PSE - 49

What kind of decent person gets turned on by a hard hat?

Though Ha Yue hadn’t brought that little red hat back from the factory, it didn’t stop Xue Jing from acting out the R-rated fantasy he’d imagined while standing in his own bathroom with her.

Ha Yue’s hair, which had just naturally air-dried, was soaked again. The short-sleeved shirt she wore, long enough to cover her mid-thighs, was tossed outside by Xue Jing. Hot water poured continuously over their heads as steam slowly rose from the floor.

In the gauze-like haze, Ha Yue let out a small scream as she grasped the fingers that didn’t belong to her beneath her collarbone. Their fingers intertwined, then released, like shaping clay on a potter’s wheel. Soon, those delicate fingertips that usually typed words began to move downward, exploring forbidden paths. After tasting the sweetness of red beans, they sought the blossoming peach grove.

So Ha Yue switched to pinching Xue Jing’s right wrist with both hands.

Xue Jing cupped her shoulder blade with his left hand and kissed her in an adult way.

With the heat of something not her own swirling in her mouth, the murmurs between Ha Yue’s teeth grew louder, simmering and intensifying. It was strange but fascinating—like the ancient scholars who pursued harmony between man and instrument. Her responses synchronized perfectly with the rhythm of his right wrist.

Though she couldn’t see his hand, she knew exactly how his middle finger moved and explored based on the sounds she made. And when she trembled slightly, she understood precisely the pressure his thumb applied.

Their flirtation was like bees diligently making honey, but eventually, they returned to passionate kisses.

Amid the sound of the shower, faint noises akin to a child licking an ice pop could be heard. However, her fingers were buried in his wet hair, her arms hanging vertically downward, while Xue Jing gripped the hollows behind her knees, lamenting that the ice pop had melted away.

He guessed correctly—water flows downhill. With gravity aiding the awkward position, he knelt on the ground, tears welling up as water rushed into his face. Fortunately, Ha Yue quickly pressed the showerhead down, cupped his face, and pulled him up, rescuing him from drowning.

At three o’clock in the morning, the wind outside had died down, and everything was silent. Yet Ha Yue and Xue Jing were still rustling around in bed.

Logically speaking, all the sealed items in Xue Jing’s wallet had been used since their reconciliation. They indulged freely without restraint, sparing no energy or stamina for each other. By now, even national-level athletes would have been exhausted. But because both had things on their minds, the couple shifted through several sleeping positions on the small bed, tossing and turning. Far from feeling sleepy, their minds became increasingly alert.

Ha Yue rolled over again, and so did Xue Jing. One was thinking about her upcoming entrepreneurial project, while the other was contemplating his marriage proposal. Lying face-to-face on their sides, their eyes were wide open.

Just as Xue Jing reached out to rub Ha Yue’s earlobe and ask if she wanted to take a melatonin pill to help her sleep, Ha Yue suddenly grabbed his hand and pressed it to her chest, excitedly blurting out: “Xue Jing, I just had an idea! It’s very last-minute, but it feels incredibly practical. The more I think about it, the better it seems. I can’t hold it in anymore. Do you want to hear it?”

The heart beneath his hand was beating powerfully, causing his fingers to tingle. His lips went dry as he wondered if their thoughts were aligned. Was her idea the same as what he was thinking about? Suddenly feeling self-conscious, he waited a few seconds before finding his voice amidst the dizzying rush of blood and softly said: “Mm, okay. Go ahead. I’m listening.”

He expected a question about “beauty” to follow—but it didn’t.

The next moment, Ha Yue suddenly sprang up from the bed. With lightning speed, she hopped out of bed barefoot, grabbed the laptop from the table, and dove back under the covers. In the darkness, she thrust the glowing blue screen directly into Xue Jing’s face, pointing at the sea buckthorn literature on the screen. Her tone was filled with ambition for the “kingdom”: “It’s that dried sea buckthorn you just drank. I looked it up—because there’s no profit in it, fewer and fewer farmers in Suicheng are growing these unique wild fruits. But they’re really good! Didn’t you feel how soothing it was for your throat? These farmers could easily expand their market using the internet.”

“But the problem is, they face barriers when it comes to reaching customers.” Like the elderly woman she’d met after work who didn’t know how to use WeChat. She had spent her whole life planting trees and selling fruit, but as she aged, instead of gaining experience, she was left far behind by the rapidly evolving trade methods. But wasn’t the purpose of technological advancement to make life more convenient for everyone?

Was intelligent living only meant to serve the younger generation?

Someone needed to lend a hand to those who were falling behind. Everyone would grow old someday, and today’s youth would eventually become the ones trailing behind.

Of course, she wasn’t doing this purely out of charity—that would be putting gold leaf on her face—but if she could change the world even a little while making money for herself, then this lever might be enough for her to move the Earth.

As she spoke, Ha Yue turned to look at Xue Jing, her eyes sparkling with hope, her voice full of passion and emotion. “I’m thinking, what if I create a channel that connects small towns with big cities? What do you think? Do you think this kind of entrepreneurial project has potential?”

“Not just sea buckthorn—I can also sell apples, jujubes, and other things.”

Whatever the “grandmas” grew, she would help them sell. Of course, a completely new project would require a larger initial investment. Food sales were an entirely unfamiliar field for her, and she’d need more people to develop the online side of things. But once she finished this follow-up order, she’d have her first pot of gold. If that wasn’t enough, she could seek angel funding on various startup platforms.

Perhaps, perhaps there were people in the world who would agree with her vision and be willing to invest.

By the time she finished speaking, Ha Yue’s excitement was palpable. Her nerves tingled, and she looked at Xue Jing with burning anticipation. Her gaze was so intense that he couldn’t refuse her, even though her question wasn’t the one he had imagined. But still, he couldn’t say no.

He had given her a paddle, and she had used it to build Noah’s Ark. How could he not be happy for her?

Was sea buckthorn the only treasure produced in Suicheng? Wasn’t a girl like Ha Yue herself a treasure?

Xue Jing stared at her for a moment, silent. Then he reached into the pocket of his coat nearby, pulling out a pen and paper he always carried with him. Unscrewing the cap, he wrote a sentence on the notepad, just as Ha Yue had done dozens of days ago. He then carefully stuck it onto her computer screen.

He wrote: “Take a leap of faith.”

In the bottom-right corner, perfectly centered, he drew a heart identical in shape to the one she had drawn before.

At four o’clock in the morning, Ha Yue’s dorm room was brightly lit. Xue Jing yanked the blanket off his face, utterly unprepared for how strong her execution skills were. He had merely encouraged her to “take a leap of faith for her dreams,” but she had immediately climbed out of bed, muttering to herself, and started working on her business plan through the night.

What did this mean? Did young entrepreneurs never sleep? Was her stamina really that good? After hours of activity, she wasn’t tired at all?

The glaring light left halos in Xue Jing’s eyes. His nerves felt like tangled yarn, and he sat staring blankly at the lightbulb above him. Alone on the pillow, unable to sleep without Ha Yue beside him, he watched her dive into her work with such focus. While she had found answers to her inner questions, who would answer the questions lingering in his mind?

This wasn’t fair at all.

Should love always be overshadowed by career?

He was truly struggling, torn between conflicting emotions. It seemed there was no chance of sleeping tonight. Xue Jing gathered his wits, glanced at his girlfriend still typing furiously on her keyboard, sparks almost flying from her fingertips. With a heavy sigh, he reluctantly crawled out of bed.

He poured a glass of water and placed it beside her, then rummaged through his bag for some multivitamins, fish oil DHA, and CoQ10 supplements, arranging them neatly on a tissue. Wrapping himself back in the blanket, he sat on the edge of the bed and advised her, “If you’re going to pull an all-nighter, at least take some supplements.”

Ha Yue took a sip of water and swallowed the colorful pills, finally noticing Xue Jing sitting behind her. She quickly got up to turn off the light, her voice apologetic: “Sorry, did the light disturb your sleep? It’s only four o’clock, still early. Why don’t you lie down for a bit? You’ll need to drive home tomorrow—you must be tired.”

“Or is the sound of the keyboard too loud? Look at me, getting carried away talking about my new business idea. Maybe I should leave it for tomorrow—it’s not urgent.”

There was plenty of time; no need to rush. While pursuing her career, she still wanted to carve out time to spend with Xue Jing.

She believed in balancing both career and love—neither should be neglected.

But none of the reasons Ha Yue mentioned were why Xue Jing couldn’t sleep. With a melancholy expression, he shook his head and stopped her from turning off the light. His mind was still preoccupied with the things he had packed in his car. Before heading home tomorrow, was there really no way to carry out his plan? Could he try again?

Though the surprise hadn’t gone as planned, couldn’t he salvage it later? Perhaps there was still hope for a brighter outcome.

He gazed deeply at Ha Yue’s face, noting that she truly showed no signs of fatigue—her eyes were bright and clear. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he cautiously ventured, “I’m not sleepy either. I don’t want to lie down. Don’t worry about me—how tired can driving be? If you’re still up for it, let’s go to Daqing Mountain to watch the sunrise?”

“It’s exactly four o’clock now. I checked—the drive will take an hour and a half. If we leave now, we can reach the hiking trail before six. The sunrise is at 7:27 AM. The wind has stopped, and there are no clouds in sight. Afterward, I’ll bring you back. You might be a little late for work, but what do you think? Is that okay?”

Being late for work wasn’t a big deal—Ha Yue worked for herself and didn’t need to clock in. However, the decision was so sudden, and she didn’t have any outdoor gear in her dorm. Wearing ankle-length down jackets would be too cumbersome, making it hard to move freely. After all, it was winter, and there were risks involved.

Upon hearing Ha Yue’s concerns, Xue Jing immediately brightened up. He jumped out of the blanket, pulling on his clothes as he spoke: “I’ve got gear in my car! Wool base layers, cashmere socks, softshell jackets, down vests, gloves, scarves, hand warmers, windproof and waterproof outerwear, hiking boots, and trekking poles—I brought multiple sets because I wasn’t sure which ones you’d like. I’ll go grab them and let you choose!”

In less than a minute, he had half-dressed, his shoelaces untied, and bolted out the door. Just as quickly, he popped his head back in, grinning widely at Ha Yue: “Wait for me, okay? Don’t fall asleep!”