“I did miss you,” Tang Yang nuzzled her nose against Jiang Shiyan’s chest, her soft voice tinged with a nasal tone, like a little kitten who had just found its owner after getting lost.
Jiang Shiyan’s heart melted, and he gently placed his hand on her hair.
Tang Yang sniffled and whispered very softly, “We haven’t seen each other for so long. Isn’t it normal that I missed you?”
Indeed, the last time he saw Yang Yang was in the morning.
Jiang Shiyan remembered something and told her, “You know, my mother came to Yi Xiu this afternoon and overheard the secretarial office discussing trending topics. They talked about girlfriends and cohabitation. I told my mother I have a girlfriend and that I even drove you to work this morning. Guess what Madam Yi’s first reaction was…”
Jiang Shiyan’s voice was low and magnetic, like the gentle flow of water under the night sky. He had just taken a shower, and the scent of body wash lingered on him.
Tang Yang gently pressed her face against his chest, listening to his long sentences. Her heart, which had been turbulent all evening, suddenly found peace.
“Jiang Shiyan,” she called.
“Mm,” Jiang Shiyan responded softly.
“Jiang Shiyan,” she called again, slightly elongating the last syllable.
“Mm,” Jiang Shiyan’s hand rested on her hair.
“Jiang Shiyan,” Tang Yang called for the third time.
Jiang Shiyan lowered his head and kissed the top of her head. “I’m here.”
Yes, he was here.
Just like when her doctoral thesis was plagiarized, or during that meeting with Zhou Mo, or even that confession in the hospital last time.
He always seemed to appear magically when she needed him most, embracing her and saying he was there.
It seemed that whenever Jiang Shiyan was around, Tang Yang could always regain her strength. Gan Yiming didn’t matter, forty days didn’t matter, and Zhou Zisheng’s reminder didn’t matter. Everything seemed to become as fleeting as clouds and sunlight. As long as Jiang Shiyan was there, she could be a warrior wielding a great sword to slay dragons, a heroine with grand aspirations and intense emotions.
However, before she went into battle, it should be okay to hug him a little tighter, right?
Just a little bit.
Tang Yang imperceptibly tightened her arms around his waist as Jiang Shiyan closed the door and stepped in.
The wall lamp above the entryway cast a dim shadow, and the two embraced quietly.
After a long while.
Sensing that her mood had improved, Jiang Shiyan gently probed, “Let me stay at your place tonight.”
He said, “I can sleep on the couch or the floor, I just want to keep you company.”
“But I don’t want to sleep on the couch or the floor,” Tang Yang pulled away slightly from his chest.
Jiang Shiyan didn’t immediately understand Tang Yang’s meaning.
Tang Yang clutched his shirt hem and looked up at him.
Her nose was slightly red, her eyes large and clear. She blinked gently, her long lashes fluttering like feathers. “Don’t you want to hold me while we sleep?”
Her soft voice was like a spell, making Jiang Shiyan’s head buzz.
I do, I do, I do want to hold you, every fiber of Jiang Shiyan’s being was screaming. Yet his lips moved without producing a sound as if he couldn’t believe what he had heard.
Tang Yang let go of him. “If you don’t want to hold me while we sleep, then don’t stay here,” she mimicked his expression from earlier, gently pushing him towards the door. “You should go home, you should go home since you don’t want to hold me while we sleep…”
She didn’t use any force, and Jiang Shiyan picked her up by the waist. “You ungrateful little thing.”
Jiang Shiyan’s teeth itched with frustration.
Tang Yang giggled softly, “It was you who didn’t say anything…”
Their voices grew softer and softer, disappearing into the bedroom at the end of the hall.
————
While Tang Yang and Jiang Shiyan often cuddled on the couch, they had never properly shared a bed before.
Both had already showered, so after a quick tidy-up, they lay down on the bed.
At first, they lay side by side. Jiang Shiyan turned to switch off the light, and Tang Yang moved closer to the center. After turning off the light, Jiang Shiyan naturally pulled his Yang Yang into his arms.
Their pajamas were thin, and as their skin brushed against each other, both felt a ticklish, tingling sensation.
In the darkness, Tang Yang rested her head on Jiang Shiyan’s arm and said softly, “My father has never even been in my room, but you have. I think the last time was when I was drunk. Oh, right,” Tang Yang gently elbowed him, “Did you like me back then?”
Girls seemed to enjoy bringing up old stories.
That time when she was drunk, he had brought her home. They weren’t in a relationship yet, but he couldn’t resist secretly kissing her…
“I don’t remember,” Jiang Shiyan cleared his throat, playing with her fingers.
Tang Yang asked, “Where did you sleep?”
Jiang Shiyan’s throat bobbed. “Then, the couch, I guess.”
“Such a gentleman,” Tang Yang laughed softly. Though she had dreamed of forcibly kissing Jiang Shiyan, what she said was, “But I dreamed that you kissed me that day…”
The little lady in his arms was soft and fragrant, and Jiang Shiyan was already feeling a bit restless holding her.
To make matters worse, the little lady kept talking about “kissing” and “dreaming of you kissing me.” Jiang Shiyan’s half-closed eyes darkened, and his voice grew husky as he held her tighter. “How did I kiss you?”
Tang Yang gently bit her lip, then held onto his shoulders and tilted her head up slightly. Then, her soft lips tentatively landed on his.
Jiang Shiyan parted his lips to capture hers. Tang Yang couldn’t move, and her ears grew hot.
“If you can’t remember clearly, I can reluctantly help Yang Yang recall…” Jiang Shiyan teased her verbally while his tongue slowly traced the diamond shape of her lips, meticulously and gently moving from her left corner to her right.
Tang Yang unconsciously reached up to hook her arms around his neck.
Jiang Shiyan wrapped an arm around her back and gently pulled her, placing her beneath him.
The night was quiet around them. Jiang Shiyan propped himself up with one hand beside her, while the other caressed her face. He pressed his forehead against hers, gently rubbing.
Both of their breathing had grown heavier, and it seemed as if something might happen.
“Yang Yang,” Jiang Shiyan thought of her earlier state and lightly pressed his thin lips to her eyelids. “I’m your boyfriend,” Jiang Shiyan said in a low, husky voice. “You can tell me anything you want to say, anything at all. Happy things, unhappy things.”
Tang Yang softly replied “Mm,” and tilted her head up to kiss him back.
“If something happens to me, I can weigh the importance and urgency myself, but I don’t want to be away from you when you need me.”
Jiang Shiyan’s lips moved from her brow to her cheeks, nose, lips, and chin, then to her neck. But his priorities were all related to her.
Hot breath brushed Tang Yang’s skin, bringing out a faint blush.
She let out another soft “Mm,” her slender fingers threading into his hair.
Encouraged, Jiang Shiyan’s thin lips wandered lower, to her collarbone. After licking and teasing for a while, he rested in the crook of her shoulder, panting, “Yang Yang…”
There was no response.
Jiang Shiyan raised himself slightly, only to see Tang Yang’s sleeping face.
It seemed as if something had been left unfinished; her sleep wasn’t entirely peaceful. Her nostrils flared gently, and her eyelashes fluttered lightly.
Had she… fallen asleep while being kissed?
Yang Yang had fallen asleep… while he was kissing her.
The expression on Jiang Shiyan’s face gradually faded.
Tang Yang had a strong sense of self-preservation. After turning twenty, she had diligently taken care of her skin, resulting in a smooth, jade-like complexion all over her body. Her bare wrist was still hooked around his neck, and large patches of white skin were visible beneath her crumpled nightgown. She had slightly bent her leg earlier, and the smooth skin of her thigh was unknowingly brushing against his waist…
It was a bit… maddening.
Jiang Shiyan took a deep breath, withdrawing his deepening gaze.
He wanted to hold her tightly in his arms and give her a good squeeze, but instead, he gently moved her hand under the covers. As Jiang Shiyan tucked her in, he couldn’t resist making a face like a tiger about to eat someone to scare her, then tiptoed out of bed.
In the bathroom, Tang Yang’s freshly washed undergarments were still hanging next to the showerhead, not yet put out to dry. Jiang Shiyan worried about getting them wet while showering, so he thought to move them outside.
His left hand landed on that narrow piece of fabric and stopped.
As warm water poured down from above, his mind was filled with thoughts of her. His left hand grasped the fabric as if seeking support, while his right hand moved chaotically, rising and falling. In the end, his left hand suddenly clenched tight.
He hadn’t gotten her clothes wet, but he had crumpled them.
In his post-climax state, Mr. Jiang felt a bit perverted. But then he thought, he was a man with a girlfriend, and he just wanted to do naughty things with his little girlfriend. Was that wrong? No, it wasn’t!
————
Jiang Shiyan had taken a shower before going to bed, another in the middle of the night, and yet another around six in the morning.
At nine o’clock the next morning, when Tang Yang woke up, she was greeted by a familiar, handsome sleeping face.
Jiang Shiyan had a classically beautiful bone structure. When awake, his eyes were charming and unrestrained, but in sleep, his features softened, quite captivating with his jade-like countenance.
Tang Yang raised her finger to gently trace the contours of his face, landing on his thin lips. She lightly kissed him. “Good morning.”
Jiang Shiyan’s brow furrowed slightly.
Tang Yang quietly got out of bed and went to the bathroom.
When she saw the pile of tissues in the trash can, she was stunned for a good while, then slowly turned red.
This man, he…
Tang Yang tidied herself up, left him a note, and went downstairs to buy groceries.
She was leaving on Monday, so she wanted to complete their unfinished date before she left by cooking a meal for him and telling him about her departure over dinner.
Tang Yang was easily satisfied, whether it was a morning with him or encountering sunshine when she went out.
At the market, she asked, “What’s this vegetable?” and “How do you cook this?” She carefully selected many of his favorites, then hummed an unknown tune as she returned to the elevator.
Each ascending number was like a stick figure dancing.
“Ding dong,” the elevator reached her floor.
She saw someone waiting outside the elevator and froze for a moment. “Auntie Yi.”
“Sugar, are you going to cook for yourself?” Seeing the things in Tang Yang’s hands, Jiang’s mother enthusiastically invited, “Why don’t you come to play at Auntie’s house? It’s troublesome to cook alone.”
“It’s fine, I’ll come over next time,” Tang Yang felt quite guilty. “Auntie Yi, are you here to find…”
“Oh, oh,” Jiang’s mother explained, “Jiang Shiyan suddenly left the old house last night after showering. I asked him where he was going, and he said his little moon missed him so he had to go back to accompany her. Just now, your Uncle Jiang and I were passing by, so I thought I’d come up and take a look. I wanted to see what kind of cat was so precious that he’d drop everything for it. But,” Jiang’s mother clicked her tongue, “he’s not even home, and there’s not a single cat hair to be found.”
That’s because he’s still… still sleeping at my place…
Tang Yang’s face grew hot, not knowing what to say.
Jiang’s mother interpreted her expression as helping Jiang Shiyan keep a secret.
“Sugar, you know the situation in the Jiang family. Although Jiang Shiyan is getting on in years, I can’t allow him to mess around with those shady women outside, right? Today it’s this little moon, tomorrow it might be a little star, and the day after that he might bring me a little galaxy,” Jiang’s mother patted Tang Yang’s hand, lowering her voice, “Sugar, if you see any woman going to Jiang Shiyan’s house in the future, remember to tell auntie. Auntie is close to you.”
Jiang’s mother gave a few more instructions and offered to carry Tang Yang’s things into the house.
Unable to refuse, Tang Yang could only say, “It’s too much trouble.”
Tang Yang opened the door, and Jiang’s mother placed the bags at the entrance, then hurriedly entered the elevator after receiving a call from Jiang’s father.
Tang Yang glanced at the black toe of a man’s shoe beneath the shopping bags and let out a long sigh.
She probably hadn’t been this nervous even when she met Zhou Zisheng yesterday.
————
When Jiang Shiyan woke up, it was already eleven o’clock. He instinctively reached out to the side, but no one was there.
He got up with a yawn and immediately saw the note Tang Yang had left on the bedside table.
[There’s milk on the dining table, and toast in the microwave. Heat it and eat it when you wake up. I’m cooking at your place, I’ll call you when it’s ready. Don’t come over yet.]
In the fourteen years that Jiang Shiyan had known Tang Yang, he had never heard her mention a successful cooking experience.
Such a note, in Jiang Shiyan’s eyes, was roughly equivalent to — [Jiang Shiyan, I’m going to destroy your home along with myself.]
Jiang Shiyan knew she would be unhappy if he called, but he dialed anyway.
“Where are you? What are you doing?” he asked, feigning casualness.
“At your place,” Tang Yang enjoyed chopping vegetables, the rhythmic sound making her happy. “I’ve already beaten the eggs and I’m cutting tomatoes now.”
“Are you going to cook?” Jiang Shiyan heated his breakfast in Tang Yang’s kitchen, which remained spotless despite her living there for half a year. As he ate, he said, “I’ll come over and cook. I know how to cook, or we can go out to eat if you prefer. Didn’t you say earlier—”
“You don’t trust me?” Tang Yang zeroed in on the key point.
Jiang Shiyan choked, “No, no, it’s just that I can come to help you. Most head chefs have an assistant,” Jiang Shiyan reasoned, “I can chop vegetables, wash them, take out the trash, whatever you need. Or if you need a human backdrop, I can be that too.”
“No need, you can play some games,” Tang Yang said sweetly. “It’s just a few simple dishes, I’ll be done soon. Don’t expect a royal feast.”
When soft tactics failed, Jiang Shiyan tried a harder approach: “Yang Yang, that’s my kitchen. Am I not allowed to go back to my own home? I’m homesick, I want to come back—”
“Jiang Shiyan!” Tang Yang called his name in a drawn-out tone.
“Okay, okay, you cook, you cook. I’ll wait, I’ll wait,” Jiang Shiyan surrendered to the little ancestor. He emphasized repeatedly, “Just cook it through, safety first, definitely safety first.”
“You’re very nagging,” Tang Yang hung up in a good mood, not bothered by him.
On this side, Tang Yang was clanging and banging in Jiang Shiyan’s kitchen.
On the other side, Jiang Shiyan sat restlessly in Tang Yang’s living room, his eyes constantly darting to his phone.
Almost twenty minutes passed without a sound.
The heart that had been in Jiang Shiyan’s throat gradually settled down.
Yangyang was a very considerate person; she always knew what was appropriate and what wasn’t. Cooking, while it could be significant, was quite simple. After all, television dramas had their share of culinary disasters, with protagonists mixing up salt and sugar or overusing MSG. As long as the dish was edible and no one got hurt, that was what mattered.
Moreover, home cooking usually involves just a few steps. Given Yangyang’s intelligence and skills, even if the flavor was a bit off, everything else should be fine. No matter how bad her cooking turned out, Jiang Shiyan could always circle, wagging his tail in praise and finishing every bite with enthusiasm.
Jiang Shiyan reassured himself and took another glance at the window next door.
Hmm, no abnormalities.
He nodded to himself and was about to find an excuse to go over when suddenly there was a deafening “bang,” like thunder breaking through the sky.
Immediately after, thick smoke began pouring out from the kitchen window next door.