Peaches and Plums Don’t Speak – Chapter 30

Midsummer (Part 3)

That night, Anzhi tossed and turned, unable to sleep. The moment she closed her eyes, it was as if she could see the headless female corpse lying in the corner and hear the words, “That’s not my daughter-in-law’s head, that’s not her head.” Anzhi even felt that the old woman’s voice must have been incredibly old and hoarse… and a little sinister… It was as if she could really hear it speaking right beside her ear.

Anzhi hid under the covers, thinking she could fall asleep like that, but she couldn’t. Her nerves were stretched taut. It seemed she could even hear sounds from within the safety of her blanket. She turned over, curled up her feet, and held her breath and stayed silent.

After a good while, she slowly lifted a corner of the blanket and peeked out. There was nothing in the corner.

“Huu…” Anzhi let out a long breath. “Close your eyes, close your eyes! Just blink and it’ll be morning, and everything will be fine.”

She endured it and endured it, but she really couldn’t take it anymore. Her scalp went numb¹, and her body broke out in a cold sweat.

Anzhi threw off the covers. She was wearing a cotton nightdress. Tiptoeing, she slipped into Yan Xi’s room and pushed the door open. The room held the faint scent of plants and pine.

A small wall lamp was lit in the room. Anzhi closed the door behind her, climbed onto the bed, and lay down next to Yan Xi.

She was actually very particular about her bed. Besides, she had always slept with Yan Xi before. Even during that year at the Yan Family Old Residence, Yan Xi didn’t come back often, but that bed was hers and carried her scent. As long as she was near her, Anzhi could sleep well and wouldn’t have nightmares.

Starting from age nine, sleeping alone was especially difficult to get used to. She would run over to Yan Xi’s room in the middle of the night. Only by clutching a corner of Yan Xi’s blanket could she fall asleep peacefully, though she would always wake up back in her own little bed the next day. This repeated several times before she slowly got used to sleeping by herself.

Anzhi missed the time when she was six or seven, with her small hands and feet, just the right size to nestle in Yan Xi’s arms and be held as she slept. Now, she could only lie next to her. Anzhi moved her head closer to her delicate shoulder and closed her eyes.

Okay, I’m not scared anymore.

Suddenly, she felt Yan Xi stir. She had been lying flat on her back, but now she turned onto her side. Her face was toward her, still fast asleep.

A familiar, pleasant fragrance lingered between them. On Yan Xi’s smooth shoulder, the strap of her nightdress was half-hanging off. Her breathing was faint and even. The neckline of her nightdress was a little low, revealing a hint of snowy-white fullness.

Anzhi blinked, looking down at her own flat chest. Will I be like her in the future?

Anzhi felt her cheeks grow a little hot. When she was little, she only ever thought Yan Xi’s embrace was especially comfortable—fragrant and soft, giving her a great sense of security. But now that she wasn’t a child anymore, it seemed she couldn’t keep burrowing into her arms to sleep, and Yan Xi didn’t hug her as often as before either.

When I get a little older, will she never hug me again? Will she not be able to carry me anymore?

Anzhi was overcome with melancholy; growing up too fast wasn’t a good thing. Lost in her sorrow, she momentarily forgot the contents of the book she’d read a few hours ago. She gently nuzzled Yan Xi’s shoulder. She was sleeping on the very edge of the bed, not daring to move for fear of waking Yan Xi, with a small part of her body still exposed. Before long, her body seemed to stiffen. Anzhi let out a breath and quietly scooted a little closer. Inadvertently, her leg kicked Yan Xi’s.

Anzhi: …Ding! I’m done for!

Sure enough, Anzhi felt Yan Xi sit up slightly to look at her. She made a sound of surprise, “Eh?” and then chuckled softly, “When did you get here…”

Her voice was thick with sleepiness, different from its usual crispness, a little hoarse and magnetic.

Anzhi pretended to be fast asleep, but her heart was beating like a drum. Will Yan Xi carry me back again? Should I pretend to be asleep and let her carry me, or should I tell her now that I want to sleep here…

But Yan Xi didn’t. She shifted back, and Anzhi felt a hand gather her at the waist and pull her inward. Her whole body was now resting on the soft mattress.

A cool, thin blanket was draped over her waist; Yan Xi had shared a corner of her summer blanket with her.

Anzhi didn’t move a muscle, not even to brush away the strand of hair that tickled her cheek. She felt Yan Xi watching her. Without opening her eyes, she could imagine Yan Xi’s gaze—how those smiling eyes would be looking at her so gently, like moonlight on water, caressing the surface of a lake.

Anzhi felt her heartbeat inexplicably start to speed up again. Was it because all her senses were magnified in the quiet night, or was it an aftereffect of reading that terrifying mystery book²? She couldn’t tell.

Her cheek was touched by a fingertip. Yan Xi brushed her hair aside and patted her gently, just like when she used to coax her to sleep as a child.

After a small rustle, Yan Xi lay back down.

Is she silently agreeing to let me sleep with her tonight?

Anzhi was overjoyed and subconsciously made the familiar gesture of hugging her.

Yan Xi hadn’t fallen asleep that quickly, and this small movement exposed the fact that Anzhi had been pretending. She let out a soft laugh.

Anzhi’s cheeks flushed slightly. Just as she was about to say something, Yan Xi stroked her cheek. “Go to sleep now…”

“If you don’t sleep, you won’t grow taller…”

Anzhi remembered how she used to worry about not growing taller as a child and mumbled, even more embarrassed, “I’m already much taller than before!”

“Mm… right…” Yan Xi’s voice seemed to hold an indescribable meaning. A moment later, she was smiling again. “But you’re still not as tall as me!”

“…I definitely will be! I’ll be taller than you!”

Yan Xi smiled and gently pinched her cheek, which was still fleshy with baby fat³. She didn’t continue the topic.

“Sleeping… mm…” Yan Xi naturally reached out to pat her on the head, her voice gradually growing softer. “I have… to work tomorrow… the new show is… starting…”

Anzhi couldn’t help but feel a little annoyed with herself. She could sleep in tomorrow, but Yan Xi wasn’t feeling well today and still had to go to work. She immediately behaved and stopped talking.

Yan Xi quickly fell asleep. She was still lying on her side facing Anzhi, very close. In the faint light, the contours of her delicate and beautiful features were like a serene oil painting.

Anzhi’s heart inexplicably started to pound again. It wasn’t an aftereffect of reading the novel, so what was this? She was muddled, not understanding what was happening. In her childhood perspective, Yan Xi was the most beautiful and best adult, but now, at this very moment, she suddenly felt…

Huh, what’s going on?

She suddenly couldn’t think of a word to describe it.

Not in Chinese, not in English.

What was this feeling? She couldn’t say.

In this state of confusion, she drifted off, snuggling against Yan Xi as she fell asleep.

There was a period in her childhood when she would often wake up startled from her dreams. Yan Xi had taken her to see a doctor, who said she had a bit of neurasthenia⁴. Because she was too young, the doctor didn’t prescribe any medicine, only instructing the adults to create a peaceful and comfortable environment for the child. That was why Yan Xi had slept in the same bed with her for a long time. When she turned nine, Yan Xi often came home late due to work. She discovered that Anzhi would frequently force herself to stay awake and wait for her, which was when she finally steeled her heart and trained her to have an independent, normal sleep schedule again.

Although the habit was eventually formed, it didn’t stop Xiao Anzhi from occasionally sneaking over to crawl into her bed. But every time, she would be carried back after falling soundly asleep.

It felt like it had been a long time since they had slept together like this…
Anzhi was completely content. All the strange images from the horror book vanished.

In a deep sleep, half-dreaming, half-awake⁵, she felt a little chilly and heard the sound of raindrops. The residential complex had excellent landscaping, so she could hear the pitter-patter of rain falling on the leaves.

A summer night’s rain.

Anzhi’s arms, exposed outside her nightdress, were cold. She instinctively snuggled closer to the source of warmth.

And just like that, Yan Xi was nudged awake by her again. She opened her eyes, felt her arm, then pulled the blanket up higher, wrapping Anzhi up snugly.

She propped herself up and glanced outside through the half-drawn curtains. The sky was just beginning to lighten, and the rain brought a cool air. Guessing it was still early, she lay back down.

Half of Anzhi’s face was buried in her chest. She was sleeping soundly, her chubby cheeks like the honey peaches she loved to eat. Her hand was still hooked tightly around her, and Yan Xi had to pull it away.

I feel like she’s using me as a giant doll.

After her hand was pulled away, Anzhi instead latched onto the hem of her clothes.

Yan Xi chuckled softly. This habit was still just like a child’s. It was just… the feeling of holding her was a little different now. Anzhi’s frame was slender, and while her limbs had started pulling out branches⁶, she still looked too weak to withstand the wind⁷. Holding her wasn’t like when she was little; it was a bit bony.

Amid this subtle sense of loss, Yan Xi also fell back asleep, still holding Anzhi.

The cool summer rain was perfect for a good sleep. Perhaps neither of them noticed that after unconsciously adjusting their positions, they were once again snuggled up, holding each other as they slept.

Anzhi slept very deeply this time. She was vaguely aware when Yan Xi got up, but she just couldn’t open her eyes, even tugging on her clothes to stop her from leaving. Yan Xi patted her, and only then did she hug the blanket and continue to sleep.

After Yan Xi finished breakfast, she went back to her room to change and do her makeup. Anzhi yawned and sat up, went to the bathroom, and then flopped back onto the bed.

Not only had the rain not stopped, but it also seemed to be getting heavier. Yan Xi checked the weather forecast, then went over to Anzhi. “You should go to Great-grandfather’s place today. I’ll have Uncle Wang come pick you up.”

“Huh?… Why?” Anzhi yawned again, her words muffled.

“The rain will be heavy today, and there’ll be a thunderstorm later. I don’t feel at ease with you home alone.”

“Mm… I can wait for you to come back… Huh? A thunderstorm?” Anzhi’s ears perked up. “Then you shouldn’t drive!”

“It’s fine. If the rain is too heavy, I just won’t come back. I’ll sleep at the station tonight.”

“Ah… Oh… Okay.” Anzhi pouted, a little reluctant.

“Alright, you can sleep a little longer, but you have to get up soon.”

Yan Xi stood up. Today, she was wearing a blue-gray long dress of plain cotton with no pattern, just a slight ruching at the waist to accentuate her figure. She wore a pair of long pearl earrings.

She took out two pairs of shoes from the walk-in closet: one pair of almond-beige flats with straps, and another pair of silver-gray chunky heels with pearls embedded in the back.

“Which pair looks better?”

She was barefoot, and the mid-length dress revealed a section of her slender, snow-white calves.

Outside the window, the rain pattered against the curtains; this person is as beautiful as a painting⁸.

Anzhi stared blankly for a long time before pointing to the beige pair.

She’s tall anyway, with good proportions and long legs.

Yan Xi did indeed put on that pair. After giving her a few more reminders, she left.

Anzhi couldn’t help but listen to the sound of her footsteps going downstairs. Her heart went thump, thump, thump-thump-thump.

She irritably pulled the blanket over her face.

Ugh. There are no words to describe this.

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The author has something to say:

Anzhi: Why can’t I find the words in this chapter! Why?

Author-kun⁹: Cough, cough, cough…

Brain-hole-kun¹⁰: Mmm…..

Me: …..Mm.

Writing-style-kun: Looks at this one, then that one…

Writing-style-kun: Bursts into tears!

Writing-style-kun: Alright, alright! It’s because my writing skill is lacking! wuwuwuwuwu

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