A Guide to Wasting Life

The moment their lips touched, fireworks erupted in Xu Nianzhu’s mind, scattering every method of kissing she had carefully rehearsed into dazzling fragments.

But she had always been someone who thrived on challenges, and this moment was no exception.

Kissing was instinctive. With her face flushed bright red, Xu Nianzhu began to peck clumsily and awkwardly, moving from Zhou Qi’s upper lip to his lower lip, one hesitant kiss at a time. Without realizing it, her fingers clutching his chin grew tighter.

“Hiss-”

Xu Nianzhu parted her lips to take a breath, only to feel the tip of her tongue ambushed. Startled and stung, she pulled back and quickly covered her mouth with her hand.

Her injured tongue pressed against her palate, seeking comfort.

“What are you doing?” she murmured through her fingers, her voice muffled. Xu Nianzhu pouted and shot a disgruntled glance at Zhou Qi, who was rubbing his eyes in front of her.

Zhou Qi chuckled again, his dimples softening every trace of her annoyance.

He deliberately tickled her waist. “You’re like a little ox plowing a field.”

“I’m sowing seeds!” Xu Nianzhu retorted defensively.

The words had barely left her lips when she realized their double meaning. Her eyes flitted nervously, and she pushed back against his thigh, trying to retreat. Her burning palms left trails of heat on his skin. Zhou Qi’s gaze darkened, and he turned his head, adjusting the angle of the seat to compose himself.

Seeing him distracted, Xu Nianzhu finally let out a heavy sigh of relief. As her feet touched the floor, she prepared to scoot back into the passenger seat.

But her relief was premature. Before her foot even reached mid-air, a sudden force pulled her forward, sending her straight back onto his lap.

Failed escape.

The seat reclined further, tipping them both down. Xu Nianzhu found her fingers pressed to his chest, her body sprawled over his. She could hear Zhou Qi’s strong, steady heartbeat so clearly.

Beat after beat, it was gradually syncing with her own erratic rhythm.

A matching heartbeat felt like a gift.

Xu Nianzhu’s mind fogged as her lips curled into a small, uncontrollable smile.

It was her first time being so physically close to someone of the opposite sex. Her first handhold, first kiss, and first embrace were all tied to this man she’d known for only a few days. It was wild, a stark contrast to the orderly, rule-following life she had led up to now.

This made her feel a little addicted-but also a little scared.

Xu Nianzhu had always been the model child in other people’s eyes-someone else’s golden standard. But her discipline came from within. During her school days, her parents often used her self-restraint and maturity as topics of pride in neighborhood conversations. “Responsible,” “kind,” and “bright” were her constant labels.

However, getting used to something doesn’t mean that people adapt to it.

Gradually, she became consumed by her emotions, becoming sensitive and depressed.

Long ago, she had realized that there was a little madman living in the cage of her heart, but to go mad, the outside needed several locks. Three years ago, she broke one lock, allowing herself a brief release. Three years later, it seemed she had successfully found the person holding the key, and it wasn’t through violence.

Two days ago, someone unexpectedly broke into her view and into her life, taking her into a different world that night. It sounded unbelievable, but she had to admit that this feeling was incredible.

She finally lived in the moment, immersed in this journey.

Soon enough, she felt alive again.

Waves of heat flooded her ears; Zhou Qi, the one who brought her into this different world, whispered softly to her, “It’s okay, if you don’t know, I’ll teach you.”

Zhou Qi was a good teacher. He used his lips and tongue to silence her mouth, skillfully guiding each point of knowledge to its place, and would repeatedly practice whenever Xu Nianzhu didn’t understand.

He encouraged her patiently, grazing her lips as he taught her-“Open your mouth, stick it out, yes, very good, relax, breathe, let’s do it again.”

In comparison, Xu Nianzhu was a struggling student, and when his tongue pressed between her teeth, she had already surrendered, losing all her will to learn.

Continuous pushes and entanglements felt like he was trying to steal all the air from her mouth and brain. Xu Nianzhu felt a tingling ache at the root of her tongue, her head spinning, as she was stirred into a pool of saliva.

She gasped, unable to suppress a low sigh from her throat.

The weak sound reached Zhou Qi’s ears, transforming into a playful whine. His hand, resting on her waist, instantly froze.

“Uncomfortable?” His voice was hoarse.

Xu Nianzhu experienced the sensation of being kissed until she felt soft, trembling, and bewildered. She felt as if she were floating on a cloud, unable to understand what he was saying.

“Hmm?” she looked at him in confusion, her second syllable coming out with a heavy nasal tone.

Her fine hair cascaded down with her movement, brushing against his neck once more.

Zhou Qi felt a tingle run down his spine, unable to bear the sight of her hazy eyes, and quickly turned his face away.

Xu Nianzhu didn’t receive the answer she wanted, unsure whether it was the kiss or the intoxication that was overwhelming her. She moved her hands, reaching to cup Zhou Qi’s face, but inadvertently, it turned into a grip that threatened his breath.

Zhou Qi couldn’t help but refocus his attention on her after accidentally brushing her ticklish spots. Seeing Xu Nianzhu giggling like a little fool, he chuckled as well and gently pinched her rosy cheeks.

Xu Nianzhu poked at the dimples on his face, which seemed deep enough to hold water, and then shyly leaned in for another quick kiss. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she nestled her head on his shoulder.

Closing her eyes, she murmured sleepily, her voice hazy and soft. “What do I do… I don’t want to, but… I’m so sleepy…”

“Then go ahead and sleep,” Zhou Qi said, patting her head gently.

“But you’re… you’re leaving tomorrow…” Her words trailed off.

Zhou Qi froze for a moment, his brows knitting slightly.

The warmth of her palm pressed against his cheek was almost overwhelming, scattering his thoughts. The soothing pats he was giving her unconsciously grew heavier.

“Ow… you’re going to turn me into a fool if you keep that up,” she grumbled.

Without enough room to use her upper body for payback, Xu Nianzhu opted to press her advantage another way. Using her stronger legs, she made a deliberate effort to clamp them together tightly in retaliation.

More neighborhood streetlights went out, leaving only faint streaks of light filtering through swaying leaves, casting scattered shadows in the dim car interior. The fragments of light danced between the two.

The overly competitive girl clinging to him was making Zhou Qi increasingly uncomfortable.

Sighing in resignation, he rubbed his temples and tensed his muscles against her persistent movements.

Fortunately, after a short while, she stopped fidgeting and simply settled into his arms. Thinking she had finally fallen asleep, he was just about to put her back in the passenger seat when he heard a long, deliberate inhale.

“Are you asleep?” Zhou Qi asked softly, testing the waters.

Xu Nianzhu’s already uneven breathing became even more labored. Her awkward position only amplified certain sensations against her chest.

How on earth could she fall asleep like this?

Her face burned as her thoughts spiraled. Her ears were ringing with the frantic pace of her own heartbeat. To her surprise, though, anticipation outweighed anxiety in her mind. But a faint trace of rationality still lingered. She clenched her teeth and stubbornly maintained her pretense of sleep.

Zhou Qi wasn’t deaf. He coughed lightly, covering his mouth with a fist, but chose not to press her further. After all, they were equally responsible for fueling this awkward moment.

He reached for his phone and checked for a room at the same hotel. Once he secured a booking, Zhou Qi placed his phone back on the console and noticed that her breathing and heart rate had finally steadied. The delicate blend of floral and fruity fragrance from her hovered in the air, intoxicating him.

By the time they arrived at the hotel, it was almost 1 a.m.

Zhou Qi parked the car and glanced over at Xu Nianzhu, who was now deep in sleep. Her brows had unfurrowed, and a tiny smile softened her lips. He stared at her for a moment, his hesitation clear. It seemed cruel to wake her from such peaceful slumber.

Xu Nianzhu was light, barely a burden in his arms as he lifted her. At 1.65 meters, she seemed so small against his much larger frame.

Zhou Qi picked up the room keycard from the front desk. Noticing how tightly Xu Nianzhu clung to the corner of his shirt, her brows slightly furrowed as she curled further inward, as if afraid she might fall, he couldn’t help but smile silently.

He gave her a gentle squeeze, carefully holding her closer to his chest-handling her as if she were fragile porcelain-before walking toward the elevator.

The slight jostling seemed to stir her. Xu Nianzhu barely managed to crack an eye open, only for the dim lobby light to sting her vision. She quickly shut her eyes again.

Ever since starting grad school, she hadn’t had a single restful night of sleep. Yet from the car to now, she had dozed off peacefully, everything feeling sweet and fragrant.

Half-asleep, she vaguely heard someone asking her, “Where’s your keycard?”

Keycard? Though her thoughts were muddled, muscle memory kicked in. Xu Nianzhu instinctively fumbled at her pants pocket. Her fingers closed around something, and without thinking twice, she held it out toward the blurry figure in front of her.

This kind of unreserved trust shook Zhou Qi to his core. A troubling thought crossed his mind-if it hadn’t been him here tonight, but someone else, would she have acted the same way?

He shook her gently and lowered his head, asking, “Who am I?”

Completely bewildered, Xu Nianzhu mumbled groggily, “You’re not human… Are you a ghost or something?”

Zhou Qi sighed in exasperation. “Say my name.”

“Zhou Qi… Zhou Qi… Zhou Qi…” she muttered, her arm suspended midair as she waved the card around impatiently. “Happy now? My arm’s about to fall off.”

Hearing her call his name again and again sent a rush of warmth surging through Zhou Qi’s chest, so hot it felt like it might boil over.

Amused by her dazed state, he freed one hand to take the cards from her. As he glanced down, the first one to catch his eye had five bold Chinese characters: Resident Identity Card. On the line below, he discovered she was from Jiang City.

The corners of Zhou Qi’s mouth curved up in a gentle smile. Without flipping the card over to its front, he slid it back into her pocket and pulled out the second card.

Tenth floor.

Opening the room door, he switched on only the soft glow of the bedside lamp. Zhou Qi turned down the covers and carefully laid her onto the bed, then removed her jacket and shoes. As he tucked the blanket snugly around her, he felt her wrist catch his.

Turning his head slightly, Zhou Qi saw Xu Nianzhu’s cheeks glowing with a faint blush, reminiscent of someone who’d just had a glass of wine. Her eyes sparkled like tiny stars, and her lips parted as if she were trying to speak.

He leaned in, attentive.

“…Can we… add each other on WeChat¹?” Her voice was small, almost timid.

Zhou Qi paused, then reached for a tissue from the bedside table. He gently wiped away a stray tear that had stopped midway down her cheek. Crouching by the bed, he carefully tucked her two restless arms back under the blanket. “Didn’t we already add each other the first time we met?”

Tightly cocooned in the blanket like a snug little silkworm, Xu Nianzhu didn’t resist. Instead, she seemed to consider it for a moment.

“…Oh. I guess we did,” she mumbled.

“Want some water?” Zhou Qi asked, noticing Xu Nianzhu licking her lips.

“Yes,” Xu Nianzhu nodded, slowly emerging from her cocoon of blankets and sitting up with some difficulty. She sniffed lightly before confessing, “Actually, I’m a little hungry. Before we went out tonight, I planned to stop by downstairs to grab some Small Roll Noodles, but I didn’t expect all three flavors would be sold out.”

Hearing the faint trace of grievance in her voice, Zhou Qi poured her a glass of warm water and turned back with a faintly amused look. “Is it really that good?”

“It’s delicious!” Xu Nianzhu nodded emphatically, like a child defending her favorite snack.

“Well…” Glancing at the time, Zhou Qi handed her the cup. “We’ve got six or seven hours until morning. Do you want to fill up on water or settle for some convenience store prepackaged food downstairs?”

Xu Nianzhu accepted the glass with both hands and decisively chose the former. “Water is fine.” She didn’t want to trouble him any more than she already had.

The warm liquid slipped down her throat, spreading its heat through her body, easing her weariness from earlier events in the car. Feeling somewhat drained, she shifted to a more relaxed posture. Sitting cross-legged under the blanket, both hands draped between her knees, she let herself unwind.

For a brief moment, Xu Nianzhu stared absentmindedly at Zhou Qi’s profile, as if her brain had hit a pause button. Then, as though someone had unexpectedly flipped a hidden switch, she broke into a silly grin and started rambling.

She spoke with genuine enthusiasm, singing praises about Chaichai, marveling at how clever the dog was to recognize her right away. She even jokingly suggested that Zhou Qi consider training Chaichai to be a canine Cupid, setting people up on dates.

Then, she went on to compliment the wine from earlier, noting how it was surprisingly smooth. It wasn’t bitter like the last time she’d had something similar while out with her classmates-it had a rich and mellow taste that lingered beautifully.

Zhou Qi listened as she chattered away, the corners of his lips curving into a grin. His eyes crinkled, forming the shape of crescent moons. Unable to resist teasing her, he quipped, “From the sound of it, our little drunkard must have had more than a few sips to be this sophisticated about flavors.”

His comment earned him a retaliatory kick from beneath the blanket. Not too hard, more playful than serious-a nudge that felt like trying to scratch an itch through thick layers. Before she could escalate the assault into a tickling match, Zhou Qi swiftly caught hold of her wrist. His fingers curled gently around it, his smile tinged with exasperation. “Careful,” he said with a tone both indulgent and reproachful. “Don’t squirm too much on the bed…”

Xu Nianzhu froze for a beat, her mind momentarily blank. Neither of them said anything else.

The room fell into a quiet lull. Even the faint drip of condensation from the kettle’s inner wall seemed unnaturally loud, amplifying in the stillness with a soft plink that rippled through the silence like a dropped pebble in a serene pond.

And yet, somehow, the sound felt maddeningly evocative.

Boldly and without pretense, Xu Nianzhu gazed at Zhou Qi. Her dark, clear eyes held his for a long heartbeat before her lips parted slightly.

“Can’t I?” she asked, her voice quiet yet deliberate.

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