Drifting on a String - Chapter 17
Chapter 17
The overhead light short-circuited, flickering at just the right moment.
Chen Piaopiao's gaze flickered, too.
"I'll… sleep with you?" The last two words were spoken as delicately as an embroidery needle.
"Mhm," Tao Jin's gaze was clear and frank. "Sleep with me."
Another dark fantasy.
She imagined she didn't owe Tao Jin a favor, but a lot of money—the kind she could never repay in this lifetime. And then Tao Jin would casually say, spend one night with me, and pay me back in other ways.
Of course, that wasn't what Tao Jin meant, but Chen Piaopiao boldly offended her with the fantasy.
Her heart pricked. The kitchen, where the air conditioning couldn't reach, was hot. The soles of her feet were sweating. Chen Piaopiao lifted her right foot and rubbed it against her left ankle.
A patch of red appeared.
After about ten seconds, Chen Piaopiao grunted an "mhm" and nodded.
Her head was bowed. She heard Tao Jin give a slight smile, then pick up her phone. "Whose bed do you want to sleep in?"
"Huh?"
The little fox's ears twitched. She stared at her with gentle eyes.
Tao Jin considered it seriously. "Xiao Ma's bed is across from mine, so it's closer. We can chat. But her mattress isn't very soft. Would you be comfortable with that?"
"Lao Hai's is a custom latex mattress," she said quietly, smiling with delight as if sharing a secret. "It's super comfortable."
This…
Chen Piaopiao blinked, then squinted, raising a hand to scratch her hairline.
"Your expression, it's like…" Tao Jin laughed again, tilting her head.
Just like the first time they'd planned to shower together and discovered they were on different floors, she was a little disappointed.
"You don't want to squeeze in with me, do you? It's hot." Tao Jin studied her expression carefully.
Besides, if they were going to share a bed, wouldn't it be better to do it in this air-conditioned room?
Chen Piaopiao felt her head spin. Right. Tao Jin was probably someone who valued personal boundaries. And from an objective standpoint, no one would think it was more reasonable for her to leave her beloved grandma to squeeze into a bed with someone else.
Of course they would sleep separately.
"I'll sleep in Xiao Ma's bed. I like a firmer mattress," she said softly after thinking it over.
Tao Jin looked down at her phone. "Okay, I'll let her know on WeChat."
When they came out of the kitchen, the TV was on in the living room, but Grandma wasn't watching. Instead, she was lifting her knees high, slowly doing health exercises.
Chen Piaopiao sat down and peeled an apple for her. "Grandma, how about you take a shower after your exercises? And then go to bed early. Once you're asleep, I'll go back to the dorm with my senior. I'll take you to the Forbidden City tomorrow morning. I've already booked the tickets, so don't worry. I'll come get you at seven."
Grandma swung her arms, tapping her back. "You're not staying here?"
The apple peel under Chen Piaopiao's hands was thin and long. She didn't look up. "I can't, Grandma. During the holidays, if we want to go home or travel, we have to submit a leave application. Your visit was pretty last-minute, so I missed the deadline to submit it."
She pouted and mumbled coquettishly, "So I have to go back."
"Next time you visit, remember to tell me earlier, then I can stay with you~"
The lie was told, and the apple was perfectly peeled.
Tao Jin handed over a fruit plate. Chen Piaopiao cut the apple into small pieces, feigning soft concern. "Grandma, will you be scared staying here alone? Hmm…"
She furrowed her delicate brows.
Grandma snorted. "Grandma isn't that old yet, okay? Don't I live by myself in Xindu? I buy groceries, cook, and clean the house every day. I even have milk delivered."
"Wow, that's amazing." Chen Piaopiao's eyes curved into crescents as she handed the apple slices to her grandma.
Tao Jin smiled reservedly, passing a toothpick to Grandma.
Grandma took it, speared a piece, and bit into it with a crisp crunch. See? Grandma's teeth were still good.
Tao Jin was already used to Chen Piaopiao's antics, and Chen Piaopiao made no effort to hide her shamelessness. The two were like a pair of accomplices in a crime, an undercurrent of unspoken understanding flowing between them. One, a gentle-looking mastermind; the other, an indulgent accessory.
After getting Xiao Ma's permission, Chen Piaopiao moved her "luggage" to 1105 and skillfully made the bed. They had already showered at the rental apartment, so they just quickly washed up before climbing into their respective beds to chat.
They forgot to draw the curtains that night, but neither she nor Tao Jin could be bothered to get out of bed. Dorm life was always like that; the distance of a ladder was no different from the distance between heaven and earth.
"We have to get up early tomorrow anyway, so we don't have to worry about the sun in our eyes, right?" Chen Piaopiao wiggled her feet.
"Mhm."
Then, the magnificent night view of Beicheng drifted in through the floor-to-ceiling window, like a postcard sent from the future. That stretch of dazzling skyscrapers was just across the street from the dorm building, but it would be another four years before she could walk over there.
Oh, Tao Jin only had two years left.
At this moment, lying here together, they closed that two-year gap, talking about their studies and their lives. Chen Piaopiao talked about her experience of starting university, about Xindu, about her grandma. Tao Jin talked about student clubs, recommended which professors' classes she should attend more often, and told her where to find the best food nearby.
Later, they lay on their sides, facing each other and gossiping. Chen Piaopiao asked if so-and-so in the club had a thing for so-and-so. Tao Jin smiled, her eyes lowered, and said she didn't know.
Sometimes, Chen Piaopiao found the design of the loft beds with desks underneath quite marvelous. Because they were so close to the ceiling, a world-weary adult would find it oppressive. But students were different. They had eyes that had never truly looked "life" in the face.
They could see the ceiling as a dream within reach.
Chen Piaopiao fell asleep pillowed by dreams, her breathing slow and even, lying in a night that contained Tao Jin.
For the next few days, they went their separate ways. Tao Jin holed up in the library to finish her assignments, while Chen Piaopiao accompanied her grandma around Beicheng. In the evenings, they would return to the rental apartment for dinner. Grandma never seemed tired; or rather, she had wanted to cook for Chen Piaopiao to build up her strength, making all sorts of delicious dishes. Tao Jin also got to enjoy the feast.
After showering at night, Chen Piaopiao and Tao Jin would walk back to the dorm together, sometimes with their hair still half-damp. They walked side by side, unable to resist the temptations at the campus gate, occasionally grabbing a milk tea or a serving of grilled cold noodles.
Before bed, they would still chat, just like a pair of good friends who could talk about anything.
The only difference was on the evening of the fifth. Chen Piaopiao said she wanted to do a face mask again, that her skin had gotten rough from being out and about the past few days.
Tao Jin understood her hint, went to the washroom to mix the mask, and brought it in to apply it for her.
It was brighter this time than at the rental apartment, because the dorm's incandescent light was always starkly unapologetic, leaving no room for any superfluous emotion.
Their chairs were close together. Tao Jin craned her neck and slowly applied the mask. It was still tingly, still close enough to hear each other breathe.
She suddenly stopped. Bending her index finger, she rubbed Chen Piaopiao's right cheek with her knuckle. Chen Piaopiao's heart skipped a beat. She lifted her eyelids and asked, "What's wrong?"
Tao Jin was just a few centimeters away, observing her closely. She said softly, "You have a mole here. I didn't see it last time."
"I thought it was a speck of dirt." She gave a light laugh.
Her breath was so disordered it was as if a kiss had landed on Chen Piaopiao's cheek.
The back of Chen Piaopiao's ear felt like it was on fire. She instinctively wanted to raise her hand to touch the mole, but Tao Jin was too close—so close there wasn't even room for a finger.
She could only slowly turn her gaze to meet Tao Jin's.
Five, four, three, two, one.
Click. The lights went out.
Their breaths tangled for a moment, as if fumbling for a light source in the dark. With another click, Tao Jin reached out and turned on the desk lamp. Chen Piaopiao swallowed but said nothing more. Tao Jin also finished applying the mask in silence.
In the end, she still just said, "All done."
Her voice was hoarse.
That night, the two of them didn't chat. Chen Piaopiao found it hard to fall asleep. She had washed off the mask and applied her skincare, but her face still felt tight.
The window curtains were drawn tight, and they had each pulled their bed curtains closed as well.
But there was a light on Tao Jin's side. She wasn't asleep either.
Bored, Chen Piaopiao opened a forum and browsed around. Nothing new. Then she opened QQ. In the Lesbian Chat Group, the group owner, Gaogao, was chatting.
It seemed she was saying that school had started, but they hadn't had a get-together yet. She was asking if everyone wanted to meet up after the National Day holiday.
"Where to?" Chen Piaopiao chimed in.
Gaogao: You're here? Haven't seen you pop up in a while.
Gaogao: A lesbian bar. You in?
A lesbian bar? Chen Piaopiao was a little interested; she'd never seen one before. Besides, she felt she'd been way too fixated on Tao Jin lately. Her mind was full of her, and to make matters worse, she wasn't even sure if Tao Jin was straight or gay.
It was time to go out, have some fun, and get some fresh air.
Chen Piaopiao's persona in the group was different—an enthusiastic, sweet, and naive junior.
The junior typed out a few words: Okay, okay, I'll follow the group's lead.
Gaogao: We're going to be drinking, and it's a mixer. You okay with that?
Chen Piaopiao: No problem.jpg.
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