The quiet of the guest room at dawn was undisturbed as Ruan Xi silently watched Cheng Daichuan.
The person who once reached out to her in the glow of the setting sun was now gently wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead with the pad of his finger.
The cool sensation on her skin vanished in an instant, so fleeting it felt like the chill she sometimes found in her dreams.
Only now did she realize, recalling the hand hovering beside her face when she opened her eyes, what it was she had just rubbed her forehead against.
Her breath caught, and she tensed, heat rising through her body.
Her sweat-soaked pajamas clung to her skin. Ruan Xi pressed her lips together, restraining herself, unusually quiet for fear of betraying her emotions.
She watched Cheng Daichuan stand up, watched him gently rub his fingertips, wiping away the glistening dampness that still lingered there.
It was her sweat.
All of this felt even more unreal than a dream.
Cheng Daichuan asked, “Do you want some Mineral Water, without ice?”
Ruan Xi’s heart pounded like the opening drumbeat of a sports meet— thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump… it wouldn’t stop. “No, I’m fine!”
Who could care about health right now?!
Sorry, Grandmother, just this once.
She clumsily crawled out of her sleeping bag, grabbed the glass of iced water on the nightstand, and gulped down more than half in one go. “…I think I’ll take a shower.”
Cheng Daichuan was already sitting back on the single bed. “Okay.”
Ruan Xi ran to the Bathroom door, then stopped in a fluster. “Cheng Daichuan, I take a long time to shower. Do you… want to use the Bathroom first?”
Half his face was shrouded in shadow. He shook his head. “Go ahead.”
Ruan Xi darted into the Shower Room.
Thinking of the person just on the other side of the wall, she shyly turned on the shower before undressing, letting the rush of water mask the sound as she took off her underclothes, spread out the non-slip mat, and stepped into the warm stream.
More than wanting to wash away the stifling heat from the down sleeping bag, what Ruan Xi truly longed to cleanse was the restlessness in her heart.
Just like in her dream.
Cheng Daichuan’s lips were such a healthy color, they looked so soft, and his Adam’s apple…
Ruan Xi shook out her wet short hair under the water, silently scolding herself:
Ruan Xi, you’re here to help your friend unwind! Not to scheme against him!
Ruan Xi, get a grip!
The Shower Room’s soundproofing wasn’t great; the patter of water reached Cheng Daichuan’s ears like rain.
Truth was, he’d been asleep just now.
At two in the morning, he’d vaguely heard Ruan Xi’s uncomfortable whimpers and the rustling of her sleeping bag, slowly pulling him out of a faintly ambiguous dream.
There was Central Air Conditioning on the Cruise Ship, but sleeping in a down sleeping bag was still far too hot.
Ruan Xi was restless in her sleep.
She was sweating even more than that summer day she’d climbed sixteen flights of stairs to Shi Chao’s place.
Her bangs were damp, cheeks flushed, and she tossed and turned, frowning.
Cheng Daichuan, worried she’d overheat, prepared a glass of iced Mineral Water and walked to her bedside.
Ruan Xi must have been dreaming. Her cherry lips kept murmuring, busy even in her sleep, but he couldn’t make out what she was saying.
He tried calling her.
She frowned again, eyes still closed, her voice soft and sticky as she called out, “Cheng Daichuan…”
Cheng Daichuan’s hand went numb.
He set the glass down on the nightstand, unable to resist, and with the hand that had held the cold glass, gently stroked Ruan Xi’s sweaty forehead.
Ruan Xi, completely defenseless, was so well-behaved— just like Ais when acting spoiled— she nudged her forehead into his palm…
Ruan Xi was showering now.
Cheng Daichuan, listening to the endless sound of water, raised his hand and stared at his palm in a daze.
The sweat on his fingertips had long since dried, yet the illusion of moist warmth still lingered, spreading from the whorls of his fingerprints, seeping into his blood and flowing into his chest…
He forced himself to close his eyes.
Ruan Xi seemed carefree, sometimes even a little clumsy.
But in truth, she was extremely sensitive, soft-hearted, and kind.
She often sacrificed her own feelings for the sake of family, friends, or the so-called “greater good.”
The first time Cheng Daichuan met Ruan Xi, she’d stood dejected in the Spring when all things revived, a Red Sedan behind her dusted with pear blossoms.
Their encounter was brief; only when she received the Red Envelope did her eyes light up.
Her smile was a little beautiful.
As time went on and they grew closer, it wasn’t hard to learn the reason Ruan Xi’s family moved—
Ruan Xi’s parents’ work unit had established a new Project Zone, located in Cheng Daichuan’s city.
Her elderly relative was in poor health, required a Wheelchair, and depended on a hired Ayi (housekeeper) for daily care.
The elder couldn’t support Ruan Xi’s living expenses, and High School was an important time for study, so her parents decided to move with her.
Ruan Xi knew her parents’ struggles and never complained about missing her Hometown.
Once, during a dinner, she overheard her parents and Mrs. Shang sighing, uncertain whether their boss would ever transfer them back home. She’d even comforted them.
She swallowed a piece of sweet and sour pork, smiling brightly, “It’s nice to have a new environment. Aunt Shang’s Family is here, there’s so much good food, and after I finish the College Entrance Exam, we can invite Grandmother to come stay for a while.”
She probably didn’t even realize how sensible, how comforting, and how lovable she was.
Ruan Xi was clearly afraid of all kinds of long-haired animals, but every time she visited his house, she couldn’t bear to have Ais locked in his bedroom.
“Cheng Daichuan, Ais is so aloof, he probably doesn’t care about me anyway. Why don’t you let him out?”
“Cheng Daichuan, leaving Ais home alone is too pitiful. Let’s bring him along.”
“Cheng Daichuan, bring Ais to my place. Shang Auntie said he hasn’t been out today……”
“Cheng Daichuan, Singles’ Day discounts are so good! Before heading out, I bought a few cans of food for Ais!”
After that phone call, it was the second time Cheng Daichuan heard Ruan Xi scream over the phone.
He frowned. “Ruan Xi?”
Cheng Daichuan had gone to play soccer and didn’t have his bike. Ruan Xi had agreed to meet Shi Chao and come find them.
He knew which way she’d go, so without thinking, he headed straight home.
Shi Chao shouted after him, “Cheng-ge, where are you going?! What happened?!”
“Ruan Xi’s in trouble!”
When they found Ruan Xi, she was squatting in a quiet alley less than five minutes from the Gymnasium.
Thankfully, none of the dangers he’d imagined— getting hit by a car, running into bad people, accidentally falling—had happened.
She was crouched there, and on the uneven flagstones before her lay the tiny body of a stray kitten.
The blood had dried; it looked like someone had beaten it to death. The sight was a little horrifying.
Ruan Xi’s phone was tossed aside. She was crying, shooing flies away with her hands, even trying to pick up the kitten.
Her fingertips were trembling, her whole body shaking.
Hearing Cheng Daichuan and Shi Chao’s footsteps, Ruan Xi looked up through her tears. “I want to take it away and bury it, but I’m too scared…”
After that day, Ruan Xi never mentioned her fear of long-haired animals again.
She started feeding Ais.
Ais was aloof but shameless.
After eating a few cans of food from Ruan Xi, he finally deigned to meow and even licked her once.
Ruan Xi was so startled her arm hair stood on end, but she still clung to Cheng Daichuan’s sleeve. “Cheng Daichuan, it’s okay, I’m not that scared anymore. But look at Ais, I think there’s a thorn stuck on his tongue…”
A cat’s tongue is covered in barbs.
Not like a human’s.
Thinking again of the scene in his dream, that imagined, nonexistent softness returned with a vengeance.
Cheng Daichuan shook his hand out and took a deep breath.
He really wanted to know what Mrs. Shang had said in the Hotel the night before last.
Before going to the Bathroom, Ruan Xi had clearly acted a bit off, but she never said a word, as if determined to let him relax with a clear mind.
Is it because we’re good friends?
The ice was all gone, and the Cruise Ship seemed to be swaying.
Ruan Xi was still showering. The indistinct sound of water continued from the Bathroom, drip by drip, tapping on the most sensitive, fragile part of his nerves.
Cheng Daichuan pinched his brow, feeling like he couldn’t hold on, and drifted off to sleep to the sound of running water.
A dozen minutes later, Ruan Xi finally washed off the sticky sweat, and for now, washed away the wild thoughts swirling in her mind.
She turned off the shower, stepped out bathed in the scent of shampoo and body wash, feeling refreshed as she left the Bathroom.
Her previous pajamas were damp, so Ruan Xi wanted to change into a new set.
She hadn’t thought ahead before showering and forgot to bring them in, but was too embarrassed to walk out in just a bathrobe.
She checked herself in the mirror, left and right, confirming again and again that this bathrobe was even thicker than her towel and covered more than her short-sleeved pajamas.
Only then did she hesitantly step out of the Bathroom.
Maybe she’d showered too long, or maybe she’d really overheated in the sleeping bag.
Ruan Xi felt a little dizzy.
She closed her eyes for a moment, then looked into the Guest Room and saw Cheng Daichuan was already asleep.
Cheng Daichuan’s brow was slightly furrowed, the back of his hand resting on his forehead, one leg stretched out, the other propped up.
He didn’t even have a blanket on.
Ruan Xi dimmed the nightlight to its lowest setting, tiptoed over to her suitcase to get another set of pajamas, changed in the Bathroom, and crept out again.
The sleeping bag rustled loudly as she moved it.
Ruan Xi glanced at Cheng Daichuan, but didn’t put away the sleeping bag—just carefully pushed it further in.
Still dizzy, she planned to go back to sleep, but then noticed Cheng Daichuan had no blanket.
The cabin was stuffy, but could anyone really sleep all night with the air conditioning on like this?
He’d probably catch a chill.
Ruan Xi’s Father had caught a chill this way before; when he woke up his neck was stiff, and it only got better after Ruan Xi’s Mother took him to see a traditional doctor for Massage and Acupuncture.
Ruan Xi walked over to Cheng Daichuan’s bed, gently shook out the blanket, and covered him.
Cheng Daichuan didn’t wake.
She relaxed, then boldly tucked the blanket around him.
Ruan Xi squatted by Cheng Daichuan’s bed, looking at his hand resting on his forehead—long fingers, well-defined joints.
She thought of how he’d just rubbed his fingertips, her ears growing hot, but then noticed the furrow in his brow.
Still unhappy?
She propped her elbows on his bed, cupping her face in her hands, and whispered softly, “I hope when you wake up tomorrow, you’ll be happy, and forget about that jerk who betrayed his marriage, bullied Shang Auntie, and shirked his family responsibilities…”
Her voice wasn’t loud, but he opened his eyes.
Cheng Daichuan probably wasn’t fully awake. He glanced at Ruan Xi, then closed his eyes again.
The hand resting on his forehead reached out and gently, intimately ruffled Ruan Xi’s hair.
Then he drifted back into steady, even breathing.
Ruan Xi’s neck went stiff.
With Cheng Daichuan’s hand on her head, she nervously thought: Did he… mistake me for Ais?