Chapter 13: The Stolen Kiss Discovered
Su Zhiluo ultimately couldn't bring herself to say it.
She couldn't bear to see Liu Chengxu sad, and she didn't want to face the oppressive atmosphere that followed. The thought of leaving was temporarily suppressed deep within her heart.
"Oh, right." Su Zhiluo went to the living room and brought back a bag. She had bought a bunch of snacks, including whole grains, oatmeal, milk powder, and so on.
Su Zhiluo said, "Don't skip breakfast. Look how thin you are. I'm worried you'll experience growing pains like before."
In the second year that Liu Chengxu lived with her, which was when she was in her third year of junior high school, she grew taller rapidly and often had leg cramps at night. At that time, her tuition was more than 10,000 yuan per semester, and the two of them were really poor. Liu Chengxu knew that her sister-in-law had no money, so she endured it. She only cried when the pain became unbearable. Su Zhiluo woke up and took her to the hospital that night.
They bought that little electric scooter after that, specifically to deal with all sorts of unexpected situations. At night, Su Zhiluo would massage her legs, and during the day, Su Zhiluo would ride the little electric scooter to take her to school for the first time. She wrapped her arms around Su Zhiluo's waist, and the strands of hair blowing in the wind would tickle her nose. She felt a ticklish sensation and thought that Su Zhiluo was really good to her.
Similarly, growing pains also left their mark on her body, leaving light red stretch marks on her calves and thighs. Su Zhiluo saved money to buy her calcium tablets and body lotion, and would stew meat for her whenever Su Zhiluo had a holiday.
Su Zhiluo put the things into her suitcase and said, "Try to do fewer part-time jobs this year. You've saved up enough for two months' living expenses, and I've also saved up enough for a year's living expenses for you. You don't need to work so hard."
Liu Chengxu watched quietly as his sister-in-law zipped up her suitcase and pushed it to the corner. The dim light fell on Su Zhiluo's light blue sweater, revealing the fine fuzz on its surface.
The money Su Zhiluo spent on her could have easily bought a luxury brand sweater.
"Did you hear that?" Su Zhiluo asked.
Liu Chengxu nodded vigorously, "I heard you. I need to eat well and gain some weight."
Sigh, it seems the best way is to play dumb.
Liu Chengxu didn't show any sadness. "The evening review session is at six o'clock tomorrow. I'll be going to school around the afternoon. Take care of yourself at home."
"Okay." Su Zhi sat down on the bed, leaving her space as she went to the bathroom.
The small house was poorly soundproofed, and the sound of water running in the bathroom could be clearly heard, as if it were being poured on Su Zhiluo.
When the two are alone in a room, there is always a subtle sense of boundaries that permeates the air.
Su Zhiluo swallowed her sigh silently, then blindly told herself: everything will be alright.
The school scheduled the start of the semester for Monday. Su Zhiluo had considered taking leave to take her sister-in-law there, but in the end, she gritted her teeth and went to work early. Liu Chengxu had some free time in the morning, so she thoroughly cleaned the house, washed both sets of bed sheets, and noted that she had pickled some duck eggs last week, writing the dates for their consumption on labels and attaching them. Around noon, she took the bus to the mall and bought her sister-in-law a sweater and ankle boots, making sure to remove the labels when she got home.
That afternoon, she locked the door tightly while dragging her suitcase and texted her sister-in-law: "Sister-in-law, if your family keeps harassing you, just call me. I'll come protect you. I absolutely won't allow them to bully you."
Su Zhiluo replied quickly: 【Okay, take care of yourself and remember to eat.】
At 3 p.m., Liu Chengxu arrived at school. She first took the quilt out to air it, then wiped the dust off the dormitory floor and ceiling. By the time she finished making the bed, it was already 5 p.m. Meng Zhenyue sent her a message to invite her to dinner.
She came downstairs and saw Meng Zhenyue and Cha Baomei talking. Cha Baomei turned to greet her, and Liu Chengxu frowned and said, "Why has your face gotten so round?"
"My face is round?" Cha Baomei covered her face in alarm. "Liu Chengxu, can't you speak properly...?"
Meng Zhenyue tugged at Cha Baomei, "Alright, alright."
Cha Baomei muttered, "Did you go back and cosplay as Sister Daiyu?"
Liu Chengxu asked, puzzled, "What do you mean?"
Cha Baomei: "You're so frail, I think you're about to be blown over by the wind."
Liu Chengxu put his hands in his pockets and said, "I had a cold for a while."
The three of them went to the cafeteria together. During the trip, Cha Baomei tugged at her waistband and said, "Sigh, there's really nothing I can do. I've definitely gained weight. I ate too well during the Spring Festival. My sister is about to start her internship, and as soon as she made some money, she provided the family with meat for the whole winter." She sighed again, "My pants are all tight. My jeans are constantly stretching my legs. It's really unbelievable."
Meng Zhenyue: "Isn't your sister only a junior in college?"
Cha Baomei: "I can't resist being so outstanding."
Liu Cheng asked, "You have an older sister?"
Cha Baomei: "Yes."
Liu Chengxu: "Do you love your sister?"
Cha Baomei: "What nonsense are you spouting? Do you think I love your little mouth more than my sister?"
The three of them went into the cafeteria together. Cha Baomei had eaten too much meat and fish, so she only bought vegetables. Meng Zhenyue and Liu Chengxu lined up to get small bowls of vegetables. Meng Zhenyue asked softly, "Are you feeling any better?"
Liu Cheng explained, "During the treatment, I've been enjoying it for too long; it needs some time."
Meng Zhenyue thought it was a good thing that she chose to give up. Love shouldn't be stubborn; forcing a relationship that has no future is bad for everyone. She patted Liu Chengxu's shoulder, "It's good that you've thought it through. How long have you known each other?"
“When I was in the first year of junior high school,” Liu Chengxu replied.
This liking has lasted a bit too long; it's a good thing to quit sooner rather than later, otherwise it will become a thorn in your side.
After getting off work that evening, Su Zhiluo stood alone in the living room for a long time. After Liu Chengxu left, the house fell into silence. She felt uncomfortable again and would look up from time to time to see if Liu Chengxu was still there.
She picked up the thermos, and the water inside was still hot, with a note underneath.
[Sister-in-law, I'm sorry. I was immature this winter and did a lot of ridiculous things. I'll work hard this semester and see if I can get the national scholarship in my second year. I checked the student handbook and there's 8000 yuan, which is enough for a semester's tuition!]
There's a reason why the two of them have always lived a tight life. Liu Chengxu's parents are people with bad credit records, and they don't know where to get a poverty certificate. In addition, to apply for a student loan, the co-borrower needs to be registered in the city, and they don't meet either of these requirements.
When Su Zhiluo returned to her bedroom, she saw the sweater and boots she had bought on the bed. Liu Chengxu hadn't left a note, so Su Zhiluo knew they were for her.
A mix of emotions welled up inside her, making it impossible for her to laugh or cry. She just clutched the black sweater, feeling miserable.
In the days that followed, the two tacitly reduced the frequency of their calls, no longer talking for two hours every day as before, but instead contacting each other only once a week.
Liu Chengxu and Meng Zhenyue stopped singing at the bar and instead took up tutoring jobs, spending the rest of their time studying in the library. University scholarships are extremely attractive to every student; the library is full of top students, and everyone is working hard to win the national scholarship, so they naturally can't afford to relax for a moment.
Liu Chengxu numbed herself with tedious studies, filling her brain with complex formulas, and went running whenever she had free time. For a whole month, Liu Chengxu kept working, and she felt that she had controlled herself very well.
But she knew better than anyone that she had simply gone from avoiding thinking about Su Zhiluo to keeping herself busy so that time would pass in an instant, eagerly anticipating the arrival of Saturday, and then calling Su Zhiluo.
She lived with Su Zhiluo for six years. It may not sound like a long time, but in those six years—her growing pains, her first period, her teenage troubles, her first crush, all the important moments of her growth were deeply imprinted with Su Zhiluo's mark.
Liu Chengxu's first period came relatively late. She was confused and helpless at the time, and her eyes turned red with embarrassment. Su Zhiluo noticed this at a glance, gently led her into the bedroom, patiently taught her how to use sanitary napkins, carefully placed them on her, and then brought a hot water bottle to warm her cold lower abdomen.
Liu Chengxu kept running. Whenever she thought of Su Zhiluo, she would run. She ran too much and squatted on the ground, gagging. Afraid that she would overbreath again, she pulled up her collar and covered her mouth to block out all sounds.
No one told her.
Letting go of someone is just as painful as saying you don't love someone anymore.
She kept dying and being reborn, over and over again, in a stagnant cycle, all her efforts were in vain.
In TV dramas, movies, and even the people around her, everyone plays the role of someone who breaks up easily and is very detached, but she is the only one whose world is turned upside down and who experiences death time and time again.
Liu Chengxu squatted in the wooded path of the school, hiding in the shadows, and cried silently until he finished. He rubbed his eyes and then returned to his dormitory as if nothing had happened.
Even though the coldest part of winter had passed, she still felt chilled to the bone. The chill seemed to seep from the very marrow of her bones, and no matter how bright the spring sunshine outside the window was, it couldn't dispel the snow that had accumulated in her heart.
Two months later, on March 31st.
She saw Su Zhiluo downstairs in the dormitory building. Su Zhiluo brought over a cake, and Liu Chengxu was momentarily stunned by her appearance.
At first glance, she wasn't particularly surprised, but she understood one thing: all efforts were in vain.
Her love for Su Zhiluo surged like a tide. She tried her best to suppress the bitterness, reached out to Su Zhiluo, and jumped up with a smile, calling out, "Sister-in-law."
Su Zhiluo nodded when she heard the voice and called her name.
"Cheng Xu".
That sound almost made Liu Chengxu cry.
Liu Chengxu disguised himself very well, walking up to Su Zhiluo with a smile, then feigning surprise, "Sister-in-law, what brings you here today? You know it's my birthday?"
"Would I forget?" Su Zhiluo said with a smile.
Both of them acted as before, so Su Zhiluo didn't suspect anything. She took out two tickets from her pocket and said, "Cheng Xu, do you want to go see a movie?"
This movie was quite popular even before the trailer was released, and Liu Chengxu always used his computer to search for plot details when he was at home.
Su Zhiluo handed the ticket to Liu Chengxu, "Do you want to buy some potato chips to take with you?"
When Liu Chengxu was a child, she often went to the movie theater. Her older sister would take her there during holidays and they would have some barbecue. She hasn't been there since her sister left.
"Don't worry about the money," Su Zhiluo said. "Didn't you say you were getting better and wanted to celebrate your birthday properly?"
Liu Chengxu nodded.
Su Zhiluo then asked, "Do you want to invite your friends to eat cake together?"
A friend had asked her how she wanted to celebrate, suggesting that they order a cake for her and celebrate together. She said she wanted to wait for Su Zhiluo and just said she would wait.
Fortunately, she waited for Su Zhiluo.
Liu Chengxu said, "No rush, we've already gone ahead of schedule. They all have part-time jobs."
“Okay.” Su Zhiluo carried the cake.
Liu Chengxu said, "We'll eat it after the movie." She took the cake from him, "I'll leave it in my dorm and eat it when I get back tonight."
Su Zhi waited for her downstairs. Liu Chengxu ran quickly, put the cake on the dormitory table, and after thinking for a moment, cut two pieces.
Su Zhiluo said, "The candles haven't even been lit yet, why did you cut them?"
"It's alright, I can't resist anymore, I really want to eat it." Liu Chengxu gave Su Zhiluo a serving, and the two of them ate as they walked.
It's so sweet, it warms my heart.
The movie theater was in the square near the school. Liu Chengxu quickly sent messages to his friends, saying that his sister-in-law was here today and he would be going home late.
After that, she stopped looking at the messages and followed behind Su Zhiluo.
Upon arriving at the small square, Su Zhiluo asked her, "Do you want flowers?"
There were college students setting up stalls on the first floor. Liu Chengxu glanced at them and wanted one, but she put her hands in her pockets and said, "No need."
Asking for flowers might have crossed a line, so she added, "I'll buy cheaper ones to keep at home later."
Su Zhiluo agreed and changed the flowers to popcorn.
Liu Chengxu couldn't go to the movies at all. She couldn't help but look at her sister-in-law's profile, again and again, afraid of being discovered, so she would sneak around like a thief.
She really wanted to see this movie before.
Her sister-in-law may or may not have noticed. Liu Chengxu thought, let it be her birthday wish. She didn't want it to last forever, she just hoped that these few brief moments would make her days a little easier.
After the movie ended, instead of discussing the plot like the others, they sat on the chairs outside. Su Zhiluo took a box out of her pocket and gave it to her, saying it was a birthday present.
Su Zhiluo said, "I feel like something's missing. Did you not make a wish? Should we go buy another cake?"
Liu Chengxu clasped his hands together and began to make a wish upon the box.
The two strolled around until evening.
Su Zhiluo took the bus, and Liu Chengxu got on with her. The two of them held onto the same handrail. The bus was swaying, and Liu Chengxu really wanted to reach out and support her.
Liu Chengxu gently tugged at Su Zhiluo's sleeve, and Su Zhiluo bumped into her arms.
Su Zhiluo struggled to stand firm and asked her, "What is your wish?"
Liu Chengxu controlled his breathing and looked straight ahead, "...I wasn't thinking about anything, I just wanted to go home."
Liu Chengxu hadn't been back for a while, and when this became a wish, it was like having a home but being unable to return.
She looked out the car window and felt as if her sister-in-law was leaning into her arms. She tried to control her racing heart so as not to be startled by the roar of the engine.
The bus passed the stop, but neither of them got off. They went straight home near the subway station.
When I got home, I smelled the aroma of chicken soup as soon as I opened the door.
It was obvious that Su Zhiluo had prepared it for her.
Su Zhiluo went to the kitchen to get chicken soup. Liu Chengxu saw the rice cooker she was using, which she had drawn for the New Year. Liu Chengxu remembered that it had a timer function.
Liu Chengxu turned to the side and wiped away his tears.
Su Zhiluo served Liu Chengxu a bowl, and the two of them only drank the soup and ate the chicken. Liu Chengxu smiled and said, "Thank you, sister-in-law."
Su Zhiluo chuckled softly.
While taking a shower that evening, Liu Chengxu opened the closet and saw the sweater he had bought for Su Zhiluo hanging inside.
The two of them slept in separate rooms.
Liu Chengxu lay on the bed, talking to her sister-in-law about the future as usual. She wanted to earn lots and lots of money. She kept talking about these things, not only to find topics to talk about, but also because she hoped that she and Su Zhiluo would have a shared future and that her sister-in-law would respond to her.
Su Zhiluo fell silent and asleep.
Liu Chengxu pressed his arm against his eyes.
I'm so sad, I can't sleep.
Liu Chengxu quietly turned to the side, looking at Su Zhiluo with her eyes taking in all her features.
Many times, Liu Chengxu overestimated his own strength, blindly believing that the Pandora's box of love was nothing more than that, ignoring its superficial allure, and daring to stare at it recklessly.
She initially just wanted to look at Su Zhiluo and feast her eyes, but by the time she came to her senses, her finger was already on the tip of Su Zhiluo's nose.
A flood of grievances overwhelmed her. She had been pretending for two months, as if she had recovered from a serious illness and regained a healthy body. But at this moment, she was completely overwhelmed, and those lesions were taking her life again.
Even though she had just grown a year older, becoming a full-fledged adult, she was still drawn in by an invisible magic. Her fingers landed on Su Zhiluo's lips, her fingertips gently caressing them.
If only I hadn't come looking for Su Zhiluo back then, I wouldn't have fallen in love with her, and she wouldn't have been torn between two options because of me.
Liu Chengxu knew this was wrong; she should control herself.
But if love can be restrained, can it still be called love?
The essence of love lies precisely in its uncontrollability. It makes people knowingly do the impossible, repeatedly tearing themselves apart and painfully touching it again.
She secretly placed her fingers on the back of Su Zhiluo's hand, just touching it lightly.
Su Zhiluo was asleep. Her long eyelashes obscured her eyes. Liu Chengxu gently leaned against her and pressed his lips to hers.
She didn't touch him for long like before; she just touched him lightly and then they separated. She then carefully climbed into bed.
Su Zhiluo's eyelashes trembled slightly, and her lips became extremely dry in an instant. If Liu Chengxu had waited just a little longer, he would have been able to sense that she was holding her breath and was fully conscious.
Su Zhiluo couldn't accurately describe her current state. It was like the splitting headache after a hangover, with no part of her body feeling comfortable. Her tear ducts felt blocked, and her eyes were dry and tight. She didn't dare to make a sound, letting Liu Chengxu get out of bed again and kiss her once more.
Yes, Liu Chengxu did it for the first time again. This time, she licked her lips and her tongue swept across Su Zhiluo's thin lips.
Su Zhiluo was even more afraid of being discovered than Liu Chengxu, and she couldn't move at all. Liu Chengxu's tongue was very soft, leaving a wet mark on her sensitive lip line.
Liu Chengxu wasn't satisfied with just one kiss; he wanted to keep looking at his sister-in-law and then wanted to kiss her a third time.
She turned to the side and took in Su Zhiluo's wet red lips: It's okay, it's okay, I can endure it for a few more months when I go back this time.
Her sister-in-law didn't like her, but that didn't matter; she could continue to pretend and not make her sister-in-law feel awkward.
This was enough to make her happy for a long time. As long as Su Zhiluo was still willing to live with her, she had no other requests.
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The next chapter should be a paid chapter. This book isn't long, so I basically can't update daily, but I promise I won't abandon it. Thank you all for your support. You always praise me when I write short stories; I really love you all. Thank you everyone! [rice][rice][rice]
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