Burning hot breath pressed against her, her lips and tongue kissed numb.

Xu You was in a daze, losing her sense of sight and hearing, her hands softly groping as they settled on his waist.

Xie Ci’s movements paused, and he withdrew slightly.

The pressure on Xu You’s body suddenly lifted. She slowly opened her eyes. Her jet-black pupils were moist and glistening, carrying a cool watery light, like a well-behaved and docile kitten, asking blankly: “What’s wrong…”

The sight made someone’s mouth go dry and tongue parched, his lower abdomen tightening.

Before she could react, Xie Ci leaned in again, deepening the kiss from before like a violent storm.

“Xu You…” He called her name as if summoning her soul. He tilted his head to bite her earlobe, then worked his way back to kiss her lips.

Their tongues intertwined deeply, and each time they turned to kiss from a different angle, his eyelashes trembled lightly.

She raised her hand to wrap around Xie Ci’s neck. By her ear was the sound of wet kissing, their sweet saliva mingling. The lingering fragrance filled her mouth with moisture.

Without realizing it, his cold fingers slipped under the hem of her sweater, his fingertips touching her warm, delicate skin, gradually gliding upward over the smooth, cream-like softness, fumbling to unhook her bra.

The sudden coolness made Xu You shiver slightly, small goosebumps rising on her back and arms. Although she had been kissed senseless, at this moment she realized what Xie Ci was doing. Her face flushed bright red, her pale ears filling with blood.

“Don’t… don’t.” Xu You gradually came to her senses, struggling in small movements in fright, trying to break free from his restraint.

Fuck.

Xie Ci suddenly sat up, cursing under his breath.

His brows furrowed tightly as he took deep breaths, clenching his teeth. He opened the car door beside him and got out to cool down.

The car door was slammed shut with a loud “bang” that even Xu You sitting in her seat felt the vibration. Blushing, she pulled down her clothes and quickly twisted her hands behind her back to fasten her loosened bra.

Xie Ci leaned against the car, placing a cigarette between his lips and lighting it with his head lowered. He turned his face away to feel the wind. The bone-chilling cold wind hit his face, but the surging desire burning in his heart hadn’t diminished by half, clamoring to spread like wildfire.

This won’t do… this won’t work. If it continued, no one could control what he would do.

The thin smoke was scattered by the wind. Xie Ci bit down on the cigarette, his pupils dark and bottomless.

The clear, cold night had thick clouds covering the moon, the air permeated with the faint smell of gunpowder from burnt fireworks and firecrackers. The weak firelight illuminated his profile intermittently. After a long time, his posture hadn’t changed at all, showing no reaction whatsoever.

Xu You sat in the car looking out, annoyed as she closed her eyes and knocked her forehead with the back of her hand. Just thinking about the scene from moments ago made her feel embarrassed.

She felt somewhat flustered. After a while, unable to help herself, she took out her phone and sent Xie Ci a text message:

[You have a cold, come back quickly, it’s cold outside.]

After a moment, her phone vibrated.

He replied with a message:

—[You sure?]

Xu You sent him another text message.

…Stop standing in the wind.

After thinking about it, she deleted it character by character.

She was still carefully considering her response when she received another message:

—[Want to do it in the car?]

Xu You: ……

After a while, Xu You hung her head, staring blankly at her knees. The right door was suddenly pulled open, cold wind rushing in. She turned her head in a daze.

The two of them stared at each other for a long time. He lowered his head, his bangs falling forward.

Xu You: ?

Xie Ci supported himself against the car frame with one hand, wearing a black jacket. He leaned forward, bending slightly, his cool lips pressing against the corner of her lips, “Let me hold you for a bit.”

Xu You seemed bewitched. By the time she came to her senses, she was already encircled in his embrace.

The passenger seat was quite spacious, and with her petite frame, it wasn’t too cramped, just awkward and embarrassing. She couldn’t sit with her back straight, but if she leaned back, she would touch his chest. Xu You sat restlessly as warm air hit her face. She turned her head and said to Xie Ci even more carefully in a low voice: “I should get down… Don’t you think I’m heavy?”

Xie Ci propped up his head, holding her wrist in place with one hand, his voice low and hoarse: “Don’t move around.”

“…” Xu You turned her face to the side. Her cheeks were dewy and tender, her skin texture transparent, showing soft, fine downy hair under the warm yellow light.

His gaze lazily moved upward, meeting her eyes. After another moment, Xie Ci suddenly asked: “Do you… know what a hickey is?”

Xu You: …….

The corner of Xie Ci’s lips curved up, his thin, pale lips looking temptingly colored.

He seemed to casually lean toward her ear and ask: “Want me to give you one?”

“—No.”

Before her rejection could leave her lips, his arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her into his embrace. It was clearly premeditated.

Xie Ci pulled down the loose collar of her sweater, and the moment her snow-white shoulder blade was nearly exposed, it was intoxicating and dazzling.

He let out a soft sigh, his lips pressing down to suckle.

So soft, so fragrant, so sweet.

People truly were creatures driven by desire and indulgence.

—

After all the commotion in the first half of the night, by the latter half, Xu You really couldn’t hold on anymore and dozed off groggily in the car. Half-dreaming and half-awake, she wasn’t very settled. Chen Xiuyun usually got up at six o’clock, so Xu You had to time it carefully and go upstairs at five-thirty.

Later, it was Xie Ci who woke her up.

Afraid of disturbing her sleep, the pale yellow interior light in the car had been turned off. Outside, the sky was still pitch dark, with a crescent moon hanging in the dark blue horizon.

After staying in one position for a long time, the nerves in her left leg were compressed. Xu You was drowsy, opening her eyes and rubbing them. The moment she suddenly moved, her muscles were sore and tingly, making her moan softly in discomfort.

Xie Ci glanced sideways.

“My leg’s numb…” After saying a couple of words, she hissed again and bit her lip.

Xie Ci smiled, leaning on the steering wheel to watch her, “Want me to rub it for you?”

“No.” Xu You raised her arm, blocking his reaching hand, and recovered by herself for a while.

The car was very quiet. He raised his brow bone slightly and asked: “Can you come out today?”

“…Today?” She hesitated.

Xie Ci made an affirmative sound and said: “Dinner with my friends.”

—

After going upstairs, Xu You carefully opened the door. The house was pitch black and completely quiet; her parents hadn’t gotten up yet. She cautiously placed her keys at the entrance, not daring to turn on the lights, and groped her way into her room in the dark.

She had clearly been so sleepy just moments ago, but for some reason couldn’t fall asleep now. Sitting at the foot of the bed in a daze for a while, letting time pass, Xu You got up and took some clothes from the wardrobe to the bathroom to shower.

After drying her hair and coming out, Chen Xiuyun was already making breakfast in the kitchen. She stared at Xu You in surprise, “Why are you showering so early in the morning?”

Xu You threw the dirty clothes into the washing machine, looking down as she said: “I woke up this morning covered in sweat, it was uncomfortable.”

At the dining table, Papa Xu suddenly asked, “By the way, when is A’Chai going back to school?”

“Five more days.”

“That’s soon.” Chen Xiuyun calculated, “Have you finished your homework?”

Xu You lowered her head to drink her porridge and made an affirmative sound. She ate quickly, cleared away the dishes, and suddenly said: “Can I go out with classmates for the day today?”

Papa Xu was reading the newspaper. His gaze casually swept across it as he asked: “Which classmates?”

“Classmates from my old class.”

“Have you finished the practice materials I bought you?”

Only then did Xu You remember, and she didn’t make a sound. Papa Xu’s brows furrowed.

Chen Xiuyun quickly interjected from the side, “It’s fine, let A’Chai go out for a day. She’s been at home doing homework the past few days, plus she has to go back to school in a few days.”

Papa Xu frowned without speaking.

Xu You lowered her head like she had done something wrong. After a while, she said, “Then I won’t go…”

Seeing her like this, Papa Xu turned another page of his newspaper. After quite some time, he finally said, “Come back early.”

—

Xie Ci’s fever hadn’t subsided. He didn’t want to go to the hospital, so the two of them randomly found a small clinic.

The doctor was an elderly man who examined Xie Ci for a while and said it was just a common cold and fever, and two IV drips would be enough.

A young nurse went to the back room to prepare the medicine. The old man took off his reading glasses and looked Xie Ci up and down, “Young man, wearing so little in such cold weather, no wonder you have a fever.”

“It’s for looks, Grandpa.” He smiled improperly.

The doctor frowned, muttering quietly, “Boys nowadays, so particular.”

Xie Ci: “I have a date with my girlfriend.”

Xu You had been listening from the side and wanted to laugh, until the doctor turned his disapproving gaze on her. Her smile froze, and she quickly pulled him to sit down on a nearby chair.

“Why are you talking nonsense with other people?” She was slightly annoyed.

“Talking nonsense about what?”

“About the date and everything…”

“Isn’t it true?”

Xu You’s eyes widened slightly, almost believing it: “You really wore so little… just to look good…?”

Xie Ci watched her expression with great interest, “I’ve always been using my beauty to seduce you, haven’t you noticed?”

The clinic had the heater on, with a small TV playing cross-talk comedy.

The young nurse came over with the prepared medicine to set up Xie Ci’s IV, also giving him a small hot water bottle to warm his hand. She pressed her thumb on the roller to adjust the drip speed, and before leaving, instructed Xu You: “Call me when this bottle is almost finished.”

Xie Ci hadn’t slept all last night and was tired now, resting his head on Xu You’s shoulder to catch up on sleep.

In the end, Xu You’s shoulder went completely numb, but she still didn’t push him away.

With nothing to do, she pulled out an unfinished practice book and spread it on her lap, writing with her right hand. She occasionally looked up to check how much medicine was left.

Next to her was a slightly plump middle-aged woman who was also on an IV drip. Bored, she chatted with people all around. When it was Xu You’s turn, she asked in not-quite-standard Mandarin: “Little girl, still in school?”

Xu You nodded.

“Studying is so hard. Are you in senior year?”

She smiled shyly, “Second year.”

“Oh my, almost senior year then. My daughter is about your age too.”

The woman had rather conservative views and gave Xu You a complex look, “At this age, dating really wastes time.”

Xu You seemed calm and could focus on studying even in this setting, clearly not the same type as Xie Ci beside her.

After a while, the woman asked again: “How long have you been together?”

Xu You smiled with pursed lips but didn’t answer, just shook her head.

“Don’t waste your whole life on such things.”

Xie Ci woke up not long after, saying he was thirsty.

Xu You put her book aside and got up to pour him warm water.

He looked lazily drowsy, initially showing no reaction, but after a while couldn’t help frowning and saying, “It’s so bitter.”

“What?” She didn’t hear clearly.

“There’s a weird taste in my mouth, so bitter.”

“That’s normal.”

Xu You found a lollipop in her pocket, lowered her head, and patiently unwrapped the candy wrapper to stuff it in his mouth, “Suck on this.”

He held a lollipop in his mouth, asking unclearly: “Why do you have candy?”

She paused, “I brought it from home.”

“For me?”

“Mm.”

—-

In the afternoon for dinner, Song Yifan had reserved a private room and sent the address to Xie Ci. It was a place they always went to.

There were many people inside. When the two entered, several people were stunned for a moment. They looked at each other, then reacted and greeted Xie Ci with laughter and joking.

“Why are there so many people?”

Xie Ci reached out and pushed Song Yifan’s head hard, “How many did you invite?”

Song Yifan was playing cards. After getting hit on the head, he couldn’t help but cry out “Ow” and looked back guiltily, “I don’t know either… At first I only called a few… who knew.”

Who knew that the more people they called, the more came, even a few from freshman year showed up. But Song Yifan thought, the more people the merrier, so whatever, he didn’t bother managing it.

“What’s wrong? Too many people, disturbing your romance?”

“Get lost.”

Xie Ci frowned.

He couldn’t say why exactly, but he just didn’t want to bring Xu You out for all those irrelevant people from before to see.

Anyway, whenever someone stared at Xu You, his mood became extremely irritable.

Li Jieyi didn’t understand, but he was too lazy to care. He yawned: “A’Ci, help me with a round, I’m about to lose.”

Xie Ci had just finished his IV and wasn’t feeling well, so he directly refused.

“When are we eating?” he asked.

“In a bit, probably around five or six.”

“I’m going to sleep for a while.”

Song Yifan casually pointed, “There’s a room inside, go ahead.”

Xu You sat beside Fu Xueli talking. Not knowing what funny joke was told, she laughed softly.

“Do you like sweet things? I just bought some on the way here.” Fu Xueli pushed over a plate of delicate desserts.

She rested her chin on her hand, saying listlessly: “I originally bought it with Xu Xingchun, but then Song Yifan called me to eat, hahaha so I stood him up again.”

Xu You asked: “Ah? Is the class president okay?”

Fu Xueli was quite proud, “It’s fine.”

It wasn’t the first or second time anyway.

“Try it quickly, see if it’s good.” She urged Xu You.

“What is this?”

“Mango mille crepe, have you had it before?”

Xu You shook her head, “No.”

She took a bite, all cream with a hint of mango fragrance.

Xu You liked sweet things, so she could accept it. She used a plastic fork to pick up small pieces and bring them to her mouth.

“You You, is Xu Xingchun still class president in your class?”

“Mm.” Xu You nodded, “The teacher chose him.”

Fu Xueli understood, “He’s been class president since childhood. Our middle school teacher really liked him too.”

After just a couple of sentences, her arm was pulled up.

Xu You turned her head. Xie Ci stood to the side, his face flushed, eyes looking at her moistly.

Xie Ci looked listless, lowering his eyes lazily and saying, “Come sleep with me.”

?

……

Fu Xueli said, “Go by yourself.”

“Come on.” Xie Ci said, holding Xu You’s hand and not letting go.

“Go where?” Xu You was baffled.

“Next door, there’s a place to sleep.”

“…………”

“A’Ci, are you a three-year-old? Need someone to accompany you to sleep?” Someone nearby saw this scene and teased.

Xie Ci felt unwell and didn’t want to say an extra word, too lazy to acknowledge anyone.

Watching him forcibly half-drag Xu You away, Fu Xueli was speechless.

Did this person’s possessiveness have to be so strong? Just like Xu Xingchun. But dating was also so annoying, no freedom at all…

A girl came over and asked, “Is this Xie Ci’s new girlfriend? How long have they been together?”

Fu Xueli looked down at her phone and answered honestly: “I don’t know when they got together either.”

“It feels like Xie Ci’s about to settle down.”

“Settle down my ass, you think this is a romance novel?” Another person said: “Xie Ci always liked this type, those good student girls. Qiu Qingqing was the same before, but in the end…”

The rest of the words weren’t said, interrupted by a friend patting their shoulder.

Xu You’s expression was very calm, as if she hadn’t heard anything. She nodded to them in acknowledgment, picked up the book she had left behind, and walked away.