After Escaping Marriage - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

It took Cheng Zhanxi a few seconds to process the suggestion. Incredulous, she asked, "By 'go to a hotel,' you mean...?"

Yu Qingtang tilted her chin.

Following her gaze, Cheng Zhanxi saw two women passionately entangled in a corner booth. Even from a distance, it seemed they were about to cross the line. Just as they were about to reach a point beyond description, they stood up, clinging to each other, whispering softly while kissing.

One woman's arm was wrapped tightly around the other's waist as they left the bar.

As adults, they both understood what "go to a hotel" meant.

Cheng Zhanxi removed her gold-rimmed glasses, shedding the air of sophisticated rebellion. Sitting up straight, her eyes bright and clear, she looked the picture of propriety.

She politely declined. "I'm sorry, I'm rather conservative."

Yu Qingtang responded with a noncommittal hum and turned her gaze to Yu Jianxing, who was watching the scene unfold.

Yu Jianxing: "???"

Seriously? That indiscriminate?

Sensing the dangerous aura emanating from beside her, Yu Jianxing quickly raised her hand in defense. "I don't have a medical report."

Yu Qingtang: "Doesn't matter."

Cheng Zhanxi: "..."

Although she had no intention of accepting the offer, why did Yu Qingtang require a medical report from her but not from Yu Jianxing? Did she look promiscuous? She was quite the homebody, thank you very much.

Yu Jianxing felt like she might be assassinated at any moment. She wondered if she should just run, escaping this bizarre and awkward situation.

Then she heard a pleasant chuckle.

Cheng Zhanxi looked at Yu Qingtang and said calmly, "She's a man."

A bombshell.

Even Yu Qingtang, as emotionally reserved as she was, looked surprised. She glanced at Yu Jianxing again.

Yu Jianxing: "..."

Damn it!

Cheng Zhanxi added calmly, "Ever heard of a cross-dresser?"

She nudged Yu Jianxing in the ribs.

Yu Jianxing gritted her teeth and forced a smile. "Yeah, that's why I'm wearing a dress, to hide the, you know..."

Yu Qingtang blinked slowly, offering no reply.

Her capacity for the unexpected was apparently limited.

Having successfully eliminated her "rival," Cheng Zhanxi interlaced her fingers on the table in front of her, relaxed and smiling faintly at Yu Qingtang.

With only one potential partner remaining, Yu Qingtang didn't seem willing to give up. After a moment of contemplation, she asked Cheng Zhanxi one last time, "Are you really sure you don't want to go to a hotel with me?"

Her words were starkly contrasted with her cool demeanor.

Cheng Zhanxi asked sincerely, "May I know why?"

"I can't tell you."

With that, Yu Qingtang withdrew completely, her expression returning to its previous impassivity.

"Excuse me." She nodded slightly to both of them and left her seat.

Cheng Zhanxi pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed softly.

This woman was an enigma.

"Zhanxi."

"Hmm?" Cheng Zhanxi picked up her glasses from the table, put them back on, and responded absently.

"Look!" Yu Jianxing said urgently. "Your crush!"

Cheng Zhanxi didn't correct her, instead following her gaze. A long-haired woman stood before Yu Qingtang. While not as stunning as Cheng Zhanxi, she was pretty and fair-skinned. Her light blue dress gave her a gentle air, making her stand out even in the bar.

They spoke for less than a minute before heading towards the exit together, seemingly going in the same direction.

Cheng Zhanxi's elegant brow furrowed.

Yu Jianxing cursed under her breath and turned to Cheng Zhanxi. "Is she going to hook up with someone else? You'd better hurry—"

In a blink, Cheng Zhanxi was gone.

"Please wait!"

Standing at the bar's entrance, bathed in the neon glow, Yu Qingtang turned around, her eyes as dark and tranquil as the night.

No matter how bright the lights, they seemed to become quiet and solitary when reflected in her eyes.

Stopping three steps away, Cheng Zhanxi said, "I've changed my mind. I accept your offer."

Yu Qingtang replied calmly, "I already have a date."

The woman in the blue dress, understanding Cheng Zhanxi's intentions, felt a surge of protectiveness. She reached out to put her arm around Yu Qingtang's shoulder, as if staking a claim.

Yu Qingtang subtly evaded the touch and gave the woman a cool glance. The woman in blue felt a chill down her spine and refrained from further actions, but she still stepped forward, blocking Cheng Zhanxi's view.

Yu Qingtang calmly looked away from Cheng Zhanxi and said quietly to the woman in blue, "Let's go."

Cheng Zhanxi took a deep breath and called out clearly into the night, "I have a medical report!"

Yu Qingtang paused.

Cheng Zhanxi gritted her teeth and demanded loudly, "Does she?"

Surely, she was the only person who had "brought" a medical report to a bar simply because she'd forgotten to take it out of her bag. What had been a puzzling action moments ago had suddenly become a decisive advantage!

The woman in blue finally snapped, turning around to yell, "Are you crazy?!"

Cheng Zhanxi ignored her, staring intently at Yu Qingtang, who had also turned around.

Yu Qingtang sighed softly and said, "Sorry."

A smile spread across Cheng Zhanxi's face.

The woman in blue, looking at the apologetic Yu Qingtang, twitched her lips, then burst out angrily, "You're crazy too! Both of you are crazy!"

Cheng Zhanxi's face darkened. She raised her voice, "Watch your mouth!"

The woman in blue, assessing Cheng Zhanxi's height, clearly over 170cm, and her intimidating expression, decided to swallow her anger and returned to the bar.

Cheng Zhanxi walked up to Yu Qingtang and bowed slightly. "I apologize."

Yu Qingtang raised an eyebrow slightly, questioning the apology.

With a sincere look, Cheng Zhanxi said gently, "I apologize for my indecisiveness, which caused you to be subjected to such rudeness."

Yu Qingtang nodded. "It's fine."

Looking at the quiet street, bathed in the soft glow of the streetlights under the hazy moonlight, a perfect setting for a romantic story, Cheng Zhanxi suggested softly, "Shall we take a walk down this street?"

Yu Qingtang gave her a cool glance. "No need."

She hailed a taxi and got in first.

Cheng Zhanxi: "..."

She had no choice but to follow.

Once she was settled, Yu Qingtang gave the driver the name of a five-star hotel chain.

Cheng Zhanxi was slightly surprised. Judging by the ordinary fabric of Yu Qingtang's clothes, she'd assumed they'd go to a cheaper hotel near the bar. On second thought, Yu Qingtang seemed like someone who disliked trouble and small talk. A single sentence could dispel any doubts about her intentions. A little extra spending didn't seem like a big deal to her.

During the ride, Yu Qingtang stared out the window, seemingly avoiding any eye contact. Despite her eloquence, Cheng Zhanxi couldn't find an opportunity to speak.

Twenty minutes later, the taxi stopped in front of a five-star hotel in the city center.

Yu Qingtang paid the fare. Cheng Zhanxi waited by the door, her hand resting on the frame above it. As Yu Qingtang bent down to get out, she closed the door.

Yu Qingtang glanced back at her hand and nodded her thanks.

Cheng Zhanxi smiled.

They entered the hotel one after the other. Yu Qingtang handed her ID card, face down, to the receptionist. "A presidential suite, please."

Such extravagance?

Cheng Zhanxi was momentarily taken aback before handing over her own ID.

After their identities were verified, the receptionist returned their cards. Cheng Zhanxi gallantly stepped back, allowing Yu Qingtang to retrieve hers first.

They took the private elevator up. Yu Qingtang, still leading the way, opened the door to their suite.

Ignoring the luxurious surroundings, Yu Qingtang headed straight for the master bedroom. Cheng Zhanxi placed her bag in the living room, sighed inwardly, and followed.

Yu Qingtang turned around and asked, "Do you want to shower first, or shall I?"

Cheng Zhanxi: "Either way is fine with me."

Yu Qingtang considered for a moment. "You go first." After a pause, she added, "May I see your medical report?"

For the first time in her life, Cheng Zhanxi was suspected of having an STD. A wave of helplessness washed over her as she retrieved the report from the living room and handed it to Yu Qingtang. She couldn't resist adding, "I'm very clean."

Yu Qingtang hummed in response, not paying much attention to her words.

She only trusted medical reports.

While Yu Qingtang was looking through the report, Cheng Zhanxi initiated conversation. "My name is Cheng Zhanxi. Zhanxi, like 'perhaps exists.' It's on the first page of the report."

Yu Qingtang responded casually, "Tang Qing."

Cheng Zhanxi silently repeated the name, a smile playing on her lips.

"A lovely name," she complimented.

Yu Qingtang didn't reply.

Slightly embarrassed, Cheng Zhanxi rubbed her nose, removed her glasses and chain, carefully placing them on the bedside table. She took a bathrobe from the closet and went into the bathroom.

The only sound in the quiet bedroom was the soft rustle of pages turning at a steady pace.

The water stopped running.

Yu Qingtang paused, glancing at the translucent bathroom door, her lips pursed, a conflicted hesitation in her eyes.

Cheng Zhanxi emerged, drying her hair, water droplets clinging to her neck, her fair skin glowing with a delicate sheen. Looking at Yu Qingtang, who hadn't moved from her seat, she said, "Your turn, Miss Tang."

Yu Qingtang nodded, put down the report, and went into the bathroom.

Cheng Zhanxi dried her hair and sat on the sofa where Yu Qingtang had been sitting. A faint fragrance lingered, unlike any perfume she'd encountered before. Unfortunately, after a while, the scent faded, too subtle for her to identify.

Yu Qingtang took a long time in the bathroom, forty minutes, maybe an hour. Cheng Zhanxi meticulously reshaped her perfectly manicured nails, browsed online for upcoming exhibitions in Sicheng, and stifled her third yawn just as Yu Qingtang emerged, wrapped in a bathrobe.

Cheng Zhanxi froze, her sleepiness instantly vanishing.

The woman's pale cheeks were flushed with a delicate pink from the steam, like cherry blossom petals in early spring. The tea-colored tear mole at the corner of her eye was even more captivating.

The open collar of her bathrobe revealed a length of delicate, pale skin, almost translucent, along her neck and collarbone.

The ancients said: A beautiful woman has the appearance of a flower, the voice of a bird, the spirit of the moon, the grace of a willow, the bones of jade, and the charm of autumn water.

Even Cheng Zhanxi, as proper and composed as she was, couldn't help but entertain some secret, unmentionable thoughts.

Her fingers twitched. A sudden urge to paint her overwhelmed her.

She etched the image in her mind, determined to capture it on canvas when she returned home.

Her heart quickened, the desire to paint eclipsing all other thoughts. She was so preoccupied that she didn't notice Yu Qingtang approaching.

A faint fragrance brushed past her nose, like snow on pine branches, cool and ethereal.

Cheng Zhanxi instinctively looked up as Yu Qingtang's long, cool fingers touched her chin.

Yu Qingtang looked down at her with an appraising gaze.

Her expression was impassive, devoid of warmth, clearly not how one looked at a lover.

Yet Cheng Zhanxi felt it was more than that. The way Yu Qingtang looked at her, it was as though she was an item on a shelf, subject to her scrutiny.

Feeling a surge of discomfort, Cheng Zhanxi stood up. At 173cm, she was slightly taller than Yu Qingtang, easily shifting the dynamic between them.

Yu Qingtang slowly withdrew her hand and looked into Cheng Zhanxi's hazel eyes, asking in her calm voice, "Have you trimmed your nails?"

Cheng Zhanxi extended her hand. Yu Qingtang glanced down, then nodded after a moment.

"Alright."

She took Cheng Zhanxi's wrist through the fabric of her robe and led her towards the bed.

Cheng Zhanxi: "..."

Cheng Zhanxi made one last attempt to resist. "It's still early. Shall we chat a bit?"

She saw the woman's delicate brows furrow almost imperceptibly.

Yu Qingtang gently brushed a strand of hair away from Cheng Zhanxi's face, her lips slowly approaching her small, delicate earlobe.

"You talk too much."

The woman nuzzled against her neck.

A cool, wet sensation suddenly grazed the skin behind her ear, and Cheng Zhanxi froze.

Then, Yu Qingtang wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her down onto the soft bed.

Previous Contents Next

Support my work!

Become a Patron Buy me a Coffee