Chapter 5: The Temptation of Mature Women

Zhang Ke looked at Xu Si through the rearview mirror. She pressed her lips together, focusing intently on the road ahead, with a few strands of fine hair drifting onto her cheek. Zhang Ke reached out to tuck the strands behind her ear, his fingertips brushing against her cold cheek

She was startled to see Zhang Ke standing at the door: "Why do you always like to stand at the door and scare people?" Holding the changed dress in her hand, she pushed Zhang Ke's shoulder and led him into the living room, "Take off your clothes, and I will wash them for you. With the hairdryer, they will be dry in a little while."

Ah, my home?" Zhang Ke was somewhat surprised. At this moment, he certainly could not let Xu Si know that he lived in the official compound, nor could he let Xu Si know that he was Zhang Zhixing's son. Moreover, he still had to hurry back to retrieve the photos later. "If I go back like this, my mom will definitely nag me. Please find a place for me to get off. I need to wash my undershirt first. Oh, what drink are you having? Why are you all sticky?"

Nowadays, it is the bad women who attract love, so shall I call you Sister Xu Si? Zhang Ke felt a pang in his heart, yet he deliberately used a teasing tone and called out again, "Sister Xu Si."

Zhang Ke, the "Ke" that signifies adherence to integrity; what about you

Leaving the shaded area of Xiangshan, the heat on the road was oppressive. However, once the car started moving, a gentle breeze blew by, bringing a sense of comfort. The wind tousled Xu Si's long hair, and in that moment, Zhang Ke truly felt that Xu Si was so captivating, it was intoxicating. In that instant, Zhang Ke believed he should trust Xu Si, and he began to share with her everything from his life before the age of sixteen, including how he was forced by his mother to give up learning chess due to his introverted nature, the recent bout of high fever he had experienced, and the fact that he ranked third in the Zhongkao in the Xicheng District. He recounted all of this in detail to her.

***

Zhang Ke suddenly thought that Xu Si, even as Ding Xiangshan's mistress, might have her own unavoidable difficulties. Perhaps framing Tang Xueqian was due to Ding Xiangshan's coercion, which is why she would be so close to the unfamiliar young man at this moment

This looks incredibly alluring. The suggestion from www.hetushu.com would be something Zhang Ke would never refuse, but is Xu Si really so devoid of ulterior motives as to trap Tang Xueqian in an irretrievable situation? After all, it was by colliding with Xu Si that he ended up drenched in a drink. Encountering a fiery woman, he might have to endure a scolding first. Generally, women would just huff and walk away, but Xu Si's innocent and guilty expression is characteristic of those pure and kind-hearted women.

Xu Si ran out of the bathroom to answer the phone. Zhang Ke only heard her say into the phone, "I have a guest here, I will come down to see you..." She then turned back and said to him, "I will be out for a while, please help me keep an eye on the house," and took the keys to push the door open and leave.

In that moment, it seemed as if he could see a faint sorrow locked within Xu Simai's brows. He thought about how, a few years later, Xu Si would end her vibrant life in prison, and a sense of melancholy filled Zhang Ke's heart, leaving him somewhat breathless.

Zhang Ke was just about to open it to see what photos were inside when Xu Si, wearing a plain-colored cotton slip dress, pushed the door open and came out

Sister Xu Si, I am still completely unaware of your matters

"Are you not afraid that your boyfriend will misunderstand if you take me to your home?" Zhang Ke asked, tilting his head.

Zhang Ke suddenly remembered that he was merely a seemingly harmless sixteen-year-old boy at this moment, gazing at the shimmering smile radiating from Xu Si's eyes. Zhang Ke felt somewhat embarrassed, yet he did not concede: "A beauty like you can make any man, regardless of age, quite dangerous..."

Xu Si came to her senses, tilted her head back, and pulled the few strands of fine hair from Zhang Ke's fingers, her face slightly flushed, "Hey, what are you doing? Are you done talking?"

You only say this and still want to know the name of this great beauty?

Zhang Ke chuckled softly, thinking to himself that he was still a young man who had just graduated from junior high school, and he should adhere to the responsibilities of youth, not daring to continue with his flattery. Xu Si took their clothes into the bathroom to wash, while Zhang Ke sat on the sofa in the living room and turned on the television, his mind wandering aimlessly. He was startled when the phone rang.

Zhang Ke is more inclined to believe that Xu Si is a naive woman. Although there is a hint of flirtation in her words, he likely sees himself as a boy who is merely stubborn in speech yet completely harmless to beautiful women. Perhaps it is his delicate and refined appearance that evokes doubt, preventing her from harboring any sense of caution. He thinks to himself that she is ultimately Ding Xiangshan's mistress and a key figure in Tang Xueqian's imprisonment. If it means not implicating his father, Zhang Ke would rather disregard Tang Xueqian's fate, gazing at the exceptionally delicate skin on Xu Si's neck, feeling a twinge of reluctance.

"You are the most lethal like this..." Zhang Ke turned sideways, resting his arm on the dashboard, propping his chin on his hand, and gazing intently at Xu Si's flawless face, smiling as he said, "I want you to be this charming sister, I can't wait to scold you every day"

"Stop pretending to be an adult when you speak," Xu Si said, lifting her eyelids. She was tired of hearing compliments, but when they came from the mouth of the young man before her, they were not at all annoying. Instead, she felt a bit embarrassed and pretended to be angry as she waved her clothes at him, saying, "You little rascal, do you even know what beauty is and what it is not?"

"Pah, nothing good can come from a dog's mouth!" Xu Sicheng said, yet she did not reject Zhang Ke's address to her

My name is Xu Si, but I am a bad woman and unworthy of being your sister

"Be my sister?" Zhang Ke sighed softly, feeling that this return to 1994 seemed solely for the purpose of saving this exquisite woman. "I have reported everything to you truthfully, yet you have not told me your name."

Xu Si bit her lip, suppressing a laugh as they stared at each other for a while. Unable to hold out any longer, she turned her face away, wanting to focus intently on driving, yet she felt his gaze lingering on her face. Unable to bear it, she used a book to block his view: "Stop looking, I really don't want a brother who's so thick-skinned. I seriously doubt whether bringing you home to do laundry was the right decision; you look like a little wolf..." The corners of her mouth, however, were filled with a smile, showing no intention of making Zhang Ke get out of the car, carrying a hint of flirtation.

Take it outside to dry slowly, I won't mind... Zhang Ke was wearing a narrow-collared T-shirt, speaking as his head got stuck in the collar, completely enveloped by the shirt. He asked Xu Si to come over to help him take off the T-shirt, and when he touched her arm, he felt her skin was icy cold

"You sit for a while, I will change my clothes first..." Xu Si handed over a bottle of drink and turned to enter the bedroom. Zhang Ke pressed his finger against the door frame, and the door was locked from the inside.

Zhang Ke finally managed to struggle his head out, bare-chested, his sixteen-year-old body thin and pale, lacking the proud muscle definition and healthy bronze skin. Facing Xu Si's gaze, Zhang Ke's expression was somewhat awkward: "Your skin is so cool; sitting next to you, I don't even need to turn on the air conditioning."

"So thin," Xu Si pointed at the ribs protruding from Zhang Ke's side, "but quite tall; I didn't notice it just now..."

Zhang Ke stood at the door, listening to the faint sounds coming from inside. It was not difficult to imagine Xu Si changing clothes, yet he harbored no ambiguous thoughts. There was not a single masculine object in the living room; it seemed that the villa on the northern slope of Xiangshan was indeed the rendezvous point for Xu Si and Ding Xiangshan. However, rumors were rampant outside that Xu Si was Tang Xueqian's mistress, and Xu Si was also about to admit this to the inspection team. But how would she prove this to the inspection team? Zhang Ke looked at the white envelope on the corner cabinet, which bore the logo of a photo shop, specifically the one in Xiangshan Forest Park. It appeared that before their encounter, she had just picked up photos from the shop.

"Sigh, you say you want to be my younger brother, but I still don't know your name?" The car turned from Xiangshan Yongdao onto Yuanlin Road, and through the rearview mirror, He Tushu Xu Si observed Zhang Ke. Although Zhang was staring at him, his gaze was wandering and seemed to be lost in thought, truly not resembling a boy of sixteen or seventeen. He asked him, "What is your name?"

"You just wore high heels," Zhang Ke gazed at Xu Si's raised eyes. Her forehead tilted slightly back, so close to her nose that he could almost feel her warm breath brushing against his chin. His heart fluttered with a yearning to pull her into his embrace, and he softly said, "Sister Xu Si, you are truly beautiful"

The car drove north along Garden Road, turning left onto Peach Creek Road as it approached Haizhou University, and entered the Jing Sheng Flower Garden located to the south of Haizhou University Affiliated High School. Jing Sheng Flower Garden is one of the earliest commercial residential complexes in Haizhou, and the community environment was among the best at that time. It was once regarded as the affluent area of Haizhou City. Before my father was dismissed from his public office, my mother often mentioned wanting to move to a different house in Jing Sheng Flower Garden. Even after the year 2000, as more and more new commercial residential complexes were developed, the people of Haizhou still spoke fondly of Jing Sheng Flower Garden.

Xu Si bit her lip, pondering for a long time, yet unable to come up with a reason. She fell into deep thought, saying nothing, and simply focused on driving. Zhang Ke understood in his heart, thinking that even if Xu Si wanted to find a stranger to share her helplessness, those matters were not something one could casually disclose to a stranger.

Xu Si lived in an elevator apartment at the easternmost end of Jing Sheng Hua Yuan, featuring a one-bedroom layout, showing no signs of other occupants. Xu Si tossed the keys and the white envelope taken from the car onto the corner cabinet behind the door, changed into a pair of leather slippers, and turned to Zhang Ke, who was peering into the living room, saying: "I don't have any slippers for boys here, so you can figure it out. You can either wear mine or go barefoot..."

"Fruit tea..." Xu Si pointed to the fruit green beverage bottle placed on the back seat, "It contains a lot of sugar and is very sticky when spilled. How about we go to my house first to take off your clothes and wash them clean..."

"Are you saying that I have an allure for any man?" Xu Si raised her little finger to tuck the hair hanging in front of her eyes behind her ear, biting her lip slightly as she glared at Zhang Ke. Her eyes, filled with a mix of mild anger and shyness, exuded a captivating charm. "You look so delicate and weak, yet you have quite the audacity, learning to tease girls. If I were your sister, I would certainly give you a good lesson..."

The weather outside is very hot, and the air conditioning in the room has not yet kicked in. I can see fine beads of sweat on Xu Si's forehead, yet her skin is icy cold. Zhang Ke feels puzzled and wants to touch her more, but it would be too obvious.

Unexpectedly, Xu Si made such a joke, and Zhang Ke was indeed taken aback, momentarily at a loss for words. He turned to the side and asked, "What else do you want to know?"

Zhang Ke glanced at Xu Si's calves beneath her dress; her feet were very small, fitting easily in his hand. Each toe peeking out from her slippers was crystal clear, as if carved from pure white jade. The slippers appeared somewhat large, yet were quite flamboyant. Zhang Ke shook his head, not bothering with pleasantries, and bent down to remove his shoes and socks, stepping barefoot onto the bamboo floor.

"What happened?" Xu Si turned her head and asked, "Oh, where do you live? I can take you home." The boy had been silent since he got in the car, but suddenly he tapped the back of his head. From his actions and expression, he did not seem like a sixteen or seventeen-year-old. Xu Si was very confident in her appearance; when Zhang Ke stole glances at her, she could almost feel his burning gaze. However, when she turned her eyes towards him, his gaze did not shy away in fear like that of an ordinary boy, but instead remained calm and steady; his clear eyes held no adult greed.

Xu Sipu chuckled, resembling a suddenly blooming ghost orchid, playfully pointing at Zhang Ke: "How old are you? Who would be jealous of you? Besides, I don't even have a boyfriend..."

Xu Si shot a glance at Zhang Ke, only to find that his gaze did not waver; instead, his eyes widened even more, burning with an intensity that seemed to penetrate into her heart. A sudden unease welled up within her, yet she felt no sense of aversion.