Offense - Chapter 13
Chapter 13
Hearing Lian Wan say this, Zhou Yanqian just laughed on the other end of the line. Lian Wan felt her voice suddenly draw closer through the phone, the sound of her laughter tickling her ear.
"Did you just wake up?"
Lian Wan hummed in agreement, then stretched her legs and stood up to get the kettle that had just boiled in the corner.
"Does that mean you haven't eaten yet, either?"
"No," Lian Wan said. She poured the boiling water into a plastic bucket. The aluminum kettle was a bit faded; it was issued by the factory back in the day. It had a large capacity, and one pot was enough for a bath. Hot steam rushed to her face, nearly coating her eyebrows with a layer of condensation.
She blinked, feeling the skin around her eyes grow moist from the steam.
"Then how about I make you some fried rice with the leftovers from lunch?"
"Weren't you making soup?" Lian Wan paused, at a bit of a loss for words. "Don't make too much…"
"I know-" Zhou Yanqian drew out the last word in a playful, coquettish tone, urging her with a familiarity that still maintained a sense of propriety. "You go take your bath. Let me know when you're about to leave. I'll start frying then, otherwise the rice will get cold and won't taste good."
"Okay," Lian Wan replied in a small voice, a suppressed glee fluttering in her heart. "Then, I'll hang up now?"
"Okay-"
As the call ended, the tantalizing voice was cut off. Lian Wan turned on the faucet, adding cold water to the plastic bucket of hot water. She waited a moment, testing the temperature with her hand, then turned and closed the bathroom door. The sweltering heat from outside was instantly shut out, and even the chirping of cicadas became a distant murmur.
The tiles were cool, the water rippled. Lian Wan wrung out a towel and wiped her face, breathing deeply into the soapy fragrance of the hot cloth. She felt as if she had finally broken the surface of the water and was now walking up the bank. The tension left her body, and every part of her relaxed.
Though relaxed, she didn't linger for too long. She took a quick shower, sent a message to Zhou Yanqian, and then prepared to leave. She certainly didn't need to drive the truck to take someone to the swimming pool, but thankfully, Lian Wan also had a second-hand Passat she'd bought several years ago. Thanks to the convenience of the Vehicle Team, it was still in ninety-percent new condition when she got it.
Under Wang Zhiqiang's guidance, Lian Wan had bought the car purely as an investment. She usually rented it out to someone who used it as a Didi in the county, but today, it came in handy.
There was a reason for leaving a bit later, of course. Lian Wan had contacted the person renting the car on WeChat, asking him to finish work early today and bring the car back.
Worried he might not see the message while driving, she decided to call him instead.
After all that was done, she bent down to put on her shoes at the door.
Rarely for her, the elation in Lian Wan's heart did not fade.
It had been a long time since she'd had this feeling of anticipation, of being ready for something. It was like a Sunday evening during her school days, leaving home to go back to the dorms. Before she left, her grandmother would cook her a big bowl of noodles with egg, vegetables, and meat, or steam a large bowl of rice. The afternoon wasn't the old woman's mealtime, so she would be the only one at the dining table, the clock on the wall behind her ticking away. When it was time, she would put on her school uniform and head out.
Lian Wan tied her shoelaces and turned to close the door.
Outside, the sun was blazing. The leaves on the roadside were scorched dry. But the sunlight on her freshly showered skin felt wonderfully gentle, like bathing in a spring breeze. Lian Wan didn't deliberately slow her pace. Her mood at this moment was indeed as unrestrained and warm as the sunlight. She hurried downstairs, practically jogging as she pulled open the door to the Convenience Store.
The bell chimed again.
The air conditioning was on in the store, and a blast of cold air washed over her, making every pore on her body sigh in relief.
The woman behind the counter was leaning on her arms, her head slightly lowered. She hadn't put her hair up today; it was simply tied back, revealing a clean, fair neck.
Hearing the bell, Zhou Yanqian looked up, her eyes curving into a smile. Though it was brief, Lian Wan still saw the back of her neck as she looked down, so white it seemed to glow. That small patch of skin was like a will-o'-the-wisp in the sweltering summer, almost enough to send her thoughts reeling.
Lian Wan stared at her without blinking and walked over.
"The rice is in the pot," Zhou Yanqian said, meeting her gaze and tilting her head up.
As she spoke, seemingly not noticing anything, she naturally reached out and pinched the tips of Lian Wan's fingers, which were hanging by her side. "The soup is in the stew pot."
"Aren't you eating?" Lian Wan let her hold her hand. The woman's body temperature was cool, like the shower she had just taken, or a summer night's breeze, yet it made her heart race even more.
Zhou Yanqian's lips curved. "I'm not hungry. It's all for you."
During their conversation, Lian Wan noticed that several new lipstick-stained cigarette butts had been added to the ashtray on the side, lying there haphazardly.
The lipstick print was a true red, and a bit messy, as if it had been held between someone's lips more than once.
A heat bloomed in her chest out of nowhere. Lian Wan didn't dare to think about it any further. She subtly pulled her hand free from the woman's grasp, her mouth terribly dry. "I'll go in then."
"Mm." Zhou Yanqian didn't seem awkward at being shrugged off. She simply withdrew her hand gracefully and rested it on her neck again. She hadn't missed Lian Wan's lapse in attention and followed her gaze, glancing at the ashtray as well.
Lian Wan went into the back room. There weren't many customers in the afternoon. After sending a few messages on her phone, Zhou Yanqian also stood up and went in.
In just a short while, Lian Wan had nearly finished eating. The glistening fried rice contained stir-fried beef with yellow peppers and sautéed greens. The chicken soup, which had been simmering for hours, was savory and delicious, the cordyceps flowers crisp and refreshing. Seeing Zhou Yanqian walk in, she slowed the pace at which she shoveled rice into her mouth and looked up at her.
"Just eat." Being stared at so intently, Zhou Yanqian couldn't resist reaching out to ruffle her hair. The texture felt nice, so she let her hand linger a moment longer.
Lian Wan's back went rigid, letting her touch her for a while before turning her head away.
Zhou Yanqian chuckled, sensing her resistance, and withdrew her hand, sitting down at the table.
That faint, feminine fragrance, absent for several days, finally drifted into Lian Wan's nose again.
The fried rice and soup were still delicious.
Lian Wan kept her head down, stuffing rice into her mouth. She picked the chicken from the bones and swallowed it all down with the soup.
As she chewed, she swallowed down the words she didn't dare say and the thoughts she didn't dare think.
The meal was finished, and the bowl was washed. Her clean, dry hands were taken by Zhou Yanqian again. A sense of satisfaction bloomed from her full stomach, and Lian Wan seemed to regain her confidence and courage, following her to sit behind the counter.
It was still early. They sat side by side and started a movie.
Lian Wan didn't watch movies often. Whatever Zhou Yanqian picked, she watched, letting the plot unfold slowly and rarely offering an opinion. She was silent, her profile distinct but not sharp, possessing a clean line unique to women. Her skin was as white as fragile porcelain, and her breathing was light.
She carried the long-lost scent of soap. Zhou Yanqian thought quietly, leaning against her shoulder.
She suddenly had a strong urge to light a cigarette.
But in this situation, smoking was out of the question. So Zhou Yanqian restrained herself and leaned a little closer to Lian Wan.
In the end, Lian Wan forgot everything the movie was about.
Their clothes were thin. Zhou Yanqian pressed tightly against her arm, and Lian Wan could clearly feel the rise and fall of her chest against her ribs, trembling softly with each breath. She didn't know when it started, but the air was thick with unspoken tension, like an arrow drawn taut on a bowstring. The movie's soundtrack played on forlornly, but no one was paying attention to what it was saying.
The counter was pushed, making a sudden noise. Zhou Yanqian sat up, leaned over, and cupped Lian Wan's face from above.
Her lips were slightly parted. She said nothing, but it was invitation enough.
Lian Wan's breathing quickened as she stared at her, stunned.
The distance was extremely close, yet extremely far. It was as if her deep chest held fine wine.
As if in a final struggle, Lian Wan tried to turn her head away, but Zhou Yanqian eagerly caught her, pressing her hands to rest snugly on her waist.
Passively, Lian Wan wrapped her arms around her, all strength to resist draining from her body.
The sun was high in the sky, leaving nothing hidden.
The lost strength returned to Lian Wan's body as their limbs intertwined. She felt like she had truly become a little puppy, ravenously devouring Zhou Yanqian's lips and tongue, swallowing the woman's fragrance, her lipstick, and her breath. She was clumsy at first, baring her fangs, only to be met by the teeth of her very patient owner, who skillfully soothed her.
The store was still open, the glass door unlocked. She didn't know what time it was. It might be the tail end of nap time; Lian Wan could smell the languor and afterglow of a deep sleep in the air, as if the wine in Zhou Yanqian's chest had spilled out.
She suddenly realized that someone might come in to buy something and see them. As if waking from a dream, she pushed and shoved, hastily letting her go.
The woman still looked down at her, her fingers lingering on the side of her face. Her long hair had come undone at some point and was now falling messily over her shoulders. Only then did Lian Wan notice she was clutching Zhou Yanqian's hair tie in her hand.
She had kissed her and pulled her hair loose.
Lian Wan's face flushed red, and she looked at her, at a complete loss.
But Zhou Yanqian was perfectly composed. She reached up to smooth her hair, her face still flushed. She took the small hair tie from Lian Wan's hand, not forgetting to lean down and brush a butterfly-light kiss on the corner of her mouth.
"You bit me a little. It hurt," she said.
Lian Wan's mind went blank. "…Sorry," she mumbled.
"Mm. You're forgiven," Zhou Yanqian replied quickly. She seemed to be in a very good mood, a smile playing on her lips as she moved off of Lian Wan. "Want some water?"
Lian Wan couldn't remember any of the conversation that followed. When the sun began to set, the client who had rented the car called to say he had already parked it back. Only then did she remember that she still had to take Zhou Yanqian to the swimming pool.
Away from the air conditioning, the sweltering heat outside had not dissipated, making one feel irritable. The setting sun baked the evening breeze into a thick warmth. But Zhou Yanqian wouldn't let her turn on the car's AC.
She rolled down her window halfway, gazing at the somewhat noisy street.
A fruit stand on the roadside, a boy on a tricycle delivering water, a hardware store, a colorful hair salon.
There was traffic at the intersection. A driver in the next lane saw her through the car window and excitedly honked his horn at her.
It was just like a disruptive whistle.
Lian Wan was very annoyed. She cut him off as the traffic moved. Just as she was feeling a little smug, she turned her head and saw that Zhou Yanqian's expression hadn't changed at all.
Her heart suddenly sank.
It was summer vacation, and the swimming pool was bustling with activity.
There were children with swim rings everywhere, and the small venue buzzed with voices.
The lifeguard's chair by the pool was already a bit rusty. The swimming pool had been built a long time ago, dating back to Pingchuan Town's glory days.
Lian Wan hadn't planned on swimming, but Zhou Yanqian wouldn't let her leave.
She could only wait by the side of the pool like all the other parents with their children, waiting for her to change and come out.
The heart that had sunk on the way here was aching dully. Lian Wan suddenly wanted to ask her what that kiss this afternoon had meant.
She stood by the pool, her gaze rising and falling on that alluring body.
What would she say?
Had she noticed her gaze?
Lian Wan watched her intently. She watched Zhou Yanqian wave at her. She watched the clear water surge for a moment as she lowered her hand.
In that instant, it felt as if all the water in the world was rushing toward them.
But in reality, Zhou Yanqian said nothing. She didn't need to say anything. Zhou Yanqian simply swam over. In the pool, her body was so white it seemed to glow. She propped her arms on the edge of the pool, tilted her head, and glanced at Lian Wan. And Lian Wan, as if possessed, crouched down, reached out a hand, and cupped her wet face.
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