Night Rose

Zhou Zheng lives on the third floor. Several old bicycles are parked at the entrance of the low-rise building, chained to the small iron gate.

Su Jin looked around curiously. The entrance to their unit was relatively clean. Apart from the old GG stickers pasted on the wall and black footprints everywhere, there was no clutter piled up anywhere else.

The hallway had a musty smell, not unpleasant, but it immediately brought back happy memories of childhood.

Su Jin also lived in an apartment building with stairs when she was a child, but that belonged to her grandfather's work unit and the conditions were much better than here.

The entire neighborhood was filled with bespectacled uncles and cultured aunties in cheongsams. They liked to pinch Su Jin's little cheeks and give her lots of candies bought from abroad.

"I used to live in an apartment building with stairs," Su Jin said.

Zhou Zheng took out a bunch of keys and rummaged through them. Hearing her words, he didn't pay much attention. "It must be different from here."

"What's the difference? Hey, did you play hopscotch when you were little? And with the rope!" Su Jin chased after him and asked.

Before Zhou Zheng could answer, Su Jin was amused by her own reaction. She imagined what it would be like for this rough-looking Zhou Zheng to play with a rope. Little Zhou Zheng must be just as arrogant and unruly, able to pull the rope up to his neck. If he were to jump rope, given his physical abilities, he should be able to jump really high.

"Leather ropes are for girls to play with." Zhou Zheng glanced at her, paused deliberately, "When I was a kid, I used to catch fish and shrimp, something you city bumpkins never did."

"Who said that? Dad often takes me fishing." Su Jin retorted, not giving up.

"Would he really let his precious daughter like you go down with him?" Zhou Zheng asked.

Su Jin recalled that her family cherished her dearly back then, and they would never allow her to go into the water. Her father would still secretly take her fishing, but when they found out, she was beaten by her grandfather when they got home.

Su Jin smiled, her eyes crinkling, "Then take me out to play another day, I've never actually been in the water before."

"The river water can reach your calves." Zhou Zheng glanced down at her. Su Jin had rolled up her trouser legs, revealing straight and slender calves. If she went into the water, she would only get bitten by something in the water.

"It's just my calves, it's not like it's up to my head." Su Jin made a gesture of touching her neck.

Zhou Zhengzhen sighed at the naiveté of city dwellers, "Aren't you afraid leeches will crawl onto your legs and suck your blood? They might even burrow into your wounds!"

Zhou Zheng spoke with such seriousness and a focused expression that Su Jin felt a pang of pain just imagining the scene.

"I came across a video where a leech crawled into my belly button..."

"Not just the belly button, but also the nostrils, eyes, ears..."

"Shut up!!!"

They stopped on the third floor, and their neighbor next door, a serious-looking middle-aged man, came out just then. When he saw the two of them, a hint of gossip flashed in his eyes, but he didn't ask any questions.

"Xiao Zheng is back."

"Hello, Uncle." Zhou Zheng greeted him and unlocked the door with his key.

The interior design is clearly from over a decade ago, with simple and unpretentious decor. The house is very clean, and the breeze carries the scent of sandalwood.

After Zhou Zheng changed his shoes, he took a new pair of slippers from the shoe cabinet and gave them to her.

The green frog slippers slammed to the ground with a "plop," startling Su Jin so much that her goosebumps disappeared.

"These shoes are so ugly. Who did you buy them for?" Su Jin complained.

Zhou Zheng thought for a moment, "A month ago, some kid said he wanted to come and play, so I bought it for him. You'll have to make do with it; you'll only wear it once anyway."

Su Jin struggled internally for a moment, but still took off her shoes and put on these frog shoes that smelled of plastic.

Her shoes made a slapping sound as she walked, and after a few steps in the living room, she sat down in the wicker chair.

The comfortable, spacious rattan chair sways and creaks, creating a powerful hypnotic effect.

She slowly took out her phone, snapped a picture, and sent it to her best friend who was abroad.

Ling Keke replied almost instantly: Miss, where did you go? This rattan chair looks so vintage, it feels like there's an old TV series from the 90s playing in the house.

Su Jin smiled and glanced at the TV. Her image was reflected on the gleaming screen. She tapped her phone: "At the race car driver's house."

Ling Keke: So, she's really going to target her younger brother after all? I knew Sister Su would make a move and bring him down in no time!

Su Jin: I didn't mean that, I just wanted a free meal.

Ling Keke: You won't be trying to get a free meal elsewhere, will you?

Su Jin: Seriously, I'm just trying to freeload! By the way, I don't know what's wrong with Lu Mingzhou, but he found out I'm in Nanyuan and just called me from an unknown number, saying he's coming to see me.

Ling Keke: [Cat is shocked]

He came to Nanyuan to see you?! Didn't you break up a long time ago? Who is he trying to fool with this attitude? No way! Absolutely no way!

Su Jin shared the same thoughts as her best friend. She wasn't someone who could be brought back at any time. She had already discussed the decision to break up with her best friend a month ago, but she only informed Lu Mingzhou a month later.

Lu Mingzhou didn't try to win her back in New York; instead, he joined the company in criticizing her. Now he wants to come back to her. It's disgusting.

Su Jin: What do you think he wants? We've been together for so long, and I've never wronged him. Is he here to give me a checklist of our relationship?

Ling Keke: Honey! If Lu Mingzhou is that kind of man, you wouldn't have been with him in the first place. My gut feeling is that he needs something from you, it must be something important! Be careful.

Su Jin: Okay.

Zhou Zheng was cooking in the kitchen. The refrigerator opened and closed occasionally. His slippers stomped on the floor, and the knife made a thumping sound on the cutting board. The sounds full of life echoed around Su Jin, and she actually felt a sense of happiness.

My phone vibrated. The unfamiliar number didn't call back; instead, it sent me a flight number.

Su Jin deleting the text message with a look of annoyance, she walked into the kitchen in her frog-shaped slippers. "Master Chef, is there anything I can help you with?"

Zhou Zheng didn't even look up, pushing the drain basket beside him to her, "Go to the living room and have some fruit, that'll be a big help."

Su Jin looked down and saw round dates lying in the drain basket, a mix of red and green, some so ripe they had burst open with small cracks.

"Open your mouth." Su Jin picked up a date and held it to Zhou Zheng's lips.

Zhou Zheng opened his mouth to bite, but accidentally sucked on Su Jin's finger as well. His wet, hot tongue licked her fingertip, making Su Jin's ears go numb. She immediately withdrew her hand.

"Why are you biting me? Are you a puppy?"

Zhou Zheng stopped wielding his knife and stared at Su Jin. "It's hard to say, but it's probably a wolfhound."

Su Jin couldn't stand his gaze any longer; it was too hot, and she just wanted to get away.

With that thought in mind, she dashed out of the kitchen.

Zhou Zheng smiled as he watched her flustered figure disappear into the distance, then continued chopping vegetables.

Su Jin held the drain basket and lay down on the rattan chair, recalling the details from just now, and regretting that she hadn't performed well!

Wait a minute, why did I run away? That was so pathetic!

Su Jin became increasingly angry, so she took it out on the fruit, cracking loudly as she ate the dates. After she had eaten more than half of them, Zhou Zheng also came out of the kitchen, leaned against the wall, and slowly untied the apron around his waist.

"Sister Su, dinner's ready."