BSS - Chapter 102
Chapter 102
Southern winters were cold. Late at night, even the cushions on the floor radiated a chill. Deng Chuan said she couldn't find the air conditioner remote and that it was too late now; she would ask the owner for it tomorrow.
Because the air conditioning was off, the night's chill grew more pronounced as time passed, despite the tightly shut doors and windows. After their late-night snack, the two of them cleaned up the trash together, then washed up. Finally, they could curl up under the covers and rest in bed.
The main light in the room was turned off, leaving only a lamp on in the hallway before the bathroom door. The night was deep, and the cold made the soft light seem to congeal into some kind of liquid substance—heavy, viscous, and sticky—flowing to fill the entire room.
The air was cold, the bed warm. The sense of bliss from this contrast was something central heating couldn't compare to. Xu Wei felt a certain coziness from it. Because there were two of them, the blanket warmed up quickly. Deng Chuan lay on her side, her arm wrapped around Xu Wei's waist, warm and toasty.
The warmth made Xu Wei narrow her eyes like a cat.
She felt Deng Chuan tracing her lips, sometimes touching, sometimes not, but she didn't want to open her eyes to look, just letting her be. Gradually, the kid's fingertips explored downwards, brushing past her slender neck. Then she moved closer, and Xu Wei could feel her scorching breath.
She was just about to remind her that they were away from home and shouldn't be too obvious. The next second, the blanket was pulled over their heads, plunging them into complete darkness.
The next day, the two of them woke up neither early nor late.
Deng Chuan woke up before Xu Wei. She was still in the same position, hugging her from the side. The first thing she saw upon opening her eyes was a sliver of Xu Wei's bare shoulder.
Last night, mindful that they were away from home, they hadn't gotten completely undressed to the very end, but buttons still had to be undone. They had fallen asleep in a hurry afterward, not paying attention to whether the buttons were done up properly. Xu Wei was a still sleeper, but she must have brushed against the unbuttoned collar while turning over, causing it to slide halfway down her shoulder.
The morning light was perfect, filtering through the curtains into the room. Outside, there were some faint sounds of conversation, not disruptive, serving more as background noise.
A bright morning, time felt leisurely and long.
Deng Chuan propped her head on one hand, lying on her side and watching the sleeping Xu Wei. She helped pull up the collar of her pajamas, covering all her lines and charm, and tugged the blanket up higher, afraid she might catch a cold.
The air was still bitingly cold, which made the warmth under the covers especially hard to leave.
Perhaps sensing her movements, Xu Wei's brow suddenly twitched slightly, and it looked like she was about to wake up. Deng Chuan remained still, only gently stroking her brow and eyes. As if soothed by her touch, Xu Wei gradually fell back into a deep sleep.
Asleep, Xu Wei's features were serene. Without makeup, her face was a little pale, and her lips were a faint red, but their dewy color kept her from looking wan. She slept with her lips slightly parted, revealing a hint of snow-white teeth that appeared and disappeared with her breathing. She looked very well-behaved, almost like a little rabbit.
Deng Chuan couldn't help but smile silently.
The more time she spent with Xu Wei, the more she craved her goodness. Deng Chuan didn't know if this was a good or bad thing. She loved her, without a doubt, but the life this love brought was too warm, too wonderful. It made Deng Chuan, even while immersed in it, already foresee how cruel the days without Xu Wei would be.
Deng Chuan was not a cowardly or timid person, but she had to admit, she'd had thoughts of shrinking back from that cruelty.
That distant future… those changes and decisions that had clearly happened not long ago, why did they now feel like a dream?
Deng Chuan sighed involuntarily. The love and struggle churning inside her, intertwined with her determination and innate ambition, were like a cornered beast, about to break free.
Deng Chuan once again pondered the question in her heart: What kind of choices must she make to give Xu Wei the best possible future?
As if hearing her sigh, Xu Wei murmured something and turned over, her back to her. Deng Chuan moved closer, held her tightly from behind, and buried her face in her long hair, inhaling deeply.
Xu Wei was somewhat woken by her fussing. She patted her hand, turned back around, and hugged her with her eyes still closed, gently patting her back. Her voice was still mumbled, "There, there, sleep a little longer."
Deng Chuan kissed her, right by her ear, from the shell of her white ear all the way to her smoothly contoured jawline. Through these precious kisses, she adjusted her mindset and thoughts, gradually regaining her usual composure.
Xu Wei felt her affection and raised a hand to block her, but failed. She let her continue kissing. Deng Chuan held her tighter and tighter, resting her head against her collarbone, almost trying to burrow into her embrace.
Probably unable to take the disturbance any longer, Xu Wei lazily opened her eyes a crack. She fiddled with a stray wisp of hair by Deng Chuan's ear, her voice sticky with sleep, "Mmm… can we sleep a little longer?"
Deng Chuan rested against her collarbone, nuzzling her chin. "You sleep… I won't bother you anymore."
In this position, Xu Wei could almost completely encircle Deng Chuan in her arms. She moved her arms and did just that, then soothingly stroked the kid's face. "Good girl… you sleep a little longer too."
Deng Chuan nodded, her hair tickling Xu Wei's neck. "I'm going to sleep…" Her tone was very soft. "Hold me."
Xu Wei was amused by her tone, and it even chased away some of her sleepiness. Deng Chuan acting spoiled was a stark contrast to her usual self, but it delighted Xu Wei. She lowered her head and gave the kid a kiss on the lips. "I'm holding you. Be good and sleep."
When they woke up again, the sun was high in the sky. Even the air had a hint of warmth.
Xu Wei woke up a little earlier than Deng Chuan. She simply threw a thick piece of clothing over her pajamas—the same sweatshirt Deng Chuan had worn last night—and knelt down to rummage through the suitcase for the clothes they would wear out today.
The temperature in the south wasn't as cold as in the north, so there were more options for winter outfits. By the time Xu Wei returned to the bedside with their change of clothes, she saw that Deng Chuan had already opened her eyes and was watching her with a burning gaze.
The kid propped herself up into a sitting position. Her hair had grown to shoulder-length and cascaded like water past her collarbones. The sight made Xu Wei's skin tingle with that same itchy feeling again. She lowered her head slightly, avoiding Deng Chuan's gaze, placed the clothes next to her, and turned to leave, but her hand was caught.
The daylight was bright, making the expressions on both their faces perfectly clear. Xu Wei wiggled her fingers, actively pulling free, then leaned down and kissed Deng Chuan's forehead with watery tenderness.
She didn't speak, only smiled faintly, and saw a satisfied tranquility emerge in Deng Chuan's eyes because of her action.
After they both washed up and got dressed, and after waiting for Xu Wei to finish her makeup and apply some foundation and lipstick on Deng Chuan as well, they officially stepped out of the room. The owner was already at the counter eating lunch with his black cat.
The owner seemed to remember them. Seeing Deng Chuan carrying the trash, he called out to her in the Chaoshan dialect. Deng Chuan stopped, but Xu Wei, who was walking behind, couldn't translate in time. Perhaps the confusion in Deng Chuan's eyes was too obvious, because the owner switched to Mandarin. "Throw the trash in the backyard. We have someone who collects it all at once."
Deng Chuan nodded. "Thank you."
She went into the yard, threw out the trash, and came back out to find Xu Wei standing by the counter, making small talk with the owner and, while she was at it, petting the cat.
Deng Chuan's brow furrowed. She held out a hand to Xu Wei, signaling that it was time to go.
Xu Wei probably didn't expect her to be jealous of even a cat. Oblivious, she said goodbye to the owner and walked over to take Deng Chuan's hand.
Both were wearing woolen coats of a similar color. Xu Wei must not have been afraid of the cold, as she only wore an asymmetrical fishtail dress underneath, her steps graceful as she walked. Deng Chuan wore jeans and a black sweatshirt with a bit of a white base layer showing. She held Xu Wei's hand and felt that it wasn't too cold, which put her mind at ease.
The sun hung high, illuminating every detail in the alley: the corrugated tile roofs, the gray-black walls, the moss by the walls, somewhat withered in the winter. There weren't many people in the alley. Some shops were open, selling preserved fruits, incense, or repairing bicycles. Mostly elderly people minded the shops, and at this time of day, they were all eating at their counters. No one was wandering about.
Everything was quiet, with only the sound of their footsteps. The sunlight was lovely. Deng Chuan took a few pictures of Xu Wei, and also of the preserved fruit shop's quaint storefront. The wooden door was a bit dilapidated, and even the couplets pasted beside it had faded, as if time itself had slid down their surface.
They walked and stopped along the way, with Xu Wei leading Deng Chuan through a series of twists and turns out of the alley. They then took a taxi to a nearby shopping mall. Since they had just woken up, they didn't have much of an appetite. For their first meal, Xu Wei didn't plan on taking Deng Chuan for a big feast, simply picking a Chaoshan restaurant in the mall.
The two ordered basil stir-fried ark shells, fermented soybean braised ponyfish, an Oyster Omelette, and bitter melon and pork rib soup. For dessert, they had Duck Mother Twist, and their staple was rice. Perhaps it was because the local cuisine suited her palate better, but Deng Chuan noticed that Xu Wei's appetite had grown considerably since they arrived in Chaoshan.
She ate a whole bowl of rice and drank half a bowl of soup before putting down her chopsticks.
Deng Chuan scooped up some ark shells to mix with her rice. She loved basil and found the aroma intoxicating. "This is so good."
Xu Wei pushed the Oyster Omelette toward her. "Try this, it's delicious too. Eat it with the dipping sauce."
They were eating in the main dining hall. The tables were spaced far enough apart that you could hear voices but not make out what was being said. The restaurant was quite popular; after they came in, the tables around them filled up one after another. It must have been full, as Deng Chuan saw a line of people sitting outside the glass door, waiting for a table.
Deng Chuan finished her rice, the dishes, and a bowl of soup. Although she usually ate a lot, this meal left her feeling a bit stuffed. Xu Wei probably thought so too. She discreetly reached under the table to feel the kid's stomach and couldn't help but laugh.
The two stood up, ready to pay the bill. The child at the next table was crying and making a fuss. A parent stood up to comfort him and accidentally bumped into a waiter who was passing by with a dish, causing him to stumble. The broth from the stir-fried water spinach sloshed out of the plate and splashed right onto Xu Wei's dress as she walked by, soaking a large patch.
Deng Chuan's face immediately darkened.
Everyone fell silent. Even the child's crying subsided.
Faced with a barrage of apologies from the waiter and the parent, all in the Chaoshan dialect, which Deng Chuan couldn't understand anyway, she then saw the waiter trying to wipe Xu Wei's leg with a napkin. Her expression must have been truly awful—so awful that Xu Wei had to pull on her arm and say in Mandarin, "It's fine, it doesn't matter."
In the restroom, they did a quick cleanup with tissues and water. The soup was greasy, so going back to change was inevitable. A large part of Xu Wei's dress was wet. She dabbed it with a tissue, buttoned up her coat, and stroked the face of the kid, who had been frowning ever since it happened. "Alright, I'm fine. We'll just change clothes."
As she said this, she still sounded a bit regretful. "Honestly, this is the first time I've worn this dress."
Deng Chuan immediately decided in her heart to buy her another one.
The two came out of the restroom. Deng Chuan went to pay the bill, then took Xu Wei's hand and headed outside.
There were quite a few people at the entrance. With some coming out and others going in, it was inevitably crowded.
Deng Chuan stood slightly in front and to the side of Xu Wei, shielding her a little from the flow of people.
But as luck would have it, as they reached the door, one of the people waiting outside looked up to check on the seating situation inside. His neck was turned, so Deng Chuan could only see half of his profile. But that half-profile looked exceptionally familiar, and she couldn't help but look a few more times.
Perhaps sensing Deng Chuan's gaze, amidst the noise, the person suddenly turned his head to look over. Their eyes met, and both of them froze for a moment.
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