Dazzling

After feeding her, Xing Wu tucked the quilt corners around Qing Ye and said, "Go to sleep first. I'm going to have a smoke."

He dimmed the room lights and walked to the hallway to turn off the bathroom light, but stepped on something. Picking it up, he glanced at it and asked, "What's this?"

Qing Ye craned her neck and saw it was the Kamen Rider figure that had somehow fallen out of her pocket. She told Xing Wu, "I picked it up at the fire scene earlier. I haven't seen it on Liu Nian or Yan Yan, and it definitely doesn't belong to your mom's mahjong friends. Firefighters wouldn't carry something like this to put out fires either."

Xing Wu held the object up to examine it closely—it was indeed an ugly keychain. He placed it on the bedside table and remarked casually, "Maybe some guest dropped it."

As he turned toward the window, Qing Ye spoke up, "We haven't had any guests since the day before yesterday. We cleaned inside and out and didn't see this thing. Besides, I feel like I've seen it before—not in Dazzle Island."

Xing Wu turned back to look at her, his brow gradually furrowing. Whether due to the dark room or not, the light in his eyes seemed to sink into unfathomable depths. After a long pause, he told her, "Go to sleep."

Qing Ye watched him sit by the window and push the small window open a crack. She couldn't understand why all the rooms here—whether homes or hotels—had such tiny windows that felt oppressive like prison cells.

Closing her eyes, she thought: someday, she must live with Xing Wu in a home with large floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the distance. She didn't want to be trapped by these small windows anymore, never again.

Though her eyes were closed, sleep eluded her. After barely ten seconds without seeing Xing Wu, she opened them again. She wondered if she was bewitched, simply unable to tear her gaze away from him.

With the lights off, his earlier trace of a smile had vanished into the darkness. His slender fingers held a cigarette as he gazed at the perpetually unchanged streets of Four Alleys. Threads of cold wind slipped through the window cracks—the temperature outside had dropped below zero. Burrowed under the quilt, Qing Ye felt the chill, yet Xing Wu, bare-chested, seemed completely unaware. The smoke from his fingers drifted out the window and disappeared, his profile hidden in darkness with only the flickering ember between his fingers visible.

Qing Ye suddenly remembered: if Xing Guodong wasn't Xing Wu's biological father, then his grandmother wouldn't be his real grandmother either. So this debt of gratitude seemed even heavier—perhaps this was why Xing Wu refused to abandon his grandmother no matter what. There's never luck without reason in this world, only someone who genuinely cares for you during certain chapters of life, without expecting anything in return.

Qing Ye whispered softly, "We'll have it."

Xing Wu slowly turned to look at her. Her gaze was firm as she stared at him: "Though we have nothing now, it's okay. We'll have everything we should have in the future. We definitely will."

Xing Wu finally stubbed out his unfinished cigarette, closed the window, and came over. Lifting the quilt, he got into bed and held Qing Ye tightly in his arms, kissing her hair: "I won't let you keep living a hard life."

Qing Ye's eyes suddenly welled up: "You'll make me lose my fighting spirit like this, Xing Wu. What will you do when I leave? I don't want to be separated from you."This was the first time Qing Ye wavered for him. She even began imagining how difficult life would become after leaving Xing Wu, how she would spend four years alone in a foreign country without him?

She now felt even a single day would be challenging.

Xing Wu lowered his head and lifted her chin, gazing into her glistening eyes: "If one of us must be selfish, I want it to be you. There's no room for discussion."

Qing Ye understood Xing Wu's meaning—if she stayed, he would be the selfish one; if she left him, she would be the selfish one. Either way, one of them would have to make a selfish choice. By saying there was no room for discussion, he directly severed her budding hesitation.

Qing Ye's heart was a turmoil of emotions. She suddenly turned over and lay against his chest, saying: "Given our family's current situation, I don't want you worrying about funding my education anymore. Do you think I could stand watching you under so much pressure?"

Xing Wu directly wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, a faint smile curling his lips: "You've already given yourself to me. What isn't worth it then?"

Qing Ye completely melted against him, unable to move—not just because of his tender words, but also because of his warm hands slowly trailing upward, sending shivers through her.

Having recently experienced intimacy, her body was extremely sensitive. The slightest touch made her feel as if ants were crawling all over her, leaving her weak and pliant. Pressed tightly against Xing Wu, she could clearly feel his physical response. He nibbled her ear, his voice mesmerizing as he whispered: "You're satisfied, but I'm still hungry."

Qing Ye had already buried her face completely in the crook of his neck, her entire body burning, her voice as faint as a mosquito's hum: "Isn't there still a pack of instant noodles?"

"Mmm, not as delicious as you."

With that, he turned her over and took her from behind. This time, Xing Wu was much gentler. He continuously observed Qing Ye's reactions, like teasing a shy kitten—sometimes fast, sometimes slow, shifting positions repeatedly.

Qing Ye had never done anything so intimate with a man before. She still couldn't fully accept such closeness between them, so throughout the process, she avoided looking into Xing Wu's heated gaze. But as the saying goes, the body is honest. She began to wonder if Xing Wu was on some kind of drug—how could he go on for so long? Her inexperienced body was developing a strange, unfamiliar sensation.

She didn't know what this feeling was—it had never occurred in her life before. It was as if her soul was about to be jolted out of her body, soaring upward endlessly. Everything became surreal, dreamlike. When a soft moan escaped from deep within her throat, Qing Ye was startled and quickly covered her mouth with her hand.

Xing Wu chuckled, gently pulling her hands away, and leaned down to whisper: "Don't hold back. I love the sound of your voice."

Qing Ye didn't understand what he meant—did he like her voice? Was he asking her to sing?

But once her hands were removed, honestly, facing him directly like this, she felt too embarrassed to make those strange sounds again. So she could only bite her lip tightly, enduring the overwhelming sensations.Qing Ye didn't know when she had fallen asleep—perhaps when dawn was nearly breaking. She only knew they had made love for a long time. Maybe on such a devastating night, they could only comfort each other in this most primal way, feeling the warmth the other brought.

Inside, they held each other tightly, melting one another with their body heat, while outside, crystal snowflakes began to fall. Like a silent dance partner to the night, they quietly adorned this seemingly peaceful world, rendering everything pure and white.

It had been a long time since Qing Ye felt so exhausted. Her limbs had long gone numb, weak and sore. She slept straight through an entire day, and when she opened her eyes again, it was already the afternoon of the next day. Everything from the previous night felt like an utterly unreal dream—a dream in which she had passed through hell to reach heaven, experiencing both human suffering and unwavering devotion. All her memories felt somewhat hazy.

She propped herself up to sit, and only when the quilt slid off her did she clearly realize this wasn’t a dream. Those chaotic scenes from last night had truly happened.

The room still carried Xing Wu's scent, but he wasn't there. Qing Ye grabbed her phone to call him, yet he didn't answer. After hanging up, she noticed a bag placed by the bedside. She opened it to find a set of clean, brand-new clothes and a white down jacket.

Just as she set down her phone, Xing Wu called back. Qing Ye hurriedly answered with a "Hello," but the sound that escaped her throat carried an unexpected, tingling softness. She had only meant to ask where he was, never expecting her voice to take on such a coquettish tone. Even she was startled, too embarrassed to make another sound.

On the other end, Xing Wu's voice seemed to carry a hint of pleasure upon hearing her: "Awake?"

"Mmm..." This time, Qing Ye deliberately lowered her voice, trying to sound more composed.

"See the clothes? There's a plastic bag on the table by the window with some food and drinks inside. Have a bite to eat when you get up. I have some matters at home, but I'll come find you soon."

"Okay..." Qing Ye bit her lip, clutching the phone without moving.

Xing Wu's voice held a trace of indulgence: "You hang up first."

Qing Ye buried herself deeper under the covers but didn't hang up or speak. She brought the phone to her eyes and saw that Xing Wu hadn't hung up either.

She called out softly, "Are you still there?"

"Here."

Qing Ye hugged the quilt and rolled over in bed, her heart tingling as she asked, "Did you go buy the clothes early this morning? How many hours did you even sleep?"

"Didn't sleep."

Recalling the details of the previous night, Qing Ye felt as if she had been drugged with some intoxicating potion. She hadn't even realized Xing Wu had stayed up all night.

She said to him, "See you soon, then."

"Mm, you hang up. I'll listen." His voice traveled through the receiver to her ear, making her cheeks burn once more.

"Then... hurry back."

As soon as the words left her mouth, she quickly ended the call. She wanted to see him soon, but she didn't know how her true feelings had slipped out. It was truly a bit embarrassing. Yet now, just hearing his voice was enough to make her restless and aching inside.She slipped completely under the covers, but even the quilt was filled with his scent, intoxicating her. Qing Ye felt that if she continued waiting alone in the room, she would go insane. So she simply threw off the covers, put on her clothes, and walked into the bathroom.

As soon as she entered the bathroom, she froze. Xing Wu had somehow already washed their dirty clothes from last night and hung them on the drying rack. Qing Ye's heart churned uncontrollably, her emotions complex.

He had promised not to let her suffer forever, but even in their current dire circumstances, he still hadn't let her endure any hardship. Though they were homeless and had nothing left, Qing Ye didn't feel that following Xing Wu was particularly difficult. Instead, a sweet sensation was on the verge of overflowing from her heart.

After finishing her washing up, she completely forgot Xing Wu's reminder to eat something to fill her stomach first. She had never experienced what it felt like to have love as sustenance, but at this moment, unable to see Xing Wu, she truly couldn't remember that she hadn't eaten all day.

However, when Qing Ye stepped out of the hotel and sank into the snow, she was completely stunned. She didn't know when the heavy snow had fallen last night. The dilapidated streets were no longer recognizable, covered everywhere by a blanket of pure white snow. Everything in sight had transformed into a snowy world, refreshed with the arrival of the New Year.

Many people in Zhazha Pavilion had returned to their ancestral homes in the countryside for the New Year celebrations. Those who remained were holed up at home playing mahjong, cards, or watching TV. The heavy snow had further kept everyone indoors, leaving the empty streets quiet and still.

There were no government units organized to shovel snow here, let alone municipal snowplows. So the originally ten-minute walk took Qing Ye a long time. Struggling through the deep snow, it reached past her ankles, and even her leather boots were filled with cold white snow. Yet she didn't feel cold at all. Instead, the closer she got to Dazzle Island, the more her blood seemed to boil, as if many jumping sprites resided in her body, constantly tickling her heart and driving her to walk faster and faster.

Especially when she saw the faded tricolor lamp post, she suddenly grew excited and broke into a run. She hadn't expected to slip and fall, right in front of Huang Mao, who was standing by the street. He shouted at the top of his lungs, "Holy shit! Qing Ye?"

Then he hurried over to help her up and asked, "Why are you running?"

"..." Could Qing Ye say it was because she wanted to see Xing Wu quickly? Could she say she missed him? Really missed him, even though it had only been a few hours? Huang Mao would probably think she'd lost her mind.

She could only nonchalantly brush the snow off her clothes and reply casually, "Exercising."

"..."

"Where's Xing Wu?"

Huang Mao said, "Inside. You'd better not go in."

The more Huang Mao said that, the more determined Qing Ye became to stride inside. But as soon as she stepped into Dazzle Island, she froze. Pang Hu, Da Hei, Hua Bi, and Quan Ya were all standing amidst the ruins, each looking rather grim.

Qing Ye rushed straight toward the backyard. Before she could even get through the ruins, she heard Xing Wu's fierce voice: "Why don't you just come back and collect our corpses instead?"

"Bah! What are you saying during the New Year!"Qing Ye had just reached the backyard when she heard Li Lanfang's voice. Her footsteps halted abruptly, finally understanding why the others outside had looked so uneasy. That man who came and went like the wind, Xing Guodong, had finally returned home—or rather, he had returned only to find himself homeless.

In the distance, Aunt Zhao and the Wu family were pressed against their windows, watching the scene unfold. Li Lanfang, having been dominant in Zhazha Pavilion for so many years, couldn't bear being made a spectacle during the New Year. She strode over, grabbed Xing Wu's arm, and pleaded, "Wu Zi, can you please stop this?"

Veins bulged on Xing Wu's forehead as he shook off Li Lanfang's hand and retorted, "Then what do you want me to do? What the hell are you all planning? That shabby barbershop has been open for years—where's the money? And you, always bragging about doing business outside—what kind of business can't even scrape together a thousand bucks? If it weren't for you, this family wouldn't have ended up like this!"

Xing Guodong trembled with rage and threw a punch at Xing Wu. Qing Ye watched in disbelief, her hands and feet turning cold.

With a sinister smirk, Xing Wu wiped the corner of his mouth and hoisted Xing Guodong up by the collar.

Li Lanfang instantly broke down, crying and begging Xing Wu to let go. Xing Guodong, never expecting his son to retaliate, glared up at him fiercely. "A son hitting his father? Have you lost your mind?"

Xing Wu's expression darkened ominously, his eyes piercing as he stared back, his voice low and mocking. "You're my father?"

Li Lanfang suddenly staggered, and Xing Guodong's arrogant expression faltered into panic. Qing Ye watched helplessly as the family's most shameful lie was brutally torn open, leaving everyone's hearts bleeding raw.

Without hesitation, she ran over and wrapped her arms around Xing Wu's waist from behind, pleading repeatedly, "Xing Wu, let's go. Let's leave now, okay?"

She felt no sympathy for Xing Guodong—in fact, she almost wished he'd get beaten up. But she clearly understood that if Xing Wu did so, Li Lanfang and the grandmother inside would be devastated. No one wanted to see their family shattered on New Year's Day. Their pain would only deepen Xing Wu's anguish, so she had to prevent it from happening.

Xing Wu's near-frenzied impulse gradually subsided at the sound of Qing Ye's voice, as if she alone in this world could pull him back from the brink of losing control.

He released Xing Guodong and turned to face her. Qing Ye's brow was deeply furrowed with worry as she repeated, "Come with me."

Xing Wu finally regained his composure and said to her, "Wait for me outside. I'll be right there."

When Qing Ye returned to the original back door, she saw that Xing Wu ignored Xing Guodong and instead walked to the other side, tossing a large bag of groceries into the kitchen.

As she crossed the rubble, she spotted Quan Ya and the others squatting by the street outside Dazzle Island. Qing Ye suddenly felt a wave of emotion—perhaps because too much had happened these past two days, she was feeling unusually sentimental today.

At the very least, Xing Wu had these brothers. They had abandoned their family reunions to be with him in his time of trouble, and they instinctively gave him space when he was humiliated.

Silently, Qing Ye walked over and squatted beside them, tracing her finger in the clean snow. Unconsciously, she wrote the characters for "Xing Wu."Pang Hu handed her the snowball he had been rolling. She took it, weighed it in her hand, then threw it across the street where it disappeared into another pile of snow. She then extended her hand to Pang Hu, who promptly rolled another one for her to play with.

Soon after, Xing Wu emerged. Da Hei stood up and slung an arm over his shoulder, saying, "All done? If you're finished, everyone come to my place. I've got the dishes ready."

Xing Wu didn't say a word, simply patting his back twice. Between brothers, no more words were needed—everything was conveyed in that gesture.

Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced down and saw his name written in the snow. No matter how many years he'd written it, he could never get those two characters to look neat. Besides Qing Ye, he had never seen anyone else write his name with such calligraphic elegance.

A soft light flickered in his eyes as he scanned past the others to find Qing Ye standing at the back. The moment their eyes met, it seemed they both simultaneously recalled the indescribable scenes from last night, and a hint of... awkwardness settled in.

Qing Ye nervously lowered her head, her shoe soles scuffing the snow beneath her. She finally understood why unspeakable things had to be done at night—daylight truly made one want to sink through the ground.

The group trudged through the snow toward Da Hei's house. Xing Wu, walking ahead, said to Da Hei, "What else do we need? I'll go buy it."

"Buy what? I've got plenty stocked up. Enough to keep you fed from New Year's Eve till the fifteenth of the first lunar month."

Xing Wu patted his shoulder and glanced back at Qing Ye. She was walking at the very end, hands tucked in her down jacket pockets, neck hunched against the cold. Xing Wu slowed his pace until he fell in step beside her and asked, "You okay?"

Pang Hu, walking nearby, didn't detect anything unusual about the question, but Qing Ye knew exactly what Xing Wu was referring to.

She bit her lip and glanced at him without answering, a blush spreading across her cheeks, standing out vividly against the snowy backdrop like rosy hues against pure white.

No one expected Huang Mao to chime in just then: "Okay? She took a fall earlier. Brother Wu, you should really talk to her—she shouldn't run around in the snow."

Qing Ye promptly stepped on Huang Mao's foot. He yelped, "Why'd you step on me?"

She glared at him, while Xing Wu immediately asked, "Where did you fall?"

She replied curtly, "Nowhere."

"Then why were you running?"

Qing Ye flusteredly met his gaze, her eyes glistening as if veiled in mist. Finally, a faint curve tugged at the corner of Xing Wu's mouth. "Got it."