Grinding Thoughts

"The moonlight is precious; a year rarely brings a hundred nights of full bloom. But back then, I didn’t understand. Now... it’s too late for regrets."

Cheng Jun gazed upward with a sigh, her eyes brimming with unspoken words, yet all that escaped her lips was a quiet "too late."

Tonight, in front of Fu Nanzhi, she had finally bared her heart.

But with the person in question right before her, she could only hint through metaphors, unable to speak too plainly.

Across from her, Fu Nanzhi rested her chin in her hand, listening with a thoughtful expression.

After a long pause, she chuckled softly.

"Seems like Zhuyun’s reflections run deep."

Cheng Jun had laid her heart open to the air, and for a fleeting moment, a chill seeped in. She instinctively waved her hand dismissively.

"This is nothing... profound."

"No need to deny it so quickly. It’s not something you can’t talk about."

Fu Nanzhi leaned back in her chair, tilting her head to gaze at the starry sky as she mused,

"Love alone isn’t enough. Even deep love isn’t enough. It only matters if both love each other."

"Easier said than done, of course. It all depends on how you see it—and sometimes, just a little bit of luck."

As she spoke, Fu Nanzhi pinched her fingers together, showing Cheng Jun just how small that "little bit" was.

"Falling in love is easy; staying together is hard... Choose who you love, and love who you choose."

"Zhuyun, you should seize the present."

Cheng Jun fell silent, absorbing her words. After a while, she murmured,

"Seize the present..."

She lowered her eyes to the full moon reflected in her cup, lifting it only for the liquid to tremble before reaching her lips.

For a moment, neither spoke.

One looked up at the moon; the other down at her cup, each lost in their thoughts.

After a long while, Cheng Jun turned to pick up her phone and rose to her feet.

"It’s getting late. I should head back."

Fu Nanzhi stood as well, reaching out to stop her.

"What’s the rush? You barely ever visit, and now you’re in such a hurry to leave."

"Is something urgent?"

Cheng Jun smiled helplessly.

"Nothing urgent, but it’s not good to overstay my welcome."

After all, as a guest, she knew when to leave—before the host had to hint at it.

But given their closeness, such formalities hardly mattered. The truth was, Cheng Jun hadn’t gone home last night, and the thought of not changing clothes made her restless.

Fu Nanzhi grabbed her arm.

"What’s wrong with staying? I say it’s fine."

"If you don’t believe me, ask my mom. She won’t mind either."

Cheng Jun nearly laughed at that.

"No, no, I believe you. No need to trouble Auntie."

There was no need to ask Ji Shulan—of course she’d agree. No one would turn her away.

Fu Nanzhi’s eyes sparkled with amusement.

"Exactly."

"Don’t worry. If it gets too late, just stay over. My place is big enough—pick any room you like."

Realizing she wasn’t just failing to leave early but might not leave at all, Cheng Jun leaned in and whispered something to Fu Nanzhi.

Fu Nanzhi blinked in surprise.

"Clothes? That’s nothing. Just wear mine."

"Don’t worry, I have new ones you can borrow."

Cheng Jun glanced at Fu Nanzhi’s chest and grimaced.

"Nanzhi... yours won’t fit me."

Their heights weren’t far apart—Cheng Jun at 172 cm, Fu Nanzhi around 168 cm—so clothes and pants might work, but undergarments were another matter.

"Ah..."

"Right."

Fu Nanzhi relented, though regretfully.

"Next time, then. You have to visit more often."

Cheng Jun nodded eagerly.

"Of course. You’re welcome at my place too. My parents mentioned you last time."

"Really?"

Fu Nanzhi grinned.

"Then it’s settled."

"Come on, I’ll walk you out."

......

"The soup’s here~"

As Shen Yi approached, Shu Yunyi shifted slightly to make room.

They sat across from each other.

Shen Yi set down the soup bowl, removed his apron, and picked up his chopsticks, surveying the table with a smile.

"The supermarket was nearly out of groceries by the time I got there. Hope it’s alright."

"Wait."

Shu Yunyi stopped him before he could start eating, pulling out her phone.

"Let me take a few pictures first."

Though she’d given up on running a social media account, she hadn’t lost the habit of documenting her life.

It had always been her way—capturing the little moments.

Shen Yi was used to it by now. He set down his chopsticks and watched as she snapped photos from every angle.

Even simple home-cooked meals deserved to look like a feast.

Luckily, Shu Yunyi wasn’t one for heavy editing—just a touch of lighting adjustment, nothing time-consuming.

Once she was done, Shen Yi asked,

"Finished? Can we eat now?"

At her nod, he picked up a slice of meat and placed it in her bowl.

Shu Yunyi accepted it with a smile.

"Let’s see if your cooking’s still the same."

She took a bite and nodded approvingly.

"Just like I remember. I’ve missed this."

Shen Yi swallowed a mouthful of rice, humbly deflecting.

"It’s just basic stuff. Same few dishes over and over."

In truth, Shu Yunyi had done most of the cooking later on. Her skills surpassed his self-taught ones, leaving him little chance to practice.

Shu Yunyi kept eating, content.

"You don’t get it. When you’re hungry, eating exactly what you crave is pure happiness."

She gestured with her chopsticks at the spread.

"After teaching all day, my legs were sore, and I was too tired to cook."

"Coming home to a ready-made meal? Absolute bliss."

Shen Yi laughed at her indirect praise.

"Glad you’re happy. Eat up, then—don’t let my efforts go to waste."

"Hmph..."

Shu Yunyi shot him a sidelong glance, too busy chewing to retort properly.

The meal ended quickly.

In high spirits, Shu Yunyi finished her bowl and even went for an extra half serving—a rarity.

Past thirty, her metabolism wasn’t what it used to be. Though not prone to weight gain, she still watched her portions.

Only regular exercise let her indulge like this.

"Mm..."

Leaning back with a hand on her slightly rounded stomach, Shu Yunyi sighed in satisfaction.

Shen Yi gathered the dishes.

"Alright, no lazing around after eating. Go move a bit—help digest."

"And do the dishes."

Knowing his aversion to dishwashing, Shu Yunyi didn’t refuse.

"What about you?"

"Me? I’ll wipe the table."

He pointed to the surface, assigning himself a task.

With roles clear, they got to work.

Household chores were best done fast—procrastination only made them worse.

Soon done, Shu Yunyi flopped onto the couch, her body and mind equally at ease.

Shen Yi joined her, sitting at the opposite end.

Shu Yunyi rested her head against a cushion, typing away on her phone to clear her backlog of messages.

Mid-reply, she heard Shen Yi speak.

"Give me your legs."

She looked up.

"Why?"

He raised an eyebrow.

"Didn’t someone say her legs were sore earlier? Hand them over—I’ll massage them."

"Well, well."

Shu Yunyi secretly curled her lips into a smirk and happily stretched one leg toward him.

"Quite the attentive one, aren’t you? So good at sweet-talking."

Shen Yi ignored her, gripping her ankle to adjust the position, turning the calf to face him.

Her fair toes ended up right in front of his face. He leaned down for a sniff, then wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"Ugh, smells funky."

"Go wash your feet."

Shu Yunyi looked up in shock, even forgetting about her phone for a moment. First came embarrassment, then fury began to simmer.

"Bullshit!"

"No way! Your feet are the stinky ones!"