“Who wants to talk about life with you.”
“Come on.”
“Where are you even taking me? My legs are tired from all this walking.”
“There’s a bench up ahead — I’ll rub your legs for you in a bit.”
Chen Qingqing turned her head away. “I don’t want that.”
Having known Xu Ye this long, Chen Qingqing could already guess at all his little schemes; most of the time she was just playing dumb.
Sure enough, there was an empty bench not far ahead. Xu Ye led her to sit down but still didn’t let go of her hand.
The night was dark, but the moon was bright, and greenery surrounded them on all sides.
Xu Ye took a deep breath of fresh air and smiled. “Noisy all afternoon — finally some quiet.”
Chen Qingqing asked, curious, “What are you usually doing at this time of day?”
“Thinking about you.”
Chen Qingqing gave him a look and pinched his thigh with her other hand. “Can you be serious for once?”
Xu Ye smiled, pulled out his phone to check the time, and said, “When I don’t have afternoon classes, I usually stay at the fruit shop or the office, clock off around five, eat in the cafeteria around five-thirty. It’s almost seven now, so I’d guess I’d be in the dorm doing laundry.”
“Does your school not have washing machines?”
“They do, but people always put their underwear and socks in there, and worse, some put their shoes in to wash. Early in the semester I saw it once, and I’ve hand-washed ever since.”
Chen Qingqing said quickly, “But you definitely can’t get them clean.”
Xu Ye frowned. “Why?”
Chen Qingqing muttered quietly, “During the movie this afternoon, I could smell the soap on you.”
Xu Ye paused, then broke into a wicked grin. “So you were smelling me?”
“I was not — you were the one who told me to lean on your shoulder.”
“You can’t say my clothes aren’t clean just because I smell like soap. You always smell nice too.”
“Do I?”
“You do. Very, very nice.”
“Shampoo?”
“No.”
“Skincare products?”
“No.”
Chen Qingqing was puzzled. “Then what smell?”
“Your natural scent.”
Chen Qingqing’s face went red in an instant. She was about to pull her hand out of Xu Ye’s when he suddenly tightened his grip and drew her into his arms, and the two of them were embracing.
“Let go, let go right now.” Chen Qingqing patted at his back with both hands, but Xu Ye was wearing a down jacket, and her little fists landing on it didn’t hurt at all — it was more like tickling.
Xu Ye said softly, “Just a little while, just hold you a little while.”
“How long is a little while.”
“Five minutes.”
Chen Qingqing immediately protested. “No way, that’s too long.”
Xu Ye changed his offer. “Four minutes fifty seconds, then.”
“That’s only ten seconds less — who does that.”
Xu Ye simply wouldn’t let go, asking like a rascal, “Then you tell me how long.”
Chen Qingqing said firmly, “Just one minute.”
“Fine, I’ll do as you say.” The corners of Xu Ye’s mouth turned up, and he held her a little tighter. “Start the clock now.”
Chen Qingqing dutifully started counting. But once she’d passed thirty, Xu Ye started playing dirty — he counted along with her, and after “39,” immediately said “30” again, and sure enough led her astray.
“38, 39, 30, 31…”
By the time Chen Qingqing realized she’d counted twice, she said, “No, that’s cheating.”
“Then count again, I won’t cheat this time.”
“A whole minute’s already gone by.”
Xu Ye smiled. “It’d be nice if time could just pause right now.”
Hearing that, Chen Qingqing suddenly stopped struggling. She nestled her head a little closer against Xu Ye’s neck, her eyes on the moon overhead.
Neither of them spoke.
After a long while, Xu Ye finally released her — but the two of them, with unspoken understanding, held the same posture as during the movie that afternoon.
Chen Qingqing rested her head on Xu Ye’s shoulder, the two of them leaning together. After a long while, Xu Ye finally asked, “What do you think of Zhiwei?”
“Qin Zhiwei?”
“Mm.”
“He’s okay. Didn’t notice any flaws.”
Xu Ye smiled. “He likes Shen Xinyi.”
Chen Qingqing lifted her head, curious. “Really?”
“Really.”
Chen Qingqing was puzzled. “But they only met for the first time today?”
Xu Ye shrugged. “Love at first sight. Just like us.”
Chen Qingqing quickly argued back, “It was not the same. The first time we met, I didn’t like—”
“Then tell me — the first time we met, what was your impression of me? Tell the truth, no lying.”
“I was just curious, that’s all.”
“Curious about what?”
“Curious why you played guitar so well, and sang so nicely. Though when you got up and ran over to the trash can to throw up, you nearly scared me half to death.”
Xu Ye frowned. “You were afraid I was some creep?”
Chen Qingqing rested her head back on his shoulder and said with a pout, “You are one to begin with.”
…
The night grew late.
By the time the two of them got back to the hotel, it was already nine. Yet sitting on that bench, neither Xu Ye nor Chen Qingqing had noticed how quickly the time had slipped by.
Chen Qingqing knocked and opened her door, and Xu Ye opened the one across from her. Qin Zhiwei and Shen Xinyi both poked their heads out, curiously watching Xu Ye and Chen Qingqing at their doors.
“Get to sleep early tonight.”
“Mm.”
“Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
Xu Ye smiled and walked into the room, then immediately threw a punch at Qin Zhiwei. “Did you go mute? Shen Xinyi was right across the hall just now — you couldn’t even tell her goodnight?”
“I wanted to, but I couldn’t bring myself to say it.”
“You’re shameless every other time — why get shy now?“
Xu Ye sat on the couch, twisted open a bottle of water, gulped down a big mouthful, and went on, “Besides, what’s embarrassing about saying goodnight? Do you think Shen Xinyi would curse you out for it, or hit you?”
“I don’t know, I just can’t get it out.”
“Shen Xinyi’s the quiet, introverted type to begin with. If you’re going to keep tying yourself in knots like this, you might as well give up now.”
Qin Zhiwei shot back at once, “No chance. As long as she hasn’t rejected me, I’m not giving up.”
“Zhiwei, I’m telling you — chances to meet up in person like this don’t come often. If you don’t take this opportunity to get closer to Shen Xinyi, then relying on online chatting alone, you two have no shot.”
“So what should I do?”
“At the haunted house tomorrow, when it’s time to step up, step up. Your school’s not far from theirs — talk to her more on the way back.”
“What do I even talk about?”
“Anything, just carry yourself with a little more confidence.”
“Oh.”
“I’m going to shower first.”
“What were you and your girlfriend up to, back so late?”
“Ducked into the woods to make out.”
“You animal.”
In the room across the hall.
Shen Xinyi was asking the same question.
“Qingqing, what were you and Xu Ye up to, back so late?”
“Ate too much, took a walk outside for a bit.”
“Ohh, I see.” [TL: 酱紫 (jiàngzǐ), internet slang — a cutesy contraction of 这样子 (“like this / I see”), popular in the early 2010s.]
(End of Chapter 149)