This must have been a resting room prepared specially for Xie Dingyuan.
It had not only a bed, but also a wardrobe, a private shower, and hot water.
“This setup…” — it was so much better than where they were staying!
Jiang Fuyue glanced around the room, the corners of her mouth almost curving to the back of her head.
“Hiss!”
She moved too much and accidentally pulled at the cut on her lip.
She shot a glare at the culprit.
Xie Dingyuan touched his nose, looking a bit guilty.
He had… lost control just now, gotten a bit too rough.
Knock, knock, knock—
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
Jiang Fuyue froze, debating whether she should step aside.
But Xie Dingyuan had already opened the door, only halfway, thankfully, so the inside wasn’t visible from the hall.
He took a box from the person outside, opened it, and found steaming, fragrant dishes inside.
Jiang Fuyue’s eyes lit up. “You asked someone to bring this?”
Xie Dingyuan: “Mm.”
“Then I’m not going to the cafeteria for lunch.”
“Didn’t plan to let you eat there anyway.”
Tomato scrambled eggs, sweet and sour spare ribs…
Of course, every dish was one of her favorites.
Xie Dingyuan took them out and set them neatly on the table, then handed her a pair of clean chopsticks.
“Sit.”
It was mealtime anyway, so Jiang Fuyue didn’t hold back. “Thanks.”
After days of eating the same bland cafeteria food, this felt like heaven.
Throughout the meal, Xie Dingyuan kept serving her dishes, hardly eating any himself.
Jiang Fuyue picked up a piece of rib and placed it in his bowl. “Don’t just serve me, eat some too.”
“Alright.”
Perhaps knowing she’d been craving meat lately, every dish he’d ordered was generous in portion.
After they finished, Xie Dingyuan tidied up the containers and got ready to lead her out through another door.
“What are you doing?” Jiang Fuyue stopped him.
“Digesting. Don’t you want to walk it off?”
They both had the habit of taking a walk after meals.
“Here? You and me? Isn’t that a bit… too public?”
He raised a brow, the corner of his mouth curving in challenge. “What, are you scared?”
Jiang Fuyue’s lips twitched. “I’m worried about Professor Xie’s spotless reputation.”
“It won’t.”
“Huh?”
“You’re not a stain. And I don’t care about reputation.”
“Cough… It’s still military training. Let’s keep it low-profile…” She really didn’t want to become gossip for the seven schools.
It wasn’t that she was afraid, she’d done far bolder things before, but she didn’t want to drag Xie Dingyuan down with her.
She worried that he was giving too much. If they ever separated one day, she wouldn’t be able to repay it.
In truth, Jiang Fuyue still held back in this relationship, she couldn’t yet bring herself to love without reservation.
In this regard, Xie Dingyuan seemed far more open. He never worried about their relationship being exposed, in fact, he almost welcomed it.
Jiang Fuyue wanted to ask him, Do you realize how big a public storm that would cause? How much doubt and pressure would come your way?
You’re really not afraid? Not worried about ruining your reputation, your career?
She thought someone like Xie Dingyuan would be more cautious about his image.
But in reality—
He took her hand openly, pushed open the door, and stepped out with her. Sunlight spilled over them, revealing a wide, open back garden.
It wasn’t completely deserted, but not exactly private either.
Yet he seemed utterly unbothered, holding her hand, wrapping an arm around her waist, so open, so unrestrained, so brazenly at ease.
Jiang Fuyue didn’t realize that love was rarely ever equal, one person always loves deeper, always gives more.
Xie Dingyuan saw through her hesitation, knew exactly what she was worrying about. A faint, bitter smile flickered in his eyes, but he said nothing.
He could wait.
One day… she would accept him completely.
Even if, in this lifetime, he loved her more, that was fine by him.
After a few laps around the garden, Jiang Fuyue prepared to leave, reluctant though she was.
“There’s training in the afternoon.”
“No need to go.”
“Hm?”
“Reward, you get the afternoon off.”
During the theory lecture earlier, when Xie Dingyuan spoke about chemical warfare, he’d given a chemistry problem on the spot.
Only five people solved it, Jiang Fuyue was one of them.
But he hadn’t said at the time that solving it meant getting a break.
“You arranged this?” Jiang Fuyue looked up. After some thought, she realized only he could have pulled that off.
“Are you satisfied?”
Of course she was, an afternoon off from training was perfect.
She jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Tell me, you just wanted me to keep you company, didn’t you?”
Xie Dingyuan pulled her slim waist closer. “Wrong. I wanted to keep you company. But it seems like you’re more excited about skipping training than being with me.”
“Who says that? I’m happy about both.”
He laughed.
“Rushing back to the country must’ve been exhausting?” Jiang Fuyue rubbed his cheek with her palm. “Haven’t even adjusted to the time difference yet?”
“I’m fine. Don’t need to.”
He’d only be here for three days anyway before heading back.
Jiang Fuyue pursed her lips, then suddenly guided him toward the bed. Her hands rested on his shoulders; she gave a gentle push, and Xie Dingyuan sat down, tilting his head up at her. “What is it?”
“Sleep!” she said, and promptly shoved him down onto the bed. When he tried to sit back up, she leaned forward and pressed him down again.
In that position—
His gaze trembled slightly, his Adam’s apple moving.
Jiang Fuyue didn’t notice. She pinned one hand on his shoulder, grabbed the neatly folded blanket with the other, and yanked it over both of them.
The quilt fell over their heads, and darkness enclosed them.
Jiang Fuyue blinked, meeting his slightly flustered gaze. She mumbled, “I said sleep, why are you sitting up again? You’re not very obedient, huh~”
Xie Dingyuan sighed helplessly. “You’re going to sleep with your shoes on?”
Jiang Fuyue froze.
“And with your clothes on?”
“Cough…” She awkwardly climbed off him. “Then, uh, you take them off.”
Those words, so simple, yet somehow both teasing and dangerous.
Xie Dingyuan took off his shoes, then his jacket.
Jiang Fuyue thought for a second, removed her own outer layer, then darted into the bathroom. In quick, efficient movements, she took a fast shower.
When she came out, her cheeks were flushed, her eyes dewy and luminous like a freshly picked, sweet-smelling peach.
Xie Dingyuan glanced twice, couldn’t take it, and quickly looked away.
He was about to go wash up too.
But Jiang Fuyue stopped him. “Wash what? You’re not even dirty. It’s just a nap, hurry up and get some rest.”
She had washed because she’d sweated a little, but she didn’t let Xie Dingyuan wash, wanting to save time so he could sleep longer.
“Lie down! Lie down!” she said, kicking off her slippers and pouncing onto the bed, pressing him down with both hands.
Xie Dingyuan had no choice but to fall back with her force. Jiang Fuyue pulled the blanket over them, lay beside him, and tucked him in. “I’ll stay with you.”
“You don’t have to,” he sighed softly. “I’m not that sleepy.”
“Liar. You’ve still got bloodshot eyes.”
“I…”
“Enough, don’t talk. I say you’re sleepy, so you are. Now close your eyes and get some real rest.”
Xie Dingyuan: “…”
At first, Jiang Fuyue wasn’t sleepy at all, she’d rested well the night before.
To avoid disturbing him, she stayed quiet.
Only when she heard his breathing turn steady and even did she allow herself a small smile.
A quiet afternoon, sunlight blazing outside, air-conditioning cool inside.
Under the blanket, a man and a woman slept side by side, necks lightly touching.
Sunlight filtered through the narrow gaps in the curtains, casting slim, slanted beams across the room.
The whole scene looked like a still painting, peaceful and warm.
Jiang Fuyue didn’t know when she’d fallen asleep. When she woke, she was completely in his arms.
Her face rested on his chest, one arm around his waist and her leg… was hooked around him far too intimately.
Did she really sleep this badly?
Absolutely not!
“Awake?” came a low chuckle from above.
Jiang Fuyue froze, then lifted her eyes, right into the man’s half-smiling gaze.
Xie Dingyuan’s large hand wasn’t idle either. It rested on her waist, his fingertips lifting the hem of her shirt, skin brushing skin in a lazy, teasing stroke that sent shivers through her.
“What time is it?”
“Four-thirty.”
“Hiss…” Jiang Fuyue sucked in a breath. “I slept that long?”
“When did you wake up?”
“Just now,” he said.
She didn’t believe it. There wasn’t a trace of drowsiness in his eyes.
He didn’t look like someone who’d just woken up.
She tried to sit up, but his arm clamped around her waist like an iron band, not budging an inch.
“Hey… what are you doing?”
“Stay with me a bit longer.”
“But you’re already awake.”
“So what? Can’t I lie down even if I’m awake?” he muttered.
“…”
Fine, lie down then.
She pulled away from his chest, lay flat on her back, staring up at the ceiling. “When will you be back next time?”
“…I don’t know.”
She didn’t seem surprised. “Was it always like this before?”
“The last time was during the global Nova virus outbreak. I stayed mostly in China early on, only went abroad later to collect mutated strains and vaccine samples.”
“How long did that take?”
“Three to four years altogether.”
Enough time for her to finish an undergraduate degree.
Jiang Fuyue fell silent. “…So this time it’s worse than before?”
“It’s worse.”
She asked nothing more.
With a soft sigh, Xie Dingyuan pulled her back into his arms. “Before, I didn’t think there was much difference between being in China or abroad. Either way, I was always in the lab. But now, it’s different.”
“What’s different?”
“In China, you’re here. Abroad, you’re not.”
“…Am I really that important?” she teased.
His grip suddenly tightened. “Do you not believe me, or do you just underestimate yourself? What, you think you don’t weigh that much in my heart? Hmm?”
His tone rose at the end, a trace of restrained anger beneath it.
Jiang Fuyue tugged at his collar, sighing. “Neither. It’s just, think about it. What scene hasn’t Professor Xie experienced? What beautiful women hasn’t he seen? You’ve got a country in your heart, experiments in your hands, and a research team behind you. You’re not the kind to be swayed by the wind.”
“What if I insist on staying?”
“Then you’re not the wind.”
He snorted softly. “Then I don’t want to be. What’s so good about the wind? You can’t catch it, can’t hold it.”
“Then what do you want to be?”
“Your man,” he said, perfectly straight-faced. “One you can catch, and can hold.”
Pfft—
Jiang Fuyue laughed. “So that’s all Professor Xie aspires to?”
“Yueyue,” he said with feeling, “chasing you is harder than doing research or being a hero.”
“Really? Am I that hard to win over?”
“You tell me. Did you forget how much you tormented me back then?”
“Hm? What torment? I don’t remember.”
“Heartless!”
“Ah—stop touching—tickles—!”
“Now do you remember?”
“Mm… let me think—ah! Again?! Stop stop stop, I remember! I remember! Took me ages to say yes, didn’t it? Still holding a grudge after all this time… so petty… stop tickling… haha… you’re impossible…”
They played and laughed under the blanket, and it ended with the man breathless and struggling for control.
Jiang Fuyue quickly lifted the blanket, slipped out of bed, and stood at a safe distance, a mischievous grin on her lips. “Serves you right for touching where you shouldn’t!”
Xie Dingyuan glared, teeth clenched. “Just you wait!”
“Sure, I’ll wait,” she said smugly.
Last time at Laurel Manor, she had clearly agreed already, yet he’d stubbornly held that invisible line, never crossing it.
That was when Jiang Fuyue realized where his bottom line truly was.
So old-fashioned, so serious.
But also strangely… adorable. Genuinely sincere.
“You’re just bold because you know I won’t do anything to you!” he ground out.
“Exactly!” she said proudly.
…
Dinner was delivered straight to their room.
Jiang Fuyue asked someone to tell Liu Sisi she wouldn’t be back at the dorm tonight, and to cover for her during roll call.
Liu Sisi could handle it, she knew that well.
Dinner was even better than lunch, exquisitely prepared, no worse than what a fine restaurant would serve.
Jiang Fuyue couldn’t help but be puzzled. “Even the military training base serves food like this?”
Xie Dingyuan picked a piece of beef and placed it in her bowl. “Orders from above.”
“A reward, then?”
“You could say that.”
No wonder…
Jiang Fuyue blinked. “So I’m just enjoying Professor Xie’s privileges?”
He smiled, generous. “Go ahead, enjoy.”
“For free?”
He shook his head. “There’s a price.”
“Oh? Then I can’t just take advantage, what if I can’t afford it?”
“No problem,” he said lightly. “You can pay with yourself.”
“…Keep dreaming!”
“The elders say: if you dare to dream it, you dare to chase it.”
“…You really missed your calling as a debater.”
After dinner, they cleaned up together and strolled through the small garden behind the quarters.
The night breeze was cool, gentler than the afternoon heat.
Xie Dingyuan took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders.
“Look,” Jiang Fuyue said, tugging at his hand, gazing up at the sky, “the stars seem extra bright tonight.”
“From an astronomical perspective,” Xie Dingyuan began, “the nebulae in mid-October aren’t in short orbit, and since they’re at their farthest distance of the year, they shouldn’t appear especially bright from Earth.”
Jiang Fuyue’s lips twitched. “I know. I don’t need a science lecture.”
“…Oh.”
She’d thought he’d finally learned to say something sweet but no, he was still the same tone-deaf nerd.
Tsk.
“Why the head shake?” he asked.
“Just thinking, some people still lack finesse. Performance’s inconsistent.”
“Uh… ‘some people’ isn’t me, right?”
She gave him a look: Figure it out yourself.
“?” he thought blankly. Did I say something wrong? Didn’t think so… Maybe I didn’t explain the data clearly? That can’t be it!
…
Night deepened. The moon hung high, and silence settled over everything.
They lay in bed. Jiang Fuyue’s eyes were open.
“It’s almost midnight,” he murmured. “Still not sleeping?”
She shook her head.
“Then should I turn off the light?”
“Not yet.”
“What’s wrong? Are you uncomfortable somewhere?”
She pressed her lips together. From lying flat, she suddenly turned to face him.
Their eyes met, calm and steady. “…Are you leaving tomorrow?”
Under the warm light, he was silent for a long moment.
“Say something!”
“…Yeah.”
“When?”
“Morning.”
“…Oh. Then sleep early. Rest well.” She sat up and turned off the light.
Darkness filled the room.
The base was flat, the buildings sparse and low; the wind swept through unrestrained.
Outside, something metallic fell with a dull clang, heavy in the quiet night.
Jiang Fuyue turned her back to him, eyes closed, forcing herself toward sleep.
Before long, warmth pressed against her back, his chest, his breath brushing her ear.
“Yueyue,” he whispered, “are you… reluctant to see me go?”
“No!” she denied too quickly.
He chuckled lowly. “Then it’s true… I’m happy to hear that.”
“You’re too warm. Move away.”
She shoved at him with her elbow.
He actually did shift slightly, she pressed her lips together.
But the next second, a kiss brushed her cheek.
Then wandered down her neck, lower and lower—
At some point, he turned her onto her back. She responded softly, quietly, without a word.
In the dark, the sound of rustling sheets filled the silence.
She drifted off to sleep in the midst of his kisses.
And even then, he never crossed the final line.
Just before she fell asleep, Jiang Fuyue vaguely heard him murmur against her ear, voice hoarse—
“You kill but don’t bury the body…”
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