Chapter 49: Confession

After hastily replying to Zhuang Nian’s message, Rong Xiu put his phone back in his pocket.

Time alone with Fan Xia was so rare, he didn’t want to miss it for anything. If it weren’t for Zhuang Nian’s repeated calls that he kept rejecting, he wouldn’t have bothered with this text message at all.

The lively, bustling atmosphere of the night market was like fireworks gradually blooming, mesmerizing his eyes. He wished time could stop at this moment.

Until a small flower stall appeared in front of Rong Xiu, with many types of flowers: balloon flowers, daisies, lilies, larkspurs, and red roses. The delicate, fresh blooms were wrapped in various colored papers, some even adorned with twinkling lights. In the thick night, they sparkled like gathered fireflies.

Rong Xiu stopped, his gaze falling on the red roses at the cheap little stall.

“What’s wrong?” Fan Xia also stopped, her fair skin looking exceptionally clear in the lights of the night market stalls.

“Fan Xia, could you buy me a bouquet of red roses?” His tone was very soft, as if afraid his unreasonable request might startle Fan Xia.

He used to think red roses were gaudy and vulgar, but now he desperately wanted to receive a bouquet of these vulgar red roses from Fan Xia’s hands, just like Wen Lan Sheng did before. He wanted to receive roses filled with her love, even if it was fake.

Fan Xia glanced at the red roses surrounded by many other flowers. She had bought this flower countless times for Wen Lan Sheng before. For some reason, men seemed to particularly love these bright red flowers.

But since Rong Xiu liked them, Fan Xia was willing to buy them for him.

She bought a bouquet of red roses from the vendor. They were very cheap, only 20 yuan for a large bunch, almost considered a bargain.

For Rong Xiu, a young master raised in luxury since childhood, these flowers weren’t worthy of being held in his hands. At most, he might tear them apart for a bath, which would be considered an honor for them.

But when he received the red roses from Fan Xia’s hands, his gaze was so reverent. His head lowered, dense eyelashes covering a faint glimmer in his eyes. His palm gently touched the soft, delicate petals of the red roses. The bright red color made his hands appear as white and delicate as marble, pure and untouched, with a fragility that seemed it would shatter at the slightest touch.

When she used to give red roses to Wen Lan Sheng, she only felt the roses were so thick they were sticky, as if being tightly entangled by red silk, unable to breathe. But watching this bouquet of deep red and dark green roses bloom in Rong Xiu’s hands, she finally understood that red roses were actually quite beautiful, at least they suited Rong Xiu’s exceptional beauty well. Rong Xiu raised his eyes from the trembling, deep red roses, his fingertips tinged with crimson: “Thank you.”

Fan Xia smiled faintly, her smile bathed in the brilliant lights of the night market.

She said, “There’s an open-air cinema over there. Want to go watch?”

Rong Xiu nodded, “Okay.”

Rong Xiu held the red roses, and under their nourishment, his porcelain-like skin also took on a faint blush, adding a touch of human warmth compared to his previously unapproachable appearance.

There were many passersby around, both men and women, but men’s first glances were always drawn to the vibrantly blooming red roses in his hands. Their gazes were firmly caught until they disappeared, then they would suddenly realize and gently nudge the women beside them, mumbling: “Look at that girlfriend, I want flowers too.”

“Fresh flowers don’t last, they wilt in a day or two.”

“Don’t you understand romance? I want them!”

“Alright, alright, I’ll buy them for you. Don’t be angry.”

Though the voices were soft, Rong Xiu heard them clearly. A faint smile escaped his lips, he never thought there would be a day when he would be envied by others.

When they arrived at the open-air cinema, the movie had already started. Countless couples sat on the lawn, watching the movie while cuddling intimately.

It was a romance film, and when they arrived, it was just at the scene where the male lead falls in love at first sight with the female lead. The lighting, atmosphere, and lovers’ gazes were all just right.

Fan Xia found a large rock and sat down with Rong Xiu to watch the movie.

This movie was actually quite old, but because it was so classic, it was often replayed and regarded as a bible of love by young people.

Neither Fan Xia nor Rong Xiu were the type to comment while watching a movie. They preferred to watch quietly and discuss their favorite scenes after the movie ended.

But just watching the movie might be a bit boring, so Fan Xia took out a pack of snacks she bought from the night market – dried cherries.

She held up a dried cherry in front of Rong Xiu: “Want some? It’s very sweet.”

Rong Xiu, hugging the deep red roses, leaned forward slightly. His teeth gently caught the dried cherry from her fingertips, his pale, warm thin lips seeming to suck at her fingertip for a moment as he pulled the cherry into his mouth.

His long, enchanting eyes were moist, his voice as gentle as water: “It’s delicious.”

Fan Xia’s breath caught for a moment. She made a soft sound of agreement and picked up a dried cherry to eat herself.

Her WeChat rang. Wen Lan Sheng sent a message asking why she had been gone so long to buy preserved plums.

Fan Xia replied that she couldn’t find the brand he liked at the supermarket, so she was browsing the night market to see if she could find any snacks he liked.

Wen Lan Sheng’s WeChat text exuded the reserved joy of being pampered: “I suddenly want to eat the crab roe rice crackers and oyster pancakes from that old place.”

Fan Xia’s fingertips lightly tapped: “Okay, I’ll buy them for you. I’ll be back soon, wait for me.”

After she replied, a thin, almost desolate voice came from beside her: “Do you have to go back now?”

Rong Xiu’s eyes were forlorn as he looked at the protagonists in the open-air film who were also about to be separated by war: “But the movie isn’t over yet.”

Fan Xia hesitated for a moment, suddenly unable to say she was leaving. In an instant, she changed her mind.

“I’m just appeasing Wen Lan Sheng. Let’s finish watching before we leave.”

Rong Xiu felt a fluttering sensation growing in his heart.

Watching the movie, where the male lead had to helplessly watch his love leave for war due to the conflict, he finally no longer concealed the love in his heart. He pushed through the crowd, boldly revealing the love he had hidden in his heart.

He seemed to be bewitched.

His body slowly moved closer to Fan Xia. The delicate red roses were the only barrier between them, yet so thin it seemed they could hear each other’s thudding heartbeats and pulsing veins, as well as the surging heat beneath the roses.

He asked in a low voice: “After your revenge, will you completely break things off with Wen Lan Sheng?”

Fan Xia’s answer came without a hint of hesitation or softness: “Yes, I have no interest in the son of my enemy.”

Wen Lan Sheng was just a stepping stone for her revenge, while also being a very important part. She had no love for Wen Lan Sheng. It was just that seeing the happy and joyful life of Wen Ming Yue’s family, while thinking of her parents’ miserable deaths, filled her heart with resentment that was hard to quell. She vented her hatred in bed, and Wen Lan Sheng’s body was the tool for her to release that hatred.

“Then when you’re single again, there will surely be a line of men pursuing you, right?” In the soft, milky moonlight, Rong Xiu moved even closer, close enough to feel each other’s breath. The red roses pressed against his chest were almost crushed into crimson juice, dripping down mixed with the clear moonlight. His hoarse, ambiguous tone clung to her soft earlobe as Rong Xiu couldn’t help but ask: “Can I cut in line?”

Fan Xia tightly gripped the slender stem of the rose, dark green juice flowing over her hand. His tone was like a fire ignited in a barren desert, burning fiercely without any hindrance, sweeping through and scorching everything in its path. The tongue of flame violently struck her heart and lungs.

The moral warning line snapped like a gossamer thread. She threw aside the obstructing red roses, cupped Rong Xiu’s face, brushed past his fair, long neck, and in the last moment before the movie ended, she kissed him with abandon.

Rong Xiu vaguely remembered Fan Xia driving him home, but couldn’t recall how she left. When he regained his senses, he was already in the bathroom, fingers touching his moist thin lips, smiling at himself in the mirror like an idiot.

He loosened his tie and unbuttoned his meticulously fastened shirt collar, revealing his long, slender neck. On his fair skin, a conspicuous purple bruise remained, silently declaring the excessive love it had received in the car earlier.

Yi Zhi anxiously circled around his feet, whimpering, seeming to wait for its master’s comfort.

Rong Xiu crouched down and opened a chew toy for it, speaking gently: “Do you know who bought this for you?”

Yi Zhi couldn’t understand human speech, but as soon as it saw the chew toy, it pounced on it, gnawing enthusiastically with its chubby bottom in the air and its little tail wagging in spirals.

Rong Xiu burst out laughing, hugging Yi Zhi tightly to his chest, his laughter happier than ever before.

When Fan Xia returned home, Wen Ming Yue and Xie Cen had already gone inside, seemingly having retired for the night. But Wen Jing on the balcony was just entering her active period, hugging her phone and voice chatting while gaming. Who knows how long she had been awake, with piles of carbonated drinks beside her and bloodshot eyes.

Fan Xia couldn’t be bothered with her. She walked into the bedroom to see Wen Lan Sheng looking at her with resentful eyes: “You’re back so late.”

Fan Xia smiled apologetically: “The stores for crab roe rice crackers and oyster pancakes were busy, I had to queue for a long time. Come eat quickly, they won’t taste good if they get cold.”

Wen Lan Sheng scooted from the bed to Fan Xia’s side, resting his chin on her thigh and saying pitifully: “But it’s already past eleven. The people at the beauty salon told me not to eat anything after ten, or I’ll get fat.”

“Fat?” Fan Xia’s hand slid to Wen Lan Sheng’s waist, pinching the soft flesh there: “You’re not fat at all. Even if you gained weight, I’d still like you.”

Wen Lan Sheng smiled happily, his gaze clear: “Then I’ll just have one bite. You can help me eat the rest.”

Fan Xia nodded: “Alright.”

“Xia Xia, you’re so good to me.” Wen Lan Sheng nuzzled into Fan Xia’s embrace coquettishly, like a little dog seeking petting. Fan Xia smiled and pinched his cheek, picking up a piece of oyster pancake and feeding it into his mouth.

“Xia Xia, will you always love me like this?” Wen Lan Sheng looked up, his eyes moist.

Fan Xia’s expression remained calm: “Of course.”