Chapter 42

Chapter 42

Ji Yunshu leaned against Pei Yufeng's chest, her arms wrapped around him in return. Through the thin fabric of her nightgown, she could feel the warmth of his palm slowly seeping into her skin.

Pei Yufeng's hair wasn't completely dry yet, a few droplets of water still clinging to the ends. One drop fell onto her forehead, cool and slightly ticklish. Ji Yunshu tilted her face up and reached out to brush the damp hair hanging over his forehead to the side, her fingertips touching the faint tan line above his brow bone.

The sun at sea was even more intense than on the island. After prolonged exposure under the blazing sun, Pei Yufeng's prominent brow bone and cheeks had developed reddish patches against his natural skin tone. Though not very obvious, it still made Ji Yunshu's heart ache.

Ji Yunshu's fingers traced slowly along Pei Yufeng's brow bone, then down over the fresh scar on his nose bridge. Her fingertip touched it ever so gently, as if afraid of hurting him. Then she moved lower, her fingertip gliding over the curve of his cheekbone, over the angular line of his jaw, finally coming to rest on his Adam's apple. She saw it shift slightly under her touch, and she tried to pull her hand back, but he suddenly caught it.

"You've lost weight," Ji Yunshu murmured softly, her voice so quiet it seemed like she was talking to herself, or perhaps teasing him softly. "Here, and here—you've gotten thinner everywhere. And your face got so tanned. Look at you, here and here—"

Her finger tapped his brow bone and cheekbone, then pointed at his collarbone. "Your bones are sticking out. Did you not eat properly on the ship? What did I tell you before you left? I said to eat well, and you promised me—"

Before Ji Yunshu could finish her sentence, Pei Yufeng suddenly lowered his head and cut off her chatter with a kiss.

The kiss came somewhat suddenly, but it wasn't rushed. His lips first pressed gently against hers, pausing for a moment, then he tilted his head slightly and his tongue slipped in, with a cool, burning intensity that swallowed her remaining worries and complaints.

Pei Yufeng's palm moved from Ji Yunshu's waist to her back. Through the thin fabric of her nightgown, he could feel the curve of her spine and the outline of her shoulder blades. He pressed his palm flat against her back, pulling her entire body tighter against his chest.

Ji Yunshu was breathless from his kiss. For nearly half a month, she had slept alone in this bed, falling asleep against his pillow every night, using his lingering scent to fall asleep. Now he was back, his presence flooding her senses once more, and it felt unreal.

Ji Yunshu's fingers clutched the fabric at the small of Pei Yufeng's back as she tilted her head up to surrender to his kiss, holding on tightly as if afraid he might disappear again. She felt his hand on her back begin to slide downward slowly, his fingertips tracing down the line of her spine one vertebra at a time, with unhurried patience.

"I missed you too," Pei Yufeng said against Ji Yunshu's ear, nuzzling her cheek. "On the ship, I thought about you every day—whether you were eating properly at home, whether you'd gotten thinner."

Ji Yunshu buried her face in the hollow of his shoulder, taking a deep breath. His clean, dry scent filled her nostrils. Her nose grazed the skin of his neck, and she could feel the pulse of his carotid artery beating steadily and strongly beneath her.

Ji Yunshu pressed her lips to Pei Yufeng's neck, giving it a light peck, then another, kissing her way up the curve of his neck to his Adam's apple. His Adam's apple bobbed sharply beneath her lips, and she felt his entire body tense.

Ji Yunshu looked up at Pei Yufeng's eyes. In the dim light, they were dark, with her reflection mirrored in his pupils. She suddenly felt all the longing and worry of the past half month turn into an urgent urge. Ji Yunshu reached up, looped her arms around his neck, pulled him down, and whispered something softly in his ear.

His breath hitched after her words. He turned over, pressing her beneath him, one hand cradling the back of her neck, the other gripping her waist, and lowered his head to kiss her again. This kiss was no longer the lingering, slow rhythm from before. Pei Yufeng became urgent and burning, like a wave held back too long, finally crashing against the shore.

The moon had risen to its zenith. It was full tonight, and silver-white moonlight spilled through the gap in the not-fully-drawn curtains, casting a long, thin beam of light across them.

The next morning, when Ji Yunshu groggily opened her eyes, golden sunlight was already streaming through the gap in the curtains, falling on the cabinet at the foot of the bed and making the dark wood gleam. She habitually reached out to the side, and her fingers touched a patch of warm, firm skin. Ji Yunshu's eyes flew wide open.

Pei Yufeng was still there. He hadn't gotten up before dawn to go to the barracks like he usually did, nor had he quietly dressed in his uniform and left breakfast prepared before slipping away. He was lying right beside her, on his side, one hand still resting on her waist, eyes closed, breathing long and even. His eyelashes glowed faintly gold in the morning light, the fresh scar on his nose looked fainter than it had last night, and his lips had regained their normal color, no longer chapped.

A faint blue shadow of stubble showed on Pei Yufeng's freshly shaved chin—the trace left after the razor had done its work. He slept deeply, like a man who no longer had to track tides and courses.

Ji Yunshu turned onto her side, propping her head on one hand, and quietly watched him. She rarely had this opportunity—to watch him while he slept. Usually he was always awake before her; by the time she opened her eyes, he was already dressed, breakfast made, or sitting on the edge of the bed waiting for her to wake. Now he was asleep, all the sternness he showed others was completely gone. The frown lines between his brows had smoothed out, his usually tight-lipped mouth relaxed, making him look far softer than usual.

She couldn't resist reaching out, her fingertip brushing his eyelashes ever so lightly. Pei Yufeng's eyelids twitched, but he didn't open them. She touched him again, and this time he reached up and caught her finger, holding it in his palm, his voice husky and lazy from sleep: "Stop it."

"You're finally awake." Ji Yunshu lay on his chest, propping herself up on her elbows, tilting her head to look at him. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

Pei Yufeng opened his eyes and glanced at the watch on the nightstand—10:16. He paused, surprised he'd slept so long. Since enlisting at fourteen, except for when he was hospitalized with injuries, he'd never slept past ten. This was the first time.

He had slept too deeply. The tension that had gripped him for over ten days finally released, wrapped in Ji Yunshu's soft warmth, and he completely lost track of time.

"Let's go to the department store today," Pei Yufeng said, setting down the watch and turning to Ji Yunshu, his voice still thick with sleep.

Ji Yunshu blinked, lifting her head from his chest, as if she hadn't heard him right: "What?"

"I promised you before National Day—I'd take you to the state-run department store here. I've got the day off today, so I'll take you."

Ji Yunshu sat up in bed almost instantly, her eyes shining like stars: "Really? Today? Don't you need to write your mission report?"

"I'll write it tomorrow when I go to the base." Pei Yufeng also sat up, reaching out to smooth her sleep-tousled hair, his movements gentle. "Taking you shopping is more important."

"Great! I've been wanting to see if they have any pretty fabric here. Bring all the fabric coupons." Ji Yunshu told Pei Yufeng to get the money and coupons ready, then went to wash up.

After both of them washed up and had a quick breakfast, Pei Yufeng changed into the dark blue shirt Ji Yunshu had made for him. Ji Yunshu also changed into a newly made dress, braided her hair into a loose braid over her shoulder in front of the mirror, and tied a ribbon at the end that matched her dress.

It was nearly eleven by the time they left. The state-run department store required taking the military shuttle, which stopped at the entrance of the family quarters, running every two hours—and the eleven o'clock one was just in time.

This was Ji Yunshu's first real "trip to the city" since arriving on the island. She sat by the window, her face almost pressed against the glass, watching the scenery change from coconut groves and sandy roads to buildings and paved streets, watching pedestrians go from a sparse few to a bustling crowd. Pei Yufeng sat beside her, watching her get excited like a child on her first trip out of town, the smile never leaving his face since they got on.

The state-run department store was a three-story building, already considered grand for the area. A huge sign with white characters on a red background hung at the entrance, reading "State-Run Department Store" in large letters. People came and went at the entrance—local women carrying vegetable baskets, workers in uniforms, and families with children in tow.

Compared to the department store in the capital, this building was shorter and much smaller in scale, but Ji Yunshu still stood at the entrance for several seconds, because there were several large bamboo baskets piled at the door, filled with all kinds of tropical fruits, their fragrance filling the air.

Golden pineapples were piled into small mountains, green coconuts still had their unpeeled husks, bunches of golden bananas hung from bamboo poles, mangoes with yellowing skins gleamed with a glossy sheen in the sunlight... and there were many red fruits and purple fruits Ji Yunshu couldn't name. The mingled scent of fruit, carried by the wind, made the whole entrance smell sweet.

"We'll buy fruit on the way out," Pei Yufeng said, noticing Ji Yunshu's eager gaze.

Ji Yunshu nodded, and the two of them entered the first floor of the store. The first floor was the food and daily necessities section. Ji Yunshu couldn't pull herself away from the dried seafood counter as soon as she reached it. The variety here was much greater than at the supply cooperative—dried scallops, dried shrimp, sea cucumber, dried squid, dried oysters—all neatly sorted into bins. The quality was a grade higher than the supply cooperative's, and the prices were even slightly cheaper.

Ji Yunshu had the sales clerk weigh out several packages of each, planning to mail them back to the capital and to Su City for He Qiuxia and Wang Wanru. Pei Yufeng followed behind her, pulling out money and coupons every time she pointed at something, without asking any questions.

The second floor was the clothing and fabric section, but after browsing around, Ji Yunshu found that the ready-made clothes here weren't as nice as what she could make herself. However, the fabric counter held her attention for a long time. There were actually a few fabric colors she'd never seen even in the capital—a light yellow dacron blend, light and airy, perfect for summer shirts; and a pale green cotton-silk with a delicate white floral pattern. Ji Yunshu bought two lengths, planning to make one new outfit for herself and one for Pei Yufeng.

The third floor was the daily necessities and handicrafts section. Here, Ji Yunshu found something she couldn't tear her eyes away from—a whole row of ornaments made from shells and conchs. There were little sailboats made from glued white shells, small animals carved out of conch shells, and small jewelry boxes inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The most beautiful was a set of decorative plates assembled from colorful conch shells, carefully polished to preserve their natural spirals and colors, gleaming with a pearly sheen under the light.

"This one's beautiful!" Ji Yunshu picked up a shell sailboat and turned it over in her hands, then picked up a conch-carved little sea turtle and held it up to the light to inspect it. She loved each one and couldn't bear to set any down.

In the end, she picked five: two shell sailboats, one conch sea turtle, one mother-of-pearl jewelry box, and one decorative plate assembled from colorful conch shells. Of these five ornaments, one was for He Qiuxia, one for Wang Wanru, one for Ji Yunting, one for Meng Yunzhen, and one for herself, which she planned to keep, setting it on the windowsill by her sewing machine.

By the time they came out of the department store, it was already past two in the afternoon, and Ji Yunshu's stomach growled right on cue. Pei Yufeng carried bags and packages as he led her into a state-run restaurant next to the store. This restaurant was much bigger than the cadre cafeteria, and even the blackboard menu looked more polished and appetizing.

Ji Yunshu immediately spotted two things that made her eyes light up—coconut milk ching bo leung (a chilled dessert) and coconut chicken hotpot. Ching bo leung was a signature summer dessert from Qiongzhou Island, made with freshly squeezed coconut milk as the base, made with millet, red beans, mung beans, tapioca, fresh coconut, and fruit, finished with fresh coconut milk and a sprinkle of toasted peanuts and sesame seeds. It was richer and sweeter than what they served at the cadre cafeteria.

As for the coconut chicken hotpot, Ji Yunshu had never tried it, but she'd heard Pei Yufeng mention it several times, and this time she'd come just for that.

The waiter brought out a clay pot. The broth was completely different from any hotpot she'd had in the capital—the water from a whole fresh coconut was poured into the pot, along with local seasonings and vegetables, then simmered. Once it came to a boil, chunks of local chicken were added. The coconut water bubbled and rolled, white steam carrying the scent of coconut and chicken rising up, wrapping the whole table in a sweet, misty haze.

Once it was cooked, Pei Yufeng picked out a piece of chicken thigh for her first, motioning for her to dip it in the sauce. The dipping sauce here was also completely different from the sesame paste they used in the capital—it was made with soy sauce, sour lime juice, and a touch of chili. It was tangy and mildly spicy, but very refreshing.

Ji Yunshu took a bite, and her eyes went wide instantly. The chicken was so tender it practically melted in her mouth—it fell apart at the slightest bite, the juices carrying the natural sweetness of coconut water, blending with the special dipping sauce. She couldn't help eating piece after piece.

"Can you drink this soup?" Ji Yunshu pointed at the broth in the clay pot.

"Yes." Pei Yufeng took her small bowl, ladled out a spoonful of the soup and handed it to her. The soup was clear, with a few golden beads of chicken oil floating on top. The sweetness of the coconut water and the savoriness of the chicken had fully melded together. One sip felt like it soothed her entire stomach.

Ji Yunshu then picked up her bowl of ching bo leung and scooped a big spoonful into her mouth. The cold coconut milk slid down her throat, the sweetness of tropical fruits, the nutty aroma of toasted peanuts, and the crunch of sesame alternating on her tongue. She felt like a cat that had been flipped over and petted from head to tail, utterly content.

Ji Yunshu alternated between the tender coconut chicken and the ching bo leung—two completely different flavors interweaving—eating until her forehead was sweaty and her nose was pink, but she just couldn't stop. She ate for over an hour, and by the end, her stomach was pleasantly full.

The two of them returned to the family quarters as evening was falling. The sun was slowly sinking below the horizon, setting half the sky ablaze in orange and red. The sea glittered like crushed gold, and the coconut grove's shadows stretched long into the distance.

Ji Yunshu took a shower, changed into a white nightgown, and leaned against the windowsill on the second floor, letting the breeze cool her down. The evening breeze blew in from the sea, carrying the night's coolness, brushing against her skin, still pink from her shower. It felt cool and pleasant.

Ji Yunshu watched the sunset over the distant sea, when a thought struck her.

"Brother Pei," Ji Yunshu called out, turning her head to look at Pei Yufeng, who was sorting through the day's purchases by the door. "I'd like a rocking chair."

Pei Yufeng stopped what he was doing and walked over to stand behind her.

"It can go on the second-floor terrace," Ji Yunshu said, pointing upward. "That way, every evening from now on, I can lie on the rocking chair, feel the sea breeze, and watch the sunset. The sea breeze right now is just perfect—so cool and refreshing. Lying up there, watching the sun go down while eating fruit, would be so comfortable."

As she spoke, her eyes drifted toward the distant sea outside the window. The fading sunlight fell across her profile, scattering tiny specks of light onto her long, narrow lashes. The sea breeze lifted the loose strands of hair at her temples, and she reached up to tuck them behind her ear, feeling the flow of the air.

When she finished, she turned back to look at Pei Yufeng, her eyes sparkling and a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, as if she were describing a simple, perfectly ordinary little wish.

Pei Yufeng stood behind her, following her gaze out toward the distance. He mentally ran through the dimensions of a rocking chair and gave a nod.

Pei Yufeng was a man of action. That same evening, as Ji Yunshu leaned against the headboard reading letters after dinner, he had already pulled out paper and pen from the drawer and sat down at the desk to start sketching.

The dim yellow light of the desk lamp fell on his hand gripping the pencil—knuckles clearly defined, fingers holding the pencil as he drew one straight line after another across the paper. Every so often he paused, measured the proportions with a ruler, and continued drawing.

Ji Yunshu lounged sideways on the bed, peering over his shoulder. On the paper had already appeared the side profile of a rocking chair—a curved base, a reclined backrest, wide armrests—every detail marked with precise measurements.

"You drew it that fast? Is it going to be troublesome to make?" Ji Yunshu rested her chin on his shoulder, catching the faint scent at the side of his neck, like fresh leaves after rain.

"Not hard." Pei Yufeng didn't look up, the pencil still scratching softly across the paper. "The terrace is pretty big—two rocking chairs will fit just right, with room for a small side table in between." He finished the rough sketch and handed it to Ji Yunshu. "If we eat dinner at home, we can have it out on the terrace. It's cooler out there."

Ji Yunshu looked at his profile as he earnestly sought her opinion, at his lips moving as he spoke, and suppressed the urge to lean in and kiss him. He always treated what she said as the most important thing—if she wanted something, he made it happen right away.

"Making two is good—we can both lie on them and watch the sky together." Ji Yunshu pictured it: the two of them holding coconuts or cut fruit, eating while watching the sun set or the clouds drift by, and she suddenly felt it would be even nicer than being alone.

Pei Yufeng's pencil paused. "Anything else you want?"

"No, that's it. It just feels like you're getting a head start on retirement life." Ji Yunshu buried her face in the hollow of his shoulder, her shoulders trembling with a soft laugh. The formidable Commander Pei, who was all business at the base, came home and just wanted to lie on the terrace with her watching the sky—if the young soldiers under him found out, would they think he wasn't tough at all?

Early the next morning, Pei Yufeng rode his old bicycle to the logistics carpentry shop at the base. Old Guo, who ran the shop, was an old friend of his. When he heard Pei Yufeng wanted to build rocking chairs himself, he didn't hesitate to haul out the lumber from the storage room and let him pick.

Pei Yufeng chose local Hainan lychee wood—hard, fine-grained, resistant to cracking, and after polishing, its surface would take on a warm amber luster. He strapped the chosen wood to the back of his bike and hauled it home, then went to the supply co-op to buy sandpaper in different grits and a can of wood varnish.

After lunch, he cleared a space in the courtyard, stacked the wood neatly against the wall, laid out all his tools in a row, then took off his uniform jacket and changed into an old white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and got to work.

The sound of sawing rang through the courtyard, steady and powerful. Lychee wood was hard and took effort to cut, but Pei Yufeng was skilled—the saw blade followed the inked lines without veering off by a hair. Before long, fine beads of sweat dotted his forehead.

Ji Yunshu pulled up a chair under the eaves, with a pot of cool boiled water and a clean towel beside her, and a half-finished piece of fabric spread across her lap—she was embroidering clouds and shells onto her new dress.

Huajuan crouched at Ji Yunshu's feet, head tilted, watching Pei Yufeng saw wood, the tip of her tail twitching. Shen Shen, meanwhile, had jumped onto the courtyard wall and perched there, looking down with wary green eyes at the yard that was suddenly piled with lumber.

"Brother Pei, have some water." Ji Yunshu set down her sewing, poured a cup of cool water, and brought it over. Pei Yufeng straightened up, took the cup, and downed most of it in one go, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. Ji Yunshu stood on her tiptoes, pressed the towel to his forehead, then dabbed the sweat from the back of his neck as well. She did all this naturally and smoothly, as if she'd done it a thousand times before.

"Don't push yourself too hard," Ji Yunshu said, her fingers pressing gently on the back of his neck. "The sun's so strong—want to take a break?"

"No need." Pei Yufeng handed the cup back to her and picked up the saw again. "I should be able to get the frame done this afternoon."

When Pei Yufeng planed the wood, the plane pushed across the surface, curling up shaving after shaving as thin as a cicada's wings. The shavings were pale yellow, carrying the faint sweet scent unique to lychee wood, and the wind scattered them all over the yard. Huajuan darted out from under the eaves, batting at the flying shavings with her paws and chasing them all over the yard. Shen Shen, still perched on the wall, shot Huajuan a contemptuous look and kept a wary eye on the pile of lumber.

Once the frame was done, Pei Yufeng began assembly. He set the two curved base rails in place, checked the angles repeatedly with a carpenter's square, then used a wooden mallet to gently tap the tenons, driving them bit by bit into the base.

Next came the backrest and armrests. He sanded every vertical slat of the backrest repeatedly, making sure the surface was smooth and free of splinters before installing them. The armrests were rounded at the edges—he carved the contours one stroke at a time with a chisel, then sanded with coarse paper and polished with fine paper, making sure no rough splinters would poke Ji Yunshu before he stopped and applied a coat of moisture-proof varnish.

By the time Pei Yufeng finished brushing on the last coat of varnish, dusk had fallen. He stood up and stepped back two paces, looking at the two rocking chairs sitting side by side in the courtyard. The lychee wood had been polished to a natural amber sheen, glowing with a warm golden light in the setting sun. The smell of varnish hadn't fully faded, but the chairs were already perfect—once the varnish dried, they'd be ready to use.

Ji Yunshu walked over. She saw that Pei Yufeng's white shirt was covered in sawdust and wood shavings, sweat stains ringed his cuffs and collar, and several fine wood chips clung to his arms. She reached out to brush the shavings off his clothes, and only then noticed a shallow cut on his palm, with a few beads of blood seeping out—she couldn't tell if it was from a chisel or a splinter.

"You're hurt!" Ji Yunshu quickly took his hand and pulled him over to the sink. "Wash it right away—wood dust will get in the wound."

"It's nothing, doesn't hurt." Pei Yufeng rinsed his palm under the water, and soon the wood dust washed away, revealing the clean but still-bleeding cut. "It'll stop in a minute."

"But I feel terrible about it." The words slipped out before Ji Yunshu could stop them. She held his hand, her face full of guilt, her eyes brimming with concern. "Brother Pei, you really didn't have to work so fast. I wasn't in a hurry. Now you've hurt your hand, and I..."

Before she could finish, Pei Yufeng pulled her into his arms. His cheek rested on top of her head, and he let out a low chuckle. "It really is nothing. But I'm glad you said that to me."

"You're still laughing!" Ji Yunshu gave his chest a light, playful thump. "Don't do that again!"

"Alright." Pei Yufeng nodded seriously.

While the varnish dried, Pei Yufeng went to take a shower and change. By the time Ji Yunshu came out of the bath, the sun had already sunk most of the way below the horizon.

"The varnish is about dry. Let's go up and take a look." Pei Yufeng bent down, picked up one rocking chair in each hand, and carried them up the stairs with ease. Ji Yunshu followed behind, moving the flower pots in the corner of the terrace aside to make room.

The two rocking chairs sat side by side on the terrace, their backs facing the distant hills and looking out toward the sea. In the space between them, there was just enough room for a small side table.

Ji Yunshu sat down in the right chair and leaned back gently. The chair immediately rocked back a little. She tried tapping the ground with her toe, and the chair rocked forward again. The arc of the motion was small—just the right amplitude to let a person relax.

Pei Yufeng sat down in the left chair, leaned back, and gave it a gentle rock as well. The terrace fell quiet. No one spoke—only the soft, unsynchronized creaking of the two rocking chairs interwove with the sound of waves striking the rocks.

The sun was slowly sinking over the sea. Today's sunset was unlike any before—a tender pinkish gold spread across the water, shimmering and rippling, but since the sun had already sunk most of the way, the distant sky had deepened into a dark blue.

Ji Yunshu watched the sailboats returning to harbor, watched the seagulls wheeling over the water, feeling the cool, damp air, and couldn't help spreading her arms wide as if to embrace the wind coming toward her.

A feeling she had never known before crystallized in that moment. Ji Yunshu wanted not only to embrace the wind of this moment, but also to embrace him in this moment.

Pei Yufeng lived up to his name—perhaps he was the very sea breeze she most wanted to hold.

Ji Yunshu stole a sideways glance at him. He was leaning back in the rocking chair, his long legs stretched out in front of him, one hand resting on the armrest, his head turned toward her.

Pei Yufeng wasn't watching the sunset. He was watching her.

Ji Yunshu's heart skipped a beat.