Dating

By late afternoon, Yang Zheng had finally inspected all of Shen Anxia's small house.

Looking at Shen Anxia, ​​who seemed to be in relatively good condition today and hadn't had a recurring high fever, and seeing that she was taking her medicine on time, there shouldn't be any major problems.

He was determined to stay in Xinfeng tonight. Shen Anxia looked at him helplessly and emphasized again, "This is too tiring. You haven't had a good rest since you came here."

Yang Zheng pulled Shen Anxia into his arms and kissed her, his tongue exploring between her lips and teeth, entwining with hers. Shen Anxia's eyelashes trembled slightly; she was still not used to such intimate contact between the two of them, and passively felt the thrill that Yang Zheng brought her.

Yang Zheng had no intention of letting her go.

However, his instinctive reaction forced him to let go within a controllable range.

“If I go back on Monday morning, we won’t see each other for three days that week. If it weren’t for all the things that have been going on lately, I would love to come here every day.”

Shen Anxia sighed, somewhat pessimistically: "This is what long-distance relationships are like."

Seeing her like this, Yang Zheng pulled her back into his arms.

Shen Anxia put her arms around Yang Zheng's shoulders, leaned against him for a while, and said, "Yang Zheng, let's go on a date."

Where to?

"There's a Western restaurant downtown, shall I treat you to a meal there?"

"good."

"Then I'll put on some makeup and change my clothes."

"But you just had a fever, won't you feel uncomfortable eating Western food?"

"I'll eat a little less, just to replenish my energy."

"Alright then."

"Then let me go first."

Yang Zheng smiled and released Shen Anxia. Shen Anxia returned to her bedroom, changed her clothes and put on makeup. When she came out of the bedroom again, Yang Zheng felt the moonlight falling on him.

She wore a simple, thin white sweater, leggings, a long apricot-colored tulle skirt, and a down jacket on top. Her extremely ordinary outfit was made incredibly beautiful by her natural elegance.

What to do? Over the years, every time Yang Zheng saw Shen Anxia, ​​he couldn't control his heart, which was almost jumping out of his mouth.

He had never had such thoughts about anyone else, so he knew clearly that only Shen Anxia could make his heart flutter, and only she could easily bring him happiness.

"Let's go." Shen Anxia didn't notice any of this and reached out to take Yang Zheng's hand.

Yang Zheng grabbed her hand and they went out, hailed a taxi, and headed straight for the Western restaurant that Shen Anxia had mentioned.

The restaurant has an extremely elegant ambiance. The retro European-style romantic architecture is bathed in warm yellow light, and crystal chandeliers hang high like sheer gauze, refracting a dreamy glow. The wooden floor exudes a faint woody fragrance, and the tables are covered with snow-white tablecloths, on which silver cutlery is already set, with stemmed glasses arranged in a row, like elegant dancers, waiting for the fine wine to make its grand entrance.

In the center of the restaurant, a piano is playing classical music, and the notes flow past people's ears, making them feel as if they are in a medieval palace.

There weren't many diners; two tables of foreign friends were mixed in with the Chinese diners.

Yang Zheng was extremely gentlemanly, taking meticulous care of Shen Anxia. Shen Anxia tasted a bite of the steak that Yang Zheng had cut for her, and then a bite of foie gras; both tasted very good.

Shen Anxia still needed to take her medicine, so Yang Zheng only ordered fruit juice. The two of them enjoyed a wonderful, slow, and pleasant dinner time while listening to soothing piano music.

Seeing that the pianist this time was a gentleman, Shen Anxia suddenly remembered that Ding Fei had mentioned that Yang Zheng could play the piano, and asked with great interest, "I remember you can play the piano too?"

"You want to hear it?"

"It looks like we can play the piano here." Shen Anxia's eyes were full of anticipation.

"So, you want to hear me play the piano?" Yang Zheng asked again to confirm.

"May I?"

Yang Zheng casually draped his arms over the dining table, thought for a moment, and said, "If you want to hear it, I'll play it for you, but there are so many people here, I'm a little nervous."

Seeing that things were looking promising, Shen Anxia's eyes suddenly lit up. To encourage Yang Zheng, she added a condition: "How about I dance for you? Are you still nervous then?"

"With you here, I won't be nervous. But are you physically capable?" Seeing Shen Anxia's enthusiasm, Yang Zheng suddenly wanted to join her in this crazy adventure.

"I'm all better now!" Shen Anxia exclaimed joyfully.

Yang Zheng glanced at the piano and saw that there was a space next to it where he could dance. Suddenly, he remembered something else.

After finding a waiter, Yang Zheng gave him some instructions, handed him his phone, and then walked straight to the piano, extending his hand to bow to Shen Anxia.

As Shen Anxia watched the dazzlingly handsome man extend an invitation to her, she took off her leather shoes, tiptoed, and twirled towards him with a series of dance moves.

When she reached Yang Zheng, Shen Anxia placed her hand in his and then gave a standard dancer's bow to her left and right.

The people in the restaurant had fallen silent the moment Yang Zheng walked to the piano, all watching the handsome man gesture towards a corner. Following his gesture, they saw a radiant young woman gracefully remove her shoes, like a beautiful peony lifted by a gust of wind, twirling lightly before the man. No one missed the sweet, tender look in their eyes. Amidst the envious gazes of the crowd, the young woman calmly bowed to them in thanks.

Yang Zheng asked Shen Anxia in a low voice, "Starry sky? Is that okay?"

Shen Anxia was somewhat surprised: "This is one of the best dances I've ever performed."

"That's why I specifically practiced this piece."

The two smiled at each other. Yang Zheng walked to the piano, and with a flick of his wrist, the piece "Starry Sky" flowed from his fingertips. At the same time, Shen Anxia raised her arm and gently lowered it with the melody, as if someone was searching aimlessly through countless reincarnations, gazing at the starry sky.

The stage spotlights, seemingly shifting from Yang Zheng to Shen Anxia, ​​repeatedly amazed everyone in the restaurant with each graceful backbend and each split in mid-air. Even the restaurant's foreign owner stepped aside to quietly admire her.

Some people in the restaurant were recording videos with their phones, and some were even live-streaming.

As the music ended, Shen Anxia's cheeks flushed slightly, and she bowed to the left and right once more.

Yang Zheng left the piano and walked towards Shen Anxia. At this moment, applause gradually rose in the restaurant, and some people even praised the girl's dance as too graceful. Foreign friends also gave her a thumbs up and praised her in broken Chinese. Shen Anxia ignored these people and only looked at the man who was a head taller than her, who tilted his head and praised, "Mr. Yang Zheng, you played very well."

Yang Zheng only cared about her: "Are your feet cold?"

"It's not cold, there's underfloor heating."

He scooped Shen Anxia into his arms like a child, ignoring everyone's stares, and walked toward the dining table.

Yang Zheng put her in a seat, knelt down on one knee, and picked up her shoes to put them on her.

Shen Anxia quickly pulled her foot back to get her shoes: "I can wear them myself."

Yang Zheng dodged her hand, looked up at her, his eyes filled with tenderness and passion, his love, both watery and fiery, almost overflowing. He said, "Anxia, ​​I want to do with you everything that two people in love can do."

Then, holding her feet, he helped her put on her shoes, little by little.

After putting on his shoes, the waiter carrying Yang Zheng's phone came over and said, "Sir, here is your phone."

Yang Zheng took the phone and thanked him.

Shen Anxia asked, "Did you let him record it?"

"Um."

"show me."

"We'll see when we get home," Yang Zheng whispered to Shen Anxia, ​​then put his arm around her and went to the front desk to pay the bill. Afterward, they stepped out of the restaurant under the watchful eyes of everyone.

"Didn't you say I was treating?" Shen Anxia asked.

"Isn't what's mine yours?" Yang Zheng retorted.

"I'm so envious of that guy," a waiter in the restaurant said.

The waitress next to him chimed in, "I'm so envious of that woman."

Then the two of them exclaimed in unison, "They're such a perfect match!"

"Aren't we going somewhere else to play? It's still early!" Shen Anxia looked at the man beside her, who had taken a taxi straight home, with a puzzled expression. He was holding her hand and didn't say a word, his lips pressed together, as if he was thinking about something.

“You can stay out late even when you’re home.” The man beside her still had his eyes downcast.

Seeing that he was not in a good mood, Shen Anxia recalled that he had taken care of her all night and must be very tired. Moreover, he had to catch the early high-speed train back to Yi'an tomorrow morning, so he should indeed get some rest tonight.

So she thoughtfully didn't disturb Yang Zheng, who was resting nearby, and let him take the time to rest.

The twenty-minute drive passed quickly. After getting out of the car, Yang Zheng still didn't say a word and took Shen Anxia's hand as they went up to the elevator.

Shen Anxia shook Yang Zheng's hand and said, "We still need to catch the high-speed train tomorrow morning. You should get a good night's sleep tonight."

"Mm." Yang Zheng nodded.

With a "ding," the elevator doors opened, and Yang Zheng pulled Shen Anxia into the room. The door behind them slammed shut with a dull thud. With a slight effort, Yang Zheng pinned Shen Anxia against the door, bracing himself on either side of her body to trap her in his embrace. Then, he leaned down slightly and pressed his burning lips against hers, as if to release all the emotions that had been suppressed for so long.

Before Shen Anxia could react, Yang Zheng's tongue, breathing heavily, had already entered her mouth. Shen Anxia felt her limbs leap with joy, a tingling sensation spreading through her fingertips, and every cell in her body suddenly awakening. She was completely unaware that she had already stood on tiptoe, her arms wrapped around Yang Zheng's neck, her tongue moving lightly, mimicking Yang Zheng's gesture, returning his kiss.

Yang Zheng couldn't withstand this onslaught. Even the slightest initiative from Shen Anxia could lead to his utter ruin. He picked her up, carried her to the living room, placed her on the sofa, and leaned down to press her down.

They kissed until they were both breathless before Yang Zheng gently moved his head to Shen Anxia's neck.

"Anxia," Yang Zheng took a deep breath, "can we never break up?"

"Are you just going to date all the time?" Shen Anxia deliberately changed the subject. "Don't you plan to marry me in the future?"

Comforted by Shen Anxia's words, Yang Zheng's fear subsided slightly, and he chuckled softly, "At least I'll wait until you want to get married before I propose."

Shen Anxia didn't speak, but gently stroked Yang Zheng's back with her left hand, soothing him.

Yang Zheng raised his right hand and pressed down her fidgeting hand, whispering, "An Xia, if you take the initiative again, I won't be able to control myself."

Shen Anxia immediately froze: "..."

After a while, Shen Anxia nudged Yang Zheng: "Let's take a picture together! When you're not around, I have nothing to look at to remember you."

Upon hearing this, Yang Zheng sat up straight and took a box out of his black backpack from the other end of the sofa.

Shen Anxia found the box somewhat familiar. When Yang Zheng opened it and took out a bracelet, she suddenly remembered that it was a birthday gift he had given her last year.

Yang Zheng took Shen Anxia's hand and put the bracelet on her wrist. He said, "When I bought it last year, I thought, 'I wish I could put it on your wrist myself.'"

Shen Anxia stretched her wrist out in front of her and looked at it carefully: "Now, you put it on for me yourself."

Yang Zheng smiled: "Though late, it's here."

"Wait a minute, I have a gift for you too." Shen Anxia got up and went into the bedroom, took out the birthday gift she had bought for Yang Zheng last year before his birthday, handed it to Yang Zheng, and mimicked his tone: "It's late, but it's here."

Yang Zheng opened the box, inside was a car air freshener, silver-gray with a metallic texture, which matched his car perfectly.

Yang Zheng asked in surprise, "When did you prepare this?"

"Last year, on your birthday."

Yang Zheng recalled that his birthday was a Wednesday.

If it were the weekend, he would probably come directly to Xinfeng to see her, even if it was just to see her from afar.

That day after get off work, he wanted to be alone, but his friends forced him to play a suspenseful murder mystery game, which lasted until midnight.

When he was alone late at night, he looked through An Xia's WeChat Moments and found that the post was still a photo from one of her performances before the Dragon Boat Festival.

“If it hadn’t been a weekday, I would have come to Yi’an to see you.” Yang Zheng hugged Shen Anxia.

Shen Anxia remembered Jiang Fanxing saying that Yang Zheng hadn't been in Yi'an since the second day of the Lunar New Year, and suddenly had a gut feeling. She cautiously asked, "Were you busy during the Lunar New Year this year?"

Yang Zheng looked at Shen Anxia and nodded easily: "Yeah, I have something to do. I've watched several performances."

"?"

Yang Zheng laughed: "I heard from Lao Si that you will be performing until the seventh day of the Lunar New Year. Uncle Shen and Aunt Zhao have come to Xinfeng for the New Year. I came to Xinfeng on the second day of the Lunar New Year and watched a few of your performances according to the official performance schedule. I returned to Yi'an on the morning of the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, so I missed the performances on the sixth and seventh days."

"...Why didn't you come to me?" Shen Anxia asked sullenly.

"I heard that dancers cannot be affected by their emotions, otherwise accidents are likely to happen on stage."

"You can contact me after my performance."

"I was afraid it would be inconvenient for you tonight."

Shen Anxia didn't know what he was feeling when he traveled so far to see her performance, but the thought of his lonely figure when he left Xinfeng warmed her heart.

Shen Anxia pulled Yang Zheng over, took out her phone, found a good angle, and took a few selfies of the two of them together.

Then I chose the best-looking one and posted it on my WeChat Moments.

My crush.

Yang Zheng first gave her a thumbs up, and then replied: Yours.

Below, another group of people offered their blessings to Shen Anxia, ​​but there were still more people who were jealous of Yang Zheng, especially Jiang Fanxing, who spoke without thinking. After seeing his reply, "Third Brother, you should wash up and lie down quickly," Yang Zheng immediately called Jiang Fanxing and said, "Quickly delete that lousy line of yours."

Jiang Fanxing said smugly, "I won't delete it, so what? Come and hit me!"

Shen Anxia saw Rong Yi laughing wildly in the camera's view. Rong Yi also saw Shen Anxia: "Anxia, ​​please come back soon, we all miss you so much."

Shen Anxia readily agreed: "I'll go back for May Day, and I'll come find you then."

"Okay! Let's go clubbing together."

"good."

"Haha," Jiang Fanxing interjected, "Third Brother must be thinking right now that he finally got to enjoy a May Day holiday, but now his time with his girlfriend is gone!"

Yang Zheng was so angry that his head ached. His tone was full of warning: "Fifth brother, I'll go back tomorrow morning. Rong Yi probably hasn't met Ye Wumian's male model yet. I'll ask her to go with me during the May Day holiday."

Rong Yi's eyes lit up: "Really, Third Brother?"

Jiang Fanxing: "...I'll delete it right away."

After hanging up the video call, Shen Anxia crossed her arms and questioned, "Sleepless Night? It seems you know quite a bit about this. If there are male models, are there female models as well?"

Yang Zheng quickly explained, "I was lying to Lao Wu. I've never been there."

Shen Anxia: "Never mind, I'll ask Rong Yi to go and see for myself during the May Day holiday."

Yang Zheng: "..."