Starlight Descends - 66
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In darkness, the air held still for two seconds.
Qi Yao blinked in confusion as his words settled over her.
What? What was he talking about? What did any of this have to do with younger guys?
It took her a long moment before the slow, delayed understanding finally dawned.
Her heart hammered against her ribs, even then she couldn't figure out how he had managed to connect two completely unrelated conversations from tonight.
"Men are not as capable after twenty-five," and "she likes younger guys."
Those two had absolutely nothing to do with each other!
She instinctively leaned back against the door, trying to retreat, and murmured, "I don't like younger..."
Before she could finish, the hand resting against her cheek shifted. His cool fingers lightly caught her chin, and his lips met hers.
Yu Jiashu was much taller than she was. Every time they kissed, he had to lower his head, his lashes dipping as he bent toward her. His height made the way he loomed over her feel overwhelmingly oppressive. Yet the kiss itself was gentle, even softer than usual.
Only it lingered for an impossibly long time.
His fingers curved beneath her chin, cool against her skin as they held her in place. Patiently, unhurriedly, he coaxed her deeper into the kiss bit by bit, almost as though he were savoring the slow torture of it.
Their noses brushed, their lips tangled. Warm breaths mingled between them.
The air itself seemed to burn.
Even the drifting dust looked as though it had slowed, silently simmering in the heat.
When the kiss finally ended, he pulled back. Qi Yao's breathing had gone uneven, her legs so weak she had to lean against him just to stay upright.
She watched Yu Jiashu lower his head to glance at the watch on his wrist in the dim light. Then he turned around, hooked a plastic bag with one finger, and held it out to her.
The convenience store bag rustled softly.
Qi Yao blinked.
"Pick one," he said.
After two silent seconds, her fingers curled. Lips pressed together, she refused to move. She saw him raise an eyebrow slightly as he unlocked his phone and held the lit screen in front of her.
The brightness was low, adjusting itself to the darkness, softly illuminating her face.
The screen read 11:36 p.m.
Qi Yao stared blankly, not understanding at first. After looking a little longer, she suddenly realized he had changed his wallpaper without her knowing.
It was a simple black-and-white photo. A candid shot from that night during the outdoor movie.
Just the backs of the two of them.
His profile was sharp and handsome.
His gaze was fixed entirely on her.
"You're focusing on the wrong thing."
Her expression told him she'd misunderstood. Yu Jiashu lifted a brow and spoke leisurely.
"I'm saying...we're running out of time."
"..."
The plastic bag rustled again before landing lightly on the cabinet.
Qi Yao honestly had no idea how they'd managed to make it from the dark entryway all the way into the bedroom without ever turning on a light.
By the time she sank into the soft mattress, she was still clutching the little box she'd reluctantly grabbed in the dark after failing to bargain her way out of it.
Yu Jiashu went to wash his hands.
Before drawing the curtains, she stole a glance under the bright moonlight.
In the lower right corner of the box, the quantity stood out in unmistakable numerals.
Ten.
"..."
"Just once."
As he leaned over her, Qi Yao wrapped her arms around his shoulders and whispered softly.
Yu Jiashu lowered his lashes. It wasn't clear whether he'd heard her. He merely gave an absent-minded hum, placed the foil packet into her hand, and murmured in a low voice, "Put it on for me."
"..."
The clear silver moonlight was shut outside behind the heavy dark curtains. No matter how fiercely the wind or rain battered the night beyond, not a single ray could spill into the room.
Inside, everything was still.
Only one thing moved.
Like a small boat carrying her across the sea, tossed endlessly by waves driven by the wind.
After what felt like forever, Qi Yao pushed weakly at him and whispered,
"...Move."
"Yu Jiashu... move."
Her voice trembled with the edge of tears as she protested between broken breaths.
"...We made a deal."
Yu Jiashu answered with another careless hum, as though merely acknowledging her words. Then he quietly asked, "Do you like younger guys?"
The tide surged and retreated in waves, like duckweed adrift in a storm.
Several seconds passed before Qi Yao answered in a tearful whisper. "...N-No."
He paused briefly, gave a quiet hum, lowered his gaze to her, and softly called her name.
"Then say it."
The room fell silent except for the soft, continuous sounds filling the air.
Qi Yao turned her face aside, unable to bear it any longer, she finally surrendered. "...I like you."
Her voice was light and soft, thick with a faint nasal tremor, like the quiet whimper of a tiny animal.
"I like... my gege."
***
The sun was already high.
Downstairs, traffic had gradually filled the streets, distant car horns drifting faintly through the air.
The sheer outer curtain had been drawn, letting hazy daylight filter into the room and illuminate the mountain-shaped lump beneath the blanket.
The woman who normally slept early and never stayed up late was still curled up in bed.
Yu Jiashu had just opened the door when he saw the blanket mound stir in a flurry of rustling movement.
Even the slender arm that had been sticking out disappeared back beneath the covers until not a single inch of her was visible.
She looked as though she were hiding from the plague.
"..."
He paused for two seconds, thoroughly amused. Raising an eyebrow, he strolled over slowly, casually loosening the back of his neck before stopping beside the bed.
He simply stood there, looking at her without saying a word.
Perhaps because she had not heard anything for a while, the blanket cautiously shifted.
A hand emerged, clutching the edge of the quilt and lifting it little by little, just enough to reveal a pair of wary eyes.
"...!"
The instant she spotted him standing there, Qi Yao frowned.
Her arm dropped like lightning.
She retreated beneath the blanket again and even tucked the edges tighter around herself, curling into a stubborn little ball that clearly refused all communication.
Yu Jiashu nearly laughed.
In fact, he did. He let out a rather annoying laugh, then spoke with a breath of amusement in his voice.
"May I ask Her Highness the Princess what time she intends to rise for breakfast?"
His words ended in an easy, lazy drawl.
It didn't sound like someone addressing a princess.
It sounded like an arrogant young master humoring a child.
Two quiet seconds later, her muffled reply floated out from beneath the blanket. "...Not eating. Go away."
Her voice buzzed through the quilt, clipped and irritated, as though she'd rather kick him than speak to him.
Yu Jiashu chuckled, waited two seconds, then asked lazily, "Really not eating?"
"No."
Extremely stingy, just a single word, decisive and final.
She was genuinely angry.
His brow lifted faintly as he watched her for a moment. "Fine."
He gently tugged at the blanket, his voice lifting playfully. "In that case...I'll come back to bed too."
"..."
Two seconds later, apparently deciding that was the worse outcome, Qi Yao burst out from beneath the covers, kneeling on the mattress as she glared at him. "Why are you so annoying?"
"I'm sorry." Yu Jiashu apologized smoothly and promptly.
Unfortunately, there wasn't the slightest hint of sincerity in his lazy tone. If anything, he still looked unbearably smug.
"My fault," he added.
"..."
Qi Yao was speechless. She watched him casually lower his eyes, bend over to place her slippers in front of her, and say,
"Put them on."
In winter she loved wearing thick coral fleece socks around the house. Warm, fluffy ones.
And had developed the terrible habit of skipping slippers altogether, sometimes even wandering around barefoot.
Now, she relied shamelessly on the heated floors.
"You're seriously the worst." Still grumbling, Qi Yao dragged her sore body out of bed.
The moment she stood upright, her legs trembled faintly.
Frowning, she shook the blanket hard, venting her frustration before quickly smoothing it back into place.
Yu Jiashu showed no particular reaction, just watched her and said, "You're amazing."
Qi Yao: "?"
"...Huh?"
"You're angry, and you still remembered to make the bed." He spoke with maddening leisure. "You deserve praise."
"..."
Was something wrong with this man? Was he praising a child?
Qi Yao felt a surge of exasperation and an almost simultaneous urge to laugh.
Most of her anger dissipated.
She balled up a fist and punched him lightly on the shoulder.
He caught her hand with a curved smile, laced his fingers through hers, and led her outside.
The two of them tugged each other all the way into the living room.
"You already went downstairs?" she asked, looking at the breakfast on the table.
Yu Jiashu gave a quiet hum, he warmed and poured her a glass of milk by the kitchen island.
Qi Yao sat down and picked up a sandwich.
The simple act of sitting nearly defeated her. She spread both hands against the tabletop for support, her delicate brows knitting together in pain.
Her legs ached.
The kind of ache you usually get after spending the whole summer lying around at home, then being forced to run three thousand meters and do a hundred squats on the first PE class after school started.
Every movement was torture.
Qi Yao's face scrunched up from the soreness.
Looking up, she found Yu Jiashu standing perfectly upright in loose loungewear, his profile calm, pale eyelids drooping lazily.
He looked so relaxed.
So thoroughly satisfied.
She could barely sit down, and he not only managed to wake up early, but also go downstairs, buy breakfast, and look completely unaffected.
Qi Yao's irritation flared all over again. "Yu Dongdong."
"Hm?"
"If you do that again next time, I'm not going to like you anymore," she said.
The threat couldn't have been more obvious.
Yu Jiashu merely turned slightly, lifted his eyes to look at her, then lowered them again without much expression as he closed the milk carton. "Oh."
"..."
Qi Yao froze.
That didn't work? He didn't care?
After another two seconds, she swallowed her bite of ham-and-egg sandwich, frowned, and repeated each word carefully. "I won't like you anymore!"
He answered with another indifferent "Oh," carried the milk over, set it beside her, and said calmly, "Doesn't matter. I have a method."
"?"
Qi Yao took a sip of milk, throughly confused. "What method?"
Instead of answering, he carried the empty milk carton back into the kitchen and casually changed the subject. "When are you moving in?"
They still needed to find time when they were both free to decorate the apartment together.
The place was massive. Even living across the hall from each other, constantly going back and forth was inconvenient.
Now that Zhou Qi had moved out, besides the master bedroom there were still five spare rooms. He only needed one as a study.
"One of these next couple days," Qi Yao thought for a moment. "I should be free."
Yu Jiashu made an ‘mm’ sound, standing beside her watching, "So you want one walk-in closet, a room of your own..."
"What about the other two?"
Qi Yao thought while taking another bite. Nothing came to mind immediately.
"I don't know yet. Maybe a home theater. I'll think about it tonight."
"Alright," Yu Jiashu said.
"Wait," Qi Yao drained the last of her milk and suddenly caught on. "Why do I need my own room?"
Wasn't the whole point of moving in so they could live together? Were they about to just become roommates under the same roof?
Yu Jiashu lowered his eyes. His fingers curled slightly as he pulled out a tissue and gently dabbed at the corner of her mouth.
"So you'll have a little world of your own. A place where I won't bother you."
He said it so casually that it sounded completely ordinary.
Qi Yao, however, stood there frozen for two seconds.
Blinking, she let him wipe the corner of her lips without moving, looking adorably dumbstruck.
Yu Jiashu looked at her and suddenly laughed. He crumpled the tissue into his palm, pinched her cheek between two fingers, and teased with his usual roguish grin. "So you'll have somewhere to hide after I make you cry."
"..."
Qi Yao ignored the suggestive implication and looked at him instead. "Are you worried I'll feel uncomfortable sometimes?"
Even the closest people needed space now and then. Having one's life completely occupied by another person wasn't necessarily a good thing.
Especially for someone like her, who had lived alone for so long that even waking up beside another person still felt unfamiliar.
Adjusting to sharing a life with someone took time.
Yu Jiashu neither admitted nor denied it. He lightly poked her cheek twice. "I just really like your room."
If he wouldn't answer directly, that probably meant she'd guessed correctly.
Qi Yao found herself quietly touched by how thoughtful he was, completely unaware of what was actually on his mind.
As Yu Jiashu looked down at her, he thought...
This position was kind of strange.
He was standing in front of her with his head lowered, fingers pinching her soft cheeks until her lips parted just enough to reveal the tip of her tongue.
And she just let him, simply looked back at him.
It made him feel like some delinquent senior bullying an innocent freshman.
Two seconds later...
The delinquent gave in.
He leaned down and stole a kiss.
Seeing his tongue threatening to sneak in again, Qi Yao immediately clamped her teeth shut and shoved him away. "Not allowed."
"Why not?" Yu Jiashu pulled back slightly, his hand remained on her face, the tip of his nose still brushed hers, asking quietly.
His dark lashes swept gently across her cheek whenever he looked down, and even the warmth of his breath tickled her skin.
Swallowing faintly, Qi Yao hardened her heart and pushed him further away. "Because I don't like you anymore."
Earlier, when she had said she wouldn't like him anymore, he hadn't reacted at all! He clearly didn't care whether she liked him or not!
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became.
She walked around him, carried her plate into the kitchen, and started washing it.
Yet no one came in to coax her.
Fine then!
So this was how men were. Once they got what they wanted, they stopped cherishing it!
Qi Yao angrily finished washing the plate, put it into the cabinet, then turned around to find Yu Jiashu leaning casually against the doorway, holding something in one hand.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"Absolutely!"
She strode toward him. Just as she tried to squeeze past, he caught her wrist and gently pulled her back.
The momentum sent her tumbling straight into his arms. Her forehead bumped solidly against his chest, and a hand came up and rubbed the sore spot twice.
"Don't force my hand." The man's voice drawled lazily above her head.
"My method isn't very good for your brain."
"..."
Qi Yao: "?"
"...What?"
She clearly didn't believe him, though curiosity sparkled across her face as she looked up.
"Close your eyes." Yu Jiashu gazed down at her with calm black eyes.
"I won't..."
Before she could finish, his hand covered her eyes. His long fingers rested firmly across her eyelids.
Everything went black.
"..."
"What are you doing?"
Qi Yao suddenly felt a little nervous.
Not being able to see made the imagination run wild.
Her lashes fluttered as she thought to herself: Could he actually know some kind of magic? Was her boyfriend secretly a mystic? A wizard?
"Now empty your head,” she heard him say.
After a two-second silence, she obediently followed the instruction.
Empty.
Nothing.
Her boyfriend smelled really nice, cedar and mint.
After a moment, Yu Jiashu said, "Now think about me."
Hm? She'd already been thinking about him.
Still, Qi Yao dutifully began to trace his features in her mind.
The high bridge of his nose and brow bone, the slightly elongated eyes, the thin pale eyelids, the narrow lips, the sharp jawline…
Several seconds later, Yu Jiashu removed the hand from her eyes.
His fingers flicked lightly, lowering a dangling object into her line of sight. The end had been wrapped twice with clear tape, securing a small weight.
Suspended by gravity and the subtle movement of his fingers, it swung rhythmically from side to side.
"Watch it," he said.
The sudden return of light made Qi Yao squint. It took her a moment to finally saw what it was.
"..."
It was a charging cable.
An actual charging cable.
The charging plug had been taped up as a weight while the cable swung hypnotically in front of her for nearly two full minutes.
All the while, his perfectly calm voice repeated over and over,
"You like me."
"You like me."
"..."
Qi Yao: "?"
Silence.
She took two deep breaths, yet still couldn't suppress her disbelief.
Watching him, she asked earnestly, "Yu Jiashu. Is there something wrong with you?"
The man she had just insulted remained perfectly composed.
As though he hadn't heard a thing, he calmly reeled the white charging cable back in, wrapping it neatly around his slender fingers.
Ridiculous as the whole thing was, he somehow managed to make it look stylish.
Qi Yao was genuinely astonished.
"So?"
Yu Jiashu lifted his eyelids, raised an eyebrow at her, and enunciated slowly. "Do you like me now?"
"..."
Qi Yao fell silent, just staring back at him.
The narrow doorway forced them to stand almost chest to chest.
As their eyes met, his dark gaze locked onto hers, cool and devastatingly attractive.
Little by little, Qi Yao's heartbeat sped up.
Unable to endure it any longer, she finally looked away and surrendered. "...Like you. I like you."
This time she couldn't brush him off.
Yu Jiashu raised a brow and laughed softly.
Still keeping an arm around her so she couldn't escape, he looked straight at her and said lazily, "Then kiss your boyfriend."
"The kind with open mouth."
"..."
Qi Yao paused. The tips of her ears slowly turned crimson, she could only look back at him.
His dark eyes remained fixed on hers as he articulated each word with deliberate slowness.
"Don't make me use this move again."
---
Author's Note:
Yu the Hypnotist Jiashu.
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