Chapter 24: Thank You
It wasn’t the first time You Ruxu had lain in Zhou Tianzui’s bed, but it was the first time she had lain in her bed at her home. Zhou Tianzui’s room bore the heavy marks of time; many things were old. A rosewood desk, a bookshelf reaching almost to the ceiling, filled with faded books, award certificates stuck to the wall – it seemed Zhou Tianzui had good grades in school – and beige wallpaper. Even the small ornaments hinted at Zhou Tianzui’s comfortable upbringing.
She had heard this apartment was bought a long time ago. Her mother hadn’t sold it when they moved, and when Zhou Tianzui returned to Jindu for work, she had initially wanted to buy a new place, but Yu Qiao hadn’t agreed. In the end, Yu Qiao moved back in as well.
The neighbors were still the same, yet different, after all, more than twenty years had passed. Many people had left, moved away. In the first two months after Yu Qiao moved back, Zhou Tianzui would rush home after work, afraid something might happen to her mother. But she was fine, occasionally going out with her neighbors to dance or exercise, in good spirits. Sometimes, she would say to Zhou Tianzui, “Your father would be so surprised to know you’ve become a doctor.”
Indeed.
Zhou Tianzui had initially studied art.
Since she was young, she loved drawing. Back then, cram schools weren’t popular, but her father enrolled her in two art classes. She was the youngest, but also the most diligent. Children more than ten years older than her would run around during breaks, while she would sit quietly in front of her easel.
The teacher said, “This child is so focused, she might become a great painter one day.”
People liked to joke back then.
She really had envisioned that dream.
But things didn’t always go as planned.
Zhou Tianzui stood at the doorway, watching You Ruxu staring out the window. She followed her gaze. It was still raining outside. An orange alert had been issued twice. It had been raining a lot these past two years, news of floods everywhere. She walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, hearing You Ruxu ask, “Is Auntie asleep?”
Yu Qiao’s mental state hadn’t been good a long time ago, after suffering a great shock. She had become mentally unstable but gradually recovered after moving out. It had been years, and she hadn’t relapsed, until today.
It wasn’t entirely unexpected.
The day her father passed away, it was also pouring rain, just like today.
Zhou Tianzui said, “Yes, she’s asleep.”
Before sleeping, Yu Qiao had asked, “Should I explain things to Xiao Xu?”
“Mom,” Zhou Tianzui said, “Is there anything you need to explain?”
“I…” Yu Qiao looked at her and suddenly said, “I don’t know what’s wrong with me today.”
“Nothing’s wrong.” She said, “Mom, you’re fine, don’t worry.”
Yu Qiao asked, “Really?”
“Of course.” She said, “I’m a doctor, don’t you trust me?”
Yu Qiao smiled: “I trust you.”
She whispered, “I trust everything my daughter says.”
Her heart ached, but she still smiled at Yu Qiao and said, “Go to sleep.”
Yu Qiao lay down, reassured. Zhou Tianzui sat in the room for over half an hour, only leaving after hearing Yu Qiao’s steady breathing. She thought You Ruxu would be asleep, but she was still sitting by the window.
Zhou Tianzui sat on the edge of the bed. Because of her work, she didn’t come home often. Yu Qiao would say, “It’s okay, it’s not far, I’ll come visit you if I miss you.”
But Yu Qiao rarely visited, because she was sharing an apartment.
Yu Qiao had asked more than once, “Does Xiao Xu earn a good salary? I heard TV station salaries are quite high.”
Zhou Tianzui chuckled: “Mom, why are you asking?”
“I’m just curious.” Yu Qiao said, “Isn’t she planning to buy an apartment?”
Zhou Tianzui hadn’t asked.
Yu Qiao continued, “But her family isn’t in Jindu either, maybe she’ll go back eventually, it’s normal not to buy a place here.”
Go back?
Zhou Tianzui looked at You Ruxu. The room’s light shone on her shoulders, delicate but beautifully shaped. You Ruxu was a natural clothes hanger. Zhou Tianzui remembered her colleagues complimenting her beautiful bone structure more than once. To a doctor, praising someone’s bone structure was the highest form of compliment, a standard of near-perfect beauty.
She couldn’t deny it, You Ruxu was indeed perfect in every way.
Zhou Tianzui asked, “Not sleeping?”
You Ruxu came back to her senses, turned to look at Zhou Tianzui. The light above, mixed with the reflections from the rain outside, cast an ethereal, shifting beauty on her face, half visible, half submerged, like the extreme coldness beneath the surface of water, shattering into fragments upon contact with the air. The dappled light and shadow from the window fell on her, making every slight movement breathtaking.
Zhou Tianzui stood up, walked over to You Ruxu, and brushed the back of her hand against her cheek, her fingertips warm, as if dispelling the overlapping illusions. You Ruxu’s breath hitched: “You…”
Zhou Tianzui looked down, carefully examining her dress.
She said, “It is a bit small.”
You Ruxu shifted uncomfortably. The dress was tight, a little constricting, but she didn’t say anything.
Zhou Tianzui took half a step back and drew the curtains, dimming the light and shadows in the room. You Ruxu looked at Zhou Tianzui, seeing her lips move slightly: “Is it uncomfortable?”
You Ruxu didn’t speak.
Zhou Tianzui chuckled, exasperated: “Cat got your tongue?”
You Ruxu pursed her lips.
Zhou Tianzui asked again: “Or do you like it?”
You Ruxu shifted, her voice tense: “I don’t like it.”
Zhou Tianzui laughed.
You Ruxu didn’t know what she was laughing about. Zhou Tianzui turned off the room’s light, turned on the small bedside lamp, and gestured towards the edge of the bed: “Come here.”
You Ruxu walked over. Just as she was about to sit down, Zhou Tianzui grabbed her wrist, pulling her forward. Zhou Tianzui caught her in a timely embrace.
Zhou Tianzui asked, “You wouldn’t say it even if you didn’t like it?”
You Ruxu instinctively bit her lip.
But she ended up biting Zhou Tianzui’s finger instead.
Zhou Tianzui, like a child whose prank had succeeded, suddenly laughed. You Ruxu, inexplicably annoyed, pushed her away and stood up. Zhou Tianzui tilted her head back slightly, her eyes deep and unreadable in the warm light. You Ruxu walked to the other side of the bed, sat down, took off her jacket, lifted the blanket, and got into bed, all in one smooth motion.
Her back to Zhou Tianzui.
Zhou Tianzui turned off the light.
The room was plunged into darkness.
Only the sound of the rain remained. Zhou Tianzui lifted the blanket and got into bed, next to You Ruxu, then suddenly turned, leaning close to her ear, and whispered, “A Ran.”
You Ruxu didn’t respond.
Zhou Tianzui reached out and touched her cheek. You Ruxu turned and bit down hard on the back of Zhou Tianzui’s hand.
The person beside her didn’t move, didn’t cry out in pain, just withdrew her hand.
Zhou Tianzui settled down.
You Ruxu lay flat on her back, feeling that she had changed.
If this were before today, she would definitely have gone along with Zhou Tianzui, even taken the initiative. But at this moment, even though they hadn’t done anything more intimate, she felt closer to Zhou Tianzui than ever before.
You Ruxu rested a hand on her forehead.
She was experiencing insomnia, something she hadn’t felt in a long time.
Zhou Tianzui’s breathing was steady beside her, shallow and even. You Ruxu barely moved. She knew Zhou Tianzui was a light sleeper and would wake up at the slightest movement. Late into the night, even though her eyelids were heavy, sleep wouldn’t come. She turned and looked at Zhou Tianzui.
On a rainy night, the room was so dark that not a single ray of light could be seen. She could only judge Zhou Tianzui’s sleeping position from her breathing. She was lying flat on her back, her hands at her sides. You Ruxu was silent for a while, listening to the drizzling rain outside, thinking about everything that had happened today.
It felt like this day had lasted a very, very long time.
So long that she still felt a sense of unreality.
Moving closer to Zhou Tianzui.
The feeling of unreality finally lessened. This was Zhou Tianzui’s home, Zhou Tianzui’s room, Yu Qiao was sleeping in the next room. All of this felt impossible, yet it was happening.
You Ruxu snuggled closer to Zhou Tianzui, like someone desperately seeking proof, finally finding a clue, yet still unable to believe it, having to carefully examine it.
Zhou Tianzui didn’t give her any more time to hesitate, reaching out and pulling her into an embrace.
You Ruxu was taken aback.
She instinctively looked up.
Zhou Tianzui said, “Go to sleep.”
Her voice was hoarse from sleep, the vibrations close to You Ruxu’s ear. You Ruxu said, “Did I wake you?”
Zhou Tianzui said, “Yes.”
You Ruxu lowered her eyes: “I’m sorry, I…”
Zhou Tianzui interrupted her: “Don’t talk, go to sleep.”
You Ruxu fell silent.
Wrapped in her embrace, smelling the familiar scent, she finally felt sleepy.
She woke up later than usual the next day. Zhou Tianzui didn’t wake her when she got up. You Ruxu reached for her phone, saw the time, and hurriedly sat up. She felt a little dizzy from sitting up too quickly. She took a deep breath, waited for her vision to clear, then got out of bed. Reaching the doorway, she heard Zhou Tianzui and Yu Qiao talking.
“What’s for breakfast?” Yu Qiao asked, “Does Xiao Xu have any preferences?”
Zhou Tianzui said, “She’s not picky, anything is fine.”
“Even if she’s not picky, there must be things she likes more.” Yu Qiao said, “You can’t eat well over there, always takeout, no nutrition. Now that you’re home, you can’t be so casual anymore.”
Zhou Tianzui listened to her rambling and said, “I’ll make breakfast.”
Yu Qiao said, “I’ll do it. You rarely come home, why should you cook? Go and rest.”
“I’m not a three-year-old.” Zhou Tianzui laughed, “Mom, I’m thirty years old. Give it to me, I’ll do it.”
Yu Qiao looked at her. Zhou Tianzui smiled at her. Yu Qiao thought about it and nodded, “Alright, you do it.”
They moved past each other. Yu Qiao went to collect the laundry, folded the clothes, and walked towards Zhou Tianzui’s room. Hearing the footsteps, You Ruxu instinctively took two steps back. Yu Qiao knocked on the door: “Xiao Xu?”
Her knock was light, as if afraid to wake her.
You Ruxu stood by the door, then after a few seconds, came to her senses: “Coming.”
She opened the door. Yu Qiao smiled, “You’re awake. Did you sleep well last night?”
You Ruxu said, “I slept very well.”
“That’s good.” Yu Qiao said, “Your clothes are dry, I’ve ironed them for you.”
You Ruxu looked down at the clothes, then at Yu Qiao. Yu Qiao’s face was wreathed in smiles, a kind and gentle expression, a casual and ordinary gesture, yet You Ruxu felt as if a thousand needles were piercing her heart.
A sharp, intense pain.
She took the clothes, looked at Yu Qiao, and said hoarsely, “Thank you, Auntie.”
Yu Qiao smiled: “What’s there to thank me for? You and Xiao Tian live together, taking care of each other. I should be the one thanking you.”
“Indeed.” Zhou Tianzui walked in from behind Yu Qiao and said, “We’re troubling Teacher You every day, we should be thanking you.”
Yu Qiao said, “Then go change, I’ll go check on the porridge.”
You Ruxu watched her go to the kitchen, then lowered her head, about to go back to the bedroom to change. As she was closing the door, Zhou Tianzui walked in, quickly approaching her. You Ruxu froze. Zhou Tianzui wrapped her arms around You Ruxu’s waist and bit down on her collarbone. The sudden pain made You Ruxu tense, her hands gripping Zhou Tianzui’s shoulders. Remembering Yu Qiao was right outside, her body stiffened. She didn’t dare push Zhou Tianzui away too forcefully, afraid of making a noise. Zhou Tianzui sucked, leaving a red mark. You Ruxu lowered her voice: “What are you doing?!”
Zhou Tianzui looked at her and said casually, “Thanking you.”
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