Offense - Chapter 21

Chapter 21

The woman's stunned expression in the dim light of the bed was like a night-blooming cereus about to open at midnight. Her slightly parted, pearly teeth and her eyelashes, trembling with surprise, were its stamens, both resisting and welcoming. Lian Wan bit her lip, urging her to bloom, but she didn't know the way. No matter how close she got, it wasn't enough. Her heart suddenly grew restless, all for that single second when Zhou Yanqian would unfurl in the dead of night—only that second, and no other time would do.

Lian Wan held her tightly, not knowing how to relieve her own restlessness. All she knew was to lower her head again, pressing against the other woman's lips as if to vent her frustration.

"Sister…" she murmured in confession, "I feel so… uncomfortable…"

The echo of her previous words still lingered, the sticky tail end of the sound already swallowed between their lips and teeth. The way Lian Wan called her name made Zhou Yanqian's entire body go soft, leaving her unable to spare any attention for the little puppy's troubles. She forced herself to arch her back, hooking her arms around Lian Wan's neck in response. For a moment, the room was filled with their ragged breaths. Lian Wan buried her head, her mouth traveling from swollen lips down to a warm collarbone. A fire seemed to burn within her, and Zhou Yanqian's lips and neck were scorched by its flames.

The tracksuit Lian Wan wore was one Zhou Yanqian had bought casually years ago. The synthetic fabric was a bit stiff, and as Lian Wan moved, the collar rubbed against Zhou Yanqian's chest, quickly chafing the delicate skin red.

But the person on top of her was completely inexperienced. She only knew how to kiss and kiss, and even bit down as if she had nowhere else to vent her energy. Her sharp teeth made Zhou Yanqian ache and itch at the same time, and she couldn't help but struggle, grabbing Lian Wan's collar and forcefully pushing her away.

"Stop, stop for a moment."

Lian Wan was suddenly pushed to the side, looking at her as if she hadn't processed what happened. Her usual cool self-possession had completely collapsed. Her thin lips were crimson, and her eyes shimmered with a hazy, watery light. Her fingers rested on Zhou Yanqian's collarbone, hesitating, wanting to reach out but not daring to, not understanding why she had been pushed away.

A cool breeze brushed against their skin; it seemed the air conditioner had only just started to work. Zhou Yanqian steadied her ragged breathing, first pulling the blanket over both of them, then soothingly stroking Lian Wan's flushed face. Startled by the heat, her words came out haltingly, "Don't be like this for now…"

Lian Wan hugged her shoulders and buried her head, stubbornly repeating in a small voice, "I'm uncomfortable."

"I know-" Zhou Yanqian didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She turned to hold her. Seeing Lian Wan burrow into her embrace, refusing to lift her head, her earlobes and neck burning red with what seemed like a mix of shyness and passion, she couldn't resist teasingly lowering her head. Pressing her face close, she asked in a sultry voice, "Where are you uncomfortable? Tell me, and Sister will teach you."

As she spoke, she gently caressed the back of Lian Wan's neck.

Lian Wan didn't dare look at her, nor could she explain where she felt uncomfortable. She could only hold the warm body before her tightly. Fortunately, the boiling fire in her heart gradually subsided in the paused atmosphere, and she was no longer so restless and anxious.

The air was quiet for a few seconds before Zhou Yanqian tenderly kissed her cheek. "Hm?"

Lian Wan still didn't speak, but she felt Zhou Yanqian's hand search for hers and place it on her soft waist.

Her action brought them even closer, as if they could share the faint tremor of each other's breath. "Have you ever said something like this to another girl before?"

Lian Wan, still holding her, looked up blankly and shook her head.

For some reason, Zhou Yanqian saw a kind of grievance and pitifulness in her eyes. The same purity that had once moved her heart swept over her again in this new form. Her own heart grew wet and soft, and she couldn't help but draw closer.

Zhou Yanqian tightened her arms around Lian Wan, who was staring at her with pleading eyes, and kissed her cheek with delight. "Mm… don't be anxious, Sister will teach you…"

Lian Wan pressed her lips together, letting her guide her hand down into the blanket.

In the places her eyes couldn't see, her senses were infinitely magnified. The temperature under the blanket was scorching, making their bodies feel as if they were melting. Lian Wan's fingertips followed Zhou Yanqian's lead, slowly but clearly brushing over her waist. "Hold me."

The temptation of an embrace was impossible to resist. Lian Wan softened her breathing and, with a bit of effort, carefully yet solemnly held her.

"Lian Wan."

As Lian Wan moved, Zhou Yanqian sank into her arms, just as she had wished. She lifted her chin and stared at her, her gaze holding a kind of detached scrutiny. "The first time you saw me, what were you looking at?"

Her arm. Lian Wan answered instantly in her mind.

She didn't speak, but her fingertips answered for her, inching their way up from the waist until they took the lead and grasped Zhou Yanqian's arm.

It was very warm, very hot, carrying the body heat of them both. The second Lian Wan's fingertips touched her, they both couldn't help but tremble.

"So that's what you were looking at…" Zhou Yanqian smiled. "Alright, then what about later, at the swimming pool? What were you looking at then?"

She had already apologized for that. Lian Wan thought this as she moved her palm to the place she had mentioned.

It was as if things had entered a kind of guided process; everything became orderly.

And Lian Wan found the pattern within it. She felt as if she were back in school, using the patience of an entire evening study session to solve a single math problem, focused on exploring the mysteries within the rhythm.

Lian Wan's grades had been poor, but in this matter, she was a good student.

Unlike the cost-free trial and error of a math problem, here she had endless opportunities to find the answer. From her vantage point above, at such an intimate distance, she could see every one of Zhou Yanqian's reactions with perfect clarity. The soft earlobes, the straight collarbone, and the beautiful scenery further below—it seemed every part of her gave feedback. Lian Wan brought her lips to Zhou Yanqian's, kissing her carefully. "Sister…"

She felt Zhou Yanqian's fingers rest on the back of her neck, a gentle response.

The pressure of her response was so light, yet it sent a wondrous ripple across Lian Wan's skin. Lian Wan felt as if she had received another kind of guidance. Her heart softened with the other woman's touch, melting into a puddle of water that couldn't move without a vessel. And Zhou Yanqian was that vessel.

For someone who had always been so independent to entrust herself so completely would inevitably lead to an imbalance in her sense of security. Lian Wan resisted this feeling, but her attitude toward Zhou Yanqian had always been so strange. From avoidance at their first meeting, to later seeing her as a great enemy, to the intimacy of this very moment, Lian Wan had repeatedly become a version of herself she didn't recognize, as if she were only now, at twenty-two, truly beginning to understand herself.

Now, she was neither a wolf nor a dog. She had become a gentle lamb, nestling contentedly in the palm of her hand. In front of Zhou Yanqian, Lian Wan had, without any teacher, come to understand why a man would crave a woman. But she was also a woman. It had nothing to do with anything else; she craved Zhou Yanqian just as Zhou Yanqian craved her, just as it was a fact that they were both women.

Tender affection, warmth and softness—everything fell into place.

"Are you still uncomfortable?" Zhou Yanqian clung to her neck, humming softly. "You bad dog, now I'm the one who's uncomfortable."

"You idiot, how can you not know anything," she said.

Lian Wan held her, her palm still resting on the source of her trembling, and apologized in a small voice, "I'm sorry."

"Alright, alright." The woman lifted her hand from her neck and ruffled her hair. "You're forgiven."

The way Zhou Yanqian stroked her head was incredibly comforting, like being soaked in hot water. Lian Wan let herself be pulled into an embrace. Outside, it must have been dusk. The twilight seeped quietly through the cracks of the closed curtains, making one feel a wave of drowsiness.

They fell asleep again. When they next awoke, night had already fallen. Zhou Yanqian got up to cook the wontons she had made ahead of time and frozen in the fridge. The portions were small, just one bowl each, serving as their dinner.

The house was quiet. Lian Wan hadn't worked all day, yet she still felt tired. But this wasn't the kind of exhaustion that made you want to throw yourself away. On the contrary, Lian Wan had found herself in this fatigue. She felt incredibly fulfilled, so fulfilled it bordered on contentment. This feeling reached its peak when Zhou Yanqian ladled wontons into her bowl.

Lian Wan hugged her from behind, affectionately resting her head against her neck.

Zhou Yanqian felt a tickle and patted the person who was once again secretly acting spoiled. "Alright now- sit down and eat."

Lian Wan was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "I'll be good to you."

"Mm," the woman's voice held a smile, as if she wasn't taking it to heart. "Who would you be good to if not me?"

Lian Wan hugged her without speaking, just nuzzling her ear again sullenly.

She didn't stay at Zhou Yanqian's house that night. The day's harvest had been plentiful enough. But Lian Wan keenly sensed that their relationship couldn't be rushed all at once. It needed more empty space, waiting to be filled by other harvests.

They kissed goodbye at the door until the hallway light dimmed once more.

The following days passed very peacefully. She took on jobs from the Vehicle Team as usual, but the work was much harder than before. Lian Wan sensed something strange about the others on the team, but she only wanted to earn money and didn't care about anything else.

Before Zhou Yanqian appeared, Lian Wan had no greater ambitions. It seemed that just having something to do to survive was enough. The people in Pingchuan Town were always gossiping about many things—the school district apartments in the county seat, the new big boss who had arrived, solid gold jewelry, a man's bride price and a woman's dowry. Those words drifted past Lian Wan's ears like a whistle in the wind, stirring no response.

But now, Lian Wan seemed to be able to understand them.

Survival required something to lean on. Perhaps that something was desire, or money, or dignity. She needed it, too.

Lian Wan wiped the sweat from her face with a tissue and pushed open the familiar glass door.

A few people were chatting inside the store. Lian Wan recognized the elderly folks who usually sat in the building's hallway, chatting to pass their boring retirement. She didn't know when they had gotten so familiar with Zhou Yanqian.

The store had air conditioning, and everyone was sitting quite comfortably. They didn't move when she entered. Only Zhou Yanqian stood up and walked over, using her body to shield the motion of taking her hand.

"Finished work so early today?" she asked with a light laugh.

The cool air shot up her back, sending an excited shiver through her. Lian Wan suppressed it, secretly kneading Zhou Yanqian's smooth palm, her tone as normal as ever. "Yeah."

"What are you buying?"

"A bottle of water."

"The brand you want is sold out on the shelf." Zhou Yanqian pretended to walk around with her. "Come with me to the back to get one."

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