Intimacy

Chapter 03

Thanks to that text message, Yu Xixi couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned in bed until past one in the morning. But less than half an hour later, she abruptly sat up, breathing heavily, drenched in sweat.

A dream.

It was a vast expanse of fire in the dream, blood everywhere, and a German Shepherd— a mission accomplished, lying in a pool of blood, twitching slightly. Its deep brown eyes glazed over, forever fixated on the girl's face...

Yu Xixi pressed her lips together, inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly. Despite the attempt to calm herself, her thoughts remained unsettled. She instinctively reached for the drawer of the bedside table, searching for a cigarette.

A ping sounded, but she found nothing.

Feeling defeated, Yu Xixi remembered she had quit smoking over half a year ago, and all the cigarettes in the house had been confiscated by her brother, Yu Ling. Helpless, she could only return to bed, her dark, thick curls spread out on the pillow like silk.

How long had it been since she last dreamt of Black Wind? Six months? A year? Or even longer?

She silently stared at the ceiling, popping a piece of candy into her mouth, then turned her gaze to the photo frame on the bedside table. It was a black and white picture of a German Shepherd, its mouth wide open in what seemed like a smile, tongue lolling out, resembling a "laugh." It looked a bit silly, a bit foolish, and a bit cute.

Yu Xixi locked eyes with the dog in the photo for a moment, then turned over and closed her eyes, attempting to continue sleeping.

The next morning, Yu Xixi was awakened by a knock on the door.

She buried her head under the covers, her voice muffled as she grumbled irritably, "What's the matter so early in the morning?"

It was Aunt Song's voice outside, sounding a bit hesitant. "Miss, did you promise to visit Commander Qin today?"

Yu Xixi hesitated for a moment. "Yes, why?"

Aunt Song's tone carried a hint of amusement as she replied, "The person here to pick you up has arrived."

Yu Xixi paused, then threw off the covers and jumped out of bed without bothering to put on shoes. She hurried to the window and yanked open the curtains with a loud rustle. Sure enough, there was a black jeep parked in the courtyard of the Yu family estate, looking imposing and dignified in the sunlight.

She furrowed her brow, reaching under the pillow to grab her phone and check the time: 7:53 in the morning.

Yu Xixi was speechless. Did that official have somewhere urgent to be this early in the morning?

Feeling a knot forming in her chest, she quickly freshened up, then rummaged through her closet for clothes, throwing shirts and dresses all over the floor. Before long, she found a dress to wear, applied a light layer of makeup, grabbed her bag, and headed out.

The weather was pleasant that day, with the warmth of early summer in the air.

The man sat in the driver's seat, casually surveying his surroundings with an indifferent expression.

The hands of the watch continued to circle around, and after a while, Qin Zheng lit a cigarette, taking a drag before flicking the ashes out the window. His handsome eyebrows furrowed slightly.

The military emphasized strict discipline and efficiency, but since the girl wasn't under his command, he couldn't give orders or lose his temper. All he could do was wait.

Qin Zheng rested his cigarette hand on the window frame, tapping his fingers against it absentmindedly.

At that moment, footsteps approached from behind the jeep. The sound of high heels clicking on the gravel road was light and playful, yet somewhat hurried, echoing loudly.

He blew out a smoke ring, his black eyes glancing at the rearview mirror.

A young woman in a light-colored blouse and dress skirt, her skirt reaching her knees, exposing her fair calves. She had a delicate and charming face, with a hint of redness on her cheeks from running, but her dark, bright eyes glared angrily at his car, as if holding a deep grudge.

Qin Zheng observed her through the rearview mirror for a moment, raising an eyebrow.

About two meters away from the jeep, Yu Xixi slowed her pace, panting slightly as she approached. The windows of the driver's seat were completely down, and she saw the man in military uniform staring at her, a playful glint in his dark eyes, saying nothing.

She adjusted her expression and greeted him, "Good morning."

He replied flatly, "It's not morning anymore."

Yu Xixi was taken aback. Were all the men in the military this insufferable?

She choked on her words.

Qin Zheng didn't look at her anymore, starting the engine as he said, "Get in the car."

His voice was low and pleasant, but the commanding tone irritated her. Yu Xixi frowned, gritted her teeth, and reluctantly responded with a cold "Fine," before opening the rear door and getting in.

The jeep pulled out of the Yu family estate.

Yu Xixi glanced at the car, noting its decent appearance and presumably good performance, but it was nowhere near her modified Ferrari supercar.

She sighed deeply, turning her head to look out the window.

Qin Zheng ignored Yu Xixi, and Yu Xixi didn't bother to engage with Qin Zheng either, so they rode in silence. Over the years, they had met infrequently, and each time they met, their interaction was the same.

Their grandparents defined their relationship as "a couple," but only Yu Xixi knew that they were a "couple" who had been engaged since childhood, yet had never even held hands... Well, except for the text message from last night.

She furrowed her brow.

Did she not explain clearly enough, or did the mobile carrier have issues, resulting in the message not being sent?

Pondering this, she tentatively spoke up, wanting to ask if he received the message.

"You..."

At the same time, Qin Zheng asked unexpectedly, "What time do you usually wake up?"

His tone was casual, but with a hint of impatience.

Yu Xixi raised her head, finding him sitting casually with one hand on the steering wheel and the other resting on the window frame, his deep black eyes meeting hers through the rearview mirror. She met his gaze unexpectedly.

His eyes were extremely black and profound.

She maintained eye contact with him, not backing down, and cleared her throat. "I wake up naturally."

Qin Zheng's voice was calm. "Don't you work?"

There was no malice in his words, but also no kindness. Yu Xixi frowned and replied, "I'm currently not working."

He withdrew his gaze, faintly smiled, and fell silent.

Yu Xixi's lips tightened, and she looked away, clenching her fists.

Qin Zheng's grandfather, the man Qin Zheng referred to as "old man," was a former commander of the N Military Region, with remarkable achievements and high status. Born into such a family, most people assumed that Qin Zheng's military career was natural and smooth.

But the reality was different.

The commander was extremely upright, and Qin Zheng entered the military academy, then went to a company in the L Military Region after graduation, and later joined the Special Forces, step by step, relying solely on his strong will and skills.

He lived under the shadow of his father, but never relied on anyone, still shining brightly.

As for her, Yu Xixi, her family paved a bright path for her, but she only knew how to indulge in pleasure and idleness, a useless second-generation rich kid.

In fact, Qin Zheng had always looked down on her.

Yu Xixi bit her lip hard.

She didn't intend to explain, nor was there anything to explain. They were two people on different paths, bound together by an engagement, but upon closer examination, they were both victims.

Outside the window, the bustling city center scenery gradually receded as the jeep headed towards the western part of the city.

Yu Xixi breathed a sigh of relief, finally mustering the courage to speak, "Qin Zheng."

Although they had known each other for many years, they were still strangers. She was always polite to him, usually addressing him as "Mr. Qin" or "Commander Qin." Speaking his name so directly, especially in this somewhat hostile tone, was rare.

Qin Zheng's black eyes shifted lazily, scanning her through the rearview mirror.

The young woman sat with her slender hands on her knees, fists clenched, sitting upright with a serious expression. She seemed a bit nervous, her fair cheeks slightly flushed, resembling the blush of drunkenness, her chest rising and falling noticeably.

"Yeah?" he responded casually, his voice low and deep.

"Yesterday..." Yu Xixi hesitated for a moment, then stared at the back of his head coldly and said, "Yesterday evening, I sent you a text message. Did you receive it?"

Qin Zheng thought for a moment before nodding. "I did. Why?"

Yu Xixi was somewhat surprised, almost dropping the compact powder box in her hand. Received? But did he understand the meaning of that text message?

Qin Zheng stared at her, his black eyebrows knitting slightly.

"Aren't you going to explain?" she blurted out, her voice trembling.

He held her gaze, his long and powerful fingers holding her arm gently but firmly. His touch was rough, unlike hers, which was smooth and delicate.

Yu Xixi's eyes flickered, and she thanked him repeatedly, brushing him off and stepping back a few steps to steady herself.

Qin Zheng held onto his military cap with one hand and casually put the other in his pocket, looking down at her for a moment before saying in a low voice, "You want to break up."

"What did you say?" she asked in disbelief, her hand shaking, nearly dropping the compact powder box—break up?

He stared at her, his thick eyebrows furrowing slightly, a hint of impatience and restraint in his expression. "The meaning of that text message... you want to break up."

Yu Xixi finally heard clearly this time, her hands trembling as she clutched the powder box—break up?

As if they had ever held hands...

Qin Zheng's expression remained unchanged, lifting his chin slightly. "Get upstairs first." Without waiting for her response, he turned and walked inside.