"I don't want to today."
Qiao Anchen froze for a few seconds, then took two deep breaths and withdrew his hand from her clothes.
"Then go to sleep." He lay flat on his back with his eyes closed, his voice hoarse beyond belief. His two hands beside him were clenched into fists. It took him a while to calm down the restlessness in his body.
Chu Yi quietly tidied her clothes and moved a little further away, almost to the edge of the bed. The two of them fell asleep on the small bed, which was only 1.2 meters wide, with an unknown distance between them.
Perhaps due to unfulfilled desires, Qiao Anchen didn't look well when he woke up in the morning, while Chu Yi, who hadn't stayed up late for once, was in pretty good condition.
After breakfast, Tian Wan sent the two of them out to get fruit. She bought a box of cherries and strawberries from a fruit shop near the neighborhood using WeChat, but they had to pick it up themselves.
The morning air was fresh and cool. The sun hid behind the thin clouds and mist, but inadvertently revealed a few golden rays that slanted down onto the emerald green leaves, adding to the brightness of the day.
I could almost hear the clear chirping of birds coming from somewhere; everything was full of vitality and energy.
In this environment, Chu Yi's gloom vanished, and he felt refreshed.
Qiao Anchen kept glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. The two walked one after the other, a step or two apart, neither too close nor too far.
She wasn't as talkative as usual, and the air was quiet and silent. Qiao Anchen felt a little uncomfortable, and he suddenly missed the umbrella he had held for her yesterday.
There was a road right across from the residential area, with very little traffic, so there was no zebra crossing. Chu Yi was following behind Qiao Anchen and didn't pay much attention to her surroundings. Suddenly, a car drove up to her right.
"Watch out!" He immediately reached out and grabbed her. Chu Yi was startled, and the car sped past her.
Qiao Anchen continued to hold her hand and walk forward, not letting go until they crossed the road.
Although no one spoke, Qiao Anchen felt much more comfortable. Chu Yi lowered her head, looked at the two hands clasped together, pursed her lips, and seemed to be thinking about something.
On the way back, Qiao Anchen carried the two boxes of cherries and strawberries, while Chu Yi followed behind empty-handed. Halfway there, she couldn't help but ask.
"Are you tired? Want me to have a box?"
Qiao Anchen shook his head directly, "Not tired at all, it's all very light."
"Oh..." Chu Yi listlessly pulled a branch from the side and played with it with his eyes down.
"Look up and watch the road, otherwise you might not see the car again," Qiao Anchen said from the side, and Chu Yi muttered.
"That was an accident; I don't usually do that."
"Just be more careful when crossing the street."
"Okay—I know!" Chu Yi raised her face and said in a drawn-out voice, her brows showing the vitality she used to have.
Qiao Anchen curved his lips into a very slight smile, and his steps seemed to become a little lighter.
After bringing the fruit home, Tian Wan immediately washed two large plates of it, ostensibly to let them taste how sweet it was, but actually because Chu Yi's favorite fruits were cherries and strawberries.
She kept the elders' kindness in her heart.
Chu Yi sat on the sofa playing on her iPad. Two plates of fruit were right next to her, within easy reach. She stuffed fruit into her mouth while reading comics, completely satisfied.
Qiao Anchen was sitting not far away, repairing a small fan in his home. The parts were scattered all over the place, with various wrenches and screws lying around him.
He sat on the floor, his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows, his long legs casually bent, and his recently grown bangs falling down, vaguely obscuring his eyebrows and eyes.
Sunlight streamed in through the window, illuminating the area beside him; the whole scene was fresh and clean, like something out of a 1990s movie. Good-looking people seem to find everything they do pleasing to the eye.
Qiao Anchen studied science in high school and was said to be excellent at physics. He even participated in the provincial competition, and the trophies and gold medals he won are still on his bookshelf in his room.
He could have been admitted to the top-ranked university in the country, A University, through a physics competition, but Qiao Anchen rejected him. While everyone was shocked and saddened, his reason was simple.
Physics is just a hobby for him, and he doesn't want to do anything related to it in the future.
Later, he entered China's best law school as the top scorer in the province's college entrance examination.
His knowledge of physics was also fully utilized and expanded into practical applications, such as repairing small household appliances, which he had no problem with.
Now, if anything breaks at home, Mr. Qiao's first reaction is not to take it out for repair, but to wait for Qiao Anchen to come home for vacation so that he can see if it can be salvaged.
After fixing the small fan, Qiao Anchen went to the kitchen to wash his hands and came back. Chu Yi had already eaten half of the plate of strawberries. She took a bite of the big strawberry in her hand and suddenly felt a little full.
"I can't eat anymore." She looked at Qiao Anchen and said, her tone unconsciously carrying a hint of coquetry. She sat half-sitting and half-lying on the sofa, crooked and swaying like a spineless wretch.
"Then give it to me." Qiao Anchen didn't say anything, just took the strawberry from her hand that had the red center bitten off, and ate the rest without any disgust.
"Is it good?" Chu Yi blinked at him.
"It's alright, quite sweet." Qiao Anchen nodded, giving a serious review.
"But I've already eaten the sweetest part."
“It’s okay.” He paused, then said.
"It's still very sweet."
Chapter 12 [Text has been replaced]
Chu Yi raised an eyebrow slightly, but the next second, she felt that she was overthinking it. Given Qiao Anchen's personality, what he said should mean exactly what he said.
She placed the entire plate of strawberries next to her in front of him.
"Then eat more."
Chu Yi lay on the sofa playing, while Qiao Anchen sat silently eating beside him until the plate was empty.
"You've finished eating!" After reading a few chapters of the comic, Chu Yi glanced up and noticed the empty plate. She was surprised.
"You don't really like strawberries."
On the way back, Chu Yi casually asked him about it, and Qiao Anchen said that he was not interested in soft, juicy berries, which surprised her.
It's true that men and women can have vastly different tastes and preferences.
Hearing her question, Qiao Anchen paused in his act of putting down the plate, but spoke as usual.
"I suddenly realized it was actually quite delicious when I ate it just now."
"Right! I told you! Strawberries are the best fruit in the world!"
"What about the cherries?" Qiao Anchen asked curiously, looking at the plate of cherries next to her that she had already finished eating.
Chu Yi paused, his eyes unconsciously looking elsewhere, his brain working at high speed.
"That...cherries are the most unique fruit in the world!"
Qiao Anchen: "Hmm...?"
"No other fruit can compare to it!"
"..." Okay.
We had dinner here as usual today. Tian Wan's cooking skills are excellent; Qiao Anchen probably inherited her talent.
Chu Yi accidentally ate too much, so in the evening she went for a walk with Qiao Anchen to digest, and they walked around the neighborhood twice.
Qiao's father and Tian Wan lived in an old neighborhood. The buildings looked somewhat retro by today's standards, with red walls and black tiles hidden among the dense forest, making it very quiet.
The residents here are mostly retired professors. The house was allocated to Qiao's father by his work unit when he got married. Although the area is not large, the property has appreciated several times over.
Chu Yi really liked the atmosphere here, which exuded a tranquility that was different from the fast pace of modern cities.
She looked at Qiao Anchen, who was walking beside her. Their hands were casually clasped together, and they looked comfortable even without saying a word.
For some reason, even though Qiao Anchen hadn't done anything, Chu Yi's dissatisfaction and grievances about him from last night had long since disappeared.
This is probably the norm in married life: always getting cracks and then repairing them, and then often, before you know it, you've lived a lifetime together.
An accident happened while taking a shower that night. When Chu Yi dried herself off and went to get her pajamas, she accidentally dropped them on the floor. Even though she quickly picked up the hem, it was still soaked.
She barely managed to put it on, opened the door, and rushed into Qiao Anchen's room.
He was packing their suitcases; they were going back tomorrow.
"Qiao Anchen, Qiao Anchen, my clothes are wet!" Chu Yi's voice was tinged with tears. She was holding up her skirt in a hurry, and her feet, stuffed in slippers, were still wet. She was anxiously stepping on the floor.
"Shall I find you some old clothes?" Qiao Anchen said after thinking for a moment. Chu Yi had only brought one set of pajamas for a two-day stay, and the rest hadn't been washed.
"Okay, hurry up." Chu Yi urged.
Qiao Anchen stood up and walked to the wooden wardrobe. These were his furniture pieces from when he was in school. He didn't change them when he went to high school or college. Compared to the current styles, they all looked very old and had a sense of history.
He rummaged through the closet for a bit and finally found an old t-shirt from his school days. It was white cotton with a gray pattern of a character from the Slam Dunk manga.
I vaguely remember buying it when I was a sophomore in college. He was already quite tall then, and the clothes would have just covered his legs when he was in junior high.
Qiao Anchen gave it to her, and Chu Yi didn't mind at all. She immediately changed into it after he turned his back to her.
She hung her damp skirt on the balcony to air dry overnight. Chu Yi felt satisfied wearing her cool, dry t-shirt.
Qiao Anchen, however, could not calm down. He watched Chu Yi walk around the room, her two slender white legs swinging in front of him, her petite body wrapped in his large t-shirt.
The thought had just crossed his mind when he remembered last night. Qiao Anchen took a deep breath and exhaled to calm his slight agitation.
He lowered his head and continued packing his suitcase, a rare hint of annoyance in his expression.
Perhaps because her pent-up anger had dissipated, Chu Yi didn't deliberately keep that tiny bit of distance from him. The bed was only so big, so their bodies inevitably touched.
Because he was too young when he moved in, Qiao Anchen's bed was also small. Later, Tian Wan suggested that he get a new one, but Qiao Anchen didn't want to go through the trouble. Anyway, he didn't feel uncomfortable sleeping alone.
However, now, Qiao Anchen stared at the ceiling in the dark, thinking that he should change the bed, otherwise he would feel uncomfortable next time he came.
Lost in thought, Chu Yi stirred again beside him, a strand of hair brushing against his neck, tickling him and carrying a familiar scent.
My arm touched his.
Without thinking, Qiao Anchen turned around and put his arm around her waist.
"The first day of the year..."
"Hmm?" Chu Yi, who had been keeping her eyes closed, suddenly opened them and felt the heat of the hand on her waist, which seemed a bit too intense compared to usual.
"Tonight..." Qiao Anchen originally wanted to ask if it was convenient, but he was afraid of her rejection. Qiao Anchen unconsciously frowned, encountering a tricky problem for the first time.
Chu Yi suddenly understood. It was from his hesitant gaze and suggestive gestures.
It's likely that someone wasn't satisfied last night and is still thinking about it.
She had actually been thinking about it too. When he was sitting on the floor wearing an old plaid shirt, head down fixing a small fan, all Chu Yi could think of was Qiao Anchen from her school days, a boy who always seemed to have his lips pursed and never smiled, handsome and upright, serious and aloof.
Chu Yi pressed her face against his neck, gave a soft "hmm," then tilted her head back, put her arm around his shoulder, and kissed him.
The bed underneath was not only small but also old. It creaked with the slightest movement. Chu Yi patted the person on top of her, panting, and turned her head to avoid the kiss that was chasing after her.