TIMO - Chapter 34
Chapter 34
It was two in the morning.
Fu Zhao was riding her motorcycle with Shi Nan sitting behind her.
They were going for a ride.
This was truly one of the most out-of-character things Fu Zhao had ever done.
Going for a motorcycle ride in the middle of the night, with a passenger no less, was not her style. She had never even considered it.
But when Shi Nan had coquettishly tugged at her hand, refusing to let go, with a look that said she wouldn’t relent until she got her way, Fu Zhao felt as if she’d been struck by something soft.
Then she felt herself floating, and a novel idea suddenly bloomed in her mind-an impulse, in what could be considered her otherwise placid life.
Perhaps a motorcycle ride at night would be a kind of romance she had never experienced before.
The word “romance” could, one day, actually apply to her.
And so, she took the not-quite-sober Shi Nan, locked up the restaurant, wheeled out her motorcycle from home, fitted it with a silencer, and put a helmet on Shi Nan.
They really started their ride.
Riding a motorcycle during the day was a bit ostentatious, but nighttime was perfect. There was no one to bother them, and with the silencer, they wouldn’t disturb anyone else either.
She rode slowly, much slower than the last time she’d been on this bike.
The person behind her was also holding on much tighter than when she’d given her a ride on the electric scooter. It was probably the alcohol that made her bolder and less reserved; she had wrapped her arms around Fu Zhao’s waist the moment she got on.
The grip was firm, allowing Fu Zhao to clearly feel those slender arms and the scorching heat radiating from her back.
Even though the early morning wind was a bit chilly, she felt like her whole body was burning up.
Tonight, nothing was quite normal.
Including Shi Nan, and including herself.
But Shi Nan was definitely like this because she was drunk, whereas Fu Zhao hadn't had a drop of alcohol. This sober abnormality made her even more unsure of how to react.
The wind rushed past her ears, a roaring sound that made her feel increasingly awake, yet her mind grew more and more muddled.
She rode until she reached a familiar place. The lighthouse was bright, and the sea breeze, carrying a salty dampness, washed over her face.
It was the place where she had first met Shi Nan, the place where Shi Nan had once jumped into the sea.
Fu Zhao snapped back to her senses and was about to speed past when a soft call reached her ears, the voice thinned by the sea breeze.
“Fu Zhao… let’s stop here for a bit.”
“No,” she refused instantly.
She rode faster, about to leave the beach behind, but before she could breathe a sigh of relief, Shi Nan’s voice came again, and the hands around her waist tightened.
“Do I have to call you Wifey for you to agree?”
Fu Zhao stiffened, feeling as if the heat from her head was escaping through her helmet. Still, she gripped the handlebars tightly and didn’t stop. “No matter what you call me, I won’t agree.”
The person behind her fell silent.
After a long while, she spoke again, her voice full of grievance and dissatisfaction.
“I just want to look at the sea and reminisce about our first reunion after being apart for so long. I don’t mean anything else… I promise, I won’t have any other thoughts…”
Shi Nan continued to ramble on, trying to persuade her to stop.
But Fu Zhao’s mind was stuck on a single phrase: “the first reunion after being apart for so long.” For Shi Nan, that’s what it was, but for her, it was their first meeting. She stared at the streetlights ahead, her grip loosening slightly. She slowed down and asked, feigning nonchalance.
“So… is that first reunion worth reminiscing about for you?”
The hands on her waist relaxed, and the voice by her ear paused. A few seconds later, it came again, soft and a little hoarse.
“It’s not just worth reminiscing about. It’s very important.”
Much more important than you can imagine. It feels like the beginning of my understanding of all your wonderful qualities.
It was the first time I truly perceived your charm, which made me start to feel countless regrets-regret for not getting to know you better before. It also gave me an unprecedented resolve.
This time, there has to be another way.
Shi Nan didn’t say the rest. She stopped after the first sentence.
Because they had just reached an intersection. Fu Zhao paused, then made a turn, changing direction and heading back the way they came.
Shi Nan contentedly tightened her arms around Fu Zhao’s waist. The warmth from her embrace was deeply reassuring. The corners of her lips curved up slightly, and her tone became light and cheerful.
“I knew it, Wifey is the best~~”
At that, the waist she was holding stiffened again. Fu Zhao’s entire body tensed up visibly, like a block of wood.
Shi Nan didn’t speak, waiting for Fu Zhao’s response.
After a long time, as the motorcycle slowed, a voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz reached her ear.
“Don’t just call me that.”
By the time they reached that stretch of beach again, it was already three in the morning, and the sky was beginning to show a muted brightness.
Shi Nan had also sobered up quite a bit.
At least, Fu Zhao didn’t hear the word “Wifey” from her again.
It wasn’t that she wanted to hear it, but… it was hard to tell when Shi Nan was drunk. Her eyes were still so clear and bright, her smile was still radiant, and her mischievous streak was still there.
Except for the “Wifey” part.
After all, she’d been in the wind on the motorcycle for so long and then by the sea for a while. She hadn’t drunk that much to begin with, so she should have sobered up by now.
“I want to…”
Shi Nan looked over, the light in her eyes shimmering. Her lashes fluttered as she blinked, looking at Fu Zhao expectantly.
Fu Zhao pressed her lips together. “What do you want to do?”
“I just saw that the 24-hour convenience store over there sells handheld fireworks…” Shi Nan tilted her head to look at Fu Zhao, her voice drawing out lazily. The meaning was obvious.
Fu Zhao understood. Shi Nan was sober, but not completely.
She opened and closed her mouth, wanting to refuse, but she couldn’t.
Fu Zhao never had a good reason to refuse such things.
Shi Nan just wanted to play with some handheld fireworks. What reason did she have to deny one of Nanke Island’s most honored guests this simple, modest request?
She had already agreed to more outrageous things.
This one wouldn’t make a difference.
So, Fu Zhao peeled Shi Nan, who was practically hanging off her, away and went to the 24-hour convenience store by herself to buy sparklers.
But just after buying them, she felt something was wrong.
She looked at the fireworks and the windproof lighter in her hands, her eyes blinking in confusion. A thought suddenly flashed through her mind-could Shi Nan be trying to get her out of the way?
Once that thought surfaced, a cold sweat broke out all over her body, and goosebumps rose on her skin.
Fu Zhao ran back a hundred times faster than she had come.
Her long hair whipped against her face, stinging a little, and the cold wind rushing into her throat was uncomfortable.
As if to confirm her fears, when she returned to the original spot, she saw no one.
The entire beach was empty. Looking out at the sea, besides the tall, standing lighthouse, there was no one among the rolling waves either.
Clatter-
The fireworks and lighter she was holding all fell onto the sand with a thud.
The warmth drained from Fu Zhao’s entire body. Her hands couldn’t stop shaking, and her breathing became ragged. She forced herself to calm down, forced herself to trust Shi Nan.
She scanned her surroundings. The area was wide open, but there wasn’t a single person in sight.
Anxiously, she searched the entire beach.
The waves rolled in, one after another. The lighthouse flickered, again and again. The wind blew, and blew again.
Exhausted, Fu Zhao had to bend over, panting heavily. With trembling hands, she took out her phone. Just as she was about to dial, a pair of long, straight, pale legs appeared before her eyes. The skin was delicate, and she was wearing canvas shoes and white socks.
“What’s wrong with you?”
A soft, questioning voice came from above her head.
Fu Zhao looked up. It was Shi Nan.
She was still wearing the same outfit-a white shirt and a denim skirt. She held a cold drink in her hand, and her bun seemed to have been retied, with the stray hairs at her nape combed up, leaving only the soft, downy strands framing her full forehead.
The light in her eyes swirled, a hint of curiosity flashing through. Seeing that Fu Zhao didn’t answer, she repeated herself.
“What’s wrong? Fu Zhao.”
It seemed Shi Nan was well and truly sober.
Fu Zhao stared blankly at the perfectly fine Shi Nan for a moment, not yet straightening up. The next second, a bead of sweat trickled down her forehead and dripped off.
Shi Nan looked at Fu Zhao, blinked, and placed her cold drink on the ground. She also bent down, meeting Fu Zhao’s gaze directly, then rolled up her sleeves and gently wiped the sweat from Fu Zhao’s forehead and chin.
Fu Zhao felt that whenever she looked into Shi Nan’s eyes, she tended to lose track of everything else around her.
A faint fragrance tickled her nose. Before her was Shi Nan’s magnified, exquisite face, and on her skin was the light touch of Shi Nan’s hand.
She took a deep breath and grabbed Shi Nan’s hand. It was soft and delicate, a familiar sensation, but she immediately let go as if she’d been burned. She straightened up, her voice soft.
“Where did you just go?”
Shi Nan wasn’t annoyed that her hand had been released. She just picked up the cold drinks from the ground again and handed one to Fu Zhao. “You were gone for so long, I got a little thirsty, so I went to buy something to drink.”
Fu Zhao took the drink. It was covered in fine droplets of condensation and was cold to the touch, chasing away all her earlier frantic emotions. She calmly took a sip. The cool, slightly sweet liquid filled her mouth, bubbles fizzing, then slid down her throat, calming her down considerably.
“Next time, remember to tell me,” she said softly, not losing her temper.
“I know~~” Shi Nan bit her lower lip, guessing what had put Fu Zhao in a bad mood and that it was because of her. She felt a little guilty now. “I’m sorry. I just thought I could find you at the convenience store, but I didn’t see you. That’s when I realized we must have just missed each other…”
“There’s no need to be sorry.”
Fu Zhao spoke gently. Only now did she feel the sweat sticking her clothes to her back, which was uncomfortable, especially with the early morning sea breeze blowing on it. It was sticky and clammy, with a penetrating chill. The cold drink made her feel chilled to the bone.
“It was just a misunderstanding. I’m not angry.”
“You can just tell me next time. After all, the memories of this place… aren’t exactly good, so I’m bound to worry a little.”
Shi Nan nodded. “I know, so I still have to say I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”
“And, don’t worry, I really don’t have any thoughts of self-harm. Last time, last time was just… out of necessity. But it won’t happen again.”
“Because after meeting you here, the memories of this place already have a good side to them.”
“And…” Shi Nan paused, looking at Fu Zhao. The smile on her lips rippled, her eyes sparkled, and her voice softened. “After today, the memories of this place will move in an even better direction.”
Fu Zhao listened quietly and finally gave a soft “mm,” saying nothing else.
Shi Nan pressed, “Why don’t you ask me why?”
“There’s nothing to ask,” Fu Zhao said, her tone a little unnatural.
“How do you know?” Shi Nan blinked. “Tell me, let’s see if what you know is the same as what I know.”
Fu Zhao pursed her lips. “It’s just… today will probably be very happy.”
“Mm, you’re right.”
Shi Nan readily agreed. “Then tell me, why will I be very happy today?”
Fu Zhao fell silent again.
Shi Nan continued on her own, her tone light. “Because even though this drink is very cold, it’s delicious. Even though we haven’t played with the sparklers yet, they’ll probably be beautiful. And the motorcycle ride was fun too…”
“Most importantly…”
Shi Nan didn’t finish her sentence, because Fu Zhao frantically lit a firework. The flame flared up, sparks flew, interrupting the words she was about to say.
“Here, the fireworks you wanted to play with. I bought quite a few, so you can have fun…”
Fu Zhao rambled on, saying a lot, as if trying to fill all the empty space with her own words to prevent Shi Nan from finishing her sentence.
Shi Nan took the firework from Fu Zhao. She stared at the dancing flames for a moment, then looked at the tips of Fu Zhao’s ears, which were slowly turning red. She couldn’t help but smile.
But in the end, she granted Fu Zhao’s wish and didn’t say that last sentence.
After being in the wind for so long and drinking the cold beverage, her jumbled thoughts had been stimulated. After so much time had passed, some fragmented memories began to surface.
She remembered something that had happened after she’d passed out from drinking.
She remembered why, when she woke up on Fu Zhao’s shoulder, Fu Zhao’s lips had been bright red and glistening with moisture.
She remembered how soft Fu Zhao’s lips were.
So, the sentence she hadn’t finished was:
Most importantly, my future wife’s lips are very soft and very kissable.
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