A Sudden Encounter

Unfortunately, while the eager onlookers were still buzzing with excitement, the main combatants on the field were already preparing to sound the retreat.

An Qi, it seemed, had no intention of engaging Shen Lanzhi in a protracted war of words. Her sole purpose for coming today was simply to annoy her.

With her objective accomplished, she knew precisely when to make her exit.

“Oh dear, I can’t chat with you any longer, big sister. I have a party to attend. Sister-in-law, I’ll come play with you again tomorrow, alright? Bye-bye!”

An Qi cast a playful wink at Xiang Qing, then sashayed away on her high heels, her slender waist swaying rhythmically as she went, leaving behind a room steeped in a profound silence and palpable awkwardness.

The potato chips in Xiang Qing’s hand suddenly lost all their savory appeal.

That was it?

It had barely even begun!

She hadn’t even finished her gossip!

They should have torn into each other for another three hundred rounds!

With a lingering sense of dissatisfaction, she gazed at the doorway before turning her attention to Shen Lanzhi.

Shen Lanzhi’s face remained adorned with that impeccably perfect, 360-degree flawless smile. She even rose to her feet, meticulously smoothing out her loungewear, which was utterly devoid of even a single crease.

“Children are simply brimming with energy,” she murmured softly, her words seeming directed both at herself and at Xiang Qing.

But who was Xiang Qing?

A level ten master of reading expressions and body language!

She clearly observed Shen Lanzhi’s slender, elegant fingers clenching the teacup with such force that her knuckles had turned stark white.

‘Good heavens,’ she thought, ‘this woman is absolutely seething!’

Xiang Qing inwardly marvelled, yet externally, she maintained an air of naive cluelessness, silently tucking away the potato chip bag as if she had merely been an incidental background prop.

“Um… Sister Lanzhi, I… I think I’ll go take a shower.”

With those words, she made a swift exit, practically greasing her soles as she darted into the bathroom.

Shedding her clothes, Xiang Qing stood before the enormous mirror, once more lost in contemplation of her own body.

Truth be told, while the whole ordeal of becoming a woman was utterly preposterous, she had to admit, this body was truly exceptional.

Her skin was as white as milk, utterly flawless; the phrase ‘delicate enough to break with a mere breath’ felt as if it had been coined specifically for her.

Those captivating peach blossom eyes, with every casual blink, seemed to send out sparks.

And this waist, these legs…

Xiang Qing couldn’t resist reaching out a hand, tracing it from her collarbone all the way down, revelling in the astonishing smoothness and exquisite delicacy of her skin.

“Hiss—,”

She even found herself drawing a sharp, involuntary breath.

‘No wonder!’

‘No wonder that lunatic Gu Wei and that ‘white-on-the-outside, black-on-the-inside’ Shen Lanzhi were both acting like madwomen!’

‘If my former self, a pure heterosexual man, had ever encountered a woman of this calibre on the street, he probably wouldn’t have dared to utter a single word, only secretly thinking, ‘I think I saw a fairy today.’‘

‘And now, she herself was that very fairy.’

The more Xiang Qing pondered it, the more surreal it became, sparking a faint flicker of narcissism within her.

She struck a few poses in front of her reflection, believing them to be quite seductive, only to burst into laughter at her own antics.

“Wake up! Xiang Qing! Your mission is to make money, not to preen around here!”

She lightly slapped her cheeks, forcing herself to dispel those chaotic thoughts, then turned on the shower, allowing the warm stream to cascade over her body.

After her shower, she felt utterly revitalized, the lingering ‘gunpowder scent’ of excitement from watching the drama having completely washed away.

She casually wrapped herself in a bathrobe, its belt loosely tied, and while drying her damp hair, she hummed a little tune as she pushed open the bathroom door.

“Bang!”

The very next second, she collided squarely with a soft, warm ‘wall’.

A familiar fragrance, a delicate blend of herbs and sandalwood, instantly enveloped her.

It was Shen Lanzhi!

Before Xiang Qing’s mind could fully process the situation, she heard a short, startled gasp from Shen Lanzhi.

Immediately after, a force she was utterly powerless to resist surged forth. Shen Lanzhi seemed to lose her footing, her entire body pitching forward and falling towards her.

Xiang Qing instinctively tried to regain her balance, but the other woman’s strength was astonishing, pulling her down backward along with her.

‘Oh no! I’m going to fall flat on my face!’

Xiang Qing squeezed her eyes shut in terror.

Yet, the anticipated pain never arrived. Instead, she found herself enveloped in a warm, soft embrace.

The thick carpet lining the corridor cushioned their fall, so there was no pain whatsoever.

She had fallen directly onto Shen Lanzhi.

What was even more astounding was that, in the very instant they fell, Shen Lanzhi had somehow managed to free a hand and securely cradle the back of Xiang Qing’s head.

Xiang Qing was utterly bewildered, remaining motionless on Shen Lanzhi’s body like a startled quail.

Her cheek was pressed intimately against the hollow of Shen Lanzhi’s neck, her nostrils filled with the woman’s delightful scent.

The bathrobe’s tie had completely come undone in the recent struggle, its neckline gaping wide to reveal a significant expanse of skin, now pressed snugly against Shen Lanzhi’s loungewear.

‘This… what in the world was happening!’

“Qingqing, are you alright? Did you hurt yourself anywhere?” Shen Lanzhi’s voice emanated from beneath her, carrying a perfectly measured hint of panic and concern.

Xiang Qing slowly lifted her head, her gaze locking directly with Shen Lanzhi’s beautiful eyes.

‘Bullshit!’

‘You absolutely did that on purpose!’

The little imp inside Xiang Qing’s mind was already frantically banging gongs and drums.

‘A delicate, sickly beauty who relies on traditional Chinese medicine, one who could supposedly be toppled by a mere gust of wind—how could she possess such astonishing strength?’

‘And such lightning-fast reflexes to shield my head?’

‘Her core strength and reaction time were more than enough to qualify for the Olympics!’

‘This wasn’t an accidental fall; this was a deliberate pounce!’

“I… I’m fine,” Xiang Qing managed to squeeze out a few words, her cheeks burning so hot they could fry an egg.

She tried to get up, but Shen Lanzhi’s arm, wrapped securely around her waist, showed no intention of releasing her.

“It’s good that you’re alright; you scared me to death.”

Shen Lanzhi seemed to let out a breath of relief, a gentle smile gracing her lips, yet within that smile, Xiang Qing sensed something else lurking.

She held Xiang Qing close, her hand still gently patting her back.

“It’s all my fault. I was standing here, lost in thought, and didn’t even see you emerge.”

‘Act!’

‘Keep acting!’

Xiang Qing raged inwardly.

‘You absolutely calculated that I would have just finished showering and be in my bathrobe, then deliberately waited at the door to launch a surprise attack!’

‘This woman is indeed ‘white on the outside, black on the inside’!’

‘Provoked by that little firecracker An Qi, her dark, scheming nature, previously hidden beneath a gentle exterior, was now completely exposed!’

“Sister Lanzhi, can… can you please let go of me first? This… this isn’t appropriate.”

Xiang Qing felt as though she was being suffocated by all that softness, and could only manage a weak protest.

“Oh, alright.”

Shen Lanzhi agreed verbally, yet her movements were deliberately slow, her eyes meaningfully sweeping over the open neckline of Xiang Qing’s bathrobe.

“Qingqing, you’ve just had a shower; you mustn’t catch a cold.”

Her voice was hushed.

‘Help!’

‘Warning!’

‘Level one warning!’

‘The gentle older sister has turned dark!’

‘She’s going to make a move on me!’

‘What should I do? Waiting online! It’s urgent!’

‘Should I push her away, risking Gu Wei’s wrath?’

‘Or should I just… give in to her?’

Just as Xiang Qing was caught in this internal struggle, Shen Lanzhi’s hand suddenly slid from her waist, coming to rest on the nape of her neck, gently caressing her sensitive skin.

“Qingqing,” Shen Lanzhi’s lips were practically brushing against her ear, her voice so soft it could drip with sweetness, “you smell so lovely.”

‘Lovely?’

‘Lovely my foot!’

A thousand alpacas galloped wildly through Xiang Qing’s mind.

‘I just showered! I used that ridiculously expensive rose essential oil shower gel Gu Wei bought! Of course I smell good!’

‘This woman is definitely doing this on purpose!’

‘Run! I must run!’

‘If I don’t run, my innocence will be lost!’

“Um… Sister Lanzhi…” Xiang Qing’s voice was tinged with a hint of a sob, “Can… can we get up first? The floor is cold, and my bathrobe is open; I’m a little chilly…”

As she spoke, she struggled, trying to scramble out of Shen Lanzhi’s embrace.

Only then did Shen Lanzhi seem to awaken from a dream, a blush rising on her cheeks as she slowly loosened her arm.

“Look at me, I’m so muddled.”

She said it apologetically, but in her shimmering, beautiful eyes, there was no trace of apology, only a clear, triumphant smile.

As soon as Xiang Qing was free, she scrambled to her feet, clutching the loose neckline of her bathrobe tightly with both hands, and shot back into the bedroom.

With a bang, she locked the door, leaning against it, breathing heavily.

Her heart was still pounding wildly, and her cheeks were hot enough to bake bread.

‘It’s over, it’s over, this woman is too skilled!’

Knock, knock, knock.

A gentle tapping sound came from the door.

Xiang Qing shivered in fright.