Chapter 206

Xia Xi thought of the phrase "fire seed under the glacier"—perfect to describe Xu Yanfeng, who always appears cool, self-possessed, dignified and steady; who would have thought his lips are so hot, his palms too, wherever he touches can set a person ablaze.

That's right; besides her, no one would know.

But tonight he was especially strange, lacking gentleness, more domineering.

Tossing and turning, he showed no fatigue.

Fortunately she also missed him, could handle it, and accompanied him in his madness.

Their backs pressed together, sweat mingling, indistinguishable whose was whose, like a rain that surrounded only them, wetting just them.

Xia Xi's bare arms clung to the pillow, her cheek pressed against her arm, eyelids closed, breathing still ragged. His lips landed on her shoulder; she reached a hand to push his head, mumbling indistinct words—unclear what she said, but her tone conveyed refusal.

Xu Yanfeng's thin lips moved, his voice low and hoarse: 'Be good…'

Xia Xi thought he had let her go, relaxed her guard—suddenly a sharp pain stabbed her shoulder; the drowsiness and fatigue in her mind and body vanished, leaving only clear, intense pain in her shoulder.

Her eyes widened, she shoved him away, rolled over, and demanded incredulously: 'Why did you bite me?'

Xu Yanfeng drew his arms around her, burying his face in her hair, his voice barely audible, like sleep-talk or drunken words: 'You are mine. You must always remember me.'

Xia Xi stared for a moment, her soft fingertips touching her own shoulder; in the light of the floor lamp she saw she was bleeding.

Indeed, it couldn't hurt this much without bleeding.

'You…' Xia Xi opened her mouth, her mind short-circuited, not knowing what to say; she reached a hand to his forehead, feeling a little warm—not enough to be diagnosed fever, yet she snapped, 'Is your brain burnt out?'

Xu Yanfeng ignored what she said, going on his own: 'Don't apply medicine, leave it there, okay, baby.'

The hand Xia Xi had placed on his forehead trembled; her eyes widened further, her breath halted until her face flushed red, then she breathed: 'You… you called me what?'

Xu Yanfeng closed his eyes.

'Don't pretend to sleep!' Xia Xi pinched his handsome face with two fingers, her face breaking into a radiant smile, completely forgetting the pain on her shoulder, 'Say it again.'

Xu Yanfeng refused no matter what, his way of refusing a bit shameless: 'Sleep.'

'Sleep my ass.' Xia Xi roughly shook him, 'If you don't call me, you don't get to sleep.'

Xu Yanfeng went along with her teasing, but still refused to call her that, finding it corny. Unlike her, who readily says 'baby' and 'babe,' he doesn't have that inclination.

'How can you be like this?' Since threats didn't work, Xia Xi shifted to accusation, coquetry, and shamelessness: 'You made me bite until I bled, then a single "baby" sends me away—there's no such cheap deal in the world.'

Xu Yanfeng opened his eyes, fingers brushing the hair from her face, his fingertip resting on her lip, and suggested: 'Otherwise, bite me back.'

Without thinking, Xia Xi replied: 'Bite your face, so you'll have no face to show people.'

Xu Yanfeng gave a low chuckle; the hand under the blanket stroked her sweaty skin, a soothing gesture, then he offered his own face: 'If you're willing, that's fine too.'

'Shameless.' If you bite his face, anyone can tell what happened; he's shameless, and she wants more.

But Xia Xi didn't want to miss the chance; after looking at him a while, an idea popped into her head, she ducked under the blankets, pulled aside his pants, and bit him in his most vulnerable lower abdomen.

Although Xu Yanfeng was prepared, he couldn't suppress a muffled groan.

Xia Xi showed no mercy either, only releasing when a faint metallic taste filled her mouth; she lifted her head from the blankets, arched an eyebrow provocatively, and said: 'You too will forever belong to me—this is my seal.'

Xu Yanfeng's eyes darkened; he seized her shoulders, lifted her, and kissed her.

Spring had just arrived, already spreading boundlessly.

'Good.' He said, word by word, 'I will forever belong to you.'

Having long adapted to university life, she quickly settled into the routine after the semester began; Xia Xi enjoyed these busy, fulfilling days.

The only bad news was that Xu Yanfeng had to go on a business trip this weekend; she couldn't indulge in his company, so she honestly made a study plan, preparing to turn longing into motivation to learn.

Saturday morning, Xia Xi woke at seven, rode her bike around the campus outskirts. Passing a breakfast shop, she parked her bike at the side of the door, went in and ordered a bowl of red bean congee and a basket of xiaolongbao.

She sat down, hadn't taken a bite when her pocket phone rang; she switched her chopsticks from right to left hand and pulled out the phone.

The caller ID showed Xia Xuan.

Xia Xi answered, laughing: 'Not like you, sis, to get up so early.'

'Sis, something happened at home.' Xia Xuan's voice trembled, choked with tears: 'Dad's factory… had an accident, someone got hurt, he's missing, Uncle Yao also disappeared, police came to look for people, and the victims' relatives came to cause a scene.'

Xia Xuan had a congenital heart condition; she'd undergone surgery as a child, been well protected by her family, never experienced anything like this, was frightened into tears, and began to sob uncontrollably.

'Don't panic.' Xia Xi frowned with worry, not daring to raise her voice; Xia Xuan's heart is fragile, can't withstand strong emotional swings, mustn't be startled—'Is anyone else at home? Stay in your room, don't come out.'

'Mom went to the hotel, Grandma went out for a walk, the house is just me. I… I called Mom, she'll be back soon.' Surrounded by a crowd, terrified, Xia Xuan called Su Jinru, then immediately thought of Xia Xi: 'Sis, what should I do? I heard… I heard the workers were badly injured, permanently disabled… what should I do?'

'Listen to me, don't cry first.' Xia Xi said calmly, 'Give the phone to the police; I'll talk to them.'

Xia Xuan shakily handed over the phone; on the other end, Xia Xi heard a wailing lament: 'Poor Old Li of our family, both his hands were mangled and crushed, still unconscious in the hospital! No one from his side has come to console them, the boss's phone won't go through. This is them fleeing, refusing responsibility—Officer, you must help us!'

'Hello?'

A deep-voiced middle-aged man's voice came through; Xia Xi steadied herself and quickly said: 'I don't know how to address you. I'm the sister of the phone's owner; my sister has congenital heart disease and cannot be stimulated—please keep her apart, don't let her face this. My family will return shortly to handle things, and I'll make sure you and the victims' families receive a satisfactory explanation.'

The officer listened to her words, then glanced at Xia Xuan before him—the girl was frightened pale, lips purple, in poor shape. He quickly restrained the wailing relatives lunging forward to pull and tug, urged Xia Xuan upstairs to avoid contact with the emotionally uncontrolled family.

Xia Xi no longer had the appetite for breakfast; she immediately bought a high-speed rail ticket back to Qianlin.

She locked her bike, took a taxi to the high-speed rail station, carrying only a sports waist pack with her ID inside.

On the way, Xia Xi called Su Jinru; a mechanical female voice reminded her that the number she dialed was already in use, not knowing if she'd arrived home. Anxious, Xia Xi raked her hair and called Xia Yue.

After a few rings, it was connected; first came a blast of car horn from the earpiece.

'Sis, do you know what's happening at home…'

'I know, I know.' Xia Yue's voice held anxiety: 'Mom just called and told me; I'm on my way home. I'll fill you in once I know the details—maybe it's not as bad as you think, don't scare yourself.'

Xia Xi said: 'I'm on the high-speed rail back to Qianlin; I won't be able to arrive for another two-plus hours.'

'Don't you have school? We can handle the family matters; studies are important.'

'I can't relax.' Xia Xi propped her elbows on the table before her, fists pressed to her forehead, hair hanging down covering both cheeks, her heart like a surging flood that wouldn't calm: 'Today is Saturday; if things really go smoothly, returning to school tomorrow won't interfere with my coursework. Mom's blood pressure is unstable, Grandma is old and can't take a shock—bring your brother-in-law, don't let them wear themselves out.'

After ending the call, Xia Xi straightened her neck, swept the hair hanging before her face to the back of her head, and dialed Xia Chenggang.