Chapter 2: Nailing It

Yan Muyu was about to lose her mind. She’d just changed clothes when she turned around to find Qiu Chao sprawled brazenly on the bed, staring right at her.

She took a deep breath and flung the thin blanket over her.

“Put some clothes on, Miss Qiu.”

Qiu Chao took the blanket straight to the face but didn’t get angry. She leisurely tugged it off and kept gazing at Yan Muyu with those affectionate eyes.

Her voice was soft and husky, like the autumn rains during the humid season down south. “You’re worried about me.”

Yan Muyu shot back, “Why don’t you take a look in the mirror? Do you think you look presentable like that?”

What kind of room was this? Filthy! Perverted!

Yan Muyu scratched at her hair and glanced at the time on her phone.

Six forty-seven in the morning.

Her schedule reminder read: No appointments today.

That’s right—the variety show A World Starting Anew was off today.

Normally, Yan Muyu would be feeling refreshed, thrilled that she didn’t have to babysit the filming site like some errand boy for once.

After wrapping up last night, she’d wanted to unwind. Her usual bar was hosting a masquerade party with a kitschy middle-school vibe.

An all-women crowd, dim lights, slow dancing and waist-grabbing on the floor—no judgments. Spot someone you like, take her to bed.

Perfect way to relax. The ultimate fantasy for any corporate drone.

Yan Muyu had danced several rounds with a beauty in a fox mask, from mellow tunes to straight-up seductive beats. The woman even gave a pole-dancing show.

Her moves were right up Yan Muyu’s alley.

Especially those twerking hips.

At her age, why sweat the details?

Shen Tianqing was out there keeping a young idol like she’d lost all reason. Was it easy for Yan Muyu, stepping up to hold the family empire together after her big brother got into that car wreck and fell into a coma?

She desperately needed a night of indulgence.

No strings attached.

The fox-masked beauty wasn’t tall, but she had a slim waist and a big ass—the perfect strike for Yan Muyu’s tastes. No matter how hard she trained, Yan Muyu could never grow herself a peach like that.

They drank plenty, traded plenty of flirty banter. The owner was an old acquaintance and hooked her up with the newest renovation job.

A mirror-lined pleasure suite.

Had she graduated elementary school? Was that how you used that idiom?

Right now, Yan Muyu didn’t want to look at Qiu Chao, but when she turned her head, there was yet another damn mirror. She spotted a bite mark on her own chin.

It wasn’t too obvious, but still—too much!!

Her eyes widened in shock as she leaned close to the mirror wall, scrutinizing her once-flawless face.

Her lips were swollen, chin marked up.

No need to guess why her tongue hurt.

Even though she’d only slept with Qiu Chao once before, it was enough for Yan Muyu to remember how perfectly the woman’s body matched her name.

Like waves crashing on the shore.

At seventeen, Yan Muyu hadn’t found a girl who really clicked. She’d started to think she was a full-on lesbian.

Guys just didn’t do it for her.

Back in high school, she crushed on pure, sweet beauties.

Even abroad, she never vibed with Shen Tianqing’s “you wouldn’t get it” brand of jaded boss-babe misery.

What she fantasized about was bolder—no fragile little white flowers anymore, but the flashy kind from comics.

The urban corporate-drone big sis type.

Too bad her perfect fantasy—the ideal body, the pure heart of a sporty girl—had all been ruined by Qiu Chao.

Who could’ve dreamed that her first time, fantasized about a thousand times, would be with Qiu Chao?

The woman was absurd! Deranged!

It had even messed up Yan Muyu’s habits.

Her ex, that French girl, had nothing on the stereotype of romance. Their kinks didn’t match, and she’d chewed Yan Muyu out for it.

That late night, Yan Muyu got blackout drunk, crashed at Shen Tianqing’s for tea, and ranted about Qiu Chao.

“This psycho… turned me into… into this!”

She’d figured Shen Tianqing would back her up.

Who knew her friend was crazy too—kissing a ring that held the ashes of her true love.

She even kinda agreed with Qiu Chao, reflecting on who-knows-what with real regret. “If only I’d been that brave back then…”

Yan Muyu had wanted to curse her out.

Brave? Ever think about my feelings?!

Shen Tianqing: “Wasn’t it good?”

Yan Muyu whined for a good while, sadly realizing that even with half a world and all four seasons between them…

That first time still burned deep.

She bawled her eyes out and spat, “It was good!”

Shen Tianqing was green with envy. “I wanna have a good time too.”

Yan Muyu couldn’t take it. “She got off way more than me, okay? I was just a tool! She was just craving me! Craving this face that slays… hey, why’d you hit me?”

The conversation fizzled out there, ending with Shen Tianqing kicking her out for being too full of herself.

Years later, amid Yan Muyu’s wild and stormy love life, Qiu Chao popped up again to kick things off.

Her grudge hadn’t faded, and now it twisted into bitter rage.

With a sigh, she finally shifted gears, saying woodenly, “What did you do this time? That masked girl didn’t have your face.”

Qiu Chao sat up, clutching the blanket. Her face was pure Eastern allure—prim when it needed to be, seductive when called for.

Blatantly sexy when she wanted, enough to bankrupt anyone.

Qiu Chao: “That was me.”

She leaned crookedly against the pillow, clutching the blanket in the most deliberate way, making sure a little something peeked out.

As if Qiu Chao didn’t know Yan Muyu’s tastes. They were each other’s firsts—bodies unlocked by one another.

What you like when you’re green stays with you forever. No matter how many others came after, it always came back to Yan Muyu.

No one else measured up to that reckless thrill Qiu Chao still felt for her, even after all these years.

Yan Muyu ignored Qiu Chao’s teasing now that the alcohol had worn off. Those old grudges bubbled right back up.

“That girl’s ass was bigger than yours.”

She was dead set on getting under her skin and added, “Her mouth was smaller too.”

Qiu Chao: “And you still compared sizes.”

Shameless as ever, she crawled to the edge of the bed and looked up at Yan Muyu. “Little Yan gets me best, after all.”

Yan Muyu scooted away quick, scooping up her scattered clothes from the floor.

“As if. Who wants to get you?”

Her phone pinged with messages. Qiu Chao glanced over and chuckled. “No work today?”

Yan Muyu: “My brother’s in that state, and after four years with him, you’re not even gonna visit the hospital?”

She drew in a deep breath, her resentment plain as day. “I’m this swamped now because of you.”

Qiu Chao couldn’t care less about Yan Muyu’s passive-aggressive jabs.

Some things didn’t need explaining. Yan Kai might look normal, but he was a little crazy deep down.

He’d pushed that woman too far.

No other women in the picture, and then he runs into Qiu Chao, who looked a bit like Zhen Shu.

Who’d have thought that after all these years since dumping Yan Kai, she’d still owe him aftercare.

But he was Yan Muyu’s brother, and she couldn’t say no.

Times changed, but her feelings for her savior hadn’t. Even if she’d been with others in between, her mind always wandered back to this nemesis right here.

Qiu Chao: “Yeah, so did you find a replacement guest for your show?”

Yan Muyu paused mid-dress.

Qiu Chao: “I could’ve turned it down.”

She even sighed. “My schedule’s packed. Pay for a variety show like this isn’t great, and it’s such a time sink. For me, it’s barely worth…”

Yan Muyu: “How much do you want?”

The words felt weird as soon as they left her mouth—like she was some heartless playboy and Qiu Chao was the pitiful one she’d bedded.

Pitiful? I’m the pitiful one here.

This woman had definitely pulled some trick. That fox-masked girl’s voice hadn’t matched Qiu Chao’s at all.

Qiu Chao’s voice was unforgettable, even after a century.

That tone—clutching her chest, tears streaming, pretending she’d been forced—still echoed in Yan Muyu’s ears.

Even after her wild escapades since, she steered clear of the teary damsel type.

She preferred clean breaks—no baggage, no responsibility, just fun in the moment.

But people change. The once-stoic, pure little sister-in-law had turned into a full-blown seductress.

Yan Muyu wondered: how come every time she switched tastes, Qiu Chao switched styles too?

She didn’t dare assume it meant anything. Their first meeting had been in Yan Kai’s car, after all.

Love at first sight? That’d be twisted—lusting after your boyfriend’s sister in the car.

Qiu Chao: “I’m not short on cash.”

She was worlds apart from her old self now. “Heaven rewards the diligent” fit her to a T.

She had talent—not at the once-in-a-generation level of her seniors, but irreplaceable in her own generation.

With a face and figure that only got better with age, each phase more unforgettable than the last.

After grinding for over a decade, she wasn’t that girl who let herself get butchered anymore. No more kneeling in the snow for a gig.

But Qiu Chao still felt empty.

Because she’d never gotten love.

Yan Muyu’s love.

What would it even be like?

Yan Muyu lost her patience. “Spit it out—what do you want? Stop batting those eyes. It’s annoying.”

Qiu Chao laughed softly.

Anyone else, and Yan Muyu wouldn’t talk like that. The top director in the country had a playboy rep and knew how to flirt.

Even on other sets, Qiu Chao had heard Yan Muyu’s name.

And that infamous warning: Don’t fall for Yan Muyu.

Yan Muyu was promiscuous but never cheap about it. Her breakups were always amicable, giving her a solid reputation as an ex in their circle.

Yet those who loved freely were often heartless at core. Once the relationship ended, there was no going back—Yan Muyu charged forward without a single glance over her shoulder.

That made her perfect as a casual lover.

But Qiu Chao didn’t want a lover in Yan Muyu. She wanted the woman who loved her.

Lover as noun or verb—it didn’t matter.

Qiu Chao clutched the blanket around herself as she slipped out of bed and padded step by step toward Yan Muyu.

They were both barefoot.

Both women, but Yan Muyu had a naturally sturdy build and always rocked those edgy skirts with effortless cool.

She evoked the image of a wild teenage girl speeding off on her bike, carefree and untamed.

How could someone over thirty still brim with such youthful vigor?

Even now, with irritation and gloom clouding her brow, Yan Muyu effortlessly stirred in Qiu Chao the same heart-shaking thrill from that fateful glance under the dim KTV lights all those years ago.

Suddenly, Qiu Chao rose onto her tiptoes. The blanket slipped from her head.

Darkness rushed into her vision as she threw her arms around Yan Muyu’s waist—

“One more round, and I’ll join you unconditionally.”