8 Sleeping Naked

On the way home, passing by the flower and bird market, Zhang Xingxu called the driver to stop and got out by the roadside.

“Hey, big brother, are you going to—” Wen Dong followed him down, carrying a bag of snacks, but before she could finish, Zhang Xingxu had already gone inside.

She exhaled, “You really owe me one!”

An hour later, Zhang Xingxu stood on a small street of open-air vendors, cradling a ceramic flowerpot, while Wen Dong bargained with the shop owner.

The flowerpot contained soil mix, topped with several small succulent pots, and nestled in the gaps were a few bottles of green nutrient solution.

“You’re charging two yuan for a single tomato seedling? Online, a packet of seeds costs only ninety cents! And am I really buying just one plant?” Wen Dong pointed down, sweeping across a patch. “Don’t I need cucumber seedlings, loofah seedlings, and chili peppers too?”

The owner was impatient. “I told you, if you want those tiny wild tomatoes the size of your finger, buy them online. Mine grow bigger than a fist. The varieties are different—how can the prices be the same?”

After a long back-and-forth, Wen Dong and the owner each gave a little ground, and she finally bought the vegetable seedlings for one yuan eighty cents apiece.

Wen Dong was annoyed and glanced at Zhang Xingxu, who remained aloof. “Why didn’t you say anything to help me just now?”

Zhang Xingxu glanced at the seedlings in her pocket and said, “You bought the Big Red variety. If cultivated well, this kind of tomato can bear fruit three times a year. It’s more cost-effective than spending two yuan buying vegetables at the market.”

In other words: you got a good deal.

Wen Dong looked down and was surprised. “How do you know what variety it is?”

“The leaves are larger, the stem is robust and upright. It grows faster than other varieties planted at the same time,” Zhang Xingxu said, averting his eyes, looking a little uncomfortable.

Wen Dong suddenly laughed, teasing him, “Are you taking an exam? You just recited that like you were memorizing a textbook.”

Zhang Xingxu didn’t respond.

As they reached the exit, Wen Dong handed the seedlings to Zhang Xingxu. “Hold these for me. I’m going to buy a bunch of sunflowers.”

Zhang Xingxu freed a hand to take them.

Soon she returned holding a bouquet.

The bright golden petals made her smile even more radiant, and even the light brown mole on her cheek seemed to come alive.

“So cheap—five yuan for the bunch.” She handed the flowers to Zhang Xingxu. “Pretty, right?”

He hummed in agreement.

“The lady boss here is so nice,” she glanced back. “For the same price, I got six stems.”

Zhang Xingxu returned the seedlings. “Carry them yourself.”

Wen Dong’s smile froze, and displeased, she wrinkled her nose. “So stingy.”

Back home, Wen Dong immediately took the seedlings up to the rooftop terrace. After a few minutes, she returned with half a bucket of water.

After all the fuss, she dug out the shopping bag she’d brought earlier and was about to call Zhang Xingxu when she saw him tending to the succulents on the living room balcony.

He was slightly bent over, seemingly repotting some dying plants.

Curious, Wen Dong approached but was startled by the black organic sheep manure fertilizer on the floor, with piles of rice husks and coconut coir beside it.

“Big brother, what are you doing? You’re going to clean all this up later, right?” she asked in disbelief.

Without turning his head, Zhang Xingxu replied, “I know.”

After finishing the last pot, he straightened up, pushed the wooden rack to the window, and moved all the succulents to the second shelf.

Seeing Wen Dong standing still with the bag, he asked, “Do you need something?”

“Oh.” Wen Dong snapped out of it, raised her hand, the plastic bag rustling in the air. “I came to tell you to come downstairs with me to dig some soil. There’s no room left to plant my chili peppers up top, so I need another box.”

Zhang Xingxu frowned slightly. “No surveillance cameras in the community?”

“There’s none where I’m digging, but I have to keep an eye on the security guard at the entrance,” she said as she rummaged through a cabinet. “Do you want a shovel? I brought two.”

In her hand were two mineral water bottles.

Red labels—Nongfu Spring.

…Was she still half asleep?

Wen Dong picked herself up off the ground, grabbed scissors from the table, and cut slantwise near the bottom of the plastic bottles.

“See,” she said, holding the bottle cap part and mimicking digging motions. “Isn’t this just like a shovel?”

Seeing Zhang Xingxu silent, she quickly cut a second one. “This is all we’ve got at home. Don’t be picky.”

She then stuffed several sturdy plastic bags into her pocket. “What are you standing there for? Let’s go!”

And so, the two of them stealthily made their way to the greenbelt.

Wen Dong lifted her skirt and stepped into the shrubs. “You stand at the entrance. If a security guard comes by, chat with him and stall.”

“Oh, and the safe word is braised beef noodles. Remember?”

Zhang Xingxu was speechless.

Wen Dong rolled up her sleeves and was about to squat down and get to work when Zhang Xingxu suddenly grabbed her arm, took the mineral water bottle from her, and with a single step, crossed into the bushes. His voice was flat, without emotion. “You stand guard. I’ll dig.”

Wen Dong was stunned, then caught on. “Okay, no problem.”

She handed him all the plastic bags she had.

Walking away, Wen Dong glanced back uneasily.

He looked dazed, like he’d just been reset to factory settings. She wasn’t sure if he could escape if a security guard really showed up.

If he couldn’t, she’d deny knowing him—after all, they hadn’t known each other long.

Her thoughts jumped from “What counts as knowing someone?” to “What to eat when I get home?”

She remembered there were two carrots and some potatoes left in the fridge this morning… curry chicken?

But where to buy chicken?

The supermarket wasn’t fresh, and the market was too far.

Suddenly, a plump figure approached.

The sky was darkening, the community lights hadn’t come on yet, and Wen Dong wasn’t wearing glasses. Alarm bells rang in her mind, and she hurried forward to strike up a conversation.

She put her phone to her ear, pretending to make a call. “Yeah, right! Tonight I’m eating—braised! Beef noodles!!!”

She shouted the last five words with great force, startling two birds into flight.

Even the figure hesitated, then quickened their step toward her.

This was bad!

Wen Dong hurried over and shouted, “It’s just Master Kang’s braised beef noodles!”

She raised her voice every time she said the safe word, afraid Zhang Xingxu wouldn’t hear.

“Hey, Wen Dong, I heard your voice from far away,” the visitor said. “Having noodles again tonight?”

Relieved, Wen Dong said, “Uncle Teng, why scare me like that? Why take the long way here?”

Uncle Teng lifted the box in his hand. “I made some cat food to feed the cats. What about you?”

Wen Dong smiled awkwardly. “I came to dig some soil for planting.”

Uncle Teng glanced back and waved. “No worries. When I passed the gate just now, no one was there. They must have changed shifts.”

Wen Dong thanked him quickly and went to find Zhang Xingxu.

But the shrubs were empty.

The pocket shovels were gone, leaving only a freshly dug hole.

???

“Zhang Xingxu!”

No answer.

Wen Dong took out her phone, about to call him, when a voice said, “Here.”

She turned around to see Zhang Xingxu emerging from behind a shrub, carrying four large bags of soil, heavy and hanging by his legs.

She was stunned. “You’re restocking, aren’t you?”

Zhang Xingxu asked, “Did the security guard leave?”

Wen Dong shook her head. “I mistook someone else for the guard.”

She took the bags from his hands, almost pulled to the ground by the weight.

So heavy.

He carried so much without hurting his hands.

Wen Dong struggled, using both hands to carry the bags back toward the apartment building.

Thinking about climbing seven flights made her lose all her strength.

“Zhang Xingxu, wait.”

He turned around. Wen Dong pointed upstairs, still catching her breath, and he said, “You want me to help again?”

Not a question, but a statement.

She nodded, hands on her waist. “Right. As a trade, I’ll make your dinner, okay?”

Zhang Xingxu thought for two seconds and agreed.

By the time they finished mixing the soil and planting the jasmine, Wen Dong was already cooking.

Zhang Xingxu paced the rooftop terrace, carrying the remaining nutrient soil. The ratios for vegetables and flowers differed, so he divided it into two bags, even tending to the bougainvillea in the corner that was about to bloom.

Wen Dong’s curry chicken plan fell through, so she made two bowls of fresh shrimp noodles with frozen shrimp from the fridge.

First, she fried eggs, then sautéed the shrimp heads to extract oil for the broth, finally adding noodles, eggs, and vegetables to simmer.

While waiting for the meal, Zhang Xingxu returned.

“Perfect timing. I was about to call you,” he said.

“I covered your plants with a layer of soil. Water them less these few days.”

“Huh?” Wen Dong glanced at the pot. “Oh, you mean the rooftop vegetables. Doesn’t matter; I probably can’t keep them alive anyway. It’s just for fun.”

Zhang Xingxu went through the living room to wash his hands.

The doorbell rang.

Wen Dong wiped her hands and peeked through the peephole. Two tall figures wearing masks stood outside.

Confused, she opened the door. “What do you want? Li Manyue isn’t here today.”

They exchanged a glance. Seeing their disbelief, Wen Dong widened the door. “See for yourselves—there’s no one here.”

One of the tall men peeked into the living room and was about to step inside when Wen Dong slammed the door shut with a bang.

“Know your limits!” Her muffled voice came through the concrete wall.

Half a minute later, the doorbell rang again.

Zhang Xingxu paused, standing in the living room without moving.

Wen Dong flung the door open and hurriedly handed over a black trash bag. “I really do have garbage to take out. It’s kitchen waste—don’t put it in the wrong bin.”

The door closed again, and this time the two outside didn’t even get a chance to look inside.

“Don’t go back out. Come have noodles,” Wen Dong said as she washed her hands.

“Who was that just now?”

“My friend’s bodyguards—the ones who stood outside the hotel yesterday,” Wen Dong grabbed two pairs of chopsticks and looked back at Zhang Xingxu. “Did you notice her yesterday?”

Zhang Xingxu pulled out a chair and sat down. “No recollection.”

Wen Dong shrugged and turned off the stove to lift the noodles.

After dinner, the two rested for a while.

Wen Dong stared intently at Zhang Xingxu.

He didn’t look up. “Say what you need.”

Wen Dong said, “Want to play rock-paper-scissors? The loser does the dishes.”

“…”

He put down his chopsticks. “One round to decide.”

As a habitual gambler, Wen Dong agreed, only to lose badly. She had to wash dishes with a bitter expression, grumbling, “When I make money, I’m buying a dishwasher first thing!”

Zhang Xingxu returned to his room.

He didn’t have many clothes; the hangers he bought weren’t all used.

After unpacking, he started changing the duvet cover. Somehow one corner wasn’t tucked properly, leaving the comforter bunched in the middle.

Wen Dong entered and saw this.

She knocked on the door, “I’m coming in.”

Without waiting for his approval, she grabbed the comforter from inside the duvet cover and shook it out vigorously.

She repeated this with all four corners, grabbing two corners each time to fluff the comforter evenly.

“You can toss the other duvet cover in the washing machine first. We’ll just rough it out sleeping in clothes tonight.”

Wen Dong always followed the rule of washing new clothes before wearing them to avoid irritation, and she applied the same to bedding.

Then Zhang Xingxu said, “I don’t sleep naked.”

Wen Dong was speechless. She wanted to explain but felt it wasn’t necessary. Still, unable to swallow her indignation, she blurted out, “Can I sleep naked then?”

Zhang Xingxu froze, slowly looked up.

“Don’t get up to use the bathroom at night if you don’t have to. If you’re thirsty, keep water in your room,” Wen Dong said, then left, her ears burning.

Zhang Xingxu found her utterly baffling.