The Lost Lamb's Trap - Chapter 2
Chapter 2: Stars
She spoke of her longing without any reservations. She easily skimmed the dense foam off the coffee in the night, revealing the brown caffeine within. She drank it down without a second thought, her mind becoming increasingly excited and stimulated.
Duan Jiayang’s eyes were wide, filled with alertness. After the initial shock, she felt resistance. Her hands were firmly held by Lin Ke, with no escape. She pressed her thin, rosy lips together, and after a long time, she managed to repeat the same word as before.
“You’re sick.”
“Yes, I’m sick. I’m so sick from missing you that I’ll die if I don’t see you.”
Lin Ke leaned closer, leaving Duan Jiayang with nowhere to hide.
“You wouldn’t dare!”
As the distance closed, their breaths became clear and hot. Only a few millimeters separated them from a scorching fusion. Lin Ke’s voice dropped, low and enticing. “What wouldn’t I dare do? You know how much I dare.”
Her fingers tightened. Duan Jiayang shivered under the pressure. The skin on the back of her hands was being rubbed against the wall, as if it were getting scraped raw. The pain made her narrow her eyes.
Lin Ke asked, “You wouldn’t dare?”
Duan Jiayang held her neck stiffly, refusing to make a sound. She was afraid that if she relaxed, Lin Ke would seize the opportunity.
“Little lamb… do you miss me?” Lin Ke asked. “Do you miss my bed? Do you miss me?”
“Answer me.”
Duan Jiayang was stunned for a moment. She quickly came back to her senses. “What do you think?”
Lin Ke’s breath fell on her face, making her feel both itchy and hot. Lin Ke said, “You never answered my calls.”
Duan Jiayang looked away. “Yes, I didn’t want to answer. Why should I? Get out of my way!”
Lin Ke didn’t move. Her grip on Duan Jiayang’s arms tightened. Her coiled hair came undone, and drops of water from the ends hit Duan Jiayang’s arms. “Did you change your contact information? Or did you block me?”
Duan Jiayang didn’t reply.
The eyes behind the black hair became dark and ominous. Lin Ke stared at her, like a piranha from the deep sea. The smile and tenderness vanished instantly, replaced by her original gloomy, obsessive nature. There was no sense of disconnect. She could devour her.
Only Duan Jiayang was trembling. Tiny goosebumps appeared on her damp arms. She acted tough and spoke in a hard tone, but in reality, she was terrified of her. The fear came from her bones, from the tangled strands of hair that couldn’t be untangled.
Duan Jiayang was prepared for her to get angry. She thought Lin Ke would act like she used to, grabbing her hair and pressing her against her chest, forcing her to obey and say, “Jiayang, say you miss me.” Duan Jiayang would stubbornly refuse, and Lin Ke would press her harder and harder until Duan Jiayang couldn’t breathe and her nose and mouth were filled with Lin Ke’s scent.
But this time, Lin Ke didn’t do that. Her fingers fell on Duan Jiayang’s face, examining her. Her methods had become gentler, or perhaps she disdained using force.
The night was a heavy black, and there were no lights on in the room. Lin Ke blocked all the light, and her tone went from forceful to warm. “Duan Jiayang.”
She said her full name, slowly and deliberately. “Say you miss me, and I’ll listen to you. You know I don’t care about anything else. I only care about you.”
As she spoke, she lowered her head to look into Duan Jiayang’s eyes. Her gaze was an intricate net, capturing every one of Duan Jiayang’s expressions. She hooked Duan Jiayang’s chin and lifted it. Duan Jiayang resisted, stiffening her neck.
Lin Ke’s fingertips stroked her skin. “I’ll help you…” Every sentence built upon the last. “I came back for you. I missed you.”
“Don’t reject me so quickly. You can use me. Do whatever you want.”
Duan Jiayang couldn’t avoid her. She felt ashamed for wavering after only a few sentences. Especially when she looked into Lin Ke’s eyes. They were a bottomless pool. Duan Jiayang knew she shouldn’t stare, but she couldn’t control herself.
She had always fallen for Lin Ke’s tricks. Deep down, she felt Lin Ke was smarter than her. As long as she wasn’t involved in the fight for the family fortune, her success rate would surely increase.
Duan Jiayang smelled a richer fragrance, and her eyelashes fluttered. Lin Ke continued to get closer, pushing her for an answer, but Duan Jiayang didn’t dare to respond. She stood straight, motionless. She tried her best not to fall into Lin Ke’s trap.
The conversation had shifted from “I miss you” to “I’m going to kiss you.” Desire had torn through the facade and was now laid bare, allowing no refusal.
“You know, I would do anything for you. I even dared to defy my mom and your dad. You’re the most important thing to me. I only listen to you.”
These were all facts. Duan Jiayang couldn’t deny them. It was just that the events of the past were complicated.
“Do you have anything to say?” Lin Ke asked.
Duan Jiayang choked and asked, “Can you go back abroad?”
“That depends on what you’ll give me. You know it has to be a fair deal for adults.”
Duan Jiayang knew this was probably impossible, so she said, “Then get out of my house. Don’t live here.” Duan Jiayang wanted to add, “Get out, I don’t want to see you,” but she was afraid of angering her and ending up with nothing, so she stayed silent.
“Okay,” Lin Ke unexpectedly agreed. “Then you’ll see me off.”
Duan Jiayang didn’t answer. Lin Ke added, “Or I’ll stick to you like glue.”
Duan Jiayang’s heart pounded, and a cold shiver ran through her skin. She gritted her teeth, unsure of what to do.
Lin Ke stated her condition. “I just need you to give me a hug. One without any struggle.”
Duan Jiayang’s whole body was trembling. She was tempted but didn’t dare to agree. This condition was much better than she had expected. She had thought Lin Ke would be demanding, asking her to sleep with her. Her throat made a sound, a sort of “hmm,” and she opened her mouth, but the words didn’t come out. The phrase, “If you’re lying to me, I’ll go down with you,” was stuck in her throat. Lin Ke’s fingers pinched her waist.
Duan Jiayang instinctively pushed Lin Ke. “Not now.”
Lin Ke said, “What I want is to be able to hug you now, and in the future.”
“Then let go… let go… what do you mean?” Duan Jiayang pushed her, her lips slightly parted. Lin Ke didn’t move. Duan Jiayang panicked, clenching her fists and punching her.
“Just two hugs. One now… and one when I move out.” Lin Ke said, “Jiayang, you’ve already agreed. Why don’t you just enjoy it? Then I’ll keep my promise and listen to you.”
“One!”
“I’ll keep my promise after you get out.”
Lin Ke didn’t say anything, only hummed in her throat.
Duan Jiayang had no idea that Lin Ke had easily pried her armor open. Lin Ke’s fingers crept up her waistline. She wasn’t hugging her, but her fingers had reached the edge of her lace and were pulling down. Duan Jiayang pushed her away with all her might, but Lin Ke held on tight. Duan Jiayang tried to protect her clothes. Lin Ke forcefully threw her onto the bed, and then she climbed on top of her, pressing her knees into Duan Jiayang’s legs. With one hand, she held Duan Jiayang’s shoulders, and with the other, she pulled at her clothes.
Duan Jiayang wanted to curse. She waved her hands wildly and slapped Lin Ke’s neck with a sharp, clear sound. Taking advantage of the moment, Duan Jiayang pulled the superior Lin Ke down. She swung her leg and straddled her waist, her hand ready to choke her. She held Lin Ke down tightly. A few seconds later, she saw the panting Lin Ke, whose eyes were moist and filled with a clumsy smile. She panicked and scrambled off the bed, stumbling and falling. Her leg hit the bedside table hard.
The scene happened too quickly. Duan Jiayang didn’t even understand what she was doing. She had initiated the action and ended up in a pathetic state.
Duan Jiayang crawled to the door. After getting off the bed, she bumped her head on the door and reached for the doorknob. As she pulled the door open, for some reason, Duan Jiayang looked back. Lin Ke had propped herself up with her hands, and the straps of her camisole nightgown had come loose, sliding down her shoulders. Her smooth, jade-like shoulders were exposed.
Her hair was a mess around her face, highlighting her sharp features. Her eyes were deep and profound, as dark as the night. Although Duan Jiayang had escaped, she still felt like she was caught in a bear trap, surrounded by danger. Lin Ke was a constant threat.
Duan Jiayang’s tailbone ached, and a cold shiver ran through her body.
“Don’t forget what you said,” Lin Ke said.
Duan Jiayang stumbled out, shaking. She didn’t understand why she was so scared. Was she afraid her dad would find out about her and Lin Ke? No, it wasn’t fear of her dad. It was a subtle feeling. She didn’t want a third person to witness the tangle between her and Lin Ke.
Duan Jiayang propped herself up against the door, her head down the whole time, her heart pounding. She walked step by step to her room, opened the door, and sank to the floor. For the first time, she admitted she was a fool.
She couldn’t understand why Lin Ke had suddenly gone crazy after their good conversation. She kept thinking about Lin Ke, her face, her eyes, her lips. Duan Jiayang’s lips ached, and the pain quickly turned into an itch. Duan Jiayang rubbed her lips hard and went to take a bath. Her arms and waistline kept feeling hot, so hot she was afraid to touch them.
The night became a fire. Duan Jiayang lay on the bed, hot and sleepless. Her breath burned her upper lip. Duan Jiayang tossed and turned before sitting up, letting the cold air from the air conditioner blow on her. Why does she keep thinking about her? It’s so annoying.
Finally, the night passed. Duan Jiayang managed to fall asleep around four or five in the morning. Breakfast at home was served at 7:30 sharp. When she got up, she felt dizzy.
Duan Jiayang sat in front of the mirror, examining herself over and over. She was not satisfied with her appearance. Her eyes were swollen, and the skin on her arm was broken from where she had scratched it. She pulled out her makeup drawer and carefully applied her makeup, making herself look bright and beautiful. She put on a dress that elevated her style. She still felt it wasn’t enough, so she found a beautiful tattoo sticker she had never used. She wet it with water and dabbed it onto her skin, creating a white, double-petaled jasmine flower.
Breakfast was served downstairs. No one waited for her. Duan Jiayang was hungry. She pulled out a chair and sat across from Lin Ke, telling the maid what she wanted and what to remove. She forced herself to ignore Lin Ke.
But she had never liked Lin Ke. Seeing Lin Ke elegantly eating breakfast across from her and remembering the scenes of her being pinned against the wall and on the bed, she couldn’t help but seek revenge and cause trouble. Since she couldn’t use her words, she lifted her leg under the table and kicked Lin Ke hard. The table was covered with a white and yellow tablecloth, so no one could see what was happening underneath. After kicking her, she immediately pulled her leg back, certain that Lin Ke wouldn’t dare do anything to her, and calmly ate her lotus seed soup.
Lin Ke lowered her head to look, then looked up at Duan Jiayang.
Duan Jiayang was smug. She curled her lips and looked at her triumphantly. Suddenly, Duan Litian, who was sitting next to her, got his chair kicked with an unstoppable force. It slid far back, and the plump Duan Litian slid with it. There was a clear footprint on his suit pants.
The culprit was none other than Lin Ke.
A flash of light appeared in her eyes. She gave Duan Jiayang a sly wink, then continued to eat without a care for the surprised Duan Litian who had been kicked away.
Duan Jiayang had been living on edge for the past few days, afraid her dad would find out about her and Lin Ke. And now, Lin Ke had just kicked her dad out of the way. Duan Jiayang glanced at her dad out of the corner of her eye. He held a fork, chewing on a piece of toast, sitting on his chair in a daze. He even looked at the chair behind him, then covered his mouth and started coughing.
Duan Litian accepted the fact that he had been kicked far away. He looked bewildered and then angry. He first looked at Lin Ke, but she was looking at Duan Jiayang. Even if he wanted to scold Lin Ke, it was clear that Duan Jiayang had started it. Duan Litian’s face was dark as he thought about who to blame. Being kicked so far away was a huge blow to his pride.
The scene was comical and ridiculous. Duan Jiayang’s face was beet red. She clenched her spoon and squeezed her eyes shut. She felt utterly defeated and wanted to slap herself. She put down her spoon and was about to stand up to check on her dad, pretending to be concerned. “Dad, are you okay?”
At that moment, Lin Ke’s leg reached across the table. Under the tablecloth, the tip of a pointed black high heel grazed Duan Jiayang’s fair calf. Duan Jiayang immediately sat back down, her fingers on the table tightening. The touch underneath felt both itchy and numb. Her leg felt as if it had gone numb from a rush of bl00d. She wanted to escape but didn’t dare. If she ran, it would prove that she had been hooking up with Lin Ke under the table and had accidentally kicked her dad.
Lin Ke lightly traced and hooked Duan Jiayang’s leg with the tip of her shoe. While she did this, she looked at Duan Litian. “Uncle, I’m sorry for the trouble these past few days. I’ve decided to move out today.”