When Winter Falls in Love - Chapter 10

Waiting for Xie Mingjun

Dong Yin’s words were quite provocative.

Xie Mingjun’s grip on her clothes tightened significantly as she fixed Dong Yin with an intense stare. “Say that again,” she demanded.

Her brows furrowed, and the look she gave Dong Yin was so piercing it made her feel utterly exposed.

Dong Yin mumbled, “Say what?”

She shrank back, trying to tug her hem free from Xie Mingjun’s grasp.

But Xie Mingjun suddenly tightened her fingers, refusing to let go. The pink fabric crumpled under her grip.

Dong Yin whispered, “I was too embarrassed to change.”

She really had been too shy after all, these were Xie Mingjun’s clothes. Just looking at them was one thing, but wearing them? That was another level of awkwardness.

Before Dong Yin could explain why she hadn’t changed, Xie Mingjun cut in, “You were too embarrassed to wear my clothes, but you had no problem running around naked in my house?”

The words made Dong Yin’s face burn. She had thought about this herself and had been about to explain, but now she couldn’t bring herself to say it. After a pause, she muttered,

“Anyway, I’m small even if I wore them, no one would see.”

Xie Mingjun blinked.

She studied Dong Yin’s face for a moment, then glanced downward. “Are you judging yourself?”

“Huh?” Dong Yin didn’t understand.

Xie Mingjun sighed. “Never mind. I don’t feel like arguing about this.”

Dong Yin hummed in agreement, smoothing out her clothes before asking softly, “So… are we still kissing?”

Just then, the doorbell rang. Xie Mingjun paused, turning toward the door. Panicked that she might leave, Dong Yin quickly looped her arms around her neck.

Xie Mingjun gripped Dong Yin’s waist, trying to stand. “Do you really expect me to carry you to the door like this?”

Dong Yin flushed crimson, her mind involuntarily conjuring the image. She stammered, “You… couldn’t lift me, right?”

Xie Mingjun chuckled. With a grunt, she hoisted Dong Yin up, her feet leaving the ground. “If I’m not mistaken, that’s probably Zou Yuxi at the door…”

“I”

Dong Yin flustered, squirming to get down.

But Xie Mingjun didn’t let go. “Weren’t you feeling bold earlier? If he comes in now, would you still dare to sit on my lap like this?”

Dong Yin couldn’t answer. Xie Mingjun, however, seemed to take perverse pleasure in teasing her. “Only brave when it’s just me around?”

Lately, Dong Yin had grown increasingly audacious, pushing her luck at every turn. “I mean… I would dare, but what about my clothes…?”

Xie Mingjun bit her lip. “Are you doing this on purpose?”

“No!” Dong Yin couldn’t possibly face Zou Yuxi like this it would be mortifying.

After a long hesitation, the door rattled under impatient knocking. Xie Mingjun finally released her, letting Dong Yin scramble toward the bedroom.

Rubbing her wrist, Xie Mingjun muttered, “Just a bag of bones…”

Dong Yin hurried to grab a small bag from the room and retreated to the bathroom to change. She moved slowly, partly out of lingering embarrassment but mostly from a strange, fluttering shyness.

The feeling was hard to describe.

Every piece of clothing she wore now belonged to Xie Mingjun, inside and out, she carried her scent.

Dong Yin secretly pinched the fabric and inhaled.

So sweet.

The body wash alone hadn’t seemed special, but mingled with Xie Mingjun’s natural fragrance, it became intoxicating. Addictive.

Was Xie Mingjun really waiting for her to change before letting her boyfriend in?

Normally, Dong Yin wouldn’t call Zou Yuxi her boyfriend, she’d insist on “ex-boyfriend,” since they hadn’t officially gotten back together.

Now mentioning a boyfriend felt like an insult to Zou Yuxi, further highlighting her relationship with Xie Mingjun.

While changing clothes, Dong Yin glanced at herself in the mirror, something she rarely did before. Perhaps she had kept her head down for too long, used to hiding herself away. She had never been confident about her figure.

She straightened up and looked down.

Hmm… it wasn’t exactly small.

Dong Yin hurriedly pulled on her pajamas, wondering if Xie Mingjun had noticed her abs. She practiced yoga and had developed just a hint of definition.

Once dressed, she called out, “I’m done.”

Xie Mingjun opened the door, and sure enough, Zou Yuxi was standing outside. Xie Mingjun glanced toward the bathroom before looking away. Zou Yuxi, sharp as ever, followed her gaze and frowned. “Who’s there?”

“Xie Mingjun…”

Before Xie Mingjun could answer, the bathroom door opened, and Dong Yin stepped out, wearing Xie Mingjun’s pajamas, her long hair loose.

“Oh, it’s Dong Yin…” Zou Yuxi forced a laugh, though he couldn’t quite place the feeling in his chest.

Logically, he should have been relieved it was just Dong Yin, but something still felt off.

Maybe it was because Dong Yin, dressed in Xie Mingjun’s clothes, didn’t quite look like herself anymore.

Zou Yuxi stepped inside, carrying several bags.

Dong Yin stole a glance, catching Xie Mingjun’s gaze. Xie Mingjun wasn’t looking at Zou Yuxi or the things he had brought. Instead, she was studying Dong Yin intently.

She was more curious about how Dong Yin would react now that Zou Yuxi was here.

Dong Yin didn’t approach. Instead, she walked to the desk and slowly began packing her books into her bag, one by one.

The atmosphere grew tense for a moment before Zou Yuxi broke the silence. “Have you two eaten? I brought some cream puffs.”

Xie Mingjun coldly declined. “We have. Dong Yin made something this morning some kind of hot rice soup.”

Zou Yuxi chuckled. “Dong Yin, thank you. Taking care of Mingjun must be exhausting.”

Dong Yin nodded. “Very exhausting.” Then, looking at Xie Mingjun, she added, “I’ve been taking care of her all by myself for a long time.”

Zou Yuxi stared at them for a moment. Xie Mingjun didn’t respond, so he assumed there was some tension between them, after all, Dong Yin had spent all of yesterday complaining to him about how Xie Mingjun wouldn’t let her leave.

Honestly, Zou Yuxi felt a little bitter. Xie Mingjun had told him to get lost, yet she kept Dong Yin around. He knew she was just throwing a tantrum, and he wished he could trade places with Dong Yin. But voicing that would be too humiliating. So he had spent the whole time comforting Dong Yin, telling her it was fine, that staying with Xie Mingjun wasn’t a big deal, just wearing her clothes, sleeping in her bed, no need to be nervous.

Zou Yuxi set the bags down on the living room table and tried to strike up a conversation with Xie Mingjun. At first, she ignored him, but when he brought up their video projects, she finally gave him a few minutes of her time, listening quietly.

The gist was that Xie Mingjun hadn’t appeared in videos for a while, and her fans missed her. Many had followed her for years, and even if she was retiring, she owed them a proper farewell.

Dong Yin also pricked up her ears, waiting for the right moment to drive a wedge between them. But after listening for a while, she realized she couldn’t get a word in edgewise.

Whenever they filmed, Dong Yin was just the assistant, she didn’t really understand how their channel operated.

Zou Yuxi said, “Let’s film one last video for National Day as a farewell. After that, you can retire if you want. Okay? Do it for your two million fans.”

Xie Mingjun didn’t answer. Her gaze simply drifted elsewhere.

They kept talking and chatting away. Dong Yin watched Zou Yuxi testing Xie Mingjun’s boundaries, constantly moving closer to him.

So annoying.

So, so annoying.

Dong Yin interrupted them, saying, “Xie Mingjun, come here for a second. I can’t find something.”

“Hmm?” Xie Mingjun glanced at her.

Dong Yin was lying, she hadn’t brought anything with her. She was wearing Xie Mingjun’s clothes and sleeping in Xie Mingjun’s bed.

Still, Xie Mingjun went to the next room, gently pulling the door so it was left slightly ajar. “What did you lose?”

Dong Yin stood in the blind spot of that half-open door, quiet and still. When she looked up, her eyes shimmered with light, the moisture in them trembling as if she were about to cry. enough to soften anyone’s heart. The next second, Dong Yin reached out, hooked her arms around Xie Mingjun’s neck, and pulled her into that hidden shadow.

Xie Mingjun’s back pressed against the wall, her gaze roaming over Dong Yin’s face. “What do you want now?”

Dong Yin kissed her cheek, then moved to other places. Xie Mingjun gave her shoulder a light squeeze.

Dong Yin leaned in even closer. The door creaked faintly, unsure whether to close or open fully. In that tiny corner, any slightly bolder movement would cross the line would become improper.

Zou Yuxi called from outside, “Are you two done yet?”

When their lips parted, Xie Mingjun brushed her lips against Dong Yin’s ear and repeated, “Dong Yin, are you done yet?”

Dong Yin panted lightly. “Almost… just a little more.”

Xie Mingjun’s lips were damp. She hadn’t worn lipstick today, yet they were still a deep, alluring red.

In that moment, a wicked thought sprouted in Dong Yin’s mind something from the depths of her heart.

If Xie Mingjun wasn’t rejecting her, did that mean she was also restless inside? Was she also secretly longing for this? Maybe Xie Mingjun just wanted her to take the lead?

But what if… what if Dong Yin deliberately held back? Would Xie Mingjun kiss her first?

Dong Yin lifted her gaze, her face magnified in Xie Mingjun’s vision clean, bright.

She blinked, then lowered her eyes to Xie Mingjun’s lips. Their noses brushed, and Dong Yin exhaled softly, her breath stirring the fine hairs on Xie Mingjun’s skin.

Xie Mingjun’s grip tightened. one hand at her waist, the other pressing her shoulder, ready to kiss her back.

See? Xie Mingjun couldn’t hold back after all.

Dong Yin felt exhilarated, but she wasn’t in a hurry to kiss her.

At the distance of a thin veil, she chose to retreat, pulling away just as Xie Mingjun was about to respond.

Only giving half the reward.

Xie Mingjun breathed heavily, visibly irritated, all that pent-up emotion simmering into anger.

Dong Yin acted as if she didn’t notice. She picked up the bag on the bed, walked out, and stuffed it into her own bag. Holding the door, she looked at Zou Yuxi and said, “I’m done. I’m heading back.”

Then she tilted her head toward Xie Mingjun and whispered, so softly, “Let’s kiss next time… when Zou Yuxi isn’t around.”

Dong Yin played the part of someone bashful and shy, but in reality, they were both adults. There was no way Xie Mingjun didn’t understand, she was being lured, baited, waiting for that aloof fish to bite.

“Huh?” Zou Yuxi looked confused, then watched as Xie Mingjun emerged from the bedroom with a dark expression. Xie Mingjun only said one thing: “What are you standing around for?”

“Oh, right. I should go too. So, about the National Day plans… what do you think?” Zou Yuxi quickly added.

Dong Yin was changing her shoes at the entrance, wearing simple sneakers that only required tying the laces. Her fingers moved deftly, pulling the strings back and forth before quickly forming a neat bow.

“I’ll think about it,” Xie Mingjun said.

Having finished with her shoes, Dong Yin looked up at Xie Mingjun, who met her gaze, accepting the unspoken message between them.

Their eyes locked briefly, just for a few seconds. Eyelashes fluttered, then their gazes dropped, ending the moment.

That single glance was too intense, electrifying enough to make every cell tremble, as if the oxygen molecules in the air were colliding and pressing against each other.

Zou Yuxi stood nearby, oblivious to it all. He didn’t even sense the weight of that prolonged silence.

Dong Yin adjusted the strap of her backpack. “I’m leaving.”

Xie Mingjun gave a quiet hum in response. Dong Yin stepped out but left the door open. Xie Mingjun followed, closing it firmly behind her, only turning toward the elevator after ensuring it was completely shut.

On the way, Dong Yin spoke guiltily to Zou Yuxi, “I think I’ve upset Xie Mingjun these past few days. I’m really sorry.”

Zou Yuxi sighed. “It’s fine. It’s not your fault.”

As Zou Yuxi pressed the elevator button, Dong Yin stole one last glance back.

The tightly shut security door had been pushed open again.

Xie Mingjun stood in the doorway, posture rigid, arms crossed. She bit her lower lip, her expression seething, as if she wanted nothing more than to smack Dong Yin.