Qi Chi tilted her head, a stray lock of hair on her forehead tracing a playful arc. What about you, Yuyu? You definitely think so too, right?
Yu Weiwan didn’t really want to answer.
She knew Qi Chi had always been possessive, it was an innate bossiness.
Qi Chi owned enough stuffed animals to fill an entire room, yet she could remember the exact placement of every single one, and she made time to inspect them every week. Even if she grew tired of a toy, it was carefully set aside in a designated room.
To her, those plushies belonged solely to her. Unless someone had explicit permission, not even her parents were allowed to touch them.
It was true for her plushies, and it was true for Yu Weiwan.
Thus, Yu Weiwan could only shift the subject: Keep trying on clothes. I’m going to the restroom.
Avoiding the weekend crowds, traffic in the shopping mall was light, and the restroom was completely deserted.
Yu Weiwan stood before the mirror.
The woman in the glass was expressionless, with cool white skin, a prominent brow ridge, and eyes slightly upturned at the corners. Framed by thin silver wire glasses over a high-bridged nose, her straight lips and sharp jawline gave her an air of mysterious distance and aggression.
She turned her head to the side.
The dusty-rose lip print stood out vividly against her fair skin, like fresh blood pooled on pristine frost. The red grew redder and the white whiter, infusing her cool demeanor with a touch of intoxicating decay.
She reached up to wipe at the mark. The smeared red trailed down along her jawline, as if it might slide down the side of her face, trace her collarbone, and disappear into the depths of her collar at any second.
Rich, voluptuous color and dense, sultry desire radiated outward, uninhibited and wild.
She pulled out her phone, snapped a photo, and then methodically wiped it away with a wet wipe.
Seemingly impatient from waiting, Qi Chi dialed a voice call directly.
Yu Weiwan answered, and sweet, affectionate complaints rushed into her ear: Yuyu, why aren’t you out yet? My feet are going numb!
Yu Weiwan paused. If I remember correctly, there are seats in the store.
Qi Chi spat out sweet talk without second thought: My soul wandered off with you since you aren’t by my side! How could I possibly be in the mood to sit?
And look at you, your first reaction to hearing my feet are numb isn’t even concern! Qi Chi’s tone flared with indignation. You don’t care about me at all!
Yu Weiwan thought to herself that Qi Chi truly possessed a talent for turning wrong into right, and then using that logic to demand compensation with total confidence.
Qi Chi: Quick, say you’re sorry!
I’m sorry, Yu Weiwan repeated.
I’ll forgive you this time, Qi Chi huffed lightly, her tone perking up again.
Hurry over, Yuyu! I picked out two outfits that look amazing. When we both wear them, we’re definitely going to steal the show.
Yu Weiwan: …Okay.
The moment Yu Weiwan stepped through the store door, before she could even get her bearings, clothes were shoved into her hands, and she was pushed into the fitting room.
Fortunately, the outfit wasn’t difficult to put on; it took her only a few minutes.
When she pushed the door open, Qi Chi had already changed and was waiting for her.
Seeing Yu Weiwan walk out, Qi Chi hurried over, took her hand, and pulled her to stand before the full-length mirror.
She lifted her head proudly. Looks great, doesn’t it?
Qi Chi wasn’t lying; she genuinely had great taste.
In the mirror, Yu Weiwan was clad in a black floor-length dress. The tailored cut accentuated her stunning curves, while the fitted waist highlighted how slender she was, looking as though one could wrap a hand clear around it. A high slit on the side revealed a glimpse of her long, shapely leg, making the partial view all the more enticing.
Beside her, Qi Chi wore an asymmetrical short black dress. The left shoulder featured a metallic chain decoration, a wide leather belt defined her waistline, and the flared mesh lower hem was short in front and long in back, giving her an effortlessly cool, edgy vibe.
Standing together, the two women of contrasting styles looked remarkably harmonious.
Qi Chi was thoroughly satisfied: This is exactly what I wanted for our bestie outfits.
Noticing the shop assistant looking as though she wanted to speak but hesitated, Yu Weiwan used her eyes to query what was going on.
Understanding the look, the clerk pointed off in a direction.
Yu Weiwan glanced over, a massive poster was displayed at the shop entrance featuring the two exact outfits, topped with stylized, bold characters reading: The Ultimate Goddess-Slayer Outfits, You Deserve Them!
Yu Weiwan: …
Golden Years covered a considerable amount of ground with plenty of private karaoke rooms. Yu Weiwan and Qi Chi spent quite some time searching before they finally located their room.
Pushing the door open, they found the decor quite intriguing. Multiple RGB strip lights pulsed with blue and purple luminescent hues, while a massive holographic projection screen played a rock music video, brimming with cyberpunk flair.
A lot of people wanted to sing, and the song request list kept growing longer, spanning pages without an end in sight.
Qi Chi went up and sang a heartbroken love song, too.
To be honest, she sang quite well.
Unlike her usual cheerful self, her brow furrowed slightly with sorrow as she sang. The hazy lighting cast vibrant, shifting colors over her, giving her a dreamy, melancholy aura.
Singing without drinks is boring. Let’s play something exciting, proposed the class monitor after finishing a song. King’s Game! Who’s in?
Someone chimed in: Me!
Count me in too.
Class Monitor: Hey, hey, it’s too noisy to hear. Tell you what, whoever wants to play raise your hand so I can get a headcount.
Hands went up one after another.
Yu Weiwan was dragged into playing by Qi Chi pulling at her hand.
A group of them sat around a long table, with Yu Weiwan and Qi Chi sitting right next to each other.
The class monitor counted: Six people in total. Since everyone’s here, I’ll grab the cards.
The class monitor pulled seven cards from the deck, shuffled them twice, and placed them in the center of the table.
Class Monitor: Everyone knows the rules of the King’s Game, right? I won’t waste time explaining then. Let’s start right away and see who’s unlucky enough to get caught in round one.
The cards were dealt, but no one moved yet.
Yu Weiwan knew the rules, but this was her first time playing. Though she kept a calm exterior, she couldn’t help feeling a bit nervous inside.
Who’s the King? Step up and punish someone!
A girl with her hair tied in a topknot flipped her card over, her face flushing red. I am.
After thinking for a moment, she shocked everyone: I order Number Three and Number Four to publicly show their Douyin saved items!
Instantly, a horrified groan erupted.
Number Three: Woman, how can you be so cruel! A person can die, but they cannot suffer social death! I choose to drink!
After chugging her drink in one go, she glared at Topknot and threw out a threat: I’ll remember you.
Number Four, on the other hand, was completely unbothered. She tapped open her saved items on Douyin and aimed her screen at Topknot: Here, take a look.
After glancing at the saved items, Topknot marveled with a complex look in her eyes: As expected of you, Chao Ying.
Chao Ying raised an eyebrow: Naturally.
Holding up her phone, she asked, Anyone else want a look?
The class monitor and Number Three raised their hands silently. Afterward, their expressions turned just as complex.
Curious, Yu Weiwan leaned over to take a peek.
The saved folder was filled exclusively with attractive women, spanning a wide variety of types: singing, dancing, outfit changes, and close-up camera shots.
Yu Weiwan lowered her voice: Does she like girls?
Qi Chi shrugged: Obviously.
As if recalling something, she added, By the way, you’d better keep your distance from her. Your type is her absolute favorite.
Yu Weiwan: …Got it.
What’s so weird about liking pretty girls? Who doesn’t love looking at attractive women? Chao Ying didn’t care in the slightest, even starting to urge them on: Now that you’ve looked, give me my phone back so we can keep playing. The sun’s gonna set if we wait any longer.
Another round started. Yu Weiwan flipped open her card: Number Five.
She heard Qi Chi’s voice beside her, raised in excitement: I’m the King!
Qi Chi’s round eyes scanned the group before she smirked mischievously: Number Two and Number Four must gaze deeply into each other’s eyes for thirty seconds without laughing, and the distance between them can’t exceed 0.5 meters!
Yu Weiwan’s tense heart relaxed, it wasn’t her.
Number Three muttered: Why me again? My luck is terrible today.
The class monitor and Number Three were sitting far apart, so to meet the distance requirement, they had to leave their seats.
Standing face-to-face, their expressions twisted the longer they stared, forcing them to bite their lips to suppress their laughter.
Topknot was still blushing, yet Yu Weiwan caught her using her phone’s stopwatch to track the time.
She couldn’t help but marvel at how appearances could be deceiving; the girl blushed so easily, yet executed tasks so ruthlessly.
Third round.
Qi Chi smiled triumphantly: Didn’t expect that, did you? It’s me again.
Number One and Number Three must touch their fingers together, finger by finger. Each pair must stay connected for no less than three seconds.
Yu Weiwan was Number One.
She had intended to opt for drinking, but looking around the table, she realized no one had claimed Number Three.
No, there was one person left. She turned her head toward Qi Chi.
Qi Chi: Where’s the person? Why isn’t anyone stepping forward?
Yu Weiwan: Is there a possibility that Number Three is actually yourself?
Accepting defeat gracefully, Qi Chi willingly accepted her fate.
The game began.
The first finger.
Qi Chi had beautiful hands, slender, fair, and with neatly trimmed nails that glowed with a healthy pink sheen.
Perhaps because Qi Chi had a naturally smaller frame, when their fingertips touched, Yu Weiwan’s fingers extended noticeably longer.
Three seconds passed in a flash.
The second finger.
Slick, warm, soft.
Like fine, warm jade pressing gently against her skin, making contact only to pull away immediately.
Leaving behind a lingering, unbearable thirst.
The third finger.
Perspiration began to bead at their fingertips, leaving an unmistakable damp sensation that clung through every touch.
The fourth finger, the fifth finger…
The further they went, the sharper Yu Weiwan’s senses became. Time seemed to stretch indefinitely between their touching fingertips.
Even though it was only thirty seconds, it felt as though centuries had passed.
Before she could catch her breath, the fourth round commenced.
The King this round was the class monitor.
The class monitor felt a surge of triumph: Finally my turn! The rest of you are playing kid games, if we’re doing this, let’s go big!
Number Six and Number Two… let me think about what I want you to do.
Yu Weiwan: …
Number Six was her, and Number Two was Qi Chi.
The class monitor thought for a long while before slapping her thigh: Got it!
Number Six puts a wet tissue on her neck, and Number Two has to figure out a way to take it off without using any part of her body below the neck!
Yu Weiwan: ?