Peaches and Plums Don’t Speak – Chapter 148
by Little PandaExtra 1
After returning to Boston from Beicheng, Anzhi plunged into studying day and night. She spent several hours in the lab every day and stayed up late reading literature. She was working on a paper, and when things got especially hectic, she often fell asleep right as Yan Xi called.
When Yan Xi picked a weekend to visit, Anzhi had already gone three days and three nights without sleep. The moment she saw Yan Xi, she burst into tears.
She kept thinking that to secure a postdoc position smoothly, she had to work even harder. The pressure was immense, and she pushed herself relentlessly.
Yan Xi held her close, gently soothing her, and told her to take a shower. After they went out to eat, Yan Xi refused to let her stay up any longer and accompanied her to bed.
Anzhi calmed down for a bit, but then she started crying again. Mumbling through her tears, she sobbed, “It’s so hard… Why did I choose chemistry back then? What if I can’t graduate? wuwu…”
Seeing the dark circles under her eyes and how much weight she had lost from her face, Yan Xi felt both heartbroken and amused. “Alright, alright, that won’t happen,” she said softly. “Get some sleep first.”
Burying her face in her embrace, Anzhi whimpered, “It’s so rare for you to come over, yet I don’t even have the strength to kiss you.”
Yan Xi’s eyes curved as she smiled. “It’s okay. I’ll just kiss you instead.”
Her lips met Anzhi’s, kissing her gently. Her embrace and kisses possessed a fragrant magic, capable of shutting out all anxiety and unease. Closing her eyes, Anzhi soon fell fast asleep in her arms.
Once Anzhi was asleep, Yan Xi held her, slowly stroking her back. She kissed her forehead tenderly, whispering, “Sleep well, little Taotao.”
When Yan Xi woke up the next morning, Anzhi had already left for the lab. She’d left a note letting her know she had left breakfast, complete with a little hand-drawn heart.
Yan Xi smiled, pulling the blanket around herself. It seemed she had regained her energy.
When Anzhi returned in the afternoon, she was indeed in much better spirits, her complexion bright and clear.
“There are no issues with my dissertation proposal now,” Anzhi said apologetically. “Let me rest for a bit so I can keep you company.”
Yan Xi pulled her close for a kiss. The two of them went out for a lavish dinner, and when they returned, they cuddled together to share some intimate time.
“Let me do it. You rest, old timer,” Anzhi teased, her almond eyes crinkling as she slyly slipped her hand under Yan Xi’s clothes.
Pushing her down on the bed, Yan Xi let out a surprised “Oh!” and laughed. Anzhi immediately crawled on top of her, burying her face against her chest and nuzzling against her clothes.
Yan Xi’s eyes, shimmering like rippling water, were full of laughter. She pulled Anzhi down and captured her lips.
Teasing aside, once their lips met, they quickly lost themselves in passion. Yan Xi lifted her shirt, and as they kissed and caressed each other, a sweet, romantic intimacy drifted through the air.
Their clothes fell to the floor one by one. Anzhi’s fingertips trembled slightly as they traced Yan Xi’s smooth back, and she let out soft, kitten-like sounds at her movements—tiny, soft, and delicate, drifting bit by bit through the air.
The dim, warm light from the bedside lamp cast their overlapping shadows against the snow-white wall.
Anzhi’s eyelashes fluttered, glistening with crystal droplets. Her eyes remained fixed on the woman on top of her, reluctant to look away for even a single second. She craved her, comforted her, greedily memorizing her voice.
When they reached the climax together, Yan Xi pressed her forehead against Anzhi’s, kissing her intimately, her gaze soft and tender. Anzhi held her tightly, greedily inhaling the scent of her body.
After a moment, she felt Yan Xi kissing her again, her hands gently and slowly caressing her.
Dazed and trembling slightly, Anzhi opened her eyes to look at her. Yan Xi covered her lips again, whispering against them, “It’s going to be so many days before I can see you or kiss you again…”
Anzhi melted completely beneath her lips and the fragrant warmth of her body.
It was beautiful, so wonderfully real it made her want to weep.
During the final two years of her PhD, Anzhi was so busy she had almost no time to return to Beicheng. Instead, Yan Xi would fly over whenever she could scrape together a block of vacation days.
Over those two years, Yan Xi had deliberately transitioned toward working behind the scenes. She no longer ran prime-time programs, keeping herself out of the spotlight for long stretches. The shows she did host were mostly intellectual talk shows that required her poised, steady presence.
Whether she was in Beicheng or Boston, she kept up her passion for photography. The work she submitted anonymously had begun receiving steady acclaim, and several prominent magazines had even reached out to commission her.
In Boston, she had even found fellow enthusiasts and made a few friends with whom she could share ideas.
During her time in Boston, she took care of Anzhi while leisurely exploring and enjoying the city.
She found it wonderfully peaceful—being able to be there for Anzhi without ever getting in her way.
Her mind remained filled with warmth and joy.
A beautiful middle-aged life, she thought with a soft smile. Of course, she only admitted that to herself; no woman liked to acknowledge she was aging, especially when her partner was so young and beautiful.
To say she never felt anxious or uneasy would be a lie. Although she had told Yan Yidong that she was prepared for the possibility of Anzhi’s heart wandering, she didn’t actually worry much. A bond forged over so many years could not be easily shaken.
Besides, Anzhi gave her a natural, unshakeable sense of security, as if it were a gift heaven had tailored specifically for her.
She finally had a lover she could walk with for the rest of her days.
For Anzhi, the final two years of her doctoral program were spent almost entirely in the lab. There were endless rounds of failures and retrials, a mountain of papers and reports to write, and an unprecedented amount of pressure.
Her memories of that period boiled down to late-night coffee, quick sandwiches, and Yan Xi’s warm embraces and kisses.
When summer finally arrived, her graduation season came with it.
Today was her graduation ceremony. Xiao Yutong, Yan Yixi, Liu Yiyi, and Chen Muqi had all arrived as well.
When Chen Muqi first learned of Anzhi and Yan Xi’s relationship, he was unable to accept it for a long time. He even consulted a psychologist and underwent several courses of counseling, but in the end, he had no choice but to accept it.
He had bought Anzhi a beautiful, modern, newly completed apartment in downtown Boston, which had already been delivered, and they had the keys.
The group walked around Anzhi’s school for a while and also spent some time in her dorm room. Everyone chatted lightheartedly, filled with joy and immense pride, after which they all set off together for the graduation ceremony.
The others went down to wait first. The dorm room had already been cleaned and packed, with some of her things already moved to her new home. It looked incredibly empty now—at once familiar and strange.
Wearing her crimson doctoral gown1, Anzhi stood in the center of the room and looked around.
Yan Xi smiled and asked, “Reluctant to leave?”
“A little,” Anzhi said softly.
Very thoughtfully, Yan Xi left her some private time. “I’ll wait for you downstairs.”
Feeling somewhat reluctant to leave, Anzhi let her gaze slowly sweep across the room. This dorm room had not only accompanied her through five years of her studies, but was also the starting point of her and Yan Xi’s relationship, holding so many precious memories.
She sat down on the chair she usually sat in, the long robe of her doctoral gown draping over her calves. Without realizing it, she recalled a morning from her childhood when she was getting ready for kindergarten. She had been so small back then, her legs unable to reach the ground.
In the blink of an eye, she had already graduated with her doctorate.
She had grown quite tall now, and she had her own lover and a career she loved.
She was about to step into the next phase of her life.
Blinking away the sudden moisture in her eyes, Anzhi smiled, stood up, and walked out, slowly pulling the door shut behind her.
Walking down the stairs, she opened the front door. The world outside slowly unfolded before her, and there she saw her family and her lover—that tall, elegant, gracefully slender figure.
In Anzhi’s eyes, she was still just as she had been when they first met, dazzlingly beautiful.
Hearing the sound, she turned her head and gave her a warm, graceful smile.
Anzhi burst into a sweet smile and ran toward her with large strides.
0 Comments