In the Midst of Distraction (21)

In a momentary lapse of attention, An Xiaowei leaned forward, bracing herself on Ning Moqing's knees. She tilted her head slightly, gazing at Ning Moqing's slender, swan-like neck, its jade-like glow reflecting in her beautiful eyes.

An Xiaowei blinked softly.

Ning Moqing looked down at An Xiaowei, taking in the girl's delicate features, as tender as gardenia petals, her soft cotton dress still half-tangled in the bedsheets.

An Xiaowei inched closer. Ning Moqing frowned, instinctively shifting back until her spine pressed against the wardrobe door.

The other girl's breath grew heavier, warm against the fine hairs on Ning Moqing's face. Before she could react, An Xiaowei closed the distance and kissed her.

An Xiaowei wrapped her arms around Ning Moqing's neck, her exhales sending tingling waves across Ning Moqing's skin.

Pinned against the wardrobe, Ning Moqing had no choice but to submit as An Xiaowei's fingers brushed her shoulders.

"Moqing-jie."

Her voice came out strained, almost coquettish—a tone she herself couldn’t believe.

Sticky, saccharine, like freshly made malt sugar.

Ning Moqing meant to push her away, but their proximity left her unbalanced, and An Xiaowei nearly tumbled to the floor.

Ning Moqing caught her.

"Go to sleep properly," Ning Moqing said, stuffing An Xiaowei back under the covers. The girl flailed an arm out, but before she could resist, she was swallowed by the blankets.

Watching An Xiaowei’s flushed cheeks, Ning Moqing felt, for the first time, the intoxicating pull of temptation.

Indescribable. A strange illusion, almost.

In a daze, she lowered her head…

An Xiaowei clung to her, tears of bittersweet pain welling in her eyes.

Her heart refused to obey as she stared at Ning Moqing, as if this woman were her sole salvation in life.

The curtains had been drawn all day, plunging them into an abyss of darkness, their intoxication dreamlike and surreal.

Hazy and inexplicable—An Xiaowei only remembered how things spiraled out of control, her shallow breaths stolen away. She could smell the floral scent clinging to Ning Moqing, and later, it clung to her too.

She drifted into unconsciousness.

An Xiaowei was utterly spent, craving nothing but closeness to Ning Moqing.

Ning Moqing pressed her into the sheets, kissing her deeply. An Xiaowei lowered her lashes, too shy to meet her gaze, though the moment felt undeniably right.

Her cotton dress slipped off the bed, her delicate hands limp at the edges, her fair neck marred with marks. The room echoed with sounds too indecent to name.

Beads of sweat rolled from An Xiaowei’s skin onto the sheets.

Unspeakable.

She didn’t even remember falling asleep.

Ning Moqing, however, was haunted by nightmares.

In her dream, she returned home to find a youth in a blue robe standing at the gate, sword in hand. His smile was gentle, his demeanor warm.

"Liu'er, I must leave."

"Gu Wei, but I—"

"If I don’t go, the Gu family won’t survive. This is my life-saving charm. My master said it will take you to safety if you’re ever in danger." He pressed the charm into Liu'er’s small hands.

The image blurred—when it cleared, the youth shielded a three-year-old boy behind him.

"This is the last of the Gu bloodline. I must keep him alive. My life is yours."

Later, the youth died.

Without ever committing a single sin.

Ning Moqing jolted awake, rubbing her throbbing temples. She glanced down at her right hand, fingertips stained with dried blood.

She staggered to the bathroom, scrubbing the traces away under running water.

Her hands ached—after all, she was a woman, and ensuring An Xiaowei’s condition subsided had taken effort.

The sound of running water roused An Xiaowei from her dreams. Night had fallen, pale moonlight and streetlight seeping through the curtains, but the world outside was quiet.

Hiss—

What happened?

Though the effects had worn off, moving was still a struggle. Only when she collapsed back onto the pillow did the full weight of events crash down on her.

Her body felt leaden, her fingers weak—even lifting a bowl of rice seemed impossible.

Her eyes brimmed with confusion and distress, her small face streaked with dried tears.

All because of Ning Moqing…

Her hair tumbled forward, concealing some of the marks, but the evidence on her neck remained unmistakable.

An Xiaowei bit her lower lip, an unfamiliar shyness creeping into her bones.

And a flicker of anger.

She’d been drugged, not stupid—Ning Moqing hadn’t intended this. She was the one who’d initiated it, who’d wrapped her arms around Ning Moqing’s neck and kissed her.

The memory made her snatch her clothes from the floor.

"I’m going home," she told Ning Moqing.

Ning Moqing turned off the faucet, eyeing the row of bite marks An Xiaowei had left on her collarbone. Her voice was flat.

"Mm. I’ll take you."

An Xiaowei winced as she pulled on her dress, gathering the rest of her clothes from the wardrobe.

The last day here, and so much had gone wrong.

She couldn’t even bring herself to look at Ning Moqing. When she spotted the bloodstains on the sheets, her emotions churned too violently to name.

Now she was truly tainted.

Wuwuwu.

She wanted to sob to Si, but lately, Si had been unusually quiet, barely making an appearance.

Ning Moqing soon ushered An Xiaowei out the door.

"How are you feeling?" Ning Moqing asked as they got into the car.

"Fine. Not great," An Xiaowei muttered, shaking her head.

Ning Moqing drove in silence.

"Si, help! What do I do? Wuwu, I’m crying here, folks," An Xiaowei whined, staring out the window.

Si: ??

"She’s not that kind of person."

"How would you know? Are you close with her?" An Xiaowei huffed.

"Of course not," Si replied, sounding exhausted.

She’d just woken up, drowsy, her eyelids heavy.

"What’ve you been up to? You sound drained," An Xiaowei asked, puzzled.

"Nothing. Just… unexpected developments." Si cleared her throat.

"Were you with a man? Who?" An Xiaowei perked up, curiosity piqued.

"Who else would I be with? You." Si shut her mouth after that.

An Xiaowei: ???

If it weren’t Ning Moqing who’d done it, she’d have suspected Si was the culprit!