I had put too much effort into feeding the cats and gotten a bit too hyper while teasing "Ling Xiao-er." On the way back to the dorms, a sharp tug in my foot reminded me that I was still on the injured list. I limped toward the dormitory entrance, only to find Ling Xiao standing on the steps, looking down at me from his high vantage point.
"Where were you?" he asked.
"Feeding the cats," I confessed.
He glanced at my foot. "If your ankle is sprained, stay in the dorm."
"Yes, yes, sir," I nodded, trying my best to keep the atmosphere light. "Grandma Zhao’s feeding spot is just behind the base. I’ll invite you along next time. You’ve contributed so much food that those cats are losing their waistlines. You should eat more at lunch from now on; they aren't hurting for your leftovers."
I felt quite smug because Ling Xiao’s expression shifted ever so slightly. If his usual face was a sheet of ice at minus 200 degrees, today it was minus 199. You wouldn't notice the difference without careful observation, but my scrutiny was always meticulous. At this moment, Ling Xiao looked like a cold, top-tier scholar who had just been caught with a Hello Kitty doll on his nightstand.
Wincing, I hobbled up the steps, letting out a few "ow, ow, ows" for effect. This stone-faced guy didn't even offer to help me.
"The handrail is right next to you," the Poker Face remarked.
*Damn, I can't believe you actually said that!* I thought. This guy was a lost cause. Here I was, frantically extending olive branches—I’d practically thrown an entire olive tree at him—and he tells me to grab the handrail.
Sulkily, I shuffled to the side and gripped the cold metal rail.
Having entrusted me to the handrail, Ling Xiao turned and walked away. It was as if he thought I was stepping onto an escalator.
***
The dormitory building only had four floors, so there was no elevator. I limped my way upstairs, catching a glimpse of Ling Xiao’s door clicking shut just as I reached the landing. Strange. I was moving so slowly; logically, he should have been back long before me.
Immediately, my mind conjured an image of the stubborn Ling Xiao hiding in the shadows, watching with concern as I struggled up floor by floor...
"Oh my god..." My mouth hung open as I stared at his door. This guy was the definition of *mensao*!
Lao Qi opened the door for me, eyeing me with a weird expression. "What are you staring at?"
"Qi-ge, how can a person be so repressed and secretly sentimental?" I asked.
Lao Qi arched an eyebrow. "Who’s being what now? Look at that greasy smirk on your face. Sounds like you’re enjoying whatever 'repressed' thing they’re doing to you."
I hopped into the room on one leg and pulled the door shut happily. "It depends on who it is!"
***
It was Saturday. As soon as it got dark and Coach Hu left, Lao Qi and Big Fatty Gao were already itching to climb over the wall and sneak out of the base. I wanted to go too, but with my injury, I didn't want to be a burden during the wall-climb, so I stayed behind. After they left, I planned to take a nice shower and enjoy some private time. I had just pulled off my shirt when there was a knock at the door. Seeing Lao Qi’s keys on the desk, I shook my head and went to open it.
"How do you forget them every—"
I froze. Ling Xiao was standing right there, the light from my room illuminating his face.
I saw his eyes lock onto me for a split second. In that heartbeat, I slammed the door shut right in that extraordinarily handsome face!
"...What are you doing?" his deep voice asked from outside, sounding puzzled.
"Wait a second! Just a moment!" I scrambled to find clothes while frantically scanning the room. "Let me put a shirt on!"
Putting on clothes was just an excuse. The main issue was that my desk and bed were a disaster zone. For a perfectionist like Ling Xiao, this would be a massive blow to my image, but I didn't even know where to start cleaning.
From behind the door, Ling Xiao’s voice took on a cold, nasal quality. "Are you done?"
In a stroke of genius, I moved my laptop onto Lao Qi’s tidy desk before finally pulling the door open. "Hehe, come in, come in!"
Ling Xiao stepped past me and glanced at my bed and desk, which looked like a bird's nest. I quickly added, "Lao Qi and Fatty are just a bit slovenly. Captain, you aren't here for a dorm inspection, are you?"
Ling Xiao said nothing. He sat down on a chair and gestured toward the bed. "Take off your shoe and sit."
That was Lao Qi’s bed, which I had just unofficially claimed as my own. I didn't have the nerve to sit there now, so I pulled up another chair instead. I was wearing a pair of loose boxers, and the thought of resting my hairy leg against Ling Xiao’s clean, pressed trousers felt like a form of sacrilege...
Seeing that I wasn't moving, Ling Xiao simply leaned over, lifted my foot, and placed it directly onto his lap.
Instantly, my heart felt like a tea kettle, let out a high-pitched whistle as it hit a rolling boil. Back in the infirmary, my foot had been on his knee, but now we were sitting closer. My heel was pressed right against Ling Xiao’s thigh. The sensation of his firm, elastic muscle and body heat through the fabric made every pore on my body fly open.
I stared nervously at Ling Xiao’s lowered eyelashes and the straight bridge of his nose, terrified he would notice the goosebumps on my leg. Then, without looking up, he asked, "Why did you stop talking?"
*Oh, right. I need to keep talking.* If I talked, I wouldn't feel so awkward. So, I blurted out, "Captain, your technique is so professional!"
"Is it?" Ling Xiao still didn't look up, so he missed the flattering thumbs-up I gave him. He tilted his head slightly, shifting the angles of his face in my vision. The light cut through the shadows, highlighting his well-shaped chin. His jawline tightened reservedly for a moment before relaxing. "Has someone else massaged you before?"
"Lao Qi and I went to a foot massage parlor once and got a massage." At this point, if he asked for my bank PIN or the age I last wet the bed, I’d probably tell him.
Ling Xiao focused on the massage and didn't speak.
I couldn't help trying to get closer. "Captain, we should bring you along next time."
"No need."
"You can use the sauna; it’s really comfortable!"
Ling Xiao suddenly looked up. This frontal assault caught me off guard; I didn't have time to adjust my expression and ended up looking at him with a strained, awkward smile.
"Qiao Mai." Those deep eyes, containing two pinpricks of white light, stared into mine.
"Yeah?"
"Behave yourself when you're around me from now on."
"...Huh?"
Ling Xiao glanced at my laptop. "Ten minutes are up." With that, he heartlessly set my leg down and stood up. He walked to the door, then turned back. "Don't tell anyone I went out tonight."
I hadn't planned on telling anyone anyway, but could his attitude be a little better? A "please don't" would be better than "you aren't allowed to!" I’m the type of person with a strong streak of defiance; the more you forbid me, the more my inner desire to rebel...
"What are you dazing off for?" Miraculously, Ling Xiao hadn't left yet. He held the doorframe, looking at me with composed expectation. "Did you hear what I just said?"
"...I heard you," I said reluctantly. "I'm not allowed to tell anyone."
"And?"
"...And I have to behave myself."
Ling Xiao nodded. As he closed the door, he left me with one last line: "Remember to use a hot compress after your shower."
That last bit didn't sound sincere at all!
***
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
闷骚 | Mensao | A Chinese term for someone who appears cold or reserved on the outside but is passionate, suggestive, or sentimental on the inside. Often translated as "repressed" or "closet romantic."
正经点 | Behave yourself / Be serious | Literally "be more serious/proper." In this context, it's a warning to stop being flirtatious or silly.
拔屌无情 | Heartless indifference / Coldly turning one's back | A vulgar slang term (literally "pulling out without affection") used here metaphorically to describe someone leaving abruptly and coldly after finishing a task.
齐哥 | Qi-ge | "Brother Qi." A friendly way to address Lao Qi.
热敷 | Hot compress | A common treatment for injuries.
