Chapter 109 "It's a rare holiday..."
Xia Zhiyao sat on the edge of the bed in the bedroom, folded Zhou Yue's summer clothes into neat piles, and then put them into storage bags according to their categories.
"Tomorrow's a holiday," Xia Zhiyao heard Zhou Yue's footsteps and asked tentatively without looking up, "I was thinking, should I go back to my mom's for a couple of days?"
Zhou Yue leaned against the door frame, his shoulder against the door panel, looking down at her. After a while, he hummed in a low voice, "It's still early."
The two words were spoken very lightly, yet they carried an unconcealable weariness—the kind of weariness that makes one not want to move or face anything.
Xia Zhiyao looked up at him, her hands still moving. She knew Zhou Yue too well. "It's still early" meant "too much trouble," or to put it more bluntly, "I don't want to go home."
Zhou Yue's parents had long since remarried. During holidays, he had to travel between the two families. When he went to his mother's house, the living room was always bustling with activity, with his stepfather and younger brother's family. He felt like a polite visitor. It was the same when he went to his father's house. Everyone was polite, but no one really treated him like one of their own.
Both places felt like home, yet neither felt like home to him. She understood that loneliness of having nowhere to settle down.
Xia Zhiyao felt a slight pang of sadness. This stubborn little dog, the more nonchalant he pretended to be, the more conflicted he was inside.
Zhou Yue walked over and squatted down beside her. He took out several autumn and winter clothes from the storage bag, unfolded them one by one, and hung them on the clothes rack. The light shone on his profile.
“Go back,” he said after thinking for a moment, “You haven’t been back to your mother’s place in a long time.”
Xia Zhiyao's hand froze in mid-air. She turned to look at him, but he didn't notice her gaze. He continued to tidy the wardrobe with his head down, his calmness and restraint a defensive posture he was most familiar with.
“Then I’ll go back a couple of days later,” Xia Zhiyao suddenly said, her tone flat. “I’ll go back during the Mid-Autumn Festival.”
Zhou Yue paused, looking up at her. In that instant, a flicker of panic flashed in his eyes, as if a gentle blow had struck his heart.
She sat on the bed, bathed in soft yellow light, her expression calm, her eyes showing a steadfast determination, as if this decision required no hesitation whatsoever.
Zhou Yue wanted to say something, but his lips opened and closed without saying anything. His chest tightened. He could feel Xia Zhiyao's movements, see her slightly bent gaze, and even the slight rise and fall of her clothes with her breath made him want to get closer.
He suddenly felt a little afraid of the silence, afraid it was too much like a dream, afraid that when he opened his eyes he would be alone again. But she was right there. At that moment, for the first time, he felt that life might not be so lonely.
Before he could say anything, Xia Zhiyao got up from the bed, went around behind him, and wrapped her arms around his waist.
Her soft body pressed against him, carrying real warmth. Her chin rested on his shoulder, her breath spreading across his neck with a hint of a smile.
“It’s a rare holiday,” she said softly, “I definitely have to spend time with you first.” Her tone was like coaxing a child, so gentle that it was impossible to refuse.
Zhou Yue froze for a few seconds. In the end, he didn't say anything more. He just slowly raised his hand and placed it on the back of her folded hands. His fingertips gently caressed her knuckles. The warmth seeped into his palm little by little, quietly and surely.
Xia Zhiyao's hair was loose, the ends brushing against his neck, carrying a faint scent of shampoo. That familiar, clean scent seeped into his chest with his breath, turning into a gentle numbness that lingered in his heart.
"Zhou Yue." She called him softly, her voice gentle and light, yet with a hint of unease.
"Hmm?" he responded softly, gesturing for her to continue.
“You know,” Xia Zhiyao’s voice was even softer, “I used to dislike holidays too. But then I realized that it doesn’t really matter how lively the holiday is. What matters is… having someone to be with.”
Zhou Yue's fingers tightened, his palm gripping her hand so tightly it almost dug into her bones. "Then stay with me," he said softly, his voice hoarse.
Then he turned around, untied her hands one by one from her waist, and pulled her into his arms. He held her tightly, as if he wanted to embed her into his chest, with both longing and a sense of security.
He rested his chin on the top of her head, his breathing gradually calming down, his chest rising and falling in sync with hers. He knew that Xia Zhiyao felt the same way he did.
Her mother never remarried and lived alone, so for her, that was still a place she could go back to. But there was always a distance between "home" and "a place she could go back to".
Xia Zhiyao leaned against him, able to hear his heartbeat. She tilted her head slightly, her forehead touching his chin, and gently rubbed against him. "You've even grown a beard," she suddenly said, her voice tinged with amusement.
Zhou Yue looked down at her, his voice still a little hoarse: "Let's shave tomorrow."
Xia Zhiyao laughed out loud, her chest vibrating slightly. The laughter was soft and fragmented. Zhou Yue lowered his head, his eyes also filled with laughter. He raised his hand and smoothed her hair, his fingertips brushing against her temples, the movement so light it was almost powerless.
"What do you want to eat tomorrow morning?" Xia Zhiyao asked.
"Anything is fine, you make the best." He paused, his gaze falling on her profile. "I just want to see you again tomorrow morning." The words seemed casual, yet they slowly sank into the air.
Xia Zhiyao paused, her fingertips trembling slightly. She didn't turn around, but simply replied softly, "Where else can I run to?"
The next morning, Xia Zhiyao woke up before Zhou Yue. She turned to her side, propped her head up, and looked at him. He was sleeping peacefully, his brows were relaxed, his breathing was shallow and even, and his whole body was relaxed.
The way he completely let down his guard was just like how he looked when he was a child. He always looked like that when he was asleep, with a peaceful childlike air about him. Xia Zhiyao used to watch over him and quietly cover him with a thin blanket, afraid that he would catch a cold.
Xia Zhiyao stared at him for a long time, then couldn't help but chuckle softly. She then lifted the covers and tiptoed out of the bedroom.
The kitchen light snapped on, the faucet was turned on, and the sound of running water was particularly clear in the quiet morning. Xia Zhiyao rolled up her sleeves, took out eggs and toast from the refrigerator, turned on the stove, poured oil into the pan, and the aroma began to spread in the air the moment the eggs hit the pan.
The phone was on the table, the screen unlocked, the shopping app still open, the screen showing a shopping cart filled with a dazzling array of kitchenware, bedding, and other miscellaneous household items.
The morning sunlight slanted in through the kitchen window, falling on her arms. She wore an apron, her hair was loosely tied up, and a wisp of hair fell gently down her neck. She was turning eggs with her head down, her expression focused, and her whole demeanor softened.
"You're up so early."
She turned around and saw Zhou Yue leaning against the kitchen doorway.
He was only wearing pajamas pants, shirtless, with broad and clean shoulders, and the lines of his muscles extending down with the light and shadow. He was still sleepy, his hair was a little messy, and his eyes were gentle and quiet, with a hint of haziness from the light.
At that moment, Xia Zhiyao could almost hear her own heartbeat. She whispered, "Why aren't you wearing any clothes? Aren't you cold?" But her gaze hadn't completely left her.
"I couldn't find it. Where did you put it when you were packing yesterday?" His voice was low and still hoarse from just waking up.
"It's on the second drawer of the wardrobe on the right."
He walked over, his footsteps very light and almost silent, stopped beside her, turned slightly to the side, and glanced at the page on her phone.
Still choosing these pots and pans?
"Yeah, I spent a long time looking at them yesterday," she said with a smile, her eyes still fixed on the pot. "They all look pretty good, but I'm just worried that they won't turn out as advertised."
Zhou Yue reached out and took the plate Xia Zhiyao handed him: "How about we go out and take a look today?"
Where to?
"Let's go to IKEA first, and check out the other stores too. We can also take care of lunch and dinner while we're at it." He said this in a calm tone, as if he had already planned it out, yet with a natural air that left no room for refusal. "Anyway, I have nothing to do today, so I'll just wander around."
Xia Zhiyao looked up, a hint of a smile in her eyes: "Don't you mind having too many people?"
“It’s time for us to get a taste of everyday life.” He paused, his voice lower and his smile less pronounced. “We’ve both practically become immortals lately.”
The morning light fell on his shoulders, sliding down his strong lines. The way he looked at her was a quiet, gentle gaze, as if everything could slowly melt away in this quiet kitchen.
She paused for a moment, a smile slowly spreading across her eyes. The sunlight outside the window gradually climbed onto the windowsill, and the steam from the oil pan was still rising. She suddenly felt that this day had been quietly and gently arranged long ago.
Zhou Yue finally found a T-shirt to put on, leaned against her, looking relaxed, and held a freshly brewed coffee in his hand, steam rising from it.
"After we finish breakfast, we'll go to your house."
"Why are you coming to my house?" She looked up at him, her eyes filled with doubt.
"I need to measure those corners and edges, and then see which things are suitable."
Xia Zhiyao chuckled: "You really think you're a renovation supervisor?"
Zhou Yue looked up at her, raising an eyebrow slightly: "Otherwise, the things you chose might not fit properly when you put them away, and you'll have to buy them all again."
She chuckled at his earnest remark and said softly, "Alright, Mr. Supervisor."
Zhou Yue tossed his pen aside, a forced smile playing on his lips. "You can call me 'Supervisor Zhou' if you like." He then picked up his coffee and took a sip.
His eyes never left her.
Sunlight fell on their shadows, which were very close together. The shadows stretched slowly on the floor tiles and then gently merged together, making it impossible to distinguish their boundaries.
The parking lots at the mall and IKEA were full. The car circled twice before finding a space. The parking lots were noisy. Xia Zhiyao had just locked her car when her and Zhou Yue's phones rang one after the other. It was Zheng Xiaotian, and even the messages he sent them were exactly the same: 【What are you doing?】
She smiled and tapped the screen a few times: "IKEA, buy some things."
A few seconds later, the other person replied: 【Great, keep it up, I'm coming.】
Xia Zhiyao was stunned for two seconds, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. She looked up at Zhou Yue and said, "Zheng Xiaotian said he's coming too."
Zhou Yue was closing the trunk, holding a shopping bag in one hand and his phone in the other. He glanced down at it and said, "I was just about to ask him what's wrong."
He said he was bored at home alone.
Zhou Yue raised an eyebrow slightly, a half-smile playing on his lips: "Bored? When has he ever been idle?"
"Who knows?" Xia Zhiyao laughed as she stuffed her car keys into her bag. "They're probably afraid that we'll both become housewives and househusbands."
Half an hour later, Zheng Xiaotian finally found them in the tableware section of IKEA. He was wearing sunglasses, pushing an empty shopping cart, and standing there smugly.
"You two are really something. Wouldn't it be better to stay home during the holidays? You even came to IKEA to date."
Xia Zhiyao looked up, turned around from in front of the shelf, still holding a set of bowls in her hand, "Why aren't you staying at home? Why are you here acting as a third wheel?"
Zheng Xiaotian took off his sunglasses and hung them on his collar, revealing his usual smug smile. "I'm trying to keep a low profile lately," he said, shaking his shopping cart. "I was so bored at home all by myself that I had to come out and hang out with you guys."
He changed the subject and added with a smile, "I haven't been to your new house yet, so I'll go and take a look."
Xia Zhiyao listened, her smile faltering. Of course, she knew that Zheng Xiaotian's excuse was just that—an excuse. He was the kind of person who had a home but didn't really want to go back.
He was always joking and laughing carefree, living his life as if nothing bothered him. But Xia Zhiyao knew that his "boredom" was actually loneliness.
None of the three of them were escaping work or the hustle and bustle, but rather escaping the moment when they were free, the silence of returning to the house, closing the door, and all sound disappearing.
She lowered her head and chuckled softly, unsure whether she was laughing at him or at herself. The mall was bustling with noise, and when she looked up, she met Zhou Yue's gaze.
It was a very brief eye contact, but it sent a slight shiver down her spine.
He seemed to say nothing, but the momentary calm in his eyes seemed to tacitly echo her earlier thoughts.
They strolled from the tableware area to the furniture display area. Zhou Yue took out a small measuring tape from his pocket, pulled it out cleanly and efficiently, squatted down, and measured the dimensions of a row of cabinets. His gaze was focused, and his expression was as serious as if he were making construction drawings on site.
After measuring each place, he would look down at his phone to compare and confirm something. The screen was covered with dense notes on dimensions, angles, and markings, which even made Xia Zhiyao chuckle.
Zheng Xiaotian was leaning against the display case, waving a shopping list in his hand and casually making a few jokes, but when he looked up and saw Zhou Yue's focused expression, he was stunned.
This was the first time I'd ever seen Zhou Yue like this, so serious it was almost gentle. Zhou Yue was usually quiet, rational, and aloof, but at this moment, he was squatting there, the measuring tape stretched straight, his gaze moving inch by inch toward the cabinet.
The lines of his profile were sharply defined by the light, as if he were preparing for some future. That calm focus gave Zheng Xiaotian a sudden, inexplicable sense of disorientation.
He hesitated for a moment, but still blurted out, "Dude, you're so serious I can hardly believe it."
Zhou Yue didn't even look up, only giving a faint "hmm," as if he hadn't heard his teasing. Instead, Xia Zhiyao laughed out loud, raising her hand to cover her mouth: "He dragged me to the new house this morning to do a thorough inspection."
Looking at them, Zheng Xiaotian felt that indescribable emotion welling up inside him again. He felt a mix of wanting to laugh and feeling a little bitter.
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