The boy cast a disdainful glance at Fang Muyang, who was quite a bit taller than him. "With your level, you’re teaching someone? Go stand aside." Having been so rude to Fang Muyang, he turned to Fei Ni with a hint of embarrassment, his face nearly flushing. In a flippant yet unpolished tone, he said, "I’m Su Jing. Which school do you go to?"
Su Jing would graduate from high school next year, and this was the first time in his life he had taken the initiative to strike up a conversation with a girl. He knew how to fight, his father held a high rank, and he had considerable influence among the boys. Coupled with his good looks, many of his peers believed he had plenty of experience with girls, and he was happy to play along with such rumors, thinking it made him seem more manly.
He had come to the skating rink with a few classmates. They spotted Fei Ni first, then noticed the guy helping her skate. They all agreed the girl was being fooled by the guy and needed to be saved from her predicament. When it came to deciding who would step in, they all hesitated. Fei Ni didn’t carry the vibe of a middle school student—she was either in college or already working. Though she looked gentle, her age reminded them of their own fierce older sisters at home. They were also afraid she might dismiss them as kids, which would be embarrassing. So, they unanimously nominated Su Jing, the one with the most experience with girls. Su Jing, pushed into the spotlight and genuinely curious, slipped over. Fei Ni’s long scarf was bundled under her chin, revealing a delicate and handsome face. Su Jing, accustomed to his own domineering sister, felt an immediate warmth toward such a gentle face—a mix of awkwardness and excitement. He guessed she was either in college or working, but he still mimicked his friends’ way of hitting on girls and asked which school she attended. Since it was his first time, he even stumbled over his words a little.
Back in her middle school days, Fei Ni would have been frightened by boys like this. To avoid such troublemakers, she used to wear a large mask covering most of her face. But now, she was working and married, with Fang Muyang by her side. Running into a boy much younger trying to flirt with her, she only found it childish.
She smiled and said, "I’ve been working for a while now. You’re still in high school, aren’t you?"
Being treated as less than an adult bruised Su Jing’s pride.
"That doesn’t matter. I’ve been skating since elementary school, and I’m a much better teacher than the guy next to you." Su Jing brushed aside the fact that he hadn’t finished high school and insisted on asking Fei Ni’s name. "You still haven’t told me your name."
Fang Muyang looked the young man up and down—he was only about seventeen or eighteen, and his ice skates clearly cost a fortune. Though Fang Muyang himself was just in his early twenties, in his eyes, this kid was nothing but a brat. The idea of a brat trying to show off in front of him and even offering to teach his wife amused him far more than it angered him.
He thought to himself, I was dominating the rink back when you were still in split pants, kid. Who are you trying to fool?
But with Fei Ni beside him, Fang Muyang remained polite. Smiling at the boy, he said, "My skills might be lousy, but they’re still a bit better than yours."Su Jing sneered, "You're better than me? Stop bragging. Let's compete." He swept another disdainful glance over Fang Muyang, his eyes lingering on the rented ice skates—such equipment was truly beneath his notice. Boys his age had only two feelings toward older males, especially those just a few years older: either admiration or contempt, with no third option. Right now, he felt nothing but contempt for Fang Muyang. So tall and seemingly imposing, yet skating hand-in-hand with a girl—how embarrassing.
Competing with a middle school student would be shameful even if he won. But since he was challenged, Fang Muyang had no choice but to accept. He smiled and asked, "What do you want to compete in? I'll play along."
Fei Ni laughed at Fang Muyang, "Even if you win against a child, it's nothing to be proud of." She then turned to the boy and said, "Classmate, why don't you skate somewhere else? We need to practice a bit more."
The intimacy between the two made Su Jing uncomfortable. He retorted sharply at Fei Ni, "I'm not a child. I'm almost an adult, and I'm much taller than you. With his skills, he thinks he can beat me? You're really looking down on people."
Although Fei Ni had attended co-ed schools since middle school, she didn't understand the psychology of boys this age. Her attempt to mediate only fueled Su Jing's competitive spirit, making him determined to prove himself in front of her.
He said to Fang Muyang, "You probably can't do anything else, so let's race. See who's faster. If you lose, you have to loudly admit in front of everyone at the rink that you're my defeated opponent. Deal?"
Fang Muyang curled his lips into a smile. "Sure. And if you lose?"
"Me, lose?" Su Jing was confident he wouldn't. "If I lose, you can do whatever you want. Your skates are too shabby—I'll let you start first." He then said to Fei Ni, "You be the referee. Referee, what's your name?"
Su Jing's friends, eager to see his progress, circled nearby on their skates. Su Jing shot them a look, and they slid away, making faces at him from a distance.
Fang Muyang smiled and said, "Her being the referee wouldn't be fair to you." He glanced at the onlookers in the distance and added, "Those are your friends, right? I'll grab one to be the referee."
No sooner had he spoken than Fang Muyang skated off. Su Jing's friends were still watching his progress when Fang Muyang's ice knife slid to a halt less than ten centimeters from one boy's skates. The rapid friction between the blade and the ice sent shavings flying onto the boy's shoes, startling him. None of them had expected Fang Muyang's sudden approach.
Fang Muyang said with a smile, "Su Jing is with you, right? He asked you to be the referee."
Under the witness of his friends and a crowd of bored spectators, Su Jing lost without a doubt. Having initiated the challenge and suffered such a humiliating defeat, he wished he could vanish into the ground.
True to his word, he asked the victorious Fang Muyang what he wanted.
With Fei Ni present, Fang Muyang couldn't make any excessive demands. So, pretending to be upright, he casually lectured Su Jing and his group before telling them to leave quickly. Of course, with Fei Ni there, he phrased it more politely, replacing "get lost" with "please leave."Su Jing's companions hadn't even graduated from middle school yet. Though they loved acting tough and picking fights, they couldn't help but admire genuine skill. Seeing Fang Muyang skate so well in such ill-fitting, worn-out ice skates, accompanied by a pretty girl at the rink, their previous resentment turned into appreciation. Noting he was only a few years older, they put on adult airs to strike up a friendship, asking which neighborhood he was from.
Su Jing thought his friends were utterly disloyal—they'd egged him on to come, only to cozy up to Fang Muyang. He asked Fei Ni, "We're going to the hockey rink to play. Want to watch?" He hoped Fei Ni would see how impressive he was on the ice and help him reclaim his lost dignity.
Fei Ni refused bluntly, "You go ahead. We still need to practice skating."
Again with "we."
Su Jing pressed, "Will you come back to skate next week?"
Fei Ni glanced at Fang Muyang, "Are we coming again next week?"
Seeing their intimacy, Su Jing felt both humiliated and dejected. His friends, noticing Fang Muyang's indifference, stopped trying to befriend him and exchanged meaningful looks before skating off together toward the hockey rink.
They comforted Su Jing, saying losing to that guy wasn't shameful—probably no one at the entire rink could skate faster than him.
Su Jing thought they lacked ambition. "Just watch—someday I'll surpass him."
After they left, Fang Muyang continued teaching Fei Ni to skate. Their earlier race had drawn quite a crowd, and Fei Ni still felt people watching them, but Fang Muyang paid no mind to the stares, as if the two of them were alone in the rink.
As the sun began to set, Fei Ni had made noticeable progress. She said to Fang Muyang, "We should head back now."
Passing by the hockey rink, they found the game had devolved into a brawl. Fang Muyang was accustomed to such scenes—back when he had excess energy to burn, he'd also played hockey and fought at the rink. Legal checks often escalated into physical clashes, and one-on-one fights frequently turned into group melees.
While one group was brawling, a lone boy was taking on two opponents. Fei Ni recognized him as Su Jing, who had tried to chat her up earlier. Humiliated from the skating race, Su Jing was venting his pent-up rage, thrilled to have found an outlet as he pummeled his opponents without resistance. Engrossed in the fight, he failed to notice someone getting up behind him, swinging a hockey stick at the back of his head.
Fang Muyang had been about to take Fei Ni's hand and skate away when he witnessed this. He cursed under his breath.
"Stay here. I'll check it out." Releasing Fei Ni's hand, his blades carved two sharp trails in the ice as he sped off.
What the hell was wrong with people these days? Using a hockey stick for a cheap shot during a fight—back in his day, they always fought bare-handed.
He shouted to get Su Jing's attention, glided over on his blades, and slammed the stick-wielder to the ground, ice shavings spraying half the guy's face. The brawling group snapped out of their daze and rushed to assist.
Before Su Jing could thank him, Fang Muyang had already skated off. Teammates of the fallen player surrounded him, blocking his escape, but breaking through such encirclements was routine for him—he easily slipped past them.
Though only three seconds had passed on Fei Ni's watch, it felt like an eternity.Fang Muyang glided over and took her hand. "Can't bear to be apart from me even for a moment?"
Fei Ni denied it: "Not at all."
She asked Fang Muyang, "Did you used to come to the ice rink often?"
"Quite often, but I'm different from them—I only came to skate." He completely disregarded how he'd frequently gotten into fights at the hockey rink before being sent down to the countryside.
Seeing the neighborhood patrol team making their rounds, Fang Muyang, as an upstanding citizen, directly reported: "There's a bunch of hooligans fighting at the hockey rink. You should go educate them."
Outside the ice rink, an elderly man was selling candied hawthorns.
The hawthorns were large and bright red, looking quite delicious.
Fang Muyang bought Fei Ni a skewer. Fei Ni asked, "Aren't you having any?"
"No." But when Fei Ni brought her candied hawthorn to Fang Muyang's lips, he didn't utter a single word of refusal, taking a bite directly.
When Fei Ni returned home, Fei Ma was cooking fish on the stove. She handed Fei Ma the pine nut sausage and beef canned food she'd bought at the grocery store, then asked, "Where's my brother?"
Fei Ni had finished writing her thoughts on the sequential pictures, but she felt her writing style didn't quite match the currently popular one. She wanted her older brother, who worked in the propaganda department, to polish it up for her.
"Your brother went out with Meizi. He won't be home for dinner today."
For this Sunday family dinner, only Fei Ting was absent.
During the meal, Fang Muyang kept picking out fish bones for Fei Ni. Feeling embarrassed under her family's gaze, Fei Ni glared at him and said she could manage herself, but Fang Muyang completely ignored her opinion. Fei Ni gently nudged him with her foot under the table, meaning for him to stop, but instead of pulling away, Fang Muyang's knee met hers and even pressed forward, occasionally bumping against hers.
With her family present, Fei Ni couldn't tell him to stop, so she had to endure it and pretend nothing was happening.
Afraid others might notice her flushed ears, she reached up and swept the hair behind her ears forward to cover them.
The meal felt particularly torturous for Fei Ni.
When it was time to leave, Fei Ni pulled out the sequential pictures she'd brought from her bag, distributing them to her mother and sister, and leaving one for her brother as well. Her family appreciated them greatly. Not knowing what exactly to praise, Fei Ma said, "So many pages drawn—it must have taken so much effort. I'll definitely buy several more copies."
Fei Ma was very pleased. Usually when people asked her where her young son-in-law worked, she would be at a loss for words. Now with the sequential pictures, she finally didn't have to feel so inadequate as before.
Fang Muyang glanced at Fei Ni, his expression asking, "Where did you get so many books?"
Because of what happened under the table, Fei Ni refused to even look at him now.
Downstairs, Fei Ni hopped onto the bicycle, not holding onto his waist but only gripping the seat.
"Why did you act like that during dinner?"
"Act like what?"
She couldn't bring herself to say it. Actually, even if she did say it, he hadn't really done anything outrageous, but with her family present, it made her face flush and heart race.
Fang Muyang asked her, "Why did you buy so many copies?"
"I wanted to buy them. Is it any of your business?"
"You like me so much, it's almost embarrassing."
"Don't be shameless." Fei Ni angrily pinched his waist. As the wind blew, her fingers pressed against his jacket, then she pinched the thickness of his clothes. "Aren't you cold?"
"Pinch me a few more times, and I won't be cold."
With him being so thick-skinned, Fei Ni found herself completely helpless against him.As soon as they got home, Fang Muyang pinned Fei Ni against the door, seeking her lips. Fei Ni dodged left and right, stubbornly refusing to let him succeed. Fang Muyang rested his chin in the crook of her neck, his nose nuzzling the corner of her mouth until she was too ticklish to resist, finally letting him have his way.
Fei Ni gradually began to respond. But when they stumbled onto the bed and Fang Muyang started nibbling at the buttons of her clothes, Fei Ni resisted firmly, her face flushing—not with shyness but with embarrassment and annoyance, with the latter dominating.
It had been a long time since she had been this flustered, so Fang Muyang suppressed his urge and merely kissed her hair before releasing her.
"Why are you upset?"
"I'm not. I need to wash up." Fei Ni's tone was a bit dry.
She had no intention of rolling into bed with him again. She had felt awful the last two nights, while Fang Muyang seemed perfectly satisfied, only making her feel worse. He was somewhat selfish in these matters, but she couldn't exactly accuse him of it, nor did she know how he could act less selfishly.
They brushed their teeth and washed their faces together, sharing a tube of toothpaste and a bar of soap.
After returning from the washroom, Fei Ni hid behind the curtain to wipe herself down.
Though the curtain provided cover, Fei Ni didn't feel at ease. She knew Fang Muyang wouldn't intrude without her permission, but as she wiped the places he had touched through her clothes, her heart felt unsettled, and she just wanted to finish quickly.
Her thoughts were in disarray when suddenly, music began to play in the room.
The melody was both unfamiliar and familiar. Fei Ni remembered hearing it with Fang Muyang on the radio, and how he had traced the notes on her palm with a feather. Though the atmosphere had relaxed somewhat recently, Fei Ni still felt a lingering fear.
Just as she was about to remind Fang Muyang, the tune changed abruptly to a popular song of the day.
Fei Ni's heart eased slightly, and most of her attention shifted to the music. His playing was a jumble—one tune after another, several melodies overlapping, as chaotic as her thoughts. She realized Fang Muyang hadn't given up on the first piece; he had merely interspersed it with others.
Amid this medley, Fei Ni finished washing, changed into her pajamas, and, since the room's heating wasn't warm enough, draped a cotton coat over them.
She walked over to Fang Muyang, squeezed his shoulder, and said, "Why are you only wearing a sweater? Let me get your coat for you."
Fang Muyang grasped her hand. "Let me look at the music score first."
"What music score?"
Fang Muyang tugged Fei Ni, and she tumbled onto his lap. He adjusted her position, making her more comfortable on the new chair. Fei Ni didn't like this new chair—though it wasn't particularly hard, it felt unnervingly sturdy.
The light from the ceiling was too bright. Yesterday, when they had been this close, the room had been completely dark.
Fei Ni tried to stand up, but the armrests of the new chair held her tightly, immobilizing her.
Fang Muyang opened Fei Ni's palm, studying the music score only he could decipher. Fei Ni saw nothing but the lines on her hand. After a moment, his fingers returned to the keys. With Fei Ni between him and the piano, his playing wasn't as effortless as before. He didn't look at the keys, relying solely on muscle memory to play.His lips brushed against Fei Ni's ear as he asked, "Did I play a wrong note?"
Fei Ni's heart was beating erratically, completely out of rhythm—how could she possibly tell if he'd made a mistake? She hadn't even clearly registered what he was playing.
"I'm tired of playing. It's your turn now."
Fei Ni felt something pressing against her from the chair, making her extremely uncomfortable. She struggled to stand up but found herself unable to move. The more she struggled, the more pronounced the discomfort became.
Fang Muyang rested his chin on her shoulder. "I'm cold. Let me warm up for a bit."
"I'll get your coat for you."
"A coat won't help." Fang Muyang leaned closer and breathed softly into her ear. "Play any piece for me. Once you're done, I'll let you go."
"Really?"
"Really, but you can't rush through it. If you make a mistake, I won't let you go." Fang Muyang's hands slid under her arms, freeing her own to move.
For the first time, Fei Ni felt that playing the piano could be such an agonizing experience. Fang Muyang's fingers treated her like an instrument—a piano without black keys—playing her at will. His skill only highlighted her own clumsiness.
Fang Muyang was usually quite talkative, but now he fell silent. His mouth and tongue had more important tasks to attend to.
Fei Ni would have preferred him to say something, but he didn't utter a single word.
The only sound in the room was Fei Ni's piano playing.
She hit another wrong note.
The more anxious she became, the more mistakes she made.
Just then, Fang Muyang began tickling her. Fei Ni couldn't bear it and twisted to escape, but she was held firmly in place, with very little room to move. Yet, she was so ticklish that even if she couldn't get away, she had to try.
As she squirmed, her slipper slipped off. Leaning forward slightly, she stretched her toes to search for it.
Fang Muyang finally spoke, his voice a soft whisper in her ear: "Stop moving, alright?"
There was a plea in his tone, mixed with impatience and a hint of frustration.
Why should he be the impatient one?
But Fei Ni was too embarrassed to even scold him.
It was clearly his fault, yet he always managed to shift the blame onto her.
The chair beneath her grew increasingly uncomfortable, but she knew that if she tried to adjust her position, Fang Muyang would likely find some excuse to criticize her.
Fei Ni suspected he was deliberately distracting her so she couldn't play a complete piece, but she refused to give him the satisfaction.
This time, she played almost out of spite. She didn't exactly make mistakes, but it sounded as if she had a grudge against the keys.
Her body grew weaker, yet the music she produced was the complete opposite.
Fei Ni was on the verge of success when Fang Muyang shifted his hands, forcing her fingers on the keys to move slightly out of place.
Fei Ni was truly angry now. She slammed her fingers down on the keys several times, the chaotic sound reflecting her disordered emotions.
She turned her head and bit his chin hard, putting all her strength into it, without a trace of remorse.
Fang Muyang didn't seem to mind at all. While kissing her, he moved his hand from its warm place to the piano keys. "Does this sound like your heartbeat?"
This time, Fei Ni was genuinely furious. She refused to give in to his whims. Even if she couldn't play a complete piece, she would keep playing.
She decided to make him suffer too. If both of them were uncomfortable, it would be better than her suffering alone. If she surrendered now, who knew what methods he would use to torment her in the future? The past two nights had been more than enough for her.His chin still rested on her shoulder, his nose tip brushing against hers. Fei Ni's fingers remained on the piano keys, stubbornly continuing to play the melody. Whether it sounded good or right no longer mattered—only the act of playing did. Occasionally, she turned her head to lightly touch Fang Muyang's lips, just a brief contact. She knew he was suffering too.
"The neighbors downstairs must be trying to sleep by now. If you keep playing, they'll come knocking."
"Let them come."
Fang Muyang stopped trying to persuade her. He turned Fei Ni’s face toward him and sealed her lips with his. Her eyes could no longer linger on the piano keys, only on him.
The piano keys protested with a few reluctant notes before falling silent.
Their breaths and heartbeats were audible to each other. Fei Ni had never felt Fang Muyang’s arms so strong before. He shifted her into a new sitting position, allowing them to face each other directly. For the past two days, they had both been principled enough to avoid leaving marks on each other’s lips or necks, but this time, Fei Ni was so provoked that she momentarily forgot, and Fang Muyang, stirred by her, forgot as well.
Fei Ni’s cotton coat remained draped over her shoulders, but the collar of her pajamas gradually slipped down, the sleeves covering her hands and extending beyond them. When she lowered her head, she saw Fang Muyang’s hair—jet black. Under the harsh lighting, she noticed for the first time how pale her skin, usually hidden from the sun, appeared. So accustomed to it, she had never given it much thought. The warm glow of the bedside lamp over the past two nights had softened the tone of her skin, but now, the stark contrast between black and white was almost blinding. She decided not to look anymore. The shampoo he used today was one she had bought—this man had a habit of repaying kindness with mischief. Clenching her teeth, she focused on counting the strands of his hair, determined not to make a sound.
She turned to look out the window. There was no moon tonight, only a sky full of stars. The curtain was still open, but fortunately, theirs was the only building in the vicinity—whatever happened inside would remain unseen.
Fang Muyang guided Fei Ni’s hand toward an improper place, but this time, she refused to indulge him.
She wanted to make him suffer a little too.
Her reluctance today seemed to bring out a surprising generosity in him.
"Stop fooling around!"
She had bought him gloves to protect his fingers, not so he could use them to torment her.
He asked if she liked it.
Of course, she didn’t, but she didn’t utter a word. If even a hint of sound escaped her lips, he would accuse her of lying.
Fei Ni lost all interest in stargazing and shut her eyes tightly. She thought she had grown familiar with his touch, only to realize there were still unfamiliar aspects.
Suddenly, Fang Muyang asked if she wanted to go look at the stars.
Fei Ni remained silent, and he took it as consent.
Her cotton coat, previously loosely draped, was now being fastened. Fang Muyang said, "If we’re going to watch the stars by the window, you should be properly dressed. Who knows if someone might look up and peer inside at this hour? I know how easily embarrassed you get."
In truth, no one was outside, and even if they were, they wouldn’t be able to see inside. But he had suddenly transformed into the picture of propriety and conservatism.
He paid no mind to her disheveled pajamas, focusing solely on buttoning her coat—all the way to the top button, though he kept fumbling with the task.
His clumsy attempts felt like torture to Fei Ni. She would have preferred him to be as impatient as he was yesterday, but today, he seemed in no hurry at all.
"I don’t want to look at the stars. You go ahead by yourself."
Fang Muyang retorted, "Then what do you want to do? I’ll join you."
Fei Ni gritted her teeth and stayed silent. The man before her spoke with such seriousness, his expression equally solemn.
But his fingers betrayed him. If only they were a little more restrained, she might have believed she had married a decent man.
The "decent man" spoke again, "If you’re too tired to go to the window, I’ll carry you to the bed to watch the stars. You can see them just as clearly from there."
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