A Secret from the Past

After she finished speaking, Lin Wanzhao pulled her finger away from Yu Qingkong’s lips and sat back behind her desk with professional poise.

“I understand,” Yu Qingkong nodded, her voice steady despite the lingering heat on her mouth.

– We go to Jing City tomorrow. Rest first, then meet the CEO of Renle Company the day after; he’s only free then. From the 7th to the 9th, we’ll visit four factories. On the 10th, we go to Lincheng First Hospital to discuss cooperation, rest on the 11th, and then attend a healthcare exhibition in Hua City on the 12th…

Lin Wanzhao looked up at her.

– It’s a full week, so bring at least three outfits. I’ll have my secretary finalize the flights and hotels. Bring your luggage directly tomorrow; we’ll head out together right after work.

“Fine,” Yu Qingkong agreed.

– Good. That’s all for now.

Lin Wanzhao offered a light smile, and Yu Qingkong took that as her cue. “I’ll head out first.”

– Go ahead.

Yu Qingkong turned and walked out, the door clicking shut behind her.

Inside the office, Lin Wanzhao leaned back in her chair, arms folded, and let out a soft laugh. She picked up a pen and opened her notepad to list some tasks, but the moment the tip touched the paper, her mind drifted.

The business trip was legitimate—the projects were relevant to Yu Qingkong’s expertise—but Lin Wanzhao certainly had selfish motives.

When had she first known of Yu Qingkong? It went back seven or eight years, all the way to their university days.

Back then, Lin Wanzhao’s life was in shambles. A foot injury had crushed her dreams of becoming a professional ballerina, and her mother had been relentless, mocking her as “useless” or “cursed with a cheap life.” Under the weight of it all, she had turned to food for comfort. Her weight ballooned to nearly 90kg, and her gloomy, unapproachable aura made her a target for ridicule.

She had many nicknames back then, but the one that stung the most was “Lin the Baboon.”

One evening during her sophomore year, she was walking alone on the track when a stray ball flew out of nowhere and slammed into her head. The impact left her ears ringing. A male student ran over to retrieve the ball, but instead of apologizing, he let out a mock gasp.

“Whoa, I hit a fat dinosaur.”

To him, “dinosaur” was just a synonym for “ugly.”

Lin Wanzhao had been stunned, trapped between anger and humiliation. She couldn’t find the words to fight back; she could only glare at him with tearful, fierce eyes.

But then, another figure ran onto the court. It was a girl with mid-length hair, half-tied up. She was slender and tall, with long limbs that gave her a graceful silhouette.

The girl stopped, catching her breath as she looked at Lin Wanzhao, then turned to the boy. Her voice was clear and sharp. “What did you just say?”

The boy stammered, “I was just… making an observation.”

“Apologize to her.” The girl pointed at Lin Wanzhao, her voice firm.

Under the girl’s intense stare, the boy finally muttered an impatient “Sorry, hit you by accident.”

The girl didn’t back down. “And?” she added coldly.

The boy let out an annoyed huff. “Fine. Sorry I called you a dinosaur.”

Lin Wanzhao hadn’t stayed to accept it. Feeling a mixture of gratitude and total collapse, she turned and walked away. But she hadn’t gone two steps before someone caught her hand.

She froze and looked back. Bathed in the golden glow of the sunset, the girl’s features were striking—strong brows, deep-set eyes, and a high bridge to her nose. The light traced a soft, shimmering outline around her. She looked less like a real person and more like a character stepping out of a manga.

In that moment, Lin Wanzhao’s heart skipped a beat.

“Eh?” she breathed, stunned.

“Don’t worry about people like him. If you argue with an idiot, the only winner is the idiot,” the girl said, her eyes surprisingly gentle. She paused, then added softly, “Also, you’re very pretty.”

Perhaps it was the sunset reflecting off the sky, but Lin Wanzhao felt her cheeks turn a bright, burning red.

“I’m heading off. Watch where you’re going next time,” the girl said, releasing her hand. She back pedalled a few steps, waving. “Safety first!”

With that, the girl returned to the court, grabbed a jacket, and walked away laughing with a friend.

Watching her go, Lin Wanzhao felt a sensation that should have been impossible given their different worlds—she felt she had fallen in love.

From that day on, she went to the track almost every evening. Sometimes the girl—Yu Qingkong—was there; sometimes she wasn’t. Lin Wanzhao slowly gathered snippets of her life. She learned that Yu Qingkong lived in the dormitory opposite hers, that she was popular with everyone, loved spicy braised snacks and crayfish, and listened to a band called Sunset Rollercoaster. She looked serious when silent, but her smile was warm enough to melt ice.

Like a person addicted, Lin Wanzhao collected these details, eating the foods Yu Qingkong liked and listening to her favorite music. Each new piece of information made her want to roll around on her bed in excitement, feeling as though she were getting closer to her.

But the reality was she never had the courage to actually speak to her. Seeing Yu Qingkong from afar made her heart race and her tongue tie. She felt deeply inferior, especially since Yu Qingkong was always surrounded by attractive, confident people.

And so, she loved from the shadows until graduation. They went their separate ways, Lin Wanzhao went abroad, and the curtain seemingly fell.

She thought she had forgotten her, but when they met in that bar, her heart gave that same familiar throb. There was something about Yu Qingkong that acted like a magnet. The closer she got, the more she wanted to hold on tight.

If Yu Qingkong had rejected her that night at the bar, perhaps she would have behaved. But Yu Qingkong hadn’t. And now, Lin Wanzhao couldn’t—wouldn’t—let her go again.

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

That night, Yu Qingkong returned to her apartment, threw her coat on the sofa, and downed a glass of water.

A business trip meant they would be together almost 24/7, excluding sleep. It was exactly what she feared most. She stared out the window, her thoughts a murky mess. She was losing her sense of self. How could she be so preoccupied with another woman’s body? It wasn’t who she was supposed to be.

She let out a long breath, set the glass down, and pulled out her suitcase to start packing.

The next day was a whirlwind. Because the trip was so sudden, Yu Qingkong had to squeeze a week’s worth of management and troubleshooting into one day. She skipped her lunch break to finish everything.

By the time the clock hit the end of the workday, she dragged her suitcase to the CEO’s office. She raised her hand to knock, but the door swung open from the inside.

Suddenly, the two of them were nearly chest-to-chest. Wearing 8cm heels, Lin Wanzhao was almost exactly the same height as Yu Qingkong. One more inch and their noses would have touched.

– Wearing perfume?

Lin Wanzhao looked at her lips, then her eyes.

“No, just the scent of laundry detergent,” Yu Qingkong replied, shaking her head.

Lin Wanzhao leaned in, her lips ghosting near Yu Qingkong’s neck.

– I quite like this scent…

The warmth of her breath and the soft lilt of her voice sent a jolt through Yu Qingkong’s skin. She took a step back, her voice deepening. “Someone might pass by here.”

– Oh?

Lin Wanzhao glanced left and right.

– So you’re saying it’s not okay here, but if we change the location, it is okay?

Lin Wanzhao had originally just wanted to catch a scent, but Yu Qingkong’s reaction piqued her interest.

Yu Qingkong stared at her, speechless.

– For example…

Lin Wanzhao suddenly grabbed her hand, pulled her into the office, and locked the door with a sharp click.

Before Yu Qingkong could react, she was pressed against the door. Her heart rate spiked, and she watched Lin Wanzhao with ragged breath.

Lin Wanzhao braced one hand against the door behind her, her lips hovering by Yu Qingkong’s earlobe.

– For example, in a place like this where no one can see… is it okay then?