Hedgehog’s Belly

Luo Mu always believed her student days were destined to be buried within the clamor of the crowd, never to be mentioned again. For seventeen-year-old Luo Mu, the bravest thing she ever did was skip an entire evening of self-study classes.

By chance, she met someone who grabbed her by the wrist. In that moment, the cool breeze ruffled the girl’s hair and rustled the leaves behind them. Fireworks burst from the darkness, shimmering in shades of violet and crimson, curving into perfect arcs through the smoke.

Yan Qingzhu looked up and smiled: “Then I’ll give a portion of my love to Sister Muzi, too.” Luo Mu let her tease, simply remarking that “extremes eventually turn into their opposites.” Yan Qingzhu replied willfully: “I would accept that fate gladly.”

The fireworks were brilliant, but too far away to provide warmth. Amidst the overlapping lights of Lingyang, the gentle breeze carried the distinct scent of a summer night. Luo Mu gathered her courage and finally asked: “Yan Qingzhu, have you ever thought about being entangled with someone for a lifetime?”

Yan Qingzhu assumed this “hedgehog” would always be sensible and well-behaved. But six years later, this hedgehog “parachuted” directly into her life, her sharp quills fully exposed. Yan Qingzhu realized all too clearly that this seemingly gentle woman had played her for a fool. With a trap built of hypocritical schemes, Luo Mu invited her into the game—and Yan Qingzhu fell into it, step by calculated step.

In the dim office, Luo Mu’s fingertip hooks into Yan Qingzhu’s collar, her soft lips grazing a flushed earlobe. Her gaze is exceptionally sincere—so sincere it seems as if not a single word could be a lie.

“I’ll be a dog for whoever gives me money.” “So, President Yan, does having me by your side make you happy?”

The words are impossibly sharp, stabbing until both are bloodied and battered. Luo Mu knows clearly that she is throwing herself against the edge of a blade, but she is not the only one destined to fall.

Yan Qingzhu had almost forgotten the innate banditry and wildness within this hedgehog, but the woman’s cunning face fills her with a mix of excitement and palpitations. Love surges like a tide, and even the force of their kiss carries a heat that had been suppressed by logic for far too long.

Wincing from the pain, Luo Mu pushes her away. She covers her mouth with her hand, lodging a grievance. Yan Qingzhu’s expression is unreadable, but the slight curve of her lips is hauntingly charming: “If you won’t kiss me, then who are you planning to kiss?”