Finally, my fragile clothing succumbs to his insistence. Without the barrier of fabric, our slick skin touches, and I realize how warm his body is. My cold skin feels comfortable against him, and I draw closer. His fingertips gently brush my neck, caressing and trailing down my spine. Feeling his body’s response, my still-aching body begins to tremble.
“No more, I’m so tired…”
His lips paused behind my ear, exhaling softly before withdrawing.
“Sleep,” he says, extending his arm to my pillow, allowing me to rest on it, then wrapping another arm around my chest and grasping my hand, completely enveloping me in his embrace.
Our body curves are tightly pressed together; I lack the courage to turn and face him directly. The world falls into silence, so quiet you could hear cherry blossoms falling, smell their faint fragrance, and feel his steady heartbeat.
As my body relaxes, the day’s exhaustion sweeps me away. I close my eyes, feeling our body temperatures merging, heartbeats aligning, breaths accompanying each other. After being in Japan for so long, I’ve never felt this secure.
Is this what they call a sense of safety?
Confidently surrendering to him, I quietly sleep in his embrace. It feels like returning to childhood, lying in my mother’s arms, listening to her lullabies. My breathing stabilizes as I sleep deeply, without dreams.
At some unknown time, I wake to warm morning light. Squinting, I see our hands resting on the blanket, his still holding mine. On our wrists are Seagull brand watches—black and white—with his watch buckle engraved with the word “Babe!” This touch of emotion is new to me.
Especially thinking this hand belongs to Ye Zhengchen, that dazzling man in the sky—does he truly belong to me? I know he doesn’t; I’m just a passerby in his life. But occupying him during this love’s blank period is enough for me. Everything else is unimportant!
Everything seductive was exposed before my eyes, and my dazed expression, rose-colored obscurity, and inseparable union must have been captured by him. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have such turbid breathing, intense physiological response, or uncontrolled overflow of passion. Countless kisses and sweat, gasps and moans, unbridled restraints and struggles—countless times ascending to the peak and then falling to the mortal world.
