Ruan Xi blacked out.
She vaguely remembered singing a French song in a dimly lit, cozy little bar, and drinking beer with Cheng Daichuan.
But how she got back to the guest room and lay down on the bed— she couldn’t remember any of it.
At eight in the morning, Ruan Xi opened her eyes to bright and brilliant sunlight, feeling very comfortable after a night of sound sleep, waking up naturally.
Being drunk was comfortable, too.
No wonder people say drinking can ease worries— it really works. She had been a bit greedy yesterday, and her mood while singing wasn’t great either.
After getting drunk and sleeping it off, all her gloom had disappeared!
Ruan Xi sat up from the bed and stretched with joy, her face lighting up even more as she surveyed the items on the bedside table.
The space between the two single beds was limited, so there was a bedside table placed there.
On Cheng Daichuan’s side were his headphone case and wallet.
On Ruan Xi’s side lay her phone plugged into a charger, a glass of Lemon Water with a straw, a tissue box, painkillers…
It was obvious without asking—after she got drunk last night, Cheng Daichuan had been taking care of her attentively.
But where had Cheng Daichuan gone?
His bed was already tidied, and his phone was nowhere in sight.
Looks like he had gone out. Could it be that he found her troublesome and just left her behind?
Ruan Xi unplugged the charger and messaged Cheng Daichuan: “Where are you?”
Cheng Daichuan replied quickly: “Back home in ten minutes.”
The phrase “back home” made Ruan Xi pause.
She glanced around the guest room they had been staying in for several days: her crossbody bag and cap were on the sofa, empty mineral water bottles and ice cream wrappers stuffed into the trash bin, the Seagull Plush on the TV cabinet was still wearing Cheng Daichuan’s sunglasses…
Cheng Daichuan’s suitcase stood against the wall, while hers was sprawled open on the floor.
The space was small, and it didn’t look as neat as Cheng Daichuan’s home.
But did Cheng Daichuan really consider this place home?
Ruan Xi recalled the wallpaper on Cheng Daichuan’s phone. Back in high school, it was a family photo of the Family of Three holding Ais.
Shi Chao once told her that every year, when Aunt Shang’s family gathered to celebrate a birthday, Cheng Daichuan’s father would be called home for dinner and then they’d take a family photo.
At that time, Ruan Xi and Shi Chao joked that close friends counted as half-family, and after their playful insistence, Cheng Daichuan changed the wallpaper to a photo collage.
The collage had the family photo on top and below it, a three-person shot of Ruan Xi, Cheng Daichuan, and Shi Chao.
But now, Cheng Daichuan’s phone lock screen was a photo of Ais biting a soccer ball.
His family had fallen apart.
Since college, the three of them hadn’t been able to gather again.
Even Ais hadn’t been brought to school.
Her heart felt like dough left to ferment, soft to an unbearable degree.
Ruan Xi picked up the glass of Lemon Water on the bedside table and bit the straw, feeling a bit tenderhearted.
The fresh aroma of lemon peel and the sourness of the juice weren’t as strong as she expected; instead, they were covered by an unexpected sweetness.
Really tasty.
Ruan Xi glanced at the glass and thought: Did he specially add honey?
Cheng Daichuan was really so kind!
Such a good Cheng Daichuan deserved a warm, tidy, and comfortable home.
Even if it was only a temporary place.
Sucking on the straw, Ruan Xi looked around their guest room again. The trash bin, the cleanliness of the table and floor— these were all taken care of by the cruise ship staff.
At least she had to tidy up her suitcase.
After finishing the honey Lemon Water, Ruan Xi got out of bed, tidied the bedding, and went into the bathroom.
The sliding glass door of the shower was covered with water droplets, and the floor was puddled, but there was no steam.
Had Cheng Daichuan taken another cold shower?
When Cheng Daichuan came back, Ruan Xi was kneeling on one knee over her suitcase, pressing down hard.
She moved quickly, having already washed up and changed into a fresh outfit.
A cream-colored short-sleeved shirt paired with a light denim skirt above the knee.
The guest room was well lit, making her short sleeves and long legs dazzling. Her knees were red where the raised diamond pattern on the suitcase pressed into her skin.
Cheng Daichuan carried two bottles of drinks. “Have you been up for a long time?”
“Just woke up when I messaged you.”
Ruan Xi looked up happily, her smile radiant. “Welcome home.”
Cheng Daichuan seemed momentarily stunned. “Ah, you look pretty lively. Used all these?”
Only then did Ruan Xi notice he was holding a bottle of Water Soluble C100 and a bottle of Electrolyte Water.
She asked, “Did you go out to buy drinks?”
As she spoke, she loosened her pressure, and the suitcase’s creased gap popped back open.
After squatting in front of the suitcase for too long, her legs went numb and she swayed a bit.
Cheng Daichuan put the drinks in the cabinet by the entrance, noticed Ruan Xi’s reddened knees, grabbed her wrist, and helped her up.
He said he had read online that those two drinks helped with hangovers, so he bought them to try.
Ruan Xi rubbed her knees and leaned closer to study Cheng Daichuan. “Did you drink too much and throw up?”
“No.”
“Then you were worried I wasn’t comfortable?”
He tapped his forehead. “Of course.”
Ruan Xi was in an excellent mood. “Hehe, once I finish packing my suitcase, we’ll go have breakfast.”
Her previous attempt at packing hadn’t worked— the Down Sleeping Bag was just too bulky to close the suitcase properly.
She tried folding and pressing it repeatedly, then said, “Cheng Daichuan, will your suitcase still fit two sleeping bags?”
“Almost.”
“That’s perfect. I was going to give them to you anyway. You can pack them first.”
“Why the sudden urge to pack your suitcase?”
Ruan Xi hummed a tune while handing him the sleeping bags. “To give you a clean and tidy home.”
“A home?”
“Yes, like you said.”
Cheng Daichuan took out his phone and scrolled. “Ruan Xi.”
“Hm?”
“I typed the wrong word.”
Ruan Xi tilted her head and quickly realized that Cheng Daichuan meant to type “coming back” instead of “back home.”
That didn’t spoil Ruan Xi’s good mood. She even took the initiative to mention last night’s situation: “Cheng Daichuan, you really worked hard last night. I blacked out a bit, and this morning when I changed clothes, I found my pillowcase wrinkled— definitely means I tossed and turned a lot, right?”
Cheng Daichuan said calmly, “Not really.”
“Did I talk nonsense later?”
“No.”
“How about my sleeping posture? Was it bad?”
“…No, not really.”
Ruan Xi nodded. “Then my drinking behavior wasn’t bad after all.”
Cheng Daichuan raised his eyes. “How do you figure?”
Ruan Xi struck a detective pose, hands on hips, listing the clues she found after waking.
The clothes she changed out of last night were folded in her usual way, the hairband was neatly laid flat in the makeup bag, and she always forgot to cap her facial cleanser bottle…
So she guessed that when she came back last night, she was still coherent enough to change clothes and wash up herself.
Ruan Xi was quite pleased with her first drunken performance: “But I must have been too well-behaved once I fell asleep.”
Cheng Daichuan lowered his eyes to look at her. “You were normal before sleep, too.”
“Don’t slander me when I don’t remember!”
“How much do you remember?”
Ruan Xi thought carefully. “Actually, I do have some memory. The pink cocktail at the bar tasted pretty good, much better than the ones robots make. Next time we drink, let’s still go to the bar! The waiter was handsome, too…”
Cheng Daichuan sat on the sofa, rubbing his Left Ear. When Ruan Xi mentioned the waiter, he suddenly made a “hiss” sound.
Ruan Xi liked that sound a little. “What’s up?”
Cheng Daichuan dodged the question: “There’s a next time?”
Ruan Xi thought of the wrinkles on her pillowcase and suddenly felt uncertain about her drinking skills. “Did I throw up yesterday?”
“No.”
She was startled. “Did I say anything weird?”
“No.”
Ruan Xi breathed out in relief. “How come you reacted like that?”
Cheng Daichuan’s expression was calm: “You tossed and turned too much.”
“Who? Me? How did I toss and turn?”
“Kicked off the blanket.”
“You covered me with it?”
“About a dozen times.”
The air conditioning in this guest room seemed pretty good, at least it wasn’t cold enough to feel like a morgue on that freezing night on the ship.
Ruan Xi felt a soft warmth gently flowing through her insides.
Before she could be moved, she suddenly heard Cheng Daichuan say, “You kept mumbling in your sleep.”
“Talking in my sleep?”
“Don’t know.”
Cheng Daichuan teased, “I couldn’t find your mouth tape last night. Should’ve put a few on you.”
Ruan Xi casually grabbed something of suitable size from her suitcase and tossed it at Cheng Daichuan.
Only after throwing did she realize it was a pair of pale yellow Socks and instantly regretted it.
Cheng Daichuan tilted his head; the socks bounced off the sofa back and landed by his legs.
He picked them up, raised his eyebrows, and weighed them in his hand.
Ruan Xi felt a little embarrassed and explained, “They’re clean. Just washed.”
“Just finished taking care of you and already hitting people?”
“Not at all, big brother.”
“…”
Cheng Daichuan gently tossed the socks back. Ruan Xi caught them and stuffed them back into her suitcase.
With the sleeping bags removed, the suitcase was much easier to close.
Ruan Xi stood her suitcase beside Cheng Daichuan’s against the wall and asked if he wanted to go have breakfast.
Cheng Daichuan said, “Sleepy. I’ll shower first.”
“You already showered?”
“Not yet.”
Ruan Xi looked confusedly at Cheng Daichuan’s back as he rubbed his Left Ear and closed the bathroom door.
He hadn’t showered this morning?
Then… when had the water droplets on the shower glass and the puddles on the floor appeared?
Sometimes, having too good an imagination was also a problem.
That door looked heavy but its soundproofing was practically zero.
Ruan Xi listened to the bathroom sounds and even imagined Cheng Daichuan standing by the door, lifting his short sleeve with one hand, then loosening the drawstring on his casual pants…
She snapped back to reality and slapped her own face.
Better drink a bottle of Water Soluble C100.
Didn’t Cheng Daichuan say that stuff helped with hangovers? Maybe she was a little alcohol poisoned.
Ruan Xi had seen Cheng Daichuan undo his waistband once.
It was a summer day, blazing hot.
What was unbelievable was that Cheng Daichuan and Shi Chao both craved soccer so much that despite the heat, they were heading out to play under the scorching sun.
Ruan Xi was taking out the trash downstairs when she bumped into them in the building.
Cheng Daichuan asked, “Ruan Xi, what are you doing at home?”
“Air conditioning, eating popsicles, watching cartoons.”
“Want to come with us to the soccer field?”
Ruan Xi rolled her eyes, thinking going to the soccer field was nowhere near as comfortable as staying in the AC room.
“I want to watch cartoons.”
“I’ll bring the iPad, download cartoons before we go?”
Ruan Xi was tempted but still followed them.
Near the soccer field was a really good cold noodle shop. They agreed to eat cold noodles together after playing.
Ruan Xi sat under a tree filled with cicada calls, opening cartoons on Cheng Daichuan’s iPad.
Before the game, Cheng Daichuan gave her an ice blue neck fan. “If you’re uncomfortable, tell us. We’ll leave early. Be careful not to get heatstroke.”
Ruan Xi nodded, hugging the iPad.
Cheng Daichuan wore loose khaki casual pants with soccer shorts underneath.
He lifted his short-sleeved shirt hem, pinched the thin drawstring, and with a gentle tug, the knot came undone.
Ruan Xi didn’t know what she was thinking at the time, staring at him without blinking.
Then Cheng Daichuan caught her looking.
He paused, flipped his baseball cap onto her head with a smile. “Why are you staring like that?”
Ruan Xi opened the cap of the Water Soluble C100 bottle and sat on the sofa, recalling those little things.
Luckily, the cruise ship’s Broadcast helped distract her.
The announcement said that the Shore Excursion, canceled a few days ago due to rough seas, would resume today.
After Cheng Daichuan finished showering, Ruan Xi told him the good news.
Since the bathroom was occupied, she knelt on the sofa and used a small carved mirrored decoration on the back wall of the sofa as a mirror, puckering her lips to apply lip gloss.
Her slim waist sagged slightly; her phone was tucked halfway into the back pocket of her denim skirt, the screen glowing.
After applying, Ruan Xi pursed her lips and caught sight of Cheng Daichuan squinting, lost in thought.
She held the small brush in one hand and the lip gloss tube in the other, twisting her body and asking, “Are you listening?”
Cheng Daichuan crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, looking a bit distracted. He gave a bland “hm.”
They had been wandering the ship for several days now, and Ruan Xi was quite looking forward to the Shore Excursion.
She put the lip gloss back into her makeup bag, took out perfume, sprayed a little on each wrist, lifted them to her ears, and gently rubbed the delicate skin behind them.
Ruan Xi felt vibrant and fragrant, casually tossing the small glass perfume bottle back into her makeup bag.
“Cheng Daichuan, feeling more energetic after your shower?”
“Not bad.”
“The broadcast said last time’s registration is still valid. I want to go on the Shore Excursion. What about you? Will you come with me?”
“I’ll come.”
Good mood multiplied!
Ruan Xi happily bounced over to Cheng Daichuan, hands behind her back. “Then I’ll treat you to iced coffee!”
The restaurant where they ate breakfast also served coffee, but the taste wasn’t as good as the Coffee Corner.
To thank Cheng Daichuan for taking care of her last night, Ruan Xi deliberately dragged him to the Coffee Corner for coffee.
Influenced by her grandmother, Ruan Xi had some health-conscious habits, though not too strict— just ordering less ice.
Cheng Daichuan, on the other hand, directly told the staff to fill his cup with ice.
On the way to the restaurant, Ruan Xi kept watching the cup of iced Americano in Cheng Daichuan’s hand, full of ice cubes.
Once inside the restaurant and seated, she hesitated to speak.
She wanted to say drinking so much ice wasn’t good for health but then thought she herself had iced drinks too, so she wasn’t qualified to lecture.
Besides…
She was the one who finished last in the Marathon, collapsed in the Netball Hall, and blacked out from drinking last night…
Better to let it go.
After all, Cheng Daichuan was really tough— he could do fifty push-ups with one hand.
Cheng Daichuan suddenly tapped twice on the menu. “Want to say something?”
Ruan Xi shook her head, but her gaze landed on Cheng Daichuan’s ear.
“I noticed you’ve been rubbing your Left Ear a lot today. Is it red? Did a mosquito bite you?”
Cheng Daichuan glanced at her calmly. “Yeah.”
“Then you…”
He said, “I keep hearing whispers like someone’s trying to tell me a secret.”