Inextricable

Xu Xingxing signed up for the performance programme but was not sure whether she would be selected. There were so many talents in the company after all, and playing the piano would not be something extraordinary.

She didn’t tell her friend that she had applied. The day before the holiday when she and Chen Wanwan were discussing some work in the lounge, she received a message saying she had been selected to perform at the IO year-end meeting.

Xu Xingxing became excited on seeing this message and Chen Wanwan, who also saw the message, said happily, “Look, I said you would be selected. This is a big thing. Xingxing, we are not only going to just participate but to win awards.”

A sneer suddenly sounded out next to Chen Wanwan as soon as she finished speaking. The two turned around to see Li Miaoxue there, carrying a document.

“Hello to you too, Li Miaoxue,” Chen Wanwan said as she stood up and patted the table.

Xu Xingxing quickly grabbed her friend and didn’t let Chen Wanwan continue talking.

Only she and Li Miaoxue were participating in the programme from their department. Li Miaoxue’s performances had won awards every year, so naturally Li Miaoxue was giving Xu Xingxing a stink-eye. However, Xu Xingxing didn’t take this to heart, her main goal of participating in this show was to breakthrough her own feelings, not to compete with others.

Before leaving work in the afternoon, Xu Xingxing received a message from the performance group about a discussion being held regarding it. 

While the planning and equipment procurement  for the annual IO meeting were all handed over to a professional event company, the procurement of materials, costumes, and the performance rehearsals for the annual meeting were under the purview of the cultural team, which was a subdivision of the HR department of IO. After all the rehearsals were nailed down, HR Director Luan would come to see the final rehearsal.

[TL Notes: HR refers to Human Resources.]

The cultural team had already decided on the programme layout internally. Xu Xingxing’s performance was placed in the middle, a position that wasn’t uncomfortable or annoying. The starting and the ending programmes were handled by Li Miaoxue, she would be performing two dances.

Most of the people of this cultural team had participated in the preparation of the annual meeting many times before, and with Li Miaoxue having performed at the annual meeting many times, most of them were familiar with her. Song Youling, the leader of the cultural team, who was responsible for the programme rehearsals, started chatting with Li Miaoxue when she first arrived.

Xu Xingxing was not paying much attention to things. She was gazing at her phone when Tang Didi, who was in charge of costumes, emailed her the photographs of the outfits for the performances.

Her designated dress was long and inlaid with rhinestones, with a gold trim, looking noble and elegant. However, the dress had a wide neck, exposing a large area of ​​the chest, which made Xu Xingxing find it a little unacceptable.

When Tang Didi finished her work, Xu Xingxing grabbed her and asked, “Are these the only costumes for the show?”

The young lady nodded and said, “That’s right, I picked them. They all look pretty.”

Xu Xingxing objected to this with some embarrassment, “It’s pretty good-looking, but it is slightly open in front, and I’m a little afraid of feeling cold.”

Xu Xingxing’s words left Tang Didi pretty stunned before she finally began laughing, which attracted others’ attention to them. She quickly covered her mouth, coughed twice and said, “It won’t be cold. Why cover it up? It looks good like this.”

After hearing Tang Didi’s laughter, Song Youling came over and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Tang Didi spoke quickly, “Miss Xu said that wearing this dress will make her uncomfortable, she’ll feel a little cold.”

“Oh~let me take a look.” Song Youling took Xu Xingxing’s mobile phone, swiped at the two photos, sighed slightly, and said, “These dresses are all good and easy to wear. With the  central heating system running in the auditorium, it won’t be too cold.”

With Song Youling stating it this way, and Xu Xingxing immediately thought she was acting hypocritically. “I’m sorry,” she humbly said.

Li Miaoxue had also followed Song Youling. After listening to the ins and outs, she rolled her eyes and said, “Everyone wears such clothes. Team Leader Song has been arranging shows for so many years and has her own experience. Don’t try to be special and make our translation department a laughing stock.”

Now that she had decided to perform, she would obey no matter what the arrangements were. Xu Xingxing didn’t care about Li Miaoxue’s words, once again apologising to Song Youling, “Sorry for troubling you.”

“It’s alright.” Song Youling gave her the phone and addressed Xu Xingxing, “I watched your piano solo on video, and you are still not very good at it. The company’s senior management will be watching you closely as you play. You must practise a lot.”

“Alright,” Xu Xingxing answered with a nod.

After the meeting was over, Xu Xingxing went home first. After giving Mimi some cat food, she went out. There was a man already waiting in the car under the streetlight next to the apartment. She walked over, opened the door and got into the car.

The street lights shone through the front window of the car, illuminating only half of their faces.

Huai Jing raised his chin slightly, glanced at the things in the woman’s hands, and asked, “Want to make dumplings?”

Xu Xingxing put the bag aside and nodded. The sound of the wind outside the car window was mixed with the sound of firecrackers bursting around them.

“Today is the start of the Gregorian calendar year,” Xu Xingxing said as she met the man’s gaze.

The woman’s rounded eyes were open, her rosy lips forming a line as though anticipating something.

“I see.” After giving a smile and a nod, Huai Jing started the car and drove away.

Huaicheng had a tradition of celebrating the Gregorian New Year, and this celebration was much simpler than that of the Spring Festival. Just hang two strings of firecrackers, make some dumplings, and have a reunion dinner with the relatives who came back for the holiday.

Xu Xingxing had experienced a number of things this year, including her ex-husband’s affair and her divorce. She had moved to Xiacheng after the divorce, where she had found a job she enjoyed, was now well-liked by her supervisor, and had even opened a little shop on her own. She wanted to celebrate her new life even if she didn’t get to see her family today. 

When she arrived at Huai Jing’s house, Xu Xingxing took the ingredients and went to the kitchen.

‘Are you so happy?’ Huai Jing thought his eyes, which were filled with tenderness, followed Xu Xingxing into the kitchen. 

The kitchen in Huai Jing’s house had kitchen counters on the front and on the left and right sides. In addition, there was a kitchen table 5 metres long, 1 metre wide and about 1.2 metres high. 

Xu Xingxing put the things she had brought on the kitchen counter, took a wooden board from the side and rinsed it. Making dumplings was a complicated job, but she did it methodically. After putting down the board on the counter, Xu Xingxing poured the flour on it, forming a hill. Then she made a small hole in the middle with her hands, poured water into it, and started kneading the dough meticulously.

This kitchen table was a bit high for her, so Xu Xingxing had to tiptoe and lift her body before kneading the dough.

Looking at her movements, Huai Jing’s eyes flickered and he walked next to her.

Sensing him walking in, Xu Xingxing looked up at him, and said in a low voice, “Just making the dumpling skin dough right now, I made the stuffing at home.”

When the woman raised her head, he noticed a small streak of flour on her cheek, which had been rubbed on there because of her action just now, and the tiny flour particles adhered to her skin made her seem even more pretty and lovely.

Huai Jing then hugged her from behind with both hands, leaned over and kissed her gently on the cheek. Xu Xingxing was standing on her tiptoes, and because of the man’s closeness, her whole body now leaned against the kitchen counter.

Xu Xingxing leaned against the kitchen counter for support when she felt the man’s breath on her neck, and her heart skipped a beat as she realised what he wanted to do. Her throat twitched, and she refused in a low voice, “No… no.”

Huai Jing squeezed her hands hard, causing her to turn around and face him. The woman grabbed his arms with both hands, leaving two faint white handprints.

Huai Jing’s eyes were heavy, he bent down and kissed the woman’s slightly moving lips, the kiss delicate and lingering. “It’ll take a lot of time to do this. Come with me first, and I’ll help you later. Huh?”

Xu Xingxing’s eyelashes trembled slightly, her cheeks were hot, and she looked at him suspiciously as she confirmed, “Really… really?”

The woman’s brows and eyes are full of watery tenderness, which hooked his desire out like fire. He kissed her ear, then bit the slightly hot earlobe lightly, and promised, “Yes.”

Xu Xingxing’s body completely relaxed at this. She pressed her back against the cool kitchen counter, feeling the man’s fiery lips and teeth moving towards her neck. The touch of his teeth rubbing against her skin made Xu Xingxing slightly excited.

“This… can’t, the dress…”

Over the past few days, she had confirmed the costume for her performance, and since most of it would show her neck, she didn’t want people to see teeth marks there.

The man’s eyes froze, and he went to her collarbone from her neck. The beautiful collarbone was warm. Before he could open his mouth, the woman held his chest and whispered, “This… this doesn’t work either.”

In terms of dresses, it was normal to “expose” the collarbone.

Huai Jing went down further, below the collarbone, lowering his head and kissing the deepest part, and just when he was about to bite down, the woman put her hands on her chest.

The woman in his arms bit her lower lip lightly, and said tremblingly, “This…”

The man’s eyes darkened, and he asked, “Is this also being ‘revealed’?”

“Hmm…” Xu Xingxing confirmed in a low voice.

Huai Jing: “…”