Chapter 4-3

3

The car quickly drove off, and Qiao Ruo stared fixedly out the window, still unable to believe that she had actually ended up in New York.

After seeing He Yajun that evening, Hong Mengqi's fluctuating emotions subsided, and her conversation with her calmed her down considerably. She finally relaxed completely.

She had wanted to take a good look at this unfamiliar city, but the night was dark and there was nothing to see except the road ahead reflecting the light, cars speeding by in the darkness, the outlines of buildings rushing past on both sides, and road signs written in English.

Music was playing in the car; it was an English song that Qiao Ruo had never heard before, but the rhythm and melody were very pleasant. With nothing to do, she listened to it and unconsciously fell asleep.

When she opened her eyes, the car had already stopped. She sat up straight and looked around, only to find that the scenery around her had completely changed. The lights were much denser, and tall buildings filled the view. Clearly, they had arrived in the city.

"woke up?"

She turned her head and met He Yajun's smiling face, and couldn't help but blush: "I'm sorry, I fell asleep."

"It's alright, if I hadn't been driving, I probably would have been sleeping even more soundly than you." He held her hand. "The hotel where Yantao and Mengqi are staying is right next door; they just got off. Are you starving? I'll take you to get something to eat. What would you like?"

She felt the warmth from his palm, and her heart was filled to the brim. Suddenly, she didn't want to eat anything anymore; she just wanted to hug him as soon as possible: "Ya Jun, I'm not hungry anymore. Let's go home."

He understood her meaning, squeezed her hand tightly, then let go, and spoke much faster: "Okay, let's go home."

Less than ten minutes later, the car stopped again. He Yajun got out first, took Qiao Ruo's luggage out of the trunk, then went around to the passenger side to open the door and asked Qiao Ruo to get out.

He carried her backpack, dragged her suitcase with one hand, and held her hand with the other as they took the elevator upstairs.

He Yajun lived on the third floor. He opened the door, gently pushed Qiao Ruo inside, and then pulled her suitcase in as well.

Qiao Ruo stood still. The room was dark, and she didn't know where the light switch was. After a few seconds, the light still didn't turn on. She could only hear a rustling sound in her ear. Just as she was about to speak, she was suddenly pulled into a warm embrace.

"Ya-jun?"

He remained silent, holding her tightly, and in the darkness, he accurately located her lips and eagerly kissed them.

His lips were a little cool, but the temperature inside his mouth was burning. He kissed her relentlessly, not allowing her to dodge or escape, until she let out a soft moan because she couldn't breathe, at which point he softened his movements.

She didn't know how long they kissed before he finally released her, pressing the back of her head against his chest. She felt his heart pounding fiercely beneath his chest, listened to his disordered breathing, and her eyes welled up with tears.

"Ya-jun, I miss you so much, so very much. Do you miss me too?"

He Yajun laughed: "I'm already like this, what do you think?"

She listened to his heartbeat and said, "Yes, I'm your girlfriend, it's only natural that you miss me."

"You have a high level of awareness," He Yajun said, ruffling the back of her head. "Aren't you hungry?"

She lifted her head from his embrace and said pitifully, "I'm hungry, how could I not be hungry? I was so eager to hug and kiss you that I rushed back."

"Yes, I can feel it."

He finally turned on the light. Qiao Ruo was not used to the sudden brightness and blinked several times before she could see him clearly.

"Go take a shower first, I'll make something to eat." He took out a pair of fluffy light yellow women's slippers and told her to change into them. Then he took her hand, helped her push her suitcase to the bedroom, and led her to the bathroom. He taught her how to turn on the hot water, how to adjust the water temperature, and told her where the hairdryer was. "Just call me anytime if you need anything."

"good."

She entered the bedroom, sighed, took out a change of clothes, pajamas, and toiletries from her suitcase, and hurried into the bathroom.

She didn't waste too much time, quickly took a shower and dried her hair. When she came out again, He Yajun was sitting at the dining table with a plate of pasta and a glass of milk on it.

He pulled out the chair opposite her, invited her to sit down, and then sat back down in his original seat: "It's too late, there's no time to cook. Let's make do for now, we can go out for a nice meal tomorrow."

"That's fine, thank you."

She was so hungry that she didn't bother to eat slowly and pretend to be reserved, and devoured the dinner in a flash.

Seeing that she was eating so enthusiastically, He Yajun couldn't help but laugh and ask, "Aren't you full yet?"

"How could that be? I'm not a pig."

He pulled a tissue from the tissue box, reached out and wiped the little bit of milk off her lips.

She wasn't used to being taken care of so meticulously, so she quickly grabbed his hand, wanting to take the tissue and wipe herself.

"Don't move," he stared intently at her mouth, his gaze focused as if he were doing something important. After a short while, he withdrew his hand. "Okay."

For some reason, she didn't dare look him in the eye. They say that when people are well-fed and warm, they think of lust, and that's so true; her mind was already racing with thoughts. She shifted her gaze slightly and stood up: "I'll go wash the dishes."

He held her hand: "I'll do it. You go brush your teeth, then go to bed."

"Huh? Why are you going to bed?" she glared at him.

He raised an eyebrow, suppressing a laugh, and said, "What I mean is, you must be tired from the flight. Don't bother yourself, go to sleep early."

"Oh, oh." She nodded vigorously, her face flushed, and quickly disappeared into the bathroom. After brushing her teeth, she quickly disappeared into the bedroom.

The bedroom was warm, and there was a large floor-to-ceiling window in the corner. Qiao Ruo wasn't sleepy for the time being, so she stood in front of the window to admire the city's night view.

She had heard He Yajun say that New York City has five boroughs, and places like Wall Street, Central Park, Times Square, and the Empire State Building, which she had heard about long ago, are all in Manhattan. The apartment he lived in was in Brooklyn, and it was only a thirteen-minute walk from the famous Brooklyn Bridge that connects Brooklyn and Manhattan.

It was late at night, but the lights outside were still shining, high and low, intricate and winding, outlining the city's contours. However, this scene seemed not much different from Guangzhou, where she had once lived.

A pair of arms wrapped around her from behind, and her back pressed against a firm, warm chest.

“Look there,” He Yajun pointed to a spot to her right, her mouth almost touching her ear, “that’s the Brooklyn Bridge.”

Qiao Ruo looked in the direction he pointed, and saw two long, parallel light strips of the same shape stretching forward in undulations, while the lights on the opposite bank were even more complex and dense.

"When the weather clears up, we can go up for a walk and watch the sunset."

"Hmm," she turned away from his embrace to face him, noticing that he had already showered, his hair was still damp, and he was wearing a dark gray pajama set. "Why didn't you dry your hair?"

"My hair is short, it will dry in no time."

She tilted her head back and gazed at him quietly. In a daze, she had an unwanted illusion: that they, like many couples in love, had just gotten married and were on their honeymoon.

She shook her head, dismissing the unrealistic fantasy.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Why are you so tall?" she asked casually, changing the subject.

"You like short ones?"

“No…” she said, sounding rather dejected. “It’s because I’m too short. Every time I look up at you like this, I feel so tired.”

He paused for a moment, then grinned and said, "Okay, it's my fault, but I think our heights are a good match. For example, when it rains, you can hide in my arms, and my head can shield you from the rain."

"Hmph, don't laugh at me."

"Why would I laugh at you? I'm serious." He stepped back slightly and looked her up and down carefully. "I think you're fine the way you are."

"You're just trying to comfort me."

He pulled her into his arms again: "Even if you don't believe in yourself, you have to believe in my judgment. Would I choose a woman who isn't pretty or has a great figure as my girlfriend? I have high standards, okay?"

Qiao Ruo was amused: "A megalomaniac."

"Then may I, this arrogant fool, ask what you and Mengqi talked about last night? She had such a big outburst and cried so hard, how come she calmed down after only ten minutes of talking to her?"

Qiao Ruo paused for a moment before answering, "I didn't say much. I just spoke from my perspective about what you want most and what you don't want most. She likes you, so naturally she's willing to consider your needs. But at the time, I wasn't sure I could persuade her. Fortunately, she's not stubborn and is very smart, so she was able to get past that obstacle."

He Yajun released her and asked with great interest, "Then tell me, what do I want most, and what do I least want?"

"Then you have to promise me that no matter if what I think is right or wrong, you won't be angry with me."

"Okay, I promise you."

"What you want most is... me; what you least want is... me being unhappy because another woman likes you."

He froze, then burst out laughing: "Qiao Ruo, you're kidding me."

Before she could react, he wrapped one arm around her and reached down to her waist with the other, mercilessly tickling her. She cried out and tried to pull away, but he wouldn't let her; instead, he held her even tighter, preventing her from moving.

"Help! Stop scratching me! Let me go!" she shouted, struggling desperately while laughing uncontrollably until tears streamed down her face.

He remained unmoved: "I won't let go. Who told you to lie to me?"

Her mind raced, and she blurted out whatever came to mind, completely disregarding everything else: "No... I'm not making this up! Don't you want me? Do you want me to be unhappy? Please, let go..."

He suddenly stopped, and she took the opportunity to jump to the side, then bypass him and dash to the bedroom door at an astonishing speed, like a rabbit with its fur standing on end.

He turned around, a smile on his face, and looked at her silently.

She pleaded repeatedly, "Don't bully me like this just because you're taller." She was panting heavily, her voice was unsteady, her eyes and face were red, and her forehead was covered in sweat. She looked like she was about to cry, which was really pitiful.

He ignored her words, first turning off the overhead light, then turning on the small lamp on the bedside table. He then slowly walked up to her, leaned down, and said in a voice barely above a whisper, "I think you're absolutely right."

"?" She stared at him blankly.

“I do want you,” he breathed into her again, his eyes fixed on her slightly parted lips. “The moment I saw you tonight, I wanted you.”

His gaze was deep and unfathomable, seemingly concealing a power that would draw her in, making it impossible for her to resist.

"What a coincidence, me too." Her smile blossomed like a flower.

His eyes darkened, and he said leisurely, "Then why are you running?"

She untied the hair tie that bound her hair in a bun, shook her head, and let her hair hang down, spreading it out fully.

"I didn't run away, I'm here waiting for you." As soon as she said this, she was a little startled by her own cloying tone.

He took a deep breath, his voice becoming a little tense: "Hmm, very good."

Her heart pounded, and she couldn't resist pressing herself against him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, raised her chin, and met his descending lips.

In an instant, longing poured out, irresistible and immeasurable.

"Ya Jun..." In the brief moment between his lips leaving hers, she cupped his face in her hands, her beautiful eyes shimmering with a captivating light, "I love you."

"Yes, I know." He kissed her eyes, his gaze meeting hers with the same light. "I know everything."