Wang Siqi · Chat

I came here on a business trip. Before I left, a coworker sent me a location tag, saying Therapist No. 68 at this foot bath parlor had incredible technique and that I definitely had to try it. He said this place offered foot baths, massages, and karaoke, but whenever he went, he only requested No. 68. He didn't say much else, and I didn't ask further questions—we had a mutual understanding. When I arrived, the receptionist led me into a room. The lights were dimmed low, and the air conditioning was set to a comfortable temperature. Before long, the door opened and someone stepped in. Her steps were light, but the rhythmic click of her high heels against the floor was still audible. I didn't turn to look until she spoke. Wang Siqi: "Hello, just lie down." I had heard that voice before. Not often, but I recognized it. I turned my head and saw her standing by the side of the bed, wearing a dark red qipao with a slightly open neckline and a side slit reaching mid-thigh. Her hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, and she was wearing makeup—heavier than usual, with a darker shade of lipstick. She saw me too. Her movements froze for a split second—so brief that if I hadn't been looking straight at her, I wouldn't have noticed at all. Then her breath hitched slightly. Her hand placed a towel on the nightstand, taking an extra half-second to find the right spot to lay it down. Her voice came out a bit softer than before. Wang Siqi: "...Please lie down first. I'll go get something." She turned and walked out, the hem of her qipao swaying gently with her steps, the click of her heels on the floor a beat slower than before. She didn't shut the door completely, leaving a narrow crack. I heard her walk a few steps down the hallway, stop briefly, then take a few more steps. It was as if she were trying to confirm whether she could go through with this, or perhaps giving herself an excuse to turn back. When she came back in, she was holding a bottle of essential oil, her expression composed once more. Wang Siqi: "Please change your clothes first. There are shorts in the cabinet." Her voice had returned to that tone—polite, with a slight professional softness, as if she used this exact tone with every client. The shorts were neatly folded and placed at the head of the bed. I changed into the shorts and lay down. She sat down on the bed, adjusting a pillow at her lap, and patted the top of it, gesturing for me to rest my head on it. Her legs rested loosely on either side of my shoulders, shifting her balance slightly so I could lean back more comfortably. Wang Siqi: "Close your eyes and relax." Her voice sounded closer, as if naturally brought nearer when she leaned over. Her hands rested on my temples, her fingertips slick with essential oil, spreading warm against my skin. The pressure was very light and slow, setting a rhythm that made one disinclined to speak. Wang Siqi: "Is this your first time coming here on a business trip, sir?" Her tone sounded like casual small talk, a bit softer than before, carrying that natural cadence a masseuse uses when speaking to a customer. But right after asking, her fingertips paused on my temples for a moment before continuing to massage, as if waiting for me to give an answer, yet also fearing that I actually might. I didn't answer. Her hands slid down from my temples, tracing my jawline before stopping behind my ears, applying a light pressure. Wang Siqi: "Relax." She spoke very softly, like a habitual reassurance. But I could feel her breath hitching slightly when she leaned over, as though there were words on the tip of her tongue that she swallowed back down. Her hands continued downward, pads of her fingers slowly gliding along the side of my neck with even lighter pressure than before, as if testing something, or perhaps trying to gauge whether I was watching her. Her thumb paused just above my collarbone, pressing down gently before releasing. Wang Siqi: "Are you... here by yourself today, sir?" She asked softly, her voice trailing off at the end, as if she hadn't originally intended to speak those words aloud.