Cross Lines

Chapter 51: Tender Kiss

The entire morning, Emily Luo was a bit distracted. Thankfully, there were no surgeries scheduled for today, just outpatient appointments. When there were many people, the busy pace made time pass quickly.

Lunch was in the cafeteria. By the time she got there, it was quite late. The remaining scraps were unappetizing, so she opted for a bowl of porridge and ate it slowly. Her phone was beside the porridge bowl, and she would glance at it occasionally. Dr. Luo, usually calm, didn’t quite understand why she was so anxious. She had confidence in Maggie; after all, Maggie had practiced well. It wasn’t really a big deal.

It wasn’t until nearly the end of her lunch break that the phone finally lit up. Dr. Luo immediately grabbed it and answered the call, “Hello?”

There was no response on the other end. Emily Luo waited, but still no sound. She couldn’t help but tentatively call out, “Maggie?”

Still no response, but there was a low chuckle. Dr. Luo relaxed, “What are you up to?”

Maggie’s laughter grew, “Have you eaten?”

“Yeah. How about you?”

“President Gao said I could think about what reward I want.”

Emily Luo smiled, “Was it a success?”

“Yeah, we got orders even before the conference ended. We’re set through the end of the year.”

A genuine happiness filled Dr. Luo, though she only smiled and said nothing.

“Half of today’s Q&A session was in English. I’m glad you helped me prepare in advance, otherwise I would have been a mess.”

“Is that so? Good. Congratulations.” Emily Luo sighed in relief, feeling much lighter.

“Dr. Luo?”

“Yeah?”

“I want to see you.”

After a moment of silence, Emily Luo cleared her throat and asked calmly, “Why do you want to see me?”

“Just to see you~~” Maggie’s voice was relaxed and sweet.

Dr. Luo smiled silently, “What time do you finish today?”

“There will be a celebration party, but I don’t know when…”

Maggie’s reluctance was evident, and Dr. Luo could almost picture her pouting.

“So, will it be at a hotel?”

“Maybe…”

“Call me when it’s about time, and I’ll come pick you up.” Dr. Luo said this with practiced ease. Maggie hesitated for a moment.

“Uh…”

“What’s wrong? Is it inconvenient?”

“Tonight, the senior management might be there. Manager Gao…”

“Qiqi went to Paris and won’t be back until next week.” Emily Luo sounded unaffected.

“Oh…” Maggie seemed momentarily confused and unsure of her feelings. She paused before saying, “Okay, I’ll call you tonight.”

It was late spring, and the evening breeze was gentle and comfortable. Dr. Luo turned the car around and slowly backed into the parking spot. After turning off the engine and getting out of the car, she saw Maggie exiting the hotel lobby. Maggie was still dressed as in the morning photos, thanking the doorman who opened the door for her. Spotting Emily Luo, she immediately came down the steps with a cheerful run.

Emily Luo leaned against the car with her arms crossed and smiled as Maggie approached, “All done?”

“Not yet, but I told President Gao I’m leaving early.”

In the twilight, Maggie’s eyes sparkled, and her face was full of smiles. Dr. Luo looked her over, noting her hair was slightly tousled by the breeze, and reached out to smooth it.

“Let’s go home?”

“Sure!”

After knocking for a long time on Ryan Ding’s door, it finally creaked open a little. A bare arm extended out, holding the back of the neck of a dog, but no person was visible, and no sound came through.

Maggie quickly took her dog and hugged it, puzzled, “What’s wrong?”

Still no response. The door seemed to be closing. Maggie, curious, reached to pull it open when she suddenly heard Ryan Ding’s hoarse voice, “Talk tomorrow.”

With that, the door shut firmly.

Maggie was stunned and looked at Emily Luo, who had already opened the door and was about to go inside. Seeing Maggie still dazed, she urged, “What are you doing? Hurry up.”

Maggie hurried inside her own home, still pondering, “Ryan Ding is up to something!”

Once inside, Dr. Luo changed her shoes and took Maggie inside. “You left early; won’t that be awkward?”

Maggie followed, “If I stayed, they’d probably make me drink a lot.”

Emily Luo stopped and turned to look at her, “How much did you drink?”

“One glass of red.” Maggie flopped onto the sofa. After a day of high tension, returning home felt incredibly comfortable.

Dr. Luo placed a glass of water on the table and handed it to Maggie. As Maggie took it and smiled, she was suddenly held by Emily Luo’s hands. Dr. Luo examined her closely, her gaze shifting and unreadable.

Maggie was slightly stunned. Dr. Luo was very close, with a faint scent, and her expression was ambiguous. Maggie wasn’t sure what Dr. Luo was planning but started to feel a bit of anticipation.

However, after a moment of looking, Emily Luo’s hand moved from holding Maggie’s face to lightly patting it twice. “That’s nice.”

She then straightened up and started to walk away. Maggie didn’t want to let her go and grabbed her hand. Dr. Luo turned back, “Hmm?”

Before the words were fully out, Maggie pulled her close, tripping her into an embrace. Dr. Luo was momentarily startled but blushed slightly as Maggie held her firmly.

“What are you up to? So mischievous.” Emily Luo reached out and pinched Maggie’s face. Maggie, with her eyes narrowed in a smile, found Dr. Luo, so close, irresistibly tempting, like a piece of fresh cream cake she wanted to taste.

Noticing Maggie’s intense gaze, Emily Luo hesitated briefly. When Maggie leaned in for a kiss, Emily Luo welcomed it calmly. The person before her was beautiful, clean, and someone she liked, so the intimate contact felt natural. The kiss, though sweet, was quite enjoyable.

Although Maggie wasn’t as nervous as the first time she kissed Dr. Luo, she still only lightly kissed her lips, sweet and tender like jelly, not daring to use her tongue. Dr. Luo, in Maggie’s arms, was as gentle as a little rabbit, and Maggie could feel that she was enjoying it, as shown by her non-resisting and cooperative actions.

For both, it was a long-awaited tenderness, the most wonderful taste of intimacy between lovers, a feeling they seemed to have forgotten due to various reasons. Maggie was constantly smiling, not daring to imagine this scene for so long. After almost giving up on her long-time affection, she was grateful she hadn’t.

Holding Emily Luo’s waist with one arm, Maggie’s other hand slid from her arm down to the hem of her shirt. Unexpectedly, as soon as she touched the skin at her side, Dr. Luo shivered as if shocked by electricity, abruptly pushing Maggie away and standing up. Stepping back, she breathed heavily, her gaze somewhat dazed.

Maggie was startled, looking up at Dr. Luo with surprise. The atmosphere shifted drastically, and both were frozen, unsure of how to handle the situation.

After a while, Maggie seemed to come to herself and cleared her throat, “Um… Sorry, I… got a bit carried away…”

Emily Luo, with her head bowed, remained still and silent. Maggie, unsure of what was wrong, dared not say more and waited for Dr. Luo to regain her composure. After a while, Dr. Luo finally looked up at Maggie, “I have some bad memories about these things…”

Before Maggie could respond, her phone rang. She took it out, glanced at Dr. Luo, and walked to the bar to answer.

“Hmm?”

…

“Home now, it’s good.”

The phone call, which came at an inopportune time, seemed to drag on. While Dr. Luo used this opportunity to adjust her emotions, she noticed the caller, apparently Lola, seemed intent on a lengthy chat with Maggie, which made her mood less pleasant.

From Maggie’s conversation, it was evident that Lola, who frequently socialized with her, was on the other end. Emily Luo had an instinctive aversion to this girl for some reason.

After waiting for a while and seeing Maggie had no intention of ending the call, Dr. Luo walked over and called out loudly beside her, “Maggie!”

At such close range, this volume was unnecessary. Maggie, startled, turned to look at Dr. Luo with a puzzled expression. The person on the other end also seemed to have heard, paused, and asked tentatively, “Is there someone there?”

“Uh… yeah, I’ll hang up now and talk at the office tomorrow.”

The call ended. Maggie turned back, and before she could speak, Emily Luo came over and hugged her.

Despite any lingering dissatisfaction, being treated so gently melted it away. Maggie had no significant grievances, just surprise. Hearing Emily Luo’s explanation brought a bit of sympathy, wondering how much pain was in her past?

“Give me some time.”

Dr. Luo seemed to be both explaining and promising, holding Maggie with a bit more strength. Maggie patted her back, “Okay.”

After showering, Maggie obediently lay in bed without any deliberate avoidance. She had no particular expectations and planned to take things slowly.

When Dr. Luo came upstairs after her shower, she wore a dark blue plaid pajama set. She also carried a brown set, which she placed in Maggie’s wardrobe.

Dr. Luo looked down to see Maggie staring intently at her while hugging the blanket.

“What’s wrong?”

“You’re wearing… men’s pajamas?”

“Hm?” Dr. Luo lifted her leg to get into bed, leaning over Maggie as she pulled back the covers and lay down.

“Is that a problem?”

“Uh… not really, it looks good, it’s just a bit…”

“Hmm?”

“Never mind, let’s go to sleep.”