Lin Zhexia waited at the train station for about half an hour.
She found a noodle shop to sit in. Although it was getting late, places with high foot traffic, like train stations, were relatively safe.
After finishing her noodles, she was holding a glass of water when the glass door of the noodle shop was pushed open—
The weather in the north differed from the south, with greater temperature differences between day and night. As the door opened, a rush of cool air swirled in.
The person who entered was very tall, wearing a thin hoodie and carrying a black jacket. His features looked as if they had been drawn with a paintbrush, making him exceptionally eye-catching in the crowd.
He didn’t stand at the entrance for long before his eyes swept the room and found the person he was looking for.
Lin Zhexia put down her water glass and, looking at Chi Yao approaching her table, quickly said before he could sit down: “I’m sorry, this seat is taken.”
Chi Yao’s hand rested on the back of the chair as he glanced at her.
“?”
Since she had come here on her own without telling anyone, Lin Zhexia was afraid he might be angry, so she improvised a little scene to lighten the mood: “This seat is reserved for a very handsome guy surnamed Chi, named Yao.”
“Is that so?” Chi Yao asked with little inflection in his tone, “How handsome is he?”
Lin Zhexia: “He’s the most handsome person I’ve ever seen. From the day I was born until now, I’ve never seen anyone more handsome than him.”
Chi Yao’s expression softened slightly.
Lin Zhexia pressed her advantage: “Not only is he handsome, but he’s also very smart and talented. Except for some issues with his character, he could be called perfect.”
Chi Yao pulled out the chair and sat down directly: “I forgot to mention, my character isn’t that great either. I like to take other people’s seats.”
“…”
“You look unfamiliar,” Chi Yao continued their little play, “you don’t look like a local. Where are you from?”
Lin Zhexia played along: “I’m from Lianyun.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Tourism.”
Chi Yao’s tone was a bit cool: “Traveling alone?”
“Yes, to challenge myself,” Lin Zhexia said earnestly, “people need to learn to grow up on their own.”
Chi Yao sneered: “Then you can stay here by yourself. I won’t hinder your growth. I’m leaving.”
After saying this, Chi Yao made as if to leave.
Lin Zhexia was afraid he might go, so she stood up to grab his clothes: “No, in just these few hours since I left home, life has already harshly worn away my edges—I’ve come to my senses now.”
Chi Yao sat back down with a reluctant air: “Explain.”
Lin Zhexia improvised: “First, I shouldn’t have come alone, it’s not safe. Second, I should have notified you in advance. Third… I can’t think of anything else. That should be enough, right?”
Chi Yao: “Take out your phone.”
Lin Zhexia handed her phone over.
Chi Yao tilted his chin slightly, and Lin Zhexia immediately understood, unlocking her phone.
Chi Yao opened the contacts, found Lin He’s phone number, and then handed the phone back to her.
“Third, call Aunt He.”
Lin Zhexia made a call to Lin He, informing her that she was now in Haicheng City.
Lin He almost thought she was dreaming: “You’re in Haicheng City? What are you doing there? Is Chi Yao next to you? Let me speak to him.”
She had already gone.
It wasn’t realistic to ask her to return immediately, and it was too late now anyway.
Lin Zhexia followed behind Chi Yao like a child caught running away from home, waiting for a taxi.
She heard Chi Yao make a few affirmative sounds into the phone, and then the taxi arrived. Chi Yao opened the car door, gesturing for her to get in.
After getting in, she couldn’t help asking: “What did my mom just say to you?”
Chi Yao: “To make sure you’re safe, stay with me, and don’t wander off.”
Lin Zhexia caught the key point: “So she didn’t tell me to go back first thing tomorrow morning?”
Chi Yao made an “Mm” sound.
“Then I can stay here for a day,” she calculated, “and then go back with you.”
After saying this, she felt like it sounded as if she wanted to be with him.
It might even make people suspect that she had come specifically for him.
So Lin Zhexia quickly added, “I was originally planning to go back tomorrow, I didn’t plan to stay out for so long. I just suddenly wanted to come see the sea.”
Chi Yao said, “You know it was sudden, too.”
Lin Zhexia: “After all, I’m inexperienced. I’ve never seen the sea in my life. Try to understand.”
“…”
The night in this city was very quiet. When the car stopped, you could occasionally hear the sound of waves hitting the shore.
Lin Zhexia secretly observed Chi Yao’s condition from inside the car.
His legs were long, making him look somewhat cramped even sitting in the car.
The black hoodie he wore was very loose, making his skin look even whiter. There were faint shadows under his eyes. Usually, his eyelids drooped slightly, revealing a hint of fatigue that others could barely notice. At the moment, he was looking down at his phone, replying to messages.
The return journey always seemed faster, and in about twenty minutes they arrived at their destination.
The hotel that had only appeared in her chat history with Chi Yao yesterday was now right in front of her.
While waiting in the hotel lobby for Chi Yao to check her in, she finally felt a sense of unreality.
“There’s a vacant room,” Chi Yao said, “Here’s the key card. I’ll take you up.”
Lin Zhexia took the key card and asked: “Which room are you in?”
Chi Yao pressed the elevator button: “802, diagonal from yours.”
Lin Zhexia silently repeated the digits “802” in her mind.
The two took the elevator up, and Chi Yao asked again: “Did you bring clothes?”
After asking, he glanced at her again: “Never mind, forget I asked.”
Lin Zhexia had bought the ticket on impulse, carrying only a small shoulder bag that held her phone and ID card.
This small bag clearly wouldn’t be able to contain clothes.
She asked: “Is there a mall nearby? I can go buy some myself.”
Chi Yao: “The malls are closed at this hour.”
“…”
“Then…”
Lin Zhexia hesitated with “then” for a long time, until the elevator reached the designated floor, she still hadn’t completed her sentence.
After exiting the elevator, Chi Yao stood at the elevator entrance, looking down at her with lowered eyes: “Then you’ll have to wear mine.”
…
Wear… whose???
Lin Zhexia’s tongue immediately began to tie itself in knots: “I think, um, that, seems, not too…”
Not too appropriate.
Undergarments were different from outerwear.
Although she had stolen his pants to wear when they were little. But now they were both in their second year of high school.
And if it had been before, she might not have thought it was a big deal.
But it was precisely now, when she had started to develop all sorts of strange feelings for Chi Yao.
“New ones,” Chi Yao said, “bought but never worn, just washed once. You wear them first, and tomorrow when your clothes are dry, you can change back.”
Finally, he added, “Lin Zhexia, what are you thinking about?”
Lin Zhexia felt a bit embarrassed. She lowered her head, swiping her key card to enter the room: “I wasn’t thinking anything, I just… find you a bit disgusting.”
She added, “It’s good that they’re new, otherwise, I would find it disgusting.”
The hotel room was a single room, fully equipped, and even had a computer desk.
After showering, blow-drying her hair, she changed into the T-shirt Chi Yao had given her.
Ignoring that slight discomfort, she kept telling herself: It’s new, it’s new, it’s new.
He hadn’t worn it.
So there was nothing special about this shirt.
After all this commotion, it was already almost 12 o’clock.
Lin Zhexia lay on the bed, sending messages to Lin He, reporting that she had safely arrived at the hotel. Then her fingers paused, and she returned to her chat window with Chi Yao.
Their chat history was paused at the voice call from the train station.
Scrolling up further, there was that “just woke up” message.
Ten minutes later, she pressed the doorbell of room 802.
When Chi Yao opened the door, it had barely cracked open when a familiar voice came from outside. The girl’s voice was crisp with a touch of softness: “Surprise inspection.”
“Lin Shao is here to patrol, checking which disobedient person isn’t sleeping.”
The girl outside had loose hair, perhaps due to her fine and soft hair texture, naturally lighter in color. Her eyes were clear and bright, with slightly upturned corners. Her features, having matured past childishness, showed a radiant youthfulness.
But she still wasn’t very tall. His shirt was too big for her, almost reaching her knees when she wore it, easily passing for a dress.
Chi Yao averted his eyes, no longer looking at her: “With your patrolling like this, even those who were asleep would be woken up.”
Lin Zhexia entered the room and glanced at his bed: “Your blanket is so neat, clearly not slept in at all. I don’t think I woke you up.”
Chi Yao: “I was about to sleep.”
“Then go ahead and sleep,” Lin Zhexia sat cross-legged on the chair beside him, her eyes fixed on him, “I’ll leave after you fall asleep.”
“…”
Chi Yao lifted his eyelids, finding her words truly absurd: “What’s gotten into you now?”
Lin Zhexia: “Well, I ate too much at the noodle shop, I’m too full.”
“…”
Chi Yao rarely had a day when he couldn’t out-talk her.
He didn’t want her to continue this standoff with him, so he casually said, “I’ll sleep after you leave.”
Perhaps because it was so late now, after a day of travel, Lin Zhexia was also feeling a bit light-headed, so she instinctively voiced what was on her mind: “You’re lying. After I leave, you won’t go to sleep.”
…
The atmosphere suddenly became even quieter.
Like when something is revealed, and there’s an abrupt silence.
Chi Yao’s Adam’s apple moved slightly as he looked at her, speaking somewhat slowly: “How do you know I won’t sleep?”
The conversation had already come this far.
Lin Zhexia confessed: “That time before, when you stayed over at my house. I noticed you seem to have insomnia before competitions.”
“And yesterday, I sent you a message at three in the morning on purpose. I wanted to see if you were asleep, and you almost replied to me. Even though you only typed for a second, I still saw it.”
After saying what she wanted to say, Lin Zhexia changed her sitting position a bit anxiously, curling up her legs and wrapping her arms around her knees: “But don’t overthink it. I mainly came because I was too bored being alone at home, and I did want to see the sea.”
—Not for you.
At least, she couldn’t let him know it was for him.
Although she didn’t know why she couldn’t reveal it, the voice deep in her heart told her so.
“And, to supervise you a bit.”
She emphasized, “Just incidentally, extremely incidentally.”
She wasn’t very good at comforting people, and after all, she wasn’t in Chi Yao’s position, so she didn’t understand those indigestible pressures. But after thinking for a moment, she added: “Besides, it’s just a competition, it’s not like you have to win.”
The girl’s eyes were bright as she spoke: “Even if you don’t get a ranking, you’re still the most amazing person in my heart.”
Chi Yao looked at her, momentarily speechless.
After not sleeping all night yesterday, he hadn’t felt sleepy until just before leaving.
He just felt very tired.
Some string that couldn’t be relaxed had remained taut.
Many voices constantly echoed in his ears.
—You’ll be fine, I’m not worried at all. Among the six people in the team, the teacher has the most confidence in you.
—Oh, the competition? You shouldn’t have any problems, right? Your dad and I have something to do, so I’ll hang up first.
—First place, I’ve reserved it for you. I, Xu Ting, am fine with just second place.
—…
And even earlier, from a long time ago.
—You’re alone in the hospital, are you okay?
—Your health is poor, you definitely can’t do it. We don’t want to take you.
—He’s always sick.
…
In the past, people always thought he “couldn’t do it,” so he became particularly strong-willed, wrapping himself up, refusing to bow down or show weakness, appearing invulnerable, until later, when everyone began to assume “you can do it.”
Until he was seventeen, it seemed no one had ever told him “it’s okay if you can’t.”
And, even if you can’t, you’re still the most amazing.
But at the train station, at the moment Lin Zhexia unexpectedly appeared, that string seemed to start loosening.
And now, that string felt as if someone had very gently touched it.
A very, very gentle touch, yet it completely relaxed.
Chi Yao felt his throat was a bit dry.
Some difficult, never-spoken words gradually rose from his heart, beyond his control.
But between him and Lin Zhexia, they didn’t need to say much. Some words seemed to be conveyed silently to each other.
So in the end, he still suppressed those words.
He sat down on the edge of the bed, his hand supporting himself on the hotel’s soft, pure white blanket. All the previously suppressed drowsiness washed over him. His voice dragged a bit at the end as he looked at her and said, “So, how do you plan to coax me to sleep?”