Having fled the dilapidated classroom, thick with the scent of blood and violence, Lan Yucheng fled. Not until she had traversed most of the campus, confirming her surroundings were clear of any further anomalies, did her taut nerves finally begin to relax.
She halted, glancing to her side. Qing Xinxue still clutched tightly at her clothes, her face pale, her body trembling slightly.
“It’s alright, Xiaoxue,” Lan Yucheng said, her voice softening. She sought to soothe Qing Xinxue, while also attempting to calm her own wildly thumping heart. “Just now… thank you.”
The gratitude was heartfelt, despite the horrifying ordeal.
Upon hearing the thanks, Qing Xinxue abruptly lifted her head. Her eyes, still bearing traces of terror and lingering bloodshot veins, instantly erupted with an unusually bright radiance, as if she had received a long-coveted treasure. Yet, she quickly furrowed her brow, raising her right hand and drawing a small, sharp breath.
“Hiss… Sister Cheng, my hand… I think I twisted it. It really hurts.”
Lan Yucheng looked down. Qing Xinxue’s right wrist was indeed somewhat red, likely from the excessive force she had used when swinging the metal table leg earlier. Compared to the boy lying unconscious on the ground, this injury was trivial, but displayed on Qing Xinxue’s tear-filled face, it appeared particularly pitiable.
Lan Yucheng understood immediately. This was both a factual injury and the burgeoning demand for more attention.
“Let’s go to the infirmary to have it checked,” Lan Yucheng said, not exposing her motives but rather humoring her. She needed to soothe Qing Xinxue, ensuring her emotional stability and preventing any further complications.
****
The school infirmary was permeated by a faint scent of disinfectant. Afternoon sunlight streamed through the blinds, casting alternating bands of light and shadow across the clean floor.
After a simple examination, the on-duty school doctor confirmed it was merely a minor soft tissue contusion. They didn’t even prescribe medicine, simply advising, “Rest, and avoid strenuous activity,” before leaving.
Once the school doctor departed, the small treatment room was left to just the two of them. The air seemed to grow thick and quiet.
Qing Xinxue sat on the edge of the white hospital bed, her head bowed. She gently rubbed her right wrist with her uninjured left hand, her long eyelashes drooping to conceal the turbulent emotions in her eyes.
“Sister Cheng…” Her voice was soft and sweet, tinged with a hint of grievance. “Just now… I was so scared.” She was referring to the moment the boy had threatened her.
Lan Yucheng stood by the bed, observing her demeanor. A subtle alarm bell rang in her heart, but her expression remained gentle. “It’s over now. Don’t be afraid.”
“But my hand still hurts right now…” Qing Xinxue lifted her moist eyes to Lan Yucheng, like a small animal seeking comfort. “Sister Cheng… that ‘reward’ you promised me earlier… does it still count?”
Her implication could not have been clearer. After the forced intimacy of last night, coupled with her ‘guardian’ actions today, mere verbal comfort could no longer satisfy the rapidly expanding desire within her.
Lan Yucheng watched her, keenly aware that this was a trap. Once given, Qing Xinxue’s demands would only escalate. Yet, at this moment, her emotions were like a powder keg, and any refusal could become the spark that ignited it.
“…It counts,” Lan Yucheng heard her own calm voice, tinged with a barely perceptible strain. She stepped forward and sat beside Qing Xinxue. “What do you want?”
A flicker of triumphant light instantly darted across Qing Xinxue’s eyes, though her face flushed with shyness. She leaned closer to Lan Yucheng, their arms brushing, allowing them to feel each other’s warmth.
“Sister Cheng… could you lean a little closer?” she requested softly, her tone laced with both tentative inquiry and an imperceptible insistence.
Lan Yucheng inclined her body slightly, as requested.
The instant she drew near, Qing Xinxue suddenly extended her left hand, wrapping it around Lan Yucheng’s nape. She gently pulled Lan Yucheng’s head towards her, simultaneously tilting her own face up, and pressed a kiss, filled with eagerness and possessiveness, onto her lips!
This kiss was different from the desperate, tentative touch that had landed on her lip corner last night. It was deeper, allowing no refusal, bearing the stubbornness of claiming dominion.
Lan Yucheng’s body stiffened, her first instinct to push her away. But recalling the frantic scene in the dilapidated classroom, and Qing Xinxue’s uncontrolled destructive power, she forcibly halted her movements.
‘I cannot provoke her.’
She closed her eyes, allowing Qing Xinxue to take whatever she desired.
Her senses blurred amidst the scent of disinfectant and Qing Xinxue’s fervent breath. She could feel the strength in Qing Xinxue’s left hand, taste a faint metallic tang of blood on her lips, and hear their rapid heartbeats echoing in the quiet space.
The kiss was long and suffocating.
Not until Qing Xinxue herself, gasping slightly from lack of oxygen, pulled away. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes hazy, filled with the satiation of a predator after a meal. She gazed at Lan Yucheng’s slightly reddened lips and closed eyes, as if admiring her own masterpiece.
“Sister Cheng…” she panted, pushing her luck further by pressing her forehead against Lan Yucheng’s. Their noses gently touched, their breaths mingling. “No one… is here…”
Her hand began to wander downwards, her fingertips, scorching hot, moving through the fabric of Lan Yucheng’s clothes.
Lan Yucheng’s eyes snapped open. She seized Qing Xinxue’s wrist, stopping her mischievous hand!
“Qing Xinxue!” Her voice was low, carrying a warning and a trace of unconcealed annoyance. “Not here!”
Her wrist caught, Qing Xinxue’s movements froze. She looked at the undeniable refusal in Lan Yucheng’s eyes, and a wave of grievance and dissatisfaction instantly surged forth, her eyes turning red again.
“Why not…” she protested softly, her voice tearful. “Sister Cheng clearly promised me a reward… I even got hurt for you… and we were already last night…”
“The reward has already been given,” Lan Yucheng interrupted her, her tone cold and firm, attempting to re-establish boundaries. “That’s enough.”
“It’s not enough!” Qing Xinxue shook her head stubbornly, tears falling instantly. “It’s absolutely not enough! Sister Cheng… are you still angry with me? Are you disgusted by me?”
She began to weaponize her tears and self-abasement once more.
Lan Yucheng looked at her tear-streaked face, her head throbbing. She knew that if she didn’t allow Qing Xinxue some measure of satisfaction today, this matter would not easily pass.
Crossing the line in a public infirmary was absolutely out of the question, but complete refusal carried equally immense risks.
She took a deep breath, suppressing the irritation in her heart and that trace of forced humiliation, and released Qing Xinxue’s hand.
However, she did not permit any further advances. Instead, she simply closed her eyes again, tilting her head slightly to one side, exposing the vulnerable curve of her neck. In a weary tone, almost surrendering resistance, she whispered softly:
“This… this is all there can be.”
“Don’t go too far.”
This was an implicit consent, but also a compromise that drew a firm bottom line.
Qing Xinxue looked at Lan Yucheng, who appeared resigned yet still held her ground, and her tears miraculously stopped. She understood the wisdom of knowing when to quit while ahead.
She made no further attempts to advance. Instead, like a cat finally appeased, she pressed close again, burying her face in Lan Yucheng’s neck, greedily inhaling her scent. Her left hand wrapped tightly around Lan Yucheng’s waist with an almost embedding force.
“Sister Cheng is the best…” she sighed contentedly, her voice laced with the sweetness of a successful scheme.
Lan Yucheng sat stiffly, feeling the warm breath on her neck and the undeniable restraint around her waist. Her heart felt utterly cold.
Once again, she had been cornered into compromise by Qing Xinxue, through tears, obsession, and the threat of violence.
She was sinking deeper and deeper.