After the incident at the Ina warehouse, Lu Tuo didn’t come to trouble her for a full month, whether at home or school, Dong Qin felt she had become like air. November was approaching, with the cold currents looming, the leaves of the Chinese sweet gum were about to fall. It was at this time that Zuo Shao Qin suddenly announced she had business in Italy and would be out of the country for at least two weeks. “Jessica says there’s an international fashion exhibition in Milan, and I’ve been waiting for months! I must go see it!” She openly flirted at dinner, a woman in her thirties, pulling at her husband’s sleeve like a teenage girl. Lu Jinghao immediately nodded, “Okay, it’s been a while since you’ve seen Jessica. It’s good to catch up with old friends. If I could, I’d really want to go with you, but there’s too much on my plate right now. I can’t get away. I’m sorry.” He kissed Zuo Shao Qin gently on the forehead, full of regret, “Darling, I’m really sorry.” Zuo Shao Qin immediately put on a virtuous smile, “What are you talking about! Do you think I’m the kind of woman who clings to her husband all the time? Go take care of your important business! Am I not going to have company?” Lu Jinghao laughed, “Only you could say that. By the way, when are you leaving?” Zuo Shao Qin glanced at Dong Qin and suddenly said, “The day after tomorrow in the afternoon. Oh, Jessica said her daughter Ina wants to travel to the East, and I’ve already agreed to let her stay at our place. Dear, you don’t mind, do you?” If Dong Qin didn’t see it wrong, Lu Jinghao’s brows suddenly furrowed at that moment, his gaze sharp. He patted Lu Tuo’s shoulder with a smile, “You should ask Tuo about that. Tuo, your little girlfriend is coming to visit, is it okay for her to stay with us?” Lu Tuo nodded, revealing a sweet smile. “I already knew, she sent me an email online saying she’s arriving tomorrow.” Zuo Shao Qin teased him, “You’re all smiles just at the mention of Ina! You better not bully her when she’s here! You’ve always been unreliable!” Lu Tuo looked wronged, “Mom! When have I ever bullied Ina? We love each other, okay? I’m definitely going to marry her!” Dong Qin thought, so his girlfriend’s name is Ina, no wonder he was calling her name in his sleep that day. She put down her chopsticks, stood up, and said softly, “I’m full, I’ll go upstairs. Good night, Mom and Dad, Tuo, good night.” Zuo Shao Qin raised her hand to stop her, “Wait, Dong Qin, Tuo’s girlfriend will be here tomorrow. She might stay with us for about half a month. You two should get along well, okay?” Dong Qin looked into her eyes, the unspoken meaning was clear. Dong Qin smiled brightly, “That’s great, I’ll have another friend! Tuo, is she pretty?” Since she had to pretend, she might as well go all the way, she sat back down and asked naively. Lu Tuo’s gaze deepened, he looked at her for a moment, then said softly, “Of course, she’s the most beautiful angel in my eyes.” An angel? Such a cliché description! Dong Qin smiled ambiguously, “Not even married yet and already so protective. Alright, I definitely won’t bully her! Rest assured! I have homework to do, I’ll head upstairs.” She nodded to them and went upstairs. Several gazes followed her back, but she didn’t turn around. Dong Qin couldn’t describe her first impression of Ina; she was indeed very beautiful, tall, like a life-sized Barbie doll, with delicate and exotic features. But that was all. Dong Qin lost interest after just one glance. Ina was clearly excited to see Lu Tuo, throwing herself into his arms at the airport for a public kiss. Zuo Shao Qin and her husband tactfully stepped back, letting the young couple have their moment before approaching. “Welcome to our home, Ina!” Zuo Shao Qin took her hand, the very image of a caring mother-in-law, her face full of affection. Ina, in her somewhat unpolished Chinese, said slowly, “Thank you, Aunt. My mom says she misses you and hopes you can stay in Italy longer.” Zuo Shao Qin laughed, and the four of them chatted for a while. Dong Qin stood by, bored, looking out the window, regretting not bringing her MP3. She hoped they would finish their reunion quickly and go back. She couldn’t understand why Zuo Shao Qin insisted she come to pick up Ina, even if she was Tuo’s girlfriend, there was no need for a special airport greeting, especially since they had never met before. “Who is this…?” Ina’s voice became hesitant, Dong Qin turned around, met her puzzled and slightly guarded eyes, and smiled lightly, “Hello, I’m Dong Qin, Tuo’s sister.” Upon hearing she was Lu Tuo’s sister, the wariness in Ina’s eyes vanished, and she warmly embraced Dong Qin. “Tuo! She’s really your sister? No way!”
“She looks even younger than you! My God, she’s so adorable! She’s just like a doll from a picture book!” she exclaimed loudly and frankly, planting a hard kiss on Dongqin’s cheek, leaving her both amused and embarrassed. A straightforward person, Dongqin felt a slight fondness for her and smiled back. Thus, Yina moved into the Lu household, with Zuo Shaoxin arranging a guest room on the third floor for her temporary stay. Dongqin thought that Yina and Lu Tuo must be very close, as Lu Tuo spent almost the entire evening in the guest room, their laughter and chatter permeating through the walls, causing her to lose sleep. Fortunately, Zuo Shaoxin showed mercy and didn’t ask her to see Yina off; Lu Jinghao drove Yina to the airport instead. Dongqin could catch up on her sleep during the day.
Dongqin was woken up by strange moans. Opening her eyes, she saw bright light outside; the alarm clock showed it was 2:30 in the afternoon. The moans came from next door. It took Dongqin a moment to realize they were from Lu Tuo and Yina. She closed her eyes in pain and sighed. No way! These two have too much stamina! Not sleeping all night and still having energy for lovemaking the next day. She had only slept for three or four hours!
She pulled the blanket over her ears, intending to sleep more, but Lu Tuo seemed to be deliberately disturbing her. The wall next to her rhythmically thumped, accompanied by Yina’s moans, making Dongqin’s heart race. This damn guy. Dongqin got up, her eyes dark with circles, and went to the bathroom to shower. If he planned to torment her like this for the next half month, she would surrender. Maybe it would be better to stay away? After showering, she changed into comfortable down jacket and sneakers, planning to go for a walk. The moans from next door were still ongoing, intensifying. Dongqin thought, Lu Tuo has such good stamina, what a waste, living together for so long and never having tried.
Quietly closing her door without disturbing anyone, she tightened her scarf and briskly walked out of the luxurious villa. Normally, she was driven to school, so she had never walked around the area. The Lu’s villa was built on a hill; outside the large iron gate, there were winding mountain paths surrounded by forests, now in late autumn with bare branches, not much scenery to enjoy. Dongqin walked down the road aimlessly. The surroundings were quiet, with only the sound of the wind and occasional raindrops on her face, chilling her to the bone. Rounding a bend, she was suddenly struck by a sight—a vast lake below! It was a cloudy day, with heavy clouds and thick fog on the lake, like a dreamscape. She took a deep breath and murmured, “Pity, I didn’t bring a camera.”
Suddenly, someone spoke behind her, “I brought one, do you need it?” Dongqin was startled and turned slowly to see a man in a black coat not far away, his long, dark hair neatly tied back. The fog was too thick to see his face clearly. Dongqin stepped back, softly saying, “No, thank you. No need.”
The man approached, smiling, “You live in that villa up there?”
