OS - 10

The air carried the scent of peaches, emanating from that canned drink.

As the final scene of the movie ended, the room plunged into darkness. Zhou Yu leaned back on the soft sofa, and with her eyes closed, her other senses became acutely heightened. She could hear the faint rustling sound of fabric against skin as he slowly approached her. The towel around his neck slipped onto the cushion, and the sofa sank slightly under his weight. Dopamine, phenylethylamine, and norepinephrine—neurotransmitters linked to excitement—surged uncontrollably in the dark, quickening her heartbeat. He must have heard her unusually rapid pulse, for without seeking permission, he cupped her flushed face in his hands. She felt the warmth of his palms, starkly different from her skin cooled by prolonged exposure to the air conditioner. Then came a kiss.

She began to wonder what his mouth tasted like.

It seemed he was thinking the same thing.

Only, he possessed an extraordinary intuition in this regard, finding the breakthrough first.

The hands that had been cradling her face shifted to grip the back of her neck—a subtle but unmistakable display of dominance. Forced to tilt her head back and part her lips, his slick tongue slipped inside.

It tasted like lychee.

Fresh lychee flesh was soft, its juices abundant, sweet enough to make the tip of her tongue feel sticky.

She couldn’t tell if the overwhelming sense of impending oxygen deprivation stemmed from excessive secretion of those neurotransmitters or if all the oxygen had been swept away by his tongue. All she knew was that this suffocating sensation offered no relief from the unbearable itch in her heart.

She couldn’t even maintain her sitting posture.

His hand thoughtfully circled around to support her back, easing the impact. She felt as though she were sinking into a cloud of softness.

The cicadas outside were unbearably loud.

He noticed her distraction caused by these trivial external factors and grew displeased, though he didn’t say anything. Instead, the previously gentle and restrained kiss suddenly intensified in force.

The cicadas’ chirping grew louder still, drowning out her faint sounds.

Her face must be very red. She wanted to open her eyes to see if his looked the same, even though the room was pitch black after the movie ended, making it impossible to see much of anything. Still, she desperately wanted to look.

The ceiling appeared somewhat yellowed, while outside, daylight illuminated the sky.

Grandma walked back and forth beneath the apricot tree, muttering repeatedly, “Where did all the apricots on the tree go?”

Ah, so it was just a dream.

If he knew that the girl sitting beside him watching the movie harbored such lustful thoughts, he would surely feel uncomfortable.

Zhou Yu closed her eyes and sighed deeply.

Thank goodness it was only a dream.

The day was overcast. After getting up and washing her face, Zhou Yu took a basin of water outside to water the flowers.

The elderly woman approached, staring at her intently. “Who are you?”

Zhou Yu plucked a red sunflower from the flowerpot and tucked it behind the old woman’s ear.

“I’m your granddaughter.”

After scrutinizing her carefully, the elderly woman shook her head. “I don’t recognize you.”

“That’s fine. Don’t worry about it. Today, there will be many people going to the station to send off relatives. Don’t follow them—you’ll get lost and won’t find your way home.”

“I know. I won’t go anywhere.”

It wasn’t too hot outside, so Zhou Yu brought her homework to the yard. A neighbor came over to borrow vinegar and couldn’t stop smiling at her.

Zhou Yu thought perhaps ink had stained her face, but there was none.

“Auntie, why are you laughing?”

The neighbor was six months pregnant and had often eaten unripe apricots from the tree. Although Liu Fen treated everyone harshly, and their families frequently quarreled over small matters, she held no prejudice against Zhou Yu and often asked her to help tutor her eldest daughter.

“Ah Yu, wasn’t that handsome boy who walked you home last night your classmate?”

Zhou Yu found the comment baffling. “A handsome boy? I came home by myself.”

Last night had been stiflingly hot, and the neighbor stayed up late cooling off in the courtyard.

“Oh, Ah Yu is being shy! It was definitely a handsome young man who walked you home.”

She and her mother-in-law had watched Zhou Yu return together. Around the bend—an area prone to accidents—they had installed an extra streetlamp. Zhou Yu had seemed different than usual, skipping along with her backpack, twirling under the lamplight. The neighbor had even worried she might suddenly let go and toss her bag into the road.

“You were so happy last night, like when you were little and came home from school with a certificate, singing and dancing. You even shouted toward the lamppost, ‘Don’t be sad.’ That handsome young man followed you from a few meters away and watched until you went inside before leaving.”

In Zhou Yu’s memory before waking up this morning, she had gone straight to bed after finishing the movie, and nothing unusual had happened along the way. But prompted by the neighbor, fragments of recollection began to surface.

It had been Cheng Yuzhou who walked her home.

She had acted like an overly excited child with ADHD, bouncing and chattering nonstop in front of him.

She had even said, “It’s okay to be heartbroken. Don’t be sad.”

After the neighbor left, Zhou Yu collapsed onto her bed, covering her face. She must have taken the wrong medicine yesterday.

Today, the supermarket was crowded. She worked the afternoon shift, and during the handover, she discovered an accounting error—she had undercharged by more than ten yuan.

This was her first mistake.

Deep down, she knew she hadn’t been as focused today as usual. Paying the shortfall didn’t feel unjustified.

As she prepared to leave work, her peripheral vision caught sight of a tall, slender boy walking into the store. Upon realizing it wasn’t him, she quietly exhaled in relief.

“Cheng Yanqing, what do you want?”

“If I’m here, it’s obviously because I have something to say. I wouldn’t come looking for you otherwise,” Cheng Yanqing called Zhou Yu outside to speak. “A classmate from Class Three said Yan Ci slept at the billiards hall for a whole day and night and is still there. My grandmother went to knock on Yan Ci’s door earlier, and no one was home.”

Zhou Yu knew why Yan Ci always slept at the billiards hall.

His house was too quiet—utter silence made it impossible for him to sleep.

“I can’t get him up alone. Come with me.”

“You go by yourself. I’m going home.”

“Zhou Yu, you can’t be too harsh on Yan Ci,” Cheng Yanqing said seriously, blocking her path. “You know the kind of people who hang out at the billiards hall. If something happens to him, it’ll be too late to regret it then.”

After Cheng Yanqing spoke, Zhou Yu remained silent, sidestepping him.

This time, Cheng Yanqing didn’t stop her. He simply waited where he stood. Five minutes later, she returned, heading toward the billiards hall.

Those five minutes were the process of her attempting to talk herself into going—and failing.

Cheng Yanqing lengthened his strides. Being tall with long legs, he moved quickly, leaving Zhou Yu trailing behind.

The barbecue shop already had some customers. Cheng Yanqing waited outside until Zhou Yu arrived, then they went upstairs together.

The third floor reeked of cigarette smoke—it was nauseating.

Cheng Yanqing pushed the door open and walked ahead, avoiding a few thugs biting on cigarettes. He found Yan Ci on the couch.

Yan Ci was lying face down, his face obscured. His black T-shirt was slightly wrinkled, revealing a tattoo on his waist: the letter “Y.”

Cheng Yanqing called his name twice, but he didn’t respond.

Zhou Yu pulled out her water bottle, unscrewed the cap, and poured most of the water over Yan Ci’s head.

Even Cheng Yanqing was stunned. The hooligans nearby whistled and catcalled at Zhou Yu.

Half a minute later, Yan Ci, who had seemed dead asleep on the couch, slowly sat up. Water dripped from his hair, running down his eyes and chin. Without saying a word, he stared coldly at Zhou Yu.

“He’s awake,” Zhou Yu said to Cheng Yanqing. “Do what you need to do. I’m going home.”

Cheng Yanqing nodded. “Alright…”

Before his words faded, Yan Ci suddenly grabbed Zhou Yu, who was preparing to leave. Caught off guard, she fell heavily onto the couch.

“Yan Ci, what are you doing?! Zhou Yu came because I asked her to. She’s just trying to help. Don’t hurt her!”