Chapter 25

Mo Yue had come personally to pick up Merry.

The Bentley pulled slowly to the roadside in the Old City District. Yun Chun, who had brought Merry out early to wait, smiled and called out as the car door opened. “Big Boss.”

Mo Yue hummed in acknowledgment. She turned her head toward the large golden retriever standing beside Yun Chun, extended her hand, and beckoned. “Come here.”

Only when it heard Mo Yue’s call did Merry stir. It hopped skillfully into the car and grinned up at her.

The driver got out, took the other items from Yun Chun’s hands, and stowed them in the trunk.

Inside the car, Mo Yue stroked Merry’s head. “Good girl. Go sit in the back.”

Merry obediently retreated to the rear seat.

Mo Yue’s gaze shifted away from it and settled on Yun Chun. “Get in? I’m heading back to the hotel anyway.”

Yun Chun had planned to see Merry off and then bike to work on her own. But at Mo Yue’s words, she didn’t refuse. “All right. Thanks, Big Boss.”

Of course, she accepted without a moment’s hesitation because she suspected Mo Yue had something to ask her.

Otherwise, Yun Chun would never have gotten into Mo Yue’s car so casually. To her, Mo Yue was dangerous—a superior who wore a kindly smile and seemed utterly harmless to man or beast, yet was in truth calm and rational, ruthless and merciless, killing without a second thought.

The type to swallow you whole when your guard was down, without you even noticing.

Not like Lu Qingxue.

Lu Qingxue’s kindly smile reflected her heart exactly.

Lu Qingxue was a lake, vast enough to embrace everything. Even if you harbored guilt toward her, she would simply smile faintly and let it pass.

She would probably watch calmly as you walked into the lake, watch quietly as the water rose over your nose, watch as you flailed and struggled beneath the surface—and finally, watch as your corpse floated up, waiting for some passerby to find it and drag it away.

Of course, none of this was Lu Qingxue’s doing. You had walked into her waters willingly, drowning yourself in her gentle embrace.

All to die in her arms.

All to catch her eye.

Yun Chun’s eyelashes fluttered. Suddenly, she wondered: Would she be the one floating on the lake’s surface… or just a traveler passing by its edge?

~~~

Just as Yun Chun had guessed, Mo Yue had invited her into the car to ask about Merry.

It was like inquiring after a child fostered in someone else’s home, eager to hear how the stay had gone.

As the car pulled away, Mo Yue turned to her. “Did Merry give you any trouble?”

Yun Chun pulled herself from her reverie and answered simply, “No.”

Unlike what Yun Chun had expected, that was Mo Yue’s only question about the dog. The next one was about her.

“And how did you two get along? Still scared of it?”

Yun Chun paused, then answered honestly. “Very well. It’s quieter than I imagined—not naughty at all.”

“Quiet?” Mo Yue echoed, her tone peculiar.

Yun Chun was only speaking the truth—and the kind every pet owner longed to hear. “Yes. It can play with a ball by itself for ages. When it’s not doing that, it just lies by the coffee table. Very well-behaved.”

“That’s odd.”

Odd how?

Mo Yue glanced at the big dog sprawled in the back seat. “It’s a notorious house-wrecker.”

She turned back to Yun Chun. “I’d even prepared some compensation money, figuring I’d cover your ruined furniture. Looks like… it saved me the expense.”

This time, Yun Chun’s focus wasn’t the money. She was puzzled. “It? A house-wrecker?”

Mo Yue shrugged it off casually. “We’ve replaced the sofa several times because of it.”

She looked at Yun Chun, her red lips curving into a smile. “Merry actually belongs to a friend of mine. After she passed away, I’ve been looking after it for her. It’s only ever that obedient around my friend—never wrecks the place. But now it’s behaving for you too. Looks like… it really likes you.”

Yun Chun said nothing. She didn’t think Merry liked her. No, the reason it had stayed so quiet at her place was surely Lu Qingxue. With Lu Qingxue there to keep it in line, Merry had barely made a sound, let alone barked.

Mo Yue fell silent as well. When she finally pulled her gaze from Yun Chun’s face, she turned to stare out the window.

The scenery whipped past in flashes. Mo Yue tilted her head up toward the blue sky and drifting white clouds, murmuring to herself in her heart:

Letting Merry spend three days with her… does that count as helping you fulfill a little of your wish?

Mo Yue pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Qingxue, my friend… I miss you.

~~~

After that, Yun Chun’s life slipped back into its regular rhythm.

Work. Get off work.

Qin Xing had been tied up with company business lately and wasn’t handling event planning much, so Yun Chun hadn’t gone out on many gigs.

Life felt much the same as before.

Except now there was an extra bird flying alongside her path.

That bird went by the name of Lu Qingxue.

She came and went as she pleased in Yun Chun’s world, flapping her wings to appear wherever she liked.

And she appeared most often in Yun Chun’s bed.

Yun Chun’s shift started at five in the afternoon and ended at two a.m. She couldn’t leave right away afterward, either—she had to tidy up at work—so by the time she got home, it was usually past three.

In the past, she would come home to a pitch-black house. All that awaited her was a cold bed and the bathroom light flickering on its timer.

But now, with Lu Qingxue there, Yun Chun would reach her door and find it swinging open from the inside before she could even dig her keys from her pocket. Warm light spilled out to greet her.

She would stand there in a daze for a moment, and then Lu Qingxue would poke her head around the door, eyes curving into a smile. “Little Darling’s home~”

Yun Chun would lower her gaze. “Mm.”

“You’re five minutes later than yesterday,” Lu Qingxue would say.

“Caught two extra red lights,” Yun Chun would reply.

“Ah, that explains it.”

Then Lu Qingxue would shoo her off to wash up.

By the time Yun Chun emerged from the bathroom, Lu Qingxue would be propped against the headboard, leafing through a fashion magazine.

She would be wearing some different nightgown, her soft curls spilling over her rounded shoulders and neck.

When Yun Chun climbed into bed, Lu Qingxue would snap her fingers, and the room would plunge into darkness.

No more fussing over who got into bed last or who turned off the lights.

The next instant, an arm would snake around Yun Chun’s waist.

The touch was cool and smooth, like a serpent winding its way upward.

But unlike a snake, this arm lay perfectly still—like a sticker plastered to her skin, marking her with an exclusive claim.

Yun Chun murmured under her breath, “Sister Qingxue…”

“Hm?”

“I’ve realized you won’t hurt me. Honestly… you don’t have to wait up for me every night just to sleep together.”

She knew having someone waiting at home was a warm, comforting thing. But lying next to a stunning beauty every night, with that beauty pressed close… it left her on pins and needles.

In the darkness, Lu Qingxue’s eyelashes quivered. She heard the tension in Yun Chun’s breathing and felt the corners of her own mouth twitch upward in secret.

“But waiting for you… I’ve gotten used to it.”

Her voice evoked frost on a snowy mountaintop, a blizzard bending the branches while she stood unmoved.

She made the dull torment of waiting sound so light and effortless.

Yun Chun fell silent, at a loss for words. For a moment, she even wanted to turn around and comfort Lu Qingxue—stung by the flat calm in her voice.

That serene lake surface hid ice-sharp spikes.

Waiting for her had become a habit?

How long had Lu Qingxue been waiting?

These past few days? Those five extra minutes at the lights? Or… something more?

Habits could be broken, couldn’t they?

Besides, that wasn’t what she had meant—not quite.

A few seconds later, Yun Chun parted her lips, opting for honesty. “I mean… you don’t have to sleep with me anymore…”

The four a.m. sky was already growing light with the promise of dawn. A breath of it seeped through the window.

The curtains swayed gently.

In one swaying gap, a sliver of light slipped in and fell across Lu Qingxue’s face.

“Why not, Little Darling? Didn’t you say you’d give me a chance that day?”

The light revealed her lips curved in a smile, her brows and eyes soft as a painting. But her tone was the opposite—puzzled, faintly downcast.

The contrast was so stark, it was hard not to suspect she was doing it on purpose.

Lu Qingxue was doing it on purpose.

She had known exactly what Yun Chun meant from the moment the words left her mouth.

But could she just go along with it?

Of course not.

Agreeing would mean rejecting herself.

Yun Chun was still so green, so inexperienced.

Lu Qingxue’s goal wasn’t to guide her toward maturity. No—it was to dismantle her, bit by bit.

To shatter Yun Chun’s fixed image of her. Then, when Yun Chun stooped to gather the fragments, she might still be green… but her understanding would never be the same.

The curtains stilled. The bedroom sank back into blackness.

Without night vision, Yun Chun couldn’t make out Lu Qingxue’s expression. And even if she could have, she wouldn’t have looked.

Lu Qingxue’s hand still rested on her stomach. To turn over or even tilt her head would feel like throwing herself into waiting arms.

Yun Chun’s sleeping posture wasn’t the best. That first night sharing the bed, she had accidentally struck Lu Qingxue in her sleep. In the days since, she had kept it in mind and never dared sleep deeply.

She came across as so carefree, brushing off anything anyone said or did. In truth, her mind was keenly sensitive. Even over something small—even if no one mentioned it, or said it was fine—she would reflect on it endlessly, staying ever vigilant against repeating the mistake.

Falling asleep, she would remind herself not to slumber too soundly, not to sprawl into awkward positions. And yet she would still jolt awake in the middle of the night over it. Each time she woke, she would find herself cradled in Lu Qingxue’s arms.

Her head pillowed on Lu Qingxue’s arm.

Her hand was wrapped around Lu Qingxue’s waist.

Her leg was draped over Lu Qingxue’s leg.

Her lips were still pressed against Lu Qingxue’s neck.

She clung to Lu Qingxue like an octopus.

But she was only a four-limbed octopus. If she had more tentacles, every single one might have wrapped around Lu Qingxue, the suckers on them clinging tightly to her body.

She greedily craved Lu Qingxue’s gentleness, the coolness of her skin.

And Yun Chun didn’t believe Lu Qingxue was oblivious to it all. So when Lu Qingxue draped an arm over her waist, Yun Chun didn’t find it sudden or intrusive. Instead, she thought—

It was her own fault!

She must have been sprawled all over the place in her sleep, leading to the misunderstanding.

Since there was a misunderstanding, it was better to clear it up right away.

The arm resting on her abdomen weighed almost nothing, yet it made Yun Chun afraid to breathe too deeply. She held her breath, slowing the rise and fall of her belly, her gaze fixed on the ceiling as she whispered back, “What I meant was, think whatever you want…”

It was such an obvious refusal.

But Lu Qingxue replied, “And what I’m thinking is that you agreed.”

“…”

Yun Chun suddenly decided this wasn’t a very good answer.

Some might interpret it as a cold rejection, while others would see it as a shy acceptance.

Lu Qingxue fell into the latter camp.

Then came Lu Qingxue’s voice by her ear again. “Or do you not want me to hold you?”

Answering her own question, Lu Qingxue added, “But I remember you saying it felt really comfortable sleeping while holding me—like having the air conditioner on.”

Yun Chun paused. Had she said that?

Lu Qingxue let out a sigh, her arm tightening around Yun Chun. “Little Darling, I’m exhausted today. I just want to rest properly…”

She fell silent after that, waiting. It wasn’t a long wait, but it dragged on long enough for Lu Qingxue to sense Yun Chun’s hesitation—like another refusal.

Fine. She’d take it slow.

Lifting her arm, Lu Qingxue spoke in a voice even softer than the cicadas chattering in the branches outside the window. “Sorry, I—”

“Hold me, then.”

Yun Chun’s words were drowned out by the shrill cry of a cicada. Whether Lu Qingxue hadn’t heard clearly or simply wanted to hear it again, she asked, “Hm?”

It was a soft puff of breath, slipping low into Yun Chun’s ear.

Yun Chun’s ears had been warmed by the sultry summer night, her throat damp with the muggy heat. The words she ought to say carried a sticky humidity, but being held against Lu Qingxue’s cool skin made her voice emerge surprisingly detached and crisp. In a faintly indifferent tone, she said, “Go ahead and hold me.”

Lu Qingxue chuckled.

She shifted her head forward, resting it on Yun Chun’s pillow.

Their strands of hair naturally brushed together.

Black tresses entwining—this was already their third most intimate act.

The second was a kiss.

The first… was unspeakable.

Each silken thread whispered secrets about its owner, secrets Yun Chun couldn’t hear. All she felt was a warm current coursing through her body as Lu Qingxue drew nearer, tickling at her heart.

Yun Chun heard Lu Qingxue laugh again, and embarrassment washed over her—her stubborn facade laid bare. Irritated, she demanded, “What are you laughing at?”

“Can’t I laugh?” Lu Qingxue’s fingertip lightly hooked at Yun Chun’s waist. It was no longer just her heart that itched; her whole body did. Ticklish, she shrank back on instinct.

Delighted by the discovery, Lu Qingxue scratched lightly again. Yun Chun’s body curled inward once more. To ward off further tickling, Yun Chun instinctively seized Lu Qingxue’s wrist. “Don’t tickle…”

Lu Qingxue let out a laughing hum. “Stingy Ghost.”

It was unclear whether she meant Yun Chun wouldn’t let her laugh or wouldn’t let her tickle.

Still gripping Lu Qingxue’s wrist, Yun Chun pulled her hand away from her waist. “If I’m a Stingy Ghost, then don’t hold me anymore.”

With that, Yun Chun rolled onto her side, turning her back to Lu Qingxue.

Lu Qingxue: “…”

Holding back her laughter, she pressed forward and draped her hand over Yun Chun’s waist again. Propping herself up slightly, she leaned down to coax by Yun Chun’s ear. “I’m the Stingy Ghost.”

Yun Chun had closed her eyes after turning away. When Lu Qingxue’s hand settled on her, the corners of her mouth twitched upward uncontrollably. And when she felt that familiar softness pressing against her back, her body tensed in an instant.

The sensation stirred memories of that previous dream…

Hearing Lu Qingxue’s clumsy attempt at coaxing, Yun Chun’s eyelids fluttered.

She debated whether to stay silent or tease her for being so bad at it.

But then Lu Qingxue tacked on the rest: “You’re just stingy.”

Yun Chun: “？！”

This wasn’t coaxing at all—it wasn’t even trying.

Her eyes snapped open, and she whipped around toward Lu Qingxue with swift efficiency.

Huffing indignantly, she shot back, “How am I stingy?”

“You won’t let me hold you after I laugh once.”

“But you’re holding me right now!”

“Yeah…”

Lu Qingxue’s hand slid slowly down from Yun Chun’s waist, pulling her into a full embrace.

“Then I take it back. Little Darling is really generous.”

Lu Qingxue’s eyes curved into smiling crescents. Even in the darkness, Yun Chun could see the blue light sparkling in them.

Twinkling on and off.

Yun Chun felt herself sinking into it.

A moment later, Lu Qingxue murmured softly, “Little Darling, what I actually wanted to say before you agreed was: Sorry. I should have waited until you fell asleep and then hugged you myself.”

Yun Chun’s lashes trembled. So that was it… Lu Qingxue had wanted to apologize. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have softened and changed her mind…

“But having this embrace happen early is a wonderful thing.”

Lu Qingxue chuckled lowly again.

“This way, I won’t get squeezed awake by you after I fall asleep.”

Her laughter was like the faint, ethereal fragrance of night-blooming flowers.

The scent bloomed in the air like fireworks.

Invisible and transparent, yet its heat lingered palpably.

Yun Chun’s ears felt like they were melting in the summer night’s swelter.

Lu Qingxue… how could she be so wicked?