Lips Brushing, Barely There

[15] 15: Lips brushing against each other

Xie Li stopped at a distance incredibly close to her lips.

At this distance, she could feel the softness and warmth of those lips. During an Omega's heat, body temperature rises significantly, becoming almost scorching to the touch.

The two of them had their breaths tangled together, their lips brushing against each other in a way that felt almost non-existent. This distance—so close yet still apart—was even more alluring than a direct kiss.

Xie Li closed her eyes, exhaling with restraint. The other woman was in the midst of her heat, her mind clouded.

If she were to kiss her now, it would be utterly shameless.

She pulled back slightly, helping Jin Zhaoye sit up, and patted her flushed, burning cheek gently. 'Dr. Jin, can you hear me?'

Jin Zhaoye lifted her eyelids to glance at her, responding with a muddled hum.

'We need to crawl forward now. You follow behind me. If you need to stop and rest, remember to tell me,' Xie Li instructed, still worried.

'Mm~' Jin Zhaoye hummed again, low and soft.

Confirming that she still had a shred of consciousness, Xie Li felt relieved. She shouldered the handbag she had left in the duct and took the lead, crawling forward.

Without Jin Zhaoye to guide her, Xie Li certainly couldn't have found the way back on her own. She could only wander aimlessly through the ducts, searching for empty rest rooms one by one.

She crawled very slowly, turning back to check on the person behind her every so often. Fortunately, Jin Zhaoye followed closely and never fell behind.

The scent of white tea and cedar lingered at the tip of her nose, refusing to dissipate.

After crawling for about half an hour, Xie Li stopped in front of a ventilation vent.

She peered through the gaps in the grate. Below looked like an office—it was spacious, clean, and carpeted with soft flooring. The door was shut, and the room was empty; there were no Zombie sightings.

'This is the one. I'll head down first to take a look; wait for my signal,' Xie Li said, turning back to call out to her before removing the grate and jumping down first.

She rolled twice on the carpet upon landing, catching her breath for several moments before pushing herself up with her knees. She walked quickly to the door and locked the office from the inside.

Once the door was secured, she did a quick sweep of the room to confirm there were no Zombie or people present, and finally, she let out a sigh of relief.

Returning to the vent, Xie Li looked up at the pitch-black opening. 'Dr. Jin, it's very safe here. Jump down, I'll catch you.'

Jin Zhaoye's silhouette appeared at the opening, her gaze dropping to Xie Li's wrist.

Even though her consciousness was no longer clear, she still remembered that Xie Li's hand was injured. In an environment like this, a hand injury was dangerous; she couldn't risk worsening the other's wound.

'Stay back,' she said, her voice hoarse.

Xie Li looked at her stubbornly. 'I can catch you. Just jump down.'

'I can get down myself,' Jin Zhaoye said, bracing herself against the edge of the vent and leaping down.

Her figure swayed upon landing, and just as she was about to fall, Xie Li stepped forward in time, catching her by the waist.

The two of them held each other tightly, and time seemed to freeze; no one moved, and no one spoke.

Jin Zhaoye's body temperature was incredibly hot. Faintly, Xie Li felt she could even hear the other's rapid heartbeat—thump after thump, fast and chaotic, striking against her own chest.

The office was deathly silent, with only the scent of white tea and cedar spreading rapidly. As it entered Xie Li's nasal cavity with every breath, the back of her neck began to burn. Her own lime and mint scent leaked out uncontrollably, tangling with the other's pheromones.

Both of their breaths grew ragged, and their embrace tightened. Sensing the hand at her lower back beginning to explore restlessly beneath her hem, Xie Li was the first to regain her senses.

She loosened her grip on Jin Zhaoye's slender waist and stepped back, putting some distance between them.

The sensation of that soft skin seemed to linger on her palms. Xie Li tucked her hands behind her back, turned to look at the door of the rest room attached to the office, and asked, 'Do you... want to take a shower first?'

Her cheeks felt hot enough to fry an egg as she said it.

Knowing full well what was likely to happen next, asking the other person if they wanted to shower was truly embarrassing.

Jin Zhaoye raised her eyes to look at Xie Li, her gaze shifting from Xie Li's eyes to her flushed cheeks.

She gave a low hum and walked toward the rest room with weak, unsteady steps.

Xie Li watched her back disappear behind the door and, listening to the sound of water that soon followed, thought for a moment before deciding to follow her in.

This office must have belonged to a high-ranking school official; the facilities were quite complete.

The outer area was the office space, and the inner room was a decent-sized rest room. A large bed was placed by the window with pure white, hotel-style bedding, and there was a built-in wardrobe on the other side.

Xie Li walked over, opened the cabinet door, and took a look. A row of neat shirts hung inside, along with suits and skirt sets in various colors, as well as a few simple, high-quality athletic outfits.

It was clear that the owner of this office was a woman—and a fastidious one at that.

She took the bag she had been wearing around her neck and placed it on the nightstand. She held up a black satin shirt to compare it against her body, then picked up a pair of matching trousers to check them; the size seemed appropriate.

Clutching the selected clothes, Xie Li walked to the bathroom door.

The sound of water was still splashing. Through the frosted glass door, she could vaguely see a swaying silhouette.

Xie Li averted her gaze, cleared her throat, and said with feigned calm, 'Dr. Jin, there are some fresh clothes here. I've left them by the door for you; you can grab them when you're done.'

The water in the bathroom stopped, and Jin Zhaoye's voice, dampened by the steam, drifted out: 'Okay, thank you.'

Xie Li placed the clothes on a stool by the door, turned, and left the rest room, returning to the office to find a chair and sit down.

She placed her hands on her knees, sitting upright like a primary school student waiting for a teacher to call roll. Only she knew how fast her heart was beating.

After about ten minutes, the rest room door was pulled open, and Xie Li turned to look.

Jin Zhaoye emerged, bathed in steam. Her shirt collar was slightly open, revealing thin, elegant collarbones, and the skin on her neck still glowed with a faint pink flush.

The hem of her shirt was tucked into her trousers, highlighting her slender waist and long, graceful frame. The black trousers draped elegantly, the cuffs brushing against her instep, and a few fair, delicate toes peeked out from her slippers.

She held a white towel in her hand, slowly drying her dripping hair with a casual, languid motion.

Xie Li stared blankly as Jin Zhaoye approached, looking at that flushed face, the lashes dampened by steam, the crimson lips, and the dripping hair. Her mind went completely blank.

Jin Zhaoye walked up to her and waved a hand in front of her eyes.

That hand had just been washed and still carried the warmth of the steam. Her fingers were long and symmetrical, with clear knuckles and neatly trimmed nails.

'You go wash up too. There are new towels in the cabinet.' Her voice, softened by the steam, was no longer hoarse but cool and clear, like snow melting in spring.

Xie Li looked at that impossibly beautiful hand, and her face turned bright red.

'Okay... I'll go shower.' She stood up and fled into the bathroom as if escaping.

Jin Zhaoye watched that fleeing back and the corners of her lips curved upward.

She withdrew her gaze and continued to dry her hair, wrapping the towel around the strands and rubbing gently. The moisture was absorbed bit by bit, and her hair gradually became loose and soft.

After drying it to a damp state, she returned to the room. She found a hairdryer in the cabinet, plugged it in, and the warm air passed through her hair, taking away the remaining moisture.

In the bathroom, Xie Li stood under the hot water, tilting her head back to let the stream wash over her entire body.

She washed carefully and thoroughly, not just because of what was to come—though that was the primary reason.

More importantly, she knew very well that from here on out, being able to take a comfortable hot shower like this would be a luxury.

Today was only the first day of the Apocalypse; no one knew what tomorrow would bring. Xie Li could only cherish the present.

She used the body wash many times, scrubbing from head to toe, over and over again, until her skin was flushed a faint pink and she could only smell the fresh scent of the soap—not a hint of the stench of the Zombie. Only then did she turn off the water.

She rummaged through the cabinet for a towel, pulled one out, and slowly dried the water from her body.

As she dried off, she looked down at her naked body, then at the blood-stained clothes she had carelessly tossed onto the vanity.

She seemed to have... been so busy getting clothes for the other person that she forgot to get any for herself.

After hesitating for a few seconds, Xie Li decided not to ask Jin Zhaoye for help. Instead, she took a bathrobe from the cabinet, draped it over herself, and tied the belt, wrapping herself up tightly.

Standing before the bathroom door, she let out a breath, mustered her courage, opened the door, and stepped out.

The heat from the bathroom surged out with her, carrying the fresh scent of soap and the lime and mint scent of Xie Li, filling the space.

Jin Zhaoye, leaning against the headboard, looked over at Xie Li. The Alpha's wet hair was still dripping, and her cheeks were steamed pink by the heat, looking as fresh and tender as a peach just picked from a tree.

She held the hairdryer and gestured for Xie Li to come over.

Xie Li took a few steps closer, her gaze falling on the hairdryer in her hand.

'It's okay, I... I can dry it myself.'

Jin Zhaoye raised an eyebrow slightly and handed the hairdryer to her.

'Student Xie, our relationship hasn't reached the level of intimacy where we can help each other dry our hair yet.'