Xu Fang had been pushed to the point where he had no patience left. At first, he had to ponder what she was saying, but now he could understand her immediately. He lowered his gaze, his expression completely blank and emotionless. “Pizza?”
Lin Xichi nodded.
With her confirmation, Xu Fang pulled her over.
Lin Xichi followed him, her eyes curving into small crescent moons, a cheerful expression on her face, mixed with a hint of frustration. “A’Pi, how come you don’t show any…,” she paused and then continued, “…reaction when I tease you like that?”
Xu Fang: “…”
Because there really wasn’t any.
As June approached, summer had arrived in City B. During the day, the scorching sun cast its searing rays, and the ground felt like it was burning. Even at night, the temperature didn’t seem to drop much, and the air was filled with a sense of dryness.
The restaurant they entered wasn’t particularly large, with two cabinet air conditioners placed in the corners. They emitted a slight humming sound when they operated.
Only the table next to the air conditioner was available, and Lin Xichi subconsciously walked over to it.
They sat facing each other, and Xu Fang pushed the menu towards her, casually saying, “Take a look and decide what you want to eat.”
Watching her seriously study the menu, Xu Fang stood up and walked to the air conditioner, adjusting the fan blades upward. By the time he returned to his seat, Lin Xichi had made her choice.
Xu Fang took the menu directly and handed it to a passing waiter.
Lin Xichi held the cup with both hands, sipping water slowly.
Xu Fang watched her and suddenly wanted her to experience what it felt like to be teased. He pondered for a moment, then smirked slightly. “Xichi, you look really cute when you drink water.”
Hearing this, Lin Xichi immediately lifted her head, her eyes clear and direct as she looked at him.
Xu Fang took a deep breath and continued, biting his lip, “Like a cat.”
Her reaction was completely unexpected for Xu Fang.
Instead of feeling teased or flattered, she began to educate him: “A’Pi, when cats drink water, they extend their tongues, touch the water surface, and quickly retract it, creating a water column using surface tension, which they can then directly drink from.”
Xu Fang also looked at her, his gaze filled with confusion. “So?”
Lin Xichi was dead serious. “When I drink water, I don’t extend my tongue.”
“…”
“If you don’t understand, don’t praise people carelessly,” Lin Xichi patted his hand, which was placed on the table, as if kindly reminding him. “Fortunately, it’s in front of me. Otherwise, you’d be embarrassed in front of others.”
Xu Fang: “…”
Afterward, Lin Xichi started to munch on her pizza again while giving him a lecture on various animal behaviors until she lost interest and began to tease him again about his lack of knowledge.
When she noticed his cold expression, she quickly restrained herself.
Xu Fang didn’t have the habit of eating supper, and he wasn’t hungry at this moment. After eating a few bites, he stopped. He picked up a napkin to wipe his hands, propping his chin up with one hand as he watched Lin Xichi across the table.
She seemed to have remained unchanged all this time. She had a thin fringe of bangs in front of her forehead, and her hair, just past her shoulders, was fine and fluffy. When eating, she didn’t pay much attention to her appearance, and there were sauce stains on her face.
She still enjoyed provoking him, then coming to pacify him.
As if she found it endlessly amusing.
Xu Fang picked up a napkin from the table and leaned closer to her. He gently wiped away the smudges on her face and said softly, “You even get sauce on your face and don’t realize it.”
Saying that, he lifted his eyes and casually met her gaze, imitating her tone from earlier. “Fortunately, it’s in front of me. Otherwise, you’d be embarrassed in front of others.”
Lin Xichi had just finished a slice of pizza and picked up another one. She took small, deliberate bites, her cheeks bulging slowly as she chewed. She mumbled, “But I don’t do this in front of others.”
Xu Fang’s hand paused, and he arched an eyebrow. “Is that so?”
Lin Xichi didn’t say anything more, her cheeks moving up and down slowly as she continued to savor her food.
Lin Xichi had ordered an eight-inch pizza, typically meant for two people, but neither of them was eating much. She couldn’t finish it all, and her eating pace had slowed down significantly.
Xu Fang glanced at her several times, then picked up a slice of pizza to eat.
Lin Xichi had finally finished the piece of pizza in her hand, sighed in relief, and took a sip of her water. She couldn’t eat anymore and leaned back in her chair, feeling a bit bored. She began to swing her legs, trying to reach for his feet under the table.
Xu Fang didn’t dodge and lightly glanced at her, his eating speed picking up.
Just as she was about to playfully tease him, her phone rang.
Lin Xichi still had a smile on her face as she turned her head and saw that it was a call from her mother, Lin’s mother. She blinked and remembered the text she had sent earlier, hesitating before answering the call.
Lin’s mother’s voice was as usual, gentle with a hint of a smile. “Xichi, have you come to City B to visit?”
Lin Xichi replied with a simple “Yes, I came to see Xu Fang.”
“Then where are you staying?” Lin’s mother’s voice carried a hint of reproach, and in the background, Lin’s father’s voice could be faintly heard. “You didn’t even tell your mom.”
Lin Xichi didn’t know what to say and could only reply hesitantly, “I’m staying at a hotel.”
“…,” Lin’s mother paused for a moment and then continued in a soft voice, “Did you leave as soon as you saw Jingjing? You didn’t even talk to her. She’s not like before anymore. She’s seen doctors for several years, and she’s much better now.”
Lin Xichi nodded and replied, “That’s good.”
Communication between them had become scarce over the years. When she talked to her mother on the phone, Lin Xichi no longer initiated conversations about what was happening in her life. Most of the time, she listened to her mother.
Lin’s mother wasn’t a talkative person either. She often spoke for a while and then fell into a silence, and after a while, they both hung up the phone hastily.
In time, Lin’s mother began to call her less frequently. Usually, she only called on her birthday or during major holidays.
This call was one of those times when her mother didn’t know what to say, and Lin Xichi didn’t actively bring up a topic, creating an awkward atmosphere.
After a few seconds, Lin’s mother sighed, sounding somewhat worried. “Xichi, why don’t you come home for a visit? It’s been so long since your dad and I saw you. Besides, you’re staying alone outside, and we’re worried about you.”
Lin Xichi instinctively glanced at Xu Fang and hesitated as she replied, “I’ve already booked a hotel… And Grandma is staying at your place, there probably isn’t a spare bed for me.”
“Then cancel it,” Lin’s mother decided for her. “You can share a room with Jingjing; her bed is not small.”
Lin Xichi didn’t know how to describe her current feelings, and she lowered her eyes, unable to find a reason. She could only answer honestly, “I don’t want to.”
Lin’s mother seemed to think she had misheard. “Wha…”
The call seemed to be on speakerphone, and Lin’s father also spoke up, his voice sounding stern. “You don’t want to come home? Are you planning to stay with Xu Fang?”
Lin Xichi didn’t say anything.
Then, there was Lin’s mother’s voice, soothing her father and asking him not to get angry. After a while, there was a rustling sound on the phone, and Lin’s mother said to her, “Xichi, how are you and Xu Fang doing now? You’ve been in a relationship for six years, right? When are you planning to get married?”
“It should be soon.”
“What do you mean, ‘it should be’? Hasn’t he mentioned it to you?” Lin’s mother sighed, her tone becoming more coaxing. “Mom is just speaking her mind. That child from the Xu family, I never thought highly of him from the beginning. His studies are a mess, he has no ambition, and his temper isn’t good. He’s about to graduate soon, right? How many more years will he be in the military after that? When you first got together with him, I didn’t agree, but I didn’t have the energy to interfere…”
Lin Xichi clenched her phone tightly, and she suddenly found it a bit amusing. She interrupted her mother’s words, “Do you have the energy now?”
At this point, Xu Fang had finished the remaining food in front of him and was sitting across from her, playing with his phone. When he heard Lin Xichi speak so impolitely, he raised his head, looking somewhat surprised.
Lin’s father was furious, “What are you saying?”
This time, Lin’s mother remained silent for a long time. After a while, she said, “Xichi, you know the situation at home back then. Jingjing wasn’t in good shape at that time, and it coincided with Geng Geng’s college entrance exams. Maybe we neglected you. But you’ve always been sensible, your academic performance is excellent, your personality is good, and we don’t need to worry about anything, so…”
“I’m not that sensible either,” Lin Xichi couldn’t hold back and interrupted her mother, her head lowered as she reached for a loose thread on her clothes. “I didn’t want to spend all my time studying, but…”
She seemed to remember something, her voice choking, “Back when things weren’t going well at home, I heard Grandma tell you not to let me continue my education and save the tuition for Geng Geng to go to school.”
“I was afraid you’d really listen to her and not let me go to school,” Lin Xichi sniffled. “So, I earned scholarships on my own and continued studying.”
“…,”
“Lin Jing’s condition wasn’t good, and it made me unhappy too. I didn’t object when you wanted to move to City B; the medical conditions there were good, and it used to be very good. But, I also hope that you could at least tell me before you left.”
“You couldn’t find time to come visit me or even call me? It’s not that difficult to do.”
Her eyes suddenly reddened, and she calmly repeated, “I’m not that sensible either.”
“When you invited Geng Geng to come over for the New Year, I also hoped that you would invite me, even if I couldn’t come, I really hoped you would at least say ‘Happy New Year’ to me.”
“This isn’t something difficult to do.”
“If you hadn’t adopted me back then, I might not have the good life I have now,” Lin Xichi sobbed and then forcibly restrained herself. “But I just feel that you’re not good at all, and I just want… to blame you.”
After saying those last three words, Lin Xichi fell silent, and there was no response from the other end of the line.
She hung up the phone, wiped her tears away with the back of her hand in silence.
Xu Fang had already packed everything up. When he saw her put down the phone, he stood up and held her hand, noticing the moisture on her hand. His movement halted for a moment, and he looked at her, but he didn’t say anything.
Leading her out of the shop, they walked through the bustling night market where people were coming and going.
Lin Xichi kept her head down the whole way, not looking at the road, relying entirely on Xu Fang to lead her.
When they reached a less crowded area, Xu Fang slowed down his steps and cleared his throat, wanting to say something to her.
But before he could speak, Lin Xichi suddenly stopped in her tracks behind him, frozen in place like a child who refused to move when denied a toy.
“Appi.”
Xu Fang turned around to look at her.
Lin Xichi’s eyes were red, but there were no tears. Her voice was soft and plaintive, “I’m ready…”
Xu Fang used his fingertip to gently wipe the corner of her reddened eye and asked in a low voice, “Ready for what?”
She sniffled, hesitated for a moment, and whispered very softly, “Why haven’t you said you want to marry me yet?”
Upon hearing her words, Xu Fang’s movements froze, his gaze lowered as he looked at her slightly nervous expression. He felt like a complete jerk at that moment.
She was always straightforward, and in his presence, she typically said whatever was on her mind. Except for things that genuinely made her upset, she would keep those to herself.
The topic of marriage had never come up between them. But she had also acted like she didn’t care at all. It seemed as if she had no insecurities about it, worrying that he might be unwilling, so she had never broached the subject herself.
Xu Fang licked his lips, slightly bent down, and used one hand to gently press against the back of her head, pulling her into his chest.
Lin Xichi’s face was buried in his chest, her eyes blinked rapidly. She had mustered up the courage to say it, and now she felt bolder, persistently saying, “Don’t just hug me and pretend you didn’t hear what I said…”
Xu Fang interrupted her, his voice tinged with a hint of amusement, still his usual nonchalant self.
“You’re giving me too much credit,” Xu Fang’s chin brushed against her forehead, “Not marrying you means I have to remain a bachelor for the rest of my life—”
“I can’t bear that.”
Lin Xichi’s head lifted sluggishly, and the unease she had felt moments ago had disappeared. She pondered over what he had just said, “So, if I refuse to marry you, you won’t get married either?”
Xu Fang’s eyebrows slightly raised, his eyes as dark as raven feathers, appearing even more profound. His voice was slightly deep, and his expression unusually serious, “What else?”
With that, he tugged Lin Xichi forward.
“I’m not necessarily going to refuse,” Lin Xichi’s eyes curved, with a hint of a watery glint, “If you don’t marry me soon, I still have many—many—many—options.”
She even made a hand gesture to emphasize her point, as if to get his attention.
“…,” Xu Fang looked back for a moment, his tone becoming rather stern, clearly not pleased, “You can try.”
“Why are you dawdling then? You can propose now; I don’t even need flowers or a ring, and you can skip the kneeling part. Just say it.”
Xu Fang’s gaze remained forward as he pulled her toward the hotel, then paused for a moment before saying, “Let’s wait a bit longer. The job assignments after graduation will be released next month, and then I’ll submit the marriage report.”
As he said this, Xu Fang’s voice paused for a moment, and he sighed, “Maybe you think it’s unnecessary, but I want to give you everything that others have. Those things you lack, I can’t make up for. So, I can only provide you with more in other ways.”
“…”
“So, just listen to these words and remember one thing,” Xu Fang led her, with Lin Xichi only able to see his back, his voice carried by the evening breeze, “I want to get married even more than you do.”
As he said this, Xu Fang suddenly remembered Lin Xichi’s appearance in the restaurant just now, red-eyed, holding back her sobs, clearly saying, “I’m not very sensible…”
Xu Fang lowered his gaze, his voice slightly hoarse, “I don’t need you to do anything.”
“You don’t need to be sensible, you don’t need to think about doing anything proactively, it’s okay if you enjoy making me angry, throw tantrums, or never grow up. It’s okay to want to do whatever you want.”
“Maybe you’ll need to wait for me for a little while longer, but it won’t be too long.”
Under the night sky, away from the bustling night market, in a quiet alley, bright streetlights illuminated the concrete ground. Besides the two of them, there was no one else in sight.
His broad and sturdy back seemed capable of shielding the world for her.
Over the years, even though they had spent less time together, Lin Xichi knew what he did every day. But because they weren’t together all the time, she couldn’t sense many of the finer details, nor did she know how they affected him.
But he, alone in another city, had experienced many things.
Yet in her presence, nothing had changed.
He still treated her the same way as before, getting angry because of her words, then compromising and trying to please her after a big fight. He still thought of her first in everything, took care of everything for her, and could detect her emotions even when they were apart.
It was quite miraculous.
He was like a treasure.
As long as he was with her, Lin Xichi felt like she would never grow up.
And she didn’t need to.
Back at the hotel.
Lin Xichi felt utterly exhausted after that short walk. She collapsed onto the bed as soon as she entered the room, not bothering to take off her shoes, and simply sprawled out lazily on the edge of the bed.
Xu Fang stood by the table, organizing the items he had just bought, then glanced at her location.
Seeing her in such a disheveled state, Xu Fang frowned, walked over, and sat down beside her. He pulled off her shoes while keeping a stern expression, saying, “Go take a shower.”
Lin Xichi’s face, buried in the blanket, suddenly lifted. She instantly understood the meaning behind his words and smiled mischievously.
“Then should I send myself to your bed afterward?”
Xu Fang: “…”
Where did she learn all this from?
Xu Fang pulled her up, his obsidian eyes devoid of emotion, his lips pressed together, and he forcefully pinched her cheek with his fingertips, looking somewhat incredulous, “Don’t be delusional.”
Lin Xichi made a light hum and slapped away his hand, “Pervert, don’t pretend to be the icy and restrained type when you’re actually part of the wild and indulgent category.”
“…”
“I don’t want to talk to you anymore.” Lin Xichi kicked her feet at him, trying to pull her foot back but failing, “We’ve known each other for so many years, and I’ve understood everything I need to. No matter how you pretend, I can see through your true nature.”
Xu Fang grabbed her ankle, saying expressionlessly, “I told you not to read those novels, didn’t I?”
“Why don’t you want me to read them?” Lin Xichi tried to yank her foot back but couldn’t, “Are you afraid I’ll compare you to the male leads in those novels and then find you lacking?”
“Fear what?” Xu Fang’s fingertips, slightly calloused, casually caressed her ankle. “I can take them all on single-handedly.”
Lin Xichi was surprised by Xu Fang’s shamelessness and was about to say something when her phone in her pocket started ringing. She muttered, “If novel male leads were all like you, who would bother reading novels?” before answering the call.
Xu Fang: “…”
Xu Fang sat beside her, watching her talk on the phone and thinking about what she had just said. Suddenly, he burst into laughter, got up, grabbed some clothes, and headed into the bathroom to take a shower, ignoring her.
The call was from Lin Xigeng.
Lin Xichi had told her in advance that she would visit Xu Fang in B City for the Dragon Boat Festival, so she asked if Lin Xigeng had time to go back home and celebrate the festival with their grandfather. Lin Xigeng was still at home when she called her, and she said, “Did you meet Lin Deng over there?”
Lin Xichi nodded, “Yes.”
“Mom just called Grandpa, and I overheard some of it,” Lin Xigeng’s voice was gentle, “Anyway, just do what you want to do and don’t listen to them.”
“I know.”
“As for Lin Deng… Oh well, forget it.” Lin Xigeng seemed a bit frustrated, “By the way, I just heard Grandpa scolding Mom. Oh, he’s still scolding her now…”
As if she had put her phone down somewhere, Lin Xichi couldn’t hear her clearly, but she could hear Grandpa’s furious voice, “That child Xu Fang isn’t good? I watched him grow up, my eyes aren’t blind yet! It’s you, I really didn’t raise you well—Shut up! What’s wrong with you if you don’t go to his place? Do you think they’re giving away money there?…”
Lin Xichi hadn’t heard Grandpa’s strong and vibrant voice like this in a long time.
Although she knew she shouldn’t think this way, hearing Grandpa supporting her and standing on Xu Fang’s side, reprimanding her mother, made her inexplicably proud and delighted.
Lin Xichi sat up happily.
At the same time, Lin Xigeng put her phone back to her ear.
Lin Xichi buried herself in the blankets and whispered to her, “Lin Xigeng, let me tell you, I’m going to marry Xu Fang soon.”
Lin Xigeng asked curiously, “How did he propose to you?”
Lin Xichi blinked, “He hasn’t proposed yet.”
“…Then why is it happening soon?”
“He said he would propose, but he wants me to pretend not to know.” Lin Xichi rolled around in the blanket, gleefully, “He wants to surprise me.”
“…” Two kids.
But hearing her so happy and seemingly unaffected by her parents, Lin Xigeng sighed in relief and congratulated her, “Well, I wish you a happy marriage.”
Just at that moment, Xu Fang opened the bathroom door and came out. He had a pure white towel draped over his head, with steam still rising from his body. He was wearing a short-sleeved shirt and shorts, revealing his strong arms and legs.
Lin Xichi instinctively said, “Why did you shower so quickly, Pippi?”
Xu Fang walked over and sat next to her, looking at her lazily. “How long does it take to shower?”
On the other end of the phone, Lin Xigeng heard their conversation and Lin Xichi’s nickname for Xu Fang. She found it amusing. “Lin Xichi, you keep calling him Pippi like that. Isn’t he angry?”
“What?”
“When you call him by that nickname, I remember that his expression didn’t look too good.”
Lin Xichi suddenly realized, “You mean Pippi?”
Xu Fang, sitting right in front of her, naturally responded to her call.
Lin Xigeng said, “Yes.”
“Ah, why would he be angry?” Lin Xichi leaned over to dry Xu Fang’s hair with a towel, speaking seriously, “He really likes this nickname.”
Lin Xigeng was puzzled, “Really?”
Xu Fang also looked over, seemingly able to guess what they were talking about.
“Think about it. If you were overweight, and someone gave you a nickname like ‘Fatso,’ you’d definitely feel uncomfortable whenever someone mentioned the word ‘fat,’” Lin Xichi said with conviction. “Or if you were short and felt self-conscious about it, you’d also feel uneasy when someone mentioned the word ‘short.’”
Lin Xigeng didn’t catch on at first. “Are you going off on a tangent here?”
Xu Fang, face to face with her, listened as she went on with her absurd reasoning.
“But Xu Fang is different,” Lin Xichi said with a completely straight face. “If he didn’t like me calling him Pippi, it would be the same as not liking the word ‘butt.’”
“…?”
“But he likes to use ‘butt’ in his speech.”
“So, it can be deduced that Xu Fang really likes the nickname Pippi.”
Xu Fang: “…”
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