The moon was bright and the stars were sparse, the night wind blew gently.
Cheng Jinlan flatly refused, "No."
Shao ChengZe coughed lightly twice, sounding very weak, "I was up all night, and flew for dozens of hours, my stomach feels very uncomfortable, I couldn't eat anything on the plane, I just kept thinking about drinking a bowl of porridge cooked by you."
Cheng Jinlan didn't fall for his scheme, "If your stomach is uncomfortable go take medicine, if you want to drink porridge you can order takeout."
Shao ChengZe laughed gently, hitting his own face very quickly, "Alright, you saw through me, I admit that my stomachache is just an excuse."
Cheng Jinlan scoffed, her meaning very obvious, scoffing that he was not only a rogue, but also a liar.
"MiaoMiao," he sighed softly, the unfinished tenderness in his long drawn out voice, "I missed you, let me see you, okay?"
The subtle breathing on the phone paused for a moment, followed by the sound of the call being hung up.
Shao ChengZe looked at the yard, which instantly went dark, and couldn't help but reveal a hint of a wry smile at the corner of his lips. He was too impatient.
Under the bright moon, it cast long shadows of people, Shao ChengZe leaned against the wall with his palm on his stomach, thinking about where he should go next. His home was right next door, but he didn't want to go back. He was already so close, yet he was still greedily wanting to be a little closer.
After who knows how long, the moon hid behind the clouds, and the sparse stars could not illuminate much light. The night sky fell into complete darkness, with dead silence all around, only occasional dog barks in the distance to keep him company.
The door creaked open halfway.
Shao ChengZe looked over abruptly.
Cheng Jinlan leaned against the door with one hand, looking up at him lightly.
"Why don't you leave?" she asked him.
He stood at the door for so long, and she watched him on the screen for just as long. Reason told her, whatever he was doing, let him stand for as long as he wanted, it would be best if he got bitten by mosquitoes all over his face. But in the end, she still stepped out one step at a time.
Shao ChengZe wrapped his arms tightly around her, tightly without leaving a gap between them.
"How could I leave and still get to see you?"
Cheng Jinlan's hands hung loosely around her waist, a familiar scent lingered around her nose, her gaze was slightly blurred, fixed somewhere behind him.
"Now that you've seen me, you can leave."
Shao ChengZe lifted his head to look at her seriously, "Seeing you... makes me want to leave even less."
Cheng Jinlan met his gaze, quickly looked away again, her flat tone revealed no emotion, "Then you can stand guard here yourself, I'm going back in."
Shao ChengZe grabbed her hand and circled it around his waist, not letting her leave. His eyes swept over her hair, "Did you cut your hair?"
He was very hot, the heat transmitted through his clothes was scorching.
Cheng Jinlan lowered her long lashes, shielding the emotions in her eyes, and replied, "What's it to you?"
Shao ChengZe chuckled softly, "I just wanted to say, it looks very good, it looked good before the cut, and it still looks good now," his slender fingers ran through the hair draped over her shoulders, caressing the fair nape of her neck, touching upwards bit by bit, holding the back of her head, leaning in close, and biting her red lips, murmuring in a low voice, "Our President Cheng looks good no matter what."
Cheng Jinlan just lost herself for a moment under his gentle fingertips, and by the time she regained her senses, she had already fallen into his mouth.
Not just their lips and tongues, but their breaths and heartbeats were completely under his control.
Cheng Jinlan struggled for a moment, but was soon engulfed by the turbulent heat, her breathing hurried and chaotic. Shao ChengZe felt her response, the stormy eyes instantly stirred up a raging storm, his arm gripped her slender waist tightly, wishing he could press her into his body, engraved on his heart, never leaving for even a moment.
In this frenzy of dying, Cheng Jinlan's hand touched his bare skin at his waist, noticing something wrong. She pinched his waist and exerted some force. Shao ChengZe's breathing receded a little, and the delicate kisses went down along the corner of her lips, wrapping around her moon-white jade collarbone.
Cheng Jinlan gently tilted her neck back, catching her breath for a moment. She placed her palm on his forehead, confirming that his temperature was indeed abnormally high, "You have a fever."
Shao ChengZe returned to her lips again, leaning against her breath. There was clear grievance in his still aroused eyes, "My stomach really is uncomfortable, I'm not lying to you, nor am I using crocodile tears."
Cheng Jinlan was silent for a second, patting the arm clasped around her waist, "Let me go."
Shao ChengZe held her even tighter, "You don't believe me?"
She still hadn't caught her breath, and being hugged so tightly by him again took her breath away. Cheng Jinlan forcibly pried his arms open, "If your stomach is uncomfortable you should take medicine, I'm not medicine."
Shao ChengZe was stunned for a moment, then laughed out loud, lifting her by the waist onto himself. She was taller than him so he had to look up at her.
The moon had escaped from the dark clouds and was recast over the earth, spilling silvery light that rippled into her eyes, accentuating the smudge of rouge that overflowed from the corner of her eyes even more bewitching.
To him, she was more effective than medicine. Compared to medicine, he wanted to eat her even more. But he probably shouldn't say that, or she would surely get angry.
"I'm out of medicine at my place." He stated a fact.
Cheng Jinlan denied him the possibility of entering the house, "You wait here, I'll go get you some."
"I want to drink porridge." He took her hand and pressed it against his stomach, "My stomach is completely empty, I haven't eaten anything since last night."
Cheng Jinlan stared at him motionlessly.
Shao ChengZe stared back unwaveringly.
After a long time, Cheng Jinlan spoke up, "I can provide you with a pot and rice. If you want to eat, make it yourself. Don't expect me to make it for you."
Shao ChengZe's smile lit up half the starry sky.
"Okay."
Having done it once, the second try was much smoother. Shao ChengZe entered the house, put his suitcase in the entrance, changed into slippers by himself, washed his hands in the bathroom by himself. He didn't need anyone to guide him, he even knew where the pots and rice were located, because this was the second time he had entered this kitchen.
"Is little Liqi asleep?" He tied on an apron by himself.
"Yes."
Cheng Jinlan put the medicine and water on the table, then stopped bothering with him anymore, and went into the study to work on her own things.
Not long after, a light fragrance drifted out from outside. Cheng Jinlan's eyes lingered on the computer screen. Her stomach also growled in response. She had eaten very full at dinner, and didn't know when her stomach had become so lacking in integrity that it could be enticed by a bowl of porridge.
There was a light double knock at the door.
Cheng Jinlan looked up to see Shao ChengZe push open the door, carrying two bowls of porridge as he walked over.
Cheng Jinlan said, "I'm not eating, just go eat by yourself. After you finish eating, don't clean up. The housekeeper will come to clean tomorrow. You can just leave directly."
But as soon as she finished speaking, her stomach let out an untimely gurgle.
Cheng Jinlan paused, and a little unease appeared on her originally cold face.
Shao ChengZe pretended not to have heard and placed the porridge on the table before sitting down across from her.
"I made too much, just keep me company and eat a little bit with me. Eating alone always feels a little bleak."
Cheng Jinlan's eyebrows twitched slightly, "Don't you eat alone at home?"
"Eating alone at home is one thing, but you're here with me now," Shao ChengZe stirred the porridge with a spoon, scooped up a spoonful, blew on it slowly, then held it across the table to her mouth, "It's not hot anymore, have a taste?"
Before Cheng Jinlan's stomach could make another sound, she opened her mouth and the porridge was fed in. It really was just plain porridge, without any flavor. But... it smelled really good.
"How is it?" He looked at her, his eyes full of anticipation.
Cheng Jinlan doused him in cold water, "No matter how fancy you make plain porridge, it can only be tasteless white porridge."
Shao ChengZe used the spoon she had used to scoop himself a spoonful and put it in his mouth, "I feel like it smells really good."
Before Cheng Jinlan could say anything, the bowl filled with porridge was held out again, "Have another taste, you'll slowly be able to taste the flavor."
Looking at his earnest eyes, she suddenly felt irritated. Impatiently, she stretched out her hand to block the spoon, "I said I'm not eating anymore. Hurry up and leave after you finish eating."
As a result, the porridge in the spoon spilled out, all landing on the back of his hand.
Cheng Jinlan froze for a moment as she looked at the mess all over his hand, then got up, pulled out some paper towels, placed them over his hand, and haphazardly wiped him clean, also apologizing, "I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize." Shao ChengZe took her hand in his, went to her side to find her downcast gaze. "Let's talk."
Though he said he wanted to talk, he didn't know where to start. Seeing her slightly furrowed brows, Shao ChengZe gently asked, "Jinlan, do you...hate me very much?"
After a long silence, a hint of emptiness flashed in Cheng Jinlan's eyes. "If I really hated you that much, I wouldn't let you bully me like this. I must be beyond saving."
She saw through his probing and tricks, but knew she was slowly giving in to him approaching her again, even if she wouldn't admit it to herself.
Even if she knew that what lay between them was more misunderstanding than hatred, how could years of resentment dissipate in an instant? Rather than hate, she felt lost and confused about how to interact with him now.
She didn't know how to get along with him, and though she allowed him to get close, she wasn't clear on how close or how much she should let him in.
In their youth she could be reckless and fearless, but now older and more mature, she had lost that courage.
She held his face in her hands, looking deep into his eyes. "ChengZe, don't lie to me again."
If there was a next time, it would only lead to death between them.
In that moment, endless joy flashed in Shao ChengZe's dark eyes, a captivating light.
He leaned in to kiss her lips. "Alright, I promise."
