When Spring Awakens - Chapter 13

The posture, distance, and the question itself were all ambiguous so ambiguous that the movement of Fu Junxue’s lips as she spoke slowed into an extreme close-up in Wen Wanbing’s eyes.

Full lips, well-defined contours, vibrant in color.

Once, during a lipstick advertisement shoot, the spokesperson on the poster, Gu Yuewei, had the same lip shape. The project leader had remarked at the time that this type of lip shape was also called “kiss-me lips.”

Fu Junxue blinked, her eyes shimmering with a mix of mischief and grievance, then added, “You can’t possibly leave me alone in your room, can you?”

Wen Wanbing reined in her wandering thoughts. She lowered the hand gripping the doorknob and analyzed the situation rationally, devoid of emotion: “No one would let a guest they’ve known for barely over a week and who’s visiting their home for the first time stay alone in their bedroom. So there’s only one possible answer to this question.”

“Do you know what you sound like right now?” Fu Junxue was amused, her beautiful eyes curving into crescents.

She tilted her head slightly, shifting the ambiguous posture just enough to create breathing room.

“Like you’re analyzing a reading comprehension passage for a Chinese exam.”

Like standing before a vast, mesmerizing ocean, teetering between the edge and the depths. One misstep, and the waves could drag you under, leaving you unable to escape.

Wen Wanbing silently supplied another answer in her heart.

“Do you act like this with everyone else?” Wen Wanbing took a step back and turned toward the bedside table.

“Act like what?” Fu Junxue followed closely behind, her tone lazy and teasing.

Wen Wanbing turned on the air conditioner and replied flatly, “Teasing people.”

“Why do you think I’m teasing you?” Fu Junxue laughed.

“You asked a question when you already knew the only possible answer.” Wen Wanbing stopped in front of the bedside table and pulled open the drawer.

“I was being completely serious. What if you had given a different answer?” Fu Junxue clasped her hands behind her back, leaning her weight onto one foot as she peered over Wen Wanbing’s shoulder. Her gaze skimmed over the scar on Wen Wanbing’s hand before settling on the contents of the drawer. “After all, you’re so special different from everyone else.”

Wen Wanbing’s fingers hovered over the shark clip for a long moment before finally picking it up.

Beside the clip was a photo frame, seemingly dropped at some point, with cracks spiderwebbing outward from the bottom of the glass. Most of the fractures were concentrated on the right side, the thickest one splitting the two people in the photo into separate halves.

It was a retro-style cheongsam portrait. Though the right side was shattered, the woman’s graceful figure and dignified aura were still discernible, as elegant as the peony embroidery on her dress. Her right arm was wrapped around a young girl, who bore a slight resemblance to her still youthful, with a sweet smile and bright eyes.

Fu Junxue asked, “Is that you and your sister?”

Wen Wanbing’s thumb unconsciously brushed over the woman’s face just once before quickly curling inward.

“Did you get cut?” Fu Junxue asked with concern.

“No.” Wen Wanbing clenched the shark clip in her palm and shut the drawer.

“Your sister is very beautiful,” Fu Junxue complimented.

She said “your sister” as if the woman were her own.

Wen Wanbing turned around and gave a faint smile. “I don’t even know how old you are.”

“Three years older than you,” Fu Junxue replied, understanding the implication of the question. “So, should I call your sister jie or mei?”

“She’s older than you, by four years.” Wen Wanbing’s smile faded as she lowered her gaze, carefully concealing her emotions. She handed over the shark clip, asking, “Can you fix it?”

The topic shift seemed effortless.

Yet, from the slight tremble of her long lashes, Fu Junxue keenly sensed that the subject of her sister was a touchy one for Wen Wanbing.

Like the cracks in a photo frame touch them, and you’d get pricked by the pain.

Fu Junxue deftly took the shark clip, cradling it in her palm as she examined it closely. “It can be fixed, though it’ll be a bit troublesome and take some time.”

Wen Wanbing nodded. “As long as it can be repaired.”

Just then, the door was knocked twice before being pushed open without waiting for a response. Wen Xing stood outside, peering in, her round eyes darting around before settling on the clip in Fu Junxue’s hand.

She quickly walked up to Fu Junxue, stopping right in front of her, her gaze fixed unblinkingly on the clip.

Wen Wanbing worried that Wen Xing might lose control of her emotions, do something impulsive, or let out a sharp, grating scream like nails on a chalkboard in front of Fu Junxue.

“Xingxing,” Wen Wanbing called softly, immediately crouching down. “Do you remember this auntie? The one who gave you the pearls.”

Coincidentally, Fu Junxue was also bending down. The two of them stood by the bed, now cornered by Wen Xing in the cramped space, their shoulders brushing lightly as they turned to look at each other at the same time.

Their eyes met, the air between them seeming to compress, their heartbeats pausing for a moment.

For some reason, Wen Wanbing felt that this unintentional closeness had a stronger impact than Fu Junxue’s deliberate teasing.

At that moment, Wen Xing took a step forward, positioning herself between them, her shadow falling over them.

She forcefully pried open Fu Junxue’s hand and snatched the clip away.

It stung a little. Fu Junxue’s attention shifted to the small nail marks left on her fingers, which she discreetly hid under her forearm. Her gaze then turned to Wen Xing as she knelt, hugging her knees, and asked gently, “Xingxing, do you remember me?”

Wen Xing kept her eyes downcast, neither looking at Fu Junxue nor responding. She only clutched the shark clip tightly in her hand, the broken metal ring pressing red marks into her soft palm.

Wen Wanbing frowned. “Xingxing, loosen your grip.”

Wen Xing ignored her, holding on just as tightly. In a small voice, she insisted, “Mine.”

“Xingxing, look two little stars are missing from this, aren’t they? They’ve moved away, gone to another planet. Now this planet is empty, and new little stars want to move in.” Fu Junxue took out boxes of loose gemstones from her bag, placing them one by one on the floor. “How about Xingxing picks two little friends to live on this planet now?”

Wen Xing looked at the gemstones on the floor. Fu Junxue waited patiently, not rushing her.

After staring for a while, Wen Xing bent down and picked up two of the boxes. Her hands were too small to hold them all, so she hugged them against her chest.

“But look, they’re all lying lonely in their boxes now,” Fu Junxue coaxed. “How about Xingxing gives the clip and these to Auntie? Auntie will help them build a new home and then give them back to Xingxing, okay?”

Wen Xing’s eyelids flickered as she stole a quick glance at Fu Junxue but didn’t move.

From the living room, He Xiuying’s voice called out, “Time for dinner! Xingxing, call your auntie and the others out.”

As if a switch had been flipped, Wen Xing suddenly moved. She took two steps forward and leaned into Fu Junxue’s embrace. Understanding her intention, Fu Junxue extended her hands, and Wen Xing carefully placed the raw stone and clip into Fu Junxue’s palm.

“Next time we meet, they’ll be living right here,” Fu Junxue said, pointing to the broken part of the necklace, making a promise. “When the time comes, Auntie will personally return it to you.”

Wen Xing looked up at Fu Junxue and said, “Liar, woof woof.”

“Hey,” Fu Junxue feigned panic and assured her, “Auntie absolutely won’t be a little dog, woof woof woof.”

The corners of Wen Xing’s tightly pressed lips curled ever so slightly, and she gave a soft “Mm.”

Throughout it all, Wen Wanbing remained silent, watching Fu Junxue from the side.

The overhead light in the room cast the coldest white glow, spilling over Fu Junxue. Her face was exquisitely beautiful, the soft curve of her lips vivid and lively. Her voice was gentle and tender.

Wen Wanbing finally understood why Wen Xing had taken an instant liking to Fu Junxue from their first meeting.

No one could resist being drawn to something or someone radiating beauty.

Wen Xing then looked at the other raw stones on the floor and said, “Qiuqiu’s home, no stones live there.”

Fu Junxue didn’t understand her meaning and turned to Wen Wanbing with a questioning look. Wen Wanbing averted her gaze to the rows of boxes on the floor and explained, “Those raw stones are also lonely, with no planets to live on.”

“They’ll all have their own planets,” Fu Junxue said.

Satisfied with the answer, Wen Xing happily scampered off.

Watching the little girl’s rabbit-like bouncing figure, Fu Junxue let out a soft chuckle through her nose. She tucked the clip and the chosen raw stone into a velvet pouch before tossing the rest into her bag one by one.

“Last time, when Wen Xing got lost and ended up at Solo,” Wen Wanbing helped her collect the last two boxes and handed them over, asking, “was this how you coaxed her into showing you the necklace?”

“Guess?” Fu Junxue deliberately teased, standing up.

She rarely squatted for so long. Rising too quickly, she felt dizzy. Combined with her stiletto heels, she swayed uncontrollably, instinctively reaching for support.

Her hand landed on Wen Wanbing’s slender nape, and then her hip tilted, pressing her weight against Wen Wanbing’s back, forcing the latter back down just as she was about to stand.

“…” Wen Wanbing steadied herself with a hand on the floor, slightly dazed. “Is this a punishment for guessing wrong?”

Her flat tone delivered a line that was unintentionally hilarious.

Fu Junxue laughed, amused. “Yes, so guess was I or wasn’t I?”

Childish, Wen Wanbing thought. And a little cute.

She replied, “I guess you were.”

The heavy worry that had risen when Wen Xing appeared had quietly dissipated.

“Wen Wanbing, I think I can give you another, more serious answer to your earlier question,” Fu Junxue said, her smile deepening, her voice brimming with delight. “I don’t tease just anyone, only you. Not everyone is this interesting only you.”

Wen Wanbing blinked slowly.

Before straightening up completely, Fu Junxue leaned slightly forward, her fingertips brushing over Wen Wanbing’s nape before she couldn’t resist pinching Wen Wanbing’s earlobe, flushed with blood.

Lustrous, petite, and adorable.

Casually, Fu Junxue asked, “Do you have your ears pierced?”

“No.” Wen Wanbing stood up, unconsciously touching the earlobe that had been gently kneaded by Fu Junxue’s warm fingertips. Her body temperature hadn’t changed, but she felt a dizzying wave of heat spreading from that spot.

Fu Junxue returned to the previous topic: “Last time, I didn’t know her situation, so I didn’t comfort her much. I asked her a bunch of questions, but she didn’t respond. It left me parched. I grabbed a mochi from the front desk fridge, and she stared at it longingly. I gave her one, and then she showed me that necklace.”

The door was left slightly ajar, just wide enough for Wen Xing to peek through, her head tilted as she waited for them to go out for dinner. Her gaze often wandered, but the few times it focused, it lingered on Fu Junxue, her lips curling into a shy smile.

Wen Wanbing said, “Xingxing really likes you.”

It was rare for Wen Xing to take a liking to anyone, especially outsiders.

“I like her very much too,” Fu Junxue replied, tilting her head toward Wen Wanbing, whose ears were still flushed. With a soft, teasing lilt, she added, “And I like you too.”

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