Chapter 23

As Fu Cheng said, Youyi couldn’t sleep.

In the past, she was only familiar with her bed, but now she probably also recognizes people.

She sat on the bed playing with her cell phone. It was almost eleven o’clock and Youyi couldn’t help yawning.

Fu Cheng seems not to have come back yet.

Youyi wanted to send him a message, so she opened WeChat, typed a line of words, and just as she was about to send it, she stopped and exited.

Youyi was half-lying on the bed, feeling drowsy.

A loud thunderclap from outside jolted her awake.

“Do you even see what time it is? Still fooling around outside after getting married!”

The old man’s stern reprimand echoed through the courtyard, and Youyi rubbed her eyes as she got out of bed.

“You’re nothing but a mess!”

Quietly, Youyi opened the window slightly and peered out.

At the entrance of the courtyard, two lamps cast a cold light. Fu Cheng stood at the door, his face half-hidden in the darkness.

The old man was scolding him, but Fu Cheng remained silent.

“When I sent you into the military, I thought you’d have some discipline. Look at you now—after just a few years, you quit the army without even telling me.”

The old man brought this up repeatedly, a constant thorn in his side. His dissatisfaction with Fu Cheng stemmed from this.

Fu Cheng had been promoted to a major and had a promising future in the army. But instead of continuing to advance, he left the service to run a small company, not even bothering to inform him.

To the old man, Fu Cheng’s future seemed over. How could he be of any use if he wasn’t serving the country?

Thunder rumbled in the sky, signaling that it was about to rain.

“Get out now, run five kilometers and come back.” Today was the old man’s birthday, and although he was angry, he didn’t use his military baton, otherwise, he would have beaten Fu Cheng half to death.

“Yes, sir.” Fu Cheng responded and turned to run outside.

Youyi glanced anxiously at the sky.

The night was dark, and clouds obscured the moon.

As expected, ten minutes later, heavy rain began to pour.

The storm was wild, like an uncontrollable demon, howling through the courtyard. Youyi could only close the window tightly.

It was just five minutes past ten.

Youyi thought that running five kilometers would take about forty minutes, so Fu Cheng should return soon.

The rain continued until nearly midnight. After waiting for an hour, Youyi still hadn’t seen Fu Cheng return.

She felt a bit worried and decided to send him a message.

[Are you back?]

There was no reply.

Another ten minutes passed, and she heard a knock on the window.

Knock, knock, knock.

Youyi opened the window and immediately saw Fu Cheng outside.

He was soaked through.

His black T-shirt clung to his body, revealing his muscle lines. The wind blew in, carrying the dampness from his clothes. Fu Cheng’s eyes were lowered, showing no signs of exhaustion from running five kilometers.

“I’m back,” he said.

The rain had washed away much of the alcohol on him, but it was still detectable.

“You ran in such heavy rain?” Youyi furrowed her brows. “Aren’t you cold?”

In mid-October, the temperature was just right, but it was unbearable to be drenched in such rain.

Especially after the rain, the cold wind made one shiver.

Fu Cheng said, “What the old man said is a military order.”

Even if a tornado came, he would have to complete the run.

“But…”

“Why did Grandpa punish you?” Youyi couldn’t understand. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Fu Cheng replied, “He said I wasn’t coming home and that it upset you.”

Youyi quickly shook her head. “I wasn’t upset.”

She wasn’t being unreasonable and definitely wasn’t upset.

Youyi frowned, took a towel from beside her, and reached out to wipe the rain off his face.

Her outstretched hand revealed a bit of her wrist, her pale skin contrasting with the yellow of her clothes. Her fingers touched his forehead, and the towel carried her scent.

Youyi had heard before that Fu Cheng’s relationship with his grandfather was poor, but seeing it firsthand today made her realize just how severe it was. It seemed like everyone in his family was tough and unapproachable.

Fu Cheng hadn’t done anything wrong and hadn’t argued back, yet he was still punished.

“Do you feel sorry for me?” Fu Cheng asked.

Even without her speaking, her furrowed brows gave her feelings away.

Fu Cheng took her hand in his.

“Then come here and let me hold you.”

Fu Cheng released her and waited for her to come over to him.

He preferred to see her take the initiative.

The person outside the window blocked most of the view, and the wind and rain outside had eased. With his cold, wet face, Fu Cheng made Youyi feel a pang of sympathy, so she reached out and hugged him.

Her cheek rested on his chest, and she could hear his strong, steady heartbeat and the sweat soaked into his clothes from the run.

His muscles were taut and firm.

Why was her heart racing faster than his after running five kilometers?

“Do you want a kiss?” Fu Cheng suddenly asked.

His voice was so calm that it made Youyi feel that her rapid heartbeat was somewhat excessive. She stood on tiptoe, resting her hands on his arms, and looked up at him.

Before she could say anything, Fu Cheng’s kiss had already landed on her lips.

He kissed her for a moment and then let her go.

The position was awkward. Youyi’s toes were almost unable to keep her balanced.

The height difference between them was too great.

After being kissed, her lips were reddened, her eyelashes fluttering as they brushed against the water vapor on his body, making her eyes misty.

Fu Cheng asked softly, “Would it be better if I picked you up and kissed you?”

If he held her up, she wouldn’t need to look up.

She could even look down at him.

Fu Cheng was asking for her opinion.

He could pick her up directly but chose to ask, hoping to hear her response.

It was as if he was guiding her, leading her step by step into his embrace.

He was developing her desire for him.

Youyi wanted to glance around, but her view was completely blocked by his tall frame. The image appeared vividly in her mind, and the tingling sensation in her heart only intensified.

She softly responded, “Okay.” In the next moment, a pair of large hands gripped her waist, nearly lifting her entirely.

He set her down to sit on the windowsill.

Now, Youyi was slightly taller than him.

Fu Cheng captured her lower lip in his mouth, his tongue lightly brushing against her teeth. As he tilted his head, the kiss deepened, causing Youyi to tremble all over in his arms.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, but they were already weak.

“Is it better sitting or standing?”

“…Sitting.”

“Were you worried about me just now?”

“…Yes.”

Youyi no longer had the strength to answer his questions, her tailbone tingling while her mind was filled with the thought of wanting him to keep kissing her.

Fu Cheng’s kisses were incredibly pleasant.

But Fu Cheng didn’t continue kissing her. Instead, his arm tightened around her, and in a hoarse voice, he asked, “It’s been a while… is that what you’ve been wanting?”

Her period had only just finished two days ago, and during the National Day week, they had played too wildly, making the sudden calm feel like a stark contrast.

Fu Cheng asked again, “Do you want to try my bed?”

The “try” here meant exactly what it sounded like.

When Fu Cheng got serious, things could get intense.

This… was not the right place.

Youyi hesitated for a moment without answering, and the next second, Fu Cheng picked her up directly from the window.

Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around his neck.

He held her under her thighs and strode towards his room.

He was soaking wet, and even Youyi’s clothes were damp from his touch. After shutting the door, Fu Cheng set her down and, with one hand, removed his shirt.

He laid a sheet on the bed, which was still incredibly hard, a stark contrast to the one in Youyi’s room.

He leaned down and kissed her again. This kiss lasted for a long time, and just when Youyi was about to suffocate and pull away, he firmly pulled her back, pressing her down.

She liked this, even though she couldn’t handle it and often resisted, but Fu Cheng would—

Firmly press down all her resistance.

And one day, Fu Cheng realized something.

Deep down, Ding Youyi wasn’t as gentle and obedient as she seemed. What she enjoyed most was the pleasure brought on by being overpowered by force.

“Weren’t you supposed to stop the fight?” Fu Cheng demanded, “Why didn’t you come help me?”

Youyi replied, feeling wronged, “I told you I didn’t know how.”

How was she supposed to stop a fight? His whole family was so fierce.

Fu Cheng said, “You didn’t need to know how. If you had just come out and pulled me back, Grandpa wouldn’t have scolded me.”

He made it sound so simple.

Youyi thought about it and decided she’d try next time. But what if it didn’t work? Wouldn’t that be awkward?

“When you were little, the first time Grandpa saw you, he came back and praised how cute you were, saying you were better than his own grandson.”

Grandpa was a tough, cold person, and rarely praised anyone.

Later, he even joked with Youyi’s grandfather, suggesting their families should become in-laws.

Youyi asked curiously, “Did he praise me in front of you?”

That was what she focused on…

Fu Cheng replied, “Yes.”

He cursed me while praising you.

Youyi laughed, “So you knew about me back then?”

In her memory, they had only met once, and her grandfather rarely mentioned Fu Cheng. Clearly, Fu Cheng knew more about her than she realized.

Fu Cheng snorted lightly, “Just a little girl.”

What was so praiseworthy about a little girl?

No matter how good her personality was, what did it have to do with him?

Fu Cheng’s fingers were still gripping her wrist tightly, his chest heaving as he asked her, “What do you like?”

What?

Fu Cheng’s voice was cold, but in her ear, it was like a soft whisper. He asked her to choose… her favorite position.

“Youyi, once I start, I won’t stop.”

So just endure it for now.

This wasn’t home, after all.

“Fu Cheng,” Youyi called his name softly, “It’s thundering again outside.”

She thought the storm had passed, but the wind and rain returned, showing no sign of stopping.

Fu Cheng asked, “Are you afraid of thunder?”

Youyi paused for a moment before shaking her head.

On that summer night, with thunder rumbling, she had stumbled into his arms, trembling like a frightened rabbit.

That had been a long time ago. Back then, Youyi was terrified. Sometimes, she felt like she was back in that scene, trembling with fear.

“During my second year of high school, after evening study, a drunk man followed me all the way home.”

Youyi began to recount. That man had pounced on her, holding a knife to her neck, cutting her skin. She had bled, and just a little more would have scarred her face.

Youyi softly said, “When you’re around, I don’t seem to be afraid.”

As she spoke, her eyes turned red, and she lowered her head. Those terrifying events were condensed into a few sentences, and she wished she could forget more of it over time.

This was something Ding Youyi had never talked about after the incident, but she was indeed very affected by it.

Her fear stemmed from panic and dread.

“Mm,” Fu Cheng responded. “That’s why you should always come into my arms.”

What she had been unwilling to talk about, today she was finally willing to share with him.

Fu Cheng was happy that she was opening up, but at the same time, his heart softened.

He paused his movements and tightened his arms around her, asking softly, “How do you want to lie down to feel comfortable?”

“Do you want to rest your head on my arm?”

She liked to rest her head on him, his arms, chest, or thighs.

Youyi: “You just got caught in the rain.”

She said this because she disliked him for not taking a shower, but even so she still pressed against his chest.

Because she felt at ease.

Outside, the thunder roared, while inside, on the small, hard bed, she rested her head against him, relying on his warmth.

“I think… I might not be able to live without you anymore.”