#61: Birthday Cake

Falling into the trap of greed, a little sweetness was far from enough.

Qing Hang deliberately slowed his pace; every inch of the inner wall was stretched open. The passage after orgasm was extremely sensitive, both resisting external intrusion and, as if consciously, spontaneously wrapping around him.

The rain on the glass window blurred the hazy night outside. Only a single table lamp illuminated the room, its light fading by the bed.

Her toes, exposed from under the bedsheet, were tangled in the wrinkled sheet, a suspicious red mark on her skin.

The air was cool, but inside the bedding, it was hot as if on fire. After sweat extinguished the sparks, it became muggy and damp.

Cheng Wanyue slowly came back from the lingering afterglow of the orgasm. Qing Hang’s reflection in her eyes gradually became clear. She no longer cared about the content of the WeChat message, blushing as she softly called out to him, saying it was too full and asking him to withdraw.

He was obedient, slowly pulling back.

However, her body seemed to be trying to keep him, shamelessly emitting sticky wet sounds.

Soft kisses fell on her neck, giving her the temporary illusion of being able to catch her breath. Every pore relaxed, and her fingers tangled in his dark short hair loosened slightly, but at that moment, he launched a hidden attack.

The rain suddenly intensified, large raindrops hitting the window with great force.

The leaves in the neighborhood downstairs were scattered all over the ground. Small branches swayed in the wind, and the tiny bird’s nest hidden in the branches was precarious.

Her suppressed crying suddenly escalated in pitch, drowned out by the thunder and rain, but it wasn’t a loss; he heard it.

She called his name.

Whether it was a complaint or annoyance, it was all because of him.

This rental house was much better than the dilapidated small courtyard in Baicheng. It didn’t leak when it rained, the power didn’t go out during thunderstorms, there was no musty smell, and no rats or cockroaches. Closing the doors and windows was enough to keep it warm. The bed was soft, and there was a soft pad on the headboard, so she wouldn’t hurt her head too much if she accidentally bumped it. Yet, Qing Hang inexplicably thought of the cool chair she had disliked.

The cool chair was made of bamboo, and over time, it had small holes from insects.

Every time Cheng Wanyue visited, she would check if the small holes in the bamboo had increased. She was also worried the chair would collapse, but there was nowhere else to sit.

She complained that the cool chair was too hard and would either put his clothes or a few books on it.

Once, Grandpa specifically went to the supermarket to buy a plush cushion, soft and pretty. Because the size was wrong, he even took it to a tailor to cut a section. After bringing it home, he asked Qing Hang to put it on the cool chair, but Qing Hang ended up hiding it in the cupboard.

The cool chair remained hard, so he would get one opportunity after another to hold her.

Whether she had gained or lost weight, he knew.

________________________________________

Qing Hang’s recklessness when he was aggressive meant he would bear double the consequences afterward, even suffering when getting up for work the next morning.

He was used to making breakfast and waking Cheng Wanyue before leaving, but today she wouldn’t wake up.

After calling her a few more times, she got annoyed.

A pillow flew directly at him. His glasses were crooked, so Qing Hang simply took them off and placed them on the table. Cheng Wanyue, still in bed, had already rolled over wrapped in the quilt. The bed wasn’t big; even if she moved further in, Qing Hang could still reach her.

Qing Hang reminded her that it was getting late. “Cheng Yanqing leaves at ten. I can’t leave the hospital due to work, so you should eat breakfast before going.”

“Is he going home today?” Cheng Wanyue opened her eyes, remembering Cheng Yanqing had told her a couple of days ago, and exasperatedly pulled the quilt over her face. “Damn it, I forgot.”

She was supposed to go to the studio this morning. “I’ll take a leave. If I don’t see him off, he’ll hold it over my head for years. And Coal Ball, I’ll bring it over.”

The rain had stopped, and the room was dim under the overcast sky.

She suddenly sat up from the bed, but before she could steady herself, she fell back down. “Ah... my back is so sore, so uncomfortable.”

She looked at Qing Hang, who, despite going to bed later than her, was perfectly refreshed. “How are you so wide awake? It’s really unfair. Next time, I’m going to be on top, just you wait and see.”

“Mm, I’ll wait,” Qing Hang reached into the bedding and helped her rub her lower back. “The weather isn’t good these days. Don’t go play table tennis. If I get off work early, I’ll buy movie tickets or go shopping with you.”

Cheng Wanyue yawned weakly. “Alright.”

Breakfast was pumpkin porridge and soup dumplings. She would stay in Nanjing for a period every year. Although she wasn’t used to the local specialty snacks there, she occasionally craved soup dumplings. Qing Hang had made them yesterday afternoon.

Cheng Wanyue brought some for Cheng Yanqing; they could be eaten after being heated in the microwave.

He had no long-term plans to live in Beijing anyway, and didn’t have much luggage. He could leave with just his car keys. There was nothing here for him to miss, except Coal Ball.

“Don’t cancel the lease on the apartment. In case you and Qing Hang argue and you get angry, you won’t be homeless,” Cheng Yanqing left the keys with her. “A hotel is always a hotel, different from home.”

Cheng Wanyue knew he still remembered the time she got drunk. “If we argue, he’ll be the one to leave. I’m not that stupid.”

Cheng Yanqing was pleased. “Very good, you keep that up.”

To be honest, he admitted he was a bit of a romantic, always diving headfirst into relationships. Cheng Wanyue was different from him.

She would hurt others before hurting herself, shattering both hearts. The backlash wouldn’t make her feel any better, but she was stubborn.

“Yueyue, love isn’t a shackles to bind you. Love whom you want to love, do what you want to do. You can change appropriately but don’t lose yourself. My stance remains the same: as long as you’re happy, someone in the Cheng family will always have your back.”

He rarely said such emotional words, and Cheng Wanyue rarely cried in front of him, at most just wiping away tears after he left.

She knew he was driving, but she still sent many emojis.

Cheng Yanqing’s phone vibrated every few minutes. While he was eating at a service area, Cheng Wanyue was also looking for food outside.

Qing Hang, rarely free from overtime today, bought movie tickets before picking her up. She craved hotpot, so he took her to eat it.

There weren’t too many people in the mall on a weekday. They passed a cake shop, and Cheng Wanyue looked at it a few times. While Qing Hang queued for bubble tea, she went into the shop and asked the staff if she could make a birthday cake herself.

She had over a week left, so she could take time to try a few more times. She was sure she could make a beautiful one.

Qing Hang turned around and found the seat where Cheng Wanyue had been sitting empty. He took the bubble tea from the staff member and looked around for her. The light in the dessert shop’s glass window was bright.

She was bending over, standing by the display window. She chose desserts differently from clothes; she could buy all the clothes she liked, but buying too many desserts and not finishing them was wasteful.

Qing Hang looked with her. “What do you want to eat?”

Cheng Wanyue’s gaze moved from a cake and she pointed casually. “...Just this taro paste roll, it’s very good for spicy food.”

The surprise from years ago that never came to fruition had become a regret. This time, she absolutely couldn’t mess it up again.