1

“Don’t make any appointments for tomorrow,” said Yinlin. It surely was an unexpected statement.

“Would you like to tell me why at least?” asked Rover, raising eyebrows. He was sitting in the opposite seat of the table. They finished eating dinner a few minutes ago. The moon went high through the night sky, leaving the clouds beneath gray.

“I need you to go somewhere with me, from dawn to dusk,” she replied. While he thought he could enjoy the ‘date’, he had questions to ask to make things clear. He knew Yinlin was a schemer; not just an ordinary schemer, probably the schemer. He can’t help but fall into her plans if enough information is not acquired.

“No exact location available?” He asked again. Yinlin giggled as if she understood why he was asking that. It must not be hard for her.

“What I can tell you is my purpose, not a location,” she replied again. Her smile has never seemed so mysterious as this one. “We are going shopping for my personal needs. You will accompany me.”

“For example?” His eyes shone with caution.

“Swimsuits. Summer is going peak. You will be with me for the entire vacation,” She spoke like a command. He didn’t care about orders, but she doesn’t care about his thoughts as well.

“Hmm, alright. What else can I choose if you already made up your mind?”

“You’re a good boy. You know that?”

“I don’t, and I’m not. I have something to buy for myself tomorrow,” the Rover smiled, just like Yinlin. She noticed that his way of speaking was becoming similar to hers. She found it interesting enough to spend more time observing.

“So you will be totally free tomorrow,” she was more skillful with that method.

“Yes, as you requested,” he was, however, a fast learner.

“Any place you want to visit for the vacation?” She decided to act more quickly. She didn’t want to let him take any advantage. Not one bit. The size didn’t matter. That was how she made a plan for winning games.

“I don’t know outside of Jinzhou well. Mind if I have some advice?”

“Okay. There are two big points to consider when planning a vacation. One, do you want to take a rest, or to have an activity? Which one do you value more will change your answer.”

Despite her own lack of travel experience, Yinlin’s explanation was so smooth that he nodded without a doubt. He found himself following her advice, thinking about how he would spend the vacation.

“What about the second one?” Becoming curious, he went for the next step. Yinlin smiled like a teacher. She was standing right there, to provide help for his ‘student’. She probably had experience in teaching.

“This one is much simpler than the previous one. You need to decide how much effort you will spend on it.”

“What do you mean by ‘effort’?” He raised his hand; he had a question. Yinlin didn’t hesitate at all. She wouldn't have prompted him to ask the question if she didn't have the answer ready. She was confident in persuading him.

“The vacation is not done by just planning. You actually need to arrive there to enjoy yours. You can’t teleport for it; the beacons aren’t everywhere.”

“Even a vacation is not easy,” he shrugged.

“I agree with you,” she did the same. “But if you have trouble making plans, I have a tailored one for both of us.”

He began to consider what she said for a while. Suddenly a thought passed through his mind. “You said you want to buy a swimsuit, didn’t you?” He couldn’t laugh. “I should have noticed sooner.”

“Oh, you do remember. How clever,” she started stroking his hair. He felt like he had become her pet for a moment. “However, what I wanted to buy was swimsuits. Not one, but two of them.”

“Two?”

“Yes, two. One for me, and one for you. That’s obvious,” she smiled slightly. “You will choose mine, and vice versa. So I’ll advise you not to seek something dangerous.”

“What if I do?”

“Then I’ll do the same. Eyes for eyes, ears for ears.”

“We might need private pools for our vacation,” that was the first thing he suggested. “It will help us prevent various problems at the root.”

“Probably,” she agreed. “So you are going to pick a nasty one for me, right?”

He didn’t answer. He just smiled, and she did the same. They made eye contact for a long time.

“I will look forward to our shopping tomorrow. It will be very, very funny,” she wasn’t warning. She didn’t want to. Why should she? It was pointless to warn him anyway.

2

He closed the curtain on the window. He could see no light outside, and that made him slightly unsatisfied. There was a forecast mentioning rain, so he didn’t expect the day to be sunny. That was, however, too much.

“Don’t be distracted,” said Yinlin. She took one step forward to him. Her sharp, purple eyes were fixed at his eyes. Her seductive gaze was still too dangerous to look at from the front; He swallowed dryly without realizing it. “You’re here. With me. Is there anything you need to focus on more than that?”

“You tell me,” answered the Rover, doubting. He demanded an answer which she was constantly refusing to give. He was a man who couldn't stand repeating defeat. “Rain doesn’t stop. Are you sure we can continue on the vacation plan?”

“Sure, you can trust me on that.”

“Are we going to swim regardless of the rain?” He seemed concerned about swimming. It was pretty easy to find out why. “It is one of the fastest ways to catch a cold.”

“You’re right. I just can’t avoid the chance to enjoy a private pool,” she smiled. “Do you know what I mean?”

“Not sure,” although he knew it, he tried to avoid the answer as strongly as he could. He didn’t want to accept the risk of confessing his imaginations. “How about you explain your entire plan to me?”

“Why should I?” She was enjoying the advantage.

“We went shopping and had dinner together, following your plan. I deserve to hear it, right?” He wanted to take it away, or at least get rid of it. It was a natural decision. In his current state, he could not pose any threat to the opposing queen.

“You’re right, probably. I just have a point for objection,” The queen swept her hair elegantly.

“What is it, Yinlin?”

“I don’t want to tell you. Not one bit,” She hooked her finger around his tie. Although she didn't apply much force, he was pulled slightly with it. “Don’t you think that’s enough?”

“I also have a point. I want to hear everything.” He didn’t want to withdraw this time. He was becoming persistent. Yinlin considered it a challenge, but didn’t feel bad. In fact, the situation was pretty pleasant for her.

“Interesting. You want to listen and I don't want to talk. We have reached a stalemate. Do you have any brilliant ideas on solving this?”

“Yes. One of us may yield for a mutual interest,” The Rover looked outside. It was still raining; much stronger than an hour before. There seemed to be no sign of the rain stopping yet. He thought it would be better to give up any thoughts of outside activity.

“Why should I yield, then?”

“Because it’s a deal. If you yield, I must give you something in return. That’s how it works.”

Yinlin came closer without a sound, and stood right next to him. He turned his head and looked at her face. “Tell me, then. What are you going to give me?”

He needed to be careful. He could not allow even the slightest gap in his strategy. She could pass through his defense with it. She was so good at discovering vulnerabilities; so good at exploiting them as well. That was the reason he had to be especially cautious when dealing with her.

“It must be something really, really precious. Let me hear your thoughts,” Yinlin pressed him again for an answer. He realized he couldn't avoid her whispers any longer.

He spoke a word. She couldn't believe what she saw at first; It was a remarkable move. The distance was close enough to hear each other's breathing. Sweat formed on his forehead due to the high humidity characteristic of rainy days. It seemed like the same thing was happening to her.

“I should admit it,” Yinlin nodded. “I didn’t expect it at all. Your scheme is... pretty bold.”

“You don’t like it?”

“I do. More than you imagine,” grabbing his tie again, she licked her lips leisurely. “You began to speak my language. I was longing to hear you speaking this.”