Chapter 17: Climbing into Bed at Midnight

When they entered their first year of high school, Cheng Wanyue, Qing Hang, and Zhou Yu were placed in the same class.

After learning that Qing Hang was being sponsored by the Cheng family, the school leadership arranged for him to give a speech at the opening ceremony. Despite his impoverished background, his academic performance was exceptional, and he had earned first place to enter Bai Cheng No. 1 High School—an inspiring story with positive educational value.

The playground was packed with students and teachers as Qing Hang walked up to the flag-raising platform under everyone’s gaze.

His speech was brief, less than two hundred words, succinctly recounting his past.

Some pitied his circumstances, while others thought him aloof and antisocial, which led to constant trouble from classmates.

Cheng Wanyue had been well-known since middle school, and after entering high school, her circle of friends only grew larger. Friends came in varying degrees of closeness, but Zhou Yu, who had grown up with her since childhood, held an irreplaceable spot in her heart—she had protected him from elementary school through high school. Some tried to curry favor with her by deliberately speaking ill of Qing Hang in front of her, claiming his grandfather collected scrap, that his home was dirty and smelly, and that despite living off her family’s money, he showed no manners, always wearing a cold expression as if the world owed him something.

There were many people in the hallway, and the boy spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear. Immediately, some started laughing and jeering.

Cheng Wanyue’s expression grew darker.

“Is this funny? Didn’t your teacher teach you to respect others? Did your parents fail to teach you too? At your age, is your mouth only good for eating, drinking, and gossiping behind people’s backs? Comparing wealth, clothes, or sneakers—why don’t you compare grades with him? You bought your way in and ranked last in the mid-term exams, yet you’re not ashamed but proud instead. What gives you the face to mock others when you don’t even accumulate merit for yourself?”

She glared at the boy, enunciating every word. “It’s true that Grandpa Qing collects recyclables, but Qing Hang isn’t trash. Collecting recyclables is just a job; there’s no hierarchy among jobs.”

Far from being dirty or smelly, Qing Hang’s house was actually very clean. His grandfather worked slowly but meticulously, keeping everything neatly arranged.

“Wasn’t it you who falsely accused Qing Hang of stealing before the National Day holiday last year?”

The surveillance cameras in the classroom weren’t mere decorations, though many assumed they weren’t operational during the early days of the semester.

“I hold grudges. If I hear you twisting facts or badmouthing him again, just wait and see!”

The last person Cheng Wanyue had defended so fiercely was Zhou Yu.

The next day, some friends teased her. “Cheng Wanyue, you’re so protective. Why don’t you change your name to ‘Cheng Puppy’ or ‘Cheng Chick’? Your behavior yesterday was like a puppy guarding its bone or a mother hen protecting her eggs.”

This kind of joke didn’t make her angry.

“I’m happy to be protective. Mind your own business,” Cheng Wanyue said, resting her head on the desk and staring at the empty seat beside her.

Qing Hang was her deskmate, but he had gone with the teacher to participate in a math competition out of town. Sitting together daily hadn’t seemed unusual until his seat remained empty for two days, making her feel somewhat uneasy.

She hadn’t eaten breakfast or finished her homework.

Her homeroom teacher often joked that her brain functioned inconsistently, advising her to save her energy for extraordinary performance in the college entrance exam.

Qing Hang arrived at school during the half-hour breakfast period. Passing through the corridor, most of the students who hadn’t eaten breakfast were napping on their desks.

As he approached the classroom, a casual glance stopped him in his tracks.

Cheng Wanyue’s seat was by the window. It was still cold shortly after the winter break ended. She leaned against the windowsill, exhaling onto the glass pane and drawing with her fingers, looking gloomy.

Qing Hang stared for a long time before realizing she was writing his name.

The instant of heart flutter was fleeting, but the hormonal chain reaction it triggered in the brain lingered. If overly excited, one might even delude themselves into thinking the other person reciprocated their feelings.

“Qing Hang!” Cheng Wanyue suddenly noticed him standing outside the window. Delighted, she stood up and pushed the window open. “Why are you back already? I thought you wouldn’t return until Thursday?”

He hadn’t slept well and felt dazed. “We happened to have tickets, so Teacher Zhang rescheduled. He needed to rush back for a meeting at school.”

Cheng Wanyue didn’t care whether it was Teacher Zhang or Teacher Li, nor about meetings or classes. A week before Qing Hang left for the competition, they had an argument, and they hadn’t spoken all day before his departure.

“Was the competition difficult? I bet none of them are as good as you. You’ll definitely win an award.”

“Did you eat breakfast? I still have bread and milk.”

“The teacher handed out so many test papers, and I can’t solve any of them. They’re due tomorrow. Can you help me?”

“Qing Hang, please don’t ignore me.”

She pulled a milk candy from her desk drawer and placed it closer to him on the windowsill, resting her chin on her hand, looking at him pitifully. “I didn’t mean it. Please stop being mad at me.”

The mist on the glass condensed into droplets, sliding down and gradually blurring the words she had written.

Qing Hang became momentarily lost in thought, gazing at the milk candy.

Often, he didn’t even know what he was upset about.

It was as if a rope tied around both wrists tugged at him from both sides, sometimes loose, sometimes tight. When tight, it reminded him not to stray from the path; when loose, it gave him a fleeting sense of hope.

His head ached. In a semi-dreamlike state, he went to the bathroom without turning on the light, following the faint scent of milk candy. Out of habit, he returned to the room and fell asleep.

The air conditioner ran all night, and with the door closed, the cold air stayed trapped in the room. Cheng Wanyue grew colder as she slept and woke up first in the morning.

Drowsily opening her eyes, she saw Qing Hang sleeping beside her and froze for a long while.

In sleep, his usual aloofness softened.

She had almost monopolized the entire bed. He had no pillow, squeezed to the edge of the bed, perilously close to falling off. The thin air-conditioner blanket was entirely on her, leaving him only a small corner that barely covered his waist.

The room faced the shaded side, and the morning sun hadn’t yet reached it.

With the curtains drawn, it was still early, and the room wasn’t particularly bright.

“Qing Hang.”

He woke at her call, silently gazing at her before closing his eyes again as if falling back asleep.

Cheng Wanyue propped herself up on her elbows and gently poked his face. “Were you sleepwalking?”

“Or... did you miss me while I was asleep?”

Her hair brushed against his face, tickling him.

Qing Hang felt a bit irritated, vaguely hearing her laughter, sometimes distant, sometimes near.

“I said I wouldn’t sleep with you, yet you climbed into bed in the middle of the night… Ah!”

Before Cheng Wanyue could finish her sentence, a firm grip on her wrist pulled her down onto the pillow. Her delicate complaint was stifled before it could leave her throat.

His body was hot, his breath scorching.

Both her hands were pinned down, the pain from their teeth clashing extending deep into her bones. His tongue invaded her mouth, and his hand boldly slipped under the hem of her T-shirt.

In their passionate kiss, they were intimately close. Cheng Wanyue clearly perceived the physical reaction that had been concealed by the thin blanket earlier.

As a child, she had been too restless to excel in academics, but she had excelled in piano and drums. Cheng Guo An had enrolled her in ballet classes, hoping to improve her demeanor and poise so she wouldn’t slouch like a delinquent. She hadn’t liked it much and only learned halfway, but her body remained very flexible.

His breathing was heavy, and the rustling sound of clothes and sheets was muted.

Before they parted ways, they had done everything except take the final step. He was no stranger to Cheng Wanyue’s body.

During their school days, Cheng Wanyue often coaxed him with milk candies. She would eat one first, then feed him another, secretly telling him that the flavors were the same. This would make him want to kiss her.

He was always impatient, either biting her tongue or breaking the corner of her lips. After being scolded a few times, he retracted his sharp claws and fangs, learning to be gentle, to delve slowly, like rock sugar melting gradually in a glass of water.

Once the rock sugar had fully dissolved, simple kisses no longer satisfied him.

One evening, after the rain, in the alley, provoked by her, he revealed his fierce aggression. She had the upper hand in many aspects, but in terms of strength, she was no match for him. The disparity was significant; he could easily subdue her, slipping a hand beneath her vibrant clothing.

That was their first kiss.

But in reality, it couldn’t be called a kiss.

She was more like prey under his claws. He not only captured her body but also bit her, tasting blood before sparing her life, giving her a chance to escape, instilling fear, urging her to stay away, warning her never to provoke him again.

Cheng Wanyue wasn’t someone easily frightened.

When he showed his wild side, far from being afraid, she became intrigued. The more he ignored her, the more she wanted to see how much he could endure.

“Qing Hang, your kissing technique is really terrible.”

“Does fondling feel good? Do you like it?”

“If you behave, and don’t hurt me, I’ll let you kiss me again.”