Chapter 24: Beer

Ruan Xi had a slow, drifting dream.

When daylight came, all the people and events in her dream turned into fuzzy images with jagged edges, then gradually drifted further and further away.

After all that exertion, her whole body ached.

Ruan Xi frowned and rolled over, groaning from the pain.

She didn’t open her eyes, still lying in bed, half-dazed as she thought: This kind of soreness, like being beaten up, was a lot like the time she ran the national marathon back in high school.

She let her thoughts wander in reminiscence for a while before noticing how quiet the room was.

Had Cheng Daichuan not gotten up yet?

Wow, that’s really rare.

He usually gets up pretty early.

Maybe yesterday’s plan worked, used up all his excess energy, and let him sleep soundly for once?

Looks like those plans are reliable— she could keep at it!

With that in mind, Ruan Xi stretched her stiff, swollen limbs under the covers.

The moment she stretched, she seemed to kick something hard.

She slowly opened her eyes and saw Cheng Daichuan’s side profile, right up close.

Those lowered eyelashes, the high bridge of his nose, and his slightly pursed lips…

A visual shock— her mind went blank in an instant.

Ruan Xi immediately covered her mouth, but still failed to muffle the gasp that escaped.

Cheng Daichuan was lying on his back next to her, eyes closed, but he raised a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose.

He was clearly awake, his voice hoarse: “Awake?”

“Mm, morning…”

Ruan Xi wanted to ask Cheng Daichuan why he was still on this bed, but thought better of it.

Last night, she’d asked him to stay because she was scared.

Now that it was morning, the morgue and ice cream ghost stories no longer seemed scary, so asking that kind of question…

Wouldn’t that be like using someone and then tossing them aside…?

No, that’s not right.

Ruan Xi reorganized her thoughts: Isn’t that just using someone and then discarding them?

But he really did sleep here all night.

Ruan Xi, calm down— how is this any different from the times you two used to spend the night on the sofa?

She asked herself in her heart: Of course it’s different! Totally different!

This time, there was no Shi Chao or Ais!

Trying her best to appear experienced and composed, Ruan Xi stiffly sat up from the tangled blankets, but accidentally pressed down on Cheng Daichuan’s arm, which was hidden under the covers.

He opened his eyes.

Startled, she almost toppled over onto him.

In her panic, Ruan Xi saw his Adam’s apple bob.

He was probably trying to ease the discomfort in his throat, but to her, it felt like a real test of willpower.

Ruan Xi didn’t dare let her mind wander. Like a rabbit with its tail set on fire, she hopped out of bed, shouting about needing a shower, and darted into the bathroom.

Steam filled the bathroom.

Ruan Xi recited the “Tengwang Pavilion Preface” and half of “Li Sao” to herself, finally regaining her composure.

When she came out of the bathroom, Cheng Daichuan was up as well.

Ruan Xi smiled as usual, walked past Cheng Daichuan to the bed, pulled up the sheets, and began making the bed as if nothing had happened: “Your turn to tidy up, Cheng Daichuan. Just as well— I can work on today’s plan while you’re washing up.”

Just like the brochure promised, the bedding was excellent.

The quilt was big, fluffy, and soft— these past few days, Ruan Xi had slept comfortably under it.

But when she got up just now, the whole quilt was piled on her side, and Cheng Daichuan didn’t even have a corner covering him.

No wonder his throat was hoarse.

Ruan Xi felt guilty: “Sorry, I accidentally fell asleep last night. Otherwise, I would’ve let you go back. A single bed is so cramped, and you didn’t even have a blanket. Did you…”

She wanted to ask if he’d caught a chill.

Cheng Daichuan suddenly said, “I wanted to go back.”

Huh, his voice wasn’t hoarse anymore?

Ruan Xi was distracted and didn’t react right away: “What?”

Cheng Daichuan looked tired, clearly hadn’t slept well.

He lounged lazily on the sofa, chin tilted toward his single bed: “I wanted to go back, but you were holding onto me and wouldn’t let go.”

What did I do to you?

Ruan Xi felt as if a bucket of boiling water had been poured over her—her skin burned all over.

She opened her mouth, but couldn’t get a word out for a long while.

Cheng Daichuan, eyes weary, continued, “Maybe you took me for the quilt.”

Ruan Xi, face red, denied it flatly: “Impossible!”

Cheng Daichuan said, “Ah, then it’s impossible.”

He dropped that line, strolled leisurely into the bathroom, and even closed the door behind him.

Leaving Ruan Xi clutching the sheets, her mind a mess.

Ruan Xi did have a habit of clinging to her quilt while sleeping— she’d had it since she was little.

She knew she was quite likely to have done exactly what Cheng Daichuan described.

Even her female friends who’d stayed over said she was especially clingy when asleep, always trying to snuggle up…

What happened last night— Ruan Xi dared not imagine. She just wanted to calm down.

She found her phone and casually—

The tune was quite upbeat, and she was just starting to get distracted, when she listened to the lyrics and instantly felt awkward—

“wanna touch your body all night…”

She switched to another song.

Then, in the lyrics “bite me, b…,” she paused expressionlessly for two seconds, then shut off the music app entirely and switched to browsing her Friend Circle.

It was the middle of the night.

There was a photo of his dog, and Zhang Xu’s arm holding the dog, with a faint glimpse of a tattoo on his arm.

Zhang Xu seemed to like posting photos without people in them. When he went to the theater before, his updates were the same.

Ruan Xi remembered her conversation with Cheng Daichuan: “How did you know I went to the theater with Zhang Xu?” “Friend Circle updates.”

She went into Zhang Xu’s Friend Circle and scrolled back to last winter, to the day they went to the theater.

In that photo, only Ruan Xi’s thumb holding a stage play ticket stub appeared.

Just from the thumb… it shouldn’t be obvious who it was.

Did Zhang Xu really tell Cheng Daichuan about that?

Did he spill all her secrets too?

Goosebumps prickled along Ruan Xi’s arm, but then she remembered that Zhang Xu didn’t seem like the gossiping type.

It’s fine, Ruan Xi, that’s Zhang Xu— not Shi Chao.

There were some unhappy meetings that winter, then long, dragging thoughts, entanglements, contradictions, and hesitations…

Imitating Cheng Daichuan, she pinched the bridge of her nose.

Secret crushes made Ruan Xi timid, yet helpless.

She was powerless to change or break through.

In the end, she could only keep her feelings to herself, avoid the noise from the bathroom, go out to the balcony for some air, and absentmindedly give a like to Zhang Xu’s new post.

–

There were no windows or ventilation in the bathroom.

When Cheng Daichuan walked in, the steam from Ruan Xi’s shower still hadn’t dissipated.

The scent of her bath products hung in the air, filling every inch with a hazy fragrance.

It was humid, stuffy, and quietly enticing.

Cheng Daichuan took off his T-shirt, thinking of the night before:

Ruan Xi was so well-behaved when asleep, head burrowed against his arm, her hair tickling his skin;

Her arm wrapped around his waist, and she mumbled and whimpered in her sleep, as if dreaming of something.

Cheng Daichuan had taken her hand off his waist, frowning, but couldn’t help himself— he gently traced the scar on her thumb with his fingertip…

He knew it was inappropriate, and mocked himself inwardly:

Well done, Cheng Daichuan. Is this how a good friend should act?

Judging by Ruan Xi’s state after waking, she’d probably been startled. Cheng Daichuan could tell she was distracted.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have suddenly gotten up to shower at five in the morning…

His gaze landed on the sink, then on a small piece of cloth left on the drying rack. He felt a headache coming on: …And she even left her underwear, already blow-dried, in the bathroom.

He stepped into the shower and turned the knob to the blue (cold) setting.

The sea breeze masked the sound of running water in the bathroom. Ruan Xi stared into the distance, lost in thought, completely unaware of when Cheng Daichuan had come out of the bathroom.

By the time she heard him, he was already on the phone with Shi Chao.

Shi Chao, loud as ever, went straight for the sensitive topic: “So, how’d you two sleep last night?”

Ruan Xi: “…”

Cheng Daichuan glanced at Ruan Xi: “Not great. You scared Ruan Xi with your nonsense.”

Shi Chao protested, “What did I say?”

Ruan Xi ran in from the balcony: “You talked about the morgue!”

Shi Chao laughed it off, saying he’d just read it online, then kept chattering: “I’m taking Ais to the football field. What about you? What’s your plan for today?”

Cheng Daichuan said, “Going for breakfast first.”

Shi Chao chirped that he was jealous of their mornings— he could only go to his usual small shop for white porridge and mini buns.

Before leaving, Ruan Xi went to her suitcase to look for something, only to realize she’d left some clothes in the bathroom.

That realization made her already unsettled morning even more embarrassing.

She dashed into the bathroom, grabbed that little piece of cloth, and hurried back to her suitcase.

While Cheng Daichuan was still on the phone with Shi Chao, she stuffed it into her suitcase at lightning speed.

Shi Chao had to queue for mini buns, so he hung up.

Ruan Xi picked up a Cruise Ship Brochure and fanned herself with it, breaking the subtle silence in the room: “I haven’t finished today’s plan yet…”

Cheng Daichuan said, “Don’t bother, you’ll wear yourself out. Take a break.”

“What, you can’t keep up anymore?”

“…Yeah, I’m tired.”

Well, Cheng Daichuan wasn’t just tired— he probably didn’t sleep well, squeezed like that all night.

Ruan Xi said, “Then after breakfast, let’s go to the rest area at the sunbathing area?”

“Sure.”

“Wait for me, Cheng Daichuan. I need to put on some sunscreen.”

Ruan Xi went back into the bathroom.

She kept feeling like something was off, but couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

Before leaving, they ran into a Cruise Ship staff member cleaning the room.

Ruan Xi, holding her hat and spray, stepped aside to let the staff pass, and happened to notice an empty can in the trash.

The can had been crushed, dented in a few places.

It was red, but not cola—it was beer.

There had always been two cans of beer chilling in the fridge.

Ruan Xi was surprised, and turned to Cheng Daichuan: “When did you drink beer?”

“Last night.”

“Couldn’t sleep? Why didn’t you wake me to keep you company?”

“Just thirsty.”

Ruan Xi didn’t say anything.

She thought, maybe Cheng Daichuan needed a way to vent his feelings— a little drink to let off steam wasn’t a bad thing.

“Cheng Daichuan.”

“Yeah?”

“Aren’t there a lot of bars on the Cruise Ship? How about we go drinking tonight— no going home till we’re drunk.”

“And then listen to your comedy routine?”

Ruan Xi, mortified, went to pinch Cheng Daichuan’s neck.

Feeling his warm skin and beating pulse, she got flustered, and only briefly pinched him with her thumbs before letting go— counting that as a warning.

She let go, her stomach rumbled, so she changed the subject: “What do I do, Cheng Daichuan? I want Chinese food.”

After so many days of Western food, she missed the white porridge and mini buns Shi Chao had talked about.

Cheng Daichuan chuckled, “Let’s eat.”

At the entrance to the Chinese Restaurant stood an Incense Burner shaped like flowing mountains and streams.

White smoke drifted gently along the grooves, filling the air with an elegant fragrance.

While Cheng Daichuan swiped the Room Card, Ruan Xi stood beside him, staring at the Incense Burner.

The swirling smoke gave Ruan Xi a sudden inspiration.

She suddenly remembered what had bothered her in the bathroom.

The guest bathroom was small and sealed. When Ruan Xi showered, the steam got really heavy.

By the end, the glass divider would be completely fogged up, and the mirror wouldn’t reflect a thing.

But every time Cheng Daichuan finished showering, there was only a damp feeling, not a trace of steam. Not just once—every time was the same.

Cheng Daichuan swiped the card and waved the Room Card lightly in front of her: “Let’s go in.”

Ruan Xi blinked: “Cheng Daichuan, do you take cold showers every day?”