When Lu Xiaoxiao woke up in a daze, the evening sky outside the window blazed with vibrant colors.
She sat up in bed, slipped on her slippers, and padded over to the cinema room next door. The room was dimly lit. Xu Wanyue held a bag of chips in one hand, a single crisp poised at her lips. When she spotted Lu Xiaoxiao, her eyes lit up. “You’re awake?”
Xu Wanyue held out the chip toward her. Lu Xiaoxiao stepped closer, but her gaze didn’t linger on it. Instead, she lowered her head to gaze at Lin Cheng, who was pillowed right on Xu Wanyue’s thigh.
Lin Cheng was fast asleep, his cheek buried against the smooth expanse of her pale thigh, his breathing deep and even. His sleeping posture was surprisingly sweet. Xu Wanyue was wearing shorts that day, and her soft, supple legs made for quite the comfortable cushion.
Lu Xiaoxiao glanced up instinctively at Xu Wanyue’s eyes, but they held nothing but pure innocence—no trace of awkwardness or embarrassment. She leaned in and took the chip between her teeth, then looked back down at Lin Cheng. “Why’s he sleeping on your lap?” she mumbled around the bite.
“He complained the pillow was too hard,” Xu Wanyue replied matter-of-factly, as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world. Yet Lu Xiaoxiao couldn’t shake a nagging twinge of unease deep in her chest.
“You two are really… just good friends?” Lu Xiaoxiao finally blurted out.
“Yeah.” Xu Wanyue even reached over to gently smooth Lin Cheng’s tousled hair. “This guy’s like a little kid. Not my type at all.”
“A little kid?”
Lu Xiaoxiao had to admit that Lin Cheng could come off as immature at times. But more often than not, what stood out was his enigmatic aura—and all those bizarre, twisted logics of his that somehow always managed to sound convincing.
“Yeah, don’t you think he’s kinda childish?”
Xu Wanyue’s eyes were wide and innocent, her tone so soft and gentle that her words carried an oddly persuasive weight. Lu Xiaoxiao sank onto the edge of the bed and swiftly changed the subject. “So, what kind of guy are you into?”
Xu Wanyue pondered seriously for a moment. “Someone gentle. Someone who treats me well. And loaded.”
It was a checklist Lu Xiaoxiao could get behind—all except that last part. But Xu Wanyue was brutally honest about it. Most people shied away from admitting their craving for cash; it came with this weird sense of shame.
As for preferring gentle types? Who didn’t? Gentleness usually meant getting whatever you wanted. But it also meant putting up with the other person’s moods, their petty tantrums.
Lu Xiaoxiao thought it over. “Doesn’t he kinda fit the bill?”
“Nah, it’s different. He’s not the least bit devoted. You can tell he’s tangled up with a bunch of girls.” Xu Wanyue muttered under her breath. Lu Xiaoxiao figured she had a point and opened her mouth to respond—when Lin Cheng suddenly cracked his eyes open and sat up from her lap.
“Just wake up and already hear you badmouthing me,” he said wryly, fixing Xu Wanyue with a steady gaze.
“Isn’t it the truth?” Xu Wanyue blinked back at him, all innocence.
Lin Cheng leaned in close to her ear and whispered so softly only she could hear, “I’ll deal with you tomorrow.”
Xu Wanyue’s eyes instantly turned timid.
The villa’s fridge had frozen steaks, which Lin Cheng pulled out to cook for their dinner. Since he still had to drive home, he skipped the alcohol. His steaks turned out pretty decent—most Western cooking was straightforward anyway.
After dinner, it was time to head out. Lu Xiaoxiao’s place wasn’t on the way for Lin Cheng, but Xu Wanyue’s was, so he got to ride with her. Before leaving, he told Lu Xiaoxiao to hit him up in a few days when he had time; he could keep teaching her ways to control her energy.
“Why wait a few days?” Lu Xiaoxiao asked, puzzled.
“‘Cause I’ll be swamped for a bit,” Lin Cheng replied with exaggerated gravity.
Then he climbed into the passenger seat of Xu Wanyue’s car. She drove carefully, eyes fixed ahead, and asked softly, “Drop you home?”
“Will you put me up?”
“Um, if we start the contract now, then yeah.”
“Can’t you without it?”
“Nope.” Xu Wanyue nodded lightly.
“Then let’s kick it off tonight. Today’s day one.” Lin Cheng didn’t hesitate much; it was like the exact countdown—three days or four—didn’t really matter to him. Xu Wanyue murmured her agreement, then added, “So… why the sudden contract?”
“‘Cause I like you.”
“You don’t like me.” Xu Wanyue grumbled quietly. Her voice lost its usual clumsiness this time, taking on a cool edge instead. Whether something else lurked beneath that coolness, Lin Cheng couldn’t say.
Called out like that, Lin Cheng felt no embarrassment. He reclined in the passenger seat, adjusting it back a touch. “The Fruit Shop team building’s in three days. I need to rent a girlfriend to handle any… unexpected drama.”
“To show off to the lady of that house?”
“…Pretty much.”
“Like a kid throwing a tantrum.”
“Call it a tantrum if you want.” Lin Cheng sighed helplessly and closed his eyes.
Half an hour later, they arrived at Xu Wanyue’s one-bedroom apartment rental.
Xu Wanyue was the tidy sort. The living room gleamed spotless. The shoes Lin Cheng had given her earlier? She’d stashed them in fancy clear boxes, handled with care. She soon retreated to her room, nightgown in hand, to shower. Lin Cheng settled on the sofa to wait quietly.
Half an hour after that, Xu Wanyue emerged from the bathroom. She wore a simple white nightgown, thicker than her usual sheer ones, so she’d skipped the bra. The hem brushed her thighs, water droplets clinging to her faintly pink skin. Lin Cheng got up with his own sleep clothes and took a quick ten-minute shower. When he returned, Xu Wanyue sat on the sofa, rubbing some lotion—or maybe body cream—onto her pale thighs.
“Need a hand?” Lin Cheng asked, settling beside her.
Xu Wanyue hesitated, then handed him the little bottle and casually draped her leg across his lap. She reached down and hiked her skirt hem just enough to bare half her thigh.
Lin Cheng dripped the cool liquid onto her skin and spread it evenly with his palm. Xu Wanyue’s fingers clutched lightly at the sofa cushion. Her eyes traced the side of his face, and for a fleeting moment, his gaze struck her as achingly tender.
On countless lonely nights, she’d dreamed of this: sharing a home with someone. Cooking and washing dishes side by side. Scrubbing each other’s backs in the shower. Curling up under the covers for movie nights. Even having him slather on her lotion because doing it herself was such a hassle.
Lin Cheng half-expected Xu Wanyue to launch into one of her rambling complaints—she’d been a chatterbox forever. But surprisingly, she stayed quiet for ages. When he glanced over, he caught her staring at his profile, lost in thought.
“Hm? What’re you thinking?” Lin Cheng asked, puzzled.
“Nothing. Just… you looked so cute when you were focused like that.” Xu Wanyue snapped back to herself and smiled at him.
“Gotta be serious when taking advantage,” Lin Cheng said smugly. This time, though, it didn’t earn him a pout. Instead, her fingertip pointed to a small bottle on the cabinet. “Gotta do foot cream too. Your job now.”
Lin Cheng fetched it, uncapped it, and poured the chilly cream onto the pristine arch of her foot. He worked it in with gentle fingertips, parting her pearl-like toes. They were dainty and adorable, faintly pink, curling back together instinctively when he released them. Xu Wanyue felt her head go a little fuzzy.
A few minutes later, he finished. Before he could speak, Xu Wanyue leaned in and planted a quick peck on his cheek.
Lin Cheng froze for three or four seconds. He turned slowly, meeting her shyly averted eyes. “What was that about…?”
“A reward.” Despite the bashfulness in her gaze, her eyes shone bright.
Lin Cheng stared a beat longer, then stood to rinse the residue from his hands. When he returned to the living room, Xu Wanyue had already gone to bed. He switched off the lights and joined her. She lay there under the covers; spotting him, she lifted them invitingly. He slid in, and she scooted closer, their arms brushing.
“Wanna watch a movie?”
“Anything’s fine. What do you want?”
“Horror flick?”
“You don’t seem scared at all.” Lin Cheng recalled how she’d watched one that afternoon without a hint of fear.
Xu Wanyue shook her head. “Nah, I never watch them alone. I’d be terrified.”
“Not with company?”
“Yep. Used to watch with my little sister all the time. Big sisters have to keep up appearances—no admitting fear, no matter what.” As she spoke, she grabbed the remote, queued up a classic horror movie, and hugged his arm, nestling her head on his shoulder.
Lin Cheng’s arm registered the warm softness of her chest pressing against it. Xu Wanyue seemed to notice but didn’t pull away. Every so often, he’d glance sideways and see she was scared after all—clinging to him tighter during the tense bits. The room stayed dim; the movie wrapped up two hours later, just as rain began pattering outside.
“Come to the amusement park with me tomorrow?” Lin Cheng murmured close to her ear.
“But the forecast says rain for the next few days. Though… if it pours, I can go with you later.”
“As Xu Wanyue? Or as your girlfriend?”
“Um, girlfriend if that’s what you want.” Xu Wanyue’s reply came soft and warm. Lin Cheng leaned nearer to her ear. “You’re the best.”
Xu Wanyue shied away a bit. “Nah. Time to sleep… Good night.”
“One kiss. And I promise it won’t rain tomorrow.”
“Fine. No rain, we go.” Xu Wanyue leaned in and pecked his lips. “Good night.”
They slipped deeper under the covers. Xu Wanyue hooked her leg over him, hugging him tight like a body pillow.
