The sun blazed down, making the asphalt road sticky and soft under its relentless heat. Dong Qin dashed into the building with quick, eager steps, fumbling for her keys to unlock the door. A slight touch on the door handle made her squint. The door was ajar. A pair of half-worn Nike shoes lay scattered in the foyer, indicating someone was inside. Unconcerned, she kicked off her slippers and padded barefoot to the refrigerator for a drink. Arms wrapped around her from behind.
“Robber. Don’t move,” the voice whispered, his hot breath on her neck, sending chills down Dong Qin’s spine. It wasn’t disgust or fear, just instinct. She closed the fridge door with her foot and calmly unscrewed the cap of her cola. “Oh, what do you want to rob?” His hand lazily slipped inside her open collar, kneading, his breathing growing heavy. “I’ll rob… you. Both you and your possessions…” His wet tongue delved into her ear. Before Dong Qin could take a sip, a button from her chest popped off, revealing her pink bra. “I’m not in the mood now, stay away,” Dong Qin felt only heat, the room full of a stifling, lustful energy like a steam box. Mistaking her resistance for playful teasing, he persisted, pinning her against the wall, his fingers slipping inside her bra, while the other hand, somewhat impatiently, explored under her skirt. “Can’t you understand human speech?!” Dong Qin struggled, losing two more buttons, her white school shirt half-torn. He was like a ravenous wolf, treating all resistance as flirtation. Frustrated when he couldn’t easily remove her skirt, he forcibly spread her legs, hurriedly undoing his own zipper. Dong Qin was busy balancing her cola bottle and fending off his advances, sweating profusely. Suddenly irritated, she swung the bottle, smashing it against his head. “Are you an animal?! Get away from me!” She clamped her legs together and kicked him, sending him stumbling back several steps to collapse on the floor, his lust extinguished, leaving him to laugh bitterly. “What’s your problem? You brought me here last night, and now you won’t do anything. Are you playing with me?” He opened his collar, revealing yellowed skin, his face handsome with clear brows and eyes, looking no older than eighteen or nineteen, but his eyes were full of predatory hunger, as if he wanted to devour Dong Qin.
Dong Qin ignored him, her clothes clinging messily to her, seemingly unaware that most of her chest was exposed. She drank from the bottle. He watched her for a while, his gaze becoming unsettling, stirring with desire. Dong Qin put down the cola, wiped her mouth, and pulled out a couple of bills from her skirt pocket, throwing them at him. “Go, I’ve suddenly lost interest.” Enraged, he clenched his fists, ready to strike, but then saw her half-lying on the ground, her white skin and voluptuous figure like rolling hills. Her face was flushed from the heat, her eyes moist, exuding a lazy, seductive charm like a cat. His anger shifted lower, almost bursting. “Damn you, you little slut!” he cursed, crawling over to pin her down, her body soft beneath him, his spirit lost, muttering curses as he mauled her breasts. Dong Qin, annoyed, tried to kick him in his vulnerable spot, but he blocked her with his knee, prying her legs open. “I’ll fuck you to death!” he exclaimed, pulling down his trousers, exerting all his strength. Dong Qin yanked at his hair, screaming. “You’re insane! Get out! This is my house! Leave!” He pinned her flailing arms to the ground, not caring about the dirt or chaos, aiming to penetrate her. “Are you a dog?! In heat?” Her voice softened suddenly, becoming tender, wrapping her legs around his waist. He looked down to see her eyes misty with allure, her face flushed, stirring his desire to near madness. Dong Qin’s body was pushed back with each thrust; she let out a cat-like cry, then gripped his hair tightly. He hoisted her slender legs onto his shoulders, exerting himself, her breasts squeezed out of shape, marked with red lines. She suddenly convulsed, gripping his arm, whispering, “Quick… faster… please.” Seeing tears in her eyes, he thought it was from pleasure, boosting his confidence, thrusting with more vigor. At the critical moment, footsteps approached the door. He froze, then quickly pulled up his pants to flee. Dong Qin grabbed him, “What are you scared of? Are you a man or not?!” He stared at her in disbelief, “Someone’s coming! Are you crazy?!” He thought she was sweet and cute, expecting compliance, but she was clearly deranged! Bringing a man home in the middle of the night, only to do nothing but watch cartoons together. Damn! He cursed her silently. This woman is insane! Still wanting to do it when someone’s coming! The sound of high heels stopped; he didn’t dare look up. Dong Qin turned lazily, seeing a woman in her early thirties, elegantly dressed, looking down at them with a blank expression. “You’re here,” Dong Qin said lazily, her voice weak with fatigue. Zuo Shaoqing coldly looked at her, then kicked the scattered clothes towards her. “Get dressed, I need to talk to you.” Dong Qin turned over, her naked, alluring body fully exposed, smiling indifferently. “Can’t we talk like this? I don’t like wearing clothes, it’s too hot.” Zuo Shaoqing glanced at the young man preparing to sneak away, her eyes filled with disgust. “What kind of life are you leading? Skipping school, thinking no one will control you since your dad’s dead? Bringing strangers home, do you think you’re a prostitute?” Dong Qin propped herself up, resting her chin on her hand. “I like it, what’s it to you?” Zuo Shaoqing narrowed her eyes, laughing. “True, I won’t control you. I haven’t for the last sixteen years, and I don’t plan to start now. But I’m marrying Lu Jinghao soon, and your damned father is dead, so you’ll have to follow me. Lu Jinghao is from high society, and I won’t have any bad news about him. So, you better behave yourself from now on.” Dong Qin snorted and lazily wrapped herself in her clothes. “You’ve become rich and powerful, yet you haven’t forgotten me. That’s really something. I thought you’d long forgotten you had a daughter. What, you’re not here to lecture me today, are you?” Zuo Shaoqing slowly walked to the bed, sat down, and lit a slender cigar. “Of course not, I’m too lazy to bother with you,” she exhaled smoke, “But since you’re my Zuo Shaoqing’s daughter, I won’t allow any man to play you. You’re a great beauty, just like me. Remember, you’re the one who should be playing men, not the other way around. I absolutely will not allow any man to play with my Zuo Shaoqing’s daughter!” She flicked the ash off her cigar, “And if you must play, at least choose someone decent. How could you not care about those thugs from earlier?”
Dong Qin frowned, showing impatience, “I don’t like being lectured.” She put on a shirt, stood up with bare legs, and took a sip of cola from a bottle. Zuo Shaoqing squinted at the delicate curves of her daughter’s neck and back; Dong Qin was a beauty, just like her younger self. However, she lacked the haughty charm she had in her youth. Dong Qin had a standard oval face, thick bangs, and long eyelashes, like an Eastern version of a Barbie doll, beautiful yet sweet.
“Dong Qin,” Zuo Shaoqing extinguished her cigar, “The driver will pick you up tomorrow. Stop fooling around. If you really can’t help it, I’ll introduce you to some young men from wealthy families. If you want to play, at least play with someone of a higher class.” She stood up, “I’m leaving. I don’t want to see anything from this dump in Jinghao Lu’s house. See you tomorrow.”
