Breaking Off Contact

Wei Yin shook her head, and droplets flew from her hair, splashing onto Hua Yu’s hand.

Hua Yu gave a soft laugh. “Come here. Let me dry your hair.”

Wei Yin rolled away, putting some distance between them, and held out a hand. “I can do it myself.”

“You know how to blow-dry it into shape?” Hua Yu said lightly. “Your hair grows fast. If you just dry it any old way, it’ll be puffed up like a lion’s mane by tomorrow.”

“Then let it be a lion’s mane. I’ll tie it up.” Wei Yin was annoyed at her own hopeless reaction. Now, every time Hua Yu said something, she had to answer back.

Hua Yu stared at her for two seconds, then suddenly reached out, her hand hovering over Wei Yin’s head in confusion.

“Still not letting me touch your head?”

Wei Yin puffed out her cheeks. After a dazed moment, she deflated.

Her voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz. “...I didn’t say you couldn’t.”

Hua Yu said, “I’m not going to push you away anymore. Are you still angry with me?”

Her tone was gentle. When she spoke to Wei Yin, she always made a deliberate effort to soften it, to keep her naturally cool voice from driving people away. But after years and years without much lively social contact, even when she tried to be tender and considerate, she still came off clumsy at times. And because she was naturally forceful and decisive, when she was faced with someone as soft as Wei Yin, it was either endless tolerance and understanding or driving the person away.

Wei Yin had been angry with her once. Hua Yu had learned her lesson and corrected herself; lately she hadn’t done anything wrong. So why was the person in front of her getting petulant again?

Of course, Hua Yu didn’t know it was because she was embarrassed; she only found it amusing.

Wei Yin, who had never once used force on Hua Yu, felt deeply wronged.

“I’m not angry. I just want to dry my own hair.”

Hua Yu had no choice but to hand her the hairdryer.

Wei Yin turned it to the highest setting and shook it carelessly over the top of her head. Even from half a meter away, Hua Yu could feel the hot wind brushing over her.

Halfway through, when her hair was still only half-dry, Hua Yu handed her a comb.

Wei Yin took it and tried to comb her hair, only to find that... it wouldn’t go through.

She switched off the hairdryer in shock, took up the comb again, and started from the ends this time... still no luck.

“You’re part sofa, part natural curl,” Hua Yu said, pinching the base of Wei Yin’s thumb as she took the comb back. She sat down beside her. “Back when you were undernourished, it just lay flat. Now that your nutrition is catching up, the strands are standing up more, so you need to take better care of it. Otherwise it’ll be even harder to manage.”

Hua Yu got a bottle of hair oil, poured some into her palm, and threaded her fingers through Wei Yin’s hair to massage it slowly and carefully. At the end, she used the comb to work out the tangles bit by bit, then blow-dried and shaped it section by section.

Wei Yin narrowed her eyes, enjoying the care, but still muttered a quiet objection. “It’s too much trouble. Better to cut it off.”

“Keep it,” Hua Yu said flatly. “If it’s annoying, I’ll comb it for you.”

Wei Yin turned her head. “I wash my hair every day.”

Hua Yu answered calmly, “Mm. Then I’ll comb it every day.”

Wei Yin looked unconvinced. “Dr. Hua gets off work in the middle of the night every day and has to get up to an alarm the next morning. Where would you find the time to comb my hair?”

“Then I’ll get up half an hour earlier,” Hua Yu said indifferently. “I never get enough sleep anyway. Half an hour more or less doesn’t make a difference.”

Wei Yin couldn’t help laughing. “Pfft.”

“Did you hear that?” Hua Yu emphasized again. “You’re not allowed to cut it. Grow it out; I like looking at it.”

The words like looking at it made Wei Yin fall silent.

“All right, I’ll reluctantly agree.” Wei Yin gave in.

By the time the blow-drying was done, it was already eleven. Wei Yin jumped off the sofa and pushed Hua Yu toward bed.

“Wait,” Hua Yu said, turning back. “I have something else for you.”

Wei Yin pressed both hands against Hua Yu’s back, alternating little pushes. “Stop dawdling. Give it to me tomorrow. You finally got home early; hurry up and go rest.”

Hua Yu caught her wrist and used the motion to push her aside, while her other hand reached into the pocket of her pajamas.

Wei Yin’s eyes widened at once.

“This key is for you,” Hua Yu said, taking out a small cloth pouch. “I’ll send you the address on WeChat tomorrow.”

Wei Yin had both hands crossed over her chest, her wrist pinned by Hua Yu, unable to move. The tips of her ears turned red. “What?”

Hua Yu slipped the key into the pocket of her pajamas. Their distance drew closer, and Wei Yin seemed to catch the scent of camellias again. “A small courtyard, for your pottery kiln work.”

Wei Yin: !

If she were a cat, her ears would absolutely be flattened back in shock right now.

How was this any different from someone giving you a whole house?

She was still so young; how had she ended up cast as the kept woman in some melodramatic romance drama?

“There’s kiln equipment inside. I don’t understand that stuff, so I had someone else buy it; there’s one gas kiln and one electric kiln,” Hua Yu explained softly. “Once Ya Qing comes back, she can move the studio over there. The courtyard is a little over four hundred square meters; you two can use it however you want.”

A pizza loaded with cheese had fallen from the sky and smashed into Wei Yin’s heart, making it bloom with delight; but the morality of not accepting alms still made her hesitate for a moment.

“I can’t afford the rent.”

Hua Yu seemed to have already expected that. She only said coolly, “It came from my mother. She gave it to Ya Qing and you to use.”

Wei Yin frowned. “You just said Ya Qing hasn’t moved there yet.”

“Did I? I said it wrong. She’ll definitely move there,” Hua Yu said without changing expression. “It’s just a change of workplace. You two are partners; the rent is part of the business, and it’s Ya Qing’s responsibility. You only need to do your own work well.”

Wei Yin’s mind turned this way and that, finally settling on: Xu Ya Qing and Hua Yu are cousins; they’re family. Whose house it is and whether rent should be paid probably isn’t something she ought to worry about.

Wei Yin said happily, “Okay.”

Hua Yu didn’t speak, nor did she let go. She pressed Wei Yin against the wall for half a minute, then suddenly lowered her head and sniffed the top of Wei Yin’s hair, taking a deep breath.

Wei Yin: “...What are you doing?”

“Nothing.” Hua Yu stood quietly for a long while before releasing her and changing the subject. “Tomorrow, let’s go buy you a set of clothes. The day after tomorrow, we’ll go to the gathering together.”

For an instant just now, she seemed to have caught Wei Yin’s pheromone scent.

Hua Yu remembered Wei Yin’s pheromones as the scent of agave after rain, fresh and sweet, its fragrance melting into the cool dampness.

But before she could properly catch that faint scent, it vanished completely. Wei Yin only smelled of shampoo and body wash, and even baby cream. Hua Yu figured she must have been mistaken.

Wei Yin didn’t think much of it and raised a hand. “I have clothes suitable for a gathering.”

Hua Yu gave a casual “Mm?”; her tone was unconcerned, as if she didn’t believe there could be anything appropriate for a formal occasion in that wardrobe of sportswear and nanny-style practical clothes. “That interview suit and insurance-agent look doesn’t count.”

“It’s not a suit,” Wei Yin said, her eyes bright. “I have a really pretty dress. I bought it for graduation. I’ll wear it for you to see.”

Without waiting for Hua Yu to react, she dashed back to her room and started changing on her own.

The word graduation made Hua Yu freeze for a moment. By the time she came back to herself, Wei Yin had already slipped into the room.

Her expression shifted uncertainly. She took a step toward Wei Yin’s side, then hesitated and stopped.

Four years ago, on that day, she had gone to the school and failed to see Wei Yin even once; she didn’t know what Wei Yin looked like when she graduated.

So much time had passed, and yet Hua Yu still very much wanted to take a look.

Wei Yin changed quickly. Probably because she couldn’t find shoes to match, she came out barefoot; her pale toes stepped onto the gray marble floor. Above them was a black evening dress.

Wei Yin turned left and right, the hem swaying; she looked like a black enchantress in bloom.

It was a classic Audrey Hepburn style, with openwork cutouts at the back that exposed most of her shoulder blades and slim waist. The front was fitted at the waist, the chest wrapped in a teardrop-shaped design, and below that the fabric fell naturally over her waist and hips, outlining soft curves.

She was a little thin, but her skin was fair, and everything that should be there was there.

She wore it very boldly.

For a moment, Hua Yu looked almost entranced.

But that was immediately replaced by dazed sadness.

In her memory, Wei Yin only wore skirts above the knee on the hottest few days of summer.

Not only because she was afraid of the cold, but also because she was a little conservative and didn’t want to wear clothes that exposed too much when she went out. Wei Yin disliked the scrutinizing gaze of others.

Someone so habitually guarded; why had she dressed this boldly for graduation?

Who was she wearing it for?

Hua Yu thought of what had happened that day, and also remembered the words Wei Yin had murmured in her dream when she first came to Hua Yu’s home.

Wei Yin had said that Hua Yu absolutely had to come to her graduation.

“Who were you saying that to?” Hua Yu asked softly.

Wei Yin clutched the edge of her skirt with both hands and tilted her head in confusion. “What?”

Hua Yu shook her head, forcing the untimely thoughts out of her mind, and smiled as she waved Wei Yin over.

Wei Yin lifted her skirt and walked toward her.

“Put it down; let me take a look,” Hua Yu said, helping Wei Yin turn around once. “You don’t need to hold the hem. It won’t drag on the floor. If you’re not used to it, you can have a tailor shorten it a little.”

Wei Yin always felt like there was a draft on her back. Every time Hua Yu touched her, she’d start laughing for physiological reasons.

“Hahahaha, this is so weird. The dress looks pretty, but wearing it feels so strange. It keeps cinching me in.”

Hua Yu looked at her and said gently, “That’s how evening dresses are.”

“Then can I wear this one?” Wei Yin asked.

Hua Yu thought for two seconds. “Are you sure this is the dress you wore on graduation day?”

“I think so,” Wei Yin said. “I’ve seen my graduation photo.”

Hua Yu nodded. “Then change into another one.”

Wei Yin didn’t understand. “Why?”

Can’t clothes be worn twice?

Hua Yu took a breath and explained patiently, “If you wore it once at graduation, your classmates might remember. They could say you haven’t bought new clothes in all these four years.”

Wei Yin still looked puzzled. “Yeah, I didn’t buy any. Who buys a new evening dress every day? It’s not like I work in socializing.”

She really didn’t care at all about being looked down on by her classmates.

Looking at Wei Yin’s innocent, stubborn face, Hua Yu briefly didn’t know how to explain to her that the important thing about a class reunion was socializing, and social occasions needed face; a good outfit could carry most of the room.

Hua Yu compromised and relented. “But you’re bringing your family member along... Right. If you don’t have a new dress, people might think I haven’t taken care of you properly and didn’t buy you a little dress to wear.”

When Wei Yin heard the words family member, her ears twitched and her face began to heat up.

Last week, Hua Yu had suddenly offered to go with her to the class reunion. Wei Yin had been flattered beyond belief.

She didn’t have any urgent desire to attend a gathering with classmates she barely remembered, but if Hua Yu was going to attend a social event with her, that meant something completely different.

Wei Yin repeatedly confirmed that Hua Yu had said family member, not family doctor.

She lifted her chin, glanced at Hua Yu from the corner of her eye, and said quietly, “You... never bought me a little dress in the first place.”

Hua Yu paused, then curved her lips. “Didn’t I? I didn’t know your size.”

Wei Yin quickly reported her measurements.

Hua Yu gave Wei Yin a head-to-toe look with a gaze like a searchlight. After a moment, she shook her head and said with certainty, “No, the proportions are wrong.”

“I measured just last month!” Wei Yin argued with reason. “And why are you the one saying it’s wrong? It’s not your measurements...”

Hua Yu raised an eyebrow, amusement in her eyes. “The waist-to-hip ratio is wrong. If you don’t believe me, you can measure again.”

Wei Yin met Hua Yu’s gaze and decided this person was being obscene on purpose.

She stormed back into the bedroom, found the sewing kit, and while tugging out the measuring tape, walked back out. “I’ll show you. My waist... grew by two centimeters? And my hips... grew by five centimeters!?”

Hua Yu held back laughter and said that was normal. “Those are the places where women store fat. You’ve gained some weight; didn’t you notice?”

Wei Yin looked at Hua Yu warily. “How do you know?”

“What kind of look is that?” Hua Yu couldn’t help laughing; she was almost laughing in exasperation. “The nutritional supplements I’ve been giving you are all aimed at healthy weight gain. If you weren’t getting fatter, that’s what would worry me.”

Only then did Wei Yin relax. She gestured at her figure, worried. “How much do I need to weigh?”

“Over a hundred,” Hua Yu said without blinking. “Then maintain it.”

Wei Yin had never weighed more than a hundred in her entire life. She felt Hua Yu was talking nonsense, but she didn’t dare object.

Hua Yu delivered her final verdict. “All right. I have work tomorrow, so be good and go buy the dress yourself.”

“Oh.” Wei Yin’s cheeks were faintly red. She cleared her throat. “Got it.”

Hua Yu said in a low voice, “Use my card.”

Wei Yin nodded. “Of course.”

After thinking about it, Hua Yu added, “A simple evening dress is fine.”

Wei Yin bit back a laugh. “Okay.”

In the living room, the scratchy sound of the little turtle crawling around in its eco tank rang out. Hua Yu told Wei Yin to go change clothes while she went to change the water in the tank.

The little turtle was a little bigger than when they first got it, but still only about the length of a finger; round and green and oily-looking, rather cute, a living thing that didn’t take much time to care for.

Hua Yu had always been a person with boundaries. She wouldn’t casually provoke anyone; once she did, she would take responsibility.

Just like her liking for succulents and turtles—things that were easy to keep alive and didn’t require much thought, so there was no psychological burden in raising them.

If it were something delicate like orchids, or a kitten or puppy, Hua Yu wouldn’t be this decisive.

And if it were Wei Yin... Hua Yu often felt that bringing Wei Yin home had been an impulsive decision.

Wei Yin changed into the dress she’d worn on graduation day, and it reminded Hua Yu of many things.

So many things she had deliberately ignored; all the causes and effects buried in memory.

...Exactly why had she and Wei Yin split up?

In the second semester of Wei Yin’s senior year, Hua Yu first saw Wei Yin’s sunflower being held in Yu Tiantian’s hand, and then at a banquet saw Yu Tiantian and Wei Yin “kissing.” Hua Yu spent many dazed days afterward, thinking of countless ways to handle it, until finally she chose a day to confess to Wei Yin.

She couldn’t remember exactly what happened that day, but when she came back to her senses, she saw herself nearly losing control of her pheromones and biting Wei Yin’s gland.

Hua Yu had been gifted by her high-tier pheromones, but she was also burdened by them. That day, she smelled Wei Yin’s pheromones; just as she had imagined, they were sweet and fragrant.

But before she could savor that scent, her pheromones went violently out of control.

When she came back to herself, Wei Yin’s eyes were red, tears spilling down in large drops, her gaze at Hua Yu full of fear and shock.

And Hua Yu’s teeth were pressed against Wei Yin’s gland, leaving two dark red bite marks.

There was no doubt in her mind that if a few more seconds had passed, she would have bitten through Wei Yin’s gland and used her out-of-control pheromones to forcibly mark that fragile gland.

She had terrified her.

She had nearly ruined her.

So even if Wei Yin deleted her contact information afterward and cut off all contact with her on her own, it was a normal and entirely reasonable decision.