Chapter 1-10

10

When Qiao Ruo woke up, she not only had a slight headache, but also felt very weak.

The dark curtains were drawn tightly shut, making the room extremely dim, and she couldn't tell if it was already daylight. She reached out from under the covers to check the time on her phone, and the moment her bare arm touched the cold air, goosebumps instantly rose on her skin.

She suddenly realized something was wrong, turned her head, and saw in the dim light that someone was lying next to her, only half covered by a blanket, breathing evenly and fast asleep.

She sat up as if she'd been electrocuted, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it could burst out of her chest at any moment.

As she tried to recall what had happened the night before, her hands trembled as she groped for her clothes on the bed. However, after searching for a long time, she found nothing except a pair of pants that clearly belonged to men.

The person lying next to her was awakened by her movement. After a while, he also sat up and asked in a very low and hoarse voice, "What's wrong?"

She froze, turned around, and her heart pounded even harder.

"You...I...we..." She stared at He Yajun in shock, unable to believe her eyes. She remembered that last night, in her hazy state, she had indeed spoken a lot to someone and even hugged him, but subconsciously she thought it was just a hallucination caused by drinking, a wet dream. She never imagined it would all be real.

He Yajun was a little embarrassed, but she remained calm and said softly, "Qiao Ruo, you're leaving today, and time is tight. After you hear what I'm about to say, don't overthink it. Then get up quickly, pack your things, and get ready to leave."

Qiao Ruo still had a blank expression: "What?"

"I admit that I also have feelings for you, and I plan to try to continue our relationship as boyfriend and girlfriend."

Qiao Ruo felt like her brain was completely useless. She seemed to have a ton of questions, but she couldn't ask any of them, nor did she know what to ask.

He Yajun picked up his coat hanging by the bed, took his phone out of his pocket, and the screen's light illuminated his face. Qiao Ruo stared at him intently, the details of last night replaying in her mind, and her face flushed.

"It's almost seven o'clock, time to get up." He looked at her with a hint of amusement. "Do you mind if I ask you where you're planning to go today?"

Qiao Ruo didn't dare to look him in the eye so directly, and looked away: "Go back to my hometown."

He paused for a moment, then said, "Then I'll go with you. I'm going back to see my mom anyway, and it'll be good to have company on the way. Tell me your flight number later, and I'll see if we can take the same flight back."

He picked up his clothes, put them on, went to the bathroom, and left the bedroom to her.

While he was washing up, Qiao Ruo hurriedly got dressed, turned on the light, and took out a comb from her bag to comb and straighten her hair. Worried that she might have forgotten to pack something yesterday, she checked around the bed. After that, she had nothing to do.

Listening to the sound of running water coming from the bathroom, she felt extremely unsettled. So she went to the window, drew back the curtains, and opened the window, letting the cool morning breeze blow on her face.

However, the cool air could not soothe her turbulent emotions. One moment she felt incredulous, the next she felt that things had come to this point and she should accept it all; one moment she felt confused, the next she felt sweet; one moment she felt lost, the next she felt that her fantasy had come true and that a certain happiness awaited her in the future...

A mix of complex and difficult-to-discern feelings swirled in her heart, but the only thing she was certain of was that she did not regret what had happened last night.

He Yajun came out after washing up and saw her standing motionless by the window, which made him a little worried. He had only spent a short time with Qiao Ruo, but he could sense that she was different from his previous girlfriends in terms of personality. He figured she probably couldn't accept having a relationship with a man in such a short time, even if that man was someone she liked.

He walked up to her and said, "Qiao Ruo, I'm sorry about last night... It's my fault. Being drunk is not an excuse for what I did, and I didn't take advantage of your feelings for me to do whatever I wanted to you, but I really couldn't control myself, that's a fact. I never have one-night stands, so I hope you can accept me as your boyfriend."

Of course, it could only be because of a momentary impulse. Qiao Ru thought this, and remained silent.

"To be honest, I do have feelings for you. If it weren't for my father's relationship with your sister, I would have agreed to try dating you yesterday morning on the beach. I didn't expect what happened last night, but since it has already happened, I definitely have to take responsibility and can't just treat you as an old classmate anymore. My idea is that we should put aside other people for now and try to see if we can get along happily. However, there's one thing I don't want to lie to you about: I still have no plans to get married. If your condition for agreeing to date me is that I must marry you in the future, then I'm afraid I can't do that."

This was entirely within Qiao Ruo's expectations. Not to mention that he was a non-marriage advocate, just thinking about the awkward relationship between their two families, she could understand that marriage was a luxury for her. If she agreed to his proposal, she would have to give up that part of her expectations.

Seeing that she remained silent, He Yajun did not urge her: "Think about it first, there's no need to rush to answer me. I'll wait for your reply, and I promise to keep my distance from other women until you give me an answer."

She sensed his sincerity, and her heart calmed down considerably. She knew he didn't love her; his offer to be her boyfriend was merely to appease her feelings, and he might break up with her tomorrow. But she didn't care. Unrequited love was too hopeless, and demanding mutual affection was too unrealistic. Too many people and things stood between them; their relationship was destined to be unblessed, so she didn't care about tomorrow, only the present.

Qiao Ruo lowered her eyes: "I'll go wash up first, and we'll talk later."

She went into the bathroom, quickly tidied herself up, and gathered up her scattered skincare and makeup products. When she came out, she saw He Yajun standing by the window fiddling with her phone, her lips tightly pursed, looking quite upset.

Qiao Ruo wanted to ask, but seeing his cold expression, she decided it was better to pretend she didn't know.

He Yajun turned around upon hearing the sound, and suddenly smiled, her gloomy expression from just moments before vanishing completely.

Which flight are you taking today?

"Wait a minute, let me check." Qiao Ruo hadn't seen her phone since she got up. She ran to both bedside tables but couldn't find it, and she also checked under her pillow but still couldn't find it.

Seeing her flustered, He Yajun dialed her cell phone directly, but the ringtone came from her shirt pocket.

While cursing herself for being stupid, Qiao Ruo took out her phone to check the orders.

He Yajun approached her from behind, bending slightly, and wrapped his right hand, holding his phone, around her arm, gently pulling her close. He glanced at her phone screen while simultaneously operating his own. His breath, mingled with the gentle breeze blowing in from the window, caressed the right side of her face, and she involuntarily held her breath.

"He Yajun".

"Um?"

“I accept your proposal,” she said clearly, word by word. “I want to be with you. Don’t worry, I won’t use marriage to demand or bind you. If your feelings for me continue, and we can stay together, I’m willing to stay by your side as your girlfriend forever. If one day your feelings for me are gone, you can suggest ending it, and I will cooperate and won’t pester you. Moreover, I won’t tell my family or friends about our relationship.”

He Yajun's fingers hovered over the phone screen for a long time before he resumed operating it: "The way you said it makes me feel like a scumbag."

She didn't turn to look at him, but simply shook her head gently: "No, you're fine."

He paused for a moment, then smiled: "After spending a few more days with me, you might find that I'm not as good as you think. If one day you no longer like me, you can always end it."

She stared at his phone screen and his long, slender fingers, and didn't continue the conversation.

He Yajun had booked her plane tickets and stood up straight: "Luckily, there are still seats available. I'll go back to the hotel to check out first, and then we'll find somewhere to get some breakfast."

He placed her backpack on top of her suitcase and went downstairs ahead of her, with her following behind carrying her purse. When they reached the front desk, the owner was still nowhere to be seen. She left her room key on the table and left with He Yajun.

“When you travel in the future and need to stay overnight, it’s best not to choose this kind of homestay,” He Yajun said casually. “The environment and facilities are good, there’s nothing to complain about, but the management is not good enough. I was a grown man who trespassed last night, and no one cared. Luckily, I’m not a bad person, but that doesn’t mean everyone else is a good person.”

Qiao Ruo initially thought he was embarrassed because the place wasn't high-class enough, but after hearing more, she realized he was concerned about her safety.

She nodded: "Okay, I'll do as you say."

"Hmm, good attitude," he slowed his pace so that she, in her high heels, could keep up with his rhythm. "If you get tired, just tell me, and we can stop and rest anytime."

Qiao Ruo was already used to high heels and was confident that she could easily handle various heights. Unless she walked too much or was wearing brand new shoes, her feet would feel tired. Most of the time, she was used to them. However, today she really felt a little weak in the knees.

Last night wasn't her first time. During her relationship with her ex-boyfriend, she had always been reserved, repeatedly rejecting his advances. It wasn't until almost a year later that she finally overcame her psychological barriers and slept with him. However, they broke up a few days later. That experience was far more painful and uncomfortable than pleasurable. But regardless, her virginity had ended then, so this time with He Yajun, she didn't feel much pain, although the discomfort she felt after waking up was very real.

Of course, she couldn't tell him about her discomfort, so she could only grit her teeth and try her best to maintain a normal walking speed.