Chapter 14: The Affection for the Sunshine..

“Just blow dry my hair, and you’ll need to lead me?” Fang Fuyi thought, I’m not a three-year-old child.

But it wasn’t what she expected.

When Sheng Sui said, “Let me take you to blow dry your hair first,” he actually meant that he would help her dry her hair.

The hair dryer was new when it was moved here, a very ordinary one, simple to operate, and not difficult to use.

Under the surface, waves of emotions stirred, and mist filled the air.

The water vapor left on the mirror had condensed into fog, and the bathroom mirror was hazy, making it hard to see clearly except for blurry outlines.

A small light on the ceiling flickered in the dim light. The distance felt oddly close, and the blurred contrast didn’t hinder the vision, but instead created a sticky, ambiguous feeling, making one’s mind waver.

“The temperature is just right.” As the “whooshing” sound of the hairdryer filled the air, Sheng Sui adjusted the temperature and gently patted Fang Fuyi, calling her to come closer. “Come here to dry your hair.”

They had just been discussing what to have for dinner, so why was he suddenly offering to dry her hair? Fang Fuyi was a bit confused, but still followed his direction and trotted over to him, responding, “Oh, I’m coming.”

The distance between them was only about ten centimeters, the perfect height difference, making it easy to be in any position.

His movements were gentle, his fingertips brushing through her hair. Sheng Sui was very skilled at drying hair.

This wasn’t the first time Sheng Sui had helped her dry her hair, Fang Fuyi thought.

She couldn’t remember which summer it was, but she had been playing too much, always eager to try extreme sports. As a result, before she even jumped, she ended up overexerting herself during warm-ups and dislocated her arm.

She had never thought that not being able to lift her arm would be so inconvenient. It wasn’t just eating that became difficult, even daily activities became a hassle. After a shower, her hair would be wet and cling to her skin. Fang Fuyi didn’t like that feeling. Not only did her hair weigh heavily on the back of her head, but she also had long hair to deal with, making it hard to lie down or sleep comfortably.

Who knew when she could get it done?!

She asked her classmate for advice, and her classmate said, “There was a time when my hand was injured, and my mom helped me dry my hair. At that time, my relationship with my mom had been very strained due to a misunderstanding, but after this, we finally made up.”

She had also wanted Liang Zhu to help her, seeking that bit of long-lost maternal love through the subtle bond between mother and daughter. However, Liang Zhu was always busy, constantly focused on herself, checking if there were any other women around Fang Hongshen, her heart consumed by her husband and son.

It was a sunny day, and Fang Fuyi used both hands and feet to drag a rattan chair to the window sill, finding a suitable spot to sit down.

She hoped the sunshine would favor her, helping to dry the dampness on her. But unexpectedly, a patch of clouds gathered in the sky, and not long after she sat down, the leaves of the evergreen trees outside the window began to sway. Raindrops began to fall on the window with a “pat-pat” sound. The rain came fast and abruptly.

The sun was shining, yet raindrops were falling—this was a sun shower.

Fang Fuyi knew that the sudden sun shower wouldn’t last long, so she sat quietly, preparing to wait for the rain to stop.

In the afternoon, the air was humid.

The door opened and closed, and footsteps blended with the rain.

“Is it raining?” A male voice entered her personal space, coming from the study around the corner. Sheng Sui silently approached and stood next to her, without even realizing it, gently twirling a wet strand of her hair.

“You went out in the rain? Why is your hair still wet?”

Her swan-like neck was dazzlingly white. Fang Fuyi tilted her head to look at him, and the boyish face before her seemed to magnify, matching the rainy scene outside. It was so pleasing to the eye, and her mood brightened, the gloom in her chest slowly dissipating.

The sunlight reflected from the window shone on the boy, as if something unseen was guiding the way, signaling that the right person to dry her hair had arrived.

“Perfect timing, come here.”

“Perfect timing for what?” Sheng Sui was slightly confused, but before he could figure it out, he was pulled into the bathroom. The hair dryer was turned on, and warm air began blowing out.

The girl smiled triumphantly, her voice almost as if she was granting a reward as she spoke: “Don’t worry, when your hand gets injured, I’ll dry your hair for you too.”

Her long, shiny hair slipped through his fingers, and Sheng Sui found it amusing, laughing without meaning to: “I’d be thanking heaven and earth if you didn’t curse me.”

The sound of the hairdryer echoed in the bathroom. The same action, but with different intentions, created a completely different mood.

In the rental apartment, drying each other’s hair again became a way for the young man to send an apology signal.

Years had passed, but his movements were still gentle, though his palms now bore calluses.

Such intimate actions inevitably led to physical contact. Unintentionally, their skin brushed together—his fingers grazed the back of her neck, occasionally brushing past her ear. The heat surged, causing a shiver, as if tiny electrical currents were passing through.

With a soft “hiss,” she couldn’t help but make a sound.

“What’s wrong?” Sheng Sui stopped and asked her.

“Pat-pat,” the water droplets condensed from the mist fell, and her heart skipped a beat. Their gazes met.

Fang Fuyi’s ears reddened slightly. She mumbled without making it clear, only wondering: “Is the hairdryer leaking electricity?”

“Hm?”

“Nothing…”

After a brief touch, they quickly pulled away, leaving just a subtle distance. Their gazes met again, like intertwined threads that couldn’t be unraveled.

Close contact always made one’s heart race, and both of them felt it.

In the mist, their vision was blurred, but their eyes softened and became ambiguous. Fang Fuyi stared at her reflection in Sheng Sui’s pupils, watching his Adam’s apple move as he swallowed. She felt a rush of warmth, and her gaze seemed to catch a spark of fire.

A warning alarm sounded in her mind, urging her to look away quickly, but her body unexpectedly followed her inner desire, clinging to Sheng Sui’s arm, getting very close, so close.

Her lowered eyelashes, slightly parted lips, and the texture of her lips were all clearly visible.

The distance between them was so small, the heat from their breaths mingling, their breathing in disarray. In that moment, when there was barely a finger’s width between them, the pot of porridge in the kitchen suddenly made a “ding-dong” sound, a jarring reminder that dinner was ready.

They shuddered and instinctively pulled away, like being shocked by electricity.

What should they do?

Breathing quickly, with her cheeks flushed, if not for the sudden noise, how much closer would they have been?

The dining table was silent, with only the sound of chopsticks and porcelain bowls touching, occasionally interrupted by Sheng Sui’s few words of “Eat more.”

The plate was filled with shrimp, with a pile of vegetables beside it.

Her face was so hot, her ears felt like they were burning.

This was the first time they both saw it—their ears were redder than the steamed shrimp.

—

The relationship between Fang Fuyi and Sheng Sui resembled the visible part of an iceberg. It seemed like only a small corner was exposed, but in reality, the hidden side remained beneath the surface, with many unresolved matters—family issues, his parents, and the aftermath of past events. There were still many things that had no concrete outcomes.

Fang Fuyi had vaguely heard a bit about Sheng Sui from the elders, but the authenticity was questionable. No one would know more than Sheng Sui himself.

She was curious about it, but she cared too much. She was afraid of touching on Sheng Sui’s emotional scars, so she refrained from asking too much.

She comforted herself, thinking that since they were now living under the same roof, they had enough time to wait until he was ready to open up. They had time, and things would get better.

—

Unlike the holidays, time passed quickly after school started. With so many things to do, Fang Fuyi’s life gradually fell into a routine. She attended classes during the day, and worked part-time at a Western restaurant after school. Her life began to be filled with school and her part-time job.

She was busy every day, a bit tired, but it felt fulfilling. At night, she slept soundly, no longer suffering from insomnia until the early hours, and no longer having those strange, chaotic dreams of her lips constantly nearing Sheng Sui’s.

Maybe it was because the distance between them that day had been too close, or the scene in the bathroom had left such a deep impression, but she often had those indecent dreams. Whenever she saw Sheng Sui, the memory of that day surged up, rushing into her mind uncontrollably.

Her heart raced, her thoughts were in a whirlwind, and her breath brushed against her neck. Every sensation was incredibly clear, as real as if it had just happened.

All the factors pointed to one thing, making her unable to help but think repeatedly: did Sheng Sui want to kiss her that day?

This wasn’t something she could directly ask about. Fang Fuyi didn’t intend to ask. After something like that happens, others might feel uncomfortable or awkward when they meet again. But for her, the emotion that took the lead was another one: longing.

When they first started developing their own thoughts and ideas, they had been through it all together. Their habits and behaviors had already been unconsciously harmonized during the summers they spent together. They were both short on money, in desperate need of it.

So what she could think of, Sheng Sui could surely think of as well.

After starting work, Fang Fuyi didn’t finish her shift early, and by the time she got home, it was already quite late. But what she hadn’t expected was that, despite being this late, Sheng Sui came home nearly an hour later than her.

Sheng Sui was in his fourth year of college and would graduate next summer. He might have a lot on his plate, but he certainly wasn’t so busy that he would be coming home late every workday.

However, if Sheng Sui was also working outside, then it would be easy to explain.

The timing of when they came home cleverly avoided overlap, and Fang Fuyi wasn’t yet discovered sneaking in a part-time job, so they tacitly avoided mentioning it. Every day, when she returned home, she would pack some food from a nearby shop, then simply cook some porridge, waiting for Sheng Sui to return and eat. It saved him the trouble of having to cook after a long day, sparing him from further exhaustion.

As September arrived, the weather wasn’t as sweltering. The temperature was comfortable, the air conditioning was off, and they each retreated to their own rooms. At night, opening the window made sleeping extremely comfortable.

With less time spent at home, their time together naturally decreased. The only time they could be alone was during their shared dinner each day.

Fang Fuyi could feel that the attraction Sheng Sui had for her was growing stronger. The limited time they had together each day was simply not enough, so she cherished every moment, wanting more contact and unconsciously wanting to be closer.

It felt like only then could she feel more at ease in her heart.

Compared to the awkwardness of being alone, what she felt for Sheng Sui was more of longing.