The Lady I Flirted With Is Here - Chapter 43

Chapter 43: Subject Four

The sound of movie narration drifted from the speakers, accompanied by a hazy background score that set the mood. On the screen, graceful silhouettes swayed. Lin Xian’s cheeks were flushed; thankful for the dim lighting in the room, she secretly covered her eyes with the corner of the quilt.

Suddenly, Fang Daiyu’s scent drifted closer. Lin Xian inhaled instinctively, her head spinning. The bravado she had displayed minutes ago had vanished, replaced by a shy urge to hide.

Just moments before, Fang Daiyu had pulled a long-unused projector from under the bed. Once connected to the Wi-Fi, she started a movie. The remote was placed on the nightstand. Daiyu undressed and slid into the covers; Lin Xian caught a fleeting glimpse of a lace hem. With her curls falling over the corners of her alluring eyes, Daiyu propped up her pillows and, without a word, pulled Lin Xian in to watch the film.

Lin Xian was somewhat bewildered.

Outside the quilt, fine skin appeared a misty ivory under the dim light of the projector. The shifting shadows cast dappled patterns across Daiyu’s sharp brows. Her eyebrows were thick and naturally arched, giving her delicate face a touch of heroic spirit. The glass-like pupils beneath them slowly adjusted to the dark. She turned on her side to look at Lin Xian and naturally helped her shed her outer layer.

“Don’t you think it’s too hot?” Once the jacket was off, Lin Xian was left in only a thin shirt.

Something felt different, but it was hard to pinpoint. The movie’s intro ended, and the title appeared on the screen: Blue Is the Warmest Color (La Vie d’Adèle).

Daiyu’s eyes were misty, lingering, and mysterious, watching Lin Xian with a hint of unfamiliar danger. She reached out, took Lin Xian’s wrist, and guided the girl’s fingers to her own ear. Her voice was soft, carrying a trace of huskiness: “Xianxian, come, look at me.”

Lin Xian looked up like a startled rabbit, jumping straight into Fang Daiyu’s gaze—a prey with nowhere to hide. Guided by Daiyu, her fingers wandered over a warm cheek. Lin Xian’s fingertips were stiff; everywhere they touched seemed to spark with electricity, making her hands feel like they were glowing with a scorching warmth.

She wanted to pull away, but Fang Daiyu pinned her hand in place. Her voice was low and provocative: “Trying to leave so soon? Hmm?”

As she held her hand there, Daiyu’s voice drifted clearly into Lin Xian’s ear: “Xianxian, this is the real me.” Her lips brushed against Lin Xian’s tender earlobe. With her supporting left hand, she grabbed the remote to skip ahead. Her warm breath was like a tangled mess winding around Lin Xian’s heart. “Xianxian,” Daiyu whispered with a humid heat, “it’s time for ‘Subject Four’.”

(Note: “Subject Four” refers to the final theoretical/safety portion of a driver’s license exam in China—here used as a metaphor for advanced “lessons” in their relationship.)

Supporting the back of Lin Xian’s head with her left hand, Fang Daiyu offered a charming smile, the corners of her eyes tinged red. “Come, let’s study the theory of Subject Four.” She chuckled, clearly teasing.

As Lin Xian’s breathing grew labored, Fang Daiyu released her hand.

She shifted her position, clearing the line of sight to the white screen. Lin Xian looked at the projection and gasped, her eyes wide with shock.

…

By the time Lin Xian felt her whole body burning with heat, Fang Daiyu had already put on her pajamas, the collar draped loosely over one shoulder. She turned and asked, “Was it good?” Her tone was light and casual. Lin Xian was speechless. Daiyu squinted playfully. “If Xianxian can’t handle even the tip of the iceberg, how are you going to date me in the future?”

She took a sea-salt candy from the jar on the nightstand and tossed it into her mouth. “Am I beyond your expectations?” Her quiet voice drew closer until their lips met. Suddenly, a candy was pushed into Lin Xian’s mouth. The saltiness and sweetness exploded in her head.

Lin Xian looked into Daiyu’s eyes, seeing a mix of feigned anger and suppressed emotion.

“A mixture of flavors?” The pajamas were cast aside, the last of the clothing landing on the carpet. In the dim room, amidst the ambiguous background music and the flickering movie scenes, Fang Daiyu simply lay beside her under the quilt as if preparing for sleep. They hadn’t actually “done” anything yet; they were just lying together, appearing even more distant than during their previous skin-to-skin contact. Yet a sudden itch rose from the soles of Lin Xian’s feet, and even her gaze as she turned to look at Daiyu softened completely.

She had never seen Fang Daiyu like this. Previously, she wouldn’t have dared touch these “dangerous,” thrilling vibes. She should have been repelled, but the excitement and desire surfacing in her heart felt like they were going to tear her body apart.

She realized that all her previous inner restraint, anxiety, and waiting had merely been a prelude to the craving for this moment of madness. She was starved for this intense, uncontrollable love. She felt she should despise herself, yet she couldn’t stop herself from sinking deeper.

The most terrifying thing was that compared to her usual calm self-possession, this “uninhibited” version of Fang Daiyu was exactly what Lin Xian had secretly hoped she would grow into.

There was a demon in her chest that recognized its own kind. Lin Xian attributed her impulse to the demon’s provocation. In a daze, she reached out her hand toward Fang Daiyu.

Inch by inch, bit by bit. Human nature is to imitate. The sheets were a dark gray, and Fang Daiyu lying upon them looked like an ivory goddess.

The goddess guided the mortal toward the temple. When Fang Daiyu reached into the drawer and pulled out prepared items, Lin Xian’s expression only flickered for a moment before she focused and tore open the packaging.

Even Lin Xian found it strange. All the uneasy emotions that had been surging in her chest seemed to settle the moment the flood broke through the dam and touched the softness of the earth—like a calm ocean after a tidal wave. To conquer nature, to conquer a goddess—perhaps this is a desire born into humanity.

After achieving that desire, a sense of sated satisfaction rippled through her heart. She didn’t know who she was or what she was thinking. After one “conquest,” there would be another. She opened another package and issued a new challenge to nature and the goddess.

However, suddenly, Fang Daiyu’s brow furrowed in discomfort, a shadow of pain crossing her face.

“It hurts!”

Lin Xian seemed not to hear the soft cry; perhaps the Lin Xian of right now wasn’t herself. Tears spilled from Daiyu’s eyes—two hot drops landing on Lin Xian’s arm. She snapped awake and sat up, seeing mottled red marks like splashes of intense paint on a canvas. The red was so striking on the clean surface, soon darkening into a deep stain.

Panic seized Lin Xian. She seemed to realize something and, before Daiyu could speak, she hugged her and burst into tears.

“I’m sorry! I’ve never had experience with this before!” she sobbed, breaking down like a child who had lost a toy. “Daiyu, I’ll never do it again!” She didn’t dare say it, didn’t dare ask. Before they started, the goddess who tempted her had told her: “A girl’s fingers are long and gentle, it won’t be dangerous. Xianxian, don’t you want to try?”

Lin Xian wailed, more nervous than when she had failed to estimate her college entrance exam scores. Tears drenched her face. Fang Daiyu was merely speechless from the momentary pain; seeing the blood on the bed and Lin Xian’s reaction, she only frowned slightly.

She gently rubbed the girl’s back. “It’s okay.” Lin Xian threw herself into Daiyu’s arms like a child seeking its mother, her speech slurred by her sobbing. “I’m a bad person! Daiyu, I’m an animal!”

As she spoke, guilt flooded her chest. She turned her back to Daiyu in self-reproach. “You clearly cried out in pain, and it was me… I was too impulsive. If I had followed your lead, this wouldn’t have happened!”

What would happen to Daiyu in the future? Lin Xian was afraid. She had never been sure if she could walk with Daiyu into the distant future; she had always intended not to “touch” her. That way, if Daiyu ever left her, she could face a future lover better.

She also feared she couldn’t give Daiyu happiness, afraid that Daiyu wouldn’t want to stay with her.

In this moment, ignoring everything else, she held Daiyu tightly and said only one thing: “I will take responsibility.” Her eyes were full of determination, duty, and courage.

Fang Daiyu patted Lin Xian’s shoulder. She found it a bit of a headache yet also humorous that a “good thing” had resulted in a child sobbing midway through. If Lin Xian were more familiar with the rules of the adult world, would she still cry out in panic one day?

At this moment, she returned to being the gentle, poised Daiyu. “It’s okay, Xianxian. I was willing.” She cupped the tear-stained face, forcing Lin Xian to look at her.

“Even if one day I truly want to marry you, or have you marry me, remember my words: it will never be through force. Love is a matter of mutual consent; there is no right or wrong. I’m happy that the first person I taught was you.” She kissed the tip of Lin Xian’s nose, which tasted salty from the tears.

Seeing that Lin Xian still couldn’t let it go, she added jokingly, “Xianxian, don’t be so old-fashioned. It’s the 21st century; surely you don’t still hold such outdated views?”

Lin Xian instinctively denied it. “No, I don’t.”

“Then if I accidentally hurt Xianxian next time, will Xianxian be sad too?”

Lin Xian argued, “I wouldn’t!” She was willing to give herself to Daiyu; if that day came, she would never regret it in her life. She was only crying because she feared leaving Daiyu one day, or that Daiyu would regret it.

She thought it, and so she said it.

“If we are destined to part one day, I wouldn’t mind this when finding a new partner. And if the person I fall for really cared, there’s always repair surgery. Technology is advancing, Xianxian; something the medical world solved twenty years ago isn’t worth hurting your health over.” She stroked the girl’s hair.

Lin Xian was slowly convinced. Her breathing steadied, and she gently placed her hands on Daiyu’s abdomen. “Sister, does it still hurt? Let me rub it for you.”

Fang Daiyu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but she felt helpless. What can I do? She’s my ‘child,’ I have to spoil her. She lay flat. “Fine, then rub it. Be gentle.” Even if rubbing her stomach did nothing, it was worth it if it eased Lin Xian’s guilt.

Lin Xian didn’t even dare to breathe heavily. She used gentle pressure, rubbing in circles over Daiyu’s abdomen. Gradually, Fang Daiyu closed her eyes.

Seeing that Daiyu seemed to have fallen asleep, and noting it was time for a midday nap, Lin Xian ran to the bathroom to get a fresh towel and wet wipes to gently clean Daiyu. Afterward, she lay beside Daiyu’s pillow and took a deep breath, as if making a monumental decision.

“Sister, for you, I will be brave.” She looked at the ceiling, unsure if she was talking to herself or to Daiyu. “Even if the day comes when we part, I will let you leave whole. I will take care of everything for you.”

Fang Daiyu’s closed eyelashes flickered. She turned over with a smile on her face, a tear sliding into her collar.

Silly girl. What year is it? How can someone still be this pure and foolish?

But, it’s not so bad to keep such a foolish child by my side. Life is undoubtedly lonely, and true love is hard to find. Unless they had to, who would want to be as lonely as snow?