Fei Ni no longer had to worry about someone suddenly entering, and her heart relaxed, her resistance no longer resolute.
Her head was dizzy, her feet felt as if treading on clouds—light and airy—yet she lacked the ability to soar through the skies, relying entirely on Fang Muyang’s support to keep from falling. Pushing and embracing each other, they moved toward the bed railing. Fei Ni’s head pressed against the bedpost, and she momentarily regained her senses. Taking advantage of his mouth resting on her chin, she closed her lips and used her hands to push him away. She had intended to say, "I want to sleep," but feared he would take advantage of her vulnerability, so she remained silent. Fang Muyang, however, showed no intention of forcing her, ignoring her pushing hands as he pleased. He merely rested his hand on her shoulder, not exerting any pressure, and continued with what he wanted to do.
Fei Ni stayed silent, while Fang Muyang’s lips brushed against her chin as he asked, "Didn’t you say you were coming back? Why aren’t you saying anything now?"
Still, she said nothing.
"Are you so overwhelmed with joy that you’ve lost your words?"
Fei Ni denied it inwardly, knowing he was deliberately teasing her, and still refused to speak.
"Let me say it for you then—you really like it when I do this to you." He gently pinched her earlobe, then kissed her lips, as if afflicted by an insatiable craving, kissing her again and again without ever seeming to have enough.
In his words, this was something Fei Ni enjoyed immensely.
Fei Ni wanted to refute him but feared falling into his trap. Her strength was limited, and no matter how she pushed, she couldn’t free herself. All she could do was deny him satisfaction in these small ways.
"You’re tired from standing. Let’s rest on the bed."
Hearing the word "bed," Fei Ni finally couldn’t hold back: "Who wants to—"
The moment she opened her mouth, she gave Fang Muyang an opening, and the rest of her words were swallowed.
The ginger and gardenia quilt she had made was soft, and she felt no pain when she fell back. Her slippers were kicked off onto the floor, and without them, her kicks lost their force. Fang Muyang let her kick as she pleased.
The silk quilt cover wrinkled from her restless tossing. The lamp remained on, untouched.
If not for her undone buttons, Fei Ni might have remained dazed. Coming to her senses, she hurriedly covered her blouse with her hands. How had things come to this? She was completely unprepared. He was far too adept at handling her, and she was too weak-willed, easily overwhelmed by him.
Fei Ni blamed her mental frailty on physical weakness. There were always a few days each month when her body felt particularly vulnerable, and today was one of them.
Her entire body felt feverish, but her mind had cooled slightly. Seizing a rare moment of clarity, she whispered, "I’m on my period. Don’t do this."
She regretted it immediately. It sounded as though she had no physical issues and would allow him to do anything. Moreover, her words were too vague—she wasn’t sure he would understand.
Yet, to her surprise, he grasped her meaning instantly. "Why didn’t you say so earlier?"
How could she have known things would escalate to this point?
"When did it start?"
"None of your business." Today was the first day, and based on past experience, tomorrow would be even worse. She suddenly felt annoyed that he had understood so quickly. How could a man comprehend it so readily? They had attended the same middle school, and their school had never taught such things. But perhaps such knowledge didn’t require formal instruction—having a girlfriend was enough to learn it all.
Fang Muyang repeated her words: "None of my business?"Not only was it related to him, it was deeply connected to him. Fang Muyang released Fei Ni, wiped the sweat from the tip of her nose with his finger, rebuttoned the loose button, and smoothed her disheveled hair with his hand. "Rest, I'll get you some water."
As Fang Muyang went to fetch water, Fei Ni straightened the bedding on the bed. The silk was too delicate, already wrinkled in such a short time.
"Don't bother, warm yourself with hot water first."
"No need." Fei Ni didn't require hot water today. Her first day was no different from usual; it was the second day that was unbearable.
Fang Muyang placed the cup of water in her palm. "Do you have a hot water bottle?"
Fei Ni felt no gratitude, replying coldly that it was unnecessary. He knew too much, and coupled with his earlier skilled actions, she couldn't help but doubt his romantic history.
Fang Muyang attributed Fei Ni's displeasure to physical discomfort, seeing nothing amiss. Back when he lived with his parents, his mother would be particularly irritable for a few days each month. His father, having borne his wife's temper, couldn't vent on outsiders. His older brother and sister were exceptionally well-behaved, leaving only him as the constant target for criticism and discipline. When his father was angry, what should have ended with a few reprimands would only be resolved with a beating. He learned from experience and would run off before his father could even reach for the belt.
Fei Ni, unable to sleep because of Fang Muyang, now found him urging her to rest quickly.
After drinking the water Fang Muyang brought, Fei Ni felt even hotter. Afraid of catching a chill, she could only toss and turn under the covers, unable to sleep. She couldn't even recall what had just happened, as the memory itself felt scorching.
Hearing her toss and turn, Fang Muyang asked, "Are you feeling unwell?"
"No."
"If you're uncomfortable, tell me."
"I'm fine. Don't worry about it, just go to sleep."
Fang Muyang didn't believe her. He got up, lifted the mosquito net, and felt her forehead. Shining a flashlight on her face, he saw only redness and sweat, which seemed more from heat than weakness.
Convinced she was truly fine, he kissed her forehead. Fei Ni quickly closed the net. "Aren't you annoying? I want to sleep."
But sleep wouldn't come. She wanted to ask Fang Muyang how many girlfriends he'd had before but feared he'd accuse her of jealousy. Even if she asked, he might not answer truthfully. Fei Ni didn't think she was jealous; she just wanted to understand his past.
Closing her eyes, her mind was filled with what had just happened. Opening them, she stared at the dark ceiling, trying to think of nothing. Eventually, her eyes grew tired, and she closed them, falling asleep shortly after.
The next morning, she remained cold and distant toward Fang Muyang. Even the soft-boiled egg he added to her noodles felt like evidence of his complicated romantic history.
Fang Muyang, however, seemed to take her indifference in stride.
Fei Ni felt somewhat embarrassed. She had known before marrying him that his romantic history wasn't entirely pure, and getting upset over it now seemed pointless. Yet, she couldn't help caring, powerless against her own feelings.
Fei Ni's experience proved accurate—the day was indeed difficult to endure.
After work, she went to the cafeteria to get food. As soon as she got home, she placed the lunch box on the long table, took off her coat, and went to bed to sleep.When Fang Muyang returned, Fei Ni was lying in bed.
Hearing the door open, she said to him, "Go ahead and eat without me. Just save some porridge for me."
Fang Muyang lifted the bed curtain to look at her. Her face was an unhealthy shade of pale.
"Should we go to the hospital?"
"No need. It's been like this before. I've taken my medicine." As she spoke, she closed the curtain again. "Let me rest for a while."
A little later, Fang Muyang lifted her curtain once more. "Drink some milk powder first to warm your stomach."
"Milk powder?" Fei Ni remembered they didn't have any at home.
"I just bought it today."
Fei Ni sat up, took the cup with both hands, and brought a spoonful to her mouth.
"Where did you get the money?"
"My other half of the manuscript fee came through."
After a moment, Fang Muyang handed her a filled hot water bottle, placing it in her arms to hold. Along with the hot water bottle came a package of red dates.
"Where did you buy these?"
Fang Muyang had received his manuscript payment today. He exchanged some money for foreign exchange certificates and, thanks to a connection with a teacher from his publishing house, went to the Friendship Store to buy some essential items. There, you didn't need ration coupons—just foreign exchange certificates. He bought himself a pair of trousers, and for Fei Ni, a pair of shoes, two pairs of cashmere socks, and a short coat. He had originally intended to buy himself a coat but didn't see a suitable one, so he bought one for Fei Ni instead. He kept some money on hand, planning to browse the secondhand trust store for a used one later.
Sitting on the bed, Fei Ni had no idea he had bought so many things. Sipping the milk powder, she reminded him, "If you still have any foreign exchange certificates left, forget everything else—the most important thing is to buy yourself more clothes. It's already autumn, and winter will be here soon. The clothes you have now aren't enough to get through the winter."
Fang Muyang agreed readily, telling Fei Ni he had already bought trousers and would go buy a coat tomorrow.
"Why did you buy red dates?" She looked at the dates, both annoyed and amused, unsure whether he genuinely understood their significance or was pretending—either way, it was frustrating.
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