Slumber Party

Dong Hua walked out of his room, and he passed a white undershirt and a zip-up hoodie to Feng Jiu. He also gave her a pair of jogger pants to wear.

"I left a towel and your toothbrush in the guest bathroom. You can take a shower now if you want to." Dong Hua said calmly.

Feng Jiu was also feeling a little warm, so she decided to head into the shower. It seemed like she added too much Shao Xing Wine into her dish, and it was causing the both of them to feel a little warm.

"Okay, I'll take a shower now. I want to get changed into comfortable clothing too." Feng Jiu then took the clothes and ran into the guest room.

Dong Hua sat in the living room while waiting for her. But the oysters and Shao Xing Wine was affecting his thoughts. He thought to himself, "Hmm... Xiao Bai is showering... Wait. Why am I thinking about such dirty thoughts again?! Control yourself, Dong Hua. Control. Think about work." Then he took his laptop over and started typing on it.

"I wonder how she would look like wearing my clothes... Wait. Focus on work." Dong Hua was feeling distracted, and he was feeling nervous because he would be spending the night with Feng Jiu.

Feng Jiu was in the shower, and she was also thinking about spending the night there. "Oh my gosh. I'm too nervous. But it's not like I have not stayed in the same place as Dong Hua. But it's different back then... What should I talk to him about? Or should I hide in my room after my shower? But that wouldn't be nice to do so, right? Okay, maybe we can have dessert."

Then she continued with her shower and got changed into Dong Hua's clothes. "Oh! It's comfortable, and I feel so much better now. Ahhh, these clothes smell like Dong Hua." Feng Jiu started sniffing on the hoodie before putting it on.

She walked back out to the living room while drying her hair with the towel. Dong Hua thought to himself upon seeing her, "Oh, she really looks good in everything. She still looks beautiful even when she's wearing my clothes." Then he asked her if she wants a hairdryer to dry her hair, but Feng Jiu rejected it. "I prefer to let it dry on its own."

"Oh. So what should we do now?" Dong Hua asked calmly, and he set aside his laptop.

"Hmm... Let's watch TV?" Feng Jiu replied, and she nervously sat down on the other side of the sofa.

"Why are you sitting so far away from me? Am I that scary? Like a vampire who would suck your blood." Dong Hua shook his head lightly. Feng Jiu then slid over to his side slowly and replied, "No. You're not scary. Wait! I know what to do now. We should watch that old comedy horror movie called Mr. Vampire! It's a classic, but I can't really remember the movie plotline anymore."

"Oh? You like that show too? I used to watch it a lot when I was younger. Are you sure you want to watch it, and you're not scared of the vampires?" He teased her.

"Hey! I'm not a scaredy-cat! Besides, it said 'comedy' so I don't think it's that scary." Feng Jiu pouted, and Dong Hua replied, "If you say so." Then he switched it to the movie selection channel and paid for the movie so they could watch it together.

"Oh, wait! I need to get some snacks!" Feng Jiu exclaimed, and she ran into the kitchen. Dong Hua smiled and thought to himself, "She's already making herself comfortable at my place, huh?" Then he walked over to the kitchen to help her out.

Feng Jiu opened the cupboards, but it was mostly empty. She pouted and thought to herself, "Dong Hua doesn't have anything in his house! So boring!" Dong Hua then walked into the kitchen and said, "I don't have snacks, but I still have some ice cream in the fridge."

"Ice cream?! Where?!" She replied excitedly. Feng Jiu opened the fridge and started looking for the ice cream. Dong Hua then took two bowls and turned over to her. "Let me get it." Then he took out a big tub of ice cream.

"Oh, wow! What a big tub of ice cream! You're secretly a glutton too." Feng Jiu started giggling while she scooped some ice cream into her bowl.

"Well. I didn't use to eat ice cream, but I don't know why I started liking it." Dong Hua replied casually. Feng Jiu then thought to herself, "This reminds me of the time when we had a movie night..." Then she smiled and brushed it off, "It's in the past now. Forget about it, Feng Jiu. You'll ruin the friendship if you continue like this."

Then they both took their bowls out to the living room and sat down on the sofa. Dong Hua then used the remote control to turn on the projector, and a large screen appeared from the ceiling and came down in front of the TV. Then he turned on the sound system and dimmed the lights.

"Oh, wow. Like a real cinema!" Feng Jiu replied excitedly, and she couldn't stop smiling.

Just 5 minutes into the movie, Feng Jiu finished eating her ice cream. Then she looked over to Dong Hua bowl, and she thought to herself, "I want to get more ice cream, but it's dark. I'm scared." Dong Hua then noticed her staring at his bowl and replied, "Xiao Bai, you want more ice cream? Let's go get the whole tub here. I'll bring a bucket of ice and put the tub in it so it won't melt."

Feng Jiu smiled sweetly, "Okay! Let's go!" Dong Hua then paused the movie and turned on the lights. Feng Jiu happily skipped into the kitchen to get more ice cream. Dong Hua walked after her slowly, and he thought to himself, "I know her too well."

Dong Hua took a bucket and filled it with ice. Then Feng Jiu put the ice cream tub into the bucket after filling up their bowls with more ice cream.

They went back out to the living room, and Dong Hua said, "Tell me if you need anything else, and I'll get it for you." Feng Jiu nodded her head and smiled brightly. Then he played the movie, and they continued watching it.

Midway through the movie, Feng Jiu decided that she wanted more ice cream. She reached out to the table and grabbed the tub from the bucket. But it was stuck in the bucket as it was covered in ice and water from the melted ice. She started yanking on it to get it out. Dong Hua asked her if she needed help, but she rejected it and continued trying to get the tub out of the bucket.

Feng Jiu gave it a good yank, and the tub finally came out. Then some ice and water from the bucket flew out and went into her white shirt. The front part of her white shirt was partially soaked, and it became see-through. She immediately took off her hoodie to try to get the ice out from her shirt as well. Then she grabbed some napkins from the table and started wiping her shirt.

Dong Hua's eyes lit up upon seeing her soaked white shirt. "Don't look. Breathe. Don't look." Luckily, it was dark in there, and he couldn't see it clearly. Feng Jiu still didn't realize her shirt was see-through, and she continued fishing for the ice that fell inside her shirt.

Feng Jiu noticed Dong Hua looking uneasy, and out of a sudden, he had a nosebleed. "Oh my gosh, Dong Hua. You have a nosebleed! Are you okay? Maybe it's the Tiger prawns with Shao Xing Dish that is making you feel heaty." Feng Jiu then paused the movie and turned on the lights.

When the lights came on, Dong Hua could see even more clearly. He could see her body shape and bra outline from her shirt. His nose started bleeding non-stop, and Feng Jiu panicked. She grabbed the napkin from the table and put some ice in it, and then she put it on his forehead. "Tilt your head back. If not, it won't stop." He couldn't keep his eyes away from what's in front of him. Feng Jiu stood right in front of him, directly in his face because she was holding on to the napkin.

"I need..to.. go to the bathroom." Dong Hua stuttered, and he swiftly ran into the bathroom because he couldn't hold it in anymore. He locked the doors and started splashing his face with water. "Cool down. It's nothing. Breathe in and out." Dong Hua tried to calm himself down. Then he stuffed tissue up his nose and sat on the edge of his bathtub. "That was close... I almost lost control of myself." Dong Hua then wiped away the bloodstains and continued to calm himself down.

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"I wonder how is Dong Hua doing?" Feng Jiu was worried about Dong Hua because he was taking a long time in the bathroom. She then walked slowly towards his room to check on him. Before she stepped into his room, she thought to herself, "Hmm... Is it okay for me to step into his room without permission?"

Then she decided just to head in to check on him because she was worried. The moment she stepped into his bedroom, Dong Hua came out of the bathroom.

"Are you okay, Dong Hua? You took a long time." Feng Jiu asked concernedly. Dong Hua then looked at her face, and he couldn't help but look at her see-through shirt. His nose started to bleed again, and Feng Jiu immediately took more napkins from the side table.

Feng Jiu helped Dong Hua to wipe his nose and he kept trying not to look at her see-through shirt. "Xiao Bai, I can't take it anymore." Finally, he couldn't handle it anymore, and he turned away to walk back into the bathroom. Feng Jiu then followed him into the bathroom as she was still worried.

The moment she stepped into the bathroom, she saw her see-through shirt through the mirror reflection. "Oh my gosh!" She yelled out, and she immediately ran into her room.

She went into the guest bathroom and locked the doors. "Did Dong Hua see that?! Oh my gosh, this is so embarrassing. How do I face him now?! But maybe he didn't see it, right?" Feng Jiu blushed, and her heart was pounding. She quickly took out her shirt and zipped the hoodie up all the way to her neck.

On the other side, Dong Hua continued splashing water on his face. "I'm a disciplined gentleman." He reminded himself over and over again. "I need to resist temptations. Okay. Yes. I can do this." He started to calm down a little more. Suddenly he couldn't handle it again, "I can't do it!" Dong Hua struggled with his thoughts and emotions.

Finally, both of them calmed down, and they slowly crept out from their room. Feng Jiu and Dong Hua peeped into the living room from their doors and noticed that nobody was there. Both of them walked silently, but when they turned the corner, they bumped into each other.

"Oh." They said to each other, and both of them started blushing. Then Dong Hua replied calmly, "Do you still want to continue the movie?" Feng Jiu replied softly, "Yes. Let's continue the movie."

Both of them then sat down nervously on the sofa and started watching the movie again. They both kept really silent for a good 10 minutes as they were feeling shy and awkward.

Suddenly, Feng Jiu started to shiver, and she began to rub her hands together. Dong Hua noticed that she was cold, and he said, "You want me to get you a blanket?" Feng Jiu smiled and nodded her head. Then he went into his room and got her a cozy blanket and covered her with it.

"Feeling better?" He asked concernedly. Feng Jiu replied, "If you're cold, just let me know. We can share the blanket if you're cold."

"Oh. I'm cold now." Dong Hua said. Then he immediately moved closer to her, and they shared the blanket.

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After the movie, Dong Hua cleared their bowls and turned off everything. "You want to sleep now?" He asked Feng Jiu. She shook her head and replied, "No. Not too tired yet."

"Oh? So what you want to do now?" Dong Hua asked. He didn't have any ideas on what to do because he had never hung out with friends, and he was always buried in work.

"Hmm... We don't have to do anything. We can just talk to each other until we feel sleepy. That's what my friends and I used to do whenever we have a sleepover."

"Oh? That's what people do? What else do they do?"

"Hmm... We play truth or dare, have heart-to-heart talks, pillow fight, and a lot more. It depends on how many people there are. You can choose what you want to do."

"I'm not too sure, as this is my first time having a sleepover."

"Your first time?! Hmm... I guess we need to do everything then! I mean, as much as we can until we fall asleep!"

"Sounds fun. So what should we start with?"

"Hmm... With my friends, we usually play truth or dare first. It's more fun when there are more than two people playing it, so we should just skip it. Next, we usually have a pillow fight. After the tiring pillow fight, we will lie down on the same bed and have a heart-to-heart talk."

"Oh. Pillow fight? Sounds fun, but how do we play that?"

"Oh! Come here!" Feng Jiu then dragged Dong Hua into his bedroom, and she grabbed two pillows.

She passed one to Dong Hua and said, "Okay. So you hold one pillow, and I hold one. Then you will have to try to hit the other person with the pillow. The more you hit them, the higher your score is. The one with the highest score would be the winner. So there's a rule that we can't grab your friend's pillow, and you can block the attacks using your pillow only. But first, I have to warn you that your room would be in a mess after the fight. Are you okay with that?"

Dong Hua nodded his head and replied, "You can mess up my room as much as you want. But you're going to lose for sure." Feng Jiu then smirked and replied, "I'm a pro in pillow fight!"

"Oh? We shall see who's the final winner then."

Dong Hua and Feng Jiu then stood at the opposite ends of the room while she counted down from 3. "Okay, get ready. 3, 2, 1! Go!" She rushed towards Dong Hua with her pillow and hit him once. Then she yelled out, "Feng Jiu 1, Dong Hua 0."

Dong Hua then dodged her second attack, and he managed to launch one attack at her. "Dong Hua 1. Xiao Bai 1." He said proudly.

Feng Jiu started running around the room while chasing Dong Hua, but he was too fast for her. Dong Hua then hit her once, and he said to her, "Xiao Bai, you're already losing. You need to be faster."

"I'm coming to get you!!!" Feng Jiu yelled and started laughing out loud. She ran as fast as she could and slammed the pillow on Dong Hua's back. "Yay! I score one more! Feng Jiu 2, Dong Hua 2. Watch out! I'm going to win!"

Dong Hua started laughing as well because he was having so much fun. This was something he had craved since young, just having fun with his friends.

For the next 5 minutes, they kept blocking each other's attack. Feng Jiu teased Dong Hua, "That's all you have? Weak!"

"Oh? You think I'm weak? I'll make you swallow back your words when I win this game."

Feng Jiu stuck her tongue out at him and said, "Catch me if you can!" Then she started running around the room. She looked like she was going to lose because Dong Hua was about to corner her. She ducked down and dashed out towards the bed. Feng Jiu ran across the bed, and they were like a cat chasing a rat.

"Come here." Dong Hua ran across the bed to catch her, but Feng Jiu ran to the other side of the room. Then he ran towards her side, and Feng Jiu wanted to escape by running across the bed again.

Feng Jiu was exhausted by this point. She then lost her balance, and she fell onto the bed. Dong Hua used this chance to attack her, and he ran towards the bed with the pillow in his hand, ready to hit her gently with it.

Dong Hua then tripped on the blanket that was lying on the floor, and he fell right on top of Feng Jiu. He stared into her eyes, and both their faces flushed. Feng Jiu could even hear their heartbeats. Dong Hua kept staring at her face, and Feng Jiu pushed him away because she was shy. At the same time, she didn't want to cross the line of friendship with Dong Hua.

Feng Jiu sat up and grabbed Dong Hua's pillow. Then she hit him with it and yelled, "Dong Hua lost!" He slowly sat up, with his heart still pounding. Then he shook his head and replied calmly, "Xiao Bai. You lost because you cheated. You're not supposed to take my pillow."

Feng Jiu realized that she lost the game, and she pouted, "Hmph! I don't care. It's a draw then." Then she lay down on the bed and said, "I'm tired. We should end the game here."

Dong Hua slowly lay back down on the bed beside her and replied, "Okay. It's a draw then. So it's time for heart-to-heart talk? What's that?"

Feng Jiu looked up the ceiling and replied calmly, "It's when you talk about things from the bottom of your heart. Whatever you said here, would stay in here too. So everyone must promise not to tell others."

"I won't tell anyone. Besides, I don't even talk to people." Dong Hua smiled and turned over to look at Feng Jiu.

Feng Jiu then turned to Dong Hua and smiled to him, "That's true. But that's fine; we are good friends now so you can tell me anything. So what do you want to talk about?"

"Hmm... Tell me about your past, Xiao Bai. Your childhood, your school life, and everything."

"Well. I had a good childhood, and my parents dote on me. I'm the only child, and I mostly get everything that I want. But it's also because of that reason; I don't like asking for anything or help. I also had no lack of friends because everyone wanted to be my friend in school. I know that I'm blessed to have everything. How about you? I want to know about your past, Dong Hua." Feng Jiu then turned to her side and looked at Dong Hua.

Dong Hua put his arm up and laid on it while thinking about what to say. "Hmm... I was always alone. The day I was born, my parents left me at the hospital. This is why I don't celebrate my birthday, but I'm so glad to spend it with you today." Then he smiled at Feng Jiu.

"How does it feel to be alone? I never experienced that before..." Feng Jiu asked curiously.

"I can't really remember how it's like. Beginning, it was tough, but I'm immune to it now. Also, I learned survival skills and I became independent at a young age. I remembered running away from the orphanage a few times because I was bullied, and they wouldn't do anything about it. I lived on the streets until the police caught me and sent me back there. I didn't have enough food as well, so I learned how to hunt for food on my own. I went to the river and caught a fish. Then I learned how to set up a fire, and I grilled it over the fire."

"Hmm... Did it get better when you went to high school and college?"

"No. I was an outcast because I didn't talk much. I often skipped school so I could work to earn some pocket money. Sometimes I would go hungry during lunchtime, and I even fainted once. So I learned how to climb trees to pluck the fruits to eat. During college, I worked three jobs to put myself through school. I remembered studying my exam notes while washing dishes."

"That must be hard... I don't know how you could even survive like that." Feng Jiu frowned, and her heart was also in pain to hear about his past. Feng Jiu thought to herself, "It's no wonder Dong Hua is so cold."

Dong Hua then smiled and replied, "Well, it's the past now. I'm glad that Tai Chen Group became the way it is now. My efforts paid off."

"Oh! Tell me more about how you managed to build Tai Chen Group from scratch. I read about you before I joined the company, and that is also the reason why I applied for an internship position there."

"Oh? So you idolize me, huh?" Dong Hua teased her.

Feng Jiu blushed and turned away, "Hmph! No."

Dong Hua then laughed and replied, "I won't tease you anymore. So back then, I told myself that I want to be successful so that people won't look down on me. Initially, I thought people would start being my friends. But when Tai Chen Group started getting bigger, people only came to me for one reason, and it's to get something good out of me. I started this company alone, and I picked up all kinds of projects, even if it's small or unwanted by others. I would work throughout the night just to complete my projects, and it was hard because I was the only one working. So, you know Ji Heng... Her dad was my first employee. He was a super hardworking man, and he stuck with me even though I couldn't pay him well at all. He always believed in me, and both of us would often stay late nights together to finish our projects. Sadly, he passed on shortly after Tai Chen Group became a listed company. I guess all those years of him slaving for the company eventually took a toll on his health. Before he passed away, he entrusted Ji Heng to me and told me to take good care of her. I made a promise to her dad that I would do it, and two years ago, Ji Heng joined our company."

Feng Jiu then thought to herself, "No wonder Dong Hua would choose Ji Heng. It made sense now. Although I'm upset that he chose her, I'm glad that Dong Hua is a responsible man. At least I know I didn't love the wrong guy."

Then she replied, "I'm sure it's hard on you. People often see the results, but they don't see the process. Nobody knew how hard you worked to get Tai Chen Group to what it is today. But it's okay, Dong Hua. It's all in the past now, and I'm so glad that I accepted the job offer to work in Tai Chen Group."

"I'm glad that you did, Xiao Bai. Because of that, we are good friends now, and you're my first true friend." He turned and smiled warmly at her.

Feng Jiu also smiled warmly back to him, and she replied, "Tell me more about yourself, Dong Hua."

Dong Hua pondered for a while before answering, "Hmm... My life is boring, and it's always about work. Ever since you came into my life, it became more interesting. So I don't really know what else to say. How about you tell me more about yourself? Tell me what you like and what you dislike."

"Hmm... What should I say? As you already know, I'm a glutton... I love food! I dislike fake people and... I don't really know what I dislike. It seems like I like everything." Then she started to giggle.

"Oh? You like everything? So tell me who you like then?" Dong Hua replied casually.

Feng Jiu froze upon hearing that, and she stuttered, "Nobody. I don't like... anyone. I only want to focus on work now."

"Xiao Bai. You stutter whenever you're lying." Dong Hua replied calmly.

"No, I'm not! I really don't like anyone." Feng Jiu turned to the other side, as she wanted to avoid letting Dong Hua see her guilty face.

"How about in the past?"

Feng Jiu thought to herself, "Why is Dong Hua asking me this? I can't tell him the truth... I guess I could say a white lie?" Then she replied, "I used to have someone that I like, but I no longer like him. It's in the past, and I don't want to talk about it. You don't know who he is anyway."

"Oh. Then tell me what kind of guys you like then." He smirked.

"Why are you asking me this?" Feng Jiu still refused to look at Dong Hua.

"Well. You said that it's heart-to-heart talk. I'm just curious, and what's more, we made a promise not to tell others about it. If you tell me yours, I'll tell you mine later on."

"Fine. No cheating! Hmm... I like tall guys. He must be kind-hearted."

Dong Hua then thought to himself, "Oh. I'm tall, and I'm kind-hearted. I have a good chance then." Feng Jiu then added on, "Must be sweet and caring. Most importantly, if he loves me, then he can't be indecisive! If my future boyfriend chose another girl over me, I wouldn't forgive him!"

Dong Hua thought to himself again, "I'm not sweet or caring... I'm so bad at that. But I won't be indecisive for sure." Then he replied to Feng Jiu, "Oh, that's all?"

"Yes. That's all. I don't care if my boyfriend is rich or handsome, but it would be a bonus to have it too. Personality first! So, now it's your turn to tell me." Feng Jiu said. She was getting sleepy, and she started yawning a few times.

"Oh. But I have never fallen in love before. And I don't have a type. If I like a girl, she would already be the best cause I chose her."

"That's cheating! You need to describe her!" Feng Jiu turned around and glowered at Dong Hua. Then she turned over to the other side and started yawning more. Her eyes were getting heavy too.

"Okay, fine. I'll try to describe it. She must be kind-hearted too. Loyalty is very important to me as well. Best if she could cook because I can't cook." Dong Hua smiled to himself, and he looked over to Feng Jiu's back.

"Uh.. Go on." Feng Jiu mumbled as she was falling asleep.

"Hmm... She would be caring and sweet too. And she would make everyone around her happy. A good friend and ... Xiao Bai, my type sounds a lot like you..." Dong Hua accidentally blurted out, and he nervously waited for a response.

After 30 seconds, there was still no response from her. "Xiao Bai?" He said softly. Then he sat up and leaned over to look at what she was up to. It turned out that she had already fallen asleep. Dong Hua shook his head and thought to himself, "My silly girl. Falling asleep just like that, she must be exhausted. Luckily, she didn't hear me say that. If not, it would ruin our friendship for sure."

Dong Hua then carried Feng Jiu in his arms and brought her over to the guest room. He gently laid her down on the bed before covering her with the blanket.

Then he sat down for a while and looked at her sleeping face, "I really enjoyed my birthday, and I hope I will get to spend all my birthdays with you from now onwards. You made me so happy, and you don't even know that. Only when you're asleep, then I would have the courage to tell you this. You mean so much to me, Xiao Bai. You mean so much to me that I don't even know what I would do if you walked out of my life one day. Before you entered my life, I was not afraid to be alone. But now that I had met you, my biggest fear is to not have you around me. So, I can't tell you my true feelings now because I'm afraid you would avoid me. That would hurt me more than anything. At least for now, I could still be this close to you."

At this moment, Feng Jiu was feeling warm, and she started kicking away the blanket. She also started scratching her neck too. Then Feng Jiu began to tug on her hoodie's zipper, and she slowly pulled it down. Dong Hua immediately looked away as he wanted to respect her, and he was afraid that he would lose control. He quickly reached for the blanket and tugged her in again. Then he closed his eyes and pulled the zipper back up.

Dong Hua then turned off the lights and left the room.

"Good night, my Xiao Bai."