Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Heartbroken and Kissed Again and Again

"No, no need." Let alone inviting Xu Jun back as a guest, just the simple encounter between Xu Jun and Zhao Jingqun made Tao Ning's hair stand on end.

Worried that Zhao Jingqun might discover some minor details, Tao Ning didn't dare to look back. Burying her head in Zhao Jingqun's broad chest, she raised her face and begged softly, "Cousin, let's go quickly. I...I'm hungry."

The moment the person in his arms raised his head, the coldness in Zhao Jingqun's eyes disappeared completely. He smiled harmlessly, gently stroked Tao Ning's soft hair, and took his hand. "Since Ningning is hungry, let's not waste time here. Let's go home and eat."

The scene was too jarring. The warmth that flowed naturally from their time together felt like a scene they'd repeated countless times, unseen. His hands, hanging by his sides, clenched involuntarily again, his heart aching. Xu Jun stood there, his expression a rare failure, watching Tao Ning and Zhao Jingqun walk away in a state of despair.

—My coldness towards you these past few days was just me playing hard to get. I thought if I was different from those people, you would look at me more? Pay more attention to me?

——Actually, I really want to talk to you and be close to you every moment.

“…Don’t go.”

The silent words were blown away by the evening breeze and were ultimately not heard by the young man in the car. Tao Ning seemed to have sensed something and turned around quietly, but could only see the gradually blurred school gate.

He sat in the passenger seat, the man driving with a cigarette in his mouth, silently controlling the steering wheel without starting the car. Tao Ning keenly noticed that Zhao Jingqun's smile disappeared after entering the car, his sharp eyebrows lowered, and he even took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth.

He clearly said he wouldn't smoke, and although he didn't light the cigarette, was he doing this because he was angry?

Tao Ning hesitated and asked, "Zhao Jingqun...are you angry? I'm sorry."

The steering wheel turned, Zhao Jingqun's eyebrows curled into a smile, and he threw away the cigarette with one hand. "No, Daibao, don't think too much. I will never be angry with you." After a pause, Zhao Jingqun honked the horn and continued, "I only blame myself for not being with you during that time."

That's why other men had the opportunity to take advantage of the situation. But it doesn't matter. He will stop them in time and monitor Tao Ning more vigorously than before. But just think about it in your heart, Zhao Jingqun won't say it out loud.

“But it was me who suggested it…”

"good."

The air pressure in the car suddenly dropped. Zhao Jingqun stared straight ahead, seemingly calm, but a storm brewed in his eyes. But it was only for a moment, and he returned to a faint smile in a moment. "Don't mention those two words, it will make me sad."

Tao Ning nodded blankly. Zhao Jingqun saw through the corner of his eye that Tao Ning was sitting in her seat. Although there was a soft chair behind her, her posture was still straight and well-behaved. Her two silly hairs were even standing up, and she looked extremely cute.

Even though Zhao Jingqun knew that the boy was not well-behaved at all, and was even stubborn to the point of cruelty, he was still attracted by his pretty and quiet appearance. Taking advantage of the red light, he suddenly pinched the soft flesh on the boy's chin with his rough palm and kissed him hard.

Tao Ning was stunned and didn't react.

Zhao Jingqun drove the car to a high-end apartment not far from Oxente. He bought a flat with an area of ​​more than 300 square meters. Zhao Jingqun forgot the exact area because he asked Sun Laoer to buy it. He had three requirements: close to the school, spacious, and quiet. There was no upper limit on the price of the apartment.

But he had been here a week before to pick out the furniture.

There were only slippers at the entrance. Zhao Jingqun had reserved a separate room for Tao Ning to store his clothes and shoes. His own clothes only took up one-tenth of the space. He was not interested in these things. Usually, as long as he didn't have any important occasions to attend, he would just put on a T-shirt and go out.

Of course, the more important reason is that simple clothes make you look younger.

"Baby, I'll go get some hot water for you. After I give you a bath, I'll go cook."

"...I can wash it myself."

"No, what if you fall? You carried those two things all the way, your shoulders and hands must be sore. I'll go to the bathroom and give you a massage to relax your muscles."

Sometimes Tao Ning really couldn't understand why Zhao Jingqun liked to help him bathe, dress, feed, etc. He was not a porcelain doll that would break if touched, and he was a boy, so how could he be so delicate?

When they got to the bathroom, Zhao Jingqun helped him undress. There was a mirror that took up the entire wall in front of the bathtub. Tao Ning remained silent until he saw the obvious bruises on his shoulders caused by the belt.

Is his illness... getting worse? Tao Ning remembered that she wasn't this fragile before.

Zhao Jingqun had the same idea as him. She was so distressed that she kissed the purple bruise again and again. Her voice was dry and she said, "Daibao, be good. It doesn't hurt. Your husband will ask for leave for you tomorrow and take you to the hospital for a follow-up check."

Thinking that the exam was over, Tao Ning agreed.

Oxent's exams were quick, and the results were released just as quickly. The school's overall rankings would be known by tomorrow afternoon. Tao Ning was only nervous before the exam, but during and afterward, he felt confident he'd be among the top students. This confidence was built on the talent and hard work of over a decade.

Seeing the bruises, Zhao Jingqun lost all his messy thoughts and was left with only heartache. He wished that Tao Ning would suffer from the illness instead, so that his silly baby could just enjoy himself.

After giving Tao Ning a gentle and meticulous bath, Zhao Jingqun picked him up, not caring at all about getting soaked. He wrapped the blushing young man in his arms in a thick bath towel, put pajamas on him, and coaxed him in a gentle voice: "Baby, put your hands up."

The transition room outside the bathroom did not have air conditioning. Zhao Jingqun put Tao Ning on a sofa covered with several layers of blankets. The soft white fur was concave along with her round buttocks. Tao Ning sat on the sofa with a dull expression. Her thick and long eyelashes were like crow feathers, and her eyes like brown gems blinked in the light.

Before Zhao Jingqun turned and went into the bathroom, a slender hand grabbed his sleeve. The man lowered his head and was about to ask about her well-being when a soft kiss fell on his lips, and the sweet scent of lemon surrounded him.

Tao Ning smiled lightly, "Thank you."

Zhao Jingqun touched her lips with her fingers, still immersed in the boy's kiss and smile, unable to come back to her senses. Only her heart was beating as wildly as when they first met.

After the warmth faded, Zhao Jingqun felt like he'd been struck by a nuclear bomb. He quickly showered, his body simmering with lust, and emerged with his towel half-draped. The person stirring the fire on the sofa had vanished. He instantly transformed into a wolf sniffing out his mate, restlessly searching and calling out.

As he searched, lust turned to anger. Did Sun Laoer have so much free time as to buy such a huge house and eat it?! He wasn't using it to hide rockets, but it was more like hiding a mistress. It would take a lot of effort to get his wife to him anytime, anywhere.

Pushing open the bedroom door, Tao Ning was sitting quietly at the desk, not knowing what she was doing. All she could see was a cute whorl of hair. From her back, she looked very serious. She heard the movement at the door but didn't respond. Zhao Jingqun called him aggrievedly, "What are you doing, Daibao?" He leaned over.

It wasn't until the shadows fell that Tao Ning realized there was someone behind her. She hurriedly stuffed the half-glued love letter into her exercise book.

He didn't hear the sound behind him, but he didn't react because he couldn't hear it.

Just now, the mechanical voice in her mind said, half sarcastically, half amusedly, "You failed in your mission with Xu Jun. He didn't sense your sincerity." Then the voice paused for a moment, teasing like a pet cat or dog, "Tao Ning—how do you think I should punish you?"

Ever since this different voice appeared, Tao Ning never heard the original system call him "idiot" again. He felt only a sudden, deep-seated disgust at this mechanical voice. This was a very unusual emotion, because Tao Ning's initial reaction to anything, whether it was a person, an animal, or even a stone, was the same.

It can be said that in his eyes, a stranger is no different from a stone.

It was just the first time Tao Ning heard this mechanical voice, especially after it began to have emotions, and he actually began to feel disgusted. He didn't even care about his punishment. "What about the original system?"

Tao Ning seemed to be surprised by his disregard for his "punishment." The mechanical voice smiled in obvious surprise, then chuckled softly, saying happily, "You're as adorable as ever. It's just an intelligent machine that only follows instructions and executes programs. Do you care about it?"

What does "as always" mean? Tao Ning didn't ask, but just said, "I care. He is my friend... but you are not."

"Friend?" The mechanical voice paused, and then a burst of unbridled laughter came from my mind, "Hahahaha."

But in an instant, the laughter died down, and the mechanical voice slowly said, "I know you're afraid of the dark, poor little thing. This time, I'll deprive you of your hearing as punishment."

"...Who are you? And who am I?"

The last words that echoed in my mind were just a vague smile: "When you complete your mission, I will satisfy all your curiosity."

Then, Tao Ning's brain and ears fell into a dead silence. It was as unbearable as being deprived of sight and falling into darkness, because at the same time, everything around seemed to be muted, and not a single sound could be heard.

But Tao Ning was still more afraid of falling into darkness. He quickly calmed down and began to glue the torn love letters together in an orderly manner.

No matter how Xu Jun views him, Tao Ning cherishes his sincerity and love very much.

But unfortunately, Zhao Jingqun came in just when the love letter was halfway pasted. Tao Ning hurriedly put the love letter away, and she had no idea why the man's shower speed had become faster again.

"W-What happened?"

"Dabbo, what did you put away? Huh?"

Tao Ning quietly observed Zhao Jingqun's lips, hoping to understand what he said.

He didn't want Zhao Jingqun to worry. He knew Zhao Jingqun was very busy, and now that she was taking time off to spend time with him, she must have secretly compressed her work schedule without telling him. Tao Ning thought that the punishment of being deprived of hearing and vision should only be temporary. Before his hearing was restored, he didn't want to make the already exhausted Zhao Jingqun worry even more about him.

But after all, she couldn't read lips for a while, so Tao Ning had to guess and said hesitantly, "I... I was just practicing some exercises."

The smile on Zhao Jingqun's lips froze for a moment, but seeing Tao Ning's calmness, he didn't react too much and continued to ask with a smile, "Was that something Xu Jun gave you just now?"

"I'll eat in a minute. Is the food ready?"

The next moment, the soft cheek was held up by a rough hand. Tao Ning raised his head and met a pair of eyes that were sunk to the bottom of the valley, but he could only look at Zhao Jingqun's face full of anxiety. He seemed to be roaring softly, his lips opening and closing, but he didn't know what he said.

Facing Zhao Jingqun's anxious and ferocious gaze, which seemed to want to kill someone, Tao Ning was not afraid. Instead, she hugged his waist with her slender hands and said quietly, "I'm fine, don't worry."