YJDNY - 37

The girl he liked was right beside him, her drowsy eyes looking at him as she said, “I like you so much anyway.”

What should have been an incredibly suggestive atmosphere suddenly felt like waves washing over sand, leaving his previously restless heart completely cleansed.

Her voice, when she spoke, was too pure.

It made everything else quiet down naturally, leaving no room for even the slightest stray thought.

All he wanted to do was look at her and hear her say again that she liked him.

Zhou Xingyan turned to face her, raising his fingertips unconsciously to touch her impossibly close, fluffy eyelashes.

Xiang Ge instinctively closed her eyes. The sensation on her lashes was slightly ticklish, so she reached up to push his hand away.

Zhou Xingyan withdrew his hand and sighed.

Xiang Ge opened her eyes, her head sinking into the soft pillow. “Xingyan, you’re always on duty late at night. Why is your skin still so good?”

Without hesitation, Zhou Xingyan replied in a low, calm tone, “Because my lifestyle is as disciplined as an old man’s.”

“...”

Xiang Ge fell silent for a moment, not entirely convinced. “Even though I stay up late all the time, my skin is still good.”

“Oh.” Zhou Xingyan drawled lazily, “So you admit you’re a night owl.”

He leaned over to turn off the floor lamp, and the room plunged into darkness instantly.

Xiang Ge let out a small “Ah,” her wide-open eyes unable to see anything. All she could hear was his voice in the dark—close, clear, and unhurried: “Sleep.”

Xiang Ge raised her hand, feeling around for his. When she found it on the pillow, she pulled it over contentedly, holding it with both hands, her fingertips brushing against the joints of his fingers.

In the darkness, her senses became extraordinarily sharp, every sound and touch seemingly magnified.

“Where are we going tomorrow?” Xiang Ge’s voice carried a hint of drowsiness as she asked lazily.

“Where do you want to go?”

Xiang Ge yawned. “I want to stay in the room.”

Zhou Xingyan chuckled softly. “Alright, then we’ll stay in the room.”

She murmured an “Mm” in response, and after a long pause, quietly added, “When I first started sleeping alone in my own room as a child, I was scared. So I would hold my mother’s hand to fall asleep.”

Zhou Xingyan didn’t say anything.

This was the first time she had mentioned anything about her family to him.

“My mom was a painter. She was very beautiful, and many people pursued her back then—rich ones, handsome ones. But maybe girls have this kind of thing, you know, like hero worship? My dad used to be a police officer. He looked really handsome in his uniform.”

“It’s such a clichéd story—hero saves the damsel in distress, and then my mom fell in love with him. They got together, dated, married, and my mom stopped painting to take care of the household, trading her paintbrushes for cooking utensils.”

She paused for a moment before continuing. “I remember being very happy when I was little. But later, he seemed to have done something wrong and was dismissed from his job. After that, everything changed. Because I was a girl, they said the Xiang family line ended with me. What use is a girl? When she gets married, she’ll cost the family money. Being pretty or smart doesn’t matter—it’s all wasted effort.”

“The day my mom left, I cried for the first time. At that moment, I truly hated being a girl. I kept thinking, if only I were a boy. Later, I told myself I wouldn’t cry again. But I failed. Not only did I cry, but someone saw me at my worst. It was embarrassing.” Xiang Ge gave a silent laugh. “That’s why I didn’t dare tell you. I was afraid. Nowadays, even divorcing parents can cause opposition in families. Let alone someone like me. You and your family would’ve surely thought, ‘With her family background, what if she has psychological scars? What if it affects our future children?’“

Xiang Ge wrinkled her nose, a hint of reproach in her voice. “You’re just too good. No matter what, I feel like I don’t quite measure up to you.”

Her eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness, allowing her to make out the silhouette of the person in front of her.

That figure, which had been quietly listening to her talk, suddenly moved. The hand she had been holding flipped, grabbing her wrist and pulling her closer. His arms wrapped tightly around her.

Xiang Ge blinked, her words stopping mid-sentence.

He had a unique, refreshing scent, like mint soda mixed with the soft fragrance of shower gel.

As she was held, her forehead resting against his neck, she could feel his Adam’s apple move.

Between them were two layers of blankets, but when she shifted slightly, his embrace tightened, and she stopped moving.

Zhou Xingyan’s voice was slightly hoarse. “I feel the same way.”

Xiang Ge didn’t understand and made a questioning “Mm?”

“I think you’re too good. No matter what, I feel like I don’t deserve you.”

Xiang Ge froze.

“My parents won’t care about any of this. You’re perfect in every way—you’re not flawed. You’re kind and brave,” he rested his chin on top of her head and rubbed it gently. “Even every single one of your eyelashes is adorable.”

“Xiang Ge,” he called her name, his voice low and soft. “Thank you for being a girl.”

Xiang Ge didn’t remember how she fell asleep, but she woke up twice during the night.

Throughout the entire night, he held her through the blankets. Whenever she moved, his embrace unconsciously tightened.

Xiang Ge, resting her head on his arm, couldn’t help but scoot closer.

He was such a warm person, like a quiet flame burning beneath ice. At first glance, he seemed cold, but upon closer inspection, there was a steady warmth emanating from him, unceasing and enduring.

She buried her head deeply, her nose nuzzling against the fabric of his shirt.

Something inside her slowly melted, soothing her heart and smoothing out the creases.

Zhou Xingyan’s internal clock was precise; he woke up early. When Xiang Ge opened her eyes again, the sun was already high in the sky. She was hugging one pillow, another under her head, one blanket kicked to the side, and she had taken up the space of two people.

Zhou Xingyan sat beside her. Seeing she was awake, he asked, “Did you sleep well?”

Xiang Ge sat up, taking a moment before replying, “You woke up so early.”

“...”

Zhou Xingyan glanced at the time and silently looked at her without saying a word.

Seeing his expression, Xiang Ge understood what he meant. Lazily leaning against the wall, she tilted her head. “On vacation, you’re supposed to sleep in. If you wake up before noon, doesn’t that defeat the purpose of taking a holiday?”

“...”

Zhou Xingyan was speechless.

One absurd theory after another.

By the time Xiang Ge finally dragged herself out of bed and finished getting ready, another hour had passed. The two ate something and headed out. Xiang Ge wore a brand-new yukata—a light blue one printed with koi tails, tied with a bright yellow obi. Her long black hair was loosely pinned up, with a few strands hanging down, giving her a relaxed and comfortable appearance.

She looked at her outfit, then raised her head. “Can I wear a new one every day?”

Zhou Xingyan held a haori in his hands. “I bought it.”

“...”

Oh, right, you’re rich.

The inn was located at the foot of the mountain. Midway up, there was a small shrine that wasn’t well-known. Aside from locals, hardly any tourists knew about it.

“Isn’t there a famous shrine in Kyoto?” Xiang Ge recalled. “Fushimi Inari Taisha?”

Zhou Xingyan responded impassively. “Impressive.”

Though it sounded like praise, it somehow didn’t feel like it.

Xiang Ge narrowed her eyes at him, pursed her lips, and turned to continue walking.

Zhou Xingyan followed behind, a faint smile playing on his lips.

The stone steps formed a path, and the two walked up leisurely. After about half an hour, they saw the first vermilion torii gate.

Beyond the torii was the approach, lined with rows of stone lanterns and guardian statues on either side.

Xiang Ge walked over reverently and bowed deeply.

Wearing her yukata, with her hair tied up and her slender figure bending gracefully, she appeared genuinely respectful.

As she bent down, the back of her neck exposed a large expanse of fair skin through the yukata collar. The temperature in the mountains was cooler, so Zhou Xingyan lowered his gaze and draped the haori over her shoulders.

Xiang Ge straightened up and turned her head.

The man held the collar of the haori and gave a slight nod. “Put your arms in.”

Xiang Ge raised her arms and slipped them in. Once fully dressed, she took a few quick steps to the shimenawa rope on a nearby tree, placing her palms on the zigzag-shaped gohei paper attached to it, and closed her eyes.

Zhou Xingyan walked over and looked at her sideways.

“I’m purifying my soul,” Xiang Ge whispered with her eyes closed. “Kyoto is such a healing place.”

Zhou Xingyan leaned against the tree trunk. “Then purify yourself thoroughly. Stay until next year before going back.”

Xiang Ge opened her eyes and turned her head. “What about you?”

Zhou Xingyan replied earnestly, “I’ll go back to work and earn money for the inn.”

“...”

Xiang Ge didn’t rush forward. Instead, she sat down on the stone steps in front of the torii, tilting her head back to look at him. “Senior Zhou, I don’t spend men’s money. Only my boyfriend’s.”

Zhou Xingyan let out a soft “Hmph.” “How do you define your boyfriend?”

“Hmm?” Xiang Ge raised her eyes.

“What qualifies someone as your boyfriend?” he rephrased.

Xiang Ge fluttered her long eyelashes, licked her lower lip, and thought seriously for a moment before answering, “At the very least, they’d need to send eight palanquins, three chests of gold and silver jewelry, fine clothes, and chase me for forty-nine days.”

She rattled off this list, and surprisingly, Zhou Xingyan listened attentively. Nodding, he suddenly straightened up and walked over to her.

He stood two steps lower than where she sat, looking down at her for a moment before suddenly bending down.

The distance between them closed. Xiang Ge tilted her head up to meet his gaze. After their walk, her hair was slightly disheveled, with two thin strands falling across her forehead. Her pupils were pitch black, and her long lashes fluttered.

Zhou Xingyan’s thoughts stirred, and he leaned in, pressing a reverent kiss to her smooth forehead.

Xiang Ge froze.

His lips were warm, trailing down from her forehead to her brow, the corner of her eye, her nose, and finally stopping at the corner of her mouth.

Soft and cool.

The forest was silent, save for the crisp chirping of birds in the sacred grove. In front of the ancient torii gate of the shrine, she sat on the stone steps in her sky-blue yukata, her head slightly raised.

He stood before her, bending down with his head lowered. Their lips touched briefly before he lifted his head.

His voice was low, slow, and slightly raspy: “I haven’t had time to prepare all of that yet. Can I give you a deposit instead?”