Resisting Arranged Marriages: Starting with Myself - Chapter 9

Night fell, and fireflies dotted the path like scattered stars. The two walked back to the small courtyard hand in hand. The other three couples had already arrived, and the yard was filled with laughter as everyone displayed the results of their day.

Chang Si was the first to notice them. She greeted them with a smile. “You are back? Did you put on your new clothes already?”

Like an elder seeing a child in new clothes, she pulled Le Xiao around to take a look, full of praise. “The dye is beautiful, and the pattern is so detailed. It looks no different from something bought in a store. The size is a bit large, though,” she laughed and added. “It looks a little long on you, Xiao Xiao.”

“It was chosen that way on purpose,” Le Xiao explained. “It fits Ye Jiming perfectly, and I am wearing it as a coat, so being a bit big does not matter.”

“I see!” Chang Si realized. “You two are thoughtful, making one garment serve two purposes. That is very well planned.”

She was sitting at the large round table in the yard with Xie Zhimu and Wu Shuo, making dumplings. The white, plump dumplings were arranged neatly in a row, looking quite adorable. As she worked, Wu Shuo looked back and asked, “Xiao Xiao, why are there two handprints on your clothes?” She was referring to the two blue palm prints that had accidentally been rubbed onto the front of Le Xiao’s shirt.

“I made a mistake,” Le Xiao said with a giggle, scratching his head.

The kitchen was in a corner of the yard. By the old-fashioned stove, Han Ziqian and Duan Weiyue had their sleeves rolled up high and were wearing aprons. Each held a spatula, busy working around an earthen pot that was twice the size of a normal wok. Behind the stove, near the firewood pile, He Chen held old-fashioned fire tongs. He watched the flames in the hearth, adding wood while being choked by the smoke until tears ran down his face.

“Come, come, help with the work,” Han Ziqian called out. “You cannot just sit back and enjoy the fruits of our labor.”

“Mr. Han is joking,” Ye Jiming said as he rolled up his shirt sleeves. “Just say the word where help is needed.”

“President Ye, come take my place,” He Chen said, coughing through his tears. “The smoke is too thick. I need to go take a rest.”

“Certainly,” Ye Jiming agreed with a smile, but he felt his sleeve being tugged. He turned to find Le Xiao looking at him. Le Xiao asked with a worried expression, “Do you know how to start a fire? Will you be choked by the smoke?”

Ye Jiming gave him a reassuring look. “It is fine.” He then gestured for Le Xiao to hold out his hand. He slowly rolled up Le Xiao’s shirt sleeves, folding them into neat, even layers. The folded cuffs were perfectly flat, a dream for anyone with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

“Go help them make dumplings,” he said, patting Le Xiao on the back after finishing the sleeves. He then walked toward the back of the stove.

The three women watched Ye Jiming walk away. They saw the two blue handprints on his back, which could not have been more obvious, and they were all deeply confused.

“Did President Ye also accidentally rub those on?” Xie Zhimu asked suspiciously.

“Ah, yes, haha, that is right,” Le Xiao answered with a forced smile. He quickly grabbed a dumpling wrapper and buried his head in his work, wishing he could wrap himself up in the dumpling filling.

He Chen escaped the smoky wonderland and came over to start rolling out the dough. He had not quite processed the situation yet and muttered in confusion, “Just how accidental does one have to be to get dye rubbed onto their back?”

Hearing this, the women’s knowing smiles turned into full-blown laughter. They laughed until they were swaying, getting flour all over their faces. Looking at the table of exuberant women and Le Xiao, whose face was as red as a burning coal, He Chen grew even more bewildered. It was as if a question mark was slowly forming on his forehead.

On the other side, Ye Jiming was unaware of the stir his back was causing. With long strides, he stepped over the firewood pile and sat on a small stool. He skillfully used the fire tongs to poke the wood in the hearth, adding fuel and blowing on the fire in one fluid motion. To say the smoke was not choking would be a lie, but he had a way of looking completely confident in what he was doing.

Before long, the dumplings were bubbling in the pot. Combined with a few side dishes, the aroma filled the air. After eating the dumplings amidst talk and laughter, the night had fully set in. The guests began to disperse in pairs to return to their rooms.

Unlike the casualness of the previous day, Le Xiao was clearly more restrained tonight. He followed closely behind Ye Jiming, staying half a step back like an obedient puppy following its master. He did not say a word the whole way. He did not even look up, staring only at the small space beneath his feet as he walked. In his hand, he clutched an envelope, the crisp paper already becoming wrinkled from his grip. It was today’s monitor data.

Seeing him like this, Ye Jiming understood the situation. He did not initiate a conversation, but a smile played on his lips where Le Xiao could not see it. Even after they entered the room, Le Xiao seemed to be in a daze. It was not until the door closed behind him with a significant sound that he looked up suddenly like a startled animal, staring blankly at Ye Jiming. He looked right into Ye Jiming’s smiling eyes.

“What were you thinking about? You were quiet the whole way,” Ye Jiming said, leading Le Xiao to sit on the sofa. “Were you thinking about a new song?”

Le Xiao’s face turned red. He shook his head and then whispered, “Do you know that I did not write a song last night?”

Hearing this, Ye Jiming let out a soft laugh. “That? I figured it out later. Did you have some trouble that kept you from writing last night?” He reached out and ruffled Le Xiao’s hair. “Are you still troubled by it today, which is why you do not want to talk or walk side by side?”

“You,” Le Xiao started.

Before Le Xiao could finish, Ye Jiming spoke again. “If you have a problem, can you tell me?”

As he spoke, he reached out and removed the microphones clipped to their collars. He turned them off manually, then stood up to turn off every camera in the room one by one. Only then did he sit back down, looking ready to listen.

“I,” Le Xiao stammered, unable to speak. His cheeks felt like they were on fire under that steady gaze. Thinking that a quick pain was better than a long one, he spoke at the fastest speed of his life. “I thought you were angry because I ran away last night.”

Since his debut, he had always sung pop songs. This was the first time he realized he might have a talent for rapping. Ye Jiming was also startled by the speed of his speech. It took him two seconds to process the words before he burst into laughter. “You thought I was angry?”

Le Xiao’s bright red face was the only answer.

“Do you know what I was thinking?” Ye Jiming stopped laughing and took Le Xiao’s hand seriously. “I thought my joke last night had gone too far and made you uncomfortable. It is true,” by comparison, Ye Jiming’s voice was slow but firm. “We just got married and have not even known each other for long. Making a joke like that with you was crossing a line. I lacked a sense of propriety. Xiao Xiao, I am sorry. Can you forgive me?”

He gazed earnestly into Le Xiao’s eyes. His deep pupils were like dark whirlpools in the sea or endless black holes in the universe, threatening to pull Le Xiao’s soul inside. Le Xiao knew that for many people, an apology was just a verbal formality, a gesture without sincerity. Regardless of whether you accepted it, they would feel they had apologized and consider their fault erased. But Ye Jiming was different. He was truly waiting for a response, as if the answer were a major life event. Le Xiao even had reason to believe that if he said he did not forgive him, Ye Jiming would apologize again even more sincerely and use actions to make up for it until he was forgiven.

But he had not really done anything wrong. It was just a harmless joke. Le Xiao had not even felt offended; he had only run away out of a moment of panic and confusion. He nodded gently. “Mm.”

Seeing Ye Jiming let out a sigh of relief as if he had been granted a pardon, Le Xiao suddenly felt mischievous. He tilted his head on purpose and asked, “What if I do not forgive you?”

Hearing this, the heart Ye Jiming had just let settle began to hang in suspense again. However, seeing the flicker in Le Xiao’s eyes and the slight smile on his lips, he knew this was just another prank from the younger man.

“If you do not forgive me,” he said, pretending to think seriously, “then I would know that my words made you far too sad. I would feel even more regret and guilt. I would have to find every possible way to make up for my mistake until you could forgive me.”

Le Xiao’s interest was piqued. The foot resting against Ye Jiming lightly kicked his leg. “How would you make up for it? Let me hear.”

Ye Jiming smiled. He caught Le Xiao’s restless foot and began to play with his round, white toes one by one. “How do you want me to make up for it?”

Le Xiao was suddenly at a loss for words. He had only wanted to tease Ye Jiming and had not actually thought about wanting anything in return. Being asked so suddenly, he really could not think of anything. After a long while, he stammered out one request. “Make something delicious, something I have never eaten before.”

“I can do that,” Ye Jiming promised readily.

“Tomorrow, you have to do more of the work,” Le Xiao continued with his demands.

“I can do that,” came the steady reply.

“In the future, in the future, you are not allowed to always be so touchy, and no more of those jokes.” Le Xiao’s face turned red after saying the last part.

“That, that might be a bit difficult.” Ye Jiming put on a troubled expression, and his hand stopped rubbing Le Xiao’s toes for a moment.

Le Xiao was about to argue about why it would be difficult, but he suddenly lost his balance. Ye Jiming’s arm wrapped firmly around his back and pulled him in. He fell forward into Ye Jiming’s embrace before he could react. Warm muscles were tense beneath the white shirt. A powerful heartbeat echoed in Le Xiao’s ear, sounding like a rhythmic drum against his eardrums. There was no gap between them; not even a piece of paper could fit. He looked up in shock, meeting Ye Jiming’s downward gaze. The man was looking at him with a beaming smile.

“After all, you like physical contact too, do you not?” As he spoke, he pulled a pink envelope from behind his back like a magic trick. This was their monitoring data from today, which Le Xiao had not yet had a chance to see. He held Le Xiao tightly with one arm as if afraid he would run away, and with the other hand, he pulled the data sheet from the envelope and began to read it with great interest. While reading, he had to keep Le Xiao from struggling in his arms to reach for the sheet.

“Hm, it seems the first vibration of the monitor today was because of you. That was during the preparation of the patterns?” Ye Jiming was not just enjoying the data himself; he was reading it aloud with relish. “The first alarm also seems to be yours, when I was drawing the patterns. Later on, your monitor vibrated continuously for at least ten minutes. And while we were applying the wax.”

“Ye Jiming, shut up! You are a,” Le Xiao shouted.

“So, is physical contact really not allowed anymore?” Ye Jiming said, looking at Le Xiao with amusement. He reached out and tapped the tip of Le Xiao’s nose. “You little hypocrite.”

It was unclear if it was from the struggle or from sheer embarrassment, but Le Xiao’s face was completely red as he scrambled in the embrace, muttering incoherent insults. Ye Jiming quickly tossed the data sheet aside and used both hands to hold him, stroking his back as if smoothing the fur of an angry, ruffled kitten. While doing so, he quietly released his pheromones. Before long, the scent of cedarwood filled the entire room.

Sure enough, under Ye Jiming’s double comfort, Le Xiao gradually calmed down. The flush on his face receded like a tide, but a lingering trace of shy color remained behind his ears. Ye Jiming’s sharp eyes noticed the red earlobes. He laughed and let go of his hold. The two sat side by side on the sofa.

The night wind drifted in through the half-open window, making the sheer curtains sway gently. A faint light flickered in the fireplace, the flames dancing and swaying in the breeze. The room was filled with the scent of cedar flowing in the air, like spring snowmelt quietly washing over a pine forest under the moon.

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