After Confessing To My Childhood Friend - Chapter 26
Chapter 26: At the Beach
◎ Many ways to apply sunscreen ◎
The sun in Laixiang blazed down from a bright blue sky. The sea mirrored the sky’s color—the water was blue, too.
After packing, Chen Mengyin and Xie Zhirou grabbed a quick lunch at a small local seafood restaurant near the hotel—it turned out surprisingly good, fresh and tasty, just the kind of light fare Xie Zhirou prefers.
They returned under the midday sun, headed back to nap at the hotel, and planned to change into their dresses in the afternoon when the heat eased.
“Ah… metal bed plus heat = a perfect nap!” Chen Mengyin collapsed onto the soft sheets and closed her eyes.
Xie Zhirou drew the curtains and turned off the lights. Soon, both were asleep.
They stirred awake at around 4 p.m.; reality set in with the blazing sun streaming in and both still feeling sleepy after the travel and homework marathon.
Xie Zhirou switched on the lights and pulled back the curtains again. Though the sun still scorched outside, at least they had plenty of sunscreen.
She pulled out the short dress for Chen Mengyin. Sleepily, Mengyin took it and went to change.
When she stepped out wearing it, she realized it was a skort—short but functional—and also noticed a small silicone lining strip included in the package. She eyed it warily but applied it and emerged transformed.
Xie Zhirou appeared beside her in a long floral dress. She looked tall, slender, with freckles of chestnut braids over her shoulders. Charming.
“Wow, you look gorgeous!” Chen Mengyin exclaimed, circling to admire her. She praised the braids and joked about Zhirou’s nimble fingers as she gently teased.
Zhirou tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and invited Mengyin to sit as she patiently braided her hair into double ponytails with a princess-esque twist. Despite lacking a curling iron, the hairstyle was lovely—Mengyin blushed and hugged Zhirou, floating on a bubble of happiness.
“Want to put sunscreen on now?” Zhirou asked, finishing the braid.
Enthusiastically, Mengyin grabbed a bottle and squeezed sunscreen into her palm. “Can I do yours first?”
“Sure.” Zhirou removed her cover-up, revealing porcelain-smooth skin.
Under the warm yellow lights, her back looked like melting cream—irresistible. Mengyin’s hand slid across Zhirou’s back to smooth in the lotion. When her palm passed over a sensitive spot, Zhirou shivered slightly, and Mengyin couldn’t resist planting a soft kiss on her neck.
Though the room grew stifling, Zhirou’s skin remained cool to the touch. Mengyin snuggled her neck and whispered her name, planting more kisses.
Finally, Zhirou turned her around, cupped Mengyin’s chin, and gazed into her eyes. “Want a kiss?”
“I do…” Mengyin murmured, caught in the pinch of Zhirou’s fingertip beneath her chin.
Zhirou leaned in, kissed her softly, praised her as a “good child,” then deepened the kiss.
Zhirou’s hands glided down Mengyin’s back as she rocked her, and they shifted positions as Zhirou invited her closer—mirror of their tender intimacy from the night before.
Their lips traveled lower, leaving gentle love pecks down Mengyin’s neck, until Zhirou pressed on Mengyin’s thigh through the skort.
Mengyin tensed at the touch—she’d noticed Zhirou eyeing her legs when the dress was handed over.
Holding Mengyin close, Zhirou kissed and caressed, then paused to apply sunscreen to Mengyin’s bare thighs.
Startled and embarrassed, Mengyin tried to withdraw, but Zhirou gently restrained her. “Don’t move,” she instructed.
As she smoothed the lotion, she teased, “Didn’t you just eat me up?”
Mengyin laughed helplessly, and Zhirou finished before planting a soft kiss on her knee.
Mengyin stuttered, too overwhelmed to speak.
Zhirou calmly closed the sunscreen and said, “Let’s go—if we stay any longer, the sun’ll set before we even leave.”
Mengyin suddenly remembered they’d left the curtains open during all that—terrified they’d been watched!
Zhirou hugged her. “Relax—no one’s watching.”
“Really?” Mengyin asked, still a bit doubtful.
“Of course. Come on—we’ve got dinner.”
Zhirou tucked stray hair behind Mengyin’s ear and reminded her, “Mom arranged a seafood feast on the terrace tonight at 7.”
Mengyin’s eyes lit up again. Hefting her waterproof camera, she suggested they buy souvenirs before returning home as a gift for Zhirou’s mom. Zhirou smiled and agreed.
With hotel room cards in hand, they stepped out into the balmy evening. Crowds filled the beach, but Mengyin spread her arms and sped toward the waves. Zhirou caught up with a gentle smile.