Jiang Yumo carefully hid the washed clothes behind her back, and emerged cautiously. The room was small; with a single glance, it was apparent that Duan Ye was not inside.
She heaved a sigh of relief and swiftly hung the clothes on the clothesline at the very edge, where they were barely noticeable if one didn’t look closely.
Before she could fully relax, a sound came from the door. She jumped in surprise, turned around, and saw Duan Ye entering.
She was wearing a nightgown that covered her knees, her hair still damp, and her face pale.
Duan Ye closed the door behind him and hurried over, placing a hairdryer on the table and taking her hand, asking, “What happened?”
Thinking that she was scared, he carried a hint of self-blame in his tone. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you; I went to the landlady on the third floor to borrow a hairdryer.”
Indeed, he shouldn’t have left her alone in the room.
Jiang Yumo : “…”
What to do? It seemed like in his eyes, she was that kind of weak and helpless little pitiful.
After thinking for a moment, she decided not to explain. Let him think that way.
It’s better than him discovering her with her face blushing from hanging up laundry.
“It’s alright.” Jiang Yumo lowered her head, the water droplets from her hair ends seeping into the clothes. The nightgown was originally a light color. “Didn’t you buy a hairdryer?”
Duan Ye’s gaze moved away from the damp spot on her chest. He led her to sit on the edge of the bed, then turned to pick up the hairdryer, plugging it in as he explained, “Yeah, I didn’t buy one. I didn’t think it through.”
He never considered that she would come here.
Although they had always known they liked each other, he didn’t dare to entertain the idea of these things that were too blissful for him.
So, when renting the house, he only considered the rent, and when buying daily necessities, he only got the cheapest shower gel and shampoo.
“We’ll buy one tomorrow,” Duan Ye said, “You can pick it.”
Jiang Yumo smiled and pursed her lips, “Sure.”
She sat on the edge of the bed, and he stood behind her, holding a hairdryer in his hand, reaching out to hold up her hair.
This was something he had wanted to do a long time ago.
When did he realize he had feelings for her? Probably during that time when a male classmate in their class had a crush on her. Expressing affection back then was still immature and even ridiculous. That male classmate would deliberately provoke her, like pulling her hair. He walked into the classroom from outside and witnessed this scene. Almost instantly, a surge of what could be called a fierce emotion rose within him.
Of course, he himself was quite ridiculous back then.
He confronted that male student and gave him a beating behind others’ backs.
How could anyone make her angry?
How could anyone touch her hair without permission?
Jiang Yumo’s hair was beautiful, fine and smooth, not subjected to frequent styling or dyeing. Duan Ye patiently blow-dried her hair, his fingers threading through her dark hair, creating an affectionate and warm sensation.
The warm air from the hairdryer was just right.
His gestures were so gentle that Jiang Yumo could barely keep her eyes open, feeling like she was about to fall asleep.
Yet, she still wanted to remember this moment.
Neither of them spoke. The room was filled only with the humming sound of the hairdryer. Her hair gradually dried, and a mischievous thought crossed Jiang Yumo’s mind. She pretended to be falling asleep, tilting her head gradually until, unexpectedly, she made contact with Duan Ye’s rough hand.
Duan Ye cupped her face.
Perhaps, this was the result of years of being together, fostering this unspoken understanding.
Whatever she intended to do, as long as he paid a little extra attention, he could anticipate it in advance.
Hmm…
Of course, this surprise was an exception.
Even now, Duan Ye’s heart would race when he recalled the scene of seeing her when he opened the door.
Perhaps, this was what it felt like to be liked by someone.
Jiang Yumo allowed him to cradle her face, even turning her head to look at him. They exchanged a smile, and she was grateful for her decision. She even somewhat guiltily celebrated in her heart, thankful that the bus company had unexpectedly given her parents the opportunity for a free vacation. Otherwise, during this golden week, she and Duan Ye probably wouldn’t have been this happy.
Of course, such thoughts couldn’t be spoken aloud.
If her parents found out, she might end up eating a meal of bamboo shoots and sliced pork again1.
After Duan Ye blow-dried her hair and returned the hairdryer, he began preparing for his own hygiene routine. Jiang Yumo sat cross-legged on the bed, playing with her phone. Well, actually with Duan Ye’s phone. It was the last day of the month, and she had already exceeded her data limit. She couldn’t afford to be reckless anymore. If she had no data, Duan Ye did!
She checked his remaining data and finally understood the meaning behind Zhou Ji’s remark, “We’re both monks.”
Duan Ye must have not spent much time online, at most probably just chatting with her online.
It’s the last day of the month, and she can’t waste the benefits of the mobile company. She boldly uses his phone to log in to Weibo. Since entering university, she changed her Weibo username to @Xiao_Jiang’s_College_Life_Journal. With her persistent efforts, her Weibo followers have unexpectedly surpassed a thousand.
Among her classmates, this is quite an achievement.
No, that’s not entirely accurate.
Guo Shichao’s number of followers is also catching up quickly. This flirt posts pictures every once in a while!
Becoming an internet celebrity isn’t as easy as she had imagined, but luckily she had prepared herself mentally a long time ago. She sincerely shares her daily life on Weibo, and over time, this actually attracted many people.
Weibo even awarded her a badge that looks like a red star, displayed next to her Weibo nickname.
Jiang Yumo’s college life journal is, in fact, a journal of her love life as well.
She posted a slightly secretive PDA2 Weibo post —
@Xiao_Jiang’s_College_Life_Journal : [Met my boyfriend!]
She’s cautious about protecting her privacy.
Even when she can’t resist sharing her feelings, she doesn’t go into too much detail about Duan Ye. The post includes a few photos: his back as he pushes a shopping cart ahead, their hands tightly holding each other as they walk back to their rental house under the streetlight.
Zhao Zheng and Guo Shichao, who initially commented and shared posts reluctantly, have now turned it into a habit to comment, share, and like.
Zhao Zheng poster : [I want to sing a military song to celebrate my Brother Duan!]
Guo Shichao : [Sister Mo is awesome.]
Jiang Yumo let out a soft hum.
Zhao Zheng deserves praise; his comments are always unique, showing his thoughtfulness.
Guo Shichao is just being perfunctory; every time it’s just ‘Sister Mo is awesome,’ like a mindless bot.
There’s also a comment from one of her roommates : [Truly worthy of 185 cm! So tall!!]
And there are comments from unfamiliar fans—
[When it comes to love, it’s better to watch others talk, wuwuwu!]
[Seeing your love makes it seem like even my 20-something dog is nourished by love~]
Jiang Yumo is tickled by these comments.
From time to time, Duan Ye can hear her laughter from the bathroom.
What a happy moment.
What a dreamy moment.
There’s her pink toothbrush cup on the sink, with her toothbrush inside, placed next to his.
Her towel is still hanging on the rack.
On the other side of the sink, her shower gel and shampoo are there, and the air still carries her sweet and lingering scent.
Duan Ye lowered his gaze; even in his ignorant years, he had experienced similar feelings of resentment. Why him? Why did he have to encounter such a father? Why should he and his mother bear the consequences of the mistakes committed by a man who abandoned his wife and child? From childhood to adulthood, he had heard others whispering that his mother was incompetent, unable to keep his father, and he had also heard peers mocking him for lacking a father’s guidance.
If there truly were very fortunate people in this world, he knew he wasn’t one of them. He had thought that way before.
However, now he realized he was favored by destiny.
Otherwise, how could he have met her?
Duan Ye already took a shower after finishing work today, and now he took another one, then coming out feeling refreshed.
With a teasing look in Jiang Yumo’s eyes, he opened the wardrobe, pulled out bedding, and obediently made a makeshift bed on the floor.
The single room was just this big, and setting up a makeshift bed made it almost full.
He turned off the light, leaving only the moonlight from the window to illuminate the room. It was dimly lit. Jiang Yumo lay on the bed, and Duan Ye lay below it. Both of them savored this quiet moment, as if listening to each other’s shallow breaths brought them a kind of happiness.
Suddenly, Jiang Yumo extended her hand downward.
Almost instinctively, Duan Ye held her hand the next second.
Both of them were smiling.
Genuinely happy, so much so that their faces wore smiles every minute and every second.
In the darkness, the two held hands and chatted.
“Guo Shichao is really just going through the motions with me,” Jiang Yumo complained ruthlessly, “He sends me the same comments every time.”
Duan Ye chuckled, “I’ll talk to him about it next time.”
“But you know, is he in a relationship?” Jiang Yumo asked, “If he’s dating someone, I’ll agree that he doesn’t have to like, comment, and share my posts every day. His girlfriend might get the wrong idea.”
Duan Ye thought for a moment, “I don’t know, I’m not sure.”
In the past, she might have been annoyed by such an answer, but now she understood. He wasn’t deliberately prying into his friends’ love lives. It didn’t mean he was indifferent; on the contrary, he was genuinely sincere toward all his friends.
Then Duan Ye said, “I’ll ask him tomorrow.”
“Sure.”
“Mengting seems to have had a conflict with someone in her dormitory,” Jiang Yumo also worried and distressed, “I wonder if she’ll handle it well.”
Duan Ye listened quietly.
“Oh, by the way, Zhou Ji told me that the food made by your cooking auntie is really bad. Is that true?”
“It’s okay,” Duan Ye gave a fair assessment, “I can’t be too demanding of the cafeteria food. The auntie is a good person.”
Gradually, Duan Ye also began to open up and share his thoughts.
He originally didn’t really want to talk about his work, but unfortunately, she was very interested, so he started to tell her selectively, only sharing the positive aspects and avoiding the tiring parts.
For a nineteen-year-old boy, even if he’s quite mature, how many people have a particularly clear plan for the future?
Duan Ye is probably an exception.
He has very clear goals, so he’s unwilling to waste even a single second. Even if the experienced craftsmen tell him he’s still young, he doesn’t dare to waste time. Because he knows deeply that apart from youth, he has no other capital, and youth is the cheapest capital in this society.
He wants to buy a house to live in together with her, and he wants to buy a car for picking her up after school or work.
Jiang Yumo listened as he spoke.
And she wanted to hug him again.
Clearing her throat, she said, “By the way, I want to ask you a question.”
“Hmm?”
“This time you’re seeing me, do you think I’ve gained weight?”
Duan Ye was stunned for a moment
He answered, “No.”
Jiang Yumao exclaimed with excitement, “The Jiang Family Lie Detector has arrived. I’m going to test whether you’re telling the truth or lying now. There will be consequences for lying.”
Just as she finished speaking.
She turned over.
Rolled down without a worry.
Duan Ye was originally waiting for her test, but his body moved faster than his consciousness. He caught her, and the two rolled together.
Jiang Yumao held onto his waist and chuckled softly, “Have I gained weight?”
Duan Ye’s Adam’s apple bobbed, his voice slightly husky, “…No.”
Darkness always makes people bolder. It started with a hug, then a kiss. By the time Jiang Yumo realized it, she was already beneath Duan Ye.
The phrase ‘to quench one’s thirst by gazing at plums’ is quite interesting.
It’s like feeling less thirsty when in fact, you’re thirstier.
His rough hand wandered around her waist.
In this tight embrace, Jiang Yumo naturally sensed his changes. At such an age of youthful vigor, it was no more than the natural order of things.
Both of them had their thoughts.
When a girl likes someone very, very much, she almost loses all her worries, doesn’t think about anything. Doesn’t think about should or shouldn’t, appropriate or inappropriate. Perhaps girls are inherently imbued with bravery.
When a boy likes someone very, very much, on the contrary, he gains a lot of concerns.
Duan Ye breathed against her neck.
He didn’t dare to move again. After calming down, he supported himself on one side and gently pressed a kiss on her forehead, saying, “Good night.”
At least he can’t do it now.
Having nothing, of course, he’s not worthy, and he doesn’t dare. That’s how he thought.
- I’m not sure about this, it doesn’t seem to be an idiom, maybe it’s a food that she doesn’t like? ↩︎
- public display of affection ↩︎
Thank you for the update.