Manipulate My Heart [操纵我心] [GL]

Chapter 1

"Zhuo Shixue..."

"..."

"Zhuo Shixue!"

"Huh?!"

"You're back! Something on your mind?"

"It's nothing... I..." Zhuo Shixue ran her hand through her long black hair, forcing a smile onto her face as she gazed at the woman before her. Her hand trembled around the coffee cup she held. Attempting to hide the strange expression on her face, she placed the coffee cup on the table and maintained both the eye contact and the stiff smile.

"What is it, Tongtong?"

"You seemed lost in thought, so I decided to get your attention." Xia Tong pulled the chair next to Zhuo Shixue, smiling. "Did you happen to forget what day it is?"

"Huh?" Zhuo Shixue scratched her head. She usually didn't lie, but this time it seemed necessary to feign interest in the computer screen in front of her. "I'm sorry, I've just been so busy with work. If it's important, I'm sorry— I can't remember what today is."

"It's our two-year anniversary." Xia Tong smiled again, her eyes shining. "Why don't we go out for dinner after work? And then head over to your place?"

"O-Okay, I don't think I need to work overtime tonight."

"Hehe~ Then I'll come find you again at six—!"

Xia Tong walked out of the office with her hands behind her back. And, just to be sure their coworkers didn't know about their date, Xia Tong turned around and held up six fingers. "Remember, six!" she mouthed. Then she turned and skipped out of the office like a bunny.

Zhuo Shixue glanced at the date on the bottom of her computer screen. It was already January 10th, 2022. It was so hard to believe that she'd been dating Xia Tong for two years now. Time had passed by so quickly. It still didn't feel real.

That meant it'd been three years since she'd escaped from that person's grasp...

Zhuo Shixue was instantly hit with a wave of nausea as the memories returned. She hastily reached for the trash can beside her and began violently vomiting into it before even getting the chance to properly put it down. Desperately, she attempted to muffle her sounds, not wanting her colleagues to overhear.

"Ah..."

Once the vomiting stopped, Zhuo Shixue knotted the top of the trash bag and shakily grabbed a tissue from her desk to wipe her mouth clean. She resumed her work as if nothing had occurred, but her stomach began gurgling.

"I'm starving. What should I have for dinner tonight?" She squinted at the spreadsheet she had open on her computer, then panicked as she realised her momentary lapse had cost her valuable time and left her work unfinished. "Shit, I need to hurry up and finish this, or I'll have to work overtime again."

Xia Tong, clad in a turtleneck and carrying her backpack, was waiting outside the office for Zhuo Shixue. Zhuo Shixue had finished all her work— but she was now fifteen minutes late. She could see Xia Tong's breath in the cold air. Zhuo Shixue hurriedly ran over and took off her blazer to drape it around Xia Tong.

"Ah, I'm sorry..." Zhuo Shixue couldn't help the sigh she let out. "Today's our anniversary, and I've already messed this up," she mumbled.

"What are you talking about? I'm not upset. Come on, give me a kiss!" Xia Tong grabbed Zhuo Shixue's hand and tilted her head, as if giving her a signal.

"We're still right in front of the office. What if our coworkers see us?" Zhuo Shixue tugged Xia Tong a few steps forward to where there just so happened to be a tree. The two girls were nearly the same height. She tilted her head slightly and planted a kiss on Xia Tong's face.