The summer vacation was approaching, and the teachers in the office once again began discussing where to go for the holidays.
Someone asked, "Teacher Xia, what are your plans?"
Another colleague nudged the speaker and said, "Didn’t Teacher Xia already mention she doesn’t like going out?"
Yet Xia Miao thought seriously for a moment and replied, "I might go see the grasslands."
The others were surprised. "Teacher Xia, don’t you think walking around outside in this heat is exhausting?"
After all, the last time this topic came up, Xia Miao had insisted she just wanted to stay in an air-conditioned room.
Xia Miao smiled. "Because I found a travel partner. The world is so vast, with so many sights—I want to see them all with him."
Her colleagues immediately caught on.
"Teacher Xia is in love!"
"What’s your partner like? Bring him to meet us someday!"
"I’m so curious—what kind of boyfriend would someone as perfect as Teacher Xia end up with?"
"What?" Teacher Wu, who had just walked in, exclaimed in shock. "Xia Miao has a boyfriend?!"
Xia Miao admitted openly, "Yes, I’m in a relationship."
Teacher Wu hurried over. "Tell me, what kind of guy managed to win over my star student?"
Teacher Wu’s bald head was hard to ignore, but Xia Miao found this "boiled egg" of a head even more endearing than his thick-haired self from ten years ago.
Xia Miao didn’t hold back, smiling brightly as she said, "My boyfriend is wonderful. He’s good-looking, kind, speaks beautifully, and is patient with everything he does. I love how I feel when I’m with him."
In her words, her boyfriend was flawless—her lovesick tone especially strong.
A colleague teased, "No wonder Teacher Xia moved out of the dorm and got her own place. Turns out it’s a love nest!"
"Seems like wedding bells might be ringing soon!"
Teacher Wu grew even more curious. "Xia Miao, bring your boyfriend to meet us!"
Xia Miao just smiled. "Maybe another time."
With that, the others didn’t press further, shifting the conversation elsewhere.
As the workday neared its end, Xia Miao packed up her desk while snippets of her colleagues’ chatter drifted into her ears.
"That old teaching building is going to be demolished, right?"
"Yep. The security guard said someone smashed a hole in the wall for no reason. Too bad the cameras weren’t working—no way to catch the troublemaker."
"That building’s already a hazard. At least nothing serious happened, or our school would be in the news again."
"Still, I wonder what kind of bored student would go smashing walls in the middle of the night?"
Xia Miao finished tidying up, calmly bid her colleagues goodbye, and walked out with her bag.
Not long ago, she had moved into a small apartment. It wasn’t spacious, but it was identical to the home from her "dreams."
That "dream" world often mirrored reality, shaped by their subconscious—things that existed there had counterparts in the real world.
Xia Miao’s steps home were always light, but ever since falling in love, her pace after work had taken on an almost floating quality.
She paused at her door, keys still in hand, when it swung open from the inside. She immediately dashed forward, throwing herself into her boyfriend’s arms.
"I’m home!"
Standing on tiptoe, she buried her face in the crook of his neck, inhaling deeply—like a cat savoring its owner’s scent. Her partner, in turn, effortlessly lifted her, letting her wrap herself around him.
Shen Chi closed the door with one hand, then gently stroked the back of her head, her soft black hair a delight to touch. He chuckled softly. "Welcome home, Miao Miao."
After indulging for a while, Xia Miao finally pulled back, her exhaustion from work fading as she gazed at him with sparkling eyes. "Shen Chi, you missed me so, so, so much today, didn’t you?"
Shen Chi teased, "Not really."
"Liar." Xia Miao tightened her arms around his neck, adopting a mock-fierce expression. "I missed you like crazy, so you must’ve missed me like crazy too."
Her logic might not hold up, but who cared? She was his beloved.
Whatever she said was right.
Shen Chi kissed her, murmuring against her lips, "Miao Miao, I missed you."
Xia Miao loved kissing him. In those moments, she could forget the unnatural coolness of his skin—or maybe her warmth seeped into him, lending his pale complexion a healthy flush.
Either way, she always wanted more after their lips parted.
"Shen Chi, I want to."
Her blunt words sent a jolt through him, and the next kiss was predictably more fervent.
Xia Miao found herself on the couch, her skirt already pushed up by his hands as she eagerly tangled herself around him.
For two people in love, this kind of passion never grew old.
Night fell, the room unlit except for moonlight slipping in through the window, the swaying curtains casting playful shadows.
Xia Miao lay sprawled atop Shen Chi, too lazy to lift a finger.
His hands lingered at her waist, gently massaging to ease the soreness from exertion.
After catching her breath, she lifted her head, eyes bright. "Shen Chi, when my vacation starts, let’s go on a trip. Okay?"
Shen Chi hesitated. "I’d just be a hassle."
"Not at all! I can drive. It’s just an extra suitcase. We can see the emerald grasslands, the sapphire sea—doesn’t that sound amazing?"
His gaze softened. He kissed the corner of her mouth. "Okay."
Of course it sounded amazing. He’d never seen those sights with his own eyes.
He knew exactly why Xia Miao wanted this. Trapped for ten years in that cold, cramped darkness, loneliness his only companion—she wanted to make up for all he’d missed.
Xia Miao was usually lazy, a chronic procrastinator. But the moment travel plans were mentioned, she became a woman of action. Giving his pale backside a playful smack, she declared, "I’ll start researching!"
In the next second, she scrambled off him, pulling on clothes haphazardly as she dashed for her laptop.
Watching her whirlwind energy, Shen Chi rubbed the faintly stinging spot she’d patted, resignedly dressed, and headed to the kitchen to make dinner.
