The curtains blocked out tonight's moonlight, leaving the bedroom engulfed in boundless darkness, yet Lin Zhixia felt no trace of drowsiness.
Why?
She pondered this question earnestly.
Perhaps it was because she hadn't seen Jiang Yubai for far too long.
During this year they had been apart, deep in Lin Zhixia's heart, her longing for Jiang Yubai had never ceased. She often revisited old memories in her dreams, immersing herself in fragmented recollections, reliving the experiences they had shared.
She wanted to confess her feelings to him.
She began by asking, "Are you sleepy?"
Jiang Yubai countered, "Are you?"
"I'm wide awake," Lin Zhixia answered truthfully. "I don't know when I'll fall asleep."
A slightly ajar window diagonally across the room let in a drifting night breeze that lifted a corner of the sheer curtain. The moon cast a faint glow, allowing Lin Zhixia to vaguely discern Jiang Yubai's profile. Unable to resist, she reached behind his ear, then traced the line of his jaw with delicate precision.
Jiang Yubai remained silent, merely adjusting his position to draw closer to Lin Zhixia, accommodating her every touch.
Lin Zhixia gently brushed her finger across his lips.
He captured her fingertip with his mouth.
A strange, bone-deep tingling sensation spread from her fingertip to every inch of her skin, threatening to melt the very bones of her palm. She immediately withdrew her hand, turned over, and faced away from him, speaking in a breathy whisper, "No... we can't do this."
Jiang Yubai wrapped an arm around her waist. "No more games. Let's sleep early."
Lin Zhixia calmly recalled how Jiang Yubai had toyed with her finger. Without making a sound, he had overwhelmed her solely through tactile stimulation, leaving her flustered and defenseless. Suddenly feeling somewhat indignant, she seized his right hand resting on her waist and guided it upward. Jiang Yubai leaned in, his warm breath brushing against her neck as his right hand slowly tightened, gripping her with uncontrollable intensity. Lin Zhixia gasped, "You..."
She said, "I want to see your face."
Jiang Yubai switched on the bedside lamp.
The light was dim, not harsh.
Lin Zhixia still didn't turn to face him. She could feel the scorching heat of his palm against her chest as he murmured her name, "Xia Xia..."
His voice was restrained.
He hadn't abandoned his goal of "maintaining purity": "I'll sleep in the next room. Call me if you need anything."
"Don't," Lin Zhixia murmured, rubbing her cheek against the pillow. "Don't go."
Helpless, he lowered his head to rest against the hollow of her shoulder, and time seemed to stand still. Lin Zhixia raised a hand, found the switch, and turned off the light. The enveloping darkness and silence emboldened her. She swung a leg over him, straddling his waist, and traced the contours of his bones by moonlight. He said, "Don't go any further."
There was a hint of pleading in his tone.
He whispered, "I'm going crazy."
These four words struck Lin Zhixia's rationality like a disruptive spell. Since they had reached adulthood, the Jiang Yubai she had always known was dignified, neither servile nor overbearing—restrained and self-possessed. He was aloof, ascetic, and enduring, never once uttering words of surrender. How had he fallen to such a state?
Lin Zhixia sat motionless. "What would happen if you went crazy?"
Jiang Yubai gripped her waist tightly with both hands. "Do you really want to know?"Lin Zhixia leaned close to his ear, her voice brimming with curiosity: "Yes, I want to. More than you do."
Jiang Yubai pressed his hand against her back, effortlessly flipping their positions until she was pinned beneath him on the bed. His left hand caressed her while his right gripped a soft leather panel on the headboard, fingers digging inward with violent force. He clenched it like a fist, knuckles bleaching pale, veins bulging across his hand as he channeled his excess energy into the motion.
The leather tore under his right hand's assault.
Yet his left hand remained tender and considerate.
He unfastened the buttons of Lin Zhixia's nightgown, then gently tugged the straps downward. Her breathing grew erratic, each rise and fall of her chest more pronounced. The more excited she became, the more dazed she felt.
Jiang Yubai drew out the foreplay until his own endurance neared its breaking point. He opened the bedside drawer and retrieved a box of unused protection. This being his first time using such items, his movements were particularly clumsy, making further intimacy increasingly cautious. As he kissed Lin Zhixia's ear, he whispered, "Are you ready?"
Her muffled voice responded, "I'm waiting for you."
A tidal wave of desire crashed over Jiang Yubai once more. He spent over ten seconds calming himself, cooling his heated mind. To him, the intense stimulation of this moment felt like a descending deity permitting a heretic to commit sacrilege.
A deity's memory is etched into the marrow. He was determined to ensure her pleasure throughout the entire process. Struggling to suppress his physical urges, he advanced slowly and gently, yet she still gasped, "Mmm... it's too full..."
Her arms wound around his neck as she panted fragmented words: "You... go slower..."
Beads of cold sweat formed on Jiang Yubai's forehead. He took a deep breath, surrendering completely to her guidance as if offering himself in sacrifice. He longed for this devotion to bring her joy.
Lin Zhixia seemed to sense his intentions.
She lightly kissed the corner of his lips. What was she doing? Primal instincts erupted from her subconscious, taking control. Their kisses in the dizzying darkness grew fervent and damp, passion overwhelming their senses until both shattered all barriers, completely immersed in rapturous entanglement.
By 4:30 AM, Lin Zhixia had exhausted herself and fallen asleep in Jiang Yubai's arms.
He carried her to a pristine large bed connected to the master bedroom, tucked her under the covers, and lay beside her. The faint moonlight outlined her sleeping face. He had yearned for her since he was eighteen, and now at twenty-one, he finally experienced this indescribable, sublime intensity—like an soul-stirring, unforgettable dream.
Jiang Yubai had maintained strict sleep habits for years, retiring early and rising with the dawn, rarely staying up late. But tonight was an exception. He stroked Lin Zhixia's hair, unable to resist kissing her forehead again. He remained conscious until past seven in the morning, when the eastern sky began to pale and the burning embers within him finally faded.
Before drifting off, he made sure to hold Lin Zhixia tight. The pillows overflowed with a fresh, sweet fragrance, and he slept soundly.
The sun was high when Lin Zhixia gradually awoke.Jiang Yubai had just finished his shower. He stepped out of the bathroom slowly, a pure white towel wrapped around his waist, droplets of water still clinging to his short black hair. A few drops trickled down to his collarbone, drawing Lin Zhixia's gaze. Suddenly, she recalled the details of the previous night. Just as she thought about getting out of bed, a soreness in her waist made her hesitate. With no other choice, she shyly hid under the covers. Jiang Yubai sat by the bed, coaxing her to come out: "Xia Xia."
Lin Zhixia's voice was soft: "Don't call me that."
Jiang Yubai lifted the blanket and slipped under it as well.
Lin Zhixia met his gaze beneath the covers.
There were still faint red marks on her skin. When Jiang Yubai reached out to touch her, she leaned into his embrace and whispered, "I like that feeling..." Then she added, "I like you."
Jiang Yubai's heart melted at her words. He brushed aside her long hair and murmured in a low, dreamlike tone, "I love you."
It was the first time he had spoken those three words.
Lin Zhixia felt sweet, happy, and a little shy. She hugged a pillow and lay back on the bed when suddenly her phone rang.
Jiang Yubai opened the bedside drawer and picked up his phone. He didn't answer immediately because the screen showed the caller as "Brother."
The previous night, Lin Zhixia had informed her mom that she was visiting Jiang Yubai's home. Since it was too late, she decided not to return and would stay in the guest room at his place.
Both Jiang Yubai and Lin Zhixia now had stable jobs. They were independent adults. Jiang Yubai's parents no longer restricted him, and Lin Zhixia's mom had only reminded her to "be careful" without insisting she return home that night.
The only variable was Lin Zeqiu.
Jiang Yubai answered the call and heard Lin Zeqiu ask, "I forgot to ask you earlier—was Lin Zhixia at your place last night?"
Jiang Yubai admitted, "She's here and hasn't left yet."
Lin Zhixia sat up in bed, wrapped in the blanket.
Jiang Yubai added, "I'm planning to take her out for lunch."
His tone was calm and steady, a stark contrast to the previous night. The unintentional facade he created misled Lin Zeqiu, who assumed his sister had merely stayed over at Jiang Yubai's without anything serious happening. After all, she had promised him she wouldn't make him an uncle at such a young age.
Lin Zeqiu instructed, "Go easy on the spices in your meals, and make sure there's strawberry yogurt in the fridge. That's all for now—I need to get back to work."
These days, Jiang Yubai and Lin Zeqiu coexisted peacefully. Jiang Yubai replied, "Don't worry, I'll take good care of Xia Xia."
Lin Zeqiu retorted, "Xia Xia is a nickname only our family uses."
With the speaker on, Lin Zhixia could hear her brother. She interjected, "Jiang Yubai will be part of our family sooner or later. He's already mine."
Lin Zeqiu was startled.
But he didn't overthink it, only chiding her, "Don't say things like that—a girl should be more reserved. Alright, go have your lunch and don't dawdle."
After hanging up, Lin Zeqiu headed to work. His company had a "flexible overtime system" with bonuses based on performance reviews. Driven by the generous year-end bonus, he had been coding with extra diligence lately. Remembering Jiang Yubai's words, he realized he hadn't eaten lunch either. He threw on his jacket and hurried to the cafeteria.Lin Zeqiu happened to run into a high school classmate in the cafeteria—his high school classmate worked at the same company as him. The classmate's first words were: "Hey, Brother Qiu? Brother Qiu, long time no see. How's your sister doing? Has she returned from abroad?"
Lin Zeqiu ordered an iron plate beef rice bowl at the cafeteria counter, along with a side of cold vegetable salad. Picking up his tray, he felt quite impatient inside but managed to keep his tone polite: "She's back, looking for a teaching position at the provincial university."
"Oh wow, that impressive?" The classmate stopped Lin Zeqiu, "Brother Qiu, let's have a meal together."
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