A Drenched Puppy

Nan Xingyu stared at the empty compartment of her schoolbag.

Oh no.

She had left her jurisprudence class notes at Xi Jin's apartment.

After eating, she hurried back.

She opened the door.

A black-and-white sneaker lay in the entryway, making her stop short.

It was Xi Jin's.

He always put his shoes away neatly when he took them off.

But now one was by the door, and the other lay three meters away.

Something was wrong.

She picked up the shoe and put it back where it belonged, then walked in and spotted a black coat on the living room sofa.

Wasn't he supposed to go to the office today?

Why had he suddenly come back?

She followed the hallway toward the master bedroom and heard water running in the bathroom.

"Xi Jin."

She stood outside, pressing her ear against the cool glass door. "Are you back?"

Only the sound of running water came from the bathroom.

There was no response at all.

She stared at the door suspiciously.

He was clearly home. Why wasn't he answering?

A terrifying thought crept into her mind.

Could he have gas poisoning?

Accidents like that were always on the news.

She immediately pushed the door open and went in.

Steam filled the bathroom. Water poured from the showerhead onto a tall figure.

Xi Jin was standing under the shower fully clothed.

"Xi Jin?"

Nan Xingyu walked over in a daze and turned off the water. She looked at him. "What's wrong?"

His black shirt clung tightly to his body, outlining the smooth lines of his muscles.

His head was lowered, and the wet hair on his forehead hung down over his eyes.

He leaned against the wall as though all his strength had left him.

Nan Xingyu took hold of his arm.

It was ice-cold.

"Why are you showering with your clothes on?"

Xi Jin slowly raised his head.

Drops of water slid from the ends of his hair over the high arches of his brows, dripped onto the corners of his eyes, then rolled along his jawline and into his collar.

When he saw her, his lips slowly curved into a faint smile:

"I forgot."

"..."

Nan Xingyu leaned closer and sniffed, her brows drawing even tighter. "You've been drinking?"

Xi Jin nodded.

A drop of water fell from his chin onto the back of her hand, bringing a touch of coolness.

No wonder he had done something so ridiculous.

He had drunk too much.

But he rarely let himself get drunk.

He said he hated the feeling of not having a clear head.

What was going on today?

Nan Xingyu looked at him, his disheveled hair plastered to his forehead. He looked like a puppy drenched by the rain, utterly pitiful.

Helpless, she undid his shirt buttons for him. "Wash again. You can't do it like this."

Xi Jin watched her lowered lashes, long and curled. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he slipped an arm around her waist and turned her around, pressing her against the wall.

He lowered his head and kissed her.

"Mmph... Xi Jin, stop it. I still have to get back to school."

Xi Jin paid no heed. He caught her restless hands and held her tightly by the waist, swallowing urgently and repeatedly as the water at the corners of his lips mingled with the saliva in her mouth.

He needed an outlet for his emotions.

Nan Xingyu frowned and turned her head, trying to dodge.

But he pursued her even more closely, lifting her with one hand and pinning her against the wall. He tilted her chin up and continued to kiss her deeply.

At a loss, she pounded on his damp, warm chest. Broken whimpers escaped her throat from time to time, only to be swallowed up by his kiss.

"Xiaoyu."

"Say you love me."

"Say you'll never abandon me."

Xi Jin buried his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling and kissing her scent.

He wanted nothing more than to bite through her skin and drink the sweet fragrance from her body.

Nan Xingyu braced her elbows against his shoulders. Her clothes had been soaked by his drenched shirt and clung tightly to her skin.

"Xi Jin... stop..."

She bit her lip, and in the end, unable to bear it any longer, wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

The sound of running water in the bathroom had long since stopped.

Only their entwined, intimate panting remained.

"Xiaoyu, shall we elope?"

"..."

Nan Xingyu didn't know what had gotten into him this time.

Her awareness began to drift.

In the end, she took another shower with him.

Damn it.

He had nearly made her late for class.

She jogged all the way to the classroom.

She had barely sat down when Lin Piaopiao leaned over, her eyes wide. "Xingyu, why is your neck red here?"

Li Ziyan leaned in for a look too, teasing her with a smile. "You know, that shape looks a bit like a hickey."

"..."

Nan Xingyu's heart skipped a beat. She said calmly, "What? It was inexplicably itchy there just now, so I scratched it."

"True,"

Lin Piaopiao said, giving it no further thought. "Our baby Xingyu is unbelievably well-behaved. She never talks to boys, and whenever she has free time, she goes home to see her mom. How could she have a hickey?"

"..."

Nan Xingyu pressed a hand to her forehead.

Li Ziyan said, "It's more than just not talking to them. She treats boys like a monstrous flood or ferocious beasts, dodging whenever one comes near. I wonder if she's going to stay single for life."

Lin Piaopiao stroked Nan Xingyu's rosy, fair cheek.

"What a waste of a face that's the ultimate in innocent sexiness. If I had looks like yours, I'd date eight at once and make them line up to bring me milk tea."

"But seriously,"

Li Ziyan said, putting her jokes aside, "you shouldn't be too well-behaved. When you start dating, your partner could easily have you wrapped around their finger, leaving you with no say at all."

Nan Xingyu blinked her big, innocent eyes.

Was that really true?

Was that why Xi Jin had her wrapped around his finger?

"That's true,"

Lin Piaopiao said. Suddenly remembering something, she leaned closer again.

"Oh, right, Xingyu, was the nightclub I took you to last time fun? Tomorrow's Friday. Let's go again tomorrow night?"

That had been Nan Xingyu's first time at a nightclub.

When she first went in, it had felt a little novel.

But after staying a while, the music had made her ears ache.

The air had been thick with cigarette smoke, choking her and making her uncomfortable.

Not to mention Xi Jin had been watching her every move.

If she went to a nightclub again, there was no telling what he would put her through.

Thinking of how he was going on a "blind date" tomorrow night, all she wished was for Xi Jin and his arranged marriage partner to hurry up and lock themselves together for good.

"I don't want to go again."

She shook her head.

Lin Piaopiao didn't give up. "You can't keep staying in your own little world like this. If you don't like nightclubs, how about we get a few classmates together for a murder mystery game tonight? They're all people you know, so it won't be awkward."

Nan Xingyu opened her book. "The teacher's here."

The conversation was finally cut short.

But she had no mind for the lesson. She propped her cheek in one hand, her eyes on her textbook, while her thoughts drifted far away.

A month ago, she had thought things were over between her and Xi Jin.

But his domineering behavior after he returned had completely shattered that illusion.

They seemed to be back to the way they were before.

Hopelessly entangled, unable to break free.

What would it take to separate from him for good?

[Ways to make your boyfriend give up on you.]

Nan Xingyu searched the question and read the answers.

"What are you looking at?"

A voice suddenly came from behind her.

Nan Xingyu was immediately on guard. She switched off her phone screen and looked up at him with an easy smile.

"I'm searching for interesting ways to celebrate my boyfriend's birthday."

At the intersection, traffic flowed endlessly, and people waiting to cross crowded both sides of the street.

The traffic light flashed red.

The light on his handsome face flickered bright and dim.

Xi Jin looked as though he saw through her but wasn't going to say so. The corners of his lips lifted almost imperceptibly.

"Any results?"

"Yes."

Nan Xingyu grinned. "How about Haili Lao?"

Xi Jin knew she liked hot pot.

He had never paid attention to the mortifying birthday celebrations at Haili Lao online.

He readily agreed. "Sure."

An hour later.

He wanted to die.

Or kill her.