Still too narrow in terms of knowledge.
Shen Su was pulled down by Qin Yu, half-collapsing into her embrace, her hands momentarily unsure where to place themselves.
Pressing against Qin Yu’s chest didn’t seem quite appropriate.
No wonder Qin Yu had no interest in her turns out she was a woman.
Meanwhile, Qin Yu, fearing that “Su Qingqing” might flip over and escape, tightly wrapped her arm around Shen Su’s waist.
As her arm encircled the slender curve of Shen Su’s back, Qin Yu realized that “Su Qingqing’s” waist was far softer and more delicate than she had imagined.
The graceful, smooth waistline and the perfect waist-to-hip ratio seemed as if they had been meticulously sculpted by the goddess Nüwa herself.
Dizzy and disoriented, Qin Yu’s hand moved faster than her thoughts before she could even process the sensation, her palm was already pressed against that slender waist.
Shen Su, “?!”
Shen Su’s eyes widened in shock.
“The antidote,” Qin Yu said with a straight face, withdrawing her hand and resuming her usual stern demeanor.
Perhaps because she now had someone in her arms, Qin Yu felt the unbearable itch on her body gradually easing.
Had it not been for the lingering sensation on her waist and hips, Shen Su might have thought she was hallucinating.
“There is no antidote,” Shen Su blinked, speaking honestly. “Actually, if you endure it, it’ll pass.”
The substance didn’t have any coercive effects at most, it heightened emotions. So with a bit of patience, the effects would fade within half an hour.
“Is that so?” Qin Yu was half-convinced, half-skeptical. Without hesitation, she pushed Shen Su away and lay back to assess her own condition.
Shen Su was unceremoniously shoved to the inner side of the bed, her expression utterly defeated, “…”
So even women could be this cold and indifferent to someone in their embrace.
With the warm, fragrant softness now gone, the heat seemed to surge back with a vengeance, the mucky discomfort inside her even worse than before.
No, this was still unbearable.
“Miss Qin,” Shen Su cautiously began, “Actually, I’m not really into woman.”
Before she could finish, Qin Yu suddenly flipped over, pinning her down with one hand pressing her wrists above her head against the pillow and the other gripping her chin, forcing her to look up.
Qin Yu’s voice was icy. “Still lying?”
Shen Su was baffled. “Huh?”
Realizing what Qin Yu meant, she quickly explained, “This is the first time I’ve used this on a person. When I fed it to pigs before.”
The pigs hadn’t reacted nearly as strongly as Qin Yu was now.
Shen Su promptly shut her mouth, not daring to continue.
She couldn’t very well say that Qin Yu’s cravings were stronger than a pig’s!
That would be a surefire way to get herself killed.
For a young lady of Qin Yu’s status to endure the hardships of disguising herself as a man, there must be some monumental reason behind it.
The fewer people who knew this secret, the better. And now, because of her reckless meddling, she had stumbled upon it Qin Yu would undoubtedly want to silence her for good.
Shen Su forced an awkward smile. “But the person who sold me the medicine said that if you endure it, it’ll pass. As for tonight’s events, I’ll pretend I have amnesia and remember nothing. How about that?”
Qin Yu looked down at “Su Qingqing.” In the dim light, she couldn’t make out the woman’s expression clearly, only those striking peach-blossom eyes bright, clear, and exceptionally beautiful.
With such eyes, a faint pink mole at the outer corner would have made them even more alluring.
Unfortunately, Shen Su’s face was flawless, without a single blemish.
Outside, the rain poured heavier than ever, showing no signs of stopping. A bright flash of lightning streaked across the window, followed by the deafening roar of thunder.
Qin Yu gazed with keen interest at “Su Qingqing,” pressing down on her without answering her question. Instead, she murmured, “Weather like this is perfect for murder and burying bodies.”
Her fingers traced Su Qingqing’s chin, savoring the smoothness of the skin beneath her touch. “I did warn you earlier, it was you who insisted on coming up here.”
As Qin Yu spoke, a flash of lightning outside the window illuminated half of her cold, indifferent face.
Though the corners of her eyes were red with restraint, her tone remained eerily calm and composed.
Shen Su’s heart trembled, her eyelids twitching violently. She couldn’t tell whether it was from the thunder or from Qin Yu’s chilling words.
The more Qin Yu caressed Su Qingqing’s skin, the more agitated she became.
She felt like a starving wolf, capable of devouring anything and “Su Qingqing” lay beneath her like a plump, tempting prey.
What kind of sinister drug is this? she wondered. It doesn’t even spare women?
Are you sure this is something that can be endured and passed?
“You just said you actually prefer women?” Qin Yu’s fingers, which had been gripping Shen Su’s chin, slid upward along her jawline, unable to resist lingering on her cheek.
Such a small face, no bigger than the palm of my hand.
Shen Su sensed something was off about Qin Yu.
Logically, her drug shouldn’t have such an intense effect unless the person taking it already harbored a fire within. The drug was like oil, splashed onto the flames, amplifying them to their peak which would explain Qin Yu’s current state.
But Miss Qin wasn’t a man, how could she have such thoughts about another woman?
After considering all possibilities, only one implausible explanation remained:
Qin Yu liked women.
She might not even realize it herself, but her body’s reaction to women was undeniably honest.
Shen Su’s eyes flickered with realization.
Between offering herself or her life, she hesitated not for a second.
She arched slightly, pressing against Qin Yu without yielding an inch.
Qin Yu froze, looking down at her in surprise.
Meeting her gaze, Shen Su lied without batting an eye, “Truthfully, I’m not that picky about gender especially when it comes to a beautiful woman like you.”
“Want to give it a try?”
Shen Su tilted her head slightly, pressing her crimson lips against Qin Yu’s palm.
“I can teach you how to counteract the drug.”
The moment her lips touched Qin Yu’s skin, Qin Yu instinctively withdrew her hand, fingers curling inward as she lowered her lashes, suppressing the strange tingling sensation in her palm.
She didn’t immediately agree but instead straightened slightly, sitting loosely atop Shen Su and releasing her grip.
Qin Yu frowned. “Aren’t you afraid of dirtying your hands?”
Like a dog, tasting everything.
She didn’t know what she was thinking her mind felt like it was filled with sludge tonight, devoid of any rational thought.
When “Su Qingqing” suggested trying, she should have refused outright. Yet she remained silent.
Disguising herself as a man was a serious matter, especially in the Qin family.
If it were discovered she was a girl, her half-brother Li Yunyu would laugh himself hoarse.
If I were a girl, they’d just give me a generous dowry and be done with it. As for the family fortune since ancient times, how many daughters have inherited the entirety of their family’s wealth when there’s a son in the picture?
Qin Yu pressed her lips together tightly.
But “Su Qingqing” was a living, breathing person, she couldn’t actually kill her.
Reason and emotion waged war within her, neither willing to concede. Caught in the middle, Qin Yu felt torn apart, dizzy to the point of nausea.
“Jiejie isn’t afraid?”
Shen Su didn’t know when she had sat up, cradling Qin Yu’s face in her hands, gently kissing her furrowed brows. Her voice was soft, carrying a soothing, almost hypnotic power. “I won’t tell anyone.”
In the midst of these feather-light kisses, Qin Yu seemed to find a moment’s respite, her stiffly upright back gradually relaxing.
In the darkness, under the thunderstorm, within the simple, deserted room, Qin Yu pressed her forehead against Shen Su’s shoulder, asking in a whisper that felt like self-deception, “How do I counteract this medicine?”
She was so tired. After years of unwavering strength, she now wanted to use the so-called effects of the medicine as an excuse to let go for just a moment, to catch her breath.
When the weight of Qin Yu’s forehead pressed against her shoulder, Shen Su’s lashes fluttered slightly. The heaviness seemed to press directly on her heart, stirring an unusual sense of tenderness within her, softening her expression.
The Qin Yu in the darkness was entirely different from the aloof woman she had seen during the day.
Here, she was soft and vulnerable, like a lone wolf who had shed her disguise, turning into a pitiful, oversized puppy nestling in her arms, nuzzling and rubbing against her.
Who could resist this?
Shen Su had no interest in women, but at this moment, she found herself encircling Qin Yu’s waist, unwinding the cloth tightly bound around her ribs.
She stripped away the disguise of masculinity, revealing the softness of a woman beneath.
“Miss Qin is quite the clean freak,” Shen Su chuckled lightly, using her own skirt to wipe Qin Yu’s palm and her own fingers.
Shen Su reached behind her back, undoing the thin ties there, then blinked at Qin Yu. “Ever worn one? Want to try mine?”
Her hand resting on Qin Yu, Shen Su paused for a moment before admitting honestly, “Mine might be a bit too big for you.”
Qin Yu, “…”
Qin Yu bit Shen Su’s shoulder in response.
She was laughing at her flat chest!
Shen Su laughed and dodged, feigning pain. “Ouch, ouch, ouch.”
Shen Su had seen illustrated books, she knew how things worked between men and women, but between women, she was completely clueless.
Her knowledge was indeed too limited in this area.
Yet, when Qin Yu nibbled at her, Shen Su felt no aversion at all.
She thought she had no interest in women, or at least, she thought so.
“They say you’re a rabbit,” Qin Yu murmured with a soft laugh.
Shen Su’s gaze was hazy, captivated by the sound of Qin Yu’s laughter husky and soothing, teasing her eardrums.
Seeing her lean in, Qin Yu tilted back, avoiding her breath, and said with lowered eyes, “You’re clearly a fox.”
To others, Shen Su appeared as a timid, soft little white rabbit, but in truth, she was bold and composed. Now, nestled in Qin Yu’s arms, she seemed more like a bewitching fox.
Shen Su hummed, “And Miss Qin is seen by others as a lone wolf.”
Qin Yu arched a brow, neither confirming nor denying.
Shen Su rubbed the moisture from her fingers and grinned. “But in reality,”
She said, “You’re just a big bad wolf.”
Wanting it so badly yet refusing to admit it, forcing her to be the one to suggest trying it out.
Qin Yu silenced Shen Su with a kiss.
So what if she didn’t know how? Things would naturally fall into place.
“Boom!”
Another clap of thunder roared.
The deafening thunder and pouring rain concealed everything within the dilapidated temple.
This place was actually at the border between north and south not quite northern, yet the summer rains here were fiercer than any in the north.
As if holding back for far too long, the heavens had chosen this night to unleash their fury, heedless of the floods or the muddy chaos left behind.
It wasn’t until the early hours before dawn that the rain began to ease. Barring any surprises, the skies would clear by daylight.
Yunzhi was dozing off when she suddenly sensed movement beside her, startling her so much that she bolted upright from the pile of dry grass.
Before she could scream, Shen Su quickly whispered, “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid, it’s me.”
If one listened carefully, her voice sounded a bit hoarse.
Yunzhi was terrified. “I thought it was a rat.”
“Or worse, someone sneaking in,” Yunzhi said, tightening her clothes around her.
No one had sneaked in, but someone had sneaked out.
By the faint light outside, Yunzhi looked at Shen Su with concern. “Miss, do you have diarrhea? Why are you up again in the middle of the night?”
Shen Su hadn’t just woken up, she hadn’t slept at all.
As for her disheveled hair, it had been undone by that big bad wolf Qin Yu, and her clothes had been tugged at by Qin Yu too.
“Why did you change your undergarments?” Yunzhi rubbed her eyes as she looked at Shen Su.
Shen Su had taken off her outer robe, revealing a light cyan undergarment.
But Yunzhi distinctly remembered her wearing a light pink one earlier that night.
The bundle she carried only had one spare change of clothes where had this one come from?
Yunzhi blinked hard, wondering if the dim light was playing tricks on her eyes.
Shen Su lay down right where she was, not even glancing at the undergarment she wore, pulling a blanket over her shoulders. “Adult matters are none of a child’s business.”
Fourteen-year-old child Yunzhi: “?”
Of course, this undergarment wasn’t Shen Su’s,it belonged to Miss Qin Yu.
The light pink one Shen Su had been wearing earlier had been used by the two of them to wipe their hands. Because Qin Yu’s clothes were made of more expensive fabric, Qin Yu had said using them would be too wasteful.
Shen Su had been dumbfounded for a long moment before deciding Qin Yu was right.
This woman was such a dog.