Chapter 25

25

"Stop looking. It's getting late. You should go to bed." Zhao Xingcan gently held Lin Ju's wrists and turned her towards him.

Lin Ju's eyes reluctantly left the succulent plant and met Zhao Xingcan's eyes.

She was a sensitive and thoughtful person, able to connect a small matter to a whole story. Even without Zhao Xingcan telling her, she knew it wasn't easy for this succulent plant to survive. The climate here was completely different from Haishi, and Zhao Xingcan was completely clueless about it. It must have taken him ages to finally get it to survive.

The shock and suspicion that had been mingling in her heart just now slowly dissipated. She loved him too much, so much that she could even blind herself to it.

When taking a bath in the evening, Zhao Xingcan invited her to take a bath with him in a frivolous tone, but she refused with a blushing face.

When she came out of another bathroom, Zhao Xingcan was sitting cross-legged on the sofa in the corner of the room, reading documents. A milky white ashtray was placed on the transparent side table. He held the documents in one hand and a cigarette in the other, casually resting it on the edge of the sofa.

Wisps of smoke containing mint and wormwood rose faintly in the pale yellow light. Lin Ju walked over, raised his eyebrows slightly, extinguished the cigarette, put down the documents, opened his arms to hug her waist, and brought her into his arms.

They were wearing the same shower gel, with a faint scent of gardenia. He lowered his head, put his nose against the soft and delicate shoulders, neck and butt, and sniffed gently.

The ends of her hair brushed against Lin Ju's neck. The girl pushed his arm with her hand and whispered, "Zhao Xingcan, your hair is pricking me. It's a little itchy."

Zhao Xingcan turned his head and narrowed his eyes slightly, his expression darker than before.

Lin Ju sat on his knees, holding Zhao Xingshen in her arms.

Zhao Xingcan began to kiss her, saying, "I'm very happy that you can come."

Lin Ju was so intoxicated by his kiss that she didn't know what heaven and earth were. She only felt that their souls seemed to be sewn together again because of their union. They were no longer from two different worlds, and there was no longer a barrier between their status and identity. She would no longer feel inferior because of her body.

She is healthy, not hearing-impaired.

At midnight, Zhao Xingcan went to take a shower. Lin Ju put on his clothes again and lazily leaned on the balcony, smoking a cigarette.

The phone on the bed lit up. Lin Ju reached for it, cigarette between her legs, and saw the word "Qiao" flashing on the screen. Lin Ju didn't want to find out. She picked up the phone, walked to the bathroom door, knocked gently, and said, "Zhao Xingcan, you have a call."

Zhao Xingcan didn't answer, his phone still vibrating. Lin Ju pushed the door open and walked in. The room was filled with mist. Zhao Xingcan had already finished his shower. He was wrapped in a white towel and standing in front of the mirror, shaving.

His back was to Lin Ju, his entire figure like a statue detached from the water vapor. The light shone down on his back, a soft glow that was not gentle. His shoulder blades protruded slightly, and his spine cast a slender shadow downward. Wet water droplets clung to his skin, trailing down before his waistline and trembling slightly.

At that moment, Lin Ju could hardly breathe. She just wanted to put her face against him and possess him in the quietest way.

The thick mist dissipated, Zhao Xingcan turned around, and Lin Ju suddenly came back to her senses. Her expression flickered, and she handed over the phone and repeated what she had just said dryly.

Zhao Xingcan lowered his eyes and glanced at his phone. Instead of reaching out, he asked, "Who's calling?"

The phone was no longer vibrating, and two missed calls were displayed on the screen. Lin Ju took a look and found that they were both from that "Qiao".

When Zhao Xingcan heard the word "Qiao", he frowned.

He put down the razor, walked up to Lin Ju, took her hand and walked out.

Lin Ju was a little curious and asked him, "Aren't you going to reply?"

Zhao Xingcan walked into the dressing room and pulled off his white bath towel. Lin Ju subconsciously stepped back and turned her head slightly to avoid looking. She heard Zhao Xingcan sneer and caught a glimpse of him putting on his pants.

"He's not an important person." Zhao Xingcan said casually.

He changed into long pants and leaned against the brown cabinet, his upper body still naked. The water droplets on his body had dried, and the scratches on his neck and back caused by fingernails became more and more obvious.

That was all Lin Ju's masterpiece. The culprit was punished by standing against the wall, not daring to even look.

Zhao Xingcan secretly found it funny and deliberately raised his chin to show her the scratched place on his neck.

"Look here, the skin is broken."

Lin Ju's face burned red, and her heart felt like it was in boiling water. She walked over, and as soon as she reached Zhao Xingcan, she was hugged.

Zhao Xingcan buried his head in her shoulder. The ends of his hair were still wet, and a few drops of water fell on Lin Ju's face. He pulled open her shirt with his hands. Lin Ju's breathing became rapid, and she said intermittently, "You just took a shower?"

"You haven't showered yet. I can shower with you again."

Zhao Xingcan's voice became hoarse and low. He rarely indulged himself like this, but tonight was an exception.

The longing for not seeing each other for a long time turned into a strong and surging emotion. He grabbed Lin Ju's hand and threw his cell phone aside.

They fell onto the sofa in the locker room. The soft beige sofa could not bear the weight of two people and made a trembling sound.

The night was dark by the window, Lin Ju's long hair was scattered, and the silver flakes of moonlight were spread on the wooden floor. In a trance, she seemed to see a shooting star passing through the sky.

When I woke up the next day, it was almost noon.

Lin Ju lay sprawled on her bed, a faint ray of sunlight filtering through the gaps in the heavy grey curtains. She had slept too long, her head a little dizzy. She lay in bed for a while longer, then picked up her phone and checked the messages.

One of the messages was from Xu Gaoyou, asking him if he wanted to go home for dinner as Mid-Autumn Festival was approaching.

She was still a little sleepy, so she didn't reply after clicking on it.

There were also some miscellaneous text messages, and the hot search was about reports on last night's meteor shower.

This made Lin Ju sober up a little.

It turned out that there was indeed a meteor shower last night, but unfortunately, she didn't make a wish.

She sighed to herself for a few minutes before slowly sitting up, picking up the wrinkled shirt on the floor, putting it on, and walking out of the bedroom barefoot.

In the bright, clean, and airy living room, Zhao Xingcan, dressed in a navy blue sweater and gray trousers, sat at the wood-grained dining table, working. He wore black-rimmed glasses, a cup of coffee and a black ashtray at his side. Seeing Lin Ju emerge, he turned and tilted his head slightly.

Lin Ju didn't expect he was still there. She felt a little embarrassed and tugged at the shirt on her body that was wrinkled like a rag after she slept. It was taken off from Zhao Xingcan. It had no brand, but it must have been very expensive.

She was not wearing a hearing aid and walked silently to sit next to Zhao Xingcan.

The dining table was specially made to be slightly higher than an ordinary one. Lin Ju sat on the high footrests, her two snow-white legs swinging in the air.

She wasn't wearing any pants, and the shirt that reached her hips covered half an inch of her body, but at first glance, it looked even more alluring with it covered than without.

Zhao Xingcan pushed away the laptop and turned his head to look at her with his chin supported.

He now knows more sign language than before. He signed as he spoke and asked, "I made porridge. Would you like some?"

Lin Ju lay on the table with half of her face touching it, looking at Zhao Xingcan and shaking her head.

Zhao Xingcan took off his glasses and leaned closer, imitating her face against the table. The two of them were facing each other. He asked softly, "Are you feeling uncomfortable?"

Lin Ju continued to shake his head.

The corners of Zhao Xingcan's mouth curled up, and he spoke faster than before, "Then can I kiss you?"

Lin Ju stared at his lips, and when she understood this sentence, Zhao Xingcan's kiss followed.

Her thoughts paused briefly, and the warm touch on her lips brought her back to her senses.

As the kiss continued, she secretly opened her eyes.

Like a believer gazing up at a shrine, Zhao Xingcan's eyebrows and eyes were meticulously carved. His eyelashes were very long, and they trembled slightly with his breathing.

Lin Ju's hands quietly gripped the edge of the table, her knuckles turning white.

Zhao Xingcan seemed to sense her indecision, and as if to punish her for her inattention, his kisses gradually became more aggressive. Gradually, Lin Ju felt like she was drowning, her consciousness blurred, and her hands and feet gradually became numb.

Just as her body relaxed, Zhao Xingcan's lips moved away and landed on her forehead, touching it lightly.

Kissing also consumes physical energy. Lin Ju, who was not hungry when she just woke up, now feels like eating something.

Zhao Xingcan cooked red bean porridge with rock sugar, which was not very sweet. Lin Juyong scooped a small bowl, holding a small silver spoon, leaned against Zhao Xingcan, and sipped the porridge in small sips.

She eats very slowly, even when drinking porridge, she puts a small spoonful of red bean porridge in her mouth and holds it in her mouth for a long time before swallowing it.

Zhao Xingcan worked for half an hour and turned to look at her. She was still drinking porridge with a few grains of rice stuck to her lips. She looked dazed, which was quite cute.

He picked up the phone and talked to Lin Ju.

Lin Ju seemed to realize something, raised his eyes and widened them slightly.

Lin Ju in the camera has two blushes on her snow-white face, and a few strands of curly hair fall on her shoulders, like an exquisite doll carved by an artist.

Zhao Xingcan switched the camera mode to video mode and asked, "Is the porridge I cooked not tasty?"

Lin Ju shook his head.

Zhao Xingcan asked again: "It's been half an hour, and you still have half left. It's not good for children to be picky about food."

Lin Ju's confused face immediately broke into a smile. Like a kitten or a puppy, she leaned over and rubbed against Zhao Xingcan, offering her head to him. Zhao Xingcan was still filming, so he could only switch hands and raise them high.

The scene in the camera changed to him holding Lin Ju, and the beautiful girl snuggled in his arms. She was still disobedient. After eating two bites, she simply put down the bowl and raised her hand to sign, "I'm full."

She had just finished drinking porridge, her lips were moist, and the red beans stuck to the corners of her lips looked like tiny red moles.

Zhao Xingcan lowered his eyes and slowly lowered his head.

The cell phone video suddenly stopped.

After that, I spent most of the day in the apartment.

Zhao Xingcan put down his work and curled up on the sofa with Lin Ju, watching an old movie. When the movie ended, over two hours later, the sky outside the window was gray. Beijing's skies were always like this, with a dull, sparsely lit sunset. The weather was often worse than good, with smog covering most of the day.

Lin Ju was hungry, and Zhao Xingcan was hungry too.

Zhao Xingcan asked her what she wanted to eat, and she said she wanted to eat sushi.

He was too lazy to go out, and neither was she, so they ordered takeout, along with sushi and milk tea. Lin Ju explained that it was a new product: a cup of milk tea with tapioca pearls, a milk cap, and even cake base. Zhao Xingcan never ate these, but Lin Ju forced him to take a sip. It was so sweet that he choked, and he even drank a whole glass of water.

At night, Lin Ju didn't want to stay in the house anymore, so she pulled Zhao Xingcan and said she wanted to go downstairs for a walk.

It was completely dark, and the two of them didn't walk far, just walking around a small park near the apartment.

The park is free, and because Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching, many lights are hung on the treetops in the park, and a Mid-Autumn Festival garden party is held inside. When you enter, a staff member will hand out a small card to play the mini-game inside and get stamps. After collecting eight rabbit stamps, you can go to the organizer to redeem a prize.

Lin Ju thought this was quite interesting and took one to look at it.

Zhao Xingcan glanced at it and asked, "Interested?"

Lin Ju nodded, "Let's go and give it a try, okay?"

Zhao Xingcan was stunned for a moment, then took the cardboard from her hand and said, "Let's go and take a look."

There were quite a lot of people at the garden party, most of them were parents accompanying their children. The small stalls sold rabbit lanterns and sachets, and some mobile stalls even had signs for freshly squeezed juice and handmade mooncakes.

Lin Ju bought two glasses of orange juice and handed one to Zhao Xingcan.

Zhao Xingcan took it hesitantly. Seeing that he didn't want to drink it, Lin Ju leaned over and whispered, "I watched the juicing process. There's nothing else in it, just two oranges."

After hearing this, Zhao Xingcan reluctantly took a sip through a straw.

They strolled around leisurely with orange juice in hand, playing simple games like ring toss, lantern riddles, and poetry recitation. Although Zhao Xingcan didn't usually play these games, he seemed to have a talent for them, and he passed almost all of them on his first try.

In less than ten minutes, the small card was already covered with stamps. Lin Ju smiled happily, holding the card, hugged his arm, and said she would go to redeem the prize.

"It turns out to be a small pendant." Lin Ju thought it was a big prize, but when she looked at the gray cat keychain, she felt a little disappointed.

Her disappointment was so obvious that the staff at the prize redemption counter felt a little embarrassed. They quickly handed her a white cat keychain and said with a smile, "Beautiful girl, I'll give you another one. It's a perfect match for your boyfriend."

"Ah? Thank you." Lin Ju took the keychain, looked up at Zhao Xingcan, and raised her hand. "Which one do you want?"

Zhao Xingcan lowered his head and looked into her face. His eyes moved away from her pink lips and fell on her left hand.

He passed his finger through the ring and placed it against Lin Ju's index finger. He hooked it lightly, and the gray kitten slid into his palm.

When she returned home at night, Lin Ju fastened the kitten pendant to the zipper of her backpack.

Zhao Xingcan relaxed for the day and started to make up for today's work in the evening.

Lin Ju finished her shower and found no one in the room. She walked to the study, leaned over the door, and poked her head in. She saw that he was still wearing his glasses, frowning as he read the report. She hesitated whether to speak, then saw Zhao Xingcan raise his eyebrows and wave at her.

Lin Ju washed her hair and blew it half dry, but she lost her patience and tied it up with a hairband.

As soon as she walked to Zhao Xingcan, she was hugged in his arms.

Her back rested on Zhao Xingcan's chest, the man's breath lingering around her. Her body was too soft, like a piece of cotton candy falling.

Lin Ju lowered her eyes, deliberately avoiding looking at the documents that Zhao Xingcan had casually placed on the table.

Zhao Xingcan seemed to have sensed something and took the initiative to tell her, "These are the company's project plans for next month. I have meetings all day tomorrow. I'll pick you up when I'm done."

He spoke in her ear, his lips touching her soft earlobe, his voice soft and low.

Lin Ju's ears flushed crimson, and the back of her neck felt slightly numb. She nodded slowly, thought for a moment, then turned around and put her arms around Zhao Xingcan's neck.

Her skin is snow-white, her eyebrows and eyes are extremely prominent, and even without makeup she is as gorgeous as a peony in full bloom.

Seeing such a face at such a close distance, even Zhao Xingcan was slightly stunned.

But Lin Ju's expression was completely different from her cold and beautiful appearance. She hesitated and said shyly, "Will you still sleep with me tonight?"

Zhao Xingcan's Adam's apple moved. Before he spoke, his body had already made the most obvious reaction.

Lin Ju opened her eyes wide, and the next second, she was picked up by Zhao Xingcan around the waist.

She exclaimed and immediately hugged Zhao Xingcan's neck tightly.

The stool legs made a "swish" sound as they scratched the wooden floor. Zhao Xingcan carried Lin Ju and walked towards the bedroom.

In the study, I saw half-finished documents lying alone on the table, which really fits the saying "Spring nights are short and the sun rises high, and from now on the king will no longer attend court early in the morning."