After Confessing To My Childhood Friend - Chapter 28
Chapter 28: Souvenirs
◎We’re going home◎
The alcohol numbed Chen Mengyin’s brain. She lay on the bed, breathing heavily. Her carefully styled hair was a mess—two little braids had come undone, and some strands clung to her cheeks and neck with sweat.
She vaguely heard the person kissing her ask, “Do you still recognize who I am?”
Chen Mengyin wrapped her arms around the other’s neck and obediently replied, “Zhirou, you’re…”
—My girlfriend. Before she could finish the sentence, Chen Mengyin was silenced by a fierce kiss. A flexible tongue seemed to draw out her thoughts, turning her into a puppet who knew nothing but to passively receive the kiss.
Cold hands ignited flames across her body, leaving behind burning trails.
Her chest pad had slipped aside, soaked with sweat. The hand that had been tormenting her pinched the pad, still warm from her body, and threw it into the trash can by the bed.
Chen Mengyin heard a soft chuckle, and soon, the next part of her body to be caressed replaced her lips.
Cool fingertips landed gently, gripping her lightly. A thumb rubbed across the sensitive spot, and Chen Mengyin let out a small squeal, instinctively arching her back and clinging to Xie Zhirou.
What happened afterward, Chen Mengyin couldn’t recall. She only felt like a small boat caught in a storm, tossed on crashing waves, waiting for the dawn to break.
The sun rose.
Last night, they had only pulled over a sheer white curtain. The harsh sunlight streamed through and spilled across the bed.
Chen Mengyin was awakened by the brightness outside. She blinked groggily and tried to get out of bed to close the curtain, only to realize her waist was being held by an arm.
Following the arm, she saw a pale face nestled beneath dark hair. Still groggy from the hangover, it took Chen Mengyin several minutes to remember what had happened before she passed out drunk.
Under the influence of alcohol, she had finally tasted those dimples she’d longed for. And not only that, she had actively hugged Xie Zhirou, begging her to touch her, kiss her.
Covering her flushed face, Chen Mengyin couldn’t help but replay the kisses from the night before, and smiled uncontrollably.
“Good morning.” Xie Zhirou hugged her from behind, her face buried in her waist.
Chen Mengyin blushed. “Morning. Did I wake you?”
Xie Zhirou kissed her waist through the shirt. “No. Why not sleep a bit more?”
The warm kiss at her waist dragged Chen Mengyin’s thoughts right back to last night’s pleasure. She softened. Looking down, she brushed aside Xie Zhirou’s hair and met her smiling eyes.
“You’ve turned bad,” Chen Mengyin said.
Xie Zhirou chuckled and kissed her again.
After a long cuddle in bed, the two finally got up. Xie Zhirou called room service and ordered breakfast.
“We originally planned to watch the sunrise. Didn’t expect to wake up at noon.” Chen Mengyin carried the breakfast to the bed and sat cross-legged while eating.
The hotel bread was delicious—crisp on the outside and buttery inside. She spread butter on a piece and took a bite, delighted.
“This bread is so good. I wonder how they make it. Better than that bakery near our place,” she said, handing a buttered slice to Xie Zhirou to try.
Xie Zhirou took it, sat cross-legged like her, and took a bite. The rich wheat and buttery aroma filled her mouth.
“Delicious,” Xie Zhirou praised.
Chen Mengyin grinned brightly and continued eating.
After breakfast, Chen Mengyin suggested they go out and buy some local specialties to bring home as gifts for elders. Xie Zhirou agreed, and they headed out with an umbrella.
“What should we buy? Seafood won’t do—it’s too heavy. Maybe we should Baidu what’s special in Laixiang, in case we get the wrong stuff,” Chen Mengyin said as she licked an ice pop she’d just bought from a roadside shop. The salty sea breeze did little to ease the summer heat.
Xie Zhirou walked beside her, holding the same sea salt popsicle.
As they wandered through the streets, the heat and salty sea breeze made their skin feel sticky.
At the next corner, Xie Zhirou noticed a handmade shell wind chime shop and pointed it out.
Chen Mengyin immediately understood. After finishing her popsicle, she tossed the stick into a nearby trash bin.
Ding-a-ling—
The wind chimes hanging at the shop entrance rang softly.
“Welcome!” the shop owner greeted them with a warm smile.
The small shop was neatly arranged with shells of various shapes, giving it a tidy, cozy feel.
“See anything you like? You can pick out shells and make your own wind chime,” the owner said, guiding them further inside. They were told to put their selected shells in a basket and head to the workbench when ready.
Chen Mengyin thanked her and grabbed a larger basket from the entrance, then led Xie Zhirou inside to pick shells.
“These are way prettier than the ones on the beach,” Chen Mengyin exclaimed, enchanted by the beautiful shells and reluctant to put any back.
Seeing how much she liked them, Xie Zhirou suggested she make a few more to gift to Qingqing and the others.
Chen Mengyin’s eyes lit up. “Right! I can make some for Qingqing, Xueling, and the others!”
“You’re so smart, Zhirou!” The basket was soon piled high with shells.
After about 20 minutes of picking, they called the shop owner over to help teach them how to make the wind chimes.
She brought over the tools and materials, teaching them how to drill holes and tie knots.
“Wear these safety goggles while I show you how to drill,” she instructed, demonstrating with a mini hand drill.
Chen Mengyin watched closely and only started drilling when she was confident she could do it.
“We also have other decorations and acrylic paints—feel free to use them, no charge,” the owner said.
“Thank you, big sis!”
“No problem. If you need anything, just come find me at the front desk. Be careful while using the tools.”
Once the owner left, it was just the two of them at the workbench. Chen Mengyin drilled holes in her shells one by one.
“Which string should we use? Or maybe one of each?” There were different types of string—fishing line, cotton rope, etc. They each gave a different feel, and she couldn’t decide.
Xie Zhirou leaned over and compared them, then said, “We’ve got plenty of shells—why not use all of them?”
“Yeah! And we can add feathers to the end—it’ll be so pretty.” Chen Mengyin chose some clear fishing line, strung the shells, tied knots, and added white feathers. The final result looked charming.
Once the wind chimes were done, the shop owner came to help pack them. While paying, Chen Mengyin asked, “Do you have any good souvenir recommendations here in Laixiang?”
The owner thought for a moment. “Try the old-style pastry shops. Our mung bean cakes and taro cakes are famous. Great for gifts!”
“Awesome, thank you! We’re heading off then. Bye~” Chen Mengyin waved with a smile.
“Goodbye, enjoy your trip!” the owner waved back.
They used navigation to find a highly rated pastry shop online and bought some locally recommended treats.
They left empty-handed but returned to the hotel with arms full of bags.
“What time is our train tonight?” Chen Mengyin asked as she carefully put away the wind chimes.
“8 PM,” Xie Zhirou replied. “We should get home around 10.”
Chen Mengyin plopped onto the bed. “Only two days away, and I already miss home.”
Xie Zhirou teased, “So, still want to go stargazing in Tibet?”
“Of course! Once we graduate, we’ll go. And we’ll still have our exam admission tickets—we can get discounts and visit more places!”
Xie Zhirou kissed her. “Alright. But this time, we really need to plan it well.”
That travel plan for the National Day trip still only had a title on the computer.
Chen Mengyin nodded. “I want to start from Yonghuai and head north. We could buy train tickets—there’s a line from Sichuan to Tibet. What if we start in Yonghuai, go to Sichuan, and then to Tibet?”
“Sounds great. We’ll figure it out after the exams.” Then Xie Zhirou added, “There’s a pool on the roof. Want to go for a dip before we leave?”
It was way too hot to be sunbaked on the beach, no matter how nice the view was.
“A pool?” Chen Mengyin perked up. “But I didn’t bring a swimsuit!”
“We’ll just wear T-shirts and shorts. A quick dip will cool us off,” Xie Zhirou said, pulling out two sets from the closet.
Chen Mengyin took hers and changed in the bathroom.
They went up to the rooftop pool, but it was crowded. After just dipping her feet, Chen Mengyin tugged Xie Zhirou back to the room.
“We really shouldn’t travel during holidays—way too many people,” she grumbled.
Xie Zhirou patted her head. “Want to nap before our ride?”
“Eat, sleep, repeat… I’m turning into a pig!” Chen Mengyin joked.
“You are a little pig, Chen Piggy,” Xie Zhirou teased.
Chen Mengyin lunged to tickle her. “Who’re you calling a pig?!”
They tumbled onto the bed, breathless with laughter.
“It’s all your fault. Now I’m tired and want to nap,” Chen Mengyin said, grabbing both ends of the blanket and rolling herself and Xie Zhirou up like a spring roll.
Xie Zhirou calmed her breathing and snuggled into Chen Mengyin’s arms, soon drifting off to sleep.
They slept through the afternoon, ordered delivery for dinner, and ate on the couch.
“Ugh, now that we’re leaving, I feel a bit reluctant,” Chen Mengyin said. The beach outside was still lively in the evening glow, the scent of barbecue drifting in the air. “Let’s order barbecue when we get home?”
“Sure. The car’s here—let’s go,” Xie Zhirou replied.
The same driver as before came to take them to the station. Their luggage was loaded into the trunk, and the car slowly pulled away.