The Intoxicating Night Air

“Someone bumped into me, of course my heart is jumping,” Yu Qingkong said, averting her eyes before glancing back at Lin Wanzhao. “The movie is starting.”

She took a step toward the theater exit, eager to escape the suffocating proximity.

“Hey, you haven’t answered my question yet…” Lin Wanzhao grabbed her arm, her eyes wide and stubborn. “Tell me before we go, or I’ll be too curious to sleep. I’m the type who needs answers, otherwise, I won’t even be able to eat.”

Yu Qingkong stopped. For the first time, she actually allowed herself to entertain the hypothetical.

It’s impossible, she told herself. Setting aside the issue of gender, the social gap between them was a chasm. It was better not to think about it at all.

Yu Qingkong chose her words carefully. “I can’t answer something that hasn’t happened. I can only tell you that’s how I’ve handled people who liked me in the past.”

Lin Wanzhao’s heart sank. She remembered the rumors from their university days about Yu Qingkong’s clinical, almost surgical way of rejecting confessions. She gave a self-deprecating shake of her head. “Don’t worry. I was just curious. I’d have to be an idiot to fall for you. Don’t flatter yourself.”

Yu Qingkong blinked, then clasped her hands behind her back and nodded. “I’m not.”

Yet, despite her words, Yu Qingkong felt a strange, inexplicable tightness in her chest—a dull, lingering discomfort she couldn’t name.

“Fine, good,” Lin Wanzhao muttered, staring at a nearby display for a moment before turning away. “Let’s go. The movie’s starting.”

She hadn’t gone two steps when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

“?” Lin Wanzhao turned to see Yu Qingkong retracting her hand.

“The theater is closer if we go that way,” Yu Qingkong pointed in the opposite direction.

“I like walking. I love exercise. I’m obsessed with fitness,” Lin Wanzhao retorted, shooting her a look before continuing on her long-way-around path.

Yu Qingkong sighed and followed. “Impressive dedication.”

“Don’t think I can’t hear the sarcasm.” Lin Wanzhao quickened her pace.

“It wasn’t sarcasm. It’s just… you twisted your ankle yesterday. I thought you’d want to stay off it.” Yu Qingkong’s eyes drifted to Lin Wanzhao’s feet.

Lin Wanzhao paused, a small flutter in her chest. She adjusted her bag strap and kept walking, though she stood a little straighter.

************************************

After the tickets were scanned, they sat in the dark theater. Throughout the entire two-and-a-half-hour film, they were as silent as statues. No matter how much blood was spilled on the IMAX screen or how many people around them gasped in shock, the two of them remained unnervingly still, as if they were meditating in a temple.

When they finally emerged, Lin Wanzhao was glued to her phone, her fingers tapping the screen with enough force to crack it, her brow furrowed in a deep scowl.

Assuming she was busy with urgent company business, Yu Qingkong stayed quiet and pulled out her own phone to browse the news.

Seeing that Yu Qingkong wasn’t making any effort to talk to her, Lin Wanzhao’s frustration boiled over. She fired off another message to Qi Jianfeng.

Lin Wanzhao: “Is your sister really that unattractive? My head hurts. I’m like a Psyduck, I’m going to explode [Smile.jpg]”

Qi Jianfeng: “How long have you two known each other?”

Lin Wanzhao: “To her? Less than a month.”

Qi Jianfeng: “Exactly. It’s been less than a month and you expect her to find you ‘all-encompassing and divine’? Do you think that’s realistic? Idiot.”

Lin Wanzhao wanted to argue, but she realized he was right. To her, Yu Qingkong was a years-long obsession whose hometown and habits she knew by heart. To Yu Qingkong, she was just a woman she’d slept with twice—someone slightly more familiar than a stranger.

She shoved her phone into her bag and brushed her hair back. “I heard there’s a new pedestrian street nearby with great food. Want to go?”

Yu Qingkong nodded. “Sure.”

Suddenly remembering she had other plans, Yu Qingkong sent a quick text to Lu Xiaoxiao: “Can’t make it tonight. You and Tingting go ahead without me.”

The reply was instantaneous and practically screamed through the screen:

Lu Xiaoxiao: “WHAT?! Yu Qingkong, did you just learn how to flake on people?!!!”

“Sorry,” Yu Qingkong typed. “Next time for sure.”

***************************************

Ten minutes later, they arrived at the new commercial street. It was bustling with people, vibrant and noisy.

Lin Wanzhao, perhaps looking for an emotional outlet, began buying everything in sight—skewers, fried chicken, ice cream. She even grabbed a couple of beers. Yu Qingkong didn’t have the heart to stop her until she saw the sheer volume of food.

“Easy on the eating,” Yu Qingkong finally said. “Have you forgotten the ‘bloating’ lesson from last night?”

Lin Wanzhao, holding a bag of shrimp crackers, turned to her. “Are you actually worried about me?”

“Yes. I’m afraid if something happens to you, your mother will come for me with a knife.”

“She doesn’t care about my health,” Lin Wanzhao said with a cold laugh. “She only pulls the knife out when I refuse to be her puppet. Control freak.”

Yu Qingkong fell silent, remembering Lin Wanzhao’s tears from that morning.

“Here,” Lin Wanzhao said, holding the bag of crackers out to her, trying to lighten the mood. “Want some?”

“No thanks. I’m an adult.”

Lin Wanzhao’s eyes sparkled with mischief. In the next second, she poured a handful of crackers into her palm and pressed them against Yu Qingkong’s mouth, laughing as she danced away.

Yu Qingkong stood frozen for a moment, then shook her head with a faint, helpless smile. “Childish.”

But the tension had broken, and she was content to let Lin Wanzhao have her fun.

“You look really good when you smile,” Lin Wanzhao said softly.

Yu Qingkong touched her lips awkwardly, her gaze shifting away.

****************************************

Around 10:00 PM, Yu Qingkong pulled the car up to Lin Wanzhao’s building. She signaled for her to head up, but Lin Wanzhao remained in the passenger seat, staring at her.

“What are you looking at?” Yu Qingkong touched her face. “Is there something on me?”

“No…” Lin Wanzhao shook her head. “You’re just… much better looking than any flower.”

“What are you even saying…” Yu Qingkong set her phone aside, feeling flustered.

“The truth,” Lin Wanzhao teased. “Would you rather I lie? Fine. You’re hideous. Is that better?”

Yu Qingkong couldn’t help but laugh. “Alright, enough. You should head up, CEO Lin.”

“But I don’t want to go back yet,” Lin Wanzhao frowned.

“Why?”

“I haven’t had this much fun in ages. I’m not ready for the curtain to fall. I want to linger as long as I can.”

Yu Qingkong sighed. “Life is long. There will be plenty more happy times. You should be more optimistic.”

“I’ll go after I finish this.” Lin Wanzhao shook the beer in her hand, popped it open, and took several large gulps. She ended up coughing, and the beer sprayed out of the can, splashing across her hands and onto her dress.

Yu Qingkong shook her head, pulling out tissues. “Slow down. No one is racing you.”

“It’s everywhere,” Lin Wanzhao complained. “I can’t reach it all.”

Yu Qingkong took the beer can and set it aside. She pulled Lin Wanzhao’s hand toward her and began to carefully wipe the liquid away. “You really are like a child. You go out to play and don’t want to come home, right?”

“It’s not like that. It’s completely different.”

“Oh? Then what ‘nature’ is it?” Yu Qingkong looked up at her, then back at her hand. “Palm up.”

Lin Wanzhao obeyed, turning her palm over. “It’s just… not that.”

She just wanted to be near Yu Qingkong. Even a few more seconds of this felt like a victory.

Yu Qingkong sighed, her eyebrows arching slightly. “Stay still, CEO Lin. I can’t wipe it if you keep moving.”

“The movie was actually quite good,” Lin Wanzhao said, trying to fill the silence.

“Mhm.”

The streetlight filtered through the window, casting a soft, flattering glow over Yu Qingkong’s face.

Suddenly, Yu Qingkong looked up. Their eyes met, and her heart skipped a beat. The night was cool, but Lin Wanzhao’s eyes were like warm pools of water. The light softened her features, highlighting the perfect curve of her lips.

Yu Qingkong’s gaze dipped to those lips, then to her collarbone. She let out a small cough and continued wiping her hand, but her movements had slowed, becoming almost lingering.

Lin Wanzhao watched her, mesmerized by her focus. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, she began to lean in.

“Qingkong…” Lin Wanzhao’s voice was a whisper, carrying a trace of natural, unintended seduction.

“Hmm?” Yu Qingkong looked into her eyes, her own voice sounding thick and unfamiliar.

The scent of Lin Wanzhao’s perfume enveloped her. Yu Qingkong’s breathing turned shallow, her throat tightening. Deep inside, she felt a long-suppressed impulse straining against its cage.