Fang Muyang placed the shrimp into Fei Ni’s bowl. "Eat more. I had a better lunch than you."
Since starting work in the food service department, Fang Muyang had saved on one meal a day, as lunch was provided.
With one less meal to pay for, Fang Muyang became even more extravagant with his spending. He gave half of his manuscript earnings to Fei Ni, and the half he kept was mostly spent on food.
After washing up, Fei Ni draped herself in a cotton coat and leaned over the low cabinet to write her thoughts on a book of sequential pictures.
The charcoal stove was burning nicely, and the chestnuts inside were growing hotter.
As the fire died down, Fang Muyang walked over to stand behind Fei Ni. She flipped the paper face-down, propping her elbows on the table to keep him from reading it.
Fang Muyang looked at the overturned paper and said, "What are you writing? Let me see."
"None of your business."
"None of my business? Whose name are you planning to use for publication this time?" Fang Muyang had already guessed most of it. When his last sequential picture book was published, someone named Tian Xueying had published a review in the newspaper. The name sounded familiar to him—his father-in-law sometimes called his mother-in-law "Xueying," and this enthusiastic reader’s former workplace was the hat factory, where his mother-in-law had once worked. But his mother-in-law hadn’t written anything.
Though her cover was blown, Fei Ni still refused to write in front of Fang Muyang.
"Then keep writing."
A while later, Fang Muyang used tongs to retrieve the chestnuts and returned to Fei Ni’s side. This time, she didn’t flip the paper over but instead pressed her hands over it to hide the words. Fang Muyang brought a peeled chestnut to Fei Ni’s lips. She parted them slightly, waiting for him to place it in her mouth. But Fang Muyang only brushed it against her lower lip. Annoyed, Fei Ni closed her mouth and refused to eat.
Fang Muyang spoke up then: "I went to all the trouble of roasting these chestnuts for you. Do me the honor of having a bite." Fei Ni ignored him, but he continued rubbing the chestnut against her lips until the tickling sensation forced her to open her mouth.
After several rounds of Fang Muyang teasing her lips open with the chestnut, only to pull it away when she complied, Fei Ni finally had enough. "I have my own hands. Go do something else."
"I need to ask you for a favor today. I was afraid you’d say no, so I wanted to get on your good side."
"Is that how you try to get on someone’s good side?"
"Then teach me how to win you over so you’ll help me."
Fang Muyang stopped teasing Fei Ni, pulled up a chair to sit beside her, and began peeling chestnuts to feed her.
After eating several, Fei Ni said, "I’ve had enough. Just tell me what you want me to do."
Fang Muyang crossed his hands over his nose and mouth, leaving only his eyes visible as a slow smile spread across them. Fei Ni knew his eyes were sharp, but she still found herself occasionally deceived by them. They were perfectly suited to his profession—even if he stared intently at a girl, others and the girl herself would assume he was merely observing her for a painting, with no ulterior motives.
Even so, Fei Ni grew uneasy under his gaze.
Fang Muyang simply studied her carefully without speaking.
Fei Ni asked, "What exactly do you want me to do?" She had an inkling, but she thought if it were really that, he wouldn’t have been so straightforward earlier."You know, the room isn't particularly warm, and I feel cold every night when I go to bed. Could you please warm up my bed for me before I sleep, so it won't be so chilly when I lie down?"
Fei Ni's face flushed slightly at his words. She lowered her head, avoiding his gaze. "I thought you weren't afraid of the cold. You got your pay, but I haven't seen you buy any new clothes. Besides, you still take cold showers every day."
Fang Muyang laughed. "After a cold shower, I need a warm bed even more." He stood up and moved behind Fei Ni, his fingers tracing a path from her forehead down to the tip of her nose.
"Then use a hot water bottle."
"I don't like hot water bottles. I prefer living, breathing people."
"Then you can just freeze."
"Would you really let me?"
"Why wouldn't I?" Fei Ni swatted at Fang Muyang's hand. "Stop fooling around. Don't you have anything to do today?"
"What do I need to do to please you enough for you to agree?"
Fang Muyang's hands moved to knead Fei Ni's shoulders, then slowly slid downward, pausing at a certain spot. His fingers worked to please her as he asked, "Is this enough? If not..."
Fei Ni clenched her teeth and slapped his arm. "Stop fooling around."
Fang Muyang remained unaffected by Fei Ni's "slaps" and continued to please her.
Fei Ni had no choice but to relent, her body going limp in the chair. Her tone was dry as she said, "Wait until I'm finished writing."
Fang Muyang's fingers continued their flattering motions for a while longer before he finally withdrew and returned to his painting.
Fei Ni lay in Fang Muyang's bed, the covers pulled up to her chest, holding a novel in both hands as she read. Fang Muyang, however, didn't bother her this time, giving her only his back as he focused intently on his painting.
The quilt had been washed and sun-dried, still carrying a faint scent of laundry detergent. It was clean, though somewhat wrinkled. Fei Ni lay against the pillow by the wall, reading her novel distractedly as she waited for Fang Muyang to come over. Today was Saturday, and they both had an unspoken understanding about this day.
After reading for a while, she set the book aside and closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep.
Fang Muyang asked Fei Ni, "Can I come to bed now?"
Fei Ni knew Fang Muyang was asking this deliberately, waiting for her to specifically invite him over. She refused to give him the satisfaction and ignored him.
When she didn't respond, Fang Muyang didn't press further.
Fei Ni heard the door open and knew Fang Muyang had left. After some time had passed, he came back in.
She heard his footsteps growing closer and closer.
He sat beside her, using his fingers to trace the contours of her face. His hands, having just been in cold water, were chilly. Fei Ni pretended to be asleep and didn't react. Fang Muyang unwrapped a soft plum candy and rubbed his fingers against her lips. Fei Ni stubbornly kept her mouth closed, so Fang Muyang pressed on her nose instead. Forced to breathe through her mouth, she parted her lips slightly, and the plum candy slipped inside. She had no choice but to hold it in her mouth. Fang Muyang's fingers patiently traced her lips until the candy completely dissolved between her teeth. Then, his fingers pried her lips open again, and Fei Ni sucked on his finger as if it were candy.
Fei Ni was tormented by Fang Muyang's patience. She even felt he was retaliating for her rejection days earlier, deliberately making her wait today.Fang Muyang lay down beside Fei Ni, separated by a quilt, and turned her face toward his to kiss her. Fei Ni waited for Fang Muyang to get under the covers, but he remained outside. She thought he was probably waiting for her to invite him in. She stubbornly refused. Fang Muyang pinched her chin, trying to pry her teeth apart, but Fei Ni remained unmoved, keeping her teeth tightly clenched. However, Fang Muyang knew her weaknesses all too well. He picked up Fei Ni's hand, breathed warm air onto her palm and fingers, and her fingers trembled involuntarily. Then, holding her hand, he tickled her sensitive spots. Fei Ni couldn't hold back any longer and opened her mouth to speak, "Fang Muyang, stop fooling around!"
"Isn't it a bit distant to call me by my full name like that?" Fang Muyang continued to hold her hand, lightly brushing against her ticklish spots.
Fei Ni was extremely ticklish, so she softened her tone and addressed him as he liked.
Fang Muyang asked her, "Is the bed warm now? Can I come in?"
Fei Ni said nothing.
"You tickle me too." Fang Muyang grabbed Fei Ni's hand and slipped it under his shirt. He must have just rinsed with cold water, as his skin was still cool.
But when Fei Ni's fingers touched him, they felt warm. Fang Muyang loosened his grip on her hand, and Fei Ni finally pulled it back, unable to resist swatting him. She had mustered a lot of strength, but the blow landed lightly.
Fang Muyang, on the contrary, complained that she hadn't hit him hard enough. "Hit me harder—it might help relieve the itch."
Fei Ni muttered under her breath, "Shameless!"
"Can I come in now?" Fang Muyang's palm slipped through a gap in the covers and slid under the quilt, his fingers seeming to ask the question as well.
Fei Ni couldn't stand his fingers any longer and finally said, her face flushed, "Fine."
Fang Muyang leaned close to her ear. "Fine what?"
"Come in if you want, or don't!"
In an instant, the quilt Fei Ni was under now covered two people.
Fei Ni had started with a checkered cotton quilt, but soon it was replaced by Fang Muyang. The new "quilt" was too heavy, and because of its weight, she broke into a sweat, as if it were summer instead of winter. At first, she thought the sweat was her own, but she gradually realized most of it was his. His sweat dripped onto her, blurring the lines between whose it was.
With all his exertion, some noise was inevitable.
At first, Fei Ni was afraid the neighbors might hear, but she soon forgot about it, as she had no energy left to worry.
Due to his lack of experience, Fang Muyang never managed to fully satisfy Fei Ni in a single night. The first time, he was always impatient, focused solely on himself, with no energy left to care about Fei Ni's feelings. The second time, he was overly polite, asking for her thoughts on every detail until her face grew hotter and hotter. Only by the third time did he strike a balance, knowing what she wanted without having to ask.
When Fei Ni woke, the sky was already bright, and light seeped through the gaps in the curtain into her eyes. She saw the marks she had left on Fang Muyang—to keep from crying out, her nails had dug into his flesh.
Fang Muyang's eyes were closed, and Fei Ni thought he was still asleep. Her fingers slowly traced the marks she had made; at the time, she hadn't realized how hard she had clawed.
Her fingers lingered on a bright red mark, not moving away. Fang Muyang grasped her hand, and Fei Ni's fingers continued to glide near the spot. She asked him, "Does it hurt?""It doesn't hurt."
"When can we get a new apartment?" Fei Ni immediately felt greedy after saying this—so many people couldn't even get assigned a room like theirs.
Perhaps when she had thirty years of seniority, she might be able to exchange for a bigger place. Thirty years of seniority—it was simply unimaginable.
Fang Muyang gently brushed his finger against Fei Ni's ear. "We'll get a new apartment soon." Many previously confiscated private properties had recently been returned, and the number of available rental units had suddenly increased. However, to rent a good place, one needed money. The top priority was to earn more.
Fei Ni thought Fang Muyang's "soon" meant three to five years. If Fang Muyang could secure a formal job, in three to five years, he might be assigned a small room, and they could exchange their two small rooms for a larger one with someone else.
Fang Muyang's words gave Fei Ni more hope for the future.
Thinking this, she hugged Fang Muyang.
Both of them felt the future would only get better.
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