Yue Mingyuan couldn’t help but feel a stirring in his heart, a sudden urge to kiss Ye Zhiqiu.
Unfortunately, the time and place weren’t right.
“Cold?” he asked.
Ye Zhiqiu was about to shake her head and say she wasn’t cold anymore, but something in her subconscious made her change her answer: “Still a little bit.”
“Come here, get in,” Yue Mingyuan said, opening his coat wide.
He was wearing casual clothes—the suit and trench coat she’d bought for him, which had absolutely stunned Ye Zhiqiu at the time. When he’d tried them on, she’d been completely floored by how good he looked, but he’d quickly taken them off. She’d tried to coax him into wearing them again after that, but it had been summer then, and he ran so hot—she couldn’t bear to make him suffer. She never expected to get such a treat for her eyes today.
With a happy little bounce, she jumped into his arms, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist and pressing her whole body against his. Soaking up his warmth, she couldn’t help but sigh in contentment: “So warm.”
She missed the nights when he’d hold her close under the same blanket.
They’d gotten married in autumn, and by the time they saw each other again, it was already winter. She was especially afraid of the cold, and in winter, her hands and feet would always turn icy, no matter how thick the gloves or cotton boots she bought. Especially when her hands hurt so badly from the cold that she felt like crying. But whenever Yue Mingyuan was by her side, he’d warm her hands for her, and her feet too. She’d rest her cold feet against his legs, and before long, they’d be toasty warm.
Outside, the northwest wind would howl and snow would pour down in thick flakes, but he’d hold her tight in his arms, like being nestled next to a warm stove. It always let her sleep soundly through the night.
Sensing Yue Mingyuan lift his hand to check his watch, Ye Zhiqiu knew he had to leave.
She straightened up, gazing at him with reluctant eyes, not wanting him to go.
Of course, Yue Mingyuan was even more reluctant. He hadn’t actually had any time to visit her on this trip. But he’d pushed himself to finish his work ahead of schedule, just so he could have these few minutes with her. Even if just for a moment, he wanted to see her face.
“Is the food here not to your taste?” Yue Mingyuan gently pinched her cheek. “You’ve lost weight.”
“No, I haven’t. You know I’m not a picky eater.”
Ye Zhiqiu grabbed his hand and placed it on her waist. “Feel carefully—I haven’t lost weight. It’s just that my muscles are firmer now. We’ve been training pretty hard every day.”
“I’m telling you, I eat the most out of everyone here. They all eat so little, but me? I can put away two bowls of rice.”
Her appetite came from her mother, Ye Yunshuang—as her uncle Ye Yunlin liked to say, the two of them had no conscience when it came to food.
“Call me if anything comes up.”
Yue Mingyuan held her tightly, pressing his cheek against hers. He turned his head and gave her a quick kiss on the face, whispering softly, “I miss you so much.”
“I miss you too.”
Ye Zhiqiu had so much more she wanted to say to him, but she knew he truly had to go now.
“Go on back. I’ll watch you leave.”
Ye Zhiqiu picked up the electric heater and started walking back. Every few steps, she’d turn around to look at him—and he was still standing there, watching her.
Once she rounded the corner, she hid there, waiting for two or three minutes before peeking her head out again. He was still there, as if he knew she’d do exactly that. He smiled and waved at her.
Since she’d been caught, Ye Zhiqiu stopped hiding. She stepped out fully and waved back at him with all her might, motioning for him to go. This time, she’d watch him leave.
He was far more decisive than she was. He turned around and strode away in big steps, crossing the street to get into a car.
Watching the car drive off, Ye Zhiqiu picked up the heater and continued on her way back.
What she didn’t know was that the car soon circled back. Yue Mingyuan rolled down the window, and only after confirming that she was out of sight did he truly leave.
“Zhiqiu, what exactly did you bring back?”
After reading the words on the box, Han Siyang let out a shocked cry: “Oh my god, it’s an electric heater!”
Fan Xue circled around it, studying it curiously. “A heater that runs on electricity? Won’t that use up a ton of power?”
“The power usage is one thing, but do you know how much this costs?” Han Siyang held up one finger. “This much.”
“A hundred yuan?” Fan Xue guessed.
“A thousand!”
Ye Zhiqiu and Fan Xue said in unison: “That expensive?!”
A thousand yuan could buy a brand-new color TV.
“And you’d still need connections to even get one—these are specially supplied goods, not easy to come by.”
Han Siyang couldn’t help asking Ye Zhiqiu, “Zhiqiu, where did you get this heater?”
Fan Xue, on the other hand, was curious about something else: “Zhiqiu, who came to see you?”
“My husband,” Ye Zhiqiu said, pointing at the heater. “He gave it to me.”
“Your husband?!”
Both Han Siyang and Fan Xue’s eyes went wide. Han Siyang spoke first: “Isn’t your husband stationed up in the capital with his unit? He came all the way to Jiangning?”
“He came here on official business and stopped by to see me. His schedule’s really tight—he’s already left.”
“Zhiqiu, Yue Mingyuan’s got some skills after all—who knew he actually knows how to care for someone?” Fan Xue gave Ye Zhiqiu a light pat. “I thought that ice cube of a man didn’t have a clue about this stuff.”
Ye Zhiqiu came to his defense: “Mingyuan is a good man.”
“Well, that’s good then.”
Ye Zhiqiu turned to Han Siyang: “Siyang, do you know if we’re allowed to use an electric heater here?”
Han Siyang shook her head. “I’m not sure either. Let’s ask Professor Tang during this afternoon’s training.”
After training that afternoon, Ye Zhiqiu asked Tang Xujun about it. Tang smiled and said, “You can use it, but make sure to be careful with safety.”
Ye Zhiqiu took the initiative: “Professor Tang, this heater uses quite a bit of electricity. I’m willing to pay part of the electric bill myself.”
“We’ll discuss that later,” Tang Xujun said, not giving a definitive answer.
She figured it wasn’t a big deal, but with so many people around, there were always those who’d find something to nitpick. If anyone caused trouble, she’d have Ye Zhiqiu go through the motions to keep the peace.
With the electric heater, life for Ye Zhiqiu and Han Siyang became much more bearable.
After experiencing its warmth, Han Siyang kept saying that when she got back home, she’d find a way to get one no matter what. Even if it used a lot of power, it was still better than suffering through the cold.
And the most convenient thing of all was that the heater could dry their clothes.
If it were just the cold, it might still be manageable—but the cold in Jiangning came with dampness too, and the worst part was that clothes simply wouldn’t dry. Even when they seemed dry, they’d still feel damp, and in this weather, they wouldn’t dry at all.
Ye Zhiqiu could put up with most things, but she changed her underwear every day, and having them stay wet afterward was really uncomfortable. Han Siyang had the same habit. Before, they’d both used a hairdryer to force their clothes dry. But now, with this heater, they could just set their clothes next to it and they’d dry in no time.
Word spread within two days that Ye Zhiqiu’s husband had given her an electric heater. Some were envious, some jealous, and one person was so bitter she nearly ground her molars to dust in resentment.
And that person gnashing her teeth in fury was, of course, Han Shengnan. She’d been so pleased the other day when she saw Ye Zhiqiu crying, thinking she’d had a fight with Yue Mingyuan. But before she could even get his phone number and try to cultivate some feelings with him, she was hit with this massive blow.
“I heard that heater uses a ton of electricity. Just how much power must Ye Zhiqiu be burning through with that thing every day?” Han Shengnan said, pretending it was just a casual remark.
