Chapter Thirty-One: What Does It Feel Like

Chu Dong was completely anesthetized by alcohol, lost in a state of utter unconsciousness. After she fell on top of him, Li Youlan didn’t move either; her small chest, tightly wrapped in a little bra, pressed against the tip of Chu Dong’s nose. The narrow gap between them was just enough to keep him from suffocating. Meanwhile, Tan Xue’s delicate hand was, by some strange coincidence, gripping tightly three inches below his belt, clutching as if she had found a lifeline.

The first thing little Yuer did was try to pull Li Youlan away, thinking her brother-in-law shouldn’t be so intimate with this woman. Though Li Youlan was slender and thin, little Yuer was simply too weak, and her efforts were in vain. She turned to help her sister, but then thought better of it—why should only Li Youlan take advantage of her brother-in-law? Her own sister shouldn’t be left out either. So, without moving anyone, she ran to her sister’s room, fetched a blanket, and threw it over all three of them, leaving the drunken trio to sleep together beneath its cover.

It’s often said that drunkenness leads to mischief; people do things in a half-conscious state that they’d never imagine when sober. The three, deep in sleep beneath the blanket, weren’t entirely senseless—limited sensory feedback still provoked certain involuntary responses.

Chu Dong caught the faint fragrance beside him, felt the heat and softness of a body gently shifting now and then, and his lower half, gripped by a small hand, began to slowly swell. Unaware when it started, his own hands began to roam, caressing Li Youlan’s petite form, wandering until her skirt was hiked above her waist, his large hands kneading her delicate hips and back. His breath grew heavier.

Tan Xue’s body, which had been half sprawled on Chu Dong, shifted as if trying to find comfort, curling up between his legs, her head resting on his pelvis. Her little hand slipped through an undone zipper and found something warm and fleshy, which she unconsciously squeezed.

Li Youlan felt a prickling itch from Chu Dong’s stubbly chin, but the warmth of those big hands brought her an indescribable pleasure, a comfort she’d never felt before. She believed she was dreaming; those hands were sometimes gentle, sometimes wild, even daring to venture where no one should, though she managed to fend them off, feeling a secret satisfaction in doing so.

But reality is always reality, and dreams must end eventually.

Tan Xue was the first to wake. The blanket little Yuer had thrown over them had long since been kicked aside, and the dim sky outside revealed it was close to four in the morning. She realized she wasn’t in bed, and there was more than one person sleeping beside her.

As she began to move, she noticed her hand was in a very inappropriate place and hurriedly withdrew it. Even though no one had seen, her face flushed scarlet, and she wiped her sticky hand repeatedly on Chu Dong’s pants, not knowing what she’d touched.

As her eyes adjusted to the dark, Tan Xue nearly cried out in shock. Her best friend, Li Youlan, was lying disheveled in Chu Dong’s arms, both seeming to enjoy themselves even in sleep.

She couldn’t tell if it was anger or some other feeling rising in her chest, but Tan Xue scrambled to her feet and gave Chu Dong a kick. She’d lost her shoes during the night, so her little bare foot didn’t hurt him much, but the kick did prompt a response.

Chu Dong, still lost in dreams, imagined Tan Xue had suddenly become incredibly gentle, the two of them wrapped in tender affection. Moved by the dream, he murmured, “Xue, little Xue…”

The words, uttered in a half-asleep mutter, reached Tan Xue’s ears just as she was about to deliver another blow. Her foot, hovering less than a millimeter from its target, froze in place.

“Shameless,” she spat, blushing furiously as she pulled Li Youlan up from Chu Dong’s embrace.

Li Youlan was even more deeply intoxicated than Tan Xue, though she could hold her liquor a little better. Awakened by Tan Xue’s tug, she opened her eyes groggily and sat up on the carpet, facing Tan Xue with a yawn. “Where’s that bastard?”

Tan Xue remained silent, nodding toward the spot behind her.

Li Youlan turned to look and jumped in fright. As she tried to rise, she realized something was wrong—her panties had been tugged halfway down; if not for her skirt, most of her bottom would have been exposed.

She didn’t need to guess who was responsible. Mortified and furious, Li Youlan lifted her foot to stomp on Chu Dong’s groin. Tan Xue, not expecting her friend to be so violent, quickly pulled her aside.

“Let me crush this scoundrel,” Li Youlan struggled.

“Forget it. What will you say when he wakes up?” Tan Xue, her cheeks still flushed, whispered to her.

“You’re not worried about him, are you?” Li Youlan, puzzled by Tan Xue’s reaction, asked in surprise.

“Whatever, do as you please,” Tan Xue said, turning to leave, only to be stopped by Li Youlan.

“Don’t go! I’m sorry, all right? Just please, don’t tell anyone about this…” Li Youlan, seeing the open zipper that Tan Xue had left, assumed she herself was responsible, and pleaded in embarrassment.

Seeing the normally fiery Li Youlan so meek and submissive, Tan Xue quickly agreed, and together, the two girls quietly slipped back to Tan Xue’s room.

Little Yuer, who rarely woke early, was up before six and crept out to peek around, finding only Chu Dong left on the floor. She tiptoed over.

“Hey, brother-in-law, hey…”

“Huh? What time is it?” Chu Dong, roused from his dream, asked groggily.

“Almost dawn. Did you sleep well?” Little Yuer squatted beside him, mischievously tapping his nose.

“Not bad… Just a bit stiff.” Blushing, Chu Dong got up from the floor and looked at the giggling girl. “Don’t tell anyone I slept on the floor.”

“No, no, of course not. We’re family, right? Don’t worry,” little Yuer promised, patting her chest. Then she asked a question that left Chu Dong even more bewildered. “So, how did it feel to sleep with three people at once?”

“What three people?” Chu Dong scratched his head.

“Oh, don’t play dumb with me,” little Yuer pouted, pointing at the blanket. “I saw it all. I was the one who covered you with that blanket.”

Rubbing his aching temples, Chu Dong couldn’t remember anything. He recalled drinking a lot with Li Youlan and Tan Xue last night, but nothing else.

“Shh, keep your voice down,” Chu Dong quickly covered little Yuer’s mouth, glancing around to make sure no one else was around. “This stays between us, understand? No one else can know…”

“Forget it, my sister and her friend know too,” little Yuer said, pulling his hand away.

“Well, just pretend you don’t know anything. I’m leaving,” Chu Dong said, patting his rumpled clothes and heading for the door.

“Why should I listen to you? What’s in it for me?” Little Yuer, always quick to seize an opportunity, wouldn’t let him off that easily.

“I’ll call you—whatever you want, just say the word.” With that, Chu Dong vanished without a trace.