Archive of Our Own ^beta

i. mall

“Does this dress look cute on me?”

“Yeah.”

“What about this one?”

“Sure.”

“But I think the one before looked better…”

“Mm,” Sunrui entertains her, nodding along for the hundredth time since they’ve went into the store like an hour ago, and she scrunches her face in pain when she feels her arm get pinched. “Ow! What was that for?”

Xiaokong’s narrowed eyes make her shrink back a bit, and Sunrui rubs at the offended skin with a wounded expression. “What?” she whines.

“Sunji!” Xiaokong huffs, crossing her arms in displeasure. “Can you answer in more than one-syllable words?”

“Aiya, you look good in everything, why does it matter?”

“Of course it matters! You’re out shopping with your girlfriend, would it kill you just to compliment her a bit?” Xiaoyin pouts, and Sunrui has to bite her lip to keep her laugh in at the sight.

“Okay, okay, you’re the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen and any of these dresses would be honored to have you wearing them, happy yet?”

Xiaokong’s responding look says obviously not, and Sunrui barely holds in her shit-eating grin this time – riling Xiaokong up really has to be one of her favorite pastimes.

“Cannot believe someone as pretty and talented as me would’ve ended up with someone as unromantic and dopey as you,” Xiaoyin faux-complains, and Sunrui snorts in response.

“Wasn’t that the charm that made you fall for me in the first place?” she laments dramatically, and when it makes Xiaokong burst into giggles, she congratulates herself on a job well done and half-heartedly evades the incoming slap on her arm.

“Idiot.”

Sunrui reaches out to intertwine their fingers, unable to resist the need for physical contact, and she smiles to herself as her ears flush. “Your idiot, though.”

The sweet words that she’s unused to saying make her entire face heat up and eyes dart restlessly, but the delighted look on Xiaokong’s face makes it worth it, and even more so when she gets a peck for her troubles, just at the corner of her lips.

“Maybe there’s hope for you yet,” Xiaoyin decides, and in that moment, with warmth radiating from where Xiaokong’s lips had just been, Sunrui swears that she can see the world in those smiling eyes.

x.X.x

ii. carnival

Thwump!

“Oof, tough luck, you weren’t able to hit dead center this time either. Would you like to try again?”

Gritting her teeth, Xiaoyin hands over more game tokens to the guy manning the stall, and she shoots a fierce glare at a certain little shit who’s cackling like crazy next to her.

“You’re so bad at archery I’m literally going to cry,” Sunrui snickers while laughing, and she uses the goose plushy she’d won earlier to block Xiaoyin’s raised fist, yelping, “I was wrong, sorry, I’m sorry!”

Hmphing, Xiaoyin turns back to the stupid archery targets that have been taunting her for almost a full half an hour now, and she grabs yet another arrow, refusing to be beaten like this.

“Why don’t you just let me help you win whatever plushy you want like I did with the goose?” Sunrui offers, taking pity on her, and Xiaoyin shakes her head stubbornly.

She lines up for another shot. “It won’t count unless I do it myself,” she says, puffing up her chest in obstinance.

Seeing the rapidly decreasing game tokens they have left, Sunrui rubs the back of her neck, thinking of a solution, and she proposes, “How about I guide your aim from behind then? That way you’ll technically still be doing it yourself.”

That gives Xiaoyin pause, and after a beat, her lips curve into a wicked smirk. “You aren’t just saying that so you can hold jiejie from behind, right?”

“What?” Sunji’s cheeks flare adorably. “Of course not!”

Xiaoyin preens in satisfaction, pretending not to have heard her, and she chirps, “Well since you want to so badly, jiejie will let you, just this once. Aren’t I the most generous woman you’ve ever seen?”

“I’m just doing it to save our game tokens, dummy,” Sunji denies with a grumble, and Xiaoyin can’t help but grin widely at how flustered she looks.

Her girlfriend really has to be the cutest dork in the world. (Second only to Xiaokong herself, obviously.)

“Fujun, you’re so shuai,” she sighs happily as Sunrui moves into position behind her, and she instinctively leans back, soaking up the comfort that always radiates in spades whenever her Sunji is near.

“Ei, stop clinging to me so closely,” Sunrui nags immediately, but her bashful tone fools no one, and Xiaoyin laughs quietly to herself, knowing that Sunrui has to be blushing like no tomorrow right now. “Do you actually want my help or not?” the younger woman gripes, sounding every bit like a disgruntled kid.

Xiaoyin stifles yet another laugh threatening to bubble out of her, and she straightens her posture, nodding obediently. “It’s up to you now, fujun!”

Sighing at the endearment, Sunrui starts helping to adjust her posture, and Xiaoyin thoroughly enjoys the feeling of gentle hands against her skin and warm breath against her neck. Sunrui’s body melds against hers comfortably, and Xiaokong listens to the given instructions with a careful ear, setting her shoulders wider and her arm straight.

“There we go,” Sunrui finally says in satisfaction after making sure Xiaoyin’s aim and stance is correct, and Xiaoyin has to suppress the sudden bashfulness that arises within her, Sunrui’s steady hand over her own and guiding her grip on the bow.

I’ve finally tamed our resident zhinan, I’m so happy I could cry, she exclaims in her mind, before-

“Xiaokong, can you hurry up already? Your aim’s perfect and my arm’s gonna cramp soon, kueai kueai kuai!”

…Cao, she shouldn’t have spoken so early. Rolling her eyes, Xiaoyin doesn’t even bother to respond, and she concentrates on the target, making sure her aim is right before letting the arrow go with a deep exhale.

The arrow flies with a sharp thwup, and “Yes, you finally hit dead center!” Sunrui reacts before her, clapping her hands to celebrate the bullseye, and Xiaoyin squeals, jumping in place as she does a little victory dance.

She lunges forward to give Sunrui a big hug, and looking at the arrow wedged into the middle of the target board with pride, Xiaoyin lets out a beaming smile. “See? Impressive, right?” she brags.

Sunrui, for her part, is at least smart enough to not contest her by now, and the taller girl nods solemnly. “The most impressive feat in the land, furen.”

The obvious sarcasm bounces right off Xiaoyin, and she hums in self-content, practically skipping her way over to the employee to tell him that ha, fuck you, I finally did it!

When the lion plushy that she’s been fixating on for half an hour finally ends up in her hands, she can’t stop her triumphant ‘yeah!’ and fist pump, and soon enough, she and Sunrui find a secluded bench to settle into for a while. Groaning as she stretches her tired muscles, she remembers what she wanted the damn plushy for in the first place, and Xiaoyin turns to her girlfriend, pushing the hard-won lion plushy into her arms next to the goose one.

“Now it’ll have its own little lion to protect it like you do me,” she says, knowing full well that she’s grinning like an idiot right now, “and the lion will have someone to keep it company, like how I’ll always be there for you.”

The gesture makes Sunrui blush and stutter, and Xiaoyin watches with an amused smile as her girlfriend stumbles over her words, acting like a high-schooler confessing to their crush for the first time.

“You’re so cute,” Xiaoyin laughs breathily, and she decides to spare Sunrui the pain and directly leans forward to press her lips against hers, sighing in content at the kiss.

She could kiss Sunrui and lose herself in this infinite softness for hours, but she knows how the other girl is about PDA, so she lets herself enjoy it for a few more seconds before pulling away, resigned to waiting till they get home for any more. She doesn’t expect Sunrui to let out a little growl and chase after her lips though, and the sudden contact once more makes her let out an uneven gasp, Sunrui taking advantage to deepen the kiss immediately.

The feeling of a familiar tongue swiping across her own makes Xiaoyin unable to suppress a small whimper, and her hands automatically reach up to tangle into silky black hair, refusing to back down. She feels more than anything Sunrui’s lips curve against her own, and after kissing her thoroughly, the younger woman draws away slightly, a playful smile on her face at Xiaoyin’s dazed look.

“Be careful though jiejie, the lion might end up eating the goose.”

“Sunrui!”

x.X.x

iii. arcade

“Rui ge, Da Ge’s bullying me again!” Xiaokong whines, resting her chin on Sunrui’s shoulder with a pout.

“Oh?” Sunrui barely looks away from the arcade game she’s playing, and she laughs, “Tell her she did a job well done then.”

It’s short-lasted though, as soon enough she’s wincing in pain and begging Xiaokong to have mercy, and she looks at the resultant Game Over! screen miserably.

“Ai,” she sighs, getting out of her chair with reluctance. “What game has she been schooling you in? I’ll go beat her and reclaim your honor.”

“You’re the best, fujun,” Xiaokong preens happily, looping their arms together, and Sunrui gives an exaggerated huff in response.

“Why do I do these things for you?” she mock-grumbles.

At that, Xiaokong shoots her a teasing look. “I’m sure you’re aware of the benefits,” she murmurs.

Like clockwork, Sunrui stammers on cue, and she works hard to keep down the flush that spreads from her neck, feeling her cheeks heat immediately. “Could- Could you be more serious for once?” she complains, forcefully changing the topic.

Xiaokong arches a brow in challenge. “Fujun, don’t you know by now that I’m always dead serious?”

“I- God, where’s Da Ge, I’m itching to win against her now,” Sunrui babbles, and she pulls at her collar in irritation – it’s so damn hot in here for what?

If anything, Xiaoyin’s devilish expression just intensifies, and Sunrui has to fight off the urge to kiss that smirk right off her lips.

This woman really is too dangerous for her own good.

Finally finding Luting amongst the rows of arcade cabinets, Sunrui gives a breath of relief, and she nearly trips over herself in her haste to get over there, pushing away all those hazardous thoughts in her mind.

Dragging Xiaokong along, she ignores her girlfriend’s smug, self-satisfied look, and Luting waves them over when she notices them, teasing, “I see Xiaokong’s brought her guard dog to come dethrone me.”

“Da Ge, just you wait!” Xiaoyin sticks out her tongue childishly.

Being referred to as Xiaokong’s guard dog has Sunrui rolling her eyes (no matter how true it may be), and she plops unceremoniously down into the chair next to Luting’s, making a show of cracking her knuckles.

“Pong, huh?” She looks at the menu screen flashing before her, letting out a diabolical grin. “You’re so going down.”

Da Ge snorts. “It’s going to be so embarrassing for you when I make a fool out of you in front of your girlfriend.”

“Sunji, if you can’t beat her you’re sleeping on the couch tonight,” Xiaokong adds unhelpfully, and Sunrui gawps.

“You sleep on my bed in my damn room?” she questions.

Xiaokong isn’t deterred in the slightest. “And I’m the mistress of 351, so that means that’s my bed too,” she reasons, explaining it as if it’s the soundest logic in the world.

Nice bluff, Sunrui snorts internally, remembering all the times Xiaokong had whined about not sleeping well alone, but she plays along anyway, and she huffs, “Da Ge, look what kind of girlfriend I have, treating me like this,” shooting puppy eyes at her.

In response, Luting laughs, and she puts her hands up in a ‘don’t involve me into this’ gesture. “Hey, you’re the one who said girls needed to line up outside 351 because there were too many of them who liked you,” she sniggers, “it’s your damn fault for deciding on the pretentious dolt instead.”

“Excuse you!” Xiaoyin sniffles in indignation, and she crosses her arms over her chest. “She should be grateful that she was lucky enough to score as great a catch as yours truly.”

“Truly,” Sunrui drones, and she barely avoids Xiaokong’s threatening fist as she chortles heartedly.

“And you!” Xiaokong jabs her pointer into Sunrui’s chest. “I don’t care how many girls line up outside our room, it’s gonna stay that way, I’m the only person you’re allowed to give an executive pass to!”

Hearing 351 be referred to as their room makes Sunrui’s cheeks warm and her heart flutter, and she mutters, “Now when did I ever give you an executive pass, you just brute-forced your way into my bed every night?”

She doesn’t even realize the innuendo until Xiaokong reddens and pinches her arm, and Luting arches a brow at her with a smirk. “Damn San Ge, never thought you had it in you.”

“I didn’t mean-” Sunrui fruitlessly tries to clarify, “I-”

Xiaoyin simply purses her lips and covers her face in embarrassment, until a thought seems to come to her, and she draws back, demeanor changing entirely. “You know what, that isn’t even all that accurate,” she chirps, this self-satisfied expression on her face that screams I know something you don’t.

Seeing the teasing look in Xiaokong’s eyes, Sunrui anticipates the brunette’s next words warily, and she watches the way her girlfriend’s eyes smolder and lips curve dangerously. 

“I never had to brute-force my way into your bed,” Xiaokong purrs, looking like the cat that just ate the canary, and Sunrui holds her breath.

“From my memory, you were a fully willing participant, every single time.”

x.X.x

iv. observatory

Xiaoyin’s rudely waken up at 4am by some strange noises.

As many, many of her friends can attest to (and complain about), she can practically sleep through anything, but the familiar warmth that’s usually draped over her is missing, and she frowns, arm reaching out next to her and finding nothing but empty space.

Where’d Ruirui go?

Sitting up with a yawn, she blinks the sleep out of her eyes groggily, and she jolts in shock when she sees Sunrui standing at the doorway dressed in black.

“Ai wodema, what are you doing, scaring people in the middle of the night?” she balks, rubbing her eyes. “You look like you’re about to go rob someone.”

Even under the dim light, Sunrui’s answering eyeroll is as clear as day, and Xiaoyin barely manages to catch the clothes abruptly thrown at her.

“Get dressed, I wanna take you somewhere.”

Stifling another yawn, Xiaoyin doesn’t bother questioning it, and she pads her way to the bathroom with nothing but a nightshirt, coming to her senses a bit more when she sees Sunji stare at her legs as she passes by.

“Kuai,” Sunrui obligatorily rushes her, pitch higher than usual, and Xiaokong hides her smile at how obvious the deflection is.

It’s nice to know some things will never change.

Ten minutes – and a lot of ‘kuai dian’s from Sunrui – later, Xiaoyin lets Sunrui impatiently tug her out of their hotel room, and she doesn’t really pay attention to where they’re going, content to admire how perfect their fingers look interlaced together instead.

It doesn’t take long until Xiaoyin realizes that she’s being led to the observatory that the group is using as a filming site for a few days, and she raises an impressed brow when she sees Sunrui produce a keycard for the private viewing area. “How’d you manage that?”

Sunrui laughs shyly, reaching up to rub at the back of her neck. “Pulled a couple of strings with the staff.”

“That’s so sweet,” Xiaokong squeals, and she stares at the opened roof in awe, never having seen stars so bright before.

“I’m glad you like it,” Sunrui says softly, tilting her head up to look at the constellations as well, and Xiaoyin darts forward to press a kiss on her girlfriend’s cheek, heart warmed at how much work Sunrui probably had put in for this.

The spot where her lips had been flushes pink quickly, and Xiaoyin watches as her Sunji tries to hold back a happy smile. “Come on,” Sunrui pulls on her hand, leading them further into the room, “if the staff have actually listened to me for once, there should be a blanket and some snacks set up for us.”

Sure enough, there it is, right in the best spot in the viewing sphere, and Xiaoyin turns to Sunrui with a charmed grin. “So romantic, fujun~” she chirps.

Plopping down onto the soft blanket, she leans back on her elbows, enjoying the beautiful view, and Sunrui follows soon after, settling down next to her with their shoulders snugly touching.

“You hungry?” her fujun asks, and Xiaokong nods, opening her mouth to receive the pastry that Sunrui feeds her in a familiar domestic routine.

The taste melts sweetly into her mouth, but it’s not because of the sugary flavor, and Xiaoyin can’t help the smitten expression that appears on her face. Turning her head to look at her girlfriend, Xiaoyin finds Sunrui organizing the snacks neatly in one of her typical compulsions, and it’s 4am and Xiaokong’s still half-drowsy and her body kind of aches from the long day of filming, but it occurs to her then that there’s really nowhere else she’d rather be.

An adoring smile appears on her face without her even realizing it, and Xiaoyin’s suddenly caught up in how beautiful her girlfriend is, perfectly illuminated under the starlight and tempting pink lips begging to be kissed.

And Kong Xiaoyin always gets what she wants one way or another.

Sunrui’s squeak of surprise is quickly swallowed into her mouth, and Xiaokong feels strong hands automatically reach out to steady themselves on her waist, pulling them closer together as Xiaoyin cups Sunrui’s cheek.

Loving how perfectly they fit together, she coaxes open soft lips with a series of sensual kisses, breath stolen as her chest heaves heavily, and she runs her tongue over a tantalizing bottom lip, head dizzy.

The small groan that escapes Sunrui has Xiaoyin drunk on a power rush, and she nips harder, crawling into her girlfriend’s lap as she ignores her lungs’ desperate need for air. It seems to spark something within Sunrui though, as she lets out this primal noise from her throat that resonates right at Xiaoyin’s arousal, and soon enough, she feels herself be overpowered, Sunrui’s hands grabbing her forearms and pushing her down onto the blanket.

When her back hits resistance with a soft thud, a pleasured grunt sounds out of her that’s quickly absorbed by Sunrui’s attacking lips, and Xiaokong meets her with the same fervor, the feeling of being trapped under her fujun’s comfortable weight maddening.

“Wo de ma,” Sunrui gasps when Xiaoyin bites on her lower lip, pulling away with a choked note, and fueled by unsatisfied desire, Xiaokong arches her back to chase after those delectable lips, a throb in her lower body starting to build up that really ought to be embarrassing.

In response, Sunrui just tightens her grip on Xiaoyin’s arms, holding them in place above her head and keeping her immobile, and the younger girl narrows her eyes, dark and hungry. “Don’t start something you can’t finish.”

Xiaoyin gives her a dangerous quirk of lips. “Who said I can’t?”

Sunrui scoffs, arching a brow, and the next thing Xiaokong knows, she’s being kissed senseless again, a thigh moving to press down right where she needs it. An instant moan bubbles up within her throat, and just like that, the pressure is gone again, causing her to whine in displeasure as Sunrui draws back with a self-satisfied curve of lips.

The way they’re red and swollen now sends another wave of burning hot desire through Xiaoyin, and from her position above her, Sunrui’s hair frames her face beautifully, falling downwards as both their chests heave heavily.

“Ruibao, you’re so shuai like that,” Xiaoyin giggles, not even caring about the slight burn in her shoulders, and Sunrui simply indulges her with a fond shake of the head.

“You’re supposed to be watching the stars, furen,” she says wryly, flipping over to lay next to Xiaokong, and Sunrui pulls their bodies flush together, curves intimately fitting against each other.

Sunrui doesn’t willingly call her furen often, so it catches Xiaoyin by surprise, and she props herself by the elbow with a dumb grin, finding Sunji’s pink cheeks to be absolutely adorable.

“I think I like the sun better,” she hums, doing nothing to hide her enamored look, and Sunrui tilts her head in question.

“What does that make you then?”

“Me?” Xiaoyin’s lips quirk, and she pretends to be in thought for a few seconds. “Well, that would make me your whole world, of course.”

x.X.x

v. movies

Daimeng should’ve listened.

When she had told Zhang Yuxin that she was going to go to the movies with Sanxiao, Chacha had laughed in her face and told her to cancel and save herself before it was too late.

Daimeng really should’ve fucking listened.

Being the fandubbed Sanxiao fan-representative, she’d figured that it wouldn’t be too bad having them for company in the cinema, and that worse come to worst she could just ship happily while being a third wheel.

Turns out, Chacha’s story about being absolutely miserable while third wheeling for Sanxiao and Malu hadn’t been exaggerated at all, and now, barely twenty minutes into the movie, Daimeng swears that if anything, Chacha had understated it.

Daimeng will never underestimate Xiaokong and Sunrui’s power to make someone feel like the most single person in the world again.

When they had arrived at the cinema, the first thing Xiaoyin jie had done was buy a couples combo for her and Rui ge, and Daimeng hadn’t really cared, content to munch on her own popcorn without having to share. Hell, it didn’t even matter that much to her when Xiaokong had turned to San Ge to sajiao, “Sunji, I want the middle seats in the back row!” and Sunrui had immediately agreed, going to buy the seats hand in hand with her girlfriend while leaving Daimeng to fend for herself.

No, the real problem started when they had sat down to wait for the movie to start.

As Daimeng takes a sip from her cola, trying to enjoy the movie while the Sanxiao show happens next to her, she ignores the pang at her heart when she sees them feeding each other food, and she sinks deeper into her seat, pouting.

She just knows Zhang Yuxin is somewhere laughing at her right now.

Cannot believe there’s come a day where a couple is making me feel single instead of giving me happy ship fuel, Daimeng thinks to herself, casting a glance to Xiaoyin jie and Sunrui sitting next to her, and she grinds her teeth on her popcorn at how Xiaokong is practically draped over Sunrui’s frame, leaning her head on her shoulder as she laughs at a joke made about the protagonist.

It’s a scene that would have Daimeng swooning and crying ‘tai tian le’ normally, but she’s severely underestimated the jump from watching their livestreams for ship serotonin to…well, this torture of them acting all coupley right next to her, and she sighs.

Shipping was so much more fun when they were still skirting around their feelings and Daimeng could ky and push them together…and more importantly, when is she gonna get someone to spoil rotten too?

“Ei, Daimeng,” she hears Sunrui call, snapping her out of her thoughts, and she turns her head to see Xiaoyin jie glaring at San Ge, who’s wearing her typical ‘I’m going to rile Xiaokong up’ shit-face. “Don’t you think that the main character is a lot like Kong Xiaoyin?”

“Literally where?” Xiaoyin whines, and Daimeng stifles a laugh.

“They certainly share the same taste for alcohol,” she agrees, snickering as she plays along with Sunrui, and she draws back on reflex when she sees Xiaoyin jie raise a fist threateningly.

“And the same bad taste in men too,” Sunrui mutters, rolling her eyes at how the protagonist is currently pining over a guy she’d just met five minutes ago at the bar.

“Excuse you!” Xiaokong huffs in retort, and her lips quirk up impishly. “If anything, it’s my taste in women that’s lacking.”

At that, Sunrui gets an affronted look, and Daimeng sits up straighter, knowing that she’s probably going to enjoy the incoming quarrel more than the trashy romcom playing right now.

See, this is what she signed up for, not lovey-dovey insufferable in-your-face affection!

“I don’t care, any person you like that isn’t me is bad taste,” Sunrui decides brazenly, and both Xiaoyin jie and Daimeng raise a brow at that – looks like the zhinan’s finally learned a few new tricks.

Xiaokong lets out an indulgent smile. “Is that true now, fujun?”

“Xiaokong, you’re mine,” Sunrui states, as if it’s as obvious as the sky is blue, and Xiaoyin jie giggles, utterly failing to hide her pleased look.

“Ai, Ruibao’s become bold these days I see,” she acts aggrieved, teasing, “where is the xiaohai who couldn’t even confess to liking me without having a nervous breakdown?”

Predictably, Sunrui blushes, and she stutters, “Aren’t- Aren’t you my girlfriend? It’s only natural for me to say those things!”

“Ng, your furen is very satisfied!” Xiaokong chirps, reaching her arms out to hug Sunrui’s shoulders and plant a kiss on her cheek, and Daimeng internally groans, slinking back into her seat once more when she sees Sunrui try darting away to no avail.

She really should’ve fucking listened to Chacha.

Two painful hours of feeling terribly single at Sanxiao’s domestic everything later, Daimeng finally escapes back to the dorms, and the first thing she does is burst into Zhang Yuxin’s room, pouting up a storm.

Chacha looks at her expression with a laugh, and she doesn’t even try to hide her amused look as she cackles, “Never again, right?”

“Never again,” Daimeng swears, before something comes to her, and she has to suppress her girlish smile. “Okay, but…”

Zhang Yuxin raises a brow in silent question, and Daimeng can’t contain her little squeal. “I can’t believe I managed to see Sanxiao through, Dai fantou really is tai bang le!”

x.X.x

vi. dressing room

Sunrui’s so very tired.

It’s been three days since she’s gotten any sleep, and when filming finally wraps up, she practically stumbles her way to her usual dressing room, eyes heavy and head pounding. Every step she takes seems to be tinged with exhaustion, and she sighs as she opens the door, hoping to nap for at least an hour before she’s called to recording and dance training.

Since the dressing room’s one of the smaller ones and most everyone is working at this hour, she doesn’t expect anyone to be there, so when she enters and sees Xiaokong, she almost thinks she’s hallucinating. Blinking rapidly, Sunrui has to double check that – yeah, Xiaokong is still there, still wearing that little smile that Sunrui loves coming home to.

All of a sudden, looking at her Kong-e’s face, all the stress and fatigue of the past few days catches up with her, and Sunrui feels her eyes unwilfully start to burn, giving herself over to the mental and physical exertion that’s been slowly chipping away at her.

“Aiya, are you that unhappy to see me?” Xiaokong says warmly, leaning against the dressing table, and somehow, it just makes the feeling in Sunrui’s chest burst as she can’t help but stride forward and collapse into safe arms.

The tight hug evidently takes Xiaokong by surprise, and Sunrui feels a gentle hand pat her back as she chokes back her tears, burying her face into Xiaokong’s neck in equal parts embarrassment and search for comfort.

“Missed me le, haven’t you?” Xiaokong soothes, voice soft in the way that Sunrui knows is only reserved for her, and she doesn’t answer, choosing to tighten her embrace on her girlfriend instead. A hand comes up to palm the back of her head, thumb rubbing appeasing patterns onto her scalp, and Xiaoyin continues, “I know you’re tired, you’ve worked hard baobei.”

Sunrui stays there for a few seconds, soaking up Xiaokong’s warmth to recollect herself, and she pulls back, looking away in discomfited pride as she jerks her head vaguely in Xiaoyin’s direction. “Your shirt; sorry,” she mumbles disjointedly, sniffing and wiping her face harshly with her sleeve.

Her stilted words make Xiaokong smile, and she tilts her head to look at the tear stains as if she hadn’t noticed, shrugging easily. “It’s nothing, don’t worry about it.”

“Thought you were out on a schedule,” Sunrui asks as she falls onto the nearby sofa, feeling the need to clear some space between them as old habits die hard. Her eyes start to droop the moment her head touches the comfortable linen, and she really ought to nap while she still has time to, but, well – she misses her Kong-e, and her desire to spend more time with her furen wins out as she fights to keep herself awake.

“They let me go early,” Xiaokong explains, walking over with a drink in hand to offer, “got you your favorite boba on the way.”

“You’re the best.” Sunrui perks up at the information, stifling a yawn, and she takes it gratefully, knowing that the store is actually a distance from where Xiaokong’s schedule was.

When Xiaoyin tries to wipe her face with makeup remover though, Sunrui scrunches up her face and darts out of reach, and Xiaokong slaps her thigh lightly. “Don’t move!” she commands sternly.

“I still have to record later,” Sunrui protests, “it’d be better to just leave it till afterwards.”

Xiaokong’s eyes narrow at her orders not being followed, before, “Oh, I forgot to tell you, I talked to the managers, they said you could get today and tomorrow off.”

“You’re shitting me.” Sunrui’s jaw gapes open slightly, and Xiaoyin simply gives her that soft little smile again.

“Like I’d be able to bear seeing my fujun get mistreated,” she huffs, sounding offended on Sunrui’s behalf. “I got some of the others to cover for you and Ma laoshi was lenient enough, she knows how hard you’ve been working.”

Sunrui doesn’t really know what to say to that as her entire chest fills with warmth and disbelief, and she just looks at her girlfriend, unable to quite express all of the emotions bubbled up inside her right now.

It’s okay though, because Xiaokong’s always been good at listening to what she doesn’t say out loud, and Sunrui’s heart flutters relentlessly when a hand reaches out to grasp her own, intertwining their fingers together.

“Just repay me by resting well today and keeping me company in 351 tomorrow.” Xiaoyin grins, voice coquettish, and Sunrui hums, too energy-drained to give a longer response.

This time, she doesn’t dodge away from insistent hands handling cold makeup remover, and she sighs, letting herself enjoy Xiaokong’s pampering for a while. “They’re still fixing the AC so just nap here in the meantime,” Xiaokong says, voice soft, and Sunrui shakes her head, ignoring how it aches in protest.

“Later,” she mumbles. “I haven’t seen you in a week.”

Her obstinance makes Xiaoyin roll her eyes fondly. “Stubborn xiaohai zi.”

Sunrui gives her a tired smile. “Thought that was what you liked about me.”

Xiaokong doesn’t bother replying, and she finishes quickly, throwing the makeup remover pads away in the trash bin nearby. Sunrui’s eyes sag heavily again, almost hurting to keep them open, and she leans onto Xiaokong’s shoulder when she comes back to sit next to her on the sofa.

“Ei, sleep in my lap instead, it’ll be comfier,” Xiaoyin heeds, and Sunrui doesn’t put up a fight, laying down into position compliantly.

A warm hand comes to rest on her head soon after, and Sunrui snuggles closer into Xiaokong’s lap, not even caring that her neck is stiff and probably will crane even further like this. She’s so sleepy that she could really just fall asleep at the blink of a second now, and she finally lets her eyes close in the first time in days, feeling immeasurably safe with her furen holding her.

“I’ll wake you when we can go back to our room, ‘kay?” Xiaoyin says, voice low.

“Mm,” Sunrui moves her hand to interlock it with Xiaokong’s free hand, and heavy-eyed, her next words slip out of her mouth without her even noticing, “love you, furen.”

She feels Xiaokong shift slightly below her, probably taken by surprise by the uncharacteristic words, before, “Xiaohai’s finally grown up, huh?” Sunrui can practically hear her smile through her voice, and Xiaokong continues, “I love you too, fujun.”

Resting her head on Xiaoyin’s legs, Sunrui can’t help but smile drowsily into them, wondering how the hell she’d managed to get this lucky, and she finally allows herself to sleep, knowing that her girlfriend will watch over her.

Maybe this world isn’t worth it, but you are to me.

x.X.x

vii. ice rink

“Xiaokong, Xiaokong, come look at me,” Sunrui laughs, and Xiaoyin turns her head just in time to watch her girlfriend do a goofy little spin on the ice.

It elicits a series of goose-like giggling that Kong-e’s so famous for, and in her distraction she leans too heavily on her penguin skating aid, causing her to nearly topple over as she lets out a yelp of surprise.

In a flash, Sunrui is by her side and stabilizing her, and the taller girl encircles her into her arms, chiding, “Wo de maya, don’t you dance for a living, how is your balance so bad?”

Xiaoyin huffs in indignation at that, and she pounds her fist on Sunrui’s chest as retribution, letting out a pout. As usual, Sunrui doesn’t draw away from her wrath, and Xiaoyin feels the gentle arms around her tighten instead, pulling them closer together.

The warmth of being snugly coddled in her Sunji’s embrace is a welcome change from the chill of the ice rink, and Xiaoyin hmphs, annoyance quickly dissipating as she melts into the contact. “Comfortable, fujun!” she chirps, and she internally celebrates when Sunrui just smiles and presses a quick kiss to her forehead.

How far we’ve come, Xiaokong thinks to herself with delight, and she nuzzles her nose into Sunrui’s collar in affection. “Now hurry up and teach your furen to skate, I want to be properly romanced!”

Sunrui snorts. “Acting like I haven’t seen you ice-skate perfectly before; you just want the penguin because it’s cute,” she says, and Xiaoyin huffs impatiently.

“And that’s not going to stop me from getting my perfect ice-skating date,” she declares, turning around to grip the penguin’s handles, and she whines, “so come on and hold me while we skate together already!”

“Demanding woman,” Sunrui complains, and when Xiaoyin shoots her a glare, she adheres immediately, obeying and coming up to backhug her with a sigh. “Okay, okay, whatever you want.”

“See, that wasn’t hard now, was it?” Xiaoyin beams sillily, and she leans back into her girlfriend’s arms easily. “Having fujun by my side zhen hao~”

Sunrui’s faux-repulsed ‘ai’ in response makes Xiaoyin stifle a smile, and she feels herself be nudged forward slightly, looking behind her to see Sunrui hurrying, “Kuai dian, aren’t we here to skate?”

“Impatient woman,” Xiaoyin teases her, mocking her earlier words, and Sunrui rolls her eyes.

“Kueai,” she stubbornly repeats, and Xiaokong laughs, pushing her skates forward to begin gliding along the ice, feeling wonderfully cozy grabbing onto the skating aid while Sunrui holds her from behind.

“Sunji, don’t you know?” she sajiaos, “you can’t hurry things along in the art of romance.” She pauses here, thinking. “But then again, you did take whole years to finally confess your undying love for me, so maybe you do know.”

“Aiya, when are you going to let that go?” Sunrui sulks, leaning forward to rest her chin on Xiaoyin’s shoulder, and they skate along the outer rim of the ice rink languidly, not many people there from it being a weekday. “I told you, I didn’t know if we were more than friends or not!”

“We were practically already dating the way I was barging into your room to cuddle with you every night and dropping hints at every opportunity?” Xiaoyin questions in exasperation.

At that, she feels the arms around her midsection let go, and Xiaoyin turns around to see Sunrui point at her, eyes lit up with delighted opportunity. “Ah, you admitted to it, not me!”

“Sunrui!” Xiaokong gripes, resisting the urge to stomp her foot in fear of falling face first into the ice, and Sunrui’s answering cackle makes her fold her arms across her chest petulantly. “You’re so annoying.”

Sunrui’s laughter dies down soon, and she reaches out a hand to pry Xiaoyin’s arms out of their crossed position. “You know how I am with feelings and shit,” she coaxes, and the awkward lift to her voice makes Xiaoyin giggle, allowing her girlfriend to clasp their fingers together. “I was scared that the way you thought of me was just the same way you thought of all your friends.”

Xiaoyin clicks her tongue against the roof of her mouth, and with a gentleness she didn’t even know she was capable of, she says, “None of my other friends could ever be fujun to me.” She moves closer to Sunrui, swiping the pad of her thumb over the back of a smooth hand absently, and she bites her lip, embarrassed at how truthful the words are.

The blush that appears on Sunrui’s cheeks as endearing as the first time, Xiaoyin grins, and she tilts her head upwards, just that perfect amount to press her lips against her girlfriend’s, the kiss just as sweet as the first.

Soft lips tug and pull against her own, warming her up against the cold ice rink, and after a few seconds of content bliss, she feels Sunrui pull away with a half-hearted objection. “We’re in public, Xiaokong!”

Xiaoyin shrugs without a care, smile just the tiniest bit impish. “Let everyone witness our perfect whirlwind romance then,” she decides cockily.

“You mean Liaozhai?” Sunrui snickers, and it makes Xiaoyin laugh as she hits Sunrui lightly for her mischief.

“Ai, me falling in love with you really is something that belongs in Liaozhai,” she bemoans playfully. “How did a zhuai little fairy like me resort to this?”

Sunrui barks out a laugh. “Lucky me then,” she murmurs, and Xiaoyin feels her heart flutter at how genuine it sounds. Sunrui seems to realize it too, and she tugs on Xiaoyin’s hand hurriedly to change the topic. “Now come on, we haven’t had an off-day in so long – ditch the penguin you pretend to need and let’s skate already!”

“Are you going to stop me from falling flat on my ass then?” Xiaoyin baits teasingly, already pushing the skating aid away to the side.

Sunrui puffs up in pride at the challenge. “Name a time I haven’t, furen.”

“I’m sure I can come up with a few,” Xiaoyin says wryly, but she follows Sunrui’s lead without further complaint, and she loops their arms together, heart sizzling with love.

Having her fujun by her side really is the most wonderful thing.

x.X.x

viii. swimming pool

Ai wo de tian, there’s so much damn skin.

“Wo dema, don’t you think that what you’re wearing is a bit too much?” Sunrui chokes immediately, face red and flaming, and Xiaokong just sends her a coquettish smirk.

“What are you even blushing for, you look like you’ve been cooked,” she giggles, and Sunrui’s suddenly brought back to her livestream ages ago, when Xiaokong had asked her to help take pictures and it had resulted the exact same reaction as right now. “It’s nothing you haven’t seen before; I’ve worn less for bikini shoots, and well…” Xiaokong’s smirk turns much more lavish here. “I don’t think I need to elaborate on the other thing.”

It just serves to get Sunrui’s blush even heavier, and she watches as Xiaokong obviously enjoys her effect on her a little bit too much, walking closer with tantalizing legs and swaying hips.

Sunrui’s unable to tear her eyes away from all the mileage of skin on display from the tight revealing swimsuit, and she swallows, her throat suddenly dry as her eyes can’t figure out an appropriate body part to land on.

Shapely legs and toned abs and ample breasts and perfect curves and a milky smooth clavicle and neck…

Dammit Sunrui, you’re supposed to walk the righteous path!

Pleased laughter fills her ears, and Sunrui has to stop herself from stepping backwards on reflex at how Xiaoyin’s suddenly right in front of her, filling her vision and assaulting her senses with the scent that she’s come to associate as home.

“You’re going to make jiejie shy if you keep looking at me like that,” Xiaoyin says cheekily, and Sunrui sucks in a breath, frame tensed.

“Then can you wear your damn clothes properly?” she complains, heart racing at their close proximity.

She watches as Xiaokong holds back a laugh. “We’re at a private swimming pool with no one here but us and this is a swimsuit, there’s nothing to wear properly.”

“Ai, and you still have the nerve to admit it, zhen shameless, Xiaokong,” Sunrui retorts, running her mouth to distract from…all that. “Why couldn’t you have just worn something like the one-piece you wore when I first taught you to swim?”

“You were recording, plus it’s more fun this way.” Xiaokong grins, self-satisfied and oh so very dangerous. “And I probably would’ve broken your poor zhinan brain if I wore this back then,” she snickers to herself, before reaching her hand out to tug on the robe that Sunrui’s currently wearing. “Now hurry up and take this off,” she whines, “I didn’t spend all morning convincing you to wear this just for you to cover yourself up!”

“Fine, okay, okay, stop nagging,” Sunrui waves away, and she shrugs the robe off easily, putting it on a lounge chair nearby.

When she turns around, she’s met with Xiaokong’s burning gaze, hooded eyes clearly taking their time raking over her body, and Sunrui feels herself heat up under the intense scrutiny. “What are you starring at, you look like a shazi,” she mutters, more out of a sense of obligation than anything, and Xiaokong smiles, dopey and full of desire.

“What else do you think I’m looking at?” she baits, tongue darting out to wet her lips and driving Sunrui absolutely insane. “I’m admiring my exquisite taste, of course.”

And whether she means the swimsuit she’d picked out for her or her choice of girlfriend, Sunrui hasn’t a clue, but what she does know is that she’s going to do something she’ll regret if Xiaokong doesn’t stop starring at her like she wants to eat her alive, so she simply rolls her eyes and jerks her head away, forcefully dropping the topic as she lowers herself into the pool.

The sudden change in temperature helps her clear her head, and Xiaokong moves to the edge of the water, dipping her toes into it tentatively. “Is it cold?” she asks.

Sunrui shakes her head. “Not really.”

“Aah?” Xiaokong’s face scrunches up cutely, skeptical. “Feels pretty cold to me.”

“Aiya, I already told you it’s not,” Sunrui says, a plan forming in her mind, and she hides her smirk as she wades closer to where her girlfriend is. “Or you could just try it yourself.”

Understanding dawns on Xiaokong’s pretty face far too late, and by the time the shriek’s left her mouth, Sunrui’s already grabbed her legs and pulled her under, a heavy splash resonating throughout the indoor swimming pool as Xiaoyin ungracefully tumbles into the water.

“Sunrui!” Xiaokong exclaims as she bursts through the surface, entire body doused and hair soaked, and Sunrui just laughs at her girlfriend’s angry advances to hit her.

“Don’t you feel all cool and relaxed now?” she sniggers, raising her forearms up to shield herself from the water splattering her way, and Xiaokong scowls, pouting.

“You’re so mean, Sunji!” she astonishes, though her amused smile fools no one, and Sunrui barely registers her girlfriend’s light-hearted kick to her shin through the water.

“I was just helping you into the water,” Sunrui plays innocent, and when Xiaokong narrows her eyes at her, Sunrui can’t help the laugh that bubbles out of her. “Come here, I’ll kiss it better.”

“No!” Xiaokong turns her head away sullenly, pretending to be mad. “I could’ve drowned, how would you have compensated my legions of adoring fans then?”

“If anything, I’d be doing them a favor,” Sunrui jokes, and her preservation instincts win out as she quickly continues, “kidding, I’m kidding, you never would’ve drowned under Sun jiaolian’s watch!”

“Right,” Xiaoyin drawls, a playful smile teasing the edge of her lips. “Speaking of Sun jiaolian, you should bridal carry me again, it was so shuai when you tried teaching me to swim with it, fujun!”

“Aah, but I’m lazy, and there’s really no hope for you ever learning how to properly swim at this point,” Sunrui dismisses, and Xiaokong whines in displeasure.

“Fujun doesn’t care about furen now, huh?” she grumbles, making a show of sighing dramatically. “Ai, chivalry really is dead these days.”

Her girlfriend’s antics are endlessly adorable, and Sunrui can’t stop the grin that appears on her face, suddenly hit with the notion of how damn happy she is. Xiaokong has her hair dyed blonde this month, and she looks absolutely stunning the way sunlight from the windows soaks into the wet strands, reflecting on her petite shoulders as droplets slide a perfect path from her neck down her collarbone.

In that moment, floating in the pool with Xiaoyin smiling at her like there’s nobody else in the world but them, Sunrui’s just taken, and she can’t stop herself from reaching out to pull Xiaokong into her arms, needing some kind of way to let all of those pesky emotions out of her chest.

“Gan ha, Sunrui?” Xiaokong squeaks, leaning into the embrace anyway, and it makes Sunrui hastily change gears as she realizes what she’s doing.

“Nothing, I’m just satisfying furen’s request,” she says, and she leans down to scoop her girlfriend into a bridal carry by the legs.

The abrupt movement causes Xiaoyin to grab onto Sunrui’s neck for support with a surprised noise, and after the initial shock fades, she huffs and nags, “Wo de maya, can’t you be more romantic next time?”

“Please, even that’s not romantic enough for you? I literally swept you off your feet,” Sunrui snorts, adjusting her hold to better support Xiaokong’s weight.

Xiaokong shakes her head obstinately, before grinning. “Nothing will top that one time you did it though, during that mc about keeping warm,” she giggles, burrowing her head into Sunrui’s neck to sajiao with a cheerful hum. “You really should’ve just told jiejie you wanted to carry her, I would’ve let you anytime, there was no need to resort to such tactics during an mc.”

Sunrui scoffs, ignoring how her cheeks flush pink, and she’s brought back that to that mc years ago, still sweet in her memory. “The way you remember it is sure different from how I do,” she says wryly, “I just remember a clingy qianbei refusing to let go of me for the entire day afterwards.”

“What, did you not enjoy it?” Xiaoyin sniffs smugly, and Sunrui’s responding eyeroll makes her laugh. “That was one of the first times you made me fall for you, you know,” she admits quietly.

“I thought it was when you couldn’t stop laughing at my jokes and fell in love with me at first sight,” Sunrui smiles roguishly.

Xiaokong just gives her a knowing look, and she shifts in Sunrui’s arms, signaling for her to let her down. Confused, Sunrui obeys anyway, and she asks, “I thought you wanted to swim that way.”

“Found something better to do,” Xiaoyin smirks, arms still locked around Sunrui’s neck, and Sunrui has to swallow the groan that threatens to bubble out when she feels soft lips start to pepper wet kisses along her jaw.

Pretty soon, Xiaokong has her backed up against the wall, and Sunrui can feel every curve and swell through thin fabric and water as her girlfriend practically hangs off her body. A burning flush spreads throughout Sunrui’s skin, deliciously contrasting the cool temperature of the pool, and a pit of arousal starts to build up in her lower stomach, the feel of Xiaoyin’s lips addictive.

“There’s no one here but us, fujun,” Xiaokong murmurs seductively into her ear, and one of her hands reach down to palm at Sunrui’s abs, thumb swiping over the skin temptingly.

“Xiaokong,” Sunrui grits out, unsure whether it’s a protest or plea for more, and her hands treacherously reach out to map patterns on her girlfriend’s back, the pliant muscles feeling oh so wonderful to the touch from hours of vigorous dancing.

Xiaoyin giggles lightly, clearly pleased, and her warm breath teases Sunrui’s neck. “You like?”

Sunrui just lets out a growl as her control snaps, and she responds by turning her head to fuse their lips together in a hungry kiss, finally taking for herself what’s been on her mind ever since Xiaokong walked out of the changing room with that fucking swimsuit.

Xiaokong tastes like salt and peaches and desire, returning the kiss eagerly, and Sunrui gasps when she feels the hand on her stomach reach further down, stretching underneath the band of her underwear.

Her furen lets out a delighted quirk of lips at how the moisture she feels is definitely not from the pool, and as Xiaoyin’s dark gaze seems to light her entire body on fire, Sunrui promises to herself that she’ll have her revenge soon, resolving to not let them leave this pool until Xiaokong has screamed her name at least once or a dozen times.

The moment she gets the contact that she’s been so desperately craving for, Sunrui’s knees buckle as a strangled note leaves her throat, and Xiaoyin takes full advantage of her dazed state to snake a skillful tongue into her mouth, inflicting even more pleasurable havoc on Sunrui’s senses as the older girl’s dexterous fingers work their familiar magic.

“Furen,” Sunrui can’t help but moan when they part, the slow circular motion driving her crazy, and Xiaokong just gives her a wicked smirk.

“Don’t worry,” she husks, increasing her wrist’s speed, “I’ll be quick.”

With that, Xiaoyin dives back in for another series of desperate kisses, attacking her lips with a fevered passion, and Sunrui is powerless to resist her desires, hips unconsciously kicking upwards as she’s taken by the maelstrom that is Kong Xiaoyin on a mission.

“I’m so- I’m so paying you back for this later,” she gasps in between kisses, Xiaokong’s lips the sweetest indulgence she could lose herself in, and she feels Xiaoyin smile into the kiss, parting with a soft tug of lips.

“Oh, I’m counting on it.”

x.X.x

ix. training room

La li lalalai, Xiaoyin hears the intro to Hwasa’s Maria, and she raises a brow, interest piqued as she walks into the training room, quietly closing the door behind her.

The person dancing right now doesn’t seem to notice her entrance, and Xiaoyin leans back against the doorframe, momentarily forgetting her reason for coming here in the first place as she’s enraptured by Sunrui’s movements.

Her Sunji really has gotten so much better at dancing after Qing Ni, and Xiaoyin can’t tear her eyes away from her girlfriend’s sensually swaying hips and long legs, gaze raking over Sunrui’s body and very much in appreciation of the tight black tank top she’s wearing.

Taken back to Sunrui’s Monster performance during B50 last year, Xiaoyin recalls how she’d practically foamed at the mouth seeing Sunrui change into that goddamn barely-there dress, and she feels herself heat up when she remembers what had happened afterwards, when they went back to their room and Xiaokong had pounced.

Sunrui had been iffy at the little stunt that she had pulled with Tako during 9 to 9, but Xiaoyin could be very persuasive when she wanted to be, and by the end of their own little 9pm to 9am, she had definitely made it up to her fujun thoroughly.

Just the memory of it is enough for Xiaoyin’s head to spin, and she watches as the beat drops and Sunrui moves to the chorus, rolling her lithe body in a way that has Xiaoyin’s thighs clenching and throat drying.

Her girlfriend really is so very shuai, and once the song finally ends and Sunrui gets up from her finishing pose, Xiaokong’s unable to stop herself, taking three quick strides forward and wrapping her arms around Sunrui’s neck to pull her down into a kiss.

Sunrui tenses for a moment, hands reaching out to push her away, but then she softens as she recognizes the body flush against hers, and Xiaoyin feels the hands on her waist tighten instead, eager lips responding in turn.

“I’m sweaty,” Sunrui weakly objects amongst the barrage of demanding kisses that Xiaokong litters against her mouth, and Xiaoyin makes a little noise of affront.

She presses forward even harder, and she bites lightly on the lip between hers. “Do I look like I care?”

“Ai, you’re so-” Sunrui sucks in a breath, before a devastatingly hot noise rumbles from her throat, and Xiaoyin has to hold her smirk of satisfaction in when her girlfriend surges forward to take control of the kiss, knowing that she’s worn down Sunrui’s so, so annoying restraint.

She doesn’t expect Sunrui to grab a hold of her forearms though, and Xiaoyin lets out a small yelp of pain, a sharp ache shooting through her elbow from the abrupt movement. The noise makes Sunrui back away immediately, and she looks down with concerned eyes, lifting Xiaokong’s arm slightly to check for what’s wrong.

It doesn’t take long for her to spot the wound on her elbow, obviously recent as it’s flaring red and untreated, and when Sunrui’s gaze snaps upwards to look at her, Xiaoyin darts her eyes away, embarrassed.

“I got it when I was doing dance practice earlier,” she explains sheepishly. “I cleaned up the blood easily enough, but our first-aid kit was empty, so I came here.”

Sunrui doesn’t respond, unidentifiable emotions flickering across her face as her eyes fixate on the injury, and Xiaokong shifts slightly, uncomfortable at the sudden tension in the air.

“Don’t worry, I’m fine,” she attempts to defuse with a laugh, “you should see the bruises on my legs instead, now those are scary.”

The joke obviously doesn’t work as intended though, as the dark look in Sunrui’s eyes just intensifies, and Xiaoyin is unprepared for her to drop to her knees abruptly, hands reaching out to roll the pantsleeve up on one of Xiaokong’s legs.

At the dark bruises and red marks littered on the usually fair skin, Sunrui’s jaw tightens, and the silent scrutiny makes Xiaoyin squirm in place, whining, “Gan ma, Sunrui?”

The younger woman still doesn’t answer, simply rolling up the other pantsleeve as well, and when she finds the same countless injuries, a little noise makes its way out of her throat, equal parts upset and frustrated.

It makes Xiaoyin’s heart clench for some reason, and the feeling is made even worse when Sunrui looks up at her with those sad puppy eyes that always seem to appear whenever Xiaokong gets hurt.

“You should take better care of yourself,” her girlfriend says finally, voice soft and full of sympathy, and dammit, why does Xiaoyin feel guilty, she’s the one injured here?

Sunrui’s featherlight touch on her skin sends a shiver through her body, and Xiaokong can only stand there as her girlfriend moves to drag a chair over, med kit in hand.

“Sit,” she commands gruffly, and Xiaoyin does as she’s told, holding her arm out to let Sunrui disinfect her elbow.

When the disinfectant makes first contact with her wound, Xiaoyin winces and hisses in pain, and she has to will her arm to keep still. “Ei, ei, lighter,” she chides, and Sunrui rolls her eyes.

“If you had actually been more careful in the first place, we wouldn’t be here now, would we?” she snorts, but the pressure on Xiaokong’s elbow significantly lightens anyway, and Xiaoyin holds her breath, sighing in relief when Sunrui is finally done.

As Sunrui bandages her wound with a skillful hand, it occurs to Xiaoyin that if it was anyone other than Sunrui, she probably would’ve gotten sick of this overly protective behavior long ago, especially considering how nearly everyone in the group gets banged up like this on a daily basis.

But it is, so all Xiaoyin can do is hold in her smile as she finds her Sunji’s concerned worrying pretty damn adorable, and when Sunrui finishes, her girlfriend notices her curved lips.

“What are you smiling at,” she scoffs, gesturing for Xiaokong to stretch her legs out so she can apply bruise-relief cream onto them, and the sight of swollen knees makes her sigh. “Ai, how many times have I told you to wear knee protectors during practice, zhen de.”

“Is Sunji worried about jiejie?” Xiaoyin teases, tilting her head with a sweet grin, and she expects the usual fierce objection and flushed ears in response.

It doesn’t come though, and Sunrui meets her eyes in challenge. “Yeah, I am,” she admits freely, and Xiaokong raises a brow, taken by surprise.

“Qing Ni really has changed you,” she notes in haughty delight. “You must’ve missed me during those six months, huh?”

It’s complete bait and both of them know it – like they hadn’t spent the entire week after Sunrui had come back completely glued to the hip, like Sunrui hadn’t confessed to tightly holding the chest pin Xiaoyin had given her whenever things got particularly hard in there, like Xiaokong hadn’t slept in 351 on their empty bed every night during that painful half a year missing her Sunji with a ferocious ache.

Sunrui sees through it easily, and she reaches out to grab Xiaokong’s hand, rubbing soothing patterns into the soft palm. “I just don’t want you to get hurt if you can help it,” Sunrui says, and Xiaoyin bites her lip, unused to this thoughtful side of her that Sunrui takes great care to only show in secret.

“Don’t I have fujun to take care of me afterwards though?” she says lightly, a warm sensation blooming in her chest, before, “don’t worry, okay? I’ll be more careful, I promise.”

Sunrui doesn’t reply for a few moments, but then she seems to decide on something, and she swears, “Always.”

Xiaoyin doesn’t need to ask to know what Sunrui is answering, and the sincere determination on her girlfriend’s face makes her let loose a small giggle. “Love you, fujun!” she sajiaos, sending her an air kiss.

“Ai!” Sunrui groans in mock irritation, and she rolls Xiaokong’s pantsleeves down, careful not to brush against the painful bruises that are now coated with a generous layer of cream.

She gets up, offering Xiaoyin her hand. “Let’s go home, furen.”

Xiaoyin takes it without hesitation, and she hides her smile, fishing, “My home’s in Shenyang.”

Sunrui shakes her head. “No,” she says, interlacing their fingers together, and her smile matches Xiaokong’s, reaching her eyes brightly.

“It’s in 351.”

x.X.x

x. kuai le wu

Hong Peiyun really has hit the jackpot this time.

When Yuan Yiqi had told her that she had been invited to one of Kuai Le Wu’s weekly gatherings, Peiyun’s eyes had lit up like she had struck gold, and she had promptly spent the rest of the night begging (badgering) Yiqi to bring her as her plus-one.

Yiqi had gotten sick of her after the first ten pleads about how ‘you wouldn’t refuse aid to your teammate in her greatest time of need, would you?’, and all Peiyun got was a door slammed in her face and a fierce ‘I am not helping you flirt with the seniors you like!’

But if Hong Peiyun’s one thing, it’s annoyingly persistent, and after an hour of blowing up Yuan Yiqi's phone relentlessly, she'd gotten a resigned and very annoyed 'fine' in response, making her steps everywhere that night practically skips on cloud nine as she cackled cheekily - Da Ge and Xiaoyin jie, my loves, here I come!

Which…is quickly ruined, because when Peiyun shows up to 351 the next day, she’s informed by Rui ge and a snickering Yiqi that Da Ge had something to do last minute and wouldn’t be coming, and that Xiaoyin jie would only show up later that night, crushing Peiyun’s dreams in one fell swoop.

Really, if Hong Peiyun didn’t know any better, she would think that they were avoiding her on purpose!

(And okay, maybe in Da Ge’s case that really is true, but it really isn’t Peiyun’s fault that the last time she had been sent on a schedule with Luting, she had taken advantage of it a little too enthusiastically~)

But it’s fine, she supposes, settling down onto the couch next to Yiqi as a smile forms on her face. San Ge is plenty easy on the eyes too, so today isn’t a total loss.

Soon enough, they start playing Mafia, and Kuai Le Wu quickly lives up to its name, boisterous laughter sounding out from all sides as everyone ribs and teases each other.

Peiyun almost forgets altogether that Xiaoyin jie is supposed to join in – she doesn’t of course, because it’s Kong Xiaoyin, who lives in her mind rent free – until they start playing truth or dare, and everyone is a little more-than tipsy.

Sunrui takes a sip from the wine bottle like the rules dictate, face immediately turning even redder, and Peiyun watches her with concern, knowing that San Ge is alcohol intolerant and has already taken a few generous sips from the rounds before.

Da C seems to be on it though, hastily replacing the bottle in Sunrui’s possession with coke instead, and Rui ge, Dongbei accent in full swing, brazenly picks, “Truth!”

It’s Mohan’s turn to ask, so she pauses for a second, thinking, before a grin appears on her face, and she settles on, “Okay, pick a thing about Xiaokong to talk shit about.”

At that, the entire room bursts out in ‘oooh’s, and everyone turns to Sunrui with a nosy look, eager to gossip while Xiaoyin jie isn’t here to yell at them.

“Ai, that’s easy,” Rui ge doesn’t miss a beat in replying, “she’s lazy as shit, that’s what!” Fueled on by the alcohol, she slams her hand onto the table in aggravation, continuing, “really, wo de maya, I’ve never seen someone as lazy as Kong Xiaoyin, if she’s not eating then she’s sleeping, needing me to clean and cook and serve her every whim on hand and foot, drives me insane sometimes, I swear!”

Laughing along with the others, Peiyun prepares for her turn, figuring that San Ge is done with her light-hearted complaining, but the wine evidently works a little too well, and Sunrui doesn’t stop there, going on a tirade about Xiaoyin jie’s daily habits.

“God, and I still remember last time, when she had me cook up a feast for her and didn’t even bother to help wash the dishes afterwards, had me reeling! And it was full of unhealthy food too, ai really, Kong Xiaoyin this person-”

Pack!

At the abrupt loud sound, Peiyun jolts in surprise, and she looks at San Ge, figuring that she had gotten too worked up and hit the table again, but then she sees Sunrui’s panicked expression, frozen in place as she looks at the doorway.

Peiyun pieces things together quickly enough, and a second-hand anxiety creeps up in her chest when she turns her head to the sight of Xiaoyin jie standing there, expressionless and a hand on the wall.

“Ah, nage, Xiaokong, you’re back early, practice was really quick today huh,” Sunrui laughs nervously, preservation instincts obviously kicking in as she attempts to change the topic, but it’s to no avail as Xiaoyin jie just continues to stand there silently, eyes burning a hole into Rui ge.

Silent unease creeps up on 351 like that, a stark contrast to the previous jubilant atmosphere from before, and Peiyun can only hold her breath while looking on at the scene, quietly pitying San Ge and her terrified look, a mix of contrite and dread.

The warm buzz in her system from the alcohol swiftly gives way to the sudden cold chill in the room, and Peiyun swallows in apprehension when Xiaoyin jie wordlessly walks forward, towering over Sunrui on the floor in a rare sight.

Her lips thin and curve upwards dangerously. “Ruirui, why so suddenly tongue-tied? Thought you were on a roll just only half a minute ago.”

The words make San Ge blanch as she shrinks into herself, and she doesn’t meet Xiaoyin jie’s eyes, not daring to speak.

Hating the tense and awkward feeling in the room now, Peiyun looks to Yuan Yiqi, trying to communicate through her eyes for her to do something, but Yiqi just helplessly shrugs her shoulders up, clearly at a loss as well.

Mohan, who’d inadvertently caused this situation, looks like she’s about to speak up and remedy things, but Xiaoyin jie beats her to it, opening her mouth with a cold scoff.

“What, you think you’re the only person with things to say? You think you’re the only person who can complain?” She scowls, voice low. “I have plenty to talk about too!”

Well, fuck, Peiyun thinks to herself, knowing that this is only going to snowball from here, and she wonders if she can sneak out of the room without anyone noticing, warily awaiting Xiaoyin jie’s next words.

“Yeah, you’re hard-working,” the first-gen says, accusation clear in her tone, “so hard-working, always throwing things out like there isn’t a single time where you don’t accidentally throw out things that we need! And it’s funny you talk about me eating unhealthily, literally look at that giant bottle of coke at your feet, how many times have I told you that it’s not good for your body?”

At the mention of the coke, Da C shifts sheepishly, but no one really heeds her any mind, and Peiyun looks at Rui ge’s red face with unease, able to tell that it’s more due to indignance than alcohol now, San Ge’s infamous temper ignited.

She stands up, angry retort sounding out, “Now what’s wrong with me drinking coke? Like you with your liquor is any better!”

That makes Xiaoyin jie rear back slightly, a remorseful expression briefly flickering on her face, before her need to not back down seems to win out, and she snaps, “At least I’m not like you, chugging down a bottle of coke every single damn day, how is that comparable to me going out to drink once or twice a month!”

“Ma ya, you really-” Sunrui takes in a breath, worked up, “yeah, it’s not comparable at all, it’s not like I get drunk off my ass and run around shamelessly, making people chase after me! Really, always going out to drink, don’t you know how dangerous that is!”

“Well isn’t that because I know you’ll come take me home afterwards!”

Everything comes to a halt at that, and Peiyun, who had been watching the two argue back and forth like a game of ping-pong, knows that Xiaoyin jie has effectively lost with that line, watching the way her face scrunches up in aggravation at herself.

Sunrui seems to be taken aback by it as well, and she rubs at her neck, anger visibly evaporating. “Isn’t- Isn’t that what I’m supposed to do?” she says, tone a lot softer now.

It makes Xiaoyin jie soften as the fight leaves from her body, and she looks away, mouth opening and closing inaudibly. The silence stretches on for a few seconds before San Ge bites her lip and breaks their stalemate, tugging on Xiaoyin jie’s hand to coax her into sitting down.

Xiaoyin jie lets Rui ge pull her into her lap without a word, and she leans back into Sunrui’s arms almost instinctively, eyes downcast on where their fingers are interlocked now.

San Ge turns over Xiaoyin jie’s palm to inspect the red skin with a sigh, and Peiyun almost feels like she’s intruding on something when Sunrui uses her other arm to wrap around Xiaoyin jie’s midsection, pulling them closer together and resting her chin on the other girl’s shoulder. “…Does your hand hurt?” Rui ge murmurs. “It sounded like you used a lot of force just now.”

“Ah, it’s nothing, it barely hurts,” Xiaoyin jie replies, tone reserved and yielding in a way that Peiyun has never really heard from team sii’s self-proclaimed ‘most zhuai little fairy’ before, and Xiaoyin jie turns to look at San Ge, furrowing her brow at her flushed cheeks. “Aiya, were you playing drinking games earlier? I told you, don’t force yourself with those, it’ll be bad if your allergies start acting up.”

“Ng, I know.” Sunrui nods dutifully, quietly pushing away the glasses of wine and coke near her, and Xiaoyin jie bends forward slightly to help pick up the opened snack packaging thrown about on the floor, depositing it into the nearby trash bag.

Peiyun isn’t dumb enough not to recognize that this is their way of silently apologizing to the other, and the previous tension-ridden air in the room morphs into a sweet understanding quickly, both Xiaoyin jie and San Ge unspeaking but somehow lost in their own little world anyway.

The fight now defused on its own, everyone seems to let out a collective breath of relief, and it isn’t long until Hong Peiyun feels annoyance build up in her instead, seeing the consensus largely reflected by the others as Sanxiao cuddles and makes up like an old married couple.

This really is too sickening, weren’t you two just arguing and quarrelling literally only a few minutes ago? And now you’re being all lovey-dovey, ai really-

“Yi ta hutu,” Qian Beiting curses in appall, summing up Peiyun’s thoughts perfectly, and Mohan quickly turns the topic elsewhere, Kuai Le Wu back to normal again.

They barely make it five minutes into another game of Mafia until Xiaoyin jie is softly whispering something into Rui ge’s ear though, and Peiyun quirks an eyebrow in interest when Xiaoyin jie starts snuggling into Rui ge’s neck, a hand disappearing under a sweatshirt unknowingly. Sunrui’s cheeks flare almost instantly, and it’s definitely not because of the alcohol this time, Peiyun notes to herself, mind already reeling with potential blackmail material.

“Wo de tian, what are you two doing?” Da C grimaces, and Peiyun turns her gaze downwards to see the wine glass that Sunrui had pushed away earlier, rim now tinted with Xiaoyin jie’s lipstick instead – ah, that’s why.

Rui ge casts a glance at them, at least having some awareness of there being other people in the room, but when Xiaoyin jie starts kissing her collarbone, her entire face heats up, and a traitorous hand reaches out to caress a smooth pale thigh, making Hong Peiyun pout enviously.

That should be me, she sulks internally, mourning her imaginary romance with Kong Xiaoyin, but it seems like she’s a minority, as the rest of the room simply looks at the couple with disgust, rolling their eyes.

“Aiya maya, can’t you get a room!” Xiaoqian turns her nose up, and Xiaoyin jie pauses in her advances to look at them with a smirk.

“This is our room,” she purrs, clearly tipsy and on a high now, and when she doesn’t even bother to try and hide what her hand is doing under Rui ge’s shirt anymore, everyone groans and starts clearing out, knowing that San Ge is powerless to resist Xiaokong (and really, who wouldn’t be?)

“Ai, we’re leaving now,” Mohan says hurriedly, taking the trash with her while pushing everyone out the door, “you two, have fun, take your time, bye-bye!”

“Don’t worry, I definitely won’t take my sweet time,” Xiaoyin jie sajiaos, preening evident through her voice, and when Rui ge seems to lose all sense of self and starts kissing the brunette’s neck, everyone just rushes outside even quicker, having no desire to see whatever goes on in 351 at night.

Well…everyone except Hong Peiyun, who is still sitting on the sofa and enjoying the show, because come on, opportunity of a lifetime, hello?

“Peiye, kuai,” Yuan Yiqi hisses, coming to drag her out by the collar, and Peiyun whines, protesting.

“But-But-”

Yiqi just shoots her a look that means Peiyun’s life is going to be very difficult for a couple of weeks if she doesn’t comply soon, and reluctantly, she relents, following the others out sullenly.

…Until an idea hits her, and she grins cheekily, turning her head just before the door shuts to yell out, “Qianbeis, remember to keep it down, the soundproofing here sucks ass!”

Hong Peiyun isn’t Seinehe’s self-proclaimed winner of life for nothing.

x.X.x

xi. 351

“Aah, what time is it?”

Groaning at the sudden sunlight shining through the blinds, Sunrui reaches for her phone blindly, and she sighs when she sees the early time, muscles sore and aching in slight discomfort from being stretched.

“Nine-fifteen,” she reports dutifully, and she shifts back on her side to cradle her furen once more, arm comfortably thrown over a bare waist.

Xiaokong makes a small noise of sleepy affront at being woken up so early, and she turns over in Sunrui’s arms to face her with a dissatisfied pout. “We’re getting darker blinds tomorrow,” she huffs, and her soft grouchy tone from just having been woken up makes Sunrui smile indulgently – her girlfriend in the mornings really is a different kind of adorable.

She presses a light kiss onto Xiaokong’s forehead. “Ng, whatever you want.”

Xiaoyin doesn’t reply, just snuggling closer into Sunrui’s shoulder with a pleased hum, and Sunrui can’t help the way her heart melts at the sight, unable to withstand her girlfriend’s soft sajiao-ing so early in the morning.

“Want me to make breakfast?” she asks lazily. “We have some noodles and fish left over last I checked.”

“Later,” Xiaokong waves away, voice still yielding and sleepy, and she chirps, “wanna stay with fujun in our Ai de Xiao Ciao~”

“Chao,” Sunrui corrects her pronunciation habitually, long used to Xiaokong calling 351 their ‘little nest of love’, and well, if she’s grown to enjoy it too, now that’s another thing entirely.

Whining, Xiaokong tilts her head up to meet Sunrui’s eyes, and she demands, “Fujun, more cuddles~”

“Ai, haven’t you gotten more than enough already,” Sunrui nags as usual, but she doesn’t even wait for Xiaokong’s peeved response to obediently tighten her arms around her furen, and she frowns when she notices, “you’ve gotten thinner again.”

“Well isn’t that your fault for not cooking for me as much these days,” Xiaoyin retorts, rolling her eyes, and when Sunrui’s furrowed brow doesn’t subside, she coaxes, “aah, don’t worry, you’ll fatten me right back up in no time.”

Sunrui lets out a hum of acknowledgement, concern for her Kong-e still lingering in her chest, and they stay like that for a while, just wrapped up in each other and enjoying the silent company.

These lazy mornings of quiet intimacy are Sunrui’s absolute favorite, when it’s just her and Kong Xiaoyin and her heart thumping a steady beat in its cage, and Sunrui loves it, loves how Xiaokong’s bare skin fits against hers, loves how low and soft Xiaokong’s voice gets, loves how she’s free to show her affection all she wants, nothing else to be considered.

It’s then that Duang Duang jumps down from out of nowhere, and Xiaoyin yelps, quickly pushing him off the bed and shooing him away.

“Aiya Sunrui,” she gripes, “Duang’s trying to assassinate me again!”

“And what do you want me to do about it,” Sunrui laughs, pecking a quick kiss onto her girlfriend’s lips as consolation. “You’re the one who keeps saying we’re a family of three.”

“Ma, you’re so annoying,” Xiaokong hmphs, no bite to her tone, and Sunrui hides her grin, sitting up against the headboard and encircling her furen back into her arms.

Xiaokong doesn’t put up any resistance, and she leans her head against Sunrui’s chest easily. “Oh, speaking of family,” she brings up, “my parents want you to come to Shenyang for a few days to spend New Year’s with us.”

“Thought you said that I wasn’t welcome in Shenyang,” Sunrui teases, unworried and having long since gotten Mei jie and Chao ge’s approval, and she agrees readily, “sure, why not? But you have to come with me to Harbin too, no more putting it off.”

“Aah, but-” Xiaoyin protests immediately, turning to pout at her with pleading doe eyes, but Sunrui doesn’t fold, stubbornly holding her ground.

“Aiya, what are you so afraid of?” she tuts, clicking her tongue in annoyance. “At this rate my mom’s gonna think that I’m lying about having a girlfriend and you’re just playing along to help me save face.”

“Who says I’m not?” Xiaokong challenges, and Sunrui snorts, allowing the change of topic for now.

She gives a pointed look downwards. “If this is playing along, I’d really like to see what the real thing would be like.”

The slight pain in her shoulder as a result of Xiaokong hitting her is worth the little laugh that sounds out from her furen, and Sunrui smiles, enjoying their comfortable silence until Xiaoyin admits, “Your parents scare me.”

Sunrui raises a brow in silent question, and Xiaokong just pouts even wider, a slight sulk to her tone as she continues, “Spending New Year’s together is like telling the parents you’re committed, and you know I’m not afraid of that, but your parents are crazy protective of you, and they’re scary, fujun!”

The whining lift on the last few words has Sunrui suppressing a laugh, and she scoffs, “Like I didn’t have to go through that when you dragged me off to Shenyang to tell Mei jie and Chao ge we were officially dating.”

“Ai, that’s completely different,” Xiaoyin retorts. “They were practically more thrilled than I was, and you know if they have it their way, you won’t be calling them Mei jie and Chao ge much longer, right?”

“Kong Xiaoyin, is that a marriage proposal I hear?” Sunrui gasps dramatically, and she simply cackles when her girlfriend pinches her arm in retribution.

“Be more serious, Sunji!” Xiaokong complains, the grin on her lips betraying her.

Sunrui nods solemnly. “You’re right, trying to book a flight to Taiwan or something during New Year’s would be pretty much impossible.”

In response, Xiaokong just rolls her eyes and stares daggers at her, and Sunrui placates, “It’ll be fine, weren’t you calling my dad your father-in-law just the other day? And my mom literally adores you, she’s always pestering ‘Xiaosun how’s Yinyin doing, Xiaosun when are you bringing Xiaoyin back home to properly meet us, Xiaosun you should treat Xiaokong better’, really, she just goes on and on and on!”

Her imitation of her mother’s nagging nets a giggle out of Xiaokong, and her girlfriend bites her lip. “And what if she ends up changing her mind and makes you break up with me?”

“Ah na me,” Sunrui pretends to think, knowing that Xiaokong’s pretty much convinced now, and she sighs regrettably, “then I guess we’ll have no choice but to part ways~”

“Aiya Sunrui!” Xiaokong’s offended voice rings out petulantly, and she berates “damned mabao”.

“I love mama and mama loves me,” Sunrui chants, intentionally pitching her voice so as to sound like a schoolchild, and Xiaoyin stifles a giggle.

Her furen shakes her head fondly, and Sunrui continues, “Look, if that happens, then I really will run off to Taiwan with you.” She barely keeps a straight face while saying it. “See how much I love you, Kong Xiaoyin? Even willing to go against my dearest mother’s wishes for you, are you not touched?”

“Tsch, saying that like laoniang’s even agreed to you yet,” Xiaokong sniffs, expression fully living up to her title of ‘most zhuai in team’, and Sunrui tilts her head in thought.

“Then…will you?” she asks, only really half-a-joke, and Xiaoyin rolls her eyes light-heartedly.

“Now who’s the one giving a marriage proposal,” she notes wryly.

Laughing along, the fact that they can talk about things like this so at ease, even if only in the abstract, settles on Sunrui’s chest in a weird way, and she thinks it’s not a bad feeling, warm and stealing her breath away.

“Ai, how about we take this one step at a time first,” she diverts, coming back to the topic at hand. “Are you coming to Harbin after I go with you to Shenyang or not?”

Xiaokong gives her a still-hesitant look. “You sure your parents won’t suddenly find me unfit afterwards?”

“If they do, I’ll beat them up them myself,” Sunrui promises, holding her hand up as if to pledge it.

“…Okay,” Xiaoyin finally agrees, and Sunrui claps in happiness, leaning down to give her girlfriend a kiss.

“Furen’s the best~” she says, parting with a happy sigh.

Xiaokong brightens considerably at the endearment, and she chirps, “I better get plenty of embarrassing baby pictures then, Ruibao!”

“You’re so funny,” Sunrui retorts sarcastically, voice fading into something softer, and she pulls Xiaokong even closer towards her, feeling an inexplicable kind of comfort with Kong Xiaoyin in her arms.

“I want to spend every New Year’s for the rest of my life with you,” she confesses quietly, soaking in the warmth of her girlfriend’s presence, and she wants to stay within these tucked away moments forever, with no cameras or prying eyes watching them.

“I want to spend every day for the rest of my life with fujun too,” Xiaokong responds, murmured soft as if it’s a secret and a promise all at once, and Sunrui can tell her smile evident through her voice. “Be it in 351 or Harbin or wherever you drag me off to.”

“Like Taiwan?” Sunrui laughs.

Xiaokong’s lips curve. “Get me a pretty ring first, and then we’ll talk.”

“Message received, furen.”

You love me, so you moved into 351, eating and drinking what’s mine every day.

I love you, so I’ll stay by your side for as long as you’ll have me, furen and fujun a match made in heaven.

(“So Kong Xiaoyin, even though you look ugly, I still have feelings for you!~”)

結su
[FIN]