Fifteen, Old Dreams
Spring is a season of betrayal.
When thick snow piled up, the withered branches stood out alone. Although the golden autumn had already fallen, it was especially worth nostalgia; but when the gradually softening branch tips first sprouted tender new buds, last year's everything, even becoming a memory, was eradicated.
But humans are a group that cannot bear loneliness, they do not have the determination to guard their solitude with no desires, but would rather abandon all that has been for a new beginning. Therefore, chastity will become a laughing stock, and twilight love means "civilization". It is precisely because of this that they do not deserve to be cast into eternity, but are only suited to being transformed into nothingness in the cycle of birth and death.
But spring is so beautiful, just like a colorful snake that has just gone through the cold winter, and even the slightest warmth is precious. With the footsteps of the east wind, the thirsty red men and green women begin to forget themselves, all restraints seem superfluous, and it seems that any rules and regulations cannot stop that new pulse. So, the proverb warns people: Spring cover autumn frost.
One day in late March, Xu Jinliu came to the entrance of the office building as scheduled. Like last autumn, Yi Xin didn't work overtime today. Although the outdoor temperature was not enough to make more white-collar beauties show off their elegant figures, Xu Jinliu still felt a wave of heat. He no longer had the mood to linger in the golden wind, but walked straight into the air-conditioned hall, which remained unchanged regardless of the cold or heat.
At the time of getting off work, a series of crisp and clear sounds came from the west side of the hall, where more than ten elevators leading to different people's lives were hidden in the corridor. Not long after, familiar footsteps sounded, and the girl was late for five minutes, which was not common in the two people's dates. Soon, Zhen Liu found the answer behind Yi Xin, who was that Liang Bo, who always had a smile on his face, and he seemed to be in a good mood today, with the strings on his head jumping out of the oily melody.
"Ah, long time no see," Liang Zong's body could no longer be found with the kind of hierarchical indifference of a state-owned enterprise. He strode towards the boy in big steps and grasped his right hand tightly, as if treating him like a noble guest: "How are you?"
"Alright, alright," Xu Zhongliu glanced at Yi Xin, who was hinting that he should leave quickly: "Thanks to you."
But the executive vice chairman, who was almost clueless about business, didn't want to miss any opportunity to show off his diplomatic skills. He chatted with Zhen Liu while exchanging pleasantries with his colleagues in a hurry: "Let's go, see you later, sorry, we're discussing something here." It wasn't until Yi Xin suggested going to the crowded underground parking garage to clear a path that he burst out laughing: "Okay, okay, I won't keep you newlyweds any longer, haha..." Finally, he squeezed his eyes, which were almost buried in fat, and said to Zhen Liu: "You have to take good care of our Xin Xin."
The boy really wanted to say to him: "Or should you use it first?"
Recently, Yi Xin seems to have been in a low mood all the time. Although the new project development is going smoothly and has entered the substantive operation stage, she appears somewhat depressed, without any signs of excitement or joy. Today, coincidentally, even Chun Meng, who was also feeling lethargic, couldn't muster up any enthusiasm, and the two people sitting shoulder to shoulder in the car were almost silent all the way; occasionally, they only exchanged some fragmented conversations about trivial matters on the streets.
"Come sit with me for a while," Yi Xin's decisions were always made after the fact, and only symbolically sought the boy's opinion. As the drowsy pillow gazed out the window, the car had already stably entered the gate of the girl's community.
Those familiar with the development of Beijing's real estate industry know that the first batch of high-end residential buildings in Beijing did not emerge until the mid-1990s. The projects developed before that were at best basic and unremarkable from a living aesthetic perspective. When the first group of people who got rich started buying their own "villas", the spring of making a fortune for real estate developers arrived, and the North Third Ring, which became increasingly prosperous with the Asian Games, was among the first to benefit, becoming one of the earliest areas where the newly rich gathered, and Yi Xin Jia is located here.
Actually, although he abandoned his studies to do business, Yī Gūniáng's (Easy Girl) bookish father barely met the lower limit of being "well-off", and had no ability to join the ranks of the rich; but the enterprise group with a very deep bureaucratic capital background that he worked for was indeed quite influential in the early days of real estate development, so it would not treat someone like Yī Zǒng (Easy Total) who is "sensitive to the wind before it blows" poorly, and thus, without spilling blood, he became a "big chef who doesn't steal food, and collects no grain".
In fact, from today's perspective, these small areas that have been carved up and are no longer considered the most striking high-rise buildings in the city, compared to those who came later with gold bricks and jade tiles, the old pioneers who dug out the first pot of gold have become yesterday's yellow flowers. However, just like the irreplaceable scarcity of golden locations, the unique historical memories of the pioneers cast a special kind of heaviness.
"Do you drink hot chocolate?" The spacious living room echoed with the whirring of a coffee machine, which was said to be able to produce a series of related products.
"It's all right," said Qian Liu, standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing out at the lush flowerbeds below. The gardeners here didn't wear uniforms like the security guards in new residential areas, but instead exuded a sense of professionalism in their casual attire.
"What are you looking at?" Yi Xin leaned against Xiao Pangzi's broad chest, her feet still in the plush slippers she hadn't changed out of yet, and her usually tied-up long hair fell loose.
"Have you been running to the development zone recently?" Zhen Liang didn't answer her question, but instead picked up the hot drink with a rich and creamy aroma on the corner of the table, and sat down in that soft American-style sofa, he liked this feeling of being embraced.
"Of course, I'll go," Yi Xin sat down beside the window, her pale yellow pajamas slowly outlining the contours of her long legs: "I'm tired," she said, resting on the fluffy pillow: "Hey, isn't that girl in your class named Ai Mei really tall?"
"Who?" Xu Zhongliu was slightly distracted and didn't catch up with this sudden turn of mind for a moment.
"When I went to the development zone, wasn't it always a hassle to bring a lot of equipment over? And I couldn't move it by myself," Yi Xin fiddled with her hair, which was bent from being pressed by a hair clip. In her conversation, every topic seemed to revolve around "me": "Later, Li Bin recommended Du Xiaozhong to come and help out, saying he seemed to want to make some extra money." Generally speaking, as long as it doesn't involve trade secrets, foreign-funded enterprises tend to be relatively lenient towards employees' part-time jobs, rather than being paranoid about new trends in class struggle, constantly worrying that Khrushchev is sleeping in their bed.
"Is he not doing well financially over there?"
"Hey, customer service is just a way to earn some hard money," In terms of compensation, the Chinese have shown a rare transparent awareness. From a "theoretical" point of view, you can calculate how much the President of the country can make in a year based on salary levels; but foreigners are not so democratic, even if they are colleagues who work together day and night, it's hard to know the details of each other's income: "Think about it, after struggling with me for a whole weekend, he only got less than 200 yuan in allowance. If he was wealthy, would he be willing to do this job?" It seems that Yi Xin, this high-level white-collar worker, is still quite concerned about the people's hardships.
"Don't you think of a way to give them more?" The hot chocolate in Qiu's hand was almost gone, and the flavor had become increasingly rich.
"It doesn't count even if I say it now," the girl said, tossing the silk scarf draped over her shoulder onto the back of a nearby chair. "Let's wait and see."
"Then let him provide some 'extra' service," the scorching hot big hand reached into the girl's skirt, bypassed her eyes, and kissed the smooth back of her neck: "Compensation in kind."
"Go, and then you seduce Ai Mei," Yi Xin's earlobe exuded a gentle and elegant fragrance, like the scent of incense on silk, subtle and understated: "And then get the money back." The thin strap on her shoulder quietly slid down, accompanied by increasingly hoarse breathing, gradually revealing that extremely lethal one-piece lingerie, with eye-catching black and red stripes - exactly the kind of color Confucius said was "not considered indecent clothing"; obviously, this was something she had prepared earlier when she went to change into her sleepwear: "What a hassle... you might as well just ask me directly..."
In an era where desires are rampant, being conservative has become a kind of personality. Although she was always full of her own opinions, Yi Xin found it hard to go against the tide of history; persistence became obstinacy and would eventually become the spoils of war for the mad, which historians called the law. Of course, this does not mean that people can only crawl under the feet of fate without doing anything, a truly clever sailor is never afraid of the towering waves, but instead will cleverly use the unpredictable wind direction to steer the ship towards the ideal shore.
From primary school onwards, Yi Xin knew that the pillow was not a lamp that saves oil. The devil's face and angelic figure of the living treasure were more numerous than the red-faced friends of the masses. What can you say about this? Since it has been laid out, we can only follow the plan, and Miss Yi has never been one to shy away from difficulties. As she grew older, she had to learn to walk on thin ice between reason and passion, as if on a tightrope. In her own words: "This kind of thing is like the 'limit' in mathematics, it can only be approached infinitely, otherwise it's meaningless." As Lessing put it: "Beauty is just before one's eyes."
For some reason, Yi Xin seems a bit down today, as if she's always in a daze, her body language is also somewhat unnatural, but the scale is quite wide, seemingly even more so than before.
When the flames of passion gradually subsided, the warmth in the air slowly dissipated; aesthetics and pleasure, like the sunrise in the east and rain in the west, forever separated, only when you finish singing will I take the stage. Xu Zhēnliú leaned back into the sofa, although being frozen in that tense posture was a bit awkward, but he didn't bother to move, amidst the whirlwind, the boy seemed to have returned to a certain night many years ago.
The dimly lit basement, now abandoned and dusty, was once a paradise for two children in their childhood. After effortlessly completing their homework, the small room would erupt with endless lively music, inexplicable chases and playful laughter, and even the rough early TV shows that seem laughable today were enough to satisfy the boundless curiosity and energy of youth. Xu Zhenliu was not like this now, lying motionlessly beside the girl, only his long and peaceful breathing barely keeping him in the realm of living things; like many spoiled children who had grown tired of being fawned over but still felt lonely, Xu Zhenliu always felt that the time spent at Yi Xinhai's home was too short, complaining that the sun, which didn't understand romance, would always set shyly on the way home.
For years, Yi Mama, who has been engaged in editing work, had a unique news sense that determined that although Zhong Liu's appearance seemed lively, he was actually introverted like a little girl. He wouldn't use every trick in the book to get what he wanted like other boys; it's true that even when he grew up, Zhong Liu wasn't the kind of person who would recklessly pursue his own interests. Back then, no matter how much he missed being able to be scolded and ordered around by Yi Xin, he wouldn't choose to cry and throw a tantrum as a way to get out of leaving. Zhong Liu often silently prayed in his heart, hoping that something unexpected would happen that would allow him to stay in this happy place. Of course, low-probability events can also occur occasionally; if a sudden rainstorm could last forever, then things might take a turn for the better. And this kind of inevitability amidst uncertainty would make the boy even more convinced of the reality of supernatural powers. In a certain sense, before humans can fully understand and grasp the laws of nature, the prosperity of religion is absolute and necessary; if there isn't a suitable mainstream ideology to rely on, people will unconsciously seek out alternatives, such as cults. When you refuse to open that door that has always been tightly closed, and you don't have a good reason for it, then you can't simply condemn the illegal behavior of those who climb in over the wall; the best way to get rid of the weeds that keep growing in the yard is to fill it with flowers.
There was once a time when the busy old sky god was finally moved by the boy's piety, which had been flowing like a stream for years. He creatively provided a free upgrade to the boy's wish, not only having Labor Lei Gong and Electric Mother Rain Na Na enthusiastically serving him, but also letting Yi Mama, who had just been promoted to editor-in-chief and was in a good mood, proactively call Xu Nainai, warmly inviting Flowing Stream to stay overnight and taste her newly developed Russian-style braised beef. When the phone on the other end finally transmitted the joyful news of Wang Yuan Zhang's consent, Flowing Stream almost saw God winking at him from among the clouds. It wasn't until after he got to know Yuan Lei that he learned that in the field of spiritual medicine, this special function was called hallucination, commonly seen in patients with schizophrenia who were beyond cure.
Unlike the kind mother, Yi Xin seemed to be somewhat silent about Xu Zhongliu's coming and going from start to finish, at least not taking a stand; however, when Zhongliu listened patiently to his grandmother's meticulous instructions with joy, he clearly saw a fleeting but heartfelt smile on the girl's face.
A tall tree in the forest will be blown down by the wind. The reason why a crooked necked tree can survive is that even if you cut it, it's useless. Of course, since human civilization has reached the point where harming others doesn't benefit oneself, many laws of self-preservation no longer apply.
Throughout the evening, poor Xu Zhènliú was forced to listen to Yì Xīnláng recite those extremely boring and repetitive children's stories in a vivid and exaggerated tone while eating snacks and listening to music. His naturally good voice and expressive language were being wasted; from "a long, long time ago..." to "suddenly one day..." and finally to "in the end...", it was enough to make the boy want to cry.
Of course, misfortune may be a blessing in disguise. From then on, Zhènliú only needed to flip through something casually to roughly judge whether a literary work was good or bad. Actually, all writings are just a big copy of each other, and no one can escape those more or less clichéd formulas. Nowadays, readers dislike being preached to from on high; what you can do is say out loud the things they want to say but can't express themselves.
So, familiar things often have more appeal, and "博采众长" (which means "to gather the strengths of many"), which is most suspected of plagiarism, can actually top the bestseller list. It's not perfect, but it's close enough.
At that time, Yi's mother was in the "primitive capital accumulation period" and after being promoted, she should be called Director He. She often had to work hard until late at night before returning home to rest; of course, later facts also proved that all efforts during that stage of the Beijing newspaper industry would pay off double, it was precisely because of her diligence back then that made the prosperity of the Yi family's three members later on a matter of course. In addition, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, old educated youths who had already gotten used to climbing ladders had to start dealing with dizzying computer keyboards; during those days, Director He was also competing with the pinyin input method that she hadn't used for a long time in order to keep up with the times (speaking of which, one should really thank the deterioration of Sino-Soviet relations back then; otherwise, if they had followed the Cyrillic alphabet of their big brother when creating the Chinese pinyin, it would be even more lively today). In short, by the time Yi's mother finally returned home from her overtime work in the upstairs office, the messy and disorderly Zhang family was able to avoid being hospitalized.
Until he lay down beside He Auntie with Yi Xin, the magician in front of Xu Zhong was still riding a big gray wolf chasing the prince and mermaid who were fleeing into the depths of the dark forest in a state of panic, but soon after, he fell into a deep sleep.
Unlike her husband who views life as a journey of experiences, Zhen's mother is an outstanding career woman. This can be seen from the twists and turns she experienced when studying abroad. Initially, the young couple followed the traditional division of labor like most families, with the man going first to explore the path and establish a foothold before reuniting with his wife. However, plans did not go as expected, and the original plan was repeatedly delayed. Wang's spoiled only son not only failed to gain a foothold abroad but also prepared to retreat in defeat. As a result, Xu's mother made a decisive change, and although she had only two or three months to prepare for the TOEFL, which was still relatively new to Chinese people at that time, she gritted her teeth and secured a full scholarship with an internship opportunity from a top Australian university. It is no exaggeration to say that the subsequent situation was entirely due to this woman's solo efforts.
Often heard that "过来人" says that two people with similar personalities can't get along, only complementary partners can find their place. The ancient Chinese military strategy of "远交近攻" is probably related to this. In fact, Zhen Liu's elegant and refined father and Xiao Sa's capable mother don't seem like they should be on the same boat, but these two really did weather the storms together; so it's said that when faced with two evils, choose the lesser one - empiricism is more reliable than dogmatism.
Of course, there must be gains and losses. From the day he was born, the impression of his mother was that she was a busy person who would arrive in a small car with high-end toys and food, and then leave in a hurry. When he fell down, he had to call "grandma" so as not to lie in the mud until nightfall. This was not only true for her only son, but Xu's mother had always been a "commander-in-chief" type of person, and naturally, his father, who did not want to be bound by anything, was also within her "sphere of influence". In a sense, Yi Xin was more like an upgraded version of this "future mother-in-law".
In fact, since the day he brought his baby grandson back from the nursery in person, Dean Wang, who was busy with work, had done everything possible to give Xu Zhongliu everything that a child of his age should have. As many colleagues said, if it weren't for the constant presence of such a meticulous concern by her side, she would probably have established today's position long ago, and wouldn't have had to wait until after her reappointment to build the second spring of her career. However, in this world, not all kinds of things can be replaced by lawyers representing individuals, otherwise, the ghostly cloning technology would have brought humanity back to the Garden of Eden instead of Bermuda. Indeed, Grandma, who was acting on behalf of others, had exhausted all her efforts, but Xu Zhongliu, who was growing up day by day, seemed to become more and more different from other children, although this difference was only subtle and not easily noticeable. Perhaps it is precisely because of this that maternal love appears particularly precious; one day, technology can easily take us back to the past, but it will never wipe away the tears of sorrowful people's melancholy eyes.
When he was in kindergarten, Chub Chong didn't need teachers to chase after him to feed him like other kids. His adorable wolf-like devouring had conquered many of the aunties' gentle hearts during naptime. It wasn't until 4th grade, when he spent that stormy night in the basement, that Xu Zhongliu recalled that lying in an adult woman's arms was a warm and not cloying feeling like a spring breeze. So, the boy slept exceptionally sweetly, as if he had suddenly found something missing or incomplete from his childhood...
Players who have raised goldfish know that these little things must be fed full in their youth; otherwise, once they become deformed with a wide head and narrow body due to hunger, no matter how much "duck filling" is done later, they will never grow big again. In fact, humans are the same, and any compensation cannot replace the compulsory course that can only be completed in the cradle. Children who have never slept in their mother's womb will always have an instinctive fear of darkness; therefore, modern medicine advocates "breastfeeding".
Unfortunately, while Xu Mama was busy running around, He Auntie was preparing for her new role and had gone to write a plan book early in the morning. Meanwhile, Zhenniu, who was still sleeping soundly, didn't notice this subtle change. It wasn't until he heard the faint call from his bedside and opened his sleepy eyes that he discovered the gentle face of Ye Xin smiling at him, replacing the tired expression from the night before. To be honest, at that moment, Zhenniu felt an overwhelming urge to hug her. With her hair still wet from washing, she radiated a refreshing aura in the morning light, and her slightly childish appearance was untainted by any cosmetics, exuding a pure glow from within. According to Mencius, only after being cleansed by the "night air" can one return to their original purity, free from the worldly impurities of the day. Perhaps this is what it means. For years, Zhenniu had been searching for that morning, but he didn't know whether he was dreaming or awake at the time.
Actually, after God created Adam, he also wanted to find him a "partner in crime" who could "talk during the day and sleep at night", probably not for the sake of "equal pay for equal work". Just like the "flower vase party" which is not a real political group, any attempt to make things uniform between men and women is a betrayal of civilization. In today's world where people can travel 80,000 miles in a day, anyone with a global perspective knows that in developed countries where the two sexes are more equal, housewives don't need "economic independence" to guarantee their social status. On the contrary, it's the professional women around us who have already handed over cooking and other domestic chores to their all-capable husbands, but they're having a harder time dealing with the crumbling walls of their marriages. When I was young, I heard a fairy tale that said the tiger's kung fu skills were taught by a cat, but the cunning cat still held back one trick, not teaching the tiger how to climb trees; sure enough, after the tiger learned the skills and turned against its master, wanting to sacrifice the old cat, it was only because of this last "trick" that the old cat managed to survive until today. I remember when our kindergarten teacher told us this story, the girls were also present. The difference between people is probably due to whether or not they can think creatively and come up with new ideas.
Time reveals a person's heart, and the fact is that as Yi Xin grew up, she had long surpassed the initial stage of being arrogant and competitive; just like any clever girl, she naturally understood that emotions based solely on rationality, even if they were as strong as a towering tree, would ultimately be unable to withstand the test of time, just like the grass on the barren plain that cannot be burned away by wild fires. Therefore, as "Wild Girlfriend" gained more and more attention, Zhen's situation in their little world became increasingly relaxed. In this sense, "killing with silence" is much more clever than "killing with words", meaning that relying solely on "positive propaganda" can only maintain a superficial appearance for a short time, and wanting to last long requires more than just hiding, covering up, and suppressing; after all, paper cannot wrap up fire.
Unfortunately, in dealing with Xu Zhen Liu's problem, Yi Xin, although "with the greatest sincerity and utmost effort to strive for a peaceful reunification prospect", still maintained sufficient "military deterrence" with a relatively overwhelming attitude, ready to launch a saturated attack at any time after the sugar-coated shells became ineffective. It was precisely because of this that, despite having gone through almost a lifetime of side-by-side cooperation, Xu Zhen Liu always felt that there seemed to be some kind of barrier between him and Yi Nang. For example, on that spring night when they were drunk with the wind, if it weren't for the gentle and kind He A-yi by his side, he was afraid that even when sleeping, he would have to keep half an eye open. Although Yi Xin had already released a lot of goodwill that made Xu Zhen Liu feel somewhat moved, this "princess descended from heaven" who had caused countless people to admire her still had a long way to go before she could truly make people feel dependent on her.
It was still that slightly trendy basement, still that old-fashioned spring bed emitting waves of sandalwood scent, but the person beside me had changed to Wu Yu, who was fiddling with his notes.
After the excitement of the afternoon, Xiaopang, who had always lacked endurance, was already dazed as soon as he touched his pillow: "Aunt..." He muttered to himself, and even he didn't know who he was calling.
“Huh?” Wu Yu was taken aback for a moment, usually speaking, even when it's hard to avoid this awkward title, Xu Zhenliu was more used to calling her "Teacher Wu", the title of "Auntie" had been abandoned since the boy started learning from him in middle school. In fact, many things are like this: Remembering back to high school, Xu Zhenliu once accidentally injured his right hand, during the recovery period, many daily tasks such as eating and dressing had to be done with his left hand, after a long time, he became proficient; so when his right hand recovered, it found that some of its original "patents" had been taken over by others, becoming a permanent fixture. For example, even today, Zhenliu still uses his left hand to wipe his butt. This example may be a bit crude, but the principle is undeniable: life is like this, occasional experiences can become an eternal beginning, whether you like it or not.
Wu Yu gently stroked the slightly curly black hair of Xiao Pangzi, and the unintentionally emerged long-forgotten nickname evoked waves of memories from years ago. At that time, she was still a doll in the boudoir, often holding hands with this silly and cute little bear, strolling along the shaded path that had not yet been disturbed by the market economy, leaving behind a trail of laughter and playful shouts.
From the late 1970s, on the ancient and mysterious land of China, various "special functions" emerged one after another. Among them, one of the most well-known "classic pieces" is the so-called "ear recognition". According to insiders, when that mysterious "super-sensitive state" arrives, it is indeed possible to clearly see the contents of a sealed envelope through hearing, smell or touch alone. As for me, I am just an ordinary person and cannot see things as clearly as those with special abilities; nor can I be like some self-proclaimed "anti-pseudo warriors" who recklessly criticize without understanding. After all, compared to the universe, human experience is insignificant, so from a logical point of view, it's much harder to prove that something doesn't exist than to prove that it does (it's said that many developed countries in Europe and America have invested heavily in research on "human science" or "mind power", and have achieved some results; however, just like how people didn't believe in "Western learning" a few centuries ago and dismissed it as "heresy", we are lagging behind again at this new frontier of human knowledge). However, one thing can be confirmed, which is the existence of "synesthesia", not only in the art world. For example, the current pillow, under Wu Yu's gentle gaze, is slowly waking up from a drowsy state, and he seems to be able to smell the weight of her gaze falling on his cheeks, like the softness of spring silk.
"Whose little girl is this? Is there an adult in charge?" Looking at the boy's sleepy eyes, Wu Yu's calm face broke out into a smile: "Look how tired our little fatty has become."
Xu Chuanliu stretched his waist, and the dryness from inside out went all the way down, affecting his internal organs. He didn't know why, but every time it was like this, just like after drinking strong liquor, the discomfort would quickly make him forget that momentary pleasure. He was too lazy to get up, so he leaned into Xiao Wu's soft arms instead. In fact, it proved that being as busy and flustered as a guerrilla fighter wasn't worth it; it was better to wait until everything was perfect before savoring the forbidden fruit at leisure. Many times, ethics and aesthetics were not contradictory.
"You kids," Wu Yu said, exchanging the reference materials in her hand for a cup of extremely light green tea and handing it to Qian Liu. Based on what she had heard from those who had never ventured out of their ivory towers, it was hard to imagine that at such a young age, Yi Xin's hands were already skilled at pretending to be something they're not, and thought that this pair of seemingly well-matched post-90s humans had long since set off towards communism with "practical action". So, don't easily lose faith in the world, others may not be as bad as you imagine; if we're not even afraid of falling, why should we fear rising?
He sipped the Bi Luo Chun, which had long since lost its distinct flavor. It was clear that the faint taste couldn't fill the emptiness he felt. The boy didn't have the energy to explain anything; he had already passed the age where he needed to prove his maturity by being the first to speak. Unlike the coquettish behavior often seen in young men and women, his silence at this moment did not contain any pretentious depth.
Especially since Xu Zhènliú never wanted to discuss that girlfriend of his with others - it seemed like he should be grateful for her presence. In this situation, it was even more so. He lingered over the familiar faintly damp air in the underground room, especially when Wu Yu was by his side. The unique charm of a mature woman made Xu Zhènliú feel an urge to rely on her, just like that night years ago.
The boy once again wrapped his right arm around her soft and slender waist, playfully kissing her cheek as smooth as cream.
"Stop messing around," said Little Wu, smiling and pinching the nose of the person lying down: "Little rascal." This ambiguous atmosphere seemed to remind her of something, and her tone suddenly became somewhat solemn: "I'm going to ask you something..."
