Gu Qingshuang took the cigarette out of the drawer and snapped it in half, tossing it into the trash. Without even turning off the light, she returned to the bedroom.
Ming Li was in the shower; the sound of water was audible from the bathroom. Gu Qingshuang took off her outer shirt, leaving only her underwear, and turned the handle to enter the bathroom.
The dim yellow light shone on her, making her look like a meticulously carved work of art.
Ming Li heard the door and turned around. Seeing it was Gu Qingshuang, she was startled, but she quickly realized what the other woman was doing. Gu Qingshuang’s gaze was deep, staring at her intently.
Ming Li stared back, refusing to show weakness. Gu Qingshuang walked toward her. Ming Li wiped the water from her face and said coldly, “Wait.”
Gu Qingshuang raised an eyebrow. “Unwilling?”
Ming Li bit her lip. “Why are you here?”
Gu Qingshuang didn’t speak. Ming Li turned off the water. Without the sound of splashing, the enclosed, steamy space became even more suffocating.
Right now, Ming Li was completely naked, covered in water droplets and winding rivulets of water. Gu Qingshuang, however, was still wearing two pieces—not exactly modest, but not exposed either.
Ming Li didn’t care that she was being seen—it wasn’t like she hadn’t been seen before—but she cared that Gu Qingshuang still had her last layer of modesty while she had nothing. It wasn’t fair.
After a moment of silent standoff, Gu Qingshuang said, “I want to smoke.”
Ming Li paused, not immediately making the connection between smoking and sex. Then she remembered that night when Gu Qingshuang said she wanted to quit. She had forgotten how she had replied; she had been exhausted, wanting nothing more than to bury her head in the pillow.
But she must have gone along with whatever Gu Qingshuang said, because they had both been very happy that night. It was the simple pleasure of physical release, like coming off the world’s most intense roller coaster.
It seemed Gu Qingshuang was someone who had to get what she wanted. She hadn’t gotten it last night, so now that they had cleared the air, she was going to have it today.
Ming Li smiled. She wasn’t resistant. In this enclosed space, all it took was one look at Gu Qingshuang to stir her emotions. Especially since Gu Qingshuang never did things like this. Such behavior in Gu Qingshuang’s dictionary would probably be labeled as—seduction.
And how could the high-and-mighty Gu Qingshuang ever do such a thing?
Ming Li felt that Gu Qingshuang was exceptionally patient tonight. She looked Gu Qingshuang up and down and said gently, “Just like this?”
“Otherwise?” Gu Qingshuang asked. “Is it not enough?”
“But I’m not wearing anything,” Ming Li said.
Gu Qingshuang was surrounded by heat, her pores opening up. “Then what do you want?”
Ming Li smiled but said nothing. Gu Qingshuang took half a step forward, but Ming Li called for her to stop. “Wait.”
Gu Qingshuang’s voice was cold yet enticing. “You can take them off yourself.”
That was indeed a tempting offer. Ming Li had taken them off her before, but never in an environment like this. To be precise, their locations had always been monotonous—the bed in the room, or very rarely, the sofa with the plush cushions. Never the bathroom.
Gu Qingshuang had high needs in this area; after all, she was thirty and had high work pressure. Her physical desires were naturally stronger than Ming Li’s. But her standards were also high: it had to be a clean place, the lights had to be off, and she wouldn’t make a sound until she was completely overwhelmed by pleasure.
Ming Li had been a blank slate before she met her. Although she had been “cultivated” since then, her experience was still limited. But she knew enough about bathroom play.
Mainly, Gu Qingshuang had just walked in here so boldly. A fire was also lit in Ming Li’s heart. Since they couldn’t talk about feelings, they might as well sleep together; after a long time, there would naturally be some physical attachment.
Besides, she desperately wanted to make Gu Qingshuang cry right now—the loud kind of crying. It felt like it would provide an outlet for her inner resentment.
Ming Li was tempted by the proposal for a second, her gaze losing its innocence. But she still said coldly, “No.”
Gu Qingshuang stared at her. “What do you want, then?”
“Take them off yourself,” Ming Li said. “Come over only once you’re completely undressed.” Fearing that Gu Qingshuang would get unhappy and leave, she added a term of endearment they only used in bed: “Baby.”
Gu Qingshuang’s eyes flickered as she looked over Ming Li’s body. Young, beautiful, firm skin—vibrant with youth.
“Have you seen enough?” Ming Li asked.
Gu Qingshuang didn’t speak.
“If you aren’t willing,” Ming Li said, “then I’ll get dressed before you come over?”
She was soaking wet, yet she was saying such things, as if determined to uphold the principle of fairness.
Gu Qingshuang raised an eyebrow. “Why not take them off yourself? Wouldn’t you feel more accomplished?”
Ming Li bit her lip. “I’d rather watch you do it.”
It was like climbing to the peak of a snowy mountain to pick the holiest flower. Picking it yourself would bring a sense of achievement. But if you walked up and saw that everyone else had tried and failed, yet the flower naturally broke its stem and rolled into your hand the moment you arrived… that brought an even more indescribable, secret sense of satisfaction.
Ming Li thought she was being a bit dark. But at this moment, the mere thought of Gu Qingshuang taking off her own clothes made her heart pound, and her body began to flush with excitement.
Ming Li didn’t let it show on her face as she waited quietly. Gu Qingshuang seemed to be weighing the feasibility of the act. A moment later, she reached behind her back with one hand. With a click, the four rows of hooks came undone.
The white bra fell to the floor. Even though it was soaked, it was still beautiful.
Ming Li watched her intently, her gaze becoming more aggressive while her voice remained calm. “Continue.”
Gu Qingshuang’s eyes met hers. Her hand at her side spasmed—it was the kind of pleasure that hit the body before anything had even begun. She had never tried this before, and it was the first time she had seen this almost terrifyingly aggressive look in Ming Li’s eyes.
Ming Li probably didn’t know that there was a stark contrast between her everyday self and her self in bed. Most of the time, Ming Li was gentle, but when she got into it, she became incredibly dominant. This was one of the reasons Gu Qingshuang enjoyed being with her.
She loved seeing that look in Ming Li’s eyes. They were both naked, without pretense, sharing only primal joy and passion. It was so pure that they only needed a few syllables to understand each other. Not just in body, but in soul.
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