The Encounter

At eleven o’clock at night, the curtain of darkness had long since fallen outside, leaving only the neon nightlights to embrace the city amidst the ink-like gloom.

At this moment, few people were walking the streets.

Occasionally, a vehicle would rush by and vanish into the distance, and once the brief roar faded, everything would return to silence.

However, unlike the outside world, the Snake Bar on Shengcheng West Street was filled with hazy lights and a cacophonous din.

At the bar counter, Yu Qingkong, dressed in casual wear, glanced down at her phone and let out a sigh.

She had only come to this lesbian bar because a friend who had gone through a breakup wanted to heart-to-heart.

But after she arrived, her friend sent another message telling her—they had reconciled, so she wasn’t coming anymore.

“Miss, would you like something to drink?” the staff member behind the bar asked.

“Oh, no thank you,” Yu Qingkong shook her head with a smile, then turned her feet, preparing to leave.

“—Hi.”

However, just then, a clear and soft female voice rang out from behind her.

Yu Qingkong couldn’t help but pause her steps, turning toward the source of the sound.

In the bar, the DJ switched the overly loud techno to a soothing yet ambiguous and atmospheric lounge music.

The newcomer stood under the suggestive lights wearing a silver camisole dress.

Her makeup was exquisite, her red lips curled in a phantom-like smile, and her wavy long hair was parted entirely over her left shoulder.

The lines of her neck were smooth, and a thin silver necklace rested in the shallow hollow of her collarbone, occasionally reflecting fragments of light that made her skin appear even more delicate and lustrous.

“Miss, were you calling me? Is there…” Yu Qingkong looked around.

Before Yu Qingkong could finish asking “Is there something I can help with,” Lin Wanzhao’s crimson lips curved slightly.

“Are you interested in having a few drinks together?”

After raising her glass to take a small sip, Lin Wanzhao fixed her gaze on her, like a leopard locking onto its prey.

Yu Qingkong looked at the people around them swaying slightly to the music, then looked back at Lin Wanzhao, finally raising an eyebrow.

“Sure.”

“A Tequila Sunrise for this lady, please,” Lin Wanzhao said to the bartender with perfect gentlemanly poise, then looked back at Yu Qingkong.

“This drink is on me.”

Whether it was an illusion or not, Yu Qingkong felt that Lin Wanzhao seemed different from the women she usually encountered.

Every frown, every smile, every movement was like a hook—not too heavy, not too light, and unerringly snagging a specific spot in one’s heart.

Yu Qingkong was stunned for a moment, then sat down on a barstool.

She picked up the glass the bartender pushed toward her and looked at Lin Wanzhao.

“Thanks.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Wanzhao smiled without a word, raised her glass into the air for a soft clink, and watched Yu Qingkong while she drank.

Clearly, a layer of intoxication had already clouded Lin Wanzhao’s eyes.

Noticing Lin Wanzhao’s gaze, Yu Qingkong’s eyes flickered; she set down her glass and looked back.

“Why do you keep looking at me? Do I look like an old friend of yours?”

Hearing that, Lin Wanzhao withdrew her gaze and laughed.

“No, it’s just… aren’t beautiful things and beautiful people meant to be admired?”

“Thank you for the compliment…” Yu Qingkong smiled.

“But standing next to you, I’m just a green leaf next to a red flower at best.”

Lin Wanzhao laughed brightly. “You certainly have a way with words.”

“You’re wrong,” Yu Qingkong thought for a moment while looking at the rows of liquor on the shelves behind the bar, then turned her head to look at her.

“I only tell the truth.”

“Haha…” Lin Wanzhao laughed again, then raised her glass.

“Cheers.”

“Cheers.” Yu Qingkong picked up her drink and tapped it against the rim of the other’s glass.

The two drank and chatted, and who knows how much time passed.

By the time Yu Qingkong set down her glass, she was several degrees into intoxication.

She couldn’t help but frown, propping her forehead with her hand and closing her eyes to clear her head.

At that moment, the rhythm of the music accelerated, and the crowd erupted into bursts of screams under the DJ’s lead.

Yu Qingkong looked over toward the dance floor.

“Want to go to the dance floor?” Lin Wanzhao followed her gaze, set down her glass, and asked.

“No,” Yu Qingkong withdrew her gaze and looked at her.

“Watching is enough. My limbs are stiff and uncoordinated; I can’t dance.”

“You’ll know how once you’re there,” Lin Wanzhao smiled and lowered her eyes, then raised them again to stare at her.

“If you don’t try, how will you know you can’t?”

With that, Lin Wanzhao extended her hand to invite her.

She seemed quite confident that Yu Qingkong would follow her.

After staring at her for a moment, as if possessed, Yu Qingkong finally placed her hand into the other’s palm and accepted the invitation.

That woman seemed to carry a type of magic that was difficult to refuse.

The dance floor was a sea of shifting shadows, somewhat crowded.

After Lin Wanzhao let go of Yu Qingkong, she smoothed back her hair and began to sway her body slightly to the rhythm of the music, looking natural and effortless.

As more and more people joined in, the two were inadvertently pushed closer and closer by the jostling crowd.

Someone accidentally bumped Lin Wanzhao from behind as they passed.

Lin Wanzhao stumbled, leaning toward Yu Qingkong.

At the same time, Yu Qingkong caught her by the shoulders.

Lin Wanzhao’s shoulders were thin and petite, emitting a faint heat that felt somewhat scorching.

Yu Qingkong’s gaze moved from her shoulders to her face, her voice low and calm.

“Be careful.”

At such a distance, Yu Qingkong could even feel the warm breath Lin Wanzhao exhaled—a floral fragrance with a hint of lightness.

“Thank you.” Lin Wanzhao looked at the hand resting on her shoulder.

That hand was slender and captivating.

“Do you hit the bars often?” Yu Qingkong released her shoulders and dropped her hand.

“Occasionally.” Lin Wanzhao arched an eyebrow and smiled—a beautiful, alluring smile.

Yu Qingkong looked into her eyes, her gaze gradually shifting to her lips.

“Do you often strike up conversations with strangers?”

“This is the first time.” Lin Wanzhao smiled sweetly, the bar lights gathering into a sea of stars in her eyes.

“There are so many people here, why did you choose to talk to me specifically?”

“Because…” Lin Wanzhao laughed softly. “You’re good-looking.”

“Ha…” Yu Qingkong chuckled. “That reason… that’s the same routine many people who like to pick up girls use.”

“Is it?”

“Yes.” Yu Qingkong nodded.

Lin Wanzhao laughed after hearing this, her expression becoming charming and enchanting, like a spirit that had cultivated for a thousand years.

Watching her, Yu Qingkong’s throat hitched involuntarily.

She felt something was strange—was she too drunk? She actually felt the urge to do something to her…

It was odd; as a woman herself, she actually gave birth to such a thought…

“Then…” Lin Wanzhao moved a bit closer to her.

Her boneless body was almost pressed against Yu Qingkong’s, feeling somewhat hot.

“Hmm?” Yu Qingkong’s throat moved slightly.

“In that case, wouldn’t this be more like something someone trying to pick up a girl would do…”

Lin Wanzhao placed both hands on her shoulders and leaned in close to the corner of her lips, speaking softly.

Her tone was light and soft, and as she elongated her voice, it sounded lazy and mellow, inexplicably carrying a hint of bewitchment.

“What thing…”

The woman’s body was intentionally or unintentionally pressing against her own, so soft that it made one want to wrap their arms around her and pull her into a tight embrace.

Yu Qingkong looked up slightly, meeting Lin Wanzhao’s eyes.

Facing this vixen-like woman, a flame seemed to ignite within her body, burning brighter and more vigorously, leaving her mouth feeling increasingly parched.

“You tell me…” As Lin Wanzhao spoke, her delicate hand gently pinched Yu Qingkong’s chin.

A shimmering luster reflected off Lin Wanzhao’s plump lips.

As her breath fanned over her, Yu Qingkong stiffened slightly, feeling a numbing sensation spread from her ears to her scalp.

Then, as if possessed, she suddenly reached out and pulled Lin Wanzhao across the dance floor.

She led her to a less crowded spot, pushed her back against the wall, and stared into her eyes.

Lin Wanzhao’s body trembled slightly, the corners of her lips curving as she reached out to adjust her slightly slipping shoulder strap.

Yu Qingkong stared at her, then suddenly pulled her into her arms again.

Placing both hands on her waist, she leaned in toward her neck with eyes full of intoxication.

“Are you seducing me?”

As Yu Qingkong spoke, her breath diffused around Lin Wanzhao’s ear, causing a layer of fine goosebumps to rise on Lin Wanzhao’s skin.

Amidst the intimate contact, Lin Wanzhao turned her face slightly, twirled a strand of Yu Qingkong’s hair, and then looked up at her clean, handsome profile.

She pressed a hand against Yu Qingkong’s lips and whispered.

“Were you seduced?”

Yu Qingkong looked at her, her gaze becoming glued as her breathing fluctuated.

Then, she suddenly tilted her chin up and kissed those sexy lips that had been speaking provocative words.

She had intended to just have a fleeting taste, but unfortunately, Lin Wanzhao’s lips were far too soft and fragrant.

Yu Qingkong unknowingly sank deep into it, and in the next second, she cupped the back of her head and pried open her teeth.

As their lips and teeth touched and intertwined, a faint taste of alcohol flowed into Lin Wanzhao’s nose and mouth.

The warm, rich breath and the instant burst of numbing sensation wrapped around her overwhelmingly, leaving her nowhere to run.

As Yu Qingkong’s hand gently slid and pressed against her back, Lin Wanzhao couldn’t help but feel a dizzying sense of oxygen deprivation.

Yet at the same time, she didn’t want Yu Qingkong to stop; she even wanted more…

Finally, Yu Qingkong gradually pulled away from Lin Wanzhao’s lips, her finger wiping away a silver thread of saliva.

She rested her forehead against the other’s, closing her eyes to steady her breathing…

Lin Wanzhao’s chest heaved, her breathing also slightly hurried.

Then, she stood on her tiptoes and leaned in close to her ear with misty eyes.

“There’s a hotel nearby that I’ve stayed at; the facilities are clean and complete.”

Lin Wanzhao’s red lips opened and closed, her voice sweet and incomparably ambiguous.

“The bed is very soft—do you want to go?”