An Zhi’s dance steps were light, each one appearing to have a mind of its own.
They stepped on every sensitive point in my heart, pouring emotion into my soul; her dance was her speech.
After one segment ended, she didn’t want to rest for even one second, immediately starting a completely different style.
Her waist arched back, and her legs split in the air, stretching into a straight line.
Such a bold movement looked soft and elegant in my eyes.
Even though she didn’t speak, she was expressing her love to me, as if she wanted to tell me all the emotions she had accumulated over a long period of time at once.
‘Look at me closely; this is a dance I will only perform in front of you. See how much I like you, how much I miss you.’
It felt as if I could hear her saying those words.
I sat on the edge of the bed, a thousand waves of heat surging in my heart.
My fingers couldn’t help but clench together as I resisted the urge to respond.
She was right; I was indeed gaining a lot of inspiration.
A strong desire to pour my love into words and express it to her welled up within me.
This was how love manifested between the two of us.
Even though we rarely used words like “like” or “love,” we could feel it…
It was a mutual understanding.
As soon as the dance ended, she wiped away the sweat trickling down her chest and gave me a playful wink.
Just as I was wondering what she would do next, a rhythmic and explosive dance track started playing from her phone.
Was it a popular song I often heard online?
It seemed to have been very trendy for a while…
Her body swayed with the music, her upper body tilting as her hands pressed against her chest, shaking in my direction.
More than her flushed face, the lines of her chest, constantly changing with the rhythm, caught my eye.
This…
Although it was a bit vulgar…
I couldn’t look away!
From this angle, posture, and movement, she was actually so well-endowed?
As my body stiffened and I swallowed hard, she leaped and turned her back to me, lowering her body in the same way.
That extremely seductive curve was transmitted to my eyes again through a different medium…
‘Where did she learn this!? My An Zhi couldn’t possibly be this sexy!’
‘How can I control myself with such provocative dancing!?’
In a daze, the music stopped.
She turned around with her hands behind her back and looked at me.
“How was it? Did you like it?”
She ran up to me in two quick steps.
“Yeah… yeah.”
This was the first time I felt embarrassed to express my thoughts.
“I’m so tired. Dancing like that is exhausting, and I’m covered in sweat. Mingshan, hey! Hehe…”
With a flushed face, she hopped onto my lap, wrapped her arms around my neck, and hugged me.
The warm sensation from beneath her damp clothes transferred to me, along with her racing heartbeat and satisfied hums.
Perhaps the long hours of livestreaming had changed her personality when she danced, making her as bold as she was now…
‘Wait, isn’t this a bit too bold…?’
“Huh?”
She shifted her body, seemingly noticing the abnormality in mine.
“Ah…”
I was stunned.
“It’s okay…”
She whispered in my ear.
“It can stay like this; you don’t have to do anything… I’ve already received your feelings.”
“Haha, was this your goal?”
I relaxed my body and held her, carefully feeling every sensation from her.
I cherished her like the most precious treasure.
Perhaps at some point in the future, I could possess her further with a clear conscience, but for now…
My hands rested on her waist, which was slick with sweat, and I lightly squeezed the soft flesh there.
“Ooh… Wah! — “
Having calmed down, she suddenly jumped off me, her head practically steaming.
“It’s fine. I also received the feelings you wanted to convey to me.”
“I… I… am not… not ready yet… It’s nothing!! I’m going to take a shower!”
Covering her face, she fled all the way into the bathroom.
‘Does she lose awareness of what she’s doing once she starts dancing? How cute.’
After a long time, I sat at the desk, took out my old laptop, and channeled my remaining passion into a blank document.
After showing her the completed document, she was so embarrassed that she ran to the balcony to cool off for a long time.
‘It’s better not to publish a story written under these circumstances…’
—
As the weekend drew to a close, it happened to be the night of the Winter Solstice.
After a few days of rest, my body had recovered to its former state.
In the afternoon, I held An Zhi’s hand as we went to the nearest supermarket.
She pulled down the brim of her hooded jacket and followed closely behind me.
The supermarket was crowded, and everyone was busy shopping, so they probably wouldn’t notice her.
With that thought, I tried my best to block others’ views, picked out a box of apples, and hurriedly left.
Even after all these days, An Zhi’s phone still vibrated frequently.
The messages from The Company never stopped, but as if we had reached an agreement, we both instinctively chose to ignore them.
Today, we were going to visit the Xiao family.
I thought that Auntie Ji should have returned with the Winter Solstice approaching, and I also wanted to thank the Xiao siblings for their care, so I brought the fruit as a souvenir.
An Zhi’s fingers were tightly interlaced with the back of my hand.
The walk to the Xiao family’s door felt like a return to the early days of our relationship.
“Ah! Honored guests! Sis, the person you wanted to see is here!”
Xiao Ji called Xiao Qingling out as soon as he opened the door.
When An Zhi and I entered, I saw Auntie standing up from the sofa.
I put down the fruit and greeted her, “Hello, Auntie Ji.”
Auntie was almost like an older version of Xiao Qingling by several years.
She had a slender build, and there were faint wrinkles on her smiling face.
Her curly hair was fluffy, giving her the kind aura of an elder.
“There’s no need to be so formal. Student Li, and Student An, it’s been a long time.”
Auntie welcomed us in.
Her name was Ji Yayu.
Xiao Ji’s name was taken from her surname.
Because she had been teaching for many years, she always included the word “Student” when addressing us younger people.
“Hello, Teacher Ji,” An Zhi also nodded in greeting.
Every time I saw Auntie Ji, it felt like returning to my student days.
Perhaps because of that, An Zhi often called her “Teacher” to go along with the atmosphere.
Xiao Ji served us tea politely.
He had been afraid of his mother since he was a child.
No, it was probably more due to guilt now.
After all, he had caused quite a bit of trouble in the past.
Xiao Qingling walked out of her room.
She paid more attention to An Zhi than to me, inviting her to sit on the sofa next to her.
The two of them whispered to each other.
I sat on An Zhi’s other side and looked at Auntie Ji, who was sitting on a separate armchair, wanting to say something but hesitating.
“Auntie, how is my alma mater doing?”
I asked cautiously.
“Well, there are far fewer children than in previous years. It’s difficult to put together a single class this year. See, I was even able to come back one day early for the Winter Solstice; it’s much easier now.”
Auntie Ji had a soft smile on her face.
In the past, Auntie Ji was very responsible.
No matter how many students there were, she wouldn’t return until the legal holidays.
Now she had relaxed, forced to make peace with the past.
“Thank you. For still being willing to stay in my hometown.”
‘If Auntie Ji had been there when I was a child, would those experiences have lessened?’
“It’s just what I should do. The school has always set you up as a role model. The children all want to get into a university like you did and come to the big city for further studies. Your past hard work is the driving force for the children now.”
“You’re overestimating me, haha.”
I felt a bit embarrassed by her words.
The times were different from when I was a child.
In the past, classmates who stayed in the village could still have some resources when they grew up; now, that might not be possible.
‘If I had been born a little later, would the situation have been reversed? Me, becoming a role model… it’s hard to imagine.’
“Student Li, have you ever thought about going back to see for yourself?”
Auntie Ji asked.
She naturally understood my reasons for not returning to my hometown.
Despite that, she still urged me to go back and take a look.
‘Did something happen to Mom? Or Dad…’
“When there’s an opportunity… Auntie, I’ve always bothered you with the matter of the money. My mother… is she doing well?”
I took the opportunity to ask the question I was most concerned about, but Auntie Ji let out a long sigh.
“Money cannot replace family, nor can it express longing. Every time she receives the money, her eyes turn red. This time, she set aside half of the money you gave; it’s right here.”
Auntie Ji took a paper bag from the sofa cabinet and placed it on the table in front of me.
For some reason, even though she hadn’t said anything yet, my eyes became uncontrollably sore.
“I’ve let you down. Seeing her cry while she was setting the money aside, I couldn’t help but tell her a bit about your situation.”
“No… it’s okay.”
I lowered my head.
Mom found out after all.
Would she be disappointed that I had been unemployed for so long?
‘No, I know. How could she be disappointed? But I still don’t have the courage to go back… Why do I always lack the courage to face it?’
‘Seeing those little-known dark corners of my hometown, seeing the classmates who used to hurl insults at me, seeing those terraced fields overlapping upward…’
Also, when I remembered meeting Su Xixia again — someone I was never supposed to see again — I felt a genuine fear.
I had retreated and let her lead me by the nose.
“…Mingshan, I’m here.”
Perhaps sensing the internal struggle in my heart, An Zhi squeezed my hand even harder.
“My job will be stable soon. At that time, I will go back,” I said with determination.
“Good, I will convey that to your mother,” Auntie Ji said with a smile, cutting off my path of retreat.
“Go and see your mother’s current situation with your own eyes when the time comes.”
“Thank you, Auntie.”
I nodded heavily.
On the upcoming day of the Winter Solstice reunion, who would I be reuniting with?