Chapter 257: A Rifle Pointed At Us

Qinghe carried the book upstairs with Zhiyi’s hand in his.

Her arm brushed his as they turned into the corridor, and he squeezed her fingers before opening his bedroom door.

Usually, she came here to borrow something or look at a book he thought she might enjoy.

Tonight, she followed him inside and closed the door while he put the book beside the bed.

She stopped at his dresser, where her hairbrush lay beside his watch. Two hair ties were looped around its handle, and she ran a finger over them before picking it up.

"I wondered where this had gone," Zhiyi said, turning toward him. "I thought I’d left it in Hanchuan’s room."

"You left it here while we were unpacking," Qinghe replied as he joined her.

He remembered her sitting on his bed while he emptied a suitcase, brushing her hair and talking to him about where they should put the books. "I kept forgetting to bring it back."

"Leave it here," Zhiyi told him, returning it to the dish. "I have another one."

Qinghe smiled at the brush beside his watch, then slipped his arm around her waist. She turned toward him, resting a hand against his chest as he brushed her hair away from her cheek.

"I’m glad you came," Qinghe said. "I’ve been looking forward to having you to myself."

Zhiyi lifted her face as he leaned down, and her fingers curled into his shirt when he kissed her.

He held her close, his palm moving slowly over her back while she settled against him.

After spending the afternoon listening to voices from the monitors, he could finally hear the quiet sounds she made when she was comfortable. The breath she let out as he drew her nearer, the soft laugh when his nose brushed hers, all of them had him straining to get closer to her.

He kissed her again before taking her hand and leading her to the bed.

While she slipped off her slippers, he moved the spare pillow and sat against the headboard, drawing her beside him.

Her brush was on his dresser, her slippers were tucked beneath his bed, and he wanted mornings when finding those things there no longer surprised him.

"Come here," Qinghe murmured, opening his arm. "You can lean against me."

Zhiyi settled beside him with her cheek against his shoulder.

He rested his hand at her waist, smiling when she covered it with hers, then tipped her face toward him for another kiss. This time, she put her hand behind his neck and stayed close when he began to draw back.

Qinghe stroked her cheek with his thumb.

He could see her watching him, waiting to find out what he would do next, and he bent to kiss the corner of her mouth before moving along her jaw.

Her fingers tightened briefly against his neck as his lips brushed the skin beneath her ear.

"Is that comfortable?" Qinghe asked, easing his arm beneath her shoulders as they moved down onto the pillows.

"Yes," Zhiyi replied. She shifted closer until her head rested beside his. "Your sleeve is caught under me, though."

He worked it free, laughing softly when she lifted her shoulder to help.

Once they were settled, he drew her against him and kissed her without trying to hurry past the small adjustments that made being together comfortable.

His hand followed the curve of her waist and rested at her hip. Zhiyi relaxed beneath it, her fingers moving idly over his shoulder while he kissed her.

Gradually, her replies grew slower, and she stopped opening her eyes every time he drew back.

Qinghe brushed her hair away from her face and stayed beside her, tracing a slow path over her back.

She stirred when his hand paused, pressing closer until he began again. Within a few minutes, her fingers loosened against his shirt, and he pulled the blanket over them.

He hadn’t expected her to fall asleep, but he liked being the person she had settled against.

The rain tapped steadily at the window while he watched her for a while, then closed his eyes with his hand resting at her waist.

When Zhiyi stirred again, the window was dark. Qinghe woke to her lifting her head from his shoulder, her hair falling across one eye.

"I’m hungry," Zhiyi admitted, pushing it aside. "Did we miss dinner?"

"I think we did," Qinghe replied, checking the time before easing his arm from beneath her pillow.

He kissed her forehead and tucked the blanket around her shoulder. "I’ll bring something up. You can stay here."

She smiled as he got out of bed, and he stopped to kiss her once more before leaving.

Downstairs, he found Zeyu covering two plates beside the stove. His friend looked up at his rumpled shirt and reached for a tray.

"I was about to put these away," Zeyu said, setting the plates on it. "There’s enough left if either of you wants more."

Qinghe thanked him and filled two glasses.

Beside Zeyu’s elbow, the monitor showed the lower hallway, now empty except for damp patches where the bedding had been and a single shoe near the stairs.

"Where did everyone go?" Qinghe asked, setting the water jug down.

"They moved up together," Zeyu explained, changing the view to a higher public landing.

People were carrying blankets through an open doorway while two men struggled with a cupboard. "They’re still well below us. The woman with the shopping bag went first, and the others followed."

Qinghe watched her come back to help the mother and child through the doorway.

Behind them, the man who had defended her put his shoulder against the cupboard, helping push it across the entrance.

"The boats can’t reach them there," Qinghe said, watching the mother disappear inside with her child.

"That may be why they chose it," Zeyu replied. He switched to the flooded window below, where dark water lapped against the sill. "The boats have already come back once."

Qinghe lingered long enough to check the empty room, then picked up the tray.

Upstairs, Zhiyi had turned the bedside lamp brighter and was sitting against his pillows, her brush beside her on the blanket. She moved it as he approached, clearing a place for their dinner.

"Put the tray here," Zhiyi said. "Your radio has been calling."

Qinghe set the food down and reached for the handset on the dresser. He had just lifted it when Jingwei’s voice came through.

"Keep everyone away from the east windows," Jingwei said. "They’ve stopped trying the stairs. There’s a boat outside with a rifle pointed up at us."