As soon as Xu You finished speaking.

Xie Ci froze in place for two seconds to process. After understanding the meaning, he only felt his heart melting.

His mind was like popping candy fizzing and melting, his bones trembling lightly, his fingers unconsciously curling up.

There was wind, the night was cool.

The riverside lights were brilliant, the clamoring crowd’s cheers didn’t stop, fireworks exploding one after another in the starlit night sky with its thin starlight.

Xie Ci’s face moved close to Xu You’s ear, his hand circling around her back, letting her whole person nestle in his embrace. His fingers tightened, asking word by word: “Does this mean you’re agreeing to be with me?”

The hot breath he exhaled sprayed onto her ear, burning and making her heart panic.

Before she could open her mouth to say anything, Xie Ci directly said: “If you regret it, I’ll jump in the river right now.”

Xu You’s forehead pressed against Xie Ci’s shoulder. After a long while, she reached out her hand to lightly circle his waist, quietly replying: “I know, I won’t let you jump in the river.”

—

All the way until he sent her home, his hand never let go.

A short journey of just over ten minutes was forcibly dragged out by the two of them to take an entire hour to complete. Or to be more accurate, it was dragged out by Xie Ci alone.

Along this entire road, he was like he’d developed a kissing addiction, stopping every two steps to lean over and kiss Xu You.

Looking at her directly, sideways glances, inadvertent peripheral vision – approximately dozens of times per minute.

Then unable to suppress wanting to get close to her, kissing her earlobe, kissing her face, kissing the corner of her lips, kissing her eyes.

Passersby would occasionally cast appraising looks at the two of them, murmuring in low voices about who knows what. Being watched by people in such broad daylight made Xu You very uncomfortable. She really couldn’t take it anymore, standing a bit to the side, pulling distance from Xie Ci, “Why do you keep doing this, can you just walk properly?”

In the deep winter night, there was bone-piercing cold.

The streetlight was right overhead, yellow-orange light falling down, the wind blowing and swaying the tree shadows.

“Are you angry?” He touched his neck, asking somewhat uncertainly.

“No.” Xu You paused before continuing, “But sometimes, can you restrain yourself a little bit?”

Xie Ci raised his eyebrows, “Restrain what?”

“You… it’s just…”

Xu You frowned slightly, finding it somewhat difficult to speak.

She couldn’t continue.

How could she say this kind of thing directly…

Should she tell him not to always kiss her… that directly?

She actually rarely deliberately went to great lengths to think about how to get along with someone. But his behavior sometimes was really difficult for her to get used to, especially since they’d just confirmed their relationship. Xu You felt that doing these very intimate things with him in broad daylight in public really wasn’t very good.

Xie Ci leaned against the lamppost nearby, the corner of his lips pulling up a slight arc, his tone naturally revealing a bit of roguish meaning, “If you want me to restrain myself, then don’t provoke me.”

From this angle, Xu You could see his pitch-black eyes, set against pale shadows, his eyes elongated and slightly narrowed at the ends. She was baffled, “I’m not provoking you.”

He was completely unreasonable, his thumb and index finger pinching her chin: “Your speaking is provoking me, even your breathing is provoking me.”

“……..”

“You know or not, even when you look at me now, I feel like you’re seducing me.”

In the deep night the cold air was heavy, Xu You’s black hair just scattered over her shoulders. Her skin was good, fair and delicate, her eyes dark and moist.

Xie Ci watched and watched and couldn’t help but lean down again, his kiss landing beside her nose bridge, below her eyes.

Warm lips pressed against that patch of skin.

She pushed his face away, turning her head and walking away, ignoring the slight pleasant laughter that rang out behind her.

Not far ahead they’d reach home.

Xu You stopped in her tracks, just about to turn her head to tell Xie Ci to go home early. Then she felt someone embrace her from behind, his arms locking around her waist.

With his tall stature, leaning close to her ear from behind, he asked in a low voice: “Come out to play tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow I need to be at home.”

Xie Ci was instantly dissatisfied: “Damn, what for at home?”

“Do homework.” Her voice was very calm.

“……..”

Xu You laughed helplessly, turning around, her hand raising slightly to press against his forehead, pushing lightly, “Go back quickly, finals are coming soon, I really need to review.”

“I won’t.” Xie Ci pulled down her arm, pinching one side of her cheek, sucking on the slightly pouty soft center of her lips, “I’m so lonely alone, are you really going to write homework all day?”

“Where are you lonely, there are so many people playing with you.”

“No, right now I just want to play with my girlfriend, I don’t care about the others.”

“Whatever.”

Xu You wanted to leave, but was pulled by Xie Ci and pushed against the wall to the side. His hand propped against the spot above her shoulder.

“What are you doing?!” She was blocked from leaving, looking up deliberately being fierce at him.

But the two of them were pressed too close together, fitting tightly with no gaps, even their breathing intervals audible.

Xu You was a bit awkward and embarrassed. She raised her hand to block between their chests, wanting to separate some distance, slightly turning her head not daring to look directly at his eyes, “Let me go, I’m really going home.”

“Wait a moment.”

Her wrist was suddenly grabbed by him. Xie Ci pulled the person into his embrace, lowering his head and sticking close again, “Kiss a bit more, I didn’t kiss enough just now.”

—

When she got up the next day it was already two or three in the afternoon, snow was floating outside the window, the residential area was completely white.

Inside the room the heating was on, warm and cozy.

Xu You’s head was still a bit dizzy, just woken up, she couldn’t muster her energy. She yawned, casually turning off the humidifier switch, putting on her clothes and opening the room door, shuffling in slippers to the living room. Dad and Mom weren’t home, Chen Xiuyun had cooked porridge and left it on the dining table, with a note stuck beside it telling her to heat up the dishes and eat them herself.

The microwave light was faintly bright, rotating the food. Xu You stared blankly at the rotating timer. Suddenly remembering that before going to sleep last night she’d put her phone on silent.

She ran to her room, taking out the phone from her coat, checking if there were any messages.

Casually flipping through, they were all from Xie Ci.

Missed calls and many text messages.

Xu You was too lazy to reply, sighing slightly, putting the phone aside.

This person really had too much free time.

After eating, Xu You sat down at her desk to study. Approaching finals, the tasks for each subject also became heavier, in just a few short days of New Year’s holiday, all sorts of test papers had been distributed.

Xu You was very focused in whatever she did, easily getting absorbed. It was the same with studying, so time passed without her realizing. She finished the biology test paper, then took out the math problems to work on.

Just finishing the fourth problem, her phone rang again.

She didn’t need to look to know who it was.

Xu You stopped her pen, rubbing her sore neck. Perfect timing for a break.

She answered the phone, “Hello… Xie Ci.”

“Damn, what are you doing, finally willing to answer my call.”

There were children’s voices nearby, noisy and chaotic doing who knows what.

Xie Ci cleared his throat, saying to the people beside him: “Go play over there, don’t bother me.”

Hearing the playful noisy background sounds on the other end, Xu You asked: “Where are you?”

She was a bit thirsty, getting up to pour water to drink.

Xie Ci said: “At home.”

“Why is it so noisy?” Various talking and laughing sounds mixed together.

He made an “mm” sound, saying: “People came over to the house.”

Only then did Xu You realize that today was New Year’s Day, it should be a family gathering or something, she made an “oh” sound, “All relatives?”

“Yeah, I’m bored to death…”

Just as he finished speaking, he suddenly shouted: “Hey holy shit, Xie Haixin don’t climb on me.”

Xie Haixin held a homework book, looking at him eagerly: “Brother, what are you doing?”

Xie Ci pulled off his cousin’s hand, saying impatiently: “On the phone with my girlfriend.”

“Wow! Girlfriend!”

Xie Haixin’s eyes lit up, “Is it the older sister you told me about, the one with better grades than me!”

“Yes yes yes, adults are talking, kids shouldn’t listen.”

“But you said you’d have her teach me homework!” Xie Haixin persisted relentlessly.

Xie Ci had forgotten about this. Earlier when he passed by, seeing his cousin in her room writing homework with a worried frown, he’d casually bragged, “Yo, so young yet loves studying so much, almost catching up to your sister-in-law, sometime I’ll have her teach you homework.”

Kids these days were all precocious, understanding everything. Xie Haixin pouted: “Brother you’re lying, your grades are so bad.”

Xie Ci was also too bored, actually leaning against the doorframe, just chatting with his cousin like this: “What’s wrong with bad grades, only in second grade and you dare look down on your brother?”

“The sister with good grades won’t like you.”

“Hey, you little brat, isn’t your brother handsome?”

Actually to be honest, Xie Ci had a refined and straight nose bridge, was tall and thin, his skin tone fairly fair, his handsome face made countless girls secretly admire him.

So Xie Haixin thought her brother was handsome, but was too embarrassed to say it, so she stubbornly said: “The girls in our class all don’t like boys with bad grades, those with good grades should be with those with good grades.”

“So realistic?” Xie Ci couldn’t help but laugh, deliberately teasing her, “But the girls in our class all like boys with bad grades.”

Talk about reaping what you sow. Right now, finally able to say a few words with his girlfriend, but being pestered endlessly by his cousin, entangled without end.

“Is something wrong?” Xu You asked softly from the other end.

Xie Ci restrained his cousin trying to grab the phone, turning over saying: “My sister wants you to teach her homework.”

“Huh?” She made an “oh” sound, laughing, “Sure, give her the phone.”

Xie Haixin finally got her wish and obtained the phone, she put it to her ear. The child was quite polite, coming up first with a soft greeting: “Hello, big sister.”

“What big sister, call her sister-in-law.” Xie Ci interjected from the side.

But no one paid attention to him.

Xu You made a gentle “mm” sound, saying gently: “Hello, what do you want big sister to teach?”

“Teach math, big sister teach me math, I can’t do it!”

Xu You took a sip of warm water, picking up the pen beside her, “Okay, tell big sister the problem.”

Xie Haixin earnestly recited the problem, and she lowered her eyes, recording it on scratch paper.

There weren’t many problems, all quite simple. Xu You was very patient, explaining bit by bit to Xie Haixin clearly, not finding it troublesome at all.

“Big sister, you’re so smart.” Following the gentle sister’s teaching on the phone, Xie Haixin finally finished those few problems she was worst at.

But… this kind of math problem that second graders write…

Xu You asked: “Why don’t you have your brother teach you?”

“Brother’s studies aren’t good, his temper isn’t good either, Xinxin doesn’t want him to teach.”

Xu You laughed a few times.

Xie Ci listening from the side wanted to hit someone, he ground his teeth pinching Xie Haixin’s chubby little face, “What nonsense are you saying?”

Who knows if it was Xu You’s personality, whether she was naturally liked by children. Xie Haixin sat on the sofa, swinging her legs, unable to help still wanting to chat with Xu You, her little mouth chattering: “Big sister, you’re so amazing, just like me, I’m also very amazing.”

Xu You pretended to be very surprised, laughing cooperatively: “Really?”

“Really.”

The two siblings sat on the living room sofa, Xie Haixin had grabbed the phone to chat with Xu You, so Xie Ci could only listlessly press the remote control, his elbow propped on the sofa armrest, constantly changing channels.

When Zeng Qilin came, he saw this funny scene. He held a bottle of mineral water in his hand, taking a sip and asking: “What’s going on, who is Xie Haixin calling with your phone?”

Xie Ci frowned irritably, “Xu You.”

“Yo.” Zeng Qilin reacted quickly, directly asking “You caught her?”

Xie Ci didn’t make a sound. Silence represented acknowledgment.

In Zeng Qilin’s view, they were clearly two people going in completely opposite directions, who knows why they ended up together like this…

Such a good girl, just wasted like this.

He made an “oh” sound, patting Xie Ci’s shoulder, “Good for you, I was wondering why you were in such a good mood today, even agreeing to come home.”

“So later tonight find some people to go to the hot springs, bring your girlfriend along too?” He asked.

Xie Ci rejected without thinking.

Bring what, just him and Xu You would be about right, who wants to go to hot springs with a group of them.

The two brothers talked for a bit, Xie Ci was always absent-minded. After enduring for a while, he really couldn’t take it anymore and forcibly took the phone back.

Xie Haixin anxiously twisted her body, pouncing on him, “No! Brother is bad.”

“No what no, is she your girlfriend or my girlfriend?”

Xie Haixin was anxious, “Big sister promised to tell me a story!”

“That’s perfect, we’ll listen together.” Xie Ci childishly competed with his sister, pressing the speakerphone button.

On this end, Xu You heard the commotion, laughing helplessly.

She thought for a bit, not knowing what to tell. Searching through her mind in a circle, she thought of a story she’d occasionally seen in a book before.

With the light from the desk lamp, Xu You curled her feet up on the chair. One hand propping her cheek, in the quietly snowing evening, holding the phone she said gently:

“Once upon a time, there was a little rabbit.

Then another little rabbit came, it stood on the first rabbit’s shoulders holding its ears.

Then another little rabbit came, it stood on the second rabbit’s shoulders holding its ears.

Then another little rabbit came, it stood on the third rabbit’s shoulders holding its ears.

…..

…..

Finally another little rabbit came, it stood on the ninth rabbit’s shoulders holding its ears, and kissed the giraffe.

Saying to it, finally I can tell you I like you the most.”

The story finished, but that end at some unknown time had already become silent, as if there was no sound at all.

Xu You thought what she said was boring, laughing embarrassedly, “Sorry, was it boring? Big sister doesn’t know very many stories.”

Her voice was truly gentle and soft, even if just a few words. Especially when deliberately lowered a bit, when coaxing someone, it could be sweet to the heart.

Xie Ci smiled silently, leaning on the balcony blowing cold wind.

The distant sky had gradually dimmed, the city lights were bright, the light snow still drifting.

He said: “I didn’t find it boring.”

Xu You noticed, muttering dissatisfied: “Then it’s just you being bored, why trick me into talking alone for so long?”

“Can’t I like listening?”

As if thinking of something, he asked, “Xu You, let me ask you something.”

Xu You lowered her eyes, holding a pen drawing randomly on scratch paper, making an “mm” sound.

Xie Ci’s slow voice, like wind with hooks entering her ear.

“——Did you grow up eating sugar, how are you this sweet?”

—

Time didn’t pass slowly, just flowing away unknowingly. By mid-January, a semester was about to end with a period after the final exams. During days at school, Xu You tried her best to avoid too much contact with Xie Ci.

Both of them acted like nothing happened. Xu You didn’t know how to be in a relationship, while Xie Ci was constantly holding back.

Occasionally when he couldn’t hold it in, he’d wait on the path she must take to the classroom to block her, then pull her to an empty corner to kiss.

Their height difference was too great, kissing on the stairs he had to bend down.

During the time before evening self-study when they ate dinner, there were only scattered people in the classroom.

Song Yifan sat in his seat playing games when the back door of the classroom was knocked knock knock knock.

He looked up, seeing a girl with twin ponytails, still wearing a little skirt in the dead of winter, her eyes flickering with a shy appearance.

Song Yifan paused his game, putting his phone on the desk, casually asking: “Who are you looking for?”

That female student hesitated a bit, asking: “Excuse me, is Xie Ci in your class?”

As soon as this sentence came out, Song Yifan instantly understood.

Another one looking for Xie Ci.

Just a while ago, Class Nine and Class One had arranged a basketball game, quite a few people went to watch at the time. Anyway, both class advisors brought the female students to cheer them on. Xie Ci also played, who knows if he’d taken some aphrodisiac that day, his positioning was especially provocative, all sorts of ball-stealing and shooting, deliberately causing various screams.

Then not long after, various confession posts appeared on the school forum, asking who the guy wearing jersey number 1 was that day.

A string of replies below, posting several blurry secretly-taken photos, quite a few people saying this guy was even more handsome than the school heartthrob, heard he was the second-year grade boss.

So during this time, Xie Ci was even more frequently sought out by people. During PE class, or on the way back from the bathroom, he’d be blocked outside the classroom asking for his contact information.

Xie Ci himself remained completely indifferent to these girls, staying out of it, making others think he was transcending worldly desires to become immortal.

Occasionally when friends teased him, he was too lazy to explain.

Except for a few close friends who knew the truth, Xie Ci was really completely under his current girlfriend’s thumb, could even be called deeply infatuated.

Even Song Yifan didn’t dare casually joke about Xu You. Once some male students in the back row were bored during class, casually discussing the appearances and figures of some girls in the class.

One male student was big-mouthed and unrestrained, directly saying: “Hey, you guys look at that academic achiever in our class, the transfer student, looks pretty good actually, very pure-looking appearance, just her chest is a bit small…”

This male student usually had a big mouth, also liked teasing girls, all sorts of bragging and bullshitting, very annoying.

He spoke getting carried away, not noticing at all the people around him frantically giving him looks.

Then, that day after school this person was called out by Xie Ci to be “taught a lesson.”

In the pitch-black night, this group of people surrounding together clearly up to something, nobody dared approach.

Some passing students also stayed far away, not daring to provoke these delinquents.

Song Yifan and Xu Xiaocheng were at the back of the crowd, watching Xie Ci “exchange feelings” with that sleazy guy from class.

“How long has it been since Xie Ci went after someone from class?” Xu Xiaocheng asked.

Song Yifan couldn’t remember either, shaking his head.

After a while, the two brothers sighed in admiration, “The boss’s woman really can’t be messed with.”

Now with Xu You regarding Xie Ci, it really was, whoever touched her died.