Offense - Chapter 15
Chapter 15
The factories of Pingchuan Town had long been desolate. Only nature, having slowly reclaimed the land over many years, could hold such a sky full of clear starlight.
A dense canopy of trees hid the moon, and though they couldn't see it, the moonlight was still brilliant.
Lian Wan had lived in Pingchuan Town for over twenty years, but she had never seen the stars like this before.
She stared in a daze. The pitch-black sky was like a pane of glass that had finally been wiped clean. She gazed without blinking, as if trying to see a reflection of the two of them in it.
It felt as if everything else had receded far into the distance, leaving only the person beside her as real. The fervor in her body and mind gradually cooled, leaving her thoughts exceptionally calm. Lian Wan turned her head and found Zhou Yanqian looking at her, her gaze focused and quiet. She had no idea how long she'd been watching.
As if moved by some unseen force, yet feeling perfectly natural, they stepped aside. Shielded by the large frame of a van, they began to kiss again.
This time, it was Lian Wan who reached out first.
Kissing Zhou Yanqian again, Lian Wan was many times more patient than she had been that afternoon. She cupped Zhou Yanqian's face and carefully took her lower lip, finding it fragrant and soft, with a faint, elusive scent of cosmetics. As she explored further, she found a moist, warm mouth. The woman's cheeks were soft, her eyes pure. Lian Wan pressed tightly against her, her kiss shifting from cautious to clumsy, unable to pull away, feeling an incredible sense of intimacy.
She sighed amidst their kiss. So this is how intimate two people can be.
Zhou Yanqian's arms draped softly around her neck. She parted her lips, letting out soft hums from her throat. It was as if her entire being was opening up to Lian Wan. Lian Wan held her tightly, feeling another person's body with such clarity for the first time. Zhou Yanqian's warmth seeped through their thin clothes, feeling no different from her own.
They were the same gender—a fact Lian Wan had become keenly aware of in the shower room earlier. But now, as they pressed tightly together, the curves of their bodies flush against each other, she felt a profound sense that they were still different.
A few groups of people passed by. Lian Wan kept an arm around Zhou Yanqian as they pulled apart slightly and, under the cover of the dim lights, walked deeper into the parking lot.
The deeper they went, the dimmer the lights became. Soon there were no cars left to conceal them, only overgrown shrubs with thorny branches jutting out in every direction.
The air was filled with the scent of unknown plants and trees, and branches rustled against their clothes. Zhou Yanqian hooked her arm around Lian Wan's neck, leaned close to her ear, and joked, "Are you taking me into the woods for a tryst?"
Lian Wan thought of the boys in her high school class who used to return late from evening study hall with fallen leaves and grass on their backs. Her throat tightened. "No..."
Though her lips said no, she lowered her head and once again eagerly captured Zhou Yanqian's already mussed lips.
Any teasing remark Zhou Yanqian was about to make melted between their lips before she could voice it.
The afternoon's practice seemed to have paid off. Lian Wan grew more urgent, as if she wanted to devour her whole. Zhou Yanqian tilted her head back, struggling slightly to keep up with her pace.
Gradually, her waist and legs grew weak. Zhou Yanqian could barely stand and began to slide down, but Lian Wan held her steady, pulling her back into her arms.
She didn't know how much time had passed, until they both heard Zhou Yanqian's stomach growl.
Lian Wan couldn't help but laugh out loud.
She hadn't laughed like that in a long time. When her laughter died down, she noticed the silence around them, the moonlight spilling like shattered silver over the shrubs.
Finally released, Zhou Yanqian turned her head away. Her chest rose and fell as she caught her breath for a moment. Then, looking a little embarrassed, she hooked her finger around Lian Wan's and explained in a small voice, "I'm hungry."
She'd eaten lunch early and had gone for a swim, so of course she was hungry.
Lian Wan pulled out her phone. It was nearly nine in the evening. Dinner in Pingchuan Town was usually eaten around sunset, so they had clearly missed it, but it was still too early for a late-night snack. She led Zhou Yanqian to the car and, drawing on a driver's habit of being prepared on the road, pulled a large bag of chocolates from the glove compartment.
She pulled out a few pieces and placed them in Zhou Yanqian's hand. "Eat these to tide you over."
As she spoke, she started the car and drove out of the parking lot.
The car was solid black, rather large, and a manual. Zhou Yanqian, still a bit dazed, held the chocolates and watched Lian Wan methodically shift gears and overtake other cars. As the old vehicle weaved deftly through traffic, the driver's face took on a unique sexiness in the shifting light and shadows. In that moment, even someone as well-mannered as Zhou Yanqian, who never used strong words, couldn't help but think that the saying 'a stick shift is a man's romance' was utter bullshit.
To say it was to do it—that was Zhou Yanqian's life motto. Guided by this principle, she was ever-successful and supremely free.
She immediately voiced her praise. "You look so cool every time you drive."
The very cool driver seemed to freeze, once again at a loss for where to put her hands and feet. She stared blankly for a moment, processing the compliment, before hastily turning on the car radio to change the subject. "Ah... uh, um, okay. Right, isn't the drawing for your lottery ticket today?"
Zhou Yanqian noticed that when she got nervous, she started talking more.
This discovery put her in an excellent mood. She popped a whole chocolate into her mouth and replied with a grin, "Mm, I think so."
Lian Wan didn't dare look at her. She flipped through several channels before finally finding the radio program announcing the lottery results.
The host was making pre-drawing small talk, his exaggerated tone instantly filling the small space of the car.
Lian Wan tugged at her collar, relaxing a little.
Soon, it was time for the drawing. Both of them listened intently. After the third number was called, they sighed in unison, "Aww-"
Then they met each other's eyes and started laughing again.
Zhou Yanqian drew out her words. "This investment has failed once again."
Lian Wan didn't reply. There was some traffic ahead, and she focused on driving, a smile playing on her lips.
Zhou Yanqian leaned a little closer and gently patted her thigh. In the same tone, she added, "But this investment seems to have been a success."
With one hand on the steering wheel, Lian Wan took Zhou Yanqian's hand with her other and replied earnestly, "Mm."
In truth, neither of them had said anything to define their relationship, and Zhou Yanqian never did explain her sudden kiss. But Lian Wan had agreed nonetheless. After she spoke, she felt that ambiguous atmosphere begin to circulate uncontrollably inside the car again. This time, however, they both enjoyed it.
There was no need to say more. This was good enough.
It was an awkward time to be looking for food. As expected, most of the roadside restaurants were dark. After some searching, Lian Wan finally found a barbecue place that had just opened for late-night service. Unfortunately, the coals were still being lit, so they'd have to wait a while for their food.
Worried Zhou Yanqian might get past the point of hunger, Lian Wan's sharp eyes spotted a small stall near the restaurant entrance selling cold salads and flatbread. She walked over and bought everything they had left.
She returned with an armful of bags. "There's no meat, but you can make do with this for now."
The woman didn't move. Propping her chin on her hand, she looked at Lian Wan coquettishly. "You can serve me. I don't want the shredded kelp, but I'll have a little of everything else."
Good-natured as ever, Lian Wan uncomplainingly filled a piece of flatbread with the salads and held it to Zhou Yanqian's lips. "Here."
Zhou Yanqian took a bite, and the overwhelming vinegar sauce made her nose sting.
When Lian Wan bought the salad, it had been the last bit in the basin, so it was thoroughly soaked in the dressing and much more sour than usual.
And yet, the person beside her was watching her eagerly, waiting for feedback. The stool was low, forcing Lian Wan to tuck her legs in awkwardly, making her look just like a big dog waiting for its owner. Zhou Yanqian suppressed the sourness rising in her throat and patted the big puppy's arm in approval. "It's very good. You eat some, too."
Hearing this, the tension around Lian Wan's eyes and brows eased. She pulled her hand back and took a bite herself. Unlike Zhou Yanqian, she wasn't a picky eater and didn't notice anything wrong. Only after she'd eaten more than half did she realize. "Aren't you having more?"
Zhou Yanqian shook her head. "No, if I eat any more, I'll be too full for the barbecue."
"Okay." Lian Wan nodded. She knew Zhou Yanqian had a small appetite and figured the chocolate had done its job, so she relaxed and polished off the rest of the salad and flatbread herself.
Zhou Yanqian sat beside her, chin in hand, watching her with a grin. Every so often, she would reach out and stroke Lian Wan's thigh. Her touch was so light it tickled.
But she controlled herself and didn't move.
Zhou Yanqian noticed.
A smile playing on her lips, she again gave the firm muscle a gentle squeeze. Lian Wan's pants and shirt were loose today, which, combined with her coolly detached face, created a kind of decadent beauty. It made one want to completely unravel her.
This was the reason Zhou Yanqian hadn't been able to resist kissing her that afternoon.
And now, that reason was in effect again.
Zhou Yanqian skillfully caressed Lian Wan's thigh, feeling the restrained submission in her body as it tensed from the ticklishness. She couldn't help but smile slyly.
Her lips, lipstick long gone but still flushed red, parted and closed. As if sharing a secret, she mouthed the words to Lian Wan:
"Good girl."
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