9: graft

After arriving home, A Zhen slipped into the bathroom first.

When A Zhen finished and it was Li Zhan's turn, he heard the security door click shut halfway through his shower.

He pushed open the bathroom door and poked his head out, seeing A Zhen standing in the entryway holding a trash bag.

"Keep washing."

A Zhen shook her wet hair without looking back, "I'll just throw out the trash and then go to sleep."

By the time Li Zhan came out drying his hair, the bedroom lights were off, and it was pitch black.

A Zhen was curled up on the inner side of the bed, wrapped in the quilt.

Everyone had drunk quite a bit today, and Li Zhan didn't want to bother her.

He lay down quietly, the alcohol and exhaustion quickly washing over him.

Between wakefulness and sleep, a warm, soft body suddenly pressed against him.

In the darkness, a moist tongue swept from his chest up to his collarbone,

carrying a familiar perfume scent and... a hint of unfamiliar sweetness... "Didn't you say you were tired?"

In his daze, Li Zhan embraced the body pressing against him, his hands full of smooth skin.

The body trembled slightly but actively pressed closer, the tongue already reaching Li Zhan's chin.

The next second, Li Zhan tasted sweetness and moisture.

He was ignited by this sudden passion,

...Before Li Zhan fell asleep,

he thought he heard the faint sound of water from the bathroom... but drowsiness overwhelmed him like a tide, and he just assumed A Zhen had gone for another shower.

——

The next day at noon,

sunlight slanted in through the gaps in the curtains.

Li Zhan reached out groggily to pull the person beside him... Huh... the feel seemed a bit different than usual...?

In his daze, he felt around the body next to him for a bit... Li Zhan suddenly snapped his eyes open and threw back the quilt.

"Li... Lili?!"

The girl on the bed was curled up, her messy curly hair unable to hide her flushed face.

She gripped the corner of the quilt tightly... Just then, the bedroom door opened, and A Zhen leaned against the doorframe with a toothbrush in her mouth, foam still clinging to the corners of her lips.

"Morning."

She said unclearly, her eyes crinkling into crescents, "Did you sleep well last night?"

Lili suddenly pulled a pillow over her face, her exposed ear tips turning blood-red.

Li Zhan froze in place,

the fragments of last night's "unusual passion" suddenly flashed back in his mind—

He pointed at A Zhen, caught between laughter and tears, "You... I'm truly speechless with you..."

A Zhen took the toothbrush out of her mouth,

"Get up and eat; I bought rice noodle rolls and preserved egg porridge."

She winked at Lili, "Someone exerted themselves too much last night and needs to replenish their energy."

Lili sat up, wrapped in the quilt,

the silk sheet slid down her smooth shoulders, revealing curves more voluptuous than A Zhen's.

She plucked up her courage and hugged Li Zhan's arm, "Brother Zhan, don't be mad..."

Shy moisture still hung on her eyelashes, "I did it willingly..."

Looking at the pitiful little girl in his arms, Li Zhan suddenly burst out laughing.

He cupped Lili's face and gave her a heavy kiss on the forehead, "Silly girl."

He lightly flicked her nose with his finger,

"If you dare lie to me again next time, see how I deal with you."

"There's a next time?"

A Zhen suddenly pressed up from behind, "Then we'll have to include Feifei and Xiao Wen..."

...——

After washing up,

the three of them sat around the dining table,

Li Zhan caught a glimpse of the two of them looking listless... He couldn't help but let out a snort of laughter.

"What are you laughing at!"

A Zhen picked up her chopsticks and poked the back of his hand, though the tips of her ears turned red, "It's all because of you..."

Lili's head was almost buried in her porridge bowl, her exposed nape as red as a cooked shrimp.

The tips of her chopsticks poked seven or eight holes in the preserved egg, but she couldn't bring herself to put it in her mouth.

Suppressing a laugh, Li Zhan placed a custard bun in each of their bowls, "Eat more to replenish your vitality."

He intentionally emphasized the word "replenish."

A Zhen stomped hard on his foot under the table, but because her legs were weak, she couldn't exert any strength, making it feel more like flirting.

Lili suddenly plucked up her courage and pushed the rice noodle rolls dipped in chili sauce in front of Li Zhan,

"Brother Zhan... try this..."

Sunlight slanted through the kitchen window, casting dappled shadows on the dining table.

The sound of the midday news broadcast drifted up from downstairs, along with the smell of cooking fumes from the neighbors' kitchens.

Li Zhan looked at the two women before him—

one glaring and pretending to be angry, the other blushing and not daring to look up—

and suddenly felt that such ridiculous yet warm days seemed quite nice...