Peaches and Plums Don’t Speak – Chapter 79
by Little PandaA Visit
The next day, after Yan Xi went to work, Anzhi received a call from Xu Jia’er saying she wanted to come over and visit.
“Little Class Monitor! I heard you injured your paw, hahahahaha!” She laughed carefreely over the phone.
Xu Jia’er, carrying a bag of snacks, was stopped at the gate of Yan Xi’s residential compound. The compound’s security for outside visitors was even stricter than their school’s. Anzhi had to speak to the security guard over the phone before Xu Jia’er was allowed in. Then, she was held up for another few minutes at the entrance to the villa area.
“My god! Do you live in a palace?” Xu Jia’er held her breath. With a bag in one hand, her phone in the other, and a backpack slung over her shoulders, she sounded exasperated.
Until she saw Anzhi waiting for her at the door of one of the villas. Anzhi was wearing a loose, pure white dress, her black hair falling just past her shoulders. Her honey-sweet face broke into a smile when she saw her. It was a cloudy day, and the surrounding buildings were cast in dark shades, but Anzhi looked like a fresh sprig of jasmine waving at her.
All of Xu Jia’er’s exasperation vanished.
“Please, come in.”
The villa itself had layer upon layer of checkpoints: the main gate, a small courtyard, the house’s heavy main doors, a security door1, the entryway, and an inner door.
“Would you like something to drink?”
Xu Jia’er let out a long breath. “Iced cola.”
Anzhi grabbed a can from the refrigerator and handed it to her. “Did you skip class?”
“I told the homeroom teacher I was coming to visit you, and I brought you a bunch of test papers.”
Xu Jia’er quietly observed her surroundings. This villa completely exceeded the limits of her imagination. The first floor was decorated in warm tones, and the living room was spacious and comfortable, filled with lovely little details: potted plants, ornaments, and…
Her gaze locked onto the markings on the wall by the entryway. There were two rows of height measurements. One row had only a single horizontal line, while the other clearly displayed different stages of age.
Markers like these were the best indicators of the relationship between people.
Xu Jia’er silently took a large gulp of cola. The icy, caramel-flavored soda spread across her palate.
Anzhi was looking at the test papers she had been given and didn’t notice her gaze.
Xu Jia’er leaned in to look at her hand. “Wow, that’s a nasty burn. Must hurt like hell, right?”
“Mm, it hurts a lot.” Anzhi looked down at the test papers. Her voice was soft, giving the illusion that she was acting spoiled, though she actually wasn’t.
This made Xu Jia’er very curious—what would it look like when she truly acted spoiled?
“What have you been doing at home? Slacking off or reviewing?”
“Mm…” Anzhi hadn’t reviewed at all yesterday. She had just read a book, and spent the rest of her time thinking about Yan Xi. She had thought about how to act spoiled with her, and last night, she had succeeded. She had tricked her into giving her a forehead kiss, and Yan Xi had even bathed her. It could be said that Yan Xi had seen her completely naked—or almost completely naked.
Anzhi felt a shameful sense of delight. She had tossed and turned last night, repeatedly savoring the memory. She had giggled like a fool all night and barely slept.
Xu Jia’er observed her expression. Anzhi couldn’t see her own face, but she looked exactly like a shy young girl who had just tasted the first sweetness of love.
Xu Jia’er felt a tightness in her chest. She fell silent for a moment before asking, feigning casualness, “By the way, where’s your room? Can I go see it?”
Anzhi hesitated. The second floor was a private living space for her and Yan Xi; aside from close acquaintances, very few people went up there.
“Alright, let’s go.” She couldn’t really refuse.
The staircase turned at the second floor. Since it was the colder months, a carpet runner had been laid on the stairs, leading up to a carpeted living room. The first thing that caught the eye was two walls of built-in bookshelves crammed with books, and a sofa that looked incredibly soft and bouncy. Everywhere there were interesting, thoughtful designs. A photographic piece of a reflective car window covered in mist and water trails, a geometrically patterned carpet, colorful throw pillows, and suspended lamps. A chubby, round rabbit ornament. Potted green plants and dried flowers.
On the low table sat Anzhi’s pencil case and a few books.
A candle was lit, filling the air with the fresh scent of orange blossoms mixed with the sweetness of sweet orange. It smelled wonderful. Xu Jia’er briefly scanned the area, her gaze lingering on the doors to the two bedrooms for a few extra seconds.
Anzhi stepped barefoot onto the carpet. “I just opened my books. I haven’t started reading yet.”
“Then I’ll keep you company while you study for a bit.”
Anzhi thought about it, then nodded. “Okay.”
Xu Jia’er sat across from her. The books were open, and the test papers were spread out on the carpet. Anzhi’s right hand rested on the table, her slender, pale wrist standing in stark contrast to her burn wound.
“I should be fine with the theoretical questions, but this week the teacher originally wanted me to do more experiments at school. However, my hand…”
Xu Jia’er smiled, her words carrying a pointed implication. “Injuring your hand is quite a big deal!”
Anzhi replied, slightly distressed, “Yes, and I still have to do my experiments.”
Xu Jia’er looked at her expression and laughed inwardly. They were talking about two completely different things.
“You can’t write answers anyway, so let’s just do a Q&A. We’ll go over some basic knowledge points first.”
“Okay!” Anzhi smiled at her, a smile that made Xu Jia’er lose her train of thought.
“Water-soluble organic compounds: lower alcohols, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, glucose, fructose, sucrose, and starch. Amino acids. Phenol is slightly soluble.”
“Phenol is slightly soluble in water at room temperature, but highly soluble above 65 degrees Celsius. It is easily soluble in organic solvents like alcohol.”
The two of them quickly went through the key points and chatted for a while.
A sound came from downstairs. Anzhi smiled. “Grandma Liu is here!”
She turned back to Xu Jia’er. “Why don’t you stay for lunch?” Xu Jia’er gladly agreed.
Anzhi rarely had classmates over to visit, so Grandma Liu was extremely happy. At first, the old woman thought Xu Jia’er was a boy. It wasn’t until she opened her mouth to greet her that Grandma Liu stared blankly and said, “This girl is so handsome!” Having received a compliment, Xu Jia’er winked at Anzhi, looking immensely proud of herself.
Grandma Liu cooked a huge spread of dishes, feeding them until their stomachs were completely round.
“That was delicious,” Xu Jia’er said, rubbing her belly. “It’s been so long since I’ve had a home-cooked meal.”
“Do your parents not cook?”
“They’re on business trips all the time. They have no time to look after me, so I always eat takeout.” Xu Jia’er laid back on the carpet as she spoke. Noticing Anzhi’s gaze on her, she curled her lips upward. “But I’m happy to be free.”
Anzhi asked her, “Are you not going to class this afternoon either?”
“Nope! It’s boring, and you aren’t at school anyway.” Xu Jia’er looked at her.
“Oh.” Anzhi didn’t know how to respond to that, so she had no choice but to return to the test papers. “This question…”
Xu Jia’er stared at her. The dress she was wearing was more for lounging around the house—made of pure cotton, and slightly wrinkled from sitting for so long. The dress was long, but it couldn’t hide her slender legs. Her ankles were so delicate it seemed like one hand could wrap around them.
And likely because putting on clothes was difficult with her burn, she wasn’t wearing a bra.
Even though her clothes were loose, some faint contours could still be seen.
Xu Jia’er didn’t dare stare too closely and forced herself to focus her attention back on the questions.
Grandma Liu made them hot milk tea, brought some snacks to the table, and went back downstairs with a beaming smile, leaving them alone so as not to disturb their studying.
She tidied up the kitchen, prepped dinner and put it in the fridge, and just as she was about to leave, she received a call from Yan Xi. She chuckled merrily and said, “Anzhi is studying, she probably didn’t hear your call. Yes, she’s eaten. A classmate came to visit her and stayed for lunch.”
“Oh, she hasn’t left yet. They get along so well! They’re studying together. It’s a girl, yes, yes, yes… Her hair is as short as a boy’s… She’s very handsome!”
Xu Jia’er and Anzhi opened the snacks she had brought, doing test questions as they ate. Since Anzhi still couldn’t hold a pen, the two of them just discussed their thought processes for solving the problems.
“That thing about going abroad that I mentioned to you last time—have you thought about it?” Xu Jia’er asked during a break.
“Oh, I’ll probably stay in the country for university,” Anzhi answered. “Have you already decided to go abroad?”
“Yeah. I’ve been looking at some schools recently. My parents want me to go to the States, so I’ll probably head over there.”
Xu Jia’er fell silent.
“I,” she looked into Anzhi’s eyes, “had already made up my mind to go abroad, but now I feel like it’s a bit meaningless.”
Anzhi passively met her gaze. “But if it’s what you truly want to do, then you should go. You said yourself that the environment abroad might be a bit better. Going out and experiencing the world is never a bad thing.”
Xu Jia’er looked at her quietly, then suddenly let out a laugh. “…That’s true.”
Anzhi averted her eyes, wanting to say more, but then feeling it would be inappropriate.
Xu Jia’er gazed at her and sighed. One look at her, and it was obvious she was an incredibly soft-hearted person. In reality, would Xu Jia’er stay in the country for Tao Anzhi? Absolutely not. Xu Jia’er was someone who knew exactly what she wanted to do and would absolutely do it. Her parents had taught her from a young age that she should always pursue what was best for herself, regardless of what others thought. She herself was always the most important.
Yet, she ultimately couldn’t resist playing a little mind game, wanting to test the girl in front of her.
If she put in everything she had to court this girl, could she win her over? Maybe she could. But Xu Jia’er knew that she could never measure up to the person currently occupying her heart.
This was a competition she was destined to lose.
But if she didn’t pursue her, Xu Jia’er would feel terribly bitter about it.
“I’m going to take a quick nap. If you’re tired, you can sleep for a bit too. Just make sure to close the door properly when you leave.” Anzhi yawned. Having not slept well the night before, she was already drowsy. She climbed onto the sofa, lay down, and quickly fell fast asleep.
Xu Jia’er smiled helplessly. Was it really okay to be this defenseless?
The house was very quiet. Xu Jia’er had originally intended to leave, but in this tranquil atmosphere, she could hear Anzhi’s soft, steady breathing. She was lying on her side on the sofa, her right hand resting on a throw pillow.
She leaned in to look at the back of her hand. Her gaze traveled up the slender, pale arm, lingering on her face and her pink lips.
The sleeping girl looked exactly like she was waiting for someone to kiss her.
Her fluttering heart urged Xu Jia’er closer.
She didn’t care that she wasn’t the person she was waiting for.
Xu Jia’er reached out to stroke her cheek. She desperately wanted to kiss those petal-like lips, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. So, she leaned down and gently kissed her cheek. That single kiss made her heart race even faster, and unable to resist, she kissed her again.
The kissed girl furrowed her brows slightly, as if feeling a tickle. She nuzzled her face inward, presenting the contours of her lips right in front of Xu Jia’er.
As if persuaded by the invitation, Xu Jia’er slowly leaned in closer.
Suddenly, a distinct noise came from the living room entrance.
She glanced over. Yan Xi stood there. Black hair, long trench coat, tall boots—and a pair of eyes rippling with cold light, staring at her with piercing sharpness.
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