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She got down on her knees and leaned forward to take a photo of Yu Tu’s face from the front. However, she underestimated the softness and elasticity of the sofa. As she continued to adjust the angle, she lost balance and unexpectedly fell on Yu Tu.
She was shocked and stiffened for a few seconds on top of Yu Tu.
The body beneath her was warm and hard, which exhibited the strength distinctive to the male sex. Her heart was racing and beating wildly several times before calming down a little.
It seemed that Yu Tu did not move.
She thought, could it be that she was so lucky not to have awakened him?
She moved, wanting to get up. But in the next second, a warm and powerful palm held her wrist.
Jing Jing felt her entire body freezing, still in this precarious position of kneeling on the edge of the sofa, with only his grip for balance. As she turned her head to look at him, her cheeks felt unusually warm.
There was a persistent trope in the movies, where the male and female leads would find themselves in an unexpected moment of physical closeness like this. The script always went into miles and miles of purple prose, explaining in minute details how the characters felt their heart beats quicken, how there was palpable tension, so thick that it could be cut with the proverbial knife. Their gazes would lock, they would be unable to look away…
The reality was, most of the time, you just spent what seemed like hours staring at your co-star, counting the seconds until you could stop breathing uncomfortably hot air on each other’s faces.
This moment, though, was nothing like that. In this moment, the only thing that Jing Jing was aware of, was Yu Tu. The heat of his hand still wrapped around her wrist. The way his body had pressed against hers just a moment earlier.
…The way he was staring at her now, as if dazed.
His lips were slightly parted still from the surprise of finding her on top of him. Their gazes locked for a long moment, and as embarrassed as Jing Jing was, she found she couldn’t look away. She could only stare back, and let that intensely dark look in his eyes pull her in, engulfing her senses, overwhelming her…
His gaze flicked away, as if he was only just realising he was staring. Just as Jing Jing was considering how she could joke this off, his eyes fell to her lips, and for a moment, it felt as if the world stopped.
Delusional as she might be, she was sure she was not imagining the way he took in a deep breath, or the fervent desire in his eyes. It all made her heart beat wildly out of control.
Suddenly, she felt Yu Tu’s hand at the nape of her neck, and his lips were warm and soft against hers. Jing Jing gasped in surprise against his mouth as the momentum of his motions pulled her into his lap, but he did not let go.
He was kissing her, tentatively at first, but soon the kisses became deep and hard and desperate, like he was starving and she was all that sustained him…
This was all her fantasies were made of, but intensified, multiplied, setting her almost on fire at the knowledge that it was real. Jing Jing kissed him back with enough desperation to match his, until she was gasping for breath when he finally let her go.
As he pulled back, their eyes locked, and for a moment, there was desperate longing gazing back at her.
Then he looked away – pulling away –
Not wanting this moment to slip through her fingers, Jing Jing adjusted herself so that she was straddling his lap and leaned in to kiss him again, just as deeply and passionately as before.
“Yu Tu,” she murmured between kisses, as she felt his fingers tangling into her hair.
She kissed him for what felt like hours, savouring the shape of his lips pressed against hers, the way he tasted of the oranges and sunshine, the way he was kissing her back, holding her close with one hand at the small of her back and the other caressing her cheek.
“Jing Jing – “
Jing Jing gazed at him across the small gap he had put between them as he gasped her name. “I like you,” she said, because she could not stop herself from saying it, not now. “I like you so much.”
Say it back, her heart was demanding. Say it back, because I know you feel the same. This wasn’t all just a figment of my imagination.
Say it back, because she couldn’t bear for this to be just a one-time thing, for all that was between them, all that could be, to pass like a dirty secret, to just be brushed away but unable to be forgotten.
He stared at her, pain flashing across his face now, even as the back of his hand still brushed tenderly against her cheek. She could feel his hand tremble against her skin, as if he was reaching out for something that was painful to hold.
“Yu Tu – “
Abruptly, just as abruptly as he had kissed her, Yu Tu firmly but gently pushed her off his lap. Then, he stood up and stepped quickly to the other side of the room. Facing away from her.
Silent.
It was breaking her heart, stabbing her with such pain that she had never even felt all those years ago.
“Say something,” she begged. Just don’t say you don’t feel anything for me, because we both know that is untrue.
Slowly, he turned around to face her, staring at her with enough intense desire to drown her. “Jing Jing, when you asked me to teach you the game, I suddenly remembered the time you once asked me to teach you math in high school. I don’t remember why I refused then, and to be honest, I don’t know if I know why I accepted you now. I just know, these last few weeks had felt like a dream. It’s like you’ve pulled me into your orbit and I can’t escape…”
Jing Jing’s heart swelled with desperate hope, even as he was saying all this with such pain undisguised on his face. If he was admitting this, then why, why, why –
“But Jing Jing, you belong to this dazzling world, and I – what do I have to offer you?”
There was such helpless defeat in his voice as he bowed his head and asked this that should make her heart break. Except, it only made her laugh.
He looked up at her, hurt.
“How could you be so smart and so dumb at the same time?” she asked, laughing desperately again. “I like you, I like you so much. You must know that. How much I like you. How much I’ve always liked you. I thought I’d gotten over it, and maybe for a time, that was true. But then…here you are, and you make it all so easy to fall right back into loving you again.”
She paused, because he was now looking at her with such heartbreak that she felt the words choking in her throat. She could not understand where this sudden burst of self-deprecation and insecurity came from.
She took a step towards him, and was thankful when he at least did not step away.
“What can you offer me? How can you not know that the only thing I’ve ever wanted, was just for you to return my feelings?”
“Jing Jing,” he said, with still that same tone of helplessness, “I’ve decided to return to the research institute.”
Her heart lurched at this, and if he was telling her this in any other context, she would feel only utter delight. Now, she could not understand how this decision could be relevant to their discussion. Did he think she would like him less now that he had decided for continue following his dreams? After everything she had already told him?
“Once I return to work, I won’t have any time,” he continued when she just stared at him, uncomprehending. “To be with you, to take good care of you. It won’t be fair to you.”
“Do you think I have an abundance of time?” she asked softly. “This entire month had been a vacation. I also don’t have time to take care of you. But if you really like someone, why should you struggle and think so much? Isn’t it something that could be worked out?”
“I don’t think you understand. My work hours are long and I’m often called away on trips for months at a time.”
“I don’t think you understand. I’m often away for work for months on end as well. Any period drama can take up to six months to shoot.”
Her refusal to be cowed by the obstacles he named was apparently making him falter. Still, after a while, he shook his head and made to turn away.
This time, she reached out and grabbed a bunch of his shirt, holding him back. “No, if that’s the only reason, then I won’t accept it. This isn’t just some high school crush anymore. I know relationships take work. We can work it out, as long as we both want to. I believe that we can, why don’t you?”
It would have been easier if he just outright told her he didn’t like her. It would hurt, but it would be much easier to let go.
“Our – our circumstances – are too different. We are from two different worlds,” he said. “I won’t be able to give you the life you want…”
This time, it was easy enough to work out what he was really saying, and it was as if he was hardly trying to dissuade her at all.
“I have enough money to give myself whatever life I want,” she said bluntly. “Even if you went into banking, even if you earned ten times what I do, I would not want to depend on you for that.”
His gaze was still forlorn. “It’s not just that.”
“What, then?”
Yu Tu sighed deeply and pulled himself away from her grip. He walked over to sit back down on the sofa, Jing Jing turned and watched him crouch over, pressing his palms against his eyes.
When he did not say anything for a long time, she walked over too, and sat down on the carpeted floor next to him.
A long moment later, he removed his hands and opened his eyes to look at her. It was like staring at the dark surface of an ocean she did not know the depth of. She knew beneath that gaze lurked so many different doubts and uncertainties, but she could not help him resolve any of them if he did not tell her.
Placing a hand on his knee, she said softly, “Talk to me.”
There was another prolonged silence, but finally he forced himself to speak. “The last time I walked impulsively into a relationship, we ended up both resenting our expectations of each other, that neither of us could meet. She hated the direction I was wanting to move in, and I hated the fact she was trying to change me. It just ended in bitter disappointment on both sides, for all that she probably still thinks I didn’t care enough about it ending.”
Jing Jing sighed and pressed her chin against his knee. After a few moments of contemplation, she lifted her gaze and looked at him. “I’m not her,” she reminded him softly. “I am happy you’ve decided to go back.”
“I know, but I still wonder if you know what means. I don’t want…I don’t want it to end up like before, with you. There would be much more than just disappointment and resentment then.”
“You don’t want to be with me because you’re afraid it would be too painful if we ever broke up?” she asked flatly. “Do you even hear yourself?”
“Half my job is predicting how things would fail…” he said, almost to himself.
“I’m not a satellite or an unmanned rover either,” Jing Jing replied. “I can decide if things are worth it for myself. And this, to me, is worth the risks, even if you sound really dumb right now and it’s making me question every impression I’ve ever had of you as a smart, sensible person.”
He gazed at her, and she thought, despite everything, there was the ghost of a smile at the edges of his lips.
She supposed, if he was allowed to be not smart and not sensible about something, she should perhaps be glad it was her. If only it wasn’t so frustrating.
“Do you know why I said, I wanted you to become an aerospace engineer more than anyone else?” she said, much more gently now. “Because I still remember, the way your eyes lit up whenever you talked about your dreams. How happy the possibility of it made you feel, has always made you feel. It is something you want to do, and as long as it makes you happy, how could I ever resent that?”
“I don’t want to disappoint you,” he said.
In a way, it was heart-warming, that he wanted this to work so much that he would rather leave it unfinished and bittersweet rather than pursue what could possibly end in total bitterness. On the other hand, it was strange that he would be so imbued with fears.
“Doesn’t this kind of risk aversion go against the whole point of both of your professions?”
He didn’t answer for a long time. “I guess,” he said at long last, “your heart is the one thing I can’t bear to take a risk with.”
Jing Jing felt her heart melt at this statement. A thought flashed through her mind and she wondered what he would do if she just started kissing him again.
“You’ve already kissed me like that,” she said instead. “How do you think you can pretend it never happened now without breaking my heart?”
He closed his eyes, as if in defeat.
Jing Jing pushed herself up onto her knees so that their faces could be closer together.
“Tell me it didn’t mean anything,” she demanded.
Of course he could not do this.
“Yu Tu, do you remember what I said when you were consider quitting your job? It would always be worthwhile that you tried to achieve your ideals and dreams; even if in the end, it didn’t work out, at least you tried and there would be no what-ifs to regret. If there was to be any regrets between us, I don’t want them to be of what-ifs either. I’d rather we try to make it work and fail, than not try at all. Didn’t you say all those years ago that you wanted someone who would be willing to try and work hard in the same direction as you?”
She could practically see his defences falling as she spoke these words – or perhaps they weren’t up very securely in the first place. So even though yet another long silence folowed her words, eventually he gave her a crooked smile.
“You know what I just realised?”
“What?”
“That in moments like this, you’re much smarter than me.”
She gave him a piercing, unblinking gaze. “And so what are you going to do about it?”
He pulled her up onto the sofa with him, and kissed her.
It wasn’t that Yu Tu still didn’t have his fears. But Jing Jing was right, after what had already happened between them, they were already at the point of no return. It would have been a more asshole move to kiss her like that, and pretend it didn’t mean anything.
For the first time in his life, it meant too much, much more than he was prepared for, so much that he wanted to run. He was only grateful that Jing Jing was the braver one, brave enough to hold him back.
When they parted that day, it was both in a daze of still confusing emotions, despite the fact that they have agreed to tentatively give things a try. Except, since the exhibition match was drawing close, the next five days seemed to pass almost as all the days before, with Yu Tu and Jing Jing sequestered in her apartment, gaming. Except, the game was no longer exactly a priority.
It wasn’t like there was much improvement Jing Jing could achieve now, anyway.
Yu Tu supposed it was a good thing that they still had this time to try and figure out this very new relationship, without the rest of the world intruding. It was like a soft honeymoon, where between what amounted to probably hours of making out on her sofa, they would talk more about themselves and find out more about each other with all their cards out in the open, rather than disguising it as talks about the game. Once or twice, making out came precariously close to more, but with so many still unchartered terrains, it wasn’t exactly a bad thing when they forced themselves to pull away from each other.
The KPL award ceremony and exhibition match came around, and while Jing Jing had given him two tickets and told him to invite Zhai Liang also, Yu Tu ended up not saying anything to his friend. It was still too new and he didn’t trust himself to be nonchalant enough that Zhai Liang would not pick up on something. Of course, Zhai Liang would most likely just be happy for him, but given how, when this was over, Yu Tu would have to accept sharing Jing Jing with the rest of the world again, he wanted, for now, to keep her all to himself.
After the celebration meal in honour of Jing Jing’s success in the exhibition match, Jing Jing insisted on having her car take Yu Tu home.
“Some girlfriend I’d be if I let you take public transport at this time of night, especially when you have to go to work tomorrow,” she whispered as they walked to her car. The rest of her team had thankfully wandered off, though Yu Tu was sure that at least Ling Jie – if not Xiao Zhu as well – had noticed a difference in their interactions earlier. He couldn’t help wondering with amusement if part of the reason she wanted to take him home was because she was also trying to delay a conversation with her manager.
“Zhai Liang – I’m So Panicked – is still there,” he reminded her.
“I know.” She looked at him with wide, teasing eyes. “Why do you mention it? Would you invite me up if he wasn’t?”
A sudden image flashed through Yu Tu’s mind, and he almost suggested they just go to her apartment instead.
But tonight of all nights, he probably should go home.
Even if home was now infinitely too far away from his girlfriend, and she was scolding him about never mentioning how long it took him to get to her house.
“You never asked,” he said simply.
“I guess I should have realised, considering how long it took for you to arrive and then get home, that first time you came to my house,” she said. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” he said. “I didn’t mind.”
“And you even tried to pretend like you don’t care,” she muttered.
If they weren’t in the car with her driver, he probably would kiss her. As it was, Yu Tu settled for squeezing her hand in the dark.
Then again, given that the driver could hear all of their conversation anyway, it was probably useless to try and pretend like they weren’t together. Jing Jing had apparently decided this too, as she leaned in to kiss him on the cheek when they finally arrived at his house.
“Let me know when you arrive home,” he said to her.
“It’s so late, shouldn’t you be asleep by then? You have work tomorrow.”
“You think what happened tonight isn’t all over the internet and Zhai Liang will let me go to sleep in peace without an explanation?”
Jing Jing laughed. “Good point. Well, you can tell him to find me and I’ll explain for you.”
“Even then, he’d still annoy me.” Yu Tu chuckled and added in reassurance, “Don’t worry, I can handle Zhai Liang. Text me when you get home.”
This time, she only smiled and nodded, before leaning in to kiss him again, this time on the lips.
Suddenly, he thought, if he were already together with her now, would he need to report what happened today to her?
How would he report it? How would she respond?
However, he probably in the end would choose not to mention this.
After all, today was her birthday…
“Xia Qing has come to Shanghai,” Zhai Liang said to Yu Tu over the phone about a week later. “She said that she wants to make up for the last meal and is inviting everyone to have a meal tonight. Or tomorrow. She asked me to call you. I’m guessing you don’t want to go, though.”
Yu Tu looked towards where Jing Jing was sitting cross-legged on the floor of her living room, texting Ling Jie.
“Of course not,” he replied quietly.
“You’ll be working overtime?” Zhai Liang asked, this time in a rather cheeky tone. “I suppose I shouldn’t elaborate what you’d be working on.”
Yu Tu didn’t dignify this comment with an answer, and just hung up.
“So,” Jing Jing said cheerfully, moving over to sit next to him on the sofa, “here’s the plan. Tomorrow I do have a birthday fan meet-up in the afternoon. It’s been planned for months, and I shouldn’t cancel these kinds of things anyway. But we can still have dinner together.”
“I suppose I really do have to get used to sharing you, Miss Qiao,” he teased lightly. “Dinner is good.”
She leaned in and kissed him soundly as a consolation. “I was thinking we should stay in rather go out. Do you mind?”
“Considering you still want me to help you get a pentakill as a gift, we probably should stay in. I can’t guarantee that we’ll accomplish the mission within just a few matches.”
Jing Jing grinned. “Great, I’ll get Xiao Zhu to arrange dinner for us then!”
Later that evening, Yu Tu was still on Jing Jing’s sofa, as she lay with her head in his lap. Her hair was soft and slipped through his fingers as he idly played with it, and they basked in the comforting silence of the vast apartment.
“Shouldn’t you start to leave?” she asked with regret as she seemed to notice the time on the phone in her hands. “You’ll miss the last subway.”
“Would you mind if I stay here tonight?”
Jing Jing sat up, blinking at him. “You want to stay the night?”
“I just want to be able to wish you happy birthday first thing tomorrow. I can just sleep out here.”
Jing Jing continued to stare at him for a long time, and in that time, Yu Tu just looked back at her, prepared to accept whatever reply she might give. She eventually smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him deeply. “Yu Tu, will you sleep with me?” He could not immediately answer as his mind was whirling with trying to work out what exactly she was offering. She elaborated, “Just sleep in the same bed as me. We don’t have to do anything.”
“Jing Jing, I feel like you might be overestimating my self-control around you,” he replied, unsure whether he was breathless from her earlier kiss or from thinking about…other possibilities.
A sly smile appeared temptingly on her lips. “Well, I’m not saying I’m opposed to more, either.”
Before Yu Tu could give into the temptation, his phone rang. He really shouldn't have answered, but he was distracted enough that accepting the call was almost an instinctive act. He put the call on speaker, glancing at it just enough to see that it was Zhai Liang calling.
The voice that spoke on the other end of the line, however, was not Zhai Liang.
“Yu Tu, Miss Qiao…who is Miss Qiao?” Xia Qing asked, sounding rather drunk.
Jing Jing’s only reaction to hearing this, at least for now, was a brief raised eyebrow. Yu Tu almost wished she would say something, then perhaps at least it would put a stop to whatever it was that Xia Qing was trying to do by appearing in Shanghai this weekend.
When Jing Jing said nothing, Yu Tu only held back an audible sigh and answered calmly, “Of course it’s Jing Jing.”
There was a long silence from the other end of the line, during which both Yu Tu and Jing Jing waited to see if Xia Qing would say anything else. Then, to Yu Tu’s relief, she simply hung up.
The silence on this end of the line that followed the phone call was eventually broken by Jing Jing, who let out a huff of laughter, “Well, that puts a damper on things.”
Yu Tu put his phone aside and shook his head ruefully. “Sorry – “
“Don’t,” Jing Jing cut him off. Cupping his face in her hands, she leaned closer and kissed him softly. Then, with a chuckle, she added, “Obviously we both have persistent exes.”
Yu Tu laughed, only because she was laughing.
“Xia Qing is in Shanghai,” he explained. “She invited some university friends out tonight, and I guess some of them might have mentioned the time you sent me that bottle of wine.”
“You weren’t invited?” Jing Jing teased.
Yu Tu just gave her a look.
“You’re better company than all of them, anyway,” he said. His voice was playful, but he really was not joking.
It was around 2am when Zhai Liang finally made it back home, but it seemed as though Yu Tu was still not home. Or at least, his shoes weren’t.
Was Yu Tu not coming home at all that night?
Zhai Liang wasn’t his mother, so he didn’t text Yu Tu to ask. The chances he’d get an answer was probably next to nil, anyway.
Still, it made it tricky when, the next morning, Xia Qing texted him, asking if he knew Yu Tu was free that day.
Zhai Liang: He might be working overtime, I don’t know. He was out of the house before I got up.
Somehow, he didn’t think this vague answer would deter Xia Qing. Sure enough, a minute later, another message came, asking for the address of Yu Tu’s workplace.
Today was Qiao Jing Jing’s birthday though.
Zhai Liang was almost sure, workaholic as Yu Tu was, he was not pulling overtime today. He didn’t want to lure Xia Qing all the way out here, only to be disappointed.
Zhai Liang: I guess here’s the address, but as I said, I’m actually not sure if he’s at work.
Xia Qing: I’ll check with him myself.
When this message arrived, Zhai Liang found himself letting out a whistle. Well, at least no one could say Xia Qing was not determined.
Even if it was for nothing now.
Zhai Liang: So Xia Qing asked for your work address. I gave it to her because she could find it online regardless. Anyway she’s probably going to text you. If you’re not actually at work, at least reply so she doesn’t go all the way out here?
Zhai Liang: You know if you give her the silent treatment, she’s only going to be more determined.
Xia Qing: Zhai Liang said you were working overtime. Do you have time for a cup of tea?
Yu Tu had gone home earlier during the day to change, but he was already at Jing Jing’s house, waiting for her to come back from the fan meet-up, when these messages lit up his phone.
Yu Tu: I’m not at work, but I am busy with something else. I won’t have time today.
Xia Qing: When do you finish?
Yu Tu stared at the message, and suddenly his mind went back to that time when he did not yet realise that Cotton was Jing Jing. That time when he found himself reluctantly explaining to this random internet acquaintance about why he wouldn’t be best placed to teach her gaming, despite her strangely insistent requests. He had forced himself to continue speaking to her, despite his not inconsiderable irritation at the time, because he had made the mistake of already engaging in the conversation, not because he really wanted to have the conversation.
Now, that feeling seemed to have increased tenfold in this exchange.
Yu Tu: I’m not sure when I will be done.
Xia Qing: I can wait. I really want to see you before I leave. I need to speak to you.
Yu Tu sighed as he stared at the phone for a long time.
Yu Tu startled when Jing Jing dropped down next to him on the sofa in a floof of gauzy dress. His eyes lit up with a smile as he saw her, but even as he kissed her, Jing Jing could sense there was something else occupying his mind, enough that he had clearly not heard her entrance until she was beside him.
“Have you been waiting long?” she asked.
“No,” he said. “Did you have a good time?”
Jing Jing nodded, and started removing her jewellery. Then, she gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “Just let me get changed out of all of this, and then we can relax, okay?”
When Jing Jing had washed away her make up and changed into more comfortable clothes, she made her way out into the living room to find Yu Tu again looking at his phone.
“Has something happened?” she asked, taking in the frown on his face.
He looked up at her and shook his head, sighing. Then, after a moment’s hesitation, he held out the phone to her.
The phone had automatically locked now, but she already knew his passcode. When she unlocked the phone, he just said, “WeChat.”
Yu Tu had his conversation with Jing Jing pinned to the top, but it was obvious that was not what he had been looking at. She gave him a quick look, asking if he was sure, and when he nodded, she tapped to see his conversation with Xia Qing.
Yu Tu: After the last time, I’m not sure if there’s anything to say.
Xia Qing: Things have changed. We should talk about it.
Yu Tu: Yes, things have changed, but I don’t think there’s anything to talk about. I’ve gone back to the research institute.
Xia Qing: I know. Zhai Liang mentioned it when he said you were working late last night and couldn’t join us for dinner.
Xia Qing: I’m glad you went back. Really.
“What would happen if you just stop answering?” Jing Jing asked.
Yu Tu shrugged. “I don’t know. At this point, maybe even call in a day off so she could ambush me at work tomorrow. Who knows?”
“So persistent…” Jing Jing murmured. “Are you sure you broke up like ten years ago? She didn’t misunderstand and think you were together longer than that?”
“Trust me, she didn’t misunderstand,” Yu Tu said dryly. “She broke it off first.”
“She probably expected you to fight for it, though,” Jing Jing mused. “What does she mean by things have changed?”
“How should I know?” Then, he tried tugging the phone out of her hand. “It’s your birthday, let’s just not bother about this – “
Before she could let go of his phone, it began to ring.
For what felt like a full minute, the two of them stared at the caller ID. Yu Tu clearly intended for it to ring itself out. At the last minute, however, Jing Jing answered the call, despite Yu Tu’s too late attempt to stop her.
She put the call on speaker. “Hello?”
There was a long silence from the other end. Then, at last: “Hello? Who is this?”
Did Xia Qing really not recognise her voice, or was she only pretending? Jing Jing shrugged and said with false cheer, “Xia Qing, hi. It’s Jing Jing.”
Another long silence.
“Why are you answering Yu Tu’s phone?”
“He’s busy with something right now and can’t come to the phone.”
“Can you give him the phone? I really need to speak to him, if you don’t mind,” Xia Qing said with clearly forced politeness in her voice.
“I do mind, actually,” Jing Jing said evenly. She could practically feel the indignation radiating off the phone. “It’s my birthday, do you mind not blowing up my boyfriend’s phone?”
Clearly Xia Qing was not expecting this to be her response, because her next words were uncharacteristically flustered, “What do you - since when - “
Jing Jing glanced at Yu Tu and found he was watching the conversation with intrigue and amusement now.
“Does it matter, since when?” Jing Jing asked.
“Qiao Jing Jing, don’t you think you are being overbearing, dictating who Yu Tu can or cannot speak to?” Xia Qing demanded, all traces of politeness suddenly gone now. “Have you been answering his messages as well?”
“I have not, but I doubt you’d believe me now. But Classmate Xia, do you think Yu Tu would hesitate to chase after what he actually wants?”
There was no reply from the other end. Then, abruptly, the line went dead.
“I’m sorry, was that too overbearing?” Jing Jing asked, looking up at Yu Tu sheepishly.
He gave her a reassuring smile. “No, I think it might be the only way to make sure she backs off.”
“Still, I think I might have burnt all your bridges there.”
“I’m not sure there’s much bridge left to burn. Even if I had gone to see her today, do you think we could have parted amicably?”
“If we weren’t together, would you go and see her?” Jing Jing asked curiously.
“I don’t know. Maybe, if only to put a stop to it once and for all. Well, it doesn’t matter now.”
“If it makes you feel any better, and in the interest of being transparent with each other, Su Ye messaged me wishing me happy birthday today. It’s a good thing too, as it reminded me that I really should get around to blocking him.”
Yu Tu chuckled, and tugged his phone out of Jing Jing’s hand. Placing it to the side, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her.
“Can we not talk about our exes anymore?” he whispered against her lips.
“Gladly,” she replied, smiling widely. Leaning in close to him, she asked in a silky voice, “What would you prefer to do instead?”
“Jing Jing.”
“Hmmm?”
“Maybe tonight is not the best time to tell you, but I’ll have to go on a work trip on the 2nd. I’ll be away until lunar new year.”
She rolled over to face him. “So long?” she asked.
Yu Tu stroked her cheek gently. “I’m sorry.”
Jing Jing shook her head. “I guess we both know this was coming. I’ll have to be off on the fifth day of lunar new year to start shooting my movie as well. If it shoots in Hengdian I could still get back to Shanghai regularly, but it’ll be in Beijing…”
“I won’t be back until maybe about a week before lunar new year,” Yu Tu said regretfully. “I was also thinking, I should go back to Yixing to check on my parents for a couple of days before setting off.”
“You should, I’ll be in Xi’an from about the 29th anyway.”
“Should I tell my parents about us?” he asked. “My mother will probably at least hint at introductions and things like that.”
Jing Jing looked at him curiously. “Do you want to tell them? Are you ready to tell them?”
“I…I’d really rather keep it to ourselves for now. At least until lunar new year.” He looked at her, as if searching for signs of disappointment or anger. “Is that okay?”
“Of course,” Jing Jing said with a laugh. More seriously, she added, “The moment we tell our families, there will just be additional pressure, even if they might not mean to put that on us. I’d rather just enjoy everything between us as they are for now.”
He kissed her nose softly. “Okay,” he whispered. “I won’t say anything to my parents for now.”
Jing Jing smiled and snuggled into his arms.
“You know I do want to introduce you to my parents eventually, right?” he asked, stroking her hair. “I’d just rather do that only after we know what we’re doing. There will be a lot of things for us to get used to, this first time being apart. I’d rather get us through that first.”
Jing Jing raised her head and look at him with a soft smile. “Yu Tu. We’ll get through it, we’ll work it out. I promise.” She laughed and added, “After all, we’ve just moved past the ordeal of your ex contacting you on my birthday. Long distance should be a walk in the park, after that, shouldn’t it?”
Yu Tu chuckled and leaned in to kiss her. “Yes, you’re right, of course,” he said when they parted. “You’re so pretty, anything you say is right.”