Chapter 9: A Night of Mistakes (Part 1)
Lu Li had always been indifferent to watching movies. A group of people huddled in a dark and cramped space, bombarded by the sights and sounds of modern industry, then excitedly discussing their thoughts afterwards – he would rather find some free time, put on his headphones, and listen to three hours and twenty-four minutes of white noise, engaging in a deep conversation with his soul. But watching a movie with someone he liked was a different story.
He loved watching movies with his sister. No, it wasn’t so much about watching movies as it was about being with Sister Yameng. Anything was fine, as long as they were together.
At 6:14 p.m., Lu Li finished making two bowls of beef noodles and began to anticipate the appearance of those long legs. Authentic beef noodles were characterized by their clear broth, white noodles, green onions, red chili oil, and white radish. Most authentic noodle shops were owned by people surnamed Ma, probably Hui Muslims. Lu Li thought his beef noodles were pretty close to the real deal. But the name “Ma Li” sounded too strange. It was a good thing he wasn’t in the noodle business. Lu Li distracted himself with these random thoughts until Sister Yameng pushed open his door.
Zou Yameng seemed different today. Was she wearing makeup? And her clothes were much thicker than usual. She was wearing a short, oatmeal-colored puffer jacket, white wide-leg pants, and her ever-present sneakers. She also seemed to be carrying two cans of beer. Lu Li was thinking about what kind of sneakers to get for his sister when he heard Zou Yameng say:
“It smells so good, I’m starving.”
“I didn’t simmer the bone broth long enough, otherwise it would be even more flavorful.”
Zou Yameng sat down at the table unceremoniously and praised him. “Little Li, when did your cooking get so good?” It was thanks to An Baili’s training, of course. That girl had a delicate stomach, so Lu Li had to pay extra attention to her meals.
While eating, Lu Li couldn’t help but secretly observe Sister Yameng. The steam from the noodle soup made it hard to see clearly, but he could still make out her bright red lips. Lu Li was even more certain that she was wearing makeup today. He didn’t have the heart to tell Sister Yameng that the first thing he did after coming home was take a shower.
After dinner, Zou Yameng rubbed her stomach sheepishly. “Did I eat too much? I’m going to gain weight again.” She suddenly looked up, meeting Lu Li’s gaze. An ambiguous atmosphere began to spread between them. “Want to watch a movie?”
“Sure.” Unable to say anything else, Lu Li sat on the bed, making space for his sister, not asking any unnecessary questions.
A blush crept onto Zou Yameng’s face. She maintained a neutral expression as she turned on Lu Li’s computer and fumbled for a while before putting the disc in. Lu Li saw the screen flicker, and four words appeared, blinking continuously: “Yao’s Film Productions.” His heart skipped a beat. Yao’s Film Productions was a famous erotic film company. In layman’s terms, they made period-piece softcore porn.
He could hear himself swallowing, secretly glancing at his sister’s profile. She didn’t offer any explanation, just stared at the screen with a blank expression, just like last time.
Lu Li recalled his sister’s drunken confession that night, and his palms started to sweat.
Two siblings, locked in a room, curtains drawn, huddled together watching an erotic movie. This was not normal, right? But neither Lu Li nor Zou Yameng acknowledged the strangeness, as if common sense had been flipped on its head.
The movie began. A scholar named Weiyangsheng was so lustful that he had someone replace his genitals with those of a donkey and his kidneys with those of a dog, so he could go to the capital to seduce women. The old movie was more explicit than he had imagined. The dialogue was always vulgar, and the characters’ motivations were all driven by lust. Lu Li, with his wealth of experience, remained unfazed, but he noticed that Sister Yameng had already spat out several curses.
“So shameless.” Sister Yameng finally spoke for the first time since the movie started. Lu Li’s mind was elsewhere, only noticing her red lips moving. He didn’t even hear what she was saying. It seemed like she was criticizing Weiyangsheng for neglecting his wife and indulging in his lust.
“Yeah.” He just mumbled in agreement, like a parrot. Sister is so beautiful today. By the way, is she feeling hot? Lu Li slapped himself mentally. He was getting carried away.
The movie progressed to the first erotic scene. The old movie only showed the upper body and not the lower body, which was considered restrained compared to Japanese films. Even so, Sister Yameng kept glancing at Lu Li. “Why are your eyes so wide open? Is it that good?”
Isn’t this the movie you chose? Lu Li felt a bit wronged, but he still lowered his gaze. “No, it’s not good, not even half as good as Sister Yameng.”
“Mm-hmm.” He could tell she was pleased. “Compared to your two classmates, who’s prettier?”
“Of course it’s my sister.” Lu Li answered without hesitation. Whoever asked, he would answer with the same response.
The words “my sister” struck a chord in Zou Yameng’s heart. She smiled sweetly and hugged Lu Li, rubbing her cheek against his. “Little Li, you’re so well-behaved today.”
Lu Li’s heart beat faster. His mind raced, and he blurted out, “Sis, are you hot?”
Zou Yameng’s movements stopped. “Are you hot?”
“It’s a bit hot, you’re hugging me too tightly.”
Silence. The man and woman on the screen were moaning passionately. Lu Li could feel his sister’s breathing quicken.
“I’m a little hot too.” Zou Yameng said.
“Let me take off your jacket.” Lu Li’s voice trembled as he spoke. He often helped his sister take off her jacket when she came home, but never with such impure intentions. For two lifetimes, thoughts he had never entertained before were multiplying, expanding, even exploding in his mind like a virus…
Sister Yameng softly agreed. Lu Li carefully and slowly helped her take off her puffer jacket, revealing the fitted black sweater underneath.
“What, what about the sweater?” Lu Li realized his tongue was tied in knots. He finally understood how Silly Goose felt. That silly girl’s tongue would also get tied when she was nervous, mumbling adorably. An Baili would freeze in fear. Chen Jianing would run away at lightning speed. Wen Hupo never seemed to get nervous. What about his sister? What would Sister Yameng do when she was nervous?
Lu Li noticed the glistening water in his sister’s eyes and the alluring blush on her cheeks. It was like a tree of pink peach blossoms falling into a tranquil pond, delicate petals drifting on the surface, their reflections merging with the reflection of the sky, creating a mesmerizing sight.
“The sweater… take it off too…” Zou Yameng bit her lower lip, forcing out the words.
This is it… The words flashed through Lu Li’s mind. He didn’t know if it was him who was doomed or Sister Yameng…
Taking off a sweater was an intimate act. Because sweaters were tight-fitting, taking them off would inevitably lift the inner layer, revealing a slender waist and flat stomach. Sister Yameng’s belly button was small and delicate. Lu Li resisted the urge to poke it and looked at her abs instead – smooth lines, not overly defined, but like the flowing brushstrokes of a freehand painting, inviting him to explore further.
Sister Yameng pulled down her tank top, covering her exposed waist, and complained, “Hurry up…”
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