The Misplaced Manuscript

2:00 AM. The world was hushed.
The streets of Hua City were void of vehicles and pedestrians. Beneath its neon cloak, the city felt surprisingly lonely.
Inside a hotel room, clothes were strewn haphazardly at the foot of the bed, and the sheets were a tangled, wrinkled mess.
Lin Wanzhao stared up at Yu Qingkong, who was bracing herself on her elbows directly above her. Her chest heaved with every breath. “Your desire is quite intense… are you sure… sure you don’t like women?”
Yu Qingkong gripped Lin Wanzhao’s wrist, her breathing heavy and ragged. “I don’t…”
“Then why,” Lin Wanzhao arched a brow, “does your body react this way to a woman?”
“Regardless, it’s not that…” Yu Qingkong lowered her head, closing her eyes as she breathed against the other woman’s soft, delicate skin.
“Liar…” The sensation of Yu Qingkong’s breath against her neck made Lin Wanzhao itch with anticipation. She twisted her wrist instinctively. “I… I don’t believe you.”
Yu Qingkong opened her eyes, staring at Lin Wanzhao’s lips. “It’s the truth.”
At those words, Lin Wanzhao suddenly flipped over, pinning Yu Qingkong’s shoulders back against the mattress. “Straight women aren’t so easily seduced by their own gender, didn’t you know? Not even when they’re drunk…”
Yu Qingkong didn’t argue further. She reached up, hooked her arms around Lin Wanzhao’s neck, and pulled her down, effectively silencing her words with a kiss.
Lips met, skin pressed against skin, each demanding more from the other.
In the heat of the exchange, a fine layer of sweat covered Lin Wanzhao’s forehead. Every cell in her body seemed to be screaming, desperate for comfort.
“Qingkong…” Lin Wanzhao’s voice had turned incredibly soft, so tender it felt as though it might melt away.
Hearing her name whispered like that set a fire in Yu Qingkong’s mind—a flame that roared higher and higher until it completely consumed her logic.
Like a June sky that had been clear for days only to finally break, the downpour came—ferocious, unstoppable, and overwhelming…
*************************************
When everything finally settled, rain had indeed begun to fall outside. The rhythmic patter against the windowpane composed a lonely, staccato melody.
The two who had spent hours tangling on the bed had finally fallen into a deep sleep.
The next morning, Yu Qingkong woke to broad daylight. Thanks to the alcohol, her head felt like it had been used as a punching bag. She groaned, reaching up to rub her temples.
She looked down and realized she was once again wearing nothing. Not only was her head throbbing, but her body felt achy and sore, as if she had spent the night in a physical battle.
What did I do last night…
Just then, her phone buzzed. She dug it out from the pile of clothes and unlocked it. A message from Lin Wanzhao was waiting on WeChat.
Lin Wanzhao: Good morning~ Something urgent came up so I headed out early. I didn’t want to wake you. I left breakfast on the table; remember to eat when you wake up, then come meet me at the exhibition.
Yu Qingkong stared at the screen for a while before typing back:
Yu Qingkong: What exactly did I do last night?
It took a while for the reply to come. Yu Qingkong was in the middle of brushing her teeth when her phone buzzed again.
Lin Wanzhao: Last night… you were quite passionate. What, you don’t remember?
Yu Qingkong froze, toothbrush still in her mouth. She stared at the words until she eventually leaned over the sink, burying her face in her hands. It’s all coming back.
Regardless, she forced her emotions down, tidied herself up, and headed to the exhibition. Private matters could not be allowed to interfere with work.
The venue was crowded and noisy. After circling the floor, she spotted Lin Wanzhao at a booth, wearing her professional “CEO” mask and chatting effortlessly with a client.
As Yu Qingkong approached, Lin Wanzhao caught her eye from across the room. A playful, meaningful smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
Yu Qingkong instinctively clenched her fists at her side.
****************************************
After the business trip ended and they returned to the office, Lin Wanzhao became a “superwoman” of the corporate world, flying from city to city. Yu Qingkong was equally swamped with backlogged tasks. Aside from a brief sighting in a board meeting, they had no interaction.
Yu Qingkong’s tightly wound nerves finally began to relax. But at the same time, she couldn’t stop the intrusive memories of the… pleasure… they had shared. No, this absolutely cannot continue.
Friday arrived.
Yu Qingkong spent the morning visiting offline stores to collect feedback from managers. When she returned to the office, she grabbed lunch with Zhang Xue.
As soon as they sat down, Zhang Xue leaned in with a face full of gossip. “So, I think I’ve got some huge news about CEO Lin. Do you want to hear it?”
Yu Qingkong’s heart skipped a beat. Huge news? Please tell me it’s not about us.
“What is it?” she asked, trying to sound casual.
“I saw her last night! She was walking out of a high-end residential complex with this tall, handsome guy. They were linked arm-in-arm and looked super close! They even got into the same car. I bet it’s her boyfriend! Gosh, she really is a winner at life… Hey, Qingkong, why do you look so weird?” Zhang Xue poked her. “Your face is pale. Did you get food poisoning?”
Yu Qingkong looked up, then abruptly stood with her tray. “Thanks for the concern. I’m fine. I’m just full.”
“Eh?!” Zhang Xue watched her go, scratching her head. Yu Qingkong had been acting so moody and strange lately.
Back in her office, Yu Qingkong leaned her head on her hand, staring at the screen. It was lunch break, and usually she would take a nap, but sleep was out of the question now.
A handsome guy? Linked arms? It seemed Lin Wanzhao’s “range” was quite broad—swinging both ways.
It made sense. Given how skilled Lin Wanzhao was in bed, she was clearly no novice. She was likely a genius in the world of casual flings and dating.
Even though Lin Wanzhao’s private life was none of her business, Yu Qingkong felt a surge of inexplicable irritation.

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

Suddenly, her private messenger pinged. It was her friend Wang Min.
Wang Min: Qingkong! Check out the novel I’m writing! Tell me what you think! Yes, I’m finally going to be an author!
Yu Qingkong typed back: “Send it over.”
Wang Min: Ok!
An attachment titled ‘Untitled Manuscript 7th Revision’ popped up.
Yu Qingkong: I’ll look at it when I have time.
Wang Min: Great! You used to work in publishing right after college, so you have to give me an honest critique!
“Got it,” Yu Qingkong replied, then pushed the thought aside.

At that moment, her professional chat software pinged. Lin Wanzhao’s icon was flashing. She had just returned to the office today.
Yu Qingkong stared at the icon for a long moment before clicking.
Lin Wanzhao: Have you finished organizing the summary notes from the trip? If they’re ready, please send me a copy.
Good. It’s just business.
Yu Qingkong closed her eyes for a second. “Please wait a moment,” she typed.
She opened her folders, did a quick final check of the report, and closed the file. She rubbed her temples, took a sip of coffee, and sent the document over.
Ten minutes later, another message arrived from Lin Wanzhao.
Lin Wanzhao: Manager Yu, please come to my office for a moment.
Yu Qingkong went silent. “Okay,” she finally replied.
She left her desk and walked toward the CEO’s office. Thinking about what Zhang Xue had said, Yu Qingkong’s expression grew cold. She knocked. She resolved that no matter what Lin Wanzhao said or did, she would stay composed. She needed to pull herself back before she fell into whatever trap the other woman was setting.
“Come in.” The clear, melodious voice sounded from within.
“CEO Lin, is there a problem?” Yu Qingkong entered and shut the door. She stood before the desk, her posture polite but distant.
Lin Wanzhao looked up at her, her eyes unreadable. She scanned Yu Qingkong from head to toe.
Then, Lin Wanzhao smiled. She leaned back, arms crossed, looking at her computer screen. When she spoke, her voice was light and airy, like a mountain spring—yet the words she spoke were mortifying.
“‘Untitled Manuscript 7th Revision… Zhuang Lei held Yan Ke tightly, pressing their bodies together. Finally, after being taken by Yan Ke over and over again, Zhuang Lei couldn’t take it anymore…'”
Yu Qingkong’s hands clenched at her sides. Manuscript? 7th Revision?
Suddenly, the realization hit her like a ton of bricks. The report and the manuscript were both on her desktop. In her distracted state, she had sent the wrong file.
Despite the internal earthquake she was experiencing, Yu Qingkong kept her face a mask of calm.
Behind the desk, Lin Wanzhao looked up at her with a deeply meaningful glint in her eyes.
“I had no idea, Manager Yu, that your ‘summary’ would be so… vivid and exciting. You really are a woman of many talents.”