Luo Jingyu was extremely uncomfortable. At this moment, he wanted to run away quickly. After reading Zhan Xi’s lip movements, his mind exploded. He frowned and signed: [No, no, we need to get married first.]
“But why?” Zhan Xi found his stubbornness quite adorable sometimes. She had already climbed onto him, her right arm wrapped around his stiff back, while her left hand secretly wandered lower. In that instant, Luo Jingyu became frozen like he’d been struck at a pressure point.
Zhan Xi faced him directly, making sure he could read her every word: “I just want to ask you, do you want this?”
Luo Jingyu shook his head vigorously, his ears red as if they’d been boiled, still stubbornly shaking his head.
“But I want it…” Zhan Xi’s big eyes were misty, her cheeks flushed red, her body radiating warmth. “Little Fish, I want you, I…”
She pulled out something small from her nightgown pocket to show him, “I bought this already.”
Luo Jingyu’s eyes fixed on the item in her hand, his heart nearly jumping out of his chest. When he looked back at Zhan Xi, his gaze was filled with disbelief. At the same time, her left hand was still teasing him, causing him to arch his back and let out a moan. He wanted to push her away, yet he was enjoying this unfamiliar sensation too much to leave.
Zhan Xi felt both embarrassed and frustrated. Her boyfriend was nothing like a 27-year-old in these matters – he was as innocent and naive as a 17-year-old boy.
She had thrown caution to the wind. She’d bought the contraceptive before the Qixi Festival. Luo Xinran had reminded her to be prepared in advance, saying that given how serious things were between her and Luo Jingyu, they might become intimate any day, and told Zhan Xi to protect herself properly.
Zhan Xi had originally thought Luo Xinran was being overly worried. Little Fish respected her so much, he would never take advantage of her. Indeed, after sharing a bed for a month, he had remained gentlemanly, taking care of his own needs after their intimate moments, never even asking for her help.
But Zhan Xi had underestimated her desire for Little Fish – it was probably just human nature. She wasn’t a little girl anymore; her body had matured fully. When holding hands, kissing, hugging, and caressing were no longer enough to satisfy her, she naturally wanted more.
How could just a taste of Little Fish be enough? She wanted to devour him whole, leaving nothing behind.
That night, after meeting his parents and talking with Gao Yuan, Zhan Xi’s desire had reached its peak. It wasn’t just that she couldn’t bear to watch him hold back anymore – she didn’t want to hold back either. She just wanted him. All that talk about “waiting until marriage” and “chastity” and “avoiding hurt if we break up” was nonsense!
She was so certain about them, she wanted… to eat this fish up.
Luo Jingyu still wouldn’t agree, his eyes rimmed red, repeatedly signing: [We need to get married, only after marriage, not now, not allowed.]
He was terrified, acting like a girl who had fallen into evil clutches in a TV drama, never imagining things would turn out this way.
He firmly remembered his sister’s warnings and his own principles – don’t hurt Huanhuan, don’t hurt Huanhuan… He didn’t understand why this would count as hurting her. This was a natural progression, not just his desire, but Zhan Xi’s desire too.
Zhan Xi wouldn’t let him go. She stopped talking, letting her actions speak instead.
Her soft yet determined arms embraced him, her legs wrapped around him too, kissing him passionately while running her fingers through his hair.
The kitten had caught the fish, holding him in her embrace. Unless he used brute force to break free, there was no escape.
Little Fish tried to struggle free, but he was like a fish out of water, helplessly floundering on shore. The kitten’s left hand never let go. Little Fish was so anxious he wanted to cry, but he didn’t dare push the kitten too hard. The oxygen from their kiss was almost depleted, and after a long tug-of-war, Little Fish finally heaved a deep sigh and surrendered, lying flat, ready to be devoured.
What happened afterward became natural and inevitable. Who knows if the fish ate the kitten or if the kitten ate the fish?
Gift had never left the bedroom, crouching by the bed watching them bewilderedly as clothes were thrown down one by one, followed by the little whale plush, then the big whale plush… Gift dodged these items, and realizing there was no chance to jump on the bed anymore, turned around and uninterestedly slipped out of the bedroom.
In the dim room, the young couple embraced and kissed, their lips and teeth meeting, fingers intertwined, bodies covered in sweat…
Zhan Xi finally discovered that even a gentle man’s body could explode with tremendous energy.
Her Little Fish was clumsy but considerate; she was shy yet expectant.
The pain and discomfort were within tolerable limits. For a while, Zhan Xi closed her eyes, enjoying the sound of her man’s breathing and soft groans by her ear. It was a husky tone she had never heard before, surprisingly sexy and mesmerizing.
He called her “Huanhuan” by her ear, with his unique way of speaking – not quite standard, somewhat unclear, but each low call penetrated her heart like a feather, making it flutter with tingles.
…
On Mid-Autumn Festival, the moon outside must be very round, right?
After who knows how long, the bedroom finally grew quiet, with only the rapid breathing of the young couple remaining.
Zhan Xi snuggled in Luo Jingyu’s warm embrace, tired but satisfied as she fell asleep.
—
At breakfast the next morning, Zhan Xi ate her wontons while secretly observing the man across the table.
He was helping her peel a boiled egg, his expression dazed.
Since waking up that morning, his expression had been different. Zhan Xi tried to guess his thoughts but couldn’t figure out what he was thinking.
Luo Jingyu felt like he was immersed in a dream, an incredibly real and happy dream, afraid that if he blinked, he would wake up.
How did this happen? Last night, he and Huanhuan actually…
His willpower was too weak! Luo Jingyu despised himself. They had agreed to wait until marriage, how could he not hold back?
He seemed to have hurt Huanhuan too…
When he apologized to Huanhuan, she smiled and kissed him, asking why he needed to apologize.
She hadn’t commented on his performance, though he figured it couldn’t have been very good.
He had only watched a short adult video when Chen Liang dragged him to watch at sixteen or seventeen. He was so shocked then that when Chen Liang invited him to watch more later, he never dared to watch again.
He hadn’t been particularly interested in such things before, only being forced to deal with it in the bathroom sometimes after meeting Huanhuan. Before that, he had been quite ascetic, never even having anyone to fantasize about.
Luo Jingyu felt uneasy, his mind a mess, alternating between regret, reminiscence, self-blame, and thinking that next time he should perform better…
Zhan Xi finished her wontons and boiled egg, watching Luo Jingyu with drooping eyebrows taking their bowls and plates to the kitchen, walking somewhat stiffly, and couldn’t help but feel amused.
The fish and kitten had eaten each other, and it seemed someone had taken quite a hit, hahahaha…
Even during the long holiday, Luo Jingyu had no time off, rushing to complete orders every day.
He checked his spreadsheet and calculated with a calculator – before the holiday ended, he could complete all the orders for the Hanfu Festival, allowing all the girls who bought flowers to wear them at the West Town Hanfu Festival in mid-October.
What remained was Huanshang’s “Fish Playing with Lotus” order, which wasn’t too urgent – he could complete it on time.
On Mid-Autumn Festival afternoon, Luo Jingyu and Zhan Xi brought mooncakes and fruit to Zhan Jie’s house for dinner.
On this reunion night, Zhan Jie felt quite lonely as a single person. Considering how much her older brother had helped her in recent months, Zhan Xi decided to comfort him by visiting with Little Fish.
Luo Jingyu did the cooking. It was his first time at Zhan Jie’s house, and looking at the environment, he felt an urge to help his brother-in-law clean up.
Zhan Xi thought that for a bachelor, her brother had kept the house quite decent. Her brother had changed since his divorce – learning to cook, learning to clean. When with Wei Wei, he no longer played games with his feet up but was willing to build blocks with his son, draw pictures, play games, chat, and the father-son relationship had actually become closer than before.
During dinner, Zhan Jie noticed something strange about his sister and temporary brother-in-law. Zhan Xi was still okay, but Luo Jingyu seemed off everywhere, his gaze wandering. Zhan Jie asked Zhan Xi, “Did you two have a fight?”
“No, not at all.” Zhan Xi knew the reason and giggled, hugging Luo Jingyu’s arm saying, “We’re doing great!”
Luo Jingyu’s chopsticks dropped the piece of meat he had just picked up with a “plop.”
Zhan Jie: “…”
He discussed going home with Zhan Xi. Zhan Jie had to work overtime for the first few days of the long holiday and planned to go home on the 5th, also attending Yin Li’s engagement ceremony the next day. He told his sister she could ride with him if she wanted to go back.
Zhan Jie asked Luo Jingyu: “Kid, are you going?”
Luo Jingyu stared at him blankly, then turned to look at Zhan Xi.
Zhan Xi ate her food casually, saying, “We’ll see. I can go back alone too.”
“Actually, you could bring him back,” Zhan Jie said. “You’ll meet many relatives. Whether Mom makes a scene or not, what’s done is done. If we can’t get past it, we’ll figure something out later. I think this is a good opportunity – you should think about it carefully.”
Zhan Xi asked quietly: “Brother, do you think Mom will give Little Fish a hard time?”
“Can’t say for sure.” Zhan Jie shook his head. “But Dad and I will be there, so it should be better, right? What do you think?”
Zhan Xi felt both happy and grateful, sucking up to him: “Brother, you’re the best!”
“…” Zhan Jie sighed and glared at her. “I’m actually not sure either. If I didn’t think this kid was pretty decent, I wouldn’t help you. Hey, kid!”
He suddenly turned to Luo Jingyu, who immediately sat up straight and watched his mouth carefully. Zhan Jie said: “You better watch yourself. My sister is such a good girl to be dating you. If you dare mistreat her, I won’t let you off! Also, no living together before our family approves! Got it?”
“Pfft!” Zhan Xi choked on her food and started coughing continuously. Luo Jingyu noticed her distress and quickly patted her back and offered water.
After Zhan Xi calmed down, Zhan Jie didn’t continue the topic but concluded: “Huanhuan, listen to me. If you’re going back on the 5th, bring Little Luo along. This can’t be avoided – whether it’s fortune or misfortune depends on this kid’s luck.”
Luo Jingyu: “…”
Ah! He had to meet Huanhuan’s parents too?
Her mother didn’t like him and had even scolded them last time. Would she scold him again when they meet?
But he had already done that with Huanhuan… He absolutely couldn’t hide. He had to be brave, had to protect Huanhuan, couldn’t let her get hurt again.
He wanted to marry Huanhuan, wanted to be with her forever, protect her, love her, cook delicious food for her every day, make her happy and carefree.
Before, he only dared to think about it secretly, but after the previous night, this thought had taken root in his heart like a sprouting seed. Even Huanhuan’s fierce mother couldn’t stop him now!
What if she scolded him? What if she mocked him for being deaf and mute?
Huanhuan had blocked a slap for him; he absolutely, absolutely, absolutely couldn’t let her down.
—
On October 2nd, Zhan Xi finally received good news from Du Hengzhi. The great designer Du had no time for a long holiday and said the Yunxi team had approved his design – he wanted to sign a contract with Luo Jingyu.
Zhan Xi arranged to meet him on the 4th to discuss details and let Luo Jingyu look at his initial design sketches.
On October 3rd, Zhan Xi and Luo Jingyu held another hot-pressed flower experience class at the café with private rooms, but this time all the attendees were old friends. Zhan Xi didn’t charge them, inviting everyone for coffee, chat, and to experience making hot-pressed flowers.
All the attendees were women, six in total: copywriter Luo Xinran, graduate student Zhao Qingqing, company white-collar Yuan Sichen, wealthy merchant’s wife Mrs. Wu, school teacher Zhou Lian, and dance instructor Teacher Qiu.
Everyone learned how to make hot-pressed flowers with Luo Jingyu while chatting with Zhan Xi.
While waiting for the flower petals to dry, the ladies drank coffee and ate cake. Zhan Xi took the opportunity to share an idea with them and ask for their opinions – she was considering opening a café or dessert shop with Luo Jingyu, themed around hand-pressed flowers.
The location might be on the cultural and creative street that the Qiantang government was developing. She had already scouted the location, and the foot traffic was indeed good. She had also inquired about the rent, which was manageable, and learned that hearing-impaired entrepreneurs like Luo Jingyu would receive tax benefits and other policy advantages.
“This is what I’m thinking,” Zhan Xi explained enthusiastically. “Although Xi Yu Hot-pressed Flowers is just starting, Teacher Luo has been in the hanfu circle for many years, and after recent events, many of his old fans know about his independent work. So barring any unexpected issues, the hanfu accessories business should be fairly stable in the future.”
“But… for Teacher Luo, he’s still staying in his comfort zone. I take orders, he makes things at home – it’s not much different from his previous model with Fang Xu. I think… Teacher Luo is already twenty-seven, it’s time for him to step out of this comfort zone and think about expanding the business. This business could include, but not be limited to, hot-pressed flower experience classes, salons, short video production, livestreaming, exhibition promotion, and cooperation with high-end brands, etc.”
“The reason for wanting a separate commercial space for these activities is partly because home classes aren’t very convenient, partly because we need a place to discuss business, and partly because I hope Teacher Luo can get out of the house and socialize more, which would be good for his creative inspiration.”
At this point, she looked at Luo Jingyu, “He’s been working full-time for four years now, and he’s still young, so his inspiration probably hasn’t dried up yet, but if he stays so reclusive, I’m not sure about a few years down the line. Of course, I’m not just making this up – I’ve asked for his opinion. He’s actually not against socializing; it’s just that previously, due to various constraints, he hasn’t expanded his social circle, more like he was helpless about it. Now that I’m with him, I want to try to make this happen. Does anyone have any opinions or suggestions? Do you think it’s feasible?”
While Zhan Xi was speaking, Luo Jingyu kept watching her, thinking how capable Huanhuan was, shining so brightly.
After listening, the ladies immediately started discussing enthusiastically. Teacher Qiu had entrepreneurial experience and asked Zhan Xi if the café would be profitable. Zhan Xi answered that they weren’t seeking profit in the early stages, small losses would be acceptable – the main goal was to have a fixed location to expand Luo Jingyu’s business channels, and this investment was necessary.
Everyone analyzed the consumer demographic composition around the cultural and creative street. Being in the urban area, including university towns, large internet companies, residential complexes, and shopping malls, it was mostly young people who would likely be more receptive to a physical café with distinctive features.
Mrs. Wu said: “Oh my, are you overlooking the consuming power of our age group? Hot-pressed flowers are such a refined activity, very elegant! The flowers are so beautiful – if Teacher Luo really opens the shop, I’ll definitely bring my girlfriends to visit, have afternoon tea, make flowers, how delightful!”
Zhou Lian agreed: “Yes, many of my friends are interested in handicrafts. This really isn’t about age, though it might be somewhat gender-related, with women being the majority. Handicrafts can cultivate the mind and character, relieve stress, and there’s a great sense of achievement in making things yourself.”
Luo Xinran said: “Xi, you need to do proper market research, see if there’s a difference in foot traffic between weekdays and weekends, and consider whether university breaks will have an impact.”
Yuan Sichen looked at her dyed flower petals and said: “I think Little Zhan’s idea is pretty good. Hot-pressed flowers are unique – no one else is doing this in the market. It might become popular!”
Zhan Xi laughed: “We’re not really aiming to be popular, just want to try something while we’re young. Teacher Luo has his dreams, and I have mine too. When we got together, we just wanted to give it a try.”
Saying this, she held Luo Jingyu’s hand. He turned to look at her, his eyes as deep as the ocean.
After the experience class ended, Zhan Xi parted ways with her old friends, her head full of suggestions.
Before leaving, Yuan Sichen quietly told her that Lin Yan had a girlfriend.
“She’s a new graduate who joined our department after you left. She’s so sweet-talking, always running to the tech department calling ‘Lin Yan, Lin Yan,’ never even using ‘Engineer Lin’!” Yuan Sichen giggled. “That ice mountain Lin Yan needed exactly this kind of passionate girl to melt him. It took three months, but he finally thawed. They just announced it on WeChat moments a few days ago, and now he’s taken the girl traveling. Isn’t that awesome?”
“Awesome, awesome.” Zhan Xi was genuinely happy for Lin Yan, glad he could find someone who suited him.
Zhan Xi and Luo Jingyu didn’t go home but went to an unfamiliar street to find a shop.
It was a pottery café, with drinks served on the first floor and pottery-making on the second. The owner was Tian Jun, whom Zhan Xi had met at the Maker Fair.
They had contacted him in advance. Tian Jun was happy to see Zhan Xi and enthusiastically invited her upstairs for a tour.
Being the holiday period, the first floor of the pottery café had good occupancy. The second floor was having classes – children’s pottery lessons with many parents and kids, creating a lively atmosphere.
Tian Jun was still wearing his apron. After guiding a child with pottery-making and washing his hands, he stood beside Zhan Xi to explain his business model.
Zhan Xi listened very carefully, occasionally asking him questions. Tian Jun shared his entrepreneurial experience generously, holding nothing back.
At first, Luo Jingyu watched them peacefully, but as Tian Jun and Zhan Xi’s conversation grew more animated and he heard Zhan Xi repeatedly calling him “Teacher Tian,” the corners of his mouth turned down, surprisingly feeling jealous.
That night, now more experienced, Luo Jingyu took Zhan Xi twice. The first time was a bit wild, but the second time was much gentler.
After the waves calmed, Luo Jingyu caught his breath, holding the sweaty Zhan Xi in his arms, his eyes burning as he signed: [Am I impressive?]
Zhan Xi was mortified, letting out a small “eep” and hitting his chest lightly.
Luo Jingyu didn’t understand what this meant, and seriously signed again: [I’m a teacher too, Teacher Luo. I can also open a shop and teach classes. I will work hard to do very well. Huanhuan, believe in me.]
Zhan Xi: “…”
Hmm, her understanding of “impressive” and what he was talking about seemed to be two different things.
Teacher Luo was quite good at being jealous…
Leave a Reply