Cao Lee, the name Yuanji had adopted to keep her identity secret, stood behind Meiling as the two approached her new friend’s home. The walk was not a far one from the village square, but the location of Meiling’s house was remote and isolated from the rest of the village. Meiling had led her through a discreet, wooded patch on the outskirts of Xian. Bushes bloomed bright yellow flowers. Trees stood towering as tall as Lee remembered the palace walls being. The scent of fresh blossoms danced in a summer breeze. A distant stream trickled playfully by its own direction. Lee spent most of the walk in stunned silence. Her pack bounced against her backside. She stomped fallen leaves to revel in their dried crunch. Lee kept looking back to see the village becoming smaller and smaller until it was just a memory nestled behind a thicket of tree trunks.
“You live all the way out here?” Lee asked.
“Sure do,” said Meiling.
“Then you must know where you’re going,” said Lee. Meiling laughed.
“No, I lose my house every time I step through the front door,” said Meiling. “Of course I know where I’m going.”
“S… sorry,” said Lee. Meiling looked down to the girl.
“You really haven’t gotten around much, have you?” Meiling asked.
“No,” said Lee.
“And yet, you’re a traveler.”
“Not a very good one,” said Lee. Meiling gave a hearty laugh that echoed through the trees.
“I’ll take it!” Meiling said. The two followed down a path through the trees. Meiling helped Lee around stumps and tree roots protruding from the ground. Lee followed close behind her new friend. She looked up to Meiling. The stowed thief wore a warm smile, the heart of a scoundrel but the soul of a protector. A warmth draped over Lee when next to Meiling, one that covered her like a sheet when the darkness would unsettle her as a child. “So, have you ever been to Xian before?” Lee took a moment to answer.
“N-no,” said Lee. “Do you like it?” Meiling shrugged.
“It’s okay,” said Meiling.
“Do you get out often?”
“As much as I can,” said Meiling. “I’ll visit Huang and Shira as much as I can for the markets, but I never stray too far away from home.” Lee nodded. She looked toward the palace, now completely hidden behind the trees. “Where are you from?” Lee froze. A sinking chill bore into her chest. Lee swallowed a lump out of her throat and fumbled an answer.
“Um… uh, Yiangshu,” said Lee, recounting a nearby village from her teachings in foreign relations.
“Oh, Yiangshu,” Meiling blurted. “I’ve been there. Cute little place.” Lee buried her face.
“Y-yeah, it’s okay,” Lee piled on. Her voice softened as she walked, speaking down to the fallen leaves. “Smaller than Xian.”
“I guess it is,” said Meiling. “What made you leave?” Lee looked away.
“I, uh… had to get away,” Lee said.
“From what?” Meiling spoke with the tenderness of genuine concern.
“My parents,” Lee said. “They never let me get out of the house and wanted to marry me away to some guy I didn’t know. I just… had to leave.” Meiling paused. Her head dropped.
“I’m sorry,” said Meiling. “I can’t imagine what that must feel like.”
“It’s okay,” said Lee. “I’m out now.”
“And you have me looking after you,” said Meiling. Lee looked up to the girl.
“I do?”
“Definitely,” said Meiling with a gracious smile. “I can’t let a traveler get by a whole night without a bed.” Lee smiled up at the girl. Meiling radiated a warming presence, a friendly, trusting demeanor that she had only felt before from Sima Yi.
The girls followed the path Meiling had carved up to a small, woodland cottage. A square flat was slick wood on all sides with a sheeted, panel door lining the front. It was a modest display, unlike any Lee had ever stepped foot inside. A small garden laid the ground amidst the front. Cabbage heads and taro peaked out of the dark, rich soil. Split between it was a small, wooden bridge that paved the way toward the front of the house. Quaint and isolated, Lee found a charm to the house that she had not seen during her brief venture through Xian.
“So, this is my house,” Meiling said. Her introduction was cut short by a sudden crack of thunder. Lee squealed and ducked, buring her head in her hands. She stopped and knelt down toward the ground. Meiling stifled a chuckle as a flash downpour began to cascade down upon them. Massive raindrops slammed against the dirt, making instant puddles of mud. The rainstorm clouded Meiling’s voice as she grabbed Lee’s arm. “Come on.” Meiling pulled Lee across the bridge toward the house. Lee shielded her head with her other arm as Meiling pulled her along. Raindrops pounded against them both in sweeping waves.
Meiling pulled Lee under the covered porch just as the storm grew wilder. She dropped Lee’s arm and looked back to the girl. Both of their clothes were damp, but Meiling had saved them both from being soaked and dripping all over. Meiling and Lee shared a laugh.
“Good timing, right?” Lee asked.
“Almost,” said Meiling. “Come on, let’s get you into some dry clothes.”
Meiling pulled back the screen door. Lee peered inside the girl’s quaint abode. Meiling’s house was much more simplistic than the elaborate estate that Lee had always known, yet graced her eyes with far more beauty in the fact. Wooden floors held aloft gorgeous penjing displays. Landscape paintings and immaculate calligraphy detailed the screened walls. A censer sat in the middle of the floor within the entranceway. It drifted a lingering scent of bajiao, a spice that Sima Yi would infuse in her room at the palace during meditative periods. The house brought a warmth that Lee welcomed from the storm, still building outside. Meiling shut the panel door behind her. The pounding rain sounded of constant rustling as it slammed into the side of the house.
“Here, you stay here,” Meiling said. “I’m going to get you a clean robe and a sheet to dry off with. Just wait right there.” Meiling darted off into a room on the right, leaving Lee standing by the front screen door. Lee slipped off her sandals and set them neatly on a mat against the wall. She stood in silence, looking around the room in which she found herself. Lee admired the artwork and plant life. She appreciated how Meiling embraced a simpler life and turned it into something amazing. There were no riches or jewels, only beauty in art and life.
Meiling returned a few moments later with a sheet and robe. She handed both to Lee. “Here, dry yourself off and put this on,” said Meiling. The young woman gestured toward a nearby folding screen. “You can use this screen. Just leave the sheet and your robes behind. I’ll get them washed and dried in the morning. I’ll also take your bag for you.” Lee took the sheet and robe and looked back to Meiling in disbelief. Never had anyone been so kind to her out of obligation. She handed Meiling her pack. Meiling gave Lee a warm smile.
“Thank you,” said Lee. “You sure you don’t mind me staying the night?”
“Not at all,” said Meiling. “I’m not just going to kick you back out in the storm. I said you could stay as long as you’d like and I meant it.” An unmendable smile came to Lee’s face. She looked down at the garment before glancing over at the screen.
“I’ll only be a minute,” Lee said.
“Take your time,” said Meiling. “I’m also going to change and then I’ll get us some tea started. I make a great hibiscus oolong that you have to try.”
“Sounds lovely,” Lee said. Meiling parted with a smile as she darted off around the left wall. Lee skirted behind the screen and started to undress. She slipped her robe off. Lee hung the wet robe over the screen as she started to dry her damp skin and hair. Lee dried herself off until the sheet was dense with moisture. She held the robe up to examine its design. It was a plain white garment with pink blossoms etched into the fabric. It was simple in expense, something that her parents would never have her wear around the palace, but boasted a softness that Lee would have chosen over any other. Lee allowed the robe to envelope her in a cloud. She examined it on her as she stepped out from around the screen. Mere seconds passed before Meiling emerged, also wearing a casual robe. Lee turned to Meiling with her arms out. “How do I look?” Meiling chuckled.
“That doesn’t matter,” said Meiling, as if speaking of absurdity. “How does it feel? Are you comfortable?” Lee put her arms back down. Her eyes widened and head dropped. The question of comfort over fashion had never been posed to her. Lee smiled and bowed.
“Yes, it is very comfortable,” said Lee. “Thank you.”
“No problem,” said Meiling. She lingered on looking back at Lee in one of her favorite robes. “And you look like a princess.” Lee froze at the mention of her title, barely registering it as a compliment at first. When Meiling breezed through another walkway, Lee smiled a grin that warmed her to her core. “Come on in here. Don’t be shy.” Lee followed Meiling’s voice into another room.
Soft cushions lined the floor. Framed artwork hung along the walls. Delicate strands of smoke rose from another, smaller censer. Meiling waited in the center of the room for Lee to come up next to her. “I wanted to show you around.”
“Thank you,” said Lee. She opened her mouth to compliment Meiling on her house, but Meiling drifted into a ramble.
“Of course, of course,” said Meiling. “Honestly, it’s not often I get to actually bring someone here, so sorry if I seem a little excited. I also hope you don’t think that I’m just some common thief.”
“It’s okay,” said Lee. “I never thought that. I’d never imagine a thief be as friendly and welcoming as you.”
“Well, thank you,” said Meiling. She turned back to the room and looked upon it in specter. “This here is my sitting room. I come in here to meditate and read. The paintings on the walls were all done in house. A lot of fables, as you can see. Frog in the Shallow Well, Blessing or Bane, and…”
“The Four Guardians,” said Lee, mindlessly interrupting Meiling. Her eyes gazed upon a painting that took up an entire wall. Four corners hosted a different animal by a different color. In the center, the fable was scrawled out in black in and immaculate calligraphy. Lee walked up to the painting, mouth dropped in awe.
“Yeah,” said Meiling. “That’s my brother’s work. Do you know the story?”
“I do,” said Lee. “I found it in one of my favorite books, a journal written by a wise traveler.”
“It was a favorite of the house,” said Meiling, walking up next to Lee. “A fabled example of ]ying and yang in the methodologies of guardianship.” Meiling looked up to the painting. Her eyes were still. Her hand reached up and brushed it.
“The figure here in the top left corner, the panther,” Meiling began. “As black as the loneliest night, its guardian undertaking is as ruthless as its hunt prowess. The panther is a mysterious figure, hiding its true self in the shadows of familiarity. While prideful of its solidarity and independence, the panther feeds off of control of the world around it. It takes in the stray white cub and teaches it the ways of the world with no gentle claw. Only through domination and hardship does the panther teach the cub how to endure. The cub does what the panther instructs without question to learn through trial. The cub endures, but comes out stronger than the panther and steps out from the midnight cat’s shadow. Only then is it taught to take its world by force.
“In the top right corner, there is the serpent. While just as ruthless as the panther in its teachings, the serpent feeds from comradery. It is an expert at binding its prey, and will often to its own kind to assert itself. Mouth full of venom, the serpent clings to those closest to it. It teaches by example. It relies on the hatchling clinging to its side to show them the ways of the hunt. When a prey is not available, the serpent will use a non-lethal touch to perform on the hatchling itself. Every moment is a teaching opportunity. The guardianship of the serpent does not rest until the hatchling is truly on its own.
“Down in the bottom left, we have the sparrow. The untethered bird soars freely without anchor. As red as the eternal flame that burns within it, the sparrow commands a different method in guidance. The sparrow adheres to its own as the serpent, but boasts a distancing approach much like the panther. The sparrow carries with it great a responsibility, and with responsibility comes weightful burden. It takes its hatchling under a tender wing. It cares for them, nurtures them, and builds them up to take on the world. Then, at a heartfelt sacrifice, it relinquishes the young bird from the nest. The rose colored sparrow must then trust that its young will fly, and only when it does will the hatchling be free to soar its own way.
“Opposite the panther stalks the wolf. The den mother, fur of pure snow, is gentle and kind. It protects those closest to it, and adopts strays into its pack. It provides and comforts any who find themselves under her care. The fable tells the wolf accepting a lost, black haired cub, as family. The cub, weak and frightened, learns from an embracive, gentle touch. The wolf serves no intimidation nor adoration, but dedicates most of itself to see that the cub is well taken care of. The wolf teaches the cub how to hunt as well as how to pick one’s battles. It teaches the cub humility and grace, a passive respect for life. Only with a tender paw can the cub one day lead with the same, quiet strength it possesses within.”
Lee gazed upon the four corners of the painting with each phase. Meiling stood back and admired her brother’s work. “That was always a favorite of our mother’s. She said that any guardian must possess all four qualities to be a great leader. She believed absolutes led to corruption.”
“That’s so insightful,” said Lee. “Your mother sounds like a wise woman.”
“She was,” said Meiling. The emphasis on the last word caused a lump in Meiling’s throat. Lee noticed the cracked inflection in her voice. “Sorry if I’m coming on a little strong. I don’t get many visitors, so I apologize if I ramble.”
“No, please do,” said Lee. “It’s all very interesting.” Meiling looked down to Lee.
“Come on, let me show you the rest of the house,” said Meiling with a passive smile.
Meiling showed Lee the rest of the house. She introduced her to the kitchen, complete with a single stove fire oven and cupboard for dry goods. A clay kettle sat above a small flame. The dining area included a square sitting area around a table with a warmer carved into the center. The bed chambers were two rooms connected by a single screen. One included a kang bed while the other had a simple daybed, each with bundles of sheets. Both bed chambers also had their own folding screens and dressers with folded articles. The girls saw through the rain a circular patch outside in the back. Four posts stood in a perfect square surrounding the center. A shrine stood between the patch and the house.
Meiling brought Lee back to the sitting room, where she left Lee to ready their tea. Lee admired the rest of the artwork. She sat atop a small pillow. Meiling entered with two tea cups, handing one to Lee.
“Thank you very much,” said Lee. She brought the cup up to her lips. Lee poured a modest sip of the leafy nectar into her mouth, letting the steaming warmth alleviate what chills remained from the damp. “Your house is gorgeous.”
“Thanks,” said Meiling. She sat across from Lee and took her own sip. “My mother taught my brother and I about feng shui. It was a big part of her life as a traveler. She was so brilliant and in tuned with her surroundings all the time. That’s why she chose this spot to build her house.”
“She built this house?” Lee asked.
“Before my brother came along, yes,” said Meiling. “She didn’t know how much use she had for it then, but she recognized a substantial qi coming from this land, in this very spot. So, she spent a year building and decorating to achieve the perfect atmosphere.”
“Is she still around?” Lee asked softly. Meiling looked down to her and shook her head. “What happened, if you don’t mind me asking.” Meiling sighed and brought her cup into her lap.
“Age,” said Meiling. “She was a wise woman through her years, but eventually she returned to the earth, as was always her plan.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” said Lee.
“Don’t be,” said Meiling. “She became one with the land. She is all around. Her energy courses through this house. Here, she is never away from me.”
“That’s beautiful,” Lee said. “What about your brother?” Meiling’s smile faded.
“He… is away from me,” said Meiling.
“What happened?” Lee asked.
“He left to pursue a better life,” said Meiling, looking away from Lee. “I suppose I can’t blame him. He’ll visit indiscreetly every now and then, but I know he wants little to do with me.”
“I’m sorry to hear that too,” said Lee. “I’m sure he just doesn’t understand you.” Meiling sighed.
“It’s no big deal,” said Meiling. “He supports me financially when I need it, so I guess I shouldn’t complain too much. But we were close. He taught me so much. He practically raised me after mother adopted me. I just never thought he’d slip away from the house so easily.”
“You were adopted?” Lee asked.
“By this family, this family that’s hardly here anymore, yeah,” said Meiling quietly, partially to herself. “I’m kind of all that’s left.” A silence fell over the room. Meiling looked back to Lee and smiled. “But I make the best of it.” Lee reached over. Her hand fell upon Meiling’s. She wrapped her fingers around Meiling’s hand, gripping it tight.
“Are you okay?” Lee asked. Meiling looked back to Lee. Lee’s eyes draped in concern.
“I am,” said Meiling. “I don’t mind being on my own.”
“You do have a very pretty home,” Lee said. Meiling’s hand tightens around Lee’s. “But don’t you get lonely?” Meiling looked away.
“I mean, sometimes,” said Meiling. “I find peace in being isolated. Helps me clear my mind.” Meiling looked down to Lee’s hand in hers. “But… having someone here is nice too.” Her thumb rubbed against the side of Lee’s tender grip. She looked up to Lee, sweetly basked in the falling sunlight. Meiling smiled. Lee smiled back, looking away with a giggle. Lee drew back her hand to cup her tea.
“I can’t blame you for enjoying your time away,” said Lee. “The world out there can be so stressful and scary. That’s why I… became a traveler.” Lee brushed a strand of her onyx hair out of her face.
“Well, then I guess it was good you ran into me,” said Meiling. A pause rested between them. The silence carried with it a knowing, inevitable topic of conversation. Meiling smirked behind the steam of her teacup. Lee looked down, biting her lip.
“So… about earlier…” Lee began. Meiling laughed.
“The punishment?” Meiling asked. Lee nodded.
“If you can call it that,” said Lee.
“Do they not punish thieves with the stocks where you come from?” Meiling asked.
“I had only ever read about that particular punishment,” Lee said. “I had… always wanted to see it done though.”
“Well, I’d say that you did just that,” said Meiling.
“You really didn’t seem to mind it,” said Lee. Meiling gave a single chuckle behind closed lips.
“And I guess you heard me and Qiang talking afterward…” Meiling said.
“A little,” said Lee. “You… paid him off.” Meiling looked down and sighed.
“I hope you don’t think less of me,” said Meiling. “I mean, I hope you don’t think of me as just some thief either, but me and Qiang have a history.”
“I don’t think less of you,” said Lee. “I was just curious.” Meiling sighed. She took another sip of tea, letting the cloudy elixir drip down her throat.
“Well, I guess it’s no secret to anyone here,” said Meiling. “I… like to be tickled.” Lee’s eyes and expression lit up.
“Really?”
“I know it’s strange,” said Meiling. “I’ve always liked to be tickled. It’s always such a rush. My feet have been especially ticklish ever since I was a little girl. My brother would tickle me. Sometimes my mother would too. That’s where I learned how much I really like it. But I grew up. Mother died and my brother left. I was all alone. So, last year, I guess the solitude gotten to me. I stole a clay figure from the market in hopes of getting caught and put into the stocks. It was… so thrilling. I was in the stocks all day. People lined up to the village wall to tickle me. I loved every second of it. Qiang, I think, caught onto the fact that I enjoyed it more than I should have. He let me off easy. Then, several more times, I stole little things here and there, never fully intending on keeping any of it. Some was donated. The fruit, I gave to a little homeless boy that sits over by the North wall. I always paid for it, which is why Qiang knew that I meant no harm. I started paying him to keep putting me in the stocks.”
“You wanted to be caught,” Lee observed. “No one who was actually a thief would do such a thing.”
“I can’t explain it,” said Meiling. “I just love it.” Meiling looked back at Lee, then brushed away. “You probably think I’m weird or something.”
“No, no, not at all,” Lee said, placing her hand back on top of Meiling’s. “I don’t think you’re weird. I think you’re brave. So brave. A lot more so than me.” Meiling looks down to her hand in Lee’s, then back up to the girl’s pristine face.
“What do you mean?” Meiling asked. Lee’s face warmed to a shade of ember. She looked down, averting her eyes from Meiling’s.
“Well, you were honest with me, so I suppose it’s only fair that I’m honest with you,” said Lee. “Honest about something that I’ve never told anyone.”
“You don’t have to,” said Meiling.
“No, I want to,” Lee insisted. She took in a deep breath. Lee retracted her hand once again and scratched her face. “I… have always had my own interest in tickling.” Lee forced the words from her throat. A chill raced through her chest. An anxious, hollow chill.
“Really?” Meiling asked, recognizing how difficult it was for Lee to come forth. Lee nodded.
“I don’t know what it is about it,” Lee says, chuckling at the absurdity of the words coming out of her mouth. “There’s just been something about it that’s so…”
“Exciting,” Meiling said with a smile.
“Yes,” said Lee. “You just feel so alive and intimate with that person. I’ve only ever read about it. I never got to actually live it until today.” Meiling smirked. She bit down on her bottom lip.
“Well, then, I’m glad I could help,” Meiling said. Both girls shared a stare before lifting their teacups. Looking back at Lee through the steam, Meiling caught the girl looking down to her feet. There were bare and freshly cleaned when she arrived home, but since then, the humidity had gotten to them. She wiggled her toes, waving them back at Lee. The hidden princess stared shyly, hiding behind her teacup. Meiling placed hers down. “So, how about that? You like to tickle. I like to be tickled.” Meiling sat back. She stretched her legs out toward Lee. Lee focused back and forth between Meiling and her pristine, gorgeous feet. Meiling smirked, teasing the girl and baiting her as obviously as she could.
“Meiling, I have a question,” Lee asked.
“What’s you question, Lee?” Meiling asks with a knowing grin. Lee bashfully looks away, hiding behind her hair.
“Could… could I…” Lee starts softly, “... tickle your feet?” Meiling’s smile quickly fell into a series of giggles.
“It really took you that long to ask?” Meiling asked.
“Well, I know you went through so much of that today already,” Lee said. “You don’t have to say ‘ye’, of course. I was just wondering.”
“Why were you so nervous in asking me, even after I said that I liked it?” Meiling asked playfully.
“I… I’ve never talked about this with anyone,” Lee said, face painted ruby. She laughed nervously, still stroking her hair. “I’ve never really been this close or honest with anyone.”
“Well, no need to get all worked up about it,” Meiling said. She inched closer to Lee. Meiling tapped against Lee’s leg with her toe. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of.” Lee looked down to Meiling’s foot. She carefully lifted it with both hands and placed it in her lap. A strange rush coursed through her. Lee’s breathing was deep and challenged. The room succumbed to a new heat. She looked down to Meiling’s foot in her lap. Only slightly bigger than her own, while still bearing a petite charm, Meiling’s sole was painted pinks and whites of the purest of blossoms. Lee let her hands drag over the top as if handling a fine, royal vase. Her foot was soft to the touch. Her sole was glossed and slick. A warm odor wafted up from it. Lee instinctively drew in a long, nasal breath, soaking in the dense aroma.
“It’s wet,” Lee said.
“Yeah, the humidity really makes my feet sweat,” Meiling said. “I can clean them for you real quick.”
“No!” Lee blurted. Meiling looked back at her puzzled. Lee coughed and scratched her face. “I… I mean, it’s fine. I don’t mind it.” Meiling smiled and sat back, slipping her other foot up into Lee’s lap. Lee looked back to Meiling, breathing heavier still through her nose. One hand reached over to run delicately across the top of the other foot. Meiling watched the girl gingerly inspect them, appreciate them. Her hands touched so angelically against her feet. She sank back. She too elicited heavy breaths as she succumbed to the relaxing affection. Never before had anyone look upon them like such treasures. Meiling had grown accustomed to displaying her feet as toys with which for the public to play with, often roughly. As she had taken to liking the intensity of prolonged tickle punishment, seeing someone look upon them like works of art was a whole new rush.
Lee positioned herself more comfortably for the occasion, grabbing Meiling’s feet and sliding closer to her. She looked down to her soles, which Meiling graciously held back. “Are you sure this is okay?” Lee asked.
“I’m sure,” said Meiling with a laugh. Lee looked back up to her, her eyes shining through the last rays of the falling sun. Her fingers drifted down the sides of Meiling’s feet. They slowly worked their way down to the heels, merely grazing with her knuckles. Meiling smiled a wide grin in anticipation for what was to come. Lee’s fingers draped across Meiling’s supple heels. A rich humidity emanating from the area came as a soothing embrace for Lee’s hands. Meiling’s smile grew still, wide with a full row of exposed teeth, as ticklish energy began to surge. She watched Lee’s hands closely.
“Ready?” Lee asked. Meiling looked back up, charmed that Lee would be so considerate when such a personal touch was so unfamiliar. Meiling nodded and bit her lip. Lee smiled and looked back down to Meiling’s feet. Her toes squirmed a bit in the excitement. Three fingers drifted slowly up Meiling’s soles by their pads. Meiling grasped at the pillow beneath her, reeling her neck in as she squealed into a series of giggles.
“Hheheeeeheheheeh...hmmmmmheheheheeheheh…” Meiling giggled. Her seat squirmed. She held both feet out and steady for Lee to play with. Lee’s hands, dainty and well preserved, glided up the Meiling’s soles. With feathery touches, Lee brushed with the pads of her fingers. Her careful, dragging tickles were cautious of whatever sensitivity could be left over from Meiling’s punishment earlier that day. A warm calm came over Lee as she felt the sweat glistened soles of Meiling’s soles beneath her hands. The silky texture, mixed with Meiling’s responsive giggles, heightened her senses, made her feel alert and energetic. Lee’s fingers traced up to the balls of Meiling’s feet before gliding back down at the same, attentive speed.
“Your feet are really soft,” Lee said. “I like them.” Meiling laughed a deeper laugh than the giggles than Lee brushed out of her.
“Thhhahhank you,” Meiling laughed. The compliment was a first for Meiling, but one in which she found deep satisfaction. She watched Lee’s fingers trail back down to her heels. Lee looked back up to Meiling.
“How was that?” Lee asked nervously. “Was that okay?” Meiling smirked and brushed her hair to the side.
“That felt really good,” said Meiling, “but you don’t have to hold back. You can play with them however you want for as long as you want.” Lee’s eyes lit up.
“Are you sure?” Lee asked again. Meiling sighed.
“Please do,” Meiling said. “You have my blessing.”
“Okay,” Lee said with a wide grin. “I promise I won’t make it as bad as earlier.”
“Whatever you want to do,” said Meiling. “I’m all yours.” She waved and flexed her feet in Lee’s lap. They danced, just waiting to be tickled. A devious smile came to Lee’s lips. She laid two index nails in the plush centers of each of Meiling’s soles. Lightly, Lee began to scratch. Meiling’s body jolted once more, her muscles clenching in response. She giggled to the tickles, finding a light, delicate approach to be just as enjoyable as the torturous punishment. The soft scratching moved around her foot, following a circular motion. Meiling squirmed in place, laughing along playfully as she watched Lee’s eyes become lost in the experience. “Heeheehhahahahahahahahah! Mmmmmhheheheheheheheh!”
“You’re so ticklish,” Lee said with a laugh of her own. Her nails scribbled against Meiling’s soles faster. Her toes squirmed, alternatively flexing and pointing her feet in Lee’s lap. Meiling’s fingers sank into the pillow beneath her. Her breath became fluttered with laughter. With a more abrasive touch, Lee dragged single fingers up and down the lengths of Meiling’s soles. Her eyes went back and forth between watching Meiling’s enchanting reactions and watching her feet rest in her lap like kittens waiting to be stroked into submission. Lee still applied only a casual touch, but it was more than enough to get Meiling squirming in her seat.
“Hahaahahahaha!! Heeheeheehhahahahahah!! You’reeehhehe so good aahahat thhahaht!” Meiling laughed. Her skin slickened with sweat under the influence of the humidity. The same dew began to form across the back of Lee’s neck. Her deep, nasal breathing, embracing the sweet scent of Meiling’s feet beneath her, was the product of a pounding heart. Lee smirked at Meiling’s comment.
“I don’t know how,” said Lee. “I only just started today.” Lee let more of her nails drag up and down Meiling’s soles, still one to a foot. She drank in Meiling’s alluring giggles. The silky soft soles brushed up against her fingers, the intoxicating scent with which they beckoned her affection, and the melodic laughter from a friendly savior was an ensemble of feelings racing and crashing within her. As much as she found herself in complete content indulging Meiling with soft tickles, Lee dared to push her friend further. Several more nails joined to tickle Meiling’s soles in soft scratches. Lee watched Meiling’s body twitch more frequently, her laughter become more brash.
“Eeeeeekkkkhahahahahahahah!! Hahahahahahahahahah! The slow tickles are just as bahahahahahd!!” Meiling admitted. Lee laughed along with her.
“Oh yeah?” Lee asked. She maintained the same reserved scratching, feathery light. Her hands made pinching claw formations, scribbling in concentrated areas. Her nails teased and tickled Meiling’s supple heels. Meiling threw her head back. Her legs shivered in their attempt to keep her feet steady for Lee. Meiling only then realized how much of a crutch the stocks had been for her ticklish immobility. Forcing herself to keep them in place for her tickler was a challenge in itself, one that only made the experience that much more potent. Lee circled her tickling perimeters around in spirals, scouting for the best, most reactive spots to rest. When she reached the section diving the heels from the arches, Meiling let out a loud shriek.
“AAAHHHH!! Hahahahahahahahahahahahah!!!” Meiling short scream fell into another, more brazen wave of laughter. Her legs twitched. Her toes curled. Lee looked up and smiled, keeping her lightly tracing fingers over the area.
“Found a good tickle spot, huh?” Lee teased. Meiling was unable to speak, though in being so, she answered Lee’s question. Meiling still managed to put enough of her focus into keeping her feet steady. Lee remained on the area for several minutes, noting its effectiveness, before moving upward. With Lee scratching up the silky, creamy arch, Meiling maintained a steady flow of laughter. Meiling’s laughs filled the room, echoing to the night air outside. Lee upturned her hands and, with all ten of her fingers, began scratching the soft underside of the balls of Meiling’s feet.
“AAAAAHHhahahahahahahahah!!! Oooohhhahahahhahahahaha my, you’rehehehe soooo good!! Hahahahahahahahahahahah!!” Meiling managed in her ticklish fever. Her hands shook. Her toes curled and made slick wrinkles for Lee to dive her nails into. Lee bit her lip in abundant infatuation. Never before had she ever had as much fun. The punishment she partook in was thrilling, but something about tickling a beautiful, willing girl in solitary company made her heart race. Faster and faster her nails scribbled. Her fingers ate away at Meiling’s composure. Meiling laughed louder still, covering her mouth with one hand. Her legs started to pull away instinctively, but she forced them back into place. One foot tried to cover the other, but Lee was quick to pull both sets of fingers to the guarding foot. Meiling shrieked, returning to keeping both feet open for Lee to play with.
“This is the most fun I have ever had,” Lee said. “You have the most beautiful laugh.” Lee listened to Meiling’s laugh like a climber would to the mystic whistling of mountain tops, completely enamored by natural beauty. Meiling could barely respond. Her cheeks rushed with a cherry hue. Her head fell back and tossed side to side. Her arms clamped to her body, fists tightening around the pillow below. She gazed back to Lee through teary eyes. A purity rested in her smile, a smile that did not seem to come familiar to the girl. Meiling glowed inside from the opportunity to bring such life back to the gorgeous, wayward traveler.
“Hahahahahahaaahhhhaaheheheheheheheheh!!! Thhhahahahahahahannkk yooouuuu!! Hahahahahahahahahahahah!!!” Meiling continued to laugh. Tickles raced through her body up from her soles. The tickles caused her legs to waver, her toes to curl, and her fingers to clench. Meiling gave herself over to the tickles, as well as the girl responsible for them. With fast, yet delicate strokes, Lee tickles all across the balls of Meiling’s feet. More sweat had accumulated across them, making them slick and easier to tickle. Their scent seemed to fill the room. Lee would not complain. She absorbed the lively energy floating about, making herself feel more alive than ever before. She tickled faster still. Meiling squirmed as she laughed into her hand, foregoing proper edicate. Both feet remained exposed and in Lee’s reach to be played with.
“Wow, you can really hold them steady,” said Lee, playfully building a rising challenge for Meiling’s resolve. “I’m impressed. Thank you.” Lee changed direct tactic. With one set of fingers to a foot, she ran her scribbling nails back down Meiling’s soles. Lee abandoned a predictable trajectory. She scoured Meiling’s soles, blushing with sensitivity, in wild patterns. Her fingers spread from being so concentrated to reaching more of her soles at once.
“AAAAAHHHHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!! NNNNNNHHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!” Meiling screamed the loudest that she had all night. With the change, Meiling had drawn back in her legs, only to give them back the following second, practically begging for more. With letting Lee give reckless yield to tickling her feet, Meiling fell back against the floor. Her arms wiggled. Her hands grasped at whatever they could. Her legs squirmed. Her head fell side to side. Her laughter, once a calm melody, now an impassioned song. Lee admired Meiling’s insistence to keep her feet steady, especially as she only decreased her ticklish mercy by her own heated will. Her nails scratched all over Meiling’s soles, painting her milky white arches a sweltering pink. Only when Meiling’s laughs became gasping, as they appeared to be during the zenith points of her exhaustion from her punishment, did Lee stop. Lee rested her fingers on Meiling’s soles, still keeping the girl guessing as to if or when she would start again. The rest allowed Meiling to catch her breath. Her chest heaved as she panted through a slacked jaw.
“You okay?” Lee asked, sweetly. She looked down onto Meiling, realizing how far she may have pushed her. “I’m… I’m sorry. I’ve just never done this before. I should be more careful.” Meiling, in her slow recovery, shook her head.
“No… that was… amazing,” Meiling said through deep breaths. Residual giggles seeped from her lips.
“Really?” Lee asked. Meiling tiredly nodded.
“You’re… a natural,” she said with a smile. “Just like I said…” Lee smirked. Her cheeks made the dimples they carved when a genuinely happy smile came to her face.
“Thank you,” Lee said. Meiling pushed herself back up.
“You’re not tired though, are you?” Meiling asked. Lee cocked her head.
“You’re not?” Lee asked.
“Not for this,” Meiling asked with a smile. Lee gazed upon the girl as if she had discovered a dragon of mythos. All belief left her in the presence of a beautiful young girl who adored being tickled as much as she adored tickling. She appeared to Lee as an enchantress from the cautionary tales of old, where female figures would shape themselves to the tastes and desires of those they seek. Meiling seemed too perfect to be real, and yet her kindness and genuine nature was all too so. Lee, who had lived her entire life in the palace surrounded by the finest foods and riches, only then felt she could be no luckier.
“Okay,” Lee said with a timid smile. “Because I really wanted to play with these adorable little toes of yours.” Meiling smirked and wiggled her toes for Lee. Lee’s fingers drifted softly upward toward the berry pink digits. She teased her nails into the slick, humid crease, raking them across the stems. Meiling instantly shrieked, popping her hands over her mouth. Her toes curls and feet crossed over one another. “Aww, what’s the matter? Your little toes ticklish too?” Meiling quickly nodded. She loosened the clench over her toes and waited for Lee to edge back in. Lee scribbled her nails lightly over the base of Meiling’s toes. Meiling shrieked once again, thrusting her arms back by her sides and clenching the pillow.
“AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! YYYEEHEHEHSSS, MY TOEEHEHEHHHHHAHAHASSS HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!” Meiling screamed with a laughter that traveled into the night. Lee was thankful that Meiling lived so far out. She could make the girl laugh as loud as she could. Meiling fought to keep her feet steady and her toes pulled back while Lee’s nails ravished the bases with light, skittering tickles.
“Aww, that’s so cute,” said Lee, coursing with a peak of jubilation never before reached. Even in a ticklish hysteria, Meiling was still so beautiful. She had such amazing control and discipline over her body, a mysterious power that Lee knew little about. Lee’s fingers continued to explore the warm crevesses of Meiling’s toes. She scratched at the stems, making Meiling fall back once again, covering her mouth as she bellowed wild laughter. Lee did her best to restrain herself from tickling the girl to her breaking point by using only the lightest of touches, but this was all Meiling needed to find herself in a ticklish whirlwind. Lee knew that an incredible amount of focus was going toward keeping her feet still, a token of appreciation and gratitude that was unmatched by any other she had ever received.
“AAAAAAAAHHHHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!! NNNNNNOOOOOOOOHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!” Meiling laughed. Sweat continued to drip down both of their bodies. The night had proven to be a warm one, especially inside. Lee maneuvered her fingers to the pads of Meiling’s toes. Meiling curled them, but this offered no protection as Lee’s spidering nails feasted on every ticklish nerve in and around her toes. The stroked the bubbly pads and tops of Meiling’s toes with rapid scraps. She watched Meiling’s toes curl and uncurl in random patterns beneath her fingers. Faster still, her nails glided across the plump surfaces of Meiling’s precious toes.
“I really hope you’re still enjoying this,” said Lee giddily. “Let me know if it’s too much.” Lee knew that Meiling’s enjoyment in the matter was present with how forcefully she fought her body’s natural reactions to allow it to happen. It was as if Meiling had leaped from the very tickle fantasies she had kept secret for so long. Meiling’s feet crossed in defence, but this still did not deter Lee’s tickle-hungry fingers. Lee soon pushed apart two sets of toes at a time to scribble a single nail each in between.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!! NNNNAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHTTTTHHHAHAHAHAHATTTTTT!!!” Meiling caught her laughter behind both palms, muffling her screams. Lee found herself torn between furthering her own ticklish desires and providing her new friend a more comfortable experience. Lee went from space to space in between each toe, scratching away at the slick, ticklish skin. Meiling’s body glistened with sweat. Tears that had formed in the corners of her eyes, dripped down her cheek. Her cheeks glowed like sunset embers. Her legs quivered. The room filled with a warm musk of alluring scent. Meiling writhed against the floor, her fists banging and grasping. Lee indulged herself a little while longer before giving Meiling the break she so clearly needed, even if her own desires and built endurance suggested otherwise.
Lee sat back and watched Meiling catch her breath. Her chest rose and fell in mighty repetition. Meiling laid on her back with one arm draped over her eyes. A wide smile rested across her face. More sporadic laughs rode out on short breaths. Lee gilded her hands over the tops of Meiling’s feet, feeling how soft they still were. With tender touches, she soothed Meiling back to being able to form complete sentences. “Are you okay?” Lee asked. Meiling paused a moment before nodding.
“Y… yeah,” Meiling said. Lee looked down to Meiling’s supple feet, her soles ripe with sensitivity.
“I didn’t mean to go so hard,” Lee said. “I’m sorry. I guess I just got a little carried away.”
“No… no…” Meiling said on heavy breaths. “It’s fine. Really. That was… a lot of fun…”
“You think so?” Lee asked.
“Of course,” Meiling said, pushing herself up. “You really are good at that.”
“I don’t know how I could be though,” said Lee. “Like I said, I’ve never done anything like this before today.”
“Talent by passion, I guess,” said Meiling. She wiped her head clear of sweat. “I’m just glad you ran into me. It’s one thing to ‘torture the thief’ as entertainment, but I’ve never met anyone who was as interested in tickling as I am.”
“Then I guess it was fate,” Lee said. She gazed back to the girl who had taken her in, the girl who had given her a place to stay on her quest to see the world. Meiling’s mysterious stare and smile back to her was hypnotic, something else that she would gladly sink into. The two girls caught their breath in each other’s smiles. The scent of their ticklish evening drifted in the air. Lee wiped her own head. She looked back down to Meiling’s feet, still resting gently in her lap. Meiling watched the girl leer after them as if they were royal treasures. She smiled and wiggled her toes back at Lee.
“Sorry if they smell bad, especially after all of that,” Meiling said. “I’ll get cleaned up.” Meiling began to pull her legs back.
“W...wait,” said Lee, catching one foot with one hand. Meiling looked back. “It’s… it’s fine… you don’t have to go.”
“You sure?” Meiling asked. Lee’s breath halted. She looked back to Meiling with pleading eyes before pulling back. Having lived a life of being served and taken care of, Lee had never imagined this abstract fantasy of hers would come true. Her heart fluttered. A pit sank on her stomach. A secret bubbled, something that had only ever remained in her own mind, guided by the momentum of the occasion. For years, she would glance to the bare feet of the palace harems with a lingering thought that manifested into a vivid attraction. Meiling’s feet, slick and warm, gave a scent that she could not deny. She pushed her secret up from her gut to her throat in a painful, debilitating display of vulnerability. As Lee found a trust within Meiling by their shared interest, she took a risk at spoiling such a beneficial relationship with something else that she had never told anyone.
“I… really… like you feet,” Lee said softly. A fire raged across both cheeks. The words had to be pulled out individually with all of her strength. Lee swallowed and continued forth, past the point of no return. “Maybe I… could clean them for you?”
“You want to?” Meiling asked.
“Y… yes,” Lee said. “As your guest, as a token of my gratitude.”
“Well, I never needed anything from you for staying here,” Meiling said. “I’m actually kind of glad you did after how well you tickled me.”
“Please?” Lee asked quietly. Meiling looked back at the girl.
“Okay, yes you may,” said Meiling. Lee paused before looking back down at Meiling’s feet. She cupped one with both hands. Lee swallowed nervously, hoping to move forward without making her gracious host uncomfortable. Lee lifted Meiling’s foot up toward her face. Meiling sat back, leaning on both outstretched arms, watching Lee embrace her bare foot.
“Thank you,” said Lee. The princess brought Meiling’s foot up so that her lips landed across the tips of her toes. A warm moisture kissed her back. Lee pulled back a little and licked her lips. The frail taste was still of plentiful flavor. A salty, earthy taste of warm passion. The scent so close was pungent, a cloud of profuse density. The fire that burned inside Lee, the fire that guided her tickling fingers, the fire that sent her fleeing her oppressive home, burned like a blazing inferno. Lee held Meiling’s foot firmly in her hand. She raised it back up to her lips, placing another kiss against her toes. She moved down the row, kissing each individually.
“Mmmm, that… that feels nice,” said Meiling, relaxing into the moment. She watched Lee flex her foot back, slowly leaning in. Lee laid a kiss against her heel. A humid embrace brushed her cheek. Lee sank her kiss into the pillowy surface. Peck by peck, she kissed up the length of Meiling’s foot. Meiling breathed heavily through dispersed giggles, watching the girl closely. Lee’s lips traveled across the milky arch up to the supple ball of the sole.
At the base of Meiling’s toes, Lee paused before parting her lips. With closed eyes, she pushed her tongue into the dip of her toes. Meiling squeaked a stream of giggles as Lee’s tongue brushed against the warm, sweaty pocket. Lee soaked in the taste, the same flavor as before though much more abundant. A sweet and salty treat that had leaped from her wildest dreams, the powerful taste overcame Lee in all but an instant. She stroked each stem with her tongue. She licked up against every pad. Meiling wiggled her toes slightly, feeling the warmth of Lee’s affection slick around her toes. In a more abrasive display, caught by the fever of her infatuation, Lee inserted her tongue between each toe. Each crevasse was as decadent as their scent. With each spot licked, Lee parted her lips wider to insert Meiling’s toes into her mouth. Meiling reeled back in a loud sigh. The room quickly became, once again, encompassed by a thick, heated air. Lee sucked on several toes at a time, stroking each with her tongue from within her mouth. Meiling finger clenched around the pillow again, but only by the release of a few laughs and many deep breaths. Lee went down the line, sucking each of her toes, until she had tasted all.
Guided by the flow of the burning stream, Lee traced her tongue down from Meiling’s toes against the ball of her foot. The area, still fresh with sweat, retained that taste which had captured so much of the hidden princess. She licked across the pink, plush strip, cleaning every area as she passed. She stroked up and down Meiling’s arch, savoring Meiling’s giggles as they came. She dropped her mouth down to the heel, where her lips and tongue cleaned in impassioned tandem. Lee cleaned Meiling’s sole with a lasting series of licks and kisses, fulfilling her own deeply seeded fantasies in the process.
Lee opened her eyes. She felt her cheeks still aflame as she lowered Meiling’s foot from her face. More sweat had accumulated over her own face and neck. She wiped herself clean, the silence in which she found herself dreadfully thick. She reluctantly looked back to Meiling. Not a word of reasoning hung on her lips. She opened her mouth, but knew not where to begin explaining herself.
“I… I’m sorry… again, really I am…” Lee said. Meiling looked back with a warm smile.
“N… no, don’t be,” said Meiling. “No one’s ever done that for me… It felt… really good…”
“Really?” Lee asked, smiling a nervous, fleeting grin. “Still, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been so assertive.” Meiling laughed.
“It’s okay, really,” said Meiling. She looked away and scratched her nose. “But if you had to be sorry for something, maybe it should be because… you missed a foot.” Meiling looked back to Lee as she retracted the clean foot. The other remained in Lee’s lap, tapping against her arm. Lee looked up. A smirk slowly came to her lips.
“Are… are you sure?” Lee asked.
“I mean, you don’t have to if you don’t want to,” said Meiling. “I won’t make you. But that did feel really good.” Lee smiled through a bitten lip. Her and Meiling shared a knowing glance. Lee reached down and cupped Meiling’s other foot. She brought it up to her lips and began cleaning once again. Lee, so enveloped by the magic of the evening, was more thorough and abrasive in her service. Her kisses lasted twice as long. More of her tongue was used at a time. Double the time was dedicated to each section, making sure Meiling’s foot was as clean as she could make it. Meiling crested her head back, her eyes closed for half of the time. She rested well knowing her indulgence was also Lee’s, as intimate of a give and take as they could share. Lee worshipped Meiling’s foot, reveling in its slick softness and powerful aroma. She tickled Meiling’s foot with quick licks, making Meiling jump and yelp. Lee kept the foot in her grasp for as long as Meiling would allow, an allowance based on Lee’s own choosing.
Freshly cleaned several times over, Lee placed Meiling’s foot down in her lap. Meiling looked back up. A calm, satisfied look came across both of their faces. They each shared a breathy smile, not knowing what to say after the night that they shared. Meiling slowly retracted her other leg. “Thank you,” said Lee softly, “for being so… nice to me.”
“Hey, I feel I should be thanking you,” said Meiling. “After what you just did. That felt… I’ve never felt anything so amazing.”
“Well, I’m glad you liked it,” said Lee. “I was really afraid I let myself get a little too carried away.”
“Not at all,” said Meiling, shooting Lee a smile. Meiling stood and took both of their teacups. She brought them back to the kitchen where she sat them next to the water pump. Meiling entered back into the sitting room. She was still breathing heavily, her face sweaty and flushed. The heat of the night still rested over the room. She helped Lee to her feet. “You keep doing that, you can stay as long as you want.” Meiling laughed as to indicate a joke, yet she left Lee smiling to herself at the very prospect. “Come on, I’ll set up your room.”
Lee followed Meiling closely behind. The events of the night played over and over again in her mind. She knew they would play a part in her dreams for the evening, possibly for years to come. Meiling led Lee into one of the bedrooms she showed her before. It was the room with the Kang bed, the nicer of the two beds. Meiling fetched a blanket from a nearby closet. Lee stood to the side, still speechless as her mind raced. “I know it’s a little hot in here, but this will be here if you need it. I don’t think you’ll mind me not lighting the fire for it. Nights here aren’t usually this warm.”
“It’s fine,” Lee said. “Honestly, this is all more than I could have ever asked for.” Lee glanced over the makeshift bed and the barren room around it. She thought back to her bed chamber in the palace, how it was outfitted with lavish and unnecessary extremities. Comfortable, but only one confined to a bed chamber needs one nicer than the one she found herself in with Meiling. She looked back at her host. “It’s perfect. Really. This is all I need.”
“Well, thank you for saying so,” said Meiling. “I know it’s not much, but it’s all I have.”
“Really, I promise, it’s perfect,” said Lee. Meiling stood before her with a swaying stance and awkward smile.
“I’m… really glad you stopped by today,” said Meiling. “I don’t get a lot of company, but I don’t know many people out there that would be as gracious and, um, accepting.” Meiling rubbed the side of Lee’s arm. Lee looked back with wide eyes and a wider smile.
“Thank you so much for everything,” Lee said. “You have no idea how much all this means to me. And I’m really glad that we could be open and honest with each other.” Lee paused. A lump caught in her throat.
“Me too,” said Meiling. “Honesty is always best between friends. We are friends, right?” Lee looked up to Meiling, her gorgeous face still showing through the dark of night.
“Of course,” Lee said. “We’re friends.”
“I’m glad,” said Meiling. “Well, I’ll be in the other room for the night if you need anything at all.”
“Will do,” said Lee. Meiling turned to leave. “Thank you, again. I’ll see you in the morning?”
“Absolutely,” said Meiling, heading into the other bedroom. She turned back to Lee. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Meiling,” said Lee.
Lee watched Meiling disappear behind the wall with a parting smile. She turned back to the bed and crawled in. Lee was met with an exhaustion that manifested when she found herself alone. Her fond thoughts and memories of her evening with her new friend kept her grinning as she assumed herself into bed. Lee laid down on her side atop a bed that was far less comfortable than the one she had always known, and yet, it was much more preferable being so close to Meiling. Never had anyone been so open with her, or allowed her to be so vulnerable and trusting. A she laid her head down on the flat pillow, Lee knew that she had made a friend she could not afford to lose, a friend that would like her no matter what she enjoyed or who she was. The former had been revealed, the secrets she had kept hidden from the world her entire life were shared. The latter, however, loosened her smile.
Lee nestled into the bed and let the exhaustion of her enraptured evening carry her off to dreams she knew would never live up to what she had just experienced.