The Alley Was Always This Long – Chapter 73

A Weekend Getaway

But she was just so impatient.

[The first time I kissed you, what I felt was pain.]

            

---

It was in that very split second that Tao Tianran suddenly thought: Maybe I should just forget it.

She was inherently extremely indifferent to the world; in the end, Yu Yusheng’s life or death had nothing to do with her.

If she were to warn Yu Yusheng in advance that the client seeking her designs was actually Qiao Zhiji, then with how decisively they had cut ties in the past and the sheer weight of Yu Yusheng’s reservations, Yu Yusheng would likely refuse to see Qiao Zhiji altogether.

            

If Qiao Zhiji failed to save Yu Yusheng, then…

Tao Tianran’s mind was in a complete tangle.

After the kiss, Cheng Xiang parted from Tao Tianran’s lips, dabbing the corner of her mouth and smiling obediently.

            

Giggled twice, as if voicing her own sound effects: “Heh-heh.”

For no reason at all, Tao Tianran smiled.

Cheng Xiang gave the potato chip bag in her hand a shake, staring down at it. “Why did I buy such a huge bag? I can’t finish all this. If I just carry it home with the bag wide open like this, do you think they’ll lose their crunch?”

            

Tao Tianran asked, “Can I tell you something?”

Cheng Xiang’s brow knit together in immediate suspicion. “What?”

“Sweet potato chips are genuinely awful.”

            

“No way! Our sweet-chip faction is stubborn to the core, and we’ll never admit defeat!” Cheng Xiang pinched out a chip. “Try one! You have to try one!”

As they walked toward the parking lot, a lone stray cat slipped out of the bushes and began circling Cheng Xiang’s ankles.

“Oh!” Cheng Xiang looked at Tao Tianran. “How does it know I can feed it? Have I gotten a cat smell on me or something?”

            

“A cat smell… What exactly does that smell like?”

“Pfft, hahahaha! Tao Tianran, can you please not use erhua¹? It sounds so incredibly bizarre, you know?”

They walked over to the trunk of Tao Tianran’s car to retrieve some cat food, then circled back to the bushes.

            

When Cheng Xiang squatted down to feed the cat, the cuffs of her chestnut-colored coarse cotton-linen pants rolled up, exposing her pale, slender ankles.

Tao Tianran stood beside her, gazing down at the clean, white crown of her head.

“Have you always been this kindhearted since you were a child?” she asked.

            

“It’s not really about being kindhearted,” Cheng Xiang chuckled twice. “It’s more like worrying too much. Didn’t I tell you my mom is the Neighborhood Committee Director? I’m pretty sure I inherited it from her.”

After the meeting the next day, Yu Yusheng walked out of the conference room ahead of Tao Tianran.

Gazing at her retreating figure, Tao Tianran ultimately chose not to mention Qiao Zhiji’s case beforehand.

            

And so, on Friday afternoon, Yu Yusheng followed Tao Tianran into the conference room.

“An S-plus client specifically requesting me?” Yu Yusheng set down her laptop and smiled. “That doesn’t happen very often.”

Tao Tianran asked, “Nervous?”

            

“Not really.”

She sat in her swivel chair, habitually lifting her heels halfway out of her high heels and swaying them gently. When the client walked into the conference room, she stepped back into them properly, instantly restoring her professional posture.

The practiced, commercial smile on her lips hadn’t faded; it remained perfectly frozen on her face.

            

Qiao Zhiji walked in, her expression completely cold.

The ends of her hair were trimmed very precisely, adding a sharp, formidable edge to her naturally soft features and face shape. Her almond eyes dropped with a complete lack of emotion. Dressed in a well-tailored, brocade gray suit, she took her seat and lifted her gaze to look at the assistant standing nearby.

“Tea,” Tao Tianran murmured.

            

“Right away, right away!” The assistant hurried out in a flurry.

As she went to brew the tea, she patted her chest. Wow, what an intense aura! Is this what a real big shot is like?

Qiao Zhiji kept her eyes lowered until the assistant set the freshly brewed tea in front of her. She murmured a quiet thanks and raised her eyelids. Her gaze landed first on Tao Tianran, who sat diagonally opposite her. After a brief pause, it slowly drifted over to Yu Yusheng beside her.

            

“Aren’t you going to introduce yourself?” she asked.

She has grown up, Qiao Zhiji thought.

The girl who had once appeared before her at eighteen—flushed and youthful in her private high school uniform—had now transformed into the adult sitting across from her.

            

Every last trace of baby fat had vanished, leaving the shape of her chin looking sleeker and more elegant. Her alluring, cat-like eyes were half-lidded with a lazy indifference to the world, which tempered the otherwise overwhelming sensuality of her features.

Her lips were painted a brilliant, vivid red, which, paired with her soft satin blouse, gave her a commanding presence. What did she resemble? Qiao Zhiji tapped her fingers gently against the rim of her cup. She looked like a cat with a gorgeous coat—beautiful, fierce, and not to be trifled with.

Qiao Zhiji calculated the years; Yu Yusheng was twenty-six now.

            

Eight years had flown by from eighteen to twenty-six, yet she still resembled that same fierce, untouchable cat.

For some reason, Qiao Zhiji’s lips curled up slightly.

From the corner of her eye, Tao Tianran stole a glance at Yu Yusheng. The moment Qiao Zhiji’s lips curled, Yu Yusheng looked as if she might stand straight up and walk out of the room. Yet her professional discipline kept her anchored in her seat, her fingers slowly kneading one another.

            

Her lazy, charming smile remained draped over her face like a mask, save for a slight, barely perceptible tremor in her lips. “Since you’ve come to our company and specifically requested me to design your jewelry,” she said with a light laugh, “you must already have some basic understanding of me. In that case, shouldn’t you be the one to introduce yourself first?”

Qiao Zhiji cast a sideways glance at her.

The corporate world truly had a way of polishing people. The girl who had once bared her claws and snapped, “Why should I introduce myself? Why don’t you introduce yourself first?” had learned to wrap her defiance in a polished, professional script.

            

Qiao Zhiji opened her Birkin bag and drew out a business card.

She placed it on the marble tabletop and slid it over to Yu Yusheng.

“Qiao Zhiji,” she said, her voice cool.

            

As she withdrew her hand, Qiao Zhiji let out a slow, quiet breath.

Yu Yusheng made no move to pick up the card. She simply lowered her eyes to read the elegant print:

「Beicheng Jianshi Law Firm, Partner, Attorney」.

            

「Qiao Zhiji」.

Her beautiful red lips parted slightly as she pressed her voice into a very low register, murmuring, “President Qiao.”

Qiao Zhiji leaned back against her chair, suddenly feeling a faint urge to laugh.

            

Eight years. She had gone far across the ocean, spending every spare second outside of work huddled in a palm-sized attic room, studying day and night. She would toss some pork and tomatoes into a pot, cooking a so-called “borscht” that could last her an entire week. Her attic room had only a tiny, triangular window, and countless times, she had watched the sunrise filter through those narrow panes.

From then on, the sunrise in her heart had become triangular.

Did she travel thousands of miles and circle back to the starting point just to hear Yu Yusheng call her “President Qiao” in a forced, calm tone?

            

Was there supposed to be some triumphant sense of vindication in this?

She looked directly at Yu Yusheng. “Now it’s your turn. Introduce yourself.”

“I’m Shianne, a jewelry designer at Kunpu. As you may already know, I previously worked with…”

            

Qiao Zhiji curled her fingers, tapping them on the table with a touch of impatience. “In Chinese.”

Yu Yusheng paused.

“Your Chinese name.”

            

“…Yu Yusheng.”

“Good, Yu Yusheng.” Qiao Zhiji looked her straight in the eye. “I want to make a brooch.”

“Do you have a theme in mind?” Yu Yusheng kept her eyes fixed on her laptop screen.

            

“Phoenix tree,” Qiao Zhiji said.

For the first time in that monochrome meeting room, Yu Yusheng lifted her head.

The breeze from the ventilation system was utterly lifeless, yet once it was refracted through Qiao Zhiji’s misty brown eyes, it drifted over her skin like a sudden gust from the year she was eighteen.

            

That year, they had sat in the dining room of the Yu family villa. Nobody else was around, and the afternoon was so quiet it made one drowsy. She had lain flat against the massive dining table, resting her cheek on the back of her hand as she watched Qiao Zhiji.

Back then, Qiao Zhiji was far from any “President Qiao.” She was just a young woman in her early twenties, wearing an out-of-style cartoon T-shirt that was pilling from too many washes and those old-fashioned skinny jeans. Yet her misty brown eyes had wings, letting you know she was destined to fly to some incredibly distant place.

Yu Yusheng had nudged Qiao Zhiji’s leg with her knee beneath the table. “Zhiji-jiejie.”

            

Then, she licked her plump upper lip. “Do you want to kiss?”

Qiao Zhiji cast a cold glance over.

“Why?”

            

“Because your left eye is beautiful.”

“Are you inviting me?” Qiao Zhiji asked.

“Can’t I?” Yu Yusheng remained resting on the back of her hand, her thick, dark hair spreading across the table as her cat-like eyes narrowed with amusement. “I’ve already turned eighteen.”

            

But a young girl could never truly hide her feelings. The moment the words left her mouth, her lips tightened, and the gel pen she was using to write her exam paper tapped aimlessly against the table.

She was incredibly nervous about Qiao Zhiji’s answer.

Qiao Zhiji coldly corrected her: “You have just turned eighteen.”

            

“Oh.” Yu Yusheng tapped her gel pen against the table once more.

She had guessed right; Qiao Zhiji didn’t like her.

How could Qiao Zhiji possibly like her? Qiao Zhiji was unlike any girl she had ever met. She had once heard Qiao Zhiji speak of her hometown, where there was a towering mountain and a crystal-clear river. The elderly grandmothers who had never crossed that mountain in their entire lives said there were no roads on the other side of the peak, that the world existed solely within their small town.

            

Qiao Zhiji’s eyes held none of the city’s neon lights, fog, or dust. She was too smart, and her intelligence made her seem somewhat selfish and detached.

Yu Yusheng would deliberately call her “Zhiji-jiejie.”

She would act cute and playful, as if she were merely teasing Qiao Zhiji, all to mask the frantic pounding of her own heart.

            

Qiao Zhiji had never been swayed.

Only Yu Yusheng knew that from the very first moment she had called her “jiejie,” what she truly wanted deep down was to drop the “Zhiji” from the front.

Not “Zhiji-jiejie.” Just my “jiejie.”

            

Mine alone.

Qiao Zhiji’s refusal didn’t surprise her. Turning her head to rest her chin on the back of her hand, she stared at the multiple-choice letters on the exam paper before her.

A was a lighthouse that no longer shone. B was a pretzel roll left unsold in a late-night bakery. C was the water ring left at the bottom of a coffee cup, destined never to form a perfect circle. D was a heart with a piece missing.

            

Until Qiao Zhiji’s cool voice rang out once more: “Turn back.”

“What for?” Yu Yusheng muttered listlessly.

“I decline your invitation because you have just turned eighteen.”

            

“Oh.”

“Instead of letting you do it, I would rather be the one to actively break the rule.” As she said this, Qiao Zhiji leaned down and kissed her.

Yu Yusheng’s first instinct was to close her eyes, yet she ended up widening them out of pure instinct.

            

Only when the cool, clean air from Qiao Zhiji’s mouth was breathed into her did she finally, slowly close her eyes.

Above them was the dining room’s glass ceiling, covered in fallen phoenix tree leaves from years gone by. Around them swirled a vibrant, green breeze that tasted of youth, slicing sharply through their hearts.

The first time I kissed you, what I felt was pain.

            

---

Having laid out her requirements, Qiao Zhiji departed, picking up a phone call as she walked out of the conference room.

She seemed incredibly busy.

Yu Yusheng kept her eyes lowered as she typed the last word of the meeting minutes on her laptop. Only then did she curl her lips into a smile. “Did you notice?”

            

Her eyes were fixed on the screen, but her words were directed at Tao Tianran.

Tao Tianran murmured, “Yes.”

Yu Yusheng leaned back against her chair with a laugh, twirling the end of her curled hair around her finger. “She has changed so much.”

            

She no longer wore those out-of-style cartoon T-shirts.

She no longer wore those frumpy, tight skinny jeans.

“But her eyes haven’t changed.”

            

Yu Yusheng turned to look at Tao Tianran. “Did you notice? Her left eye is actually so gentle. Like a little bear’s eye.”

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On Friday, Tao Tianran went to pick Cheng Xiang up from work.

As usual, Cheng Xiang was standing by the curb. But this time, besides her canvas bag, she was also carrying a large double-strap backpack that was stuffed to the brim.

            

As she pulled open the car door, she asked Tao Tianran, “Where should I put my bag?”

“In the trunk,” Tao Tianran said, stepping out of the car to help her.

Cheng Xiang glanced at the silver aluminum suitcase inside the trunk. “Your suitcase is so pretty. I actually wanted to bring one of those athletic duffel bags, you know? They look pretty cool. I’d already placed an order online, but guess what?”

            

“It was a thirty-day pre-order! It still hasn’t shipped yet. It’s honestly infuriating.”

“So I just dug out my old backpack.” Cheng Xiang climbed into the passenger seat, continuing to chatter as she buckled her seatbelt. “This is the backpack I used back in high school. It’s a bit frumpy, isn’t it? Heh-heh, don’t laugh at me.”

Tao Tianran looked over at her.

            

“What’s wrong?” Cheng Xiang was slightly bewildered.

“Why are you buckling your own seatbelt?”

“…Huh?”

            

“Other people’s girlfriends always wait for their partners to buckle them in.”

“Whose girlfriends?”

Tao Tianran pursed her lips, thinking that Cheng Xiang had a very strange way of focusing on the wrong details.

            

“On the internet,” she murmured.

“Pfft, hahahaha!” Cheng Xiang couldn’t hold back a burst of laughter. “Which internet, Tao Tianran? Don’t tell me you’ve been reading those confession bots? Seriously?”

Tao Tianran fell silent.

            

“Alright, alright, alright.” Cheng Xiang suppressed her giggles and unbuckled her seatbelt. “Let’s do a retake, okay?”

As Tao Tianran leaned across, she brought with her a wave of cool, crisp fragrance.

Looking through the windshield, Cheng Xiang spotted two of her coworkers walking toward the subway station. She wondered if they had noticed this incredibly flashy Bentley parked by the curb. Oh, why did this feel so thrilling all of a sudden?

            

Cheng Xiang had only intended to tease her, but when Tao Tianran’s slender fingers pulled the seatbelt across her chest, her heart skipped a beat or two.

She licked her dry lips, suddenly remembering she had forgotten to apply lip balm that afternoon.

But once Tao Tianran finished buckling her in, she simply sat back upright in the driver’s seat.

            

Cheng Xiang’s mouth moved faster than her brain: “No kiss? Then wasn’t that seatbelt buckle a complete waste of effort?”

A faint smile played at the corners of Tao Tianran’s lips.

Cheng Xiang realized she had been played, and she gave Tao Tianran’s shoulder a light swat.

            

Seriously, who was teasing whom here?

As Tao Tianran deftly steered the car into the flow of traffic with one hand, she habitually let her other hand rest open on the center console, palm facing upward.

Cheng Xiang was momentarily stunned, then she slipped her own hand into hers.

            

Tao Tianran laced their fingers together one by one, keeping a firm, warm grip as she drove.

Cheng Xiang turned her head to look out the window, unable to hide the smile tugging at her lips.

It felt incredibly, inexplicably natural.

            

It felt as if they had been holding hands like this for a very, very long time.

“Tao Tianran.”

“Hmm?”

            

“How long have we known each other?” Cheng Xiang counted on her other fingers. “Actually, it has only been about half a year, right?”

“Why do you ask?”

“How come I feel like I’ve known you for years? It feels like we’re so incredibly close. Why is that?”

            

Tao Tianran squeezed her hand as she watched a car merging from the left. “Hmm, why indeed.”

“I think…” Cheng Xiang paused, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Maybe it’s because… we’ve done that.”

“Done what?”

            

“Stop playing dumb.” Cheng Xiang gave her hand a gentle shake. “You know, that.”

Tao Tianran had been focused on the road, so she truly hadn’t caught on at first.

Now she understood that Cheng Xiang was attributing this deep familiarity to that intimate night.

            

Her lips curved into a soft laugh.

“Don’t laugh!” Cheng Xiang grew a bit flustered. “This is backed by science, okay? Let me break it down for you…”

Ah, she really couldn’t analyze this any further. The more she talked, the more explicit it would get.

            

Fortunately, the sudden vibration of her phone saved Cheng Xiang from her own mouth.

Cheng Xiang answered, “Hello?”

Qin Ziqiao said, “I already called your mom.”

            

“Mm-hmm! Did you make sure to tell her I’m going to Yunting with you for the weekend? Oh, and when you call your own mom this weekend, be careful not to let anything slip. She sometimes calls my mom.”

“Cheng Xiang.”

“Yeah?”

            

“I just raise capybaras, I’m not a capybara myself. My brain works perfectly fine.” With that, Qin Ziqiao hung up.

“Geez, what a short temper,” Cheng Xiang mumbled. She shook Tao Tianran’s hand again. “Did you notice?”

“Notice what?”

            

“Qiaozi is actually willing to help us lie now!” Cheng Xiang’s eyes sparkled like a small animal’s. “You know how she had a bit of an issue with you at first. Do you think she’s finally starting to accept you? Heh-heh.”

Tao Tianran glanced at her. “Does that make you so happy?”

“Of course it does.” Cheng Xiang squeezed her hand, looking out at the passing scenery. “I want my friends and family to accept you, and to like you so, so much.”

            

Fluffy plant seeds drifted through the air, and the early summer breeze was tinged with the pale gold of the afternoon sun.

Cheng Xiang didn’t keep going, because speaking those thoughts aloud felt a bit too cheesy.

She wanted the entire world to treat Tao Tianran with gentleness.

            

Especially when she thought about how distant Tao Tianran was from her family, she wished the whole world would show her absolute kindness—like a cat rolling over to reveal its soft belly to her.

Yunting was the name of a mountain in the suburbs of Beicheng, dotted with numerous resorts. Many Beicheng locals loved to escape there during the height of summer to beat the heat.

Right now, it wasn’t the peak of summer yet, so the busy season hadn’t started. It was simply that one of Tao Tianran’s former clients had opened a new resort there and invited her to try it out, so she had brought Cheng Xiang along.

            

Cheng Xiang was quite excited. “I rarely go on trips, you know? My mom is one of those old Beicheng alley-dwellers. She doesn’t like traveling and thinks our alleyway is the whole world. So look at me—I don’t even have a proper travel bag, so I had to bring my high school backpack.”

“It really is a bit frumpy, isn’t it?” She brushed back her bangs, asking Tao Tianran once more with a hint of worry.

Tao Tianran said, “A little.”

            

“Hey!” Cheng Xiang squeezed Tao Tianran’s hand tightly.

A silent laugh filled Tao Tianran’s eyes.

She had seen that backpack in the trunk before. Back in their sophomore year of high school, Cheng Xiang used to hang a little plush bear keychain from it. Every morning when she walked into the classroom, the little bear would sway back and forth as she tapped her slender fingers on Tao Tianran’s desk: “Yo, Tao Tianran, morning.”

            

The trip along the highway started out quite fun.

They stopped at a service area, and Cheng Xiang went to use the restroom. She was full of praise for how well the country had developed, marveling that even a highway service area bathroom could be so clean and have direct drinking water. Walking around with her hands clasped behind her back as she shared her critique, she looked like she was perfectly suited to take over her mother’s role as the Neighborhood Committee Director.

Then, they went to browse the service area’s convenience store together. Believing that Tao Tianran definitely wouldn’t want to eat those greasy, grilled sausages, Cheng Xiang decided to buy some Snickers bars and small buns for dinner instead.

            

But when she saw the prices, she was nearly shocked out of her skin; everything was at least a third more expensive than on the outside.

Pretending not to notice anything, Cheng Xiang carried her pile of snacks to the checkout counter.

Tao Tianran would definitely refuse to let her split the cost of gas, so this was the only way she could contribute. She also bought a lot of fruit—the freshest seasonal cherries and lychees, which were quite pricey—and stuffed them all into her backpack.

            

After buying two bottles of Oriental Leaves², they returned to the car together.

Cheng Xiang asked, “Are you sleepy?”

“Not really.”

            

Cheng Xiang unscrewed the cap of one of the cold-brewed teas and handed it to her. “Have some tea before we eat.”

The setting sun quickly hid its last golden rays, and the sky began to darken. The drive to Yunting took over two hours, and Friday evening traffic was exceptionally heavy.

Cheng Xiang gradually grew drowsy, her head nodding down bit by bit.

            

She warned herself: I can’t fall asleep. I need to think about something.

What should I think about?

Well, it was honestly too embarrassing to admit, but ever since she and Tao Tianran had slept together, her mind had been completely consumed by that.

            

She thought of Tao Tianran’s skin, which looked as though she had rolled through frost and snow.

She thought of how Tao Tianran’s throat would actually release those soft, broken whimpers that made her own heart feel like it was about to burst.

She thought of Tao Tianran sitting at that bustling, steam-filled malatang stall, leaning close to her ear to describe…

            

Cheng Xiang felt herself getting physically stirred just from her own thoughts.

From the corner of her eye, she sneakily peeked at Tao Tianran.

Surely, Tao Tianran bringing her along on this weekend getaway was also for… heh-heh.

            

Once they reached the resort… heh-heh.

Cheng Xiang managed to stay alert for a little while, but soon her head began to nod down again, bit by bit.

With one final, violent jerk of her head, she realized she had finally succumbed to her exhaustion and drifted off. The instant she opened her eyes, her first reaction was to check if she was drooling. Then, looking out the window, she realized: “Is it raining?”

            

“Yes.”

They had already left the highway and merged onto the national highway, drawing closer and closer to the mountains.

Raindrops pitter-pattered against the car windows.

            

“Tsk,” Cheng Xiang said, looking at Tao Tianran. “The weather in the mountains really is unpredictable. The forecast clearly said there wouldn’t be any rain.”

“Mm.” Tao Tianran’s reply was brief, her focus entirely on her driving.

Cheng Xiang figured that under these road conditions, she absolutely couldn’t fall back asleep. She decided to keep Tao Tianran company and chat to keep her alert.

            

“Hey, did you know?” Cheng Xiang nudged the canvas bag on her lap with her knee. “Speaking of this little bear, I bought it all the way back in high school to hang on my frumpy old backpack.”

“It doesn’t have any special meaning or anything. I just bought it at the stationery shop right outside the school gates. It has just stayed hanging there all this time, and I only just realized how many years have passed. It’s kind of like your ring.”

Tao Tianran had already retracted her right hand to grip the steering wheel, the thin, plain silver band on her pinky finger glinting softly.

            

Suddenly, Tao Tianran steered the car to the side of the road and brought it to a stop.

“Huh?” Cheng Xiang asked. “Is there something wrong with the car?”

“No,” Tao Tianran said. “We’ll wait until the rain lets up a bit before we keep going.”

            

“You’re so cautious.” In truth, other cars were still passing by on the national highway.

“Mm.”

“Alright then.”

            

The two of them sat quietly inside the car. The traffic on the national highway beside them gradually thinned out, until not a single vehicle passed for a long while. Only the distant green belt remained, casting a faint, hazy glow.

Tao Tianran had rested her right hand back onto the center console, holding Cheng Xiang’s hand.

Cheng Xiang’s fingertips slowly traced the plain metal band on her pinky finger.

            

“Tao Tianran.”

“Mm,” Tao Tianran murmured, her eyes closed as she rested.

“Listen to the sound of the rain drumming on the car roof. Doesn’t it sound just like the leaves of the phoenix tree outside my bedroom window when they sway in the wind?”

            

“Very much so.”

Cheng Xiang gave the ring on Tao Tianran’s finger a gentle nudge with her thumb, then slid her hand down a fraction, tracing the pulse on Tao Tianran’s wrist.

As the weather was getting warmer, Tao Tianran’s shirt sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, exposing her snow-white forearms. Cheng Xiang’s fingertips glided over her skin inch by inch, slowly sliding inside her shirt sleeve until she held the crook of her elbow.

            

Tao Tianran leaned back against the headrest with her eyes closed, her breathing slow and drawn out.

Just as Cheng Xiang was beginning to wonder if she had fallen asleep—

Tao Tianran reached down to adjust her seat, sliding it backward to leave some space between herself and the steering wheel. She kept her eyes closed throughout the entire motion, calling out softly, “Come over here.”

            

Cheng Xiang pursed her lips.

Tao Tianran opened her eyes, turning her head to look at her. “Can you make it over?”

Cheng Xiang unbuckled her seatbelt and clambered over the center console, her head brushing against the car roof. She felt a bit clumsy, but Tao Tianran kept her eyes fixed on her the entire time.

            

Once she was straddling Tao Tianran’s lap, Tao Tianran naturally wrapped her arms around her, pulling her close.

Cheng Xiang wrapped her slender arms around Tao Tianran’s shoulders, burying her face into the crook of her neck to take a deep breath.

So fragrant.

            

The cool, crisp scent that had faintly drifted through the cabin earlier had now found its dense, pure source.

Now… what should she do next? Why did she feel like she was performing a zero-frame startup³?

Cheng Xiang remained buried in the crook of Tao Tianran’s neck, but she slid her right hand down, resting it against a soft, tender spot on Tao Tianran’s chest.

            

Her hand couldn’t fully cup it, and as she gently kneaded and pressed, a sweet ache bloomed in her chest. Tao Tianran’s crisp white shirt rustled with a paper-like whisper. Cheng Xiang quietly tilted her face up to look at her.

Tao Tianran had turned on the cabin light earlier, only to turn it off once Cheng Xiang made her way over. The car fell back into deep shadow, save for the faint, shimmering glow of distant lights.

Tao Tianran was reduced to a soft, blurry silhouette, leaning against the headrest as she let out slow, deep breaths.

            

The darkness emboldened her.

Cheng Xiang had no idea where this sudden, surging desire was coming from. They would be at the resort soon anyway, so why was she in such a rush right now?

But she was just so impatient.

            

The driver’s seat was cramped, and the hard curve of the steering wheel pressed against the small of her back—a rigid contrast that only seemed to emphasize the exquisite softness in her hands. Every now and then, a car would pass on the road, its headlights flashing by, but no one else stopped.

Cheng Xiang didn’t bother unbuttoning Tao Tianran’s shirt; she simply tugged the hem free from her waistband.

She didn’t even lean in for a kiss. Listening only to Tao Tianran’s ragged breathing, her hand slid straight down.

            

Even through the thin layer of fabric, she could already feel it.

Cheng Xiang pressed her lips together and whispered, “You…”

Tao Tianran kept her eyes closed. “Mm.”

            

She wanted this. She had wanted it from the exact moment Cheng Xiang started stroking her pinky ring.

Cheng Xiang pulled her hand back, asking in a quiet whisper, “Do you have any sanitizing wipes?”

Without turning on the light, Tao Tianran simply opened the center console compartment and handed her a pack of wipes.

            

Cheng Xiang bowed her head and pulled one out, meticulously wiping down her fingers. Tao Tianran opened her eyes, watching as Cheng Xiang dissolved into a faint, shadowy outline before her.

Cheng Xiang tossed the wipe aside and leaned back down against Tao Tianran’s shoulder. She didn’t penetrate, choosing instead to gently caress and tease her from the outside.

Tao Tianran’s shoulders tensed.

            

The air inside the cabin shifted, thick with the scent of raw, heavy hormones. Outside the windows, headlights still flashed by on rare occasions, but no one paid any mind to the car parked at the roadside. To any onlooker, Cheng Xiang appeared to be doing nothing more than embracing Tao Tianran. Only she knew what her hand was actually doing.

Tao Tianran tilted her chin up, as if the air inside the cabin had grown too thin, leaving her starved of oxygen.

“Shh.” Cheng Xiang withdrew her hand, careful not to smudge or stain Tao Tianran’s white shirt. Resting her wrist against Tao Tianran’s shoulder, she leaned in and whispered directly into her ear, “That’s enough for now. We’ll save the rest… for when we get to the hotel.”

            

It was a deeply complex state of mind.

She was both utterly impatient and yet desperate to drag this entire moment out for as long as possible.

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