Xie Qingci only showed an expression of "Don’t worry, I understand everything."

Yu Xia felt like she was being led step by step onto a path named "strictly controlling men," and emphasized again—

"I really didn’t ask you to do this, you misunderstood the point yourself."

Xie Qingci nodded, "Yes, I need to be strict with myself and stick to my principles, don’t worry, it’s not your concern."

"..." But it sounds very much like it is her concern!

Xie Qingci looked at her expression, sipping milk with a smile.

Yu Xia was displeased with his demeanor, picking flaws: "Who let you drink the milk? That was bought for Yue by me. And the nuts, my sister-in-law bought those for me, did you have permission to eat them?"

"Tsk, I’m so miserable, being nitpicked for having breakfast at my girlfriend’s place, can’t drink milk or eat nuts, then what should I eat? Eat you?"

After he finished, he leisurely grabbed a corn cob to munch.

Yu Xia: "Why do you eat so much, with you here, the grocery bill at home triples!"

Xie Qingci showed a well-behaved smile, "Because I’m still growing. From a long-term investment return perspective, this is very cost-effective, the initial investment is necessary, can you bear with it?"

Hiding behind an academic facade was an unserious topic, Yu Xia pouted, "In that case, I should’ve found a boyfriend who doesn’t need to grow anymore from the start."

"If you can find one, I’ll be dead."

He was now able to talk about such a topic calmly, unlike at the start, when he refused to hear such things.

She didn’t know why but felt like laughing, took a freshly shelled pecan from his hand to eat.

With nothing to do after breakfast, they picked a couple of books from the shelf and leaned against each other to read.

The atmosphere was quite harmonious, except Xie Qingci kept snuggling up to her, either resting on her neck or wrapping his arms around her waist, as if drawing some kind of mental strength from her.

Yu Xia complained about his lack of backbone, kept shifting aside until she was almost lying flat, and then Xie Qingci simply laid his head on her thigh.

"You smell nice," he muttered lazily, throwing down his hand, circling her waist with both hands, "I feel like sleeping again."

The jet lag hasn’t worn off yet.

Yu Xia was so tightly hugged she didn’t dare to breathe deeply, stretched her hand to grab a cushion to support his head.

"Get up, use a pillow, otherwise by the time you wake up, my legs will need amputation."

He obediently lifted his head, waited for the pillow to be placed, then lay down again, his brows relaxed, "It’s still most comfortable at home, without you I can’t sleep well."

"I think you sleep just fine."

"No," he turned his head to kiss her arm lightly, "I just can’t sleep well."

She chuckled, stopped arguing with him, stroked his hair, "Alright, take a nap."

Living apart made every moment significant, every second sweet and warm.

Sunlight tilted in through the window, casting spots of light in front of the bookshelf, Yu Xia reached out to barely block it, only able to shield the sunlight hitting Xie Qingci’s face.

Maybe it was the light, Xie Qingci didn’t sleep well, half asleep and half awake. It might also be because they discussed family matters last night, remembered too much of the past, and in his dreams, he returned to the past.

Back to the rented house next to his high school.

The house was not very good, not properly oriented; in the hot summer, sunlight only came after three or four in the afternoon, then by five or six, the afterglow would use up its last strength to fill his room.

At this time he would be off school, wave goodbye after walking a stretch with classmates. For a while, he didn’t like having classmates over to his house, as he anticipated opening the door to see a glamorous superstar sitting inside.

Unfortunately, most of the time the anticipation was in vain, later there was completely no chance for that anticipation.

After that, he would occasionally bring classmates home, play games together, or after playing ball, they’d eat a takeout meal at his place.

However, no one stayed overnight, the latest by eight, classmates would receive calls from parents, frown at complaints, then energetically wave goodbye to him, saying they had to go home to accept parental nagging, and lamented that among the class he was the most carefree, no one to manage him.

He didn’t explain, just smiled it off.

He seemed to vividly feel the oppressive heat and dampness of a summer evening.

Cars passing on the road outside brought waves of heat, people coming and going were in a bad mood from the heat, often on the roadside he could see parents scolding kids not to eat too much ice cream.

In the first brightly lit plaza hung a poster of Yu Xia, the radiant woman smiling at him, he knew how close they were, but people around never mentioned a person named Xie Qingci when discussing the actress.

Just like, just like teachers passing by would always ask "Where are your parents?" "Is your home here?" without exception.

He casually bounced a basketball on his way back, encountering girls hiding to watch him, simply tucked the basketball under his arm, headed somewhere else expressionlessly to buy soda, then took a shortcut home, avoiding them.

Upon returning home, it was still stuffy, quiet, he also quietly washed up, glanced at the phone that seemed forever devoid of the expected activity, then closed his eyes to sleep.

Days repeated like that, occasionally his parents would call to inquire about his life and studies.

But their time apart was too long, only meeting a few times a year, becoming more and more estranged, conversation always carried an awkwardness, they never probed too personally, he couldn’t reply with much affection either.

Sunrise and sunset seemed to rotate past in a blink, light and shadow casting on the boy in the room, displaying a similar indifferent expression.

The person in his arms wriggled, Yu Xia set down her book, touched his face.

Xie Qingci’s breathing was a bit rapid, slowly settling down, opening his eyes drowsily to look at her.

"What time is it?"

Yu Xia: "Don’t know, just keep sleeping, we can eat when you’re hungry."

But he sat up, fingers combing through his hair, breathing a long sigh.

"Forget it, no more sleeping. Shall we go out to eat?"

Yu Xia rolled her eyes, "Eat then sleep, wake up then eat again, are you a pig?"

"Whatever you say, that’s what I am." He leaned over to hug her, his grip a bit strong.

Just about to scold him again, she realized he had paused, only the soft breaths on her neck.

"What are you doing? Baby needs his mommy after waking up?"

Xie Qingci chuckled, "Need my girlfriend."

"Tsk, then I have no choice but to reluctantly pat you."

Her hand rested on his back, lightly patting, just like soothing a child.

Xie Qingci was quiet, savoring the moment, then after a bit, gave her a couple of heavy kisses, reinvigorated.

"Let’s go, I’ll take you to get something delicious."

Yu Xia was pulled up by him, not yet steady she was picked up into his arms, hurriedly putting her hands on his shoulders.

"What are you doing?"

"Carrying you out, let’s go, my girlfriend—"