The difference between "quenching thirst" and "relieving boredom" is only one word, but the meanings are vastly different.
Chai Qianning played a word game with her, replying, "You guessed half right."
Sheng Muxi didn't understand her silver tongue; she only knew that she would relieve her boredom by drinking, so she paid more attention to this neighbor.
"When you asked me about the bachelor party, I thought you were just curious. I never expected to actually see you there tonight."
"I'm just curious."
I'm just curious about something other than the bachelor/bachelorette party itself.
She wondered if Sheng Muxi would become the center of attention at the event, whether she would find a partner because of the party, and whether she would accept someone's advances. Now she had the answer.
“That’s true. You’ve been sitting in the corner the whole time and haven’t joined in anyone’s conversation.” Sheng Muxi’s curiosity was piqued, and she asked her, “Then what was your purpose in going to the event? Was it to find a partner? Don’t tell me you were just curious to take a look.”
Chai Qianning rested her chin on her hand, blinked, and the corners of her mouth curved into a shallow crescent moon: "What do you think?"
If laughter has a limit, then Chai Qianning's laughter at this moment, falling into Sheng Muxi's eyes, must be even more intense than Jägermeister's, making one unconsciously intoxicated.
Sheng Muxi licked her lips, cautiously guessing, "Is it?"
"Hmm?" Chai Qianning uttered a single word, with a slight nasal tone and a soft ending, making it difficult to discern whether she was stating a statement or asking a question.
Before Sheng Muxi could speak again, Chai Qianning countered with, "And you? Are you looking to find a partner?"
Chai Qianning stood up to make tea for Sheng Muxi, placing a shallow saucer cup in front of her. Sheng Muxi picked it up and took a small sip: "It is a little."
"A little?" Chai Qianning put down her teacup, propped her chin up with her hands, and smiled. "Don't you really want to?"
Sheng Muxi had a premonition that the dry tinder piled up in his heart was about to be ignited by a raging fire.
She lowered her eyelashes, a faint pink blush spreading across her cheeks: "I attend these kinds of parties because, of course, I'm somewhat hoping to find a partner."
Chai Qianning stared at her intently: "Then did I ruin your plans?"
When she said those words, Chai Qianning felt no guilt whatsoever.
She doesn't go to bachelor/bachelorette parties to find love, but if someone is really eager to find a partner, she's willing to help them.
Sheng Muxi looked away a second after meeting the other person's gaze, smiled, and said, "No." She then took another sip of tea.
"You're so beautiful, how come you're still single?" Chai Qianning didn't hold back in praising her appearance.
Although she felt that many people had probably said these kinds of things to Sheng Muxi, and that they were incredibly corny, she was in a good mood tonight, so it wasn't a bad thing for her to say a little corny stuff.
Moreover, she, who was initially feeling sleepy in the car, is now wide awake.
“You’re very pretty too, how come you’re still single?” Sheng Muxi raised an eyebrow and asked the other person in return.
“I’m just too lazy to date.” Chai Qianning thought for a moment and felt that this sentence was not quite right, so she changed her words: “It’s not that I’m lazy, it’s just that I’m not interested. I’m too lazy to do things that I’m not interested in.”
"As for me, it's because I have a low desire for love. Actually, my friend insisted on dragging me to this bachelor/bachelorette party."
“Low libido?” Chai Qianning grasped the key words.
Sheng Muxi smoothed her hair: "Really, but low desire doesn't mean no desire at all, right?"
Chai Qianning smiled slyly: "Why don't you try it and see?"
"Try what?" Sheng Muxi didn't understand her words.
Chai Qianning personally presented herself to Sheng Muxi: "Give me a kiss."
Sheng Muxi's ears burned: "Isn't this a bit inappropriate?"
"What's wrong with that? It's just the two of us here."
Chapter 5 Bluffing
The night outside was quiet, and the living room lights were a warm yellow, creating a very ambiguous atmosphere.
Chai Qianning knelt on the sofa with one knee, sinking into a vortex, while her other hand supported her on the back of the sofa. Her long hair cascaded forward, and a few glints of light flashed in Sheng Muxi's eyes, causing his heart to beat exceptionally fast.
"We've only known each other for a short time." Sheng Muxi's fingers, which were resting on her lap, tightened slightly due to nervousness. She subconsciously pinched the fabric of her skirt and was somewhat afraid to look the other person in the eye.
Instead, Chai Qianning seemed more like a little enchantress at this moment, bending down and sitting on her leg that was draped over the sofa, her eyes sparkling with a half-smile: "Then shall I kiss you?"
Sheng Muxi felt the other person's approaching breath, which masked the coolness of the air conditioner blowing on her, and her whole body became hot.
This was the first time I'd encountered this situation, and I didn't know how to answer, so I just blurted out, "Where do you want to kiss me?"
This gave Chai Qianning an opening. Her smile deepened, and she lowered her gaze: "How about a kiss here?"
Sheng Muxi followed her gaze and lowered her eyes, her face immediately turning red with embarrassment, making her breathing rapid.
She didn't have the thought of refusing; she just felt that things were moving a little too fast.
They had only recently established a neighborly relationship, was it really going to break that pure bond? Her mind was in complete turmoil, and her usual rationality was completely useless.
Chai Qianning could tell that the other woman did not reject her. When she said those words, the other woman did not flinch or back away, so she moved her body closer.
Perhaps sensing the other person's approach, Sheng Muxi's little finger twitched unconsciously.
When the two were only a few centimeters apart, and they could touch each other with the slightest movement, Chai Qianning could see the fine downy hairs on the other person's cheeks under the light.
She deliberately exhaled softly, "So, I really kissed you?"
Sheng Muxi felt the warmth of the other person pressing against her neck. Her brain had completely shut down, and she couldn't answer at all. She could only let her body react.
Perhaps because Chai Qianning was leaning her body, one side of her neckline slipped down, revealing half of her collarbone and the white bra strap.
A faint fragrance wafted into Sheng Muxi's nose. She bit her lower lip and met Chai Qianning's eyes. A jolt of electricity ran through her heart, making her whole body tingle.
However... Chai Qianning simply raised her head before it even touched her.
He didn't kiss her, he didn't touch her at all, it was just a bluff.
Afterwards, Chai Qianning leaned back on the sofa with a mischievous smile, revealing two rows of white teeth.
Sheng Muxi glared at her with a resentful look: "What are you laughing at?"
"I've tested you; you really do have low desires."
"Huh?" Sheng Muxi's throat was bouncing up and down like it was on a rollercoaster tonight.
Chai Qianning never felt guilty about doing bad things: "I was already like that just now, and you were still able to hold back."
Sheng Muxi coughed lightly: "So you were just testing me just now?"
"yes."
Sheng Muxi tried to turn the tables on herself, crossing her legs: "So? Now that you've got the results, shouldn't you think about a solution?"
"What solution? Your solution?" Chai Qianning raised an eyebrow slightly.
Sheng Muxi glared at her: "Were you drunk tonight?"
No.
"Then why are you talking nonsense?"
Chai Qianning stretched her arms out to the sides and slumped lazily on the sofa: "So, do you like listening to my drunken ramblings tonight?"
Sheng Muxi didn't answer her, but instead told her to get some rest.
Chai Qianning raised her hand and yawned deeply. She was indeed sleepy, but her mind was still excited.
She half-dropped her slippers and prepared to go to the bedroom to find clothes: "I haven't showered yet, you should go back and rest too."
As she stood up, her body swayed slightly. Sheng Muxi instinctively reached out her hand, but seeing that she hadn't fallen, she withdrew it.
Chai Qianning saw all of this, lowered her eyes and smiled lightly. Her eyes were a little blurry. She fumbled around for a bit, pulled out some clothes from the closet, and carried them into the bathroom.
Seeing that Sheng Muxi hadn't left yet, she poked her head out and said to her, "Aren't you going back to rest?"
She leaned limply against the bathroom door frame, her head tilted to the side, her eyes half-closed, always so lazy and boneless.
Seeing her like this, Sheng Muxi was a little worried: "If you're really too tired, go take a nap before taking a shower. It's dangerous if you slip and fall in the bathroom, right?"
"Yes! So, do you want to wait until I finish showering before you leave?"
Sheng Muxi: "..."
Sheng Muxi, who had already walked to the door, sat back down, answering her with her actions. Chai Qianning's eyelashes trembled, somewhat surprised.
She silently closed the bathroom door.
Sheng Muxi stared at the bathroom door in a daze for a while, when the bathroom door suddenly opened again, startling her.
She didn't know why, but even though she hadn't done anything she felt guilty about, she acted as if she had.
Chai Qianning popped her head out and said to her out of the blue, "I don't think the previous test was accurate."
Sheng Muxi thought for a moment before realizing what she meant, and slightly raised her chin: "Why?"
“Because,” Chai Qianning tugged at her loose short-sleeved shirt, “I wasn’t fully prepared. I should have worn sexy pajamas; that would have been more challenging.”
As she spoke, Chai Qianning came out of the bathroom and took the pajamas she was holding to the bedroom to change into another one.
Sheng Muxi didn't know what kind of pajamas the other person had taken. She watched as Chai Qianning closed the bathroom door again, and then stared blankly for a long time before gradually hearing the sound of water dripping from inside.
Seriously? What did he just say? What did that mean? Did he mean he wanted to change into a sexy nightgown for her? He's testing her again!
Sheng Muxi's mouth immediately went dry; she couldn't withstand a second test like this.
What if, what if I really couldn't resist? How embarrassing would that be? After all, she herself said those words: "low desire."
No, she still had to save face. But she wasn't confident she could endure it again.
Good heavens, what on earth are I thinking about? Sheng Muxi shook her head, her thoughts a jumbled mess of yarn.
Before she could untangle the knotted yarn, she heard Chai Qianning come out of the bathroom.
Almost instinctively, without looking at what the other person was wearing, Sheng Muxi, with her back to Chai Qianning, quickly said, "Well, now that you've finished showering, you should rest well. I should go upstairs to rest too."
After saying that, Sheng Muxi walked towards the entrance. After changing her shoes, she remembered something, but still didn't turn around: "Try to keep your phone on 24 hours a day, so that if anything happens to you, you can contact the outside world immediately. You can also contact me."
Only after hearing Chai Qianning reply "okay" did she open the door and go out.
Chai Qianning glanced at the entrance hall for a while, a faint smile appearing on her lips. She looked down at the pajamas she was wearing, a simple short-sleeved shirt and shorts, and couldn't help but laugh at Sheng Muxi's flustered behavior just now.
She sat cross-legged on the bed, fighting off sleepiness, holding her phone in her hand. Calculating the time, she sent the other person a "Goodnight."
The other person replied instantly with a "Goodnight" emoji.