The Use of a White Shirt

Yan Group.

Inside the CEO’s office, Yan Yue sat before her computer, reviewing a contract.

Yan Yicheng stood behind her with his hands in his pockets, his gaze fixed on the screen.

“Even an old fox who’s always been cautious eventually shows his tail,” he said.

Yan Yue leaned back in her chair. “Yan Group has forced him into a corner. If he doesn’t find a way to survive, Yuguang Media will be a thing of the past.”

“When people panic, they make mistakes. Zeng Nian is a businessman too, after all; how could Lin Yu think she’d be willing to suffer huge losses for a woman? He actually missed such a glaring flaw.” Yan Yicheng laughed.

Yan Yue was thinking about something; after a moment, she came back to herself. Looking up, she smiled at Yan Yicheng. “Lin Yu doesn’t understand Zeng Nian. You don’t understand women.”

Yan Yicheng was startled, then confused. “Sis, what do you mean?”

“Granted, Zeng Nian is indeed a businessman, and businessmen weigh benefits above all else; they never do anything that doesn’t serve them. Zeng Nian is especially like that. But as for which interests matter more, only she gets to say. Clearly, money is important, but in her heart, Yu Shuran matters far more than money.” She smiled.

Yan Yicheng’s brows drew together slightly. “How can you tell?”

“Zeng Nian has never let anyone manipulate her. If she’s willing to accept our proposal this time and there’s no personal motive behind it, that would be strange.”

Yan Yicheng nodded.

“Still, it’s a good thing that Zeng Nian has her own ideas. That way, the people at Yuguang Media will think this trap is perfectly safe.”

“With the information we have now, the acquisition is only a matter of time.”

“No need.” Yan Yue stood. “Huanfeng has indeed been riding high these past few years, and because of that, competition has become weaker. Small companies don’t dare offend them. Resources are being fed to the artists one by one until they’re full, and that’s made them complacent; each batch is worse than the last. Besides, the gun always shoots the one who sticks his head up first. Let Yuguang keep some breath left; let’s see how strong their counterattack is. What do you think?”

Yan Yicheng smiled. “Maybe in a few more years, Changyue will be the one sticking its head up first.”

“Isn’t there still Yan Group to lean on?” Yan Yue smiled too, grabbed her coat, and put it on. “I’m leaving.”

“Mm. Be careful.”

The weather was still bitterly cold; when the wind picked up, it was even worse. Yan Yue walked alone down the street, with nowhere in particular to go.

In a few days, it would be Song Shuxiao’s birthday; that is, her mother’s.

In previous years, she had always simply handed the gift to Yan Huan, who would pass it on to Song Shuxiao. She had never even shown up from beginning to end.

But now something seemed different, and it was precisely this difference that left her at a loss. To go further, to become as close and harmonious as other mothers and daughters were; to step back, and remain as they always had been. Yet she couldn’t move either way, caught in the middle and unsure what to do.

At this moment, she would actually have preferred to stay in the same stalemate she and Song Shuxiao had always had before.

Yan Yue let out a soft sigh.

She walked for a long time along the street. When she passed a large supermarket, she hesitated, then decided to go in and look around.

Pushing a shopping cart, she didn’t know what she needed to buy, so she made a video call to Qin Qingyan.

The other person answered not long after, but the camera was pointed at the floor as it moved slowly.

“What’s wrong? Miss me?” Qin Qingyan’s voice was bright with laughter, as though Yan Yue rarely took the initiative to call her.

At that, Yan Yue seriously thought it over and realized she really did miss Qin Qingyan a little.

“What do you want? I’m at the supermarket buying things.”

“You.”

As if already used to Qin Qingyan’s habitual nonsense, Yan Yue merely smiled faintly. Bending down, she took a box of candy from beneath a shelf and held it up to the camera for Qin Qingyan to see.

“Isn’t it pretty?”

“Mm.” Qin Qingyan’s smiling voice came through, and if one listened carefully, there was even a trace of indulgent affection in it.

To Qin Qingyan, she was used to Yan Yue being all business; these little bits of daily life were mostly things Qin Qingyan sent to Yan Yue instead. But today was different. Yan Yue had taken the initiative.

Yan Yue checked the ingredients, then shook the box. “Chocolate. There aren’t that many pieces either.” Then she put it back.

“You don’t like chocolate?” Qin Qingyan’s voice was soft and gentle.

Yan Yue sensed something odd. Why did Qin Qingyan sound like she was coaxing a child?

She looked at the phone screen; the camera was pitch-black.

“I don’t like it. It’ll make me fat.”

Qin Qingyan couldn’t quite hold back her laughter, and it leaked through the mask. She really especially liked this version of Yan Yue.

Seeing that the other side still didn’t speak, Yan Yue said, “Qin Qingyan, take this seriously.”

“Mm. I’m listening.”

Yan Yue gave a very light snort.

“Isn’t there a place ahead selling shirts?” Qin Qingyan asked.

Yan Yue looked forward. “Mm. You want one?”

“Yes. Help me buy one.”

Among the many white shirts, Qin Qingyan picked one that was obviously larger than her usual size. Yan Yue asked again, “Are you sure? This one’s definitely too big.”

“Sure. Loose is better.”

Yan Yue let her have her way and bought it.

After wandering around for a while, the shopping cart had accumulated quite a few scattered items. Yan Yue looked at them and wondered if it was too much. She had bought the things she needed, and even the things that were optional. Clearly, she had only planned to come in and browse at the start.

While she was thinking, someone came up from behind and gripped the shopping cart handle, trapping her between the other person’s hands. Yan Yue was first surprised, then quickly caught the familiar scent. She wanted to turn around and look, but the other person was one step ahead, burying her head in Yan Yue’s neck.

“Since you’ve finished shopping, it’s my turn to pay,” Qin Qingyan said.

Yan Yue was still puzzled. “Why are you here?”

Qin Qingyan moved aside a little so Yan Yue could turn around, then fixed her eyes on her.

At the film crew, she had overheard Yang Zhuting and an assistant talking about Yan Yue’s private matters; it was nothing more than unfounded gossip, saying Yan Yue had a girlfriend and that the two of them were madly in love. Under normal circumstances, that wouldn’t have meant much. The problem was that the girlfriend wasn’t her.

She had cooled off in the car for a while, but it still wasn’t enough, so she drove straight here to find Yan Yue.

“I saw you when you were still on the street.”

“You’ve followed me this long, Teacher Qin; you’ve got ulterior motives,” Yan Yue said with a smile.

Qin Qingyan replied, “I always have.”

When they got back to Jingsheng and finished dinner, it was already six.

After resting for a bit, Yan Yue was planning to go take a shower when Qin Qingyan stopped her.

“Try this shirt on for me and see how it looks on you.”

“Can’t you just look in the mirror?”

Qin Qingyan said, “That’s not complete. I want to see you wearing it.”

Yan Yue let her have her way. “I’ll talk after my shower.”

“No. Right now.”

In the end, Yan Yue couldn’t win against Qin Qingyan. She went into the bedroom and changed. Before she even got out, a figure slipped into the room and shut the door behind her.

“Qin Qing—mm…”

Without another word, Qin Qingyan pressed down on Yan Yue’s head and kissed her over and over, forcefully and from every angle.

It was several minutes later before she finally let go; Yan Yue felt that her lips had already gone numb.

Qin Qingyan stared at Yan Yue, swallowing once; the desire in her eyes deepened. Yan Yue in a shirt carried the stern, untouchable air of when she was working, and yet Qin Qingyan loved breaking that feeling, loved the secret thrill of crossing a forbidden line.

She tightened one arm around Yan Yue’s waist and used the other to take Yan Yue’s hands, placing them on her shoulders.

“The last time I went to your company, I wanted to do this then,” Qin Qingyan said. “So today I’m coming to collect what I wished for.”

The bedroom lights weren’t on; only the dimming sky outside lit them as they looked at the lovers before them.

Yan Yue interlaced her fingers against Qin Qingyan’s shoulders, drawing her closer.

Their foreheads touched, their noses brushed, their breaths tangled. Qin Qingyan’s body grew hot, her lips reaching forward in hunger for something. But every time Yan Yue leaned in, she would retreat just enough to graze past her lips.

Qin Qingyan swallowed past a dry throat, her breathing growing rougher. The hand around Yan Yue’s waist shifted into a grip, greedily taking in everything of Yan Yue’s.

Yan Yue’s hands moved to the sides of Qin Qingyan’s neck, then gently rubbed her earlobes. Qin Qingyan let out a soft, uncontrollable hum. Yan Yue felt the heat in her lover’s body and knew she had already reached her limit.

“Why did you choose one size bigger?” Yan Yue asked softly.

Qin Qingyan panted lightly, then came back to herself. “Loose feels better. It has more of a feeling.”

Then she pulled back and looked straight at Yan Yue, desire filling her eyes.

But Qin Qingyan only looked at Yan Yue and said nothing. If Yan Yue said no, she could still stop now.

Yan Yue didn’t answer. She kissed her again. Qin Qingyan understood the meaning hidden in that kiss; her body trembled slightly as she deepened the pressure of her lips, pressing forward step by step until Yan Yue had nowhere left to retreat.

On the bed, Qin Qingyan braced herself above Yan Yue, one hand pulling the blanket over them both. She wanted to turn on the bedside lamp, but Yan Yue refused.

Qin Qingyan smiled. It was already late; they could make out roughly what they needed to see, and that was enough.

A kiss fell on Yan Yue’s neck, then on her collarbone.

One hand unhurriedly unbuttoned her shirt. Because she was in such a rush, it took several tries before she managed to undo even one button. For Yan Yue, it was even more agonizing.

When the clothes were finally stripped away, Qin Qingyan tossed them beneath the bed and lowered her head to kiss her again with reverence. This time, she no longer had to restrain herself in any way.

More than ten minutes later, Qin Qingyan kissed her lips again, lingering and turning back and forth.

“Is this okay?” she asked.

Yan Yue didn’t answer. Her upper body had somehow become unusually sensitive after Qin Qingyan’s kisses; even the lightest touch made her shiver. Right now, her chest still felt numb.

Qin Qingyan kissed her once more. “I’ll keep going.”

Yan Yue still didn’t answer. The sensations throughout her body grew even more acute, and her legs started to tremble; Qin Qingyan was touching her there.

Knowing what might happen next, she looked down by the remaining light of day. The blanket over her legs was clearly raised in a distinct shape, rising and falling.

She felt everything happening along her legs. Then, suddenly, a wet warmth spread; Yan Yue crossed one arm over her face and bit down on it, her teeth trembling.

Qin Qingyan was doing… Yan Yue’s ears burned hot, and she didn’t dare look down.

No one knew how long had passed. By then, the sky had gone completely dark. Without warning, something for the first time stepped into her territory, gentle yet urgent there.

And when a strange sensation flooded through Yan Yue’s entire body, she couldn’t hold back a soft cry.

Her body softened against the bed, fine beads of sweat gathering on her forehead.

Qin Qingyan seemed to be hot too. She pulled the blanket aside and tossed it to one side, then continued to lean over her with devout focus.

Yan Yue glanced downward; she could only make out a vague outline of her legs. She looked away, her voice soft and tender.

“Qin Qingyan, that’s enough…”

Qin Qingyan shifted upward and asked what she had said, so Yan Yue repeated it.

“Alright.”

Then she went back down again, with no intention of stopping.

By the end, Yan Yue couldn’t even force out words to stop her, and could only let Qin Qingyan indulge herself.

When it was all over, Qin Qingyan glanced at the time. It was already almost midnight. She carried the drained Yan Yue to the bathroom for a shower, cleaned up the bed, and then held Yan Yue close as she fell into a deeply satisfied sleep.