Chapter 037 Did he really still think she was "bad"?
*
Su Xian usually wore a shirt and suit pants to work, with her hair slicked back, and put on blue-light glasses when using the computer. At home, she changed into old T-shirts and "grandma pants." So, her special dressing today was a pleasant surprise to Li Chengshi. Her short, tight white T-shirt outlined a sexy and healthy figure, topped with a loose, printed shirt, making her look vibrant.
He thought everything about her looked great.
But conversely, he felt too embarrassed to stare.
*
They transferred at Shinjuku, and the numerous platforms made them scramble to find the right one. In the end, they barely caught the planned train, having to climb two steps at once.
As the train door slowly closed behind them, Li Chengshi was out of breath. Su Xian looked around; there were no empty seats. She tucked him against the side panel next to a row of seats so he had something to lean on. When his breathing calmed down, she pulled a small bottle of green tea from her tote bag and handed it to him.
"Thank you."
Su Xian also opened a bottle and took a couple of sips. As she was about to put the cap back on, she noticed him staring at the bottle and asked, "What are you looking at? Mine is the same as yours."
"Um, the, the lipstick, doesn't it stick to it?"
"It does." She turned the bottle mouth for him to see.
"Does it come off that much? Doesn't that mean you drink it too when you drink water?"
"It's unavoidable. But this is a lip gloss; it comes off exceptionally easily. Lipstick would be better."
"Lip gloss?" Although he didn't understand the term, the shiny look on her lips was probably the "gloss." He couldn't resist stealing a glance at her lips to confirm, but afraid of being caught, he quickly dropped his eyes after one look.
Su Xian saw his long eyelashes flutter like two small brushes and couldn't help but lower her head and smile. "Do you want to try some? The color isn't obvious." As she spoke, she retrieved the lip gloss from her tote bag.
"Don't mess around!"
Just then, the train gave a timely jolt. Su Xian was holding the lip gloss with both hands, ready to open it, and her body had no support. She could only fall towards Li Chengshi with the momentum of the sway.
Li Chengshi's back was against the panel, so he not only firmly caught her but also subconsciously cupped her lower back with his palm.
Her two hands holding the lip gloss were between them, but her lips still grazed his jaw, leaving two parallel rose-colored marks on the side of his face.
Su Xian quickly stood up, but she was certain that the hand supporting her lower back did not let go until 5 seconds after she regained her balance.
5 seconds is a long time, truly.
She put the lip gloss back in the tote bag and took out a tissue to help him wipe the product off his face.
"I'll do it myself." His face was red, and he was visibly flustered. He snatched the tissue and wiped a few times, but the lip gloss was sticky and not easily removed. It was only smeared evenly and thinned out, adding a faint blush to his pale skin.
He looked so good. Su Xian was very pleased with her handiwork.
*
"Do you want to reapply your makeup?" After the accident, the shiny "gloss" on her lips was gone, and there was some smudging at the corners of her mouth.
Su Xian wiped the corner of her lip with a finger. "I'll touch it up after we get off the train. Applying makeup on the train is a bit risky."
"I'll switch places with you. It's stable here."
"It seems you really like lip gloss. I'll definitely put some on you when we get home," she said softly with a smile.
"I do not!" He became flustered again.
"There's an empty seat!" Su Xian pulled him and moved to the empty seat behind the panel. Now they could comfortably continue their journey to the Shonan coast. "Lucky!"
**
They arranged to meet Honda at Kamakura Station. As soon as they stepped off the platform, they saw her bouncing and jumping in the crowd, waving her hands enthusiastically—she was very easy to spot.
She immediately walked up and said, "Futari, tottemo oniai desu! (You two are such a perfect couple!)"
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Su Xian said Arigatou (Thank you). Li Chengshi pursed his lips but didn't contradict her.
They walked down Komachi-dori, visited Hase-dera Temple. Honda frequently offered to take couple photos for them, and they took many silly, energetic photos for her. She was as lively and cheerful as a little sun. Su Xian also used a flexible tripod to take many group photos. They posed coolly, acted cute, and made funny faces for the camera, having a great time.
They finally arrived at the famous crossing in front of Kamakura High School, a pilgrimage site where Slam Dunk fans from all over the world stop. It was crowded, but they still managed to capture the perfect photos.
In the shopping district of Enoshima, Su Xian bought Li Chengshi a new Rukawa Kaede keychain.
"What do you want? I'll buy you one too."
Su Xian chose a pencil case printed with a chibi-style illustration of Sakuragi Hanamichi and Rukawa Kaede fighting.
They ate fresh seafood sets at a restaurant facing the ocean, browsed unique little shops, and sat by the sea eating ice cream and feeling the breeze, waiting for the sunset.
*
On the way back, they were both asleep, leaning on each other.
**
On Sunday, Su Xian slept until after noon. After a quick wash-up, she went downstairs to eat.
After gorging on food the day before, she needed something easy on the stomach. Li Chengshi made clear soup chicken noodles, a small bowl for each of them. It tasted so good that Su Xian felt limitlessly happy.
After eating, they chatted and scrolled through their phones. She noticed Li Chengshi was editing a photo and said, surprised, "You know how to do that!"
He quickly explained, "I'm just adding a filter for the scenery, not using a beauty filter."
"You don't need a beauty filter with your looks."
Realizing she was complimenting him, Li Chengshi couldn't help but smile. "Team Leader, do you have photos of your ex-boyfriends? I want to see which one is the hottest."
"The first one was too long ago; I've completely lost touch. Zhao Nanfeng goes without saying. You know the nature of my relationship with the third one, so we agreed from the start not to leave any trace in each other's lives. But honestly, he was the hottest."
"How did you two... play?" The question was offensive, but he was genuinely curious.
Su Xian seemed not to mind at all. "We played very well. We met twice a month, once at his place, once at mine. Whoever's territory it was set the theme."
"Set the theme? Did you do role-playing too?" He started to look disgusted again.
"...It wasn't that complicated every time."
"What kind of themes did you do?" He was even more disgusted, but he still wanted to ask.
"Why, do you want to learn some tricks?"
"Who needs you to teach me? I know a lot!"
Su Xian nodded, thinking: What do you know, you little virgin?
"If you played so well, why did you break up?"
"He met his true love."
"If that girl knew about your relationship, wouldn't she..."
Su Xian cut him off. "It was a guy."
*
After an unknown period of silence, Li Chengshi finally burst out laughing. He looked at Su Xian with pity and asked, "So, you were with a gay man...?"
"He's bisexual; he just didn't know it himself until he met that man."
He couldn't help but roll his eyes. "I think you were played."
"That's okay, we both got what we needed."
"When did you break up?"
"The year before last."
"Why didn't you look for someone else?"
"I did look, but you didn't agree."
"I definitely wouldn't agree to that kind of relationship!"
"Mhm, you're a good boy."
He didn't know what to say. Undeniably, when he refused her, he had mentally categorized her as a "bad woman." But now, did he really still think she was "bad"?
Su Xian checked her phone. "Let's go. It's time for your driving practice."
*
