Lin Xiche still wanted to celebrate Xu Fang’s birthday, so she didn’t go far. After leaving the dormitory, she looked around and then sat down next to the supermarket in front of a tent.
It was already the end of October, and with several days of heavy rain, the temperature had dropped to around ten degrees Celsius. During the night, it even dipped below ten degrees. The air was cold and damp, and the breath she exhaled turned into white mist under the glow of the streetlights.
After two days of rain, the ground was still mostly wet. The cement surface was pitted with puddles, and the cold seemed to be everywhere, seeping into your bones from every corner.
Lin Xiche didn’t know when Xu Fang would wake up, and she didn’t dare to disturb him.
She sniffed and put her hands in her coat pockets. Then, she pulled the hood of her coat over her head and huddled into it, trying to drive away the chill that had permeated her entire body.
She started thinking about what to say when Xu Fang inevitably got angry at her.
Should she tell him that she just wanted to see if the marker had any ink left, but couldn’t find paper, and his face happened to be there, so she used it as a makeshift canvas?
Or should she say that she had watched a video recently that claimed drawing cat whiskers on someone’s face could make them as gentle and cute as a cat…?
She felt that no matter what she said, he would probably want to strangle her.
What was she thinking at that moment?
Xu Fang lay in front of her, with a strong brow, thick and dark eyelashes like raven feathers, a straight and defined nose bridge, and lips with the perfect curve.
He looked defenseless and without any signs of attack.
Lin Xiche gazed at him for a while and didn’t find herself getting tired of it. She truly believed that Xu Fang was exceptionally handsome.
If she kept looking at him like this, she was sure she wouldn’t be able to control herself and would just kiss him. To stop herself from having such vile and shameless thoughts, she chose to uglify his appearance with the marker.
She was completely doing it to protect his chastity.
But she couldn’t tell him that; it would sound weird.
After sitting for a while, even though Lin Xiche had wrapped herself tightly, she still felt cold. She suddenly regretted not wearing a scarf before leaving home, leaving her face exposed to the biting cold. She stood up and tried to warm herself up by moving around.
Lin Xiche had always been sensitive to the cold, so whenever it got chilly, she would wear more layers than most people. On a day like this, most people would be comfortable with three layers, but she would keep adding thermal underwear and wool sweaters until she was satisfied. However, today, she had reluctantly taken off one layer to avoid looking too bulky when she came to see Xu Fang.
The night wind was much harsher than during the day, and combined with the low temperature, it felt like razor blades cutting into Lin Xiche’s face.
She pitifully pulled up the zipper of her coat a bit higher and was about to go into the supermarket to warm up when she suddenly noticed someone about five meters in front of her.
Xu Fang.
Silent.
He stood by the streetlight, with his back to the light, making his features indistinct, just a shadowy figure. He was wearing only a thin coat, loose pants, and black slippers on his feet, looking like he had rushed out without any preparations.
Lin Xichi’s breath hitched, and after taking a step back, she pulled the zipper higher. The coat she was wearing had a zipper on the hood, allowing her to completely cover her head.
If it weren’t for the fact that she couldn’t see the way, Lin Xiche would have considered hiding herself entirely inside.
She zipped the coat up to her nose, lowered her head, cast her gaze to the ground, and timidly walked past Xu Fang as if she were just passing by, holding her breath.
Xu Fang tugged at the corner of her hood with a slight smile on his lips. With one hand, he pulled the zipper all the way up to the top. He chuckled and there was a hint of mockery in his voice as he said, “Even if you zip it up like this—”
“Can you recognize me?”
Lin Xiche’s vision immediately plunged into darkness when she zipped up the hood. She struggled to unzip it and when she finally saw the light again, she suddenly noticed the marker traces on Xu Fang’s face. It looked comical and cute against his serious expression.
She wanted to laugh, but she was afraid it would only worsen the situation if he saw her laughing.
Lin Xiche lowered her head again, did her best to hide any trace of a smile, and changed the topic to something else in an attempt to please him. “Pipi! Happy Birthday!”
Xu Fang didn’t say anything. He pulled her hood back down and began walking in the direction of the dormitory building.
The position was a bit uncomfortable for Lin Xiche. She tugged at her hat for a while and finally managed to snatch her hood back. Then, she jogged to keep up with him, looking innocent as she asked, “Pipi, why aren’t you talking?”
At his words, Xu Fang turned his head and glanced at her. “Didn’t you say ‘Happy Birthday’?”
Lin Xiche checked her phone to make sure she hadn’t gotten the date wrong and then said, “Yeah, today is your birthday. Did you forget?”
Xu Fang’s implication was clearly about the other two words in “Happy Birthday.” He withdrew his gaze, and calmly asked, “Do I look happy?”
“…”
Lin Xiche sneaked a few glances at him and saw the marker-drawn cat whiskers on his face, his furrowed brows, and tightly pressed lips. She suddenly didn’t dare to speak.
Perhaps sensing Lin Xiche’s guilty mood, Xu Fang side-eyed her but didn’t say anything.
The two of them walked up to the third floor.
This floor was mostly occupied by military students. As they walked through, Xu Fang’s acquaintances teased him about his appearance.
Xu Fang didn’t say much in response, but this made Lin Xiche feel even more guilty.
As they approached the door of Xu Fang’s dorm, they passed by another dorm room, and a shirtless guy walked out, shouting, “Hey! Fatty! From your dorm—”
Before he could finish his sentence, he saw Xu Fang and changed his words, “Damn, what’s wrong with your face…oh, by the way, do you guys have laundry detergent?”
The guy had a great physique, broad shoulders and narrow hips, and had a slightly tan skin tone, exuding a strong masculine aura. He looked like he had just taken a shower, with wet hair and wearing only a pair of knee-length casual shorts.
The strong scent of male hormones filled the air.
Almost simultaneously, Xu Fang turned his head, zipped up Lin Xiche’s coat again, swift and neat in his movements, and then answered the guy’s question, “No.”
Next moment, Xu Fang grabbed Lin Xiche’s wrist and continued walking toward the dorm, leaving her feeling embarrassed.
Lin Xiche lowered the zipper of her coat again and asked, “Why do you keep zipping up my coat like that?”
Xu Fang retorted, “Then look at yourself.”
“Huh?”
Xu Fang didn’t respond further, he just made a hmph sound, then walked to his bed and took off his coat. He was wearing only a short-sleeved shirt underneath, seemingly unaffected by the cold.
Afterwards, he went to the balcony to wash his face.
Lin Xiche hesitated for a while, then followed him. She watched him wash his face with facial cleanser. Only a small amount of marker color came off. She swallowed nervously and said softly, “Alcohol should be able to remove it…”
Xu Fang remained silent, but he also didn’t try to take the towel back. He lowered his eyes and looked steadily at her.
Lin Xiche tiptoed, slowly wiping his face, hesitant not to meet his gaze. Instead, she focused on the traces on his face and whispered, “How was I supposed to know you would come out like this?”
With one hand resting on the balcony rail, Xu Fang bent slightly, bringing his face closer to hers. His face had already reddened from his previous exertion, and Lin Xiche dared not apply more force. She gently removed the marks bit by bit, then remarked, “Pipi, you turned nineteen this year.”
Upon hearing this, Xu Fang raised an eyebrow, and Lin Xiche blinked, implying something, “You should start understanding a few things by now, like controlling your temper, especially towards kind and cute people.”
Xu Fang’s brow twitched, his voice turning cold, “Can you please be quiet?”
Their proximity was extremely close, and as they spoke, they could feel each other’s breath. They were within arm’s reach.
Lin Xiche wiped away the marks on his face, nodding in satisfaction. Then, she met his gaze, which had a captivating quality, making it easy to get lost in his eyes. She had always found Xu Fang’s eyes exceptionally attractive, with their slender and sharp shape, inner hooks, and outer curls. His eyes weren’t large, single-lidded, but with deep, dark, and magnetic pupils that seemed to pull you in involuntarily.
Even when she had no particular feelings for him, she occasionally found herself distracted by his captivating eyes. And now, it was even more evident.
When Lin Xiche finally snapped out of her trance, she realized she had been staring at him for who knows how long.
His expression remained as cool and unyielding as before, but there was something more in his eyes, something she couldn’t quite comprehend. The distance between them seemed even closer now, and she felt that with a slight tip-toe, she could touch his chin.
Lin Xiche held her breath, handing him the towel without meeting his gaze, and muttered, “Wash your face.”
She then turned and walked back into the dorm room. Xu Fang stood there, looking at her retreating figure. After a moment, he straightened up, turned on the tap, and cleaned the towel thoroughly before carefully wiping the alcohol off his face.
Staring at his reflection in the mirror, Xu Fang let out a long exhale. However, he then forcefully scratched his head, as if struggling with something deep within his mind.
Lin Xiche’s emotions were in turmoil. She tried to distract herself by looking around the room, and she found a foldable table in one corner, which she set up in front of Xu Fang’s bed.
Approaching Xu Fang’s desk, she brought the cake over and slowly opened the box. Just as Xu Fang had finished washing his face and came out to the balcony, he noticed the cake on the table. He furrowed his brow, surveyed the room, and then asked uncertainly, “Did you buy this?”
Lin Xiche lifted her head to look at him but quickly averted her gaze, focusing on the cake with candles instead. “Otherwise?”
Xu Fang looked at her suspiciously as he sat down in front of her.
The military student dormitory was inspected for cleanliness three to four times a week, and it was always kept tidy. The two of them sat on the floor, now bathed in the dim light of the candles.
Noticing Xu Fang’s continuous scrutiny, Lin Xiche pretended not to notice and continued to light the candles. She casually brought up a topic, “When is your roommate coming back?”
“I don’t know,” Xu Fang replied, leaning in to help her light the candles.
After lighting all nineteen candles, Lin Xiche stood up and walked towards the door. “Don’t blow out the candles just yet. I’ll turn off the lights for a better atmosphere.”
With the room plunged into darkness, Lin Xiche returned to the table, sitting down with a cheerful smile.
“Would you like to make a wish first?”
“Oh,” Xu Fang, leaning against the edge of the bed, lazily said, “I hope you become a bit smarter this year.”
“…,” Lin Xiche couldn’t be bothered to argue with him. She deliberately shook the bag in her hand in front of him. “Can’t you make a more practical wish?”
Seeing the label on the bag, Xu Fang furrowed his brow again. “Where did you get this?”
Lin Xiche was flustered. “I bought it!”
He didn’t believe her at all and continued to ponder, “Does Uncle Lin wear this brand of shoes?”
Lin Xiche, “…”
She suddenly remembered how she used to give him some of her used items in the past. Such actions were undoubtedly a stain on her record.
Lin Xiche’s face turned red, and she tried to save face. She pursed her lips and said earnestly, “This is the one I bought, brand new, never worn by anyone else. I spent a long time choosing it!”
Her excitement caused her tone to rise at the end.
A moment of silence followed.
Now, in the dimly lit room with only the candlelight, they were the only two figures. Xu Fang relaxed his jaw, suddenly laughing, with a slight upturn of the corners of his eyes. His eyes gradually moved upwards from the bag in her hand, meeting her gaze.
Emotions swirled in his eyes like a vortex, slowly infecting her.
Was it the atmosphere or the long-standing desire that made it impossible for him to restrain himself any longer?
With a hoarse voice, Xu Fang suddenly said, “I feel like I’ll never guess your thoughts correctly.”
Lin Xiche’s emotions settled, and she muttered, “What do you mean?”
Then, Xu Fang reached out and, for the third time, zipped up her jacket all the way to the top. Lin Xiche’s vision was instantly plunged into darkness again, with only a faint light coming through the gap in the zipper.
She was about to get angry when she heard Xu Fang continue speaking.
“But this time, I feel like I might be right.”
For a moment, Lin Xiche’s breathing also slowed down. She pinched her fingers and suddenly had a premonition that what he was about to say would make her heart leap to her throat.
And as expected, Xu Fang’s voice echoed once again in the dimly lit room.
His voice, clear and low, resonated as he asked, “Are you secretly in love with me?”
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