Chapter 11
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Huang Shuyu’s sunny day was hit by a thunderbolt when she learned that she would be going on a field research trip with Tang Nuo. With one foot across Tang Nuo’s path, she asked, “You and me, why?”
Tang Nuo shrugged. “How would I know? It was arranged by Chairman Chen. Get ready, we’ll meet at the airport tomorrow.”
Sensing Huang Shuyu’s reluctance, Tang Nuo inquired, “Don’t want to go?”
Huang Shuyu hesitated before reluctantly admitting, “It’s not that. I have a lot of unfinished work to do.”
Tang Nuo couldn’t help but find her hesitation amusing, and he offered her a suggestion, “Why not talk to Chairman Chen? He’s in a good mood today, maybe he’ll understand and let me switch to someone else.”
Huang Shuyu was of course rejected. But since she had already spoken up, she became brazen and tried to plead with Chen Rui, “Chairman Chen, how can we go together? We’re your righ and left hands, how can you lose both of us at the same time? It’s so inconvenient!”
Chen Rui remained unmoved, “Stop talking nonsense. Tang Nuo has a lot of experience in doing research. You should learn more by following him. When you come back, I’ll check your notes.”
Huang Shuyu could only leave with a sulky face. Chen Rui, on the other hand, sat at his desk and remained still for a moment. He took out his phone and sent an add request to a WeChat account. Sun Yutan immediately accepted, but there was no response after that.
He put his phone aside.
Sun Yutan swore she did not deliberately wait for Chen Rui to come home.
She was just a little restless, especially after it got dark. So she rolled up her sleeves and did some housework, starting from her own room and cleaning every nook and cranny of the floor. This mindless, repetitive task was a good way to release her pent-up emotions..
After working up a sweat, she took a refreshing shower and then stretched out on the sofa to relax. However, the loud noise coming from her neighbor across the hall was incredibly distracting. She heard the sound of the elevator arriving on their floor, followed by the sound of a door opening. She grabbed her phone, checked the time, and thought about the diligent work ethic of Zhou Shuxin. She sighed, “Capitalists are really more hardworking than others.”
Suddenly, a WeChat message popped up. Chen Rui sent two words: “Open up.”
Sun Yutan opened the door, and Chen Rui stood outside, already changed into different clothes and holding a bottle of wine in his hand.
“Do you want to have a drink?”
Sun Yutan took a quick look inside the room.
Chen Rui’s smile faded. “Any guests?”
“No, I just mopped the floor, it’s still damp.”
“Come to my side.”
Chen Rui’s home had a similar layout to hers, but with fewer pieces of furniture and a simpler, more sleek color scheme that made it feel more spacious.
The only source of light inside the room came from a small lamp.
Chen Rui sat by the floor-to-ceiling window, holding a decanter and gently rocking it, releasing the subtle fragrance of fermentation.
Both of them remained silent. Sun Yutan looked at him, and he looked at the alcohol, a tacit understanding flowing between them like deep red syrup.
Sun Yutan took the wine glass he handed her, took a sip, and before it even reached her throat, she beckoned him to kiss her. The sweet scent of grapes lingered in the air as he pushed her onto the ground.
Sun Yutan’s knees were hanging on his shoulders, and in her swaying gaze, she saw a sailboat on the headboard, made of very small Lego pieces, with a unique shape. She looked at it for a few more glances, and Chen Rui grabbed her neck and asked her, “Remember?”
“What?”
“Don’t you find it familiar? You made it.”
“Really?”
“Yes.” Chen Rui made a deep and powerful stroke. “Anyway, you don’t remember anything.”
When the torrent subsided, Sun Yutan lay bonelessly on the bed. She knew she had to exercise restraint tomorrow. Her daily indulgences were taking a toll on her and she feared her reckless behavior would soon lead her to an early grave.
She couldn’t fathom how Chen Rui possessed such incredible physical stamina and the ability to sleep so soundly. After wrestling with her thoughts for a while, she finally dragged her heavy limbs back to her own bed. It was wiser to be in control of herself at this moment than to be at the mercy of someone else’s desires in the middle of the night.
She sounded like she was unwilling, but Sun Yutan cursed herself for being weak. Despite Chen Rui’s relentless advances, she couldn’t deny the immense pleasure she felt in his arms.
As she relived the vivid scenes in her mind – his fingers, his tongue, his kisses – Sun Yutan felt her face flush with a deep shade of crimson. Oh, how she yearned to be more skilled and satisfy him completely.
One afternoon, Sun Yutan and Sun Nianxi met at the entrance of the middle school to eat potatoes.
An old store, a narrow storefront the size of a freezer, stood on the corner of the street. Despite its small size, the store had been around for many years, and its fried potatoes were a local legend. The tantalizing aroma wafting from the pot was enough to make anyone’s mouth water, and when dipped in their special sauce, the taste was unforgettable. The nearby high school students were regulars at the store, and even those who happened to pass by stopped to sample the delicious fare. Sun Nianxi, who hadn’t even graduated from that high school, made a special trip to stand in line, a testament to the store’s immense popularity. However, the owner had a strong sense of quality control and refused to open any branches no matter how many people came. As a result, it still sat at the top of the campus food list, standing tall and unshakable.
Sun Yutan arrived early and bought two servings first. She sat next to a larger barbecue stall and ordered several skewers and a bowl of mixed rice noodles while eating and waiting.
Sun Nianxi quickly appeared at the intersection, and Sun Yutan instructed her to buy some sliced watermelon and pineapple.
The two of them sat together and shared delicious snacks, feeling very happy.
“Why is it so delicious?” Sun Yutan’s chopsticks were unstoppable.
“It feels like we’re back in university,” Sun Nianxi said. “We were so carefree back then, and just wanted to go eat something later.”
“Yeah,” Sun Yutan flipped her hair. The mixed rice noodles were too spicy.
“Oh,” Sun Nianxi’s eyes turned and she leaned over, pulling the scarf that was loosely tied around Sun Yutan’s neck. Seeing the ambiguous red mark on her neck, Sun Nianxi smiled and asked, “Did you sleep with someone?”
Sun Yutan nodded.
“How was it?”
“It was okay. My knee hurts,” she whispered.
Sun Nianxi sighed, “Nowadays, people hook up so quickly.”
“Get lost.”
“I really want to see what he looks like. Can you introduce him to me?”
“I can’t. We’ve done it so many times, but we haven’t really talked. You know what I mean, right?”
“It’s okay,” Sun Nianxi said. “The way to a man’s heart starts with his little brother.”
Sun Yutan laughed and shook her head. “Who needs a bicycle? Sleeping with him for a few months would be enough.”
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