The Sky Garden Rendezvous

In the afternoon, Li Chunsheng’s phone screen lit up, and a text message silently slid in. The sender was Mu Shengling, and the content was quite concise:

[Five o’clock sharp, downstairs at the Sky Garden Clubhouse. Don’t be late~]

“Sky Garden…” Li Chunsheng murmured, gazing at the unfamiliar name. He even consulted a less-than-reputable map app, only to discover it was an exclusive, high-end clubhouse.

He pocketed his phone, then turned to Liuxia, who was ironing clothes beside him. “Senior Sister,” he said with a relaxed tone, “it’s almost time. We should get going.”

Liuxia paused her movements, simply humming in response.

While her face revealed little emotion, the way she gripped the iron tightly still betrayed the turmoil within her.

‘This was her first time willingly wearing women’s clothing for such a formal occasion…’

‘Was this truly alright?’

‘Yet, since she had agreed, she was determined to see it through.’

“Wait for me!” Liuxia called out. She darted into Li Chunsheng’s bedroom, emerging moments later clad in the ivory high-waisted dress that had been carefully hung in the deepest part of her closet since its purchase.

It was a gift Li Chunsheng had bought for her at the mall, the most expensive and exquisite garment she owned. Ordinarily, Liuxia couldn’t bring herself to wear it, preferring her durable and practical maid uniform.

Only today, for her junior’s “debt collection” plan, had she finally taken out the dress, meticulously ironed it, and donned it as the “winning tool” for their scheme.

As she felt the soft, richly textured fabric of the dress, a subtle confidence began to bloom within Liuxia.

“Let’s go!”

Li Chunsheng nodded, and together, they set off.

****

By the time they arrived downstairs at the Sky Garden Clubhouse, located in the Second Ring of District 13, Mu Shengling was already waiting.

Today, she wore a perfectly tailored St. Nair skirt suit, elegant yet understated. Her pink hair, meticulously styled, framed a face that exuded the confident poise of the upper echelons of society.

As her gaze fell upon Liuxia, “dressed to the nines” and hurrying over, a fleeting, almost imperceptible flicker of mockery danced in her beautiful eyes.

‘Hah, she actually bothered to dress up. What a pity, for tonight’s occasion… it will only lead to self-humiliation.’

Yet, this fleeting emotion was quickly and perfectly concealed.

The young lady approached them, a bright, welcoming smile gracing her face. “Oh, Liuxia, you look absolutely stunning today! Chunsheng, you’re truly fortunate.”

Mu Shengling affectionately linked arms with Liuxia, then, as if remembering something, she released her grip. “Ah, right,” she said, “it seems the person I arranged to meet has arrived early. Please wait here for me for a moment; I’ll be right back.”

With that, she gently turned and gracefully departed.

****

As Mu Shengling walked away, the “siblings” suddenly found themselves alone.

An awkward silence descended upon them.

The atmosphere outside was distinctly different from the one within their home.

At home, they could easily find excuses—cleaning, reading, or experimenting with recipes—to naturally avoid prolonged conversation. Here, however, in this unfamiliar environment that demanded patient waiting, there was no suitable pretext to mask the silence that slowly permeated the air.

Ever since the day Li Chunsheng had impulsively kissed Liuxia, an unspoken layer of awkwardness had lingered between them, despite her generous display of forgiveness.

Inevitably, a subtle distance had grown between them.

While the familiar home environment had previously masked this distance, it became strikingly apparent the moment they stepped outside.

“Senior Sister…”

Li Chunsheng was the first to break the silence, summoning his courage to address her.

“…Ah!”

Liuxia, who had been staring down, unconsciously tracing patterns on the ground with the tip of her shoe, was startled by the sudden sound.

Her body instinctively recoiled a small step backward, as if in fright.

Witnessing his Senior Sister’s skittish reaction, like a bird startled by a bowstring, Li Chunsheng offered a wry smile inwardly. ‘It seems she is still deeply affected by what happened that day.’

To alleviate the suffocating awkwardness, he began to praise Liuxia, albeit a little clumsily.

“Um… Senior Sister, you… you look really good today! Truly! You look… completely different from usual.”

Yet, as he continued, Li Chunsheng found his words flowing more easily; after all, Liuxia genuinely looked stunning.

She wore an exquisitely tailored, high-waisted dress with a touch of vintage flair. The garment featured a distinctive cinched waist just below the bust, perfectly outlining and accentuating her breathtakingly graceful figure.

The ivory fabric of the skirt made her already fair skin appear even more delicate and flawless.

“In short! With you, Senior Sister, leading the charge, I’m confident today’s plan will be a resounding success!”

Li Chunsheng genuinely praised Liuxia, his smile transitioning from awkwardness to genuine warmth.

This newfound ease visibly diffused the tension in the air.

Liuxia’s taut heart eased slightly. Simultaneously, a faint wave of self-reproach washed over her.

‘Liuxia, Liuxia, you’re making too much of this!’

‘Even though you and Chunsheng have been sharing a bed these past few days, hasn’t he always been perfectly well-behaved?’

‘He turns his back to you every night to avoid disturbing you, and falls asleep quickly.’

‘This clearly shows that Chunsheng truly has no such intentions towards you now. And that kiss last time, didn’t you also think it was a perfectly reasonable choice given the circumstances?…

‘On the contrary, she herself had been tossing and turning, falling asleep late each night, out of fear of a nighttime assault.’

‘Waiting in such trepidation, it was almost… as if she were secretly hoping Chunsheng would make a move again?’

‘Her distant reaction to her junior’s approach just now must have hurt his feelings, hadn’t it?’

Growing increasingly self-reproachful with each thought, Liuxia, filled with apology, took a few steps closer to Li Chunsheng.

‘First, she needed to bridge the distance between them!’

She wished to converse with him naturally, just like in the past, about common boyish topics such as the latest games or a particular basketball star, hoping to close the gap between them.

In their past, conflicts had arisen, but such methods had always managed to mend the rifts between them.

However, as Liuxia drew near, she saw Li Chunsheng actively take a few steps back.

‘???’

This action caused Liuxia to freeze, and her attempt to close the distance instantly became awkward.

Simultaneously, a wave of disappointment and dissatisfaction surged uncontrollably from the depths of her heart.

‘Chunsheng, what… what do you mean by this!’

But she quickly recognized these “unwarranted” emotions stirring within her.

Liuxia inwardly chastised herself, wondering why she had become so delicate and fussy after turning into a girl.

‘She was the one who had distanced herself from Chunsheng first, so wasn’t his current reaction perfectly normal? He… he must have been worried she would be afraid, and so, considerately, he took a step back, right?’

Even though she understood this intellectually, Liuxia still felt an emptiness, as if something vital was missing from her heart.

The young woman suddenly recalled an old saying: ‘To be too close breeds disrespect; to be too distant breeds resentment.’

‘Had she truly become such a troublesome… man?’

“What… what am I even doing… honestly…” the young woman muttered under her breath, a sound no one else could hear.

She glanced at Li Chunsheng, her lips parting as if to speak, but she couldn’t find the words.

Her body yearned to draw closer to her junior, yet she feared he would retreat again.

‘Chunsheng… could he perhaps make the first move and come closer to me?’ A sudden flicker of hope ignited as she watched him.

Yet, if she didn’t voice her thoughts, how could Li Chunsheng possibly understand?

Thus, a noticeable distance remained between them.

This current state of estrangement, coupled with her inability to freely approach her junior, caused Liuxia’s heart to grow increasingly agitated.

She felt as though she were about to ignite.

“Chun…” Liuxia finally couldn’t hold back, intending to speak…

But precisely at that moment, Mu Shengling returned, accompanied by a young woman whose beauty was far eclipsed by both hers and Liuxia’s, albeit adorned with delicate makeup.

Liuxia immediately closed her mouth.

“Allow me to introduce her to you…” Mu Shengling said, gesturing to the young woman beside her.

The young woman’s demeanor was exceedingly respectful; upon hearing Mu Shengling’s voice, she almost instinctively bowed low, a picture of humility.

“This is Miss He,” Mu Shengling explained, “the daughter of the head of the city’s Investigation Bureau’s Criminal Division. With her escorting you inside, no one will dare utter a single word of objection.”

Miss He quickly demurred, bowing and scraping before Mu Shengling. “Oh, I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare! How could I be called a ‘young lady’ in front of Miss Mu?”

“You must be Miss Liuxia, correct? Please rest assured, I will certainly carry out your instructions perfectly!”

“Is that so? Then please, take Miss Liuxia to the party,” Mu Shengling said, nodding indifferently.

“Yes!” Miss He quickly responded. Then, turning to Liuxia, she spoke in a fawning tone, “Miss Liuxia, please follow me.”

‘Ah, are they leaving now?’ Li Chunsheng wondered.

‘Then, as Liuxia’s “male companion,” he should go with her, shouldn’t he?’

However, just as Li Chunsheng took a step forward, Mu Shengling reached out and stopped him.

“Your Liuxia dressed up so nicely, and you’re just going to follow her like that?”

Mu Shengling cast a scrutinizing glance over him, then gave him a coquettish look, chuckling softly. “This is an upper-class party. You can’t possibly attend dressed so shabbily, oh no.”

The young lady glanced at the departing Liuxia, then lowered her voice. “Otherwise, it’ll be your Liuxia’s reputation that suffers.”

“Come on, Shengling will take you to change into some proper clothes~”

With that, she naturally extended her hand, and in high spirits, took Li Chunsheng’s wrist, leading him in a different direction.

Li Chunsheng frowned, instinctively wanting to shake her off. But then he reconsidered, thinking Mu Shengling’s words held some truth. “You don’t need to pull me,” he said indifferently, “just lead the way.”

“Alright, alright~ You’re really like a young lady, so reserved,” Mu Shengling teased, not insisting, and let go of his hand.

From a distance, Liuxia, who was following Miss He towards the clubhouse entrance, overheard their conversation. She instinctively turned her head, just in time to see Li Chunsheng being led away by Mu Shengling, walking side by side.

“Don’t worry, Miss Mu is just taking your companion to change into suitable clothes; he’ll catch up shortly,” Miss He quickly explained, as if understanding something.

Liuxia turned her head back, nodding slightly to indicate she understood. However, the way she unconsciously bit her lower lip clearly showed that the agitation in her heart had intensified.

Soon, Miss He led Liuxia to a black car parked by the roadside. The car drove smoothly, winding through the city for about ten minutes, before finally stopping in front of a five-star luxury hotel that looked even more magnificent than the clubhouse they had just left.

“Follow me… Miss Liuxia~”

Miss He was the first to alight, solicitously opening the car door for Liuxia. Yet, on her slightly lowered face, the humble and fawning expression she had shown before Mu Shengling was entirely gone.

A faint, malicious smile, barely perceptible, played on her lips.