Wen Wanbing’s breath hitched instantly.
Fu Junxue had actually bitten her.
The sensation was like an electric current, numbing every nerve in her body as it surged through her blood and finally poured into her heart. Even after a few moments, lingering waves of heat and restlessness continued to churn within her.
Gasping for air a beat too late, Wen Wanbing instinctively recoiled. She covered her ear with one hand and tilted her head away, her shoulders hunching involuntarily. Her collarbone dipped like the wings of a butterfly poised for flight.
After lingering there for a moment, Fu Junxue looked up. She realized that Wen Wanbing had set down her glass and turned around, watching her with a slight frown. Those cold amber eyes were moist but not clear, resembling a liquid on the verge of freezing, filled with thin flakes of ice.
Fu Junxue leaned back against the cushions, her upper body relaxed and boneless. Her arm rested on the pillow as her fingertip tapped her lower lip. When their eyes met, Wen Wanbing immediately looked away.
Seeing her covering her ear, Fu Junxue instinctively licked the tips of her teeth and asked, “Did I bite you too hard?”
The question only made it worse. It forced Wen Wanbing to relive the moment. Beneath her palm, the spot where she had been bitten felt as though it were burning.
“Does it really hurt? Let me see.” Fu Junxue leaned in close, grasping Wen Wanbing’s wrist to pull her hand away. She narrowed her eyes at the crimson ear. “I felt like I barely used any strength.”
Wen Wanbing’s long lashes trembled violently. Staring at the fading red mark on Fu Junxue’s arm, she replied tonelessly, “Xingxing also thought she didn’t use much strength. Often, people don’t realize the amount of force they are actually applying to others.”
Fu Junxue studied her with lazy interest. “Are you angry?”
“No,” Wen Wanbing replied flatly. Her hand was still being held; she gave an instinctive tug to free herself.
“No? You look and sound like you’re throwing a tantrum.” Fu Junxue quickly let go. “Don’t be mad, okay?”
Wen Wanbing curled her fingers. Even though she had been released, she felt as if she were still being toyed with. The heat that had begun to subside suddenly surged again, like a kettle plugged back into an outlet, the temperature rising toward a boiling point.
Unlike the suddenness of the bite, Fu Junxue’s next move seemed to unfold in slow motion. Her rich, intoxicating fragrance intertwined with her cool breath, climbing from the side of Wen Wanbing’s neck to her ear.
Then, a sharp, short “Ah!” from Wen Xing shattered the tension. The ambiguous atmosphere between them popped like a bubble, vanishing into thin air.
Wen Wanbing snapped back to her senses, broke away from Fu Junxue, and stood up quickly to look at the child. The black cat had walked up to Wen Xing, sniffing her hand and even licking her finger. Excited, Wen Xing let out another “Ah!”
Seeing that the child was fine, Wen Wanbing exhaled. She forced her racing heart and ragged breathing into a state of forced calm. “I really am not angry. That is the truth.”
Fu Junxue seemed to be struck by a thought and dazed for a moment. Then, she let out a self-deprecating smile. By the time Wen Wanbing turned to look at her, she had smoothed her expression back into its usual lazy curve. “As long as you’re not angry.”
Wen Wanbing gave a soft “Mm” and moved to sit opposite Wen Xing, putting distance between herself and Fu Junxue. Fu Junxue leaned against a large pillow and glanced at her but said nothing before heading to the kitchen.
The faint sound of running water drifted into the living room, making the silence feel even heavier. The flush on Wen Wanbing’s ears faded slowly until it vanished completely. Fu Junxue returned with a plate of grapes and sat back down in her original spot, neither too close nor too far.
She placed the plate in the middle. “Here, have some grapes.”
“Aren’t you worried about your weight anymore?” Wen Wanbing peeled one and gave it to Wen Xing.
“You pay more attention to my figure than my fitness coach does,” Fu Junxue teased. She crossed her legs, resting her chin on her hand to watch Wen Wanbing. When she saw Wen Wanbing pause during the feeding, she smiled triumphantly.
Wen Xing took two bites to finish a small grape. Juice trickled down Wen Wanbing’s fair fingers. Fu Junxue slowly looked away, her fingertip gently spinning a grape on the plate.
Wen Wanbing, assuming she was struggling with her diet, said, “Eating one is fine.”
“I just don’t want to peel them. It gets juice all over my hands, and it feels uncomfortable.” Fu Junxue flicked the grape toward Wen Wanbing. “Hey, ‘Big Alpha,’ can you peel one for me?”
What on earth is a ‘Big Alpha’? Wen Wanbing’s lips parted slightly.
“Don’t you dare refuse me,” Fu Junxue reminded her with a grin. “This is Lesson One. Learn it.”
The refusal died in Wen Wanbing’s throat. She bit her inner lip, picked up a grape, carefully peeled it, and held it out. Fu Junxue leaned her neck forward and opened her mouth. Her white teeth pierced the flesh of the fruit; the sweet, sticky juice flooded her lips and dripped along the texture of the fruit, slowly trailing over Wen Wanbing’s fingers.
Wen Wanbing’s lashes flickered. A second later, Fu Junxue snatched the grape away. After eating it, she licked her lips and commented, “So sweet.”
Throughout it all, her gaze remained fixed on Wen Wanbing’s fingers. The air seemed to ferment with the sweet scent of grapes. Wen Wanbing rubbed her fingertips together, finding the stickiness unbearable.
“You’re great at everything, Big Alpha, but you blush far too easily.” Fu Junxue stood up, laughing at her flushed face. Deciding not to tease her further, she said, “You and Xingxing finish the rest. I’m going to go run the bath. You have work tomorrow, so wash up and get to bed early.”
Fu Junxue had thoughtfully placed several small bath balls in the tub. Wen Xing was fascinated by them and remained relatively calm, though she splashed violently when first getting in. Wen Wanbing’s clothes were soaked; her trousers became heavy and clung to her legs. To finish the bath properly, she had to take them off.
Once finished, Wen Xing refused to stay in the bathroom a second longer. Wen Wanbing had no choice but to crack the door open. “Fu Junxue?”
“Mm? What is it?” Fu Junxue had been waiting outside playing with her phone in case they needed help. She walked over, seeing the damp, form-fitting silhouette of Wen Wanbing’s shirt through the crack.
Seeing her approach, Wen Wanbing instinctively moved back.
Fu Junxue understood. “Need me to get your clothes?”
“Take Xingxing to the room first. She wants the cat.” Wen Wanbing remembered to add, “There’s a Doraemon plushie in the blue backpack. She can’t sleep without it. Please take it out for her.”
“Okay. Xingxing, come here.” Fu Junxue stepped closer. Wen Wanbing let go of the door to push Wen Xing out. Without her arm blocking the view, her wet shirt revealed even more.
“Just take your shower,” Fu Junxue said as she took Wen Xing’s hand. “I’ll get your clothes. Is your underwear in that bag too?”
“Yes…” Wen Wanbing thought for a moment. “Just bring me the whole bag.”
Fu Junxue let out a teasing laugh.
When Wen Wanbing emerged, Wen Xing was sitting on the bed watching the black cat groom itself. Fu Junxue was sitting in a chair nearby looking at a tablet. Hearing the noise, Fu Junxue turned around, looked at Wen Wanbing’s modest sleepwear, and smiled. “I’m going to shower. You can sleep first.”
The bed was large enough for four people, but Wen Wanbing looked at the single thin summer quilt and then at Fu Junxue, who was tapping her lip while deciding what pajamas to wear. She couldn’t help but think of the grape-peeling scene again. Even the incense in the room seemed to smell different now.
Once Fu Junxue left, Wen Wanbing sat on the bed. She watched Wen Xing, hoping the little one would fall asleep quickly so she could pretend to be asleep before Fu Junxue returned. Unfortunately, Wen Xing only closed her eyes when Fu Junxue came back, clutching her plushie with one hand and resting the other on the cat’s back.
Wen Wanbing covered the child with a small blanket and slowly crawled into the large bed, lying right on the edge. It was so far away that Fu Junxue almost commented on the distance.
“Lights out?” Fu Junxue whispered.
“Mm,” Wen Wanbing replied. The room went dark.
In the unfamiliar environment, Wen Wanbing stared at Xingxing’s small bed, completely wide awake. In the darkness, silence stretched on until Wen Wanbing turned over for the second time and heard Fu Junxue’s very soft chuckle.
“Not asleep yet?” “Can’t sleep?”
The two voices collided in the dark. Both women paused. Wen Wanbing was the first to react. “What were you laughing at?”
“I was laughing at how you managed to sleep so far away without falling off the bed,” Fu Junxue said. “Move closer. I’m not going to eat you.”
Wen Wanbing hesitated, then scooted over several inches.
Fu Junxue suggested, “Since we can’t sleep, want to talk?”
“About what?”
Fu Junxue listened to the cat’s purring and started the conversation. “Have you ever thought about getting a cat for Xingxing?”
“In the past, other parents of children on the spectrum said cats help with separation anxiety and empathy. My sister bought one for her.” Wen Wanbing paused, closing her eyes in the dark. “But it died in less than a week. Xingxing’s condition worsened because of it. After that, we didn’t dare try again.”
“A sick kitten from a bad shop?” Fu Junxue asked.
“No.” Wen Wanbing felt her stomach churn. She swallowed hard and abruptly changed the subject. “What is this cat’s name? And the breed? It looks rare.”
Fu Junxue fell silent, sensing the boundary, and didn’t push. “He’s a Bombay cat. My sister bought him. He was born on the day of the ‘Grain Buds’ solar term, so we named him Xiao Man. He’s very sweet.”
“He is lovely,” Wen Wanbing said.
Fu Junxue continued casually, “When is your birthday?”
“On a cold day,” Wen Wanbing said, a small smile forming in the dark. “January 4th.”
In Chinese, the date Yao-si sounded like “wanting to die” or “deadly.”
“With you in the house, we don’t even need an air conditioner,” Fu Junxue remarked with a laugh. “You’re a natural cooler.”
Wen Wanbing blinked slowly. For some reason, Fu Junxue’s teasing made her feel like her birthday wasn’t so cold after all. She relaxed and turned onto her side. “And yours?”
At that moment, Fu Junxue also turned onto her side. Even in the thick darkness, they could see each other’s eyes, reflecting a hazy, ambiguous light. Their breathing was so close it felt entangled.
Wen Wanbing’s gaze slid down Fu Junxue’s nose, remembering the cute little mole on the tip, and then further down. The image of Fu Junxue taking the grape into her mouth resurfaced. The stickiness of the juice and the scent of the fruit seemed to flood back from her memory.
Fu Junxue’s red lips moved as she spoke. Wen Wanbing was distracted, her mind filled with the image of that sweet juice slowly dripping down.