Chapter 51

The sound entered her ears, moist and damp.

Many things surged into Fang Nianchen’s mind, including the affection she had carefully hidden away.

Five years was enough time to change many things. It could make her give up on insignificant matters, or let something already precious take root and sprout in her heart, becoming solid and unshakable.

“She likes you, just as steadfastly as your own feelings.”

This time, Fang Nianchen could finally believe without any pretense that this affection belonged solely to her.

Relationships like friends or superior and subordinate were no longer up for consideration.

It was the purest kind of affection, one on equal footing with hers.

Fang Nianchen propped herself up with one hand on the dashboard in front of her, her breath brushing past her ear with a ticklish itch. She unconsciously shrank her neck.

Her ears burned as she swallowed.

The restlessness left her mind blank for a moment. She struggled to suppress the heaving in her chest, her breathing slightly disordered. Only after taking a deep breath did she barely steady herself.

Thinking about it carefully, it all felt quite unreal. But the more unreal it was, the more intoxicating it became.

Yet she didn’t know how to respond.

In the past few years, whenever she thought about romance, she had always imagined herself in the first-person perspective.

She had heard plenty of confessions from others, but she had never fantasized about Yu Wan taking the initiative to tell her “I like you.”

From the moment she heard Yin Chi’s words until now, less than half an hour had passed, but her brain was still in a state of extreme chaos.

She fell silent for a moment.

Yu Wan held her hand with just the right amount of force—not enough to make her lose her balance, but enough to confine her and keep her close.

Perhaps it was the alcohol acting up, but Yu Wan’s voice had softened, carrying a murmuring tone that left Fang Nianchen’s mind restless.

She turned her head slightly, and their eyes met, their breaths the only thing separating them.

If the Yu Wan of early morning was pure and unadorned, then the Yu Wan of night was an ephemeral flower blooming in the dark cosmos—her sudden beauty freezing the moment into eternity.

“Still angry?”

Fang Nianchen shook her head. “I wasn’t angry to begin with.”

“Liar.”

Yu Wan didn’t buy her attempt at mature magnanimity. Otherwise, who was that aggrieved little thing from earlier, blaming her for ignoring her?

But seeing those bright eyes shining with sincerity, fine—she’d believe it.

She had mustered the courage to confess her true feelings, only to end up as the one unable to control herself.

The two gazed at each other in silence, the ambiguity drifting out from the open car door.

Fang Nianchen spoke slowly, confessing honestly, “Alright, I was a little angry at first, but I’m fine now.”

Raindrops pelted the car window and hood, making crackling sounds.

As her heartbeat gradually calmed and the outside noises shifted from muffled to clear, Yu Wan suddenly realized that half of Fang Nianchen’s body was still outside the car, getting soaked.

Not wanting to keep holding on and force an explanation out of her, Yu Wan let go. “Let’s go home.”

Fang Nianchen obediently stood up. The sudden emptiness in front of her and the glaring light made her uncomfortable, and she squeezed her eyes shut.

The passenger door closed. Fang Nianchen, drenched with rainwater, climbed in from the other side, buckled her seatbelt, and turned to look at her.

Now relaxed, Yu Wan was exhausted, her eyes half-lidded and somewhat unfocused.

Meeting her gaze, Yu Wan curved her lips slightly. “Can I go to your place?”

“My home?”

“Mm. I haven’t been back in a week—my place is a mess.” Yu Wan’s tone carried a hint of drunkenness. “Is that okay?”

Fang Nianchen nodded. “Sure.”

Her agreement was casual, unconcerned with the underlying motive.

Yu Wan had no idea what had gotten into her tonight to make her so agreeable.

She clearly hadn’t picked up on the confession at all—otherwise, how could there be zero response?

Whatever. There was no rush.

With that thought, she slowly closed her eyes.

Fang Nianchen drove steadily, and with the pattering rain outside, it made Yu Wan feel especially at ease.

After a quiet moment, she heard Fang Nianchen ask, “What about Little Briquette?”

“Sent it to the pet clinic.” Yu Wan replied in an extremely soft voice, her tone lazy.

Fang Nianchen had a ton of questions she wanted to ask, but Yu Wan’s voice betrayed utter exhaustion. She couldn’t bear to disturb her further.

The ride was silent all the way. When they arrived downstairs, the rain showed no signs of letting up.

Fang Nianchen glanced at Yu Wan again—no movement. She had already fallen into a deep sleep.

Sleeping in the car was no match for a bed, though, so Fang Nianchen had no choice but to wake her up to head upstairs together.

The full effects of the alcohol were hitting now. Yu Wan stubbornly turned her head away, humming and refusing to budge as she curled up sleepily.

“Let’s go upstairs first—you can sleep once we’re up there.” Fang Nianchen coaxed patiently, supporting her shoulders to help her sit up.

Exhausted to the extreme, Yu Wan refused to open her eyes, but she seemed to hear and nodded hazily.

A person used to being so strong became this soft—it multiplied her cuteness several times over.

A smile tugged at Fang Nianchen’s lips. One hand held an umbrella while the other gripped Yu Wan’s waist, pulling her close.

The posture was a bit awkward, but right now, looks didn’t matter—getting her home safely was the priority.

Only when they reached the building entrance did Fang Nianchen suddenly realize there was no elevator.

Ever since her flu last time, she’d been jogging every morning to build her stamina—stairs weren’t an issue for her. But carrying a drunk person along made it quite the challenge.

There was no elevator to be found, and Yu Wan refused to go back to her own place.

Fang Nianchen could only grit her teeth and support Yu Wan as they shuffled up one slow step at a time.

Halfway up, Yu Wan’s legs suddenly buckled, and she pitched forward.

Fang Nianchen reacted swiftly, catching her and holding on tight. Even after steadying herself, her heart was still pounding like mad.

She secretly vowed never to let her drink this much again.

Halfway up the stairs, Yu Wan showed no signs of waking. Feeling tired in her haze, she hung entirely on Fang Nianchen’s body, her arms wrapping around her waist and tightening.

Her face buried in Fang Nianchen’s neck, rubbing against it. The hot breath scattered across her skin, scorching her sanity.

Fang Nianchen let out a long exhale, but she couldn’t suppress her wildly racing heart.

Progress was excruciatingly slow like this, and a light sheen of sweat beaded on Fang Nianchen’s forehead.

After a brief rest, she shook Yu Wan. “Stand up straight first—it’ll be quick.”

She slowly loosened her grip, fully focused and ready to catch her if she fell.

But whether Yu Wan had actually heard or it was just her body’s instincts kicking in, she didn’t collapse. Instead, she swayed lightly back and forth, left and right—like a roly-poly toy.

It gave the illusion of imminent collapse.

Fang Nianchen breathed a sigh of relief, then turned her back to her, bending her knees slightly so Yu Wan could drape over her shoulders. She piggybacked her the rest of the way up.

Standing up took some effort, but Yu Wan was light overall. Whether from not eating properly or overworking herself, she was quite a bit under the standard weight for an adult woman in Fang Nianchen’s mind.

With steady steps and the piggyback method, it was much easier than supporting her.

Fortunately, only two floors remained. With stops along the way, they arrived sooner than expected.

Once inside, Fang Nianchen took Yu Wan straight to the bedroom. She couldn’t let her sleep in that shirt that looked so uncomfortable.

Squatting down, she rummaged through the cabinet and pulled out a fresh set of pajamas—but no matching pants.

She settled for a pair of clean shorts to serve as sleep pants for now.

“Senior, can you change by yourself?” Fang Nianchen woke her again.

She knew it was annoying, but their current relationship was still oddly undefined. She couldn’t do anything beyond the bounds, like changing her clothes for her.

Forcibly awakened, Yu Wan frowned tightly, clearly displeased.

But upon seeing it was Fang Nianchen, the irritation in her heart eased somewhat.

Not in the mood to speak, she just let out a soft hum and nodded.

Seeing her take the clothes, Fang Nianchen left the room properly and closed the door behind her.

After giving it some time, she knocked and went back in. Yu Wan had dressed neatly, even folding her changed clothes and setting them aside properly.

However… when she lay down, the hem of her pajamas had ridden up from the movement, exposing her fair skin. The elegant lines of her abdomen were faintly visible.

Fang Nianchen’s mind went blank with a bang. She quickly covered her eyes—don’t look—then shuffled over uneasily and tugged the hem back down.

Worried she might catch a chill, Fang Nianchen tucked her in properly before heading to the bathroom for a shower. She’d done her utmost to shield Yu Wan, leaving her not a drop wet, but Fang Nianchen herself had been thoroughly soaked from head to toe.

Thinking that the drunk Yu Wan would need care outside, she rushed through her shower and hurried back out.

As she wiped her hair and dashed back to the bedroom, she realized she’d never felt so flustered while taking care of someone.

Perhaps it was precisely because the other person was Yu Wan that she didn’t dare slack off.

Fortunately, in the bedroom, Yu Wan slept quite peacefully, her brows gradually relaxing.

Her home wasn’t like Yu Wan’s, with distinctions between primary and secondary bedrooms; there was only one modest yet cozy bedroom.

After washing up and blow-drying her hair, Fang Nianchen lay on the bed. It was already past midnight. The kittens had gone to sleep early, and with the lights off, the surroundings were utterly quiet.

Sharing a bed for the second time, but her mindset was completely different.

Perhaps because it was her own home, adding a bit more ease, or maybe carrying Yu Wan upstairs had exhausted too much energy, this time Fang Nianchen quickly fell into a deep sleep.

She woke up startled twice during the night, both times due to the thunder and lightning raging outside.

In her hazy state, she glanced at Yu Wan.

Maybe because she’d drunk alcohol and her body was hot, Yu Wan restlessly kicked off her quilt, pushing it all to Fang Nianchen’s side without covering herself at all.

Worried she might catch a chill, Fang Nianchen swapped it for a thinner blanket and draped it over her.

But as soon as she lay back down, she heard the rustle of fabric nearby—Yu Wan had flung the entire blanket off again, sweeping it aside.

Fang Nianchen had no choice but to pull it back over her, then lie down. This time, she gently placed her hand on Yu Wan to hold the blanket down, preventing her from easily tossing it off.

Yu Wan flailed around a bit, then finally rolled over, facing her, and hugged her arm along with the blanket, finally settling down to sleep peacefully.

—

The next day, at the crack of dawn, people always woke unusually early after a hangover.

Yu Wan opened her eyes, her mind waking before her body did. What she saw wasn’t the ceiling or decorations from some other room, but the collar of Fang Nianchen’s sleepwear.

Her sleepwear was buttoned up, but the top was open, revealing a faintly visible collarbone.

Yu Wan blinked hard, not daring to look any lower.

Feeling her throat dry, she quietly got up and saw a glass of water on the bedside table, with a thoughtfully pasted note: Plain boiled water, safe to drink.

It was straightforward, not at all like Fang Nianchen’s style, but definitely her handwriting.

Yu Wan picked up the glass and drank most of it, sitting on the edge of the bed for a moment.

The rain had poured all night, and the misty morning felt free of the usual sweltering heat. With the window cracked open, the fresh scent of damp earth wafted in, carried on a gentle cool breeze—comfortable and serene.

She checked the time: just past six, way too early for a Sunday.

Yu Wan didn’t consider herself that diligent.

With the hangover gloom dissipated, she wasn’t ready to get up just yet.

So, while the drowsiness hadn’t fully faded, Yu Wan lay back down, gently rolling over to lean in again, keeping the same angle where she could see Fang Nianchen’s collarbone.

Greedily, she stole a few more glances, then slightly lifted her head to trace her sleeping face.

Perhaps it really was the invincibility of youth—Fang Nianchen’s face always carried an inexplicable freshness, giving a clean and refreshing feeling.

In the scorching summer, she was a patch of cool shade; in the biting winter, a warm campfire. In short, being with her always brought joy to body and mind.

Suddenly, the person in her dreams took a deep breath, her eyes fluttering open with a hazy sleepiness, meeting hers.

Afraid that if she was caught awake, she wouldn’t feel that sense of security anymore, Yu Wan quickly closed her eyes.

Her heart started pounding, like she’d done something bad and feared discovery.

She didn’t want Fang Nianchen to know she was awake.

Fortunately, the half-asleep, half-awake person seemed only displeased that she’d tossed the blanket off again. She tugged it back over her, patted her lightly twice to soothe her, then lay back down as if nothing had happened, sleeping soundly once more.

Yu Wan first cracked open one eye to cautiously observe, making sure she was asleep before fully opening both eyes with peace of mind, continuing her brazen peeking.

Before long, drowsiness overtook her. She let it come, closed her eyes, and drifted back to sleep.

This nap wasn’t long either. When she woke again, the spot beside her pillow was empty.

The unfamiliar surroundings and the lingering scent in the air assured her she wasn’t dreaming.

She got up and went to the bathroom, where another very characteristic little note was posted, with prompts like “All new, feel free to use.”

The toothbrush and cup were covered in cat and dog motifs, making Yu Wan chuckle at Fang Nianchen’s unexpectedly childlike side.

After washing up, the sound of the security door opening and closing rang out.

It seemed a bit rusty, creaking noisily.

It had been ages since she’d heard such a sound; it only existed in distant memories.

Yu Wan stepped out of the bathroom, in a great mood from a good night’s sleep, and saw Fang Nianchen, equally cheerful.

Fang Nianchen leaned against the wall with one hand to take off her shoes, tossing her keys onto the shoe cabinet with the other.

After changing into slippers, she walked in carrying a plastic bag. Seeing Yu Wan already leaning by the door, her eyes lit up: “You’re awake.”

“Mm.” Yu Wan nodded. “Sorry for troubling you last night.”

“I don’t think it was any trouble.” Fang Nianchen hummed a couple lines of a song in high spirits, grinning at her. “Come eat.”

She’d bought breakfast—soy milk and youtiao, nothing fancy.

The two sat across from each other at the dining table, each eating quietly.

Yu Wan scrolled through work messages on her phone, while Fang Nianchen played with the kitten that had hopped onto the table.

Glancing up occasionally, she saw Fang Nianchen scratching the kitten’s head, lips pursed, only the upward curve of her mouth revealing a bit of silliness.

Looking back down at those annoying work matters, they suddenly didn’t seem so dull.

She came across Secretary Cao’s message from that morning: [How are you feeling? Anywhere uncomfortable?]

Yu Wan sent back a [shark thumbs-up] emoji.

A few seconds later, Secretary Cao replied: [When did you start using these kinds of emojis?]

Too cute, such a mismatch…

She’d truly never seen any women her age around her use this type of emoji, let alone Yu Wan.

It was already a blessing that she didn’t send “death smile” ones.

Yu Wan: [Stolen]

[Someone else used it and it looked cute, so I did too]

Secretary Cao went silent for a moment, then got it.

She figured it wasn’t the emoji that was cute—it was the person using it.

She’d thought the morning rain would mean a whole day of gloomy weather. Unexpectedly, not long after getting up, the dark clouds in the sky dispersed.

So quickly, it was like they were fleeing in panic, making way for the sun.

After finishing breakfast, Fang Nianchen stretched lazily and walked to the balcony, sliding open the door to step out.

The house cats all knew doors and windows were dangerous; none approached, at most squatting by the entrance waiting for her.

As soon as the sun emerged, the room temperature rose rapidly, but the morning breeze blowing in from the wide-open balcony brought threads of coolness.

The house cats and dogs soon lined up at the balcony door, Pan-fried Dumpling included, all staring out in unison—or perhaps watching Fang Nianchen.

Yu Wan’s gaze followed Fang Nianchen from the table all the way to the balcony.

Propping her chin, she tilted her head to look.

Bathed in light, morning glow covered her, gilding her in warmth.

Fang Nianchen leaned her hands on the balcony railing, gazing at the distant blue sky, then suddenly turned back with a smile: “The sun’s out!”

Her eyes sparkled with delight and surprise.

Unknowingly, Yu Wan smiled along with her: “Mm.”

The sun was shining.