◎Leave All Your Time Tonight to Me◎
【Perfume】
The perfume that Li Xia had blended herself opened with a minty top note, like a crisp, slightly intoxicating wine infused with the fresh, green scent of leaves. Yet the base note shifted to a gentle woody aroma. It was quite the contrast.
Li Xia said it was a lot like Fang Zeqing.
“The first time I saw your photo, you seemed so refreshing. But spending time with you, you’re so gentle.”
A steady, subtle musk—nothing flashy or extraordinary.
Fang Zeqing took a whiff and asked, “Does it make you feel a little bland?”
Li Xia shook her head.
“Why not use a different word?” she said.
“Sometimes, blandness is a kind of peace of mind.”
Then she asked, “If you had to describe me with a perfume?”
Fang Zeqing didn’t hesitate: “Orange blossom.”
The brightest, most vibrant one in the heat of midsummer.
–
【See You Very Late】
“Originally meant for the chapter where they missed each other at the group dinner”
Because she had a dinner with her colleagues, Li Xia hadn’t let Fang Zeqing pick her up. He seemed rather displeased and sent a message: 【But I want to have dinner with you too】
Li Xia: 【We still have time】
F: 【I’ll come find you after dinner】
Li Xia glanced up at her lively friends, chatting and laughing nonstop: 【No need, we might not finish until very late】
Truth be told, if she knew someone was waiting for her, she’d feel anxious and restless herself.
She figured he’d just say forget it.
A few seconds later, her phone buzzed.
F: 【Then see you very late】
–
【Who Is Little Xue?】
“Originally meant for the chapter visiting Lin Hong”
That day, after Li Xia finished telling Fang Zeqing the story about Bread, the two of them sat on the bench for a while. The breeze dried the tears on her face.
Before long, a message popped up on her phone. It was from Qu Shuxin.
Qu Shuxin was getting on in years and loved sending voice messages—a string of them, each just a few seconds long.
Li Xia tapped them open one by one to listen—
“Xia Xia, have you eaten?”
“Have you packed your luggage?”
“What time’s your flight tomorrow? Don’t miss it.”
“Make sure you have your ID.”
“What do you want to eat when you get back?”
…
So caring and sweet.
Li Xia smiled and explained to Fang Zeqing, “It’s my grandma.”
Fang Zeqing nodded.
She was just about to type a reply when a video call came in from the other side. Li Xia had taught Qu Shuxin how to do it before, and whenever she had the chance, Qu Shuxin loved video calls. She always said she wanted to see Li Xia and Li Chun whenever she missed them.
Fang Zeqing was still sitting right beside her, so Li Xia glanced at him.
“Answer it. I won’t say anything.”
Li Xia accepted the call.
Qu Shuxin’s white hair filled the screen as she leaned in close. “Xia Xia, where are you?”
“Uh, in a… park.”
“By yourself?”
Caught off guard by the question, Li Xia instinctively turned her head.
Her hand wobbled, and the phone tilted slightly, catching just a glimpse of Fang Zeqing’s brow and eye in the frame.
Before she could deny it, Qu Shuxin spoke up. “I think I just saw that guy.”
“Xia Xia, is that Little Xue?”
“Are you with Little Xue?”
…
The park was huge, but Li Xia felt like all the awkwardness in the world was closing in around her.
The fake name she’d casually made up had hit her right between the eyes.
“No, he’s not…”
She waved her hands frantically, only digging herself deeper. “He’s not Little Xue—no, wait, he is Little Xue, but his name isn’t Little Xue.”
“…”
Li Xia covered her face, mortified.
Fang Zeqing watched her fluster, not quite understanding what was going on. He only caught that the elder on the phone seemed to be talking about him, addressing him directly.
So he leaned in politely and greeted her. “Hello, Grandma.”
“Hey, Little Xue! How come you two are together?”
Even though he had no idea who this “Little Xue” was that Li Xia’s grandma kept mentioning, he chatted naturally with her for a bit. By the time the video call ended, Li Xia sat there with her hands clasped tightly together, looking thoroughly embarrassed.
“Don’t ask me anything,” Li Xia warned him.
Fang Zeqing took in her mortified expression and nodded silently.
Three seconds later—
“Who’s Little Xue?”
“Li Xia.”
“Is he your ex-boyfriend?”
“…”
–
【Leave All Time to Me】
“Originally meant for the chapter visiting Ms. Lin”
Lin Hong had insisted that Li Xia stay for dinner, and Li Xia felt terribly out of place.
Lin Hong didn’t outright ask about her current relationship with Fang Zeqing, but the smile crinkling at the corners of her eyes said it all.
“Zeqing, why don’t you show Xia Xia around the house and the yard first.”
Lin Hong couldn’t hide her satisfaction and enthusiasm. “From now on, treat this place like your own home.”
Li Xia’s ears burned with embarrassment as she glanced at Fang Zeqing.
She couldn’t bring herself to explain to Lin Hong that they weren’t together yet, and Fang Zeqing didn’t say much either. With Lin Hong and the housekeeper busy in the kitchen, he took Li Xia’s hand and led her upstairs.
Li Xia let him hold it.
Fang Zeqing remembered how he’d stepped back those few times before, just to get a better look at her face.
Now, here she was, right by his side.
Li Xia was leaving tomorrow.
He needed to seize the moment, fight for something real.
Like an identity that let him stay by her side, see her whenever he wanted, hold her hand.
Once upstairs, Li Xia, full of curiosity, said she wanted to see his room. Fang Zeqing took her there.
He pushed open the door and closed it behind them.
He watched as she sat curiously in front of his large editing screen, spinning around once in the swivel chair.
Fang Zeqing smiled at her.
“Your flight’s at ten tomorrow morning,” he said, checking his watch. “It’s five p.m. now. That leaves us seventeen hours.”
Li Xia stood and turned to face him, not quite following.
Fang Zeqing kept going, talking to himself. “Dinner will take an hour, travel half an hour, packing half an hour, and you’ll need to get to the airport an hour early tomorrow…”
Li Xia laughed. “What are you doing?”
“Figuring out how to make our time together last longer.”
“…”
In that moment, the room held only the two of them—quiet, yet charged with tension.
The instant his words landed, Li Xia met his gaze and heard her own heartbeat thundering in her chest.
There was no doubt about it: to chase something lasting in such a fleeting time, she had to claim every moment they had right now—
Spend the night together.
The words flashed through her mind, and her cheeks flushed hot in an instant.
“There’s still luggage at the hotel,” she said.
“I’ll go with you to get it.”
“Take it where?”
“…”
Fang Zeqing looked at her, words catching in his throat.
Li Xia quickly set down the headphones and said she wanted to step out to the yard for some air.
She hadn’t even reached the door when her wrist was suddenly gripped.
“I don’t want to miss another chance, Li Xia.”
Li Xia turned back.
Her heart pounded wildly.
Fang Zeqing stepped closer, his voice almost a plea.
“Leave all your time tonight to me, okay?”
–
【Confession】
“Originally meant for the chapter where they watch the documentary together”
Documentaries always deserved one’s full, quiet attention.
Sitting there with Fang Zeqing, Li Xia’s heart was a whirlwind, the finer details slipping past her eyes unnoticed.
She turned to him. “Director Fang, do you consider yourself someone with a fine emotional sensibility?”
“I suppose so.”
Fang Zeqing said, “After all, I express myself through the language of the lens.”
“What about you?” he asked.
Li Xia thought for a second. “I work with words, so I have to be sensitive. Books and writing have sharpened my awareness of life and emotions. I don’t think that’s a bad thing—it keeps me thinking, keeps me attuned.”
She hadn’t even finished speaking.
Fang Zeqing turned his head, his gaze locking onto her eyes.
“Then you must feel it, right?”
“Feel what?”
“I like you.”