Chapter 41

9:00 PM (2)

Xu Muzi understood what “change places” meant.

It wasn’t about changing places to chat and catch up, but rather about continuing the interrupted kiss from earlier.

She nodded.

Her heart was pounding, even more intensely than the raindrops hitting the glass window, and she allowed him to take her hand and lead her away.

After a few steps, she realized they were heading deeper into the corner opposite the duck palm tree.

Before Xu Muzi had a chance to wonder, Deng Yun had already pushed open a hidden door, which was shrouded in even thicker darkness.

Deng Yun held up a scented candle and stepped inside first, reminding Xu Muzi to watch her step over the threshold.

With the candlelight, she could vaguely see that inside was an open space resembling a fire escape; the sides were not very wide, forming a narrow, windowless, enclosed corridor.

“What is this place…?”

“Not much use; I guess it could be considered a staff passage.”

They moved forward with the candle, walking slowly in the dim light while still able to hear some noise from the common area.

It seemed that Xing Pengjie was loudly justifying his actions from the game, sounding more wronged than Dou E: “That was a strategy!”

Such separate actions away from all the noise had happened before and often occurred.

The most similar occasion was on the night Deng Yun first folded a paper butterfly for her.

That night, Deng Yun had asked Xu Muzi, “Do you want to come with me?” The living room downstairs was filled with their parents and other elders who often met, and the place was buzzing after several rounds of drinks.

But he said they didn’t need to climb out the window; they could use the side door.

While Xu Muzi still had to sneak around in her own house, she wasn’t nearly as calm as Deng Yun, following him silently down to the side door.

Any slight rustle would make her tense up.

Just as she was about to open the side door, Deng Yun suddenly raised his hand and gently tapped the tip of her nose with his fingertip.

The unexpected movement nearly startled her to death, causing her heart to tighten.

Yet he remained calm, asking her, “Why aren’t you breathing?”

Xu Muzi’s mother could be heard instructing her father to get drinks, her voice clear as day, as if they were right next to her.

Xu Muzi didn’t have good lung capacity, and unable to hold her breath, she began to gasp quietly, her voice small like a buzzing mosquito: “I’m afraid I’ll get too excited and cause respiratory alkalosis…”

Deng Yun chuckled and pressed down on the side door handle for her: “So you plan to stop breathing and suffocate yourself?”

Thinking back on the past, Xu Muzi didn’t expect that after over a thousand days, she hadn’t made any progress in this regard.

The confined space was filled with the sound of rain dripping, and as she walked slightly behind Deng Yun, she was still holding her breath, tense.

Along with her nervousness, a series of questions and worries surfaced: “The staff passage shouldn’t allow outsiders, right? If we do something here and the inn staff finds out, won’t they be angry? I wonder if there are cameras installed in this place…”

Deng Yun held the candle, suddenly laughing lightly, causing the flame to flicker more.

Their shadows danced chaotically on the wall, and he teased her: “Your thoughts are quite wild. Are you planning to continue here?”

“…You said to change places, not to do it here.”

“Isn’t that overthinking it?”

“Oh, then why don’t we go through the common area?”

Deng Yun interlaced his fingers with Xu Muzi’s, gently squeezing her hand as he said, “You don’t want Xia Xia to see, and I don’t want to let go, so we can only take a different route.”

Xu Muzi had a poor sense of direction and guessed they must have bypassed the restaurant.

Deng Yun’s phone rang once, and the screen lit up faintly in his pocket.

Thinking of the lines of code Deng Yun had typed on the computer earlier, Xu Muzi stared at his back and asked, “Deng Yun, what work are you doing now?”

“What’s wrong? Want to manage the accounts?”

That line was quite ambiguous.

Xu Muzi choked a little, feeling embarrassed, and poked Deng Yun with her finger, pointing behind his shoulder: “I’m talking seriously with you.”

“I’m doing software development with two friends.”

“Do you like this job?”

“I quite like it.”

Deng Yun said he had planned to do this from the start; it was just that initially, he had no financial pressure and wasn’t in a hurry, intending to pursue his master’s degree first and then gradually dip his toes in after that.

His family’s investment failure pushed him to start his entrepreneurial journey earlier.

Xu Muzi had no understanding of software-related work; she just wanted to know if Deng Yun was happy with his job.

Hearing that he liked his current work brought her some happiness as well.

“Then is your height really 186 cm or 189 cm?”

“Where did you hear those figures?”

“186 cm is what I heard from my mom, who said you don’t seem as tall as my uncle. 189 cm is what your mom said.”

“Neither is correct; I’m 187 cm.”

They both knew the reasons their parents inflated their heights, but they couldn’t comprehend the vanity brought by that extra centimeter. They were surprised that their parents were so similar that they only misreported by one centimeter.

Xu Muzi understood what “changing places” meant.

It wasn’t about just chatting somewhere else; it was about continuing the interrupted kiss from earlier.

She nodded.

Her heart raced, even more intensely than the raindrops smashing against the glass windows, as she let him take her hand and lead her away.

After a few steps, she realized they were heading deeper into a corner opposite the duck palm tree.

Before Xu Muzi could wonder, Deng Yun had already pushed open a hidden door, shrouded in even heavier darkness.

Holding a scented candle, Deng Yun stepped inside first, reminding Xu Muzi to watch her step over the threshold.

With the candlelight, she could vaguely see that the room resembled an empty fire escape, with narrow spaces on either side, a closed corridor without windows.

“What is this place…?”

“Not much use, I guess it can barely be called an employee passage.”

They walked cautiously in the dim light, still able to hear some noise from the public area.

It sounded like Xing Pengjie was loudly justifying his actions in some game, his voice carrying a sense of injustice: “That was a tactic!”

Such private moments away from all the noise had happened before, and quite frequently.

The time that felt most similar was the night Deng Yun first folded a paper butterfly for her.

That night, Deng Yun asked Xu Muzi, “Do you want to come with me?” Down in the living room were their parents and other relatives they often met, with the atmosphere filled with drunken chatter.

But he said there was no need to climb out of the window; they could use the side door instead.

Xu Muzi felt like she had to sneak around in her own house, nowhere near as relaxed as Deng Yun, who walked calmly while holding his breath as he led her to the side door downstairs.

Any little movement made her tense up.

Just as she was about to open the side door, Deng Yun suddenly raised his hand and gently tapped her nose with the back of his finger.

The sudden movement nearly scared her to death, tightening her heart.

He remained calm and asked her, “Why aren’t you breathing?”

Xu Muzi could hear her mother instructing her father to get wine, each word ringing clear as if they were right beside her.

Xu Muzi didn’t have great lung capacity, and she couldn’t hold her breath any longer. She started gasping softly, her voice tiny, like a buzzing mosquito: “I’m afraid I’ll get too excited and end up with respiratory alkalosis…”

Deng Yun chuckled and pressed down the side door handle for her: “So, are you planning on not breathing and suffocating yourself?”

Thinking back, she realized that over a thousand days had passed, and she hadn’t made any progress in that regard.

In the enclosed space filled with the sound of raindrops, she walked slightly behind Deng Yun, still holding her breath, feeling anxious.

Along with her nerves, she had a string of questions and worries: “Isn’t the employee passage off-limits to outsiders? If we do something here and the inn staff finds out, won’t they get mad? I wonder if there are cameras installed here…”

Deng Yun held the candlelight, suddenly chuckling, causing the flame to flicker even more.

Their shadows danced on the walls as he teased her: “You have quite the imagination. Are you planning to continue here?”

“…You said to change places; I didn’t mean here.”

“Isn’t that thinking too much?”

“Oh, then why don’t we just walk through the public area?”

Deng Yun, with their fingers interlocked, gently squeezed her hand and said, “You don’t want Xiaxia to see, and I don’t want to let go, so we had to take a different path.”

Xu Muzi had a poor sense of direction; based on her feelings, she judged they must have bypassed the dining area.

Deng Yun’s phone rang, and the screen lit up in his pocket.

Thinking about the lines of code Deng Yun had typed on his computer before, Xu Muzi looked at his back and asked, “Deng Yun, what do you do for work now?”

“Why, do you want to manage the accounts?”

That statement was quite ambiguous.

Xu Muzi was momentarily taken aback and a bit embarrassed as she poked Deng Yun with her finger, pointing behind his shoulder: “I’m being serious with you.”

“I’m doing software development with two friends.”

“Do you like this job?”

“I like it quite a bit.”

Deng Yun explained that he had initially planned to do this, but since he didn’t have financial pressure at the start, he wasn’t in a hurry and thought he’d pursue a graduate degree first, then gradually test the waters afterward.

However, when his family’s investments failed, it prompted him to expedite his entrepreneurial journey.

Xu Muzi had no knowledge of software-related work; she just wanted to know if Deng Yun was happy with his job.

Hearing that he liked his current work made her feel happy too.

“Is your height really 186 cm or 189 cm?”

“Where did you hear those numbers?”

“186 cm was what my mom said before, saying you don’t look taller than my uncle. 189 cm is what your mom said.”

“Neither is correct; I’m 187 cm.”

They both knew why their parents exaggerated the numbers, and they couldn’t understand the vanity that came from that one centimeter difference, remarking how their parents were oddly similar even in their fabrications.

The two of them walked and laughed.

But this place had an echo that felt eerie; Xu Muzi said it was frightening, so Deng Yun held back his laughter and stopped.

“You can’t laugh; you can’t talk either?”

“Yeah, just don’t talk, hurry up, it’s so creepy.”

But it was Xu Muzi who couldn’t help but speak: “Did you used to wear those cute black-rimmed glasses? Did they have prescription lenses?”

“No prescription, just blue light blocking.”

She racked her brain and asked again, “So is black your favorite color?”

Deng Yun laughed again: “Are you practicing blind dates with me here?”

After he laughed, as if he had anticipated it, he sidestepped.

So her hand missed his shoulder and was instead pulled towards him.

“What’s there to practice? You’re bringing up things that shouldn’t be mentioned!”

The situation became chaotic for a moment; Xu Muzi struggled in Deng Yun’s embrace, bumping her forehead against his chin. Covering her head, she refused to lose, hitting him once.

In the midst of their tussle, the little flame on the scented candle suddenly extinguished.

A waft of plant fragrance drifted by, plunging the space into complete darkness.

The two of them fell silent for a few seconds in the dark before bursting into laughter.

Xu Muzi pushed on Deng Yun’s shoulder: “Let’s go, it’s even creepier now. I feel like something is about to pop out behind me.”

In fact, those thoughts—

Xu Muzi had a bit of that “once bitten, twice shy” fear.

Before, they used to meet so easily, always having the chance to be together.

Many things could be forgotten even if they didn’t ask during one meeting; there would always be another chance. If they forgot again, there would still be yet another…

It was precisely because everything was so easy that after abruptly stopping, when she thought of Deng Yun, she realized she only truly understood the grades their parents had mentioned at the dining table.

Having this experience, she wanted to make sure to ask everything she wanted to know first.

But Deng Yun was leisurely walking with Xu Muzi in the dark when he suddenly said, “No need to rush.”

At first, she thought he meant he wasn’t in a hurry to leave. But he continued, saying that now their families were running small businesses and had experienced hardships, so no one dared to invest recklessly anymore, making things much more stable than before; there wouldn’t be any unexpected surprises.

“We have time; no need to rush to ask.”

Do they have time?

That’s true.

Walking in the dim space filled with the sound of “large pearls and small pearls falling onto a jade plate,” Xu Muzi felt her heart racing with every beat, feeling stuffy, and the air was humid.

The thrill she felt was similar to when she sneaked out during her rebellious phase to do something exciting, but it was even more stirring than that time.

The corridor came to an end, and with a “creak,” Deng Yun pushed open a hidden door.

The sweetness of the fresh tomatoes they had just eaten faded, and at the sound of the door, Xu Muzi’s throat tightened.

Outside the door was a glass window reflecting the emergency light, offering better visibility than the enclosed space, with clearer air.

Xu Muzi looked around and was surprised to find they had bypassed the bustling front desk and public area, arriving at the staircase.

They walked up the stairs, where a disagreement arose at the junction between the second and third floors.

Deng Yun continued to head up to the third floor, but Xu Muzi didn’t follow.

What could be on the third floor? Just the screening room and game room, right?

Xu Muzi was unwilling and didn’t want to go.

She really wanted to follow him back to his room, bluntly saying, “Why don’t we go back to your room?”

Deng Yun stood on a few higher steps, turned back, and looked down at her.

The light was dim, and the scented candle had already been placed casually on a windowsill when they exited the corridor.

This person always had a relaxed demeanor, as if he were at home, no matter where he was.

However, at this moment, his gaze mixed with a sense of contemplation.

Xu Muzi was also contemplating.

Sometimes, she felt that when she was beside Deng Yun, her mind worked better, and she came up with a reason: “Earlier, the London Eye flower you brought back was supposed to be a gift for me, but I forgot to take it; it’s still in your room.”

Deng Yun, somewhat lacking in romantic awareness, bluntly stated the situation.

“Xu Muzi, I originally wanted to take you back to my room.”

He tilted his head toward the stairs, indicating something, “But when you were talking earlier, you were just too cute. I might not be able to hold back; if you follow me back, it won’t just be a kiss anymore.”

Xu Muzi was a bit stubborn.

She thought, didn’t Deng Yun say he liked her? What a coincidence, she liked him quite a bit too.

Since they both liked each other, why restrain themselves?

The two of them looked at each other, holding the stare for a moment.

Deng Yun understood Xu Muzi.

Just by looking at her quiet demeanor, he knew what she was thinking. Since meeting her, he had never been able to hold back, and now with her innocent and indulgent expression, he was close to losing his mind.

Deng Yun was broad-shouldered and already much taller than her, standing on the higher stairs.

Every step he took down felt imposing and also flirtatious.

Xu Muzi watched Deng Yun approach step by step.

She also heard him sigh, almost helplessly saying, “With your personality, it’s easy to get hurt when you meet bad people.”

“Are you a bad person?”

“Not particularly good, but I wouldn’t say I’m bad.”

Deng Yun assessed himself like this, then completely gave up on going to the third floor.

He pulled out the room card from his pants pocket, playing with it between his fingers.

As he passed her, he grabbed her wrist, leading her back to the second floor, directly bypassing her room, and stopped at his room door, placing the card against the sensor lock.

“Ding—” The door opened.

Deng Yun pulled Xu Muzi in, blocking her against the wall in the entrance, pinching her chin with a bit of force, signaling her to open her mouth, then tilted his head to kiss her.