She finally licked the bowl clean.
For the sake of this hard-won opportunity, Ning Xian decided she had to be brave just once.
She took a deep breath, set the bowl down, and rested her clenched fists on her knees.
“Xu... Xuan.”
Fang Xuan was clearing the table and looked up. “Mhm?”
Ning Xian didn't dare look at him. Her eyes were fixed on the remaining plate of tomato and egg stir-fry, and her voice was trembling uncontrollably.
“Can we... make... make lo—”
Fang Xuan stopped what he was doing and looked at her.
His Senior Sister’s ears were already deep red, looking as if they might drip blood, and even her neck was stained with a shade of pink.
She bit her lower lip, her fingers twisting the hem of her shirt.
He thought she had finished her sentence, but he hadn't expected her to be so forward.
Stammering, Ning Xian finally managed to finish the rest of her sentence. “Do... things we love to do?”
Fang Xuan blinked. “What are things we love to do?”
Shouldn't it have been ‘make...’?
Ning Xian’s face turned even redder.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say ‘watch a movie,’ but she found she couldn't even get those words out.
“It’s... it’s just... can I take you to a movie?”
Her voice grew smaller and smaller until it was like the buzzing of a mosquito.
She regretted it the moment the words left her mouth.
She should have started with shopping.
Going to the movies was clearly something couples did. Why had she jumped straight to that?
What if Xuan thought she was being too hasty?
What if Xuan refused?
What if...
“Okay.”
Ning Xian froze.
She looked up at Fang Xuan.
He was stacking the bowls together as if he had just agreed to something perfectly ordinary.
“Re... Really? Is it okay?” Ning Xian felt like her tongue was tied in knots.
No other woman could go to the movies with Xuan.
Hehehe...
Fang Xuan looked at her expression of shock and joy, and he sighed inwardly.
His Senior Sister was being too timid right now, making it hard for him to even find an opening.
It seemed she needed a thorough training session.
“Mhm,” he nodded. “When?”
Ning Xian’s mind went blank, and she blurted out, “Now?”
She immediately wanted to bite her tongue off.
Now? In the middle of the night? What time would it be when the movie finished? Was she being too impatient?
“Mhm...”
...
They hailed a taxi and went to the cinema.
In the taxi, Ning Xian huddled at the very edge of the seat, her body pressed against the door as if she wanted to squeeze herself into the crack of the window.
She didn't even dare to look at Fang Xuan.
Her eyes remained fixed outside the window, watching the streetlights recede one by one, the pedestrians hurrying across crosswalks, and the shop signs flickering in the night.
But out of the corner of her eye, she kept stealing glances at Fang Xuan beside her.
She swallowed hard again. She really wanted to hold his hand.
But... she didn't dare.
What if Xuan didn't like it? What if he thought she was being too proactive, like someone who only lusted after his body?
Just as her mind was racing with these thoughts, she suddenly felt a warmth on the back of her hand.
She looked down.
At some point, Fang Xuan’s hand had reached over and gently grasped hers.
Their fingers interlocked...
Ning Xian’s brain went ‘buzz.’
Her ears burned, and she stammered, unable to speak. She almost fainted right then and there.
Fang Xuan was truly helpless.
It seemed that before completing his plan, he would have to give his Senior Sister a thorough training session—starting tonight.
Ning Xian kept her head down, staring at their joined hands.
She felt her heart beating like a drum, thumping against her chest so hard it made her feel a bit breathless.
She stole another glance at Fang Xuan’s profile.
He still had that same calm, expressionless look, but the corners of his mouth seemed to curve up slightly.
Ning Xian quickly looked down again.
It was over.
Things were moving too fast today.
They actually... held hands.
Hehehe, hehehehe...
...
Inside the cinema.
The lights dimmed, the screen lit up, and massive images flickered before their eyes.
Fang Xuan wasn't watching at all.
Because he was busy teasing his Senior Sister.
After being teased, Ning Xian was curled up in her seat, her face red as if she had a fever.
She tried to pull her hand back.
But Fang Xuan wouldn't let go.
She tried again.
Fang Xuan gripped it even tighter.
She didn't dare move anymore, afraid that if she did, Xuan would think she was being impatient.
But she also didn't dare look at Xuan, afraid she would faint if she caught even a glimpse of him.
She could only stare at the screen, pretending to watch the movie.
The problem was, she wasn't processing any of it.
She had no idea who the people on the screen were, what they were saying, or how the plot was developing.
Her mind was filled only with the warmth of Xuan’s palm and the sensation of his fingers brushing against her skin.
It was itchy and tingly, like little ants crawling on her.
She felt like she was about to pass out.
...
The movie ended.
When the lights came back on, Ning Xian’s head was still in a daze.
She stood up, her legs a bit weak, and had to steady herself by leaning on the back of the seat.
Fang Xuan stood beside her and glanced at her.
“What’s wrong?”
“No... Nothing.” Ning Xian shook her head, not daring to look at him.
She stole a glance at their now-separated hands, feeling both sweet and bitter.
The sweetness came from the fact that they had held hands.
The bitterness came from the fact that the movie was over, and they had let go.
She didn't know when the next time they held hands would be.
Seeing her looking so distracted, Fang Xuan found this version of his Senior Sister quite amusing.
“I'll go buy some water.”
“Mhm...” Ning Xian nodded.
She stood at the cinema entrance, watching Fang Xuan’s back disappear at the end of the corridor.
Then she took a deep breath and patted her burning cheeks.
It was just holding hands, no big deal.
She and Xuan had grown up together. They had even bathed together when they were little.
Although... that was back in kindergarten.
But...
As her thoughts wandered, a familiar voice came from nearby.
“Ning Xian?”
Ning Xian turned and saw a familiar face.
It was a colleague of hers. They got along well enough at the office, though the woman was a bit of a gossip.
Ning Xian was taken aback. “You're here for a movie too?”
“Yeah, with some friends.”
The colleague glanced in the direction Fang Xuan had gone, then at Ning Xian’s bright red face. Her gaze became subtle.
“Are you here with Fang Xuan?”
Ning Xian nodded, her ears beginning to burn again.
The colleague frowned and pulled Ning Xian a couple of steps to the side.
“Stop trying to force things with Fang Xuan. Even if he likes you, it’s impossible between you two. And even if you did manage to get him, can you guarantee he’d be willing to suffer through a hard life with you?”
Ning Xian lowered her head, her fingers twisting her shirt.
“I... I'll work hard...”
“What’s the use of working hard? People like him handle millions with a wave of their hand. What do you have to offer? Is your monthly salary even enough for him to buy a pair of shoes?”
Ning Xian’s eyes grew a bit red. She knew her colleague was right.
Xuan was so handsome, so outstanding, and so many wealthy women were pursuing him. Why would he choose her?
She had no car, no house, and no savings. She could barely support herself. How could she marry him?
But...
She really liked him...
She had liked him for twenty years. How could she change that?
“Could you step away a bit?” Fang Xuan’s voice came from the side.
Ning Xian turned her head.
Fang Xuan had returned at some point. Holding two bottles of water, he stood beside her.
He looked at the person next to Ning Xian. His face was expressionless, but his eyes were cool and carried a hint of aloofness.
“My wife seems a bit unhappy.”
Ning Xian was stunned.
Wife?
Xuan said... wife?
The colleague was also stunned.
Fang Xuan didn't say anything else. He simply reached out, took Ning Xian’s hand, and pulled her closer to his side.
Then, he leaned in and kissed Ning Xian.
It was very light and soft, just a brief touch of lips against lips.
But Ning Xian’s brain completely short-circuited...
Xuan... kissed her?
Xuan kissed her?!
She felt her heart was about to leap out of her chest, and her vision began to darken.
No, I can't faint. I can't faint. I can't faint here...
Fang Xuan let go of her and then spoke deliberately, his voice neither loud nor soft, just enough for the person nearby to hear.
“Sister Xian, could you be a little gentler tonight? You kept me at it for hours yesterday and wouldn't let me rest...”
Ning Xian’s nosebleed finally couldn't be contained any longer and began to flow.
The colleague stood frozen on the spot, her expression shifting from surprise to embarrassment.
“I... I'm sorry...” she stammered, waving her hands. “I shouldn't have said anything. I spoke out of turn. Please continue, please continue...”
With that, she turned and ran.
Fang Xuan withdrew his gaze and looked back at Ning Xian.
Ning Xian kept her head down and didn't say a word.
She didn't dare to speak.
She was afraid that if she opened her mouth, she would say something like ‘Xuan, what did you mean by calling me wife?’
She was afraid to hear the answer. What if he was just joking? What if he only did it to help her out of a tight spot?
Seeing her looking so timid and cute, Fang Xuan felt a tingle in his heart. He really wanted to go home and give her a thorough training session.
“Let's go.”
“Go... where?” Ning Xian’s voice was muffled.
“Home.”
“To... whose home?”
“Our home.”
“Oh... okay.” Ning Xian followed behind him, her head lowered, not daring to look at him at all.
But her little head was completely muddled.
Xuan kissed her. Xuan called her wife.
Xuan said ‘hours’ last night...
Even though that last part must be fake... but... but it sounded so heart-stirring.
Rate on N.U.
