Chapter 42

10:00 PM (1)

In the darkness, Xu Muzi leaned against the entrance wall. At the moment Deng Yun’s lips slowly covered hers, she faintly heard the sound of a music clock chiming from downstairs—

The gentle rhythm of “Silent Night.”

The music was interrupted by the closed door, becoming muffled and indistinct.

Deng Yun carried her familiar scent—clean and refreshing.

As their breaths mingled, their lips and tongues entangled fiercely, her mind swirling in a hazy fog, yet she clearly knew she wanted more.

This “want” had existed in the past.

When she secretly took off her turtleneck sweater in his room, when she felt him kissing her in the music room, when she looked forward to his studying abroad.

There were many nights when she let her hair down, lying on her dorm bed, refusing to sleep, her eyes shining as she messaged him in the dark…

In this continuous rain, the long kiss ignited all the accumulated desires from before, leading to a deep indulgence.

Deng Yun cradled Xu Muzi’s face in his hands. She tilted her head back, retreating step by step from the entrance into the darker depths of the room, possibly knocking something over, with the crisp sound of metal hitting the floor…

The kiss traveled down to her neck, and Deng Yun casually unzipped the back of her dress.

Like peeling off the glass wrapper of a chocolate candy downstairs, he removed her from her dress.

Her kisses were learned from him.

Later, her movements became a bit chaotic, and she bit him.

Deng Yun caressed Xu Muzi’s scar and asked, “Do you know what I’m going to do?”

Xu Muzi nodded.

She looked obedient, just like that year when she put on her down jacket, preparing to sneak out of the house with him.

Deng Yun carried Xu Muzi to the bed.

The bed still smelled like tomato vines, making her thoughts muddled, blurring the sense of time, as if returning to the morning over a thousand days ago when she woke up in his bedroom.

The heartbeat of the past and present intertwined, and the excuse for entering the room had long been forgotten.

How could she still remember that London Eye flower?

Deng Yun removed the hair tie from Xu Muzi’s hair, and as her long hair fell, he propped his arm against the pillow.

Her eyelashes fluttered, her breath becoming erratic, but her eyes adjusted to the dim environment. Amid her heaving chest, she anxiously glanced at the white bandage on his shoulder.

Before she could say anything, Deng Yun’s kiss fell again, silencing her unspoken concern.

Xu Muzi tried hard to stay calm.

Even though Deng Yun’s palm was warm and all his movements were incredibly gentle, his lips kissed her tightly closed eyelids and the tip of her nose lighter than raindrops.

She still trembled violently, her teeth chattering.

He was patient, showing no signs of impatience or irritation.

His soothing voice whispered beside her ear, filled with restraint, suppressing his instincts.

Without electricity, the air conditioning and ventilation had stopped, making the closed room stuffy.

Sweat soaked Xu Muzi’s neck, her hair sticking to her skin. After a long time trying, they still couldn’t move forward.

She felt anxious, her eyelashes moist, even carrying a hint of tears, resolutely stating she could.

Deng Yun said nothing, silently rubbing his fingers, forcibly distracting her mind.

He gifted Xu Muzi a memory-etched shiver.

As she grew dazed, he used his fingertip to wipe away the dampness hidden in her hair, planting a kiss on her forehead.

Xu Muzi tightly embraced Deng Yun’s neck, feeling his hand gently patting her back, burying her head for a long time.

Before, she stubbornly argued in her heart, not understanding why mutual affection required restraint.

Now, she understood.

She burrowed into his embrace anxiously, “But what about you…”

Deng Yun’s breath was uneven.

The tension was palpable in his forehead, yet he repeated, “Don’t tease me; I’ll take it slow.”

At 10:37 PM, the inn was still experiencing a power outage.

Xu Muzi wore the short-sleeved shirt Deng Yun had just taken off, sitting on the bed, fumbling for her phone, asking dully, “Where did the scented candle go?”

Deng Yun was drinking a chilled bottle of mineral water, and after finishing, he replied, his voice no longer hoarse, “Forgot.”

He was so smart, always capable of handling anything, yet now he seemed as forgetful as her.

Perhaps it indicated he wasn’t as composed as he appeared.

The only light in the room came from Deng Yun’s computer screen, and under the faint blue glow, Xu Muzi knelt on the bed, changing the bandage on Deng Yun’s arm.

Deng Yun propped a pillow against the headboard, reclining against it, bare-chested.

Blood seeped through several layers of gauze, causing Xu Muzi to worry, and she somewhat reproachfully said, “Why don’t you be more careful…”

“How can I be careful?”

Recalling their earlier movements, she realized she had been clinging to him, forcing Deng Yun to bear the weight of both of them.

Xu Muzi fell silent, her head down as she wrapped the gauze around Deng Yun’s arm layer by layer.

Unintentionally wrapping it too tightly, he teased her, asking if she was bandaging a wound or making zongzi (rice dumplings).

The inn’s first aid kit contained everything. Xu Muzi put the gauze and medical tape back, commenting on the inn’s management style, saying it felt as considerate as home.

Deng Yun leaned against the headboard, glancing sideways, and asked, “Don’t you find it familiar?”

Not at all.

Xu Muzi shook her head, indicating she had never stayed in this type of inn.

Even her mention of “home” was just an adjective; her own home was less meticulous than this inn.

Her parents were both rather careless people. When they had an aunt helping out, things were better, but after going bankrupt, the couple became equally negligent. Every time Xu Muzi returned home from abroad, she always found expired sauces and canned goods in the fridge.

Chapter 42 10:00 PM (1)

In the darkness, Xu Muzi leaned against the wall of the foyer. At the moment when Deng Yun’s lips slowly covered hers, she faintly heard the sound of a music clock chiming from downstairs—

The gentle rhythm of “Silent Night.”

The music was muffled, interrupted by the closed door.

Deng Yun had her familiar scent, clean and refreshing.

Breath mingled, their lips and tongues entangled fiercely, as if a mist rose in her mind, yet she clearly knew she wanted more.

This “want” had existed in the past.

When she secretly took off her turtleneck sweater in his room, when she felt him kissing her in the piano room, when she longed for him to go abroad for his master’s degree.

And on many nights, she let her long hair fall, lying on her dorm bed, refusing to sleep, her eyes sparkling as she texted him in the dark…

In this unending rain, the long kiss ignited all the desires accumulated before, leading her into a trance.

Deng Yun cupped Xu Muzi’s face in his hands; she tilted her head back, kissed retreating step by step.

One step at a time, retreating from the foyer into the darker depths of the room, perhaps knocking something over, a metallic sound echoed as it hit the ground…

The kiss wandered down to her neck, and Deng Yun simply pulled down the zipper of her dress from behind.

Like unwrapping a chocolate candy, he peeled her away from the dress.

Her kissing was learned from him.

As things got more heated, her movements became a bit clumsy, and she bit him.

Deng Yun stroked Xu Muzi’s scar and asked her, “Do you know what I want to do?”

Xu Muzi nodded.

She was as obedient as she was the year she put on her down jacket, ready to escape with him.

Xu Muzi was lifted onto the bed by Deng Yun.

The bed still smelled of tomato vines, confusing her thoughts, making it hard to distinguish the moment in time, as if she had returned to the morning more than a thousand days ago when she woke up in his bedroom.

The flutter of past and present intertwined, the excuse for coming in had long been thrown aside.

How could she still remember that London Eye?

Deng Yun removed the hair tie holding Xu Muzi’s hair up, and as her long hair fell down, he propped his arm up on the pillow.

Her eyelashes trembled, breath uneven, but her eyes had adapted to the dim environment. In her chest’s violent rise and fall, she worriedly glanced at the white gauze bandage on his shoulder.

Before she could say anything, Deng Yun’s kiss fell again, silencing her unvoiced concern.

Xu Muzi struggled to maintain her calm.

Though Deng Yun’s palm was warm, all his movements were gentle, his lips kissing her tightly closed eyelids and nose more lightly than raindrops.

She still trembled violently, her teeth chattering.

He was very patient, showing no signs of impatience or irritation.

His soothing voice was right next to her ear, carrying a restrained and suppressed tone, calming her instinctive impulses.

With no power supply, the air conditioning and ventilation had stopped working, and the room, with its tightly closed doors and windows, felt stifling.

Sweat soaked Xu Muzi’s neck, her hair clinging to her skin. They had tried for a long time but still couldn’t manage it.

She felt anxious, her eyelashes wet, almost crying as she resolutely said she could.

Deng Yun said nothing, silently rubbing her skin, forcefully distracting her mind.

He gifted Xu Muzi a bone-deep shiver.

As she grew dazed, he wiped away the dampness of her sweat hidden in her hair, placing a kiss on her forehead.

Xu Muzi tightly hugged Deng Yun’s neck, feeling his hand gently pat her back, burying her head for a long time.

Previously, she had stubbornly argued in her mind, not understanding why mutual affection should be restrained.

Now she understood.

She burrowed into his embrace, feeling troubled: “But, what about you…”

Deng Yun’s breath was uneven.

His forehead was clearly tense, but he still said, “Don’t tempt me, I’m taking it slow.”

At 10:37 PM, the inn was still without power.

Xu Muzi was wearing the short-sleeved shirt that Deng Yun had just taken off. She sat on the bed, fumbling for her phone, asking in a dazed voice, “Where did the aromatherapy candle go?”

Deng Yun was drinking a bottle of chilled mineral water. After finishing, he replied, sounding less hoarse than before, “I forgot.”

He was so smart; there was never anything he couldn’t handle. Now, he was as forgetful as her.

Perhaps it indicated that he wasn’t as calm as he appeared.

The only light source in the room was the blue glow from Deng Yun’s laptop screen. Bathed in its dim light, Xu Muzi knelt on the bed, changing the bandage on Deng Yun’s arm.

Deng Yun had propped a pillow at the head of the bed, leaning against it with his bare upper body.

Blood had seeped through several layers of gauze, making Xu Muzi worried. She complained a bit, “Why didn’t you be more careful…”

“How can I be careful?”

Recalling the earlier actions, she had completely clung to him, letting Deng Yun bear the weight of two people alone.

Xu Muzi fell silent, focusing on wrapping the gauze layer by layer around Deng Yun’s arm.

Not paying attention, she wrapped it a few more times, leading to his teasing question about whether she was bandaging a wound or wrapping zongzi (rice dumplings).

The first aid kit in the inn had everything. Xu Muzi returned the gauze and medical tape, marveling at the meticulous operation of the inn, saying this place was as considerate as home.

Deng Yun leaned against the head of the bed, looking sideways and asking, “Don’t you find it familiar?”

Not at all.

Xu Muzi shook her head, indicating she hadn’t stayed in this type of inn before.

Even her definition of “home” was just an adjective; her own home was not as detailed as this inn.

Her parents were truly careless people. In the past, having an aunt help care for them was fine, but after the bankruptcy, the couple were equally clueless. Every time Xu Muzi returned home from abroad, she always found expired sauces and canned food in the refrigerator.

Thinking back to breakfast, she had intended to write a good review for the inn. She shook her phone free from the pile of dress fabric on the floor and opened the inn’s order.

When it came to the actual review, she regretted not taking more photos while mushroom picking. Now she only had two photos: one of the comic guide and another of the hot drink she had made to ward off the chill in the early morning.

Not even enough for a nine-grid layout.

If we’re talking about it, this was Deng Yun’s fault.

Her mind was always filled with thoughts about him, neglecting the careful management of the inn’s owner and Xia Xia’s attentive care.

If Deng Yun hadn’t distracted her here, she surely would have taken a lot of photos, and wouldn’t be left with nothing to use.

So, she turned to ask the instigator if he had saved any photos of the inn to make up for it.

While asking, her hand reached toward Deng Yun’s pants.

She was temporarily in a state of physical and mental satisfaction, really not meaning anything else; she just knew his phone was in his pocket, thinking she could go get it.

Her hand was caught, and Deng Yun told her to behave and not mess around.

Xu Muzi realized and withdrew her hand: “Then do you have photos…”

Deng Yun took out his phone, saying he might have some.

But the battery was low, and the phone turned off as soon as he opened the photo album.

Not having enough photos, Xu Muzi didn’t want to just throw in the towel, so she had to postpone the review, thinking she would get the photos from Deng Yun after the power was restored.

In fact, the power bank was in her room; it wouldn’t be a hassle to go get it.

But she was only wearing Deng Yun’s short-sleeved shirt, her legs felt weak, and she felt a bit lazy.

Leaning back on the bed, she didn’t move, and instead, she recalled the long comment she hadn’t finished reading that morning.

She scrolled down, saying she had something to show him.

She probably read to this point in the morning, “I heard that this inn was originally a gift the owner planned to give away…”

Xu Muzi continued to read—

“However, due to unforeseen circumstances, it couldn’t be given away, and it was turned into an inn.

The staff said there is a piano room here.

The piano room is not open to the public. Not only did we not see it, but my friend and I searched around several times and didn’t even find the door. Instead, we unexpectedly discovered a ‘secret passage.’

After asking, we learned that it was a design oversight by the inn’s owner, leaving behind a piece of unused space. I found the owner rather interesting, hahahaha.”

Xu Muzi murmured softly, relaying whatever she saw to Deng Yun: “There’s a piano room here? The place we just walked past seems really useless…”

Her eyes were still fixed on the phone screen.

The last paragraph of the review was a blessing, saying it felt like the inn’s owner had an unfulfilled love story, hence wishing the owner prosperous business and smooth relationships.

It seems like there are always many regrets in this world.

And people like them, who could reunite after a long separation, were likely a very small number of lucky ones.

Deng Yun was drinking chilled mineral water again, the sound of the plastic bottle particularly loud in the darkness.

Xu Muzi’s heart stirred, and she turned her head, seeing his moving Adam’s apple.

When interacting with others, Xu Muzi didn’t have this much adventurous spirit.

Even when her family set off fireworks, asking if she wanted to try lighting the fuse herself, she would step back three meters away.

While working part-time as a pianist at the hotel, she encountered a decent-looking man.

The man inserted a room card into a bouquet of flowers and placed it beside her.

Xu Muzi didn’t feel stimulated at all and had no interest; after finishing her part-time job, she threw both the flowers and the room card into the hotel lobby trash can.

Being with Deng Yun was different.

He was silently easing the atmosphere, while she was filled with newfound courage. It was as if liking someone made the body sense it first, anticipating more contact.

She felt aggrieved after being so nervous just now.

Having made the decision herself, Xu Muzi slowly got off the bed, wandering over toward the fridge.

Deng Yun asked, “What are you looking for?”

“When we went mushroom picking, you drank red wine, right?”

“Do you want to drink?”

“Mm, is there still wine?”

There was half a bottle of red wine left.

Xu Muzi wasn’t particular about taste and didn’t mind chewing the fat; she hadn’t even looked closely at the brand or vintage. She pulled out the cork, found a large glass, and filled it up.

In the darkness, she couldn’t see clearly and almost spilled it.

She carefully leaned in, sipping a couple of mouthfuls along the rim of the glass.

She initially wanted to ask Deng Yun if he wanted some, but the floor lamp in the room suddenly turned on.

The air conditioner beeped, resuming operation.

After being in the dark for several hours, power was finally restored. Even through the door, they could hear the excited cheers of other guests outside, almost reminiscent of the gatherings of their elders in the past.

Excitedly, Xu Muzi turned around in the light.

Her cheeks still bore a layer of unvanished evening glow, holding the red wine bottle, with wine stains on her lips.

With her red lips and white teeth, she smiled at Deng Yun: “Deng Yun, we have power!”

The angle of the floor lamp happened to shine towards the bed, causing Deng Yun to squint.

He got up to adjust the lighting.

As he passed by her, he rubbed her hair, his eyes filled with gentle helplessness: “I told you not to tease me, and here you are smiling at me?”

Xu Muzi thought happily in her heart:

Maybe after she finishes drinking, she could really manage it?

She set the wine glass on the bedside, lying on the bed, urging Deng Yun to charge his phone.

The photos Deng Yun sent Xu Muzi included a squirrel sneaking fruits from the fruit platter, a dragonfly perched on wild berries, and dewdrops on lily of the valley…

These photos were so well taken that they could be used for promotional shots.

She remembered how he used to record videos of her and casually said, “If you weren’t doing software development, you could make money as a photographer.”

“How much do you plan to give?”

“What…”

“For the photographer’s photos, how much are you planning to pay?”

“I just wanted to compliment your skills.”

Deng Yun smiled, “What kind of skills?”

Xu Muzi surprisingly understood and threw the pillow into Deng Yun’s arms, saying he was being unserious.

He caught the pillow and glanced at her.

There was a feeling of seeing through her, like he knew her little thoughts perfectly.

Indeed, upon careful consideration, it seemed she wasn’t the only one being unserious.

She was the one who wanted to go back to his room.

Now, borrowing the red wine to ease her nerves, she was eager to think about the next time, and it was still her.

Xu Muzi, knowing she was in the wrong, stopped talking and placed a few of Deng Yun’s photos in the comments section. She took a big sip of red wine, held it in her mouth, slowly swallowed it, and edited her comment.

Before, she thought it was impressive that someone could write so many words in that early comment; she didn’t expect that when it was her turn, she would end up writing even more, struggling to hold back.

She wrote about how the inn felt like a refuge for the weary, wrote about Xia Xia’s enthusiasm and attentiveness, wrote about the adorableness of other guests, and even wrote about the innkeeper’s dedication to running the place well.

Coming to the inn was the beginning of good fortune.

So, she wrote seriously, saying she encountered unexpected people and events.

For this good luck, Xu Muzi generously praised. She reiterated the compliments she had given in front of Deng Yun, typing away excitedly, putting everything in her comment.

She said the innkeeper was meticulous and thoughtful, had great taste, and was very stylish…

The last sentence was a blessing: “Wishing the innkeeper abundant wealth,” and then she pressed the send button.

Deng Yun was also looking at his phone.

Not knowing what he saw, there was a hint of a smile in his eyes.

After finishing her comment, Xu Muzi had drunk half a glass of red wine.

After a quick self-assessment, she felt a pleasant buzz, so she tossed her phone aside, feeling a little restless as she sat up on the bed and poked Deng Yun’s arm.

Deng Yun was typing.

Feeling her touch, he looked up at her.

She heard her phone ring twice but ignored it, shyly covering her face and softly saying, “I’m ready. Should we… try again?”

She blurted it out, as if interrupting whatever he was doing.

Never mind, she thought, she couldn’t care less.

Deng Yun looked at Xu Muzi for a long time.

His eyes held an expression of complete surrender to this girl, acknowledging the situation.

He placed his phone on the bedside table, wrapped one arm around Xu Muzi’s waist, and effortlessly lifted her, pulling her onto his lap, gently squeezing her earlobe: “Meticulous and thoughtful?”

Xu Muzi shrank a little from the ticklish sensation and replied in confusion, “Hmm?”

He continued to caress her ear and asked, “Great taste and very stylish?”

These few phrases Xu Muzi was very familiar with; just two or three minutes ago, they had come from her own mouth.

But she had underestimated the situation, thinking he simply went to check the inn’s reviews.

“Are you jealous?”

A glimmer of amusement crossed Deng Yun’s eyes as he kissed the spot he had just touched: “No, I’m representing my inn to thank the guests for their compliments.”