After the sea swimming competition ended, the sky was already dark. Mei Ran followed Fu Shijin to a private room at a club. He had been holding her hand the whole way, his steps urgent. As soon as he closed the door behind them, he pressed her against it. The soft glow from the crystal chandelier overhead cast shadows in his eyes, making them dark and unfathomable.
Warm breath grazed the shell of her ear. Mei Ran heard him let out a faint, sighing whisper, and then the torrent of kisses came crashing down.
He nibbled, alternating between light and heavy pressure, as if dissatisfied, then his tongue ventured in, swirling deftly, sucking, tasting, becoming entwined with hers, unable and unwilling to stop.
Mei Ran's body went limp from the assault, all her strength leaving her. She could only cling softly to him, the hands she'd vaguely placed against his chest now guided by him to wrap around his lean, firm waist.
A long, long time later, her face flushed and she panted heavily. The man finally released her, though his gentle kisses still continued, peppering her cheeks one after another.
His breathing was unsteady too, his chest rising and falling noticeably. He squeezed her hand, his voice low and husky, "Just an advance on some of the benefits."
For a moment, Mei Ran's mind went blank. Was that fiery onslaught just barely counting as a *small* benefit? If that was just a taste, then what would the formal ones be like...?
At that thought, another wave of crimson heat surged across her skin.
Fu Shijin didn't notice her reaction. He took her hand and led her to sit facing him. He owned 30% shares in this club, and had instructed the staff to prepare dinner and open a bottle of red wine before they arrived.
"You can't drink."
"I won't," he glanced at her, his eyes carrying scattered sparks of amusement. "This is for you."
Mei Ran finally relaxed and picked up the glass, taking a small sip. Truthfully, she wasn't much of a red wine drinker. It required too much fuss, and besides, she rarely had the time in her daily life to appreciate fine wine.
She preferred hard liquor, the fiery burn that went straight to her lungs, the intensity, the full expression.
"What are you smiling about?"
Mei Ran lifted her head, her smile deepening. "Nothing. I just think your luck was quite good."
"Luck?" The man slowly mouthed the word, raising an eyebrow. "How so?"
"To be honest," Mei Ran confessed honestly, "I really didn't expect you to take first place. After all, there was a professional swimmer among the competitors, wasn't there? I heard he's won many championships before."
Fu Shijin leaned back comfortably, crossing his legs. He spoke offhandedly, "Actually, I used to be a continental swimming champion."
"Impossible!" Mei Ran couldn't believe it. "That wasn't mentioned on Baidu Baike!"
"So," the man's clear gaze settled on her, a faint, almost imperceptible smile curling at the corner of his lips. "You looked up my information?"
Mei Ran bit her lower lip, her long, dark lashes sweeping down. She uttered a soft "Mmm" in admission.
"From now on, if you want to know anything, you can ask me directly," his voice was gentle and unhurried. "Any matter whatsoever, I can tell you honestly."
Any... matter whatsoever?
"Then..." Mei Ran voiced the question most pressing to her now, "What do you want me to do?"
The man's slender fingers tapped lightly on the tabletop, his expression relaxed and leisurely. "You seem a bit nervous?"
He chuckled softly again. "Don't worry. I won't make any excessively demanding requests of you just yet."
Mei Ran was taken aback. Did that mean, *not for now*, but he would later?
Just as the burgeoning sense of intimacy filled the room, a timely knock sounded at the door.
A uniformed server entered. He respectfully handed a piece of white paper to Fu Shijin and then silently withdrew.
Holding that A4 sheet, Mei Ran thought, could this be what her junior sister had mentioned, the 'A4 waist' trend that's been going around online lately? Did he just want her to do this simple thing? She breathed a sigh of relief and stood up. She pulled her chiffon blouse up slightly, inadvertently revealing a swath of snow-white skin at her waist, and then lightly pressed the paper against her abdomen. "Is this okay?"
Fu Shijin looked up slightly, his gaze darkening as it fell upon that expanse of skin fairer than snow. "What is this?"
"A4 waist," Mei Ran explained earnestly, though a bit puzzled at first. "It means a waist narrower than an A4 sheet. It's a recently popular online standard for measuring a woman's figure."
Fu Shijin understood instantly. "I know your figure is excellent; it doesn't need this standard to measure." A gleam danced in those deep-set eyes. "Besides, seeing isn't necessarily believing. I'd prefer to trust the measurements my own hands take."
Mei Ran froze, her cheeks instantly burning as if set ablaze.
Right. Hadn't he already measured with his own hands? Even more so, hadn't he...
That scorching gaze remained locked on her. Just as Mei Ran felt she might combust under it, he finally spoke. "Turn it over."
Mei Ran, bewildered, flipped the sheet. Embarrassment washed over her again. On the back was the lyrics to a song, one of her favorites: "The Slightly Drunken Serenade."
She was lost in thought when she heard the man say something else she missed. "What?" she asked stupidly.
So Fu Shijin repeated his previous statement, at the same time moving from the seat opposite to sit beside her.
"Read the lyrics?"
What a strange request.
Mei Ran took the paper and began reading. Cantonese was her first language, so this posed no difficulty for her at all. Soon, the soft, clear sound of her voice began to echo gently within the spacious private room.
"Still leaning against the wall in this sleepless night, gazing at the stars beyond the horizon. Still hearing the violin weeping, telling its sorrowful tale, yet provoking me once more. Why does only a crescent moon remain, hanging in my sky? After this night passes, all news ceases..."
Her voice gradually softened as she read. "I'm sorry."
Mei Ran suddenly understood why he wanted her to read the lyrics of this particular song. She could almost imagine countless sleepless nights after losing contact with her, him gazing alone out the window at that cool, lonely crescent moon. What would have been going through his mind then?
And now, with her standing right before him, fearing perhaps to stir up sorrowful memories for her, he only asked her to read this part of the lyrics. Really, there was no need for such caution. If he wanted, she would be willing to sing. Only for him.
Mei Ran began to sing softly, "People are like the moon in the sky, something impossible to possess... Never imagined we would part, yet my heart every minute, every moment is still held by you..."
Tears were gently kissed away by the man, even her trembling voice swallowed by his closeness.
*Soul-consuming longing keeps me turning all night.*
*Ranran, do you know?*
*I've thought of you on nights like that, too.*
*Countless times.*
That night, Mei Ran tossed and turned in bed, only falling into a fitful sleep after three in the morning.
In her fragmented dreams, a low male voice kept echoing, "MR... MR..."
So persistent, so adoring. She listened, enthralled, clinging to it, unwilling to wake.
*Ding-a-ling-a-ling...*
Mei Ran, eyes still closed, groped for the alarm clock buzzing vibrantly on the nightstand and pressed hard. Finally, silence returned.
A moment later, her phone alarm rang. This was the final permissible snooze time. Scratching her head, she sat up, her eyes so heavy she could only manage to peer through a tiny slit.
After six in the morning, sunlight flooded the entire balcony. Mei Ran listened to the morning news while brushing her hair, occasionally bending over to take a bite from a peeled egg on the table.
She'd gotten up later than usual and nearly arrived late for work. Luckily, there weren't many patients that morning, and most had appointments scheduled anyway.
Her assistant also clearly hadn't slept well the previous night. Her eyelids drooped, her expression listless.
Mei Ran teased lightly, "What's wrong? Went off playing the part of a weasel stealing chickens last night?"
"Senior Sister, you're making fun of me again," Tian Tian's mouth turned down at the corners. "I've been in a streak of bad luck lately! Last night I went out, came back and realized I'd lost my wallet. Life is really hazy and dizzy..."
She heaved a heavy sigh. "I'll just consider it money spent to avert disaster, okay? But yesterday my crush was in the sea swimming competition, and I got struck with acute gastroenteritis early in the morning. The result? I took leave and still couldn't go see it. Don't you think I've been afflicted by a jinx?" She clasped her hands together prayerfully. "Don't let it be like this. I have an exam in a few days!"
So that's why she wasn't seen at the event yesterday.
Mei Ran smiled. "Never three times unlucky. Things will turn around."
Her assistant nodded vigorously. "It has to be that way! Is there anything more unfortunate than missing my crush's competition? Luckily some fans who went yesterday posted photos online, so I'll have to comfort myself with those. You have no idea how crazy his fans are, drooling all over their screens! But my crush's physique really is amazing..."
"Oh right," she slapped her forehead, as if suddenly remembering something. "Senior Sister, when you were out on your rounds earlier, Doctor Zhou came looking for you."
"Did he say what it was about?"
"He didn't." Tian Tian shook her head, then glanced around and lowered her voice. "Senior Brother Zhou looks like he's lost a lot of weight. No wonder, of course. Ordinary people who encounter that kind of thing have a lot of mental pressure."
After listening, Mei Ran nodded thoughtfully. "I understand."
"Senior Brother," she said, holding her phone, "What did you want to see me about earlier?"
The background noise was chaotic, making it hard for Mei Ran to hear clearly.
"I'm at the airport right now."
Mei Ran was shocked.
"I asked the hospital for a few days off. I'm going back to my hometown for a visit," Zhou Yimiao probably moved to a quieter corner; the background noise lessened considerably. "And to clear my head."
Mei Ran was silent for a moment. Then she heard him say, "Don't worry about me. I'm really okay. I just want to go see my parents."
"...Mmm."
"My boarding time is almost up. If anything comes up, contact me by phone."
"Alright," Mei Ran said softly. "Have a smooth journey."
"Senior Sister," her assistant pushed open the door. "The next scheduled patient is here."
Mei Ran swiftly composed herself. "Please ask her in."
A young woman entered. Her hair was pulled up high, giving her sharply tapered jaw and slender eyes further emphasis. There were a few freckles on her nose.
Mei Ran checked her pulse, inquired about her condition, and was about to write a prescription when the woman stopped her. Her voice was thin too. "Doctor, I don't have time to decoct medicine. Are there other, simpler options?"
"Given your current situation, I still recommend oral decoctions as the best option," Mei Ran held her pen. "If you find that too troublesome, our traditional pharmacy offers medicine decocting services."
"Does that cost extra?"
Hearing the additional fee for decocting, the woman hesitated for a moment. "Never mind, then."
Her attitude was firm, so Mei Ran prescribed her some prepared Chinese patent medicines instead.
The woman, satisfied, swayed out on her hips. Mei Ran watched her receding back and, for some reason, suddenly felt like laughing.
After a busy afternoon, Mei Ran returned home. Too tired to cook, she simply ordered takeout, playing with her phone as she waited.
She remembered her junior sister mentioning that dedicated fans had uploaded photos of the sea swimming competition. She herself hadn't managed to take any pictures that day. She was just thinking of saving a few for her own private use, but as soon as she opened Weibo, a cascade of dense, numerous notifications popped out.
Her heart felt as if lightly plucked by someone's fingers. But when she read that particular Weibo post, her face was rapidly covered in a flush, overwhelming as a spreading wildfire.
Fu Shijin v: *Tell me, how much courage is still needed now?* // Miss Climbing-the-wall-waiting-for-apricot: *Actually, shouldn't it be: 'suddenly finding out I still need a lot of courage in order to (go and love Fu Shijin)?' Note! The verbs are 'love' and 'go' [grinning devil emoji] // you'd-better-think-it-through-carefully: *suddenly finding out I still need a lot of courage in order to...*