The Premeditated Seductress Childhood Friend - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: I Want to Kiss

“I want to kiss someone.”

On the first night after freshman military training ended, Song Yixi was slumped over her dorm desk when these words popped out of her mouth, completely out of nowhere.

Her mouth had moved faster than her brain. The moment she spoke, she realized what she had done. In a panic, she slammed her phone—screen still glowing—face down on the desk and scrambled to think of an excuse.

Behind her, Yu Wei, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly stood up. With lightning speed, she grabbed Song Yixi by the collar and hauled her toward the door. “Let’s go. I’ll take you to the track to watch people kiss. That’ll satisfy your craving.”

“Huh?”

Still paralyzed by guilt, Song Yixi had no time to react. Before she knew it, she had been whisked away to the athletic field.

Looking out, the plastic track and the grassy field were swarming with couples lost in their own worlds.

Song Yixi covered her face and crouched down in a dark, backlit corner. “Are you for real?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Yu Wei sat down cross-legged with zero bashfulness. “Hurry up and look. Why are you acting so shy? Have you never been in a relationship?”

“Who said that? I… I’ve been in one before.”

Song Yixi steeled her heart and uncovered her eyes, though she lacked any real conviction. In the darkness, Yu Wei couldn’t see that her earlobes were burning deep red.

The truth was, she had never been in a relationship. Not even once.

The reason for her lie was simple: she was a Physical Education major. From the track team to university, most people around her had dated multiple times. She didn’t want to seem like an outlier.

Yu Wei leaned in and put an arm around her shoulder. “With your looks, you must have dated a lot, right? Maybe not seven or eight times, but at least four or five.”

Song Yixi wasn’t your typical PE student. Standing at 175cm, she had a “wild” look to her—a sense of vigorous vitality. Yet her skin was fair and clear, not at all like someone who spent every day baking under the scorching sun.

It was hard for Yu Wei not to “judge a book by its cover.”

Song Yixi gave an awkward laugh. She was too embarrassed to mention that she used to be chubby; joining the track team had partly been a way to lose weight. Back then, forget about dating—she was frequently teased about her size.

Yu Wei didn’t notice her expression and enthusiastically pivoted to class gossip—who was with whom, and who had just broken up.

Song Yixi was dazed. “Hasn’t school only been in session for a week?”

How were they already dating and breaking up? She hadn’t even learned everyone’s names yet.

Yu Wei patted her shoulder. “Our class already has a complex web of ‘crossover’ dating. They started hitting it off in the class group chat over the summer. Are you really that out of the loop? So, what’s your type? Is there anyone in our class you like? And why did you say you wanted to kiss today? Is it because it’s been too long, or did you see someone?”

A barrage of questions flew at her. Before Song Yixi could answer, a chill ran down her spine, and her heart leaped into her throat.

This familiar sensation…

Song Yixi swallowed hard and stood up to run, but a pair of hands—at once gentle and firm—tugged at her back collar. Cold fingers brushed against the skin of her neck. It was the exact same touch she had felt every time she was caught doing something bad as a child.

A moment later, a feminine, sultry voice drifted lazily into her ear: “What exactly were you looking at that made you want to kiss?”

Song Yixi immediately broke out in goosebumps.

She looked at the woman holding her collar, who was half a head shorter than her. Her throat felt dry and parched; she couldn’t squeeze out a single syllable.

Yu Wei looked over as well. “Is she your friend?”

The woman lifted her eyes coldly. “Childhood sweetheart.” ( – Qingmei)

There was an underlying sense of possessive sovereignty in her tone. Song Yixi’s ears turned even redder.

Fortunately, this “sweetheart” seemed to be just passing through. She tapped Song Yixi’s nape with a fingertip, watched her with a half-smile for a moment, then let go and walked away.

Like a fish gasping for water, Song Yixi bent over, hands on her knees, and took deep, ragged breaths.

Yu Wei, slow to catch on, stared at the departing figure. “She’s so beautiful. So elegant.”

The woman carried a cold, crisp aura—like a star, visible but unreachable. Yu Wei sniffed the air, catching a lingering scent. “Why does it smell like traditional Chinese medicine?”

Song Yixi finally composed herself and whispered, “She’s in the Traditional Chinese Medicine department.”

Yu Wei’s interest was piqued. “What’s her name? Is she an upperclassman? She said she’s your childhood sweetheart, but why do I get the feeling you two aren’t close?”

“Xu Qingyu.”

Uttering that name made Song Yixi let out a long, heavy sigh. She had been dodging that name—and that person—for a very, very long time.

“She’s a senior, three years older than us. We did grow up together; we’re neighbors.” Song Yixi pursed her lips and added resentfully, “We’re not close. I hate her.”

Their relationship dated back to before Song Yixi was even born. That year, Mother Song was pregnant but didn’t know it, wandering around in high heels every day. Their neighbor, Mother Xu, was a highly experienced TCM doctor. An accidental encounter led her to discover the pregnancy. Under her guidance and care, the two mothers became best friends.

However, Song Yixi’s situation was the polar opposite of Xu Qingyu’s.

Song Yixi was born fair and chubby, healthy in every way. Xu Qingyu, however, was frail and sickly, raised “in a medicine jar.” The slightest oversight could have been fatal. Xu Qingyu’s parents were constantly worried about her; even Song Yixi’s parents gave her a huge amount of attention.

To make matters worse, Xu Qingyu was exceptional. Whether it was her grades or her personality, she was much better at winning over elders than Song Yixi. She was the literal definition of the “prodigal child next door.”

Xu Qingyu also had a particular habit of controlling her—managing her clothing style, her three meals a day, and her grades. She was more troublesome than the actual parents. For a long time, Song Yixi spent her days sulking and acting out against her.

It wasn’t until Xu Qingyu went to university and became too busy to bother with her that their relationship leveled out.

But then, at Song Yixi’s 18th birthday party, Xu Qingyu gave her a “gift”—a collection of eighty artistic portraits of herself. Tucked among them were a few private, intimate shots…

To this day, Song Yixi remembered lying in bed that night looking at those photos. The more she looked, the more her face flushed, until she felt like she was being steamed alive.

Xu Qingyu had also sent a voice message. In a voice that was slightly cold yet nonchalant, she said: “Do you like Sister’s photos? If you do, I’ll take more for you next time.”

Song Yixi had collapsed onto her bed, burying her face in her pillow for hours. Since then, she ran whenever she saw Xu Qingyu, never daring to say a word. She didn’t know what Xu Qingyu meant by it, but she knew one thing: Xu Qingyu was a terrifying person. Staying far away was the only safe option.

Yu Wei felt bad for Xu Qingyu. “I don’t even have a childhood friend, and yours is so beautiful. How can you not realize how lucky you are?”

Song Yixi didn’t deny it. Xu Qingyu was beautiful. She had the classic look of an Oriental beauty—dignified, with features like a painting, ruby lips, and pearly teeth. She was slender and delicate, the kind of woman that naturally evoked a protective instinct.

Unfortunately, she had the heart of a scorpion.

Song Yixi patted her pants and changed the subject. “Let’s go back. There’s nothing to see here.”

Yu Wei followed, still buzzing with questions about what kind of person Song Yixi actually liked.

Song Yixi gave a perfunctory answer and lit up her phone screen. Without warning, a photo of Xu Qingyu popped up.

She froze.

Suddenly, she remembered. Right before she said she “wanted to kiss,” she had been scrolling through her feed and saw Xu Qingyu’s post. Xu Qingyu had posted a selfie, saying she was trying out a new lipstick.

So… she had been looking at Xu Qingyu’s lips when she said she wanted to kiss.

…She was going crazy.