Chapter 52 – Final

Xu Muzi’s casual address caused Deng Yun, who was getting ready to drive away, to pause.

He turned his head to look at her as she innocently said, “What’s wrong? Didn’t the elders say to call you that?”

“What did they say to call me?”

“Just that I should call you…”

Xu Muzi quickly realized what was happening, not falling for it. She forcefully pushed the buckle of her seatbelt into the latch, “You’re not serious.”

The not-so-serious person chuckled lightly, “Is it okay to not come home tonight?”

Xu Muzi’s voice became much softer, but she responded candidly, “Yeah, I told them I’m staying at a friend’s house.”

Deng Yun’s home was quite a distance from Xu Muzi’s parents’ place.

There weren’t many cars on the road, and the car drove through the light rain.

All along the way, they seemed to be holding back some restless excitement and greed, and neither of them spoke.

Deng Yun controlled the steering wheel with one hand while his other hand intertwined with Xu Muzi’s fingers.

The car’s sound system played songs at a very low volume, featuring a band they both were familiar with—their lead singer’s sexy, lazy voice drowned in the sound of the rain, barely audible.

The cool breeze from the air conditioning couldn’t disperse the ambiguity.

Their palms were pressed tightly together, becoming damp in the summer’s humidity.

The road was a straight shot, rarely turning.

The car resolutely drove deeper into the night.

She thought, it should have been like this.

That year, on her twentieth birthday, after finishing a competition, she took a nearly sixteen-hour flight back home—it should have been like this.

The wet road reflected the lights of the shops on either side, and tall trees had shed a few new leaves due to the wind and rain.

They passed the intersection of the music school, where there had once been a poster of Xu Muzi, now replaced by a new face.

The new face had probably been up for quite a while, its edges slightly faded.

The car stopped by the roadside, and Deng Yun got out without an umbrella, braving the light rain to enter a brightly lit store.

When he returned, the fabric of his white shirt was soaked with rain, some areas on his shoulders becoming semi-transparent, and droplets clung to his hair and forehead.

She took out a tissue from her bag to help him dry off.

He tilted his forehead to accommodate her actions but pulled out a black box from his pants pocket and placed it in the cup holder of the center console.

Xu Muzi glanced down—

On the box were golden words saying “001,” “water-based,” and “six-pack.”

It must be that the air in the rain wasn’t humid enough; soon, she felt a tightness in her throat and looked at it a second time.

Holding the tissue damp with rain, she broke the silence, “How do you choose this thing?”

He rolled down the car window and tossed the tissue into a trash can, “I don’t know; I just took the most expensive one.”

Deng Yun started the car, holding Xu Muzi’s hand, still intertwined.

At the red light, they exchanged quiet gazes during the thirty-five-second countdown, clearly seeing the burning desire and thoughts in each other’s eyes.

They both understood how they wanted to spend this night.

The car drove into the underground garage of an unfamiliar community, backing into a parking spot. Inside the silent vehicle, they turned off the engine.

Deng Yun unbuckled his seatbelt, leaned over, and gently kissed Xu Muzi’s lips.

She felt the kiss wrap around her, her chest rising and falling as she grasped the collar of his rain-soaked shirt, letting out a soft moan in a daze.

Deng Yun’s phone rang, and two voice messages came in one after another.

After a few minutes and the notification sound, they finally paused, slightly breathless.

The voice messages were from Deng Yun’s mother.

In a tone similar to Xu Muzi’s mother, tinged with drunkenness, the elder fretted about the matchmaking situation:

“I wonder if Muzi is satisfied with you?”

“How about I arrange for us to meet tomorrow? We can go on a little trip for two days?”

During lunch and dinner, the elders had indulged in quite a bit of alcohol, so tomorrow they would surely have some gaps in their memory.

Right now, nothing could be done about it, and Deng Yun didn’t respond.

The question was left for Xu Muzi.

He stroked her lips with his fingers and asked her if she was satisfied with the fourth match she had met this year.

Xu Muzi pressed her hand against her chest, calming her heartbeat and breathing, and nodded in a playful manner, “I guess it’s okay; I need to observe more.”

“We can observe more when we go home.”

Deng Yun held Xu Muzi’s hand, leading her back to his place.

He didn’t like to be disturbed while working, and this place was seldom visited by others; there were no feminine hygiene products around. Deng Yun rummaged through the shoe cabinet and pulled out a new pair of men’s slippers.

He turned to her and asked, “Is this okay?”

She nodded.

The slippers were Deng Yun’s size and quite large, making Xu Muzi’s steps sound clumsy as she walked.

Before she could take two steps, he grabbed her wrist, pulling her back into his embrace.

Her back pressed against the wall, hitting the light switch.

The lights suddenly went out, and the matchmaking partner, who was unfamiliar in front of others, tightly embraced and kissed her in the dark hallway.

Deng Yun kissed Xu Muzi’s forehead, then traveled down to her nose.

After a brief pause, he picked her up and immediately kissed her lips.

The slippers fell to the ground.

The tighter and more lingering the kisses became, the more an unbearable emptiness spread from their hearts to their lower abdomens…

They entangled in each other, refusing to stop, moving through the living room and into the bedroom.

Xu Muzi sat on the edge of the bed, unbuttoning Deng Yun’s shirt.

She wore a thin knitted short-sleeve top, adorned with a row of pearl buttons on the front.

As he kissed her, his thumb and forefinger slowly unbuttoned each one, pulling the hem of her shirt from her high-waisted jeans.

The casual title that Xu Muzi blurted out caused Deng Yun, who was controlling the car and preparing to drive away, to pause.

He turned his head to look at her, and she innocently said, “What’s wrong? Didn’t the elders say to call you that?”

“Call you what?”

“Just to call you…”

Xu Muzi quickly realized what she was implying and didn’t fall for it. She forcefully pressed the seatbelt latch into the buckle and said, “You’re not being serious.”

The unserious one chuckled softly, “Is it a problem if I don’t return home tonight?”

Xu Muzi’s voice dropped significantly but was still candidly adorable, “Um, I told them I’d stay at a friend’s house.”

Deng Yun’s home was quite a distance from Xu Muzi’s parents’ place.

There weren’t many vehicles on the road, and the car drove through the drizzling rain.

Along the way, they seemed to be restraining some restless excitement and greed, and neither spoke a word.

Deng Yun controlled the steering wheel with one hand while intertwining his fingers with Xu Muzi’s.

The car stereo played a familiar song at a low volume, a post-coital tune by a band they both recognized. The lead singer’s sultry, languid voice mingled with the sound of the rain, barely audible.

The cool breeze from the air conditioning couldn’t dissipate the tension in the air.

Their palms pressed tightly together, growing damp in the sultry summer heat.

The road was straight, with few turns.

The car resolutely drove deeper into the night.

She thought it should have been like this long ago.

That year, on her twentieth birthday, after finishing a competition, she took a nearly sixteen-hour flight back home, and it should have been like this.

The wet road reflected the lights of the shops on either side, and the tall trees were shedding a few new leaves in the wind and rain.

They passed the intersection near the music school, where Xu Muzi’s portrait had once been displayed; it had been replaced with a new face.

The new face had probably been up for quite some time, with the edges starting to fade.

The car stopped by the roadside, and Deng Yun got out without an umbrella, braving the light rain as he entered a brightly lit shop.

When he returned, his white shirt was damp from the rain, certain areas on his shoulders becoming semi-transparent, with a few drops of rain hanging on his hair and forehead.

She took out a tissue from her bag and helped wipe him down.

He tilted his head to accommodate her movements but pulled out a black box from his pants pocket, placing it in the cup holder of the central console.

Xu Muzi glanced down—

The box had “001,” “water-based,” and “six-pack” printed in gold on the top.

It must have been that the air was not humid enough in the rain, because soon enough, she tightened her throat and looked a second time.

Breaking the silence, she held up the rain-soaked tissue and asked, “How do you choose this thing?”

He rolled down the car window and tossed the tissue into the trash can: “I don’t know; I just took the most expensive one.”

Deng Yun started the car again, holding Xu Muzi’s hand, still intertwined with her fingers.

At the red light, they quietly gazed at each other during the thirty-five seconds countdown, clearly seeing the desire and thoughts in each other’s eyes.

They both knew how this night was going to unfold.

The car drove into the underground parking lot of an unfamiliar residential area, backing into a parking spot, and the cabin fell silent as the engine was turned off.

Deng Yun unbuckled his seatbelt, leaned over, and gently kissed Xu Muzi’s lips.

She was lost in the kiss, her chest rising and falling as she gripped his rain-drenched collar, letting out a soft hum in a daze.

Deng Yun’s phone rang, with two voice messages coming in consecutively.

After the notification sound, several minutes passed before they finally paused, slightly out of breath.

The voice messages were from Deng Yun’s mother.

In a tone similar to Xu Muzi’s mother, tinged with tipsiness, this elder worried about the blind date situation:

“I wonder if Muzi is satisfied with you?”

“How about I arrange for another meeting tomorrow? We could go on a short trip for two days?”

During lunch and dinner, the elders had certainly indulged in some drinks, and tomorrow they would definitely have some fuzzy memories.

Now, whatever was said was useless, and Deng Yun didn’t reply.

This question was left for Xu Muzi.

He gently rubbed her lips with his fingertips and asked if she was still satisfied with the fourth blind date she met this year.

Xu Muzi pressed her hand to her chest, calming her heartbeat and breathing, and nodded earnestly, “It’s okay; I’ll need to observe a bit more.”

“Let’s continue the observation at home.”

Deng Yun took Xu Muzi’s hand and led her home.

When he was working, he disliked being disturbed. This place was rarely visited by anyone, and there were no women’s personal items in the house. Deng Yun rummaged through the shoe cabinet and found a new pair of men’s slippers.

He turned to ask her, “Can you make do with these?”

She nodded.

The slippers were Deng Yun’s size, quite big, making Xu Muzi clop around in them.

Before she could even take two steps, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back into his embrace.

With her back against the wall, she accidentally hit the light switch.

The lights went out suddenly, and the unfamiliar blind date in front of others embraced tightly and kissed in the darkened hallway.

Deng Yun kissed Xu Muzi’s forehead and then moved down to her nose.

After a brief pause, he picked her up and immediately kissed her lips.

The slippers fell to the ground.

The tighter and more intertwined they kissed, the more an unbearable emptiness spread from his heart to his lower abdomen…

They continued to indulge in each other, making their way through the living room and into the bedroom.

Xu Muzi sat at the edge of the bed, unbuttoning Deng Yun’s shirt.

She was wearing a thin knit short-sleeve shirt, adorned with a row of pearl buttons at her chest.

His lips pressed against hers as his thumb and index finger slowly undid the buttons one by one, and he pulled the hem out from her high-waisted jeans.

At 1:20 AM, it was still raining outside, with raindrops weaving together, blurring the outlines of the buildings.

At this time, Xing Pengjie, who had returned home, was eating barbecue with a few good friends.

He became a publicity ambassador, strongly recommending Deng Yun’s guesthouse and sharing the story of Deng Yun and Xu Muzi with his friends.

Xia Xia helped the new guests arriving at night with their check-in, yawning as she returned a few books to the shelf.

Remembering that one book belonged to the boss’s room, she pulled it out by the spine. As the pages spread open, a letter fell out from inside.

The envelope was yellowed, addressed to Xu Muzi, but without a sender’s name.

Her heart raced as she slipped the letter back into the book, planning to use it to blackmail the boss for a 200-yuan red envelope, but without doing anything in return, she intended to secretly hand the letter to the boss’s wife.

Xu Muzi’s mother was sleeping uneasily and kicked her husband, who was snoring loudly, awake.

She frowned and asked, “Old Xu, do you think our Muzi might be dating?”

Deng Yun’s father was also having trouble sleeping. He sat in the living room drinking tea in the middle of the night, startling Deng Yun’s mother when she got up. She threw a cushion at him and scolded him for being ridiculous.

He said, “Jiawen, you heard about that girl from the Xu family, right? Receiving so many flowers today, the boys chasing her must be lining up. Can she even consider Deng Yun?”

On this somewhat humid rainy night, Deng Yun pushed open a window for some fresh air.

The damp air seeped in, and Xu Muzi, with a bare face and long black hair cascading over her shoulders, sat quietly on the bed.

A bedside lamp cast her silhouette on the wall, and she wore Deng Yun’s black short-sleeved shirt while gazing at the pattering rain outside.

There was an email in her phone’s inbox.

She had overlooked it due to the prolonged matchmaking activities of the day.

Opening it, the content was unexpected.

Xu Muzi hurriedly scanned the email and suddenly turned to hug Deng Yun.

He instinctively held her tight, unable to see her expression and unable to tell whether she was happy or sad, only gently stroking her soft long hair, “What’s wrong?”

“Deng Yun, look quickly.”

The email was from the largest extracurricular piano training school in the city, sincerely inviting Xu Muzi back to the school for its 20th anniversary celebration and inviting outstanding alumni for a group photo.

The email mentioned that the school would turn the group photos into posters for display in the school building…

This was a strategy for school enrollment.

Xu Muzi believed that she wouldn’t measure up to the other alumni who were also invited, and they might not cooperate with the school’s promotional activities.

But she was still pleased with the news.

Deng Yun kissed her forehead: “Congratulations.”

Xu Muzi extended her hand, pretending to be serious: “Where’s the thing I want?”

Thinking that such an unexpected question would catch him off guard.

But Deng Yun remained his calm and composed self, nodding towards the pile of clothes.

“In my dress pants pocket, I’ll get it.”

Xu Muzi doubted he knew what she wanted and was curious to see what he would bring, so she nodded.

Deng Yun returned and stood by the bed: “Put out your hand.”

Xu Muzi opened her palm, and he performed the magic trick he had done at the guesthouse once more.

A small butterfly made of glass candy wrappers landed in her hand.

Nothing could stump him.

She blinked, continuing to stretch out her hand: “What else?”

Actually, she had several hand massagers because she had bought them in bulk for free shipping. Even if he forgot to bring one back, it wouldn’t matter at all.

That was just an excuse for wanting him to come back sooner, and now it had become her reason to act a little spoiled.

Deng Yun lifted Xu Muzi’s chin and kissed her, slipping something onto her hand while kissing her.

It was cool and metallic, but it didn’t feel like a massager.

Xu Muzi looked down at her hand in confusion—

A ring was fitted onto her middle finger.

The ring had a diamond.

Xu Muzi felt it was too precious, looking at it and saying that gifts should have some occasion; who gives extravagant gifts on an ordinary day?

Deng Yun replied immediately: “The first day of dating.”

She said he was giving gifts too frequently, but he didn’t think much of it.

It had taken nearly three years for their relationship to develop; what was wrong with giving a few more gifts?

Indeed.

It had been delayed by over a thousand days.

They had never made grand promises or declarations.

They just loved quietly.
—-
The next morning, when Deng Yun got up, Xu Muzi was typing on her phone.

“What are you writing?”

“A girl in a bad mood messaged me on Weibo, asking how I adjust during low points. Don’t disturb me; I’m choosing my words…

Maybe you’re in a low point, hitting a bottleneck, or experiencing a bad mood.

But family, friends, and partners are loving you.

The brilliant sun, the bright moon, and the dazzling stars are all loving you too.

And the persistent sound of rain or cicadas outside is warmly inviting you to enjoy the summer.

All it takes is to open a can of soda to hear its eager cheers celebrating you.

Celebrating every new day.

May you be happy.

END