After the intense passion, a heavy fatigue set in. Fu Xueli hurriedly got dressed amid a flurry of urgent phone calls. She gave Xu Xingchun a quick kiss before leaving the messy hotel room and rushing back to the Fu family home.
On the way from the hotel, Fu Xueli was distracted. She knew Xu Xingchun had to return to his grandmother’s home in Y City, and she didn’t know when they’d meet again. She hadn’t noticed when leaving, but now that they were apart, a sense of reluctance filled her thoughts.
As soon as she entered, Fu Chenglin grabbed her arm and pulled her forward. His thick eyebrows furrowed as he said coldly, “Where have you been fooling around these past few days?”
“Nowhere, just playing cards,” she lied casually. Feeling unwell, she shook off her cousin’s hand. They still had the New Year’s Eve dinner later, so she wanted to go upstairs to change clothes, ignoring him.
Having chased many women in his youth, Fu Chenglin could tell from Fu Xueli’s walk what she had been up to without even guessing.
Angry, he cursed and glared, shouting, “You little brat, think you’ve grown up?! Play around all you want, but you didn’t even answer your phone. Do you know how worried I was?”
Fu Xueli said with disgust, “My phone died! How many times do I have to say it? Please, Fu Chenglin, stop saying such cheesy things that give me goosebumps.”
The two bickered back and forth for a while.
Fu Xueli went to the living room, angrily preparing to go upstairs. Just as her hand touched the railing, she saw Fu Yuandong sitting on the sofa, looking imposing without anger. He calmly looked at her disheveled appearance and said in a deep voice, “Come sit for a bit.”
Fu Xueli paused, then said weakly, “Oh…”
After sitting on the sofa, neither of them spoke. The air was silent, and Fu Xueli kept her head down. They seemed like strangers with no relation.
“If I didn’t say I was sick, would you ever come back to this home?”
Fu Xueli remained silent, biting her lip stubbornly. She didn’t even glance up.
“Idling away every day, not coming home. Do you still see me as your uncle?” As soon as he finished speaking, Fu Yuandong started coughing violently.
The words Fu Xueli was about to blurt out were swallowed back. A glance revealed several white hairs that stung her eyes. She felt conflicted inside but sat quietly on the sofa without moving.
About ten minutes later, Fu Yuandong sighed deeply and waved his hand, “Go on, go.”
Hearing this, Fu Xueli sprang up like a rabbit whose tail had been stepped on and rushed upstairs. She didn’t want to stay a second longer.
Dinner wasn’t until 8 PM. The Fu family didn’t have many relatives, and Fu Yuandong was usually busy with work, so it was rare to gather everyone at the table. Not much was said during the meal, with Fu Chenglin and his girlfriend doing most of the talking.
His girlfriend was meeting Fu Xueli for the first time and was secretly excited for a long time. After dinner, she even asked for a few autographs, repeatedly asking Fu Xueli to talk about her favorite celebrity.
Fu Xueli, generally impatient and now completely uninterested, brushed her off quickly and shut herself in her room.
On New Year’s Eve, the neighboring city had banned fireworks in urban areas for the past few years, leaving no festive atmosphere. This year, the government had lifted the ban. As soon as the time came, the sky lit up with loud bangs. Aunt Qi came up to knock on her door, calling her to watch the fireworks, but Fu Xueli lazily refused.
New Year’s greetings pinged constantly on her phone’s WeChat, but Fu Xueli didn’t want to reply. She pulled open the curtains and looked up to see fireworks bursting in the night sky one after another. The brilliant, fleeting lights filled her view. She sniffled, suddenly reminded of Xu Xingchun’s birthday in high school.
After more than ten years, it now felt like a dream.
Fu Xueli rolled onto her bed, shifting to pull a pillow over her head. Lying face down, she couldn’t help thinking about Xu Xingchun again. Her lips curved up and down.
She had probably been lost in thought for half an hour.
She thought to herself self-deprecatingly.
She was supposed to be a mature woman approaching thirty, but now she felt like a young girl experiencing her first love.
Prone to depression at the slightest thing.
There were only two or three days left of the holiday before returning to work.
Nothing seemed as interesting as being with Xu Xingchun.
What should she do…
Fu Xueli checked her phone – it was just past 1 AM. After lying still for a while, she suddenly felt an urge. She jumped up, pulled out a suitcase, and threw in some clothes haphazardly. She put on a down jacket and hat, grabbed car keys from the table, and snuck downstairs quietly. She ran quickly to the garage in the backyard.
Fu Chenglin had likely gone out to play cards with his rich friends. Everyone else was asleep. Without telling anyone, she took one of Fu Chenglin’s cars. She started the engine and quickly drove out the gate.
The car sped away like the wind.
She opened the navigation app, searched the map, then got on the highway. It was a five-hour drive from the neighboring city to Y City.
Fu Xueli had always been an impulsive person who acted on sudden whims and bursts of passion.
Alone in the middle of the night, she spent the whole evening driving to an unfamiliar small city.
Music played in the car as she picked up the phone to call Xu Xingchun. Her fingers trembled slightly.
Ten minutes later.
The car was warm inside, but cold air rushed in when the door opened, quickly fogging up the windows. The wipers moved back and forth.
She knelt on the driver’s seat, lunging forward and bumping into Xu Xingchun, making him stumble back. Her knee pressed against his thigh. She clutched his collar somewhat frantically, as if afraid he might run away. Her chest felt tight, filled with a jumble of happiness and satisfaction.
Hearing him ask, “Why did you come?”, Fu Xueli panted slightly. Looking at Xu Xingchun’s expression, she felt inexplicably excited. Without waiting for him to say more, she hugged his neck and kissed him silently.
From the corner of his mouth to the tip of his tongue, moist saliva mixed as they kissed deeply.
Xu Xingchun let her embrace him without moving, his long eyelashes trembling slightly.
Fu Xueli thought to herself that she really liked Xu Xingchun.
As if suddenly enchanted, her mind was filled with intimate thoughts. Kissing him felt like a drug – she couldn’t control herself at all. Some things, the more you want them, the harder they are to satisfy.
After a long while, she reluctantly parted from him.
“What time is it?” she asked hoarsely.
“After 6,” he answered.
“Let’s go get breakfast.”
Early in the morning, local vendors were selling things by the roadside. Walking on the street, looking around, there were simple courtyards with wooden windows and doors – simple yet quaint.
When they got out of the car, Fu Xueli noticed Xu Xingchun had come empty-handed, wearing just a shirt, pants, and a jacket. The low temperature outside made her shiver. She asked in surprise, “Don’t we need to drive?”
“It’s very close.”
A lit taxi drove past them, turned at the corner ahead, then drove away. The street was cold and empty. In the severe cold, the morning wind felt cool, with a faint blue-green glow, making every pore on their bodies feel like shrinking.
The breakfast shop was just a few steps away.
A middle-aged woman in her 40s or 50s, wearing an apron, sat in a rocking chair. Next to her, a little boy about 5 years old sat on a small stool, holding an apple he was about to eat. Looking up at Xu Xingchun and the masked Fu Xueli, his long eyelashes fluttered as he immediately jumped up and shouted, “Wow! Customers!”
She ordered steamed shrimp dumplings and a cup of soy milk to go, then suddenly called out, “Xu Xingchun.”
He looked ahead and said, “Mm?”
“Nothing.” Fu Xueli paused, then said quietly while tightly holding his arm, looking tearful with slightly pouting lips, “I think my period just started.”
At the 24-hour convenience store, Xu Xingchun crouched in front of the shelves, scanned briefly, and casually picked up a few packs of sanitary pads. He then walked to the checkout counter and reached into his pocket for his wallet to pay.
The female cashier smiled, “Sir, do you need anything else?”
He picked up a lighter and placed it on the counter, saying, “This too.”
After changing her pad in a suitable place, Fu Xueli sat in the car, chewing on a dumpling and swallowing it. She wiped the oil from her hands and mouth with a napkin. As she gulped down some water, her eyes remained fixed on Xu Xingchun.
His hair was jet black, and the bit of exposed skin was like white jade. He leaned against the car door with a cigarette between his lips. His features were clear-cut and refined, though he was a bit thin. From any angle, he exuded an intoxicating handsomeness.
From this close distance, she could even see every movement of his Adam’s apple as he inhaled and exhaled smoke.
It was enough to drive someone crazy.
Without warning, Fu Xueli reached out and took his cigarette. Her movement was natural as she said, “Xu Xingchun, you know, smoking looks cool on you, but it’ll make you die early.”
Xu Xingchun reacted slowly, turning his head slightly to look at her face. After a moment’s pause, he leaned forward and asked, “Isn’t dying a good thing?”
“I won’t let you die,” Fu Xueli thought about her savings and grinned proudly. “Let me tell you, I have lots and lots of money. Even if you get sick, I can take care of you for a lifetime.”
His long fingers cradled the back of her head. His fingertips were cold from the freezing temperature. His eyes were deep and endless.
How did they start kissing again…
Fu Xueli bit his lip.
His lips were soft, with a cool breath mingling in her mouth. He slowly savored the sweet warmth of her mouth.
He gently touched her earlobe with the back of his finger. It felt a bit hot.
She felt his body press against her hips, making her a bit embarrassed. Her body stiffened. He held her wrist, gripping it in his palm. Xu Xingchun murmured softly, “…Keep biting.”
Xu Xingchun held her tightly in his arms. Her fingers ran through his soft, black hair. She had the urge to tug it hard.
Why hadn’t he ever changed?
He was clean and unworldly. His smile was like an apology.
Sickly yet passionate.
He was her Xu Xingchun.
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