TSDT - 27

Today, Huang Yanfei’s overtime life got a reprieve, and she couldn’t wait to call Jiang Ying for some late-night gaming. However, the fatigue from work wasn’t alleviated by the game; their ranked matches went back and forth, stuck in place, and climbing ranks was just as difficult.

Annoyed by their “pig teammates,” Jiang Ying suggested that exercise was better than gaming, so they connected via voice chat and supervised each other while doing Ballet Beautiful.

They chatted idly while panting.

Huang Yanfei: “What’s going on with you and your Mr. Meng?”

Jiang Ying: “Just the usual.”

Huang Yanfei: “Really? He never uses Moments, yet he specifically liked your post.”

“...” Jiang Ying’s thighs ached as she struggled to explain, “He just lurks, he doesn’t not use it.”

Huang Yanfei painstakingly lifted her arm, her words still fierce: “Don’t pretend. You two are living together now, aren’t you?”

Thump. Jiang Ying collapsed onto the yoga mat, guiltily saying, “...N-not exactly...”

Huang Yanfei took a long, deep breath: “Cut it out. Why haven’t you been answering my calls at night? Isn’t it because someone’s home? Do you really think I don’t know?”

Jiang Ying surrendered, silently conceding.

Huang Yanfei hummed: “I truly feel like ‘my daughter has grown up,’ ‘a married daughter is like spilled water,’ ‘my nurtured cabbage has been ruined by a pig.’“

Jiang Ying laughed: “Oh, come on... Isn’t that just how love is? It always starts with more passion. And it’s not really cohabitation; he only comes when he’s free, otherwise we go our separate ways. It’s like that today too.”

Huang Yanfei sighed: “I’m a little envious... I haven’t had sex in ages.”

Earlier this year, Huang Yanfei broke up with her boyfriend of over four years, whom she had dated since university. The reason was long distance, and even more so, neither was willing to compromise for the other. It wasn’t that there were no regrets, but after all the love, both were exhausted, and separating actually brought a lot of relief. Regrets that aren’t life-and-death always fade, and then one starts to anticipate new encounters.

“Seriously, Xu Jiahong confirmed he’s back in the country, did he tell you?”

“He did...” Huang Yanfei felt a little confused. “Do you think he really likes me? Even after not seeing each other for so many years?”

“Otherwise, why would he go to all this trouble if he didn’t like you? And even though you haven’t met, you’ve always been in contact, right? Maybe he really just saw through all the scenery and decided you were the best.”

“Like you and Meng Jingshu?”

“...It’s different,” Jiang Ying quickly denied. She pondered how to explain. “Xu Jiahong is looking for a long-term relationship with you. I used to... I used to want to do a lot of romantic things with him, to be together for a very long time.”

She laughed at herself: “It was that kind of level where after talking to him for two sentences, I’d already thought about what BGM to play at the wedding... But now, I don’t have that kind of expectation for him. When I’m with him, I don’t think about anything.”

“Mmm-hmm, you just want pleasure without responsibility, I get it. You don’t want to be the one putting in the effort anymore. Is there also a bit of a vengeful streak?”

Her friend hit the nail on the head, and Jiang Ying laughed: “It’s true. He has no idea about what happened back then. And even though I know I can’t blame him, every time I make him angry, I feel so good.”

Huang Yanfei was speechless: “What kind of reincarnation of abusive love is this?! Back then, you cried every day in the dorm about how you wanted to cherish him, and now you’re tormenting him.”

“Don’t bring up my old stupid stuff anymore!” Jiang Ying retorted. “Also, I’m not tormenting him! It’s just, very occasionally, I want to annoy him.”

Huang Yanfei said, “He has to be willing to play along too, right? I don’t think he’s uninterested in you either. Before, you used to nag him constantly, and he never got annoyed. Now he’s doing this and that with you. Why don’t you talk to him and ask him what he thinks?”

“No, I won’t.” Jiang Ying rejected the idea without thinking.

“Tsk, tsk, they all say you’re Teacher Jiang, sensible and reasonable. But actually, you’re the most tsundere and unreasonable yourself. I feel like you haven’t given me a good example. Hearing what you’ve said, I’m more and more unsure if I should even get together with Xu Jiahong.” She wailed, “But I really want to be in a relationship! I want to be in one before the end of this year!!”

Jiang Ying hyped her up: “You’ll know once he comes back and you two go on a date! If you feel it, go for it, get him! If not, then forget it, you won’t be in a relationship this year, haha.”

“I think you’ve been living too comfortably lately, daring to gloat?”

“No, no, no... I’m just optimistically encouraging you, my dear friend~”

________________________________________

They exercised and laughed, when suddenly there was a knock at the door.

Knock, knock, knock.

Three knocks, unhurried. Jiang Ying was not unfamiliar with this rhythm.

She paused.

Huang Yanfei asked, “Who is it? Is it Meng Jingshu?”

Jiang Ying peeked through the peephole, and it was indeed him.

Huang Yanfei, sensing the mood and a little disgusted, said, “Reeks of sickening sweetness! I’m hanging up.”

Jiang Ying let him in, watching him change his shoes, while she leaned against the wall, panting. “Didn’t you say you had plans? Why are you here?”

Meng Jingshu said as if it were obvious, “I finished.”

Jiang Ying had just finished her strenuous yoga session on the mat, and she was still sweating, her temples damp, her cheeks flushed, wearing only a tank top, her chest heaving.

Meng Jingshu looked at her and smiled, “Now you know you need to exercise?”

Although “Teacher Jiang” was disciplined and diligent in her studies during her school days, she was naturally lazy and had no talent for sports. Every time there was a physical education exam, she would be half-dead, consistently ranking among the last few in running. Often, the boys would finish their exams first, and Meng Jingshu would be playing soccer on the field, while she and a few other girls were still struggling, barely alive, on the track. It was quite memorable.

But now, things were different.

Jiang Ying rolled her eyes at him: “Of course, I ate two cakes today!”

Being in your twenties is not like being eighteen or nineteen anymore. If you eat too much one day, you have to burn it off the same day, otherwise, a moment of laziness will turn that heat into weight and fat that will stay with you for a long time.

Her pupils were large, and even when glaring, her eyes sparkled with spirit.

Meng Jingshu leaned in for a kiss, but Jiang Ying leaned back, pushing his head away, utterly disgusted. “You smell like smoke and alcohol, it’s gross!”

Coming back from a dinner, having his clothes permeated with the smell was unavoidable.

He raised an eyebrow, said nothing, and walked towards the inner room, carrying something in his hand.

Jiang Ying followed him to put away the yoga mat. She glanced at her phone, and a new post appeared on Moments. She sat on the carpet, numbly tapping to see who was stirring up trouble this time.

Oh, it was Xu Jiahong. He probably just woke up that morning and stumbled upon the gossip feast.

She hadn’t even exited Moments when he messaged her privately: “When did you and our Brother Meng get back together?? You didn’t even talk at the last gathering... Was it him who took you home that time? What did you do to him??? I don’t think I’ve seen him active on Moments in years! You’re awesome, buddy!”

Jiang Ying: “...”

She silently deleted his private message, pretending not to see it.

But why should she endure round after round of teasing while the other party lived a perfectly serene life?

Jiang Ying glanced over. The man was just half a meter away from her, taking off his overcoat, his posture composed, his demeanor extraordinary.

So annoying!

She shifted her butt and kicked him.

Meng Jingshu winced and paused, turning to look at her. She immediately twisted her head away, not looking at him. The man smiled, still saying nothing.

He seemed to have gotten used to it; she would occasionally act up like this, suddenly throwing a small tantrum, hitting him in a huff.

If you asked why? There was no reason.

After it happened a few times, he didn’t care anymore. He’d always find a way to make it up elsewhere anyway.

He had brought something back today. After taking off his jacket, he had been facing away from her on the sofa, unpacking a box and feeling around inside. Jiang Ying craned her neck to peek, only catching a glimpse of his broad shoulders and sharp jawline.

She pouted, wondering if he would be angry this time for the kick, just as he was angry last time for her slamming the door.

Hmm... Should she kiss him to make amends, or annoy him further?

While she was hesitating, she heard him call her, “Jiang Ying, come here.”

Oh, he wasn’t angry.

“What do you want...?”

She climbed up from the floor, walked a few steps to stand in front of him, and saw him holding a device in his hands, asking, “Where does this go?”

Jiang Ying blinked at the object, then blinked again. If she wasn’t mistaken, this was... a projector?

Meng Jingshu subtly observed her expression. She was quite surprised, her slender eyebrows raised, her eyes bright, and a smile she couldn’t hide at the corners of her mouth.

“Why would you buy this!”

Meng Jingshu didn’t answer, a profound look on his face. Seeing her shoulders, neck, and arms exposed, he casually grabbed a jacket from the sofa and draped it over her shoulders.

Jiang Ying kept grinning, taking the projector from his hands, touching it here and there, then looking at the instruction manual, constantly giggling.

Meng Jingshu asked again, “Where do I put it?”

Jiang Ying casually found a spot on the TV cabinet and set the item down.

She suggested, “Let’s use it tonight. What should we watch?”

Meng Jingshu: “Whatever.”

Fine, that must be the answer men are best at.

Jiang Ying suddenly leaned closer to him, even narrowing her eyes like a fox, examining his eyes.

“Were you secretly looking at my Weibo?” she asked.

She had recently seen a lifestyle blogger who bought a projector and made her room feel very cozy, and she liked it, so she casually reposted it. He suddenly bought a projector, and that should be the only reason.

The man took a step back, turning his head away, but the corners of his mouth, like hers, couldn’t help but turn up.

Jiang Ying poked him: “When we had dinner with Hu Ruochen last time, did you secretly see my Weibo ID?” She poked more brazenly, from his firm shoulder and arm to his flat, elastic chest, “Sneaking a peek at my Weibo, and then getting mad at me...”

A man’s patience has its limits.

Meng Jingshu instantly grabbed her restless fingers. He lifted and bent his other elbow, trapping her neck, easily locking her throat, and holding her in the crook of his arm as he walked towards the bathroom.

Jiang Ying almost lost her balance. She shrieked, “What are you doing! You can’t win with words so you resort to force! Ah... my neck, my neck is so sweaty! Your clothes will get dirty, let go!”

Meng Jingshu wasn’t deterred by her little tricks and continued to drag her along. The two stumbled crookedly, moving sluggishly.

But he was undoubtedly in control.

“You said I stink, and you kicked me. Are you getting more and more brazen?”

Jiang Ying wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, putting her weight on him, trying to pull herself down and stop his progress.

Meng Jingshu scoffed coldly, “Is that all the strength you have?”

He placed his palm under her bottom, and Jiang Ying’s center of gravity was surrendered. She instantly rose.

He easily lifted her, even bouncing her slightly, teasing her, “Why are you so small, it’s like you haven’t grown up.”

Jiang Ying struggled in vain, then gave up. She started pinching his face instead, saying spiritedly, “I grew taller! Three centimeters taller than in high school!”

“Oh,” he chuckled, “I grew five centimeters.”

!!!

Jiang Ying kneaded his cold, handsome face as if it were dough. Meng Jingshu took a few steps into the bathroom, placed her on the washing machine lid, held the back of her neck, and rubbed his chin against her neck.

The man’s stubble felt tingly and prickly. Jiang Ying laughed and resisted, twisting and turning.

After a while of playful wrestling, he lowered his head to kiss her, cradling the back of her head, licking her lips with his tongue, then slipping it inside, kissing her however he pleased.

When he had kissed enough, he lazily held her, still enjoying pinching her ears, slowly rubbing them until they were red and hot.

Jiang Ying was soft from his kisses, too lazy to move. She touched his sharply sculpted, hard chin, feeling the emerging stubble, and asked him, “Do you need to shave again? It seems like you just shaved yesterday, growing so fast, it’s so troublesome.”

He smiled, kissed her flushed cheek, “Then I won’t shave?”

“No, you can’t, it’ll prick me. You have to shave, even if it’s troublesome!”

He chuckled softly, gave her bottom a hard squeeze, then lifted her again and stepped into the shower area.

The shower curtain was drawn, and the figures behind it were blurred. Hot water dripped onto the floor, steam rose, swirling into a moist and hazy mist, exceptionally warm.