BSS - Chapter 65
Chapter 65
The doorbell rang, and to the nervous Deng Chuan, it sounded as loud as a great bell. Her heart leaped into her throat, and she shot to her feet. "I'll get the door."
Xu Wei glanced up at her. "Go ahead."
The delivery guy was standing at the door. When he saw Deng Chuan open it, he confirmed her information. "Hello."
Deng Chuan took a step outside, discreetly pulling the door halfway shut. "Okay, thank you."
"You're welcome." The delivery guy took the elevator down. Deng Chuan stood where she was and quickly tore open the package in her hands. It was a palm-sized gift box containing a jewelry box and a card. The jewelry box was tied with a ribbon. Deng Chuan didn't dare open it, afraid she wouldn't be able to tie it back properly.
She shoved the gift box into her pants pocket, pulled her shirt down to cover it, and from the outside, the bulge was barely noticeable. Composing herself, she walked back inside as if nothing had happened.
Xu Wei was no longer looking down at her screen; she was watching the black-and-white movie Deng Chuan had put on the projector. Seeing Deng Chuan come in, she turned and asked, "Who was it?"
Deng Chuan said uncomfortably, "No one. Wrong door."
She rarely lied, let alone to Xu Wei. Her whole body felt stiff, and Xu Wei's gaze seemed to be scrutinizing her. In front of Xu Wei, her psychological defenses were on the verge of crumbling.
Fortunately, Xu Wei didn't dwell on it. She nodded and hummed in acknowledgment.
"Mm," Xu Wei said. "Okay."
Her tone was quite calm, and her expression was natural as she turned back to the movie. Afraid of giving herself away, Deng Chuan sat down next to her and watched the movie with her for a while.
The movie was already nearing its end, the narrative tone on the black-and-white screen was somber. In between watching the film, Deng Chuan secretly studied Xu Wei's profile. Her expression was serene. The soft collar of her nightgown framed her makeup-free face, making her look incredibly gentle. Deng Chuan reached out to touch her fingertips and smiled when Xu Wei's gaze met hers.
Xu Wei's lips curved slightly in return.
The atmosphere turned warm and tender. In this warmth, Deng Chuan found a natural excuse to stand up. Under the pretext of going to the bathroom, she took the gift box from her pocket and hid it deep inside her suitcase.
After doing this, Deng Chuan pretended to use the bathroom. When she came out, the movie had just ended, and Xu Wei's teachers' meeting was likely over as well. While closing the meeting interface, she asked Deng Chuan without looking up, "What do you want to eat for lunch?"
Deng Chuan thought for a moment, then asked, "What do you usually eat when I'm not here?"
For a rare moment, Xu Wei froze. At school, there was the cafeteria. On weekends, when she was home alone, she usually couldn't be bothered to eat lunch. She would either skip it or just make do with a piece of fruit.
She had lived alone for several years, and her habits were hard to change. A person living alone didn't need to compromise their lifestyle for someone else; whether the outcome was good or bad, she bore it all by herself.
Now, faced with Deng Chuan's question, Xu Wei suddenly had a tangible realization about their relationship. It might sound illogical—she and Deng Chuan were so intimate—but only now did she truly understand that she was no longer living alone. Someone wanted to know about her habits, and someone wanted to care. The consequences of her bad habits were no longer hers to bear alone, but something for the two of them to share.
This sudden realization brought too many things to light.
As Xu Wei thought this, she remained silent. She didn't want to lie to Deng Chuan, nor did she want to see the kid worry or feel distressed, so silence was her only option.
Fortunately, Deng Chuan didn't press the issue. When Xu Wei didn't answer, Deng Chuan naturally moved on, sitting down to discuss with her, "I want to eat dumplings."
"Okay," Xu Wei said softly. "What kind of filling?"
"Do they have pickled cabbage filling?" Deng Chuan leaned over to look at the ordering interface on her phone, resting her head on Xu Wei's shoulder. The contact between her chin and Xu Wei's collarbone was a little sharp for both of them. The slight pain brought Xu Wei back to her senses, and she heard Deng Chuan by her ear describing the deliciousness of the stewed vermicelli with pickled cabbage she'd had at a Dongbei restaurant in Beijing.
"They don't have pickled cabbage filling," she heard herself say with a smile.
Deng Chuan drew out her words with a hint of disappointment and leaned her body against Xu Wei, who relaxed into her embrace. The two of them discussed and settled for the next best thing, ordering beef with zucchini and pork with scallion fillings.
While waiting for the delivery, Zhou Liu, having slept his fill, finally emerged from the bedroom and went to the balcony to sunbathe. Xu Wei was leaning against Deng Chuan, looking at her phone, when she suddenly let out a long sigh, a rare look of listlessness on her face.
"What's wrong?" Deng Chuan looked down at her.
Xu Wei showed her the phone screen. "I have to write another teaching report. It's five thousand words this time."
Deng Chuan chuckled. "Teacher Xu, you'd better do your homework."
Xu Wei sighed. "The teacher doesn't want to do homework either."
She looked especially cute like this. Deng Chuan affectionately nuzzled her cheek. "How about I help you?" she said. "I've already finished several reports in the first few days of school. My bullshitting skills have improved dramatically."
Xu Wei looked down and smiled. "Wouldn't that make me a child labor employer?"
"I'm an adult, it's voluntary, and you don't have to take responsibility." Deng Chuan leaned in to kiss the corner of her mouth. "I don't need payment, either. Just a little interest will do."
"No, no." Xu Wei laughed, pulling back a little. "I'd be losing out big time…"
Before she could finish, her lips were captured by the kid who was eager to collect her interest.
The two of them played around on the sofa for a while, the atmosphere gradually heating up. Deng Chuan held Xu Wei's waist, refusing to let go, and kissed her with tender affection. Amidst the entanglement of lips, tongues, and breath, Xu Wei vaguely recalled the inexperience of Deng Chuan's kisses when she first confessed, and it felt like only yesterday.
The doorbell rang just as Deng Chuan was kissing Xu Wei's neck.
Both of them sobered up a little and pulled apart slightly. Xu Wei pinched Deng Chuan's chin, her breath fragrant as she enunciated each word, "Go get the door."
She watched with satisfaction as that initial, heart-fluttering, bashful smile reappeared in the kid's eyes.
Deng Chuan obediently let her go and went to open the door. Their lunch had arrived. As she carried it in, the aroma wafted from the sealed containers, luring Zhou Liu, who had been sunbathing, to scramble up and follow behind Deng Chuan, craning his neck curiously.
The dumplings were steaming hot, as if they had been delivered straight from the pot. The skins were thin, the fillings generous, and they were full of juice. The only downside was that the default dipping sauce was vinegar. Neither of them liked eating dumplings with vinegar, so they simply skipped the sauce and ate them plain.
Xu Wei didn't have a large appetite. After just a few dumplings, she said she was full and pushed the rest to Deng Chuan.
Deng Chuan once again took on her familiar role of finishing the leftovers. She ate heartily and with a good appetite, chewing with a certain rhythm. Watching from the side, Xu Wei couldn't resist snatching the last half of a dumpling from her bowl.
Deng Chuan smilingly shared the half-dumpling with her.
After lunch, the two of them rested on the sofa for a while. It was too hot outside, so Zhou Liu didn't want to go out either. Deng Chuan played with him using a ball, and an excited Zhou Liu pounced right into her arms.
She laughed heartily, pushing him away as he weighed her down. "No, no, you're too heavy. Don't lean on me."
Xu Wei also helped push Zhou Liu's back, lecturing him, "Be good. Don't crush your big sister."
After saying this, she asked Deng Chuan, "Do you want a peach?"
Hearing Deng Chuan's affirmative reply, Xu Wei picked up a honey peach from the corner of the table, placed it on a napkin, and began to meticulously peel off the skin.
As she worked, the sweet fragrance of the peach filled the air. Xu Wei peeled it very carefully and with great concentration, not even noticing when Deng Chuan had left Zhou Liu to come watch her. Only when she finished and handed the peach over did she meet Deng Chuan's gaze, which had been on her for who knows how long. "What is it?"
The kid said, "I'm so touched. I feel like you're too good to me."
Xu Wei was speechless for a moment, then laughed. "You're touched just because I gave you a peach?"
Deng Chuan didn't say anything. She took a bite and then asked, "Do you want some?"
Xu Wei shook her head. "I'm a little full. You eat it."
When Deng Chuan was halfway through the peach, Xu Wei went into the bedroom for her afternoon nap. Zhou Liu followed behind her, leaving Deng Chuan alone in the living room.
It was another quiet afternoon. The chirping of cicadas had faded at some point, but the essence of life revealed in the quiet space was no different from all the peaceful moments she had experienced before.
Deng Chuan finished the peach, washed her hands carefully, and then went into the bedroom.
Xu Wei was already asleep. She had a habit of napping in the afternoon. She was sleeping soundly on her side, very peacefully. Zhou Liu was lying in Deng Chuan's spot, so Deng Chuan picked him up and moved him to the foot of the bed.
She lay down beside Xu Wei and carefully gathered her into her arms.
Xu Wei didn't wake up. She relaxed against Deng Chuan's shoulder, her brow smooth.
The room was silent. Listening to the sound of Xu Wei's breathing, Deng Chuan drifted off to sleep without realizing it.
When she woke up, it was already evening.
Deng Chuan opened her eyes. The room had grown dim. She turned her head in a bit of a daze; Xu Wei wasn't there. At the foot of the bed, Zhou Liu was leisurely flicking his tail, his eyes meeting hers.
Seeing Zhou Liu, Deng Chuan felt a little more at ease. She held out a hand to him. "Come here."
Zhou Liu walked across her body and burrowed into her arms.
Her arms were filled with fluffiness, and the temperature from the air conditioner was perfectly comfortable. As Zhou Liu purred and rubbed against her chin, Deng Chuan unexpectedly fell asleep again.
This time, she was woken by Xu Wei's voice.
She opened her eyes to see Xu Wei's face right in front of her. Deng Chuan's gaze was dazed. As she looked over, she heard Xu Wei's soft laugh. "Sleeping this long, are you going to skip dinner?"
"Get up. We're going out to eat."
As Xu Wei spoke, she changed out of her nightgown, then leaned down to pat Deng Chuan's cheek. "Get up, don't laze in bed. Will you be able to sleep tonight?"
Deng Chuan's eyes were open; she was awake, but it felt like she wasn't. The sight of Xu Wei changing just now had made her head spin. Hearing Xu Wei's urging, she nodded dazedly, sat up, and looked for her clothes.
The time it took Deng Chuan to wash up and change was just enough for Xu Wei to put on some simple makeup. So, when Deng Chuan emerged fresh and clean from the bathroom, she saw Xu Wei applying lipstick in front of the mirror.
Xu Wei had chosen a gentle dusty rose color today, which made her complexion look great. When she saw Deng Chuan approaching, she playfully intercepted her, holding her chin to apply a thin layer on her lips as well.
She pinched Deng Chuan's cheek and looked at her with satisfaction. "So pretty."
One of Deng Chuan's hands was in her pocket, clutching the small ring. Xu Wei's gentle eyes were right in front of her. She resisted the urge to kiss her, but the next second, she felt a light kiss on her own lips and heard Xu Wei's cheerful voice in her ear, "Alright, let's go."
In that instant, her heart pounded like a drum, resonating across time with all the countless times her heart had fluttered in the past.
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