The rain threads fell in a whisper, like an enormous woven net, enveloping this quiet yet vibrant small town, trapping those restless hearts. Outside the courtyard wall, the streetlights glowed dimly yellow, the streets empty and deserted. The thousand-year-old tree at the entrance drooped like an ancient elder with lowered eyes as if waiting for someone to return from afar. Inside the house, however, the vigor of young life seemed to continue.
The living room was pitch dark, impossible to see one’s hand, yet Ye Meng could still accurately find Li Jin Yu’s lips. Their warm breaths mingled together as Li Jin Yu was pressed against the sofa. She lay on top of him, and his nostrils filled with her subtle perfume, quite unlike Jiang Lu Zhi’s “mobile milk tea fragrance” that could be smelled from ten miles away. This was comfortable and pleasant.
The sofa was as soft as cotton, and the two of them pressing down almost sank to the bottom. His lips were being sucked and nibbled, and Li Jin Yu could only obediently half-lie, half-lean there. Whether he didn’t know how or was pretending to be innocent, he gave no response whatsoever, entirely submitting to satisfy her boldness.
However, after kissing for a while, he discovered that Ye Meng was particularly focused on his Adam’s apple.
She kissed until Li Jin Yu’s throat itched. Unable to bear it any longer, he placed one hand on her waist and with the other, grasped the slender nape of her neck, pulling her back. He laughed breathlessly, “Are you a dog? Can you stop biting?”
Ye Meng continued kissing him, her voice changing to something low and languid: “How did you get this scar?”
Li Jin Yu froze momentarily, adjusted his position, and said softly, “When I was little, climbing around with my brother, I accidentally knocked into something.”
“It’s very sexy,” Ye Meng praised, lowering her head to peck his lips again. “I like it.”
Li Jin Yu looked at her, turning his head away somewhat uncomfortably.
“Not used to it?” Ye Meng gazed down at him, suddenly stopping. “First kiss?”
He looked at her pitifully, “Mmm.”
Ye Meng lay on top of him, laughing until she shook like a flower branch in the wind. Whether it was the dampness in the room or the deepening intensity in his eyes, they seemed to be shrouded in thick mist, like an injured fawn hoping someone would stop to notice him.
“I’ll teach you.”
Although Ye Meng was impatient, she was now very considerate of his feelings, gently pecking his lips in small kisses, thoughtfully asking in a low voice about his experience: “How is it? Uncomfortable? Do you mind me kissing you like this?”
For a moment, Li Jin Yu wondered if their roles in the script had been reversed, yet he appreciated how much she cared about his feelings. It was certainly better than when she had first pounced on him like a puppy, biting wildly to release her energy.
But Ye Meng noticed he still wasn’t responding, and cradling his face with some disappointment, asked, “Do you have a cleanliness obsession?”
Li Jin Yu sighed, also quite helpless: “I’ve had a bit since childhood.”
She gradually asked, “Is it related to your depression?”
“Mmm.”
“Low desire for that sort of thing?”
“…” Li Jin Yu answered honestly, “Just find it a bit disgusting.”
Indeed, Ye Meng had read many big data reports; low sexual desire was a significant characteristic of depression.
Someone like him who might never have been intimate before probably had even lower desire.
Ye Meng: “To what extent? Is it okay for me to hold you, kiss you like this?”
“It’s fine, not as exaggerated as you think. I’m just not used to it yet, maybe we’re not familiar enough?”
Ye Meng found his serious analysis a bit amusing, understanding his meaning and accepting the blame: “Okay, big sister was too hasty.”
He hadn’t fully entered a romantic state yet, even a kiss seemed so awkward. But Ye Meng wasn’t discouraged; she had always been patient, especially when cultivating boyfriends.
“Exchanging saliva is also an important part of enhancing mutual feelings. Besides mental connection, achieving greater physical harmony means, for example, you in me, me in you.” Ye Meng spoke nonsensically.
Li Jin Yu, afraid she might fall, placed his foot on the coffee table and couldn’t help but laugh and scold: “Female hooligan.”
Ye Meng didn’t deny it. Looking at his thin, handsome features, she was moved and raised her hand to swear: “Just a little more kissing, I promise I won’t use my tongue.”
“Mmm.” He agreed.
Just as she spoke and their lips touched, there was a “click” as the living room light was suddenly switched on. Qiao Mai Mai, like a wandering ghost in her pajamas, appeared at the doorway. “Brother? Sister Ye Meng?”
“…”
“…”
There was chaos on the sofa, mainly from Ye Meng. The female hooligan who had taken the initiative was ultimately timid at heart. Without a word, she rolled off him, accidentally kicking over the nearby trash can in the confusion. A bag full of bright yellow-orange peels scattered all over the floor. She could only awkwardly rub the back of her neck and say to Li Jin Yu: “Little sister’s awake, I’m leaving.”
Li Jin Yu, the one whose tofu had been eaten, seemed much calmer. His collar hung open messily as he lounged languidly on the sofa, looking like someone who had just been ravished. He vindictively commanded her: “Take the trash out with you.”
“…” You yandere.
After Ye Meng left, Li Jin Yu sat on the sofa, rubbing his face. This house was old, the furniture and facilities somewhat damp and moldy. Southern winters warmed up quickly; a few days after the New Year would be the start of spring, and there was already a hint of humidity. In this room, even with the light on, it wasn’t very bright. The dim light enveloped his young, slender body.
Li Jin Yu sat with his elbows on his knees, hands covering his face. It wasn’t due to the embarrassment of being caught by his cousin making out with his girlfriend, but rather the fatigue of recent days. He hadn’t rested properly since returning from Beijing.
“Aren’t you going to sleep?” he asked, face buried in his hands.
Qiao Mai Mai hadn’t moved from her spot, standing like a scarecrow for a long time, and finally asked the question that had puzzled her for days: “Brother, are you and Sister Ye Meng together now?”
“Mmm.”
“I think I interrupted you two. Should I move back?”
“No need, we’ll discuss it later.”
If Qiao Mai Mai left, the impatient Ye Meng would probably not let him off.
Li Jin Yu smiled at his thoughts. What was he avoiding? Was he avoiding Ye Meng? He corrected himself: “You decide when to move.”
Qiao Mai Mai sat down beside him and curiously asked: “What’s it like dating a sister like Ye Meng?”
“A sister like her?” Li Jin Yu turned to look at her. “What kind?”
Qiao Mai Mai put a segment of orange in her mouth, carefully recalling her interactions with Ye Meng, and said: “Well, look, she and Sister Lu Zhi are two different types. She’s very beautiful, a natural kind of beauty, not like Sister Lu Zhi’s hyaluronic acid-filled beauty. Just from photos, she’s truly beautiful, but if Sister Lu Zhi and Sister Ye Meng stood together, she’d be overshadowed. Sister Ye Meng has a very special aura about her—cheerful and open, yet distinctly feminine. She can chat with anyone, but you never feel she’s too flirtatious. She always keeps herself clean and tidy, just comfortable to look at. I don’t know if it’s just my imagination, but standing next to her, I always feel confident. That kind of sister seems very attractive, so I want to know what it’s like to date her.”
Li Jin Yu had lit a cigarette at some point. He took it into his mouth, exhaled smoke mixed with tobacco, and said: “It feels like if you confessed to her, she might even agree. It’s a feeling of…” he tapped off the ash, saying, “not being able to hold onto her.”