A Decadent Day and Disturbing Thoughts

Xiang Qing arrived by taxi at the designated location. The young woman hadn’t brought her ostentatious pink sports car today; instead, she stood elegantly by the street, her silver-grey wavy hair shimmering under the sun, appearing as if a rendered model had stepped straight out of a two-dimensional realm.

“Sassy!”

An Qi, like a human cannonball, hurtled towards her, enveloping her in a robust embrace.

A wave of perfume and the scent of youthful hormones assailed Xiang Qing, causing her to stagger.

‘Oh, for heaven’s sake, physical contact again.’

“Come on, come on!” An Qi released her, then intimately linked arms with her, her grip so firm it brooked no refusal. “Today, this young lady is going to treat you to the full experience of opulent decadence!”

Xiang Qing found herself being pulled along, her mind still preoccupied with Gu Wei’s utterly unamused expression.

‘Spending money to hire someone for company—what a truly depraved indulgence for you wealthy folk.’

An Qi’s destination was a private club-style nail salon that, even from a distance, exuded an aura of exorbitant expense.

“First, we change shoes upon entering; the very air here smells of money. Sassy, today we’re getting the full treatment—hands and feet!” An Qi slapped the price list down before Xiang Qing, her generosity overflowing. “Don’t be shy, pick whatever you want! My treat!”

Xiang Qing’s eyes skimmed over the figures, and she felt a sudden pang in her chest, as if on the verge of a heart attack.

‘It’s just a manicure, why does it cost more than most people’s monthly wages?’

‘Oh, right. I’m working for Gu Wei now, and it’s her money I’m spending.’

‘In that case, no problem at all.’

She immediately adopted an expression that screamed, ‘I’m unsophisticated but trying my best to appear worldly,’ nodding demurely. “Anything is fine; you can make the arrangements.”

The hand manicure proceeded rather uneventfully.

Xiang Qing opted for the most inexpensive clear polish, watching the manicurist’s meticulous strokes on her nails, her mind drifting, lulling her into a drowsy state.

An Qi, however, was another story entirely. She had chosen ten utterly distinct and flamboyant designs, involving everything from dazzling rhinestones to intricate floral patterns, all while chattering ceaselessly.

“Sister-in-law, do you think these rhinestones on my nails will blind people when I go clubbing tonight?”

“Sister-in-law, what nail color do you think a woman like Shen Lanzhi would prefer? Black, like a black widow, or green, like a ‘green tea’ girl?”

Xiang Qing stiffened, a jolt running through her.

‘Why bring up Shen Lanzhi again?’

‘That name had become her personal trigger.’

“I… I really wouldn’t know,” she mumbled evasively.

“Tsk, how dull,” An Qi pouted. “I thought, since you live together, your relationship would be much closer.”

‘Close? We’re so close I feel like a walnut being rubbed smooth.’

With the hand treatment complete, it was time for her feet.

Xiang Qing was escorted to a more secluded cubicle, where she reclined on a sofa that felt remarkably similar to a dentist’s examination chair.

A young female technician arrived with a basin of water, then knelt beside her feet.

The instant the technician’s warm fingers brushed against her instep, a shiver ran through Xiang Qing, and the hairs on her body stood on end.

‘Oh, no.’

‘Déjà vu.’

Memories of the previous night surged forth like a relentless tide.

Shen Lanzhi’s posture, kneeling on the carpet; the warmth emanating from her fingertips; those eyes, filled with such intense desire, as if she wished to enshrine Xiang Qing’s feet…

The technician’s movements were utterly professional—cleaning, trimming, exfoliating—executed with swift precision, entirely devoid of any sloppiness.

Yet, Xiang Qing felt an unsettling unease pervading her entire being.

Her toes instinctively curled, while a frantic voice screamed within her mind.

‘This was pure torment.’

This lingering, unresolved sensation was far more agonizing than being dealt a direct blow.

An incredibly ludicrous and terrifying thought even surfaced in her mind:

‘If Shen Lanzhi hadn’t stopped last night, it would have been better if she’d just leaned in and kissed them.’

‘Better a swift end than prolonged agony; at least then I’d know for sure.’

‘Anything would be better than this constant guessing game—wondering every day if she wants to lick them or not—it’s sheer psychological torture.’

‘Damn it!’

Xiang Qing’s eyes snapped open, a cold sweat breaking out as she recoiled from her own outrageous thoughts.

‘Am I insane? I must be! That woman has driven me utterly mad!’

‘If she actually did that, I’d probably ascend to the heavens right then and there, my scream shattering the ceiling!’

‘How could such depraved thoughts even cross my mind!’

“Sister-in-law.”

An Qi’s languid voice drifted from the adjacent cubicle, abruptly interrupting Xiang Qing’s internal turmoil.

Xiang Qing stiffly turned her head, a sense of deep unease settling over her.

An Qi was also reclining on her sofa, leisurely enjoying her own service while observing Xiang Qing with keen, almost meticulous, attention.

“Your feet are rather charming, aren’t they?” she remarked, her gaze fixed on Xiang Qing’s smooth instep.

As An Qi’s gaze lingered, Xiang Qing’s heart gave an involuntary lurch.

“Your skin is so fair, your ankles delicate, and even the bones are beautifully shaped.”

An Qi marveled, “They look almost unreal.”

Xiang Qing found herself utterly speechless.

‘Now, every compliment about her feet made her feel as though the person would, in the next instant, begin to torment them.’

“I’ve heard, you know…”

An Qi suddenly lowered her voice, winking at the technician performing her pedicure, and began conspiratorially, “Some people, while appearing perfectly proper on the surface—mastering all the arts of zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting—actually have a penchant for… this sort of thing, in private.”

The technician, not quite grasping the implication, wore a bewildered expression.

An Qi, undeterred, continued speaking in Xiang Qing’s direction, “It’s about those… particular fetishes. You understand, right?”

“I don’t understand!” Xiang Qing burst out. “I don’t want to understand! Please, just be quiet!”

‘Was this little devil truly so uninhibited in her speech, or was she deliberately probing for something?’

‘How much exactly had Gu Wei told her?’

“Sister-in-law, why are you so quiet?” An Qi tilted her head. “And why is your face so pale? Are you frightened?”

“No,” Xiang Qing forced the word out through gritted teeth, her expression feeling utterly rigid.

“Ohhh,” An Qi drew out the sound, a knowing look on her face. “Right, of course. After all, living with someone like that every day, you must have grown quite accustomed to it by now.”

Xiang Qing’s mind utterly imploded.

‘She knows!’

‘She definitely knows!’

‘Gu Wei, that traitor, had not only sent An Qi to meddle but had also spilled all the beans!’

‘So, what exactly was happening now?’

Xiang Qing felt a sudden dizzy spell, her hands and feet growing cold.

‘What kind of earthly torment was this?’

The technician, who had been tending to her feet, finally completed all the steps and began applying nail polish.

“Miss, is this color acceptable? It’s the nude pink you selected earlier.”

‘Still, everything felt wrong.’

An Qi’s voice drifted over once more.

“Oh, Sister-in-law, nude is so incredibly boring. How about we switch to a blood-red instead?”

She paused, then delivered the finishing blow.

“It would perfectly complement your complexion today—absolutely stunning!”

Xiang Qing’s mouth twitched, and she forced out a smile that looked more like a grimace than genuine amusement.

“Let’s skip the blood-red,” she said, her voice dry. “I’m a superstitious person; I’m afraid if I fall asleep at night, that color might just start moving on its own and scare me to death.”

She paused again, making an effort to appear more sincere.

“It still looks better on you, my dear An Qi. So youthful and vibrant, full of life and zest!”

Having uttered these words, Xiang Qing braced herself for the young miss’s thunderous wrath.

After all, with an unpredictable cousin like Gu Wei, she had little faith in the family’s genetic predisposition for stable temperaments.

An Qi froze, her exquisitely lined eyes blinking, as if she hadn’t quite processed what she’d heard.

After a few seconds, she burst into laughter, shaking uncontrollably, causing the entire sofa to tremble.

“Sister-in-law, you’re actually quite hilarious!” She wiped away tears of mirth, then rolled over and elbowed Xiang Qing. “I thought you were a silent gourd, unable to squeeze out a single word.”

Xiang Qing: “Thanks, but that description is hardly necessary.”

“Alright, as you wish.” An Qi settled back, waving a dismissive hand at the technician. “Give her the purest nude pink. Today, we’re going for the innocent white flower look!”

The technician, as if granted a great pardon, quickly lowered her head and resumed her work.

Xiang Qing let out a long, silent sigh of relief.

‘It seems these two sisters are like winter and summer—completely different temperaments.’

‘If that lunatic Gu Wei had heard such words, she’d probably already be calculating her emotional damages.’

Her nails finished, An Qi sprang energetically from the sofa and grabbed Xiang Qing.

“Let’s go! I’m starving! Sister-in-law, I’m taking you somewhere nice to eat!”