Chapter 3: The Bookstore Encounter

When I got home, it was already close to 1 p.m. After dropping a pile of shopping bags, I flopped straight onto the bed and suddenly felt my eyelids grow heavy. No wonder. After a busy morning lugging all that stuff around, I was still a young adult, so getting sleepy was only natural. I kicked off my shoes at random, didn't even take off my socks, adjusted my position, and fell asleep.

I don't know how long I'd slept before the smell of food drifted in. I opened my drowsy eyes and picked up my phone; it was already after 5 p.m. I'd actually slept for more than four hours. Looks like this morning had really worn me out.

I propped myself up on my arms and sat up. The little bed beneath me let out a creak. It looked like my cousin had done plenty of mischief here in his time; he'd loosened the thing so much it was practically falling apart. I looked around for the shoes I'd kicked off, only to find they'd already been neatly placed in front of my bed by someone. Most likely my aunt had done it.

My aunt and I sat at the dining table eating in silence. Neither of us knew what the other was thinking.

"Aunt, do you have a spare key for the front door?"

"I do. Why are you asking?"

"Uh, I want to go out for a walk tomorrow. If you're going out too, I can use the key and let myself back in."

I still had a playful streak in me. Staying cooped up at home all day just wasn't my style.

"Go out? You've only been here a few days and you're already thinking about wandering around? Do you even know the roads around here?"

My aunt frowned and said coldly.

"Come on, I can't stay home forever, can I? I'm going to have to go out sooner or later anyway. What's wrong with getting familiar with the area in advance? Besides, GPS on phones is so advanced now. How would I get lost? I'm not an idiot."

I argued my case and was dead set on going out.

After hearing me out, my aunt slowed down the pace of her chewing and thought it over before saying, "Fine. After dinner I'll get the key for you. Just don't run off too far, and be back before five in the evening."

After dinner, my aunt dug around in a drawer and found a slightly rusted key. It looked like it hadn't been used in a long time. She wiped it with a piece of paper, inserted it into the lock, and thankfully it still worked.

"There you go. Don't lose it."

I took the key in both hands as if I'd been handed a precious heirloom and snapped my hand up in a mock salute at my aunt.

"I guarantee the key stays with me, and if the key isn't with me, then I'm gone with it."

"What nonsense are you talking now?"

My aunt was amused too. A faint smile touched the corners of her mouth, and she poked me in the forehead with a finger.

"If I somehow lost you, your mother would be all over me."

The night passed without incident. The next morning I got up early, had breakfast, told my aunt I was heading out, and left. She had things to do herself today and even offered to give me a ride part of the way if I wanted to go somewhere, but I turned her down.

Once I stepped outside, the air felt fresh and my whole body brightened up. It was much more comfortable than being stuck at home. I opened the map, found a bookstore I'd marked in advance, and headed over. I'd seen it while browsing the map earlier; the storefront in the pictures had a worn, retro feel, so I wanted to check it out. Thanks to my mother, I've always had some interest in vintage-style things.

A taxi took me there in no time. When I got out and stood in front of the store, the bookstore's old-fashioned, timeworn atmosphere was even more obvious.

Creak—

I gently pushed open the bookstore's front door. The old wooden door gave off a harsh, grating sound that set my teeth on edge, like some elderly man nearing the end of his life.

Once inside, I looked around. The store wasn't big, only about a hundred square meters. Several black wooden bookshelves stood neatly in the center of the room, and in the sunlight streaming down through the skylight overhead, they gave off a dark, glossy sheen with an indescribable sense of age. Not a speck of dust sat on the shelves; they must be wiped down often.

The books on the shelves, however, were nowhere near as tidy. They were piled together in all different sizes and put there in a chaotic mess, barely qualifying as being "arranged" on the shelves. The books around the shelves had it even worse. Along the walls near the baseboards there were several bookcases, and the books there had been shoved in haphazardly, mixed in all sorts of categories. There were books about anatomy, ghost stories, and I even spotted some sleazy adult paperbacks.

"What kind of bookstore is this, exactly? It sure has character..."

I scratched my head, feeling rather helpless.

"Are you here to read, or what? What are you standing there for, not moving an inch?"

A woman's voice came from the counter beside me, bright and clear like a songbird.

Only then did I notice, through a gap in the mountain of books piled on the counter, a pair of bright, captivating eyes watching me warily. The stacks of books on the counter were so high that when I came in, I hadn't noticed there was a girl standing inside.

"Uh, yeah. I'm here to read. It's my first time here, and I didn't notice you in there. Sorry."

"First time?" I heard the rustle of clothes behind the books, and through the gap a streak of blue-violet pattern flashed by. It turned out the girl was stepping out from behind the counter.

"Hehe, you're a cute one, aren't you?"

The girl muttered with a pout.

My eyes lit up. The girl in front of me had her hair tied into a single ponytail and wore a white dress patterned with blue-violet designs. Beneath the hem of the dress were smooth calves wrapped in white thigh-high fishnet stockings, and on her feet were a pair of brown women's loafers.

Her delicate oval face shifted with every tiny expression. Her willow-leaf brows trembled slightly, adding a hint of springtime allure to her large, bright, innocent eyes. Her cute little nose would occasionally twitch amid the drifting dust in the air, adorable beyond words.

Her cherry-red lips were pressed in a soft line, untouched by any lipstick, showing their natural pink color.

Beneath her pale, delicate neck was a pair of breasts already taking shape, small enough to fit in the palm of a hand, like flower buds just about to bloom, making it impossible not to wonder what kind of beauty they'd become when they finally opened.

Her waist was impossibly slender, and when she moved, it had a taut, springy feel. Matching that were a pair of long, straight legs. Compared with my aunt's full, rounded legs, this girl's were even more tender and light.

Her little feet were like tiny embroidered shoes, dainty enough to fit in the palm of your hand and make you want to cradle them.

As the morning sun climbed higher, the beam from the skylight slowly moved from the wall to the floor, and the dust in the room became visible point by point in the light. The girl stood right in the middle of it all, yet the drifting dust seemed unable to touch her at all. Like a lotus blooming on the surface of a pond, she was pure despite standing in the midst of the mud and grit, though those willow-shaped brows gave her a faintly seductive air.

"Hey! What are you staring at with that lecherous look? You look pretty well dressed, so why are you being so rude? You can't even say hello?"

The girl frowned and said with a touch of irritation.

"Oh? Ah! Cough, sorry. It's just that a stunning beauty like you suddenly popped out of this old bookshop, so I was a little surprised. Miss, are you the only one minding the store?"

Looking at the girl, who was about half a head taller than me, I tactfully called her "miss."

"My grandpa usually runs the shop. He had something come up and went out for a bit, so I'm helping him out."

Girls are never too resistant to compliments. The moment I said she was pretty, her face lit up with a smile, and she waved a hand.

"Read whatever you want inside. If you want to take anything out, you'll need to register it."

Having said that, she went back behind the counter.

I wanted to chat with her a little longer and build some rapport, but she didn't seem interested in talking. Back in school I'd met plenty of girls, but I'd never encountered one as tall and slender as her, with an innocence in her looks and a faint hint of springtime allure mixed in.

I walked to the shelf and rested my palm on it. The moment I touched it, a cool sensation surged from my hand up my arm and straight into my heart. It looked like the shelves weren't made from ordinary wood.

I flipped through a few books at random, but none of them interested me. After a few cursory glances, I put them back. Then a small booklet shoved at the very bottom caught my attention. From the exposed corner, I could tell it was an old book, and the outer cover had no decorative pattern at all, as if whoever published it didn't care about flashy presentation.

I pulled it out and looked at it. In the center of the cover, four bold characters had been written with a brush: "The Woman-Conquest Manual." The strokes were vigorous and powerful, showing real mastery of calligraphy.

The writing was good, but the title itself hit me like a shock. What the hell kind of era is this that they're still using a name like that? It sounded like something out of a martial arts novel. "Conquering women"? Conquering what women? I'm Lu Xiaohao, rich and good-looking. Do I even need to learn this stuff? I laughed and casually tossed the book back onto the shelf, but before I'd even taken two steps, a gorgeous image of a generous, elegant figure flashed through my mind. Without changing expression, I took a few steps back, picked the book up again, and walked to the innermost corner with a perfectly straight face to read it. To avoid drawing attention, I deliberately placed an ordinary comic book on top of it.

The book wasn't long, only some ten or twenty pages, and everything inside was handwritten. The first page was a long block of text, written very neatly. In broad terms, it said the book contained the author's decades of experience in the art of winning over women, and that now he was no longer up to it, so he wanted to write it all down and leave it for some fated person of the future.

"Making such a mystery out of it, like some peerless secret manual in a wuxia novel."

I turned to the second page:

"In this world there are women who love you and women who don't. Having sex with women who love you is easy, but how do you make women who don't love you have sex with you too? That's where the real skill lies."

I took a deep breath and kept reading:

"There's an old saying: nice guys finish last. If you want to conquer a woman, sometimes you have to use the necessary methods. As the saying goes, the vagina is the road to a woman's heart. You have to conquer her body first before she'll open her heart to you."

I nodded. That made sense.

"As for conquering a woman's body, it requires skill and a strong physique. Of course, having a powerful lower body often gets you twice the result with half the effort.

"Below is the essence of everything I've learned in my life, the Woman-Conquest technique I created after drawing on the strengths of countless schools. Practice this technique once in the morning and once at night, and it can greatly awaken a man's innate source, making the body stronger and stronger."

I flipped farther down. The rest of the book was all manually drawn illustrations of body movements with explanatory text, and it really did look just like a martial arts manual. Looking at those page after page of movement explanations, I started to feel confused. Did this thing actually work? Or was it just some old busybody's idea of a joke?

By the time I reached the later pages, the content had changed again:

"Physical factors are certainly important, but sometimes you also need some external aids. Only then can you multiply your results and land the prize in one shot. The following is the essence of everything I have learned in my life."

The sections that followed were all introductions to various drugs and formulas. Some of the formulas contained herbal ingredients, and some contained chemical components. It looked like the old man had studied both sides in some depth.

But when I saw the effects listed for those drugs, my eyes lit up. Some were meant to be applied externally, some taken orally, and some even worked through volatilized vapor. Not only were there ones for women, there were even ones for men. As for the other stuff, like Viagra and similar drugs that boost erections and prolong a man's performance, I felt using those would be an insult to me. The times I'd had sex with girls before, I didn't come until the combined time of intercourse and oral sex passed an hour, and that was with me deliberately holding back. As for my hardness, that was rock solid. Every girl I'd been with said that once I got hard, I was like a steel rod.

The drugs were too detailed and numerous for me to study closely. Leaving aside whether the effects matched the book exactly, the materials needed to make them weren't something I could gather in a short time anyway. But if they really worked the way the book said... hehe...

"What are you grinning about while holding that book over there?" The sharp rebuke snapped me out of my fantasy. When I looked up, the little girl who'd been at the counter was standing in front of me with her hands on her hips, glaring at me.

"That filthy grin of yours. Are you looking at sleazy books? You look so young, and you're already this rotten?"

The girl looked innocent and bright, but I hadn't expected her personality to be so forceful. She was blunt too, saying whatever came to mind.

"Uh... this... heh..."

Seeing the looks from the few people nearby who'd been drawn over by the girl's voice, all of them wearing expressions that said we understood perfectly, I gave an awkward laugh.

"Hey, hey, how can you slander me like this out of nowhere? Look carefully. What I'm reading is a comic book, a comic book! OK?"

I held up the book in my hand, the one I'd placed on the outside earlier. Good thing I'd been prepared, or I would've been utterly embarrassed.

"Hmph, a comic book. Figures, you're still just a kid at heart, still reading comics."

Realizing she'd guessed wrong, the girl's momentum didn't lessen. She still lectured me for another round.

Seeing that she was being unreasonable, I didn't argue any further. I grabbed the book and stormed off to another side, reading on my own. The girl saw that I wasn't paying attention to her anymore, stomped a foot in annoyance, and went back behind the counter.

Worried the girl might come over and peek again, I changed seats and picked up another book, half-heartedly flipping through it while thinking about the contents of that "Woman-Conquest Scripture." At the moment I was skeptical about whether the book was genuine. The exercises themselves were one thing; if they didn't work, they didn't work. But if I messed up the drugs, people could die. I had to be careful, careful, and careful again.

I tucked the book containing the "Woman-Conquest Scripture" away in a spot that wouldn't be easy for anyone to find, and because I still wasn't at ease, I piled a stack of other books on top of it. Only after checking around and confirming no one had noticed what I'd done did I finally relax and leave.

When I got to the door, I saw through the gap that the girl was leaning over and studying something. I didn't say anything, just quietly pulled open the wooden door and stepped outside.

Creak... squeak...

As the wooden door slowly closed behind me, the girl, who had been concentrating just moments before, looked up and brushed the hair off her forehead. She lifted the curtain beside the counter window just a little and watched my retreating figure, her eyes flashing with a thoughtful, unreadable light...

After grabbing a random lunch outside, I went to a bunny-girl internet cafe and spent the whole afternoon there, taking the opportunity to flirt with the bunny-girl staff.

Every week, my mother usually gave me a bit of spending money. Of course, that alone wasn't enough to cover the cost of booking rooms and hooking up with girls.

Most of my pocket money came from my father. Maybe because he was away from home so much and couldn't keep me company, he felt guilty and quietly arranged for me to have my own bank card. He loaded it with more than 200,000 yuan in one go, and then every year he would deposit another fixed 100,000.

That amount probably meant nothing to top-tier rich second-generation kids, but it was more than enough for me to spend every day. Of course, later on that money would also help me a lot. Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing for me, that was hard to say.

By the time I got home it was nearly evening, but since it was still August, the sky was still bright.

"What were you up to outside today?"

My aunt came out of the bedroom, stretching her arms back as she tidied her hair and asked me.

My eyes swept over my aunt's full, rounded breasts and I swallowed.

"I went to a bookstore in the morning and read for a while. In the afternoon I went to an amusement park and had some fun."

"Oh, really? You actually went to read on your own?"

My aunt looked at me in surprise, clearly doubtful.

"If you really had that kind of mindset, your mother wouldn't have sent you here to live with me."

My aunt waved a hand at me, showing she didn't believe it.

Seeing her doubt me, I didn't bother arguing. From the few days I'd already spent living with my aunt, I had a rough understanding of her personality. She was the kind of person who didn't tolerate being questioned, especially by a student-aged kid like me.

"I'm a little tired. I'm going back to my room to rest for a bit." Without talking to my aunt any further, I went straight back to my room. The moment I got inside, I flopped onto the bed and thought about what had happened that morning. Even though I was skeptical, I still wanted to find a chance to verify the stuff written in that book. Maybe it really was the turning point of my life.

After dinner, my aunt took a change of clothes and went to take a shower. She usually spent close to an hour in there, which made this the perfect opportunity. I stood in the living room and recalled the movements depicted in the "Woman-Conquest Scripture," trying to imitate them clumsily. The motions weren't complicated, but I'd only glanced at them once, so I only remembered the first few in fragments.

After a few movements, I noticed they were basically all about contracting the anus and stretching the body, and some of them even resembled tai chi. Treating a dead horse as if it were alive, I practiced a few more rounds. I didn't stop until my aunt was nearly done showering. By then I could clearly feel a warm, tingling sensation in my lower abdomen and around both kidneys. I thought, Could these movements actually be doing something?

Soon enough, my aunt came out. Her long black hair was wrapped in a towel, and she kept rubbing it dry. Seeing me sitting on the sofa, she motioned for me to go take my shower, then returned to the bedroom.

Thud!

As the bedroom door shut, I picked up my clothes and headed for the bathroom to shower. The moment I went in, I found that the dirty clothes I'd taken off yesterday had already been removed. It looked like they'd already been taken to be washed. Then, around the corner, something black and balled up into a lump caught my eye.

I picked it up and saw that it was a pair of black stockings rolled into a ball. I brought them to my nose and sniffed. They gave off a faint fragrance mixed with a trace of sweat, and the smell sent a shiver through my whole body. Far from unpleasant, the scent kept stimulating my brain. I felt a ball of wicked fire lighting up in my belly, and as my blood flowed, that fire slowly spread through my entire body.

I pinched the toe of the stockings and gave them a gentle pull. The black fabric that had been bunched up into a ball slowly straightened out, like a woman's curled-up legs stretching out one by one. Only then did I notice a faint mud stain on one of the knees. These were the black stockings my aunt had worn when she went out to buy clothes yesterday, and the mud stain was from when I secretly scraped them with my foot during dinner.

Was it because of just this tiny mark that my aunt decided to throw these stockings away?

"Aunt, Aunt, you're really that fastidious, aren't you? Since you don't want them anymore, I'll take these black stockings off your hands."

I stroked the stockings. The quality material made them feel smooth beyond belief. In my mind I was imagining I was touching my aunt's long black-stockinged legs, both hands holding her delicate little feet. Starting from the toes, I moved slowly upward, feeling the scrape of my aunt's pink toenails through the stockings against my palm. I ran my hands over the rounded heels and kept going until I reached her calves.

I kept rubbing my aunt's calves, front and back, above and below, unable to put them down. The slick feel of the black stockings filled my hands as I kneaded them over and over, not missing a single patch of skin on her legs.

Before I knew it, my penis was already standing up, proudly and unrestrained, like a flag planted deep in enemy territory.

Veins twisted around my cock, making it look fierce, like some flood-born beast.

At that point I was no longer satisfied with just touching my aunt's stockings. I needed a more intense way to vent myself. I lifted the stockings to my nose and took a deep breath. It was the fresh scent of orchids mixed with a hint of sweat. These were the black stockings my aunt had worn all day. This was her most primal scent!

I grabbed the black stockings, wrapped them around my cock, and started stroking myself with barely any patience. The slick feel of the fabric sent a jolt of pleasure through me.

And the thought that this pair of stockings had been worn by my aunt only made the forbidden thrill in my chest burn hotter. I pictured her usual serious expression behind those gold-rimmed glasses, that poised, intellectual teacher's air, and my hand started moving faster and faster.

It felt as if I were thrusting my thick, long cock into my aunt's plump, tender pussy, opening her up again and again, in and out, each stroke drawing out threads of slick wetness that splashed onto the pubic hair at the point where we were joined, glistening like morning dew on tender grass.

My aunt covered her mouth, struggling not to make a sound so she could keep up her cold, dignified image. But the wet mess between her legs, her delicate cheeks flushed red, and the occasional moan leaking from behind her hands all showed that this high-and-mighty married woman was already on the edge of collapse.

Suddenly, I hooked her long black-stocked legs over my shoulders and, like a racer gripping the wheel at the final stretch, pinned both hands hard against the narrow, springy sides of her waist and thrust with everything I had.

Under my fast rhythm, my aunt finally couldn't hold back. She let out one sweet, husky moan after another, mixed with what sounded like soft sobbing. The sound was like a potent aphrodisiac, driving me to speed up even more, while her plump, soft breasts swayed in a steady rhythm with every stroke.

'Mm... mm-mm... mm-ahhh... ah... ahhhhhh...!'

The shower in the bathroom kept spraying cold water. Beneath it, a young man sat against the wall on the cold tile floor, letting the water wash over him without reacting. One hand rested on his knee while the other clutched a black stocking tightly. It was already soaked through, and water dripped from the toe onto the tiles, leaving a faint milky-white stain that was quickly washed away by the running water.

The young man slowly raised his head. His messy hair was already drenched, and between his brows a pair of fierce, determined eyes stared hard at the black stocking in his palm. A strange smile gradually formed at the corner of his mouth...

...

...

Morning sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves and speckled the ground with copper-sized patches of light. The birds on the branches chattered to one another, sharing dreams from the night before. In a corner of the park, a young man was exercising in the breeze. His movements were a little stiff, but with closer inspection, it became clear that as he repeated them over and over, he was growing more and more practiced. At one point, he seemed to slip into a strange state of perfect harmony between body and mind.

'Hoo.' After finishing a full set, the young man drew in a deep breath, pulled a wet wipe from his pocket, and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He brushed back the messy hair over his brow, revealing a somewhat youthful but handsome face.

That person was, of course, me, Lu Xiaohao. Last night I practiced the moves from the 'Woman-Conquering Manual' a little and felt like they'd already started to work. This morning, right after breakfast, I rushed to the park to practice a few more rounds while it was still cool, because home didn't offer an environment this good.

I touched the stomach that was already slightly warm from the exercise. Just a few simple moves and I was already seeing this much effect. If I learned the whole set, who knew what would happen? I couldn't help but look forward to that 'Woman-Conquering Manual' even more.

'Maybe everything in this book is real, even those medicines too.'

That thought made my heart burn hot. It looked like my university life was going to be even more exciting than I'd imagined.

I'd better go take another careful look through it today. If necessary, I'd have to bring the book home. At that thought, a beautiful figure suddenly surfaced in my mind, the girl at the counter. If I wanted to take the book home, I'd have to get past her first. Just remembering how aggressive she had been yesterday made my head hurt. How was I supposed to deal with that woman? Did I have to sacrifice a little of my charm?

But when I thought of that girl's tall, well-proportioned figure, her fair, smooth skin, her willow-leaf brows tinged with a hint of springtime allure, and those eyes that looked pure beyond belief, I coughed twice and gave up. Fine, if necessary, I'd reluctantly sacrifice a little of my charm.

I pulled open the old bookstore door like a warrior marching off to battle.

Creak.

With that grating, teeth-on-edge sound, I stepped into the bookshop.

The same old black-lacquered shelves filled my vision, and the air was thick with a mix of dust and paper. The smell didn't feel unpleasant. On the contrary, it was oddly calming, and the moment I stepped inside, the slight unease left over from the noisy street outside vanished at once.

I looked toward the counter, trying to find that familiar figure through the gaps between the stacks of books, only to find that the mountain of books that had once piled high on the counter had already been cleared away. A girl with long hair was leaning on the desk, glancing sideways at me, and there seemed to be a trace of delight in her eyes?

'Hello.'

Seeing her stare at me without blinking made the atmosphere a little awkward, so after greeting her first, I headed straight for the corner where the books had been hidden. The girl tilted her little head, resting the other side of her cheek on her pale arm. As she moved, a lock of hair slipped down and hung diagonally over her tiny nose. Watching me hurry toward the corner, she wore a thoughtful expression. Then her brows drew together, a little tense, and even her body seemed to stiffen. At last, it looked as if she made some kind of decision in her heart. Hoo, she let out a soft breath, placed both hands on the counter, and slowly pushed herself upright...

And while I was still inside the shop, I didn't notice any of her movements at all. Right now I was frantically rummaging through a pile of books.

'Where is it? Where is it? It was right here yesterday.'

My movements grew more and more urgent, and my mood sank to the bottom. The 'Woman-Conquering Manual' was gone.

'Did someone beat me to it? Damn it! Why did nobody want this book before, and the moment I came, someone took it? I should have brought it out yesterday.'

I clenched my fists and ground my teeth.

'Hey, are you looking for this book?'

A clear voice snapped me out of my anger. I turned around and saw that the girl had somehow already appeared behind me. She held a book in her hand and gave it a little wave in front of my face. That familiar yellow cover. The book in her hand was exactly the 'Woman-Conquering Manual' I had been looking for.

Excited, I reached out to grab it, but the girl shifted her body slightly and slipped away with a twist of her slender waist, avoiding my hand.

'Hey, I helped you find the book. And you're just going to take it away?'

A sly glint flashed in the girl's eyes.

'Thanks, sis.'

Under someone else's roof, you have to bow your head. I had no choice but to thank her hurriedly.

'Here, take it.'

The girl nodded in satisfaction and handed me the book.

'That was my hiding spot in the first place. You were the one getting ahead of yourself...'

I took the book and muttered under my breath, a little unconvinced.

'You!'

The girl was a little annoyed now. She planted both hands on her hips, widened her eyes, and leaned forward slightly like she was about to lose it.

'Hmph!'

Then she crossed her arms and started pacing slowly around me, narrowing her eyes and sizing me up from head to toe as she walked, as if she were evaluating some kind of object.

'W-what are you doing? Don't mess around. If you try anything, I'll call someone!'

I clutched the book against my chest and stared at her in terror. Based on my years of close contact with women, this girl seemed to have some bad intentions toward me. I looked around and realized there was no one else in the bookstore today besides the two of us. My heart tightened. I, Lu Xiaohao, had been through all kinds of places and had been with more women than I could count on both hands. Was I really going to lose my virginity here today? Despair flooded me.

Pfft. Seeing my frightened tone and expression, the girl couldn't hold back and burst out laughing. Her smile was as beautiful and flawless as the flowers blooming in early spring, and for a moment I just stared.

'Look at you, all scaredy-cat. Honestly, I can't believe that despite being so young you don't know any better and are reading that kind of book. You really can't judge a book by its cover. Turns out you're not just a little pervert, you're a coward too.'

The girl took two steps back and forth, then looked at me and sneered.

Hearing that, my cheeks went a little red. So she'd already looked through the book. She must have only glanced at it and assumed it was smut, without looking too closely.

'So what if I am? You looked at it too, didn't you? You dirty woman. You were even staring at me all horny just now. What, do you have some filthy idea about me?'

Damn it, when had I ever taken a loss like this around a girl after leaving home? If I couldn't swallow this now, how was I supposed to survive later? I immediately fired back with force. When it came to arguing, I wasn't afraid of anyone.

'Pah! With that cowardly look of yours, you think I want anything from you? Do you think I'm blind enough to fall for you?'

'Still not admitting it? There are so many smut books here, and you're the one running this place. I'm guessing you've been sneaking looks at who knows how many of them already. No wonder the last time I came in, I saw you stacking books so high on the counter and acting all serious about whatever you were reading. So that's what it was, you were reading smut!'

'You, you, you, you damn liar! You're slandering me!'

The girl's face flushed crimson. She raised a trembling finger at me and breathed so hard she could barely get the words out.

'Oh? You're blushing. Looks like I hit the mark. Come on, admit it honestly. Did reading novels bore you so much that you decided to set your sights on a handsome guy like me? You must be planning to do something to me while the shop is empty today, right?'

Seeing how agitated she was, I figured I'd guessed right. I'd heard before from one of my former lovers that girls could actually be even hornier than boys, and sometimes they were even more curious about that stuff.

Seeing her head down and not saying anything, I decided to press my advantage. She had teased and mocked me earlier, and now not taking the chance to give her a proper beating wouldn't be my style.

'I think you've got a bit of charm. If you really want me, I guess I'll reluctantly keep you company.'

I wore a lewd, sleazy expression, and the words that came out of my mouth were absurd enough to sound ridiculous.

'I'll kill you!'

Who would've thought the girl would suddenly clench her fist and, with lightning speed, punch me in the shoulder. Girls her age were already developing faster than boys to begin with, and she was a few years older than me on top of that. She was also furious beyond reason, so the blow came out of nowhere and sent me staggering at once.

'Ow, you witch. So your cover's been blown and now you're trying to silence me, huh?'

I yelped. My shoulder was burning. This little minx looked slender, but she had plenty of strength. Even a body like mine, which was a little sturdier than most boys my age, couldn't really take it.

I darted around the shelves like a slippery eel, and that witch actually kept chasing me. The look on her face was so furious it seemed like she wanted to eat me alive.

'Ah!'

Just as I was running with my head down, I suddenly heard a terrified cry by my ear. Then there was a thunderous crash behind me as something toppled over. I turned around and saw dust already billowing everywhere.

Covering my nose, I walked over and waved away the dust. Only then did I see that the witch had disappeared, while a huge pile of books had somehow appeared beside the shelf. It looked like she had run into the shelf while chasing me and been buried under the books that fell over.

'This girl doesn't look very bright.'

I muttered under my breath, but my hands didn't stop moving. I hurried over and started pulling at the pile of broken books, trying to dig her out. I just hoped she hadn't been knocked stupid.

Before I had pulled apart much, I uncovered a round little head. It looked kind of cute. Who else could it be but the witch? The witch and I locked eyes. After shaking her head and realizing it was me, her expression instantly turned vicious.

'You little pervert, you coward. If you've got guts, don't run. Let's see how I deal with you.'

She roared, bobbing her head like a roly-poly toy as she struggled to climb out of the pile of books and deal with me.

Seeing that she was still putting up a brave front, I sat down in front of her and taunted her.

'Come on then, this lord isn't running today. I'm waiting for you to hit me.'

After struggling for a moment and finding she couldn't get free no matter what, the witch suddenly stopped moving, sniffled, and burst into pearly tears.

'Waaah, you little pervert, you're bullying me. If you've got guts, don't run. Wait till my grandpa gets back and catches you. He'll beat you to death for bullying me, waaah...'

Damn it, even like this she still hadn't forgotten about beating me up. Still, I guess I really had gone too far. I scratched my head, feeling pretty helpless.

'I'll get you out now. Just don't hit me again later, okay?'

I started pulling away the books, thinking I'd better let her out first. It wasn't right to keep her pinned down like this.

'Bastard! Who said I needed your help? Don't touch me, you little pervert!'

'Fine, fine, I'm the little pervert. Just get out first, okay?'

She was still being stubborn at a time like this, but I didn't stop just because of her words. I kept digging her out little by little.

Before long, she stood up with tears on her face and rubbed at her eyes, then slapped at her clothes a few times. Suddenly, with her head lowered, that witch grabbed my hand. Her touch was icy cold, and it sent a thrill through me.

'You don't need to repay me with your body. If you want to thank me, then you can...'

I watched her slowly lift her head. The tear tracks on her pale cheeks were still wet, and she looked a little like a pitiful little girl. Then I saw her slowly raise her right hand.

Slap! Thud-thud...

The room rang again with the sounds of fists and kicks. They were so loud they even drowned out the noise from the street outside.

'Now are you satisfied?'

I was sitting on the floor, my face bruised and swollen, looking helplessly at the girl in front of me, who had her legs crossed. The long legs in white knee-high stockings were swaying slowly, showing just how pleased their owner was feeling right now.

'Hmm, I guess. It's just that I got a little too much exercise just now, so I need to rest properly.'

The girl stretched lazily, leaning back as her slender, languid body relaxed. She spoke with obvious pride.

'Yes, yes, yes. Rest up, witch. Are you satisfied now? If not, once you've had your break, I can let you beat me up again.'

I complained like a wronged little wife.

'What witch? Let me tell you, my name is Bai Meiyin. I'm older than you, so from now on you have to call me senior, got it? Junior.'

From our earlier conversation, senior already knew that I and she went to the same university. She straightened up, lifted her chin, and revealed a neck as long and white as a swan's, sitting in front of me like an arrogant queen.

'Fine, fine, senior. Are you okay now? If you're fine, I'm leaving.'

'Hey, hey, why are you in such a hurry to go?'

'Do you have something else?'

I tilted my head and looked at her. What bad idea was this little minx cooking up now?

'You... could you do me a favor?'

The senior rubbed her hands together and said a little shyly.

'A favor? Why should I help you? You just beat me up. I should be charging you medical fees, and now you want me to help you?'

'Hehe.' The senior gave an awkward laugh.

'I was angry just now and lost my temper. How about this: if you agree to help me, I'll give you that book, and from now on you can read any book in my shop whenever you want. Okay?'

After saying that, she widened her eyes and looked at me in an adorably innocent way, full of expectation.

Even someone like me, who had seen all kinds of storms, was a little unable to hold steady in front of the senior's deliberately pure and cute act. Even though her figure wasn't as full as my aunt's, it was still just right, and those peach-colored almond eyes were downright soul-stealing with every flick of her lashes. It made me want to tear open her white dress, peel off that seemingly innocent disguise, and savor every inch of her properly.

Though my heart was already churning like a storm, on the surface I still looked calm.

'Fine, fine. What do you need? Just don't ask for anything too outrageous.'

I waved a hand, looking rather generous.

'I don't need anything for now. Come back when I do.'

Seeing that I had agreed, the senior looked at me excitedly, like a starving lion staring at its prey.

'I'm leaving first.'

Being stared at like that gave me a creepy feeling, and I was eager to get out of there.

Suddenly, my eyes swept to her legs, and I noticed several clearly visible blood streaks on her knees, oozing a little. This silly girl had probably been too excited to even notice.

'Your leg is hurt. Sit here and don't move. I'll go buy you some medicine.'

After saying that, I rushed out, leaving the senior sitting where she was.

It took her a moment to react. Then she grabbed the hem of her skirt with her right hand and lifted it, revealing those fair, smooth thighs like a peeled egg, glossy and white. The only flaw was the few blood streaks near her knees, which stood out sharply. She must have scraped herself on something when she fell earlier.

After I got outside, I opened Baidu Maps and searched for a pharmacy. Luckily, there were as many pharmacies around as convenience stores, and there was one just a few hundred meters away. Following the map, I took off at a sprint...

Before long, I was back at the shop with iodine, cotton swabs, anti-inflammatory medicine, and ointment in hand. I didn't usually go to pharmacies much anyway. Whenever I got hurt or caught a cold, it was always my mother, who worked as a head nurse, who treated me, so this time I just went in, explained the situation, and bought the most expensive medicine across the board.

When I stepped back into the shop, I saw the senior sitting on the chair next to the counter with her legs crossed, slightly lifting the hem of her skirt so her thighs were exposed. The sight of the fair, glossy skin around the wound made my heart pound. The wound had already begun to clot, but it would be better to treat it properly. If it left a scar, it wouldn't look good.

'How about I take care of it for you?' I set the medicine on the counter and grinned.

'Okay, you do it.'

The senior's small face flushed red as she spoke. Then she lowered her head and said softly, 'Take it as the reward for helping me just now.'

'Re-really?'

I almost thought I'd misheard her, but seeing the way she stared at me with her eyes open wide, it looked like I hadn't imagined it after all.

'Are you coming or not? If not, I'll do it myself!'

Seeing how awkward I was being, the senior made to apply the medicine herself.

'I'm coming, I'm coming. Just sit there, please, let me take care of you.'

As a joke, how could I possibly pass up such a great opportunity?

I fumbled open the packaging, holding iodine in one hand and a cotton swab in the other, then dropped to one knee beside the senior like a knight paying homage to his queen. She sat upright, legs crossed, with the injured leg resting in front of me. Even though she was wearing a white floral dress that symbolized innocence, those slightly chilly willow-leaf brows and the height difference between us made her look like a little queen who had never known the world, proud and adorable.

'Hoo... hoo... hoo...'

The closer I brought the cotton swab soaked in iodine to that pale, tender thigh marked with traces of blood, the faster my heart beat. My breathing grew heavier and heavier too.

As I leaned in closer and closer, I could already smell the clean fragrance coming off my senior. It was a faint scent, cool and minty.

The smell drifted from the collar of her blouse, from her sleeves, and from her slender legs wrapped in white stockings. It kept rising into the air, the strands of scent weaving together like the curve of a butterfly that fluttered once in front of me before slipping into my nose. The fresh fragrance rushed straight to my head, as if it had taken root in my brain and refused to leave.

10 cm, 5 cm, 3 cm. Suddenly, my hand stopped. Then I clenched my teeth and pushed the cotton swab forward, pressing it onto my senior's injured thigh.

"Mm~" My senior gave a muffled groan, her hands tightening slightly on the hem of her skirt. Her long, crossed legs in white stockings curled up as well, and the soft flesh of her calves seemed to swell a little under the pressure, the ice-silk white socks stretching slightly taut and revealing a faint blush of skin.

"Does it hurt?"

I lowered my voice and moved as gently as I could.

"I-It's okay. Keep going. Don't stop."

My senior's eyes were half-closed. She bit lightly at her lower lip, her slender willow-leaf brows tightly knit as she endured the pain in her thigh.

Ssshh, ssshh...

That was the sound of the cotton swab rubbing against my senior's delicate skin. Under my control, the swab moved slowly and rhythmically over that tender flesh, so soft and careful it felt almost like a hand soothing the body of a lover.

At that moment, time seemed to stop. Inside the old, retro bookstore, a young woman sat beside the counter clutching the hem of her white dress. Her brows were faintly furrowed, her cheeks lightly flushed, her lips gently pressed together. She tipped her chin up a little, exposing a swanlike neck, while the pair of soft breasts beneath her dress rose and fell sharply, betraying the restless heart inside her.

Beside her, half-kneeling, was a handsome young man who looked a little younger than she was. He held a cotton swab in his hand and carefully dabbed medicine onto the woman's jade-like leg, as if he were dusting off a beloved work of art.

"Phew~"

After finishing the last spot, I let out a long breath and looked up at my senior. As if by some unspoken understanding, she happened to lower her head at the same time, and our eyes met. The air between us seemed to crackle with sparks.

I was the first to break the awkward silence. Standing up, I searched through the medicines laid out on the counter, then took out a sheet of ointment and turned back to look at my senior.

Seeming to understand what I meant, my senior hesitated for a moment before nodding. A layer of cold sweat glistened on her forehead like morning dew, and her expression was already a little tired.

Hiss... rip! I tore open the adhesive plaster, pinching one corner between my fingers while the rest draped over the back of my hand.

I took a few steps closer and crouched down in front of my senior. This time, I didn't look at her face anymore. I simply gripped one corner of the plaster with both hands and pressed it onto the wound. My senior cooperated with me as well, gently lifting her hand again so that the hem of her skirt slid even higher, revealing a larger stretch of that pale, smooth thigh. For a moment, I almost couldn't hold myself back from leaning in and using my tongue to lick it properly.

I steadied myself and, in one breath, pressed the plaster onto her thigh. Where my fingers touched, the skin felt springy and smooth like jelly.

"Mm~ ah~"

My senior gave another muffled groan, though this time it seemed to sound a little different from before.

My fingers traced along the edge of the plaster, and wherever I passed, the flesh of her leg sank deeply under my touch. This girl's thigh was absolutely the smoothest, softest one I had ever touched. Only Mom's thigh could compare, though Mom practiced yoga regularly, so her thighs were a little firmer than my senior's.

"Mm, all right. How does it feel?"

"Mm, it's pretty good. Thank you."

My senior's voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz.

Only then did I notice she had her head lowered, her cheeks already bright red, her chest rising and falling a little faster. It seemed her heart wasn't nearly as open as I had imagined.

"Mm, there shouldn't be any major problem now. Didn't you say you were leaving? You should head back first," my senior said softly.

Hm? Huh? Why was this a little different from the book? In the usual plot, shouldn't the girl invite me into her room to talk after I save her? But since she'd already shown me the door, I had no reason to stay any longer. After saying goodbye, I left.

Not long after I was gone, a corner of the curtain in the bookstore's front window was lifted slightly. A pair of wide eyes watched my receding back through the glass, and only after I disappeared from sight did the curtain drop again.

Inside the quiet bookstore, my senior sat upright on the counter with her legs together. She lifted one side of her skirt to expose that familiar, pale thigh, her fingers lightly brushing over the plaster as if she were feeling for something. Then she turned her head to look at the bag of medicine I had bought, a faint smile appearing at the corner of her lips...

I wandered aimlessly down the street alone. Too many things had happened today, leaving my mind full of questions. What exactly did that senior mean?

We had only met for the second time, and she was already asking me to apply medicine to her thigh without treating me like an outsider at all. And from her reaction, she didn't seem like the kind of loose woman at all.

And then there was the thing she had first said she needed me to help her with. What exactly was that?

I hoped her request wouldn't be too outrageous. If I couldn't do it, I'd end up looking like I had no sense of propriety.

Forget it. No point thinking about it anymore. What a mess. I hailed a cab and got ready to head home.