Chapter 10 Winter Night Party (Part 2)

Shi Banxia was surprised that Ji Rendong agreed so readily. Her eyes flashed and she said, "Shall we sneak away?" With that, she immediately pulled Ji Rendong away from the noisy party.

The laughter from the party gradually faded away with each step the two took.

Shi Banxia walked ahead, her steps light and quick. Ji Rendong followed behind the girl, and couldn't help but smile as she looked at the tuft of hair sticking up on her head.

Upon reaching the room door, Shi Banxia opened it and stepped slightly to the side, saying, "Please come in."

Ji Rendong entered the room. The single room at the research station wasn't large, but Shi Banxia had decorated it very warmly.

A police dog pendant hangs above the bed, several photos of the aurora borealis are pasted on the wall, and the photography equipment is neatly stored on the table.

Ji Rendong recalled the scene in Banxia's room when she first came here, when the two of them had even argued about the electric heater...

She thought Shi Banxia would give up, but to her surprise, she persisted.

"Sister Rendong, please make yourself at home." Shi Banxia suddenly became nervous. "Would you like something to drink? I still have some milk..."

"No need to trouble yourself, thank you." Ji Rendong sat down at the table, her gaze sweeping over every corner of the room.

When Ji Rendong saw the police dog pendant on the bedside table, her eyes flickered. Shi Banxia keenly caught Ji Rendong's gaze and said, "Sister Rendong really likes puppies."

Ji Rendong looked up and met Shi Banxia's gaze, then quickly looked away and whispered, "Yes, very cute."

Shi Banxia took off the pendant, sat down opposite Ji Rendong, and waved it around. "Isn't it cute? I bought it when I was working in Hong Kong. It's a Springer Spaniel~"

The fluffy Springer Spaniel, dressed in a police dog uniform, sits in an adorable and well-behaved posture.

Ji Rendong nodded, her gaze following the little police dog. "Yes, it's really cute..."

Seeing that Ji Rendong was engrossed in watching, Shi Banxia couldn't help but laugh. She picked up the little police dog, stretched out her arm, and gently rubbed its nose against Ji Rendong's cheek.

Ji Rendong was taken aback, her tone helpless, "Banxia...?"

Shi Banxia pursed her lips and didn't say anything, but let the little police dog's mouth "kiss" Ji Rendong's nose and chin a few more times.

Ji Rendong felt a little lost, the fluffy texture making her feel itchy.

"Hey... Banxia! Stop fooling around!"

Ji Rendong finally couldn't help but turn his head and try to grab Shi Banxia's fidgeting hand.

"Kiss, kiss."

This time, the little police dog's mouth gently touched Ji Rendong's lips.

Ji Rendong's lips trembled slightly, but she didn't pull away; only her ears flushed slightly. The soft, downy texture of her lips still lingered, along with the faint warmth of Shi Banxia's fingertips.

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

As soon as she finished speaking, Shi Banxia was stunned. She had only meant to make a joke, but seeing the usually aloof Ji Rendong looking somewhat helpless, her heart belatedly started pounding wildly.

Ji Rendong's silence left Shi Banxia somewhat at a loss. She withdrew her hand and gave a dry laugh.

"Honeysuckle Sister's first kiss was stolen by a little police dog..."

Only after the police dog left her lips did Ji Rendong breathe a sigh of relief. She looked up and saw that Shi Banxia's bright eyes held a mischievous slyness and a hint of barely perceptible tension.

Shi Banxia unconsciously tightened her grip on the rope of the pendant, realizing that her actions might have crossed that blurry line.

They've only known each other for two weeks; this childish joke is clearly inappropriate, isn't it?

"Shi, Ban, Xia..." Ji Rendong called her by her full name for the first time, his voice trembling slightly at the end, "Childish..."

Hearing Ji Rendong's deliberately serious tone, Shi Banxia burst out laughing, her earlier tension vanishing instantly.

Clearly, Shi Banxia was quite satisfied with successfully tricking Ji Rendong.

Shi Banxia placed the police dog in Ji Rendong's palm. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she winked playfully, "How is it? Doesn't touching something fluffy make you feel better?"

Ji Rendong looked down at the little police dog in his palm, gently straightened its "uniform," and, following Shi Banxia's words, gave her a way out, "Hmm, much better."

"but…"

Ji Rendong's voice was gentle, with a hint of indulgence in her tone, "This is a one-time exception."

Shi Banxia stuck out her tongue. Ji Rendong could tell from her expression that Miss Shi was definitely not going to be so honest.

"Banxia, ​​do you like the port city?"

Ji Rendong recalled Shi Banxia's smile when she talked about the port city and cleverly changed the subject.

Shi Banxia's eyes lit up, and the slight embarrassment from before was instantly forgotten, replaced by the excitement of sharing her beloved.

"I love it! I love it so much!"

Shi Banxia picked up the tablet from the bedside table. "Hong Kong is really special! Sister Rendong, you have to check it out!"

The screen lit up, and Shi Banxia's fingers flew across the tablet, quickly bringing up a set of colorful pictures.

—That was an album called “☆my Hong Kong☆”.

Shi Banxia unconsciously moved closer to Ji Rendong, and their shoulders touched lightly. Ji Rendong stiffened, but still did not dodge the intimacy.

"Look, this is a picture I took when I first went to Gangcheng!" Shi Banxia tilted the screen towards Ji Rendong, her tone filled with love and nostalgia.

Shi Banxia clicked on a photo; the picture showed the view of Victoria Harbour.

The sunlight painted the sea with a layer of shimmering gold, the waves gently rippling across a pure and deep azure. On the other side, the buildings of Central reflected the sunlight through their glass curtain walls, shimmering in the light.

This photo has a slightly immature feel, but it is full of charm.

“I was only 17 years old at the time…” Shi Banxia said. “I had a fight with my parents, and in a fit of anger, or maybe on a whim, I just packed my bag and went there alone.”

Shi Banxia's fingertips gently glided across the screen, her tone filled with nostalgic sentiment.

"Standing on the Avenue of Stars, seeing the bustling Victoria Harbour and the dense skyscrapers of Central for the first time, it felt like the whole world had opened up before me..."

Shi Banxia chuckled softly, "At that time, I made up my mind: the world is so big, I want to be a free photographer who can go wherever I want and record every moment that touches me."

Ji Rendong gazed at Shi Banxia's profile. The girl's face was beaming with a smile, and her eyes shone with a pure love.

This was different from Ji Rendong's meticulous and planned style—it was casual and free, yet it stirred something in her heart.

Seeing that Ji Rendong remained silent, Shi Banxia asked in a low voice, "Sister Rendong, am I being a little too excited?"

Ji Rendong shook her head and looked at the other person gently, "No, Banxia, ​​you explained it very well."

Shi Banxia breathed a sigh of relief, nodded, and continued speaking with a smile.

Shi Banxia glided past the photos, introducing them to Ji Rendong as she went.

The vibrant Mong Kok, the magnificent Victoria Peak, the breathtaking Lamma Island…

Shi Banxia pointed to a photo of Victoria Harbour at night and said with a smile, "You know what? When I'm actually standing in Victoria Harbour, I won't care whether you've replied to my message or not."

"Standing on Victoria Harbour, you will find your truest self."

Suddenly, Shi Banxia pulled out a photo with a completely different style—it was a selfie of Shi Banxia.

In the photo, Shi Banxia still looks young and has baby fat on her face. Her eyes are smiling but a little red. Behind her is the blurry outline of Victoria Harbour and the white waves at the side of the ship.

It was raw and unrefined, yet free and vibrant.

Ji Rendong stared at the screen and asked softly, "Banxia, ​​what happened back then?"

Shi Banxia was a little embarrassed, her voice tinged with bitterness, "They found out... I had a huge argument with my parents on the phone, and they had no idea I'd run off so far..."

"I wiped away my tears and, in a moment of impulsiveness, jumped onto the Star Ferry... Looking at the moving Victoria Harbour, I felt wronged and confused, but also a little curious and excited, so I took this photo."

Shi Banxia poked the smiley face on the screen and muttered softly, "Sulking thing, that smile looks so silly..."

Seeing that Shi Banxia was a little down, Ji Rendong hesitated for a moment, then patted Shi Banxia's head and said, "No, you are very brave and cute."

Shi Banxia was stunned for a moment. She looked up and saw Ji Rendong smiling.

Her smile was so gentle and captivating that it made Shi Banxia's heart skip a beat.

Shi Banxia's cheeks flushed slightly, and she pouted, "Sister Rendong, you praised me, so why are you patting my head?"

Despite complaining, Shi Banxia felt a sweet warmth in her heart, and even unconsciously nuzzled against Ji Rendong's warm palm.

Ji Rendong chuckled softly, withdrew her hand, and looked down at the screen, "I was afraid you'd be sad."

Shi Banxia smiled and reached out to poke Ji Rendong's cheek. "Sister Rendong is so thoughtful~"

Ji Rendong patted her hand, "You have no manners."

After looking through the photos in the album, Shi Banxia suddenly asked, "Sister Rendong, if we have the chance, let's go to Hong Kong together."

"Look, doing research all the time is so boring... We can go to the ice cream parlor together, see the Victoria Harbour night view from Victoria Peak, and Ocean Park..."

Shi Banxia looked at Ji Rendong, her eyes sparkling.

Seeing Shi Banxia's expectant eyes, Ji Rendong's lips curled slightly, "Okay."

With just one simple word, Shi Banxia instantly broke into a smile, "I know a restaurant where the Hong Kong-style milk tea is especially delicious! And we should also try the tram…!"

Shi Banxia was talking enthusiastically, but she didn't notice that Ji Rendong's gaze was fixed on her face.

By the time she realized what was happening, the two were extremely close, and Shi Banxia could even feel Ji Rendong's breath brushing against her cheek.

Shi Banxia suddenly stammered, her ears burning. She stepped back slightly, "Anyway... you'll find out when you get there..."

Ji Rendong hummed in agreement, handed the little police dog back to Shi Banxia, ​​and stood up. "It's late, Banxia, ​​you should rest."

Shi Banxia also stood up, and the moment Ji Rendong turned around, she gently grabbed the hem of his clothes.

Ji Rendong turned around and met Shi Banxia's hesitant gaze.

"Sister Rendong, thank you for keeping me company tonight..." Shi Banxia let go of his hand and revealed a sweet smile.

Ji Rendong was dazzled by Shi Banxia's smile. She nodded and took out two chocolates from her pocket.

He handed one piece to Shi Banxia and put the other into the little police dog's "uniform" pocket. "Goodnight."

Shi Banxia felt a warmth in her heart. Sister Rendong really is very gentle, isn't she?

Before closing the door, Ji Rendong turned back again, "Next time, don't use the police dog to launch a sneak attack."

Shi Banxia held the little police dog and playfully stuck out her tongue, "I'll definitely do it next time."

A note from the author:

The reason Xia argued with her parents: Her parents felt that Xia was neglecting her studies by learning photography, so they smashed her Polaroid camera and scolded her... (Poor baby...)

Xia goes to the port city to play when she is unhappy, but Xiaodong is not a travel enthusiast!

Waaah... My visa application failed TT

Hmph! I'll reward myself for updating later!