The Quagmire of Desire: From Gambling Addict and Village Flower to Movie Queen

Liu Yue lay on the bed, her heart still pounding.

She heard Meiling and Xiaoyan talking outside the door, so she quickly closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep.

Meiling laughed and said she had a really good time drinking tonight, while Xiaoyan's voice sounded a little slurred.

Liu Yue turned to her side and felt Xiao Hui lying naked next to her in bed, and a feeling she couldn't quite describe welled up inside her.

Her mind kept replaying what had just happened in the room.

At first, Xiao Hui rushed up and kissed her, and she closed her eyes, trying to figure out the rhythm of the photographer's hands, and tried to adjust her breathing and movements.

Xiao Hui was indeed very satisfied, and panting heavily, he said, "Liu Yue, you were amazing today."

Liu Yue's heart tightened, but she smiled gently and said that she learned it from him, but she knew in her heart that she did not learn it from Xiao Hui at all.

The feeling, how should I put it, is like using the wrong key to unlock a door; something just doesn't feel right.

Xiao Hui was young and full of vigor. He put in a lot of effort with every thrust, but his rhythm was wrong, his strength was wrong, and even the places he kissed were wrong.

When she closed her eyes, her mind was filled with the photographer's techniques: when to be light, when to be heavy, the thumb should circle around, the lips should slowly move down to the earlobe, that kind of subtle teasing.

Xiao Hui doesn't understand these things; he just charges around recklessly.

But Liu Yue didn't dare to say it. She could only close her eyes and mentally replace the person beneath her with the photographer, which made her feel a little more comfortable.

She bit her lip to keep herself from making a sound, afraid that she would call the wrong name if she did.

After it was over, she lay on top of Xiaohui, a wave of guilt washing over her. But this guilt was betrayed by her body in just three seconds. She remembered the photographer's actions, and her body became hot again.

Liu Yue pulled out her phone from under her pillow, and the screen lit up.

It was a message from the male photographer: "How's it going? Is your boyfriend satisfied?"

Liu Yue's heart skipped a beat. She quickly deleted the message and stuffed her phone back under her pillow.

She turned to her side and saw that Xiao Hui was already asleep, shirtless, breathing evenly.

She stared at his back, feeling as if two ropes were pulling at her heart.

She closed her eyes, her hand unconsciously reaching under the covers, biting her lip, her mind filled with images of herself and the photographer in the room.

The man's hand slid from her back to her waist, and then from her waist to her thigh...

Liu Yue turned over, opened her eyes and looked at Xiao Hui, who was fast asleep.

She quietly picked up her phone from under her pillow. The screen was still on, and another message popped up in the photographer's chat box: "Goodnight, see you tomorrow."

Liu Yue stared at those words, her finger hovering over the delete key, but she couldn't bring herself to press it.

Finally, she locked her phone, lay on her side, and looked at the sliver of light that was leaking in through the gap in the curtains, her mind a jumbled mess.

Meiling's laughter came from the next room, along with the sound of water running in the bathroom.

As Liu Yue listened to these sounds, she slowly closed her eyes.

……

An hour earlier at the resort, Liu Meiling and Lin Dong were smoking on the bed in their cabin.

The room was dimly lit, the curtains were half-drawn, and the sea breeze was blowing in through the window.

Both of them were naked, and the bed sheet was crumpled up and thrown at the foot of the bed.

Liu Meiling, with a cigarette dangling from her lips, leaned against the headboard, staring at the ceiling with a smile on her lips.

Lin Dong turned to look at her, his fingers tracing circles on her waist.

"Meiling."

"Um?"

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

Liu Meiling paused for a moment, then turned her head to look at him.

Lin Dong's eyes were quite serious; he didn't seem to be joking.

She smiled, took the cigarette out of her mouth, and offered it to his lips.

Lin Dong took a drag and then handed the cigarette back to Lin Dong.

"Mr. Lin, I can't be your girlfriend." Liu Meiling exhaled a smoke ring. "I'm not good enough for you."

"Why aren't you good enough for me?" Lin Dong frowned. "You're good-looking and sensible. I'm serious."

Liu Meiling shook her head and flicked the cigarette ash into the ashtray on the bedside table.

She looked down at the scars on her body—whip marks, cigarette burns—from her collarbone all the way to her thigh.

Lin Dong followed her gaze, his eyes darkening.

"How many sluts like me have you seen?" Liu Meiling said with a laugh. "Do you know who I am? I've been with dozens of men in a hair salon. If you asked me to be your girlfriend, wouldn't your friends laugh at you?"

Lin Dong didn't say anything, but reached out and touched the scar on her waist very lightly.

I don't care about those things.

"I care." Liu Meiling stubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray. "This is how my life is going to be. I'll have fun while I can, but don't take it seriously."

Lin Dong looked at her without saying a word for a long time.

Finally, he sighed, picked up the cigarette pack from the bedside table, took out a cigarette and put it in Liu Meiling's mouth, and said with a smile, "Then I'll listen to you, being friends with benefits is fine too."

Liu Meiling grinned, a cigarette dangling from her lips, and patted his cheek: "That's more like it."

Lin Dong smiled and shook his head, then lit a cigarette for himself. The two of them leaned against the headboard and smoked, neither of them saying another word.

The sea breeze blew in and dispersed the smoke.

Liu Meiling exhaled a puff of smoke, thinking to herself that this man was really interesting. If she were to follow him, she wouldn't know how to live.

The kind of person she needs is someone who will cherish her, but doesn't need anyone to take responsibility for her.

Being responsible is too tiring, but being a casual sex partner is much easier. You can come whenever you want, and nobody owes anyone anything.

She got up and started dressing. Lin Dong said from behind, "Aren't you going to stay a little longer?"

"I have to go back. My sister is still lying in the banquet hall." Liu Meiling zipped up her dress. "I can't leave her there alone."

Lin Dong nodded, didn't try to stop him, and said, "See you tomorrow."

Liu Meiling smiled, pushed open the door, and walked out.

The lights were still on in the banquet hall, and several male photographers hadn't left yet.

When Liu Meiling pushed the door open, she saw Sun Xiaoyan still lying on the sofa, her head tilted to the side, with wine stains on the corner of her mouth, fast asleep.

But her skirt was lifted up, revealing most of her thigh. Three male photographers surrounded her, some squatting and some standing, with microphones and cameras pointed at her.

A tall, thin male photographer was squatting by the sofa, holding a camera and aiming it at Sun Xiaoyan's thighs, muttering, "This angle is amazing. Her legs are long and straight, and her butt is perky. She has a lot of scars, but there's something strange about her."

Another slightly chubby male photographer stood behind the sofa with his camera, filming from Sun Xiaoyan's neck down to her waist and then to her rounded buttocks, and couldn't help but click his tongue: "With that figure, she could be a star."

The third male photographer, wearing glasses, knelt in front of the sofa, reached out and gently lifted Sun Xiaoyan's skirt, revealing her underwear that had been pulled up.

His eyes lit up as he kept pressing the shutter button: "This is even more perfect; this structure is absolutely amazing."

Sun Xiaoyan grunted, turned over, mumbled something, and then fell silent.

The photographers were startled, exchanged glances, and then laughed.

"You scared me! I thought you were awake."

"She's fast asleep, you couldn't wake her up even if it was thunder."

"I didn't get a good shot from that angle. Turn her over and I'll take another one."

The bespectacled photographer put down his camera and reached out to turn Sun Xiaoyan's body over.

He first put her legs together, then positioned her buttocks to make it easier for the other two people to take pictures.

Sun Xiaoyan groaned twice while being manipulated, but she didn't open her eyes.

Liu Meiling stood at the door for three seconds, then her face darkened.

She strode over, shoved the photographer who was bending down to take pictures of Sun Xiaoyan's thigh, and yelled, "What the hell are you taking pictures of?!"

The photographers were startled and quickly stood up.

The tall, thin man, holding the camera, was about to argue when Liu Meiling snatched it away. Seeing that the camera was full of close-up photos of Sun Xiaoyan's thighs, buttocks, and that area, she was so angry that she smashed the camera on the ground, sending parts flying everywhere.

"Are you crazy!" the tall, thin photographer exclaimed, "This is Mr. Lin's equipment, it costs tens of thousands!"

"What do I care about tens of thousands!" Liu Meiling grabbed a wine glass from the table and smashed it at his feet. "Who gave you permission to film my sister? Get out! All of you, get out!"

The photographer with glasses tried to explain, "We're just shooting artistic photos. Aren't you guys signed models?"

"Art my ass!" Liu Meiling slammed her hand on the table. "Taking pictures of her naked butt is art? Do you want me to take a set and post it online for everyone to see?"

Several photographers were rendered speechless by her scolding and, knowing they couldn't afford to offend her, left one by one.

As the tall, thin photographer reached the door, he glanced back at the shattered camera, then at Liu Meiling. His lips moved, but he didn't dare say anything before turning and leaving.

The room quieted down, and Liu Meiling stood in front of the sofa looking at Sun Xiaoyan.

Sun Xiaoyan's skirt was pulled up to her thighs, her hair was a mess, and there was drool at the corner of her mouth. She was fast asleep.

Liu Meiling squatted down, pulled her skirt down to cover her, and wiped her mouth with a tissue. Sun Xiaoyan frowned slightly when touched, turned over, and fell asleep again.

"You can still sleep?" Liu Meiling sighed, helped her up, and said, "Come on, go back to sleep."

Sun Xiaoyan, still somewhat dazed, was helped out, mumbling, "Have another drink..."

"Drink my ass."

Liu Meiling led her out of the banquet hall, down the corridor, and back to her hotel room.

When I opened the door, the bedroom was quiet, and all the lights were off.

Knowing that Xiao Hui and Liu Yue were asleep inside, Liu Meiling didn't turn on the main light. Using the light coming in from the corridor, she helped Sun Xiaoyan to lie down on the bed.

Sun Xiaoyan lay motionless on the bed, her hair covering half her face.

Liu Meiling sat on the edge of the bed, reached out to tidy her hair, and sighed.

She took out her cigarette case to smoke one, but then remembered that Xiaohui and Liu Yue were still in the room, so she put the cigarette case away.

She sat on the edge of the bed, listening to the sound of the waves outside the window and Sun Xiaoyan's even breathing.

The living room was quiet, with only the ticking of the clock on the wall.

Liu Meiling felt a little tired, so she leaned against the headboard and her eyelids slowly drooped.

Liu Yue was still awake in the bedroom.

She heard Meiling and Xiaoyan return, heard Meiling moving around in the living room, and heard Xiaoyan being put on the bed. She closed her eyes, turned to her side, and leaned against Xiaohui's shoulder beside her.

Xiao Hui's breathing was even; he was sleeping soundly.

Liu Yue's phone vibrated again.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she gripped the sheets tightly, too afraid to move.

The phone lit up briefly under my pillow, then went out.

She didn't know if it was the male photographer or someone else, but that name stuck in her heart like a thorn.

She closed her eyes and thought to herself, "I can't look anymore, I can't look anymore."

But my fingers unconsciously reached under the pillow and touched the cold phone case.

The screen lit up, and the message was still there.

Good night, see you tomorrow.

Liu Yue stared at her phone for a long time, then locked it, tucked it under her pillow, and took a deep breath.

She turned to the side, buried her face in Xiaohui's back, and smelled his scent.

The photographer's face is still vivid in my mind.

She closed her eyes and told herself, just this once, just this once, and tomorrow she would pretend nothing happened.

But her body wouldn't allow it; it kept burning up.

A gentle sea breeze blows outside the window; the night is long, seemingly endless.