Chapter 3: Telling a Joke
1648 Words
Before he could indicate whether he wanted to hear it or not, she began, “This one is from Xiaotian, listen closely… Why is a penguin’s belly white?”
He simply watched her every move, seemingly not paying attention to her words.
Today, for the first time in twelve years, he found himself smiling more than ever. Was it because of this woman? A rookie policewoman, a bit silly and naïve, yet full of energy. To him, she was just a passerby, but today she brought an unusual feeling to his life.
Noticing Fu Donghan’s gaze, Xiaomi blushed and looked away. She repeated the question, “Did you hear me? Why is a penguin’s belly white?”
“Why?” he asked, somewhat confused by his own curiosity.
“Haha, you’re so slow! Guess again!”
Seeing her excitement, he didn’t want to dampen her spirits and began thinking about her question.
Why is a penguin’s belly white? Why indeed… He raised an eyebrow, seemingly understanding something.
“Well, did you figure it out?”
“Yes.”
“Wow, that fast? Alright, tell me why?” She thought he was so smart to guess it so quickly!
Fu Donghan smirked, looking at her legs, and said, “Because penguins are like you.”
Huh? What? How was she like a penguin?
“Penguins have short ‘arms,’ and you have short legs, silly penguin.”
Xiaomi looked at her legs, blushing as she realized his point. Penguins’ bellies are white because their short arms can only reach their bellies while bathing. He had just compared her to a penguin!
This infuriating “translator.”
Xiaomi glared at him, “I told you a joke to make you laugh. Can’t you at least smile?” Wasn’t it funny? She thought it was hilarious!
In a swift move, Fu Donghan pinned her to the sofa.
They were very close, so close she could feel their breaths mingling. Looking down, one of her legs was draped over his thigh. Luckily, she was wearing pants; otherwise, everything would be exposed at this angle. His hand caressed her face, the gesture and proximity making her heart race and her face turn red.
What was he doing? Why was he suddenly so close? Were they too close?
“What did you say about my smile?” Fu Donghan’s hand stroked Xiaomi’s delicate skin, making him want to kiss her.
She was trapped, unable to move. For the first time, she was this close to a man, and in such an intimate position, making her extremely shy.
“Don’t you think you’re too close? Men and women shouldn’t be so familiar. Can you move your hand?” she demanded, trying to maintain some dignity.
Fu Donghan gave a wicked smile, his fingers tracing her lips.
“Although you’re not quite my type, you’ll do. Be my lover.” He couldn’t deny his growing interest in her, wanting to explore more.
Xiaomi placed her hand on his forehead, frowning, her eyes rolling as if she was confused.
“What is it?”
After a moment, she moved her hand from his forehead and asked, “Are you running a fever? There’s a severe flu going around.”
Fu Donghan’s lips twitched, “I’m perfectly fine,” he said, leaning closer.
Seeing the situation take a turn for the worse, Xiaomi struggled desperately. "I won't be yours... Get away!" She tried to push him off, but he wouldn’t budge.
Fu Donghan narrowed his eyes. Women had always thrown themselves at him, and they were all beauties.
“No woman has ever rejected me!” he said, leaning closer.
Xiaomi panicked, resorting to her self-defense moves.
Just then, someone entered the room.
Feeling like she had found a lifeline, Xiaomi breathed a sigh of relief; her first kiss was saved. But the man who entered the room said something that immediately dashed her hopes.
The man casually sat on a nearby sofa, crossed his legs, and said, “You two continue in the room. Let me rest here.” He then lay down and closed his eyes.
Men were all the same—perverts. She had learned this lesson well today. She prepared to poke Fu Donghan’s eyes, but he suddenly released her.
He picked up a glass of red wine, sipping it while watching her with interest; she hadn’t yet withdrawn her hand. Did she really intend to use self-defense on him?
“Were you planning to use self-defense?”
“Yes, specifically against perverts like you!” She aimed for his eyes!
Fu Donghan smirked, elegantly swirling his wine. “I suppose this is your first time using self-defense?”
The man on the sofa spoke up, “Han Han, interested in this little firecracker, huh?”
His gaze was intense and mysterious, making Xiaomi uneasy. It felt like he could see right through her.
“Hello, I’m Xie Haofeng.”
“Hello… I’m Xue Xiaomi.”
She rarely interacted with strangers and didn’t like sharing her name because it had been a source of childhood teasing.
Xiaomi was a name many classmates had used to make fun of her. But she had always been cheerful and outgoing, never minding harmless jokes.
Lost in thought, a sudden sharp pain struck her head.
Whenever she thought too much, she would get these headaches. It felt like something was missing from her mind, something important she couldn’t remember.
A wave of dizziness hit her, and everything went black. Xiaomi fainted, leaving the two men flustered.
What happened? Why did she suddenly faint?
A searing sensation… fire everywhere… then darkness, endless darkness…
She felt terrible, scared, calling out, but no one answered. She hated the darkness, feared it…
Opening her eyes again, she saw Fu Donghan and Xie Haofeng looking at her with concern. She didn’t know when she had ended up in Fu Donghan’s arms.
His embrace was so warm she didn’t want to leave… No, she must. They were strangers, and this was too intimate.
She tried to sit up, but the dizziness made her collapse back into his arms.
Despite the awkwardness of being so close to a stranger, she had no choice until she recovered. Her hand was still cuffed to his; she couldn’t have him squatting while she lay on the sofa.
“Are you okay? Why did you faint?” Xie Haofeng asked, both worried and amused.
This girl had suddenly zoned out, ignoring them, then fainted with a thud, leaving the two men at a loss.
“I’m fine, just an old injury from childhood. I’ll be okay after lying down for a bit...”
Xiaomi finally took a good look at Xie Haofeng. His fair skin had a slight rosy glow, his brown eyes were clear and bright, his nose was finely shaped and high, giving him a blend of feminine beauty and masculine strength.
“Are you ill?” Fu Donghan asked, looking concernedly at Xiaomi in his arms.
Xiaomi rolled her eyes and glared at him. Was he scolding her or genuinely concerned? Couldn’t he say something more comforting? It was just that thinking too much gave her headaches, leading to fainting spells. This man had a real talent for infuriating people.
She turned away, refusing to look at his face.
Fu Donghan chuckled softly, realizing his words had been misunderstood. “I was just asking if you were sick. It’s your misunderstanding.”
He suddenly placed his hand on Xiaomi’s forehead and after a moment said, “No fever… Do you want some water?”
Xiaomi was taken aback by his gentle gesture, stammering, “I… do you have apple juice?” Now wasn’t the time to be angry; her head was throbbing.
“I’ll get it,” Xie Haofeng responded playfully, heading to the fridge.
Xiaomi was still in shock from Fu Donghan’s gentle concern. That cold exterior masked a surprisingly tender and considerate side.
She felt a small surge of gratitude, but Fu Donghan’s demeanor quickly erased it.
His hand slid from her forehead to her cheek, caressing it lightly, a mischievous smile on his lips.
In a soft voice by her ear, he said, “I knew a clumsy penguin like you wouldn’t get sick so easily.”
This rogue! Assigning her a label without her consent.
“Clumsy penguin?” Xiaomi glared at him. “First ‘Rookie,’ now ‘Clumsy Penguin?’ Just like my elementary school classmates who loved giving nicknames!”
“If you prefer ‘Rookie,’ I can call you that instead.”
“…”
Xiaomi shook off his hand. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Who said I was yours?”
“Oh?”
Her stubbornness was even greater than he expected, but it had a childlike quality—simple, clear emotions, crying when sad, laughing when happy, refusing what she didn’t want.
“Here’s the drink. Want me to feed you?” Xie Haofeng joked.
Despite his concern, she had enough strength to drink herself.
“I can sit up now and drink on my own.”
“Feeling better?” Fu Donghan asked, still worried.
She slowly sat up, took the drink from Xie Haofeng, and drank it eagerly. Fainting had made her really thirsty.
“Drink slower,” Xie Haofeng cautioned, worried she might choke.
In less than half a minute, she had finished the bottle.
“Delicious, thank you!” She couldn’t help but let out a satisfied burp.
“Han Han, you’ve picked an interesting woman this time,” Xie Haofeng said with a playful smile to his friend.
“Han Han…” Xiaomi’s eyes narrowed as she looked suspiciously at Fu Donghan, then at Xie Haofeng on the sofa, recalling Xie’s earlier ambiguous gaze.
Could it be that these two men were… “gay”?
- Writer
