Chapter Eight: Heaven and Hell
Lu Li touched his neck, uneasily glancing left and right. An Baili, Wen Hupo, Chu Jingyi, and Chen Jianing were huddled in a circle, their expressions unusually somber. He didn’t dare look up, as the four girls were dressed rather skimpily. At some point, Chen Jianing had shed her dress, leaving only a white camisole and light blue panties. Chu Jingyi was slightly more decent, having only removed her jeans, revealing a pair of flawless white legs, her toes fidgeting nervously. An Baili was the most pitiful, having lost even her underwear and was now clad only in Lu Li’s borrowed long-sleeved shirt. A peek beneath the hem of the oversized garment would reveal her delicate, pink nipples. Wen Hupo, on the other hand, remained the most composed. So far, she had only removed her socks, exposing her small, dainty toes to the air, which emitted a faint fragrance.
How had things devolved into this?
Lu Li rubbed his eyes, immediately feeling four gazes pierce him like needles.
Just a few hours earlier, he had confidently brought Chen Jianing and Chu Jingyi back to his low-rent apartment. Before entering, Chen Jianing had been praising Lu Li for hiding his wealth, assuming he was a “fu erdai” (Privileged Child of a Wealthy Person), only to discover he was more of a “negative second generation,” meaning deeply in debt. She’d even offered to treat him to canned tea from her hometown, to broaden his horizons. But upon entering and seeing the two lovely girls inside, the Little Tiger’s expression had turned frosty. Not only Chen Jianing, but even Silly Goose (Chu Jingyi) looked bewildered. Wen Hupo stood up, picked up her cat, and remarked casually, “This naughty cat of yours has brought something from outside again.”
The harmonious coexistence Lu Li had envisioned never materialized. Even the obedient and gentle Silly Goose was no longer on his side. He sensed a complex dynamic between the girls. An Baili and Wen Hupo seemed to be vying for Chu Jingyi’s favor, yet they weren’t on good terms with each other. Chu Jingyi’s attitude towards Wen Hupo was peculiar, constantly questioning why she hadn’t moved out yet. As for Chen Jianing, the outsider, she was being jointly suppressed by the three, unable to utter a complete sentence in the half hour since her arrival. They say girls are perceptive; a group of six girls can have over twenty group chats. Lu Li vaguely sensed a deeper conflict brewing beneath the surface.
Right, at this moment, in this small apartment of less than 30 square meters, the lowest in the pecking order was not Miss Lu (the cat), nor Chen Jianing, but surprisingly, Lu Li. Any suggestion he made was artfully vetoed by the girls, the conversation entirely dictated by them. He couldn’t quite follow their rambling chatter, but he felt they were competing with each other.
Then, someone suggested a card game.
Seemingly seeking revenge for a previous loss, Silly Goose proposed adding stakes. Wen Hupo, who had been quietly observing, sat beside Lu Li with her cat, indicating her participation. An Baili rubbed her hands together eagerly; she loved to play. Chen Jianing, a vengeful little spirit, having been outmaneuvered all day, planned to regain face in the card game.
Thus began a card game beyond Lu Li’s control. He was the referee.
He’d forgotten the initial stakes, perhaps a few small coins. Then An Baili accused Chen Jianing of cheating, claiming she’d hidden a high card. In reality, Chen Jianing hadn’t cheated; An Baili had. After a brief squabble, they raised the stakes.
Now, the penalty was Truth or Dare.
Chen Jianing seemed to be targeted by the Chuanhai girls, losing four or five hands in a row, revealing all her embarrassing secrets, and nearly being forced to recount what happened in Mulan City. Thanks to this, Lu Li finally learned the purpose of Chen Jianing’s visit to Chuanhai: she was visiting her aunt, explaining why Lu Li had bumped into her at the bus station.
Having lost face, Chen Jianing decided to go all in, suggesting another escalation: the loser removes an article of clothing.
The Little Tiger’s forehead was red as she declared this, her little tiger teeth bared, clearly furious. She was ready to fight these three wicked women. Losing clothing wasn’t unfamiliar to Silly Goose and An Baili. An Baili accepted the challenge with hands on her hips, while Silly Goose pouted at Lu Li for a moment before agreeing. Lu Li turned to Wen Hupo. Would such a rational girl agree to such a reckless wager?
To his surprise, Wen Hupo simply whispered in his ear, “Don’t look.”
Then he was banished to the bathroom by the four girls, the door locked behind him. He could only hear the excited shouts from the bedroom, sparking his imagination.
During his confinement, Lu Li contemplated many things, especially his future. If, just if, he ended up with these girls, his life wouldn’t be easy. He heard cheers from the bedroom, then An Baili yelling, “Take it off! Take it off!” followed by Chen Jianing’s indignant protests, “You’re cheating!”
What was happening in there? Lu Li couldn’t help but picture a rosy, sensual scene. But before he could dwell on it for too long, the bathroom door opened. Chen Jianing dragged him out, fuming, “The referee has to be here! Or you’ll gang up on me!”
That was how he ended up sitting amidst a group of scantily clad girls.
He kept his head down, not daring to look. The usually gentle Chu Jingyi was unusually fierce today, her resentful gaze meeting his whenever he glanced left. To his right, Wen Hupo looked at him with a faint, almost mocking smile, her eyes filled with disdain.
An Baili and Chen Jianing were the most engrossed, their rivalry intense. Clutching their cards, they continued to draw, preferring to bust than have a lower score than the other.
Lu Li snuck a peek at Chu Jingyi’s white legs. They were shapely and smooth, her knees tinged with a delicate pink, her skin flawless and poreless. Of all the women’s legs he had seen, if Sister Yameng’s were the epitome of sexiness, then Chu Jingyi’s were the epitome of grace.
Wen Hupo, cradling her cat, softly asked, “Enjoying the view?”
Lu Li turned, meeting the golden-haired girl’s cool, almost sardonic gaze. She seemed angry. Or perhaps not. Wen Hupo’s emotions were so subtle that he couldn’t quite decipher them.
While he was distracted, Silly Goose sulkily shifted, pressing her smooth, white thigh against him, seemingly trying to recapture his attention. Her large, doleful eyes seemed to plead: Don’t look at anyone else.
The warmth of her thigh radiated through his thin summer trousers, reaching the depths of his soul. Lu Li was losing control. He discreetly placed his left hand on Chu Jingyi’s thigh. Silly Goose flinched, but didn’t pull away.
The small room was filled with the fragrance of young women, with glimpses of their bodies, with their lively chatter. With a soft, feminine form beneath his hand, he felt a sense of bewilderment, unsure whether he was in heaven or hell.
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