Chapter 72
At night, the mountain wind blew constantly, especially here at the villa. The gentle evening breeze never stopped, exceptionally refreshing in such hot and stifling weather, stirring people’s emotions.
After being exposed to the direct sun during the day, the water in the pool still retained a trace of warmth. The warmth flowed with the swaying of the pool water, shimmering under the silvery white moonlight.
Qiao Xi was unprepared and was fully embraced by Fu Bei. She subconsciously cried out softly, wanting to break free, but was clamped by the waist and hips again.
“Fu Bei!” she cried softly, her tone carrying no blame, but rather a hidden shyness. This person lifted her directly out of the water, pressing tightly face to face.
This posture was a bit too intimate. Wearing little to begin with, there was almost no barrier between them. They could clearly feel each other’s scorching body temperature and every movement.
They had done everything; they knew clearly where every mole was on each other’s body. Just swimming—actually nothing to be reserved about. But Qiao Xi couldn’t help remembering that night: Fu Bei’s recklessness in this pool, her wet, mature body, slender fingers still dripping water, and that cigarette with flickering embers, the lingering and dissipating white smoke… That time was early morning, in the season of May or June, the air always carrying damp moisture. This time was midnight, the temperature dry and sultry.
What remained unchanged was the silence and quietness around; only the two of them here.
Seeming not to hear her cry of surprise, Fu Bei pressed her against the pool edge for support, encircling the person in her arms. taking advantage of her not reacting yet, she leaned in to brush lightly against her lips.
Qiao Xi was at a loss due to the sudden move. Pursing her red lips, she pushed this person lightly. “What are you doing? Really…”
Fu Bei leaped half out of the water, wet hair sticking to the side of her neck, water flowing over jade-like skin and falling back into the pool. Due to long-term disciplined fitness training, her figure was even more impressive than in her student days—firm, slender, and extremely seductive. The two thin pieces of the bikini couldn’t cover the two round arcs on her chest at all. Below was a waist with vest lines, round buttocks, a more perfect waist-to-hip ratio, curvaceous like a plump, juicy honey fruit.
She pressed against Qiao Xi’s front, stroking Qiao Xi’s fair, tender neck with her wet, dripping hand. Lifting her long eyes, staring straight, her pale red lips parted slightly. “Nothing, just looking at you.”
Encricled, unable to get out, Qiao Xi could only watch and listen. The other party was too close; weak, slightly scorching breath brushed lightly over her lips and nose tip, tempting faintly.
In this small world, only she and her existed, isolated from the outside, undisturbed.
Qiao Xi lowered her eyes halfway, then felt the other party pressing closer.
Fu Bei lifted her chin, leaning in to kiss, simultaneously releasing her hand.
Qiao Xi’s heart felt hot and swollen, inexplicably filled with satisfaction. However, when the other party was about to touch her lips, she suddenly dodged, escaping from the embrace and swimming not far away, not letting herself be kissed so easily.
“I want to swim,” she said dryly.
Fu Bei was amused, wiping her face, asking directly, “Why dodge?”
Qiao Xi turned her head to look elsewhere, denying, “Didn’t dodge.”
Just now on the sofa, when the other party suggested swimming, she knew what was intended. She was willing then, but now she didn’t want this person to succeed easily. There was an impatient impulse in her heart, but she suppressed it, swimming half a lap in the pool, barely calming down.
She liked the person opposite. In such a scene, with close contact, how could she not feel anything? Anyone would be the same; even a hard stone could melt into a pool of overflowing, moist spring water.
Fu Bei held the pool edge without coming over, watching her from a distance.
Qiao Xi didn’t want this person staring, so she suddenly dived underwater to hold her breath.
But she couldn’t hold it for long, surfacing abruptly after a dozen seconds, panting urgently and heavily twice.
Fu Bei waited quietly in place. After a while, she also dived underwater, heading straight for Qiao Xi.
Qiao Xi was hugged again. This time she didn’t struggle, corners of her mouth lifting in a smile.
Fu Bei always liked to kiss her, endlessly capturing her breath. Qiao Xi clung to this person’s shoulders, bobbing up and down in the water, bodies pressed tightly together, feeling the other’s temperature.
After the kiss, they separated again, each swimming two laps in the pool, in perfect tacit understanding.
Qiao Xi was full of energy. Having been constrained in her family company for so long, it was rare to relax, so she vented her energy recklessly, swimming back and forth from one side of the pool to the other. Last time she was here, she didn’t get a chance to swim; this time she made up for it all.
Until exhausted, she surfaced, wiping off the water, supporting herself on the pool edge with her arms to save energy.
Looking back, Fu Bei was sitting on the opposite bank at some point, lighting a cigarette, watching her while smoking. A faint smile played on her lips, her ink-black eyes tinged with deep affection, emotions straightforward.
She held the slender cigarette in her mouth, the tip of her nimble tongue curling slightly. Taking a light puff, she removed the cigarette with wet hands, exhaling the smoke slowly. The whole process was deliberately slow, her gaze never leaving Qiao Xi.
Her pale red lips opened and closed; the smoke dissipated quickly. Water droplets hanging on her body still slid down from time to time, flowing along the curve of her waist and abdomen onto her straight long legs, wetting a puddle by the pool.
Qiao Xi felt extremely uncomfortable under that undisguised scrutiny. Unaccustomed to this, she avoided it, not meeting her eyes.
But when Fu Bei called her name, she still gave a soft hum.
Fu Bei extinguished the cigarette, saying gently, “Come here.”
Qiao Xi was proud and spoiled by nature. Usually, she definitely wouldn’t obey obediently, but at this moment, she went over.
“What for?” she asked, lying prone beside her, looking up at the other party.
Fu Bei’s next action made her heart palpitate, her whole body tensing up. Fu Bei did the same thing as that year—entering the water, embracing her from behind, and resting her chin in the crook of her neck.
The warm, soft touch on her back made Qiao Xi stiffen, her throat tightening. A wildfire suddenly surged in her body, burning and devouring wildly.
Fu Bei kissed her earlobe, devout and tender, with a hint of extreme care, as if she were precious and would break with a touch.
Qiao Xi couldn’t bear it, ticklish, shrinking her neck. Unfortunately, she couldn’t avoid it. The scorching temperature behind her constantly reminded her of the other’s existence, impossible to ignore.
Fu Bei lowered her long eyes halfway, then raised them, her thin lips brushing past the side of Qiao Xi’s face, asking in a low voice, “When did you start liking me?”
Over the years, Qiao Xi grew up under her nose. The little girl back then didn’t know how to hide her thoughts, clumsily trying to cover up but exposing everything completely; actions were always more direct than words . At that time, she was still young, and Fu Bei couldn’t possibly respond. She deliberately ignored it, tightly binding the thoughts eager to break free, never having any reciprocal contact. But she knew all about Qiao Xi’s little schemes and actions.
It’s normal for teenage girls to have their first awakening of love. She just hadn’t expected Qiao Xi to like her. Fu Bei felt she had been very restrained over the years, not particularly good to her, and didn’t know when she started having different thoughts about her.
Qiao Xi was awkward, refusing to answer. Holding back for a long time, she asked back stiffly, “Do you like me?”
Fu Bei buried her face in her neck, whispering, “What do you think?”
“I don’t know.” Qiao Xi pretended not to know, trying her best to ignore the warmth on her back. But the other party pressed tighter and tighter, almost pinning her firmly against the pool wall. Feeling the increasingly prominent possessiveness of the other party, she tightened her hands, ultimately unable to resist the tender offensive. Losing the battle, she gave up resistance, even her ear tips burning involuntarily. Biting her lower lip, she said, “I’m not you; how would I know your thoughts?”
Obviously playing dumb, saying this on purpose.
Over these years, Fu Bei had always treated her differently from others, allowing her to be presumptuous, allowing her to break into her life, accepting all changes, always special only to her. If this didn’t count as liking, then other feelings would be even dimmer.
Knowing she was being awkward, Fu Bei bit her punitively. Qiao Xi sucked in a light breath.
…
The mountain wind was still blowing, ceaseless. The water in the pool swayed gently, ripples spreading circle after circle. The round, white moon in the sky fell into the rippling pool water, becoming even more blurred with the undulating waves.
It was almost midnight when they returned to the villa. The spacious living room was brightly lit. The two didn’t even dry the water on their bodies, snuggling on the sofa for a long time.
Fu Bei kept wanting to kiss Qiao Xi, as if never getting tired of it. After the intimacy, Qiao Xi’s lips were exceptionally ruddy, like bright rouge. The corners of her eyes were also tinged with a thin layer of red, her gaze almost scattered, a layer of misty water vapor in her eyes.
After the kissing ended and they tidied up, the two made do and slept on the large sofa for the night.
**
The three days away passed happily and harmoniously, even more intimate than living in the residential complex. This was a true world for two. Opening and closing their eyes, the other person was always by their side. Without those disturbances and busyness, it was incredibly comfortable.
Occasionally living such a leisurely life, spending day and night together, would further promote feelings. This was also the reason Fu Bei brought Qiao Xi here for a vacation.
On the last night before leaving, Fu Bei wrapped wontons for dinner. Qiao Xi didn’t know how to do this, so she could only help on the side. The two chatted while working. Qiao Xi asked about the situation at Jiang University, worried that Fu Bei’s return wouldn’t be smooth. She didn’t ask about the Fu family’s current situation, let alone Liang Yuzhi.
She had heard about these without asking. Liang Yuzhi was sent abroad and probably wouldn’t return for three to five years. The Fu family had been waiting for the right time to return to Jiang City. Their business was still ongoing. Although suffering a heavy blow due to previous events, it was relatively stable now. All matters of the Fu family were now handed over to Father Fu to manage. Grandpa Fu didn’t plan to care about these anymore. He was old, half his body buried in the earth, unknown how many years he could live. Now he had figured it out, unwilling to worry anymore.
Some words Fu Bei didn’t say, buried deep in her heart, unnecessary to delve into. Now that she chose Qiao Xi, she wouldn’t care about anything in the Fu family anymore. No matter how the family or the outside world judged, nothing would change.
Just as dawn broke the next day, the two did it once. Qiao Xi was half-asleep throughout the process, only waking up completely near the end.
Fu Bei gathered her into her arms. “Sleep a bit more.”
Leaning on this person’s chest, Qiao Xi drawled, “Blame you for waking me up; can’t sleep now.”
Fu Bei smiled rarely.
“What are you laughing at?” Qiao Xi asked.
Fu Bei didn’t answer. She leaned in and kept asking, flipping over and pressing on top of Fu Bei in a few moves, constantly teasing the other party.
“Don’t move around.” Fu Bei’s voice was very low, slightly hoarse. “Lie down; rest a bit.”
How could Qiao Xi obey? Propping herself up, she teased even harder. Holding back a burst of energy, the calmer Fu Bei was, the more she wanted to break it, wanting to subdue this person. Unfortunately, her strength was no match, and she was restrained instead.
As they tussled, the quilt was kicked to the floor, piled at the corner of the bed. Using clever force, she suddenly straddled Fu Bei, kneeling on both sides, looking down from above.
The two exchanged a look, one above and one below. Fu Bei moved her hands, only to be grabbed by Qiao Xi and pinned above her head.
Qiao Xi felt inexplicably excited, her breathing unsteady. Catching her breath, she gripped Fu Bei harder. Her hair was a bit messy, some strands falling, sticking softly to her chest, blocking the two curves just right.
The morning sunlight had already shone into the room. Dazzling light fell on this corner, plating her with a layer of soft gold. She leaned down to look at the other party, her red lips moving. “Fu Bei.”
Seeing the scenery before her eyes, Fu Bei’s throat moved involuntarily, responding softly with an ambiguous meaning, “Mmh…”
Qiao Xi smiled. “Caught you.”
**
Returning to the city after nine, eating and napping after arriving at the residential complex, then going to the company in the afternoon.
Around 3:30, Qiao Jianliang came, accompanied by Zhou Meihe. Recovering quite well now, he came to check on the company and comfort the employees. As long as he, the leader, was fine, the people below would feel steady, not worrying all day about whether the company would have problems.
Qiao Jianliang even went to the office to chat with Qiao Xi alone for more than ten minutes. Father and daughter had nothing much to say, only talking about work, occasionally mentioning this trip. Mentioning this, Qiao Xi’s face looked unnatural, equivocating in a few words. Qiao Jianliang knew clearly in his heart, tactfully stopping his questions.
Fu Bei came to pick her up after work, even buying a bouquet of flowers.
Qiao Xi was slightly surprised. “Not busy today?”
“Nothing much to do,” Fu Bei said, helping her fasten her seatbelt, taking her directly to a Western restaurant for dinner.
This person was romantic in her bones, with good taste. Now that their relationship was becoming more harmonious and intimate, she became more thoughtful and meticulous, making Qiao Xi a bit unaccustomed.
Tonight counted as their first proper date—flowers, red wine, delicious food, and small gifts, everything complete.
Qiao Xi certainly liked it. Not saying it out loud, her smile couldn’t be hidden. Drinking quite a bit of red wine, she was tipsy when returning home. She was particularly bold tonight, doing many things she hadn’t tried before, always occupying the dominant position, with Fu Bei complying and cooperating from beginning to end.
Stroking the faint scar on Fu Bei’s chest, Qiao Xi suddenly remembered this person said last time to let her tattoo her.
“Should be relatively free in a while. I’ll tattoo you then, covering this scar.”
Fu Bei held her hand and kneaded it a few times. “Okay.”
“What pattern do you want?” she asked.
“Haven’t decided yet,” Fu Bei said in a low voice, raising her hand to gently stroke Qiao Xi’s hibiscus tattoo. “You choose for me.”
Qiao Xi didn’t refuse, noting this down, considering it carefully and seriously.
**
In early September, a heavy rain struck. The stifling temperature in Jiang City finally dropped gradually in the increasingly heavy rain, barely cool for a few days.
The company operated methodically. Fu Bei also officially resumed her post, continuing to teach at Jiang University with the same position. Her strength was there; even after resting for half a year, she hadn’t fallen behind academically at all. The leaders still valued her highly. Just the benefits were slightly worse than before, but fortunately, she didn’t lack these. With a thick foundation and capital, she only wanted to focus on research and academics now; the rest wasn’t important.
Jiang City washed by heavy rain was fresh, still prosperous and beautiful. On the second day after the intermittent rain stopped, an uninvited guest arrived.
Fu Bei was at home then, receiving this guest.
Qiao Xi was still busy at the company. Not knowing someone had come, she even worked overtime for half an hour before leaving. Busy all day, she was definitely tired, but in a good mood. As soon as she got off work, she rushed to Qijing Street.
During this time, Fu Bei had called her. She didn’t answer, thinking she would arrive soon. However, entering the house and seeing the person on the sofa, she froze on the spot.
