Chapter 80: Practicing Embraces

“Cold! I’m freezing to death every day!” Dong Yanyan snapped, and seeing him still unmoving, she grabbed a pillow and flung it at his head. Ren Jiaxuan let out a cry and jumped to the floor, but before he could steady himself, Xinran yanked him by the sleeve and dragged him out, slamming the door behind him.

Dong Yanyan felt satisfied—now that boy wouldn’t be able to enter her dorm again. Really, he had no sense of boundaries, clearly used to flirting with girls. Being around him would never feel safe.

After washing up and changing into her thick down jacket, Dong Yanyan slung her backpack and stepped outside. Ren Jiaxuan was nowhere to be seen, but a few boys stood outside Liu Siying’s dorm. She squinted and recognized Zhou Zheng, the class president from the production department; Li Zhe, president from the broadcasting department; and Qiu Dong from the distribution department—the presidents were holding a meeting.

“Hey! Why is the student council convening outside the girls’ dorm today?” She stood in the doorway, surprised.

Zhou Zheng glanced at her and ignored her. Li Zhe turned, giving her a handsome smile. Qiu Dong’s eyes lit up and he walked over, smiling, “Yanyan, do you know where Liu Siying went? None of her roommates do.”

“What? Don’t tell me you’re all here for her! That’s too much!” Dong Yanyan asked in disbelief.

“Yanyan, we're here for work. When she comes back, just tell her to come find me on the fifth floor,” Li Zhe said with a smile.

“Yanyan doesn’t have time, look for someone else!” Ren Jiaxuan ran over with a ping-pong paddle, pulled Dong Yanyan close, and smiled affectionately, “I just played some ping-pong. You’re ready so quickly! Let’s go!”

Dong Yanyan lazily waved to Li Zhe, then followed Ren Jiaxuan away.

On the way to the car, she muttered, “Blocking someone at their dorm door? Too blatant! ‘Work matters,’ who believes that?”

“You’re right not to believe it. Liu Siying’s song last night enchanted a crowd—she’ll have plenty of admirers.” Ren Jiaxuan laughed, “Actually, her English song wasn’t that impressive. Just unexpected. I sing better than her.”

“That, I do believe. Sing it for me sometime,” Dong Yanyan replied with a smile. Her main concern wasn’t that, but that someone was competing with Xu Cheng for a girlfriend. She hated when people tried to steal her husband’s woman—and so many vying for her. Given his timid temperament, tragedy seemed likely.

“Let’s eat first, then head to the gym. What do you want?” Ren Jiaxuan started the car and turned to ask.

She smiled absentmindedly, “Anything, I’m really hungry.”

*

They went to the indoor roller rink at the gym. It was the weekend, so the place was lively, filled with people.

Dong Yanyan and Ren Jiaxuan changed shoes; with his pulling and guiding, she entered the rink, clutching the rail for dear life, but managed not to fall. Ren Jiaxuan laughed, “So you don’t know how to skate!”

Dong Yanyan shot him a playful glare, “Of course I don’t, why else would I come with you?”

“That’s true.” Ren Jiaxuan nodded, wrapping his arm around her waist. “Don’t worry, I’ll guide you. You’ll pick it up soon.” He moved forward, and Dong Yanyan, losing her balance, leaned in and clung tightly to his waist—how slim it was! Ren Jiaxuan smiled and simply pulled her close, comforting her in a gentle voice, “Don’t be afraid.”

Dong Yanyan’s cheeks grew warm—this was the first time a boy had held her so tightly. He smelled of fresh laundry, his body warm; it made her a little dizzy.

“No, you need to let go so I can walk on my own. Otherwise, how will I learn?” she muttered softly.

“Don’t rush, I’ll guide you a bit first.” Ren Jiaxuan stepped back, holding both her hands, and led her forward. Dong Yanyan wobbled, then gingerly slid a few steps, feeling pretty good. She asked him to move back more and took two steps herself, finding her balance.

“Let go, I’ll do it myself!” She gleefully shook off his hands and tried skating alone.

Ren Jiaxuan, seeing all the people around, felt uneasy, so he skated backward, watching her. Her clumsy posture made him laugh, “You’re almost as slow as a snail!”

“You’re the snail—” Dong Yanyan hadn’t finished when she saw a group speeding toward her. Panic made her lose balance and fall; suddenly, someone darted over and caught her, spun her half a turn, then stopped. Dong Yanyan, still shaken, patted her chest and thanked him. He smiled, let her go, and departed. Ren Jiaxuan, half amused and half helpless, steadied her, “See how dangerous that was? Better let me guide you.”

Dong Yanyan thought it over and agreed it was safer, so she let him hold her hand as they skated. The speed was much faster! As they raced, her mood soared. Ren Jiaxuan was even more excited, pulling her through the crowd, dodging and turning, scaring Dong Yanyan into cold sweats. Each time, he caught her just in time. So, all afternoon, they collided, hugged, and laughed. Dong Yanyan suspected he brought her here on purpose. There was a legend on Tianya—expert flirts don’t hug girls, they make girls hug them. Look at him: so gentlemanly, considerate, pure. Yet the feeling of having someone to rely on, being protected, was wonderful. She smiled, thinking of it.

By the time they left the gym, night had fallen and the city lights were blooming.

Ren Jiaxuan unlocked the car and hurried to open her door. Dong Yanyan got in, sinking into the comfortable seat, realizing how tired she actually was.

Ren Jiaxuan started the engine and drove off.

Dong Yanyan frowned with concern, “It’s so cold—shouldn’t you warm up the car first? It’s bad for it.”

“It’s fine, my car’s good,” Ren Jiaxuan said, unconcerned, reversing and merging onto the road.

“The better the car, the more you should take care of it. Cars have feelings too. If you truly cherish it, your bond grows stronger; if it’s just a tool, and you don’t care for it, a quirky car will throw a tantrum.” Dong Yanyan spoke earnestly. Xu Cheng was a car fanatic, meticulously caring for every vehicle he handled. Each new car, he wouldn’t let anyone touch, breaking it in carefully, maintaining it with more devotion than for a wife. Every time he changed cars, he felt reluctant; sometimes, seeing a car he once drove, he’d get excited, even secretly follow it for a bit, and talk about it at home for days. It was magical—his cars always ran fine when he drove, but whenever he lent them out, they’d develop problems, sometimes breaking down after just a short drive. Xu Cheng firmly believed cars had souls, treating them like buddies.

“Is it that mystical? Yanyan, are you using cars as a metaphor for people? Don’t worry, I’ll treat you well.” Ren Jiaxuan smiled at her.

Suddenly, a taxi ahead slammed on the brakes. “Hey, there’s a car!” Dong Yanyan hadn’t finished speaking before Ren Jiaxuan hit the brakes—bang! Dong Yanyan felt a jolt; they’d rear-ended the taxi.

Her unlucky mouth—always spot-on! She regretted having spoken.

The taxi driver jumped out to check his bumper. Ren Jiaxuan lost his temper, jumped out, slammed his own door, and shouted, “What’s wrong with you? You think the road is your personal driveway, stopping whenever you like?! Look what you did to my car! Now what?!”

“Buddy, you rear-ended me—look, my bumper’s dented!” the taxi driver replied helplessly.

“If you hadn’t braked in the middle of the road, I wouldn’t have crashed into you! This car’s brand-new and you scratched it—pay up!” Ren Jiaxuan insisted.

Seeing them argue, Dong Yanyan got out, impatiently telling the taxi driver, “Forget it, just go! Next time, be more careful!”

The taxi driver sheepishly drove off. Ren Jiaxuan glared angrily at Dong Yanyan, but she pulled him back into the car.

“Now you care?” she teased, turning to smile at him.

Ren Jiaxuan turned the wheel, parked by the roadside, pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and took two hard drags.

“If you hadn’t held me back, this wouldn’t be over,” he said, still seething.

“I hate it when you smoke—it ruins your voice!” Dong Yanyan snatched the cigarette and crushed it in the ashtray, glancing at his still indignant face and laughing, “Parking in the middle of the road is inconsiderate, but we did rear-end him. If the traffic police came, we’d be mainly responsible—they’d say you weren’t paying enough attention.”

“So you’re saying it’s my fault?” Ren Jiaxuan smiled.

“Honestly, your reaction was quick. Really, if you hadn’t argued, I would have. In these cases, it’s best to strike first, or else we’d be in trouble. This way, he left quickly. His car is insured, repairs won’t cost him anything. We don’t delay his fares, he doesn’t delay our journey,” Dong Yanyan laughed.

“We’re not in a hurry, perfect time for a chat,” Ren Jiaxuan turned sideways, took her hand and smiled ambiguously, “How about we sit in the back for a while?”

Dong Yanyan looked at his beautiful hands, feeling slightly uneasy as she withdrew hers and frowned, “I’ve been thinking—how do two hot-tempered people get along? Your temper flares instantly. If we ever argue, it’ll be rough.”