Sweet Gardenia - Chapter 13.1

The rain poured down heavily, pelting the car roof like a cascade of fine beads.

The transparent sunroof above offered a clear view of the raindrops splattering against it, resembling colorless fireworks.

Lu Zhi instinctively tilted her head back, her peripheral vision filled with the relentless downpour. He was too close, and the confined space seemed to be filled with a hazy mist.

How could he make such a request…

Fu Yanshang tilted his head, his voice already hoarse: “If you don’t take it off, I’ll kiss you like this.”

“No, no, no,” she didn’t want to be pressed against by his glasses, so she steeled herself and raised her hand, overcoming her intense embarrassment. Gently hooking the center of his frames, she pulled them downward while muttering, “Don’t you have your own hands? Why do I have to take them off for you…”

The last syllable was swallowed by his lips.

After a long wait, the kiss was as urgent as the rain. Having some experience by now, she had learned to breathe in enclosed spaces, but perhaps it was better not to. The kiss dragged on longer and longer, leaving her entire body weak. Just as she felt her lung capacity reaching its limit, he withdrew his exploring tongue. Before she could catch her breath, his kiss landed by her ear.

He took her earlobe into his mouth, like a small ice cube held between his lips to play with. Beneath her leg, her phone vibrated incessantly with an incoming call, sending shivers all the way to her scalp. Unfamiliar sensations spread from the tip of his tongue as he sucked, making her curl up involuntarily, her fingers clenching unconsciously.

The poor earlobe went from cold to burning hot. His kisses trailed down the side of her neck, landing intermittently with light touches. She couldn’t tell when the next kiss would come or where it would land. Her heart felt like a bouncing ball, suspended and dropping with his movements, retreating and rising again.

Her fingertips even ached slightly from her own grip. Her brain secreted a faint pleasure to suppress the pain, and she began to lose track of where the sensations were coming from. Until that damp kiss landed in the hollow of her neck.

Her fingers suddenly splayed out, pressing against his shoulders.

The man above her paused, his breathing barely betraying any noticeable disorder. His voice was slightly hoarse: “What’s wrong?”

“It’ll leave a mark. The phone, my phone,” her mind was foggy, her words jumbled, “I’m wearing a camisole.”

“…”

He suddenly chuckled softly.

The man above her shook with quiet laughter.

As her thoughts gradually cleared, her back grew warm: “What are you laughing at?”

“It’s just a kiss, not even hard. How could it leave a mark?” He reached out to pull up her outer garment, which had slipped to her elbow, but didn’t continue. Instead, he asked, “Who’s calling?”

The phone had slipped under her leg during the commotion, warmed by her body heat. She brushed the screen and saw the caller ID, Zhuang Yun.

Her mother, who upheld ladylike etiquette. Her mother, who was strict and self-disciplined. If her mother found out she wasn’t answering the phone just outside the villa district because she was kissing someone in the car, she didn’t dare think about it. A shiver ran down her spine.

Her reaction was too obvious, and the sensations took a long time to subside. Fu Yanshang glanced at her, as if not quite understanding: “Was it that stimulating?”

Lu Zhi: “…It’s not because of that…”

Before she could finish, the door lock behind her clicked open.

“Let’s go,” he said.

They walked along the covered corridor into the living room. The rain had added a unique charm to the garden, filling the entire courtyard with a fresh scent. Raindrops fell into the pond, where fish happily stirred ripples.

A cluster of weeping crabapple blossoms bloomed leisurely overhead, nearing the end of their flowering season, their fragrance intensified by the rain.

Lu Zhi took a deep breath, feeling as if her soul had been cleansed. Suddenly, she remembered something and opened the small mirror behind her phone stand, carefully checking if he had left any marks.

If Zhuang Yun saw it, she seriously doubted she would make it out alive today.

It seemed there weren’t any.  Probably not. She rubbed the spot a few more times with her fingers, wanting to make sure she hadn’t missed anything.

On her seventh rub, Fu Yanshang spoke up, “If you keep rubbing, you’ll actually leave a mark.”

“…”

In the main hall, people were scattered in small groups. Fu Yanshang crooked his arm, signaling for her to take it. Her gaze drifted through the crowd, searching for familiar faces, when she suddenly heard a murmur. Soon, more and more elders turned to look their way. Instinctively, she tightened her grip on Fu Yanshang’s wrist, and he raised his hand to gently loosen her hold.

The lively living room fell into a brief silence. She wasn’t sure who it was for, but hadn’t he just been here? And he’d been plied with so much alcohol.

It wasn’t until someone spoke with a laugh that she followed the sound and spotted Zhuang Yun and Lu Ying.

As for her brother, who was as wild as a mad dog, he was still “suffering” abroad and hadn’t returned. He did often message her and update his social media diligently, though.

A voice carried from the crowd: “Yunyun, your younger daughter is so beautiful.  How come we’ve never seen you bring her out before?”

Zhuang Yun smiled. “She’s always busy.”

Lu Zhi ignored the two conversing and raised her hand, quietly greeting her sister.

After a while, the attention around her gradually faded. Lu Zhi settled into her usual spot and began peeling lychees, beckoning for her sister to join her.

Lu Ying maneuvered around Zhuang Yun, who was still talking to someone, and sat down beside her. “Where’s your husband?”

Lu Zhi peeled a lychee and popped it into her sister’s mouth, only then realizing Fu Yanshang was nowhere to be seen. She shrugged. “No idea. Who cares?”

“…”

She tilted her head. “What about your husband? He’s not here either, right?”

“He’s at home taking care of the baby. She just turned one, and he doesn’t trust the nanny to handle it alone.”

Lu Zhi had to admit that part of the reason she had agreed to the arranged marriage was because her sister’s marriage was quite happy, her husband was attentive and responsible, rarely giving her any worries at home.

“But you and your husband are both so gentle. Don’t you two get bored at home?”

Lu Ying laughed. “Do you two have a chaotic household every day?”

Thinking about how she had bathed the foxes that morning, Lu Zhi summed it up briefly: “Let’s just say… it’s quite eventful.”

With her, Fu Yanshang, and the two foxes, their family of four didn’t have a single calm member.

“When I was traveling recently, I happened to get a pendant for you,” Lu Zhi said, pulling out a vibrant, translucent jade pendant from her bag. “Here, it’s been blessed.”

“For my little one?”

“No,” she said. “It’s for you.”

Lu Ying paused for a moment. With so many gifts coming in for the child, she had forgotten that she, too, could receive presents.

She asked, “What did you wish for?”

“Safety, health, and happiness,” Lu Zhi said. “It was the last one, and I snatched it up.”

“What about you?”

Lu Zhi blinked. “I bought one from another shop.”

“…”

The budding emotion was instantly shattered by her reply. Lu Ying smiled helplessly, clutching the jade in her palm. When she looked up, she spotted him. “Your husband, he’s over there.”

Lu Zhi followed his gaze upward. He had picked up his wine glass again and was now standing beside Fu Cheng, socializing. With so many elders at the banquet, drinking was a matter of etiquette.

When he stood straight, his posture was impeccably upright, his clothes neatly pressed and smooth. But at this moment, there was something out of place on his shoulder, a few chaotic creases, starkly conspicuous under the light and in contrast to the rest of his attire.

She stared curiously for a while before it suddenly dawned on her.

…

It was from when they had kissed earlier.  She had gripped his shoulder with her fingers.

–

Soon, everyone began taking their seats, and she found herself seated next to Fu Yanshang.

On the other side, Jing Chi greeted her. After returning the greeting, her gaze drifted back to Fu Yanshang’s shoulder.

She pointed and asked, “Your clothes… do you want to do something about that?”

He followed her line of sight and, after a moment, asked, “How did that happen?”

She made up an excuse: “Not sure. Maybe some water dripped on it and then dried, causing the wrinkles.”

“…”

Soon, it was time for the cake. The old man, still young at heart, had chosen the currently popular ice cream-filled cake. Lu Zhi received a slice of strawberry-flavored cake, soft, fluffy sponge paired with smooth, creamy ice cream, creating a wonderfully unique blend, with the lingering aroma of cream.

She glanced sideways and noticed Fu Yanshang being pulled aside by Jing Chi, discussing something. His slice of cake had also been cut into, revealing a purple taro filling.

Lu Zhi spoke up, “Can I have some of yours?”

He gave an “mm” in response before being dragged back by Jing Chi to talk about something like the renovation style of the main store.

Whether it was because the taro flavor was genuinely more delicious or simply because food from someone else’s plate always tasted sweeter, the taro ice cream was exceptionally rich and aromatic. Its sweetness was perfectly balanced, and it even contained chewy, soft black sugar pearls.

For a moment, all the background noise faded into insignificance. She paid no attention to what anyone was saying, and by the time she snapped out of it, Fu Yanshang’s ice cream had been nearly scooped clean, leaving only a thin layer of sponge cake holding it up like a hollowed-out house.

Just as she was feeling a twinge of guilt, Fu Yanshang turned his head and looked down at the plate where her fork had been digging.

Lu Zhi lifted her eyes and met his gaze, hesitating for a moment. She was about to say, “Let me get you another slice,” when Jing Chi leaned into their silent space.

Jing Chi craned his neck and asked, “What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Fu Yanshang replied calmly, withdrawing his gaze. “A groundhog has been digging holes in my house.”

Lu Zhi: “…”