CHAPTER 67: CHAPTER 65: COUNTING FOR WHAT?

Chapter Sixty-five: What’s the Big Deal

Zhang Linsheng was dumbfounded.

Especially that phrase, "Aren’t you a man?" Such words were devastating to an eighteen-year-old boy in the prime of his youth.

Even though he was also anxious, nervous, and...

His response was to just go for it and bite down!

Then...

"Ah! Ouch!!"

The two of them cried out in pain and sprang apart.

The eighteen-year-old Zhang Linsheng had been in fights and had done some tough things.

But this was honestly his first time kissing a girl. Plus, having just been provoked, he’d acted with sudden ferocity.

Because he bit down so fiercely, he ended up slamming into the woman’s lips.

Their teeth clashed against their lips, almost drawing blood.

The woman covered her mouth and shrank back, and so did Zhang Linsheng.

Then, the woman looked up at Zhang Linsheng and said with an exasperated laugh, "Are you a little wolf cub? That was so harsh, were you trying to eat me in one bite?"

Zhang Linsheng was in pain and sheepish; for a moment, he didn’t know what to do.

Should I keep going and try again?

"Uh, um, sorry about that."

The woman looked at Zhang Linsheng and suddenly, with a twinkle in her eye, said, "You’ve never kissed a woman, have you?"

Uh... that was kind of a slap in the face.

Although it was true, you didn’t have to say it out loud.

Zhang Linsheng instantly blushed, stammering and at a loss for words.

The woman burst into roaring laughter. As Zhang Linsheng became increasingly self-conscious, she suddenly seemed rather pleased with herself and then leaned in, cupping Zhang Linsheng’s face with her hands.

SMACK.

Her red lips forcefully kissed Zhang Linsheng’s mouth.

Poor Brother Haonan felt his head buzz!

It was like a hammer hitting his fontanel. A cacophony of bells and drums seemed to erupt in his mind, fireworks burst in his heart, and he felt as though his soul was about to fly out of his forehead.

He felt his mouth touching something warm, soft, and sweet. The tender and fragrant scent made the eighteen-year-old youth tremble with excitement, a wave of heat surging up from the depths of his heart, stirred by the sensation.

An inexplicable thought crossed his mind: So this is what a woman’s lips taste like!

Just as Zhang Linsheng was lost in the moment, the woman drew back.

Her hands were still cradling Zhang Linsheng’s face, but her eyes quietly observed him.

Zhang Linsheng’s mouth was dry, and he looked at her with a mix of regret, reluctance, and disappointment.

"Pfft, indeed you’re still a fledgling," the woman sounded quite happy and then patted his cheek. "You were so cool tonight, scaring away that Brother Wang. But now, I find you quite adorable."

Sparks began to flicker in Zhang Linsheng’s eyes—a look that the woman caught, but she just retreated further with a giggle and then stood up.

She went into the room, grabbed a cushion and a box of cigarettes, and then sat back down next to Zhang Linsheng.

Holding the cushion in her arms and leaning lightly against Zhang Linsheng’s shoulder—not fully resting against it, just a light touch, but they were quite close.

The woman took out two cigarettes from the box, lit one for Zhang Linsheng first, and then one for herself. After taking a couple of silent drags, she smiled and said, "Have you turned into a fool? Why are you just staring at me like that?"

Zhang Linsheng hesitated for a moment before whispering, "You’re pretty."

"Hahaha." The woman laughed and then looked at him gently. "What’s your name?"

"Haon... um, Zhang Linsheng."

The woman looked suspicious. "That isn’t a fake name, is it? I remember tonight they called you Haonan."

"Uh, that’s a nickname; my real name is Zhang Linsheng."

"How old are you?"

"... Twenty." Zhang Linsheng didn’t know why, but he inflated his age by two years, feeling a bit embarrassed to admit he was only eighteen.

"Twenty, huh? That’s around the same age as my little brother back home."

Zhang Linsheng opened his mouth.

I actually want to ask her age.

He couldn’t quite tell... Xiao Xia, standing before him, was at an age where a woman is most charming.

She looked mature and seductive in her behavior, but occasionally she would reveal a hint of a young girl’s demeanor. This state made her seem sometimes like a woman, sometimes like a girl.

"So, what’s your name? Tonight at that place, didn’t other girls call you Xiao Xia?"

The woman smiled, thought for a moment, then said softly, "You don’t understand. Working in that place, everyone picks a work name for themselves. Hmm, my real name is Qu Xiaoling."

As she spoke, she pulled Zhang Linsheng’s hand over and traced three characters in the palm of his hand with her finger.

"These are the three characters."

Zhang Linsheng felt a tickling sensation in his palm, one that spread to his heart.

Afterward, the two of them chatted for a while, and Qu Xiaoling snuggled up to him, sharing many things with him.

Qu Xiaoling had been in Jinling for almost four years now. She didn’t have much education; she stopped schooling after junior high. She stayed in her hometown for a few years, got bored, and then left to work, always in places like KTVs, having switched to three different venues.

At first, she started as a waitress. But as she worked, she saw that the hostesses made more money. She was short of cash, and with a little coaxing from others, she followed suit.

Back home, she had parents and an orchard—not big, enough not to starve but not enough to get rich. She had a twenty-year-old brother who hung around their hometown, hadn’t continued with school either, and did odd jobs, but never stuck with anything for long.

Qu Xiaoling’s biggest wish was to earn more money and save enough to buy her brother a house in their hometown—that way her brother could get married.

Reaching this point in her story, Qu Xiaoling looked at Zhang Linsheng. "You won’t look down on me, right?"

Zhang Linsheng didn’t say a word but shook his head emphatically.

Qu Xiaoling looked relieved at his reaction, then gave Zhang Linsheng a deep look with a happy smile.

This reassuring and joyful smile made Zhang Linsheng feel sweet inside.

Afterward, Qu Xiaoling asked about the incident that had happened in the parking lot that night.

"That Brother Wang, why was he so scared of you? Who are you exactly?"

Uh, that question, Zhang Linsheng really couldn’t answer.

He fell silent... The truth was, the youth was insecure. If you stripped away the facade of "Brother Haonan," the insecure Zhang Linsheng, in fact, didn’t talk much in front of girls.

He was that kind of person: to hide his insecurity, he would act frivolous and arrogant in front of many people. But when he was alone with someone he really cared about, he became even less talkative.

Seeing the youth’s silence, Qu Xiaoling might have misunderstood his meaning.

"Alright, alright... so mysterious. Never mind if you don’t want to say." She pretended to sigh, then curiously said, "Eh? Your family isn’t locally powerful, are they? That’s why Brother Wang was afraid of you, right? No, that can’t be it! Your mom, Auntie Luo, is still working at the venue; if your family were truly powerful, she wouldn’t have to."

Qu Xiaoling became excited. "You aren’t involved in gangs, are you? You must be quite famous, right?"

"Uh... kind of," Zhang Linsheng said vaguely.

He felt a hint of vanity when facing Qu Xiaoling.

This isn’t... exactly lying, right?

After all, I’m Brother Haonan from No. 8 Middle School.

Qu Xiaoling immediately became excited. She sat up and looked at Zhang Linsheng. "So, if I’m bullied in the future, will you protect me?"

Zhang Linsheng answered this question very decisively. The youth puffed out his chest and said firmly, "Of course! Definitely!"

Qu Xiaoling seemed very happy, then gave him a sideways glance and teasingly said, "I’m just afraid that once you leave this door, you’ll forget about me."

"I won’t," Zhang Linsheng quickly said again. "I definitely won’t."

"Why? I’m a bit skeptical."

"Well..." Zhang Linsheng thought for a moment, then awkwardly said, "That... my mom still works at the same place as you. I always have to pick up my mom, so I will see you often."

"So if you don’t go to the venue to pick up your mom, you won’t see me?" Qu Xiaoling smiled coquettishly.

Zhang Linsheng was at a loss for words, filled with things to say but not knowing how to express them, showing a bit of anxiety.

"Hahaha." Qu Xiaoling laughed, then suddenly leaned in and kissed Zhang Linsheng on the face. "Alright, alright, just teasing you."

Zhang Linsheng was stunned for a moment. After being kissed, he felt a surge of heat inside, swallowing hard as his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down.

But Qu Xiaoling pushed him firmly. "Don’t get any bad ideas... we’ve only just met today, and I’ve already given you a lot of sweet moments."

"Uh..." The youth blushed sheepishly.

"Later... once we’ve known each other longer, then we can talk... about that," Qu Xiaoling cooed.

"So... can I look for you in the future?" Zhang Linsheng asked.

After getting an affirmative from Qu Xiaoling, Zhang Linsheng hesitated. "Then, should I call you... Sister Xiaoling?"

"Pfft! What’s with all this ’sister’ and ’brother’ business," Qu Xiaoling said disdainfully, with a dismissive tone that saw right through it. "Don’t imitate those people, using terms like brother, sister, and so on; it’s all messing around."

She paused for a moment, then added, "A sworn brother and sworn sister will end up sleeping together sooner or later! A sworn sister and sworn brother, it’s all an act!"

Zhang Linsheng was stunned.

But Qu Xiaoling immediately asked, "So, do you usually have any ’sisters’ or ’little sisters’ like that?"

"No, definitely not!"

Actually, for a fleeting moment, Zhang Linsheng’s mind seemed to drift to the image of School Belle Sun, remembering the time he had cornered School Belle Sun on the school playground wanting to acknowledge her as his little sister.

But that lasted only a second, and he tossed aside this White Moonlight.

The woman beside him was fragrant, wearing sheer pajamas, those pale and plump thighs, that tiny waist, that perky butt, and the vague whiteness of her chest...

In the face of sexiness, cuteness...

What White Moonlight? There is no White Moonlight.

"Um, then I’ll just call you Xiaoling, or Lingling from now on?"

"Either is fine. A name is just a title. You can call me whatever you want," Qu Xiaoling seemed very easygoing.

"Then... can I ask how old you are?"

"Me? I’m twenty-two," Qu Xiaoling said with a smile, "You wouldn’t mind that I’m two years older than you, would you?"

Er, even though he decisively shook his head immediately, Zhang Linsheng thought to himself: It’s not two years older... it’s four years, actually.

After sitting a while longer and exchanging a few idle words, Qu Xiaoling started yawning.

Although Zhang Linsheng didn’t quite understand, still somewhat clueless, he was clear about one thing: It seems nothing heady like before will happen tonight.

Thinking it over, even though he was reluctant, he still said in a low voice, "Well, it’s late. You should go to sleep, and I should hurry back."

"Alright then." Qu Xiaoling got up and walked Zhang Linsheng to the door, then suddenly called out to him, "Wait a moment."

She ran back into her room, took out a tube of lipstick, approached Zhang Linsheng, grabbed his hand, and wrote a string of numbers on his hand with the lipstick.

"This is my cellphone number, make sure you remember it and don’t lose it, okay!" Qu Xiaoling said with a smile, "Later on, text me your number."

Zhang Linsheng was too embarrassed to say he actually didn’t have a cellphone. He mumbled something and nodded, looking carefully at the number on his hand, repeating it several times in his mind, committing it firmly to memory.

After leaving Qu Xiaoling’s home, and once the door closed behind him, Zhang Linsheng felt somewhat lost.

He walked downstairs, still silently reciting the cellphone number in his mind.

Qu Xiaoling stood by the window, watching the boy exit the building, then get on his bike and ride away.

A small smile crept onto her lips. What a fledgling, so amusing and yet so foolish.

Zhang Linsheng, while pedaling home, wracked his brain over a tricky question.

An older woman by three years is a gold nugget... what about four years?

Earlier in the night, Li Yingwan had tried to struggle. When that failed, she begged Chen Nuo. When begging was no use, her temper flared, and she even cursed at Chen Nuo a few times.

Chen Nuo didn’t hold back and simply pulled out a pair of socks from his closet and stuffed them in her mouth.

Li Yingwan immediately behaved herself.

Alright, Chen Nuo still had a soft heart after all and didn’t really act completely inhumane.

The socks were new and unworn.

Later in the night, Li Yingwan fell asleep.

After all, she had been making a fuss for half the night, plus she had drunk alcohol.

Listening to the girl’s breathing become deeper, Chen Nuo exhaled with relief.

When Li Yingwan woke up, it was already morning. The wall clock showed it was almost eleven o’clock.

The girl instantly jolted, bouncing up from bed.

This bounce made her realize that the blanket and ropes had been untied from her body.

She hurriedly got off the bed and left the room, only to see Chen Nuo sitting on the living room sofa reading a novel.

"Awake?"

"Yeah... Oppa..." Li Yingwan hesitated.

"Alright, if you’re awake, hurry up and wash up, then head back," Chen Nuo got up, stretching his arms lazily.

Li Yingwan’s voice was filled with grievance, "Am I really that unattractive? Last night you treated me..."

"Enough already, no more dilly-dallying. Go wash up and go back home! I didn’t make breakfast for you," Chen Nuo waved his hand dismissively.

"But, my mom..." Li Yingwan went over and grabbed Chen Nuo’s arm, shaking it. "I don’t want to go back to South Korea; she’s really going to marry me off to a chaebol. I don’t want to be sent off to a chaebol."

"Chaebols are great! You might even get a tall, leggy oppa. Isn’t that how your country’s dramas all play out?"

"Oppa!!!" Li Yingwan puffed her cheeks and glared with round eyes.

"Fine, fine! Just go back and tell your mom that we got together last night. You’re grown up now; don’t you know how to lie to your parents? It’s a basic skill, do you still need someone to teach you?"

Chen Xiaoguo started talking nonsense again.

Li Yingwan was worried, "But my mother is very shrewd. I’m afraid I can’t fool her."

"Hmm..." Chen Nuo thought for a bit.

Indeed, it was risky for an inexperienced girl to try and deceive an experienced, married woman in this matter.

After pondering, Chen Nuo turned around and rummaged through his room to find a wooden ruler.

"Li Yingwan, come here."

"Eh, Oppa, what are you doing? What do you need that ruler for?"

"You come here, I’ll teach you a trump card trick."

"Huh?"

Firefly approached with an innocent and bewildered look, and was grabbed by Chen Nuo and pressed onto the sofa, the ruler smacking her perky bottom.

PIA!

"Ah!!!!" Li Yingwan screamed, crying out in pain, "Chen Nuo! What are you doing?!! Weren’t you going to teach me a trick?"

"Yeah, the self-harm trick!"

PIA!

"Ah!! You’re hitting me again!! Ah!!!! You hit me again! Ah!!!!"

Chen Nuo kept a hold on Li Yingwan, smacking her bottom with the ruler seven or eight times in a row. By the time he let go, the long-legged girl was in so much pain that her face had turned red.

Li Yingwan jumped up but immediately winced in pain. "Why did you hit me?"

Chen Nuo looked her over; Li Yingwan was having some difficulty walking because of the pain.

"There, now you should be able to fool your mom," he said.

"Huh?"

"You wouldn’t understand even if I explained it. Just trust me when I say it’ll work. Oh right, you should add one more thing," Chen Nuo thought a moment. "Do you usually have painful periods? That’s it, the feeling of menstrual cramps. Search your feelings, and when you see your mom, just recall the pain you feel during your periods, and act it out a bit... feign a little weakness..."

Li Yingwan left with a look of sadness and confusion.

Well, Chen Xiaoguo felt absolutely no psychological pressure about spanking Li Yingwan’s bottom.

After all, in his past life, when teaching Firefly hand-to-hand combat, beating her up was almost a daily routine.

Spanking her bottom was nothing.

Nothing at all!

After coaxing Firefly to leave, Chen Nuo also went downstairs and left the house.

When he got downstairs, he saw his brand new bike had been moved by some asshole from underneath the eaves into the rain!

"F**k! Who’s such a scumbag?!"

[Speed of the bike depends on the recommendation tickets.]

[Drifting through the turns. Cast your monthly votes here.]