Su Xu’s room seemed larger because it only had one big bed. What made it even more different was the small balcony just beyond the sofa.
Tan Xingwei had come over so eagerly, but she didn’t actually know what she was going to do. So, with her hands behind her back, she looked around like a visitor, glancing here and there before walking out onto the balcony.
“So this is it.” Tan Xingwei recognized the familiar view. This balcony faced the same direction as the large one in the living room. Looking up, she could see the Big Dipper, which was very beautiful.
“Yes, Teacher Tan,” Su Xu said, following behind Tan Xingwei. “Is there anything you’d like to critique?”
Since Su Xu had asked, Tan Xingwei put on an air of authority. “The room is still too small. This painting is rather jarring and could be removed. This potted plant needs watering.”
Su Xu laughed. “Teacher Tan is right.”
Teacher Tan said no more. She turned around, leaned against the balcony railing, and held out her hand in front of Su Xu.
Su Xu: “What do you want?”
Tan Xingwei tilted her head. “The way you’re acting, it seems like you’d give me anything I ask for.”
Su Xu: “I would.”
Tan Xingwei fidgeted a little. “Big Sister Ah Xu is so doting.”
Su Xu burst out laughing. The sudden affectation made Tan Xingwei blush. Thankfully, the balcony light wasn’t on, and the light from the room wasn’t too bright.
“Let me hear the song you recorded,” Tan Xingwei said.
Just as promised, Su Xu opened her photo album, tapped on a three-minute video with a completely black screen, then tapped the speaker icon, and turned the volume…
“N-no, not so loud,” Tan Xingwei quickly stopped Su Xu.
Su Xu lowered the volume by two notches and placed the phone in Tan Xingwei’s palm.
Tan Xingwei didn’t move. Just like that, she held her hand suspended in mid-air, listening as her own voice slid in after the intro.
At first, Tan Xingwei felt a bit awkward. After all, she was listening to herself sing, and listening so quietly and carefully, it was obvious that she had missed the beat in a few places and gone off-key in others.
But Su Xu’s expression was different. She didn’t care about these flaws. With a smile, she gently swayed her head to the rhythm of the song, as if she and Tan Xingwei were listening to a very beautiful song by a very talented singer.
Of course, Tan Xingwei swayed her head along with Su Xu, left and right, right and left, swaying until Su Xu joined in the chorus, swaying until the song ended.
Tan Xingwei’s mood soared. Even after the lyrics ended, she kept swaying and said, “Someone secretly recorded this. You must take it out to listen to it in the middle of the night.”
Su Xu slowly made a gesture of covering her mouth. “Oh no, I’ve been found out.”
Tan Xingwei laughed. “That day, I thought you weren’t going to sing since you never picked up the microphone.”
Su Xu nodded. “I didn’t want to sing. I wanted to record a complete song of just you, but you kept looking at me.”
Tan Xingwei thought she had hidden it well. “Did I?”
Su Xu: “You looked back three times for every line you sang.”
Tan Xingwei: “…Alright.”
After the video reached its last second, it automatically looped back to the beginning. A new round of the intro rang out in the air again.
Su Xu asked, “Listen again?”
Tan Xingwei didn’t really mind either way, but before she could answer, Su Xu reached out, tapped the pause button, took the phone back, and locked the screen.
After this series of actions, Su Xu asked, “Want to kiss?”
Tan Xingwei was completely caught off guard. “Huh?”
Su Xu said, “I do.”
The moment she spoke, Tan Xingwei’s wrist was grabbed and pushed down as Su Xu took half a step toward her.
In the instant Tan Xingwei took a soft breath, Su Xu leaned in.
But the expected didn’t happen. Su Xu’s lips stopped less than two centimeters from Tan Xingwei’s.
Tan Xingwei forgot how to breathe. Su Xu’s breath was inches away, and Tan Xingwei’s heartbeat was pounding in her ears.
Tan Xingwei blinked, not daring to make any big movements, only looking down with her eyes.
She glanced at Su Xu’s lips.
And just as Tan Xingwei’s gaze fixed on Su Xu’s lips, Su Xu suddenly leaned forward and gently pecked her on the lips.
Then she pulled away.
She just… pulled away?
That’s it?
Tan Xingwei could also feel Su Xu’s grip on her hand slowly loosening.
Tan Xingwei’s mind was actually a mess, but in that moment, her last shred of clarity seized control. Just as Su Xu’s hand was about to let go completely, she gripped it back.
She was better than Su Xu; she clasped Su Xu’s palm.
Then she tilted her head up slightly and kissed her back.
Tan Xingwei wasn’t like Su Xu. She wouldn’t just kiss once and leave. She started with a light touch, then pressed a little harder, and finally parted her lips slightly, nibbling a little.
A very low hum escaped from Su Xu’s nose. Before Tan Xingwei could figure out her next move, Su Xu pressed the back of her head.
The invasion happened almost the next second. Tan Xingwei’s lips were already slightly parted, and Su Xu slipped inside.
Tan Xingwei’s breathing grew heavy, her grip softened, and her mouth was filled with a soft, warm, delicious fragrance. Her heartbeat was like a drum accompaniment, thumping away.
Su Xu licked her lips, circled the tip of her tongue, sometimes pecking lightly, other times pressing hard. Tan Xingwei was kissed into a complete mess.
When the kiss ended, Tan Xingwei didn’t even have the strength to look at Su Xu. After taking a deep breath, she wrapped her arms around Su Xu’s shoulders and hung onto her.
“Big Sister~” Tan Xingwei called out.
Su Xu’s palm rested on the back of Tan Xingwei’s head, gently rubbing it a few times.
The fresh mountain air and the starry sky were very romantic, but the one drawback was the mosquitoes.
Leaving the balcony door wide open was not a good idea. When Tan Xingwei felt it was about time, she went inside with Su Xu.
On her phone, there was a message from Tan Yinqing sent at 12:30 AM, asking: “Are you still coming back to sleep?”
After reading it, Tan Xingwei looked up at Su Xu and said, “Big Sister Ah Xu, Tan Yinqing kicked me out.”
Su Xu: “I’ll take you in.”
The moment she finished speaking, Tan Xingwei jumped onto the bed with a plop. “Okay, okay.”
The night was quiet and deep, with the indistinguishable chirping of insects making one very sleepy. Tan Xingwei had already been on the verge of falling asleep while stargazing. If she hadn’t been greedy for that kiss, she wouldn’t have held on this long.
So, as soon as Su Xu turned off the light, she felt as if all the blankets in the world were pressing down on her.
She couldn’t hold on any longer. With her last bit of consciousness, she waited for Su Xu to get into bed too, then groggily reached for Su Xu’s hand.
Before she could find it, she fell asleep.
In the end, it was Su Xu who took her hand. Su Xu was also very sleepy. Sensing that Tan Xingwei had already drifted off to dreamland, she lifted Tan Xingwei’s hand, gently pressed her cheek against the back of it, and fell asleep as well.
The next day, Tan Xingwei woke up a little after six. Nature was too noisy, with all its chirping and chattering.
But waking up to see Su Xu lying beside her, Tan Xingwei thought, Chirp away. Just pretend you’re singing for us two sleeping beauties.
With this beautiful thought, she took the hand she hadn’t managed to hold yesterday and closed her eyes again.
There were also some activities today. There was a small stream on the mountain, and they went there after breakfast to take pictures, go rafting, and play in the water, staying until they headed back at three in the afternoon.
Tan Xingwei drove on the way back. The usual occupant of her passenger seat, Tan Yinqing, had been replaced by Su Xu.
On the highway, during the lazy afternoon, everyone in the back seat had fallen asleep.
Su Xu also yawned several times in a row. Tan Xingwei said to her, “You should get some sleep too.”
Su Xu shook her head. “I’m not sleeping.”
Tan Xingwei asked, “Why not? You’re so sleepy.”
Su Xu: “To keep you company while you drive.”
Tan Xingwei: “Okay.”
In the rearview mirror, Tan Yinqing’s eyes fluttered open for a moment.
Perhaps because the road conditions changed, everyone woke up after they got off the highway. The exit was at the border of two districts, closer to Su Xu’s house. Tan Yinqing leaned forward and asked, “Tan Xingwei, are you going home?”
Tan Xingwei thought for a moment. “I have something I was planning to bring to the office this week,” but then she reconsidered, “but I can bring it next week too.”
Tan Yinqing seemed to ignore what Tan Xingwei said. “Go home.”
Tan Xingwei: “What’s wrong?”
Tan Yinqing: “Mom made dinner for the two of us. Let’s both eat before you go.”
Tan Xingwei was still hesitating when Su Xu said, “Go home. I’ll pick you up tonight.”
Tan Xingwei immediately replied, “Okay.”
Tan Yinqing let out a long sigh and leaned back. “My words as an older sister don’t work anymore.”
Chen Jing laughed from the back. “Have your words ever worked?”
“That’s true.” After saying that, Tan Yinqing still felt unwilling to concede and huffed again.
It wasn’t long before they reached Su Xu’s home, and not long after that, Yaoyao and Chen Jing were dropped off too.
When they set off again, Tan Yinqing was sitting in the passenger seat.
This person, as soon as she sat down, looked at Tan Xingwei with a crooked smile and her arms crossed.
Tan Xingwei asked, “What?”
Tan Yinqing: “Heh.”
So Tan Xingwei also went, “Heh.”
“Impressive, my little sister,” Tan Yinqing said, tilting her head to look at Tan Xingwei. “Winning over your crush in a month.”
Tan Xingwei couldn’t tell if Tan Yinqing was being sarcastic or genuinely praising her, but she didn’t care. She would take any comment as a compliment.
“Why, thank you, my dear sister,” Tan Xingwei replied in the same tone.
“I really didn’t expect it. How could I not have seen it? The answer was right in front of my face,” Tan Yinqing said, stroking her chin as she continued to watch Tan Xingwei. “You didn’t fall for Ah Xu four years ago, did you?”
Tan Xingwei: “I did. So what?”
Tan Yinqing chuckled. “You’re pretty cocky.”
Of course Tan Xingwei was cocky. “I won over my crush in a month.”
Tan Yinqing: “I’m going to take a picture of you like this and send it to Ah Xu.”
Tan Xingwei: “Go ahead. Take it now. Send it now.”
Tan Yinqing: “You’re nuts.”
“It’s good, not bad,” Tan Yinqing finally became serious. “If it’s Ah Xu, that’s good. I’m not sure if Mom and Dad will be at ease, but I am.”
Tan Xingwei said smugly, “It’s not easy to pass your test. Our Big Sister Ah Xu is just that good.”
Tan Yinqing suddenly started laughing.
“What are you laughing at?” Tan Xingwei asked.
Tan Yinqing: “I suddenly thought of four years ago.”
Tan Xingwei: “What about four years ago?”
“I forget the exact situation, but Ah Xu and I were talking about you,” Tan Yinqing laughed again. “I said that we never really had a concept of being sisters growing up, and I also said that you probably didn’t get enough sisterly love from me, so you treated her like an older sister instead.”
Tan Xingwei was speechless. “How could you say that to Big Sister Ah Xu?”
Tan Yinqing was speechless herself. “Because I really thought so. You two were so close back then, you lacked a sister’s love, and she…” She paused. “A huge misunderstanding.”
Tan Xingwei: “Well, you’re a bit narcissistic then. I don’t lack a sister’s love.”
Tan Yinqing: “Oh.”
Tan Xingwei added, “I think you love me quite a lot.”
Tan Yinqing laughed. “Who’s the narcissistic one now?”
The two of them laughed together.
“How come you’re gay?” Tan Yinqing brought it up again. “I really didn’t see any signs at all.”
Tan Xingwei: “Because I’m just like everyone else. I just happen to like girls. There’s no difference.”
Tan Yinqing fell silent.
But that didn’t stop Tan Xingwei from continuing, “Not only am I going to be clingy with Su Xu, I also have no sense of boundaries.”
Tan Yinqing interrupted Tan Xingwei, “Tan Xingwei, I thank you.”
Tan Xingwei said, “You’re welcome.”
Tan Yinqing pinched her nose, looking like she couldn’t stand it. “Wow, so cringey.”
Tan Xingwei laughed even more happily. “I’ll treat you to cake tonight.”
Tan Yinqing was fine again. “Deal.”
The two arrived home just in time for dinner. As soon as they entered, they smelled fragrant braised meat. After playing all day and only eating some flatbread for lunch to tide them over, they now washed their hands and rushed to the dining room one after the other.
“What have you two been up to today,” their mother complained. “Reincarnated hungry ghosts.”
Tan Xingwei said, “It’s such a blessing to be reincarnated into Mom’s family. There’s delicious food every day.”
Her mother was immediately amused. “Your mouth is so sweet today.”
Tan Yinqing: “She’s going to be very sweet-tongued for a while.”
Their father walked out of the kitchen with a dish. “What’s up, Xingxing? Did something good happen?”
Tan Xingwei said while eating meat, “My position became permanent, and I’m about to graduate. Aren’t these all good things?”
Mother: “When are you going back to school for the graduation ceremony?”
Tan Xingwei: “In two weeks.”
“Speaking of which,” her father, who was heading to the kitchen, turned back. “I ran into Chen Zheng’s father a few days ago. He said Chen Zheng is also going back to school for his graduation ceremony in two weeks, and if you two are on the same flight, he can give you both a ride.”
Tan Yinqing leaned over to Tan Xingwei and said, “Dad doesn’t want to drive you.”
Her father tutted. “Is that what I meant?”
Tan Xingwei sighed. “Hard to say.”
Her father tried to save face. “I’ll drive you if I have time.”
Tan Xingwei sighed even louder. “No, no, don’t trouble yourself. I can go by myself.”
The braised meat their mother made today was incredibly fragrant. Tan Xingwei ate several pieces and also took a picture for Su Xu.
Su Xu replied: “When I have time, I’ll go ask your auntie how to make it.”
There weren’t many buses back to Tan Yinqing’s county, so she left right after dinner. Before leaving, she secretly wished Tan Xingwei “99,” and said she hoped they could date for a long time, a lifetime would be best, otherwise it would be very awkward for her.
Tan Xingwei said, “Don’t worry, I’m going to marry Su Xu,” which gave Tan Yinqing goosebumps.
Not long after Tan Yinqing left, Su Xu was almost at the parking lot. Tan Xingwei grabbed her things and flew downstairs.
The timing was perfect. Tan Xingwei had just gotten out of the elevator as Su Xu finished parking her car. Tan Xingwei took a few steps, then jogged over, opened the passenger door, and slipped inside.
“Big Sister Ah Xu, long time no see,” Tan Xingwei said.
Su Xu: “Little Sister Xingxing, long time no see.”
What Tan Yinqing said was indeed true. She had been in a very good mood lately, and of course, it wasn’t because of some stupid job or stupid graduation.
“Long time no see” wasn’t an exaggeration; it had been several hours.
Tan Xingwei was itching to act cute and spoiled.
But she was struggling with how to do it. So, she had no choice but to sacrifice Tan Yinqing.
“Big Sister Ah Xu,” Tan Xingwei began on a whim. “You have no idea. While you were gone, Tan Yinqing kept lecturing me.”
Su Xu put Tan Xingwei’s bag in the back seat. “Lecturing you about what?”
“I don’t know, I couldn’t understand her, she was just so annoying,” Tan Xingwei said, sounding more and more aggrieved. “I don’t care. I need cuddles from Big Sister Ah Xu to feel better.”
At this, Su Xu finally understood what Tan Xingwei was getting at. She smiled. “Just cuddles?”
Tan Xingwei’s eyes lit up. “Is there something else?”
After saying that, she swallowed and licked her lips.
Su Xu propped her hand on the center console and leaned toward Tan Xingwei. “What do you think?”
Tan Xingwei’s face instantly grew hot. “Then I… want kisses.”
A kiss was what she asked for, and a kiss was what she got. It was as if Su Xu knew what Tan Xingwei would say. The moment the words left her mouth, Su Xu was kissing her.
Along with it came the faint fragrance from Su Xu’s body. She held Tan Xingwei’s chin, caressed it, and then pressed down firmly.
The enclosed space, the warm body heat—Tan Xingwei was instantly dazed.
It was long and dense, both deep and shallow.
And it came to an abrupt stop.
Tan Xingwei’s eyes flew open as if waking from a dream. Su Xu had sat back in her own seat and started the car. In a daze, Tan Xingwei saw Su Xu reach over and stroke her face.
In a daze, Tan Xingwei also heard Su Xu say, “Mmm~ That was a good kiss.”
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