Chapter 6: He Discovered My Peeping

The contract states that they are cohabiting.

After getting the marriage certificate, she moved into his house.

Xia Li moved in that same day, and that night she randomly found an empty room on the second floor to rest.

In unfamiliar surroundings, sleep is not peaceful.

In my dream, it was a typical Friday, and the weather was sunny.

She had just come out of the classroom from the previous class, carrying her books and heading back to her locker, when she suddenly heard a soft sound behind her. Before she could react, someone gently patted her shoulder.

When I turned around, dark eyes suddenly met my gaze.

The boy in front of her was slightly bent over, his gaze level with hers, and a nonchalant smile played on his lips.

"What are you thinking about?" He waved the pen in front of her, a white shadow flashing, his smile unwavering.

As she moved, she could even smell a faint grapefruit scent.

Xia Li was stunned. She had just met Ji Ling and they weren't very familiar with each other. She stared at his flamboyant face, her gaze wandering between his eyes.

It's really beautiful.

His pupils were bright and deep, seemingly contradictory words that perfectly described them, and around them was a clear, pale green ring, like a stream in spring when the thin ice has just melted.

It's so clean.

She just stared blankly, not even responding to the boy's words.

"You haven't forgotten who I am, have you?" Ji Ling frowned when he saw that she hadn't moved for a while, but her gaze hadn't shifted. He asked in a trembling voice.

Xia Li's thoughts were pulled back at this moment. In front of her was still that face full of youthful energy, clean and refreshing, but the corners of her raised eyes drooped down, as if she was a little aggrieved.

She parted her lips slightly, about to explain, but before she could speak, she heard the boy's cloying, shy voice as he turned his head to remind her, "I was there last week when your club was filming, remember?"

As she spoke, she raised her eyebrows, her eyes brimming with anticipation.

Xia Li blinked quickly, silently watching his inexplicable actions.

Are you very familiar with each other?

We only exchanged a few words and nodded and smiled at each other when we met. Could it be that I accidentally stared at him for too long during the filming last week and he noticed?

Her heart was pounding, but she nodded slightly and said calmly, "How did you know I was here?"

Ji Ling didn't hide anything: "Of course I asked someone for your class schedule for this week."

Xia Li frowned and pondered for a moment. They had met an unusually large number of times this week, something that had never happened before.

She stared at him blankly, her lips trembling as she hesitated. Before she could ask anything, Ji Ling quickly waved his hand and explained, "I'm not a stalker. Actually, I was in the next classroom during the last class, and I saw you as soon as I came out. You're going to the photography club for the next class, right?"

She nodded, and after receiving the response, Ji Ling immediately coughed twice, straightened his back, and stood firmly beside her: "Come on, let's go together, I want to go too."

Xia Li asked in confusion, "What are you going to do? Are you going to film again?"

As she spoke, she frowned, picked up her phone, and glanced at the club notifications. She hadn't received any messages.

Ji Ling looked at her bewildered movements, a deep smile on his face, his voice unusually cheerful: "Guess what I'm doing?"

Xia Li looked up at him, thought for a moment, and replied seriously, "Zhang Ling, I don't know what you're trying to do?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Ji Lingdun

He panicked, his dark eyes trembling slightly, filled with confusion. His brows furrowed, his smile fading, and he cautiously asked, "Who is Zhang Ling?"

Seeing his flustered and easily amused appearance, Xia Li felt a laugh well up in her throat, but she quickly suppressed it. She teased, "Aren't you called Zhang Ling?"

"I……"

Ji Ling was speechless, his well-defined knuckles resting on his broad chest. He was about to explain, but at that moment, Xia Li's bright eyes were looking at him with unusual seriousness.

The moment their eyes met, he immediately lowered his gaze, a faint blush rising to the tips of his ears. In the end, he softened and dejectedly admitted, "Okay, it's me. My name is Zhang Ling. Where are you going later?"

Even the language system is messed up.

Xia Li raised an eyebrow and replied, "Didn't we just say we were going to a club?"

Ji Ling lost interest: "Oh, I'll go with you."

Don't you have class next period?

That's a good question.

Ji Ling lowered her eyes, her eyelashes trembled, and she lost the will to tease her. She honestly confessed, "I've joined your club too."

"Really?" Xia Li managed to get the information out of him, but the answer was unexpected. She turned her head in surprise, her eyes widening slightly, filled with disbelief.

"It's fake." He gritted his teeth, feeling incredibly bitter.

Xia Li glanced at him sideways, scanning him up and down, silently thinking to herself, "This guy is really strange."

Then I heard him sigh softly and whisper, "I was just kidding, it's true."

The scene in the dream suddenly changed again.

It was still Friday afternoon.

"Xia Li!"

A girl's sweet voice called out from afar, and then a figure rushed over and pulled her into his arms.

Strands of hair intertwined, the twilight under the setting sun shimmering with fragmented golden light, pouring down, passing through the gaps between buildings, crossing the long corridor, and illuminating the overlapping figures.

Xia Li staggered. Before she could even see who it was, the things she was carrying scattered all over the floor. So she had to hold the other person and use the cabinet to support their weight.

After regaining her footing and creating some distance, Xia Li focused her gaze and was able to clearly see the face of the person in front of her.

"Want to go to the club together?" The girl smiled, her eyes crinkling, her slightly curly chestnut hair falling to her chest. She crossed her arms, occasionally chewing her gum with a soft smacking sound, then blew a pretty big bubble, which popped with a "pop" as she bit it.

Xia Li was taken aback, shook her head, and bent down to pick up the books and calculator that had fallen to the ground while thinking. She had already lost two calculators this semester, which was really annoying.

After finishing packing, she looked up and replied, "I have something else to do later."

"Huh? What about Ji Ling?"

Xia Li replied, "He has class next period."

As soon as she finished speaking, the girl's beautiful face suddenly came close, and she blew out another round bubble.

Xia Li was startled by her sudden movement, leaning back slightly to create some distance. She then heard her sigh dramatically, wave her hand regretfully, and say, "What a pity. But that's not the point. Summer vacation is almost here, what are your plans?"

Xia Li raised her eyes, her gaze unfocused, the setting sun turning her pure black pupils into a beautiful amber color.

I just finished my big exams, and the results will be out in August. I need to prepare my university application essays during the summer, preview the next stage of courses, and improve my language proficiency. There are so many things to do.

After thinking for a moment, she replied, "I haven't decided yet, I'll probably stay in bed for a while."

"No, no, this is the age to strive, how can I lie down!" The girl's eyes were hopeful, and her tone left no room for refusal: "How about this, come with me to Southern Malaysia."

Xia Li was a little confused: "Tourism?"

"No, my brother is working on a project to study tropical rainforests."

Xia Li was puzzled: "What can we do if we go?"

"Of course we don't need to do anything, just hand over some of our slush fund. Consider it as enriching our resume. Oh right, also call Ji Ling along and have him bring a few more people so we can all go together."

Xia Li found it strange, frowned, and shook her head in refusal: "No. Besides, why do you need so many people together?"

The girl sighed and said casually, "It's all because of my freeloader dad. He became my mom's mistress, and now that my mom has passed away last year, no one is keeping an eye on him. He's as stupid as a pig. Anyway, I can't explain it. Now my future is uncertain. Even my brother, who's a simpleton, has started to support himself. I have to learn to earn money to make a living."

Xia Li listened to her story with a furrowed brow, feeling a pang of heartache, yet also unable to hide her surprise. So she asked, "Is this how you make a living?"

"Of course not. If I were to transfer to a public school now, I definitely wouldn't be able to keep up, and I wouldn't have a student status. So I paid special attention and heard that the Ministry of Education will release two places for admission without examination this year, requiring participation in a specific photography competition and winning an award."

Xia Li pondered for a while before saying, "It looks like a green channel opened for pre-selected personnel."

"Of course I know, but I want to give it a try. I'll go to Southern Malaysia with my brother to take some landscape photos, and then submit them as a portfolio. Xia Li, please keep me company, I can't live without you."

The girl's palm was soft. He held her hand and shook it repeatedly. The dream became increasingly blurry with the shaking, and one different face after another appeared.

Xia Li suddenly woke up, panting heavily to calm her breathing. After a few seconds, she glanced at the time; it was just past midnight.

Why am I having so many strange dreams? Xia Li shook her head, her mind unusually clear. She lay in bed, unable to fall asleep, and it seemed like another sleepless night was about to begin.

Seeing light shining through the crack under the door, she thought for a moment, then got up, quietly pushed the door open, and walked down the stairwell until she finally stood at the end of the spiral staircase, looking down at the living room.

A figure sat by the window overlooking the sea. The distant ocean occupied only a small part of the picture, with rows of lights twinkling. A few stars shone in the sky, hanging there all alone.

Even though the room was dimly lit, Xia Li could still see clearly with just one or two lights in the corridor. Ji Ling's broad back cast a deep shadow, and the muscle lines were faintly visible under the fabric.

Still not resting?

Xia Li frowned.

She stood on high ground, looking down into the distance, and saw him with his neatly trimmed knuckles reach for a glass beside him. The bottom of the glass still held the strong liquor that he hadn't had a chance to drink earlier, the amber liquid swirling inside. A moment later, he refilled it.

The warm light of the room was reflected in the cup. For a moment, she seemed to see her reflection in the water, which was then wiped away by Ji Ling's rough thumb.

Ji Lingman casually tilted his head back and took a swig of wine. When the rim of the glass lightly touched the corner of his lips, his Adam's apple bobbed very slightly. His gaze was half-lowered, and the whiskey, accompanied by the moonlight, dripped down his chin and into his collar.

Xia Li's gaze naturally shifted downwards.

Perhaps he sensed it, for he suddenly turned his head slightly, looked up at her, and spoke in a voice chilly tone:

"What are you looking at?"

A note from the author:

----------------------