After the taxi dropped them off at her apartment complex, Zhou Ye walked Xia Yao all the way to her building entrance. It was completely dark. Because of the rain, no one was out for a walk. The streetlights glowed softly in the cool, damp air, and the wind carried the fresh scent of earth and greenery. He stood before her, gazing down at her face, motionless, showing no sign of leaving.

“Zhou Ye, I’m here. You can go now.” Xia Yao felt she could barely look at him. The way her heart raced in his presence made her fingertips tremble. She kept remembering certain… private moments they’d shared not long ago.

“Hug before I go, okay?” His voice was a smooth, magnetic baritone, tinged with a husky tenderness. He was tall and well-built, with long, straight legs.

Xia Yao’s gaze drifted downwards. Initially avoiding his face, she now found herself inexplicably fixated on his groin. It appeared flat now, but only she knew what lay hidden beneath.

“Okay…” Hoping to shake off the strange sensation, Xia Yao obediently fell into his arms, wrapping her hands around his waist. His waist was surprisingly slim; her hands could almost meet around his abdomen. She nuzzled against him as he gently stroked her hair.

“Come out with me on Saturday. Are you free?”

“Where to?”

“Hmm…” He paused, as if considering. “Wangyue Mountain. There’s a scenic spot there where you can see the moon even during the day.”

“Is there really a moon?” she asked, tilting her head up to look at him.

Zhou Ye cupped the back of her head with his hand. “We’ll see. You have class tomorrow. We’ll talk more the day after. I’ll meet you near your apartment at 9 a.m., by Exit 2 of the subway.”

“Okay.” She started to nod, but the hand at the back of her head suddenly tightened. Before she could react, Zhou Ye lowered his head and kissed her. He nibbled at her lips, his tongue darting into her mouth. Xia Yao felt his breath mingle with hers, her fingers instinctively clutching the fabric of his shirt.

They kissed until their breaths grew ragged. Then, slowly, Zhou Ye broke the kiss, drawing a lingering taste from her lips.

“Baby, I’m going back now.” He rested his forehead against hers, his voice soft. “Get some sleep tonight. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

Zhou Ye released her. As Xia Yao watched his retreating figure disappear into the darkness, her heart felt like Mentos dropping into soda, fizzing with rising bubbles.

“Zhou Ye,” she called softly, thinking he wouldn’t hear. But he stopped and glanced back.

“Hmm? What is it?”

From a distance, Xia Yao couldn’t see his face clearly, but she pressed on, her cheeks burning. “I’ll call you when I get inside and find my headphones.”

He chuckled, his voice low. “Okay. I’ll lull you to sleep.”

Xia Yao’s heart pounded. Her eyelids fluttered, unsure of what to say. This time, he really left. Xia Yao stood there for a long moment, her cheeks still flushed. Looking down, she fought to calm her racing heart as she turned and walked into her building. Her legs felt strangely weak as she made her way home.

Standing in the elevator, Xia Yao swiped her card and pressed the button for her floor. Her mind replayed their lovemaking in the hotel room: his hot body pressed against hers, his bare chest touching her skin, his gentle murmurs of “baby,” the way he filled her completely, his arms wrapped tightly around her as he moved within her.

Xia Yao covered her mouth, a gasp escaping her lips. When she lowered her hand, her face was crimson, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

The elevator reached her floor. She punched in the code to her apartment, the quiet interior dark except for the faint light spilling in from the hallway. A chill hung in the air. Xia Yao switched on the lights and carefully locked the door, double-checking the deadbolt. She changed her shoes, dropped her bag, and went to her room, rummaging in a drawer for her headphones. She plugged them into her phone.

Her room was delicate and feminine, adorned with cute trinkets. A few unopened tulips sat in a vase by the window. Xia Yao opened WeChat and looked at the pinned profile picture at the top: a photo of him, taken from behind, silhouetted against a building. He’d snapped it casually while they were out that day, but it looked amazing. Xia Yao couldn’t resist clicking on the picture. His face was shadowed, the features obscured, but she remembered what he’d been wearing: a loose, short-sleeved shirt, light-colored straight jeans, and sneakers, a grayish-white cap perched on his head. 

He looked effortlessly cool. He’d towered over her as they waited in line to buy cake, and she’d noticed the way other girls, pretty and fragrant, kept glancing at him. Zhou Ye had a great physique; he turned heads wherever he went. Sometimes Xia Yao wondered what he saw in her, when there were so many beautiful girls around.

She returned to his WeChat profile, staring at his display name: “Rice Ball.”

He’d just left…and already she missed him.