In her first summer vacation of university, Chun Zao got her first formal internship job.

The location was the Yishi Ningpu District People’s Court.

At his daughter’s request and his wife’s urging, Chun’s father, who worked in district administration, contacted acquaintances in the judicial system before the vacation even began.

Chun Zao’s diploma from a top university served as a passport, making this internship very smooth to secure.

Like all newcomers to any organization, Chun Zao did dirty work: organizing case files, attending hearings, scanning and copying, issuing summons… and so on. Though tedious, it would be worth adding to her resume in the future.

As for Yuan Ye, he was preparing for the September general class interview, studying related knowledge with obsessive dedication every day: algorithms, Python, computer introduction, artificial intelligence introduction, robotics… He left no Chinese or English textbook unread, and when he didn’t understand something, he would stay up all night puzzling it out with Tu Wenwei. After half a month, his sleep schedule was completely reversed.

Chun Zao worked nine to five. When she came to deliver breakfast before work each day, the boy was usually dead to the world.

Blackout curtains sealed the bedroom like nighttime, and the two monitors and laptop on the desk remained on, glowing faintly.

Against the blue-black background, characters densely packed together made one dizzy just looking at them.

Glancing at the long figure on the bed, her boyfriend sleeping completely defenseless, Chun Zao could only sigh quietly in her heart, adjust the air conditioning up two degrees, and tidy up his messy summer blanket before leaving.

Though Yuan Ye kept American hours, in all these vacation days, he never once missed picking up his girlfriend after work.

Sometimes they ate out at restaurants, sometimes they went back to the rental apartment to handle things themselves.

This day when they returned, Chun Zao noticed the untouched breakfast packaging box on the table after entering. She couldn’t help but turn her head to ask Yuan Ye, who was hugging her from behind: “Don’t tell me you still haven’t eaten anything?”

The boy’s chin stopped nuzzling behind her ear, and he glanced over: “I woke up at 4:30, was afraid I’d be late picking you up, so I didn’t eat.”

Chun Zao broke free from his embrace, turned around to study him: “A whole day, are you trying to become an immortal?”

Yuan Ye was quiet for a second: “I’ll eat now.”

After saying this, he sat down at the table, lifted the porridge lid, and pulled out bamboo chopsticks and a plastic spoon from the paper bag.

Chun Zao moved the food container away, not letting him use the chopsticks: “It’s all cold.”

Yuan Ye looked up: “It doesn’t matter to eat cold food in summer.”

Chun Zao poked the faint dark circles under his left eye, like a little mother: “Do you still care about your body? Only eating once a day—being young isn’t for wasting like this.”

Yuan Ye caught her hand and held it: “I’ll eat on time when I wake up tomorrow.”

This sentence sounded remarkably similar to the “next time for sure” meme.

Chun Zao didn’t quite believe him and decided to supervise personally.

The next day, she arrived at eight o’clock, wanting to drag the sleeping pig from bed to eat. But the other party remained immovable. Chun Zao employed eighteen different wake-up methods, questioning: “What did you promise me yesterday? You said you’d get up to eat.”

Yuan Ye squinted, and even in his drowsy state, craftily found the logical loophole: “But I didn’t say I’d get up in the morning…?” After speaking, he turned over with his back to her.

You can never wake someone who’s pretending to sleep.

Chun Zao was furious and left the bed.

Yuan Ye, sleeping like the dead, was completely unaware. He arrived at the court entrance right on time, but didn’t wait for Chun Zao to get off work. He sent her a WeChat message: Where are you?

After more than ten minutes, he received a reply, three cold words: Went home.

Yuan Ye called, but she didn’t answer. He continued messaging: Which home?

This time, Chun Zao didn’t reply.

Yuan Ye turned around and took a taxi back. The rental apartment was empty, with no additional presence. He threw the whole box of bobo chicken that Chun Zao loved, which he’d bought and brought back on the way, into the kitchen. Reviewing the morning’s events, he felt so frustrated he grabbed his hair, then sent Chun Zao another message: I’ll take you home tomorrow.

Capricorns truly were masters of cold violence.

This message also sank without a trace.

As time passed, Yuan Ye’s psychological defenses were gradually eroded by his girlfriend’s coldness. He barely slept all night, and by seven in the morning was waiting in the living room. Sure enough, Chun Zao didn’t appear as usual.

He looked up the harmful effects of “staying up late” and “irregular eating,” preparing to use this content to make a guilt-ridden apology.

The more he read, the more agitated he became. He took it out on Tu Wenwei, cursing in WeChat: Disaster.

Tu Wenwei didn’t reply until noon: ???

Cold war aside, troubles aside, Yuan Ye knew that if he also gave her the cold treatment, it would only make things worse.

In the afternoon at the appointed time, he appeared at the court entrance for the Nth time.

The old man in the mail room, seeing this handsome young fellow come like clockwork every day, asked with a smile: “Here to wait for your girlfriend again?”

Yuan Ye looked at him: “Mm.”

Soon, a pure white Q5 slowly drove out from inside the court, passing over speed bumps and stopping in front of the rising barrier.

Yuan Ye hadn’t paid much attention at first, but when his gaze casually slid past the passenger side, it fixed on the familiar, delicate profile behind the window.

Looking again at the driver’s seat, it was a young man.

Yuan Ye paused, immediately striding forward to block the car.

The driver braked to a stop, took his hands off the steering wheel, and leaned out to ask what was wrong.

Yuan Ye glanced at the man, walked around to the passenger door with a cold face, saying not a word but creating an imposing presence.

The two girls in the back seat showed shocked, gossipy expressions.

Chun Zao’s face reddened slightly. For a moment, she didn’t want to move, much less face this, so she remained frozen.

“Who are you?” The driver became suspicious and got out to ask clearly.

Yuan Ye, on this side, calmly answered: “Chun Zao’s boyfriend, here to pick her up from work.”

The colleague behind Chun Zao covered her mouth and made a low train whistle sound.

Chun Zao took a deep breath, glanced at Yuan Ye through the window, then turned to say somewhat angrily: “I didn’t expect him to come. I might have to bail on dinner today, sorry.”

The colleague put on an “I’m experienced, I understand” smile: “It’s fine, we can go together next time.”

Chun Zao hummed acknowledgment and tried to push the door open. Yuan Ye was blocking outside, so she glared at him. Only then did the boy belatedly step back a few paces, no longer obstructing her from opening the door.

Chun Zao slammed the car door lightly, waved to the people inside, then turned back. Her lip curve immediately disappeared, and she walked in the opposite direction as if she didn’t recognize the person in front of her.

Yuan Ye chased after her, grabbing her wrist. She struggled but couldn’t break free, so she clenched her teeth and remained silent.

Yuan Ye didn’t want to argue in public. His thick brows furrowed as he pulled her to the roadside to hail a taxi, heading to the residential area where the rental apartment was located.

As soon as they got out of the car, the girl pulled the same trick again, turning toward her residential complex across the street. Yuan Ye intercepted her at one-third of the sidewalk, his tone displeased: “Where are you going now?”

Chun Zao didn’t even look at him: “Going home.”

Yuan Ye pulled her toward his side.

Chun Zao was furious, stubborn like a Shiba Inu that didn’t want to be walked.

She struggled with all her might to break free from his restraint, saying in a low voice: “Let go.”

Yuan Ye increased his grip: “Let go for what, so you can go eat with other men?”

Chun Zao looked at him: “Be reasonable. We’re colleagues having dinner together, and there were other people in the car, okay?”

Yuan Ye countered: “Why didn’t the others sit in the passenger seat?”

Chun Zao was stunned. Such trivial matters were worth making a big fuss over.

The one who found her noisy and troublesome, disturbing his sweet dreams and playing dead, was he.

The one now starting to nitpick and attack indiscriminately was still him.

Was she such a soft persimmon to be pinched at will?

Chun Zao’s breathing quickened: “I’m not going to eat anymore. I’m going home right now. Please let me go.”

Thinking of yesterday evening’s futile trip, Yuan Ye asked: “Where did you go yesterday?”

Chun Zao said, “Are you this forgetful now? I told you in WeChat that I went home.”

Yuan Ye: “I also told you I was coming to pick you up.”

“So what? You’re so busy with important daily affairs, working through the night—who would dare trouble your lordship? Disturb your meditation?”

“No matter how late I study, it doesn’t delay picking you up. Which day since vacation started have I not gone? Go ask your security guard if he recognizes me yet.”

“Who forced you? Is picking me up every day so remarkable? Haven’t I been bringing you breakfast every day?” Chun Zao said mockingly: “Tch, whether you eat it or not depends on your schedule and mood.”

She stared straight at him: “Don’t trouble yourself anymore. I’ll go home by myself from now on. Spend your time however you want, sleep whenever you want—you could go three days without food or water and no one would point fingers.”

Passersby would glance at them more or less.

Not because their argument was loud or obvious, but because both were very easy on the eyes, even though they both looked upset.

The girl’s words cut like sharp knives across his heart. Yuan Ye felt extremely congested in his chest. Thinking that today he’d come to make peace, he restrained himself, no longer speaking any insincere words, and just pulled Chun Zao toward his building.

With such disparity in size and strength, Chun Zao was no match. She dragged her feet reluctantly, being forcibly pulled into the elevator.

Yuan Ye pressed the 10F button.

Chun Zao went to turn it off.

Yuan Ye pressed it again.

Chun Zao repeated her behavior.

The elevator doors were tormented into opening and closing, twitching.

After the third time, Yuan Ye’s patience was exhausted. He stepped forward to restrain her hands behind her back, his other arm encircling her waist, completely subduing her.

She could no longer move.

Chun Zao’s face flushed quickly: “Hey, let go, let me go home—”

Yuan Ye acted as if he hadn’t heard.

The metallic reflective walls of the elevator car showed this somewhat humiliating posture, with the boy in black behind her like a cloudy mountain peak, dark clouds pressing down, ready to swallow her at any moment.

Chun Zao’s heart trembled slightly. She looked away, focusing her attention on the continuously flashing jumping numbers.

After exiting the elevator, she was pulled along by Yuan Ye again, rushing down the corridor.

Slamming the door shut, he released his hands, turned Chun Zao’s shoulders around, forcing her to face him.

He took a deep breath: “I apologize to you. Yesterday morning was my fault.”

Chun Zao looked away, avoiding his clear, bright show of weakness.

Seeing the girl’s expression soften slightly, he pulled her to his chest. Chun Zao pushed twice unsuccessfully, then he lifted her chin from above, looking down: “Starting tomorrow, I’ll get up every morning to eat breakfast with you.”

Chun Zao pursed her lips, maintaining her grudge-holding expression.

“I swear.” He pinched both her cheeks, leaned down to plant a kiss, smiling slightly: “Sealed.”

Chun Zao’s mouth corners showed signs of lifting. Afraid he’d notice she was about to break, she quickly turned her face away.

Yuan Ye saw through it. Fighting fire with fire, he targeted the visible areas within range to vent his frustration and resentment, his teeth harshly knocking against her tender red earlobe.

Chun Zao cried out in pain.

Yuan Ye guessed he hadn’t controlled his strength and belatedly showed concern: “Does it hurt a lot?”

Chun Zao covered her ear and glared at him: “It hurts like hell, okay?”

Her eyes involuntarily turned red.

“Let me see.” Yuan Ye’s heart also clenched. He moved her hand away, tilting his head to examine that spot. The tooth marks were like landmarks, clearly left on the skin surface. The girl’s entire small ear showed a translucent red, fragile as blood amber.

He lowered his eyes, moving closer to that spot, even though the original distance was already extremely close.

His nose tip almost touching it, along the contours of the cartilage, he blew evenly, warm air from top to bottom, tantalizingly close.

After several repetitions, the unbearable itching and tingling sensation rushed from the crown of her head straight through her limbs.

When his moist lips and tongue finally enveloped her earlobe, Chun Zao knew the protective barrier had disappeared. They were both conquered by each other and would be invaded by each other.

Today, the computer in the bedroom was properly shut off. With the curtains drawn, it was pitch black, but Yuan Ye insisted on turning on the bedside lamp to watch her expressions and reactions.

With the arrow on the string, Chun Zao wouldn’t comply, making him swear: “Just eating breakfast isn’t enough. After eating, you can go back to sleep. Promise me you won’t stay up late anymore.”

Yuan Ye: “I won’t stay up late.”

“Never stay up late again in the future.”

“Never stay up late again in the future.”

…

Any further substantial conditional agreements became scattered fragments along with voice and consciousness.

After showering and returning to the room, Chun Zao nestled in his arms, using her finger to stroke his chin, which he hadn’t shaved today, and showed a bit of stubble.

Yuan Ye felt ticklish and moved her hand away, bringing it behind his back.

Chun Zao took the opportunity to measure his waist with her arm, talking nonsense: “You seem to have lost weight.”

Yuan Ye looked down, unconvinced: “Have I?”

Their gazes met at close range. Chun Zao replied: “Yes, and there are more red bloodshot lines in your eyes.”

She smacked his back muscle once, threatening: “If you go bald or blind later, I’ll immediately fly away like swallows.”

Yuan Ye chuckled without responding, then got out of bed and pulled clean clothes from the wardrobe to put on.

He took a wooden brown box from the gift bag by the table and brought it to Chun Zao.

Chun Zao sat up and opened it, finding glasses frames wrapped in lens cloth: “You got glasses?”

Yuan Ye said: “My eyes have been uncomfortable lately. I went to the store during the day to get them. I formally promise you, starting today I’ll adjust my schedule, sleep early and wake early, love and protect my eyes.”

Chun Zao smiled with satisfaction, taking the glasses to look at them. They were extremely light, thin lenses with shallow gold, irregular, pure titanium thin frames around the edges.

She was puzzled: “Do you have a prescription?”

“No, blue light blocking. I’ll wear them when using the computer from now on.” Yuan Ye took them back and casually put them on: “How do they look?”

Chun Zao stared blankly for a few seconds, then enunciated: “Take them off immediately.”

Yuan Ye asked: “Don’t they look good?”

Chun Zao replied: “Quite the opposite.”

Yuan Ye laughed: “Not flying away like swallows anymore?”

Chun Zao helplessly pursed her lips: “Now I just want to kiss you thoroughly.”