Rose in No-Man's Land

3 The wine is cold, she is hot

Xia Xingmian felt that the wine she drank yesterday must have made her drunk. In fact, it was not difficult to deduce that Tao Ye was the new lover mentioned in Lu Qiurui's text message. Xia Xingmian could see that undisguised infatuation in Lu Qiurui's eyes when she looked at Tao Ye.

In a way, Tao Ye was her love rival. Yet here she was, eating cake with her rival.

Since the cake shop didn't have tables and chairs, they were sitting on a bench in Tanhu Park. Snow was falling lightly, with snowflakes landing on the fluffy cream and disappearing quickly.

The lake had a thin layer of ice, just enough to see the fish swimming underneath. A few middle-aged men sat with children along the lakeshore, fishing through jagged holes cut into the ice, framed by unevenly broken bricks.

Tao Ye's fingers holding the cake base were red from the cold. With her other hand, she cut a small piece with a fork, intending to put it on a paper plate for Xia Xingmian.

Xia Xingmian noticed her shivering red hands and said, "Don't bother cutting it; let's just eat with forks directly."

Tao Ye chuckled, "You don't mind sharing?"

Xia Xingmian drew an invisible line down the cake with her fork. "You eat that side, and I'll eat this side."

They carefully scooped up the cream, neither crossing the line, more cautious than workers digging foundation lines by landmarks.

Xia Xingmian found it ironic—they'd shared such intimate moments the night before, but now they were being so polite over a cake.

After a while, Tao Ye's phone suddenly rang. She set down her fork and took out her phone to answer. Xia Xingmian glanced over and saw that the caller ID started with the character 'Lu'.

"President Lu..." Tao Ye's face tensed, "Huh? Right now?"

Xia Xingmian turned away, watching those fishing on the ice.

Tao Ye's voice lowered, "Okay, which restaurant are you at?"

The person on the other end gave a location, but it was too faint for Xia Xingmian to catch.

Tao Ye responded with a hum and hung up.

"Sorry, I may need to..." Tao Ye sighed, gathering her coat as if to stand up.

She had only half-risen when Xia Xingmian suddenly grabbed her wrist.

"...I don't have class this afternoon," Xia Xingmian murmured, hesitating, "Could you... stay with me to finish this... cake?"

Her voice softened on that last 'cake' almost to a whisper.

Tao Ye was silent for a long time.

After a long pause, Xia Xingmian felt a hand gently resting on her head, ruffling her hair.

"Why do you have to look so much like a puppy?" Tao Ye laughed helplessly. "Do you know I can't say no to cute girls begging me?"

Xia Xingmian lowered her eyes, a cool depth of emotion stirring beneath their calm surface.

"Then consider it me begging," she said, her voice as cold as her gaze, "Sister, stay with me."

Tao Ye seemed about to say something, but hesitated. Maybe she remembered that night at the bar when Lu Qiurui shamelessly humiliated Xia Xingmian in front of everyone. Or the way Lu Qiurui threw a drink in Xia Xingmian's face at the mention of 'birthday'.

With a heavy sigh, she relented. "Alright, I'll stay with you."

Tao Ye sat back down beside Xia Xingmian, tilting her head as she looked at her expressionless face.