Chen Shuangshuang was furious after being teased and didn’t even look at Zhang Dai on the way home.
As soon as they got back to Zhang family’s house, she, with her belly as her badge of authority, angrily complained to Zhang’s mother, “Mom, he bullied me again! He drank bubble tea in front of me, knowing I can’t have it, and tried to tempt me with it! He’s so bad!”
Zhang’s mother immediately scolded her son with a stern face, “You know Shuangshuang can’t drink bubble tea, yet you bought it, making her cravings even stronger. Do you want something to happen to my grandchild?”
Zhang Dai, not realizing his mistake, muttered softly, “Maybe it’s a granddaughter~”
“Still talking back! Even after getting married, you haven’t matured!” Zhang’s mother pinched his arm angrily.
He clutched his arm in pain and obediently admitted his mistake, “Alright, I won’t buy bubble tea to tempt her anymore!”
After Zhang’s mother walked away, Zhang Dai disdainfully said, “You’re already a mother, how can you still be so childish?”
Chen Shuangshuang returned the same disdainful look, “You’re already a father, can`t you be more mature?”
On the last day of their holiday, they took the high-speed train back to City A. By the time they arrived, it was raining heavily.
After waiting for a long time without any sign of the rain letting up, they had no choice but to brave the rain to get home.
The rain fell steadily and continuously, like countless silver threads weaving a giant water curtain. Raindrops drummed on windows, rooftops, and between trees, creating a symphony of nature. The water on the streets quickly gathered into streams, flowing along low-lying areas. Pedestrians hurried by, not daring to pause.
Chen Shuangshuang leaned against Zhang Dai, who pushed a suitcase with one hand and held an umbrella with the other, carefully adjusting the umbrella to keep her from getting wet.
They walked slowly side by side and finally reached the bottom of their apartment building. The ground was wet, and a yellow sign warned of slippery conditions.
Zhang Dai put away the umbrella, shook off the water droplets, then stored it and picked up the suitcase to climb the stairs.
Chen Shuangshuang turned her head to look at Zhang Dai and noticed that half of his body was soaked. The scene warmed her heart.
Suddenly, because she had stopped paying attention, she slipped, and her heavy body started falling backward uncontrollably. She closed her eyes in terror, unable to imagine the dreadful outcome.
At that critical moment, a strong arm encircled her shoulders from behind, preventing her fall.
A deep, soothing voice came from above, “It’s okay.”
She opened her eyes hesitantly, realizing that she was safe, and breathed a sigh of relief, holding her chest in fear. “That scared me! I thought I was going to fall!”
He changed his position so he could support her waist. The warmth of his palm seeped through the thin fabric and reached her skin, making that spot feel unusually hot.
However, this strange sensation quickly disappeared. Once she was stable, he let go of her and reminded: “Be careful!”
After they both took a shower, they quietly went about their own tasks.
Soon, there was a beep, signalling the end of the washing program, and Zhang Dai sensibly went to hang the clothes. Unfortunately, he discovered that his clothes had been snagged by something and were damaged.
He asked someone in the house, “Shuangshuang, can you mend clothes? My clothes got damaged in the wash!”
Chen Shuangshuang immediately stopped what she was doing and responded, “Bring them here!”
She walked to the cabinet, rummaged around, found the sewing kit, and started threading the needle.
Zhang Dai sensibly turned on his phone flashlight to help her see better.
Her rosy lips parted as she held the thread in her mouth, then pulled it out, wetting the cotton thread with saliva to straighten it. She widened her eyes, staring intently at the tiny needle hole, her pink fingertips carefully guiding the thread towards it.
Her focused expression was so captivating that Zhang Dai was drawn in, unknowingly inching closer. His masculine presence overwhelmed her, causing her to miss the needle hole.
Chen Shuangshuang tried again, holding her breath, but his strong presence made her fail several times.
Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore and looked up sharply, meeting his deep eyes. His gaze was strange, like a predator eyeing its prey, making her blush with embarrassment.
To cover up her odd reaction, she flicked his forehead with her finger and pretended to be fierce, “Why are you getting so close!”
The pain snapped Zhang Dai back to reality. He covered his forehead, not daring to overstep any further.
Soon, Chen Shuangshuang perfectly mended the damaged part. She proudly raised her chin, waving the clothes and prompting, “Quick, quick, praise me for being a genius!”
Zhang Dai smiled helplessly and commented, “Why are you so narcissistic? Little genius!”
Recently, Chen Shuangshuang had been troubled by Zhang Dai’s increasing lack of boundaries. He often touched her intentionally or unintentionally, making her feel defenseless. She wanted to point out his violations of their cohabitation rules but didn’t know where to start.
One weekend, she decided to cook a big meal to reward herself.
Zhang Dai, rarely having free time, also came to help her with the ingredients.
She was focused on cutting wax gourd when Zhang Dai suddenly leaned in close, almost half-hugging her to reach for the peeler on the shelf. She got distracted and accidentally cut her finger.
Blood uncontrollably flowed out, staining the melon slices on the cutting board. She cried out in pain, put down the knife, but before she could check her finger’s injury, her wounded finger was enveloped in a warm, moist place.
Zhang Dai’s lips turned crimson from her blood. He held her slender wrist, sucked on her finger, and gently licked her fingertip with his tongue, almost teasingly.
A tingling sensation spread from her fingertip, making Chen Shuangshuang’s nerves jump as if electrified. Meeting his anxious gaze, she stammered in embarrassment, “W-what are you doing?”
Zhang Dai slowly released her finger, a suspicious thread of saliva stretching from his mouth to her fingertip. He explained seriously, “Saliva stops bleeding. I’m stopping the bleeding for you!”
Diary entry:
I made a bet with Chen Shuangshuang on our college entrance exam scores. She said if my score was higher than hers, she would agree to anything.
From then on, I studied hard.
The exam results came out, and I won!
Then I voiced my request: Will you be my girlfriend?
She gave me a flick on the forehead and sternly scolded me: Don’t make such annoying jokes!
She didn’t keep her word! I was serious!
— Zhang Dai
Diary entry:
I suspect Zhang Dai likes me!
— Chen Shuangshuang
