Xie Qingci, upon receiving the message, probably felt something was odd and replied with—

[???]

Yu Xia’s gaze was tender and affectionate, her typing was gentle.

[Earlier, I neglected your need for emotional expression, I didn’t fulfill what a... girlfriend should do. I really miss you.]

Xie Qingci: [What’s wrong with you?]

Yu Xia continued typing: [Just found the right place for love]

Xie Qingci: [?]

Xie Qingci: [Are you at home?]

Yu Xia: [Yes, do you miss home?]

Kids away from home always miss it, even if they don’t say so, but who knows if, on some unknown night, he might cry while eating instant noodles, sigh.

Xie Qingci: [... I miss you.]

Xie Qingci: [If no one’s home, video call?]

Xie Qingci: [I’m on my way back to the hotel, I want to see you.]

Yu Xia’s gaze lingered on the four big characters "Father’s Love is Like a Mountain" for quite a while before agreeing to his request.

It was already night on his side, while it was still noon here.

In broad daylight, the noon sun was so strong it seemed the only sensible topic was to discuss national progress.

Yu Xia, like watching a horror movie at noon, very smoothly accepted his video call invitation.

The screen was dimly lit, showing just the lower half of Xie Qingci’s face under his hat.

"What are you doing?" Both asked the exact same question.

Yu Xia was slightly taken aback before answering, "He and the others just came to deliver a script. Did you finish work today?"

"Yeah, will continue tomorrow morning," such dry topics couldn’t spark much interest, so he pointed his phone camera out the car window, "Want to see the scenery around here? The view’s nice, very few people, a great vacation spot, I think you’d like it."

Yu Xia attentively watched the fleeting street scenes on the screen.

The scattered buildings were darkly silhouetted by the night, transforming into various lines streaking across the car window, within sight, only to disappear with a swish, leaving only whooshing sounds.

They were silent, dim, only those watching them were alive.

"It’s okay," she said softly, "but it’s not easy to find time for a vacation, at least not until early next year."

"Then I can keep it on the list as an option for when we decide on a place."

Their voices were low and slow, to others in the car, it would just sound like a typical couple discussing travel spots, a perfectly normal topic.

But once Xie Qingci reached the hotel, entered the room, and closed the door, this vacation spot topic smoothly transitioned into something else.

"Should I bring the phone into the bathroom?" Xie Qingci asked.

The topic shift was sudden, and Yu Xia inexplicably felt like she had fast-forwarded to a paid section on some app.

"You’re too polite, the phone can’t handle such a humid call environment."

Xie Qingci seemed a bit disappointed but placed the phone opposite the bathroom door.

There wasn’t much to see next; after he entered the bathroom, Yu Xia also set the phone aside, picked up a book from the shelf and began reading.

Xie Qingci was quick, she’d only read three pages when his voice came through the phone.

"Sister?"

She had just encountered an interesting famous theorem and responded absentmindedly as she walked over.

Sitting down in front of the phone, she finished reading the page, and as her gaze left the book, the handsome man on the screen surprised her.

"...Aren’t you cold over there?"

"Not cold."

Xie Qingci lay back against a soft-looking single sofa, casually wiping off droplets with a towel.

The unconcealed lines of his waist and abdomen were too smooth and attractive, requiring all of Yu Xia’s self-control to shift her gaze from his body to his face.

"It’s quite dry here lately."

Which made it easy to get overheated, especially at such a yang-filled moment seeing such an image.

Xie Qingci gave an "oh": "Really? Then make sure to drink plenty of water. It’s quite rainy here, once it rains it’s muggy and humid, going out feels uncomfortable. Looks good? Baby, you can openly stare at me."

"..." She coughed and righteously said, "Is it my fault? The whole screen is you, where else can I look? This influence is not good, hurry and put on some clothes."

"I’m hot," he emphasized by touching his collarbone and showing her, "See, sweating again."

Yu Xia parted her lips, calmly taking a sip of water from the cup beside her.

The words "Father’s Love is Like a Mountain" couldn’t even save her thoughts.

She didn’t speak immediately, leaving them both silent, an unusual atmosphere enveloping them in their separate parts of the world, immense distances apart.

The ambiance was a complex magnetic field, needing no words or eye contact, allowing both to simultaneously feel "something’s about to happen," all previous topics and events forgotten, as their hearts began racing, waiting anxiously and expectantly.

Xie Qingci softly initiated the first step.

"I remember I left that set of school uniforms at your place."

"Did you?" she sat still, "I don’t remember."

Xie Qingci chuckled: "Then open the closet and see, I remember it’s hung at the end."

She remained unmoved until he repeated it a second time, then slowly stood up, like recording an unboxing video, opened the closet to show him.

Taking a formal look, she realized his clothes had somehow taken up a lot of space in her closet. Black, white, and gray T-shirts and shirts occupied a portion, next to her seaside vacation floral dresses.

"You have a lot of clothes," she said while holding up the phone, found the blue and white school uniform, and showed it to him, "Here, your school uniform, still intact and vibrant."

"Take it out," he said.

Her hand paused for a moment, but she complied, taking out the uniform.

"Try it on?" he asked.

Yu Xia hesitated for a minute, then asked him, "How should I wear it?"

He didn’t explain, just glanced out the window, again mentioning the weather issue earlier.

"Didn’t you say it’s dry at home? Stuffiness can also make you sick, baby, you getting sick is really scary."

"..." Well, thanks for the concern.

She turned the phone to face the bookshelf, all Xie Qingci could hear were the zips of the uniform jacket being opened and shut.

As he waited, his heart began to race for her.

School uniforms were generally larger and looser than regular clothes, ill-fitting, often making one feel sloppy, which is why most students disliked wearing them.

Xie Qingci’s uniform was made for a height of 1.85 meters, now it didn’t hang as loosely, but for Yu Xia, it could just about serve as a dress.

A length just right, achieving an effect better than "wearing your boyfriend’s white shirt as a dress."