The Devious, Seductive Older Woman Has Been Plotting to Get Me for a Long Time - Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Falling Through

The girl’s embrace was soft, and the warmth of her body against her own skin felt both intimate and strangely unfamiliar.

After a few seconds, Chu Yingqiu rested her hand on her waist, returning the embrace, and asked softly: “What’s wrong?”

“I…” Xiang Shuxing was at a loss for words. She couldn’t explain it herself; she had simply been overcome by an inexplicable impulse to hold the woman before her. “Drive safely. Also, I really like the gift you gave me. Thank you.” She moved her lips, the words coming out dry and stiff.

Reasonably, she knew she shouldn’t take up any more of Chu Yingqiu’s time, yet the inexplicable sense of attachment she felt was hard to shake off. In truth, she wanted to ask when Chu Yingqiu would be coming back, but she couldn’t bring herself to say it.

Getting along with the woman was no longer the ordeal it had been when they first met. Back then, when her mother had suddenly passed away and the Xiang family was beset by internal and external crises, she had held nothing but hostility and defensiveness toward Chu Yingqiu, who had suddenly returned from abroad.

But after this period of living together, perhaps because Chu Yingqiu was the last of her kin in name, or perhaps because the woman was simply too attentive, she had begun to rely on her without realizing it. It was an attachment so deep she couldn’t tell if it was familial affection or something else entirely.

Xiang Shuxing wasn’t dressed heavily today, wearing only a light knitted sweater, so the touch of the hand resting on her waist felt incredibly vivid. She said nothing, yet the woman seemed to see right through her. Her hand slid from her waist, tracing down her spine in a soothing, reassuring motion.

“I’ll be back in a few days.”

Getting the answer she wanted, Xiang Shuxing slowly let go, her eyes darting away. “I didn’t ask that.”

Chu Yingqiu didn’t call her bluff, laughing: “Alright, it was something I wanted to say.”

They hadn’t fully pulled away yet, and the distance between them was still intimate. Chu Yingqiu’s words were whispered near her ear; she could feel the faint warmth of her breath and a subtle hint of a smile. Xiang Shuxing felt her face heat up, and she took a few steps back, thoroughly breaking the distance.

“Aren’t you in a rush?”

Chu Yingqiu gazed at her for a few seconds. “I really do have to go.”

Xiang Shuxing lowered her eyes, her hands clasped behind her back as she leaned against the door. In her peripheral vision, she watched Chu Yingqiu turn and leave, followed by the sound of footsteps on the stairs, fading further and further away.

She stood silently in place until the hallway returned to stillness and the motion-activated light flickered out. Everything signaled that the woman was truly gone.

She paced back into the room. Looking at the setup, a sense of emptiness washed over her. That feeling persisted until she went to bed. She turned off the bedside lamp, and the room was plunged into darkness, save for the faint moonlight streaming in. Xiang Shuxing stared at the ceiling, uncharacteristically unable to sleep.

In truth, she had trouble adjusting to new beds. It had taken days at her college dorm, and it was taking time here, too. Last night had been the exception. She had expected to feel tense and uncomfortable sleeping in the same bed as Chu Yingqiu, and she had been, at first—the unfamiliarity of sharing a bed with someone she’d been reluctant to get close to had brought a surge of strange, flustered excitement. Later, however, drowsiness had taken over, and she’d drifted off into a dreamless, peaceful sleep.

She’d even clung to Chu Yingqiu, refusing to wake up. She couldn’t blame herself, the woman’s embrace had been too warm, too easy to drown in.

As that familiar, beautiful, and affectionate gaze surfaced in her mind, Xiang Shuxing closed her eyes, forcing herself to stop the train of thought. It seemed that no matter what she thought about, it always led back to Chu Yingqiu.

She could be ordinary friends with Chu Yingqiu, or, at a stretch, accept her as an older sister, a family member. But things seemed to be heading in a strange, unsettling direction. The bed was sized for two, more like a double bed. She couldn’t fathom why Chu Yingqiu had purchased such a thing, and as she looked at the empty space beside her, a heavy, suffocating feeling settled in her chest.

Xiang Shuxing turned onto her side, her gaze falling on the spot where the woman had slept last night. Perhaps it was the late hour blurring her senses, but she found herself inching toward the other side of the bed.

When she lay on her side, she could almost smell a faint, clean scent—a lingering trace left behind. Her fingers tightened on the edge of the quilt, she felt a sense of shame, yet her body instinctively moved closer to that trace of fragrance.

The familiar scent filled her senses, and she felt as if she had grabbed onto something, finding a shred of comfort in the cold room. Her tense nerves finally began to relax. The side-lying posture seemed to make it easier to drift off, and slowly, she closed her eyes, succumbing to sleep.

A few days later, Xiang Shuxing officially began her internship. It wasn’t as easy as she’d imagined; the workload was enough to keep her frantic. There were several other girls who started at the same time, and since they were all interns sharing duties, they quickly became acquainted. Chatting during their rare breaks became a form of comfort.

With her busy with the internship and Chu Yingqiu likely dealing with difficult matters of her own, the frequency of their messages dwindled visibly. Returning to the rental apartment after a long day, Xiang Shuxing looked at the chat box with its sparse history, her fingers hovering over the screen, typing, only to delete everything moments later.

In their few exchanges, the woman’s replies were consistently short—”Mmm,” “Yes,” and the like. Ultimately, behind the cold screen, she couldn’t grasp Chu Yingqiu’s mood, and even felt the woman was being a bit cold. Fearing she would disturb her, she silently reduced the number of messages she sent.

It was a miserable feeling. She remembered Chu Yingqiu promising to come by after some time, but she had no idea how long that would be. Xiang Shuxing let out an involuntary sigh. She hadn’t searched for the specific location of the branch office in Luancheng before, only knowing they were in the same city. She opened her map app and typed in the company name; the specific location and distance appeared instantly.

As she stared at the screen, an idea popped into her head. I can go see her, too.

Once the thought took root, she couldn’t shake it. She studied the schedule, planning silently. Her internship ended at six; if she took a taxi, she could be back by ten. What kind of expression would Chu Yingqiu show if she suddenly appeared at the branch office? She couldn’t help but feel a flutter of anticipation.

That day, she felt an inexplicable surge of energy. Her fellow intern, Xu Meng, was stunned by her sudden enthusiasm. “Did you drink an energy drink today?”

Xiang Shuxing couldn’t explain, simply replying, “Had an extra cup of coffee.”

Xu Meng said kindly, “Don’t kill yourself for this internship salary. You should drink less coffee.” Though that wasn’t the real reason, Xiang Shuxing felt a wave of warmth and smiled at her, offering a simple “Mmm.”

When the day finally ended, she didn’t hesitate to hail a cab straight to the destination. As night fell, streetlights cast a glow on the corners. Looking out the window, the buildings seemed woven into a blurry tapestry of color. Cold wind whistled through the gap in the window, and she shrank back, but in the chilly night, the heart inside her chest hammered with the excitement of what was to come.

The taxi was fast. Half an hour later, she stood in front of the office building. It was past business hours, and the massive skyscraper showed only scattered lights. Xiang Shuxing went directly to the reception desk. After a brief inquiry, the receptionist informed her that she needed an appointment to see Chu Yingqiu.

Xiang Shuxing paused. She should have realized that, given Chu Yingqiu’s position, she wouldn’t meet with unscheduled visitors. Unsure if the internal staff even knew about her connection to the CEO, she tried a long shot: “I’m Xiang Shuxing. Has Chu Yingqiu mentioned me?”

The receptionist looked blank, then shook her head. Xiang Shuxing turned and left the lobby, feeling dejected. It seemed Chu Yingqiu hadn’t told anyone about her, or perhaps she never imagined she would show up unannounced.

Xiang Shuxing pulled out the familiar number and dialed. She rarely called Chu Yingqiu, as she usually answered quickly. To her surprise, the phone rang and rang, eventually signaling no answer.

Her already dampened spirits hit a new low. To make it on time, she hadn’t even had dinner, and her stomach began to ache with a dull, throbbing pain. The branch was located in a busy district, and looking around, she spotted a decent-looking restaurant. It had exquisite decor, glass doors, and large windows that offered a clear view of the interior.

Xiang Shuxing glanced at it by chance, but her eyes locked onto a familiar figure.

Her steps halted. She thought her eyes were playing tricks on her, so she peered through the glass again.

It was Chu Yingqiu.

Xiang Shuxing’s eyes brightened, and she was just about to walk in when she looked closer and realized Chu Yingqiu was not alone. Sitting opposite her was a woman; she was a bit far away, but she carried an air of sophistication, elegance, and high society.

Chu Yingqiu’s demeanor was different, too. Something the woman said made her lift her lips in a soft, genuine smile. It was a relaxed, natural expression—clearly reserved for a friend or someone even closer.

She stopped in her tracks, unable to bring herself to walk any closer. Watching the two of them laughing and talking, a strange, overwhelming feeling flooded her—a mixture of confusion and an indescribable, aching hurt.

All her excitement and expectations crumbled in that instant. Xiang Shuxing stood still for a moment, then turned around and walked away.