"Miss Chu, you wouldn't want to miss out on your final payment, would you?"
"What do you mean?"
Looking at his expression, Chu Qingning felt he embodied the greedy face of capitalism all too perfectly.
"You can have my signature... but Miss Chu, you've got to show me a little sincerity."
Lin Can lay lazily on the bed, one arm pillowing his head. With his right hand, he made his index and middle fingers walk up her ankle like a little person climbing stairs.
"Sincerity, huh?"
Chu Qingning reached out and gave him a light push, sending Lin Can flopping weakly onto the bed. She let out a snort of laughter and gave him a light smack. This bratty little brother was always up to mischief—just couldn't help playing around.
Raising her skirt slightly, Chu Qingning straddled him, placing her left leg across his body and plopping herself down squarely on his stomach.
Lin Can squirmed upward like a worm, trying to shift her weight further down.
But Chu Qingning got up and sat down again with a thud, making Lin Can cry out, "Ow!" That soft belly of his couldn't handle such a "peachy" impact and immediately surrendered.
This was already the second time. The first time had been in the train's private cabin when Lin Can had smacked Chu Qingning's butt, enraging her into launching herself into a retaliatory sit that nearly crushed him.
Lin Can gripped her thighs with both hands and gave them a playful shake. "My Qingning-jie is wild. If I die one day, it's probably because you sat me to death."
While loosening her hair, Chu Qingning looked down at him between her legs and said, "That's why you need to be a good boy and listen to your jie-jie, or I'll sit on your head and smother you."
"Oh yeah? Try me."
"Tch~ Naughty."
She reached behind her head and tugged at her ponytail, letting her ink-black hair cascade down like a waterfall. The moonlight streamed through the antique-styled window, casting a gentle glow. The silhouette of the ancient-style maiden leaned softly against the man she adored. The breeze from the AC fluttered her sheer outer robe, revealing a tang-style strapless hanfu underneath, exposing her smooth shoulders and elegant collarbones.
"Can-Can~" Chu Qingning raised her head from his chest and looked into his eyes, her voice as tender as flowing water. "Is this enough sincerity from your jie-jie?"
Lin Can cupped her chin and lightly stroked her soft, pink lips with his thumb. "There's sincerity, yes... just not quite enough."
"If it's not enough, there's more. Give your hand to jie-jie…"
She guided his hand to her slender waist, right over the bow knot that fastened her Tang-style dress.
Clearly, all Lin Can needed to do was tug lightly at the bow, and a whole different view would unfold before him.
Love. He was smitten.
Lin Can was playful, but Qingning-jie knew how to really play.
She could be dominant, or she could be seductive. Was there any style she couldn't pull off?
Her style? Strictly ancient chic.
And when ancient-style girls came out to play… game over.
Lin Can was falling harder and harder for Chu Qingning's vibe. Those over-the-top TikTok girls in tight skirts seemed so lame now by comparison.
Chu Qingning smiled. "Do you like it?"
"I love it."
He reached for the bow, but her hand stopped him.
Chu Qingning laid the inspection sheet against his chest and teased, "Young Master Lin~ signature please~"
"Alright."
Holding her, Lin Can sat up. Supporting her bottom with his arms, he got off the bed barefoot and walked toward the door.
Chu Qingning clung to his neck with both arms, legs wrapped around his waist. "Where are we going?"
"Outside."
"I don't want to play this roleplay game anymore. Let's stop, okay? Put me down."
She was starting to feel nervous, her teasing tone fading, replaced by a softer, more pleading one.
After all, girls begging sweetly is a guy's ultimate weakness—or so the saying goes. So Chu Qingning turned on the charm, going full-on coy.
And sure enough, the moment she pouted, Lin Can perked right up.
Smack smack smack—
Lin Can gave her butt a few playful slaps.
"No moving. Listen to your Party A boss."
"Can-Can, you're so annoying. You're not listening to jie-jie anymore. I don't like you anymore, hmph~"
As they stepped into the courtyard, Lin Can looked up.
Above the open courtyard, rows of oil-paper umbrellas were hanging in the air.
"Pretty?" Chu Qingning asked as she rested her head on his shoulder.
"Very~ I heard from Zhao Hong that you designed it?"
"Mhm. Your jie-jie worked super hard for you, my big client. I didn't just design it—every umbrella was hung by me, personally. I even almost fell once. And did Mr. Lin feel a bit of heartache for this poor little lady? Nope. Just kept squeezing and exploiting me. You're so cruel."
"Then let me feel sorry for you now, Miss Chu."
"Okay~" Chu Qingning giggled in his arms.
The next moment, Lin Can lowered his head, and Chu Qingning instinctively closed her eyes, lips parting just enough for him to kiss them.
A moment later, she was so weak she nearly slipped from his arms.
Thankfully, Lin Can caught her in time, holding her close as she blushed shyly.
"Want another kiss?"
"No more~"
She lowered her head, hiding in his arms and shaking her head.
Lin Can could feel her heartbeat quickening—she was clearly nervous.
"Don't be afraid. It doesn't hurt that much."
"???"
He chuckled and carried her through the courtyard, pushing open the door to the study where the walls were covered in Shanglin Fu calligraphy.
"Why are we here?"
"You wrote all these?"
"Mhm. That Qin beauty said you had to write Shanglin Fu for your beloved. I wrote it, and… then you came."
So many little coincidences had stacked up—Chu Qingning had decided: Lin Can was it for her.
"Not bad. I want to write Shanglin Fu too."
"I'll go get the ink stick."
She leapt from his arms and barefoot, ran to the writing desk.
"Come here, Can-Can."
He walked over, picked up a brush. "Let me test it first." He dipped the brush in ink, then boldly wrote two characters on the paper:
[Water]
[Overflow]
Chu Qingning bit her lip and raised a fist—she wanted to punch him.
"Alright, this brush will do."
"I'll get you some paper."
"No need."
"No paper? Then where are you writing?"
Lin Can grinned. "I had a dream once... that I wrote Shanglin Fu on your back. So can I write it there?"
Oh, come on~
Chu Qingning was exasperated.
"No way."
"Then I'm not signing the inspection sheet."
"You're threatening me?"
"Yep."
"You... ahh~ (frustrated scream)... Fine! Have it your way, Boss Lin. Wait for me."
Chu Qingning stomped off into a curtained side room, fuming.
…
A moment later—
"Come in."
"Okay."
Lin Can leisurely ground the ink, then stepped behind the curtain—and his eyes lit up.
Directly ahead, Chu Qingning lay prone on a low table, her clothes wrapped around her chest, sheer fabric falling around her waist, revealing smooth, flawless skin. Under the moonlight filtering through the window, her bare back gleamed pure white.
She looked back at him shyly. "Can-Can~ not gonna write?"
"Writing!"
He stepped forward. "I'm using wild cursive."
"...You'd better mean your calligraphy."
He chuckled, dipped the brush, and began writing Shanglin Fu across her back.
It was a whole different kind of experience.
Moments later—
Chu Qingning, still lying on the tea table, was dozing off. "Are you done yet?"
"All full back here. Turn around. I'll write on the front now."
She giggled, passed the inspection sheet back over her shoulder. "Signature first. Then you unlock front access."
"Hahaha~" Lin Can laughed. "Okay, I'll sign."
Swish swish swish. He scrawled his name: [Lin Can].
"Uh… do we need a fingerprint?"
"Think so. No inkpad here, I'll go check if we've got red pigment. Wait for jie-jie."
"No need. I know where it is."
He pulled her into his arms, their eyes meeting.
Night blanketed the sky, the air inside the room thick with something unspeakable.
Chu Qingning wrapped her arms around his neck, biting her lip, whispering, "Can-Can… will you lie to me?"
Lin Can knew exactly what she meant—tricking her feelings, using her body, being a scumbag.
"I won't."
"Mm." She nodded, not pressing further. If she believed, that was enough. No need to ask more.
A moment later—
"Can-Can… I… love you."
And with that, she tilted her head up and kissed him.
Through the antique-styled window, one could just glimpse the scene inside the room.
"Red pigment."
"You're so annoying~"