This year's Spring Festival holiday, Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai did not celebrate the New Year in the provincial capital.
Lin Zhixia had crafted an island travel itinerary. She and Jiang Yubai flew to the Maldives.
When Lin Zhixia was a child, she once watched a film called "McDull's Story." The protagonist in the film was obsessed with traveling to the Maldives, and that persistent longing had also sparked Lin Zhixia's curiosity.
Finally, this Spring Festival, Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai arrived at the Maldives airport.
The tropical weather of over thirty degrees Celsius made Lin Zhixia forget it was currently winter in the Northern Hemisphere. They checked into an overwater suite at a resort, surrounded by shimmering light-blue ocean on all sides.
Before the Spring Festival, Lin Zhixia had worked continuously for over three months to meet project deadlines, without even resting on weekends. Now that she suddenly relaxed, it felt as if her bones had been pulled out, leaving her limp as she lay sprawled on a lounge chair on the balcony.
Jiang Yubai was still unpacking their luggage.
He pulled out a pink cloth bag and found it filled entirely with Lin Zhixia's swimsuits.
They were only traveling for four days, yet Lin Zhixia had packed seven swimsuits. How thoughtful—this was exactly the kind of detail Jiang Yubai adored about her.
Jiang Yubai tightened the bag's drawstring. His left hand rested on the pure black suitcase, the silver wedding band on his ring finger gleaming brightly.
Lin Zhixia called out: "Jiang Yubai?"
Jiang Yubai didn't respond.
Lin Zhixia tried a different address: "Jiangjiangjiangjiang Jiang Yubai!"
Jiang Yubai walked slowly toward her.
He was wearing only swim trunks. Right in front of Lin Zhixia, he swiftly dove into the private pool. The brilliant sunlight glistened on his water-beaded body, leaving Lin Zhixia momentarily stunned.
She gripped the armrests tightly—they felt scalding hot against her palms.
Lin Zhixia rushed to Jiang Yubai's side in three quick steps. Jiang Yubai thought she couldn't wait to get closer to him. Instead, she asked: "Did you put on sunscreen?"
She pointed at the sky: "The UV rays are really strong. If you stay soaking in the pool, I'm afraid you'll get sunburned."
Without a word, Jiang Yubai hoisted Lin Zhixia over his shoulder.
He carried her into the bedroom, drew the curtains shut, washed his hands, and returned to her with a bottle of sunscreen.
"What are you doing?" Lin Zhixia asked him.
Jiang Yubai stared into her eyes, bracing his hands on either side of her: "Helping you apply sunscreen."
Lin Zhixia nodded: "You put it on me first, then I'll help you."
"Deal," Jiang Yubai agreed.
Jiang Yubai's fingertips lightly traced from her collarbone, following the faint veins beneath her snow-white skin upward. He swallowed just right, his expression captivated but not lost—like a handsome vampire from urban legends specifically designed to lure young maidens.
Lin Zhixia suggested: "Let's play a game."
He chuckled as if he'd anticipated this: "Role-playing?"
Lin Zhixia nodded vigorously. She said: "Just now when you touched my neck, it was like a vampire—a really handsome one, of course."
Jiang Yubai confirmed their roles: "I'll be the vampire, you'll be the human."
"Okay, okay!" Lin Zhixia cheered excitedly.
Her mind instantly flooded with vivid imaginary scenes, making her both highly anticipatory and utterly delighted. Jiang Yubai's mood was equally excellent. He set the scene: "Night has fallen. I enter your room. No matter what I do, you mustn't make a sound, or else...""What will happen otherwise?" Lin Zhixia asked cautiously.
Jiang Yubai's slender fingers had already covered her lips.
He said, "Shh... it's dark now."
Lin Zhixia completely fell into his profound gaze. She held her breath, not daring to make a sound. Only then did she suddenly realize she had completely fallen into a passive position.
In the past, when Lin Zhixia played games with Jiang Yubai, she was almost always the winner. Even when playing poker with him, she could win all his chips.
But now, she was like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.
So thrilling, yet so novel.
Lin Zhixia thought to herself, as long as she followed the game rules and remained completely silent from start to finish, she would definitely be the ultimate winner.
Jiang Yubai unbuttoned her collar: "What are you thinking about?"
She closed her eyes.
But Jiang Yubai said, "Look at me."
Lin Zhixia opened her eyes and met his gaze. Before he had even done anything to her, her cheeks flushed crimson, the color resembling the bright peach blossoms of mid-spring, or the pink tips of lotus flowers in a summer pond.
Jiang Yubai caressed her cheek as if handling a precious treasure. She thought to herself: what a gentle vampire.
He lowered his head slightly and took her earlobe into his mouth, sucking firmly. Startled, she almost cried out, her fingers gripping the bedsheet tightly.
Jiang Yubai continued kissing downward from her earlobe. When he reached her neck, his kisses became light and slow. No vampire would act like this, although Lin Zhixia didn't know what real vampires were like either. But her heartbeat was still accelerating, and the pumping force of her heart was probably strengthening too. Thinking this way, Jiang Yubai's actions made sense - both of them should follow this game's setting.
"How are you so fragrant," Jiang Yubai murmured to himself.
He whispered in her ear, "You taste sweet."
Lin Zhixia gently bit her lip.
Jiang Yubai left kiss marks on her collarbone. His right hand was still caressing her, his fingertips seemingly carrying a trace of electricity, bringing comfortable yet thrilling sensations wherever they touched.
Lin Zhixia's will was extremely stubborn. She cooperated with Jiang Yubai perfectly, but she simply wouldn't make a sound. Jiang Yubai asked, "Can this game last all night?"
"No!" Lin Zhixia immediately said. "If that's the case, I won't play anymore."
As soon as the words left her mouth, she suddenly realized: "I spoke. Did I lose?"
Jiang Yubai nodded.
Lin Zhixia shook her head: "You asked me a question, I can't just not answer you. You unilaterally paused the game, so I can speak too. That would be fair."
But Jiang Yubai said, "What I asked about was the whole night." He buried his face in her neck and shoulder, breathing in her fragrance: "It was still part of the game scenario."
Indeed.
Jiang Yubai was absolutely right.
Lin Zhixia voluntarily admitted defeat: "Then I lost."
Lin Zhixia enjoyed pursuing novel experiences, but she didn't have much understanding of "losing." Her academic and career paths had been smooth, and apart from her usually busy work schedule, the word "loser" was almost completely foreign to Lin Zhixia.
Therefore, even when admitting defeat, she did so generously.Jiang Yubai asked her to recall the game rules, and the scene that had just occurred in reality replayed in her mind. Jiang Yubai lifted a light quilt, covering both himself and Lin Zhixia. The sunlight was brilliant that day, the sea crystal clear, but Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai had no time to admire the scenery. From afternoon until late night, they never stepped out the main door of their room again.
Early the next morning, Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai finished breakfast and strolled along an endless coastline.
Lin Zhixia wore a sun hat adorned with a bow, from which two pale ribbons fluttered down. Her long skirt billowed in the wind, its hem sweeping into Jiang Yubai's embrace.
She turned to look at him.
But his gaze wasn't on her, offering only his profile. He watched the rising sun in the east, clouds and morning glow reflected in his eyes.
On a whim, Lin Zhixia said: "Hello, let's be friends. Could you give me your phone number?"
Jiang Yubai instantly understood her meaning. Feigning unfamiliarity, he replied: "I don't use a phone."
"Why?" Lin Zhixia challenged.
Jiang Yubai said: "Because I..."
Lin Zhixia helped devise a scenario: "Because you're a fisherman."
Jiang Yubai continued building the premise: "I go fishing alone at sea. There's no signal out there, so buying a phone would be useless."
"Don't you feel lonely fishing by yourself?" Lin Zhixia pressed. "Isolated?In this world, loneliness and solitude are the norm of life, while companionship and understanding remain rare and precious. Jiang Yubai slightly raised his head, gazing toward the distant seascape.
Lin Zhixia expected him to utter some profound philosophical statement, followed by a deep discussion about life's meaning. Instead, Jiang Yubai said: "I'm too busy thinking about catching fish."
Lin Zhixia burst into laughter.
She took Jiang Yubai's hand, pulling him forward: "You're not alone. I'll always be with you."
She repeatedly stroked Jiang Yubai's palm until it grew warm.
Under the radiant morning sun, sea breeze accompanied the sound of waves. With her back to the ocean, Lin Zhixia's long hair tangled in the sea wind. Jiang Yubai smoothed her hair as she rose on her toes before settling back, her gaze fixed on his face.
Jiang Yubai wanted desperately to kiss her. Without hesitation, he leaned down and their lips met. Their shadows fell upon the fine-sand beach, merging with the scenery like an etching in their shared travel memories.
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