Chapter 53
The silence between them stretched for nearly half a minute. Lightning lay by the bed, its eyes flicking back and forth between Jiang Mu and Jin Chao. The washing machine hummed in the background, its mechanical rhythm unusually loud in the quiet of the night.
Jin Chao opened the wardrobe beside him and pulled out a small white object from the top drawer. He turned it over casually in his palm as he said, almost offhandedly, “I’ve got no house, no car, and no guaranteed future. You should think it through.”
Jiang Mu looked up, her gaze direct and unwavering. “Think about what? Whether you’ll lie to me? Or whether not having a house or a car means you’ll let me starve?”
Jin Chao’s eyes lowered slightly, lashes tinted gold under the warm light. His gaze fell to the white jade bead in his hand. His voice was low, tightly restrained, “Growing up, people have come and gone around me like a revolving door. I’ve never been serious about anyone.”
Then he raised his eyes to hers. “So now that I am serious, I might not give you the chance to regret it.”
The intensity in his gaze left no room for retreat. It ignited something in Jiang Mu too, her skin warming as she held his stare and answered firmly, “I won’t regret it.”
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Jin Chao’s lips. He raised his hand and tossed the small white bead to her.
Jiang Mu caught it and brought it up to her face, instantly recognizing what it was.
She knew this little thing better than anyone, a small carving of white sheep-fat jade, with a red agate bead embedded in the center. When they were little, Jin Chao used to wear it around his neck. In summer, it would be cool to the touch and in winter, it would carry the warmth of his body. Jiang Mu used to love holding it while she slept. She’d asked him for it more than once, but he never agreed. Every time she asked what it was, he refused to tell her.
She hadn’t expected that after all these years, Jin Chao had still kept it. The little jade carving was just as exquisite as she remembered. Holding it in her palm, she looked up and asked, “You’re giving it to me?”
Jin Chao beckoned her closer. When she stepped forward, he took the jade bead back and moved behind her, fastening the black cord around her neck. Jiang Mu looked down at the small jade bead resting against her collarbone and pouted. “Now you’re willing to give it to me? When we were kids, no matter how much I begged, you refused. So stingy.”
His voice brushed the crown of her head. “Do you know where it came from?”
“You never told me.”
“My mother left it to me.”
Jiang Mu froze. “You mean… your birth mother?”
Jin Chao hummed in confirmation.
Instantly, she spun around, clutching the jade bead tightly. Suddenly, all those times she’d asked about its origin and his silence made sense. Back then, telling her would have meant revealing he wasn’t truly her brother, a truth her younger self couldn’t have handled. So he’d guarded the secret carefully.
Jin Chao had always been more mature than kids his age. So many things Jiang Mu hadn’t understood as a child only now fell into place. Emotion thickened her voice as she asked, “Is this the only thing your parents left you?”
He didn’t deny it. Jiang Mu pressed further, “And you’re willing to give it to me?”
Jin Chao’s gaze shifted from the jade bead to her face. The delicate white jade against her collarbone suited her perfectly, enhancing the soft warmth of her complexion.
His expression softened as he said, “Back then, I really couldn’t give it to you. But now…”*
Jiang Mu finished his sentence, “Now you can? Why?”
The curve of Jin Chao’s lips deepened. “That ties back to the origin of this thing. I’ll tell you slowly in the future.”
Then he glanced at the snacks piled on the nightstand and remarked, “Did you plan to move here?”
Jiang Mu fiddled with the jade bead, testing the waters. “Um… can I not go home tonight?”
Jin Chao chuckled, turning the question back on her, “What do you think?”
“I think the answer’s probably no. Like, if Dad calls later, I won’t know what to say. So… help me figure something out?”
He just looked at her quietly, saying nothing.
Under his gaze, Jiang Mu lowered her head and muttered to herself, “Maybe I’m getting a little rebellious.”
The sudden self-reflection made Jin Chao nearly laugh out loud, but before he could, she quickly dismissed her own confession and mumbled, “But the exams are over, right? And there’s no internet at Dad’s place. If I go back, I’ll just be bored to death. Can’t I stay… and just borrow your Wi-Fi?”
Jin Chao stood in silence for a moment, then picked up his phone and stepped out of the room. Jiang Mu could hear him making a call to Jin Qiang, but she couldn’t make out what was said. When he returned, he was holding two cups of rich, aromatic coffee. He casually handed one to her.
Still seated at the edge of the bed, Jiang Mu was a little surprised as she took the cup from him. It was the first time Jin Chao had ever given her coffee. Every time she had asked for it before, he would brush her off, saying she was still too young like she was only suited for juice or yogurt.
That’s why this cup felt unexpectedly meaningful now. She lifted her gaze to him. Jin Chao blew lightly on his own coffee, the steam curling between them. A faint, knowing smile played at his lips as he glanced at her. “Not going to try it?”
Jiang Mu lowered her gaze and brought the cup to her lips, mentally bracing herself for the bitterness. She took a cautious sip, only to be surprised by the smooth, mellow flavor that spread across her tongue. It was unexpectedly… sweet.
She looked up again, eyes wide in disbelief. Jin Chao’s eyes twinkled as he asked, “Sweet?”
Those two simple words pierced straight into her heart. She quickly took another, deeper sip, her cheeks flushing. “Last time I drank it, it was definitely bitter.”
Jin Chao’s lips curved knowingly. Jiang Mu glanced at the cup in his hand and asked, “What about yours?”
Without waiting for an answer, she leaned in. He offered his coffee, but instead of taking it, she bent her head and sipped directly from his cup, only to immediately grimace at the bitterness. “…Mine’s better. Why is mine sweet?”
Jin Chao gently swirled his wrist, creating a small whirlpool in the cup. His gaze locked onto Jiang Mu with a heat that could scorch as he said, “Not all coffee is bitter.”
Then, lowering his lashes, he added, “I won’t let you taste bitterness.”
At that moment, Jiang Mu felt like he wasn’t just talking about coffee anymore, but an unspoken promise. The air between them thickened, and her heart melted into softness.
She took a large gulp of coffee to steady her racing pulse but ended up drinking too quickly. When she looked up again, a ring of coffee clung to her upper lip like a makeshift mustache.
Jin Chao chuckled, taking the cup from her hand along with his own and setting them aside. Then he pulled her gently toward him, thumb brushing against her lips to wipe the stain away. The warmth of his touch traced from the center of her upper lip to the corner of her mouth.
He leaned in, eyes deep and dark, intoxicating as he murmured, “What is it you want to feel?”
Then he tilted her chin up and pressed a featherlight kiss to the corner of her mouth. “Like this?”
Jiang Mu’s lashes fluttered, her whole body taut with nerves as she stared at him, so close. Jin Chao kissed her again and this time fully, slowly, lips molding to hers in a soft, lingering brush. His voice, rough with restraint, vibrated against her mouth. “Like this?”
His presence was commanding, his movements deliberate, steadily overwhelming her senses, and he asked in a low voice, “Or like this?”
His lips pressed firmly against hers, invading her territory with deliberate slowness, teasing out her curiosity strand by strand. Every movement etched itself vividly into Jiang Mu’s mind, the unfamiliar tingling sensation sending tremors through her body.
This was her first kiss with Jin Chao in full, sober awareness. The mingling of their lips carried the rich aroma of coffee which was bitter yet laced with a hint of sweetness, an intoxicating flavor that lingered, impossible to forget.
She didn’t know how long the kiss lasted, only that when Jin Chao finally let her go, her lips were swollen and tingling. He told her to go shower, and she obeyed, stepping into the bathroom. But even as the warm water flowed down her body, her breathing remained uneven as if something foreign and restless had burrowed beneath her skin, crawling through her veins, gnawing at her from the inside. She didn’t know what this feeling was or how to control it, only that the warm, golden light of the bathroom seemed hazy and surreal, and her emotions thrummed with an almost feverish intensity.
By the time she finished showering and stepped out, Jin Chao had put on a movie. He glanced over at her as she approached the bed. Jiang Mu perched stiffly at the edge, too self-conscious to lie down.
Jin Chao smirked faintly. “You weren’t this shy about climbing into my bed when we were kids.”
Then he gave her a gentle tug, and Jiang Mu fell into his arms. Her whole body went stiff, unsure of what to do. Jin Chao only held her loosely, eyes still on the movie, as if nothing had changed.
But Jiang Mu, curled up in the heat of his embrace, completely surrounded by his warmth, couldn’t focus on anything playing on the screen.
She stole a glance up at him, just a peek, only for Jin Chao to meet hers, his voice laced with amusement. “Am I more interesting than the movie?”
Jiang Mu quickly averted her eyes, pretending to be utterly engrossed in the film. In truth, she hadn’t absorbed a single frame.
Back during New Year’s, she had fantasized about lying beside Jin Chao as they did as kids, carefree, teasing each other without a second thought. But now that she was actually next to him, Jiang Mu realized it was nothing like before. She couldn’t burrow into his shirt like she used to, popping out from the collar to declare herself “the baby he birthed,” nor could she playfully nip at his chin until he pinned her down, tickling her into breathless laughter.
Now, she lay stiff as a mummy, barely daring to move, and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly, childhood really was a time of fearless innocence.
At first, just lying there quietly watching a movie with Jin Chao felt like a rare, peaceful moment. But then Jiang Mu couldn’t understand why a comedy of all things would suddenly cut to an intimate scene.
She hadn’t been paying attention to the plot at all, but when the screen abruptly jumped to a man and woman kissing feverishly while tearing at each other’s clothes, her focus snapped back violently. Her heart pounded faster, her breath shallow with tension. She didn’t dare look up at Jin Chao, her entire body flooded with a weak, flustered paralysis, worse than the awkwardness of watching a kissing scene beside a parent as a kid.
Jin Chao leaned against the headboard, his arm draped around her, fingers idly tracing her shoulder with featherlight strokes. The teasing touch only made Jiang Mu’s already rigid posture stiffen further, her gaze fixed unblinkingly on the ceiling.
The scene on screen dragged on endlessly. Every second felt like torture.
Finally, Jin Chao muttered, “Annoying.”
Then he shifted, turning to face her, his silhouette blocking the ceiling from Jiang Mu’s view. The next moment, a shadow fell across her eyes. He kissed her eyelids, her cheeks, fingertips brushing over her hairline, each motion deliberate, gentle, unhurried. Jiang Mu’s entire body went rigid, her breathing fracturing into uneven gasps.
Jin Chao’s kisses trailed down to her neck, the searing heat scorching her nerves. Sensing Jiang Mu’s slight tremble of fear, he ultimately didn’t go any further. Instead, he released her and lay back down to continue watching the movie.
Jiang Mu turned to face the edge of the bed, only to meet Lightning’s pitch-black eyes staring at her, startling her so much she nearly fell off.
After that, Jiang Mu gradually fell asleep in the same position. Before turning off the movie, Jin Chao gently moved her to the inside of the bed.
The next morning, Jiang Mu was awakened by a wet, sticky sensation. She groggily opened her eyes to find Lightning wagging its tail and licking her hand, likely excited since she rarely spent the night there.
She patted its furry head, got up, washed up, and then put the leash on Lightning.
Jin Chao and Xiao Yang were busy in the repair shop with a customer. Jiang Mu only gave Jin Chao a quick glance before heading out with Lightning for a walk.
When San Lai opened his shop and saw a small figure in a nightdress walking the dog, he was puzzled, wondering which girl was up so early helping Jin Chao walk his dog. Then Jiang Mu turned around mid-yawn and waved at him, “Morning, Brother San Lai.”
She then headed back toward the garage with Lightning, leaving San Lai standing in front of his pet store, staring at her retreating figure for quite a while.
Jin Chao came out after finishing his work and saw San Lai, casually tossing him a cigarette. San Lai tucked it behind his ear and immediately asked, “Mu Mu didn’t go home last night?”
Jin Chao lifted his eyelids slightly but didn’t reply.
San Lai pressed on, “You didn’t come to crash at my place either, so… how did you two sleep last night?”
Jin Chao still didn’t respond. He walked over, turned on the faucet, pumped some soap, and calmly washed his hands. San Lai followed, eyes wide in disbelief, pointing at him, “You son of a—don’t tell me you actually…”
Jin Chao raised his gaze and gently pressed San Lai’s hand down, his tone calm, and said lightly, “See through it, but don’t say it out loud. That’s how we’re still brothers.”
Then he turned and walked away, leaving San Lai behind, face full of shock and confusion.