Chapter 2: The Price of Confession

After cheering in an exaggerated manner for what felt like an eternity, Song Qinghuan slowly began to calm herself.

Her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly.

“Good girl,”

She reached out, gently stroking Lin Shishi’s head. “Now, come here and say ‘Master’ for me.”

Lin Shishi’s body stiffened instantly.

Her mind was a chaotic swirl of thoughts, as waves of shame surged through her, relentlessly eroding her composure.

Within the pages of her diary, she had, in fact, envisioned this very scenario countless times.

Back then, she would hide beneath her blankets, penning those words by the faint glow of her phone screen. Her heart would pound like a drum, her cheeks would burn, and a strange, unfamiliar heat would bloom deep within her.

Yet, those were merely fantasies.

In reality, she was the quiet, reserved girl who could go an entire day without speaking, the timid soul who would blush and shy away from someone she liked, the docile student whose voice would tremble when called upon in class.

But now, fantasy had collided with reality.

And it had done so in a way she was utterly unprepared for.

“Hmm?”

Song Qinghuan’s toe gently tapped Lin Shishi’s knee. “Didn’t you hear me?”

The tip of her toe, adorned with deep burgundy nail polish, shimmered alluringly in the dim, warm light.

Lin Shishi’s gaze involuntarily followed that foot—its skin fair, its arch graceful, its ankle slender.

Song Qinghuan seemed to notice her stare, deliberately lifting her foot higher until its sole was almost touching Lin Shishi’s face.

“I…” Lin Shishi parted her lips, her voice catching in her throat.

“What’s wrong?”

Song Qinghuan leaned closer, the neckline of her nightgown once again falling open, revealing a glimpse of pristine white skin tantalizingly close. “Didn’t you write it so fluently in your diary? What, you can write it, but you can’t say it?”

Lin Shishi closed her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling. Several seconds passed before she squeezed out two words, barely audible, like the buzz of a mosquito, from between her teeth:

“…Master.”

“I can’t hear you.” Song Qinghuan lightly nudged her shoulder with her toe. “Louder. I need to hear it clearly.”

“Master!” Lin Shishi practically screamed, her voice thick with a nascent sob.

The moment the word escaped her, her entire face flushed crimson, a blush spreading to her neck and ears.

Song Qinghuan smiled, a look of satisfaction gracing her features.

She withdrew her foot, her bare soles padding softly on the wooden floor. She then walked to the bed and sat down, patting the spot beside her.

“Come sit here.”

Lin Shishi hesitated for a moment, then rose, her legs feeling numb from kneeling for so long.

She stumbled to the bed and cautiously sat on the edge, maintaining half an arm’s length distance from Song Qinghuan.

However, Song Qinghuan reached out, wrapped an arm around her waist, and pulled her closer.

Their thighs pressed together, their arms brushed, and the warmth of their bodies transferred through the thin fabric of their nightgowns.

“Speaking of which,”

Song Qinghuan tilted her head, observing Lin Shishi’s thoroughly flushed profile, her voice laced with amusement. “You’re truly adorable. We’ve been roommates for two months now, and I never would have imagined you liked me this much.”

Her fingers gently twirled a strand of Lin Shishi’s hair, wrapping it around her fingertip.

The gesture was excessively intimate.

“N-no, I don’t…” Lin Shishi mumbled, her head bowed, her voice barely a whisper.

“Hmm?”

Song Qinghuan’s hand suddenly tightened, pulling on Lin Shishi’s scalp with a sharp sting. “What do you mean? Do you not like me? If you don’t like me, why did you write such a novel? And with such detail—”

Lin Shishi trembled all over.

Indeed, she had observed Song Qinghuan meticulously.

Over these past two months, she had secretly watched Song Qinghuan countless times—

Watching her appear sleepy-eyed right after waking, seeing her emerge from the shower wrapped only in a towel, observing the curve of her bare back as she changed clothes, and noticing her ankle swaying as she read with her feet propped up.

Each stolen glance was a clandestine revelry.

Afterward, she would secretly record these details, refining them into those embarrassing words late at night, when all was quiet.

“I…” She was speechless.

“Speak,”

Song Qinghuan’s fingers slid from her hair to her cheek, her fingertips gently caressing the burning skin. “Do you like me or not? I want the truth.”

Lin Shishi bit her lower lip, almost drawing blood.

After a long silence, so long that Song Qinghuan’s fingers had already traced down to her neck, gently pinching the area of her Adam’s apple, she finally squeezed out two words from her throat:

“…Like.”

The sound was almost imperceptible, but Song Qinghuan heard it.

She smiled.

Releasing Lin Shishi’s neck, she instead patted the back of her head.

“Excellent.”

Song Qinghuan crossed her legs, folded her arms across her chest, and adopted a serious demeanor: “Now, I’m setting a few rules for you. Listen carefully.”

Lin Shishi stood obediently before her, head bowed, hands clasped behind her back, like a scolded elementary school student.

“First, in front of everyone—in the classroom, the cafeteria, the library, or whenever others are present—we maintain our normal roommate relationship. I’ll call you ‘Shishi,’ and you’ll call me ‘Qinghuan-jie.’ We need to act like regular close friends, without revealing any cracks in the facade. Understand?”

Lin Shishi nodded vigorously.

“Second,” Song Qinghuan held up two fingers, “when it’s just the two of us, you are to address me as Master—however, at all times, you must obey me, be at my beck and call, and do whatever I tell you to do. Is that clear?”

Lin Shishi nodded again.

“If it’s clear,” Song Qinghuan’s lips curved into a mischievous smile, “then bark like a dog.”

Lin Shishi’s head shot up abruptly, her eyes wide and round.

Song Qinghuan said nothing more.

She simply reached for the dark red diary on her desk, weighed it in her hand, then flipped to a certain page. Clearing her throat, she began to recite in a poetic tone: “…”

“Don’t read it!” Lin Shishi shrieked, lunging forward to snatch the diary.

Song Qinghuan easily dodged, holding the diary aloft as she looked down at the crimson-faced Lin Shishi: “What? You can write it yourself, but I can’t hear it? Lin Shishi, let me tell you, what you’re experiencing now is far tamer than what you wrote. I’m giving you a massive discount, you know. So, are you going to bark or not?”

Her gaze left no room for negotiation.

Lin Shishi stood rooted to the spot, her hands tightly clutching the hem of her nightgown.

She looked at the diary held high in Song Qinghuan’s hand, at the controlling smile on the other girl’s face, and at her own disheveled reflection in those deep amber eyes.

Finally, she closed her eyes and squeezed out a single sound from her throat:

“…Woof.”

The sound was soft, yet perfectly clear.

Song Qinghuan’s smile instantly widened.

She put down the diary and reached out to ruffle Lin Shishi’s hair, her movements surprisingly gentle: “That’s a good girl. It’s good to be obedient, but if you’re not…”

Her hand slid behind Lin Shishi, giving her rounded bottom a light, playful pat.

“Be careful, or I might spank you.”

Lin Shishi froze completely.

The sensation on her bottom wasn’t painful.

But the sound, the action, and the flirtatious innuendo in her words sent a tingling jolt through her entire body. Her cheeks burned, and her breathing became uneven.

Song Qinghuan, however, acted as if nothing had happened. She withdrew her hand and glanced at the sky outside the window, which had already grown completely dark.

“Alright, it’s getting late.”

She stretched, her nightgown rising with the movement to reveal a sliver of her flat stomach. “Go fetch me a basin of water; I want to wash my feet.”

Lin Shishi took two seconds to process that this was an order.

She turned, retrieved a light blue plastic basin from under the bed, and walked into the bathroom.

The sound of the faucet turning on, a gentle gurgle, was exceptionally clear in the quiet night.

After a while, she emerged carrying a basin of warm water and carefully placed it on the floor in front of Song Qinghuan’s bed. The water’s surface rippled slightly, reflecting the ceiling light.

Song Qinghuan sat on the edge of the bed and dipped both her feet into the basin.

The water temperature was just right; she sighed contentedly, her toes gently curling and stretching in the water.

They were exceptionally beautiful feet, long and slender, with graceful arches, and neatly trimmed, clean toenails. Adorned with that deep burgundy polish, they resembled a row of ripe cherries against the clear water.

Her two feet rubbed against each other, creating a soft splashing sound.

Lin Shishi stood by, looking utterly at a loss.

“What are you staring at?” Song Qinghuan looked up, a half-smile playing on her lips. “Hurry up and serve me. Do I have to teach you this too?”

Lin Shishi bit her lip, then finally crouched down and reached her hand into the warm water. The water was warmer than she’d expected, making her fingertips turn slightly red. After a moment of hesitation, she took hold of Song Qinghuan’s right foot.

The touch was delicate and smooth, like fine silk. She could clearly feel the contours of the bones on the back of the other girl’s foot, the curve of her arch, and the slightly protruding bone of her ankle.

Her movements were clumsy and stiff; she merely rubbed mechanically.

Song Qinghuan, however, seemed to thoroughly enjoy it.

She lifted her left foot out of the water and gently pressed its instep against Lin Shishi’s cheek.

“How is it?” Her voice carried a hint of laughter. “Does it feel good?”

The warm, damp sole of the foot pressed against her face, a sensation both strange and intimate.

Lin Shishi could smell a faint scent of shower gel, mixed with a subtle, girlish body fragrance. She completely froze, her mind a blank.

“Speak,” Song Qinghuan’s toes gently pinched her earlobe. “Your Master is asking you a question.”

“…Good.” Lin Shishi squeezed out a single word through gritted teeth.

Song Qinghuan chuckled, then withdrew her foot and placed it back in the basin.

She flicked a little water with her toe, lightly splashing Lin Shishi’s hand. “Keep washing, and be more thorough.”

Lin Shishi, her face flushed, resumed her task.

This time, she was more meticulous, her thumb gently kneading between Song Qinghuan’s toes, while her other hand supported the back of her heel. The warm water flowed between her fingers, gliding over the delicate skin; this simple action now felt charged with an intimate allure.

Song Qinghuan leaned against the headboard, her gaze lowered to the girl kneeling at her feet.

Lin Shishi’s head was bowed, her two pigtails falling over her shoulders, their ends almost dipping into the water.

Her eyelashes were long, casting faint shadows beneath her eyelids, and her cheeks were flushed pink with shame. Fine beads of sweat even dotted the tip of her nose.

This appearance, indeed, made one… want to bully her even more ruthlessly.

But Song Qinghuan held back.

“Alright,” she finally said, “dry them off.”

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