Chapter 24:  Exclusive to Jinjiang 1/2

Shi Zhang had a fresh scent of shower gel on him, but it was also unfamiliar.

“The night light, do you want it off?” Shi Zhang asked.

“Turn it off,” Song Fuzhi replied. He remembered that the switch was on his side. Just as he was about to get up to turn it off, Shi Zhang reached over and pressed the switch near his neck. He leaned over him, his whole body over Song Fuzhi, and reached the switch.

So Song Fuzhi lay down again.

Shi Zhang noticed a lone gold ring on the bedside table, hesitated for a moment, and asked, “Do you always take off your ring before sleeping?”

“Yes. Wearing a ring at night might not be good for health. Fingers can swell, and it’s easy to get stuck,” Song Fuzhi explained. “Professor Shi, do you wear a ring to sleep?”

Shi Zhang lowered his gaze and replied, “Yes.” Then he added, “I’ll take it off too.”

Since they were both lying there, the rings didn’t matter.

The light went off, and the bedroom plunged into darkness.

The rustling sounds filled the air as Shi Zhang got into bed, leaving a half-person distance between him and Song Fuzhi.

Professor Shi’s body temperature was indeed high. Even from this distance, Song Fuzhi could sense the faint warmth coming from the other side.

“Good night,” Shi Zhang softly said after taking off his glasses and placing them on the bedside table.

“Good night.”

Both of them maintained proper sleeping postures, an invisible line dividing the bed. They were careful not to encroach on each other’s space, even folding their legs cautiously.

Song Fuzhi sighed silently and helplessly. Even the kids in their class didn’t observe such conservative boundaries; some would even nap on others’ thighs during the lunch break. These two old-fashioned guys seemed excessively conservative.

How could Professor Shi talk about harmony or disharmony when they probably wouldn’t have this chance?

Considering the possible harmonious events that might happen in the future, Song Fuzhi suddenly called out, “Professor Shi.”

“Hmm?”

“I want to investigate something.”

“Go ahead.”

Song Fuzhi, still lying down, turned his head toward Shi Zhang. “What’s your type?”

The air suddenly became quiet, and Shi Zhang fell into silence.

“Sorry,” Song Fuzhi said, “just curious; no other meaning.”

Shi Zhang slowly responded, “I haven’t tried, so I’m not sure.”

Although Shi Zhang said this, he didn’t really think so. However, since it was Song Fuzhi, he was willing to let him choose first. Song Fuzhi could choose whatever he wanted, and Shi Zhang was fine with it.

Shi Zhang asked, “And you?”

To be honest, Professor Shi, despite his height, had a gentle temperament and no apparent aggressiveness. It was really hard to tell which side he belonged to.

Song Fuzhi knew what he liked, but if the other person also liked the same, he was willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of marriage. He was confident about his stamina, at least in that regard.

Song Fuzhi replied pragmatically, “I’m okay, objectively.”

“Alright,” Shi Zhang answered.

With the conversation reaching this point, even though the bedroom returned to silence, the air seemed to be quietly fermenting.

Song Fuzhi, lying with closed eyes, curved his lips into a smile. “Professor Shi, your body temperature is really high.”

It felt like there was a big heater half a meter away in the quilt.

“You can feel that?” Shi Zhang asked.

“Yeah.”

Song Fuzhi closed his eyes, lying flat. Suddenly, he felt his hand enveloped by warmth, and Shi Zhang held his hand.

His heart seemed to get a slight burn.

Abruptly opening his eyes, Song Fuzhi saw Shi Zhang lying on his side, looking at him. The deep black pupils refracted a hint of profound light in the night.

His heart seemed to get another burn.

“You’re quite cool,” Shi Zhang said, gently holding Song Fuzhi’s wrist as his thumb rubbed it.

Shi Zhang asked, “Are you afraid of the cold in winter?”

Thinking about the past winter, even with the heater on in bed, Song Fuzhi still felt cold.

“A bit,” Song Fuzhi replied.

Shi Zhang tightened his grip and said, “You won’t be afraid anymore in the future.”

—

The next morning, when Song Fuzhi opened his eyes, he found himself lying in the center of the large bed, in a bold sleeping position, with no one beside him.

The curtains were still drawn, and in the dim room, a tall figure stood, busy buttoning up a shirt, his head lowered.

It took Song Fuzhi a moment to react, and with a hoarse voice after waking up, he asked, “Shi Zhang, are you up?”

“Yeah,” Shi Zhang responded. “I have a lecture at the university today. You can sleep a bit more; it’s still early.”

While high school teachers enjoyed their summer break, university professors had other tasks to attend to during the summer vacation.

“I warmed up some porridge in the pot. Feel free to have some when you wake up.” Shi Zhang’s voice warmly echoed, blending with the morning light filtering through the curtains.

“You made breakfast?” Song Fuzhi blinked and gracefully turned over to get out of bed.

Shi Zhang had things to do, yet he had still woken up early to prepare breakfast. As someone with nothing to do, Song Fuzhi felt embarrassed just lying there while someone else served him.

“Aren’t you going back to sleep?” Shi Zhang asked from behind.

Song Fuzhi, already wearing slippers, walked out of the bedroom, answering from a distance, “Make you a cup of coffee.”

They had instant coffee that Song Fuzhi had brought from his home. During normal days, when he woke up early for morning self-study sessions, Song Fuzhi would enjoy a cup to stay awake.

He grabbed a panda-patterned mug from the cabinet, skillfully poured the coffee powder into it, and only then remembered to ask, “Professor Shi, do you drink instant coffee?”

Shi Zhang said, “Yes.”

It was convenient, as all you needed to do was pour hot water.

Song Fuzhi handed the brewed coffee to Shi Zhang. He took it but didn’t drink, placing it aside. Instead, he turned to grab his bag.

“Taking it with you?” Song Fuzhi asked.

“Yeah,” Shi Zhang replied. “Let’s go.”

Alright, Professor Shi was someone who valued his time. Eager to leave, he was ready to go, and Song Fuzhi understood.

Song Fuzhi returned from the kitchen with a lid for the coffee cup, saying, “Don’t spill it.”

Shi Zhang stood at the doorway for a while and said, “I’m leaving.”

Song Fuzhi yawned, “Goodbye.”

Shi Zhang closed the door with a smile and said, “Take a nap if you want.”

As the door closed, the house instantly returned to silence. Song Fuzhi, feeling drowsy, wandered around the house for a half-circle before finding the bedroom again and climbing back into bed.

The first day after marriage was surprisingly calm and peaceful, just as Song Fuzhi had imagined married life to be.

–

Holding his coffee, Shi Zhang pushed open the door to the lab and walked to his desk.

“Good morning, boss.”

A bespectacled student, looking a bit under the weather, waved his hand. “Bad news: the seedlings from Group 5’s cultivation got contaminated by fungi again. Good news: the fungal growth looks like a cosmic explosion, quite visually appealing.”

“Try a different antifungal agent,” Shi Zhang suggested, placing the coffee cup gently on the desk.

Seated next to the student was a quiet girl with long hair tied behind her ears.

She softly agreed, “Okay.”

The male student, named Liu Yang, stretched his neck and sniffed hard, laughing. “Boss, your coffee doesn’t have any aroma. How come you’re drinking instant coffee in a Mark cup?”

Liang Sisi, unfamiliar with coffee, only noticed the beautiful cup in Shi Zhang’s hand. “Which store’s instant coffee comes in a Mark cup?”

“It’s not store-bought,” Shi Zhang said. “It’s homemade.”

Liu Yang tossed his pen aside and, with an eager look, moved next to Shi Zhang. His gaze swept over Shi Zhang’s ring.

“Boss,” Liu Yang slyly asked, “Are you married?”

Shi Zhang happened to extend his left hand, retrieving a book from the shelf. The golden ring on his finger gleamed brightly in the sunlight, visible to everyone in the lab.

He spoke casually, “Yes.”

A few gasps sounded in the lab, and someone started applauding. Others joined in, clapping or imitating monkey sounds. The celebration was so lively; even a successful experiment might not have been this cheerful.

Excitedly, Liu Yang said, “So, it’s true! Congratulations, Boss! We noticed the ring last month and speculated for a while but didn’t dare ask!”

Shi Zhang remarked, “If a culture bottle develops a crack, you all call me to ask what to do. This, you don’t dare ask.”