Chapter 31

You lie in bed with your eyes closed, but you can't fall asleep, so you turn around and stare at the bed opposite yours.

Fang Xu carried very little: a bag he could easily throw away, a cell phone, and a travel guide. It was so simple that it didn't seem like a long trip; it was as casual as if he were just going to the supermarket to buy a bag of salt, rather than going to another faraway city.

Even if such a person suddenly disappears from someone else's life one day, they will leave no trace, just like the wind.

Your eyes flickered, you turned over so your back was to the bed, covered yourself with a small blanket, and tried to fall asleep quickly.

There was a faint scent in the swaying carriage, like the perfume of a young man, and it smelled somewhat like a mountain stream and the sea breeze on a summer night—free and unrestrained.

The door opened and then closed again.

Fang Xu shuffled in in his slippers, put down his toiletries, and called out to you. You didn't move. He let out a sound of surprise, realizing you were asleep. He lowered his voice quietly, and the only sound in the room was the rustling of you drying your hair.

After a while, you feel the bed sink, and someone sits next to you, humming a song in a good mood.

The little lion's mane was still damp; he leaned closer, craning his neck to look at you as you slept. Drops of water fell onto your back, like a child's soft fingers, pattering softly—

A mischievous thought crossed your mind. You remained still, letting him touch your arm and pinch your ear, as if to confirm that you were really asleep. Fang Xu then boldly kicked off his slippers and lay down on his side next to you.

Cool breath sprayed onto the back of my neck.

Fang Xu found something fun. He touched the short stubble on the back of your head, feeling something, and after a while, he took your hand and put it together with his to compare sizes.

"The love line has no forks at all, it's all straight."

He poked your back and clicked his tongue, saying, "You're not still thinking about your ex, are you? You're so stubborn."

How could you not know he also knew physiognomy? He found it amusing and wanted to see what the man would do next. After studying him carefully for a while, he said, "So there are seven whorls. No wonder he's so good at studying."

Then he took out a pair of glasses, carefully put them on your face, admired them for a while, and then put them away.

When he was about to play, you opened your eyes. Your eyes were clear, showing no sign of sleepiness. You kindly reminded him, "You should go to sleep. It's 11:40 now."

He glanced down at her: "Remember to wipe your glasses clean before putting them back."

...

The lights were turned off, and Fang Xu lay back on his bed, falling straight down with a thud in the darkness.

Thinking about the expression on his face just now, you covered your eyes and smiled silently for a while. You figured he probably wouldn't bother you to sleep so easily anymore.

the next day.

Shame spurred Fang Xu to action, forgetting the frustration of being tricked the day before. He woke you up early in the morning, full of energy: "Teacher Nan, get up and watch the sunrise!"

You slowly get up and change your clothes. While you're getting dressed, Fang Xu starts nagging again: "Hey, why did you bring a shirt when you came out to play? It's not comfortable at all."

He chattered on and on, like a little lion scurrying into a pocket, sticking out his tail and wagging his tail, turning his neatly arranged clothes into a mess, determined to find a suitable outfit for his vacation.

You rubbed the bridge of your nose, the crossroads on your forehead throbbing, choosing to shut him up over simply throwing him out.

Fang Xu was rambling on and on, rummaging through his suitcase, when suddenly his mouth was covered. He heard a cool voice say, "Can't you take a break? You know I'm on vacation, huh?"

Fang Xu nodded quickly, pulled out a trendy hoodie from the bottom of the drawer, and blinked his eyes: "This is the one I lent you. Did you bring it with you?"

You hummed in agreement, walked past him to wash up, leaving Fang Xu alone there to fend for himself.

After returning, I went to the train and bought breakfast to bring back with me.

Fang Xu was in high spirits, but he wasn't in the carriage; he'd disappeared somewhere. You finished your breakfast alone and took out your iPad to watch a movie.

Your senior loves watching movies, but you don't have much interest in them. Most of your time is spent reading for work, and you haven't done anything unrelated to that in a long time.

Halfway through the movie, Fang Xu sneaked in with a bag. You looked up at him; his hair was messy, but his eyes were bright and sparkling. "What are you doing, all mysterious?"

Fang Xu noticed the breakfast on the table and, without caring whether it was cold or not, buried his head in eating. After finishing his meal, he showed a happy and satisfied expression, opened the bag, and found a pile of T-shirts and shorts, all of which exuded youthfulness, liveliness, and enthusiasm.

You pause the video and raise your eyebrows.

Fang Xu quickly took off his shirt and pants, leaving only his underwear, revealing his great physique. He then picked out a shirt and pants from his clothes and put them on, even putting on sunglasses and turning around in front of you: "I ran into a clothing store owner who came to Kunming yesterday when I went out to wash up. How was it? Very comfortable."

After watching for a while, you waved to him and said, "Come here."

Fang Xu walked over and sensed that you were neither unhappy nor particularly surprised. He muttered to himself, and a hint of embarrassment appeared on his face.

He walked over, and you told him to turn around and squat down. Fang Xu wasn't sure what you were thinking, but he obediently did as you said.

You pull out a horn comb from the inside of your backpack, hesitate and berate yourself a few times, feeling uneasy and your expression changing, but you still reach out and grasp the little lion's messy hair, combing it from head to tail.

Fang Xu's back stiffened instantly, and he squatted on the ground motionless, as if a demon was sitting behind him and he was about to cut off his head. Under such intense stimulation, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up.

You comb his hair.

White knuckles weave through black hair, like handling a child, yet not quite, because Fang Xu's fingers tremble slightly as the comb passes through, causing your heart to skip a beat.

You looked perfectly normal, tied his hair into a small bun, and left the rest of his hair loose.

He looked down and scrutinized her.

From Fang Xu's honest squatting posture, his back is straight, and he tilts his head back slightly so that you can't reach him. From this angle, you can see his full forehead, fan-like eyelashes, a little nose, and fluffy, unruly hair.

You lower your eyelids slightly, pat his shoulder briefly, and then pull away without any excessive contact: "Okay."

Fang Xu scratched the back of his head, stood up, and realized his voice sounded a bit unpleasant, so he coughed twice, chuckled, his eyes crinkling, and turned to lean against the wall, his dragon-patterned bracelet swaying with the movement: "Teacher Nan, why are you suddenly being so nice to me? You're usually so quiet—"

You remain calm: "When you're shy, your hair stands on end."

Fang Xu: "I didn't!"

...

In the following days, Fang Xu behaved himself and began to work on digging you out of the carriage.

He said confidently, "Come on, Teacher Nan, this is one of the joys of traveling. What's the point of staying by the bedside all the time?"

You don't want to go out. You're just a corporate slave who's out to relax. Why do you need to socialize at a time like this? You firmly refuse. Fang Xu grits his teeth and engages in a battle of wits with you. In the end, he drags you out with a combination of force and persuasion.

There were still quite a few passengers in the deluxe sleeper car, but Fang Xu didn't stop. He pulled you along until they reached an ordinary car. Someone saw him and immediately exclaimed, "Fang Xu and his friend are here!"

A lively commotion erupted, and several heads peered out. You wore a calm, natural smile as you approached Fang Xu and whispered, "I'll only be here for half an hour."

Fang Xu took your hand and sat down among them.

This was a group of young people from all over the country, who didn't know each other well. But during their conversation, they discovered that Fang Xu had gathered them together and they had already hung out a few times, so they were somewhat familiar with each other.

You admire Fang Xu's social skills, but you also find it hard to refuse the lively and cheerful young people. These young people are inexperienced in the ways of the world, and you are willing to offer them some guidance and advice without violating your principles.

This time, however, you don't need to pick up textbooks, psychology books, or any career-related books.

The people gathered together not for a free tutoring session, but to play games.

The young people chattered away, their witty remarks flowing freely. You didn't feel like a stranger at all; you blended in effortlessly. You only needed to listen; no one pressed anyone for details. Everyone left as soon as they got off the bus, abandoning even their usual pretense.

You're sipping your drink, playing Werewolf or other random games with them, and you haven't been this happy in a long time.

Fang Xu is sitting next to you. He is the focus of the gathering, but he secretly restrains himself and just keeps you company, resting his chin on his hand and watching others laugh and joke, occasionally saying a few words to you.

As you answer the girl's question, your hand, hanging in the shadows, is secretly gripped. The hard copper bracelet digs into your wrist, while the cool, smooth hands gently scratch your palm.

You raised an eyebrow, said nothing, and turned to look at him. Fang Xu's expression was natural. One hand was resting on the table provided on the train, and the other hand, hidden by his clothes, was holding your hand and slowly stroking it.

When you look at him, he looks back innocently, as if asking, "Is something wrong?" "Why are you looking at me like that?" "Because I'm the best-looking one?"

You didn't pull your hand back, nor did you look at him again.

You played until very late, and when it was time to eat, everyone dispersed. You and Fang Xu had your arms around each other's shoulders, laughing and teasing each other until you couldn't tease each other anymore. You walked back to the carriage one after the other, and he followed slowly behind you with his hands in his pockets.

The lights weren't on when I entered.

With a click, the door locked. Fang Xu hugged your waist, his warm breath brushing against your ear. Through your clothes, his broad, strong chest felt like a large teddy bear.

You kissed gently, just a close touch of lips, without going deeper or passionate caresses, yet weariness quietly flew away, and your soul felt as if it were soaking in warm water.

You thought about it for a long time in the dark. You had actually had this feeling before, but you can hardly remember it anymore.