The last remnants of sunset faded from the sky's edge, darkness gradually descending as a new round of city lights flickered on one by one.
The atmosphere at the dining table resembled that of their first meal here—stiff and unfamiliar.
But somehow, it also felt different.
For instance, this time Zhou Jingqian didn't sit across from her. Instead, he pulled out the chair beside Su Qiu and sat down.
Their arms were nearly touching, separated only by thin fabric. Su Qiu could feel his clean, warm body heat, hovering around her like a faint, shifting presence.
It was as if he were still holding her, as if she were still in his arms.
Su Qiu kept her eyes lowered, quietly chewing the zucchini on her plate.
Auntie Wu's stir-fried zucchini with eggs was delicious. As Su Qiu ate, her attention gradually drifted to the food.
She set down her chopsticks and reached for her soup bowl.
She'd barely taken a sip when Zhou Jingqian turned to look at her.
Su Qiu met his gaze. "What's wrong?"
Moments earlier, his little wife had buried her face against the side of his neck. Though her cheek hadn't touched his skin, every word she'd spoken carried a soft warmth.
But in the time it took to eat four slices of zucchini, two pieces of egg, and one bite of rice, the faint flush on her face had faded completely, returning to its fair, luminous state.
Zhou Jingqian's gaze moved from her face to the bowl in her hand, and he said unhurriedly, "That's mine. Yours is over there."
Su Qiu froze, following his gaze, and realized—her soup bowl was sitting on her right side.
"Cough, cough—"
Su Qiu set down the bowl and coughed twice.
She hadn't actually choked; she just wanted to break through her current awkwardness.
"I—I forgot this was yours… Let me get you a fresh bowl."
Zhou Jingqian: "No need for all that trouble."
He set down his chopsticks, casually picked up the bowl she'd drunk from, and using the spoon she'd just used, scooped up a mouthful and brought it to his lips.
Su Qiu watched him.
Watched his thin lips close around the rim of the spoon she'd just touched, watched his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed.
Su Qiu stayed silent, biting her lower lip lightly, then casually looked away and continued eating.
Auntie Wu finished feeding the rabbit and came back inside. Seeing the couple sitting quietly at the dining table, backs straight, each drinking their own soup, a distance between them, neither speaking a word.
Auntie Wu was a bit puzzled.
Aren't they newlyweds? Newly married couples are usually all over each other, practically wanting to sit in each other's laps while eating.
This young couple was different, it seemed.
Dinner had been a bit too filling. Su Qiu slipped out to the terrace garden to pace and digest.
The garden was equipped with a mosquito and pest control system, so no need to worry about getting bitten.
The bruise on her leg didn't hurt either.
That hug she'd initiated earlier was just an excuse to smooth over the little misunderstanding—not even really a misunderstanding—between them.
"Xiao Qiu."
Su Qiu's steps faltered. She turned around.
This seemed to be the first time Zhou Jingqian had called her that.
His voice was low and warm, the final syllable of her name slightly rising with a hint of amusement.
Zhou Jingqian was always like this—genial and pleasant, courteous and refined with everyone, as if everyone carried the same weight in his eyes: neither heavy nor light, neither close nor distant.
Zhou Jingqian asked her, "Do you need to write your script tonight?"
Su Qiu shook her head. "No."
She didn't write every day. Who wouldn't want maximum results for minimum effort? When inspiration didn't strike, she just lay flat and did nothing.
Zhou Jingqian: "Then… would you like to do something else together?"
Su Qiu's lashes fluttered slightly as she looked up at him.
Ten minutes later, all the lights in the living room were off, and a stretch of light and shadow slowly spread across the wall.
Su Qiu sat at one end of the sofa, Zhou Jingqian at the other.
In her line of work, she'd seen hundreds, if not thousands, of films. She'd watched movies with many people.
Work partners, family, close friends—she'd even attended numerous film screenings by invitation.
But she'd never watched a movie with someone in the role of "husband" before.
Though they sat on the same sofa, it was too long—the gap between them was wide enough to fit another couple.
Both sat upright, each claiming their own end, staring straight ahead at the screen. They didn't look like they were watching a movie; they looked like they were attending a tense board meeting.
Su Qiu thought back to watching movies with Hao Hao and Jian Yin—the three of them would either be laughing so hard they'd collapse onto each other, or passing tissues back and forth to wipe each other's tears, or feeding each other snacks from their own hands.
But none of those scenarios seemed possible with Zhou Jingqian.
He appeared flawless—his looks, his speech, his temperament—but it was precisely that perfection that seemed to put a layer of distance between him and everyone else.
The movie started. Su Qiu glanced at her snack shelf.
"What would you like? I'll get it." Zhou Jingqian stood up as he spoke.
Su Qiu: "…"
Sharp eyes.
She wasn't actually hungry, but since he was already on his feet, she swallowed the words on the tip of her tongue and changed her answer. "Gummy candy."
Zhou Jingqian brought it over.
Four individually wrapped gummy candies dropped into Su Qiu's open palm.
Su Qiu unwrapped one and popped it into her mouth. The sweet-tart flavor of orange spread across her tongue.
Su Qiu glanced sideways out of the corner of her eye.
She wanted to share again, but then she remembered last time, when he said he didn't have a habit of eating in the car.
If she spoke up this time, she was afraid what she'd hear would be "I don't have a habit of eating candy."
Su Qiu said nothing and quietly ate by herself.
Zhou Jingqian looked over. "Share one with me?"
Su Qiu turned her head, surprise flickering in her eyes.
Her movements were faster than her thoughts—she'd already picked one up and handed it over.
Having successfully shared her snack, Su Qiu relaxed her back and sank into the sofa.
Hearing the faint rustle of candy wrapper being torn open beside her, the corner of her mouth curved up unconsciously—a slight, subtle smile, like a water surface gently brushed by a breeze.
The movie was playing when a small, round thing thumped silently into Su Qiu's lap.
Little White had already eaten its fill and was lying down in the room somewhere. Only Little Gray—that rabbit with endless energy for life—had no idea when it had darted out.
The little creature was round and plump, and not light at all.
Su Qiu looked down, unable to hold back a smile, and gently poked its soft forehead with her fingertip. "Naughty rabbit."
Poked, Little Gray's two ears shook mischievously, then with a kick of its hind legs, its round body launched like a little bomb—straight into Zhou Jingqian's lap.
Thump. Full of weight.
Su Qiu nodded in satisfaction.
It was naughty with perfect fairness. Good rabbit.
Zhou Jingqian reached out without changing his expression, scooping the gray rabbit up from his lower abdomen.
Little thing, it really knew where to land. Any lower, and it would've been…
By the time the movie ended, it was already eleven at night.
Su Qiu stood up and headed back to the master bedroom to get ready for a shower. This time she didn't ask Zhou Jingqian if he wanted to go first, because she knew the answer without asking—he always let her go first.
Opening the wardrobe, Su Qiu tilted her head, looking at her pajamas. Her fingertips ultimately passed over the matching cotton sets and hooked out a nightgown hanging on the other side.
She pulled open the drawer again and took out a pair of underwear. She paused for a moment, then also grabbed a strapless camisole-style bra.
When Su Qiu came out of the bathroom, Zhou Jingqian had already showered in the guest bedroom.
He was wearing dark blue plaid pajamas—short sleeves and long pants.
What a coincidence. Hers was a light blue plaid nightgown.
They hadn't planned it, yet they were dressed like a matching couple set.
The top button of his pajama collar was undone, his fair collarbone faintly visible between the loose lapels.
Su Qiu's gaze swept over that spot, then quickly darted away, landing on the big bed instead.
His pillow had been moved back too, placed side by side with hers, with an arm's length of distance between them.
Su Qiu sat down at the vanity mirror, squeezed out a dollop of face cream, and casually spread it over her face and neck.
Then she unscrewed the lid of her body lotion and smoothed some over both exposed arms.
Usually, when she slept alone, she wasn't so particular—she'd bought a whole pile of body lotions but applied them at random.
The two of them each got onto the bed from their own sides.
Zhou Jingqian had a light switch on his side too. "I'm turning off the light?"
Su Qiu gave a soft "mm," pulled up the thin blanket, and lay down. Her small, palm-sized face sank into the pillow, hands folded over her stomach in a proper posture.
The next second, the light went out.
The other side of the bed dipped slightly as Zhou Jingqian lay down too.
Darkness filled her vision, and her hearing grew sharper.
But neither of them spoke, and there was no sound of anyone turning over. A faint, pleasant fragrance floated in the still air.
It was the scent of her.
Su Qiu stared at the pitch-black ceiling with wide eyes.
It seemed that, for her, tonight counted as truly sharing a bed for the first time.
Last time she'd come in, Zhou Jingqian had already been fast asleep, and she'd been so tired herself that all she'd wanted was to sleep.
Not like now—her heart felt both empty and full at the same time.
She was wide awake, not a trace of drowsiness.
In the darkness, two fingers resting on top of the blanket silently twisted together, circling around each other.
She hadn't slept before midnight in a long time; her body clock didn't recognize this new schedule yet.
What could she do? Count sheep. Maybe if she counted to nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine, she'd be tired enough to fall asleep.
A moment of quiet.
From beside her came the familiar, even sound of breathing.
She really wasn't afraid of him.
Zhou Jingqian smiled silently to himself and closed his eyes.
At seven in the morning, his body clock woke Zhou Jingqian right on time.
But what woke before his consciousness was his sense of touch.
Against his left arm pressed something soft and warm—like cotton, but softer than cotton.
He turned his eyes to the side and, sure enough, saw exactly the scene he'd expected.
Su Qiu had rolled over at some point, lying on her side, her whole face pressed against his arm, sleeping peacefully.
Like a koala, as if she wanted to embed herself into his arm.
That kind of curled-up sleeping posture was usually something only people without a sense of security did.
Su Qiu seemed to have a natural dullness to her, but she was a screenwriter—her inner emotions were probably more delicate and abundant than anyone's.
Zhou Jingqian simply watched her fluffy hair from above, until he realized it was getting late and he should get up to work out.
So he moved his arm slightly.
But Su Qiu seemed to sense it. Her body wriggled, then pressed closer again, even reaching out to grab his entire arm, holding it tight.
"Don't move…"
She frowned, pouting in displeasure as she murmured in her sleep.
Su Qiu had beautiful lips.
Naturally full, with a healthy, rosy color.
Zhou Jingqian had seen her calm and composed, and he knew what she looked like when she smiled, but this was the first time he had seen her like this.
His little wife turned out to be quite good at acting coy.
Zhou Jingqian watched her, unmoving for a long moment.
Only when her breathing became slow and even again did he try to continue pulling his arm free.
But the moment he moved, she immediately shifted along with him.
More alert asleep than awake?
Zhou Jingqian smiled helplessly.
Yet the next second, she hugged his arm even tighter, pressing it directly against her chest.
Even through her pajamas, he could clearly feel just how soft she was.
Zhou Jingqian's gaze darkened abruptly.
A certain image suddenly surfaced from his memory. The man's Adam's apple rolled silently, and a flicker of shadow passed through his usually calm eyes, vanishing in an instant.
With a slight exertion of force, he pulled his arm free and tucked the corner of the blanket back into Su Qiu's embrace.
Su Qiu frowned, groggily hugging the blanket, but didn't wake—she simply continued sleeping soundly.
Zhou Jingqian got out of bed, left the master bedroom, and walked into the guest room's shower.
The showerhead turned on, cold water pouring down over his head.