Luo Yang stood there for a while, his mouth dry again, so he couldn't help but pour himself another cup of boiled water to drink. It wasn't hot in the early autumn evening, and it was unclear why he was so thirsty.
As he pondered, his phone rang.
"Only you can take me to the 'Journey to the West'..."
The screen displayed Tang Guihua's name. He answered the call and heard her ask, "Niu Zai, where are you? I went to your house and couldn't find you."
Luo Yang made up an excuse, "I'm on my way home now, what's up?"
"Just wanted to chat with you about treating fibroids, come over to my house as soon as you get back. Hurry, how much longer will you be?"
"Very soon, just a few minutes away."
"Then I'll wait for you. Hey, I made dumplings today—corn filling, just for you to try."
"Sounds good."
"Then I'll wait for you. We'll talk more when you arrive. Bye."
After hanging up, just as Qin Piao emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a bath towel, swaying gently, her wet hair dripping water and emitting a somewhat wild aura amidst its disorder. As she rubbed her hair with a towel, she asked who had called.
"Tang Guihua needs something, I've got to go."
"Niu Zai, I still want you to continue teaching me martial arts, I want to learn more."
As she spoke, she sat next to Luo Yang, a fragrance wafting towards him. Her skin was dewy, her neck as smooth as jade, and her brown curly hair added a touch of sexiness.
"I'll teach you more tomorrow. Sister Piao, these things can't be rushed. I promised you I would teach you martial arts until you learn, and I will."
"After you're done talking with Tang Guihua, will you come back?"
"It depends. She said she has urgent business, I have to go. Sister Piao, goodnight."
Seeing his urgency to leave, Qin Piao walked him to the door, reluctant to let go. She leaned against the doorpost, watching until his figure faded into the distance, then slowly went back inside, closed the door, and went upstairs.
Walking to Tang Guihua's house—it was a three-story Western-style building.
The steel front door was closed, and Luo Yang wasn't sure if Tang Guihua was asleep. He raised his hand and knocked gently twice.
"Sister Guihua, are you there?"
"Come in."
Slipper sounds tap-tapped from afar, growing closer, and the steel door clicked open.
In the light, Tang Guihua wore a loose, knee-length, pink, soft satin nightgown, tied at the waist with a two-inch-wide pink belt, highlighting her majestic curves. Her hair draped over her shoulders, and amid her beaming smile, there was an air of sweet allure.
"Come on in," she beckoned.
Luo Yang slipped in, brushing past her. A faint, pleasant body scent filled his nostrils, and an old thought surged in his mind: Did all young women have a body fragrance?
Tang Guihua's parents had already gone to bed, and her brother wasn't home. Only she was there in the living room.
Seeing that no one else was around, he quietly asked, "Sister Guihua, I'd like to ask you something."
Tang Guihua nodded, "What's so secret?"
"Why do I smell a fragrance every time I come near you? Do all girls have it?"
Upon hearing this, Tang Guihua chuckled heartily, thinking, "This young man is trying to flirt with me."
While thinking, she laughed and said, "Figure it out yourself." She then added, "I've fried some dumplings, they're warm in the pan. I'll get them for you."
As she spoke, she walked gracefully into the kitchen and soon returned with a plate of dumplings, their aroma strong. As she bent to place the plate on the coffee table, she caught Luo Yang staring intently at her, so she quickly covered her chest with her hand, straightened up, and gave him a playful, faint smile.
"Sister Guihua, these dumplings smell amazing!"
"Eat them while they're hot. They taste even better with hot pepper sauce, which I'll get for you."
She turned and walked toward the fridge. Wearing crystal slippers, her toenails painted pink, they complemented her delicate legs beautifully.
The fridge was to the right of the TV cabinet; Tang Guihua opened the upper door of the fridge and bent over to get the chili sauce from inside.
Luo Yang, sitting on the sofa with his rosewood chopsticks, was about to eat a dumpling when he inadvertently glanced at Tang Guihua's silhouette. Noticing the sensual curves below her wasp waist, smooth and voluptuous, he felt thirsty again. He thought it strange that it wasn't warm out, he had already drunk three glasses of water at Qin Piao's house, and still, his thirst was unquenched.