◎ She tasted the cream on his thumb ◎

Being with a wild man was exciting, so exciting that Tao Xiaoxi got her period the next morning.

Her period wasn’t irregular, though it did come a few days earlier or later each month. However, every year around this time, it always seemed to coincide with the Spring Festival. The festival always fell on the coldest days of the year, and on top of that, she had to visit relatives. Just thinking about it made Tao Xiaoxi feel miserable.

Jiang Youlin and Zhao Yijiang were trying to organize a class reunion on the fourth day of the New Year and insisted that she and Chen Fang must attend. Their reasoning was that out of the 48 people in their class, only they had ended up together, and it was their duty to attend so that the single people could enjoy a bit of their happiness and hopefully resolve their single status in the coming year.

Tao Xiaoxi didn’t want to go. With her period and the cold weather, all she wanted was to stay at home. She curled up on the sofa, weakly replying to Jiang Youlin’s message, making it clear that she didn’t want to go, using her discomfort as an excuse.

When Jiang Youlin couldn’t convince her, she asked Zhao Yijiang to talk to Chen Fang. But before Zhao Yijiang could even begin, Chen Fang had already refused. “My wife’s not feeling well these days. I need to stay home and take care of her.”

Tao Xiaoxi said to Chen Fang, “You can go, I don’t mind. By the fourth day of the New Year, there probably won’t be anything special going on. You might as well go and catch up with them.”

Chen Fang brought her a cup of ginger tea and stuffed the hot water bottle into the blanket covering her belly. “I’d rather stay home with you than go out with them,” he said, looking at her. “Don’t you want me to stay with you?”

Tao Xiaoxi lowered her eyelashes. Of course, she wanted him to stay with her.

When they got married, they didn’t go on a honeymoon. At that time, their relationship was still a bit awkward. If they had been dating before marriage, going on a honeymoon would have seemed natural. But since they had married so quickly after meeting through a blind date, there was still a sense of unfamiliarity. Although they were officially a couple, it felt somewhat awkward. Even though she had tried to subtly encourage intimacy, making their relationship less tense, the idea of traveling alone together was still challenging for her at that time. It was easier to stay at home where the old lady acted as a buffer, helping her adjust to married life more smoothly. Besides, she was quite lazy and didn’t enjoy traveling or sleeping in unfamiliar places. She always thought nothing was more comfortable than her own home. So, when they discussed it, they decided to skip the honeymoon altogether.

His job didn’t offer many holidays. When he was busy, it wasn’t unusual for him to work all year round without a break. During their marriage, the two of them spent most of their time in bed. She had tried a few times to get up early and have breakfast together, but after a few failed attempts, she had given up—she just couldn’t get up in the morning.

So, in total, they had spent very little time together.

Now, Tao Xiaoxi really just wanted to stay at home with him. Even if they didn’t talk, just doing their own things together was fine with her.

However, she wasn’t a fan of social occasions, while he handled them with ease. His social circle was vast, and he kept in touch with most of the people in their class. She, on the other hand, only maintained contact with Jiang Youlin.

Though they were married, it was still important for both of them to have their own space and social circles. She didn’t want to go, but she couldn’t force him to stay home just because of that.

Chen Fang lifted her chin. “Do you want me to stay with you?”

Tao Xiaoxi pressed her lips together and finally nodded.

A smile appeared in Chen Fang’s eyes as he ruffled her hair, “See, that’s more like it. You’re usually so good at being coquettish, but when you actually want something, you don’t say it.”

Tao Xiaoxi picked up a strand of her hair and gestured at him, “It’s not that I really want you to stay, just a tiny bit, so you can still go to the gathering.”

Chen Fang laughed loudly, “If it’s just a tiny bit, then I must stay. I’ll turn that tiny bit into a lot more.”

Tao Xiaoxi scrunched her nose. Was this really so amusing? Was it worth laughing like that?

She pushed her disheveled hair aside and urged him, “Go on, aren’t you supposed to pick up Hu Xiaolei from the hospital?”

Chen Fang messed up her neatly arranged hair again. “I’ll try to come back early.”

“Okay,” Tao Xiaoxi weakly waved at him, “Drive safely.”

As Chen Fang reached the hallway, he turned back when he saw her like that, “How about lying down in bed for a while?”

Tao Xiaoxi shook her head, “I’m fine now. After drinking a big cup of ginger sugar water, I feel much better. I still need to go downstairs and help Grandma with some things.”

Today was the 29th of the Lunar New Year, and tomorrow was New Year’s Eve. Her parents were coming over to celebrate with them, so there was a lot to prepare. Grandma had started working yesterday.

“Don’t worry about those things. Wait until I come back, you rest well. I’ll go downstairs and tell Grandma,” he said, stroking her pale face, “Do you feel this bad every time?”

“Not really, this time it’s a bit worse,” Tao Xiaoxi admitted, and his warm hand felt comforting as she leaned into it.

“Is it because you had ice cream the other day?”

When he came home that day, he saw her eating ice cream right out of the tub. The house was warm, but eating ice cream in winter was still cold, so he took it away from her, which made her upset.

Tao Xiaoxi felt guilty but firmly denied it, “I didn’t eat much that day,” she said, her eyes flashing, “I think… it might be because you’re wearing me out too much.”

His palm cupped her face, and he gently squeezed it before running his fingers over it. “Well, if that’s the case, once your relatives leave, I’ll wear you out even more. There’s a saying, ‘things that go to the extreme will reverse,’ so maybe if I push it to the extreme, it’ll cure you.”

…

Tao Xiaoxi pushed at his head with one hand and kicked his leg with her foot, trying to get him to leave so he could do whatever he needed to.

If he kept teasing her like this, he’d wear her out in no time. If he really went to extremes, she might not survive much longer.

Chen Fang held her hands and feet, lifted her up from the sofa, and placed her back under the covers. He squatted by the bed and looked into her frustrated eyes, lowering his voice to make another suggestion, “Or, next time you want ice cream, you can spread it on me. I’ll warm it up for you. That way, you can enjoy the ice cream without the discomfort of dealing with relatives.”

…

Tao Xiaoxi thought she’d never be able to look at ice cream the same way again, let alone eat it. Her discomfort seemed to disappear as her mind filled with the image of him covered in ice cream.

He was truly the perfect remedy for her menstrual pain.

It worked wonders.

In the kitchen, Yan Qiufang was preparing fish when she saw her granddaughter-in-law coming in with a bag of items.

“What are you doing out of bed? If you’re feeling unwell, just lie down. I can handle things here.”

“Grandma, I’m fine now. After drinking a big cup of ginger sugar water, I feel much better,” Tao Xiaoxi said as she put the contents of the bag into the freezer.

“What’s that?” Yan Qiufang asked.

Tao Xiaoxi’s face turned slightly red. “It’s ice cream. I thought someone might want some when they come over for the New Year, so I brought some down.”

“Ah, yes. You young people like it. You really thought ahead.”

In reality, she didn’t just bring some, she brought all of it. She didn’t want him to suddenly get an idea and act on it, so she made sure to get rid of all the ice cream from the house.

Yan Qiufang noticed her granddaughter-in-law’s flushed face and thought the ginger sugar water had done its job, and she wasn’t feeling as bad now. Since Tao Xiaoxi didn’t want to rest, she didn’t push her but only asked her to do tasks that didn’t require touching water.

Yan Qiufang also mentioned Zhou Ying’s situation, “I think Zhou Ying’s divorce turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Before, she was always in the south, only coming back once in a while. Of course, your teacher and his wife didn’t want that. How could they not? But now that Zhou Ying is back here, she’s got a great guy, and if they end up together, the families will be close. Even if they settle somewhere else, at least they can come back for New Year’s together. And if anything happens, they’ll have each other’s support. Your teacher will feel more at ease. Parents always worry about their children when they marry far away.”

Tao Xiaoxi asked, “Are my teacher and Aunt Zhou very satisfied with Qiu Tingyu?”

Yan Qiufang nodded, “Yes, they are. Just look at what happened when your Aunt Zhou was in the hospital. He was running around, helping out. If you compare that to Zhou Ying’s ex-husband, who only said nice things but didn’t show up much over the years, it’s clear who’s better. But of course, it’s not just about them being satisfied; Zhou Ying has to agree too. She just got out of a marriage and can’t move on so quickly. Your aunt said she doesn’t seem too interested in your classmate, so who knows what will happen.”

Yan Qiufang laughed, “We old folks like to worry about everything. But some things just depend on fate. Take Chen Fang, for example. I was so anxious. I told him to go on a blind date, but he refused. I told him to date someone, but he was too focused on making money. What’s the use of earning so much if you have no one to spend it with? When your teacher finally persuaded him to go on a blind date, I was so happy. I didn’t even eat my meal, wondering if I should go to the temple and pray. I was so nervous.” She chuckled, remembering that day, “Do you know what he said to me when he came back from the date?”

Tao Xiaoxi stopped what she was doing and stared intently at the old lady.

“He told me that the gold bangles and rings I have hidden could be taken out and cleaned up; they might come in handy. You don’t know, I almost slapped my thigh. He had his eyes on you from the start. That night, my luck at Mahjong was so good, I didn’t lose a single round. I thought to myself, maybe my grandson’s fate has finally arrived. And look, here it is. So some things can’t be rushed. When the time comes, everything will fall into place.”

Tao Xiaoxi lowered her head and continued picking vegetables, her lips involuntarily curling upwards. After a while, her smile grew wider.

Chen Fang said he’d try to return early, but he didn’t manage to come back early.

After finishing things at the company, he went to the hospital to arrange Hu Xiaole’s discharge. He had originally planned with Tao Xiaoxi and the old lady to invite Hu Xiaole and his brother to their home for dinner tomorrow.

But Hu Xiaole refused outright. He was fine to move around now, and there was still the aunt Chen Fang hired at home to cook and take care of him. He preferred to spend New Year’s Eve at his own home with his brother.

Chen Fang knew his temperament, so he didn’t insist. After arranging everything at his place and leaving the aunt with some instructions, he handed her a red envelope, asking her to take good care of things. When she felt the thickness of the envelope, she immediately smiled and reassured him not to worry.

After leaving Hu Xiaole’s house, he visited the construction site, distributing red envelopes to the brothers who were working over the holiday.

He arrived home around seven o’clock to find the old lady was not at home. Tao Xiaoxi was sitting in the dining room chair playing a game. When she heard the sound of the door, she didn’t even look up, only saying, “You’re back.”

Chen Fang placed the bag he was holding on the dining table and asked, “Where’s the old lady?”

“Chuntao’s back. The old lady went to her place to discuss setting up a blind date for A Jian.” Tao Xiaoxi was fully focused on the game. “Don’t talk to me yet, I’m about to win.”

Chen Fang stood next to her for a moment. Her eyes and hands never moved from the screen. Even after he returned from washing his hands in the bathroom, she remained in the same position. She said it was coming, but five minutes passed, and the game was still ongoing.

He sat beside her and pulled out the items from the bag he had brought back.

Tao Xiaoxi smelled something delicious and glanced up, a bit surprised. “You bought Suji cream buns.”

She had a sweet tooth and craved sweets even more during her period. Suji was a well-known local brand, and she loved their cream buns, having eaten them since she was little. She had even thought about them in the afternoon.

“Do you want one? They’re fresh out of the oven,” Chen Fang asked.

Tao Xiaoxi nodded but then immediately shook her head, her attention still on the phone. “Let me finish this round first.”

Chen Fang opened the box and took out a cream bun. He broke it in half and offered her one half.

Lured by the tempting smell, Tao Xiaoxi opened her mouth and took a bite, mumbling a thank you while chewing the bread.

The creamy filling touched her lips, and Chen Fang gently turned her chin, using his thumb to wipe it off with two firm strokes. “Do you think I’m some random guy, still saying thank you?”

Uh… She only said thank you out of habit. Tao Xiaoxi wanted to explain, but as soon as she opened her mouth, his thumb slipped into her mouth.

She tasted the cream on his thumb.

Both of them froze.

The sounds of intense game battles still played from her phone.

Chen Fang’s thumb gently pushed further into her mouth, brushing against her soft tongue.

Tao Xiaoxi tilted her head back, and his thumb naturally withdrew from her mouth, making a light “pop” sound.

At this point, Tao Xiaoxi couldn’t care less about the game. She threw her phone aside, tried to stand up from the chair, but then realized her reaction was too exaggerated. She awkwardly forced herself back into the chair, pretending nothing happened, and took the cream bun from his hand, nibbling at it.

“What did you do today?” His thumb brushed his index finger, transferring the warmth from his thumb.

Tao Xiaoxi looked at his hand movements and felt her face growing hotter. “Not much, just helped grandma prepare some things for tomorrow.” She thought of something, took a big bite of the cream bun, swallowed, then looked at him again before taking another bite.

“What’s wrong? You want to ask something?”

With her mouth full of bread, Tao Xiaoxi mumbled, “When you went on the blind date… did you fall for me at first sight?”

Chen Fang stopped moving his fingers, as if he hadn’t heard clearly. “Hmm?”

Tao Xiaoxi shook her head. “Nothing.”

Her lips, still a mix of red and white from the cream, made Chen Fang think that he should buy more cream buns for her in the future.

His finger moved to her lips, brushing off some of the remaining cream and smearing it on her nose.

Tao Xiaoxi leaned her neck back.

He leaned forward, pressing his hand behind her neck, looking at the white cream on her nose. In a hoarse voice, he whispered in her ear.

“Although you don’t want to taste the ice cream on me, I’d love to try the flavor of the cream smeared on your skin.”