Pillowside Passion - Chapter 12

12:

You Jin’s answer lingered on her lips.

She softly said, “Okay.”

Du Qingting’s neck had always been bare, never adorned with necklaces or jewelry. Now, the choker You Jin had given her felt constricting, unfamiliar.

In the darkness, Du Qingting’s pulse throbbed quietly.

You Jin lifted her head slightly, her hand braced beside Du Qingting’s ear, her curly hair spilling loosely. Du Qingting reached up, tucking a stray strand behind You Jin’s ear, her fingers gently combing through her hair and brushing against her earlobe. With their fling officially confirmed, You Jin didn’t pull away.

They locked eyes, and Du Qingting’s heart skipped, pounding loudly, almost clangorous.

“Say it again,” You Jin said.

“Hm? Say what?” Du Qingting’s breath carried the faint scent of alcohol, her voice husky.

“You like hearing it too, don’t you, girlfriend… darling?”

She savored the words again, finding the pet names undeniably sweet.

Calling them out made her want to drink. She reached for the bottle she’d brought, but her hand grazed the remote instead. Her fingers fumbled, accidentally turning the movie back on, and the living room lit up.

You Jin didn’t move. The light illuminated her cheeks, but she stayed still. Du Qingting looked straight at her and said, “Scared?”

You Jin didn’t respond. Du Qingting added, “It’s okay. I respect my girlfriend.” She clicked the remote, plunging the room back into darkness. You Jin lay on the inner side of the couch.

They lingered in the moment. Du Qingting’s first kiss was clumsy, overwhelmed. She had no technique, often biting You Jin too hard, and she could tell her kissing skills were lacking.

“No rush,” You Jin said, her hand braced beside Du Qingting, reassuring her not to hurry, that she wasn’t going anywhere. “Take it slow. Kiss me like this. I like it when you kiss here.” Her fingers pressed against her lips. “You can bite a little here.”

Du Qingting pressed her lips together, steadying her breath.

You Jin patiently guided her.

Thankfully, the lights were off, or You Jin would’ve seen Du Qingting’s face flush red.

Du Qingting’s mind was a mess. She was 25, an adult, and here she was, being taught how to kiss by an older woman… no, by her girlfriend. It was a little embarrassing. Too innocent, almost humiliatingly so.

But Du Qingting learned earnestly, obediently.

A flash of lightning passed, and she saw clearly: You Jin’s cheeks were also tinged pink. Unable to resist, Du Qingting reached forward, pressing her hand to the back of You Jin’s head, gently twirling her hair.

Soon, You Jin let out a soft hiss but didn’t scold her. Instead, she said warmly, “That was great. I liked it.”

You Jin wasn’t angry. In the howling typhoon, her voice remained gentle.

Du Qingting, hearing the praise, felt a surge of energy. She reached out, wanting to pull You Jin into her arms, but the words on her lips turned into, “Big sister.”

Then she corrected herself, “Girlfriend…”

You Jin clearly loved the term, relaxing her posture. Du Qingting brushed her cheek against hers, unable to resist wanting to be closer.

“First love?” You Jin asked.

Du Qingting nodded.

She used to be proud of her unattached life, gliding through admirers without a single attachment, a stellar 25 years of singledom. Now, she inexplicably felt embarrassed.

“Then you’ll never forget me, will you? First kiss, first love—both me,” You Jin said.

Du Qingting stayed silent. Kiss or no kiss, love or no love, she’d never forget this woman. This trip had upended her entire perception of women.

“What, you prefer someone with relationship experience?” Du Qingting asked.

“No way,” You Jin said. “I like you just as you are—clean, pure, like I’m your one and only.”

Du Qingting held back for a moment before asking, “Was I really okay at kissing after?”

You Jin countered, “Why so unsure?”

“Was it good or not?” Du Qingting pressed.

“It was good.”

Du Qingting’s cheeks warmed. She licked her lower lip, secretly delighted. You Jin caught her expression and let out a soft laugh, helpless against her.

It was getting late. You Jin started to sit up, clearly not planning to let her stay the night. Du Qingting didn’t budge, blocking her movement. “Doesn’t a girlfriend get special privileges?”

“What privileges?”

“The privilege of sleeping together.”

Regardless of what might happen tonight, Du Qingting wanted to claim this spot.

She tugged at You Jin’s hem. You Jin narrowed her eyes, considering. Du Qingting disrupted her thoughts. “The typhoon’s pretty scary.”

“Scared of the typhoon?”

Du Qingting nodded.

You Jin sat up slightly, resting her chin on her hand, coaxing gently, “Then stay. Don’t be afraid.”

Her gaze was sincere. She even asked, “Do you want to sleep on the inside?”

As a child, Du Qingting had been terrified of thunder, shrinking in the classroom during spring storms. Back then, You Jin, a senior, would come down with an umbrella to fetch her. As she grew up and stopped fearing thunder, that bit of warmth between them had faded.

Now, this “big sister” seemed to believe her lie. They switched places, and though Du Qingting felt a pang of guilt for the fib she quickly brushed it off, feeling rather smug.

She quieted for a moment before confessing, “First time in love… there’s a lot I don’t know.”

You Jin responded to every word. “No rush with love. I’ll teach you slowly, everything else too.”

—

The next day, the weather report announced the typhoon had shifted direction. The island was still battered by strong winds and rain, with occasional gusts sweeping through.

They’d slept on the couch all night. Du Qingting looked in the mirror, touching the choker on her neck. The black leather made her neck look fairer, longer, and even her collarbone took on a new allure.

It felt like expensive material, with a small diamond on the side.

Wild, yet somehow tamed—almost obedient.

She’d never drawn anything like this in her manga.

She raised her phone to snap a selfie of her neck. As she adjusted the angle, You Jin walked over, dressed in a white shirt tucked into trousers, one arm adorned with a white leather sleeve garter.

She placed a hand on Du Qingting’s shoulder, watching her tweak the shot, then hooked her chin and whispered, “Shoot it like this…”

You Jin’s hair was tied up. Du Qingting lifted her phone, pulling You Jin into the frame, capturing her hand against her neck.

She took two quick shots. You Jin tapped her cheek and said, “Morning.”

Du Qingting bit her lip. A morning kiss?

So sweet.

Another thing to learn.

You Jin’s lips parted, and Du Qingting grabbed her hand. “Teach me more. From now on, I’ll give you a morning kiss every day… maybe even a goodnight kiss.”

She practiced the morning kiss for a long time, never quite getting it right, until You Jin, the teacher, had faintly flushed cheeks.

Du Qingting braced herself against the mirror, her eyes sparkling, burning with brightness. She grinned. “Sorry big sister, I’m a slow learner. You’ll have to teach me a lot.”

You Jin leaned back against the mirror, pinching her cheek.

They went to the restaurant for breakfast. Du Qingting felt something had shifted. Before, she’d always trailed behind You Jin. Now, she took big strides, walking side by side, her eyes constantly on You Jin. You Jin’s elite style screamed she’d be busy today.

Du Qingting thought, I’d love to visit her office someday.

This woman, going to work like that.

What would her colleagues think?

God, she really liked her.