For The Rest Of Our Life – Chapter 60

Her myriad tender kisses

Xiao Wanqing couldn’t resist the torturous sweetness that was driving her heart into chaos. She bit her lip and, in a low voice, pleaded with Lin Xian, “Xianxian, my leg feels a little numb…” After saying this, she furrowed her brow and suppressed the strange sensation in her heart. She slightly shook her leg to indicate to Lin Xian that she wanted to pull her leg out.

In fact, Lin Xian deliberately pressed down on Xiao Wanqing’s legs. This angle allowed her to spread her hands flat and place them on Xiao Wanqing’s abdomen, covered by a thin blanket.

Upon hearing Xiao Wanqing’s words, although she was reluctant, Lin Xian didn’t want Xiao Wanqing to feel uncomfortable. She turned her face and apologized to Xiao Wanqing with embarrassment, “I’m sorry, Aunt Xiao, I didn’t notice just now.” Her whole body sank into the soft bedding, her cheek lightly brushing against the sheets that had once intimately touched Xiao Wanqing. In the end, she was still reluctant to get up. So mischievously, she propped herself up with her elbows on the bedding, gradually moving her upper body away from Xiao Wanqing’s legs, creating space for Xiao Wanqing to withdraw her leg. As soon as Xiao Wanqing pulled her leg out, she would once again immerse herself in this softness.

Seeing Lin Xian lift her body, Xiao Wanqing immediately took the opportunity and eagerly moved her legs upward, bending her knees, intending to prop up her long legs.

However, bad luck always comes at the worst time.

Before she could completely withdraw her legs, Lin Xian, unable to wait any longer, released her elbows and once again lowered her entire body.

Xiao Wanqing clearly felt her right foot, concealed beneath the thin blanket, brushing against the soft mound on Lin Xian’s left side as she descended, heavily and noticeably…

Even her thumb could distinctly sense the softness at the moment of sinking…

For a split second, Xiao Wanqing’s mind went blank, and she involuntarily replayed the sensation of that moment over and over again, her whole body freezing.

Now, Lin Xian felt extremely upset.

She just wanted to be lazy, thinking that Xiao Wanqing had already pulled back her legs, so she lazily lowered her body. However, she didn’t expect that Xiao Wanqing, despite appearing eager, was moving so cautiously and almost slowly, to the point that she misjudged the situation and released her elbows too early, lowering her body. Suddenly, her chest was poked by Xiao Wanqing’s toe!

Although she was somewhat flat-chested, although she had deliberately changed into a padded bra with thicker sponge cups when meeting Aunt Xiao with a hidden motive, although her breasts were relatively small. But still, they were breasts!

Her fragile chest was ruthlessly poked by a hard object, and Lin Xian’s eyebrows furrowed in pain. Reflexively, she immediately propped herself up again, raising her left hand to cover her chest.

In the next second, as if realizing something, she stopped in the midst of reaching for her chest, looking somewhat embarrassed as she turned her head to glance at Xiao Wanqing.

Only then did she notice that Xiao Wanqing’s entire face was unusually flushed, and her eyes were fixedly staring at her, filled with watery ripples. It seemed like she was somewhat absent-minded.

As Xiao Wanqing noticed Lin Xian looking at her, she felt her cheeks burning even hotter. In her mind, it seemed like a battle between heaven and earth, with her conflicting feelings of both fearing and suspecting if Lin Xian liked her, and her absolute denial that she didn’t like her. The soft sensation her toe had touched and the girl’s shy expression at this moment were constantly seared deeper into her heart, causing her to feel as if something was buzzing in her ears.

Unconsciously, her toes curled up beneath the thin blanket. Seeing Lin Xian furrowing her brow, wanting to massage her chest but hesitating to do so, Xiao Wanqing struggled to find her voice and expressed concern, “Does it hurt a lot?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized what a foolish question she had asked.

The atmosphere became even more stagnant for a while.

Being touched in such a position by the person she had feelings for, even if it was unintentional, felt different after all. Despite Lin Xian having a thick skin, when she reacted, she instinctively felt a bit shy and embarrassed.

But she noticed that Aunt Xiao seemed even more nervous, more embarrassed, and more shy than her. Immediately, the joyful excitement overwhelmed all the shyness. Her eyes carried three parts shyness and seven parts mischief. Suddenly, she furrowed her brow even tighter, her bright face creased into a frown, and she sat up, leaning closer to Xiao Wanqing, and with a plaintive tone, she coquettishly said, “It hurts so much…”

Finishing her words, she lifted her hand and gently covered her left chest, biting her lip as she looked at Xiao Wanqing, about to start massaging…

“Lin Xian!” Xiao Wanqing abruptly turned her eyes away, looking at the empty space behind Lin Xian, and raised her voice slightly to call her.

Lin Xian stopped her actions, slightly puzzled, and responded, “Hmm?”

Xiao Wanqing’s tone was light and airy as she swallowed and suddenly reminded her with a random statement, “You’re a grown-up now.”

Lin Xian immediately caught on to the implied meaning in Xiao Wanqing’s words. But as she looked at Xiao Wanqing’s rare adorable and shy expression, her awkward and embarrassed demeanor, she suppressed her laughter and couldn’t help but tease her. She pretended not to understand and made another puzzled sound, “Hmm?”

Listening to Lin Xian’s perplexed response, Xiao Wanqing shifted her gaze back, looking at the girl’s innocent and pure expression. Finally, bit by bit, her stiff posture softened. She seemed to have resigned herself and sighed in a dejected manner. She lifted the thin blanket, got out of bed, and turned away without daring to look at Lin Xian again. Trying to sound normal and calm, she replied, “It’s nothing. Xianxian, after your pain subsides, could you please go outside and bring the Spring Festival couplets and paste? I’ll freshen up, and then we can put them up together?”

Lin Xian watched Xiao Wanqing’s graceful figure as she disappeared into the bathroom. In her eyes, there was an unabashed mischievous smile, resembling a cunning little fox. As soon as Xiao Wanqing closed the bathroom door, Lin Xian finally couldn’t suppress the laughter that had been building up in her throat. She burst into muffled laughter, happily plopped herself onto Xiao Wanqing’s pillow, and sniffed the lingering fragrance left by Xiao Wanqing, rolling around on the bed.

Aunt Xiao, did you finally have a reaction?!

Aunt Xiao, have you finally started looking at me with the eyes of a woman?!

Aunt Xiao, are you finally going to awaken?!

Ah ah ah ah!

Inside the bathroom, Xiao Wanqing wrung out the towel, washed her face, and looked at her familiar reflection in the mirror, carrying an unfamiliar complex and bewildered expression. Her delicate eyebrows gradually furrowed.

She turned the tap to its maximum, listening to the rushing sound of the water, and let go of the towel. Then, she raised her hands, placing them at the sides of her cheeks. In the next moment, she swiftly brought her hands together towards the center, and with a forceful clap, her palms landed firmly on her fair and tender cheeks, producing a crisp and loud “smack” sound.

Xiao Wanqing, even if you’re shameless and despicable, there should be a limit.

The rushing sound of water, separated by only one door, went unheard by Lin Xian…

The clearly visible palm suddenly appeared on the delicate face, startling to the eye.

Xiao Wanqing stared coldly at her reflection in the mirror, picked up the towel, wet it, wrung it dry, and then vigorously rubbed it against her face…

After a moment, her entire face was flushed.

She reached out and turned the faucet to the far right, releasing cold water that filled the entire basin. Gripping the hair that slipped down in front of her chest, she submerged her entire face into the icy water. Holding her breath for twenty seconds, she couldn’t help but begin to breathe, allowing the water to mercilessly pour into her nostrils, causing a sour sensation in her nose and pain in her chest.

With a “whala” sound, she quickly lifted her head, but suddenly, she couldn’t stop coughing.

Under the pain in her flushed cheeks, chest, nasal passages, and throat, her feverish mind seemed to slowly cool down.

She didn’t know how long had passed until she gradually recovered. She splashed water on her face, applied moisturizer, and then opened the makeup primer, foundation… hastily applying a layer of makeup to conceal the unusual flush on her face.

Very good. Xiao Wanqing calmly and contentedly thought.

She opened the door, feeling like she had finally regained her former clarity.

In the living room, Lin Xian had already found the couplets and paste. She unpacked the couplets from their packaging and skillfully unfolded the plastic film that covered them, placing it on the floor as a protective layer. Then she spread out the couplets on top of it to prevent any paste from getting on the floor.

Upon hearing Xiao Wanqing’s footsteps, Lin Xian turned around with a sweet smile and greeted her, “Aunt Xiao, I’m ready.”

With bright eyes and a charming smile, Lin Xian appeared innocent and pure. Xiao Wanqing’s steps faltered, and her heartbeat skipped a beat, as if the clarity she had just regained was about to be muddled again.

“Putting up the couplets, don’t think too much, don’t think, don’t worry,” she quietly reminded herself with a barely noticeable deep breath.

Everything seemed to slowly return to normal, except for a slight warmth in her chest.

She squatted down and saw the plastic film Lin Xian had placed underneath. Xiao Wanqing calmly praised Lin Xian in a warm voice, “It seems like Xianxian has a lot of experience.”

With pride, Lin Xian replied to Xiao Wanqing, “That’s right, I’ve been helping my father with the couplets since I was young. I’m quite experienced after all these years.” At the same time, she secretly glanced at Xiao Wanqing.

It seemed like Aunt Xiao was a little different after washing her face? The subtle fluctuations of emotions that could faintly be sensed earlier seemed to have settled down. She appeared to have returned to her usual gentle and calm self, without a hint of disturbance.

Xiao Wanqing naturally took the paste, opened the lid, picked up the brush, and as she brushed the paste onto the couplets, she instructed Lin Xian, “Xianxian, go and open the door. Later, I’ll hold the front, and you pull the back. We’ll move it outside.”

Regardless of everything, the restrained words from before, “You’re already a grown-up,” were definitely not a hallucination. Lin Xian comforted herself in her heart: Lin Xian, be patient, take it slow, lure her gently. The future, in the end, holds promise.

She suppressed her doubts and responded to Xiao Wanqing, “Okay.”

The couplets were bought together on the day they prepared for the Lunar New Year. Due to Lin Xian’s worried state of health, Xiao Wanqing didn’t spend much time choosing. She randomly picked a pair of couplets and hurriedly put them in the shopping cart. Now that they were being pasted, Lin Xian carefully examined them and found them unsatisfactory, very unsatisfactory indeed.

“Aunt Xiao, these couplets are so tacky, and the font is not good at all. They lack elegance!” In Lin Xian’s family, the couplets were written each year by her grandfather, father, and herself, taking turns. The phrases carried a touch of elegance within their simplicity, with a poetic and artistic flair.

Xiao Wanqing looked at the girl standing tall at the doorway, her serious and contemplative expression, and couldn’t help but feel a warmth in her heart. This was the first time, after all these years of living in this house, that someone was accompanying her to put up the couplets.

It was as if, with the arrival of this figure, the house slowly began to truly feel like a warm home.

Xiao Wanqing stood by the door, her face filled with a gentle smile as she affectionately called out to Lin Xian, “It’s alright, I think it looks good enough. Xianxian, come inside. I’ll take the dumplings out for you, have some and then go back.”

Lin Xian obediently entered the house, but she still couldn’t let go of the couplets, persistently suggesting, “Let’s write them ourselves from now on. Every year, before New Year’s Eve, Aunt Xiao, you…”

Xiao Wanqing didn’t catch what Lin Xian said afterward. She simply looked straight at the girl, silently repeating the beautiful words in her heart: “from now on,” “we,” “every year.”

Could she dare to entertain such expectations?

In the next moment, she condemned herself, disgusted by her own greediness. Xiao Wanqing, how could you start indulging in inappropriate fantasies again?

No, it’s not possible, it shouldn’t be.

Lin Xian will always grow up and eventually leave. How can she keep accompanying this old auntie?

Even Zhou Qin couldn’t have a complete and lasting hold on Lin Xian’s future, let alone her.

But well, if Lin Xian is content with her current feelings, then she should be satisfied, shouldn’t she?

In the long and wonderful life that awaits Lin Xian, this short period of time spent with her will eventually fade into vague memories. Many years later, if Lin Xian were to think of her, she would probably just remember—Xiao Wanqing, an auntie she once had a close relationship with.

In the twilight years of her life, if every year during the Lunar New Year, Lin Xian could remember to bring her handsome husband and intelligent children to visit this lonely old woman and pay their respects, wouldn’t that be enough?

Xiao Wanqing narrowed her eyes, deceiving herself by thinking, “It’s fine, this is enough.”

After finishing the dumplings, Xiao Wanqing worried that Lin Xian would be too late to go home and wouldn’t have dinner with her family. She repeatedly urged Lin Xian to leave. However, Lin Xian was as sticky as chewing gum, refusing to budge and insisting on cooking a lavish New Year’s Eve dinner that she had no intention of preparing. After numerous reminders, and with the sky growing dark, Lin Xian reluctantly got up, preparing to leave.

When they reached the entranceway, it seemed like Xiao Wanqing suddenly remembered something. She reached out and pulled Lin Xian’s wrist through her sleeve, asking her to wait for a moment. “Xianxian, wait a moment, I’ll get something for you.”

Lin Xian was actually planning to make an excuse and slip back to her room. But upon hearing Xiao Wanqing’s words, she immediately smiled and agreed, “Okay, Aunt Xiao, go ahead. I just remembered that there’s something I forgot to take in my room.”

Without waiting for Xiao Wanqing’s reaction, Lin Xian swiftly ran back to her bedroom, leaving Xiao Wanqing behind.

Xiao Wanqing watched her childish actions and helplessly indulged in a smile. She slowly walked back to her own bedroom and took out the red envelope she had prepared long ago, intending to give it to Lin Xian when she returned for the Lunar New Year.

The red envelope contained two round commemorative coins representing the zodiac animals and eighteen Mao Zedong banknotes.

In the past five or six years, even though she didn’t visit Lin Xian’s home during the Lunar New Year, she always entrusted Zhou Qin to deliver the red envelope to Lin Xian. However, as soon as she sent it out, Zhou Qin immediately doubled the amount and returned it to her, saying it was her red envelope. As a result, Xiao Wanqing felt too embarrassed to give Lin Xian red envelopes anymore.

This time, she finally had the opportunity to hand it over to Lin Xian in person.

As she walked out of the bedroom, she saw Lin Xian crouching and coming out of the dining room. Xiao Wanqing was momentarily surprised and felt something was odd, but she didn’t dwell on it. She smiled and asked Lin Xian, “Did you get the thing?”

Lin Xian quickly took a few steps outside, with Xiao Wanqing following her footsteps, distancing themselves a bit from the kitchen. The gleam of amusement shone in Lin Xian’s big round eyes as she nodded and said, “Yes, I got it.”

Xiao Wanqing, without any suspicion, tenderly handed a large red envelope to Lin Xian and said, “Xianxian, Auntie’s red envelope for you. Happy Lunar New Year.”

Lin Xian had already noticed the red envelope in Xiao Wanqing’s hand when she came out, so she wasn’t surprised. She looked up at Xiao Wanqing, her eyes soft, and thanked her, “Thank you, Auntie Xiao.” However, she didn’t reach out to take the red envelope.

Due to Xiao Wanqing’s unusual behavior today, a sense of longing and anticipation gradually grew in Lin Xian’s heart. She tilted her head and, with hopeful eyes, softly tested, “But Auntie Xiao, the firecrackers of New Year’s Eve haven’t sounded yet, and it’s not time to receive red envelopes for the new year. How about you come to my home in a couple of days and give it to me then?”

Xiao Wanqing didn’t expect the girl to respond like this. She hesitated for a moment, her outstretched hand gripping the red envelope tightly, her fingers gradually exerting force.

Lin Xian saw the hesitation and struggle on Xiao Wanqing’s face, but ultimately, she remained silent, her gaze filled with pain.

Suddenly, Lin Xian felt a pang of heartache. What was she doing? Why was she so impatient and overstepping boundaries? How could she make things difficult for Xiao Wanqing and force her like this?

She even forgot to decline the offer and accepted the red envelope from Xiao Wanqing’s hands. She reached out and gently hugged Xiao Wanqing, her voice muffled as she said, “Thank you, Auntie Xiao. You too, have a happy Lunar New Year.”

Xiao Wanqing saw a flicker of disappointment in the girl’s eyes, and for a moment, she almost wanted to agree with her. But ultimately, she couldn’t respond. She stiffened as the girl held her in her embrace, hesitated for a while, and couldn’t help but rub her head.

After Lin Xian left, the liveliness and warmth in the house seemed to be locked outside the moment she closed the door. Xiao Wanqing leaned quietly against the door, gazing at the empty living room and the gradually darkening sky, feeling a sense of cold emptiness.

In the next instant, a timely message from Lin Xian came in. She said, “Auntie Xiao, remember to eat. It will get cold if you leave it for too long.”

The coldness in Xiao Wanqing’s eyes involuntarily gave way to warmth, and a gentle curve formed on her lips.

There was a table full of dishes, and two of them were prepared by Xianxian. It was time to eat…

She turned around, her steps becoming lighter, and quickly walked back to the dining room. Before she even turned on the lights, she saw, in the fading daylight, a vague figure sitting on the spot where Lin Xian usually sat at the dining table.

A furry teddy bear plush toy, sitting upright with almost half the height of a person, was smiling slyly and looking at her.

In an instant, a stroke of good fortune touched her heart, and Xiao Wanqing remembered Lin Xian’s cat-like, sneaky figure just now, as well as her delighted expression when she bent her eyebrows and said, “It’s all set.” She even recalled her tender words about being exhausted from the crowded bus. It was as if a strong gust of wind had swept through her limbs and her heart, like a lonely falling leaf trembling in the fierce wind, uncertain whether it would land or not.

In the dim twilight, her slender figure stood tall in place for a long time. She warned herself that there was an abyss ahead, and going forward would likely lead to an irreparable disaster.

However, her body seemed no longer under the control of her thoughts. Involuntarily, step by step, she approached the small teddy bear.

Under the neck of the teddy bear, there was a long, hard-shell red envelope hanging from a red string, resembling a necklace.

She clenched her hands into fists and hesitated several times before lightly touching the string and untying the red envelope. From the envelope spilled a neatly folded heart made of one hundred yuan bills and a small heart-shaped card. Written with an elegant black pen were the words:

“New Year’s money from Little Teddy to Xiao Wanqing. Xiao Wanqing, eat well and grow up quickly.”

Beside Xiao Wanqing’s ear, she could almost hear the girl’s voice as she said these words, imagining how soft and sweet it must sound…

In the silence, she heard her own heartbeat, so intense, so urgent, so wildly leaping without regard for anything else.

However, the 《Heart Sutra》, which had countless times calmed her down in confusion and panic, ultimately failed.

Trembling, she reached out and embraced the neck of the little teddy bear, as if embracing Lin Xian’s tender body. She lowered her head and affectionately rubbed her cheek against the soft fur of the little teddy bear, even though it still caused a slight pain. Her heart ached and swelled from the excessive restraint.

Unable to restrain herself any longer, she raised her head and planted gentle kisses on the forehead of the little teddy bear, on its shiny little nose…

One by one, her tender kisses landed on the comical mouth of the little teddy bear.

Nightfall had completely descended, darkness engulfing her entirely.

The tears gradually wetted the fur of the little teddy bear.

Xiao Wanqing thought, “Buddha, it seems you can’t save me.”

The author has something to say:

Xiao Auntie: Am I a pervert?

Lin Xian: If I give a teddy bear with my essence, does that make me a pervert?