The moon rose, and the star-filled sky began to gleam. Crickets in the bamboo groves by the village path chirped softly, joining the frogs in the paddies to compose an early summer prelude.
Xiao Cheng sat on the steps, his half-lidded eyes blurred behind the wisps of smoke rising from his fingertips. He tried to clear his mind, but the intermittent sound of water splashing to the floor kept circling through his thoughts.
The wine hadn’t intoxicated him—he’d done that to himself.
Suddenly, the sound from inside stopped. Xiao Cheng frowned, took the cigarette from his lips, and slowly exhaled a smoke ring. His voice was slightly hoarse: “Lin Aiyun?”
“Hm?”
Hearing her response, he let out a breath of relief.
Tree shadows swayed. The surrounding silence was so deep you could hear the wind. Xiao Cheng looked up at the half-moon hanging in the distance. It had been a long time since he’d had such a moment of peace. Now, it didn’t feel half bad.
With her by his side, his heart always felt warm—as if he’d gained some humanity, no longer throwing himself endlessly into a never-ending schedule.
Before long, the creak of the wooden door opening came from behind him. Xiao Cheng instinctively glanced back—and his breath caught.
Lin Aiyun stood there, her clothes hanging loosely on her frame. She leaned against the bathhouse doorway, her damp hair loose and draped over her shoulders, soaking a large patch of fabric. The subtle curve of that wet spot made Xiao Cheng’s throat tighten.
“Xiao Cheng, why do you have two heads?”
Mumbling drunkenly, she stumbled toward him. Xiao Cheng, with his long limbs, caught her in two quick steps. Her neatly trimmed fingers nearly poked him in the eye—he dodged just in time—but then her head flopped into the crook of his neck.
Her breath brushed against his skin, carrying the scent of soap and a faint trace of alcohol.
“Time to go to bed.” Xiao Cheng scooped her up in his arms. Her light weight was deceptively soft, her presence impossible to ignore. He took several deep breaths to steady his overwrought emotions before striding forward.
The person in his arms grew unusually quiet. Xiao Cheng assumed she’d fallen asleep. At the doorway, he lowered his head to check—only to find her wide awake, staring at him with those big, shimmering eyes, full of watery allure.
“What are you looking at?”
She didn’t answer—just smiled. Her gaze was hazy, languid as a kitten’s. Unlike daytime, there was now an indescribable charm about her, a soft seductiveness. Her restless hand wandered along his waist, and her teeth parted slightly: “Can you be gentler tonight? It always hurts.”
The words hit him like thunder, making him frown involuntarily.
His steps faltered. Before he could figure out what she meant, she dropped another bombshell that made his body heat up and his reason scatter.
“Honey? I’m so sleepy.” Her voice was soft and airy, echoing in the stillness.
The words overlapped with a dream he hadn’t had in a long time—even the tone was identical. His heart raced, and a seed of suspicion took root.
After a long pause, to test his theory, Xiao Cheng lowered his voice, as if coaxing her: “Who’s your husband?”
A faint blush crept across her fair face. Her eyes fluttered half-open, her delicate brows knitting together in displeasure at his question. Her soft, pink palm patted his cheek: “Who else could it be? Xiao… Cheng…”
The last word faded into a kiss.
The kiss carried a hint of tobacco, mingled with the taste of wine—all the more intoxicating.
Xiao Cheng had never been one to follow rules. Without a second thought, he closed the door and carried her toward the bed. But as the kiss deepened, he sensed something off. He pulled back to look—her eyes were squeezed shut, her breathing steady. She’d fallen fast asleep.
“Just like that?” A flicker of exasperation crossed his still-aroused face. Yet he laid her down gently on the bed, carefully spreading her wet hair out and padding it with a dry towel.
Half-sitting on the edge of the bed, he belatedly touched the cheek she’d slapped. A smile crept across his lips.
Later that night, the bathhouse echoed with the sound of dripping water—and stifled, restrained breaths.
—
The next morning, Lin Aiyun woke up feeling hot. Half-asleep, she opened her eyes to find the room dim—the curtains by the window were drawn, with only a few slivers of sunlight slipping through, casting scattered spots on the floor.
A blanket was over her. She reached out and threw it off, finally feeling a little cooler.
Her head throbbed with the aftereffects of drinking. She closed her eyes and rested for a while, waiting until the ache subsided before sitting up.
Last night…
Her memories stopped at seeing Guan Ju and the others off. She thought harder and recalled a few moments of Xiao Cheng carrying her back to the room. But no matter how hard she tried, the rest wouldn’t come back.
Nothing important must have happened. She decided not to force it.
After getting dressed and tidying up, she opened the door to find the sun already high in the sky. She walked to the kitchen—no one was there. The mess from the night before had vanished, everything restored to its usual cleanliness.
“We were supposed to clean up together today.” She’d slept through it all and left everything to Guan Ju.
With a regretful sigh, she figured she’d apologize to Guan Ju when she came by in the afternoon. Then she poured some water to wash up.
There was food in the pot—Guan Ju had left her breakfast and lunch, but by now it might as well be dinner.
After eating, she washed the pot and bowls, went back to her room, fetched a palm-leaf fan, and sat by the door in a chair to enjoy the cool breeze. The weather was changing day by day—today’s temperature was warm enough for short sleeves.
But conditions here were limited, and all her clothes were back in Lanxi County—so she was still stuck in long pants and long sleeves.
Before long, she spotted Ma Xiulan approaching at the crossroads, carrying a basket. Lin Aiyun quickly rolled down her pant legs and sleeves and waved: “Xiaolan!”
Hearing her call, Ma Xiulan looked up, waved back, and jogged over in no time.
“You’re awake! I came by this morning but you were still asleep. Boss Xiao told me to go home and come back in the afternoon, so I didn’t disturb you.” Ma Xiulan’s face was flushed from the sun, but she was in high spirits.
“I drank a bit too much last night—my head was still spinning when I got up.” Lin Aiyun smiled sheepishly.
“That liquor Dongzi-ge brought is locally brewed—it’s pretty strong. Doesn’t hit you while you’re drinking, but the kick comes later. First-timers always end up drunk.” Ma Xiulan dragged a chair out from the house and sat down beside her.
“I see. What’s in the basket?” Lin Aiyun noticed the basket Ma Xiulan was carrying and asked curiously.
Ma Xiulan grinned: “Some eggs for you, and cucumbers my mother grew—they’re at their tender best right now. Want one? They’re already washed.”
She lifted the floral cloth covering the basket to reveal the contents.
“Just the cucumber will do. Take the eggs back.” Eggs were a precious commodity—practically a meat dish. Half a basket like this would take nearly a month to save up. She couldn’t possibly accept them.
“I ate so much of your good food yesterday—what’s wrong with giving you a few eggs? Just take them. If you don’t, I won’t be able to sleep tonight.” Ma Xiulan half-joked, then quickly changed the subject: “Here, try this cucumber—I can eat three or four of these a day.”
Helplessly, Lin Aiyun took the cucumber Ma Xiulan handed her. Though small, it looked incredibly fresh. One bite and the crisp, refreshing crunch filled her mouth—nothing like the bland, mass-produced greenhouse cucumbers of later years.
“Really good.”
“Right? Hehe.”
The two smiled at each other. As they chatted, Ma Xiulan suddenly grew shy and said: “Aiyun, my mother found me a match—I’m going for a blind date tomorrow morning, so I might not be able to keep you company.”
“You’re getting married?” Lin Aiyun was a little surprised, but then again, early marriage was common in this era. At their age, it was indeed time.
“Yeah, this is my first time, so I don’t know what to do. Aiyun, how did you and Boss Xiao get along when you first met?” Ma Xiulan lowered her head bashfully, her face turning crimson. Her close friends were all unmarried, and she was too embarrassed to ask older women for advice.
So, after much thought, she could only turn to Lin Aiyun for guidance.
She and Boss Xiao had such a good relationship—it was enough to make anyone envious. If she could learn a trick or two, maybe her own married life would be just as harmonious and happy.
“He and I didn’t meet through a blind date.” Hearing this, Lin Aiyun couldn’t help but recall their two first meetings—both in this life and the last. A small smile tugged at her lips.
Looking back, neither of them had followed the script.
Not much to take away from that.
“Huh?” Ma Xiulan looked up, blinking in surprise. She hadn’t expected that answer.
“But I think, for a first meeting, when you don’t know if the other person is right for you, leaving a good impression is key. If it turns out you like each other, a good first impression helps build affection. If it doesn’t work out, at least the other party can’t find fault with you or badmouth you later.”
Lin Aiyun paused to consider, then offered her thoughts. She had no formal experience with blind dates herself, but over the years, she’d seen plenty—more than enough to guide a young girl like Ma Xiulan.
Ma Xiulan nodded vigorously, finding the advice very sensible.
“So how do I leave a good impression?”
“Looking clean and neat is a must. Wash up tonight, sleep early, and tomorrow morning do your hair nicely. Don’t wear anything too flashy or gaudy—keep it fresh and simple. Otherwise, they might think you’re eager to marry him. And most men tend to be a bit overconfident anyway.”
“I think so too—I’ll go through my wardrobe tonight.” Ma Xiulan committed the advice to memory.
“Don’t talk too much on the first meeting. Answer when asked, nod along occasionally, listen more, observe more, and just smile. If you don’t like the person, you can even skip the nodding.”
Then, as if thinking of something, she added: “Just be natural and don’t be too shy. This is about the two of you—what you like matters most. Don’t let others sway you, especially the matchmaker. If they say ten things, believe only one.”
“My mother told me the same thing. She said matchmakers will say anything for money—white can become black. You have to judge for yourself. And if you feel like it’s a match, don’t rush to settle. Go ask around near his home to see if anyone’s been cheated.”
At that, Ma Xiulan’s eyes lit up with admiration. They were about the same age, yet Lin Aiyun knew so much, while she still felt like a child needing guidance at every turn.
“Aiyun, you’re amazing.”
Lin Aiyun waved her hand. She’d just seen a lot and picked up some insights—”amazing” was a stretch.
“Hope you find your perfect match.”
“Thanks, Aiyun. And I hope you and Boss Xiao make it to the end.” Ma Xiulan smiled back, sincere and warm.
They chatted for a long while, until the sky was painted with brilliant sunset hues, before finally stopping. Ma Xiulan said she needed to go home early to prepare, and Lin Aiyun let her leave.
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