Sweet Oxygen - Chapter 62

Chapter 62 – Fingers

Her legs wobbled, nearly causing her to fall

——

The second floor housed two bedrooms. The larger one was occupied by Dandan.

Dandan had poor coordination and often bumped into things. To accommodate her, the furnishings in the large bedroom were spread out. Zhang Yuqing had chosen the smaller room for himself without hesitation.

His bedroom was simple, a light-colored wardrobe stood against the wall, and a guitar leaned in the corner.

The floor lamp had been replaced with a new model. Its eye-friendly mode emitted neither dim nor overly bright light.

The bed sheets and quilt cover were light gray with a checkered pattern. Qin Han wore the black dress he’d gifted her, its wide sash tied into a loose bow at the back.

She didn’t know how long she’d been there. Having kicked off her black sandals, she now knelt on the bed clutching his pillow. Her casual posture had disheveled the skirt, the large bow at her waist half-untied, its long ends trailing across the bedsheet.

The fabric at her neckline had slipped, revealing her delicate collarbone in full view.

“Zhang Yuqing, come here! I’ve got good news!” Hearing the bathroom door open, Qin Han’s eyes sparkled as she looked over.

Zhang Yuqing emerged from the steam-filled bathroom, water droplets still clinging to his bare upper body.

The towel in his hand paused momentarily before he asked with feigned nonchalance, “What’s the good news? Rushing over here in the middle of the night?”

“My parents are getting remarried!” The girl scooted deeper into the bed and patted the empty space beside her, gesturing for Zhang Yuqing to join her.

Qin Han was never one to hide her emotions. Had this happened at any other time, Zhang Yuqing would have immediately guessed the nature of her “good news.” It would be just like that night years ago when she’d come weeping about her parents’ arguments.

But tonight, his mind wandered. He gave his short hair a perfunctory wipe with the towel before settling beside her.

The mattress dipped slightly as they faced each other on the bed.

Moonlight streamed through the window, while the gentle hum of a fan filled the room. After Qin Han shifted inward, her entire skirt spread across the bedsheets like a black koi fish.

She began excitedly recounting her day from lunchtime onward.

“To be honest, I was really worried when I saw Mom through the window. I feared she might…”

Qin Han paused, as if recalling a troubling memory. After a moment, she continued, “I was afraid she’d react the same way she did during our family arguments at home—getting too worked up and refusing to listen to Dad’s explanations.”

“Thankfully, Mom has really changed. She chatted so easily with Dean Du, even after he left. Dad and I were still tense, but Mom didn’t care at all about Dad having dinner with female colleagues. I’m so happy.”

“We even watched a movie together and went shopping and dining. It’s been ages since we had such moments.”

“Before Mom and Dad divorced, we used to watch at least two movies every summer and winter break. Later, as Dad got busier and I started high school, we stopped having those movie nights.”

The young girl spoke with a beaming smile, her words flowing like a stream.

Zhang Yuqing listened, but his attention kept drifting. Especially when her lips, painted with glossy crimson, opened and closed rhythmically—the sight was inexplicably captivating.

After sharing stories about her parents, Qin Han suddenly realized she wasn’t seventeen anymore. She’d intruded into her boyfriend’s bedroom, where his bamboo-scented aura still lingered in the sheets.

This realization hit her like a delayed epiphany, Zhang Yuqing hadn’t bothered with short sleeves today. His bare chest remained exposed as he sat by the bed.

The light fell on his skin, revealing the smooth contours of his arm muscles and the faint traces of abs on his abdomen.

Feeling suddenly self-conscious, she averted her gaze and blurted out a lame question, “I remember you mentioned having a tattoo before. Where is it?”

Zhang Yuqing’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he chuckled softly, “The little miss is quite curious about my tattoo, aren’t we?”

“I-I just don’t know where it is.”

The attic of the tattoo studio had been designed by Zhang Yuqing himself during renovations many years ago. It was decently furnished and warm in winter, but the main drawback was how stuffy it became in summer.

Dandan’s room fared slightly better with its two large windows, while Zhang Yuqing’s side only had one. Even with the fan running, the heat remained oppressive.

Zhang Yuqing didn’t elaborate about the tattoo, nor did he ask Qin Han if she intended to stay overnight.

He simply withdrew his gaze from her, stood up, and handed her a loose-fitting men’s short-sleeved shirt. “Go take a shower. There’s still warm water.”

Qin Han accepted the shirt and obediently went into the bathroom.

Perhaps because the dress had been a gift from Zhang Yuqing, the young girl treasured it dearly. She worried the steam might leave water stains on the fabric.

She rustled about in the bathroom for a moment before opening the door a sliver. Carefully, she passed out her dress, probably intending to hang it on the bathroom door handle.

The round door handle proved awkward for hanging. She fussed with the door crack for quite some time.

“Need help?”

Qin Han’s voice carried a note of panic. “No, no need. I’ll get it soon. Y-you shouldn’t come in.”

Zhang Yuqing leaned against the wall, chuckling softly.

The sound of running water from the bathroom drew his attention. He pulled himself back, beginning to process Qin Han’s earlier words.

He could sense her joy, and understood how the young girl’s perception of parental love had made her more trusting when it came to matters of romance.

Should I suppress my thoughts and get some sleep?

Or should I do something?

The bathroom had been renovated when Zhang Yuqing was only 19. He still felt pressure from his grandmother and Dandan, making it impossible to consider every detail.

Back then, he never imagined he’d bring a young girl home, nor did he anticipate a woman bathing in his bathroom.

The door wasn’t a solid wooden panel that could hide everything. It was frosted glass.

The young girl, being overly kind, wiped the steam off the glass window, leaving her silhouette visible on the glass.

Seeing her reflection, Zhang Yuqing helplessly lowered his head to glance at his sweatpants.

The expected reaction was no less than he’d anticipated.

Qin Han emerged from the bathroom about ten minutes later, her hair half-dried and only wearing one of Zhang Yuqing’s short-sleeved shirts that barely covered her thighs.

Her cheeks flushed red as she tried to change the subject, “A shower really does cool you down.”

Zhang Yuqing sat on the bed, extending his hand toward Qin Han.

She instinctively placed her hand in his palm, only to be suddenly pulled into his embrace.

The scent of their shared shower gel lingered between them. Qin Han, sitting on Zhang Yuqing’s lap, found herself momentarily distracted.

She realized that men’s sweatpants against the skin felt like this—a soft, familiar material.

The momentary distraction ended abruptly as Qin Han felt Zhang Yuqing’s breath against her ear, his voice low and husky, “Which side of the bed do you prefer? Inside? Outside?”

“Inside,” Qin Han’s voice trembled slightly.

“I was a bit distracted earlier, but I’m genuinely happy for you. Your parents’ reconciliation is a good thing.”

Zhang Yuqing’s hand wandered across her back, his lips brushing against her earlobe. “How’s this? Can you accept it?”

Qin Han’s breath hitched momentarily, her eyes widening as a wild fire mixed with electric currents seemed to ignite from her ear.

She wondered if the fire that had burned through seven hundred miles of allied camps during the Shu-Wu battles of the Three Kingdoms era had burned with such ferocity.

She closed her eyes, her lashes trembling uncontrollably, yet still nodded.

Zhang Yuqing lifted her into his arms, placing her on the bed before slowly moving closer.

In this act, he was gentle, yet still carried an uncontainable intensity.

The mattress creaked faintly. Qin Han opened her trembling eyes, the light blocked by his body.

She felt as if Zhang Yuqing had enveloped her in another world, their breaths intertwining in a heady, alcohol-like haze.

Zhang Yuqing gazed at her, his eyes holding something more than usual. He took her hand and guided it downward.

Qin Han recognized the metallic weight against her hand—the drawstring of his athletic shorts. He pressed her palm against a certain place. “How about this? Can you accept it?”

Her entire body burned. The object beneath her palm pulsed like a heartbeat.

She nodded again.

Zhang Yuqing smiled. “Little girl, today wasn’t part of my plan at all. When I told you ‘take your time,’ I really meant it.”

“Mom and Dad would probably do the same thing today,” Qin Han said suddenly, for some reason.

“Try it. If you can’t handle it, just stop.”

These were probably their last words. Yaonan Alley remained silent in the night.

Beibei’s ears twitched on the first-floor floor. It could hear sounds coming from the bedroom upstairs—like Zhang Yuqing’s usual practice of sit-ups on the mattress.

The bath they’d taken earlier was wasted. Their sweat mixed together, impossible to tell whose was whose.

But in the end, Qin Han was still nervous. Zhang Yuqing only said, “Use your hands.”

Qin Han had a dream. She dreamed about when she was little and learning piano. She’d always have to sit at the piano and practice for hours and hours, until her wrists and fingertips were sore.

But the next day, when her piano teacher came to give her a lesson at home, she’d praise her for practicing her homework better than the other kids.

When she woke up, she knew why she’d had that dream.

The events from last night reappeared in her mind—

In the dead of night, Qin Han stood frozen with her hands raised helplessly. Zhang Yuqing crouched before her, wiping her fingers clean with a paper towel.

The bedside lamp had been dimmed to its lowest setting, casting the bedroom in a moonlit glow that obscured details.

Qin Han remembered Zhang Yuqing cleaning her fingers, then lowering his gaze to kiss the back of her hand. His eyes, usually filled with warmth, appeared particularly deep in the night’s embrace. Meeting her gaze, he asked in a husky voice, “Need me to clean you there?”

Remembering last night’s events, Qin Han felt her toes curl in embarrassment beneath the covers.

She shifted carefully beside him but sensed no presence.

Had Zhang Yuqing already gotten up?

She wanted to stay in bed, but today was Monday—workday.

Reluctantly, Qin Han opened her eyes. The bathroom door creaked as Zhang Yuqing emerged.

His black hair glistened with moisture. Noticing her wakefulness, he approached the bed and kissed her forehead. “Morning, little girl.”

“Morning.”

Wrapped in the quilt, Qin Han paused before whispering, “What time is it?”

“Just past five.”

“Why are you up so early?”

“To buy breakfast.”

“I’ll go too!”

Qin Han jumped off the bed, but her legs wobbled, nearly causing her to fall. Zhang Yuqing caught her.

She looked at him in confusion.

Why are my legs so weak? We didn’t actually do anything.

Can just that kind of contact make my legs go weak?

Zhang Yuqing steadied her and leaned close to her ear. “Young lady, my fingers are quite dexterous, you know.”