Chu Duxiu opened her mouth to speak, but at that moment no sound came out – only the pounding of her own heartbeat reached her ears. It was as if she had swallowed a tiny flame; the burn left her voiceless, her whole body feverishly hot, her cheeks flushed and steaming.
The room was unlit, the setting sun spilling in to cast uneven shadows across the space. A faint shaft of light fell upon him, illuminating his usually aloof brows and eyes. His eyelashes stood out clearly, and his dark, lustrous gaze shone with a subtle, spreading warmth.
Caught under that stare, Chu Duxiu’s mind grew hazy, as though she were entangled in an undercurrent – seemingly calm but secretly swift – that swept her into a tide of unspoken intimacy before she could resist.
Enchanted, she leaned closer to him, but froze almost at once, not daring to move further.
Yet he had already noticed her smallest motion.
Xie Shenci tilted his head slightly, leaning toward her with cautious care.
The second time came more easily than the first. Chu Duxiu’s senses sharpened to the extreme – his familiar scent enveloped her, his light, warm breath brushing against her, the moist, delicate touch coaxing her into instinctively parting her lips, tasting a lingering trace of sweetness.
Xie Shenci’s body stiffened; he hadn’t expected her to respond. Tilting his head back, bracing himself on his elbow, he slowly deepened the kiss.
Neither of them had much experience. Their tongues brushed tentatively, clumsy and uncertain, yet the awkwardness only heightened the heat around them. Consciousness and perception alike were consumed by one another as they clung together in a haze of intimacy.
In that room laden with memories of the past, they kissed with the raw intensity of youth, their breaths rushed and burning.
In the midst of it, Chu Duxiu’s wrist slackened, slipping onto his chest – only then did she notice the furious thudding beneath her palm. His heart was racing too.
When the kiss finally broke, silence filled the room, broken only by their ragged, uneven breaths.
On the snow-white wall, the last rays of golden sunlight cast the intertwined outlines of their bodies into a single deep shadow.
Chu Duxiu felt her whole body go weak. She buried her face against him, breathing in the crisp scent on his clothes to hide the heat burning at her ears. She could hear his heartbeat drumming like a beat of a drum, and mischievously rubbed her cheek against him, as if using his shirt to wash her face.
Realizing her antics, Xie Shenci simply raised his arm, pulled her into his embrace, and deliberately rolled over to pin her down, putting an end to her movements.
Held from behind, Chu Duxiu reached out to struggle, but for once she found herself unable to break free, trapped firmly in his hold.
It was as though he feared she might squirm away. Strong yet gentle, he tightened his embrace, his voice muffled and low against her ear as he murmured, “No more clinging. Time to rest.”
If she kept treating him like a cat, he might just start acting like a man.
That voice, hushed and low, brushed into her ear like a feather, tickling her with an almost imperceptible shiver.
Perhaps laced with unspoken desire, it carried the faint, electric sting of temptation.
Chu Duxiu instantly went still, obediently tucking in her arms and legs. Before long, her eyelids grew heavy, drowsiness seeping in.
After the intensity of their talk, weariness welled up. She let her eyes fall shut, curled in his arms, on his bed, in his room – wrapped in a boundless sense of safety.
It might have been ten minutes, half an hour, or even a full hour.
Outside the window, the sun slipped below the horizon, and the room fell into complete darkness. A gentle knock sounded at the door, stirring them from their half-asleep haze.
From outside, Xie Wentao called, “Dinner’s ready.”
“Alright,” Xie Shenci answered first, glancing down at the person in his arms as she stirred groggily awake.
Chu Duxiu slowly came to herself, sitting on the edge of the bed and rubbing her eyes, muttering, “So dark.”
The next second, the small bedside lamp lit up, casting a soft, gauzy glow.
Xie Shenci lifted his left hand to tap the switch, but his right arm still lay limp beneath her, serving as her pillow. Watching her run her fingers through her long hair, he said, “You’ve ruined it by sleeping on it.”
Chu Duxiu froze, her face flushing with embarrassment. “I did not!” she blurted out.
Heaven knows, she hadn’t done anything strange to him – she refused to carry that blame.
“My arm’s useless now, disabled,” Xie Shenci raised a brow, gesturing toward his right arm, speaking with utter seriousness. “You’ll have to take responsibility. You can’t just abandon me.”
Chu Duxiu: “…”
She shot back, “It’s fine. I was mentally prepared from the moment I walked in – I knew your family doesn’t allow seven-day, no-reason returns.”
Xie Shenci: “?”
*
Night had fallen, and the warm lights were on. Dinner was lavish, the dishes arranged in elegant tableware, varied and plentiful.
Chen Jingshu used the serving chopsticks to place food onto Chu Duxiu’s plate, her tone gentle. “I’m not sure what you like to eat. I’m not very good at cooking myself – these were all prepared by the housekeeper…”
“It’s fine, really, no need to trouble yourself. Everything tastes great,” Chu Duxiu quickly replied. “My mom isn’t good at cooking either – at home, it’s always my dad who handles the meals.”
Chen Jingshu suddenly understood. “Oh-”
Xie Wentao tensed up, worried about getting caught in the crossfire, and hastily chimed in: “Would you like something to drink? Maybe juice, or a little wine?”
Xie Shenci said, “I still have to drive.”
“I wasn’t asking you,” Xie Wentao shot his son a glance. “I know you can’t handle it – one drink and you’re stuck here for the night.”
Xie Shenci curled his lip. “It’s not that bad.”
Seeing this, Chu Duxiu suddenly laughed. “Uncle, Auntie, you’re really funny.”
“Oh? How so?”
“Talking with him, you treat him more like a friend.”
By now, she had begun to grow accustomed to the atmosphere in Xie Shenci’s family. Chen Jingshu and Xie Wentao were more like his playful companions – sharp-tongued in words, but attentive in every detail. They knew he couldn’t drink, had watched the shows he produced, and could even recognize her.
“He’s been like this since he was a kid – showing him kindness is useless,” Xie Wentao sneered. “His grandfather actually cares about him, but he keeps dodging him, afraid of being caught.”
Xie Shenci: “…I just wish Grandpa would care more about himself.”
Grandpa Xie did indeed value his grandson. He was either worrying about Xie Shenci’s career or fretting over his personal life. Even if it wasn’t something major, he would find other things to fuss about – convinced that during his studies abroad, Xie Shenci had suffered terribly, and that now, back in Haicheng, he was still cold, hungry, lonely, and miserable.
To Chen Jingshu and Xie Wentao, such worries were utterly absurd. If someone like Xie Shenci was considered to be living a hard life, then half the people in the country might as well not go on living. It was simply the old man’s needless fretting.
But at his age, people tended to become like children again. There was no point in arguing with him – better to humor him, go along with his thoughts, offer a few vague words, and that would be enough.
Chen Jingshu smiled gently. “That’s fine too. This year your grandfather won’t have to worry – knowing you’ll be spending New Year in Wencheng will set his mind at ease so he can travel with us.”
“Hm?” Chu Duxiu asked in surprise. “He’s not going with you on the trip?”
Although she and Xie Shenci had agreed to spend Spring Festival in Wencheng, she had still planned to leave him a few days to return to Yancheng and visit his family.
“Shenci has plenty of chances to come back,” Xie Wentao interjected. “New Year should be spent at your home – it’s the proper time for a formal visit. He can’t just do as he pleases.”
“But he already went to Wencheng last time…”
“Then he can go again. New Year is different – it’s a matter of proper etiquette!” Xie Wentao turned to his son. “This time I’ll prepare the gifts. You don’t mind going over, do you?”
“No,” Xie Shenci replied firmly. Clearly uninterested in the family trip, he decisively chose to go to Wencheng.
“There, you see?” Xie Wentao praised. “He wants to visit too.”
Chu Duxiu: “…”
Facing this cunning family, Chu Duxiu very much wanted to ask Chen Jingshu and Xie Wentao whether this plan was just for this Spring Festival, or if they intended to “foster him out” every year from now on while they themselves went off to travel and enjoy the mountains and rivers.
She didn’t dare expose them, nor press further – afraid that if she gave them an opening, they really might push the matter onto her for good.
After dinner, the group chatted for a while, and then Chu Duxiu and Xie Shenci prepared to leave.
Though the visit had been a spur-of-the-moment decision to drop by and see Chen Jingshu and Xie Wentao, the half-day spent there turned out to be unexpectedly fulfilling. They talked about all sorts of things – stories from Xie Shenci’s childhood, his family’s differing reactions when he first started Shanle, and the little quirks and habits of his daily life.
Chen Jingshu and Xie Wentao weren’t the kind of parents who hovered over every detail, but they always lent full support when their son needed it – whether it was easing the old man’s doubts, backing his pursuit of stand-up comedy, or warmly welcoming Chu Duxiu and building a good relationship with the person he liked.
“Come visit again next time – this trip was too rushed.” Chen Jingshu glanced at her son, then looked back at Chu Duxiu with a smile. “And you don’t necessarily have to bring him along. If you come to Yancheng for a performance, you can always drop by the house on your own.”
“Alright, thank you,” Chu Duxiu replied earnestly. “I’ll come another day to ask you for some tennis tips.”
After seeing Chen Jingshu play, with her powerful strokes, Chu Duxiu felt the urge to train her own skinny arms and legs. Over dinner, she had noticed the definition in Chen Jingshu’s arms – clearly not the build of a delicate, gentle lady – which left her admiring and secretly envious.
More than having outstanding looks, what she wanted was a strong body – ideally the kind that could take someone down with a single punch.
Chen Jingshu laughed. “No problem. One day I’ll take you to the court. Once you get the hang of it, all you need is persistence.”
The two bid farewell to his parents, took the elevator downstairs, and without lingering outside, headed straight for the parking lot.
All the way, Chu Duxiu remained preoccupied. Walking alongside Xie Shenci as they searched for the parked car, she sighed in admiration. “I really like your mom’s figure.”
At that, Xie Shenci slowed his steps, his expression turning rather odd.
“Her arms have a bit of muscle – not overdone, but just the right kind, and they look great…” Chu Duxiu paid no mind to his face, her own eyes shining as she went on eagerly. “You can tell she plays a lot of tennis – those lines are clearly from training. I was staring for quite a while just now.”
The parking lot wasn’t particularly cold. Xie Shenci caught her hand and placed it on his arm. “I’ve got some too.”
Caught off guard, Chu Duxiu felt the solid muscle beneath the soft, thin fabric of his sleeve. Her face flushed instantly, and she yanked her hand back. “That’s not the same thing!”
“I want to build it myself – so strong I could walk sideways wherever I go…” She lifted her chin proudly. “By then, you’d better watch out.”
Xie Shenci looked puzzled. “Why?”
“Because you wouldn’t be able to hold me down anymore. You’d just have to behave and let me pin you, no strength left to resist.”
“…” What kind of logic was that?
But Chu Duxiu was already lost in her bright imagination: if she trained her body, she could be tougher than him with his hiking. She pictured herself manhandling him however she pleased while he had no strength to struggle – forced to endure her affection and experience the cruelty of the world.
Never again would it be like today, when he’d held her down for a nap and cut off her chance to “cuddle her cat.”
Hearing her bold declaration, Xie Shenci fell silent, his gaze flickering. He hadn’t expected her to hold such a grudge – determined to work out and regain her dignity, all just to put him beneath her one day.
His throat moved slightly, and after a pause, he murmured, “Well… it’s not impossible…”
“?”
“…Actually, even if you pressed me down now, I wouldn’t resist.”
“…”
