Chapter 90: Beep Beep

Her neck tilted back in a daze, head swaying as she gazed up at the sky. In her wavering vision, Ming Can saw herself turning into a smoke ring—sometimes smooth and round, sometimes dissolving at the edges. She struggled to maintain her shape, but the fierce gusts below kept pushing her higher and higher until there was nowhere left to go. Then—boom—she crashed into the ceiling.

And so, the smoke ring shattered, completely losing its rational form.

Electric currents crackled within the storm clouds, surging through every corner, paralyzing every function until they could no longer hold back the rain.

Amidst the mist filling the room, Chi Xiao could see her form clearly. He felt both a deep satisfaction and a sense of defiance at this satisfaction beyond his control. As she gradually dissipated like rosy clouds at sunset, the fiery hues reflected in his eyes, making them burn even brighter.

The more blank Ming Can’s mind became, the more desperately she searched for a topic—anything to talk about, to keep this emptiness from spreading without end. At the same time, she needed to give her disobedient mouth something proper to do, lest it continue spilling out flirtatious murmurs drenched in spring’s lingering warmth.

But what should she talk about…?

Just as she struggled to reel back the kite of her wandering soul, someone refused to let her have her way. Instead, they held a dull, long pair of scissors and ruthlessly severed the string. A pair of beautiful yet utterly shameless eyes watched as the kite drifted farther and farther, lingering in the vast blue sky for an eternity—refusing to let her land.

The one who had drifted too far wanted to return to solid ground. The only way was to abandon her wandering thoughts and seek tangible sensations to replace them.

And the only tangible sensation in this game was the man pressed against her.

She had to admit—he was giving her immense pressure, forcing her, whether actively or passively, to monitor him constantly. She watched the way his Adam’s apple rolled with difficulty, sharp like the edge of an exposed ice shard. She observed the subtle rise and fall of his broad shoulders, wondering what tectonic plates on Earth could undergo such concentrated seismic activity. She traced the rigidly symmetrical arrangement of his abdominal muscles, tapering from wide to narrow—so precise, so mathematically perfect that she had to concede: mathematics truly was the most beautiful discipline. The mysteries of the universe could all be expressed in numbers and symbols, just as she was now, with a fervent curiosity, mentally calculating the exact volume of space being explored within her. The numbers and formulas spun through her mind, leading to a result so alarming that it made her heart tremble.

Then, with newfound confidence, she acknowledged—women possessed infinite potential, surpassing even the perfection of mathematics. By all rights, they should be the rulers of this world. Truly admirable…

She had promised herself to focus on tangible sensations, yet somehow, she had once again been carried away by flights of fancy.

Chi Xiao studied her intently, capturing every flicker of wariness and every whimsical thought that flitted through her mind. The clearest realization was this: she was definitely not hungry anymore. No need to guess—just one glance downward, and it was obvious that tonight, she had feasted beyond measure.

Finally pulling herself out of the hazy, dreamlike world, Ming Can was utterly exhausted—like a kite battered by fierce winds, trembling as it finally landed in a steady hand. At last, she had the energy to revisit her earlier question—what proper topic should she bring up?

Her useless brain could only dredge up the last thing they had talked about before they tumbled into this situation.

Are you hungry?

Ming Can recalled running into Chi Xiao at A University around five in the evening. He had likely been biking toward the cafeteria when he unexpectedly ran into her. Later, when they got home, he had asked her what she wanted to eat—clearly intending to have dinner with her.

Now, after all this time, he still hadn’t eaten. He really should take a break and fill his stomach.

Ming Can’s arms hung limply over Chi Xiao’s shoulders, barely holding on. Her voice was as faint as a mosquito’s whisper: “You… you haven’t eaten yet, have you?”

The sound of waves crashing filled his ears, drowning out her words entirely. Chi Xiao didn’t catch a thing. “What?”

“I said,” Ming Can held her breath for two seconds, then spoke again. This time, her vocal cords vibrated more forcefully, her voice significantly louder— “Haven’t you eaten yet?”

……

Chi Xiao: ?

“N-no… no…” That counterattack hit so hard it was as if she could literally see golden stars falling from the sky. Ming Can instinctively clung to him, reacting like a small, startled animal. Her movements carried no strength at all—just pure panic as she hastily surrendered. “I didn’t mean it that way! I was wrong! I was really wrong!”

Even after lifetimes of chanting prayers and practicing devotion, it would be impossible to earn the chance to witness her backing down so thoroughly, with absolutely no bottom line. And so, the debate over who was hungry and whether someone had eaten dragged on endlessly. At first, Ming Can insisted with unwavering flattery that Chi Xiao must have already eaten. But when that tactic failed, she swiftly switched to a tragic plea for mercy. In her current dazed state, anything and everything spilled out of her mouth, completely shattering her usual composure. She swore—swore with absolute conviction—that never in her entire life had she ever been this full. If she went to see a doctor right now, the diagnosis would come instantly: This patient is about to break. In her mind, the scene played out vividly. The door to the consultation room swung open, and in walked a strikingly handsome young doctor with the surname Chi. Without a word, he gently pried her mouth open and peered inside with a deeply serious expression. Then, with utmost sincerity, he asked her— “Which senior’s food did you eat to end up like this?”

“Senior Chi Xiao,” Ming Can answered just as seriously.

The doctor nodded in satisfaction, his gaze impossibly soft. His eyes lifted slightly at the corners, quivering ever so faintly.

After a long while, the steam had completely fogged up the bathroom glass like wallpaper sealing the space. Chi Xiao fished out a slippery, elusive little fish from the water, wrapped it haphazardly in a towel, and casually tossed it onto the bed.

The moment Ming Can breathed in the cool air, it was as if she had swapped out her brain entirely. Her gaze sharpened, once again filled with pride and wariness. Hoarse from exhaustion, she kicked at him while complaining about his poor service: “My hair is still wet!”

Chi Xiao was still hovering over her, never having moved away. Lowering his gaze, he saw her damp hair spread across the pillowcase like strands of seaweed, the moisture seeping into the fabric like an ink wash painting in slow motion. Her dazzling face rested against it, too striking for him to think about anything else. Without a second thought, he bent down and kissed her again, answering intermittently between heated breaths: “I’ll change the sheets later.”

“The pillow too.”

“Mm.” He chuckled, his breath short. “What about the mattress? Should I change that too?”

“……”

Dazed, Ming Can suddenly thought—where would she even find a replacement mattress at home? This brand was air-shipped from overseas. Did they even sell it domestically? There was no way she’d let some random mattress be put on her bed. Then it hit her—she absolutely could not let this mattress get ruined. But… was that even within her control?

For someone who prided herself on being naturally talkative, she suddenly found herself at a loss for words.

When she lifted her eyes, she met his gaze—those glacier-like pale eyes quietly taking her in, yet dark and turbulent beneath the surface, full of silent, unreadable depth. Ming Can abruptly found herself unable to withstand that wordless focus. It made the other sounds in the room seem deafening, as if they were about to tear through the air. Her ears burned, nearly consumed by their own hypersensitivity.

Then, at last, he called her name. “Cancan.”

In that instant, Ming Can seemed to dissolve into sound itself—like an echo reverberating through a deep valley, rippling outward in endless waves, layer upon layer.

But Chi Xiao wasn’t satisfied with such a simple response. Lowering his voice, coaxing and teasing, he pressed her—“Tell me, who am I?”

Considering she had just accidentally bitten his lip hard enough to break the skin, Ming Can felt a little nervous about potential consequences. Half-dazed, she murmured, “Xiao Xiao?”

A low, hoarse laugh followed. Ming Can reached up and sealed his lips with hers, but that only led to him pushing her further, forcing her to call him something she wasn’t sure she had ever said before—Ah Xiao gege (Brother Ah Xiao). That felt like a loss. Just then, a bead of sweat slid down his jawline and landed on her collarbone. A sudden spark of inspiration flashed through her mind, and she teased in a soft, lilting voice, “No wonder—you’re a true Aquarius, with ‘six drops of water’ in your name. You really are made of water.”

The very next moment, she learned firsthand who was really made of water. Even as she was being educated, Ming Can still had the mind to correct herself: “Wait, no—that’s not right. I forgot about the two drops of water in ‘Xiao’—you should actually be ‘eight drops of water.’”

Chi Xiao chuckled. “You’re pretty meticulous.”

“I’m not just meticulous—I’m also very knowledgeable.” Ming Can immediately gave him a new nickname. “Eight Drops of Water. That means…?”

Back in elementary school, some classmates had already called Chi Xiao Eight Drops of Water. There were even a few particularly idle kids who had gone out of their way to look up the character in a dictionary and show it to him. So as soon as she said it, he knew exactly what she meant.

At that moment, Ming Can completely ruined the mood by bursting into laughter. “Hahaha… I’m a genius, right…”

But it didn’t take long before she wasn’t laughing anymore. The meaning of Eight Drops of Water twisted and turned through the winding paths of her mind, circling back to the script from earlier in the bathroom. She tried pleading a little, but he remained utterly unmoved, simply telling her, No. Because this was what a genius like her deserved.

—

Villa District near the Third Ring Road, West of the City

After saying goodbye to his friends, Miaomiao climbed into the backseat of the SUV with his little backpack. He took it off, then scrambled onto his safety seat and sat obediently.

Dad was a few minutes late today. He had promised to pick him up at eight, but the car only arrived at 8:05. It wasn’t a big delay, but for someone as exceptionally punctual as Dad, this was very unusual.

As soon as he got into the car, Miaomiao caught a strong whiff of shower gel—a rich rose scent. He remembered that Dad didn’t usually smell like this. This scent was much more like the one Mom liked. But this time, it was so strong that it was as if Dad had been marinated in it.

Earlier that night, Chi Xiao had soaked in a bathtub infused with rose essential oil for a long time. Then, afterward, he took another shower, using all of Ming Can’s floral-scented toiletries.

He didn’t even have time to properly dry his hair—just gave it a couple of quick wipes before throwing on his clothes and rushing out the door. Even then, he was still five minutes late.

In the rearview mirror, a pair of big, round, grape-like eyes stared at him—completely unblinking.

Chi Xiao started the car and smoothly drove out of the neighborhood. The road was relatively clear. With one hand on the steering wheel, he used the other to tap a few times on the touchscreen, playing a children’s song for Miaomiao.

“Daddy.” Sitting in his safety seat, Miaomiao swung his little legs in time with the song and curiously asked, “Did something happy happen to you tonight?”

“Why do you ask?” Chi Xiao responded.

“Because when you picked me up from school this afternoon, you looked different from now.”

Miaomiao raised both index fingers and first pulled the corners of his lips into a straight line. “When you picked me up, you looked like this.”

Then, he pushed the corners of his mouth up high. “But now, you look like this.”

Chi Xiao glanced at him through the rearview mirror, watching as the little boy manipulated his face. He couldn’t help but chuckle. “Mm, something good did happen.”

Miaomiao perked up, ears alert. “What good thing?”

Chi Xiao leisurely tapped his fingers against the steering wheel. “I might be moving soon.”

Miaomiao froze, suddenly growing nervous. “Move where?”

Miaomiao didn’t want his dad to move away.

With his superpower, he was usually able to hear his dad’s thoughts. The moment his dad mentioned moving, he should have known exactly where he was going. He wouldn’t have to sit here stupidly waiting for an answer.

But—

Ever since he got in the car tonight, whenever he tried to use his ability on his dad, his mind was flooded with an extremely loud “BEEP—BEEP—” mechanical sound. Aside from occasionally catching his mom’s name, everything else was completely censored by the “BEEP—” noises. The frequency was so high it felt like an alarm blaring in his head. Miaomiao thought his brain was about to turn into a siren. This was completely unfair—why could adults think things that kids weren’t allowed to hear?!

Frustrated, Miaomiao let out an “Ah!” and flopped back into his safety seat. Feeling utterly defeated, he grumbled to Chi Xiao, “Dad BEEP—ah BEEP—Mom BEEP—BEEP—BEEP—”

“…?” Chi Xiao frowned in confusion. “What are you saying?”

Miaomiao clenched his tiny fists angrily. His dad had to experience this suffering too! “BEEP—I’m BEEP—BEEP—BEEP—”

Chi Xiao: “…?”