Chapter 21: Breathing rapidly, like an abandoned puppy, her wet eyes gazing at...

Liu Chengxu stood there stunned for a moment, her breathing rapid, like an abandoned puppy, her eyes wet as she looked at her. Su Zhiluo called her name again, and she snapped out of her daze and rushed to Su Zhiluo's side. She grabbed Su Zhiluo's arm, buried her face in her chest, and leaned her head against her shoulder. She broke down in tears.

Su Zhilu felt a pang of sorrow in her heart as she watched her tilt her head back, gently pressing her forehead against her own, and choking back tears with grievance.

Su Zhiluo felt a sharp, aching pain in her heart.

Their breaths mingled, so close they could almost touch each other's lips.

Su Zhiluo turned her head slightly, pressed her cheek against hers, and wrapped her arms around her shoulders to hug her.

Liu Chengxu felt her face get cold, so she moved it slightly away and wiped her face with her hand. She asked cautiously, "Are you serious?"

Su Zhiluo hummed in agreement.

She patted Liu Chengxu on the back, her nose also feeling stuffy.

A thousand words were stuck in my throat. I had prepared countless speeches on the way back, but now I couldn't utter a single one.

After crying his fill, Liu Chengxu raised his reddened eyes and asked softly, "Sister-in-law, are you cold?"

Although winters in Guangzhou aren't as harsh as those in the north, there are still times when the air gets chilly. The moment Liu Chengxu turned to grab her down jacket, the entire house came into view: the mottled old wooden table, the yellowed walls, the rusty window frames, and the small heater they had used for so long.

All the familiar objects rushed into her sight. Before Su Zhiluo could even process the complex emotions, Liu Chengxu walked over, wiping away tears and carrying clothes. The real feeling of "coming home" suddenly struck her heart.

Liu Chengxu carefully wrapped the down jacket around her, his voice filled with concern: "Why are you wearing so little?"

Su Zhiluo was only wearing a thin cotton-padded jacket and explained softly, "I left in a hurry."

She ran off the train dragging her suitcase, her body warming up so she didn't feel cold. Now, enveloped in warmth, she belatedly felt the chill.

Liu Chengxu's emotions came and went quickly, and now his eyes were shining as he looked at her: "Are you in such a hurry to see me?"

Su Zhilu swallowed back the words, "I just suddenly wanted to come back." Those words were too hurtful and would shatter Liu Chengxu's expectations. She couldn't bear to hurt him, so she nodded gently.

Liu Chengxu immediately went to pour a cup of hot water and carefully let her hold it in her hands. Only after the dusty smell in the bedroom air conditioner dissipated did he lead her inside.

Su Zhiluo walked in and was stunned when she saw the two beds pushed together.

The room felt much more spacious after the renovation. Liu Chengxu also stacked the two storage boxes and added a new shelf in the corner, neatly arranging miscellaneous items and books.

Su Zhiluo asked, "Why didn't you use my wardrobe? Wasn't it empty?"

Liu Chengxu silently got up without answering the question. Before Su Zhiluo could reach out, she grabbed the suitcase and helped pack.

Aside from a few pieces of underwear, the box was filled with boxes of various packaging. Liu Chengxu looked up at Su Zhiluo, already understanding in his heart—these were all gifts for her.

These weren't bought on a whim. Su Zhi rarely strolled around Guangzhou; she spent most of her time dealing with clothing factories. Occasionally, when she went to the market or supermarket, she would see something interesting or beautiful and would always think of Liu Chengxu. From puzzles and figurines to music boxes, and more often daily necessities like toothbrushes and pillowcases, she couldn't resist buying them and taking them with her.

There was an exquisite gift box tied with a ribbon next to it. Without asking any questions, Liu Chengxu knew that it was a New Year's gift that Su Zhiluo had prepared for her.

“You bought me so many gifts,” Liu Chengxu said softly. “Actually, you wanted to come back, but you couldn’t get a ticket, right?”

Su Zhilu felt a lump in her throat.

Liu Chengxu stopped asking questions and accepted his answer as it was, looking at her with bright eyes: "I knew it, you care about me."

She carefully opened the gift box, took out the graphics tablet inside, and gently ran her fingertips over it.

"Thank you, sister-in-law." Her voice trembled slightly. "I really like it... really."

She had been eyeing it for a long time, but couldn't bring herself to buy it because of its high price. She was thinking of just buying one to connect to her computer.

"It must have cost a lot of money, right?"

Su Zhiluo said, "I made money."

That's true. During her trip to Guangzhou, she barely managed to make ends meet in the first half of the year, but now she's earned quite a bit. Su Zhiluo took out her phone to show her and said, "Calculate how much money you have. I haven't calculated it yet. Help me summarize this year's income and expenses."

"I'll take care of it later, I'm going out for a bit."

Where to?

"I'll go buy groceries and cook fish for you."

Su Zhiluo remembered that she had specially made fried fish from her hometown and sent it to Guangzhou.

She hadn't seen Liu Chengxu this happy for a while and thought she had changed her personality. But she figured she must have been feeling down during that time, which was why she was always so sullen.

Liu Chengxu packed her suitcase and was about to go out to buy groceries, reminding her not to come along and to rest for a while first.

Liu Chengxu was sending a voice message in his friends' group chat on his phone.

"Hahaha, my sister-in-law is back. I'm going to buy groceries. I'll post some pictures for you guys today. Chef Liu's cooking is absolutely amazing."

Su Zhiluo listened quietly to her, a smile involuntarily appearing on her lips, just like when the two of them first moved in together, she was unwilling to do this or that, and then she finished doing things while crying and sobbing.

Chang Ruyin sent her a message: [Arrived? Did you two not argue?]

Su Zhiluo replied: 【No, everything is fine.】

Chang Ruyin: [There's nothing wrong with going back to visit. It's actually quite lonely being alone out there. Don't you feel the warmth of home when you go back?]

Su Zhiluo: [Yes, it's warm. I turned on the air conditioner.]

Chang Ruyin: [It has nothing to do with the air conditioner; it's your heart that's warmed up.]

Heart?

Su Zhiluo touched her heart, and it felt very warm.

Her earliest thought was that if she could come back, she would take Liu Chengxu out to play.

In the summer, the store sells mostly flowy long dresses suitable for travel. Back then, Liu Chengxu would always silently help her pack and ship them, stuffing each imaginative dress into a cardboard box and sending them to unknown distances.

Whenever she thought of these things, Su Zhiluo felt a pang of guilt. Liu Chengxu should also go to see the sea, climb mountains, and feel the evening breeze of different cities. At the same age, she was trapped in that room filled with packages.

As she was thinking, her phone vibrated.

She received the message.

Liu Chengxu: [Want to eat this?]

Let me make this!

Su Zhiluo: [There are many.]

Liu Chengxu: [This is a family reunion dinner.]

When Liu Chengxu rode his bike back, he saw her standing on the balcony. Their eyes met, and Liu Chengxu took off his helmet and gave her a bright smile.

Liu Chengxu was carrying several bags, which Su Zhi put down to take, asking, "Why are you back so late?"

Liu Chengxu: "I probably haven't ridden my electric bike for a while, and the battery is dead."

Su Zhiluo: "Get a new one."

“I don’t ride it much, and a new one will break down soon anyway, so let’s leave it as it is.” Liu Chengxu said with a smile, “When we have more money in the future, we’ll buy a four-wheeled one.”

Su Zhiluo nodded.

Without any need for excessive activity, Liu Chengxu transformed into a sunny sunflower. The two picked vegetables together, and Su Zhiluo told her that she had moved to a new place with working air conditioning. She also mentioned that since she wasn't busy when school started, she could get a driver's license, since it would be useful later.

The two of them were making plans for the future, including buying a car and traveling.

Liu Chengxu bought a lot of vegetables, intending to cook a big meal.

Mingming from next door heard the noise and ran over, excitedly saying, "Sister Zhiluo, you're back!"

Su Zhiluo went to get the pastries she brought back for Mingming. They were all specialties from Guangzhou, such as almond cookies, barbecued pork pastries, and local sausages. Su Zhiluo said, "Tell your grandma to take care of Sister Cheng Xu."

Mingming didn't accept it, saying, "My grandma won't take it. Every time I invite Sister Cheng Xu to my house for dinner, she never comes."

"But you also gave her fried sweet potato chips and sweet potato fries." Su Zhilu patted her head and gestured for her to take them.

Not long after Mingming brought the New Year's goods home, Aunt Zhang came over with a bag of New Year's goods. Liu Chengxu was chopping vegetables in the kitchen. She listened to Su Zhiluo and Aunt Zhang chatting, and occasionally shifted her gaze over. She was too embarrassed to say it, but it still didn't feel real to her.

Aunt Zhang stood at the door and called out, "Cheng Xu, are you happy now that your sister-in-law is back? What delicious food are you planning to make for her?"

Liu Chengxu didn't respond, but her voice sounded particularly genuine. Aunt Zhang was still teasing her, "You have no idea how stubborn she is. I asked her to come to my house for dinner, but she just wouldn't come. But your Chengxu is very good at cooking. He dried a lot of fish, saying he's taking them to Guangzhou for you, Zhiluo. You're still lucky."

Su Zhiluo nodded gently, her hair shimmering in the sunlight streaming into the room.

Liu Chengxu looked up at the window and saw the first ray of sunshine in winter—gentle, warm, and seemingly carrying the fresh scent of snow.

After finishing her conversation with Aunt Zhang, Su Zhiluo slowly walked towards her. The sound of her footsteps, the flickering sunlight, and Su Zhiluo's unique, delicate fragrance enveloped Liu Chengxu in that instant. Liu Chengxu turned around, and Su Zhiluo softly asked her, "What dishes are you planning to make today?"

Liu Chengxu paused for a moment before answering, "Three or four dishes, I guess."

"You sent me everything?"

"Um."

"Thanks."

I want to send it to you.

Listening to her speak, Su Zhiluo felt a long-lost sense of peace, as if she had returned to the time when they were most intimate. Liu Chengxu was like a clingy puppy, following her around.

Su Zhiluo rinsed the rice and put it in the pot, while Liu Chengxu came over and put the salted fish with the sauce into the steamer.

Su Zhiluo gently instructed, "When Aunt Zhang talks to you, remember to answer. You live alone, so you need someone to take care of you."

"I'll remember this time." Liu Chengxu is very good at making steamed cured fish. He first marinates it with soy sauce, chili and minced garlic, then steams it and drizzles a few drops of sesame oil on top.

Thinking about it carefully, these are all dishes that Su Zhiluo likes to eat, and they are all her specialties.

After the intense joy, a slight bitterness lingered, and Su Zhiluo felt a faint pang of sadness. She inexplicably felt uneasy, as if she had instinctively withdrawn her hand after touching something too warm.

She lowered her eyes and gently pinched her fingertips.

Liu Chengxu cooked a fish hot pot, stir-fried some greens, and made a plate of stir-fried eggs with chili peppers.

They wanted her to try both fish.

As soon as her taste buds were awakened, Su Zhiluo's eyes turned red. She said, "It's so spicy that tears are coming out."

After eating bland food for most of the year, she suddenly couldn't stand spicy food anymore. Liu Chengxu poured her a glass of cola, which she drank slowly.

It's not mealtime yet, it's already 3:30. In the meantime, Liu Chengxu went to get his computer and put on a movie.

*

After dinner, Liu Chengxu told Su Zhiluo to take a nap.

Su Zhiluo didn't sleep. When she left, she gave the key to Chang Ruyin. After tidying up, Chang Ruyin went to her rented room to work on the orders. Since it wasn't the start of the new year, people's spending power hadn't picked up yet, so there were only a few orders that hadn't been refunded. Su Zhiluo taught her how to handle them, and Chang Ruyin got the hang of it very quickly.

They chatted until 6 p.m., when Su Zhiluo suggested that she cook in her rented room.

After that, the two of them worked together, which made many things easier. Chang Ruyin also wanted to invest some money, and Su Zhiluo planned to rent a warehouse.

Liu Chengxu boiled water and called her to take a bath. After Su Zhiluo left, Liu Chengxu secretly looked at his sister-in-law's chat history. He found the chat history before his sister-in-law arrived. When Su Zhiluo was still in the car, Chang Ruyin told her that she wanted to try dating Yang Jie.

Su Zhiluo didn't mind and told Chang Ruyin that it was good, Yang Jie was a nice person, and it would be a good thing if things could work out.

But then she asked one more question.

Su Zhiluo: [Is it okay if you tell her about this from a distance? It's hard to get together when you're apart.]

Chang Ruyin: [?? Is that so? I thought the breakup was a litmus test. Every time we met, it was like lightning striking. To be honest, when I told her I wanted to be with her, seeing her flustered and confused was actually quite exciting.]

Su Zhiluo: [?]

Chang Ruyin: [I'm 25 and I've never kissed anyone. I'm thirsty, I want to sleep with them, I want to have sex.]

Su Zhiluo: [???]

Chang Ruyin: [I really want to have some fun.]

Su Zhiluo: [You're so rough.]

Chang Ruyin: [How do you know I'm easy to fuck? I may look delicate and soft, but I'm actually quite fierce.]

Su Zhilu sent her a speechless Buddha emoji.

Chang Ruyin: [I really want to kill myself.]

Su Zhiluo: [...]

Chang Ruyin: [To be honest, aren't you lonely? I often read novels about phoenixes, and I really want to try it out.]

Su Zhiluo: [If I'm not lonely, I won't look.]

Chang Ruyin: [Then you definitely haven't read any novels featuring two women.]

Su Zhiluo didn't reply to her for a while. Chang Ruyin was still deep in discussing the loneliness of being single, so she wasn't sure what Su Zhiluo was feeling at the time. Later, Su Zhiluo replied rather coldly: "Go online and look it up, it's very important."

Then Chang Ruyin sent her a message asking if she had received it and reminding her to be careful.

After Liu Chengxu finished reading, he put down his sister-in-law's phone, showing absolutely no shame in having peeked at it.

After Su Zhiluo finished showering, Liu Chengxu asked, "Should we move the bed?"

Su Zhiluo said, "Didn't you throw all the bricks away?"

She dried her hair, and Liu Chengxu went to find a small hairdryer for her. Then she tidied up her clothes and went to take a shower. Liu Chengxu looked at the balcony, where the lush succulents were placed on the blue bricks.

After taking a shower, she crawled into bed and a hot water bottle was shoved into her arms. Su Zhiluo told her to cover herself with the blanket, and then she used her tablet to draw. Liu Chengxu smelled the fragrant shower gel on her body and looked at Su Zhiluo expectantly from the side.

Su Zhiluo felt uncomfortable under her gaze and asked, "Aren't you going to play games with your friends today?"

Liu Chengxu clung to her, saying, "I don't want to fight."

Su Zhiluo continued drawing. She used to be quite inspired, but now she had basically no inspiration. After drawing for a long time, she was just drawing a straight line.

Finally, I opened the software and started watching TV.

At 9:30, Su Zhiluo felt sleepy and yawned.

Liu Chengxu very attentively turned off her tablet, saying, "I'm not watching anymore, I'm so sleepy."

Su Zhilu responded softly, and the tablet that had just been removed left no barrier between them. Liu Chengxu leaned forward, and the warmth of the hot water bottle on his lower abdomen seeped through the fabric to Su Zhilu's back, causing her to shiver slightly.

Liu Chengxu took out a hot water bottle and placed it back on her abdomen, but his hand naturally rested on her waist, his fingertips hovering and gently touching her.

She guessed her sister-in-law wouldn't be comfortable with such intimacy, so she didn't go any further. She simply rested her forehead lightly against the other's back, like a little animal seeking warmth.

Although Su Zhiluo's body was somewhat stiff, she ultimately did not push her away.

The two chatted for a while, mostly Liu Chengxu talking. She had roughly calculated Su Zhiluo's annual income, and the net profit was 80,000 yuan, which was much better than working in the factory. Su Zhiluo responded with words, then fell silent.

About ten minutes.

Liu Chengxu called softly, "Sister-in-law, are you asleep?"

Su Zhiluo replied, "No."

Ten minutes later, Liu Chengxu asked softly, "Are you asleep now?"

Su Zhiluo replied, "No."

Another ten minutes passed.

Liu Chengxu: "Are you asleep?"

Su Zhiluo did not respond.

Liu Chengxu touched her lower abdomen with her fingers, and she rubbed herself against Su Zhiluo's thin back, her breathing slightly rapid.

Liu Chengxu sat up slightly, gently brushing the stray hairs from Su Zhiluo's cheek behind her ear with his fingertips, and lowered his head to place a light kiss on her skin.

The touch beneath my lips was soft and warm, carrying my sister-in-law's unique fragrance.

Her fingertips gently brushed across Su Zhiluo's nose, then she propped herself up, gently but firmly grasped the other's fingers, and lowered her head to put the fingertips between her lips.

Su Zhiluo's fingers were firmly held by her, which made her uncomfortable, so she kissed Su Zhiluo's fingers, which were delicate and soft and could be bent into any shape.

When she released her grip, her breathing was erratic. She leaned closer and lightly touched Su Zhiluo's lips, intending only a fleeting taste, but the moment they touched, she was ignited. The desire surging within her grew stronger and stronger, clamoring for more intimacy.

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The puppy started licking. [shy][shy]