Strange Sound

By the time Bai Lin returned, the water in the bathtub had already turned ice-cold. Hearing the door open, Chi Qing quickly closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep. Only when Bai Lin gently patted her shoulder did she slowly open her eyes.

"The water is a bit cold. Let me help you wash up, and then you can go to bed."

Chi Qing knew exactly how long Bai Lin had been gone. Seeing that the person who had been agitated earlier had quickly recovered her normal composure, Chi Qing didn't know what Bai Lin had done. She could hear that the other's voice was much hoarser.

Hearing her offer to help wash her body, Chi Qing nodded, allowing Bai Lin to lift her up. Immediately after, Bai Lin gently wiped Chi Qing's body with a bath sponge. Soon, a fresh, subtle fragrance filled the bathroom.

This scent was extremely familiar to Bai Lin. Ever since she was a child, Chi Qing had always used this brand of body wash, unchanged for years. Now, the scent of the body wash mingled with Chi Qing's natural body fragrance, making Bai Lin's soul wander, unable to forget.

Chi Qing's figure was perfect, and her skin was exceptionally fair; perhaps only now did Bai Lin realize this. This was the first time in her life she had touched Chi Qing's skin. Standing behind Chi Qing, she wiped her back with the sponge while admiring the tattoo on her back.

This was the first time Bai Lin had the chance to examine it so closely. Although she had seen it a few times before, they were only fleeting glances, and she hadn't seen it clearly. Chi Qing's back was very slender, with no excess fat, yet she wasn't skeletal.

The smooth tattoo on her fair skin looked incredibly lifelike, just as she had seen years ago. An angel holding a sleeping child stood near a dark cliff. A strong wind blew, and the angel's wings spread wide, cradling the child to protect its peaceful sleep.

Bai Lin knew the tattoo on Chi Qing's back was used to cover a scar, but she wondered why she had chosen this design. Logically, Chi Qing didn't like children, and her attitude toward her when she was young proved it. If so, why did she choose such a tattoo?

Bai Lin was lost in thought and didn't realize her hand had unconsciously stroked Chi Qing's back. Her soft hand, combined with the sponge, made the already smooth skin highly sensitive. Like an involuntary reflex, Chi Qing's body trembled. Aside from Su Aoran, no one knew this was her sensitive spot. And Chi Qing believed Bai Lin hadn't done it on purpose.

"Aren't you finished washing yet?"

After a long while, Bai Lin's hand still hadn't left her back, so Chi Qing reminded her in a low voice. Her voice shattered Bai Lin's daze. Noticing her hand rubbing Chi Qing's back, Bai Lin was startled and quickly withdrew her hand, stepping back. Unexpectedly, she slipped and fell backward.

By reflex, Bai Lin grabbed Chi Qing's shoulder. Even with Chi Qing's strength, she couldn't react to such a sudden situation. Thus, the two fell together. At that moment, Bai Lin tried to shift her position so Chi Qing would land on top of her. Just as she wanted, Chi Qing landed safely on her body.

"Are you alright?"

Her body hit the cold tiles, and the force of the fall made it difficult for Bai Lin to breathe. Yet the first thing she asked was about Chi Qing's condition.

"I'm fine."

Despite such an embarrassing situation, Chi Qing remained calm, though she felt a trace of anger upon hearing Bai Lin's question.

Looking at Chi Qing lying on top of her, because she wore nothing, her breasts pressed directly against her body, appearing right before her eyes. The two full mounds were pressed out of shape, looking like freshly steamed buns, or like undulating snow mountains. A deep cleavage formed between them. One couldn't help but want to reach out and explore.

Realizing she was staring where she shouldn't, Bai Lin quickly averted her gaze and helped Chi Qing sit up. After settling her, she stood up to check her own condition. But the moment she stood up, her head spun, and her vision went black.

Bai Lin knew this was because the fall had triggered her old left-eye ailment. Her wet clothes clung to her body, cold and uncomfortable. Even so, Bai Lin didn't care. She only wanted to quickly help Chi Qing wash her body, then get some rest.

Thus, Bai Lin blinked to clear her vision, using the sponge to wash Chi Qing's body again. Because of her carelessness earlier, Chi Qing was soaked again, requiring extra effort. Bai Lin wiped her with a wet towel, then used the sponge.

Compared to washing her back, washing her front was much more difficult. Bai Lin not only had to control her gaze but also worry that her unusual behavior would be discovered. She moved the sponge to her shoulders and collarbones, then to her breasts.

Throughout the process, Bai Lin kept her head extremely low. She didn't dare look at Chi Qing's expression, fearing she would expose her feelings. Today, at that moment, she had successfully kissed Chi Qing's lips. That was a feeling Bai Lin could never forget. She would probably remember it for the rest of her life.

No one knew how much thought she had put into kissing Chi Qing. Bai Lin had only lived twenty-two years, but she had loved Chi Qing for ten. It might sound unbelievable, but Bai Lin knew exactly when she realized her feelings for Chi Qing were no longer simple mother-daughter affection...

Ever since she saw Chi Qing and Su Aoran being intimate on the sofa, for a whole month, Bai Lin had dreamed of similar scenes every night. But the one tangled with Chi Qing was not Su Aoran, but herself.

The first time she was intimate with Chi Qing in her dream, Bai Lin dreamed of being held in Chi Qing's arms as a child, kissing her lips and making the same sounds as that night. She kept this wet dream to herself. Waking up to find her lower body wet, Bai Lin would blush, change her clothes, and wash up in the bathroom. That was when she knew her feelings for Chi Qing were no longer pure.

After discovering her feelings, Bai Lin spent a long time reflecting, restraining, suppressing, and trying to change herself. However, as she grew up, she realized all her efforts were futile. She loved Chi Qing, more and more.

She understood how much suffering, pain, and difficulty this woman faced. From the depths of her heart, she felt a deep ache for Chi Qing, wanting to give her everything beautiful and help her fulfill her wishes. But at night, she couldn't sleep, always dreaming of tangling with Chi Qing.

Many times, Bai Lin felt she was filthy. Because she actually harbored such desires for her own mother. By day, she behaved herself beside Chi Qing, helping her share her duties. By night, she only dared to crave meeting her in her dreams.

Bai Lin knew that if this continued, one day she wouldn't be able to resist doing something irreversible. Therefore, she chose to leave Chi Qing, to do what needed to be done and go where she needed to go. She never expected her departure back then to be interpreted as betrayal by Chi Qing, nor did she expect Chi Qing to panic while searching for her.

Just now, she finally couldn't hold back. The ten-year longing in her heart burst forth, and she kissed Chi Qing's lips. The feeling was subtle, like cleared meridians, making her feel incredibly happy and comfortable.

Chi Qing's scent was so fragrant, her lips so soft. Chi Qing was her mother, the woman she wanted to cherish, and Chi Qing would accept her. Chi Qing, Chi Qing... her thoughts were filled with Chi Qing. Bai Lin felt she was being driven mad, madly in love with her.

"You can go out now."

Taking advantage of Bai Lin's daze, Chi Qing ordered her to leave. Looking at her injured hands, Bai Lin didn't know how to react, unclear why Chi Qing wanted her to leave.

"Can you manage alone?"

"Yes."

Chi Qing answered briefly, her voice cold. Seeing that she didn't even want to glance at her, the disappointment in Bai Lin's heart left her powerless, and the pain in her head made her not want to say more. Feeling her left eye grow blurry again, Bai Lin pushed the door open and left, closing it behind her...

Hearing Bai Lin's door close, Chi Qing let out a soft sigh of relief, dressed, and went out. Seeing the empty room, with the bedsheets neatly arranged, Chi Qing dried her hair and lay on the bed, recalling what had happened today.

If she hadn't been sure before, now Chi Qing could confirm that Bai Lin's feelings for her were not simple mother-daughter affection. If she viewed her as a mother, she wouldn't look at her with such longing. If she had no such thoughts, she wouldn't have secretly kissed her.

Thinking of that kiss, Chi Qing caressed her lips, recalling the moment she was kissed by Bai Lin. It had been a long time since she experienced intimacy since Su Aoran passed away. Setting aside Bai Lin's identity, Chi Qing admitted the kiss was truly wonderful.

Gentle, fresh, without a hint of aggression—only depth, heartache, and infatuation. This was Chi Qing's evaluation of Bai Lin's kiss. It was undeniable that Chi Qing craved the feeling Bai Lin brought her. But after remembering that Bai Lin harbored these feelings despite their blood relation, Chi Qing frowned.

Incest—the word flashed through her mind. Without a doubt, such affection could never be open, nor should it exist. No matter what, Chi Qing couldn't allow Bai Lin to continue making mistakes.

Thinking of this, a trace of disappointment spread in her heart. As an adult, Chi Qing naturally knew why she felt disappointed. Since Su Aoran left, she had never thought she could feel her heart flutter again, nor did she expect she would one day feel sorrow and heartache for someone else.

No matter how precious this affection was, its existence, like Bai Lin's existence, was a sin that shouldn't be.

Her wandering thoughts exhausted her. She shook her head and fell into a deep sleep. By the time she woke up, the sky was pitch black. The clock pointed to ten, and Chi Qing felt terribly thirsty. She threw on a coat and left her room.

She didn't go straight downstairs, but purposely walked to Bai Lin's door to see if she was resting. But before she could push the door open, she heard a sound coming from inside. Chi Qing was no stranger to this sound. But she couldn't imagine it coming from Bai Lin.

Hearing the intermittent sounds from the room, like pleasure yet like soft weeping, sometimes rapid, sometimes heavy gasps, Chi Qing's hand remained frozen on the doorknob...