Gu Jing fell off the sofa and b.u.mped her head for the thirteenth time.
Gu Jing wrapped her bedsheet around her body and she slept on the floor.
Zhen Lang heard the thirteenth thump sound. He got out of bed and he walked to the living room. He saw Gu Jing slept on the floor. He propped an arm under her shoulders and neck. ‘Little girl, go sleep on the bed.’
‘Mmm… no,’ Gu Jing mumbled. ‘If I sleep on the sofa I’ll fall down again. The floor is more comfortable.’
Zhen Lang sighed. ‘Go sleep on the bed.’
‘No…’ Gu Jing said. She swatted bees in her dream. ‘I don’t want to get up.’
Zhen Lang lifted Gu Jing and he carried her to the bed.
Gu Jing felt a soft warm bed under her body. She sniffed the bedspread, it smelt like a familiar scent and she felt comfortable and safe.
Zhen Lang walked to the kitchen and he made a cup of coffee. He returned to the bedroom and he sat in bed next to Gu Jing. He sipped coffee, he picked up a book and he opened the book. He watched her sleep and he didn’t turn another page.
Gu Jing sniffed in her sleep and she smelt delicious coffee. She opened her sleepy eyes and she looked for the coffee.
Gu Jing saw a blurry bright light. She blinked several times and she saw a side profile of Zhen Lang’s face. His eyelashes were curly, his nose looked straight, his lips curved upward and she thought he looked like a silent statue.
The statue turned its head around, it smiled and startled Gu Jing.
‘Are you hungry?’ Zhen Lang asked.
Zhen Lang didn’t ask Gu Jing if she was awake, but he asked her if she was hungry and she realised he understood her the most.
Gu Jing sat upright, hugged her bedsheet and nodded her head. She stared at the cup of coffee in Zhen Lang’s hand.
‘You need to eat breakfast before you drink coffee,’ Zhen Lang said.
Gu Jing scoffed. ‘You didn’t eat breakfast, but you’re drinking coffee already.’
Zhen Lang laughed and he pa.s.sed the cup of coffee to Gu Jing. ‘After you drink the coffee, go brush your teeth, wash your face and change clothes. Then we’ll go grocery shopping.’
Gu Jing drank the cup of coffee until only one drop of coffee remained at the bottom of the cup. She pa.s.sed the cup of coffee to Zhen Lang, she jumped out of bed and she ran to the bathroom.
Zhen Lang held the cup of coffee and his eyes followed Gu Jing until she entered the bathroom. He drank the last drop of coffee and he smiled.
At the supermarkets Gu Jing pushed the trolley like she rode a manual scooter and occasionally she put junk food into the trolley.
Zhen Lang walked behind Gu Jing and he looked for cleaning products.
‘What do you use to wash dishes?’ Zhen Lang asked.
‘A sponge,’ Gu Jing said.
Zhen Lang put a sponge into the trolley.
‘What size towel do you use to dry dishes?’ Zhen Lang asked.
‘Large,’ Gu Jing said.
Zhen Lang put a large towel into the trolley.
‘Do you use liquid detergent or powder detergent to wash clothes?’ Zhen Lang asked.
‘Liquid detergent,’ Gu Jing said.
Zhen Lang put a bag of liquid detergent into the trolley.
Gu Jing finally suspected why Zhen Lang asked her questions about cleaning products. ‘Why did you ask me about what cleaning products I use?’
Zhen Lang put a bottle of dish washing detergent into the trolley and he patted Gu Jing’s arm. ‘Because you’ll be doing the housework. The least I can do is be considerate and buy cleaning products you prefer to use to clean.’
Gu Jing scoffed and she glared at Zhen Lang.
‘It’s ok if you don’t want to do housework,’ Zhen Lang said. He waved his phone in front of Gu Jing’s face. ‘I’ll tell aunty Gu about us and I’ll stay somewhere else since I’m not used to having someone else serve me.’
Gu Jing gritted her teeth. ‘Ok, I’ll do the housework. I’m happy to serve you to death.’
Zhen Lang smiled and he put healthy food into the trolley. ‘That will make me very happy. If you give me good service, I’ll give you the bed tonight.’
Gu Jing knew Zhen Lang wanted to torture her and watch her let out crazy outbursts, which was why he wanted to live with her.
Gu Jing puffed her cheeks. She secretly put a carton of beer and the highest alcohol concentrated bottle of wine into the trolley. ‘Zhen Lang shouldn’t we have a banquet dinner tonight to celebrate us living together again?’
Zhen Lang picked up trays of meat and he pretended he didn’t see Gu Jing put a carton of beer and a strong bottle of wine into the trolley. ‘Ok.’
‘If I’m welcoming you into my home, what do you think about letting me be your hostess? Don’t worry I won’t do anything to you that will make you call my mum,’ Gu Jing said.
Zhen Lang stared at the trays of meat in his hands and he pretended he contemplated about Gu Jing’s suggestion.
Gu Jing smiled sweetly. ‘Mr Vet, how did you know the address of my new home?’
On the inside Gu Jing rejoiced. She thought of the perfect plan to force Zhen Lang to leave her home and also give him an incentive not to tell her mum about what she promised him.
‘I looked for you at the studio and coincidentally I saw the note you left on a table,’ Zhen Lang said.
Zhen Lang smiled because he thought about how his wallet lost a few hundred Yuan notes in order for Peng Cheng Gui to ‘coincidentally’ let him see the address Gu Jing scribbled on a note.
‘I want to eat steamed seafood, braised pig’s trotters and braised beef with mushrooms,’ Gu Jing said.
Gu Jing stared at the bottle of wine inside the trolley and she smiled.
Zhen Lang put trays of seafood, pork and beef into the trolley.
Gu Jing pushed the trolley to the checkout counter and Zhen Lang paid for the groceries.
Zhen Lang wanted to carry the grocery bags, but Gu Jing picked up the bags before he could touch a bag.
‘Let me carry the bags,’ Gu Jing said.
Zhen Lang walked beside Gu Jing who wore a feminine top and pants that he secretly put on the bed for Gu Jing before she came out of the bathroom.
On the way home Gu Jing hummed and she thought about how in the morning she came out of the bathroom and she saw a beautiful outfit on her bed. She remembered she didn’t hesitate to put it on then she dragged Zhen Lang to the supermarkets.
Men on the streets saw a handsome man and his beautiful girlfriend carried heavy grocery bags and the men envied the handsome man.
‘Do you want me to help you carry some of the bags?’ Zhen Lang asked.
Gu Jing smiled sweetly and she shook her head. ‘Let me, I want to serve you to death.’
The men on the streets nearly fainted from excessive envy toward the lucky handsome man.
At home Zhen Lang cooked Gu Jing’s favourite dishes for dinner.
Zhen Lang walked out of the kitchen and he saw Gu Jing held a gla.s.s of wine in front of him.
Gu Jing smiled sweetly. ‘Zhen Lang, let’s make a toast to celebrate us living together again.’
Gu Jing put the gla.s.s of wine into Zhen Lang’s hand and she clinked their gla.s.ses together.
Gu Jing took a sip and she wiped her mouth. ‘Tomorrow is your day off and you don’t have a surgery scheduled the day after tomorrow. It’s ok if you drink a little, besides I chose a weak bottle of wine for us to drink.’
Zhen Lang smiled and he drank the gla.s.s of wine.
Gu Jing dragged Zhen Lang to the dining table and she sat next to him.
Gu Jing picked up the strong bottle of wine on the dining table and she refilled hers and Zhen Lang’s wine gla.s.ses.
‘Let’s toast to our twenty-five year relationship,’ Gu Jing said.
Zhen Lang drank a second gla.s.s of wine.
‘Let’s toast to me giving you good service,’ Gu Jing said.
Zhen Lang drank a third gla.s.s of wine.
‘Let’s toast to our fate of attending the same elementary school, high school and college,’ Gu Jing said.
Zhen Lang drank a fourth gla.s.s of wine.
‘Let’s toast to our ancestors,’ Gu Jing said.
Zhen Lang drank a fifth gla.s.s of wine.
‘Let’s toast to our future happy lives,’ Gu Jing said.
Zhen Lang drank a sixth gla.s.s of wine.
Zhen Lang’s eyes gleamed brightly. ‘Do you want to get me drunk so you can take a photo of me and threaten me with it like you did back in school?’
Gu Jing’s hands shook and she nearly dropped the bottle of wine. ‘How can I use the same tactic to fool a person twice?’
Gu Jing refilled hers and Zhen Lang’s wine gla.s.ses. ‘Let’s toast to your delicious home cooked meals.’
Zhen Lang smiled and he drank a seventh gla.s.s of wine.
Zhen Lang pretended to be drunk. He squinted his eyes, shook his head and rubbed his temples.
Gu Jing saw Zhen Lang looked drunk and her heart bloomed.
Gu Jing knew when it came to drinking, Zhen Lang couldn’t win against her especially if they drank a strong bottle of wine.
Gu Jing opened a carton of beer on the dining table. ‘We drank a bottle of wine to celebrate. Let’s drink beer to continue our celebration.’
‘I can’t drink anymore. My head is dizzy,’ Zhen Lang said.
Gu Jing held the beer to Zhen Lang’s mouth. ‘Drink the beer. It’s cold and it’ll help clear your head.’
Zhen Lang laughed. ‘If you serve me beer then I’ll drink.’
‘Ok, I’ll serve you beer and you’ll drink,’ Gu Jing said.
Zhen Lang shook his head and he pointed a finger at Gu Jing. ‘You drink it first for me to see.’
Gu Jing drank a sip of beer. She put the beer on the dining table and suddenly Zhen Lang kissed her.
Zhen Lang sucked the sip of beer Gu Jing drank into his mouth. He swallowed the sip of beer. His tongue licked her sweet tongue mixed with the taste of the strong wine and beer.
Gu Jing’s soul floated on top of her clouds. Her body only focused on Zhen Lang’s tongue that licked her tongue and his hot lips that kissed her lips.
Gu Jing didn’t know how long Zhen Lang kissed her. But she finally inhaled oxygen when Zhen Lang buried his head between her neck and shoulder and she heard his steady breaths.
Gu Jing regained her senses and she pushed Zhen Lang’s heavy body. ‘Hey, let’s drink beer.’
It didn’t matter how hard Gu Jing pushed Zhen Lang’s heavy body, because he didn’t react.
Gu Jing cackled, because she used the same tactic to fool Zhen Lang twice. She lifted his heavy body over her shoulder.
Gu Jing struggled to carry Zhen Lang to the bed. She threw his heavy body onto the bed. She thought he slept like a pig, but he looked like a handsome gallant prince in fairy tales.
Gu Jing felt like an evil princess in fairy tales. She unb.u.t.toned Zhen Lang’s shirt and she tossed his shirt on the floor.
Gu Jing felt Zhen Lang’s bare chest felt hot from the alcohol. She struggled to take his pants off and she fell onto his chest.
Gu Jing sniffed Zhen Lang’s chest and she felt he smelt more appetizing than cologne.
Gu Jing rubbed his chest for a while and she felt a strange sensation in her heart. Her hands brushed over his nipples and she slid her hands down his chest toward his waist.
Gu Jing touched Zhen Lang’s bottom and her eyes lingered on his underwear.
Gu Jing remembered twenty-years ago what was inside Zhen Lang’s underwear was small and soft. Twenty-five years later she realised what was inside Zhen Lang’s underwear was big and hard.
Gu Jing remembered that year she took Zhen Lang’s clothes off in a rush because Lin Tu Shen laid beside him in bed. Back then she didn’t get a chance to look closely at Zhen Lang’s body.
Gu Jing turned her head away from Zhen Lang’s body and her hands probed his underwear. She contemplated for a while whether to look or not look.
Gu Jing decided to look and she turned her head to look closer at Zhen Lang’s whole body.
‘Are you going to take a photo?’ Zhen Lang whispered.
The whisper prompted Gu Jing about her plan. She jumped off the bed and she looked everywhere in her room for her camera.
‘The camera’s inside the box you left on the balcony,’ Zhen Lang whispered.
Gu Jing ran to her balcony. She opened a box and she found her favourite camera. She carried her camera back inside her room.
Zhen Lang sat upright on the bed. ‘What position do you want me in? I’ll cooperate with you.’
‘Ah!’ Gu Jing cried out.
Gu Jing realised something impossible happened, because Zhen Lang was sober the whole night and he caught her red handed. She hid her camera and she ran outside her room.
End of Chapter Thirty-Two