Chapter 102: The First Intimate Encounter

By ten o’clock, the crowds at the Expo Park had thinned considerably. Cheng Xiaoyu and Xu Qinning walked along a somewhat eerie tree-lined path. Towering, shadowy canopies surrounded them, and the rustling of leaves stirred by the breeze in the still, dark night only heightened the sense of unease.

This was a rarely traveled trail. When Cheng Xiaoyu and Xu Qinning fell silent, it felt as if the vast park had been reduced to the sound of just their footsteps. Although Xu Qinning had the heart of a tomboy, she was especially afraid of ghosts—never watching horror films alone, and even then only with the sound turned off.

Xu Qinning, already feeling a bit scared in this atmosphere, clung tightly to Cheng Xiaoyu’s arm and asked, “Xiao Yu, why does it feel like we’re going further and further away? It feels like we’ll never reach the end!”

Cheng Xiaoyu chuckled, “Don’t you know what ghost walls are? It’s when a path never ends, and you just keep circling in place. I wonder if they disturbed any graves when they built this park.”

Xu Qinning gripped Cheng Xiaoyu tighter. He felt a warm spot on his arm and was just about to tell another ghost story when Xu Qinning pinched him sharply.

“No more scaring me,” she said, her voice trembling slightly.

Cheng Xiaoyu could only give up reluctantly; the ghost story he had carefully prepared remained unspoken.

After walking a few more minutes, they finally glimpsed the distant glow of countless lights. Xu Qinning exhaled in relief, loosening her hold on Cheng Xiaoyu’s arm just a little.

Not far ahead was a restroom. Cheng Xiaoyu felt the urge to relieve himself and told Xu Qinning to wait. After finishing and feeling refreshed, he stepped out to see Xu Qinning hesitating at the door, unwilling to enter.

Cheng Xiaoyu smiled wryly, “What are you afraid of? I’m right here at the door.”

Xu Qinning hesitated, “Aren’t ghost stories usually set in restrooms? And the lights in there are so dim.”

Cheng Xiaoyu offered, “How about I go in with you?”

Xu Qinning pretended to kick him, but he dodged with a laugh. She then downed a large cup of cola. When she didn’t see the restroom, she was fine, but once she did, a pressing urge to hold it in overwhelmed her. Biting her lip, she asked, “Could you please talk loudly at the door so I can hear you?”

Cheng Xiaoyu looked at her complicated expression and teased her while agreeing.

Xu Qinning shuffled into the restroom, shrinking back, while Cheng Xiaoyu stood at the door, loudly reciting silly, twisted poems.

“Before the bed, bright moonlight; on the ground, two pairs of shoes. I look up at the bright moon, I am Guo Degang.”

“Where in the world is there no fragrant grass? Why search in the campus? The campus has little grass to begin with, and the quality isn’t good either.”

Just as Cheng Xiaoyu prepared to recite a third, a piercing scream came from inside. He hesitated, saw no one else around, and rushed in, calling out, “Xu Qinning, what’s wrong?”

Her voice came from the nearest stall, “Open the door! There’s a huge spider! I’m so scared, I can’t move.”

Cheng Xiaoyu finally relaxed, initially fearing she might have fallen. “Miss, you really scared me! I thought something happened. Didn’t you lock the door from inside?”

“No, in case something happens and I need to rush out. Hurry! It’s crawling this way!” Xu Qinning screamed again.

Helpless, Cheng Xiaoyu stepped into the women’s restroom for the first time in his life. The dim light made the atmosphere even more unsettling. Approaching the first stall, he opened the door to find Xu Qinning curled up like a quail at the back. He grabbed some tissue, rolled it into a small stick, and flicked away the thumb-sized spider. Only then did Xu Qinning relax.

She brushed off her skirt, about to leave, when the sound of high heels and a voice calling, “I’m waiting outside,” came from the door. Cheng Xiaoyu gasped, slipped into Xu Qinning’s stall, swiftly closed the door, and locked it.

No sooner had he done so did someone enter.

The cramped space of the public restroom was tight enough, and both were tall, especially Cheng Xiaoyu, who was somewhat stout. Crowded together, they were almost pressed face to face.

Holding his breath, Cheng Xiaoyu remained silent, while Xu Qinning dared not speak either. The newcomer pushed the door, found it locked, and entered the adjacent stall.

The space was so small, and since Xu Qinning was a bit fastidious, she avoided leaning against the restroom wall and instead leaned forward onto Cheng Xiaoyu. Her impressively full chest pressed heavily against his.

Cheng Xiaoyu felt the weighty allure, Xu Qinning’s warm breath caressing his ear. The innocent Cheng Xiaoyu was entirely overwhelmed and immediately stood up, passionately singing the anthem of those unwilling to be slaves.

Because Xu Qinning was only slightly shorter than Cheng Xiaoyu, and he wore loose school uniform pants, Xu Qinning soon felt something pressing uncomfortably. She thought it was something in his pocket and paid it no mind.

Cheng Xiaoyu’s face flushed crimson with shame over his body’s uncontrollable reaction. Seeing Xu Qinning seemingly unaffected, he felt less embarrassed. But the cramped space made Xu Qinning uncomfortable, so she shifted slightly, as if deliberately provoking intimate contact. The enticing fragrance and the warmth against his chest stirred Cheng Xiaoyu’s long-suppressed desires, which he had tried hard to quell.

Seeing Cheng Xiaoyu close his eyes and breathe heavily, with sounds coming from the neighboring stall, Xu Qinning reached out toward the mysterious bulge.

Cheng Xiaoyu noticed her movement but could neither move to stop her nor shift his hands, which were braced against the restroom walls. He could only open his eyes wide in horror as Xu Qinning’s hand slipped into his pocket.

What followed is left to the imagination, but a rosy flush spread from his ears to his pale cheeks.

Xu Qinning’s delicate neck, the sensual curve of her collarbone, and the smooth, radiant expanse of her chest left Cheng Xiaoyu dizzy, as if he had stepped into a surreal and beautiful dream.

At that moment, Xu Qinning’s mind went blank, leaving Cheng Xiaoyu feeling a burning fire within his chest, as if his primal power was about to erupt, his muscles aching in anticipation.

Just then, the woman in the next stall finally left. After washing her hands, the sound of high heels faded away. Cheng Xiaoyu forced himself to calm down, opened the door, and fled the women’s restroom without looking back.

Xu Qinning silently followed. Cheng Xiaoyu led the way, with Xu Qinning lagging a few steps behind. The intimate closeness they had shared was gone; they no longer walked arm in arm. Both blushed deeply and walked in silence toward the parking lot.

In Cheng Xiaoyu’s mind, a thousand galloping curses ran riot, forming the characters for “lust” and “wolf.” He felt their friendship had reached a breaking point.

Xu Qinning’s thoughts were a chaotic blur. She didn’t quite understand what had happened. She had never been so close to a boy before, yet she didn’t feel repulsed. On the contrary, she found it strangely intriguing.

Her mind and body didn’t reject Cheng Xiaoyu; instead, this closeness felt mysteriously exciting. Yet she dared not speak to him, fearing he might think her frivolous. She also recalled that Cheng Xiaoyu said he was the “bottom” in their relationship—could it be that because of her, he had feelings for her?

Her thoughts swirled in confusion, unsure how to handle the situation. They rode home in silence.

When Xu Qinning got out of the car holding her box, she didn’t look back but softly said, “Goodbye!” For the first time, she felt a hint of her girlish side emerge. The usual carefree self vanished; she moved with what she believed was the most graceful posture.

Cheng Xiaoyu felt ashamed to face anyone from Jiangdong and quietly replied, “Goodbye.” Then awkwardly added, “I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to just now. Please don’t be mad.”

Hearing his apology, Xu Qinning blushed deeply, turned away without a word, and hurried home.

Cheng Xiaoyu sighed and drove back to his own home.

For him, this night was destined to be long and difficult.

Lying in bed, his mind kept calling out to the immortal stars of Japanese romance films—Kaede Matsushima, Aoi Sora, Ran Muto—those who had made immense sacrifices for countless otaku. Where were they in this time and space?