherworldly pleasure.
Zhao Qingyu couldn’t resist it. She trembled, her body shaking beyond her control.
Her thoughts scattered into chaos.
The fireworks exploding across the sky? She neither saw nor heard them.
The world fell silent, reduced to nothing but his murmured words.
“Yes… everything.”
She poured the last remnants of her reason into a seductive charm she had never fully revealed before.
Her small hand slipped away, no longer holding him back.
Instead, it reached out gently—slowly—toward his face.
