Are the Apples Sweeter, or Am I?

Lin Wanzhao’s breath was warm and fragrant, her voice low and hushed.

Her eyes were like a pool of spring water; at this proximity, Yu Qingkong felt as though her entire body were bound by invisible ropes, growing stiff and rigid.

“You might have misunderstood something…”

Yu Qingkong’s throat bobbed as she tried to steady her mind.

– Is that so?

Lin Wanzhao continued to stare at her, letting out a small laugh. She didn’t believe a word of it.

Yu Qingkong nodded, turning her head back to stare straight ahead.

“CEO Lin, it’s late… do you want to head back, or are you going out with others?”

Yu Qingkong’s expression had returned to normal—polite but not cold, yet carrying a faint sense of detachment.

Lin Wanzhao watched her eyes and suddenly smiled, a shimmering light dancing in her gaze.

– I just lent my car to a friend. What should I do…?

Lin Wanzhao arched an eyebrow slightly, sat up straight, and began to toy idly with a strand of her hair.

The implication was clear: she was ready to go back, but she needed Yu Qingkong to drive her.

Yu Qingkong nodded. “Where do you live?”

– Lake Manor. Building A.

Lin Wanzhao replied.

Lake Manor was a high-end apartment complex in Shengcheng; it was a prime location usually occupied by the wealthy.

“Alright,” Yu Qingkong said. “Then, CEO Lin, I’ll take you home first.”

Hearing this, Lin Wanzhao looked at her sidewise, pulled the seatbelt across, and buckled it.

– Okay then. Thank you.

“You’re welcome.”

Yu Qingkong shook her head and started the car.

However, the air inside the vehicle remained strange.

After all… they had been intimate, and now the woman was her boss. Yu Qingkong couldn’t relax; a nerve in her brain remained pulled tight.

After turning the steering wheel, Yu Qingkong asked, “Do you mind if I open the window?”

– I don’t mind.

Lin Wanzhao watched her with interest.

Yu Qingkong nodded and lowered the window halfway.

The wind rushed in from outside, carrying a chill that finally managed to drive away some of the heat coursing through her.

– How long have you been at An Kang?

Lin Wanzhao asked after a while.

“Two years,” Yu Qingkong answered.

– Oh, look over there…

Lin Wanzhao suddenly turned her head to look out the window.

“Hmm?”

Yu Qingkong slowly pulled the car over to the curb.

– There’s something fluffy. I’m going down to check.

With that, Lin Wanzhao unbuckled her seatbelt, opened the door, and stepped out.

Yu Qingkong watched her, thought for a moment, and then got out as well, walking around to Lin Wanzhao’s side. “What is it?”

– Right there…

Lin Wanzhao knelt down, her slender finger pointing toward a patch of bushes.

The grass was sparse, the leaves drooping limply, but nestled inside was a tiny, somewhat dirty white puffball that was shifting around.

After a moment, the puffball poked out a small head.

“It’s a kitten.”

Yu Qingkong was stunned for a moment. She knelt down beside Lin Wanzhao and gave a soft call.

But the alert kitten was startled instead; it stumbled, its furry paws flailing as it tumbled onto its back before slowly sitting up, shaking its head, and licking a paw.

– Oh, was it abandoned?

Lin Wanzhao sighed.

– I’ll pick it up…

“Wait,” Yu Qingkong glanced at her and stopped her. “You’ll scare it if you do that.”

– Then…

Lin Wanzhao withdrew her hand, looking at her in confusion.

“Wait a second.”

Yu Qingkong stood back up, went to the car, and opened the door.

She pulled a bag from the car, took out a small sample pouch of cat food, closed the door, and returned to Lin Wanzhao’s side.

– Do you have a cat at home?

Lin Wanzhao asked curiously as she watched Yu Qingkong shake a bit of the kibble into her palm.

“No, I just like them,” Yu Qingkong shook her head, placing the food on the ground not far from the kitten.

“I buy these sample packs to carry with me. When I run into kittens like this outside, I give them a little something.”

Lin Wanzhao turned her head to look at her.

She noticed that the expression on Yu Qingkong’s face while watching the kitten was incredibly gentle; that faint sense of distance had vanished unintentionally.

– Then why don’t you keep one?

Lin Wanzhao asked again.

“The management at my place strictly forbids pets,” Yu Qingkong said, her eyes still on the bushes.

“Look, it’s coming out on its own.”

Lin Wanzhao turned back and saw the white puffball wobbling out on shaky legs.

Its round eyes were watery, its limbs trembling, and its little tail-tip twitched upward occasionally. It was adorable, yet pitiful.

The puffball walked up to the food, sniffed it, then looked up at Yu Qingkong and let out a soft “Meow” before lowering its head to crunch on a piece of kibble.

– So pitiful…

Lin Wanzhao’s eyes softened with pity as she watched it.

– It must be starving… just come home with me.

Yu Qingkong pondered for a moment. “Are you sure you want to raise it?”

– Yes.

Lin Wanzhao nodded.

“Then I’ll take you to a pet store to buy the things it needs and explain some things you need to watch out for.”

Yu Qingkong looked at the kitten.

– Alright.

Lin Wanzhao smiled, realizing with a start that they… actually had a common topic of conversation now.

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

Dozens of minutes passed.

After buying a carrier, a litter box, litter, food, and some toys, Yu Qingkong drove Lin Wanzhao to her apartment.

Because they had bought so many items, Lin Wanzhao couldn’t carry them all herself.

After a brief silence, Yu Qingkong helped her with the litter and the box. “I’ll help you carry some of it.”

– Thank you.

Lin Wanzhao’s crimson lips curved slightly.

A moment later, the elevator doors opened.

Yu Qingkong followed Lin Wanzhao out, walked down the long corridor, and stopped in front of a door.

The decor here looked high-end and grand; the place was impeccably clean, the floors polished so brightly they reflected like a mirror.

Lin Wanzhao opened the door and looked back at Yu Qingkong with a thin smile—still enchanting and alluring.

– Come in.

“No need.”

Yu Qingkong set the items down, staring into her eyes as a sense of danger began to grow within her.

– What, are you in such a hurry to say goodbye to me?

Lin Wanzhao set the cat carrier down and leaned lazily against the doorway.

Yu Qingkong swallowed, clenching her hand at her side, and looked up at her. “No.”

– Then come in. I’ll prepare a fruit plate for you, and you can tell me more about those ‘things to watch out for’ while raising a cat.

As she spoke, Lin Wanzhao opened the shoe cabinet and placed a pair of guest slippers in front of her.

Yu Qingkong looked at the slippers, finally let out a heavy breath, and bent down to change her shoes.

She stepped inside to a massive space decorated in a Nordic style—cool tones, simple and elegant, with everything placed with meticulous precision.

– I’ll go cut some fruit.

After letting the kitten out, Lin Wanzhao turned to Yu Qingkong.

– It keeps meowing. Stay with it for a bit to soothe its emotions.

“Okay.”

Yu Qingkong clasped her hands behind her back.

As she watched Lin Wanzhao walk into the kitchen, she tugged at her collar and closed her eyes, letting out a shallow breath.

She could have found a reasonable excuse to leave. She could have said her parents arrived suddenly, or a friend had an emergency.

And yet… she had stayed.

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

A while later, while Yu Qingkong was using a teaser wand to play with the kitten, Lin Wanzhao walked over with a plate of fruit.

– These are apples from a friend; they’re quite delicious.

Lin Wanzhao placed the fruit on the coffee table.

“Okay,” Yu Qingkong nodded.

However, as soon as Yu Qingkong walked over, Lin Wanzhao used a fork to pick up a piece of apple and held it to Yu Qingkong’s lips.

She looked at her with lazy eyes.

– Taste it?

“I can do it myself…” Yu Qingkong started to say.

– Do you think my hands are dirty?

Lin Wanzhao took a step closer, her body nearly pressing against Yu Qingkong’s.

The scent of perfume mixed with her unique natural fragrance drifted into Yu Qingkong’s nose.

Yu Qingkong looked at the apple, then at the woman’s face. She swallowed and shook her head.

“No.”

– Then, open up.

Lin Wanzhao arched an eyebrow.

Yu Qingkong glanced at the kitten hiding under the sofa, then finally lowered her head slightly and opened her mouth to take the apple.

– Is it good?

Lin Wanzhao asked with a smile after feeding her.

“Yes,” Yu Qingkong chewed and nodded shallowly.

– Is it?

Lin Wanzhao moved even closer, tilting her head to stare into her eyes before letting her gaze drift down to the smooth line of Yu Qingkong’s jaw.

She leaned in slightly.

– Is the apple delicious… or am I more delicious?

Yu Qingkong froze.

She lowered her head, her hand touching the corner of her lips before looking back at her. “CEO Lin…”

Lin Wanzhao met her gaze with eyes full of affection, then moved close to her neck, staring at her earlobe.

She spoke softly.

– The scent on you… it smells very good.

A wave of heat radiated from her ear across her skin.

In an instant, Yu Qingkong felt the fire that had been suppressed in the depths of her heart begin to burn again.

“Don’t do this…”

Yu Qingkong clung to the logic in her mind and closed her eyes.

– Why? Could it be that you really… aren’t a ‘les’?

Her red lips moved close to the corner of Yu Qingkong’s mouth.

“I am [straight].”

Yu Qingkong opened her eyes to stare at her, but her throat bobbed.

Lin Wanzhao looked at her neck and smiled.

She reached out to wrap her arms around Yu Qingkong’s neck.

– If that’s the case, then no matter how intimate my actions are, it shouldn’t matter to you, right?

With her neck pulled down, Yu Qingkong’s heart skipped a beat, and fine beads of sweat began to form on her forehead.

Suddenly, Yu Qingkong grabbed her shoulders, her gaze turning dark.

“I said, don’t do this.”

– Why? Does it matter?

Lin Wanzhao placed her hand under her chin, her red lips slightly parted, her expression hazy.

“You…”

Yu Qingkong moved close to her, stopping just at the corner of her lips, her hands on the woman’s shoulders growing stiff.

Soft lips were right there; they looked like they would taste wonderful…

In that split second, Yu Qingkong lost herself again.

– You have feelings for my body, don’t you? Does refusing to admit it make it go away…?

Lin Wanzhao laughed. She couldn’t be fooled; the way a person acted when they had feelings was entirely different from when they didn’t.

– Right?

Lin Wanzhao’s long lashes lowered, her voice dropping.

She leaned in and lightly brushed against the corner of Yu Qingkong’s lips.

It was only a feather-light touch, yet Yu Qingkong felt her mouth go dry.

Her nose was filled with the woman’s scent, and the sweat on her brow grew thicker.

Finally, Yu Qingkong suddenly captured her lips, searching, demanding.

Their teeth were pried apart by Yu Qingkong as she plundered her mouth.

Lin Wanzhao’s breathing gradually became hurried, a flush rising on her face.

The curtains fluttered gently. The breaths of the two women intertwined, inseparable.

The air slowly grew sweet…

Afterward, Yu Qingkong leaned against her shoulder, looking a bit disheveled and breathing heavily.

‘Qingkong, I…’

Hearing Lin Wanzhao’s voice, Yu Qingkong opened her eyes and slowly turned her head, staring at the other’s earlobe, which was now stained crimson.

‘I want it…’

Lin Wanzhao fumbled to take Yu Qingkong’s hand, her voice thin but scratching at the heart.