Chapter 87: A Night of Spring Dreams

“If you go by Tiantian’s side, you’d have to call her ‘big sister’!” Zhang Dawei laughed dismissively, then suddenly remembered something. He rushed out and shouted to He Jingxuan, “You mustn’t tell Tiantian about this! Otherwise she’ll take advantage of me again!”

*

In a Western restaurant on Hongqi Street, two people sat by the window. Dong Yanyan leisurely sliced her steak with knife and fork, watching Ren Jiaxuan eat. She liked the way he ate—calm and unhurried—so much more refined than Xu Cheng, who simply had no table manners no matter how she tried to correct him. Sometimes, the smallest details reveal a person’s upbringing; no matter how good someone’s character, the education and environment they grew up in directly influence their temperament. She liked men with good temperament, like the one in front of her.

Ren Jiaxuan sensed her gaze; that playful glance, sharp as a knife, actually made him a bit nervous. He wondered if she hadn’t gotten enough truffle and was now eyeing him instead. The thought made him chuckle, so he found something to say, “Do you eat Western food often? You seem very familiar with this place.”

“The price of one meal here is enough for my monthly living expenses—who could come often? I just worked in a Western restaurant before, that’s all,” Dong Yanyan replied honestly.

“You’re kidding, which Western restaurant dares hire child labor?” Ren Jiaxuan laughed, not believing her.

“Really?” Dong Yanyan smiled. “Then you don’t know. The jobs I do now, they don’t even check my ID, just a student card is enough. There truly is such a thing as work-study. Rules are nice on paper, but everything depends on people.”

“Is that so?” Ren Jiaxuan laughed as well. “But from how you dress and live, you don’t seem like a child from a poor family. I heard you use honey and milk on your face every day, cook yourself nourishing porridge, and always pick the best ingredients at the supermarket. With such luxurious habits, why work part-time?”

Dong Yanyan lifted her wine glass, clinked it lightly with his, took a small sip, and smiled again, “Classmate, this time you really misjudged me. I am a child from a poor family, but my parents never let me suffer financially. They always do their best to give me the best; so I learned to live with quality within my means. The honey is from home, pure, natural, and free from pollution. I only use a little milk each time, and drink the rest—nothing wasted, and I save money on breakfast. Making nourishing porridge costs no more than five yuan per pot, but it’s good for my health. Just avoiding one cold covers the medicine costs. As for cosmetics and bags, I only reward myself when I’ve earned extra money.”

Ren Jiaxuan was a bit surprised, then smiled, “Yanyan, I really didn’t know. I won’t let you work so hard anymore.”

“I enjoy it. The sense of accomplishment from supporting myself is very satisfying. My goal is to earn enough for university in these four years, and get in by my own ability!” Dong Yanyan said with anticipation.

“I admire your confidence. But if you want to go to university, why did you choose vocational school instead of high school?” Ren Jiaxuan asked.

At this, Dong Yanyan grew a little somber. “Partly for financial reasons, partly for health. I’ve always been frail, and middle school was already tough for me. My dad worried high school would exhaust me, so I chose vocational school—no college entrance exam, less pressure. But it’s fine, I’m still young, and there’s still a chance to go to university later, just an extra year of study. But you, so talented and capable, since you took the college entrance exam, even if you didn’t get into Beijing Broadcasting or the Academy of Drama, an art college would be good. Why settle for vocational school? It seems a pity!”

Ren Jiaxuan’s expression changed slightly, then he smiled carelessly. “I applied to several art colleges and passed their interviews, but didn’t perform well in the exam and chose overly ambitious preferences, so I didn’t get in. I didn’t want to waste another year. With my grades, who knows if I’d make it next year, so my mom sent me here. Honestly, it doesn’t matter where I study. I’ll go back to the TV station after graduation; returning two years earlier means less competition and an age advantage. There’ll be plenty of chances for further study later, so I’m not worried about my qualifications.”

Dong Yanyan believed him. In units like theirs, all that matters is a diploma; the personnel file only records the highest degree, and whether it’s from a formal college or another channel doesn’t matter. She liked his attitude, so candid, not at all regretful or self-conscious for not getting into university. She liked his calm, breezy style. Still, passing all the interviews but not the exam—classmate, what on earth was your score?

“This is for you—do you like it?!”

A rose appeared before her as if by magic. Her eyes lit up, and her smile bloomed. “I do! The flowers you gave me last time, I made them into rose jam, and now I still feel bad about it.”

“You’re too late! Don’t feel bad. If you want, I’ll bring you roses every day. By the way, I heard you gave your rose jam to Old Tang and the others, and I didn’t get any,” Ren Jiaxuan said, slightly annoyed.

“They asked, how could I refuse? All the teachers in the office were eyeing my rose jam, I couldn’t say no to anyone. But I saved a jar for you—I’ll bring it tomorrow,” Dong Yanyan replied with a smile.

“At least you have a conscience!” Ren Jiaxuan picked up his wine glass and clinked hers. Dong Yanyan knew red wine made her dizzy, but this glass was sweet and tart, delicious. With a handsome gentleman across the table and a rare, joyful atmosphere, she drank a little more than usual.

By the time she got back to the car with Ren Jiaxuan, she was feeling dizzy, tipsy.

Ren Jiaxuan started the car, turned on the heater, and saw her leaning against the seat, her cheeks flushed and pale. He couldn’t help but reach out to touch her. Dong Yanyan frowned, rolled her eyes at him, and scooted toward the car door.

Ren Jiaxuan frowned and complained, “What’s wrong with you? I see you hug other people just fine, but with me you act shy and timid like a kitten. Do you think I’ll eat you?”

“It’s different!” Dong Yanyan looked at him and explained seriously, “Hugging others is just for the script, nothing emotional; but in front of someone you like, it’s different. My mind gets tangled and then… then my brain turns to mush, just like now, it’s embarrassing.”

Hearing this, Ren Jiaxuan’s expression turned radiant, and he burst out laughing, “What did you say? Say it again!”

“I don’t know, I drank too much,” Dong Yanyan mumbled, holding her head.

“Let me check—see if your heart really is in a mess.” Ren Jiaxuan reached over and pulled her into his arms. Dong Yanyan startled and screamed, so he quickly withdrew his hand and placed hers on his chest, comforting her with a smile, “I won’t touch you—you touch me!”

Their hands clasped together, and Dong Yanyan leaned against his chest, suddenly feeling how wonderful love was.

“I think the warmest, most loving thing between couples is a hug. It’s safe and cozy, and I can hear your heartbeat,” she murmured sweetly with her eyes half-closed.

Ren Jiaxuan lowered his head, his chin resting on her forehead, chuckled softly, “When you say that, my heart gets tangled too. Listen—it’s beating all over the place.” He tightened his arms, holding her like a kitten.

Dong Yanyan gripped his hands tightly. She loved the feeling of their fingers intertwined, resting in his arms, the sense of having someone to rely on. She gazed vaguely out the car window at the stars, her mind fuzzy, and finally she felt herself slipping.

“Jiaxuan, I’m a little scared. Why am I so dizzy? Are we getting carbon monoxide poisoning?” she asked weakly.

Ren Jiaxuan’s suppressed laughter rang in her ears. “Carbon monoxide poisoning? Come on~~ You’re too imaginative! Don’t worry, it’s just the alcohol kicking in! The alcohol’s kicking in~~ kicking in~~ kicking in~~ kicking in~~”

*

In a haze, Dong Yanyan found herself back on her big bed at home, the bedside lamp glowing warmly. She opened her eyes and saw Xu Cheng’s lips—kissing her forehead, her nose, her lips. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his waist… Wait? Why was he naked? She looked down—she wasn’t wearing anything either. Oh, they were making love. She closed her eyes and leaned in to kiss his lips. When they were intimate, she liked to turn off the lights or keep her eyes closed. He liked her eyes closed, too. As they kissed, his body pressed against hers.

Mmm~~~ Husband~~~

Mmm, Wife~~~

Mmm mmm mmm~~~

Mmm… Wait, husband, put on a condom first!

…Can’t you not always rush? Do you really think I’d forget? I’d forget… I’d forget...”

Dong Yanyan woke up, sore all over and clutching the blanket, turned off the alarm, and sat dazed on the bed. If she remembered correctly, she’d just had an erotic dream. She hadn’t had one in months; last night, just from Ren Jiaxuan’s hug, she ended up dreaming like this—her immunity was really shot! Even worse, the dream’s protagonist was Xu Cheng. Well, it made sense—her only experience in that area was with him. Dreaming of him was normal, but… but… she still felt a bit indecent.

She decided! She would never drink again! Not any beverage with alcohol—too treacherous!

After struggling for a while, she suddenly remembered to check the alarm clock.

“Oh my god! It’s almost five o’clock! I’m late, I’m late!”

She grabbed her hair in frustration, quickly dressed, and jumped out of bed! (Your support is my greatest motivation.)