Lin Cheng opened the door to his home.
Xu Wanyue keenly noticed the trash bin by the table. Inside the bag was water filled with countless cigarette butts. She looked at Lin Cheng. “You smoke? That’s not very good.”
“I don’t smoke… It must have been someone else.” Lin Cheng shrugged his shoulders. But there was clearly no one else in his home now—only the Black Cat sitting on the sofa. Xu Wanyue didn’t quite understand, but she first scooped up the Black Cat and sat down on the sofa.
She watched Lin Cheng, waiting for him to speak. Lin Cheng scratched his head. “Maybe someone came to my place last night to wait for me, but I didn’t come back?”
“Then why didn’t she call you?”
“Some people are too proud to make that call.”
Xu Wanyue’s mind felt a little foggy, as if she understood something—but also as if she didn’t. She lay back on the sofa. “My head’s a bit dizzy. Let me rest a little longer, then I’ll make you lunch.”
“Okay.”
Lin Cheng sat on the other end of the sofa and turned on the television. Xu Wanyue lay there with her pale, tender little feet resting right by his leg. He reached out and gently grasped her ankle, lifting her leg to rest it on his lap.
His fingertips then lightly brushed against her pale, tender foot, wrapped in white silk stockings. When he turned to look at Xu Wanyue, her eyes first glimmered with a faint blush before turning deep and shadowed, her gaze seeming to say, I knew you’d do something like this…
“Heh heh, no more pretending—I’m actually a total pervert!” Lin Cheng’s fingers pinched and kneaded her pale, tender foot. Xu Wanyue covered her mouth with her hand, her laughter spilling out from between her fingers as she mumbled, “That tickles.”
Lin Cheng only played with her foot for a short while before Xu Wanyue sat up. She headed to the kitchen, tied on an apron, and began preparing lunch. Lin Cheng lay down in the spot she’d just vacated and kept watching TV.
He pulled out his phone and checked it. There wasn’t a single missed call.
After lunch, Lin Cheng returned to his room, where Xu Wanyue lay on his bed scrolling through short videos.
Even though they’d signed the Romance Contract, nothing had really changed. Once Lin Cheng grew tired of sitting in his chair, he stood up. Xu Wanyue obediently scooted over, making room for him on half the bed. He lay down beside her. The room was dimly lit, and they were both under the covers. His hand quietly slipped beneath her denim miniskirt, onto her soft, tender thigh.
“Touch.” Lin Cheng looked into her eyes.
“Mm… go ahead and touch.” Xu Wanyue whispered her reply.
“So soft.”
“Is… is it?”
“Yeah, nice and squishy. Makes me want to take a bite.”
“You’re no pervert—you just like teasing me for laughs.” Xu Wanyue’s eyelashes fluttered lightly.
What? She’d seen right through him!
“Smooth and warm.”
Xu Wanyue started to say something, but then seemed to think better of it. She bit her lip with a shadowed gaze, letting his fingertips glide over her thigh. It was just a little itchy.
Lin Cheng only fondled her for a short while before withdrawing his hand in satisfaction. He closed his eyes and began his nap.
Ten minutes later, he opened them again and asked out of the blue, “Can I hold you while we sleep?”
Xu Wanyue said nothing, but she scooted closer. She draped one leg over him, clamping him tight, while her other arm gently hugged him. Lin Cheng inhaled her faint, subtle fragrance and closed his eyes again in contentment.
This was bliss.
That morning, the two of them had bought ingredients for dinner. When Lin Cheng woke up, Xu Wanyue was still groggy and wanted to sleep a bit longer, so he wriggled free from her embrace and headed to the kitchen first.
He began preparing dinner.
In the past year, Lin Cheng had cooked no more than ten times in total. Living alone made a person lazier and more listless by the day. The thing he did most was lie in bed, phone in hand, scrolling through borderline short videos.
Without some change, the rest of his life would probably just loop on endlessly like that.
The sky gradually darkened, and the distant sunset was beautiful. He watched it until Xu Wanyue appeared in the kitchen. Lin Cheng glanced at her. “Tomato scrambled eggs, or cold mixed tomatoes?”
“Cold mixed tomatoes!”
“Got it.”
Lin Cheng took the tomatoes from the fridge, sliced them, and sprinkled on a bit of sugar. The two sat at the table. After dinner, he started clearing the dishes, but Xu Wanyue looked at him. “Let me do it, let me.”
“It’s fine. You rest for a bit.”
Xu Wanyue paused for a second, but she stubbornly stood up. “If you cook, I’ll wash the dishes. We need clear divisions of labor.”
Lin Cheng had no choice but to tie the apron around her back for her.
Xu Wanyue stood there obediently, only to be suddenly embraced from behind by Lin Cheng. Her body went rigid for a moment. She asked softly, “Why the sudden hug?”
“You’re just so cute. I wanted to hug you.”
Xu Wanyue’s earlobe seemed to flush faintly pink.
Nine o’clock at night.
In the bar.
Lin Cheng had dragged Xu Wanyue to the bar. She hadn’t wanted to come at first, but he kept shaking her arm until she relented. They took a cab to a quiet lounge bar. Xu Wanyue looked around curiously.
“I thought you meant one of those super noisy bars…”
“Those are nightclubs. Young folks go there more—usually when they’re trying to pick up girls.”
“Eh? You sound so experienced. Did you used to go pick up girls all the time?”
“Of course not.” Lin Cheng answered sincerely.
He ordered her a drink, and the two of them leaned by the window, chatting softly. Lin Cheng listened quietly as Xu Wanyue shared stories from her past—her summer job experiences, the funny things that happened in community college. Compared to talking, he had always preferred listening.
She finished her drink quickly, her cheeks already faintly flushed. She looked at Lin Cheng. “Do you want another?”
“If you don’t, I can take you home.”
“It’s up to you. I can keep you company.” Xu Wanyue’s eyes were earnest.
“Then let’s get two more.”
Lin Cheng ordered another round. Xu Wanyue held her glass and took occasional delicate sips. She obediently turned her phone face down, not glancing at it once, and quietly chatted with Lin Cheng in the bar’s corner.
“Once your little sister wakes up, she’ll become a seriously powerful Ability User.”
“Hm?”
“Her ability is just that impressive… She’ll wake up straight at S-Rank. Didn’t you say before that she wants to be a hero?”
“But as her big sister, I’d rather she live an ordinary life. Being a hero is so dangerous… I’ll try to convince her.” Xu Wanyue spoke softly. Lin Cheng nodded gently. “That sounds good too.”
They finished their second drinks. Xu Wanyue could tell Lin Cheng might want one more. She said lightly, “Want another? I can handle it.”
“Weren’t you all vigilant earlier, worried I’d get you drunk and do something bad?”
Xu Wanyue stuck out her tongue. “I know you wouldn’t… but I still feel uneasy.”
“If you know I wouldn’t, why feel uneasy?”
“Because Evolution Blood is so expensive! I only learned the other day—it’s at least a hundred million per dose, and money alone won’t get you one. So… no matter what, I’d feel uneasy. Am I really worth that much?”
Lin Cheng looked into her eyes. Her hands seemed at a loss for where to settle.
“Nah, I think I hit the jackpot.” Lin Cheng said seriously.
“So… can you put me up tonight?” In the elevator, Lin Cheng gently took hold of Xu Wanyue’s hand.
Xu Wanyue glanced at their reflections in the elevator. She suddenly looked up. “Last night… did the apartment’s former lady owner come back?”
Lin Cheng was stunned for several seconds. “How did you guess?”
“Hmph hmph, woman’s intuition.” Xu Wanyue seemed a little smug. “You said before she’s a really proud girl, right? It does seem weird—she comes to your place but won’t call you… So awkward. Was she there to get back together with you?”
Lin Cheng shook his head. “We never dated in the first place, so what’s there to get back together about?”
“Then what did she want?”
“Eh, no idea. Maybe just to chat, or maybe she got lonely and wanted to do something? Who knows… Better not to know.”
“Oh.” Xu Wanyue didn’t press further. But instead of hailing a cab at the curb, she took Lin Cheng’s hand and kept walking—straight to a Flower Shop. Lin Cheng, puzzled, let her pull him inside. He watched as she bought a bouquet of white roses and handed it to him on the way out.
“What for?” Lin Cheng blinked in confusion.
“Um, for the sense of ceremony?” Xu Wanyue’s eyes blinked playfully.
It took Lin Cheng another five or six seconds to catch on. He clutched the bouquet of roses, and a moment later, he broke into a grin. Xu Wanyue thought his smile looked odd and leaned in close. “What are you laughing at?”
“Nothing. First time someone’s given me flowers. I didn’t react right away.”
“How could it be your first?” Xu Wanyue muttered softly.
“It really is.” Lin Cheng replied earnestly. Xu Wanyue reached out and ruffled his hair. “Then say ‘thank you, sis’ quick.”
“Sis is the best.”
Lin Cheng suddenly leaned in and kissed her on the lips.
It took Xu Wanyue a second or two to recover. Every previous kiss had some buildup, but this one was so abrupt. She touched her lips lightly with her fingers and gave Lin Cheng a shadowed gaze. “You’re so bad.”
She took his hand again, and they got into a cab at the roadside. She naturally lay down with her head in his lap. Lin Cheng watched the scenery rushing past the window, one hand resting on her lower belly. The breeze blowing in felt wonderfully cool.
Back home, Xu Wanyue showered first. When she finished, she wore a light purple silk nightgown with white lace trim at the hem. On her slender, tall frame, it somehow gave off an air of restrained allure.
When Lin Cheng returned from his shower, Xu Wanyue was already in bed. They watched the new Kamen Rider episode that night. Lin Cheng rested his head on her belly while her fingers lightly traced his collarbone. It was starting to feel natural.
In this world, so many things could gradually become habits.
