The air in the bedroom grew thick and humid, weighed down by that soaked nightgown. Lin Xiaoyao sat on the edge of the bed in a disheveled state, her hands trembling as she fumbled with the buttons of her drenched clothes. Because the fabric clung tightly to her skin, every slight movement of her fingers accentuated the rise and fall of her flat chest, making the nearly translucent pink fleece take on a heart-racing allure under the light.

You gave her no chance to catch her breath, nor did you “get out” as she had expected. Instead, you strode forward abruptly, and amidst her startled cry, dropped directly to your knees at her feet.