The Morning After

From the pool to the sofa, from the terrace to the bedroom, Yu Qingkong felt as though she had utterly collapsed. She didn’t know how long she and Lin Wanzhao had been together; she only knew that, in the end, her body felt as if it no longer belonged to her. Under the rhythmic waves of sensation, her mind had gone completely blank.

She hadn’t wanted to make a sound, yet no matter how tightly she gritted her teeth, those cries escaped her control. Hearing them herself felt like a wave of shame.

When everything finally came to an end and their breathing had steadied, Lin Wanzhao looked down at Yu Qingkong, who was nestled in her arms. She looked at her as if she were a hard-won treasure, a shallow smile gracing her lips.

Yu Qingkong had fallen asleep. In deep sleep, she looked incredibly peaceful—her profile was elegant, and her skin was fair and delicate. As Lin Wanzhao watched her, she leaned down and softly brushed her lips against Yu’s.

The touch was incredibly soft, instantly making Lin want to pull her closer and melt her into her own body. If only she could, but she couldn’t.

The air conditioning was a bit low, and now that the room was quiet, it felt a little chilly. Fearing she might catch a cold, Lin Wanzhao immediately pulled a thin blanket over Yu Qingkong.

After an unknown amount of time, Lin Wanzhao’s legs began to go numb. It wasn’t until her phone vibrated on the coffee table that she gently eased Yu’s head onto a cushion and stood up to check it.

It was Lu Keke, and her message was as blunt and direct as ever: “Babe, a day has passed. What’s the battle report?”

Lin Wanzhao turned back to look at Yu Qingkong asleep on the sofa and smiled. Twirling a lock of hair, she typed back:

“She is mine now.”

“At least physically.”

“She gave herself to me.”

After sending the messages, Lin Wanzhao took a sip of water and looked out through the glass doors at the exquisite little courtyard. She felt as though the world had never looked more beautiful.

Seconds later, the phone buzzed again with a string of exclamation marks: “Babe! That’s my girl! You take a hint well! Remember, for a story to happen between two people, someone has to be proactive. Especially when chasing someone—don’t waste time on those messy ‘strategies,’ just charge! So, how are things now?”

Lin Wanzhao sighed softly and typed: “She’s been tired lately. She finally got some rest for the holiday, but we just spent two hours… messing around, so she fell asleep. She’s still out. When she wakes up, I plan to take her out for a stroll and dinner. Keke, send me all the good food spots around here. I don’t want to give her any bad memories.”

Lu Keke replied instantly: “You got it! Does she eat fish? The Lilac Lemon Fish is incredible! It’s 5.6km to the east. The owner is Chen Lulu, remember? I’ll compile the rest for you. Shiyi is calling me to go out, so talk later.”

“Thanks, babe. When I get back, I’ll get you that private meeting with your idol, Jiang Yichen.” Lin Wanzhao smiled. Lu Keke was a die-hard fan, and as it happened, Jiang Yichen was set to film a commercial for the Lin family enterprise soon.

Across the network, Lu Keke literally cheered.

Zheng Shiyi, wrapping a scarf around her neck, glanced at her. “Why the sudden excitement?”

Lu Keke pocketed her phone and threw an arm around Zheng Shiyi’s shoulder. “Good news! I’m finally going to meet Jiang Yichen! Don’t you think my Yichen was blessed by the heavens? He’s so damn handsome!”

Zheng Shiyi looked at her and tightened her lips. When Lu Keke had returned last time, she hadn’t been this excited even though Zheng had picked her up in the middle of the night. Now, she was stomping with joy for someone she hadn’t even met yet. Feeling somehow inferior to a “pretty boy” celebrity, Zheng Shiyi felt a strange blockage in her heart.

She pulled Keke’s arm off her shoulder. “I don’t know him, and I don’t think so.”

“What? He’s the most famous one in the OG boy band! I sent you his picture last week…”

“I’m face-blind, especially when it comes to men.” With that, Zheng Shiyi pushed open the door and walked out.

“But his face is so distinct! His eyes are so deep…” Lu Keke followed.

“Aren’t all eyes just two black holes? Those are deep enough,” Zheng Shiyi said, walking ahead.

“I guess that’s true… Hey, wait for me!”

5:00 PM

When Yu Qingkong woke up, her body felt faintly sore, as if she had been through a battle. She sat up, pulling the blanket tight, and rubbed her head just as Lin Wanzhao came down the stairs. Lin had changed into an apricot-colored halter jumpsuit—her proportions were perfect, her shoulders slender, and her face exquisite.

“Are you awake?” Lin Wanzhao tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and sat beside her on the sofa.

Yu Qingkong nodded. “What time is it?”

“A little past five. You were sleeping so soundly I didn’t want to wake you,” Lin Wanzhao said, leaning toward her. “Are you hungry?”

Yu Qingkong looked down at herself, adjusted the blanket, and shook her head. “No.”

“Go take a shower and change. We’ll go out for dinner. By the way, do you like fish?”

“I like it quite a bit.”

“Then let’s have fish. Keke recommended a Lemon Fish place. She’s a foodie and a food blogger in her spare time, so her recommendation should be solid.” Lin Wanzhao looked at the faint marks on Yu’s skin and smiled.

She had left those marks intentionally—a small, possessive declaration. She liked seeing the evidence of her presence on Yu Qingkong.

“Okay, I’ll go to the bathroom first.” Yu Qingkong stood up, clutching the blanket to her chest.

“Go ahead.”

Yu Qingkong paused. “CEO Lin…”

“Mhm?”

“Nothing.” She shook her head and went upstairs.

In the bathroom, Yu Qingkong looked at the marks in the mirror and closed her eyes. After all that avoiding and circling, it had come to this. No matter how much she didn’t want to admit it, she couldn’t erase the reality. Every time she touched Lin Wanzhao’s skin, she lost all defenses. She wanted her, wanted to possess her, or be possessed by her.

Downstairs, Lin Wanzhao sat by the window, watching the golden evening sun coat the garden. She touched her lips with her finger and smiled, remembering the way Yu Qingkong looked when she needed her most.

A while later, Yu Qingkong emerged in a T-shirt and denim shorts. The marks on her neck were visible, but there was nothing she could do about it.

“Ready?” Lin Wanzhao asked.

“Mhm, let’s go.”

“Great.” Lin Wanzhao stood up and naturally looped her arm through Yu’s.

Yu’s body stiffened for a moment, but she didn’t pull away. They walked toward the door.

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

“Is it far?” Yu Qingkong asked as they got into the car.

“Just a few kilometers. Are you very hungry?” Lin Wanzhao buckled her seatbelt.

“A little,” Yu Qingkong nodded. “I’ll set the navigation.”

“True, you skipped lunch. I should have made you eat before you slept…” Lin mused.

Noon…

At the mention of noon, images flooded Yu Qingkong’s mind. She never imagined she would ever act like that. It was… well, shameful.

“Is it the Lilac Lemon Fish?” Yu found the shop.

“Yes, that’s it.”

“The traffic looks fine.” Yu snapped her phone into the holder.

“Open up. Eat this to keep your blood sugar up.” Lin Wanzhao held a piece of chocolate to Yu’s lips.

Yu Qingkong looked at her, then took it. “Thank you.”

“Why are you still being so polite? It’s ‘CEO Lin’ this and ‘Thank you’ that.” Lin Wanzhao laughed and ate a piece herself.

At the restaurant, Yu Qingkong scanned the menu. “What do you want?”

“Order whatever you like, don’t mind me,” Lin smiled.

“Then the signature lemon fish, and… an order of oil-braised shrimp? Anything else?”

“You really like shrimp, don’t you?”

“Mhm. And you? What do you usually like?”

Lin Wanzhao beamed. This was the first time Yu Qingkong had actively asked about her preferences. “Quite a lot. Potatoes… and basically anything high-calorie. I just don’t dare eat them too often.”

“Your figure is already great. You shouldn’t be too hard on yourself.”

“Is my figure really that good?” Lin propped her chin on her hand.

“Yes.” Yu Qingkong poured some tea.

“Do you like it?”

Yu Qingkong nearly choked on her water.

“Alright, I’ll stop teasing. Waiter!”

As the food arrived, the dishes looked mouth-watering. Lin Wanzhao took a few bites of fish but struggled with a shrimp, getting her hands oily and making a mess of the meat.

Yu Qingkong watched for a moment, then took a shrimp, peeled it perfectly in seconds, and held it out. “Bowl.”

Lin Wanzhao immediately dropped her messy one and held out her bowl. “It’s delicious.”

Suddenly, a woman with a gold bracelet appeared at their table.

“May I ask…” Yu began, looking up.

“Wanzhao!” The woman gripped Lin’s shoulder in disbelief. “What are you doing here?”

“Lulu?” Lin laughed. “I heard you opened this place, so I came to support you.”

“Haha, that’s so sweet! What, are you here with your girlfriend?” Chen Lulu glanced at Yu Qingkong, her eyes bright.

Girlfriend…

Yu’s heart skipped a beat, her ears burning.

“Why do you think she’s my girlfriend?” Lin asked, glancing at Yu.

“Intuition! You look perfect together. Anyway, I’ve got to get back to work. Enjoy your meal!”

Yu looked at Lin Wanzhao, but remained silent. Images of their intimacy flashed through her mind. Neither of them mentioned it, but it had happened. Even though they weren’t a couple, they were “comforting” each other.

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

After dinner, they headed back. The air felt thick with an unspoken atmosphere.

“Beach tomorrow? Do you still want to take photos?” Yu asked.

“Photos are fine either way. I heard beachcombing is fun—catching crabs and digging for shells after the tide goes out. Interested?”

“That sounds fun. We should bring a bucket and a shovel.” Yu’s eyes lit up. She loved these kinds of things.

“And gloves, so the crabs don’t pinch you.”

“I can do it barehanded. When I was a kid, I was the best crab-catcher in my village.” Yu laughed.

“Really? I’ve only read about that in books.”

“Yeah, in the countryside back then, we didn’t have the internet. We made our own fun. I was quite the rebel—led a pack of kids everywhere. I even stole corn once and got a beating from my parents…”

“That sounds wonderful. I’d love to experience that.”

“If there’s a chance, you should come visit. It’s more of a town now, but my parents are planning to open a farmhouse stay there.”

“Is that an invitation?” Lin tilted her head.

Yu Qingkong looked ahead and nodded. “Mhm. An invitation for CEO Lin to come and boost the local economy.”

“Then I’ll definitely go. Will I have a personal tour guide?”

“If I’m there, I can show you around.”

“Can I have the honor of eating your parents’ cooking?”

“If you come, let me know in advance. I’ll tell them to prepare a table of high-calorie foods.”

“Perfect,” Lin laughed. “I’m looking forward to experiencing a real childhood.”

They arrived back at the villa. While Yu chatted with her sister on her phone, Lin Wanzhao went to shower. She came down later in a camisole, her hair half-dry and smelling of fresh blossoms.

Yu Qingkong looked up, her throat dry. “Finished?”

“Yeah. I just realized something,” Lin sat beside her. “We forgot to buy snacks. How could we forget snacks…?”

“I’ll order delivery,” Yu said, opening an app.

As Yu concentrated on the order, Lin Wanzhao watched her. She felt a deep sense of comfort just sitting together. Her gaze drifted from Yu’s earlobe to her lips, and finally to the red mark on her neck. Lin bit her lip.

“Done. I’m going to shower now. If the delivery comes, could you grab it?” Yu stood up.

But Lin Wanzhao stood up too and moved behind her. Yu turned her head slightly, only for Lin to wrap her arms around her waist. Yu’s body stiffened again—the mere touch felt like fire.

Lin Wanzhao brushed her lips against Yu’s earlobe and whispered, “Then be quick. I’ll be waiting for you.”