Chapter 21: Want to Touch?
“This is it.”
Gu Qing unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of Ji Yueling’s car.
After saying this, he had already turned and headed upstairs, not even bothering with an extra goodbye. Ji Yueling’s car remained parked there, silently watching him until he completely disappeared from view before she finally started the engine and left.
…
Gu Qing had brought his keys when he went out.
The door opened softly as he tiptoed into the living room. Looking around, the TV was still emitting a faint glow, and on the sofa, a girl in pajamas wrapped in a soft blanket had fallen asleep.
He had clearly told Lu Qianqian not to wait for him.
Gu Qing came to the sofa somewhat helplessly, bent down slightly and lifted her blanket. Lu Qianqian first drowsily opened her eyes, then let out a startled “ah!” until Gu Qing said gently, “Why did you fall asleep in the living room?”
“I got drowsy watching TV and fell asleep…” Lu Qianqian answered softly, her voice somewhat confused and a little guilty.
“Oh, then go back to bed quickly.” Gu Qing didn’t probe further. Instead, he naturally extended his arms toward her. Lu Qianqian was stunned for a moment, then threw herself into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck before being gently lifted by Gu Qing.
Perhaps because this position felt somewhat insecure, the still-drowsy Lu Qianqian wrapped her legs around his waist in panic. The girl’s chest pressed against his, and even through her pajamas, he could feel her full softness. She smelled of pleasant body wash, and her soft, warm body was like a little heater in winter.
It might be very comfortable to hold her while sleeping at night.
Fortunately, Gu Qing only thought about it. Feeling his way through the dim light, he carried Lu Qianqian to her room. Lu Qianqian’s head rested against his shoulder, seeming reluctant to get down, until Gu Qing reached out and gently patted her bottom. Lu Qianqian flinched as if electrocuted, loosened her grip, and fell onto the bed. Gu Qing pulled the covers over her.
“Sleep now.” Gu Qing said this and turned to leave, but heard Lu Qianqian mutter softly like she was acting spoiled, “Socks… haven’t taken them off yet.”
Gu Qing turned back, gently lifted the edge of the covers, found her slender, snow-white ankle, and gently removed the white socks from her delicate feet. After taking them off, he placed them neatly to one side and tucked the covers back in. Lu Qianqian’s little head was outside the covers, looking at Gu Qing, and couldn’t help muttering softly, “You smell so much like alcohol…”
“Yeah, I drank a lot with her, then went to the mountaintop to get some air.”
“Eh… the mountaintop?”
“Mm, the stars up there are quite nice, and it’s very quiet.” Gu Qing said softly.
Lu Qianqian’s eyes seemed to fill with some inexplicable longing and envy, but she couldn’t find words to say. She could only obediently hum in response. It wasn’t until Gu Qing left the room that she grabbed her blanket and buried her whole body under the covers.
Though she had been drowsy just moments before, now she was in a daze again, with some inexplicable restlessness. She tossed and turned in the blankets for a while without being able to fall asleep, yet couldn’t figure out why. After a while, she finally threw off the covers to let her stuffy head get some air, looking toward the night sky beyond the curtains. Only then did she vaguely understand.
She wanted to see the stars too.
…
The early spring night air still carried some lingering chill.
The sound of water echoed in the bathroom as cold droplets fell on her skin, causing Ji Yueling’s flesh to flush pink.
She only spent very little time with her family each year. Apart from those few days during New Year, most of the time she lived alone. She lived in Qiming City’s most luxurious district, enjoying a three-bedroom, two-living-room residence all to herself. The housing prices here could match an ordinary person’s average annual salary per square meter. Though the heating was turned up so high, Ji Yueling still often felt cold.
On the drive home, she had often been distracted, nearly driving the car into a tree. The first thing she did when she got home was go to the bathroom, carelessly wadding up her nightgown and throwing it aside before turning on the shower. The ice-cold water flow gradually calmed the chaotic thoughts in her head.
When her warm blood gradually grew cold and her body began shivering in the cold water, she had to tightly hug her shoulders. When her lips began trembling uncontrollably, she recalled again that moment when she had held the gun to her temple.
She had thought she was no longer afraid of death, but the instant she thought of that scene, she instinctively felt afraid. Her legs went weak and her body gradually curled up on the bathroom floor, letting the water fall on her black hair, draping wetly over her body, making her look utterly wretched.
She suddenly recalled Gu Qing’s gaze at that time—gentle? Or perhaps pity, seemingly the same as the expression she had seen last time.
She had never needed pity, nor did she long to be saved by anyone. Perhaps what she needed right now was just this cold water to gradually calm her overly agitated heart.
After a long time, she finally turned off the shower, hastily dried her hair with a towel, wrapped herself in a bath towel, stood up, and went to the living room wearing slippers. There was a full-length mirror in the living room. Her steps suddenly paused, then she untied the bath towel and looked at herself in the mirror.
The woman in the mirror had a slender, curvaceous figure, fair skin with a hint of pink, and delicate features that remained cold even while looking in the mirror. She stared blankly at herself in the mirror until she took out the gun again, loaded a single bullet, and aimed it at her forehead.
For a long time, she didn’t pull the trigger.
She bit her lip lightly, then put the gun away. Looking at herself in the mirror, she suddenly smiled, though the forced smile appeared somewhat stiff.
The humidifier in the room made the mirror surface somewhat foggy, with water vapor diffusing.
She suddenly thought of something, took out her phone and snapped a photo, selected a friend, and sent it in one fluid motion.
Only after doing this did she wipe the mirror and look at herself again. This time she seemed to have a bit of genuine smile, then turned around and went back to her room, wrapping herself tightly in the covers to bid farewell to the night.
…
The next day, morning.
Gu Qing, who was eating the simple noodles Lu Qianqian had cooked, picked up his phone and glanced at his messages. His eyes widened slightly and he nearly choked on the noodles.
Lu Qianqian, seeing his strange expression, tilted her head. “What’s wrong?”
“Hiss…” Gu Qing pondered for a moment, then typed with one hand: “Seduction?”
“Showing off,” came Ji Yueling’s short and powerful reply.
“Showing off?”
“Showing off my good figure to you.”
Gu Qing thought for a moment, then laughed and continued typing: “Feel free to show off more in the future. I don’t mind.”
Ji Yueling went quiet. Lu Qianqian, watching Gu Qing’s expression change from surprise to amusement, grew more and more confused, blinking at him questioningly. Gu Qing thought about it and explained: “She inexplicably sent me a photo somewhere between semi-nude and completely naked.”
This time it was Lu Qianqian’s turn to choke on her noodles, instinctively asking, “Eh?”
Her eyes immediately became alert and serious, though her voice remained timid and soft: “But Yueling-jie doesn’t seem like such a frivolous person…”
Gu Qing put his phone aside and thought before answering: “She really doesn’t seem like it.”
“Then…”
“She’s the type of person who’s desperate to the point of near collapse. It wouldn’t be strange for her to do anything crazy. Rather than seduction or showing off, it’s more like a transaction.”
“Another transaction?”
“Yeah, selling her body to try to arouse my desire, then trade for the intelligence she wants from me. After being completely drained of her use value, she’d immediately discard me, because someone like her—if she doesn’t even care about herself, how could she care about others?”
“So what exactly did you two talk about last night…”
“This topic seems quite inappropriate for children.”
“I’m an adult.” Lu Qianqian puffed out her cheeks slightly.
“Right, then I’ll tell you.”
Gu Qing casually chatted with Lu Qianqian about last night’s story.
…
Lu Qianqian quietly listened to the entire story, her dark eyes seriously looking at him twice before she couldn’t help reaching out to gently touch his cheek. Gu Qing asked in confusion, “What?”
“The you in that story is different from the you I see…”
“Everyone is different in front of different people.” Gu Qing picked up the noodle soup and took a large gulp, then set down the bowl with satisfaction. “Whatever I’m like in your eyes, that’s what I am.”
“I’m full.”
Lu Qianqian obediently stood up and collected his bowl and chopsticks to take to the kitchen.
After washing the dishes, Lu Qianqian came out and looked at Gu Qing lying on the sofa, softly murmuring, “I have a package that arrived…”
“Then I’ll go with you to get it