She: “…” Damn, had she been daydreaming the whole way?
…
There was a breeze in the evening. At the subway entrance, pedestrians hurried by. Along the road was a row of haphazardly parked shared bikes, mixed with a few old-fashioned 28-inch bicycles.
Dark clouds obscured the crescent moon. The sky above was like an ink painting mixed with gold powder. The streetlights were warm yellow, and the two straight road dividers were white. And she was honey-colored.
Ning Ci silently looked down at her, curious how a person could be so fierce one second and so docile and cautious the next.
In his twenty-odd years of life, for the first time, he had the thought of wanting to settle down with a girl.
His hoodie was loose, his collar casually open as if he didn’t feel the cold, revealing a sliver of delicate, pale collarbones—and indeed, his palms and soles were very warm, like a hand warmer. They complemented Cheng Buxi’s cold bones perfectly. If she put her hand in there, it would definitely feel comfortable.
But both of them held back. They walked side by side in tacit silence.
It was obvious that he had taken a shower before coming; a light, refreshing scent of body wash lingered around him. Cheng Buxi felt it smelled familiar… Faint rum mixed with spices, very sophisticated, somewhat understated, but the base was warm and bold. It had been so long, though, that she couldn’t place it.
His hair was clearly washed and blow-dried, messy but stylishly casual. Compared to earlier on the court, drenched in sweat and standing on end, now, in the cool night, his black hair was soft, his posture relaxed, handsome and striking. If you said he had dressed up, he hadn’t applied anything, not even perfume. If you said he hadn’t dressed up, he had even taken a shower and tousled his hair.
…
What Cheng Buxi didn’t know was that she was also being carefully scrutinized by him at that very moment. She was as tense as if facing a great enemy, staring steadfastly at the ground, walking in silence.
Halfway along, Ning Ci said, “In just a few days, Miss Cheng has become much more refined.”
Cheng Buxi: “…” She silently cursed in her heart.
At the intersection, waiting for the traffic light, bright lights shone from all directions.
Cheng Buxi noticed that along the way, he had been staring at her, his gaze deep or shallow, without any attempt to hide it. So, slightly annoyed, she lifted her face and asked, “Wh-why are you always staring at me?”
Ning Ci stuffed his hands in his pockets. From that angle, most of his face was in shadow, somewhat hazy, somewhat charming. Amid the bustling crowd, he exuded a calm and arrogant aura. “I was wondering if we’ve met somewhere before?”
It didn’t sound like a lie. His gaze was deep and intense, as if he was really trying to recall something through her.
Cheng Buxi tilted her head. “…What?” From her angle, she could just see a sharp line of his jaw.
Ning Ci couldn’t put it into words. He just felt, “I don’t know. I just find you very familiar. It seems like…”
Like someone deep in his memory—a sunny doll, a bright sun, under the flagpole—that figure gradually overlapping.
“We met in the woods,” Cheng Buxi said.
Ning Ci paused briefly, then changed the subject with a smile. “Mm, Miss Cheng was very brave. My shoulder bones still ache faintly.”
“…………!” Her face instantly flushed red.
A lot of time had passed, and she still hadn’t had a chance to explain what really happened that day. She told him that day she had just taken a critically injured calico cat to the hospital, full of pent-up anger, thinking only about catching that pervert, “and then…”
“And then you ran into me.” Ning Ci narrowed his eyes, his tone lazy. “Do I really look that much like a villain?”
Cheng Buxi quickly retorted, “You were facing away, and there were kittens meowing… I didn’t think. I just wanted you to stop and not hurt them anymore.”
“Stop?”
“Mm, stop.”
Ning Ci smiled again. “I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed.”
Cheng Buxi: “?”
“When it comes to being curious about Miss Cheng, I can’t stop.”
Cheng Buxi: “…” ??????