Chapter 26 Sophomore Year
Nanjiu has been a mischievous child, rebellious by nature. The more he can't get what he wants, the more he'll try to get it. As a child, he'd devise all sorts of plating ideas just to get a piece of walnut cake. As an adult, he's grown up seeking excitement, disregarding rules and letting go of constraints.
He knew clearly that she lived only for the present moment, like a wind with no direction, never stopping for tomorrow. Yet he watched helplessly as he stepped into the furnace, watched his sanity burn to ash bit by bit, sinking soberly, handing over something she wanted but he shouldn't have given her.
The faint, yellowish light from the wall lamp flickered in her eyes. His broad chest enveloped her completely, his arm muscles bulging into hard curves, veins entwined like vines, revealing a man's most primal tension as he moved.
The image, previously a fantasy, now gripped Nanjiu's mind with such real impact. The illusion was no longer ethereal, but a red-hot iron, invading her consciousness.
He felt her shrunken shoulders and the awkward tension. His strong arms lifted her waist, his dark eyes misting over, burning yet sticky. "Didn't you say one for school and one for outside?"
She looked at him, the warmth in her eyes turning into flowing spring water: "I won't experience it with someone who has no feelings."
The expression on his face, which had always been restrained and calm, gradually faded, and she saw his unknown side - heavy breathing, rolling Adam's apple, and every inch of his sturdy curves with a firmness of full control, like a movie clip, falling into her eyes frame by frame.
Several times, she slid down, wanting to see what the end of this entanglement looked like, but he clamped her waist and pinned her back to the headboard without allowing any resistance.
She had grown up under his watch, from her youthful innocence to her present beauty. He had acted like a family member, offering both indulgence and discipline. But at this moment, all that past care had eroded, transforming into an unseen desire.
Even at this point, when he actually touched her young and beautiful body, he still couldn't shake off the guilt. He didn't want her to see the abyss swallowed by desire and sin, where his darkness, struggles and delusions were imprisoned.
Her originally tense defenses were transformed into silent compliance under his guidance. The unfamiliar pleasure eroded and broke her down bit by bit.
What he brought her was an experience that far exceeded her expectations, more addictive than she had imagined, transforming her from a girl into a woman.
At the most frantic moment, he stopped abruptly and left her behind the shower curtain. The curtain was drawn, and the sound of rushing water came from inside.
Nan Jiu rolled over, his bones aching and weak. When Song Ting came back, Nan Jiu climbed on top of him, blinked a few times, and then closed his eyes completely.
The bed in the cabin was narrow, so Nanjiu slept on top of him. She was light, and the thin sheet pressed against his chest didn't seem heavy, but she liked to sleep next to him. It was a strange habit. Even when she was on top of him, she was in a precarious position, ready to slide off at any moment. He pulled her back several times, and finally, he simply wrapped his arms around her slender waist.
Before going to bed, he held her hand and put a gold bracelet on her wrist.
Early in the morning, bursts of bird calls could be heard in the tea garden.
Song Ting woke up early. He slowly put Nan Jiu on the bed and got out of bed.
After he left, Nan Jiu slept uneasily, but he couldn't open his eyes and was always in a daze.
Song Ting took out last night's clothes to wash, and came back to hang them on the rope at the door.
Zhen Min went to the top of the mountain early in the morning with some freshly steamed buns to look for Nan Jiu, but couldn't find her. Feeling uneasy, she came to Song Ting to ask about her.
Song Ting was just about to enter the house when he saw Zhen Min walking towards him, so he stopped and turned around.
"Do you know where Nanjiu went? I just knocked on the door, and she wasn't inside." Zhenmin stopped outside the fence in front of the cabin.
Zhenmin's voice came into the room, and Nanjiu, who was lying on the bed, slowly opened his eyes.
Song Ting asked, "What do you want to see her about?"
"I made these steamed buns this morning, they're still warm, and I wanted to give them to her..." Zhen Min's words suddenly stopped. On the clothesline in front of the house, Nan Jiu's pants from yesterday were hanging next to Song Ting's clothes.
Her eyes passed through Song Ting, looked at the door, then quickly retracted and lowered her eyes in panic: "Then help me give it to her."
She reached out and handed the bowl of buns to Song Ting.
The door opened, and Song Ting came in with a bowl. Nan Jiu turned over and continued to close his eyes.
After Song Ting finished packing, he went to the village and explained what happened after he left.
Nanjiu stayed in bed for a while longer before sitting up. The mess on the table from last night had been cleaned up, and the house was once again in order.
Pushing open the wooden door, a moist, tea-scented air wafted towards her. The entire tea garden was bathed in morning mist, like a veil. And she was a stranger who had stumbled into a landscape painting. After all these days, this was her first chance to truly appreciate the beauty, but it was time to leave.
The soft orange-red color of the sky rose slowly, reflecting the first rays of morning light. She raised her wrist, and the heavy bracelet emitted a dazzling golden light.
Nan Jiu looked at the light carefully for a long time before turning around and going back to the house.
Before entering, she cast her eyes over the clothes swaying in the breeze on the clothesline. The mud stains on her pants had been washed clean, no trace of last night's stains left. And she and Song Ting had also developed a laundry relationship.
Song Ting once said she doesn't care about the consequences of her actions. Actually, she does consider the consequences, but usually only after she's done them. If you hold back from doing anything because of the potential consequences, you're bound to miss out on many wonderful moments in life.
Nanjiu would never let the consequences of her actions stop her from moving forward. But she was only twenty years old, and the future was nothing more than a blank slate. On this blank slate, there were impulses, desires, and ambitions, but no substance.
Nan Jiu had done things that angered Old Man Nan countless times since she was little, and most of the time, she felt safe, believing she could get a scolding or a beating at worst, and she'd always move on. But this was the only thing she didn't dare let Old Man Nan know. Even though her grandfather had run a teahouse his entire life and met countless people, he always adhered to a set of old-fashioned rules of conduct. He considered even Nan Jiu wearing a vest offensive, and if he knew she'd seduced Uncle Song beyond the pale, he'd probably disown her.
As the passion faded and the revelry of youth gradually subsided, she began to calmly face this difficult situation. After careful consideration, she decided that the best approach was to avoid unnecessary worries and maintain the present calm.
When Song Ting returned from the village, Nan Jiu had already packed up, eaten the buns on the table, and left his luggage at the door.
After he entered the room, he looked her over. She had changed into a T-shirt and trousers, her hair tied up. The coquettish demeanor she had shown during last night's tenderness was gone, her eyes returning to calmness. She asked him, "Are we leaving now?"
Song Ting's eyes passed over her face, and he turned around and picked up his luggage: "Let's go."
Unlike when she came here, Nanjiu didn't feel sleepy at all. Most of the time, she just leaned back in her chair, staring out the window in a daze.
On the way, the car pulled into a service area. Song Ting went to refuel, and Nan Jiu walked around the area.
After getting on the road again, she straightened her chair and said worriedly, "Do you think that Nan Qiaoyu will occupy my room while I'm away?"
"It's not like your grandfather isn't here."
Nan Jiu had a sly smile on his face: "If he occupies my room, then I will occupy his bed."
Nan Qiaoyu slept in Song Ting's room. Her tone was light, but there was a blatant teasing hidden in her words.
A barely perceptible fluctuation passed through Song Ting's eyes, which eventually turned into a restrained curve at the corner of his lips.
Nanjiu raised his wrist, shook it, and asked, "When did you buy it?"
"I went out the afternoon before yesterday."
"A birthday present?"
Song Ting's eyes slanted slightly: "How about a token of love?"
Nanjiu laughed and said, "Why is your style of giving gifts the same as my grandfather's generation?"
There weren't many decent shops at the foot of the mountain, but there were some gold shops. Turning 20 was a big birthday after all. Nanjiu was away at school, her parents neglected her, so he thought he'd give her something to keep close to her. If she didn't like it anymore, he could make it into a different design. If she needed help, he could even sell it for cash.
"Thank you, I just like tacky things."
Song Ting held the steering wheel, his eyes fixed on the winding road ahead. His eyebrows stretched naturally, and the lines of his entire face became softened.
After a while, Nan Jiu turned his gaze to the window and said, "Don't tell my grandfather about what happened in the mountains. He's old, there's no need for him to worry about these things."
She didn't say whether it was her distress, what had happened between them, or perhaps both. His eyes were as calm as a pool, absorbing all the unspoken words.
After arriving in South City, Song Ting didn't return to Mao'er Lane. Instead, he drove straight to the cell phone store. Nan Jiu ran to the counter to report the loss of her SIM card, while Song Ting went to the other side to check on her phone. After the new card was processed, Song Ting handed Nan Jiu an unopened phone box.
"Is this style right?" She said his style of giving gifts was the same as his grandfather's generation, so he changed to a young man's style.
Nanjiu took the phone box, his fingers unconsciously stroking the smooth packaging. Something in his heart felt like it was twisting. He felt happy, but it was also weighed down by another emotion, making it impossible to feel at ease.
Especially after what happened last night, his material generosity towards her made her feel uneasy.
After the screen shattered, she had thought about buying a new phone, but for her, it was always a matter of careful planning. She had originally planned that even if she really had to buy a new phone, she would never buy one that was too expensive.
When he handed her the phone, she recognized the packaging immediately—the latest model that had scalpers lining up overnight every year and many students scrimping and saving to get their hands on. In college, she'd seen countless people desperately saving for it, even taking out installment loans, just for the vain hope of prestige. She'd never imagined she'd own it, let alone in this way.
The car drove towards Maoer Lane. Nan Jiu sat in the passenger seat, staring at the white cell phone box on his lap.
When they stopped at a red light, Song Ting looked sideways and asked, "Why don't you open it and insert the SIM card?"
Nan Jiu's fingers stopped at the edge of the box. After a long silence, she spoke: "Don't buy me such expensive things in the future."
Old Man Nan always said Nan Jiu had no conscience, but in reality, she had just as much, but she was fully aware of it. She would eventually leave Mao'er Lane and return to her life. An unbridgeable distance separated them, and the future seemed far from certain. Given this, she couldn't bear to see Song Ting's efforts and gains fall short of each other.
Back at the teahouse, Nanjiu took off the gold bracelet on his wrist, a gesture that declared their relationship could only exist in the shadows, never in the light of day.
......
Nan Qiaoyu had just heard from Old Man Nan half an hour before Song Ting and Nan Jiu returned. He hurriedly cleaned up the attic he'd been building for a few days. However, he wasn't much of a workaholic. While it looked like he'd cleared the floor, the table, and the bed, the things he'd cleared were actually piled in corners or hidden under the bed.
Song Ting walked into the room, glanced around, and then glanced at Nan Qiaoyu. Nan Qiaoyu smiled and said, "Tired of driving? How about I give you a bed to sleep in tonight?"
Seeing his guilty look, Song Ting walked over to the bed. Nan Qiaoyu held his breath, a little nervous. Song Ting bent down and looked under the bed. He didn't know until he looked, but he saw a hidden cave under the bed.
Instant noodle boxes from who knows when, discarded tissues, and dirty, unwashed socks were all over the place. Song Ting pulled the things out one by one, but Nan Qiaoyu had already run away.
Nan Qiaoyu assumed that even if Song Ting didn't teach him a lesson, he wouldn't let him off easily. Unexpectedly, when Song Ting came down from upstairs, his expression was calm and composed, showing no sign of anger. He watched him anxiously for a long moment, until Song Ting, annoyed by his stare, looked up and asked, "What are you looking at?" Only then did Nan Qiaoyu finally relax.
That night, when Nan Qiaoyu returned to his room, he found it had been cleaned by Song Ting. It seemed... he'd even sprayed it with disinfectant, as if he was disgusted with him. He wasn't sure, and he didn't dare ask.
Before going to bed, Nan Qiaoyu graciously offered his bed to Song Ting. Song Ting ignored him, spread out his mattress on the floor, and fell asleep, turning off the lights. After a few days of being released, Nan Qiaoyu returned to his military training routine.
......
Before dinner the next night, Nanjiu received a call from the club, saying that the new students had to report in advance and their club's recruitment work was about to begin.
After hanging up, she walked back to the dining table. Nan Qiaoyu spotted the phone she was holding and immediately approached, threatening, "What's the condition for using gold?"
Song Ting happened to come out of the kitchen carrying food and glanced at them when he heard the sound.
Nan Jiu put away her phone. Nan Qiaoyu followed her, tilting his head and saying, "Show it to me."
"No." Nan Jiu sat opposite.
Nan Qiaoyu muttered, "What's so great about it?"
Nan Jiu shrugged: "It's nothing big, just go back and ask your mother to buy it for you."
Nan Qiaoyu stared with anger in his eyes.
Song Ting pulled out a chair, sat down, and handed the chopsticks to Nan Qiaoyu: "Eat."
Old Man Nan heard the commotion and came over to ask, "What's all the fuss about?" He hung his new cane aside and looked at Nan Jiu. "Did you buy a cell phone?"
Song Ting poured the roast duck sauce over the duck's head. Nan Jiu stared at his fingers, his eyes hesitant, and said vaguely, "Didn't Nan Qiaoyu break my phone?"
Nan Qiaoyu immediately retorted, "That's not true." He turned to Old Man Nan and said, "Grandpa, it really wasn't me."
Old Master Nan's brows furrowed in displeasure. "I'll ask you to pay me back later, but you won't. And you still can't stop talking."
When Nan Qiaoyu heard about the compensation, he immediately shut up.
Old Man Nan turned to Nan Jiu again and said, "And you, you spend money lavishly. I think you'll be out of money when school starts."
Nanjiu lowered his head and ate the rice in the bowl, rarely talking back.
Song Ting poured a bowl of soup for Mr. Nan and placed it in front of him. He mentioned that Fang Mazi from the east side of the street would come to pick up tea tomorrow, and thus changed the subject.
After finishing his meal, Song Ting took the dishes into the kitchen. Nan Qiaoyu sat beside him, legs crossed, playing games. Nan Jiu wiped the table clean, put down the rag, and said to Old Man Nan, "By the way, I have something to do at school, so I have to go back the day after tomorrow."
When Nan Qiaoyu heard that Nan Jiu was going back to Feng City, he hurriedly said, "Have you booked your ticket? I'll go with you."
Nanjiu squinted at him and asked, "Who wants to join you?"
The sound of water flowing quietly in the kitchen was heard. Song Ting was holding a white porcelain bowl. The water hit the wall of the bowl, splashing tiny water droplets. A cool feeling touched his skin, and his wrist paused very slightly.
Mr. Nan asked Song Ting to go to his room at night. Song Ting cleaned up the kitchen and pushed open Mr. Nan's door.
After closing the door, Old Man Nan took out his passbook and said, "Please help me withdraw some money tomorrow and give it to Xiaojiu for her tuition."
"I'll transfer the money to her on my phone so I don't have to go to the bank."
Old Man Nan handed the passbook to Song Ting. His voice was low, but every word was clear: "Let's put it this way. It's not appropriate for you to pay for her tuition."
Old Master Nan didn't say this explicitly, naturally because he was concerned that Song Ting and Nan Jiu weren't blood relatives. He couldn't let Nan Jiu owe Song Ting such a big favor when it came to this important matter.
Song Ting lowered his eyes, brought his eyebrows closer together, and took the passbook.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
