Endless Fall

Lin Jiao sat on the carpet on her knees and stared at the dark circles under his eyes and his slightly furrowed eyebrows.

She smoothed his eyebrows and brushed her fingertips across the bridge of his nose, touching his thick eyelashes.

In his sleep, Pei Zhi muttered, “Jiaojiao.”

!!

In the quiet environment, his hoarse voice was like a grinding board beside her ear, making her feel numb.

Hearing the person she liked call her name in her dream, Lin Jiao couldn’t help but smile.

She looked at the time on her phone and saw that there were still nineteen minutes before lunch break. She did not plan to go downstairs again.

It was easy to get sleepy in a dark environment.

After lying on the sofa and looking at him for a long time, Lin Jiao’s eyelids started to droop and her feet went numb.

She climbed onto the sofa where Pei Zhi was lying and closed her eyes.

In a daze, she approached the source of the warmth and found a comfortable position. She leaned against his chest and fell asleep.

Pei Zhi, whose arm was being pressed down, habitually held the person in his arms tightly.

It was only when a familiar alarm clock rang that Pei Zhi opened his eyes slightly and reached for the phone on the bedside table that he realized that something was wrong.

The alarm clock stopped ringing three seconds later.

Lin Jiao, who was leaning in his arms, seemed to be dissatisfied with him moving around. She tightened her grip on his collar.

The worry, frustration, and uncertainty that had lasted for two days were swept away at this moment.

Pei Zhi moved his lips down from her forehead to the tip of her nose. He stared at her red lips like a hunter eyeing his prey and kissed her without hesitation, wanting to taste her sweetness.

“Mmm…” Lin Jiao, who was woken up by the kiss, met his deep eyes, and her heart skipped a beat.

She pushed him away the moment she was about to run out of breath. She was stunned by a low laugh and her face turned red.

“Jiaojiao, do you miss me?” Pei Zhi’s palm landed on her butt. Perhaps he felt that two pats was not enough, so he pinched it gently.

This was something he had never done before.

Lin Jiao felt an electric current running through her body. Even her heart was racing.

She glared at him. “No.”

“Then why did you come up?”

“Brother Qu said you fainted. I came to take a look.”

“Take a look?” Pei Zhi’s breath landed on her skin, making it impossible for her to avoid it. “Take a look in my arms.”

Lin Jiao was speechless. She avoided his gaze, her eyelashes fluttering twice a second. “I was just too sleepy.”

“Yes, so sleepy that you took advantage of me.”

“Who took advantage of who? I didn’t do anything to you when I was lying here. You kissed me first.”

“You touched me.” Pei Zhi held her hand and placed it on his abs with a serious expression. “Otherwise, why do you think I woke up?”

“I didn’t touch you!”

“You did.”

His firm tone made Lin Jiao waver. She thought for a moment and said, “So what if I touched you? You touched me too.”

“Where did I touch you?”

“There.”

Pei Zhi was amused by her answer.

He kissed her lips again gently and lightly. “We’re even now.”

“How is that even? You clearly…”

“You still want to kiss me?”

“No.” Lin Jiao lifted the blanket and put on her shoes. “I’m going back to the planning department.”

Pei Zhi put his arm around her waist from behind.

He looked sideways at the fine hair on her cheek and asked with a smile, “Have you eaten?”

“No.”

“We’ll eat together then.”

Lin Jiao’s rejection was futile.

She watched as he opened the plastic bag Qu Shao sent over and approached him unhurriedly.

He picked up a piece of sweet and crispy fish and brought it to her lips. She took a bite without hesitation, swallowed the fish, and stole a glance at him.

There were a few times when she wanted to say something but hesitated.

“Shall I send you back after work?” Pei Zhi took out a tissue and wiped her lips skillfully.

“No need.”

“Don’t you have something to tell me?”

He could tell.

Lin Jiao did not deny it. “I want to eat seafood from that restaurant in the city. Bring it back tonight.”

“Alright.” Pei Zhi rubbed the ring on her finger, not panicking at all about their conversation tonight.

...

He leaned against the sofa. “Jiaojiao.”

“Yes?”

“Come and get kissed.”

Lin Jiao returned to her desk at two-fifteen.

She pursed her slightly swollen lips and realized that their relationship was not clear enough.

She opened the WeChat chat box and kept typing on the keyboard with her thumbs. “Don’t kiss me without my permission.”

“Be a good girl and I’ll kiss you tonight.”

He did it on purpose.

Lin Jiao ignored him.

She focused on her work and perfected the two pending proposals before sending them to Zheng Yi before she got off work at six.

When rush hour arrived, there was a traffic jam.

...

As time passed, the afterglow of the setting sun gradually faded away from the horizon, leaving only a few faint lights.

Downstairs in Unit 9, many residents holding ingredients and children were waiting at the elevator door, chatting with their neighbors.

As soon as they arrived on the eighth floor, the sound of conversation was drowned out by the closing elevator door, causing the surroundings to fall silent.

When Lin Jiao returned home, she changed into her pajamas.

She turned on the heater and sat cross-legged on the carpet, watching television as she waited for him.

At almost seven-thirty, the doorbell rang.

Pei Zhi stood at the entrance and changed his shoes. He placed a bag of packed seafood on the coffee table before leaning over to kiss her cheek.

“You haven’t finished watching this drama?” He took off his coat and glanced at the LCD screen when he sat down beside her.

“There are four or five more episodes.” Lin Jiao took out a plastic box filled with different seafood. Her eyes lit up. “It smells so good.”

“Glutton.” Pei Zhi tapped the tip of her nose.

He opened the box and fed her a piece of oyster meat. Then, he put on gloves and peeled the prawns. “How does it taste?”

Lin Jiao was very satisfied. “Not bad.” She scooped up the oyster meat with a spoon and fed it to him. “This is very nourishing for men.”

Pei Zhi raised an eyebrow and looked at her meaningfully. “Do you think I need it?”

His gaze became deeper and deeper, like an endless whirlpool that wanted to pull her into it.

Lin Jiao turned around the next second.

She ate the oyster herself, her ears covered in a faint redness. “I didn’t mean that.”

“Then what do you mean?”

“I don’t mean anything in particular. Don’t let your imagination run wild.”

“It seems like—” Pei Zhi deliberately dragged out the last word and smiled mischievously. “It’s time for me to prove myself.”