(1)
The night sky was sprinkled with sparse stars, and the gentle drizzle made the distant alleyways seem even more mysterious and deep.
An Jing stared blankly at a character on her test paper, feeling as if it was growing bigger and bigger until it expanded into a boundless universe.
It wasn’t until the sharp alert sound of a QQ message rang that she suddenly snapped back to reality.
“Ah, it’s already past nine o’clock. I have to go home!”
“Going back now? Isn’t it unsafe to go home so late?”
An Jing was about to reply with “How could that be?” but the words caught in her throat because she had actually experienced something unsafe once before.
“It should be fine… Nine o’clock is okay. Lots of street vendors and barbecue stands are busiest at this hour. There are many people out.”
“But Xiaojing, isn’t there a stretch of your way home without any shops?”
“Just a little bit of road…”
“But it’s still a bit unsafe, plus it’s raining outside.”
Zhu Ying opened the window a little wider and slyly winked, “How about you just stay at my place tonight?”
“Huh? No, that’s not necessary.”
“I’ll call Feifei Jie first.”
Without hesitation, Zhu Ying flipped open her phone and dialed Yu Mingfei’s number.
“Hey, Feifei Jie? Yeah, it’s like this—it’s pretty late, and it’s raining. How about letting Xiaojing stay at my house? It’s safer that way. Yeah, right. We can go to school together tomorrow. Okay, thanks!”
“Fei Jie… what did she say?”
An Jing had a feeling but couldn’t help asking.
“Fei Jie said it’s fine for you to stay at my place tonight~”
“What, are you shy?”
“Tch, shy about what!”
An Jing puffed up her chest as if to bolster her courage, “I used to be a guy anyway, so you should be the one feeling shy, right?”
“Hmph, really? But you must be used to it by now. You’ve slept over at Qiqi’s place several nights too.”
An Jing wanted to say that there was someone else on the bed back then, so it wasn’t the same feeling as just the two of them, but in the end, she swallowed the words.
“Take a shower!”
“I don’t have a change of clothes.”
“I have some underwear.”
“…Then maybe I won’t wash?”
“Absolutely not! You went running today; how could you not shower?”
“It’s not that hot…”
“You have to! If you don’t want to wash, then I’ll help you!”
“I’d rather wash myself.”
An Jing waved her hands anxiously.
“Can I not change clothes?”
“No way~”
“Wearing what you’ve already worn isn’t very hygienic…”
“What, do you look down on me?”
“Ahem!! That’s not what I meant, I just—”
“I have brand new clothes too, of course! Don’t worry, Xiaojing, I’ll find something for you~”
Zhu Ying said as she opened her wardrobe, which was filled with all kinds of pretty clothes that looked freshly organized.
They were all spring outfits—none of the thick winter clothes.
She pulled open a drawer and took out a resealable bag, then pulled out a very thin piece of fabric and gently waved it in front of An Jing.
“Hmm—do you like this color, Xiaojing?”
“Eek!?”
“What’s wrong? You’re not going to wear it? Why are you blushing so much?”
“I—I still wear… the boy’s style clothes from before…”
“Hmph, then this is a good chance to experience what it’s like to be a girl.”
“No, no way!!”
An Jing’s back was already pressed against the door as she nervously shook her head.
“I mean… I’m about to… get my period soon! This might not be appropriate!”
“Your period’s coming soon? Then how about these lantern pants? They’re comfy, cute, and perfect for holding sanitary pads.”
An Jing stared at the adorable lace trim and opened her mouth in surprise but didn’t say a word for a long while.
Zhu Ying took her silence as consent, placing the orange lantern pants on the bed.
Then she suddenly stepped in front of An Jing and, without warning, pressed both hands on her chest.
“Eek?!!!”
“Hmm… pretty flat. Then maybe the tie-up type will do.”
“T-Tie-up type?”
“You know, the kind with a bow tied at the neck.”
“No, no! I’ll get found out! I’m still a guy at school!!”
“Oh, right. Then what do you usually wear?”
“Nothing. I just wear the short-sleeved uniform…”
“Doesn’t it chafe?”
“It’s okay…”
“How about a bandeau? Or a dudou?”
“No need… I don’t wear those…”
“Then dudou it is! That kind is fine, and it won’t cause discomfort.”
“O-Okay then…”
An Jing wasn’t so opposed to the dudou since she often wore one in summer back home as a child.
Many kids growing up in the countryside wore dudous, and they all loved the style inspired by Nezha from cartoons—no matter boy or girl.
“So, do you want to shower first? Or do you want to shower with me~?”
“No!!”
Faced with Zhu Ying’s ‘temptation,’ An Jing rejected her quickly and without hesitation, which only made Zhu Ying pout in disappointment.
“Hmph, next time if you beg me, I won’t shower with you!”
“Well, that’s a relief…”
“Fine, then next time I’ll shower with someone else, like Xiaoru, and we’ll have close contact.”
“Hey hey!!”
“You said you’re not interested, so I’ll shower with someone I am interested in~”
“Tch, Wangwang likes guys, not girls…”
“Then I’ll tempt her~”
“Hey hey hey!!!”
“Shower together!”
“N-Next time!!” An Jing panicked and burst out the door like a rabbit about to be caught by an eagle.
***
(2)
Zhu Ying’s house had two bathrooms, which was much more convenient than the apartment where An Jing lived with her sisters.
Zhu Ying’s bathroom was very clean.
There weren’t many things on the countertop, so it looked very tidy.
Unlike An Jing’s expectations, there wasn’t a large collection of skincare products—just a bottle of facial cleanser and a box of face cream. Inside the cabinet for toothbrushes, there was a hand cream, and aside from that, a stockpile of various new toothpastes and toothbrushes.
Back home, her two older female cousins had a ton of skincare products in their bathroom—three different cleansers, two makeup removers, and countless other bottles filling up the shelves.
She never knew what they all did.
An Jing casually tore open a new toothbrush, but feeling shy to use Zhu Ying’s cup, she leaned over the faucet to rinse her mouth.
She had only worn her school uniform twice and didn’t plan to change, so after taking it off, she put it somewhere dry.
When she finally stripped completely, she carefully checked the door lock, making sure it was secure before relaxing and removing all her clothes.
Next to the shower head was a strawberry-scented three-piece shower set, and even the liquid inside was a cute pink color.
—No wonder girls really like this kind of pink and tender stuff.
Zhu Ying’s showerhead had much stronger water pressure than the one in the apartment, making An Jing feel like all the pores on her body opened wide, and her whole body relaxed.
The water heater at home only had enough hot water for one person at a time, and if too much hot water was used, the flow would reduce significantly.
Especially in winter, the trickle of water could make a person shiver for a while before getting warm.
Also, the mirror at Zhu Ying’s house was quite amazing—it didn’t fog up.
Even after a hot shower, the reflection remained crystal clear.
Seeing herself so clearly for the first time after her shower made An Jing feel a bit uncomfortable.
She couldn’t help but look herself over several times and murmured quietly, “Hmm… like icing on a cake.”
“Xiaojing, are you done showering yet?”
“Huh? Ah!! W-What’s up?”
“I need to use the bathroom! The other one’s taken by my dad!”
“I’m getting dressed, almost done!!”
An Jing hurriedly pulled on the lace-trimmed lantern pants, wrapped on the dudou carelessly, then threw on her school uniform again, clutching the uniform pants as she rushed out.
Zhu Ying stuck close like a little cat and sniffed the scent on her: “Hmm… so nice, smells like strawberries!”
“That’s because your shower gel, shampoo, and conditioner all smell like strawberries, you know…”
“Hehe, but Xiaojing smells even better! Pink little strawberry, I want to take a bite~”
An Jing’s eyelids twitched wildly, and she nervously shrank her neck.
“Go wait on the bed!”
“…Don’t say it so weirdly, okay.”
An Jing sighed helplessly.
“Oh right, help me bring the clothes on the bed. I’ll shower right after I finish using the bathroom!”
“Okay.”
***
(3)
It had already been half an hour since Zhu Ying went into the bathroom.
An Jing wanted to log into QQ on her computer but was afraid of invading Zhu Ying’s privacy, so she restrained the urge to check what terrible pictures her friends had sent and instead kept scrolling through the group chat on her phone, repeatedly typing messages like “I’m on a no-pic policy, please don’t post pics.”
The rain was still falling, but lightly, so the lively noise from Dapeng Shopping Street could still be heard.
At night, the crowd there was mostly middle-aged people.
The street vendors’ business was best at this time; groups of people drank beer, chatted loudly, venting the stresses of life and soothing their weary souls.
If you heard the clinking of beer bottles, don’t worry—it wasn’t usually a fight but someone drunk knocking over a table, which was a common occurrence.
An Jing actually liked listening to these sounds because she felt they were an irreplaceable part of life, and also a symbol of people’s optimism.
—If people weren’t optimistic, they wouldn’t seek to dispel negative emotions but would let those feelings pile up until they crushed them completely.
“Life…”
An Jing spun her pen, resting her chin in her palm, suddenly smiling, “I like life.”
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