Chapter 587: Chapter 587: Kissing Sanctuary

What’s your most vivid memory from back then?

The first meeting under the setting sun, and many past entanglements.

First, they went to the bus stop outside the school. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

One stood on this side, the other on that side, looking at each other from across the road.

Both were holding soy milk, without the afterglow of the setting sun of the past, without the bustling crowd in the heat, and even the traffic in between was sparse.

But with a street between them, Yu Xia looked at the tall figure across the street, which already differed somewhat from her memory, yet still felt the same heart fluttering as before.

She inexplicably started to laugh, and waved towards him.

When she crossed the pedestrian path and walked over, she happened to intercept Xie Qingci strolling leisurely forward at an intersection. Then, she stuffed the empty soy milk cup into his hand and assertively asked:

"Hey handsome, you look very much to my liking. Could I get your contact information?"

Her pick-up line was different from before, but the result was the same.

Xie Qingci raised an eyebrow and said, "Sure. But you look a bit familiar."

"Hmm, a fairy from the sky." She said seriously, then laughed herself, collapsing in Xie Qingci’s arms with delight.

Xie Qingci hugged her naturally and said with a smile, "I mean, you look a lot like a big celebrity. But indeed, a fairy."

He embraced her and walked ahead, the scarf wrapping around both their necks. Yu Xia took his arm gently, holding it lightly, and asked, "I’ve never carefully looked around this area. Is it this road? Why do I remember it going that way?"

"Both ways work; this road is a bit closer to the school, so I usually walk this way."

Actually, that wasn’t the only reason.

This road had a bit of a detour, requiring a walk through a narrow alley between two buildings, where hardly anyone passed by, and a bunch of bicycles parked outside blocked the way, making it unlikely anyone would notice.

So, it was often used by young couples in love as a secluded spot for secret kisses and hugs.

He had encountered this twice before.

When young people are first awakening to emotions, they are always curious about such things. Once he looked a bit longer, the boy became awkward and guarded, shielding the girl in his arms tightly, not letting him see at all.

In a boring, free moment, at a dilapidated alley on the street corner, almost undisturbed, innocent couples embraced each other, hesitatingly trying to touch each other’s lips.

The loud heartbeat deafened their perception of external sounds. Even on a sultry summer day, fear and excitement made them sweat, yet couldn’t stop them from inching closer.

He thought, maybe it felt really good? Otherwise, why do so many people like it?

He wanted to try it too, with someone he liked, in such a secretive place, being alert to any outsiders while indulging in intimate contact.

Yu Xia looked at the narrowing road ahead, just wanting to ask if they’d gotten the wrong way, when she saw the thoughtful yet smiling expression on Xie Qingci’s face.

"What are you thinking about?" That smile was oddly eerie.

Xie Qingci shook his head, gestured with his chin for her to look ahead.

"We’re here. There’s a path behind those two rows of bicycles; just go through it."

They reached the entrance of the narrow alley, Yu Xia looked around and frowned, saying:

"This place looks unsafe; it’s the kind of environment where the main character in movies and TV shows usually gets followed.

You’re actually choosing to walk through this instead of outside, not worried at all about getting trapped? Isn’t there a saying that high-achieving and good-looking boys in high school often have trouble with others?

Especially if a girl they like admires such a scholar, it could easily upset some boys enough to cause trouble.

"It’s more likely to get trapped on the basketball court." He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, walking in, then suddenly stopped halfway.

Yu Xia thought he saw something, but then he pinned her against the wall in the next second.

His palm cushioned the back of her head, while his other hand pulled down the scarf covering half of her face.

"..." She felt like she had stumbled onto the set of some youth idol drama. "What are you doing?"

Acting crazy halfway through? How could she tell him that now the plot of a dominant wall slam kiss isn’t popular anymore?

Xie Qingci brushed her lips with his curved fingers, thinking it over before saying, "No one ever blocked me on this path, but plenty showed off with their girlfriends here. It was quite a date spot back in the day. Want a go?"

"...You’re a bit boring."

She said that, but she didn’t reject him.

Xie Qingci moved in closer, gently touching her.

Closing their eyes, their breaths mingled.

Time seemed to rewind to three years ago, when they were just a young couple racing here hand in hand at the bell, the kind-hearted kids for whom even holding hands made the heart race, whose eyelashes quivered upon the soft touch of each other’s lips.

The feeling of kissing was always nice. In this cold morning, the warmth transferred from him made one feel like they might melt.

Yu Xia was lost in this tender kissing, her hands slowly shifted from resting on his shoulders to gently cupping his face.

Weak knees are indeed a real phenomenon; by the end, she needed to rely on his arm to stay standing.

It took a while before they separated breathlessly.

Xie Qingci kissed her forehead, whispering, "Can you walk? Want me to carry you?"

"Hmm."

Odd, after such a kiss, even talking felt shy.

Xie Qingci squatted down in front of her, carrying her on his back as they continued walking inside.

Through the alley, they reached the place he used to rent. Taking the elevator to the sixth floor, they paused at an inconspicuous door.

Inside, the arrangement hadn’t changed, though the unused furniture had gathered a layer of dust.

On the desk by the window still lay a poster of an old advertisement Yu Xia had endorsed.

Xie Qingci came out with a damp cloth to clean, while Yu Xia stood by the window, pushing it open to let the wind in, leaning out to look.

Back then, she often sat in this room, staring blankly at the sunset outside, pondering her struggling career, unclear feelings, and occasional thoughts of leaving home.

The confusion and helplessness of those days had now faded into insignificant dust as she progressed, but new troubles always arose.

Every time she sat contemplating on the home sofa, she recalled the warm little room that summer evening, and the orange sky outside this window. Even if the memories were like swiftly shuffling slides, they sufficed to daze her for a while.

Xie Qingci quickly tidied up the place and went outside to buy some things.

Water, tissues, slippers, and other daily necessities.

Yu Xia snapped out of it, watching him patiently placing these items, and couldn’t help but smile.

"What are you doing? Planning to stay here and not go back?"

He unscrewed a bottle of water, downing half of it, his Adam’s apple rolling as he swallowed. "I would like to. We’re not going back for lunch. What do you want to eat?"

"Then why buy slippers?" Not unusual to buy water and tissues for lunch, but buying a pair of pink slippers seemed to suggest he had a quirk of needing to take off his shoes to eat?