Bullying The Sister-In-Law - Chapter 9

“You really don’t know how to kiss,” Su Zhiluo said, her eyes narrowed, her finger pressing against Liu Chengxu’s lips. Liu Chengxu’s face was flushed. She wanted to call out “Sister-in-law,” but Su Zhiluo said, “I’ll teach you. Stick out your tongue.”

Liu Chengxu cautiously extended the tip of her tongue. Su Zhiluo gently licked across it, then sucked on her tongue tip. Soft lips enveloped Liu Chengxu. Unlike the many times she had secretly stolen kisses, this one was more lingering and wet.

At that time, smartphones had just come out. Her sister had an Apple phone, and Liu Chengxu, having a strong gaming addiction, secretly took her sister’s phone to play. She peeked at the private messages and saw her sister’s QQ (a Chinese messaging app) icon flashing continuously. Curious, she tapped in.

A girl with a very cute bun hairstyle sent a message to her sister: Okay, then you can call me whatever you want, but don’t call me that in front of me.

She scrolled up and saw her sister’s message: Wifey.

Seeing the other party’s name, “Luoluo Darling,” Luoluo Darling replied: OO

Her sister: Can I call you that, wifey.

Luoluo Darling: nonono!

Her sister: Luoluo, have you eaten yet?

Luoluo Darling: I ate cauliflower, it was delicious.

While secretly watching, “Luoluo Darling” kept sending messages to her. She couldn’t help but reply and ask: You’re a girl.

Luoluo Darling: You’re a bad child.

Liu Chengxu was startled and quickly deleted the two segments. Feeling guilty, she replied: Wifey.

Luoluo Darling: Mmm.

Then, hearing her sister approaching, she quickly deleted all chat history and hid the phone under the pillow. By the time her sister found it, the phone wasn’t so hot anymore.

Liu Chengxu was afraid her sister would scold her and couldn’t quite figure out why her sister was dating a girl. At the time, she didn’t have any awareness of what homosexuality was, only thinking her sister’s preference was very strange. While nervously avoiding detection by her sister and the game that was still open, she secretly called out “Sister-in-law” with a pounding heart.

Liu Chengxu wasn’t very good at kissing. Su Zhiluo first pressed against her, showing her how, but then, disliking her clumsiness, Su Zhiluo flipped over and sat on her lap, kissing her with a hand resting on her shoulder.

Liu Chengxu’s lips were like freshly melted snow—moist and soft, constantly exuding a subtle dampness. In that slightly opened gap, there was her silent acquiescence. She swallowed gently, and Su Zhiluo would kiss more tenderly and deeply; she swallowed again, as if drinking silent meltwater, and swallowing all the unexpressed desires.

Su Zhiluo leaned against her when she was tired and asked, “Aren’t you going to touch?”

Liu Chengxu didn’t understand and looked at her confusedly. Su Zhiluo placed her hand on Liu Chengxu’s hand, leading it to rest on her collarbone, where her chest was rising and falling. Just as Su Zhiluo was about to speak again, Liu Chengxu raised her hanging hand and covered Su Zhiluo’s mouth.

Su Zhiluo kissed her palm, then guided her hand-in-hand, teaching her how to squeeze.

Liu Chengxu was on the verge of tears several times. Finally, her hand dropped, and she lay on Su Zhiluo’s shoulder. She tried hard not to call her Sister-in-law, instead calling her Luoluo Jie (Elder Sister Luoluo).

“Mmm… keep calling me that.”

“Luoluo Jie.”

The drunken Su Zhiluo was not as gentle as usual. She would proactively kiss, demand to be touched, and breathe heavily while leaning on her.

Liu Chengxu felt like a fish drowning.

Su Zhiluo was lying on top of her, subtly pulling down the edge of her inner wear.

She gazed at Liu Chengxu, who gazed back. Su Zhiluo slightly raised her shoulder.

Winter, white snow, rushing towards them.

Liu Chengxu’s palms pressed against the snow surface, trembling, frightened, yet burning. A sort of pain seeped from her bones. She resisted this, yet succumbed to it, desperately pulling her arms back, yet her fingers widened the area of contact with Su Zhiluo.

Her cheeks were wet with tears, and she couldn’t help but sob in her throat.

“Why are you crying?”

Liu Chengxu didn’t know. She was learning to push away while simultaneously weeping.

Su Zhiluo touched her forehead to hers. In the brief space between them, they could feel the tremor of each other’s lips. The strong grape flavor mixed with the scent of wine rushed into her nose. “It looks like I’m bullying you.”

Liu Chengxu let out a sob.

“…No, it’s…”

“Mmm, what is it?”

Liu Chengxu bit her lip to keep the sound from escaping. When a tear rolled down her cheek, she turned her head, trying to brush it off, but a delicate tickle traced her cheek. Su Zhiluo’s soft red lips pressed against it, kissing the tear away.

“I like it, and I’m scared.”

Su Zhiluo kissed her again. A kiss would make the fear go away.

The next day, Su Zhiluo woke up, not exactly confused, but unable to string all the events together coherently. She lay flat, staring at the ceiling, trying to recall whose face she had kissed yesterday. If it was Liu Jinhuan, it must have been a dream. If it was Liu Chengxu, then she had been forcing… Liu Chengxu.

Liu Chengxu was sleeping on her side, her dark long hair scattered like silk, gently tangled with Su Zhiluo’s arm. Her breathing was steady, and her profile looked especially soft in the morning light. Su Zhiluo quickly glanced at her, then looked away, but her heart skipped a beat.

Liu Chengxu’s pink Hello Kitty pajamas made her skin look fairer. She was lying peacefully, sinking into the soft bedding, exuding a defenseless, fuzzy kind of cuteness.

Half an hour passed. Su Zhiluo was about to get up. Liu Chengxu moved twice and slowly woke up, calling her “Sister-in-law.”

Su Zhiluo nodded, pressing her throbbing temple.

Su Zhiluo didn’t ask about yesterday. She sat leaning against the wall for a while and then said, “What shall we have for breakfast? I’ll go make it.”

“I’ll go,” Liu Chengxu crawled out of the quilt. “You rest for a day. I’ll make some jiuniang tangyuan (sweet fermented rice balls) to eat.”

“Drinking again?” Su Zhiluo asked.

Liu Chengxu rubbed her temple. “Then what do you want to eat?”

“Maybe some dumplings?”

“We can do that.”

Liu Chengxu left the room. Su Zhiluo slowly recalled one detail: she had cried, that blurry face wet with tears, crying at her.

However, looking at Liu Chengxu’s retreating figure, Su Zhiluo thought there probably hadn’t been any drunken mishap. Otherwise, Liu Chengxu wouldn’t be able to get up and make breakfast, because her own skills couldn’t possibly be that good.

Liu Chengxu stood by the stove, her fingers clutching the corner of her pajamas.

They ate noodles that morning.

“Who gave you the wine?” Su Zhiluo asked her, confused.

Liu Chengxu: “I told you yesterday, Aunt Zhang won it in a supermarket member draw. She said it was priced at 180.”

Aunt Zhang always felt bad about having Liu Chengxu help with tutoring, so she kept sending good things over.

After eating the noodles, Su Zhiluo packed up one-third of the New Year goods she had brought back from the company—cured meat and sticky rice cakes—and the two of them delivered it to Zhang Guilan.

Zhang Guilan tried to refuse for a long time, but Su Zhiluo placed it in her hands and left. After a while, Zhang Guilan brought over a few beef bones, saying the butcher had lent her stall space to give them, so they should cook and eat them.

The neighbors had been living side-by-side for years, accustomed to helping one another out. If someone made too much food or got something new, they would always share it with the neighbors. Su Zhiluo had a good temperament, and nearly everyone in the building got along with her.

Only one or two households, after hearing that she liked women, avoided her both openly and subtly. The attitudes of some younger people, in fact, were not as open-minded as the older generations. Initially, Zhang Guilan often advised her: “Zhiluo, you should still find a partner. Being alone is too lonely. Don’t always dwell on the past.”

In the afternoon, Su Zhiluo took Liu Chengxu to buy new clothes for the New Year. Liu Chengxu didn’t want them, but Su Zhiluo insisted, saying, “When you go back to school for the New Year, everyone in the dorm will be wearing new clothes and complimenting each other, ‘Did you buy this for the New Year? It suits you so well.’ If you have nothing to say, how awkward would that be? Besides, one coat can be worn for several years. New Year, new look.”

Su Zhiluo was worried about her being ostracized at school and didn’t want her to be looked down upon. Su Zhiluo always tried to give her what others had.

On the way, Su Zhiluo went to the service hall to inquire about broadband internet. Someone on their floor had already set up a network, so they just needed to install a fiber-optic modem, but the installation fee was quite expensive.

The two of them agreed that it wasn’t entirely necessary, as Liu Chengxu was mostly away at school once the semester began.

Su Zhiluo said, “Wait until summer vacation, when you’ll be home longer, and we’ll install one.”

“Okay,” Liu Chengxu thought about saving up half the money herself so her sister-in-law wouldn’t have to work too hard. With the internet, they could video chat more often, and Su Zhiluo could even open an online shop or something.

They used to go to older, narrow alleys to buy clothes, mostly goods imported and sold from Guangzhou, where prices were half that of the mall. This time, Su Zhiluo took her to the shopping center, wanting to pick out a nice coat for her.

Su Zhiluo was a lover of beauty herself. She believed that a girl should have a favorite coat when the winter snow fell, just as wearing a well-fitting bra makes one stand tall with confidence.

They tried several styles in the popular colors of the year: white, pink, black, charcoal gray, and bright red. Su Zhiluo asked her, “Do you have a favorite style? Do you like the toggle buttons or the belted kind?”

“Black.”

She saw that the black one was cheap, only 600.

Su Zhiluo looked at her helplessly. Liu Chengxu said earnestly, “Sister-in-law, I know you’re afraid of me being looked down upon, but as long as it’s something you bought, I’ll like wearing it no matter what, and my classmates won’t wear anything this expensive.” She added, “I don’t even want this one.”

Su Zhiluo firmly took down the black one. Liu Chengxu truly looked good in it. She said, “I haven’t rewarded you for getting into university yet. We’ll buy this one. You look so beautiful in it, with a scarf.”

Their lives were tight, but Su Zhiluo never let her look shabby or lose her self-respect in front of her peers. Su Zhiluo said, “You look great wearing this. I like seeing it. Why are you so frugal all the time, being a college student? Isn’t earning money for you to spend?”

“Only for me to spend?”

“Who else besides you?”

“Thank you, Sister-in-law.”

Su Zhiluo had lost many opportunities at Liu Chengxu’s age and couldn’t bloom as freely as they could. Based on her understanding of a college student, she gave Liu Chengxu everything she could afford. She murmured, “My little country bumpkin.”

Su Zhiluo paired it with a blue shirt, high-waisted pants, and boots, buying them specifically based on the styling of models in designer stores. Liu Chengxu’s aura, with the outfit on, was completely unrelated to a ‘country bumpkin’. She asked, “And now, Sister-in-law?”

Su Zhiluo said, “A flower of human wealth and glory.”

Later, Su Zhiluo spotted a plaid coat she also wanted to buy for Liu Chengxu, but seeing the price was too high, Su Zhiluo mused that she hadn’t prepared enough this time and would save more money in the future so they could buy whatever they liked.

After buying the clothes, Su Zhiluo went to Yongxiang Street. The alley was very narrow, with shops lining both sides. The clothes sold there were similar in style, but the prices were less than half of the mall. These were knock-offs based on big-brand designs. Su Zhiluo tried on clothes from door to door. She had a good figure and picked the best-fitting one, which looked no different from the original brand. During this, Su Zhiluo pretended to be picky and asked where they sourced their goods. After a round of bargaining, the coat was 180, and two dark blue turtleneck sweaters were 100.

As she was paying, her phone buzzed. Liu Chengxu thought it was Yang Jie and looked down, seeing the caller ID marked as “Mom.” She glanced at Su Zhiluo, who ended the call without explanation.

Both of them were carrying bags. Su Zhiluo was initially gloomy, but after a while, she smiled and said, “We’ll go out to see the fireworks this New Year.”

“Okay.” Liu Chengxu’s eyes lit up too. She followed behind Su Zhiluo, her gaze falling on Su Zhiluo’s hair tie, recalling Su Zhiluo’s soft words from yesterday: “Can you touch me often? I miss you so much it hurts.”

They bought some New Year’s goods—oranges, dried fruits, and ingredients for the New Year’s meal. Most people here rented, and many would rush to catch trains to leave before the New Year’s Eve, so only a few families remained in the area. There was no need to specifically prepare for children visiting to pay respects, but Su Zhiluo still weighed out some White Rabbit and Gold Monkey milk candies.

In the evening, the two ate out. They had planned to have conveyor belt hot pot, but found it was 39 yuan per person, which they were hesitant to spend, so they settled for a bowl of noodles. Afterward, they specifically went to the supermarket to buy ingredients, planning to eat their fill during the New Year.

The biting cold wind on the street whipped against their cheeks. Su Zhiluo peeled a White Rabbit candy and gently fed it to Liu Chengxu’s mouth, taking one for herself. She had bought several flavors, and while savoring it, she said, “The original flavor is still the best, the milk is so rich.”

Liu Chengxu was slowly chewing the candy, holding a heart-shaped wrapper in her hand. Hearing this, she paused, lowered her eyes, and lightly answered, “Mhm.”

When Liu Chengxu left, she had intentionally placed her laptop by Su Zhiluo’s bed to download TV dramas and movies. It was finished downloading when they returned.

Liu Chengxu climbed onto the bed to get her clothes. Su Zhiluo, taking off her scarf, glanced over. Recalling the scene from when she woke up that morning, she felt she really loved the way Liu Chengxu slept in her pajamas in her arms.

Thinking about it, and recalling a memory from who knows where, Liu Chengxu’s eyes were wet, and she pressed against her neck saying, “Sister-in-law, I don’t know how…”

Liu Chengxu reached for the laptop and turned to look at Su Zhiluo.

Su Zhiluo panicked for a moment, snatched the scarf from her neck, suppressed the skipped beat of her heart, and shook her head: “It’s nothing.”

She was actually quite unwilling to recall the image of Liu Chengxu crying.

It was just that the morning had been a bit too wet.