Fell In Love With My Older Sister’s Friend - Chapter 24

It seemed that in her memory, there was also such a little girl, always smiling so innocently and sweetly.

Because her mother was there, her mother was a woman of few words, always silently doing the labor, but the way she looked at her was always gentle.

That gentleness was tinged with a sadness she couldn’t comprehend, like the rain in Jiangnan, fine and continuous, always mournful.

But the mournfulness became background noise, so people kept ignoring it.

Thus, the little girl continued to grow up carefree, easily able to forget the man’s fists and curses.

Later, her mother left, and she searched the whole world for her.

The day she completely gave up hope, the young girl stood on the mountaintop, biting her fist and crying. Her tears flowed silently; she dared not make a sound, afraid the man would hear and strike her again.

No, she wasn’t actually afraid of being beaten or scolded; any bruises or wounds would heal in a few days, and the sharpness of the words couldn’t add another cut to her heart.

But she dared not cry out loud, because there was no one left to hold her and comfort her.

She no longer had her mother.

Lin Qingyue’s expression darkened. The memories from many years ago overlapped with the crying girl in front of her, causing a sudden, raw pain in her long-numbed chest.

“What are you crying for?” Lin Qingyue forced a smile, not even realizing her voice had softened considerably, light and gentle, as if afraid to startle the other person.

Xu Luzhi shook her head, sobbing intermittently, unable to speak.

She didn’t even know why she was crying. It was just that all the passion in her seemed to rush to her head at that moment, and she just wanted a place to vent. It was an impulsive act, and by the time she realized it, her face was already streaked with tears.

Xu Luzhi, regaining her composure, took a deep breath, her shoulders still shaking a physiological reaction she couldn’t control. She raised a hand to cover her face, afraid that Lin Qingyue would see her embarrassing state.

She hadn’t cried like this in a very, very long time. No matter what happened, she would first use rational thought. Even if she was so angry she wanted to cry, she had to wait until midnight, lie in bed, cover herself with a quilt, and then start crying.

As for crying in front of anyone other than her parents, that was unheard of.

Today, however, she had been choked into tears by Lin Qingyue’s joking remark, and shed so many tears!

Zhizhi is so embarrassing orz.

The fiery passion of youth comes and goes quickly. After venting her grievances, Xu Luzhi’s mind cleared considerably. Now, even if she wanted to cry, she couldn’t. She could only stand there with her shoulders slumped, head down, looking like a startled creature.

So, from Lin Qingyue’s perspective, the young girl even seemed somewhat afraid of her. She didn’t even dare to cry out loud, just stood there timidly, holding back her grievances instead of speaking them.

A string in her heart snapped with a sharp “Zheng,” like the occasional broken string when she played the guzheng.

Every time a string broke, Lin Qingyue would stare blankly for a while, looking at her own cut finger, filled with confusion.

And now, facing the girl who had stopped crying, Lin Qingyue’s peach blossom eyes widened in nervousness. She wanted to say something but, for a moment, felt completely at a loss.

Too much time had passed, so much that she had forgotten what it felt like to be comforted after crying.

In the spacious hotel room, the atmosphere suddenly quieted down, leaving only the gentle sound of two people breathing, and the girl’s occasional sniffle, creating an unsettling nervousness.

Finally, Xu Luzhi broke the silence first, softly calling out, “Sister…”

Because she had just been crying, her voice was thick with unshed tears, an appeal that was both close and timid, brimming with grievance.

This made Lin Qingyue’s heart ache and soften again.

“Stop crying, Zhizhi…” Lin Qingyue stood up, looking at the helpless girl standing there, and said involuntarily.

Her smoky voice was low, sexy, and gentle, like a glass of mellow wine, lightly caressing Xu Luzhi’s heart.

Xu Luzhi nodded slightly, saying nothing, just raising her eyes to gaze quietly at Lin Qingyue.

The woman’s lips were tightly pressed, her peach blossom eyes tinged with a hint of panic, her features graceful and evoking pity.

She could clearly see that Lin Qingyue was nervous for her, trying to comfort her because she had cried.

Originally, she had been very wronged and sad, but seeing Lin Qingyue’s expression, her anger dissipated by more than half, and she instantly felt much better.

As long as Sister said something, Zhizhi wouldn’t be sad.

How could Zhizhi blame Sister? As long as Sister coaxes her, I’m willing to submit to Sister.

Xu Luzhi wrinkled her small nose, subtly curved her lips, but her face still held an expression of grievance. She repeatedly called out, “Sister, Sister, Sister…”

Her voice was soft and light, filled with deep grievance, as if she wanted to get closer but feared being pushed away. Her mouth kept calling, but her body remained obediently in place, not daring to take another step forward.

“Mm,” Lin Qingyue responded seriously. She took a step forward, unable to stop herself from drawing the young girl into her arms, holding her loosely. “Good girl, Zhizhi, don’t cry.”

Xu Luzhi obediently closed her eyes, feeling the gentle tips of her sister’s fingers tracing down her spine, stroking her back again and again. The warmth of her fingertips was clearly perceptible through the thin fabric of her dress.

Imagining the scene of her sister’s fingers roaming over her body, Xu Luzhi couldn’t help but take a deep breath to suppress a certain impulse.

It was worth noting that she was only wearing a knee length dress, the standard length for a good girl.

Therefore, she was not wearing safety shorts under the skirt.

Xu Luzhi stole a glance at the hotel floor. Because she had been crying for a while, tear stains were still clearly visible on the floor.

She thought with a bit of hope that if her own moisture mixed in, it probably wouldn’t be noticeable.

Xu Luzhi licked her lips, suppressing the little devil in her mind, and once again cursed herself for not yet being of legal age, meaning she couldn’t have certain things as a matter of course.

But it didn’t matter. Lin Qingyue was almost a head taller than her, so in terms of height, she could perfectly lean against her sister’s swan like neck.

Even though it was just a loose embrace, preventing her from leaning in fully, the distance between them was extremely close. Xu Luzhi’s nose was filled with Lin Qingyue’s sweet, faint fragrance, lingering stubbornly in her lungs.

Xu Luzhi took a deep breath, staring at the fair, slender neck in front of her for a while. At such a close distance, she still couldn’t touch it, leaving her filled with longing.

She truly wanted to take a fierce bite right where the carotid artery pulsed, leaving her tooth marks in the raw flesh, leaving a mark on Lin Qingyue that belonged only to her.

Xu Luzhi quietly ground her teeth. She didn’t yet know that Lin Qingyue thought she looked like a stray dog, but at that moment, she truly felt like one.

The kind that constantly wanted to bite.

Reluctantly, after taking a bite of her sister’s neck in her imagination, Xu Luzhi drooped her eyelids, not daring to look directly, only daring to steal a glance at the bounty visible in her peripheral vision.

Perhaps because she had been crying, she felt increasingly thirsty as she looked, wanting to drink a large glass of milk to relieve her dry mouth.

Despite her intense craving, Xu Luzhi used the willpower she usually reserved for memorizing vocabulary late at night to restrain herself. She closed her eyes, steadied her mind, and firmly refused to look at any part below the neck.

It wasn’t time yet. She was already extremely infatuated with Lin Qingyue if she looked any more, she feared she’d need a shower every morning from sheer exhaustion.

Even though she was still young, she couldn’t let herself be so unrestrained. She needed to take things slowly, nurturing a long term relationship, saving her limited “water resources” for later, to show her Sister how formidable she could be.

Xu Luzhi convinced herself in her mind, reined in her wandering thoughts, and focused entirely on feeling Lin Qingyue’s warmth and the sensation of her Sister stroking her hair.

Lin Qingyue was still patiently stroking her hair, touch by touch. Xu Luzhi loved the feeling, as if being held in the arms of the moon.

Sister’s hands were so soft, and her body temperature was slightly lower than average, which was just right for Xu Luzhi, who felt flushed all over. Xu Luzhi tilted her chin up, like a cat being petted, letting out a soft hum.

It was a way of expressing that she felt very comfortable and hoping for more, more.

After coaxing her for a good while, Lin Qingyue finally confirmed that the shoulders of the girl in her arms had stopped shaking, her nose was no longer congested, and she even looked up and smiled at her.

She let out a long sigh of relief, feeling a sense of lingering relief after a disaster, mixed with a sudden wave of panic.

She had always thought she wouldn’t care, but seeing Xu Luzhi cry made her heart hurt so much.

It was strange. The little girl looked so sweet and soft, yet she could genuinely throw a tantrum. But even when throwing a tantrum and crying, she was still so endearing.

Luckily, she hadn’t said anything harsher just now. Otherwise, if Xu Luzhi had gotten even angrier and run out, causing some trouble, Lin Qingyue might have carried the guilt for the rest of her life.

Lin Qingyue categorized her inexplicable favoritism towards Xu Luzhi as “pity for a kindred spirit.” Seeing Xu Luzhi reminded her of her own childhood, so she couldn’t bear to watch her cry.

She easily accepted this logic internally, or perhaps, she was unwilling to consider alternative explanations, fearing a more complicated situation.

Just managing to comfort the little girl was already quite difficult.

This was a somewhat novel challenge for Lin Qingyue, yet she genuinely wanted to do it.

It was the first time she had felt so reluctant to watch someone cry.

After comforting her for a while, Lin Qingyue felt it was enough and gently released her hold.

Before she could make her next move, the girl unceremoniously pressed forward, her small face lifted, almost touching her neck.

Her round eyes were misted over from crying, and the look she gave carried a pleading quality that was especially heart wrenching.

Lin Qingyue guessed her meaning and tentatively asked, “…More?”

Xu Luzhi happily nodded. If she had a tail, it would probably be spinning like a propeller right now.

Lin Qingyue was both amused and exasperated, lightly tapping the little girl’s forehead and saying solemnly, “You’ve already been hugged.”

Xu Luzhi pouted, her small body wriggling reluctantly, trying every way to press closer.

Sister wouldn’t know how irresistible her embrace was to her, like a paradise that tempts one into deep intoxication.

In Sister’s arms, she feared nothing.

Seeing Xu Luzhi’s wronged expression, recalling her pitiful appearance just moments ago, Lin Qingyue softened her tone, “Alright, just one more hug.”

She raised a finger, waving it in front of Xu Luzhi’s eyes, teaching like one would a child, “Just one.”

She was completely unaware of how beautiful she looked at that moment.

Xu Luzhi stared into Lin Qingyue’s curved peach blossom eyes and obediently nodded.

Just as Lin Qingyue was about to raise her hand to hug her, Xu Luzhi preemptively threw herself into Lin Qingyue’s arms, her cheek lightly pressing against her warm neck, feeling the pulse of her artery, while her own heart pounded like a drum.

In her line of sight, the collarbone curved into a beautiful arc, wide enough to cradle her chin, making one want to lean in and take a bite.

In that fleeting embrace, Xu Luzhi’s soft lips silently brushed against Lin Qingyue’s skin. If she had been wearing lipstick, she probably would have left a faint, pretty lip print.

But it didn’t matter; she had secretly left Zhizhi’s mark. Rounding up, she had kissed Sister’s neck.

That made it hers.

Xu Luzhi felt she was being too possessive, but she was inexplicably overjoyed. To be a happy child, a little bit naughty… so be it.

Seeing that the little one was finally comforted, Lin Qingyue breathed a sigh of relief and instructed her, “Go wash your face, okay, Zhizhi?”

Xu Luzhi nodded, ran to the washroom, and closed the door, turning on the faucet.

The washroom was brightly lit, and the rushing sound of the water covered the sound of her pounding heart. She scooped up a handful of water and splashed it on her face to wash away her overly suspicious blush.

Xu Luzhi carefully examined herself in the mirror. Having just finished crying, her eyes were indeed a bit swollen, like newly bloomed small peaches, needing a good wash.

She closed her eyes and carefully cleaned her face. Fortunately, she hadn’t learned to wear makeup yet, so she didn’t have to worry about what to do if it smudged off.

In the bright mirror, the girl’s face was clean, pure, and well-behaved, like a gardenia flower washed clean by the rain spotless.

Xu Luzhi pursed her ruby lips, reached out to turn off the faucet, hesitated for a moment, and then pulled her hand back.

Under the sound of the running water, she stared at the clear water marks on her fingertips, inexplicably blushing.

Even though she knew this was a normal reaction, she couldn’t help but feel that she was too easily swayed.

Just one hug was enough to make her lose composure; what would she do in the future…?

Xu Luzhi’s freshly washed face flushed hotly again, so much so that the water droplets on her face trembled slightly, revealing the young girl’s shyness.

But her mood was inexplicably joyful. She grabbed a few tissues to clean herself up.

After a thought, she threw all the tissues into the toilet bowl, pressed the flush button, and cleanly disposed of the evidence.

Once everything was handled, she stared at her clean reflection in the mirror for a moment, curved her lips with satisfaction, and secretly gave herself a score.

Overall, Zhizhi was unexpectedly excellent!

Xu Luzhi opened the washroom door and the first thing she saw was Lin Qingyue leaning lazily against the doorframe.

Her heart stirred, and she asked, “Have you been waiting for me, Sister?”

Lin Qingyue glanced at her and chuckled softly, “You know the answer and still took so long.”

She had worried about the little one for half a day, thinking she might be secretly crying inside, but feeling awkward about going in, she could only wait outside the door.

Xu Luzhi’s face instantly turned red. While doing something mischievous secretly wasn’t a big deal in itself, the thought that Lin Qingyue was just outside the door, perhaps even imagining what she was doing in the washroom, made the feeling even more thrilling.

It gave her a sense of illicit pleasure.

Xu Luzhi gave a dry laugh to change the subject, and finally muttered sullenly, “Sister, you’re not allowed to tease Zhizhi next time.”

Lin Qingyue found it amusing, “When did I tease you?”

Xu Luzhi looked up righteously, “You lied to me and said you were my Sister’s girlfriend!”