Do Not Reconcile 15 - 16

15 Shirt

Huo Mu had never been able to refuse Guanguan, not in the past nor now.

He drove to his apartment.

Guanguan was curious about where he lived, did he live alone?

When she entered, she took in her surroundings; the apartment was not large, a few dozen square metres. The interior was black and white, monotonous with no homely warmth.

At the entrance, Huo Mu handed her men’s slippers that dwarfed her feet.

As she entered, Huo Mu said, ‘My place isn’t big, I only have one room which you can sleep in tonight. I’ll take the couch.’

Guanguan nodded.

He placed her bags on the sofa, ‘Your things are here, eat as much as you want but not too much, it’s bad for…you.’ He suddenly remembered that he had no place in her life to say this, after a laden pause, he said, ‘Forget it, I have no right to tell you what to do, do as you like.’

Huo Mu took off his blazer and put away his purchases before he started cooking.

As she watched him work, she suddenly wanted to eat what he cooked. Huo Mu had been cooking for himself since his childhood, his mother never cared for him, so he looked after himself. His mother went out daily to serve her customers, leaving him by himself so he had had no choice but to learn everything for himself.

Guanguan had loved eating the meals he cooked. They were not extravagant, but simple yet delicious. She had never forgotten the taste.

When they had been dating, she had told him she could not cook, and he had promised her that when they got married, he would cook and do the housework, he would never let her touch hardship. (Zuben: God! Zeus! Orunmila! Send me my own Huo Mu who wouldn’t let me touch hardship!)

He used to live in a small poky single room and now he was cooking and living in a tidy apartment.

And there was the thing that a serious man was most handsome. Watching his profile as he cooked, he was seriously handsome. His features were particularly beautiful.

‘I haven’t had dinner; may I have some of yours?’ she asked.

He didn’t reply, but he had made enough for two.  

Guanguan went off to sit on the couch and drink her yoghurt, making herself comfortable, she switched on the TV.

When he was done, he called to her, ‘Time to eat.’

She hurried over to the dining table, but just before she sat down, she made an excuse to go to the toilet and went to snoop. He had only one set of towels, his cabinet had only men’s items, not feminine potions or products, one toothbrush, one robe. She tried to find condoms, but there was nothing. (Zuben: Being nosey, poke a dead man's eye) All pointed to Huo Mu being single. The lack of ladies’ house slippers was proof enough already. If he had a regularly visiting girlfriend, he would have women’s slippers. (Zuben: Or his mom could visit a lot.) And if he was married, he wouldn’t have taken her to his apartment, afraid that his wife would find out.

She thought she would be excited finding out he was single, she had come to find out, but how could it be so desolate?

Guanguan returned to the dining table, a glass of warm brown sugar water had been placed beside her meal. (Zuben: I tried this one moderately painful period, I think it just works 'cos it's warm water)

Her nose and eyes suddenly became heated.

Her food had no green onions in it, he remembered she didn’t like them.

She took a bite, and the familiar taste made her throat tighten.

Huo Mu ate silently. Guanguan stared at him a moment before she couldn’t help it but ask, ‘Huo Mu, your fiancée came to pick up the pictures and she told me that you’re not her husband, but her cousin. Is that true?’

Huo Mu’s chopsticks stilled, he didn’t look at her but she could tell he was a little flustered, but he didn’t refute.

‘She is my cousin. She had some issues with another man, and wanted me to take wedding photos with her to dissuade him,’ (Zuben: I'm still dubious about the validity of this plan)

Guanguan felt like fireworks exploded inside her, she was happy hearing this.

She tried to fight the smile that was threatening to invade her face as she asked, ‘So are you single? You’re not dating Shu Lin?’

Shu Lin had been the top scorer amongst the girls back in high school, she had also like Huo Mu. She had applied to go to Havard, and after he broke up with Guanguan, there had been vague rumours that Huo Mu had gone with Shu Lin to Havard.

Huo Mu frowned at that, ‘Why would I be with her?’

Guanguan was very happy about this; they hadn’t been together when they were abroad.

But that still wasn’t enough, ‘Are you single?’ she asked again.

Huo Mu stared at her for a while before replying, ‘Single. Eat.’

Guanguan was ecstatic at his reply. He was single. No girlfriend. But then she thought, even though he had no girlfriend, he had told her clearly he didn’t like her and was just using her.

After dinner, Huo Mu did the dishes.

Guanguan wanted to take a shower, but she didn’t have anything to change into so Huo Mu gave her a clean shirt. And a clean pair of her underwear.

‘This is the one I took last time. It’s clean, you can wear it.’

The one she had left with him in the car had only just been washed.

Hearing this Guanguan wanted to find a hole to drill into and hide. He had really kept her panties. It had been so wet last time.

After her shower, Guanguan came out of the bathroom drying her wet hair with his towel, there had been no spare ones.

Huo Mu was in the bedroom, tidying up.

She was wearing his shirt and her long straight legs were bare, his gaze slid up to her chest…

Guanguan did not wear a bra to sleep, so she hadn’t worn one under the shirt hence her nipples were poking through the shirt.

He could feel a stirring in his lower abdomen and his throat tightened. But he quickly swept past her, saying he was going to take his shower. But inside, there were worse things, her undies were in the laundry basket. The large cups of her bra fascinated him; C-cups. They had always been large since high school. (Zuben: It’s hilarious that C-cup are big boobs in China)

 16 No boyfriend.

Huo Mu felt like he was going to go mad.

He was having a miserable evening. He hadn’t had any sex in five years, so it was rather hard to be in Guanguan’s presence. Even though Guanguan had gotten him off at the hotel, and he had rubbed another out the night before, he was becoming really uncomfortable. He felt like he would die of thirst. He was a lusty man, and now seeing her underwear, his cock was disheartened.

He took a cold shower.

When he returned to the room, Guanguan was lying on the bed on her side with her back to him. It looked like she was playing some kind of game on her phone, so she didn’t notice his entrance. She shifted and the shirt pulled up revealing her skimpily covered bum.

Guanguan was from a wealthy family, pampered throughout her life so her skin was white and tender. He almost could not stand the desire to stroke her long legs. The thought of her legs around his waist while he fucked her almost made him explode.

He tried to leave so he didn’t continue to stare; she could suffocate the dead.

Guanguan lost her game and turned to see Huo Mu headed for the door.

‘Are you going to sleep? But your sofa is so small, you won’t be able to sleep comfortably. Just stay here.’ (Zuben: Why don’t people every buy sofas large enough so you can sleep comfortably?)

He was really tall. Back in high school he had been 185cm tall, now he seemed to be about 188cms.

Huo Mu turned back to her and asked drily, ‘Wouldn’t your boyfriend mind that another man slept beside you?’

Guanguan wanted to bite his tongue; why did he always take the boyfriend out? Whenever they talked he always brought up “the boyfriend”, had he taken a fancy to her imaginary boyfriend? Were they in love? Was she in the way? (Zuben: Sad that the lie is biting your arse?)

She dropped her head in a dispirited manner and she replied, ‘I don’t have a boyfriend.’

‘Huh?’

She looked up at him, ‘I don’t have a boyfriend. I lied. You had a fiancé and I didn’t have anyone. I felt ashamed so I lied to you.’

Hearing her confession, Huo Mu’s lips twitched; trying not to smile. He was suddenly in a good mood.

He didn’t say anything as he walked to the bed and lay down.

She gave him more room as he lay down.

They lay silently for a while, then Guanguan asked, ‘Huo Mu, did you have a good time in America? Were there many beautiful women abroad? Did you have many girlfriends?’

Huo Mu’s jaw twitched before he replied, ‘No, I have always been single – never had a girlfriend.’

Guanguan was happy, she smiled at him as she said, ‘Huo Mu, I’m not as stupid as you think. If I was really so stupid I wouldn’t have been admitted into university. I really worked hard for our finals. I really worked hard.’

Huo Mu turned to her, his eyes were red, his voice sounded choked when he spoke, ‘I know. I am truly sorry I said those hurtful things to you.’

She sneered at his apology, ‘Things that have been said have been said. Hurt is hurt. There is no need to say sorry, it no longer hurts.’

With that, she turned her back to him.

Huo Mu really wanted to hold her, but he restrained himself.

He turned to stare at her back.

🌕

Guanguan closed her eyes and went back to their high school days when she had learned about Huo Mu’s family situation. When she found out his family conditions were so bad, she was heartbroken. She was so in love with him, she never gave up the idea of pursuing him. Instead, she brought him breakfast.

Her aunt had made cakes, so she packed a piece in a lunch box and took it to school for him. When he sat, she handed the lunch box to him, ‘Huo Mu, I brought you breakfast.’

He didn’t look at it and refused outright, ‘I have had breakfast. You keep it.’

‘It’s just cake, you can have it as a snack later. Just eat it when you are hungry.’

But he gave her a knife-like glare, and said coldly, ‘I don’t want it.’

He was so fierce, Guanguan retreated for a little while. During their study period, she took out a work book and asked him to help her with some problems, ‘Huo Mu, I don’t understand this problem. Can you help me?’

When Huo Mu was studying he did not like to be disturbed. He pushed her work book aside, and his tone was even worse than it had been in the morning, ‘No. Have you ever listened properly in class? Can’t you just do that? If not, you can just ask the teacher. I have no obligation to teach you.’

But Guanguan’s brain was a bit crooked, when she heard this, she laughed and replied, ‘How do you know I don’t pay attention in class? Are you paying attention to me?’

Huo Mu had no comeback.

He turned away from her and went back to studying. Guanguan suspected he was falling for her, but was angry with himself for capitulating.

When Huo Mu wanted to get water, she immediately grabbed his water bottle and rushed off, ‘I’ll get water for you!’

He had no chance to protest; she had gone and returned with water.

It was a hot summer’s day, and the air was stuffy. The fans hanging over the classroom were doing a dismal job. Guanguan had a small fan with her to cool herself, and she would point it at Huo Mu was well. He must be so hot. But he would push her away. She turned her body so that the cooler air was hitting him too.

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