Note: The beginning of this chapter is a recap to ensure plot continuity. For those who missed the detailed version last night, please check the author's note in the previous chapter.
Xu Huaisong raised his hand, and as his kiss descended, his scorching palm slid up her back.
That single motion, combined with the damp heat of his kiss, sent a shiver through Ruan Yu's entire body.
With his eyes closed, Xu Huaisong stoked flames within her world.
She let out a muffled whimper of protest, her soul nearly scattering in the haze. Dazed, she thought—perhaps this was just a man’s instinct?
She yielded to him, her hands tangling in his hair.
Xu Huaisong paused, breath ragged, and asked, "...Where’s your bubble gum?"
"Third drawer in the TV cabinet..."
He turned and left the bed.
The sheets had long been kicked to the corner. Ruan Yu, her clothes in disarray, buried her face in the pillow, her heart pounding wildly—
Yearning and nervous all at once.
When rustling sounds returned beside the bed, she pressed her face deeper into the pillow, not daring to lift her head.
Then, a low, rough voice exploded above her: "There’s no turning back now. Too late for regrets."
She startled. "W-wait..."
Xu Huaisong took a deep breath, then continued coaxing her with infinite patience—gentle yet relentless.
And she, like a lone boat tossed upon the sea, saw nothing but violent waves, swaying helplessly with nowhere to escape.
Ruan Yu tensed like an overcooked shrimp. "H-how did you...?"
Xu Huaisong propped himself up, brushing his nose against hers. "Because I’ve rehearsed it in my head countless times."
Seeing her sniffling, genuinely overwhelmed to the point of tears, he stroked her sweat-dampened forehead. "Is this okay now?"
Ruan Yu bit her lip, silent—so he knew she was consenting.
The moment he breached her defenses, twin groans escaped them.
Xu Huaisong stilled. "Does it hurt?"
Ruan Yu shook her head. "N-not too much... But I..."
He held back, patient. "But what?"
"But I really want to cry..."
Xu Huaisong kissed her forehead. "Silly."
Yet she truly did cry—tears of warmth, of overwhelming gratitude.
Between sobs, she whispered, "Xu Huaisong, I—"
"I love you," he interrupted. "This line—I should say it first."
She clung to his back, nodding fervently. "I love you too. Maybe more than you think."
Xu Huaisong’s heart trembled. Then he moved, with a force that threatened to crush her.
Ruan Yu endured his storm, feeling as though the night stretched endlessly—long enough to glimpse the end of a lifetime.
In the ceremonious "first morning," Ruan Yu did not wake in Xu Huaisong’s arms as per the "perfect script."
She was roused by the sound of running water.
Opening her eyes, she found the bed empty—but the sheets still warm.
Xu Huaisong was in the bathroom, freshening up. He couldn’t have risen long ago.
Blinking groggily, she watched the sliver of light through the curtains, slowly awakening as last night’s events sharpened in her mind—
She and Xu Huaisong had crossed that line.
From sixteen to eighteen, they’d held hands once. From May to September at twenty-six, they’d reached this point.
Fast, yet slow.
Their first time hadn’t lasted long, but the buildup had drained them both, leaving them drenched in sweat. Afterward, when he tried carrying her to the shower, she’d flailed and refused.Because she had imagined the meaning behind that mirror in the love hotel.
Xu Huaisong had no choice but to fetch water to help her clean up.
But the ambiguous tension in the dim light was no less than in broad daylight. As he wiped her down, things got out of hand again, and the two chose to surrender, following their hearts for a second round.
The second time was a bit more intense.
In the end, she was truly exhausted. When Xu Huaisong tried to carry her to the bathroom again, she lay there like a dead fish, too tired to struggle and no longer remembering her shyness.
But now, as she recalled it, her face flushed red again, and she giggled to herself.
Just as the corners of Ruan Yu’s lips curled halfway, the bathroom door slid open with a "whoosh."
Like a thief caught in the act, she quickly suppressed her smile and instinctively squeezed her eyes shut, pretending to be asleep.
Xu Huaisong chuckled silently, crouched by the bed, and leaned in slowly to peck her lips. "It's almost ten."
Forgetting her act, Ruan Yu opened her eyes abruptly and asked in surprise, "So late already?" Then, realizing her negligence in managing his three meals a day, she propped herself up on her elbow. "Have you had breakfast yet?"
Xu Huaisong wasn’t wearing his glasses, and his lashes were still damp, making him look exceptionally gentle and considerate as he shook his head. "Couldn’t bear to eat."
"..."
Ordinary men saying suggestive things isn’t scary because you can immediately glare back at them.
But the terrifying thing about Xu Huaisong was that the suggestive remarks from his mouth required a moment of mental processing to fully grasp—and by then, the best opportunity to retort had already passed.
Then he’d take your silence as acceptance and smoothly move on to the next topic, smiling as he said, "Get up. I made food."
Ruan Yu touched her nose and gave an "Oh," then threw off the covers. The moment her feet touched the floor, a dull ache shot up her legs.
Noticing her pause, Xu Huaisong pulled her back. "Should I bring a basin so you can wash up in bed?"
She choked. "I just..." It was only their second time—not like she was postpartum or anything.
"After the university fitness test, it was way worse. The next day, the whole dorm was howling in pain just getting out of bed," she muttered, brushing it off as no big deal before turning toward the bathroom.
Xu Huaisong gave a faint "Oh," then followed her in after a moment. "So I can’t even compare to your university fitness test?"
Ruan Yu’s hand, squeezing toothpaste, froze.
What kind of... comparison was that?
Avoiding the main point, she said, "Frog jumps are just really rough on the legs."
Xu Huaisong took the toothbrush from her, squeezed the toothpaste for her, poured water, and handed it to her. After a pause, he added, "That activity also has a similar effect to frog jumps."
Had some switch flipped in him last night? Was he never going to stop?
Ruan Yu’s toothbrush halted in her mouth as she slowly raised her eyes, blue-white foam dripping from the corner of her lips.
Xu Huaisong glanced at her reflection in the mirror and smiled, wrapping one arm around her from behind while taking the toothbrush with the other. "Open your mouth."
She blinked and parted her lips slightly, letting him brush her teeth for her.
The bristles carefully swept over each tooth, and then a cup of water was brought to her lips.
She peeked at Xu Huaisong’s reflection in the mirror.
He was looking down at her with focused tenderness, his eyes brimming with stars soft enough to melt. Seeing her motionless, he urged gently, "Rinse."
An unprecedented intimacy blossomed between them.
She began to believe a saying: whether a man and a woman have been "intimate" can be spotted at a glance by a keen observer.
She bent her head to sip water from his hand, swished it around, and spat.
Xu Huaisong proceeded to brush her teeth a second time.She held the toothbrush in his hand, her mouth full of foam as she grinned and mumbled, "Are you raising a daughter here?"
He chuckled, looking down. "Don’t let Teacher hear that—it’ll sound like I’ve kidnapped his daughter."
Ruan Yu rinsed her mouth clean and tilted her head to look at him. "Isn’t that exactly what happened?"
At this, Xu Huaisong seemed to recall something. He set down the cup and said, "Not if I’m not taking her to the U.S."
Mentioning this, Ruan Yu paused slightly, her smile fading.
Xu Huaisong sighed and reached out to caress her face. "Do you know why I never applied for U.S. citizenship?"
She shook her head, frowning slightly in confusion.
Thinking carefully, he had been in the U.S. for eight years. Given his achievements, he should have met the requirements long ago.
"Because my dad never brought it up before he fell ill. At first, I thought he might have other career plans. But after he got sick, while organizing his documents, I found he had maintained investments in China all along. Even though we’ve put down roots in the U.S., it seems he never intended to fully relinquish his Chinese citizenship or completely sever ties here. So I didn’t make the decision for him."
"I already had my mom and sister hoping for my return, and perhaps a father who still held onto this place. You were the one who gave me the push to make a choice. I can practice law in the U.S., but I can do the same in China. Eight years might seem long, but compared to the decades ahead, isn’t it insignificant?"
Ruan Yu wasn’t sure how much of Xu Huaisong’s words were true and how much were just comforting lies.
But as she had guessed, he wouldn’t be taking her away with him.
He smiled. "I’m really glad you were willing to consider this for me, but just considering it is enough."
She lowered her eyes and nodded. After a moment, she asked, "What about your dad, then?"
"Once his condition stabilizes, I’ll consult with doctors in the U.S. to see when he’ll be fit to fly and whether he can readjust to a new environment."
She nodded again. "So when are we going to the U.S. this time?"
He tapped her nose lightly. "Like I said yesterday, I’m going alone. The bar exam is coming up soon, and this trip won’t be long. It’d be too exhausting for you to follow me and deal with jet lag."
Ruan Yu made a protesting sound, attempting to use her "charms" to keep him, poking his waist suggestively. "You’re really willing to leave me behind like this…"
Xu Huaisong froze for a second before realizing what she meant. He lowered his head and said, "Isn’t your period starting tomorrow? I’ll only be gone for a little over a week."
"…"
All her tender sentiments had been wasted. Xu Huaishi’s warning echoed in her ears: See that shrewd, calculating look on my brother’s face? Someone like him—date him if you must, but never marry him!
Ruan Yu pushed him away. "Go, go, just go!"
Xu Huaisong left on an evening flight and returned as scheduled a couple of weeks later.
With her script work suspended due to the investor’s detainment, Ruan Yu had been idling at home, practically growing mold while waiting for him, when she suddenly received a call from Fang Zhen.
It was from his personal number, so it likely wasn’t official business.
She answered and heard him ask, "Ms. Ruan, can you reach Lawyer Xu? I can’t get through to him—both his domestic and international numbers."
She was taken aback. "He’s on a flight. You should be able to reach his domestic number in about an hour." Then she frowned, as if guessing something. "What’s this about? Is there news about Wei Jin’s case?"Fang Zhen gave a faint "Mm" in response. "Lawyer Xu mentioned it to me privately before, about a case his father took on ten years ago."
Ruan Yu's heart suddenly raced. "Any progress?"
"There's been a significant discovery, which has already been handed over to the Suzhou police."
"What discovery?"
"I'm not at liberty to disclose. If Lawyer Xu is concerned about this matter, he can contact the Suzhou authorities. I'm just here to relay this message."
Author's note: Fang Zhen: When I first appeared, I never expected I'd be running errands from start to finish.
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