After Escaping Marriage - Chapter 94
Chapter 94
Cheng Zhanxi looked at the lips of Yu Qingtang in her arms, slightly swollen from kissing. Her usually pale face was now tinged with a vibrant color, and her eyes, like tranquil pools, were veiled in mist. She was like a snow lotus blooming coldly on a mountaintop, captivating and impossible to look away from.
Cheng Zhanxi closed her eyes, suppressing the urge to continue.
It was their first formal kiss; she couldn't be too aggressive, and besides, Yu Qingtang was a patient.
Cheng Zhanxi gently patted Yu Qingtang's arm, one arm extending past her to retrieve the water cup from the bedside table.
Yu Qingtang saw the water cup, a flicker of panic in her eyes. She instinctively tried to retreat, but she was in Cheng Zhanxi's arms, with nowhere to go. Her movement, however, jostled Cheng Zhanxi's hand holding the cup. Fortunately, Cheng Zhanxi reacted quickly, adjusting her wrist, and managed not to spill water on the hospital bed. Otherwise, they both would have had to sleep on the sofa tonight.
Cheng Zhanxi tightened her hold on Yu Qingtang's waist, lest her overreaction cause them both to tumble off the bed.
Cheng Zhanxi asked softly, "Not drinking water?"
Yu Qingtang looked at the water cup and shook her head, whispering softly, "No..."
Her voice carried a faint trace of pleading, whether from inexperience and being overwhelmed by Cheng Zhanxi's several intense, deep kisses, or for some other reason.
The lover's breath and voice were like detonated hormones, pushing reason and self-control to the brink of collapse.
Cheng Zhanxi's heart fluttered. She closed her eyes again and took a deep breath.
"Then will you drink it yourself?" Cheng Zhanxi coaxed softly, placing the water cup into Yu Qingtang's open palm. "I won't touch you, I promise."
Yu Qingtang looked down at Cheng Zhanxi's hand on her waist, which was still unconsciously tightening, restlessly rubbing.
Cheng Zhanxi: "..."
She chuckled and released her hand.
Who could blame her? Yu Qingtang was soft all over; once embraced, she didn't want to let go. She wanted to hold her always, to kiss her at any moment, to make her let out those kitten-like moans of passion.
Yu Qingtang sat on the edge of the bed. She had intended to stand, but when her feet touched the ground, she found her legs a bit weak, unable to support her. She settled for sitting on the very edge, extremely wary of Cheng Zhanxi behind her.
Cheng Zhanxi was both amused and exasperated.
Yu Qingtang finished her water, then made an excuse to sit on the sofa, plugging in her phone to charge while she played with it.
Cheng Zhanxi lay on her side on the bed, watching her, her gaze brazen. Yu Qingtang felt exposed under her stare, her fingertips randomly tapping apps on her phone. She accidentally tapped into Weibo, where the search bar still held her last entry: Cheng Mo.
There weren't many real-time updates. A quick scroll brought her to Tan Lingfei.
【Home. Thanks. [Image]】
【Yesterday and today. A pleasant evening. Cheng Mo is even more beautiful than I imagined, and very humorous. Is the 'Mo' in Cheng Mo for 'humorous' (youmo)? Hahahaha!】
Yu Qingtang clicked on Tan Lingfei's profile. After the post about Cheng Mo, she had updated with her daily life.
Pictures of her cat, afternoon tea, hiking with friends, moments alone—all exuding an air of calm elegance.
Cheng Zhanxi should, and must, like someone like this.
Yu Qingtang read it over and over, her restless heart gradually calming. The tiny sprout that had emerged was forcefully pushed back down, along with the dull, churning ache in her heart—both were ignored.
Yu Qingtang played on her phone for a long time, so long that Cheng Zhanxi began to doze off.
"Yu Tangtang."
Yu Qingtang looked up, her gaze calm.
Cheng Zhanxi's cheek rested on the pillow, her eyelids heavy, her voice lazy and nasal. "If you don't come soon, I'll fall asleep."
Yu Qingtang said calmly, "You sleep first."
"I don't want to. You accompany me."
Yu Qingtang didn't comply.
Cheng Zhanxi started whimpering, rolling back and forth on the bed, tangling the covers into a mess. The iron bed frame creaked, sounding as if it might collapse at any moment.
Yu Qingtang suddenly thought: Is she acting spoiled?
Cheng Zhanxi: "Do you want me to cry for you?"
Yu Qingtang: "..."
As soon as Yu Qingtang lay down, Cheng Zhanxi's body instinctively snuggled closer, like a small furnace continuously radiating heat, warming Yu Qingtang's hands and feet, which had grown cold outside.
Cheng Zhanxi rested one hand on her waist, her forehead against Yu Qingtang's shoulder, and closed her eyes.
Yu Qingtang heard her contented sigh, soon followed by the sound of even breathing.
Yu Qingtang stared, unblinking, at the ceiling. Moonlight swayed the shadows of the trees outside, casting them onto the floor by the window.
Yu Qingtang slowly lowered her head, studying the peacefully sleeping Cheng Zhanxi by the moonlight. Her slender, soft fingertips touched Cheng Zhanxi's smooth brow, then slid down the bridge of her nose, finally landing on the full philtrum of her upper lip.
In the taxi, she hadn't completely lost consciousness. She knew Cheng Zhanxi had passed water to her with her lips, and she also remembered, emboldened by her illness, initiating a kiss.
Unfortunately, it hadn't deepened. Perhaps heaven couldn't stand such despicable thoughts from her, so it hadn't allowed her to succeed.
A mortal prostrating at the feet of a goddess—how could she dare to presumptuously kiss her red lips?
Yu Qingtang's fingertip caressed the woman's warm lips. Cheng Zhanxi's warm breath on her fingertip sent a light shiver through her, and she looked away.
Reason prevented her from committing blasphemy, yet emotion drove her to fix her gaze once more on Cheng Zhanxi's slightly parted lips, her eyes dark.
A dark cloud drifted by, obscuring the moon, and the room was instantly plunged into darkness.
A rustling sound came from the ward. Yu Qingtang's thumb pressed against the corner of Cheng Zhanxi's lips. She lowered her eyes and tremblingly brought her mouth to it, taking that philtrum bead between her own lips. The woman's fresh, light floral scent filled her nostrils.
Yu Qingtang was almost intoxicated by this forbidden, stolen kiss. She carefully licked and kissed the woman's lips, snuggling against her like a small animal seeking warmth in a snowy land, without making a sound.
Cheng Zhanxi's lips were moist and soft, radiating a scorching heat. Even in her sleep, her breathing quickened slightly. Yu Qingtang's knuckles tightened on the fabric of her patient gown. She probed shallowly, tasting that dizzying, soft, sweet slipperiness, then, with restraint, pulled back and gently wiped the woman's lip corner with her sleeve.
The dark cloud dispersed, and the room was bright again.
Cheng Zhanxi unconsciously shifted closer to Yu Qingtang, her thin lips parting and closing as if unsatisfied.
Yu Qingtang stared intently at those full red lips, her gaze flickering, but she didn't kiss her again.
Cheng Zhanxi frowned and whimpered softly, squeezing herself entirely into Yu Qingtang's embrace.
Yu Qingtang held the limp wrist of the hand Cheng Zhanxi had draped over her waist, lifted it gently, and nuzzled her cheek against Cheng Zhanxi's palm before closing her eyes.
The next day.
When Yu Qingtang woke up, Cheng Zhanxi was no longer beside her pillow. She looked to the side; Cheng Zhanxi was sitting on the sofa, her long legs crossed casually and elegantly, holding an iPad and smiling at her.
"You're awake?"
"Mm." Yu Qingtang's expression was a little unnatural.
Cheng Zhanxi put the iPad back into her backpack, uncrossed her long legs, and stood up. "Go wash up and change your clothes. I'll go handle the discharge procedures, and then we can go home."
"...Mm."
Cheng Zhanxi went out, closing the door behind her.
Yu Qingtang lowered her eyes, lost in thought for a while, before getting out of bed and going to the bathroom to wash up.
The mirror on the washstand reflected her current appearance: slightly messy long hair, a pale face, and a very noticeable redness on her lips.
Her skin was delicate; marks were easily left on her body or lips. Cheng Zhanxi's kissing technique was excellent, involving both sucking and nibbling, so the marks wouldn't fade quickly. But Yu Qingtang knew these weren't from last night, but from this morning.
When Cheng Zhanxi kissed her, she had almost "woken up."
Yu Qingtang closed her eyes and splashed a handful of cold water onto her face.
Yu Qingtang's condition was due to hypoglycemia from not eating for a day, causing dizziness and fatigue. Coupled with catching a chill from being at the airport all night, it had led to a high fever. Once the fever broke, she was fine, with no cold symptoms, just lingering weakness. That was why she had stayed in the hospital for a day; it wasn't even really an illness.
Cheng Zhanxi quickly finished the procedures and returned. The bathroom door was still closed.
Cheng Zhanxi waited outside, looking down at the handle of the suitcase by her side, lost in thought, her mind elsewhere.
Squeak—
Cheng Zhanxi looked up and met the eyes of Yu Qingtang, who had just emerged from the bathroom, fully dressed.
Yu Qingtang's gaze flickered imperceptibly, a reaction she quickly masked, saying nonchalantly, "Are we leaving?"
Cheng Zhanxi smiled. "You can stay a few more days if you like."
Yu Qingtang said, "...Let's go."
The two walked side by side to the elevator. As they exited the inpatient building lobby, the wheels of the suitcase rumbled on the tiled floor. Yu Qingtang looked at the large suitcase Cheng Zhanxi was pushing, her lips parting slightly. "I'm sorry, making you take care of me as soon as I arrived, and for taking so long to get home."
Cheng Zhanxi didn't argue about whether she was being overly formal, simply smiled at her. "I like taking care of you."
Yu Qingtang was speechless.
Cheng Zhanxi pinched her cheek.
Yu Qingtang glanced at her, the corners of her lips unconsciously turning up slightly.
Cheng Zhanxi gazed at her tenderly, her full red lips parting and closing, as if she were about to utter moving words at any moment.
Yu Qingtang couldn't handle it. She hastily averted her eyes and said, "Let's go back."
With that, she quickened her pace.
Cheng Zhanxi looked deeply at her retreating figure, then followed.
Mingmen Residence.
After nearly a month's absence, the receptionist on the first floor was full of enthusiasm. The moment she saw them enter, she raised her voice, "Happy New Year to you both!" Before the Lantern Festival, it was still considered the New Year period.
"Happy New Year." Cheng Zhanxi took out pre-prepared New Year gifts from her backpack.
The receptionist accepted the two Armani lipsticks from Cheng Zhanxi, beaming so widely her eyes crinkled.
"Thank you, Miss Cheng."
"The other one is for your colleague, the one on the night shift. I might not see her in time, so I'll entrust it to you to pass on."
"I know, I know."
"Goodbye, Miss Cheng." The receptionist, beaming, watched Cheng Zhanxi walk towards the elevators. "Oh, and goodbye, Miss Yu."
Yu Qingtang pressed the elevator button, her gaze lingering for half a second on the zipper Cheng Zhanxi had just closed on her backpack.
Did she prepare a New Year's gift for me?
What would it be?
Lipstick too? Or a bag? Perfume?
Does she often give other women lipstick? Yu Qingtang's thoughts ran wild, and she quickly banished the chaotic ideas from her mind.
Ding—
The elevator arrived.
Just as Yu Qingtang was about to step forward, a warm, soft arm wrapped around her waist, guiding her inside.
Yu Qingtang's body stiffened.
This kind of behavior wasn't particularly intimate for them. Back in the last semester, they had hugged and cuddled frequently, both during Yu Qingtang's period of oblivious innocence and after she had begun to recognize her own feelings. But after a winter break—a separation that felt like a lifetime to Yu Qingtang—she clearly needed time to readjust.
Inside the elevator, Cheng Zhanxi didn't release her arm. Instead, she rested her chin on Yu Qingtang's shoulder, her soft front unintentionally pressing against Yu Qingtang's arm, which hung by her side.
When the elevator reached the 13th floor, Cheng Zhanxi lightly kissed Yu Qingtang's cheek, her nose affectionately nuzzling Yu Qingtang's ear, as she whispered.
"Momo..."
Yu Qingtang curled her fair knuckles, held her breath, her heart trembling with Cheng Zhanxi's every exhaled word.
She had never known that this childhood nickname, one she had never paid much mind to, could sound so heart-stirring coming from Cheng Zhanxi's lips.
It was as if, for over twenty years, from the cicada-filled midsummer to the golden autumn, she had never left.
And Yu Qingtang, held in her embrace, surrounded by a comforting scent, almost had the illusion that Cheng Zhanxi was hers, nearly bringing tears to her eyes.
The elevator ascended smoothly, arriving at the 21st floor without stopping.
Cheng Zhanxi's hand remained on Yu Qingtang's lower back. The door to 2102 opened and then closed. The suitcase was pushed into the entryway, sliding some distance across the living room tiles.
The owner of the suitcase had no time to attend to it, because Yu Qingtang was already pressed against the door panel by her.
Cheng Zhanxi's slender fingertips lifted Yu Qingtang's chin. Her gaze fixed on Yu Qingtang's lips, she lowered her head to kiss her.
Yu Qingtang turned her head away just in time; Cheng Zhanxi only managed to kiss the corner of her lips.
This was just like the night Yu Qingtang first entered 2102. They had both been flustered and infatuated; Cheng Zhanxi had pressed her against the door, wanting to kiss her, but she had dodged. Later, Yu Qingtang had said she would only sleep with her, not kiss. Back then, their relationship had been tentative and ambiguous, but now, things were no longer the same.
Cheng Zhanxi gently turned her face back and kissed Yu Qingtang's lips.
Yu Qingtang didn't resist; she couldn't resist. Her eyelashes trembled, and she didn't dare to lift her eyes to look at her.
When Cheng Zhanxi tried to probe deeper, however, she was met with refusal.
Yu Qingtang gently pushed her away, looking at the suitcase that had slid to a stop against the wall. "Don't you need to unpack first?"
Cheng Zhanxi followed her gaze and smiled cooperatively. "Yes, I do."
Just as Yu Qingtang sighed in relief, her vision darkened. Cheng Zhanxi pecked her lips lightly, as naturally as if she had done it a thousand times.
Then she let go of her and went to change her shoes before entering.
Yu Qingtang hesitated, wondering whether to return to her own apartment across the hall or to stay. Cheng Zhanxi had already cut off her retreat. "Sit on the sofa for a bit. We'll go to the supermarket later."
Yu Qingtang's lips pursed slightly. She expertly changed into her own slippers and entered the living room.
Cheng Zhanxi quickly came out, empty-handed. "Let's go, to the supermarket."
"Aren't you going to unpack?"
"We'll do it tonight, there's time."
"But..."
"No buts. Let's go."
Yu Qingtang both wanted to be alone with Cheng Zhanxi and feared the atmosphere of being alone with her; it was so unfamiliar it made her anxious. The ward, the entryway, the elevator—Cheng Zhanxi made no secret of her closeness and affection for Yu Qingtang. Intertwining their fingers was the most basic gesture; she would frequently hug her waist, kiss her face, act spoiled to ask for hugs, and seek opportunities to kiss.
The way she looked at Yu Qingtang was filled with such love that even a blind person could see it.
"Miss Cheng, Miss Yu, going out?" The receptionist on the first floor looked at Cheng Zhanxi's hand resting on Yu Qingtang's slender waist, her eyes almost blinded by the sight.
Cheng Zhanxi's smile grew even brighter. "We're going to the supermarket. Is there anything you need us to get for you? Snacks, fruit, that sort of thing?"
The receptionist thought: So they're going to the supermarket. I thought you were going to get your marriage certificate.
She smiled. "Thank you, Miss Cheng, no need. You two just buy what you need."
Cheng Zhanxi said, "Okay, thank you for your hard work."
The receptionist quickly replied, "Not at all, not at all."
"Then we're off?"
"Take care, you two."
Once outside, Cheng Zhanxi changed to intertwining their fingers, tucking Yu Qingtang's hand into her own coat pocket.
On the way to the supermarket, they passed a flower shop. Cheng Zhanxi stopped at the entrance, turned to face the shop with a thoughtful expression, looking as if she might walk in any second. Yu Qingtang tugged at her wrist, pulling her away from the shop entrance.
Cheng Zhanxi was pulled forward several steps. She looked back at the flower shop. "Hmm? You don't like flowers?"
Yu Qingtang didn't know how to answer her, so she simply remained silent.
Cheng Zhanxi thought she might be shy, so she didn't press the matter, secretly planning whether to quietly buy her a bouquet of flowers.
Yu Qingtang often went to the supermarket with Cheng Zhanxi. With the change in her state of mind, she no longer made a beeline for her destination. Instead, she followed Cheng Zhanxi, pushing the cart, aimlessly wandering, and buying things that weren't on her list at all.
From a distance, a pair of girls approached, hand in hand. They looked to be in their early twenties, their skin as fresh and dewy as young cabbage.
One pushed the cart, while the other swung their joined hands, occasionally smiling and saying something to her companion.
Yu Qingtang glanced once and was certain: these two were a couple.
Just like her and Cheng...
Yu Qingtang gently closed her eyes, then turned her head to look at Cheng Zhanxi's profile. Before Cheng Zhanxi could look back at her, she shifted her gaze to the shelves in front of them.
Cheng Zhanxi turned her head, looking at Yu Qingtang's focused profile, and blinked.
"Ba—"
Yu Qingtang's body reacted faster than her brain. She clapped her hand over Cheng Zhanxi's mouth, preventing her from uttering the second syllable.
This was a supermarket!
Cheng Zhanxi's mouth was covered by her hand, only her smiling, curved eyes visible. She mouthed the second syllable into Yu Qingtang's palm.
"—by."
The warmth from her palm flowed through her meridians and into her body, rushing up to her cheeks. A flush of color appeared on Yu Qingtang's pale face, and her dark jade eyes flashed with embarrassment.
Yu Qingtang kept her hand firmly over Cheng Zhanxi's mouth, her gaze slightly annoyed.
Cheng Zhanxi raised her hand, promising not to call her that randomly again. Only then did Yu Qingtang release her.
She stopped calling her that randomly, but when no one was around, Cheng Zhanxi quickly ducked her head and stole a fragrant kiss from Yu Qingtang's lips.
Yu Qingtang's mind went blank for two full seconds before she reacted. Cheng Zhanxi had already taken her hand and led her to the next shelf.
Not only holding, but she also swung their hands, just like the college student couple they had passed earlier.
"What do you want to eat?" Cheng Zhanxi's voice brought Yu Qingtang's attention back.
Yu Qingtang pulled her gaze from their joined hands and looked at the dazzling array of candies. "Which one is good?"
Cheng Zhanxi: "Ba—"
Yu Qingtang glared at her.
Cheng Zhanxi smiled. "It's for you to eat, so you have to try them yourself."
Yu Qingtang couldn't choose.
She was actually a bit lazy, disliked trying new things, and disliked making choices even more. If Cheng Zhanxi insisted she choose, she could only give up.
Cheng Zhanxi offered another option. "Let's buy these few on the right first, and we can see which ones are good when we get back."
Yu Qingtang obediently took a bag and picked a little of each. She looked back at Cheng Zhanxi, who was watching from the side, her expression expectant, with a barely perceptible hint of seeking praise.
Cheng Zhanxi applauded her, praising her in a tone one would use for a child, "Wow, so good!"
Yu Qingtang couldn't help but smile.
Two customers walked past, looking at this couple, who were in their late twenties, as if they were mentally challenged.
Cheng Zhanxi saw the customers' expressions and couldn't stop laughing.
In all her life, this was the first time she had been mistaken for a fool.
Why was she so happy being mistaken for a fool? Had Yu Qingtang cast a spell on her?
She laughed all the way. Yu Qingtang found it strange and asked, "What are you laughing at?"
Cheng Zhanxi extended her index finger to playfully touch Yu Qingtang's chin and said naturally, "Because you're by my side. I'm very happy."
This was undoubtedly a term of endearment. Yu Qingtang understood, yet she felt no shyness. She only felt the stone in her heart grow heavier, so heavy that she could barely breathe.
Cheng Zhanxi looked at her lowered eyelids and frowned slightly.
"Yu Qingtang."
"Hmm?" Yu Qingtang discreetly took a breath and lifted her eyelids.
Cheng Zhanxi looked into her calm, rippleless eyes and said, "It's nothing. You can tell me anything."
"...Mm."
The small interlude didn't spoil the atmosphere between them. Cheng Zhanxi held Yu Qingtang's hand, and they nearly wandered through the entire supermarket. The 'nearly' was because Yu Qingtang couldn't walk anymore.
On the way to the checkout, Yu Qingtang stopped several times, resting her hand on Cheng Zhanxi's shoulder for support. Cheng Zhanxi would have preferred her to lean directly into her embrace, but Yu Qingtang was too thin-skinned and wouldn't do something so bold.
They reached the checkout, stopping and starting. The college student couple was ahead of them in line.
Young people these days were bold, unconcerned with others' opinions. Public displays of affection were nothing to them. While waiting in line, the taller of the two girls faced her girlfriend, her arms around her waist, occasionally leaning down to peck her girlfriend's lips, the two of them whispering sweetly together.
Yu Qingtang saw Cheng Zhanxi's gaze shift from the couple, and her heart tightened. She silently moved a little further away from her.
Cheng Zhanxi was amused.
Cheng Zhanxi ended up buying flowers after all, stepping into the flower shop before Yu Qingtang could stop her.
Yu Qingtang didn't know whether to go in or to stand awkwardly at the door. After an internal struggle, she braced herself and followed Cheng Zhanxi inside.
Cheng Zhanxi chose a few stems of perfume lilies, wrapped in light green paper, looking fresh and elegant.
Under the teasing gaze of the shop assistant, Yu Qingtang accepted the flowers Cheng Zhanxi handed her.
White lilies, not red roses. The moment Yu Qingtang accepted them, a complex emotion she couldn't quite describe welled up in her heart. Which answer had she truly been hoping for?
Before leaving, Cheng Zhanxi asked for the flower shop owner's business card.
Cheng Zhanxi had hired cleaners before she returned, so the house was spotless, saving them the time of cleaning. Cheng Zhanxi sorted the meat, vegetables, and fruits they had bought, putting them in the kitchen or the refrigerator. The fruits they intended to eat were washed under running water. Yu Qingtang arranged the few stems of perfume lilies in the wide-mouthed glass vase on the coffee table.
She stared at the flowers in the vase, lost in thought, not noticing when Cheng Zhanxi had gone into the bedroom and then come out again, smiling at her as she stood dazed in the living room.
Cheng Zhanxi went to the kitchen to cook.
Half an hour later, the doorbell rang.
Cheng Zhanxi peeked out from the kitchen and said, "It's a delivery I ordered. Could you get the door?"
Yu Qingtang didn't think much of it. She put down the remote control and opened the door.
A large bouquet of fiery red roses filled her vision, blocking everything else.
Yu Qingtang was stunned.
The delivery boy struggled to show half his face from behind the flowers. "Hello, may I ask if you are Miss Yu Qingtang?"
Yu Qingtang nodded.
The delivery boy handed her the flowers and offered a standard smile. "Please sign here."
Yu Qingtang's mind was reeling; she signed her name in a daze. The delivery boy thoughtfully closed the door behind him.
Yu Qingtang turned around, holding the flowers, and found Cheng Zhanxi standing before her, having appeared at some point.
Yu Qingtang looked at the flowers in her arms, then at the person before her. A buzzing sound filled her ears, and the string in her mind, already taut, suddenly snapped to its limit.
Cheng Zhanxi took a light breath, gazed at her seriously, and said, "Yu Qingtang, I..."
Her words were cut off by Yu Qingtang's calm voice.
"Is dinner ready?"
Cheng Zhanxi looked down and saw Yu Qingtang's knuckles, tightly clasped together, white from the force. She swallowed the words she had been about to say and smiled nonchalantly. "Almost. Do you want to come in and see?"
Yu Qingtang said, "No need. I'll wait for you out here."
Cheng Zhanxi was still looking down.
Yu Qingtang followed her gaze, her breath catching in her throat. She unclasped her fingers.
Cheng Zhanxi gently touched her face, her gaze loving. "Good girl."
Under Cheng Zhanxi's perceptive and tolerant gaze, Yu Qingtang lowered her head, biting her lower lip tightly.
"I'll go cook first. Put the flowers on the coffee table; I'll deal with them later."
"What are you going to..." Yu Qingtang finally couldn't hold back, her voice trembling slightly, "do with them?"
Throw them away?
Cheng Zhanxi hummed in acknowledgment. "I'll buy some other flowers to go with them. There's too much red. I have a few more vases. Later, when the flowers are arranged, you can take two to your place—one for the living room and one for the dining room." She stroked Yu Qingtang's soft, long hair, wanting to say more, but ultimately refrained.
Cheng Zhanxi turned and went back to the kitchen, hearing a low sigh emanate from the depths of her own heart.
Yu Qingtang stood there for a long time, holding the flowers.
Cheng Zhanxi prepared a sumptuous dinner, yet both of them ate with little appetite, as if they couldn't taste the food.
After dinner, Cheng Zhanxi arranged flowers on the coffee table. Yu Qingtang sat on a small round stool, watching her intently. Cheng Zhanxi's artistic sensibilities were always on point; to Yu Qingtang, even her casual arranging seemed to effortlessly create an aesthetically pleasing composition.
Cheng Zhanxi asked her, "Want to learn?"
Yu Qingtang nodded.
Cheng Zhanxi asked her to move her stool a little closer, to sit beside her, and taught her hand-over-hand.
Cheng Zhanxi didn't deliberately pull her into an embrace but maintained a normal distance, patiently teaching her how to use colors while picking up nearby flower stems for her to try.
Yu Qingtang listened attentively, learning very seriously.
The winter night was quiet. Soft conversation drifted from the living room, so low it sounded like lovers' whispers.
Lichun, the Beginning of Spring, had already passed. The chirping of unknown insects could be heard from the grass.
Cheng Zhanxi handed her a green branch glistening with clear water. Yu Qingtang took it and placed it in the vase.
Cheng Zhanxi picked up another branch.
In this relaxed and comfortable atmosphere, Cheng Zhanxi carefully examined the flower stem in her hand, then reached out and handed it over again, saying in the most ordinary tone, "You know I like you, right?"
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