◎ Tomorrow night, you might feel cold just wearing the apron. I’ll need to leave extra fire to warm your body. ◎

This was obviously a trap, and there were probably knives hidden inside it. Even if the world were to throw him a pie, this situation wouldn’t be the lucky one.

Still, no matter what the trap contained, he had already jumped into it.

“Okay.” He squeezed her waist and, through her clothes, measured her figure. “But since it’s a bet, you set the conditions, and I must have mine too.”

“Fine.” Tao Xiaoxi was easy to deal with. “What’s your condition?”

“You can’t give me anything beyond high school level, no competition problems, and not the last two difficult questions on the exam paper. Those are for good students. If you have any conscience, don’t try to trick me, a bad student.”

Tao Xiaoxi smiled, “I won’t make it hard for you.”

Chen Fang continued, “We’ve been out of school for more than ten years. You have to give me some time to review. I only need one day. Let’s test it tomorrow night. How does that sound?”

Tao Xiaoxi replied, “If you want more time to review, that’s fine too. Or we can wait until you’re ready, then we can test you.”

The way she said it made it clear she was hiding something, so whether he took more time or not, it didn’t matter. It was better to resolve it quickly.

Chen Fang’s hand slid up her waist. “No need, just one day. Tomorrow night we test, and the day after, your relatives will be gone, and that night, I want to see that apron on you.”

Tao Xiaoxi pressed his hand down, her face turning slightly red. “You’re so confident you can get it right?”

Chen Fang’s hand was pressed into her palm. He used his thumb to gently trace the curve of her waist. “When your man is determined, things will work out.”

There were many ways to go about this; it all depended on how it was done. He didn’t believe that a math problem could trip him up, especially not when he already had the prize within reach.

Chen Fang pulled her away and said, “Go play. I need to review.”

He tidied up the things on the coffee table and headed to the little storage room. He remembered the high school review materials his grandmother had kept for him, saying it was for his children to use in the future, proving that their dad had worked hard to study at least once.

His university acceptance was thanks to his math scores. He had a notebook where he summarized all the key knowledge points and typical problems. In a day, he could flip through it and probably recall 70-80% of it.

Even if he lost, it wasn’t a big deal. She had only said it couldn’t be more than once, and she hadn’t set any time limits. Besides, once they were in bed, a few rounds wouldn’t be a problem. He had plenty of ways to make her ask for a second time, which would only add to the fun.

So, no matter how it turned out, he wasn’t going to lose.

When Tao Xiaoxi came out of the shower, he was still lying by the bed, flipping through the notebook. Instead of getting in from her side of the bed, she crawled up from his side and onto his chest.

She poked his arm. “You’re so diligent.”

Chen Fang didn’t look up. “What can I do? With such a big hook dangling in front of me, I can’t slack off.”

Tao Xiaoxi lay on his chest, watching him. Her sharp, angular face looked even more striking in the dim light. Her dark eyes focused on the notebook, her long lashes blinking occasionally. Her slender fingers gently flipped the pages. When he got serious, he was quite… captivating.

She poked his hard chest again. “Well, I’m going to sleep. You study well.”

Chen Fang patted her back in response.

Tao Xiaoxi pulled the blanket over herself and shifted to find a comfortable position to sleep.

Chen Fang looked at her curled up against him, then raised his eyebrow.

Tao Xiaoxi explained, “My stomach hurts a bit. You’re warm. Look, I’m not disturbing you. I won’t get in your way.”

Then she lay down, signaling that she wasn’t interrupting his studying.

With two soft, warm lumps pressed against his stomach, her gentle breath brushed his chest, and her small legs lightly brushed against his. Under these conditions, if he could still focus on the notebook, he’d have to be a stone.

He stared at her for a few seconds before tossing the notebook onto the bedside table. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her back onto the bed. He covered them with the blanket, slipped his hand under it, and slowly rubbed her stomach.

Tao Xiaoxi hummed softly twice in comfort, “Did I delay your studying?”

Chen Fang bit her nose, “Tao Xiaoxi, stop pretending to be coy after getting what you wanted.”

“I didn’t!” Tao Xiaoxi denied, “I’m just being good, even when I don’t get anything.”

Chen Fang snorted, pulling her closer into his arms. His eyes were smiling, but his tone sounded impatient, “Go to sleep.”

“Okay.”

The “good” girl slowly fell asleep, her hand gripping his arm, her legs tightly wrapped around his. Every time he moved, she woke up, so he simply stopped studying, turned off the light, and went to sleep with her.

The next morning, Tao Xiaoxi woke up late. When her period came, she would feel drowsy. She had been waking up early over the past few days, and finally, today she didn’t have to go visiting relatives. She managed to catch up on the sleep she had missed. The nap was very comfortable. In fact, this entire winter, her sleep had been good. After a long day of physical activity, she’d fall asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, and her body was wrapped in a warm embrace. It was hard to be uncomfortable.

The room was quiet, and she shuffled in her slippers, dragging her half-asleep body into the living room, walking with one light step and one heavy step. The sky outside was very overcast, and the lights in the living room were on. She didn’t see anyone, but she smelled food—sweet red dates and the fresh fragrance of millet porridge. After days of meat and fish, the smell really made her stomach growl.

Tao Xiaoxi leaned against the kitchen door. The millet porridge was simmering in a pot. Chen Fang, half-leaning on the stove with one long leg on the ground, was reading his notes. He didn’t even hear her footsteps.

Tao Xiaoxi cleared her throat.

He looked up, his eyes soft, “You’re awake?”

Tao Xiaoxi nodded, crossing her arms, and walked over to him. “Is that why you wanted to see me in this apron? Waking up early to study hard.”

Chen Fang closed his notebook and stirred the porridge with a spoon, asking, “What do you think?”

Tao Xiaoxi clicked her tongue. Well, he was honest about his desires, but still a bit proud.

Tao Xiaoxi bumped his arm with her shoulder. “Seeing how hard you’re trying, should I go easy on you?”

“If you’re really willing to, I have no objections,” Chen Fang said, not believing her at all.

Tao Xiaoxi put on a mysterious expression. “But have you ever heard this saying? ‘A prize earned through your own hard work is more meaningful.’” She patted his back. “I’m rooting for you, classmate Chen. Keep it up!”

Chen Fang bit the inside of his cheek, giving her a cold look, “Teacher Tao, there’s also a saying, ‘Too much joy leads to sorrow.’ I suggest you don’t get too happy too soon. Otherwise, I’m afraid you’ll have no strength to cry tomorrow night.”

Tao Xiaoxi raised an eyebrow and smiled, fearless. “It’s fine. I’ll drink some more millet porridge later to gather strength. If I can’t gather the strength to cry, I’ll gather the strength to laugh.”

…If he could, Chen Fang would’ve thrown her on the bed right now, just to silence that mouth.

After breakfast, they each occupied their side of the couch. Chen Fang leaned against the back of the sofa, continuing to study, while Tao Xiaoxi half lay down, facing the other side, holding paper and pen while scrolling through her phone, seemingly busy with something.

Chen Fang caught sight of her little raised butt in his peripheral vision and nudged her with his foot. “What are you doing?”

Tao Xiaoxi didn’t look back, using her leg to push his foot away, indicating she didn’t want him to disturb her. “Since you’re working so hard, I should be sincere too. I’m going to make some questions for you to solve.”

Chen Fang tossed his notebook onto the coffee table, propped his arm on her side, and leaned close to her.

Tao Xiaoxi quickly flipped the paper over to cover it, glaring at him, “You can’t just break the rules like that. How can you peek?”

Chen Fang pinched her cheeks, gently forcing them together. Her lips puckered into petals, glistening like spring morning flowers with dew, waiting for him to pluck them. He leaned down and kissed her, taking the “flower” into his mouth.

He let most of his weight rest on her, and Tao Xiaoxi couldn’t move, only arching her head back, allowing him to gradually steal the strength from her body. Her hands moved from the paper, climbing to his shoulder, gripping his shirt loosely.

After the kiss, Chen Fang released her, looking into her eyes. He tapped the stack of paper on the sofa, “If I wanted to look, I wouldn’t need to sneak around. You really underestimate your man.”

Tao Xiaoxi, panting against his shoulder, was unwilling to admit defeat. “Then why did you lean over?”

“It’s break time. I’m playing with my little desk mate for a bit, relaxing.”

…Who’s his desk mate? This is how they “relax” between desk mates?

“You have to call me Teacher Tao,” she was the proctor, after all.

Chen Fang wiped his thumb across the corner of his mouth, moist from the kiss, and rubbed it on her lower lip, “Yes, I’m wrong. I should call you Teacher Tao, the teacher who’s teaching me how to kiss.”

…

Tao Xiaoxi opened her mouth and bit his thumb. If her phone hadn’t vibrated, she would’ve bitten it hard enough to draw blood.

It was a call from Jiang Youlin about the class reunion. Jiang Youlin begged, “Tao Xiaoxi, please, come on. I really don’t want to stay at home. I finally have a class reunion where I can escape for a bit. I don’t know anyone else, and without you, it won’t be fun. I want to tell you all about the strange blind dates I’ve been on. I’m about to lose my mind.”

Tao Xiaoxi could only divide her attention between listening to Jiang Youlin and the finger that was moving slowly on her body. Where the finger went, the skin beneath her clothes felt like it was on fire.

Tao Xiaoxi took a deep breath and replied to Jiang Youlin, “Wait for me.”

She didn’t want to do anything with him in broad daylight, especially since she couldn’t even.

After hanging up the phone, she lay back on the sofa, not stopping his movements, but only reminding him, “If you’ve sparked your own fire, you better put it out yourself. I can’t help you. I’m going to find Jiang Youlin for the class reunion.”

His fingers stopped at the center of her chest. “Did you finish writing the test?”

Tao Xiaoxi’s throat tightened, but she forced her voice to sound casual. “Yes, I finished.”

Chen Fang’s lips moved towards his own finger. His lips and skin were separated by a thin layer of clothing, and his high nose bridge sank into the fabric. Tao Xiaoxi’s body trembled slightly in response.

Chen Fang noticed her shiver and laughed softly, burying himself in her softness. Tao Xiaoxi, annoyed, grabbed a handful of his hair, but it was too short for her to get a good hold.

He pulled her up by the waist, lifting her off the sofa, and pinched her chin. “As long as you finish, it’s fine. Don’t worry, all my fire is reserved for you. I won’t solve it myself. Tomorrow, wearing only an apron might be a bit cold, so I’ll save more fire to warm you up.”

…

Tao Xiaoxi touched the corner of his lips and smiled sweetly at him. “Then I guess I should thank you.”

Chen Fang raised an eyebrow. “If you’re willing, I’ll be more than happy.”

Tao Xiaoxi was naturally willing. Her lips landed on the corner of his mouth, and she licked it with her tongue. His shoulders stiffened. She grinned at him, showing her bright white teeth.

Tao Xiaoxi felt a sense of revenge, but soon regretted it. She had bitten him a little too hard, and the wound on his mouth was rather noticeable. They were about to attend a class reunion, which would only give people a reason to tease them.

“Maybe we shouldn’t go after all,” she hesitated when they arrived at the restaurant door.

Chen Fang handed her the jacket from the backseat. “The wound’s on my mouth, why should you be embarrassed?”

Although the wound was on his mouth, it was because she had bitten him.

She didn’t take the jacket, so he simply grabbed her arm and put it on for her. “Let me teach you a trick. When you’ve done something bad, don’t feel guilty. If you’re confident, no one will blame you. If anyone asks, I’ll say I did it myself. No one would ever believe that the gentle Tao Xiaoxi would do something like biting someone’s mouth while holding their head.”

… This didn’t sound like a good thing to say, but there was no turning back. A group of people had already gathered at the restaurant door, and Zhao Yijiang had seen Chen Fang’s car and was knocking on the window.

As soon as Jiang Youlin saw Tao Xiaoxi, she pulled her away from Chen Fang. Once inside the private room, the girls quickly gathered and started chatting. Tao Xiaoxi became the center of attention as they asked her about married life. Before she could answer, one of her female classmates lowered her voice and said, “Look at Xiaoxi’s rosy and glowing face. You can tell she’s being well taken care of.” She even winked as she spoke.

This classmate had been married for several years and had two children. She had a big mouth, and her meaning was clear—she wasn’t talking about pampering in the usual sense. The other girls laughed in a low voice, making Tao Xiaoxi blush. She quickly turned to play with the little girl in the classmate’s arms.

Zhao Yijiang looked at Chen Fang’s mouth and laughed. “What kind of beastly things are you doing at home that sister-in-law bit you so hard?”

Chen Fang’s gaze lingered on Tao Xiaoxi before he turned to Zhao Yijiang and replied, “Why do I need to report to you what I do at home? If you want to call her, just call her by her name. No matter how you look at it, she and you can never be like us.”

Zhao Yijiang laughed even more and followed his gaze. “I’m not asking you to report anything, but when you guys manage to make a baby, let me know. When you have a daughter, I’ll have to reserve her as a good wife for my son.”

At first, Chen Fang smiled a little at Zhao Yijiang’s words, but when he heard the last part, his eyes narrowed with a cold glare. “Go away if you want to talk nonsense.”

During dinner, Tao Xiaoxi and Chen Fang didn’t sit together. Jiang Youlin made sure to sit next to Tao Xiaoxi, and the little girl who had been playing with Tao Xiaoxi insisted on sitting with her. Chen Fang was pulled away by the boys, so they were seated far apart.

Tao Xiaoxi’s phone buzzed with a message: “You seem to be quite popular with little kids.”

A second message quickly followed: “It would be nice to have a daughter like you.”

Tao Xiaoxi didn’t reply, putting her phone down. She caught someone’s gaze across the room and nervously twirled a lock of her hair before looking away, returning her attention to playing with the little girl.

Class reunions were perfect for matchmaking. The class monitor and the English class representative had always had something going on between them during school, but neither of them ever took the first step. Even after all these years, they were still in an ambiguous stage, and everyone was trying to push them together. Halfway through dinner, Zhao Yijiang suggested they play Truth or Dare, and the class monitor gave him a grateful look.

Having been out in the world, Truth or Dare was no longer as innocent as it had been back in school. Anything could be asked and done. Tao Xiaoxi silently prayed that she wouldn’t be the one to be asked. Luckily, Zhao Yijiang knew how to play the game, and the main focus was on the class monitor and the English representative. After a few rounds, most of the questions went to them, and the atmosphere slowly built up. Tao Xiaoxi relaxed in the high-energy environment.

As she relaxed, the next round came, and Chen Fang drew a card. Everyone eagerly waited, especially Zhao Yijiang, who clapped the loudest. He’d been waiting for this moment and already had his question ready.

Tao Xiaoxi was just watching for fun, as long as she wasn’t the one drawn.

Chen Fang looked at her smile with a bit of helplessness. It seemed like she still didn’t realize that they were a package deal—whether it was Truth or Dare, she couldn’t escape him.

He chose Truth. Knowing Zhao Yijiang’s personality, a Dare might make him and Tao Xiaoxi do something ridiculous.

Zhao Yijiang motioned for everyone to be quiet. “Is this your final choice? Truth. If you don’t answer truthfully, beware—your partner might leave you.”

Chen Fang stared at him, a threatening look in his eyes.

Fueled by alcohol and the support of many classmates, Zhao Yijiang wasn’t scared. He cleared his throat. “Chen Fang, did you like Tao Xiaoxi back in school?”

Zhao Yijiang had always wanted to ask this question. He felt that there must have been something between the two of them back in school for them to get together so quickly, but Chen Fang had always denied it.

Everyone held their breath, staring at Chen Fang. Tao Xiaoxi, who had been tracing the edge of her cup, stopped and looked away from his gaze.

Through the curious eyes of the crowd, Chen Fang watched her slightly flushed profile and softly responded, “No, back then we were just classmates.”

A collective “oh” rang out from the group.

Jiang Youlin teased Zhao Yijiang, “Old Zhao, are you watching too many TV shows? In reality, things like that don’t happen.”

The crowd chimed in, saying that fate is unpredictable. If they knew who they would end up with, they would try to create more encounters with that person beforehand.

Tao Xiaoxi kept her head down, sipping water from her cup. She didn’t even know why she was feeling nervous at that moment.

Her phone buzzed with a message: “Disappointed? Classmate Tao.”

Tao Xiaoxi almost put her phone down but then replied, “What is there to be disappointed about? I only saw you as a classmate back then. Just an ordinary classmate.”

After that, Tao Xiaoxi no longer looked at the ordinary classmate again.

The gathering ended late, and although Jiang Youlin had a lot she wanted to talk to Tao Xiaoxi about, she had an arranged blind date to attend. If she didn’t go, she wouldn’t be able to get into her house later that evening. Taking advantage of the little time left, Jiang Youlin dragged Tao Xiaoxi to complain at the entrance of the restaurant, recounting the torment of her blind dates. Chen Fang, Zhao Yijiang, and a few other guys were nearby, smoking.

There were many people at the New Year’s gathering, not just from their class. The entrance of the restaurant was crowded with people coming and going.

“Chen Fang?!”

A girl walked past them but suddenly turned around and stared at Chen Fang.

Her voice was loud, full of surprise and joy.

Tao Xiaoxi, who had been talking to Jiang Youlin, looked over. The girl had chestnut-colored big waves of hair and wore striking makeup.

Zhao Yijiang nudged Chen Fang and whispered, “Who is she? Xiaoxi is looking this way.”

Chen Fang was sure he didn’t know the girl.

The girl was very excited. “You don’t remember me? It’s Hu Ting! We were desk mates from kindergarten all the way to the first year of middle school. If I hadn’t transferred schools, I bet we’d still be sitting together. I was just asking about you from our middle school classmates.”

Chen Fang nodded slightly, his voice flat. “Hello.”

He looked over at Tao Xiaoxi, who had already turned her head and continued talking to Jiang Youlin.

Jiang Youlin asked Tao Xiaoxi, “Aren’t you going to go over and check? That girl sounds like she’s interested in Chen Fang.”

Tao Xiaoxi shook her head. “No need.”

“Do you know her?”

Tao Xiaoxi kicked a small stone on the ground. “She’s his little desk mate bride.”

Huh? Jiang Youlin was confused.

Tao Xiaoxi kept grinding the small stone under her foot. He never told her that his desk mate from kindergarten, primary school, and middle school was the same person.

On the ride back, Chen Fang tried to strike up a conversation with Tao Xiaoxi several times, but she kept her head down, scribbling something on a piece of paper she pulled from her bag, showing little interest in him.

“What are you writing?” he asked.

After a long pause, Tao Xiaoxi responded, “I’m revising a problem. I thought about it and decided to let you off a bit. I can’t bully you too much.”

Chen Fang chuckled. “It’s fine. You can bully me however you want.”

Tao Xiaoxi turned to him and smiled with curved eyes. “I can’t do that. I can’t bully an old classmate.”

After dinner, before Chuntao came to class, it was Chen Fang’s exam time. Teacher Tao placed the test paper on the coffee table.

“The exam is now open-book. The deadline is set for tomorrow morning at 8 o’clock. You can ask for help as long as you list the steps for solving the problem and explain them to me. If you do that, I’ll count it as correct. How’s that? Aren’t I being nice to you?”

Chen Fang didn’t feel it was a kind gesture. He only thought the trap was getting bigger.

He picked up the test paper, and the question had a long prompt. The main character wasn’t Xiao Ming or Xiao Hong—it was younger brother Ah Fang. When Chen Fang glanced at it, he felt his temper rise as if the fire was blazing through his scalp.

The last question of the exam is: “Based on the above, how long did younger brother Ah Fang’s first time last?”

Tao Xiaoxi propped her chin, watching him. “Isn’t it an easy question? I told you I wouldn’t bully you.”

°.✩┈┈∘*┈˃̶୨୧˂̶┈*∘┈┈✩.°

Author’s note: Do you think Brother Fang will get the question right?