Dawn and Dusk
Today was First Kiss Exchange Day, and President Xie granted a general amnesty. More specifically, he was granting amnesty to Rong Ci.
Not only had he taken the initiative to suggest a “date” to cultivate their romantic feelings, but he had also pushed the internet curfew back to ten o’clock, though only for one day.
Still, Rong Ci was so touched that she served Xie Xunzhao tea and water, hoping to persuade him to extend the deadline by a few more hours.
After all, once the time was up, she really wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight!
The little princess was rarely this diligent. Unfortunately, she had never done this kind of “menial labor” before.
She tripped over the carpet.
Splash!
Every last drop spilled onto Xie Xunzhao, not a single drop was wasted.
Xie Xunzhao remained perfectly still. “Are you serving me tea, or watering me?”
“This isn’t my real level of skill!” Rong Ci scrambled about in a panic. “Where are the tissues?”
Xie Xunzhao rose from the sofa. “Don’t bother looking. I’m going to take a shower.”
“President Xie, I’m sorry for making you shower again.” Rong Ci apologized politely, feeling guilty.
Xie Xunzhao turned aside and took off the soaked suit jacket with complete composure. “Miss Rong, it’s all right. I was going to take another shower anyway.”
He then undid the few remaining buttons on his soaked shirt, and as he took it off, he politely asked, “Do you mind?”
On a man with Xie Xunzhao’s cold, piercing looks, there was a red heart-shaped birthmark the size of a little fingernail on his left side, just below the waist.
When Rong Ci was little, she had adored that tiny heart and had even made a fuss, insisting that Brother give it to her.
Xie Xunzhao had told her he couldn’t, and Rong Ci threw a tantrum.
In the end, he’d had no choice but to draw a little heart on her fair, soft belly using specially made red paint; only then had he managed to appease her.
Many years had passed.
Yet the little heart was still just as beautiful, and it still caught her attention.
Rong Ci’s gaze lingered on it unconsciously. After a moment, she finally asked blankly, “I… should I mind?”
She had no experience with this sort of thing.
When they’d been siblings, she’d never been particularly careful about boundaries. Now that they were supposed to be partners, she had to figure out where those boundaries lay.
“Figure it out yourself.” Xie Xunzhao casually tossed out those words before heading into the bathroom.
Rong Ci sat cross-legged on the bed, thinking.
The little heart is so pretty.
His waist muscles are so firm.
No, that wasn’t what she was supposed to be thinking about!
So, what was she supposed to think about again?
Three minutes later…
Rong Ci slapped the bed. Damn it! I nearly fast-forwarded my internet time!
She couldn’t concentrate on architectural videos anymore. She felt as though her brain was stuffed full of things that weren’t exactly pure. Studying with this sort of brain was an insult to the architectural design industry.
An insult to her great dream.
So Rong Ci opened her social media feed with practiced ease.
But the moment she opened it, something suddenly occurred to her. Her finger hovered over the back button.
She’d almost forgotten that quack, Meng Lingzhou!
He’d been posting nonsense on social media.
Rong Ci was too curious to resist, and she ended up checking the comments under the quack’s post. They all belonged to the same social circle, so their friend lists overlapped considerably.
Chu Songlin: [I remember you sold yourself to Brother Xie. Wait a minute… tsk! Is this the patient I think it is?]
[So when you say “first kiss,” you mean childhood sweethearts for twenty years, married for over half a year, and only just kissed on the lips?! My God, Brother Xie really is the most virtuous man in the entire world.]
Wen Jin: [@Chu Songlin That’s just how he is. Young Master Xie used to be platonic. (doge jpg)]
Others chimed in: [Our Brother Xie always looks so cool and indifferent. Who would’ve thought he’d be so wild in private? Haha.]
[That waist, those legs, those muscles! Remember his explosive power in all those sports back in school? Long-distance running, basketball, swimming, martial arts… How could he possibly be genuinely celibate?!]
[I agree! I’ve seen Brother Xie swimming!]
What on earth is all this?!
Rong Ci recorded every single one of those nosy people in her “memo”.
She was definitely going to send them lawyers’ letters.
Brother’s waist, legs, muscles, and body—were those things they were even allowed to fantasize about?!
The next second, Pei Yitong called. “Huh? It actually went through! Aaaaaah! I saw Meng Lingzhou’s social media post! You got kissed by Young Master Xie! Aaaaaah! I told you! Men like Xie Xunzhao, who look so composed and pure, like they’ve renounced all worldly desires, are the most intense in bed!”
Rong Ci was utterly shocked. “What kind of ferocious, predatory talk is this?! Your parents sent you overseas to study, not to become a hooligan!”
“And besides, we only kissed. We didn’t do anything else.”
“Are you disappointed?”
“Pei Yitong!”
“Hehehe. So, how did Young Master Xie feel when he kissed you? How long did it take before you fainted? Don’t tell me you don’t know how to breathe?”
Rong Ci issued a solemn declaration. “I wasn’t kissed unconscious. I got dizzy from the fragrance! I accidentally kicked over the aromatherapy bottle while we were kissing.”
“Got it, got it. It was too intense.” Pei Yitong could only hear what she wanted to hear.
Rong Ci: “I have nothing to say to you.”
Pei Yitong: “Got it, got it. Your mouth is for kissing your husband, not for talking.”
Just then, the internet shut off.
Rong Ci let out a rare sigh of relief. For the first time, she felt that having the internet shut off on schedule was such a humane policy.
Ten o’clock at night!
It was meant for resting!
Not for listening to Pei Yitong laugh like a goose!
A familiar voice sounded beside her. “What are you thinking about?”
Caught completely off guard, Rong Ci answered honestly. “Whether mouths are meant for talking or kissing…”
The moment the words left her mouth, she abruptly raised her eyes and met Xie Xunzhao’s amused, half-smiling eyes.
Xie Xunzhao had changed out of his distinguished, ascetic formal wear. After taking another shower, he’d put on a bathrobe, held loosely at the waist by a single black silk belt.
Although the belt seemed on the verge of slipping, it was remarkably stubborn. It hadn’t come undone even by the time he reached the bed.
Rong Ci hugged his arm, speaking up in her own defense. “Brother, I was just talking nonsense.”
“I wasn’t reminiscing about kissing!”
“I didn’t think about it at all!”
A confession without being prompted.
Xie Xunzhao bent his knee and climbed onto the bed. The powerful muscles of his thighs were visible beneath the hem of his robe. “I know.”
Rong Ci’s gaze drifted over them. “Know what?”
Xie Xunzhao replied casually. “You like kissing me.”
Rong Ci came back to her senses. “When did I…” How could he twist the truth even better than Pei Yitong?!
Xie Xunzhao turned off the lights, and the room instantly darkened. “You should go to sleep.”
Rong Ci slowly curled up beneath the covers and complained softly. “If you keep acting like this, I’ll start treating you like my biological older brother again.”
The moment she said that, Xie Xunzhao suddenly raised his hand.
Rong Ci, who had been lying with her back to him, rolled into his arms in an instant. Her forehead rested against his heart. Their skin was separated only by a thin layer of silk. His skin radiated warmth, like hugging a heating pad in summer.
But Rong Ci was physically frail, and her body was cool.
They held each other like that for a while. Gradually, even their body temperatures began to sync.
~~
“Don’t hold hands like that. I’m not your little child. We have to lace our fingers.” Rong Ci waved their hands at Xie Xunzhao.
It had rained the night before.
The sky today was like a layer of delicate blue gauze stretched over it, filtering the scorching sun and making the weather particularly pleasant.
“Hurry up!”
At the entrance to the amusement park, Xie Xunzhao leisurely changed the way he held her hand at her urging.
Before going to sleep last night, Xie Xunzhao had asked her where she most wanted to go on a date.
Rong Ci’s first thought had been this place.
When she imagined it, she’d thought of the drop tower, roller coasters, and extreme rafting!
In reality, it was a miniature roller coaster, a children’s rafting ride, and a carousel.
At first, Rong Ci had been reluctant, but as the day went on, she had more and more fun, especially on the carousel. She rode it five times in a row, without getting dizzy or bored.
If Xie Xunzhao hadn’t lured her down with a cone of ice cream, she could have ridden it a few more times.
Under the shade of a tree, watching her obediently eat her ice cream, Xie Xunzhao remembered the time they’d come here when she was ten.
Back then, little Mumu had held a rabbit balloon, and knowing her body was weak, she had obediently refrained from asking to ride any of the more thrilling attractions. Instead, she’d rested against his shoulder, letting him carry her on his back and was asleep before long.
She hadn’t been nearly as energetic as she was now.
Rong Ci licked the melted ice cream from the corner of her lips. “Today is our first date. You won’t refuse my requests, will you?”
“If you reject me, it’ll leave me with a deep psychological trauma.”
“Every time I think about dating in the future, I’ll remember how miserable I felt when I was rejected.”
“You can refuse a little sister, but you can’t refuse your wife.”
Xie Xunzhao was pleased by her referring to herself as his wife. He took out a tissue and placed it in her palm. “Another ice cream is not allowed. Anything else is fine.”
Rong Ci: “…”
She just wanted another ice cream!
During the day, Rong Ci had arranged a children’s session, and at night, Xie Xunzhao had arranged an adult session.
By dusk, the moment they left the amusement park, Rong Ci heard many passersby whispering. Following their gazes, she looked across the road.
A supercar was parked on the opposite side.
It was a limited-edition Koenigsegg. The body was inlaid with pink diamonds, shimmering brilliantly in the evening light, worth over a hundred million yuan domestically.
“Wow, what a dazzling car.” A flash of admiration crossed Rong Ci’s eyes.
No wonder everyone was so stunned.
Which wealthy young master or heiress had come to visit an amusement park? They certainly had a lot of leisure time.
“Do you like it?” Xie Xunzhao lowered his eyes to look at her, asking casually.
“Of course I do!”
“The dream supercar in my heart looks exactly like this.”
Rong Ci gazed at the car, which seemed to have been made entirely to suit her tastes. She didn’t even blink.
“Even if I like it, it’s not mine,” she said casually. Then, suddenly, her eyes lit up.
She took two steps forward, picked up a heart-shaped leaf from the ground, and held it up for Xie Xunzhao to see. “Look! Doesn’t it look like the little heart on your waist?”
Xie Xunzhao suddenly said, “Rong Mumu, hold out your hand.”
“What is it?” Rong Ci reflexively asked when he used her full name. Before her brain could react, her empty palm was already extended upward.
The next second, something heavy landed in it.
Rong Ci was stunned. “This is a car key.”
A large pink diamond was embedded in the side of the key, carved into the shape of a little cat’s head.
Even Rong Ci rarely saw pink diamonds of this size. It had to be at least forty carats.
Xie Xunzhao said nonchalantly, “A Valentine’s Day gift.”
Valentine’s Day?
Only then did Rong Ci consciously look at the decorations around her.
Today is Qixi Festival!
No wonder there were so many couples at the amusement park today.
She’d even been muttering about whether their first date had accidentally led them into a couples’ gathering.
Rong Ci accidentally pressed a button on the key. She had no idea which one.
The Koenigsegg across the road suddenly roared to life.
!!!
“Is-is that mine?”
“It’s yours.”
Rong Ci finally understood completely. The car that had seemed to have been made just for her was actually hers!!!
Her eyes shone even brighter than the little pink diamond cat, and she called out stickily, “Brother… I didn’t even prepare a Qixi gift for you.”
“Isn’t this one?” Xie Xunzhao took the heart-shaped leaf, now slightly crumpled, from her other hand. “I like it very much too.”
Rong Ci: That was just a fallen leaf she’d picked up from the ground!
Wanglin Tower, located on the top floor of a skyscraper in the most prosperous district of a first-tier city, was a newly opened, top-tier French restaurant. From here, one could almost overlook the entire bustling commercial district of North City.
The atmosphere, surroundings, and price point were all enough to make people hesitate.
Xie Xunzhao hadn’t booked the entire restaurant as usual, because Rong Ci liked lively places. She loved watching and listening to other people’s excitement.
After taking their seats, Rong Ci was still playing with the car key.
With Xie Xunzhao around, she didn’t need to worry about what to eat, let alone whether a particular dish might trigger an allergic reaction.
Xie Xunzhao understood her body better than she did herself.
Under the brilliant, luxurious lights, Rong Ci’s delicate, porcelain-white fingertips held the pink diamond cat. “It looks a little like Zeus.”
Xie Xunzhao poured her a glass of water. “It’s not a calico cat.”
Rong Ci examined it. “Hmm?”
It was pink. How could she tell what breed of cat it was?
Xie Xunzhao’s thin lips curved into a smile. “It’s a tuxedo cat.”
Rong Ci tilted her head, not understanding. “Like Black Cat Detective?”
“Then that suits me perfectly.”
Now it was Xie Xunzhao’s turn to ask. “Why does it suit you?”
“Because I was born to be a little sheriff who fights for justice!”
After saying that, Rong Ci pointed at the berry snowflake ice on the menu, which had a base of shaved ice. “Could you please reward this little sheriff, who is so full of justice, with this?”
She knew she’d already eaten ice cream that afternoon, so she clasped her hands together and crossed her fingers. “Just one bite. You can have the rest.”
“I definitely won’t steal any.”
Xie Xunzhao chuckled. “All right. Just one bite.”
Today, both her physical and mental condition were much better than they had been over the past few days. Otherwise, Xie Xunzhao wouldn’t have brought her out.
And even after playing for so long, she hadn’t seemed tired at all. Her energy was even more energetic than that of a perfectly healthy person.
While waiting for the food, Rong Ci rested her chin in her hand and looked outside.
The floor-to-ceiling window offered an expansive view; directly opposite was a massive electronic billboard.
The advertisement had just changed. A new one was now scrolling across the screen, featuring Qin Fan, who still held a place on the global list of the most charismatic female stars.
Although she had married, had a child, and semi-retired, her luxury-brand endorsements remained difficult for other actresses to rival. Her position in the entertainment industry was unshakable.
Xie Xunzhao was that child.
Rong Ci suddenly stood up. “Wow! Mommy is so popular!”
“Brother, quick! I want a photo together too!”
Wanglin Tower had a high entry threshold and limited the number of tables each day. So even on a holiday like Qixi, there weren’t too many people.
However… Almost as soon as Qin Fan’s advertisement appeared on the screen, several tables of guests stood up and went toward the windows to take pictures.
That showed just how popular she was with the public.
“These are all Mommy’s fans. Let them take their pictures first.” Rong Ci waited until everyone had nearly finished before finding a spot.
She tilted her head up toward the enormous electronic screen outside.
The superstar on the screen wore a custom haute couture gown embroidered with beads, still dazzlingly beautiful and flamboyant. Her eyes slightly lowered as though she were a goddess who had descended into the mortal world, existing in a world of her own.
Since it was a romantic dinner, Rong Ci had also changed into an evening gown before coming.
Her frost-white satin dress resembled a cloud. Her long hair cascaded like a waterfall, making her look cool and ethereal, yet when she looked at the billboard, a shallow dimple appeared in her smile.
Xie Xunzhao captured that moment.
“Let me see.” Rong Ci lifted her skirt and hurried toward him. “Not bad. It captured about seventy or eighty percent of my and Mommy’s beauty.”
“Do you want me to take a picture of you?”
Xie Xunzhao had just opened his mouth to speak.
Suddenly, a voice sounded. “Junior, it’s really you.”
Rong Ci was also a little surprised. “Senior? What a coincidence.”
Jiang Zhuoqi was wearing a waiter’s uniform: a white shirt and black vest. He had long legs, a narrow waist, and a handsome, refined face. The corners of his lips always carried a smile when he spoke. He was the sort of campus heartthrob who would be most popular at university. He smiled warmly. “I’m working part-time here.”
“Senior, you look pretty handsome dressed like this. You should wear this kind of outfit more often in the future.”
Rong Ci remembered that Jiang Zhuoqi usually dressed in dull, grayish clothes. Now, he finally had the air of a proper college guy.
“All right. I’ll listen to you.” Jiang Zhuoqi turned his gaze toward the imposing figure beside her. “Who is this?”
“This is my…” Brother. Rong Ci instinctively began introducing him.
But before she could finish, she suddenly remembered the purpose of today’s outing.
Move away from familial affection. Cultivate romantic love.
Rong Ci made up her mind. She pushed Xie Xunzhao forward with all seriousness. “Senior, let me formally introduce you. This is my husband!”
For a moment, no one spoke. A full thirty seconds passed.
Jiang Zhuoqi: “Hahahahaha! Junior, you’re playing a prank again. Do you think I’d believe that?”
Rong Ci wanted to retort. She would never play a prank about something like this, but the words reached the tip of her tongue before she stopped.
Rong Ci suddenly seemed to realize something. She tilted her head up and looked at Xie Xunzhao.
The man’s eyes were as calm and deep as the night of Qixi itself.
He hadn’t spoken. Just as he had done every other time she encountered one of her classmates, he was waiting for her to introduce him herself.
Rong Ci blinked very slowly.
If Xie Xunzhao loved her, then every time she’d introduced him to someone else and called him Brother, those two words must have landed in his ears like a sharpened sword.
Author’s Note
Today, Mumu has finally had a major breakthrough in understanding!