Chapter 094　 Please take care of me tonight.

  *

  From a distance, Su Xian saw Granny Watanabe waiting for them in the yard. She urged them to hurry inside, saying the hot barley tea was already prepared.

  After tea, they went to their respective rooms to unpack.

  Su Xian had just taken out her clothes to hang them up when Zhao Nanfeng knocked on the wooden partition from the next room. "Can I take it down now?"

  "No!"

  "Alright, I'm in no hurry."

  Despite her firm words, she knew in her heart that she had already acquiesced.

  Her feelings were complicated.

  On one hand, she knew that being with him wouldn't lead to a good end. On the other hand, she sensed that Zhao Nanfeng had truly changed lately. He had started to analyze his inner feelings for her, confessed his family problems, and even become somewhat tender. He would patiently soothe her moods and notice small things, like her missing a cup, and go out of his way to buy her a new one.

  Well, she was a sucker for that.

  A man who could help her reach new professional heights and help her make real money instead of just handing out "pocket change"—as long as he added a bit of tenderness, it was enough for her.

  As for morality, she wasn't exactly a "good person" anyway. A bad woman paired with a bad man—it was quite a fit.

  *

  After unpacking, she put on a hand-sewn padded haori (jacket) given by Granny Watanabe and went to the living room. As the weather turned cold, the paper sliding doors along the veranda were tightly shut. In the corner, an old-fashioned heater hummed and creaked as it blew out warm air.

  Dinner was a Japanese hot pot, bubbling with steam.

  They invited Granny Watanabe to eat with them again, wanting to hear the rest of the yokai (monster) legends she hadn't finished last time.

  Granny brought out a set meal. "今日はもう一人のお客さんが来てます。とてもすがすがしい若者。一緒に食べたらと聞くと、部屋でご飯を食べたいって。(Another guest arrived today. A very refreshing young man. When I asked if he wanted to eat with you, he said he wanted to eat alone in his room.)"

  Su Xian watched as Granny walked into the room opposite theirs to speak with the guest.

  Zhao Nanfeng leaned in. "Give me a kiss first."

  Su Xian pushed him away. "Stop it, we're not children."

  Seeing Granny exit the room, Su Xian quickly gave Zhao Nanfeng a look, and he obediently retreated to his seat.

  The soup was filled with delicious wild mushrooms. Granny said villagers had picked them in the mountains. Su Xian couldn't help but think: These aren't poisonous, right?

  Heh. It seemed that no matter how much time passed, mushrooms would always be something special to her.

  After dinner, they chatted with Granny for a long time, not returning to their rooms to wash up until nearly ten o'clock.

  **

  After showering, Su Xian laid out the futon on the tatami. Zhao Nanfeng knocked on the wall next door. "Look, it's snowing!"

  Su Xian slid back the inner paper screen and looked out through the glass window. The light from the room illuminated a small patch of swirling snow.

  Sendai lived up to its reputation; Tokyo hadn't seen a decent snowfall all of last year.

  How romantic.

  But snow is just a weather phenomenon—why does it make people feel romantic?

  She wondered idly.

  *

  After watching the snow for ten minutes, Zhao Nanfeng cleared his throat. "Can I take down the wall now?"

  "Um..." Su Xian hesitated.

  Zhao Nanfeng smiled. "How about this: I’ll take down the wall. If you’re in the mood, we’ll be doing it. If not, we’ll just watch the snow together."

  "Won't you feel mistreated?"

  "It’s fine. I said I could wait forever, and I meant it."

  Su Xian thought to herself: You lured me to a place like this, promised to make me a partner, and even the heavens are cooperating with snow. If I still don't take the bait, wouldn't I be ungrateful?

  "No need to wait. Take it down."

  Hearing the sound of him removing the wooden bolts, she suddenly called out, "Is it absolutely necessary to take down the wall? It's not like there isn't a door."

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  "No, removing the wall is a symbol. Since we reunited, even though you were willing to work with me, you’ve put up a shield every time you faced me, defending yourself on all sides. Today, by letting me remove the wall, it’s as if you’ve agreed to let me take away your shield. I know you’ve accepted me again despite your anxieties, so I will constantly remind myself to cherish you."

  "You're getting better and better at talking. Take it down."

  In less than ten minutes, the four wooden wall panels were removed.

  Su Xian helped Zhao Nanfeng wipe the dust from the tracks, and before they knew it, they were kissing.

  *

  Lust is amoral.

  The atmosphere heated up instantly. Zhao Nanfeng pulled off his own haori and reached for the ties of Su Xian's. The longer the atmosphere had been building, the more exciting this moment became. Even a veteran player like him was trembling slightly.

  Seeing his slightly clumsy movements, Su Xian felt a wave of tenderness and responded even more passionately.

  Zhao Nanfeng held her body and rolled onto the bedding, sliding his hand under her pajamas, resting it on her waist and moving slowly upward.

  *

  "ごめんなさい！(Excuse me!) " A knock suddenly sounded at the door.

  Both were startled and stopped immediately. Su Xian moved a few inches away and pushed Zhao Nanfeng’s hand aside.

  Zhao Nanfeng sat up, frowning. "That doesn't sound like Granny Watanabe."

  It didn't sound like her to Su Xian either. "Could it be the guest from the room opposite?"

  The knocking sounded again.

  Su Xian called out, "誰ですか？(Who is it?) "

  There was no answer, but the knocking continued.

  "何か用ですか？(Is there something you need?)"

  Still no answer, but the knocking stopped.

  Zhao Nanfeng put his haori back on. "I'll go check. I hope it’s not some psycho."

  "Be careful."

  Zhao Nanfeng went to open the door, with Su Xian right behind him.

  *

  "Li Chengshi!"

  The moment the door opened, they both cried out in unison.

  Li Chengshi was clutching his bedding roll. He gave them a silly grin and forced his way between them, spreading his futon right in the middle of the two rooms—perfectly replacing the function of the wall panels.

  Zhao Nanfeng and Su Xian were still in a daze.

  Having laid out his bed, he knelt on it and bowed to them. "今夜はよろしくお願いします。(Please take care of me tonight.)"

  Zhao Nanfeng rushed over, grabbed him by the collar of his pajamas, and asked furiously, "What the hell are you doing?!"

  He stammered, "I... there are monsters in my room. I'm alone... scared."

  Zhao Nanfeng shoved him down, his hand sliding from the collar to press against his neck. "You're doing this on purpose to ruin everything, aren't you!"

  Perhaps because Zhao Nanfeng's grip was too tight, Li Chengshi started coughing, his face turning red.

  The sheer absurdity of the chaos made Su Xian want to both laugh and cry, but for now, she could only try to break them up.

  "Don't be mad," she whispered into Zhao Nanfeng’s ear. "I'll come to your place this weekend. We'll make it up then."

  These words cooled Zhao Nanfeng down instantly. What he wanted was for her to let down her guard and truly accept him again, not just a quick thrill. Besides, if a fight broke out, things might get out of control. What if they realized their breakup had been a misunderstanding he deliberately manufactured?

  He let go and gave a cold laugh. "Li Chengshi, do whatever you want." He stood up, stepped over Li Chengshi and his bed, returned to his room, and took out the opinion forms they had collected that afternoon to check them one by one.

  **