Lin Qimian didn’t drive; there was a bit of traffic on the way over by taxi.
She arrived a little late. Huang Xiaoyi hadn’t gone into the shop yet and was standing under the flower rack outside with Luo Fushui, chatting away with animated expressions.
Lin Qimian got out of the car and walked over.
Huang Xiaoyi spotted her right away, clapped both hands over her face, and struck a dramatic squealing pose.
Lin Qimian reached them. “????”
The flamboyantly dressed Huang Xiaoyi whipped around to Luo Fushui with excitement. “After staring for so long, my bestie is still the most enchanting!!!”
Luo Fushui was dressed in her usual simple style: a T-shirt layered under a plaid button-up, jeans, and a fresh-faced complexion that made her look like a college student.
She smiled at Lin Qimian, then answered Huang Xiaoyi. “I agree.”
Huang Xiaoyi high-fived her. “Yay!”
Lin Qimian: “…”
Lin Qimian: “Boss Luo, thanks for your hard work.”
Luo Fushui burst out laughing. “I’m not working hard at all—what would I have to work hard for? I love looking at beautiful women the most.”
She scooted over a bit, making room for Lin Qimian. “We’re already here, so don’t call me boss anymore. People might think I own the place.”
Lin Qimian: “All right, Fushui.”
Luo Fushui clapped a hand over her mouth, her face mirroring Huang Xiaoyi’s exact expression. “Ahh—she sounds so enchanting when she calls me that!!!”
Lin Qimian: “…”
Huang Xiaoyi dissolved into peals of laughter, trading hahas with Luo Fushui for a good while before catching her breath. “Moon and Weiwei should be here any minute. Let’s wait for them a bit.”
Lin Qimian: “Okay.”
Huang Xiaoyi and Luo Fushui resumed their sneaky perusal of the girls coming and going. Lin Qimian pulled out her phone for a glance—no messages from Xu Yueliang.
They hadn’t been in touch much lately.
She dropped the phone back into her bag and lifted her eyes to the street corner.
This street was packed with shops catering to all sorts of niche subcultures, so the decor was wildly avant-garde. Dominating the entrance was a massive cyberpunk lightbox, its red-and-blue glows turning the whole scene into something straight out of a sci-fi flick.
Shadows flitted through the lights, faces blurring into anonymity from a distance.
But the instant Xu Yueliang appeared at the corner, Lin Qimian knew it was her.
Or rather, no conscious recognition was needed—just a split-second intuition, and Lin Qimian’s gaze locked right on.
Xu Yueliang wore a long black trench coat that accentuated her slender, elongated silhouette. Her hair was pulled into a high ponytail, and she took long strides with her head down, striding along briskly like some cold-blooded assassin.
A cold-blooded assassin?
Lin Qimian quirked the corner of her mouth.
When had soft, bashful Xu Yueliang—who got shy just talking—turned into an assassin in her mind?
Huang Xiaoyi squinted, then nudged Lin Qimian’s arm. “Is that Moon?”
Lin Qimian: “Mm-hm.”
Huang Xiaoyi grinned. “I spotted Weiwei right away, but Moon’s look is seriously different today.”
Luo Fushui glanced over. “Folks usually dress edgier for nightclubs.”
Huang Xiaoyi: “Am I edgy enough?”
Luo Fushui: “Edgy as hell—a total cool idiot.”
The two of them devolved into playful banter as Xu Yueliang drew near and finally looked up.
Her eyes met Lin Qimian’s without a hitch. Lin Qimian didn’t blink or betray any particular emotion; she simply watched her, calm and steady.
Xu Yueliang’s gaze wavered. You Weiwei hooked an arm through hers and said something; Xu Yueliang’s eyes shifted away as naturally as breathing.
Lin Qimian’s fingers curled ever so slightly.
In those final steps, Huang Xiaoyi rushed forward to greet them. She pulled You Weiwei and Xu Yueliang into big bear hugs, beaming as she said, “Long time no see!” Then she introduced her new friend.
Luo Fushui barely acknowledged anyone inside the shop, but out here at the nightclub door, she was all warmth and enthusiasm.
She gushed over You Weiwei’s designer handbag and complimented Xu Yueliang’s makeup.
The group chatted boisterously. Lin Qimian stood in their midst, yet somehow apart from it all.
Her eyes lingered idly on Xu Yueliang the whole time.
Xu Yueliang’s ponytail was a intricate weave of tiny braids threaded with subtle, shimmering strands. Lin Qimian had seen her wear it during streams; up close, she could tell it had taken real effort.
She must have put some thought into tonight’s gathering.
As the group filed into the shop, the narrow passageway forced them to pair off. Xu Yueliang lagged a step behind, ending up right beside Lin Qimian.
She looked up for a quick glance at Lin Qimian. “Lin…”
The syllable caught in her throat.
Lin Qimian glanced down and caught Xu Yueliang’s eyes flicking across her chest before plunging into the shadows.
Her lashes fluttered wildly, and Xu Yueliang’s voice came out tiny. “Have you… been here before?”
“No,” Lin Qimian answered honestly.
Xu Yueliang’s chest rose and fell slightly. She lifted her face and flashed a smile at her. “I’ve never been here before either. I’m a little nervous too.”
“Mm,” Lin Qimian said. “We can just follow Luo Fushui.”
Xu Yueliang was about to say more when the staff member ahead pushed open the door. Music exploded out.
Deafening.
Someone behind Lin Qimian was pushing to get inside in a hurry.
Lin Qimian lifted her arm, carving out a safe space for Xu Yueliang.
Luo Fushui led the way at the front, guiding the group with practiced ease to their reserved booth.
Two half-circle sofas. You Weiwei scooted in next to Huang Xiaoyi. The remaining sofa, naturally, became the private domain of Xu Yueliang and Lin Qimian.
The sofa was plenty long, the seating spacious. Even if they edged closer without thinking, a good half-person’s width still separated Lin Qimian and Xu Yueliang.
Luo Fushui took charge of the vibe, organizing orders and polling everyone on their tastes. With her, Huang Xiaoyi, and the ever-energetic You Weiwei, the table buzzed nonstop.
The club’s noise didn’t let up either—one electronic track bleeding into the next, cheers pulsing from the dance floor in time with the beat, thunderous footsteps shaking the air, outbursts of shouting and laughter erupting from every direction…
Lin Qimian’s head throbbed.
She had always preferred quiet. Overwhelming sound hit her like carsickness.
Luo Fushui set a cocktail in front of her with a smile. “Give it a try. Way better than the ones I mix.”
Lin Qimian took a sip. Refreshing mint clashed with the fiery bite of vodka across her tongue, leaving her even dizzier.
She leaned back, letting her body go slack.
The place was sweltering. She shrugged off her jacket and tugged open her shirt collar.
Luo Fushui was directing Huang Xiaoyi and You Weiwei—two straight girls—on where to look for the hottest sights.
Lin Qimian turned toward the dance floor. Her gaze drifted for all of two seconds before snapping back to Xu Yueliang, right there within arm’s reach.
Xu Yueliang had ditched her jacket too.
What lay underneath was a showstopper: a black T-shirt with a heart-shaped cutout plunging at the chest, rainbow-striped fingerless gloves, a clashing blue-purple cake of a miniskirt, and…
Lin Qimian blinked in disbelief. Fishnet stockings, no less.
Big, gaping diamond mesh hugging her pale, slender legs, climbing past the knees before giving way to plain black calf socks.
Jacket on, she looked utterly everyday, nothing to see here.
Jacket off? Perfect club bait. Her makeup was light, but that face on this body screamed sweet-and-edgy, innocent-yet-tempting.
Lin Qimian burst out laughing. She lifted a hand to shade her eyes, calling herself an idiot.
As if her own body could lure Xu Yueliang—like dangling a gold brick in front of the world’s richest man.
Xu Yueliang had the most captivating figure around.
Worst part? She knew it.
Huang Xiaoyi jumped up, rallying Luo Fushui and You Weiwei. “Sisters, let’s hit the dance floor!”
You Weiwei slammed back her drink and leaped in. Huang Xiaoyi’s moves were clumsy at first, but Luo Fushui made a great teacher, syncing her up in no time.
The dance floor thrummed with energy. Xu Yueliang watched her friends with a smile crinkling her eyes, her body swaying gently to the rhythm.
Lin Qimian scooted closer. “You going?”
Xu Yueliang’s sway hitched for a beat. She answered fast: “Nah~~ I dance plenty on the job. Out for fun? No overtime~~”
Lin Qimian smiled. “They’re not half as good as you.”
Xu Yueliang stopped moving altogether, but her eyes stayed glued to the dance floor. She didn’t dare turn. “Fun’s what matters~~”
“Having fun now?” Lin Qimian pressed, the buzz hitting her head. “Hanging here with me’s gotta be boring.”
She didn’t dance. Didn’t whoop or crack up loud. Even her drinking stayed measured.
Nothing duller than restraint.
“Not boring~” Xu Yueliang twisted around at last. Flashing lights danced across her face, turning her catlike eyes into pools of sparkle. “Super happy~~”
“Really?” Lin Qimian’s lips quirked. “I’m not.”
Xu Yueliang froze.
A short-haired girl from the next booth leaned over the sofa back, cutting in. “Wanna do a shot together?”
Her eyes lingered mostly on Xu Yueliang.
Xu Yueliang was still stunned, so Lin Qimian fielded it. “No thanks.”
The girl backed off without a word. Lin Qimian turned to Xu Yueliang. “Want to grab one with someone else?”
Xu Yueliang shook her head, her braids swinging.
Someone else approached—from a table diagonally across the room, quite a distance away. Lin Qimian had spotted them long ago; that group had been eyeing Xu Yueliang for ages.
Lin Qimian drew back, settling into her normal seated posture.
This time, she’d let Xu Yueliang handle it herself.
The group arrived in a raucous wave, giggling and chattering away.
The girl with long, straight black hair leading the pack was shoved forward to invite Xu Yueliang to dance.
Xu Yueliang shook her head, turning down the offer.
When the girl pressed on, she stammered out a clumsy excuse: “I don’t know how to dance~”
“You don’t need to,” the long-haired girl fired back at once. “Just move. I’ll teach you.”
Xu Yueliang panicked a little, hunching inward as her voice dropped to a whisper: “No, thanks…”
The girl opened her mouth to argue, but Lin Qimian cut in: “Why don’t you teach me instead?”
Their eyes met, and Lin Qimian fixed her with a cool stare.
The girl cleared her throat awkwardly. “If you’ve got a date, just say so…”
With that, she herded her friends away, as boisterously as they’d come.
Xu Yueliang scooted closer to Lin Qimian on her seat.
Lin Qimian glanced at her. “Scared?”
“A little…” Xu Yueliang’s face twisted in embarrassment. “They might’ve had… other ideas…”
Of course they did.
A stranger could tell with one look, so after all the boundary-pushing things she’d done—all those ambiguous words she’d let slip—did Xu Yueliang even get it?
“Do you know what kind of place this is?” Lin Qimian asked.
Xu Yueliang’s eyes went wide. She edged closer until their arms brushed, then leaned in to murmur by her ear: “Les Nightclub. I looked it up.”
Lin Qimian let out a soft chuckle.
Xu Yueliang peered at her. “Does Doctor Lin know what I meant?”
Lin Qimian arched a brow. “Do I look like someone who wouldn’t?”
Xu Yueliang: “Yeah, you do.”
Xu Yueliang: “People like you probably don’t run into niche crowds like this very often.”
Lin Qimian: “And you do?”
Xu Yueliang puffed up with pride. “Obviously! I’m a streamer—always on the cutting edge of trends. I know everything~~”
Lin Qimian studied her, blinking slowly.
She knew, yet she was still scared. So she wasn’t part of this world at all?
Lin Qimian reached out, seized Xu Yueliang’s arm, and spun her around in one swift motion. Now she faced the throbbing chaos of the club—the riotous energy, the kaleidoscope of people filling her view.
Tall, short, fat, thin. Every hairstyle imaginable, every style under the sun.
All women. This place’s biggest draw was its men-prohibited policy: women only.
On a weekend peak hour, females from every corner of the city converged here. If you swung that way, you’d find someone to make your heart race.
“Which style catches your eye?” Lin Qimian murmured, her breath warm against Xu Yueliang’s ear, their gazes locked straight ahead. “If someone here asked you to dance, whose invite would you take?”
Xu Yueliang went rigid, silent.
Lin Qimian’s earring grazed her cheek—the chill of metal sending a shiver down her spine.
Lin Qimian guided her gaze. “Let’s start on the left. Bar area—those women sitting there are gorgeous…”
Xu Yueliang flinched hard. “I don’t like them.”
Lin Qimian’s words died on her lips. Her breath caught.
Xu Yueliang added quickly: “I wouldn’t go with any of them…”
“Oh.” Lin Qimian’s reply was soft. She released Xu Yueliang’s shoulder and pulled away.
Xu Yueliang remained frozen in place, locked in the stance Lin Qimian had imposed on her. She stared at that slim, poised back, lost in her thoughts.
Lin Qimian finished her drink in one gulp, rose, and stepped past her, tossing over her shoulder: “I’m going to dance.”
Xu Yueliang’s jaw dropped.
Lin Qimian didn’t seem like the type to know what this place was—or to rave in a nightclub.
But Lin Qimian was breathtakingly beautiful, the kind who could slip into any scene. She didn’t need rhythm; simply striding toward the dance floor pulled every eye in the room.
Xu Yueliang knew full well how magnetic she was.
Patients at the hospital adored her. On the blind-date market, she’d be prime real estate.
In a sea of ordinary faces, she shone brightest. Even niche circles would fling open their arms to her.
No one had dared approach while Xu Yueliang sat beside her.
Xu Yueliang could spot those tentative glances, feel that mix of nerves and longing.
If Lin Qimian didn’t take the initiative, even stealing a glance at her was a luxury Xu Yueliang couldn’t afford.
If Lin Qimian sent out any signal, she’d be devoured by countless admirers in an instant.
Lin Qimian had already stepped into the dance floor, and Luo Fushui sidled up to her with a smile, their bodies no more than ten centimeters apart.
Huang Xiaoyi was the one who had invited Xu Yueliang—and Huang Xiaoyi could only come to a place like this because of Luo Fushui.
At this party, Luo Fushui’s tastes were the clearest of all. She liked girls; her eyes brimmed with beautiful women. She adored Lin Qimian like a glittering treasure.
But who didn’t like Lin Qimian?
The raging fire Xu Yueliang had barely managed to suppress roared back to life. She shot to her feet and strode toward Lin Qimian.
In the end, she was practically running.
She dashed into the dance floor, shoving aside every body crowding close to Lin Qimian and wedging herself right in front.
“Doctor Lin…” She tilted her head back, calling softly.
But the clamor all around drowned her out. Lin Qimian towered over her, the lights from above dazzling her eyes.
She couldn’t make out Lin Qimian’s expression—Only the mole hidden beneath the white shirt, shifting hypnotically before her eyes, sending her blood surging straight to her head.
She still remembered the last time she’d seen that mole.
Soft white daylight, a dreamy morning as fluffy as clouds.
Xu Yueliang drew a deep breath and slid her hands onto Lin Qimian’s shoulders.
She rose onto her tiptoes, letting her voice brush against Lin Qimian’s ear. “Lin Qimian…”
Lin Qimian lowered her gaze, their cheeks grazing lightly.
Xu Yueliang’s voice trembled as she unleashed her wicked scheme. “They’re all dancing so badly~ Let me dance for you, okay?”
“Didn’t you say before that me dancing just for you would feel so damn good~~”
