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“Captain Tang! Congratulations on coming out!”
“Hahahaha, Captain Tang, what’s the situation? Who’s this big brother you’re calling ‘wife’?”
“Me, me, me! I’ll marry Captain Tang!”
“What? How shameless! Get out of here—I’ve already reserved Captain Tang!”
“Scram, all of you! Where did you even hear that nonsense?” Tang Xizhou laughed and scolded. “You all have such sharp ears!”
In Tang Xizhou’s apartment on the first floor, the place was buzzing with activity. The young officers from the team had come to visit their honorably injured captain, cracking jokes along the way. Somehow, the rumor about him being heartbroken and only able to love men had reached their ears, but judging by their playful grins, none of them seemed to take it seriously.
Jiang BeiBei returned home carrying bags of groceries and, hearing the commotion, peeked into the room curiously. She was spotted by a sharp-eyed young officer, who pulled her inside. “Hey, little sister! It’s been so long since we’ve seen you—join us for dinner today?”
“Hello, Officer Feng...” Jiang BeiBei transformed into timid Jiang XiaoXiao, greeting softly.
Tang Xizhou, the one-armed hero, leapt over and slapped the young officer’s hand away. He draped his arm over Jiang BeiBei’s shoulder, furrowing his brows as he scolded the youngsters: “All of you, back off! Who said you’re eating with us...”
He turned to Jiang BeiBei and said, “BeiBei, these guys are going wild today. Go home.”
Jiang BeiBei noticed the alcohol on the table and asked, “Second Brother, are you drinking? Are you smoking too?”
The smell of cigarettes was strong, though the door had been left open, likely to air out the smoke.
“Don’t worry about it… just go home,” Tang Xizhou said, turning her around and nudging her toward the door.
Jiang BeiBei shook the bags in her hands. “You’re supposed to be resting! If you drink, I’m not giving you your gift.”
“Whoa!” Tang Xizhou reached out to grab the bags. “You bought something for me? Let me see!”
“No share for you!” Jiang BeiBei nimbly dodged, skipping up the steps. She whipped out her phone and waved it teasingly. “Second Brother, I’m going to tattle on you.”
It took Tang Xizhou three seconds to figure out whom she meant, and his eyes widened like saucers. “BeiBei! You’ve gotten naughty!”
Hearing the commotion in the hallway, Chu Yao opened the door.
“Fried fish—come eat.”
Jiang BeiBei immediately forgot about Second Brother Tang and ran to Chu Yao.
“You’re back so early today?”
From downstairs, Tang Xizhou called out anxiously once more: “Jiang BeiBei, behave yourself!”
The door to the second floor closed.
Chu Yao picked up a small fried fish with one hand supporting it underneath and fed it to Jiang BeiBei.
“Where are your parents?”
“They went to my grandmother’s house.” Chu Yao said. “Take some dried fish back with you.”
“Hahaha, don’t say it like that—it’s so cute! Are you feeding a cat now?”
Chu Yao replied, “Exactly, it’s like feeding a cat. You’ll understand when you take it home.”
He wiped the oil from Jiang BeiBei’s chin with his finger and naturally licked it clean.
Jiang BeiBei stared intently at his finger, her mind racing. Suddenly, it hit her like a bell ringing—dong!
Oh my god, that finger!
In an instant, Jiang BeiBei’s thoughts spiraled wildly. She thought of Lu Xun, originally named Zhou Shuren, from Shaoxing. Seeing short sleeves, he immediately thought of bare arms... Seeing Yao Ge’s finger, she imagined herself flooring the gas pedal on the highway, sticking her head out the window like Da Miao, tongue lolling, drooling and howling loudly.
I didn’t realize I was this perverted!
Jiang BeiBei reined in her increasingly dangerous thoughts and straightened her expression. “Yao Ge, did you forget something?”
Chu Yao smiled faintly, pivoted silently, and slipped back into the kitchen. The quieter his steps, the smaller the noise, the more Jiang BeiBei’s heart fluttered.
She set down the bags of gifts and followed him into the kitchen, tilting her head. “Yao Ge, Yao Ge, did you forget something?”
No, she had to remind him—to make up for today’s kiss!
Chu Yao turned off the stove, covered the pot, and switched off the range hood before turning around to embrace her. He gently pried open her lips and kissed her deeply.
Jiang BeiBei laughed, but the sound was muffled, bubbling in her throat as her whole body trembled.
Chu Yao tightened his embrace, deepening the kiss.
Jiang BeiBei melted, like toffee under the sun, slowly dissolving.
“Just like a cat,” Chu Yao murmured after the kiss ended, licking his lips.
Just like the cat earlier—liquid-like. The tighter he held her, the faster she melted, nearly flowing out of his arms onto the floor.
Jiang BeiBei slumped in his arms, panting. “My legs feel weak.”
As soon as she spoke, the world spun, and Chu Yao swept her up into a princess carry.
The sudden lift made Jiang BeiBei instinctively grab onto his collar, her fingers tightly gripping, trembling slightly.
“You… lack a sense of security,” Chu Yao whispered softly.
Her subconscious actions were all self-protective. Chu Yao’s expression softened as he carried her out of the kitchen.
Coming to her senses, Jiang BeiBei loosened her grip, her smile returning. She teased, “Yao Ge, just keep carrying me around the room like this—let’s see how long you can last.”
“If possible,” Chu Yao said, “I wouldn’t let go for a lifetime.”
Jiang BeiBei had only been joking, but to her surprise, Chu Yao really began walking around the living room, slowly circling the coffee table while holding her.
Jiang BeiBei’s face was burning, and with her mind racing, she couldn’t think of what to say. After much deliberation, she finally asked, “Are your parents coming back today?”
“Are you planning to stay over?”
“…I’m just worried your parents might come back suddenly… it’d be awkward.”
Chu Yao wore a faint smile as he lazily replied, “What’s there to worry about? It’s not like we’re sneaking around.”
The conversation hit a dead end. Jiang BeiBei steadied herself, determined not to let his charm cloud her judgment. Frantically searching her mind for a topic, she finally found a lifeline.
“Right! Yao Ge, it’s your birthday next week—what do you want as a gift?”
“Anything’s fine. What do you want?”
“It’s your birthday!” Jiang BeiBei raised her eyes to look at him, only to meet his gentle gaze. Her voice immediately softened. “…Well… I’ve already bought the New Year’s gift. As for your birthday present, think about it—it’s once a year, so you can ask for anything, and I’ll buy it for you.”
“This year is different,” Chu Yao smiled. “This year, you’re part of it, so the gift has to take you into account too.”
His words sent Jiang BeiBei’s mind into overdrive.
What did Yao Ge mean by “taking me into account”? Did that mean… did Yao Ge want…
Chu Yao’s next words shattered her beautiful fantasy. Her brain automatically queued up the song “Dreams Fade Away” to mourn for her.
Chu Yao said, “For my birthday, let’s celebrate together. How about we go see Chicago ?”
Jiang BeiBei’s slightly lewd expression froze instantly, her smile gradually fading. Internally, she bowed deeply at a 90-degree angle and apologized to Chu Yao: “Sorry, my thoughts were too dirty. I’ve tainted your pure feelings.”
Seeing her dazed expression, Chu Yao turned his head and chuckled softly. “Cute.”
“That’s settled then!” Coming to her senses, Jiang BeiBei said. “I’ll book the tickets—on your birthday, right?”
“Mhm.”
“But…” Jiang BeiBei hesitated. “Didn’t we agree to have dinner with my brothers on your birthday?”
“On my birthday…” Chu Yao set down his chopsticks and smiled at her. “It’s not just a single moment—it’s 24 hours. There’s plenty we can do.”
Chu Yao carried her around the living room as the noise from downstairs continued unabated. Occasionally, they could hear the sound of their neighbor’s grandmother sneezing. The Chu household, however, remained quiet, giving Jiang BeiBei the surreal feeling of secretly rendezvousing with Chu Yao behind the elders’ backs.
Without saying another word, Jiang BeiBei rested her face against his sweater, closed her eyes, and listened quietly to his heartbeat.
After a long while, Jiang BeiBei laughed softly with her eyes still closed. “We’re like two lunatics—so silly, always doing foolish things.”
“If it makes you happy… then it’s not foolish.”
His voice was soft, his breathing even softer, but it stirred something in Jiang BeiBei’s heart. She opened her eyes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled him down, wanting to kiss his lips again.
“BeiBei!!” Jiang BeiBei’s grandmother called out as she opened the door. “Come eat!”
The fleeting romance shattered into pieces.
Oh right—earlier, she had been horsing around with Tang Xizhou at the stairwell. Chu Yao could hear it, and so could her grandmother, who must have realized she had gone to the neighboring apartment.
Jiang BeiBei froze, just half a finger’s distance away from Chu Yao.
Chu Yao chuckled and closed the gap, gently biting her lip before pulling away.
“Go ahead.”
“…Okay, I’ll go now.”
Still dazed, Jiang BeiBei stumbled home, kicked off her shoes, and flopped onto her bed with a lovesick grin.
Halfway through her dramatic fall onto the bed, she suddenly let out a startled cry.
“What is this?!”
A fat, plump cat was sprawled across her bed.
The cat’s unruly gaze made Jiang BeiBei recognize who it was.
“Ah! Third Brother!” Jiang BeiBei pointed at the cat and exclaimed, “Grandma, did Third Brother leave this cat here?”
“The cat? Oh, it hasn’t made a sound—I forgot all about it…” Grandma muttered to herself. “Yuan said he’d come back to pick it up later. Ask him when he’s returning.”
Jiang BeiBei pushed the cat off the bed, patted her cheeks twice, and reluctantly called Qin Yuan. “Third Brother, are you coming back? Are you taking the cat today?”
“Today? No, no—it’s impossible today…” Qin Yuan sounded like he was driving. “I’ll be home in a bit. Let’s talk when I get there. Leave it with you for tonight.”
“Alright, I’ll hang up now.”
“BeiBei.” Qin Yuan suddenly stopped her.
“Hmm? I’m listening. What else?”
“BeiBei…” Qin Yuan sighed deeply. “Never mind.”
Downstairs, another round of cheers erupted. From the sounds of it, Tang Xizhou had probably started drinking.
Jiang BeiBei clutched her phone tightly, growling under her breath, and dialed Yan Qingming.
“Big Brother! I’m reporting Second Brother! He’s drinking and smoking while injured, throwing parties, and not resting properly! Big Brother, hurry and deal with him!”
“…Is that so?” Yan Qingming chuckled. “But I’m not coming home today. Let me call and scold him.”
After a while, Yan Qingming called back. “BeiBei, let me know when they disperse. Remember to check on them later.”
“Got it!”
But by 10 PM, those young men still hadn’t left. Jiang BeiBei went downstairs to check—the food was mostly finished, but the alcohol was far from gone.
After sending a message to Yan Qingming, he issued his final directive: “Cut the power!”
Standing in front of the circuit breaker, Jiang BeiBei whispered softly, “Sorry, Second Brother.”
With a loud bang , the lights in six households went out.
The drunkards in Tang Xizhou’s apartment groaned in unison: “Huh? The power’s out.”
Finally, the gathering dispersed. After seeing everyone off, Tang Xizhou opened the circuit box and flipped the switch back on, then called Yan Qingming. “Who taught her that trick? You’re ruining the kid!”
Yan Qingming calmly replied, “Are they gone? If you throw up tonight, don’t scream for help—no one’s going to take care of you.”
“You rascal—you’re not coming back?”
“Nope. Close your mouth, and don’t say nonsense when you’re drunk. Go to sleep.”
“Yes, sir!” Tang Xizhou mock-saluted and hung up, turning around with a tipsy grin—only to see Qin Yuan had returned, three claw marks across his face, looking like he’d been caught cheating by his wife.
“Older Brother Two, drinking while injured?”
“Third Brother, did your girlfriend scratch you? What happened to your face? Hahahaha…”
“Bad luck,” Qin Yuan said. “I got scratched while trying to mediate. Three thousand bucks per scratch.”
At this moment, Jiang BeiBei, leaning on the second-floor railing eavesdropping with a straight face, solemnly suggested, “Brothers, let’s visit a temple in the first lunar month. Look at your terrible luck—both of you bleeding at the start of the year…”
“Sure thing, little sis,” Tang Xizhou slurred drunkenly. “Where’s the best place to pray for love? I’ll go burn some incense and pray that Mom forgets about this whole fiasco…”
Qin Yuan teased, “Oh? Second Brother, do you have someone special?”
Tang Xizhou shoved him away, entered his room, and closed the door. “Hehe, I’m not telling you. Guess if you want to.”
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