At eleven p.m., Lin Xia returned alone to her apartment. The living room was lit only by a dim floor lamp, while rain pattered against the windows, fogging the glass. She shrugged off her damp coat, her fingers accidentally brushing against the box in her bag—the one she had nervously purchased from an adult store after work.  

 

The pink packaging bore minimalist line art, making it look more like an elegant beauty device than something that would make her blush. She took it out, her fingertips meeting the cool silicone surface, her pulse quickening without her realizing. This was her first time buying a sex toy, and she wasn’t even sure how to use it.  

In the bathroom, hot water cascaded over her body, steam clouding the mirror. Lin Xia wiped the condensation away and studied her reflection—twenty-eight, single, with a stable job and a routine life. Yet, in the quiet of night, she often felt an unspoken longing simmering inside her, like a suppressed tide with no outlet.  

 

Wrapped in a towel, she returned to the bedroom and hesitated before finally opening the box. The vibrator  was more elegant than she’d imagined, with smooth curves and a soft texture. She pressed the power button, and the low hum seemed especially loud in the silent room—like a secret invitation.  

Taking a deep breath, she turned off the overhead light, leaving only the warm glow of the bedside lamp. She slipped under the covers, the friction of silk sheets against her skin sending a faint shiver through her. When the cool toy grazed her inner thigh, she bit her lower lip lightly.  

 

At first, it was just tentative touches, like teasing caresses. But as she adjusted the vibration intensity, a tingling current shot up her spine, making her toes curl involuntarily. She closed her eyes, her breathing growing ragged, fingers clutching the sheets.  

 

Outside, the rain grew heavier, its rhythmic tapping against the window syncing with her heartbeat. Heat pooled inside her, waves crashing against an invisible shore until—  

 

Her back arched as a stifled moan escaped her throat.  

 

A few seconds later, Lin Xia slowly opened her eyes, chest rising and falling rapidly. The only sounds left in the room were her uneven breaths and the fading rain. She stared at the ceiling, a faint smile tugging at her lips. So this was what it felt like—pleasuring herself could be this simple, this exquisite.  

Rolling onto her side, she placed the  vibrator on the nightstand and switched off the lamp. In the darkness, her body still trembled slightly, like the damp traces left on sand after the tide recedes.  

 

That night, she slept more soundly than she had in months.