Chapter 33

5:00 PM (1)

Right now, anything related to Deng Yun was clearly more attractive.

Xu Muzi certainly wouldn’t choose to play cards.

Moreover, the word “explain” made her feel valued, just as she valued her cousin.

It seemed that others had responded to Xing Pengjie’s call; through the door, she could hear several sounds of doors opening and closing, along with some chatter.

She faintly heard someone say, “It’s already five o’clock. Let’s go, let’s play a few rounds before dinner at seven.”

This group of people really wouldn’t settle down even with a power outage.

After the commotion, the hallway fell silent again.
—-
Five o’clock in the afternoon.

Outside the window, the thunder and lightning had ceased, but the wind wailed, and the rain showed no signs of letting up. The downpour lashed against the glass like a car entering an automatic car wash.

The inn was still in darkness, and Xu Muzi sat on the sofa in Deng Yun’s room.

On the table, a flickering candlelight cast a warmer hue on the London Eye rose blooming in a cup of water.

In this warm, intimate space, Deng Yun lazily leaned back in the computer chair.

His broad shoulders were relaxed, and the cuff of his shirt revealed the bandage Xu Muzi had wrapped around his arm, the soft fabric of his shirt pooling at his narrow waist.

The nostalgic conversation she had wanted to have had shifted into something more ambiguous after their kiss.

It was hard to tell which one of them was leading them astray.

Xu Muzi felt very hot.

She removed her thick bathrobe, hurriedly adjusting the shoulder strap that had slipped off, irritably folding the robe a few times before setting it aside. “Do you have a cigarette?”

“I quit.”

“Oh…”

After their trivial exchange, Deng Yun began to talk about the fridge magnets.

He threw her a question first: “Don’t you believe I’ve never dated before?”

Xu Muzi nodded.

She shot him a glance that held a hint of reproach.

They weren’t just casual lovers who had clicked in the moment; they had mingled long before, with their families well acquainted.

Surely, she knew the situation with that fridge magnet?

The little thoughts swirling in her heart were written all over her face, and only then did a hint of amusement appear in Deng Yun’s eyes.

He sighed, saying, “Rumors have hurt me,” then added, “Let me think about how to explain.”

After a moment of silence, Xu Muzi heard Deng Yun say—

When he bought the fridge magnet at the souvenir shop, he had merely noticed her.

The situation was completely different from what his mother had guessed; he hadn’t intentionally picked a gift for anyone other than his family.

But he had indeed thought of her while in the store.

It wasn’t just a passing thought; it was a significant distraction—he had unintentionally grabbed the fridge magnet.

When he swiped his card to pay, he was searching for a pharmacy on Google Maps. After completing the payment, he realized he had taken something extra.

After leaving the souvenir shop, he headed straight to the nearest pharmacy to buy ointment.

As Deng Yun spoke these words, he kept looking at Xu Muzi.

He asked, “What ointment did you buy? You don’t need me to explain, do you?”

Xu Muzi felt a surge of emotions, panic washing over her as she shook her head.

She truly didn’t need to.

Because not long after that, Xu Muzi received a call from the hotel front desk; her face, swollen from the recoil of the gun, had to go downstairs to pick up an unnamed anti-swelling ointment.

Xu Muzi remembered the evening she heard the news that “Deng Yun seems to be in a relationship lately.”

Compared to the endless speculation and various bits of gossip shared over tea by their mothers, the real origin of the souvenir fridge magnet was far too ordinary.

Yet, after listening to him, she felt an unusual thrill.

It was as if the oxygen in the room had been consumed by the candlelight, making it hard to breathe.

Was the reason he bought the fridge magnet because of her?

So… was he saying that he particularly cared about her?

Deng Yun didn’t stand up; the computer chair slid back half a meter as he took a can of iced tea from the mini-fridge.

The fridge door closed with a “thump.”

He popped open the iced tea, slid back to sit across from her, and placed the metal can on the table in front of Xu Muzi.

Xu Muzi didn’t have the habit of thanking Deng Yun; she picked up the iced tea and slowly took a sip, trying to suppress the overwhelming emotions.

Someone knocked on the door.

Deng Yun sighed lightly and got up to open it.

Outside was the boy who had been responsible for fetching the ladder earlier.

The boy still felt guilty and came over to inquire about Deng Yun’s injury, concerned about whether he needed any assistance.

Deng Yun was probably saying that he was fine.

Xu Muzi couldn’t hear the specifics; her mind drifted back to another memory.

That winter break before school started, they had stumbled into a conversation about relationships.

Deng Yun was lying on the sofa, tapping a can of ice-cold Coke against Xu Muzi’s earlobe. When she turned around sharply, he asked her, “What happened to that average-looking male classmate of yours?”

According to the usual pattern, encountering something like a failed crush during a low point should have been quite the setback.

But…

During that time, Xu Muzi had been hanging out with Deng Yun every day, secretly from her parents.

When she was happy, she wanted to find Deng Yun to laugh and have fun; when she was unhappy, she wanted to do rebellious and thrilling things with him;

When she heard her relatives gossiping about ridiculous rumors, she would text Deng Yun to vent;

At the dinner table, when she saw her drunk relatives making fools of themselves, she would stifle her laughter and immediately look towards Deng Yun.

She thought Deng Yun was handsome, tall, had great fashion sense, was cool and mysterious, very smart, had plenty of ideas, remained calm in a crisis, could take her on adventures, and smelled particularly good…

Deng Yun’s presence was so strong that he successfully pushed everyone else away.

So, Xu Muzi hadn’t really thought about her male classmates from the IELTS class for quite a while.

Caught off guard by the question, she paused for a moment.

After pondering for a few seconds, she shrugged and answered casually under his gaze that she hadn’t been in contact with her male classmate.

She said, “I haven’t thought about it for a long time.”

At that time, they were in Deng Yun’s room having a late-night snack, the takeout box still in the special New Year’s edition, vibrant red with cheerful little blessings on it.

Xu Muzi then asked Deng Yun if he had made any New Year’s wishes on New Year’s Eve.

He said no.

They saw each other so often, always joking and playing around.

She sat on the carpet, planning a sneak attack, trying to use her Coke to ice his chin, but he saw through her and grabbed her wrist to stop her.

Wanting to change the subject, she shyly urged him to make a New Year’s wish.

Without a moment’s hesitation, he smiled and said he hoped that what she had just said—that she “hadn’t thought about it for a long time”—was the truth.

At the time, she thought it was just a teasing joke.

Maybe, just maybe…

Xu Muzi swallowed a large gulp of iced tea, feeling the chill slide down her esophagus as she glanced toward the entrance.

The boy who had come to check on him had just left, and Deng Yun closed the door, also looking at her.

The small interruption didn’t break their previous conversation.

He asked, “Do you remember what happened 1,075 days ago?”

Xu Muzi held the slightly cold metal can in her hands and shook her head.

“How long has it been since we last met?”

“More than two years, I think…”

“Be more specific.”

Xu Muzi wasn’t quite sure: “It seems like… two years and eight months?”

Noticing his disapproval, she quickly changed her answer, “Then two years and nine months?”

Deng Yun glanced at her. “It’s 1,075 days. It’s almost been three years.”

“But you said the last time you felt something…”

Deng Yun’s awareness of Xu Muzi indeed began after their encounter at the Muga Los shooting range.

He couldn’t quite remember when he had started to be consistently aware of her.

Perhaps it was when he discovered she had a male classmate she liked, and he found himself feeling subtly displeased;

Or maybe it was when he was outside a restaurant, helping her button her shirt collar;

Or perhaps it was when he started to interact with her and found ways to be around her…

Deng Yun sat back down in the computer chair, hunching over with his elbows resting on his knees, gazing into Xu Muzi’s eyes.

“I developed feelings for you fairly early on; I can’t pinpoint the exact moment, but it was probably during those few days when I tricked you into climbing over the wall. Later, my feelings evolved from mere fondness to love, and there were countless moments of affection in between.”

1,075 days ago was their last meeting.

They stood in Xu Muzi’s small villa, which had already been sold, and the living room was a mess, cluttered with cardboard boxes and miscellaneous items piled so high that there was no space to stand.

Faced with the dispiriting scene, he had asked her about her plans for the future.

She felt sad and confused.

He mentioned that he had helped her send out her resume, and she bit her lip, her eyes red as she looked at him.

Deng Yun was very straightforward: “Right up until our last meeting, I was still moved.”

“But you said I should try not to cry…”

“I really wanted to hug you then, but I couldn’t. When I said don’t cry, it was because if I saw you shedding tears, I wouldn’t be able to help myself.”

The ice in the glass had melted.

After finishing his words, Deng Yun lightly flicked the glass holding the roses.

A soft, crisp sound rang out.

It was like the sound of a key turning in a lock, opening a heart’s hidden door.

Those feelings, long buried and almost dulled by rust, began to stir once again.

Xu Muzi had eagerly anticipated Deng Yun’s birthday gift and had hoped for a change in their relationship.

Afraid of missing his call, she always kept her phone on ring mode.

She also began trying face masks in preparation for her return in June.

If only there hadn’t been a family crisis.

Xu Muzi tightened her grip on the iced tea can, still feeling unsure: “So you’re saying…”

“I’m saying I like you.”

Her heart felt like it was lifted momentarily, and she squeezed the iced tea can tightly, making a crisp sound.

She was incredibly happy, but the pain and grievances of those missed years surged to the forefront of her mind.

Her nose tingled, and tears streamed down her face.

Deng Yun crouched down in front of Xu Muzi, raising his hand to wipe away the tears that fell as she blinked.

He comforted her and liked to mess with her hair, but after several attempts, she cried even harder.

Finally, he said, “Still crying? Should I take that as an invitation to hug you?”

Deng Yun pulled Xu Muzi up from the sofa, suddenly wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her into his embrace.

His arm held her waist tightly, as if he wanted to meld her into his very being. Though she still held the iced tea can, she couldn’t help but wrap her arms around his neck.

This hug lasted for a long time, gradually filling the emptiness and sadness in her heart.

Her knees brushed against the fabric of his pants, thin and damp from the rain, cold against her skin.

Her emotions were complex.

The feelings of “wanting” and “wanting to love Deng Yun” clashed repeatedly within Xu Muzi.

Suddenly recalling something, she struggled a bit and spoke with a tearful voice, “Deng Yun, you’re hurt…”

He replied with an “Mm”: “So don’t move around.”

The condensation on the iced tea can dripped cold water, sliding between her fingers as she watched the drops fall onto his neck.

It must have felt cold; he tilted his head slightly.

Xu Muzi wanted to help wipe it away.

Deng Yun wouldn’t allow it; still holding her waist with one arm, he reached behind his neck with the other, took the iced tea can from her hand, and effortlessly tossed it onto the floor.

He looked at her, asking, “Should I kiss you?”

Xu Muzi nodded randomly.

However, Deng Yun didn’t kiss Xu Muzi on the lips; instead, he pressed his lips to her ear.