Only the writing on it was already unrecognizable compared to what he remembered.

Several oval-shaped water stains on the title page left darker marks on the yellowed paper, making that area of the page slightly wrinkled.

And she, so persistent and stubborn, had written within these marks what she had once resigned herself to as not belonging, each stroke carved into bone, each word engraved on the heart.

When Tao Zhi returned to her room, Jiang Qihuai was sitting on the sofa, his eyes closed as he lay back on the sofa, the back of his hand resting on his brow bone, silent, as if asleep.

During dinner, Tao Xiuping had made him drink a small cup of baijiu, Tao Zhi thought the alcohol was affecting him and he wasn’t feeling well, so she gently walked over and leaned down to look at him.

As soon she leaned in, Jiang Qihuai lifted his wrist and opened his eyes.

His gaze was somewhat scattered, looking at her blankly for a few seconds, the corners of his eyes slightly red.

Tao Zhi was taken aback, sat down beside him and touched his face, it was cool, not hot.

“Are you not feeling well?” she asked, leaning in.

Jiang Qihuai came back to himself very slowly.

He turned his eyes, his Adam’s apple moved, his voice low and dry: “Zhizhi.”

Tao Zhi responded.

He didn’t move, still calling her: “Zhizhi.”

His enunciation was low and slow.

“I’m here, I’m here,” Tao Zhi didn’t understand what was wrong with him, only thought he couldn’t handle baijiu, she patted his back, “You put on some clothes first, I’ll tell my dad, we’re going home now.”

Jiang Qihuai closed his eyes, stood up: “I’ll go down with you.”

He got up and left the bedroom first, Tao Zhi followed him downstairs to say goodbye to Tao Xiuping, at this time, he again seemed clear-minded and spoke calmly, without any sign of being drunk.

The two of them went out, Tao Zhi took out her car keys to drive, while turning her head suspiciously: “Are you really okay?”

Jiang Qihuai stared blankly at the light source of the entrance lamp for a few seconds before finally making an “mm” sound.

Tao Zhi: “…”

He didn’t look very clever.

Since Jiang Qihuai had been drinking and couldn’t drive, Tao Zhi originally planned to call a car for him, stuff him directly into a DiDi to go home, and go her own way, but after thinking about it, she still wasn’t very reassured, so she directly drove to his place and sent him back.

It was a bit past nine in the evening when they got home, Tao Zhi pulled Jiang Qihuai into the elevator, as soon as they entered, she put her hands on her hips and commanded him: “Take off your jacket.”

Jiang Qihuai took off his jacket and casually tossed it aside.

See, after drinking a bit he starts throwing clothes around randomly.

Tao Zhi pointed towards the living room sofa: “Go sit down, I’ll make you some honey water.”

Jiang Qihuai looked at her: “I’m not drunk.”

“I believe you,” Tao Zhi said very perfunctorily.

As she spoke, she walked to the kitchen, opening each cabinet door one by one: “Where do you keep your honey?”

Jiang Qihuai sighed, walked over, opened the refrigerator door, took out a small jar of honey and handed it to her.

Tao Zhi took it, filled the electric kettle with water, and plugged it in.

Leaning against the counter, she frowned at him and lectured: “If you can’t drink baijiu, why didn’t you say so earlier? Before, seeing you have beer and sake one cup after another, I thought you could hold your liquor quite well.”

Jiang Qihuai didn’t speak, his lips downturned as he walked over, raised his arms and hugged her.

He buried his head in the crook of her neck, his breathing even, his voice somewhat muffled as he repeated: “I’m not drunk.”

His mood was clearly low, seeming somewhat unhappy.

But Tao Zhi couldn’t figure out why he was suddenly unhappy.

Being held like this in front of him, his black hair brushing against her earlobe, it was somewhat ticklish.

She tilted her head uncomfortably and rubbed a couple of times, just about to speak, when her body stiffened.

Jiang Qihuai gently bit the soft flesh on the side of her neck, licking and kissing upwards along the faint blue artery.

“Zhizhi,” he called her name lowly in her ear.

Tao Zhi trembled.

He traced the outline of her ear, inch by inch, to the corner of her lips, then bit the tip of her tongue.

Tao Zhi’s entire body went soft. She raised her arms, hooking them around his neck. Jiang Qihuai took the opportunity to grip her waist and lift her up slightly, seating her on the central island countertop.

The water in the kettle reached a boil, its faint yet sharp boiling sound filling the entire kitchen. Bubbles gurgled on the water’s surface, and steam puffed out in gusts from the spout.

The hem of Tao Zhi’s long skirt was crumpled and pushed up, her slender legs hooked around Jiang Qihuai’s lower back. She gently bit the tip of his tongue, then pulled back slightly. Her dark, beautiful eyes seemed brushed with a hazy mist.

She looked at him, licked her lips, her voice soft and alluring: “Shall we do it?”

Jiang Qihuai laughed.

“Do what?” he asked in a low voice.

Heat spread throughout Tao Zhi’s body, the tips of her ears burning as if on fire. She couldn’t bring herself to say anything more provocative. Whether from shame or irritation, she glared at him for a few seconds, then resentfully lowered her head and gently sucked on his Adam’s apple.

Jiang Qihuai tilted his head back, his laughter swallowed entirely by her. An uncontrollable, deep gasp escaped his throat.

As if having successfully avenged herself, Tao Zhi lifted her head again. Before Jiang Qihuai could speak, her hand had already ventured downward.

The muscles in Jiang Qihuai’s abdomen tightened instantly.

He looked down. The young girl’s skin was snow-white, lips red, her deep dark eyes squinting with satisfaction as she smiled at him, the corners of her eyes tinged with a flushed, vivid color.

“Aren’t you quite obedient? Little Highness,” she said meaningfully.

Jiang Qihuai heard the sound of the last nerve in his brain snapping.

He closed his eyes, his voice already hoarse: “Zhizhi.”

Tao Zhi responded with a soft hum.

“I didn’t prepare.”

Tao Zhi paused, looking up: “What?”

“Outerwear.”

“…”

It took Tao Zhi ten seconds to process this.

A grown man with a girlfriend, who currently appeared to be fully functional, actually did not have such an important physiological item stocked at home.

In that moment, Tao Zhi seriously wanted to ask him: Jiang Qihuai, are you really not up to it?

Tao Zhi looked at him blankly, genuinely curious: “Don’t you actually want to sleep with me?”

Jiang Qihuai sounded somewhat helpless: “No man wouldn’t want to.”

“Then why…” Tao Zhi struggled to find the right words, “…didn’t you prepare?”

“I didn’t plan on now,” Jiang Qihuai raised his hand, his fingertips gently brushing the reddened corner of her eye, his movements slow and deliberate, “I was afraid of scaring you away.”

Because he had regained what was lost, because his conscience was troubled, he treaded every step carefully and cautiously.

Afraid she wouldn’t like it, afraid she wouldn’t be willing, afraid that after so many years of estrangement, she had become unaccustomed and unfamiliar with him.

Jiang Qihuai had originally planned to take it slow, step by step, gradually drawing close to her again.

Tao Zhi understood.

Her mind, muddled by desire just moments before, cleared slightly. She nodded and said, “So, you need my agreement before you plan to start preparing.”

Jiang Qihuai didn’t speak.

Tao Zhi took his silence as affirmation. She averted her eyes, her fingertips lightly tracing a couple of lines on his arm, and said slowly, “Then I agree.”

After she said this, the room fell silent.

Jiang Qihuai looked at her in silence for a few seconds, then suddenly stepped back, turned, and walked out of the kitchen, leaving her sitting alone on the central island.

Tao Zhi: “…”

Tao Zhi: ???

She watched him walk to the living room, pick up the jacket he had casually discarded earlier, take his phone out of the pocket, and fiddle with it for a while with his head down.

After fiddling, he slipped his hands into his trouser pockets and came back.

“What did you go do?” Tao Zhi asked, completely bewildered.

Jiang Qihuai walked up to her, picked her up vertically like a child, and said as he walked out, “Ordered an express delivery for the outerwear. It’ll take thirty minutes.”

“…Wait,” Tao Zhi was still a bit dazed, “I actually think another day would work too.”

“Mm,” Jiang Qihuai responded, carrying her out of the kitchen, through the living room, and into the bedroom, “Not changing it.”

Tao Zhi swung her legs, braced her hands on his shoulders, leaned back slightly, and looked at him with wide, confused eyes: “Then what are you going to do for these thirty minutes?”

As soon as she finished speaking, she was dropped onto the bed.

Tao Zhi sank into the soft down duvet, surrounded on all sides by the clean, crisp scent of the bedding.

The next second, the owner of that scent pressed down over her, his scorching fingertips hooking the zipper of her long dress at her side and sliding it down inch by inch.

The slight chill in the air brought a shiver.

Jiang Qihuai lowered his head, tilted it to the side, and took her soft earlobe into his mouth, his voice low and hoarse: “I’ll spend these thirty minutes attending to you.”