Chapter 17: In the darkness, hot breath sprayed on her ear, her body temperature was frighteningly high, as if she had a fever.
In the darkness, Liu Chengxu's hot breath brushed against her ear, his body temperature alarmingly high, as if he had a fever. Confined in this small space, Su Zhiluo felt a tightness in her throat and her thoughts were in disarray. She could clearly feel Liu Chengxu inhaling her scent.
Liu Chengxu buried his face in her neck, his nose lightly touching her skin, again and again, it was so ticklish.
Su Zhilu couldn't take it anymore and said in a trembling voice, "Stop it, it's getting late, go to sleep."
Her voice carried a hint of fear, mixed with labored gasps. Liu Chengxu adored that voice, and nuzzled her neck with his nose, as if he were being affectionate.
Su Zhiluo tried to break free, but was pressed even tighter and couldn't move at all. Liu Chengxu stubbornly whispered in her ear, "Do you... like it?"
Liu Chengxu knew that even if Su Zhiluo answered now, it would only be out of necessity. But she seemed tireless, determined to get an answer to quench her thirst for even a moment.
Su Zhiluo initially remained silent, but soon experienced Liu Chengxu's stubbornness firsthand. His cool, thin lips brushed against her neck almost imperceptibly, and Su Zhiluo took a deep breath, her neck skin tensing up.
“I like sunflowers…” she answered softly, her voice trembling almost imperceptibly, “But Cheng Xu, my feelings for you…”
"I won't listen," Liu Chengxu said. "Stop talking."
That's just how people are; everything is difficult at the beginning. Take rejecting Liu Chengxu, for example. She couldn't do it at first, and now Su Zhiluo has hurt her several times.
Liu Chengxu trembled with discomfort.
She didn't believe it in her heart and rebelled.
Su Zhilu felt she needed to make things clear, and she pondered how to begin.
Liu Chengxu mustered his courage, wanting to openly kiss Su Zhiluo's lips. But Su Zhiluo turned her head away and avoided it.
Suppressing the disappointment and bitterness in his heart, Liu Chengxu finally gently placed the unfinished kiss on her earlobe.
Her lips were burning hot, and Su Zhilu instinctively shrank her neck, saying in a trembling voice, "That's enough."
Liu Chengxu felt wronged. She whispered in Su Zhiluo's ear, choking back tears, "It's simply not enough."
“Do you know how long it was?” she said. “103 days and nights. Su Zhiluo, I counted the days every day.”
Liu Chengxu knew clearly that some things could be said and some things couldn't be said. Only by hiding their feelings could they remain calm. However, when she saw Su Zhiluo, her limbs became uncontrollable.
Liu Chengxu cupped her face and kissed her thin lips.
It wasn't even a kiss—she just pressed close, without going any further. Su Zhiluo felt a sharp pain in her heart, and as if suffocating, she pushed him away, turning her head to breathe heavily.
Perhaps leaving was the right thing to do. That way, she wouldn't be burned by this inappropriate relationship and could live like a normal person.
Liu Chengxu hugged her even tighter until his body involuntarily trembled before he released her. Su Zhiluo immediately retreated, wanting to escape, but was rooted to the spot by a single sentence:
"Wherever you sleep, I'll follow."
Su Zhiluo slowly squatted down and buried her face in her knees.
We still slept together at night.
Su Zhiluo slept on the floor, while Liu Chengxu lay on the bed. Liu Chengxu was well-rested and not very sleepy, but Su Zhiluo fell asleep, exhausted.
During the day, the two of them spoke little, not because they were having a cold war, but because they genuinely didn't know what to say. Su Zhiluo was powerless against her, while Liu Chengxu was shameless and would follow Su Zhiluo's every move. She no longer overstepped her boundaries as she did at night, and simply sat quietly next to Su Zhiluo.
It's too hot during the day, and cooking is even hotter. In the evening, Su Zhiluo would take her out to eat. She didn't know what was good or bad, so she would try whatever she came across: roast pigeon, clay pot rice, boat congee, fried dough sticks wrapped in sausage, and sweet soup.
Everything tastes good as long as you find the right restaurant.
Guangzhou is a bustling city, yet it exudes a relaxed atmosphere. Unlike the north, where office workers rush about in suits and ties, here it feels down-to-earth, with the aroma of clay pot rice wafting from street corners and the calls of herbal tea vendors echoing from alleyways.
Putting aside the annoying humid weather and strange mosquitoes, this is actually a very suitable place to live.
In the following days, Su Zhiluo bought several new outfits and took Liu Chengxu to take photos in Yuexiu Park. Liu Chengxu was bitten by something, and two obvious red rashes appeared on his shoulder, the skin in the middle of which had broken and oozed fluid due to repeated scratching.
Liu Chengxu thought it wasn't a big problem, but Su Zhilu insisted on dragging her downstairs to find a pharmacy. The old pharmacist at the counter pushed up his glasses: "It's a midge bite. They've been especially rampant lately with all the rain." While disinfecting her wound with iodine, he reminded her, "Go back and check your ankle. These insects like to bite the areas covered by trouser legs."
The two of them held the ointment, completely unable to understand what was being said.
Back home, Su Zhiluo removed the ointment and applied it to her with cotton swabs. Then, noticing that there were also bumps on her thighs, she continued to apply it to her.
Liu Chengxu stared at Su Zhiluo's hair whorl, wanting to raise his arms and hug her.
Su Zhiluo took a pen and drew a circle on the swollen area. Liu Chengxu asked, puzzled, "Will this make it heal faster?"
"No, I've been doing this since I was a kid." When we were little, we didn't have any medicine at home. If we got bitten by something, we would draw a circle on it and observe if there were any changes. If the redness and swelling got smaller, it meant that it was getting better. Su Zhiluo said, "If it doesn't work, we'll go to the hospital."
Liu Chengxu thought her sister-in-law was making a mountain out of a molehill, but she couldn't help feeling happy inside because Su Zhiluo cared about her and was concerned about her. She was quite pleased with herself for this.
After that, Liu Chengxu was always being bitten by insects. It wasn't intentional on her part; it was probably related to her constitution. She attracted mosquitoes, especially her ankles, which were almost entirely covered in red bumps.
Su Zhiluo was initially distressed, but later became furious. She sprayed floral water on her and kept a bottle of medicated oil in her pocket. She watched her apply the medicine every day and forbade her to scratch. After half a month, her condition finally improved.
The insects here are incredibly clever. Even though the windows are tightly shut during the day, they always manage to find a crack and squeeze into the house. At night, as soon as I turn on my phone screen, those little dark shadows gather from all directions, rustling up my ankles and elbows.
When Su Zhiluo first arrived, she found it very difficult to adjust. Back in Taipei, she would have screamed. The insects were huge, smelled terrible, and biting. Su Zhiluo would spray insecticide every time she went out, and when she returned, the floor would be covered in dead insects. She had no choice; initially, she didn't have much money, and the location she rented wasn't good.
*
Liu Chengxu's visit here has been a great help to her. If Su Zhiluo were alone, she definitely wouldn't be able to handle it all, and she could only sell as much as she could. Now that she has Liu Chengxu, Su Zhiluo can just spend money to buy push notifications and traffic.
Liu Chengxu has a habit of going out to buy breakfast every night. At first, Su Zhiluo thought she was being frugal, but later she found out that she just loved going for a morning run.
Thinking about the heat, Su Zhiluo said, "Is it comfortable to run so early in the morning?"
Liu Chengxu wiped his sweat, glanced at her and saw that she had a very well-proportioned figure, the kind of healthy and youthful charm, and said, "I'm used to it."
Su Zhilu remembered hearing someone mention that universities required students to run two kilometers per week or something, and she asked, "Is it schoolwork?"
"No," Liu Chengxu said, "I won't miss you if I run myself to death."
As she spoke, she walked to her backpack and threw the things she had bought into it. Su Zhiluo glanced at it, feeling awkward and unsure of what to do, and turned away without asking what she had bought.
She bought breakfast outside and brought it back to eat. After breakfast, she helped her sister-in-law with the delivery. At 11:30, she prepared lunch. Su Zhiluo received a notification of new goods in the group chat. In the afternoon, Liu Chengxu rode his bike with her sister-in-law to see them. In the evening, she tried on the clothes.
Summer clothes are less conventional. Su Zhiluo has a good sense of style, and she also buys those sexy clothes, such as those with just a few threads on the back that expose the entire back. Her favorite is a halter-shoulder, bare-back bodycon skirt with a snake chain on the back. She also bought stockings to match, but the black stockings were of average quality and would tear after wearing them two or three times. She marked them on the product details page.
I knew it was of poor quality because I saw it break on Liu Chengxu's leg with my own eyes.
Su Zhiluo would always wash one set of the newly arrived sample clothes first. In Guangzhou's weather, they would dry completely in half a day. Liu Chengxu would then change into these clothes for the photoshoot—since the styles were bold, the poses naturally couldn't be too ordinary.
Sometimes Su Zhiluo would only photograph her back or capture her profile as she leaned against the window.
These kinds of outfits are ultimately too provocative, so most of the time Liu Chengxu wears a mask to cover half of his face. So, in the picture, only his burning eyes, brimming with love, are left, silently burning at the edge of the fabric.
It's fine to only shoot the back, but once the camera turns to the front, the emotions that are about to burst forth can no longer be concealed.
Liu Chengxu's slender fingers passed through her ears, brushing his black hair behind them. His eyes were moist and lingering as he looked at her. The design of his chest was very tight, and it looked very shapely with just a little squeeze.
Su Zhiluo didn't even look at her a second time. After taking the close-up shot, she stepped back and included her legs in the shot. Liu Chengxu's posture wasn't very good, and his clothes were a bit revealing, so she told Liu Chengxu to pull up his neckline.
Liu Chengxu adjusted her collar, and Su Zhiluo reached out to adjust her position, changing the posture of her legs. The moment she touched her, her palm was burned by Liu Chengxu's skin. Liu Chengxu lowered her eyes, and Su Zhiluo quickly withdrew her hand.
Su Zhilu stepped back and snapped a few photos in quick succession, intending to keep a few good ones.
After the shoot, she calmly said, "This set should sell well."
Liu Chengxu hummed in agreement, then, without giving Su Zhi any face, she said directly, "Sister-in-law, your face is very red."
"Huh? Really?" Su Zhiluo reached out and touched her face, then looked at her expression with the front camera of her phone. To put it nicely, she was blushing with embarrassment; to put it bluntly, it was hard to hide the lustful look in her eyes, as if she were in heat.
Liu Chengxu went to the bathroom first, and Su Zhiluo followed her in to wash her face. When she opened the door, she saw Liu Chengxu bent over, her hands rolling up her stockings and pushing them down her long legs. She was in such a hurry that her fingers tore several holes. At the same time, Su Zhiluo also knew why Liu Chengxu was in such a hurry to take them off; she had been patted wet.
Su Zhilu felt a chill run down her spine and froze for a moment. Water dripped onto her palms, and she was so hot she was about to suffer from heatstroke. She quickly turned on the tap and fled the bathroom as if escaping.
Liu Chengxu remained silent, not out of composure, but because she was embarrassed by being caught by her sister-in-law and couldn't face her. She had felt this way before. She just felt a secret pleasure, but today it was very strong and overwhelming. At first, she thought it was because the clothes were wrong, but after she took them off, she found that it wasn't just swelling.
She looked down, intending to change her clothes directly, but the bathroom was still hot, and she broke out in a light sweat, so she simply took a shower.
After drying herself off, she realized she hadn't brought a change of clothes, so she had to put the dress back on. She tossed the black stockings aside and didn't touch them again.
Su Zhi selected the image link and added it to her inventory.
Her hands trembled for a long time as she stared at the amount she had set. Before today, she had always thought of Liu Chengxu as a child. Her only danger was that she was obsessed with dating her, or at most, a child who liked to kiss her. Now, she saw Liu Chengxu as a complete adult. He had desires and physical changes, like when she took off her black stockings. When the two of them were in the same space, a strange change would occur. She couldn't ignore it and would constantly sense Liu Chengxu.
This change is quite subtle. For example, when she thinks of Liu Chengxu, it's not the change in her heart that's affecting her, but rather the change in her chest.
Her Taobao store has a group chat. When new products are listed, people immediately ask about them, and the notification sound startles her.
Su Zhiluo tried to calm herself down and replied: 【Dear customer, the first 50 orders will receive a free pair of stockings. Posting a review will get you a shopping coupon and cashback. Purchases over 300 yuan will receive a free gift and a 10 yuan discount!】
After she posted it, ten more orders appeared in the backend immediately, which is quite a frightening number.
Su Zhiluo didn't dare to face Liu Chengxu. She kept replying to customer messages. Her repeat customers probably all knew that the models in her store were her own family members trying on clothes. After chatting for a while, she sold another 50 orders, some from fans in the group and some from organic traffic.
At eight o'clock, Liu Chengxu called out to her, "Want to go out and take photos? Meng Zhenyue and Cha Baomei aren't busy right now, they can come and work part-time."
Su Zhiluo nodded.
The store also set up customer service numbers for Meng Zhenyue and Cha Baomei. Su Zhiluo would usually give them a commission based on the orders they completed, and if there were no orders at that time, she would give them an hourly fee.
When he went out, Liu Chengxu changed into a set of clothes. The top was red with embroidery, and the bottom was a black fitted straight-leg dress. Su Zhiluo had designed the dress herself and then had it made at the factory.
Liu Chengxu sat on the back of her electric scooter with his arms around her waist. On the subway, many people stared at Liu Chengxu. When they got off the subway, someone even tried to chat him up. Su Zhiluo saw that the person was a man in his early twenties. She kept a straight face, didn't say a word, and simply pulled Liu Chengxu away.
Su Zhiluo's product selection this time was excellent, and sales reached 5,000 in the first month. Within the first week, counterfeit versions appeared, and not only that, but they also stole their images. Su Zhiluo was initially at a loss, but then she came up with another idea. She posted Meng Zhenyue and the others' WeChat accounts in the shop, saying they were models. Some shop owners would privately message them to arrange photoshoots, and the three of them found stable jobs directly.
The three of them had three different styles and would also do outdoor photoshoots. After this month, Su Zhiluo's shop was basically up and running, so Su Zhiluo had all three of them open their own shops. Since others were making money by copying others, they might as well create their own imitations and make as much as they could. For these students, it was a win-win situation. With three shops operating together, during the peak of e-commerce, they didn't make a fortune, but they all saved up a considerable amount of money.
Meng Zhenyue wouldn't have to worry about being homeless during her graduation season, as Cha Baomei directly sponsored her sister's studies in Washington, D.C. Of course, that's a story for another time.
Su Zhiluo roughly calculated that she expected to earn 25,000 yuan this month.
This was a huge sum of money for them; they were nervous and excited, but didn't know how to celebrate.
The night was still hot and humid. Su Zhiluo had been watching the backstage all day and didn't feel like playing on her phone. The two of them lay down in their respective areas.
Su Zhiluo took the initiative to ask, "Isn't anyone pursuing you at school?"
Liu Chengxu replied, "Yes."
Su Zhiluo tilted her head curiously to look at her. Liu Chengxu never mentioned these things, so she thought he didn't, which is why Liu Chengxu's gaze was always focused on her.
Liu Chengxu said, "It's in the major, there are many libraries, and there are also clubs."
Su Zhiluo asked, "What kind of people are they?"
Liu Chengxu: "I don't want to talk about it."
Su Zhiluo asked directly, "Why?"
Because if she mentioned it, Su Zhiluo would say, "They're all great, better than me. You should talk about these things. You'll see once you try." She knew her sister-in-law too well. Independent. She longed for the lives of highly educated people and felt that she should live like that.
Over the years, Su Zhiluo hasn't put any pressure on her, but she has always worked very hard to help her reach the top.
Liu Chengxu said, "It's not that great. He only pursued me because he thought I was pretty. His heart wasn't sincere."
Su Zhiluo was skeptical. "Are college students still like this?"
Liu Chengxu: "Aren't all high-IQ criminals college students? Studying is just a screening of learning ability and intelligence, not a screening of character and values. There are filthy people everywhere in college. There was even a case of voyeurism before. They are all beasts in human form, committing crimes of passion and poisoning, and so on."
Su Zhilu felt a chill run down her spine and said, "That won't do."
She was quite curious about the "secret filming" incident and asked a few more questions.
Liu Chengxu told her that the school's attitude was rather ambiguous. Outside netizens didn't know, but those inside the school knew that it was a case of connections, and that the person had a good relationship with the department head. The current approach was simply to delay.
If we let it drag on until nobody knows, then we'll let it go. We'll just have to see if anyone at the school will leak it.
Su Zhiluo searched on her phone and found that most of the content had indeed been deleted. This made Su Zhiluo worried. She thought that Liu Chengxu was having a relationship in college, and since they had similar academic backgrounds, they would have common topics to discuss in the future.
Liu Chengxu said, "Moreover, nowadays, people also consider material conditions when dating. They want someone from a good family. Someone like me, as soon as they hear that my parents are dishonest, I have no house, no car, and no savings, the relationship will fall apart after a short time."
Su Zhiluo suddenly realized, yes, she had to consider the practical conditions, and she also began to worry that Liu Chengxu would be disliked by others.
"Then what should we do?" Su Zhiluo sighed. She wanted to say, "Maybe, maybe we can meet someone like your sister."
Liu Chengxu said, "Then let's handle it internally."
Su Zhilu remained silent, saying nothing.
Since Liu Chengxu arrived here, he has occasionally said some extreme things that make Su Zhiluo uncomfortable, because they contain too much resentment. Liu Chengxu resents her cruelty and her abandonment of her.
Liu Chengxu took the initiative to tell me something: "Your family sent a letter here. Aunt Zhang gave it to me, but I tore it up without reading it."
"Okay, let's go to sleep." Su Zhiluo wasn't curious; if they continued chatting, she would definitely start worrying about Liu Chengxu's future dating and marriage.
Liu Chengxu lay on his back on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
It was unbearably hot inside; my body felt like it was about to melt from the heat. The air blowing from the fan was almost the same temperature as inside; it would have been much cooler to soak in cold water.
She sat up, grabbed the remote and turned off the buzzing air conditioner, then sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed. Hearing the noise, Su Zhiluo turned to look at her: "Are you hot?"
Liu Chengxu remained silent.
Su Zhiluo had just arrived and didn't have much money. She wasn't sure what kind of success the shop could achieve. Since it was cheap here, she rented it for six months. She was about to say, "I'll go buy an air conditioner tomorrow."
Before she could finish speaking, Su Zhiluo felt a weight on her waist—Liu Chengxu had gotten up from the bed and sat directly on her waist. Su Zhiluo was so shocked that her eyes widened, and she couldn't speak for a moment.
These past few days, Su Zhiluo had worried that Liu Chengxu would secretly kiss her at night like before. Fortunately, Liu Chengxu stopped doing it, and she thought that leaving him had had some effect.
Unexpectedly... Liu Chengxu changed. She was very restrained, restraining herself for two months, but when she couldn't hold back anymore, she came directly when Liu Chengxu was sober.
Liu Chengxu braced his hands on either side of her neck, trapping her beneath him. Su Zhi instinctively tried to pull away, but Liu Chengxu's hold was firm and powerful, rendering her unable to move.
Liu Chengxu's lips moved slightly, and she silently called out, "Sister-in-law."
Su Zhiluo lay flat on her back, her chest heaving violently. She couldn't tell if it was anger or embarrassment; her face was flushed red as she said, "You, get off..."
"I bought the ticket," Liu Chengxu slowly uttered. "I'll be going back in three days."
Su Zhilu choked up.
She had been so busy that she almost forgot that Liu Chengxu was about to go back to school.
Su Zhiluo suddenly felt quite sorry for her. Liu Chengxu had been working for her here all this time and hadn't had a chance to enjoy himself. Su Zhiluo said, "I'll give you ten thousand yuan. Keep it... as if you earned it yourself."
"No." Liu Chengxu didn't like it at all.
"Then you want..." Su Zhilu almost blurted out "you want what?" but she held back, "to buy you something?"
Liu Chengxu lowered her head, her burning face pressed against Su Zhiluo's cheek, and said in a low voice, "Just once, just once...you know perfectly well what I want."
Su Zhiluo understood what she was saying. She wanted Liu Chengxu to stop, so she twisted her body to try to escape. Liu Chengxu's hand pressed down on her arm. "Just once... I'll kiss you. I won't come back for the rest of the year. I'll be good... please."
Su Zhiluo tensed up. As Liu Chengxu spoke, his lips brushed against her cheek. Liu Chengxu said, "I won't turn on the light."
Su Zhiluo gritted her teeth. Damn it, she wasn't 100% refusing; there was even a hint of wanting to agree. But her rationality still prevailed, and she tried her best to persuade Liu Chengxu to change his ways. "Liu Chengxu, this won't do. I'm your sister-in-law..."
“But my sister is dead, she’s already dead.” Liu Chengxu’s voice trembled, sounding like an accusation. Su Zhiluo squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them again, her eyes brimming with tears. “No, you go down…”
Liu Chengxu repeatedly bumped his head against her shoulder, feeling helpless and in pain. "This is not good... Every day is like this. Every morning I wake up and tell myself that I don't like it anymore, but then I can't take it anymore. Su Zhiluo, this is not just my fault."
Su Zhilu remained silent.
"Please stop thinking about her, okay?"
Liu Chengxu's eyes were red, and he was extremely hurt.
This time, she didn't wait for a response. She lowered her head and sealed Su Zhiluo's lips with her own, blocking all her rejection in the warm embrace.
The kiss lasted an exceptionally long time. Su Zhiluo tried to struggle, but gradually lost strength due to lack of oxygen, and collapsed like a stranded fish.
Liu Chengxu released her grip in pain—her lower lip had been bitten raw. Looking at Su Zhiluo beneath her, who was forced to endure the pain, tears unexpectedly streamed down her cheek.
As their eyes met, she gently kissed those rosy lips again.
His hands remained firmly gripping Su Zhiluo's wrists, only loosening slightly as his gaze shifted downwards. His fingertips slipped under the hem of her dress and slowly pushed upwards, stopping just above her chest.
Su Zhiluo was terrified. She gasped for breath, "Don't... get down, Liu Chengxu!"
Liu Chengxu withdrew both hands.
Su Zhiluo's eyes were red and swollen; she was deeply hurt, and Liu Chengxu could see her pain.
Liu Chengxu thought she would close her eyes, but Su Zhiluo spoke, her voice hoarse, "I...I'm sorry."
She whispered something that completely broke Su Zhiluo.
"Sister-in-law, I... saw it once."
Su Zhiluo didn't want to listen.
Liu Chengxu wanted to speak but dared not, and spoke only part of the story in a low voice.
"Once...I ate it once..."
Su Zhiluo was wearing a pink floral bra, very summery, and her breasts were full and fair, exuding a fresh milky scent.
Liu Chengxu lowered his head and kissed him.
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