Chapter 3

"Uh...it's delicious," Qi Yi'an said, coming back to his senses. "No need, thank you."

"Oh, I forgot, you like hot water and milk, right?"

How can you answer such a tempting question about eating habits...? "Uh-huh..."

"Just tell me what you want to eat," Qin Ruoshui said with a smile, taking a sip of her coffee. "My job is to satisfy you...whether in bed...or..."

Before she could finish speaking, Qi Yi'an couldn't eat anymore. Qin Ruoshui saw her biting her lower lip, her face slightly flushed, and her smile deepened. Not so open anymore, always trying to tease this child.

"Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore, eat up."

"..." Qi Yi'an took a deep breath. But it's really delicious.

It was already afternoon when the two of them went out together. Qin Ruoshui drove her back to her school in her convertible Beetle, which she used for grocery shopping, and stopped by her own small shop on the way.

Running this small antique shop was merely a hobby for her in her spare time. Her main business was nominally managing the company's overseas branch in Country E. The branch was relatively new, small in scale, and she had no ambition to expand it, essentially acting as a semi-hands-off manager. The company headquarters was in the capital, a business that had grown from her father's generation, and now her brother, Qin Ye, was gradually taking over the main affairs. Qin Ruoshui was happy with her leisure and didn't want to take on any responsibility. Life was inherently meaningless; why create unnecessary pressure? She was perfectly content with her carefree, unassuming life.

They arrived at school in half an hour. Before Qi Yi'an got out of the car, Qin Ruoshui gently pulled her head back and left a kiss on the corner of her mouth. "Go on, little one, I'll come find you to play again in a couple of days, okay?"

Qi Yi'an didn't answer, but looked at her with wide, innocent eyes and said, "Goodbye, Miss."

Back in his dorm, Qi Yi'an pulled out his WeChat and looked at the new contact: Qin Ruoshui.

"Qin...Ruo...Shui," she murmured. What a gentle and tender name. Just like how she was in bed last night... Uh... What am I thinking...?

She had classes for the next few days, and Qi Yi'an still found herself spacing out from time to time during class. Zou Yibei kept asking her about that night, his gossipy nature stirring restlessly. Wasn't she asexual?

"Tell me, what exactly happened?" Zou Yibei asked, adopting the questioning tone of an old mother.

"..." Qi Yi'an was lost in thought when he suddenly turned to look at her with a serious expression.

“???” Zou Yibei waited for her to speak.

That night…

Qi Yi'an leaned on Qin Ruoshui's shoulder, his eyes gazing out the car window. The swaying neon lights of the city center gradually dimmed as the car slowly drove towards the third district. He felt a strange sense of being abducted; Qi Yi'an closed his eyes, drawing warmth from his surroundings.

But if she were to be trafficked by a woman like that, she'd accept it. After all, life is inherently unreal.

"To die beneath the peony blossoms..." Qi Yi'an couldn't help but sigh; the wisdom of the ancients could always be vividly demonstrated in a moment of life, ever fresh and relevant. The wine today wouldn't have caused her to lose her temper; what intoxicated her was this woman.

Qin Ruoshui reached out and wrapped her arms around her body, her other hand cupping her face as she leaned down to find her lips. Ignoring the feelings of the driver in the front seat, Qi Yi'an was completely absorbed, inhaling the fragrance of the woman's neck and sucking on her deeply probing lips and tongue, kissing her intermittently until they reached home.

Even as a ghost, I'd still be a romantic...

After arriving home, Qin Ruoshui didn't turn on the lights. She took off both of their coats, led her pet upstairs, and left her on the bed with only the bedside nightlight on.

"How is my bed? Is it comfortable?" In the dim, warm light, Qin Ruoshui lay on her side, propping her head up with her hand, her red lips curving into an ambiguous smile.

"Mmm..." Qi Yi'an was only halfway through speaking when Qin Ruoshui leaned down and covered her mouth again without saying a word.

…unbuttoned one of her shirts,

The second button. The scenery is faintly visible…

xxxxxxxThis text is in other corners of the worldxxxxxxxx

Qi Yi'an was a little embarrassed and whispered between kisses, "...too small...what should I do?" He needed to be self-aware.

Qin Ruoshui smiled and reached back to unbutton one of her own buttons, then pressed her ear against hers, comforting her, "It's okay, it's my big one~"

"Pfft," Qi Yi'an was instantly amused.

Qin Ruoshui laughed too, "Oh dear, what should I do? I made you laugh." Qi Yi'an hugged her neck and chuckled softly.

Qin Ruoshui quietly continued her work, the third button.

Qi Yi'an's soft laughter gradually turned into panting, his eyes were already glazed over, and his hand stroked Qin Ruoshui's soft hair.

Qin Ruoshui's eyes also became hazy, retaining the last shred of rationality, "Shall we... go take a shower first?"

"Um.."

Qin Ruoshui took out a black spaghetti strap nightgown for her. Although she hadn't really intended for her to wear anything. After Qi Yi'an put it on, he looked down at the deep...

The deep V-neckline created an awkward moment; her skin was completely flat, so the outfit didn't exactly scream "sexy"...it almost looked like...a nun's robe...

Qin Ruoshui leaned against her pillow, watching Qi Yi'an standing blankly by the bed, completely bewildered, and found it quite amusing. So adorable!

"Come on up~"

"Sera, goodnight," and after all the lights went out, all the sounds went out.

xxxxxxxThis text is in other corners of the worldxxxxxxxx

After hearing the content that had been rejected three times by Jinjiang Literature City, Zou Yibei's face turned bright red, and he stood there dumbfounded, unable to recover from the shock for a long time. How could this person in front of him have managed to describe these processes in such a serious and detailed manner in front of everyone in a classroom? Fortunately, no one else in the class could understand Chinese.

Her eyes remained pure, her face fair without even a blush. Was she a monster? Had she conducted research on human sexual behavior? Or was she merely an observer crouching to the sidelines?

"Satisfied your gossip spirit, right?" Qi Yi'an said, propping his head up with his hand to look at the big screen, casually changing the subject.

"Today's class was so boring."

The phone screen on the table suddenly lit up, displaying a message:

Qin Ruoshui: Little sister, are you free tonight? I'd like to invite you to dinner, how about it?

Amidst the aftershocks, Zou Yibei glimpsed Qi Yi'an's ears slowly turning red.

Is she shy now? What kind of person is she?

Author's Note:

well I guess I have just a word to say concerning the cencorship, it begins with an F and ends with U. Changed on 2020.6.12

I'm forcing myself to update this chapter in between finishing my thesis. I'll submit the final draft in a week, and then I won't be updating for the next few days. To celebrate, I'll update a few chapters in a row a week later, hahaha.

Weibo welcomes academic exchanges.

Chapter 4 Wake up!

Qi Yi'an's exchange school was an open campus, nestled in various corners of the bustling city center. L city center is filled with historic buildings, and W University's main campuses are all centuries-old structures. When she came downstairs, Qin Ruoshui was sitting on a leather sofa in a classical hall, looking around at the marble sculptures. She was wearing glasses today, which gave her an unusually classical elegance.

Qi Yi'an was wearing a bright yellow hoodie, with the hood up, and a down jacket over it, looking like a Minion wrapped up in layers. His head was cold.

She seems to be more afraid of the cold than most people.

Qin Ruoshui looked up and saw her walking over, then smiled and stepped forward. "Hello~ little sister!" She couldn't help but rub her little yellow hat with her hand.

Qi Yi'an tucked into his hat collar and sized up the woman in front of him. "Hello, Miss."

They still look like strangers, even after they've done the most intimate things.

Qi Yi'an naturally took Qin Ruoshui's arm and walked out of the old-fashioned revolving door with its wooden and glass frames. The orange-red sky after class and get off work, and the bustling streets of the old town, made one's senses particularly pleasant.

Entering a small Spanish restaurant and taking a seat, Qin Ruoshui glanced at the Minions taking orders. She hadn't even had a chance to take off her hat before entering. She wasn't wearing her glasses today, and her fair profile, partially obscured by her long, dark hair, was framed by her natural red lips—simple yet striking, still exuding a delicate beauty. Ah, a woman from Jiangnan…

"Little friend, are you very afraid of the cold?"

"Yes, I've become especially sensitive to the cold ever since I had a serious illness at the end of last year." Qi Yi'an felt that her body temperature was lower than normal. When she was in public places during the pandemic lockdown, her temperature was only around 35°C several times.

Are you not feeling well?

Qin Ruoshui recalled that after she had a minor injury requiring stitches at the end of last year, she occasionally felt unwell in various places. Her ankle had not recovered very well, and her legs and feet were not as agile... Wait, was this feeling of unease a sign that she was getting old?

"You're still young even in your thirties! The power of psychology is terrifying..." Qin Ruoshui mentally complained to herself.

The two ate and chatted.

Qin Ruoshui felt something was off about her today, speaking with the air of someone going on a blind date. Despite the relaxed conversation, she quite formally recounted her work, family situation, and romantic history. Qi Yi'an was also puzzled; why did this woman seem so virtuous today?

As for her romantic history… Qi Yi'an didn't believe it. That night, she was so adept at seducing him, casually mentioning that she only had a few relationships—how could anyone believe that? But Qi Yi'an didn't care much; she only wanted sex from her, so there was no need to delve into it.

The two chatted casually and politely about various topics. Qin Ruoshui discovered that Qi Yi'an was indeed a pure and artistic young man, with a bookish air that hadn't quite faded. Sometimes he seemed a bit dazed, but his mind was full of strange and wonderful things. Again, so adorable.

After finishing her meal, Qi Yi'an pushed open the restaurant door and walked out, staring blankly at the eaves and sky. The sky in L City was unusually clear and bright today; it gets dark late here, making the twilight seem long. She gazed at the sky and clouds transitioning from orange-red to deep blue, her mind blank, utterly devoid of emotion. Suddenly, a voice surfaced in her mind, "Oh my god, I like her so much..." "Should I... tell her?" "??? Why am I suddenly thinking like this???"

Qi Yi'an was stunned. A huge wave of emotions surged within him, and suddenly, he felt like an elderly person with poor blood circulation, needing a quick-acting heart medicine.

"Little friend, what are you thinking about?" Qin Ruoshui asked at that very moment.

Qi Yi'an nearly fainted from that sudden movement.

Qin Ruoshui was amused by her dazed expression again.

"Hmm? What are you thinking about? Tell me."

Qi Yi'an finally came to his senses, and in his panic, he didn't dare to look at her... Ah? Thinking about how much I like you... Uh? Should I tell you?...

@@##$%%^&&…But I didn’t really feel like I liked it…

"No...no..." she realized and shook her head.

Seeing that she suddenly seemed at a loss, Qin Ruoshui was even more determined to press her. She raised an eyebrow, deliberately looking at her and waiting for an answer, "Tell me about it~"

Qi Yi'an stammered, a warm rush to his face, "I...I..." Ah, don't blush.

"Um?"

"No...I won't tell you...I'm...a little shy..." Qi Yi'an hooked her hand and walked forward.

"Oh? But I don't think you're the type to be shy." Qin Ruoshui was really into teasing her, and as she spoke, she went up and planted a kiss on the corner of her mouth.

A blush crept onto Qi Yi'an's fair face, as if reflecting the setting sun. She was blushing. She lowered her head… Why did her heart suddenly feel like she liked her? Her brain didn't seem to register it…

Qin Ruoshui linked arms with hers. The two strolled slowly side by side, bathed in the setting sun, the streets bustling with traffic and crowds. Qin Ruoshui would occasionally ask her questions, and she would answer them, then politely return the favor with her own questions. Qi Yi'an was slow to warm up, but she didn't feel awkward. Sometimes she seemed poised and outgoing, but deep down she still kept people at arm's length.

As they chatted, she became lost in thought, gazing at the sunset at the end of the road.

My arm, which was linked with hers, slowly slid down. Elbow…forearm…wrist…

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