BSS - Chapter 109
Chapter 109
New Year's Eve dinner is always more about the preparation than the eating. When Xu Wei put down her chopsticks, the dishes on the table still looked largely untouched.
The point of New Year's Eve dinner is the lively atmosphere. Although it was just the two of them, Xu Wei had a little to drink as well—just to keep Deng Chuan company, of course, so she didn't have much. The mouths of the glass bottles clinked together with a crisp sound. Deng Chuan was very polite, remembering to hold hers a little lower, adopting the humble posture of a junior.
Xu Wei noticed this and, thinking about it, suddenly smiled softly. "Happy New Year's Eve." She paused, then added, "In the new year, you'll be another year older."
They were using the coffee table in the living room as their dining table. In one corner sat the pomegranates and oranges they had picked out together at the supermarket a few days ago, looking especially fresh. Xu Wei put down her chopsticks and started peeling shrimp for Deng Chuan. The shrimp had been simply blanched in water with ginger slices and cooking wine. She dipped a piece of peeled shrimp in a bit of wasabi soy sauce and brought it to Deng Chuan's lips. "You've worked hard."
Deng Chuan kissed her finger through the disposable glove, smiling as she admired Teacher Xu's blush. "Not at all."
Xu Wei pulled her fingertips back and lowered her head to finish peeling the shrimp, tossing them into Deng Chuan's bowl one by one. She turned to watch TV and took a sip of her drink to hide her reaction. She figured the alcohol must be making her flush; otherwise, how could a simple kiss through a glove make her ears burn so hot?
By the time the second comedy sketch on the New Year's Gala aired, Deng Chuan had finally finished her meal. Teacher Xu had already thoroughly washed her hands and was looking down at her phone. A lock of hair tucked behind her ear had fallen forward, hiding one bright red ear.
Deng Chuan pressed the back of her hand against that ear and leaned in to look at her.
Zhou Liu was curled up asleep on her lap. When Deng Chuan moved, the cat started to slide off. Xu Wei caught him with one arm, earning a very coquettish meow.
"Your face is so red," Deng Chuan said suddenly, leaning close to Xu Wei's face.
Two empty wine bottles sat on the floor.
Xu Wei seemed to take a moment to react before she mimicked Deng Chuan, leaning in and saying slowly, "You've finished eating."
The corners of Deng Chuan's mouth lifted into a beautiful smile. "Baby, are you drunk?"
Xu Wei looked at her and slowly shook her head. She felt quite sober, her mind still functioning normally, and the scene before her was clear. "No-ope." After saying this, she felt a bit tired and leaned back, her speech slowing even more. "I'll just rest a bit, then I can keep drinking."
She could feel Deng Chuan caress her face. The kid's fingers were cool, but her voice was very gentle. "Don't drink anymore. I believe you're not drunk."
After saying that, she seemed to turn her head to move Zhou Liu, who was beside her, to the other end of the sofa.
Xu Wei's eyes were open, but there was no one in front of her. She waited for a while, but Deng Chuan didn't turn back. A little dissatisfied, Xu Wei called out to her. The sound came out soft, almost directionless. "Deng Chuan."
"What is it?"
The kid finally turned around, her focused gaze finally landing back on her.
Xu Wei held out a hand. Deng Chuan took it and moved closer. "Are you thirsty? Want some water?" She didn't have much experience taking care of drunk people. When her family members got drunk at gatherings, they would just pass out on the sofa, wake up, drink a glass of water, and be perfectly fine again.
The gala on TV was still going, showing a brightly colored song and dance number. The table was a mess of plates and cups. A small, uneaten piece of blanched broccoli remained in Xu Wei's bowl. This small spot of bright color made the array of leftovers seem particularly vivid.
Xu Wei's eyes were still open, her gaze uncontrollably hazy. It drifted over Deng Chuan's shoulder to the TV and the table behind her, then slowly returned, settling back on Deng Chuan's face. Her voice softened, as light as a night-blooming cereus closing its petals in the dark. "Kiss me."
Deng Chuan leaned in and gently touched her lips. "Like this?"
"No..." Xu Wei grabbed her by the collar, pulled her closer, tilted her own face up, and bit Deng Chuan's lower lip.
Caught off guard, Deng Chuan stumbled from the pull. The next second, Xu Wei heard the sound of her knees hitting the floor.
Deng Chuan hadn't expected a drunk person to be so strong. She hissed, forcing herself not to stand back up despite the pain. Xu Wei, as if startled by the sound of her knees hitting the floor, released her lips and looked down. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Deng Chuan hadn't reacted in time and had fallen straight down. The impact was actually quite hard. She was in too much pain to move, but she still had the presence of mind to joke with Xu Wei. "Is my kiss that effective? One kiss and you're sober. Still thirsty? Want some water?"
Xu Wei shot her a glare and helped her onto the sofa. "I'm sober now. I was afraid you'd end up lame with no one to take care of you."
She lifted one of Deng Chuan's pant legs and carefully touched her knee. "Does it hurt?"
The initial shock of the pain had passed, so it wasn't as intense anymore. The pain receded like a tide, but very slowly. As Deng Chuan recovered a bit, it was her turn to act spoiled with Xu Wei. "It still hurts a little..."
Seeing the cold sweat on her forehead, Xu Wei's heart clenched. "Is it very painful? Should we go to the hospital?"
Deng Chuan saw the self-blame on her face and, afraid she would overthink it, leaned in to hug her, keeping her tone light. "Just give me a hug, and it won't hurt anymore."
Xu Wei saw that her complexion was normal and relaxed a little. Hearing her words, she couldn't help but let out a laugh. "Your bones are about to shatter, and you still want a hug?"
She gave Deng Chuan a light pat and stood up. "I'll see if we have any safflower oil."
Zhou Liu, who had been moved aside earlier, now came over curiously, nudging against them.
When Xu Wei stood up to look for the safflower oil, the cat trotted happily after her.
Deng Chuan found this amusing. She simply rolled up both her pant legs and stretched out her legs, waiting for Xu Wei to return. She played on her phone for a bit, and the pain in her knee gradually subsided. Deng Chuan pressed it herself; it seemed fine, just bound to be bruised.
After rummaging through cabinets for a while, Xu Wei finally found the first-aid kit. She had no idea why she'd put it there when she moved. She took out the safflower oil and sat back down next to Deng Chuan.
"Is it any better?"
Xu Wei's touch was very light, but Deng Chuan still hissed. "Yeah, it doesn't hurt as much as before. It's probably just a bruise, I'm fine."
Xu Wei asked again, "Are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital?"
"It's the New Year, why would we go to the hospital..." The pain made sweat bead on Deng Chuan's forehead, and she fought the urge to pull her leg back, still joking with her. "Didn't I tell you? Just give me a hug, and it won't hurt anymore."
Her leg twitched, and Xu Wei's hand trembled with it. Exasperated, Xu Wei looked up and glared at her. "Stop talking."
Deng Chuan finally quieted down. She carefully watched Xu Wei's profile as she looked down, rubbing a layer of medicinal oil on her knee. Xu Wei lowered her head and blew on it, her breath cool. "If it still hurts tomorrow, we'll go to the hospital."
Xu Wei didn't let Deng Chuan move. She cleared the plates and utensils from the table herself, packed up the leftovers and put them in the fridge, and then washed the dishes. When she came out, Deng Chuan had eaten an orange and saved half for her. "Here, open up."
They had both been drinking, so Xu Wei, worried Deng Chuan might be thirsty, brought her a glass of lemonade. "You just had fruit, drink this in a bit."
The kid nodded obediently and opened her arms towards her, asking for a hug.
Xu Wei glanced at her knee and sat down beside her.
Deng Chuan unconsciously puffed out her cheeks.
With the medicinal oil on her knee, taking a shower was a challenge. When she finally managed to finish and came out, Teacher Xu intercepted her at the bathroom door to apply more medicine.
After all the hustle and bustle, it was finally bedtime.
There were faint sounds coming from outside. Deng Chuan put down her tablet and listened carefully. It sounded like fireworks. She felt a little dazed. Another year had passed.
Xu Wei came out of the bathroom after her shower, drying her hair as she reached for her vibrating phone. Deng Chuan handed it to her, adding a reminder, "It's Sister Yang Jing."
Xu Wei nodded. "Got it."
Sure enough, as soon as the call connected, a familiar, cheerful voice came from the other end. "Teacher Xu, Happy New Year!"
"Happy New Year." Xu Wei glanced at Deng Chuan, who was on the bed looking thoughtfully at her tablet. She realized it was already past midnight. The new year had arrived.
Yang Jing chatted with her for a few sentences, then suddenly seemed to realize something. In a tone so fake it could give you goosebumps, she said, "Oh my, is Deng Chuan with you? It's so late, I hope I'm not disturbing you two. I'm so sorry, tell the kid not to be mad, I'll get lost right now-"
"Don't even mention it." Xu Wei pulled the bedroom door shut and walked outside. Zhou Liu followed at her heels, watching her speak with a frown. "...So that's what happened. She seems to be in a lot of pain. I'm wondering if I should take her to the hospital for an X-ray tomorrow."
Yang Jing laughed for a long time, so long that Xu Wei was about to hang up. "Okay, okay, I'll stop laughing at you. If she says she's fine, she's probably fine. She's a grown-up, it's not like she'd shatter her kneecap from a little bump."
"What are you talking about?" Xu Wei was really about to hang up this time. She ignored whatever else Yang Jing was saying. "Okay, that's all. We'll talk later if there's anything else. Don't disturb us."
"Hahahahaha, alright, alright, I'm hanging up then."
"Bye."
After they hung up, Xu Wei stood in the darkness of the living room and only then noticed how terribly quiet it was. She walked to the bedroom door. A sliver of light seeped from the crack—a warm, yellow glow, just like the image of a home.
She pushed the door open. Deng Chuan was standing by the window, looking at something outside. Hearing the door open, she turned and gave her a smile.
"What is it?" Xu Wei asked as she walked towards her.
But Deng Chuan didn't answer. She waited until Xu Wei was beside her before putting an arm around her shoulder. They stood side by side, looking out the window together.
Only then did Xu Wei see it. Masked by the city's tall buildings, more dazzling than the neon lights, a few points of flame shot up from the distant skyline—fragments of fireworks.
It lasted for a long time. It seemed there was a grand New Year's fireworks display on the other side of the city.
They watched in silence, neither of them speaking. They both felt the swift passage of time; words were too thin, too light, in the face of it. The fireworks ended, and they could no longer see even the faintest trails of flame. But as Xu Wei cupped Deng Chuan's face, the warm light of the room reflected in her eyes, it was another grand new year.
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