The winters in the north are dry and cold, and even the bright midday sun isn’t warming. Chen Xu tightened his scarf and followed a few senior students to the construction site for observation.
In his past life, he studied architecture in college, and this time around, nothing had changed; relearning the same knowledge felt quite handy.
These construction drawings and the raw site were old friends to him. He made notes adeptly, but, distracted, stood in the wind a bit too long and felt slightly dizzy when he returned.
It wasn’t a fever, probably just a slight cold.
Chen Xu didn’t think much of it and drank some more hot water, waiting for Ji Chunxiao to come back.
Their lives had largely retraced the paths of their last lives: attending the same university, studying the same major, and even living in the same apartment.
But this time around, Ji Chunxiao wasn’t as exhausted since, on the surface, he was just a college student newly involved in his family’s business, though he actually had several years of work experience under his belt.
Ji Chunxiao had no classes that afternoon and had gone to the company. After not seeing his wife for an afternoon, he rushed to finish his work before dinner and hurried home.
When he opened the door, maybe Chen Xu had heard him because he was leaning against the hall waiting for him, wearing a light yellow loungewear, his eyes smiling gently.
“Wife…”
Ji Chunxiao’s afternoon of longing finally had a place to land, and he dropped his car keys to embrace Chen Xu.
He brought a chill from outside, his cheeks cold as ice, which felt particularly clear when rubbed against Chen Xu’s skin.
Ji Chunxiao couldn’t resist wanting to kiss Chen Xu, but his lips were dodged.
He paused, thinking Chen Xu had moved unintentionally, and turned his face back, child-like: “Just a kiss.”
Chen Xu pressed his fingertips against Ji Chunxiao’s forehead, pushing him away, “No kiss.”
His cold hadn’t fully cleared, and he had no intention of passing it on to Ji Chunxiao.
Chen Xu didn’t explain further, assuming it was just a minor cold. Mentioning it would only lead Ji Chunxiao to fuss over him with temperature checks, medications, and hot water, making a big deal out of it.
He turned and headed to the dining room, only realizing a few steps later that Ji Chunxiao hadn’t followed.
“What’s up? Come eat, Li Shifu sent over some rib soup today, you’ll like it.”
“Oh, coming.”
Ji Chunxiao seemed to snap back to reality and hurried to catch up, his demeanor a bit downcast, like a puppy with drooping ears.
Finally, when bedtime arrived, Ji Chunxiao urged Chen Xu several times, who was still reading. After being brushed off a few times, Ji Chunxiao playfully carried him back to the bedroom.
Laying his wife on the bed, Ji Chunxiao didn’t let go and pulled out a few plastic-wrapped small blocks from under the pillow.
“Is it okay? Tomorrow is Saturday,” he nuzzled against Chen Xu’s neck, softly calling out for his wife.
He knew this would make Chen Xu relent, indeed, normally at this time, Chen Xu would have indulged him.
But today, Chen Xu hesitated for a moment before pushing him away, “Not tonight, let’s sleep.”
Ji Chunxiao, feeling wronged, clung to him all night. When Chen Xu woke up the next day, his cold didn’t seem to have eased.
So, he refused Ji Chunxiao’s morning kiss, as well as his noon, afternoon, and goodnight kisses.
Ji Chunxiao sank into deep doubt, sitting on the balcony in the cold wind, wondering what he might have done wrong.
But there was nothing.
Ever since they got back together in this life, their relationship had been great. Ji Chunxiao felt he was very obedient to his wife; it made no sense that he’d upset her.
Unable to figure it out, Ji Chunxiao opened his phone and typed in the search bar—Why does my boyfriend not want to be close to me?
The search results were varied, and aside from impossible reasons like cheating, most revolved around one topic—He’s just not interested in you anymore.
One answer said: “People need novelty, even loving couples get the seven-year itch. It’s normal to lose interest, you need to stir things up and keep the excitement alive.”
Reading this, Ji Chunxiao frowned and muttered to himself: “Seven-year itch? How is that possible? I don’t feel it at all.”
He turned off his phone, disdainful of those unreliable answers.
But then, counting the five years in his previous life and two in this one, they had indeed been together for seven years.
Ji Chunxiao began to worry.
After much hesitation, he reopened the pages he had just dismissed, looking for the legendary “exciting” methods to add novelty.
Chen Xu had been taking cold medicine these past few days and drinking lots of hot water. When he emerged from the bath that night, perhaps the steam had taken the sickness away, and he felt much better.
Glancing into the living room, he didn’t see Ji Chunxiao.
He raised an eyebrow, pondering where Ji Chunxiao had gone, still expecting to make up for the kisses missed these past days.
Maybe in the bedroom?
Chen Xu thought nonchalantly as he pushed open the door, then froze on the spot.
He saw Ji Chunxiao in the bedroom, wearing a thigh-length maid outfit, classic black and white, adorned with lace and bows.
This maid outfit was a freebie from a purchase they made for certain accessories and had been lying forgotten in a corner of the wardrobe until Ji Chunxiao dug it out.
Ji Chunxiao had never tried such a thing before and was bending over studying how to tie the black ribbon.
The dress was one-size-fits-all and a bit small on him, the tie at the back undone and loose, the fabric at the front stretched tight by his well-defined pectorals.
It was mismatched, but… pretty good-looking.
Chen Xu’s heart skipped a beat.
Chen Xu asked hoarsely, “Ji Chunxiao, you…”
What’s going on with the young master today?
The called Ji Chunxiao’s ears turned red, reluctant to meet Chen Xu’s gaze, but he finally bit his lip and approached fiercely, grabbing Chen Xu’s face, “Do I look good?”
Chen Xu kissed him, smiling, “You look good.”
“Hmph.”
Ji Chunxiao, kissed and both pleased and displeased, huffed softly. Seeing such immediate effects, surely Chen Xu had grown tired of him.
Thinking so, he got even angrier, finding a use for the ribbon to blindfold Chen Xu’s eyes.
Being carried back to the bed, Chen Xu had no idea what got into Ji Chunxiao today. Initially, he could play along, but by the end, he was nearly falling apart, too weak to cry, the inside of his thighs rubbed red by the lace, the black ribbon nearly soaked through with emotional tears.
And still, Ji Chunxiao didn’t stop, whispering in his ear,
“Do you like this?”
Chen Xu, too weak to respond, breathed unevenly.
Ji Chunxiao continued softly, “Does this give you a bit of novelty?”
“…Will it make you tired of me slower?”
Though it had only been two days since his advances were refused, Ji Chunxiao, spoiled by Chen Xu, was a bit upset, almost crying.
“…What?”
Chen Xu frowned, puzzled by Ji Chunxiao’s last few words.
He gasped for breath, pushing Ji Chunxiao off his shoulder to make him stop.
“What are you talking about? Who’s lost interest? Who’s tired of whom?”
Ji Chunxiao felt wronged, “You wouldn’t even let me kiss you these past days, you’ve hit the seven-year itch, haven’t you?”
Chen Xu: …
He was both frustrated and amused.
“You’re so silly.” He touched Ji Chunxiao’s face, helplessly saying: “I just had a cold these past few days, didn’t want to infect you.”
“What seven-year itch? Didn’t I come to you as soon as I got better?”
Ji Chunxiao brightened, his eyes lighting up.
“Really, wife!”
“Really.”
Chen Xu reassured him seriously, “I’ve never felt any period of boredom, I’m happy every day with you.”
Reassured, Ji Chunxiao nuzzled and kissed, “Me too!”
Every day the world turned, he loved Chen Xu a bit more.
It was always increasing, forever and ever.
“So, wife, can we continue?”
Ji Chunxiao kissed Chen Xu’s ankle, unabashedly asking for emotional compensation.
The crumpled maid dress somehow ended up on Chen Xu, the black ribbon later used to tie his wrists.
Chen Xu, naturally delicate-looking, his eyes teary and lips flushed, suited the outfit unexpectedly well.
A content Ji Chunxiao hugged his wife, recalling those wildly inaccurate but thrilling answers from Baidu.
Though off the mark, they were indeed quite stimulating.
Ji Chunxiao’s diary: “February 7th. Wife looks beautiful in a dress, only I can see such a beautiful wife. I love him, just as he loves me, with no period of boredom, forever and forever.”
