Fell In Love With My Older Sister’s Friend - Chapter 86

Xu Luzhi originally felt sorry for Lin Qingyue’s hands and wanted to immediately pull her up, but her hands were clasped around the slender waist, and she couldn’t bear to let go.

She selfishly felt the smooth skin beneath the fabric, imagining Lin Qingyue’s fair body and her hazy eyes while soaking in the hot spring. Instantly, a heat surged through her body, in a quiet Buddhist sanctuary, on a mountain road covered in heavy snow an unstoppable wave of heat.

Lin Qingyue was neither hurried nor slow, her peach blossom eyes slightly raised, watching her quietly, a carefree smile lingering on her lips, as if being held like this was quite comfortable.

In the expanse of white snow, the young girl leaned over and smiled. Her dark, clear eyes, wearing a vibrant red dress, were like the most beautiful plant amidst the red plum blossoms.

A subtle fragrance lingered, the silence so deep you could hear your own heartbeat. Time seemed frozen at that moment. Xu Luzhi finally let out a soft sigh, gathered some strength, lifted Lin Qingyue, and pressed her into her arms.

In one motion, the woman fell into her embrace. The narrow brick wall could not hold two people. Lin Qingyue’s legs were almost suspended in the air with nowhere to rest, hanging softly around Xu Luzhi’s waist, instinctively clamping tightly.

Xu Luzhi choked on her breath and instinctively held Lin Qingyue tighter, her hands moving down to support her hips. The moist and elastic feeling made her face rapidly burn as if on fire.

Fortunately, they were two girls. If it had been a man and a woman, such a posture would surely have been unstable, leading to a fall.

Xu Luzhi thought this, silently holding Lin Qingyue a bit closer. Due to the height difference, her face was almost completely buried in Lin Qingyue’s chest, soft to the point of breathlessness.

She couldn’t see anything, only hear Lin Qingyue’s unhurried heartbeat, one beat after another, gradually resonating with her own drumming heart.

Xu Luzhi laboriously poked her head out and pressed it against Lin Qingyue’s fair neck, taking a deep breath. It was full of the crisp scent of plum blossoms, carrying a chill the smell of last night’s heavy snow.

Buried in the snowflakes all night, the scent of plum blossoms was even more piercingly cold. The bone-chilling cold brewed a lasting, subtle fragrance, formless and pervasive.

In just one breath, amidst the floating fragrance, her body and soul were shaken.

But Xu Luzhi’s eyes saw no plum blossoms; they only saw Lin Qingyue’s eyes. Her peach blossom eyes were wide, with long, dense eyelashes. Her pupils reflected the red and white plum garden, filled with innocent curiosity and enthusiasm.

It was strange. Although she was seven years older, she was still as lively and charming as a young girl, yet as mature and enchanting as a yujie (older, sophisticated woman). How could one person make her like her so deeply, down to her very bones?

Xu Luzhi gazed at the face of Lin Qingyue so close at hand, feeling the pressure around her waist. Her arms didn’t feel sore, but her heart was already lost. She didn’t even feel the danger of standing on the brick wall.

She only wanted to stand quietly like this, holding her “sister” for a lifetime, forever admiring Lin Qingyue like this, which was already enough to satisfy her.

The snow was cold, but Xu Luzhi was burning hot all over. She uncontrollably wanted to bite Lin Qingyue’s neck and drink a mouthful of warm blood.

Lin Qingyue was also looking at Xu Luzhi in the same way.

The view from the brick wall was open, overlooking the entire plum garden. The vast garden, with its plum trees hundreds of years old, was densely packed, with varieties of red, pink, green, and white flowers interweaving and complementing each other, blocking out the sky and the sun.

The most eye catching was a patch of red plum blossoms in the center. Their branches stretched out in various directions, forming a continuous expanse. The vibrant red petals, not gaudy, contrasted with the dark branches. When the wind blew, the white snow fluttered down, and a layer of purity remained on the stamens, creating an interesting contrast.

White snow and red plums the most stunning scene. Lin Qingyue had imagined and longed for this many times before, but when she truly saw it, she wasn’t as surprised as she had imagined.

Because the young girl before her, in a graceful red dress, gazed at her with sincere eyes, tightly embracing her amidst this pure Buddhist land, as if no one else were around. Her seemingly slender arms held her steady and firm.

It was the first time Lin Qingyue had been lifted so high, yet she felt no panic. In a place where standing room was scarce, she inexplicably felt safe.

She even naturally wrapped her arms around Xu Luzhi’s neck, resting her head against her hair, while her own long, dark hair cascaded intimately over the young girl’s back and neck, messy and unrestrained.

Held up by her hips, raised high, the young girl’s gaze was pious and pure, clearly demonstrating her importance.

The sound of the wooden fish echoed, the plum trees rustled, the cold wind brushed their faces, and Xu Luzhi’s hands were warm, her eyes passionate.

Who wouldn’t be moved in such an atmosphere?

It seemed like a long, long time before someone definitively told her with actions that she had placed her at the very tip of her heart.

In the biting cold wind, a sweet fragrance filled the air. Lin Qingyue’s eyes grew slightly moist. To cover it up, she leaned her head on Xu Luzhi’s head and whispered, “The plum blossoms are really beautiful.”

Xu Luzhi asked softly, “Really?”

“Really. Do you want to see?” Lin Qingyue gently tried to pull away slightly, wanting Xu Luzhi to put her down.

Unexpectedly, Xu Luzhi held her even tighter in her embrace and smiled slightly, “I already have seen them.”

Lin Qingyue asked, “Where?”

She was facing away from the plum garden; how could she see?

Xu Luzhi replied earnestly, “In sister’s eyes.”

She saw the most beautiful plum blossoms, and the most beautiful Lin Qingyue.

Lin Qingyue’s face inexplicably flushed. Although it was an ordinary sentence, she felt as if she had heard some shy declaration of love.

Fortunately, Xu Luzhi couldn’t see it. She buried her face down again, inhaling the young girl’s light fragrance, and gently chided, “Then you should look for yourself too.”

“Alright,” Xu Luzhi glanced at the brick wall beneath her feet and carefully set Lin Qingyue down beside her, holding her steady as if she were a fragile object.

She negotiated, “Sister, I’ll get down first, and then you can follow?”

Lin Qingyue, however, tilted her head to look at her and smiled languidly, “Am I that delicate?”

Xu Luzhi thought, her weight in her arms just now was so light, how could she not be delicate?

But she still cooperatively asked, “So?”

Lin Qingyue lightly sat on the top of the wall, dangling her long legs, “I’ll get down first and catch you.”

The fiercely competitive one lightly pulled on the hem of Xu Luzhi’s skirt with her purely black nails, as if coquettishly demanding.

Xu Luzhi couldn’t stand it when Lin Qingyue looked at her with that expression, her peach blossom eyes curved, capable of softening anyone with just a word.

She gave in and decided to give Lin Qingyue a chance: “Okay.”

Xu Luzhi had just said, “But sister, be careful,” when she watched Lin Qingyue support herself with one hand on the top of the wall and gracefully flip down, landing steadily in an instant.

She confirmed three times that Lin Qingyue was wearing high heels, yet she was still amazed by her agility.

The Lin Qingyue below the wall looked up, gazing expectantly, as if wanting to be praised.

Xu Luzhi smiled sweetly, “Sister is amazing.”

She opened her arms, smiling invitingly, “Then I’m coming down. Catch me!”

Before the words fully faded, Xu Luzhi jumped down without hesitation. She used a bit of calculated effort, landing a few steps away from Lin Qingyue, then stumbled as she rushed over, throwing herself into Lin Qingyue’s arms, burying her head and feigning distress, “Oh no, I jumped crookedly.”

“It’s okay, I caught you,” Lin Qingyue hugged the young girl in her arms tightly, gently stroking her head in comfort, completely unaware that Xu Luzhi was secretly chuckling.

After hugging for a while, Lin Qingyue led her to see the plum blossoms. Xu Luzhi held her hand tightly, following closely behind.

She rarely saw Lin Qingyue so excited. She looked up enthusiastically until her neck was sore from looking up, yet she was reluctant to leave, leaning close to the branches to smell them.

Xu Luzhi patiently accompanied her. The plum blossoms were beautiful, but Lin Qingyue was even more beautiful. The flower and the person complemented each other; she could never tire of looking.

Playfully, she tugged a branch. Snowflakes fluttered down, startling Lin Qingyue, who froze for a moment. Her long dark hair instantly turned white.

When she came to her senses, Lin Qingyue playfully chased Xu Luzhi, pinned the little girl against a tree, and firmly stuffed a small snowball into her neck.

After stuffing it in, she felt a pang of regret, snorted, and then took the snowball out for her.

It couldn’t be taken out; it all melted into water in Lin Qingyue’s palm. Xu Luzhi was still lowering her head and chuckling, showing no sign of finding her neck cold.

Lin Qingyue asked curiously, “Aren’t you cold?”

Xu Luzhi shivered slightly, playing pitifully, “Cold.”

She took Lin Qingyue’s hand and coquettishly asked, “Sister, warm up my neck for me, okay?”

Lin Qingyue placed her other dry hand on Xu Luzhi’s neck. Her hands were already cool, but as soon as they touched, they slowly warmed up. Although Xu Luzhi shivered a little, she felt an ineffable joy inside.

Seeing Lin Qingyue warm felt even better than being warm herself.

After playing enough, it seemed the old monk managing the plum garden finally noticed the commotion inside and shouted, “Who’s there?”

Before the old monk could find them, Xu Luzhi and Lin Qingyue exchanged a look, joined hands, and quickly climbed back onto the top of the wall, disappearing in a flash.

Like chivalrous figures who appeared and vanished without a trace.

When they finally returned to the main road, the two looked at each other and only then found it amusing.

They could have left gracefully and elegantly, yet they insisted on doing it in such a guilty, sneaking manner. What was worse was that they both seemed to feel exhilarated by it.

Perhaps only by doing something so unconventional could they open their usually closed hearts and realize a different side of themselves and each other.

Lin Qingyue pinched the corner of Xu Luzhi’s skirt, sounding a bit regretful, “Your skirt is scratched.”

Xu Luzhi didn’t care at all, curling her lips, “I’ll just say I accidentally fell.”

She spread her clean, fair palms, smiling winningly, “See? My hands are still clean.”

And she could still hug sister.

After seeing the plum garden, their excitement was still high. The two simply started climbing the path upwards. The higher they went, the narrower and steeper the steps became. Few people came this way, and the weeds by the road grew extremely tall, almost burying the path even in the dead of winter.

Fortunately, neither of them minded. They ascended step by step. The higher they went, the more they felt the chill of the heights.

On the Lingyun stone path, at the base of the Tower that seemed to reach the sky, was a vast, empty space. Only the two of them were there, looking up at the pagoda, which seemed to have countless stories, experiencing the loneliness of who knows how many years.

The snow-white tower, now weathered by wind and sun, had faded to a dim color. It was no longer as bustling with incense as it once was, but rarely visited. Few people now had the patience to climb such a high mountain to see a pagoda that was not open to entry.

And when they finally got a full view, Xu Luzhi’s heart suddenly quieted down.

Although it was far less stunning than she had imagined, even somewhat gloomy, having walked so long and reached the result was enough to satisfy her desire she no longer sought anything more.

Silver bells tinkled at the top of the tower, hung there to scare away birds. Carried by the wind to the lower levels, the sound was already indistinct, constantly disturbing the mind.

Xu Luzhi suggested, “Sister, let’s each walk to one side of the tower and make a wish, okay?”

Lin Qingyue did not refuse. The two let go of their hands and gazed at each other from across the entire tower.

Xu Luzhi quietly looked at the slightly dirty white surface. She held no incense in her hands, but she remembered burning incense that morning.

At that time, she hadn’t made a wish. She selfishly wanted to save one wish for the year, to be given to the Buddha when she was with Lin Qingyue, saying it devoutly.

But now, she suddenly wanted to be alone, to make this wish by herself.

After walking for so long, the result didn’t seem important anymore. It was like a secret crush—perhaps it was just a grand exercise in self-moved emotion, with no need to force an outcome.

“No, there will definitely be a result, but who says the only result is being together?”

A smile curved Xu Luzhi’s lips, looking very confident yet slightly flustered and at a loss.

It is now February, and her eighteenth birthday is in July.

The day is drawing closer. Originally, she was eagerly anticipating that moment, but now she feels it’s coming too fast, so fast that she needs to stop and slow down.

There are still so many things unplanned, so much preparation undone so many things that the seventeen-year-old Xu Luzhi cannot do, and the eighteen-year-old Xu Luzhi still won’t be able to do.

She might need a period of time, a long time, to advance further, to grow wings strong enough to protect Lin Qingyue.