Chapter 87

The pale yellow sun hung in the sky, inching toward the horizon. It shifted from an oval to a half-circle, on the verge of vanishing beyond the edge of the world. The sunlight no longer scorched; instead, the floating golden rays bathed her skin with a tenderness like the gentle peck of a fledgling’s downy beak—soft to the extreme.

Tang Lian narrowed her eyes slightly, stretching her body contentedly. Then she tilted her chin up, leaning toward Nan Qi’s lips to steal a kiss. She let out a soft, milky purr like a kitten having its belly rubbed, but her words carried a deeper invitation: “Do you want to see an even more beautiful me?”

Nan Qi instinctively pecked her lips, her soft mouth still brushing against Tang Lian’s. But at those words, she paused, her eyelashes trembling as she gazed at her girlfriend.

Their eyes met, and the air seemed to ignite with invisible fireworks.

Nan Qi’s throat bobbed for a moment, her voice tightening. “Yes—”

A light, teasing laugh sounded in her ear, heating her earlobes.

Nan Qi deliberately kept her face straight, struggling to maintain a calm facade. But her slender arms naturally slipped around Tang Lian’s waist and under her knees, lifting her effortlessly from the long chair. “I’ll carry you back to the room.”

Tang Lian’s body floated upward, her arms wrapping cooperatively around Nan Qi’s neck. Her gaze fell on Nan Qi’s porcelain-pale jawline, which gleamed crystalline and fragile in the sunset glow. She lifted her face and flicked out the tip of her pink tongue, brushing it lightly over the skin there. Her tone was playful: “Okay, Little Proper~”

The sudden touch made Nan Qi’s steady steps falter. Her already warm earlobes flushed completely pink. She forced her breathing to steady, barely avoiding dropping Tang Lian and tumbling down with her.

Gritting her teeth, Nan Qi pinched Tang Lian’s waist in warning. She pressed her cheek against Tang Lian’s and let out a frustrated sigh. “Lianlian, you’re going to be the death of me.”

Tang Lian kept stoking the fire. “Aren’t you still alive and kicking? And pinching me like that—such naughty hands.”

Nan Qi: “…Who’s the one who started being naughty?”

Tang Lian glanced up at the sky and stopped teasing. They still had plenty of time ahead.

Nan Qi safely carried Tang Lian back to the hotel. The moment she pushed open the door, a sense of solid reassurance finally settled over her.

Her girlfriend always loved watching her blush helplessly in public, and Nan Qi felt so helpless about it.

Just as Nan Qi’s mood began to relax a fraction, her view suddenly shifted. Tang Lian spun her around in an embrace, pressing her back against the wooden door with a light, unusual thud.

Nan Qi let out an instinctive soft hum. Then a warm, moist touch grazed her nose, like the brush of a feather, leaving a wistful emptiness in her chest.

Any remaining gasp was swallowed in her throat, dissolving into nothing.

The familiar heat surged back. Nan Qi stretched her neck instinctively, chasing the kiss. But just as she was about to succeed, soft hands cupped her cheeks, gently pushing her away.

Thwarted, Nan Qi tilted her head, looking at Tang Lian in confusion.

“Don’t be so eager, Big Sister.” Tang Lian’s lips curved lightly. Her shimmering eyes traced from Nan Qi’s gaze down to her lips, like a tangible brush outlining every detail of Nan Qi’s expression. Her smile was like that of a mountain spirit who had cultivated in seclusion for years, transforming into a fragile beauty at just the right moment to lure kind-hearted travelers into the woods and drain their essence. Nan Qi was the carefully chosen target.

Swept by Tang Lian’s soft, alluring gaze, Nan Qi felt a strange urge to tidy herself up and leap straight into the trap.

Everything was firmly in Tang Lian’s grasp.

Nan Qi stumbled over her words, trying to regain control. “I… I’m not eager.”

Tang Lian gave a casual “Oh?” and led Nan Qi to the enormous floor-to-ceiling window facing the sea.

The sun hung low, clouds rolling lazily. The pale golden sky was shifting to deep blue. Gentle waves lapped at the beach and receded just as quickly. Even through the glass, it felt as if her toes could touch the sand.

When they had checked in, the front desk had kindly mentioned that the window was made of special glass—clear views outward, but no one outside could see in. Privacy was assured.

Nan Qi hadn’t thought much of it, but Tang Lian had committed it to memory.

“Watching the sea from the room has its own charm.” Tang Lian’s hand caressed the thick glass, then she said the words out of nowhere.

Nan Qi couldn’t quite follow Tang Lian’s train of thought. She simply followed her gaze, taking in the coastline darkening to inky blue.

They stood close, shoulders brushing. The pristine window reflected two fuzzy heads. Tang Lian pressed her cheek against it for zero-distance skin contact with Nan Qi, then pecked her pink earlobe while making the request she had clearly planned in advance.

She watched Nan Qi’s ever-changing expressions with keen interest.

After a quiet few seconds, she urged, “Come on, Big Sister.”

Only then did Nan Qi slowly open the suitcase. She pulled out two matching deer antler hairbands and Tang Lian’s skincare essential oil. Her steps toward Tang Lian were as hesitant as before, the hand holding the hairbands trembling slightly—as if she gripped not accessories, but some devastating biochemical weapon.

Tang Lian propped her chin on her left hand, her clear, bright eyes brimming with unmasked heat for Nan Qi. She stepped forward quickly, taking one hairband and putting it on without hesitation.

Then she snatched the other, her jade-like fingers stroking Nan Qi’s cheek. “Lower your head.”

Nan Qi hesitated and lowered her head, mumbling, “Didn’t we wear them last time…”

Before she finished, the weight settled on her forehead. The hairband gathered her dark hair, leaving traces of restraint amid the strands.

It was like flipping a switch. Nan Qi’s mind blanked, her body freezing in place.

But it wasn’t over yet.

Tang Lian gave her a sidelong glance and picked up a soft silk scarf from beside the bed. She loosely looped it around Nan Qi’s neck and tugged the end, drawing her closer.

Caught off guard, Nan Qi stumbled forward into the soft bedding. She barely propped herself up on her elbows in a challenging single-arm plank.

By the time she recovered from the dizziness, the cap on the essential oil had been thoughtfully unscrewed. Tang Lian lay on her side nearby, mere centimeters away. Her thin-strapped dress hung loosely, the fine red velvet ties undone at the back, dangling precariously. From the side, her curves were exquisite, revealing a glimpse of rosy peaks against milk-white skin.

Nan Qi’s face flushed. She leaned in closer.

Tang Lian’s eyes were heavy-lidded with desire. She took Nan Qi’s hand, poured some oil into her palm, and pressed their hands together, spreading the slick essence. She placed it on her waist. “Start coating from here—”

She let go, leaving the rest to Nan Qi.

Nan Qi followed the curve of her waist like a dutiful masseuse, eyes forward, applying even pressure to spread the warm oil over Tang Lian’s taut, pale back. She carefully shifted obstructing straps aside. Her palm grew hot from the prolonged friction.

Her soft fingertips moved like a conductor’s baton, rhythmically gliding over the skin, directing a symphony of sensual notes that danced orderly in the air.

The cool touch of her fingertips betrayed their owner’s meticulous seriousness, yet it only stirred Tang Lian more restlessly. She trembled lightly, rubbing against the pristine white sheets. The hem of her skirt lifted slightly, exposing a section of pale thigh right in Nan Qi’s line of sight.

She waited a moment but got no further response. A touch of disappointment crept in. Did she really need to take the lead again?

Just as Tang Lian shifted position, a soft body suddenly pressed over her from behind, drawing a soft gasp. The thin skirt fabric was hooked by fingers and pulled aside.

Stunned only for an instant, Tang Lian obediently lifted her legs. Nan Qi tugged the skirt free smoothly.

Oil-slicked fingertips glided slowly toward more intimate areas, carefully tending every inch of skin.

Tang Lian’s eyelashes quivered. Her body curled instinctively. She tilted her head back, fingers clutching the sheets and leaving winding creases.

Facing away, her expression hidden, Nan Qi revealed a side unknowingly awakened by Tang Lian—like a young deer venturing curiously from the forest into the unknown. Her slender fingers twisted unconsciously, drawing out sticky strands that made faint, ambiguous sounds in the air, as if more than just oil mingled there…

The simple motion sounded like thick oil paints splattering onto a blank canvas in Tang Lian’s ears, making her heart pound wildly. She knew her body was sensitive, easily aroused just by being near Nan Qi. But she hadn’t expected to react so intensely from a mere touch—

Tears welled in the corners of her eyes. Awkwardly, she called out Nan Qi’s name: “Nan Qi.”

She twisted around for a kiss, her body wrapping tightly around Nan Qi like clinging vines, unwilling to let go even an inch.

Through tear-blurred eyes, Tang Lian saw Nan Qi fully dressed, her cheeks faintly flushed as she kissed her with eyes closed. The dim light outside the window—where deep black intertwined with soft orange—bathed Nan Qi’s face, making her look like a deity who had descended to the mortal realm. The deer antler hairband teetered precariously on her head, occasionally brushing against Tang Lian’s forehead. Someone’s hand gripped her slightly sweat-dampened thighs tightly, and she bloomed open almost against her will, surrendering completely.

Tang Lian was utterly intoxicated by the expression Nan Qi revealed in this moment.

It was the very scene she had fantasized about in her dreams, utterly subverting Nan Qi’s usual aloof and composed demeanor.

Yet now, Nan Qi was even more audacious than in her fantasies—more captivating, more irresistible.

Tang Lian’s entire body flushed crimson, her breaths coming in heavy gasps. Sweat matted the hair at her temples as she threw herself fully into the moment. Then Nan Qi scooped her up into the air and pinned her against the heavy floor-to-ceiling window. Gazing out, Tang Lian spotted the clear full moon hanging in the sky. A low, husky voice murmured in her ear, moist and teasing: “Tang Classmate, you know if anyone catches us like this in the office, it’ll be big trouble, right?”

A shiver ran down her spine, scalp prickling uncontrollably. Her legs went weak, barely able to support her, and she slumped powerlessly into Nan Qi’s arms.

Her head spun dizzily, countless fireworks exploding in her mind.

This was too much—

She had thought herself the sly vixen, luring her prey and holding all the power. In the end, though, she had been devoured down to the last bite—a helpless little lamb, powerless to resist.

The hunter had come prepared with a trap. At first, she had calmly led Tang Lian on a leisurely stroll across the grassland, setting snares at random spots and waiting together for the prey to fall in. On the way back, Tang Lian followed trustingly in her footsteps. But then, on flat ground, her foot suddenly plunged into a pitfall. The hunter beside her swiftly bound her with rope and dragged her off to the desert, the neighbor’s yard, the beach, the snowy mountains—places utterly unlike the familiar comforts of her own territory. Along the way, they left traces of their passion everywhere, and Tang Lian’s every secret fell under the hunter’s complete control.