Chapter 64 Masterpiece: Lips were severely swollen.

The most special medal of my life.

Ning Jiu never imagined that Qiao Bolin, who had been filled with glory since childhood, would bestow such a title upon a scar on the back of his hand that had once caused him so much pain.

She lowered her brows slightly, gazing at the scar he called a "medal".

Several years have passed, the wound has long since healed, and the scar is much fainter than before, no longer so gruesome.

But Joelin's fair skin and long, beautiful finger bones made him very attractive, so even though the scar was light in color, it still stood out on his skin.

Ning Jiu felt an urge to kiss the scar, but then she remembered something and stopped herself.

They've already been entangled for too long; if this continues, it will only make their bond harder to break, which is definitely not good for his condition.

"Now that I've brought you here, there's really no need for me to stay any longer."

She deliberately avoided looking at him, and just as she was about to pull away from his waist, he grabbed her.

"Don't move, let me hold you for a while."

Qiao Bolin held her tightly, lowered his head and buried his face in her neck, gently inhaling her scent, as if she would disappear at any moment.

She could clearly feel the heat emanating from his body, especially in a certain spot that made her feel hot, yet he surprisingly made no other moves, as if it were just a simple hug to confirm her existence.

"Ning wine".

His voice was slightly hoarse from drinking, and when he spoke, it felt like sandpaper rubbing against the ear cartilage, causing a slight itch.

She seemed a little drunk too.

"sorry."

He was apologizing for what happened that day, his voice sincere, a mixture of reason and emotion, trembling slightly.

"I miss you so much." The usually aloof and reserved man uttered those two words with an almost overflowing tenderness, "I miss you so much."

"......"

Why is he always like this?

He apologizes so quickly and sincerely every time they argue, how could she bear to blame him?

Ning Jiu didn't know what she was thinking. She had originally planned to wait until he fell asleep before leaving, but for some reason, she ended up falling asleep herself.

The two of them took showers one after the other. The hotel single bed was narrow and the bed board was very hard. It would normally be very crowded for two people to lie on it, but Qiao Bolin took good care of her.

He was practically half-hanging off the edge of the bed, his shoulders and back aching from the hard mattress, but he didn't loosen his grip on her at all. She was being held protectively in his arms, taking up almost the entire space on the bed.

Ning Jiu smelled the same shower gel scent as her own when she was in his arms, mixed with the faint sandalwood fragrance on his body, as if she were being gently enveloped by invisible ripples, it smelled very nice.

She quickly felt at ease in the familiar atmosphere, and weariness gradually crept into her eyes.

The next morning, she was woken up by the ringing of the telephone.

Actually, it wasn't really that she was woken up; the alarm only rang for a moment and then disappeared. But Ning Jiu has always been a light sleeper, and when she groggily opened her eyes at the time of her biological clock, she heard the sexy, husky voice of the man next to her.

"Hello?"

He deliberately lowered his voice, even going to the bathroom to answer the call so as not to disturb her rest, but the room was too small and the sound still reached Ning Jiu's ears intermittently.

Where is the address?

"Okay, I understand, thank you."

At first, she thought Qiao Bailin was answering his own work call, but once she cleared her head, she quickly realized something was wrong.

That phone ring just now—

It was clearly her phone ringing!

"Joe, Bo, Lin!"

Realizing this, Ning Jiu was instantly wide awake. Before she could even put on her slippers, she stormed off to the bathroom to settle the score with him.

Qiao Bolin was on the phone when he noticed the commotion and turned around. His first glance fell on Ning Jiu's bare feet.

"Hold on."

He said something on the other end of the phone, and before Ning Jiu could even speak, he handed the phone back to her.

Ning Jiu glanced at the caller ID, which read Ning Duyun, and guessed that he had persuaded her not to go home yesterday and that she hadn't returned all night, which made Ning Duyun a little anxious.

Without hesitation, I put the phone to my ear, but what came through the other end was an unexpected young female voice.

"A little wine?"

It was Yin Lian's voice.

Ning Jiu was stunned for a moment, never expecting that Ning Duyun's phone would be with Yin Lian.

"My aunt, she..."

"Sister Yun got too drunk last night and is resting in my apartment now. Would it be convenient for you to come and pick her up?"

Ning Jiu never expected that Ning Duyun would also get drunk last night.

As the New Year approaches, everyone's tightly closed valves suddenly loosen, and with joy and anticipation, occasional indulgence and loss of control become perfectly normal.

Ning Jiu immediately agreed and asked Yin Lian for the address. Although there was some surprise in the voice on the other end, it was still gentle and calm.

"The gentleman who answered the phone just now said he would pass it on to you, and I thought you already knew."

"......"

Ning Jiu went to look for the culprit, just as he returned to the bathroom from the bedroom. He was carrying a pair of slippers in his fair and slender hands. As if he didn't notice her gaze, he knelt down on one knee and held her slender ankle to put the slippers on her.

Qiao Bolin had already changed into his outdoor clothes. His suit pants were slightly taut because of his kneeling posture, which made the lines of his bulging thigh muscles even more clear, giving him a unique masculine charm with a touch of restraint.

For some reason, the anger in her heart vanished without a trace.

After thanking Yin Lian and hanging up the phone, Qiao Bolin also helped Ning Jiu put on her shoes.

Even after the action was over, his gaze toward her feet was still undisguisedly hot and direct. Ning Jiu took a few steps back under his gaze and quickly changed the subject.

"yesterday--"

“I was drunk yesterday,” his voice was flat, and as he stood up, his tall figure loomed over Ning Jiu, enveloping her in his shadow. “Did something happen between us?”

Ning Jiu walked down the steps, coughed with one fist to her mouth.

There's nothing there.

"Nothing at all?"

Qiao Bolin repeated her words, his tone slightly slower, with a meaningful upward inflection at the end.

"Ning wine".

"Um?"

"Do you know how adorable you look right now?"

? ? ?

What is he saying?

While Ning Jiu was still in a daze, she heard a bang as the door was slammed shut by Qiao Bolin.

The warmth of his skin still lingered on her ankle. She walked to the sink and looked at her reflection in the mirror, only to be stunned at first glance—

Her lips were swollen, clearly the result of being kissed too roughly last night.

Her face flushed instantly, and her washing movements became somewhat chaotic. The bathroom was already cramped, and when she turned around, she didn't notice that her leg had bumped into the corner of the sink. A sharp pain shot through her knee, and her eyes immediately reddened. Although the noise was small, the person outside the door noticed it immediately.

Her aloof demeanor crumbled completely due to a small accident. Qiao Bolin knocked on the door and pushed it open, his gaze falling on the bruises that almost immediately appeared on her knees. He sighed softly.

He pressed his prominently veined palm against her knee and rubbed it. Ning Jiu bit her lip and couldn't help but groan. He then pressed her down onto the sofa outside the bathroom.

The hotel waiter brought over iodine and a small tube of topical anti-inflammatory ointment. The cool liquid stung slightly as it touched her skin, but he carefully and patiently applied it to her red and swollen skin with his warm fingertips.

Neither of them spoke, and the atmosphere became eerily awkward.

Ning Jiu couldn't stand the atmosphere, so she looked down, unlocked her phone, and looked at the messages she hadn't had time to read last night.

Most of them were colleagues from the dinner party last night, asking her if she got home safely.

She opened the chat window of the Peking University guy who had struck up a conversation with her at the dinner table the night before and found that he had sent several voice messages. Ning Jiu clicked on the first one, converted it to text, and simply asked with concern, "Senior, did you have a safe trip home? Did you get home safely?"

She felt a sense of relief, and as soon as she relaxed a little, she opened the second voice message.

"Senior, I was thinking about this on my way back. I'm still young, and my stamina is definitely better than your previous boyfriends. I won't give up halfway through. How about you consider me?"

"......"

The air froze instantly.

The light from the phone screen illuminated Ning Jiu's face. She felt the hand that was carefully applying ointment to her knee pause slightly. The next moment, Qiao Bolin suddenly applied more pressure, and Ning Jiu gasped softly in pain. When she looked up, Qiao Bolin had already calmly withdrawn his hand.

"It seems that we still need to focus on the important parts, otherwise people will say that the effect is not good."

Why is this person so petty?

Ning Jiu didn't bother arguing with him. After replying to all the messages, she grabbed her car keys and was about to go find Ning Duyun when she suddenly seemed to remember something and turned back to look at him.

"Xiao Lian told you before where my aunt is?"

The man had just finished fastening his tie, picked up his coat from the side of the sofa, and walked naturally toward the door: "You'll see when we get there."

Ning Jiu sensed something was wrong: "What do you mean?"

"I'll go with you."

Ning Jiu eventually moved from the driver's seat to the passenger seat, citing a knee injury that prevented him from driving.

Since she's the one who doesn't drive and wants to save trouble, she has no reason to refuse. But if Qiao Bolin is the one in the driver's seat, then it's a different story.

There was still some distance between the hotel and Ning Duyun's apartment. The two remained silent the entire way, the car terribly stuffy. At first, Ning Jiu could tolerate it, but as time went on, she began to regret agreeing to Qiao Bolin's request.

In high school, he was the one who usually accommodated her. He was intelligent and perceptive, and could easily pick up on her emotional fluctuations. He could also quickly pick up on the topics she wanted to discuss.

But ever since they met again in Shanghai, their conversations have become like barbs; once the topics of their arguments have faded, they realize they have nothing else to talk about.

Ning Jiu's fingertips tightened slightly, and a sudden, suffocating sense of loss arose. For some reason, she missed Qiao Bolin after he got drunk last night. Although he wasn't sober, he was at least more adorable than he was now.

Gradually, he became increasingly angry at the sight of the sober Joelin in front of him.

As soon as they arrived at their destination, Ning Jiu couldn't wait to unbuckle her seatbelt and get out of the car. She was in such a hurry that the spot where she had bumped into something earlier started to hurt as soon as her foot touched the ground.

The driver's side door opened, and the man caught her just in time.

Caught off guard, Ning Jiu's body gently bumped into his chest. The moment their bodies touched, their heartbeats seemed to skip a beat.

The familiar scent lingered around her nose, and she instinctively wanted to back away, but the brief touch still disturbed her breathing. From an angle she couldn't see, Qiao Bolin's eyes darkened slightly, then returned to calm in an instant.

Ning Jiu looked up and saw Qiao Bolin standing leisurely to the side, his tall and slender figure standing in front of the small and exquisite Mini Cooper. The contrasting scene was strangely funny.

My bad mood from the journey was instantly lifted.

After finishing the phone call with Yin Lian, I looked up and saw her helping Ning Duyun slowly walk down the stairs.

Because he had drunk too much last night, his face was still a little pale. Ning Jiu felt a tightness in his heart and quickly went up to help Ning Duyun. Together with Qiao Bolin, they helped Ning Duyun into the car.

Just as I turned to go back to the car, a deep rumble suddenly came from around the corner.

A ostentatious Bugatti sped by, and the young master wearing sunglasses stepped out of the driver's seat, his prominent brows casting a shadow.

Xiao Xiye casually took off his sunglasses, and was clearly taken aback when he saw Qiao Bolin standing in front of the Mini Cooper.

Ning Duyun was already sitting in the car, the biting winter wind howling, and the four of them looked at each other.

The scene fell silent for a moment.

After staring at each other for a few seconds, Xiao Xiye was the first to look away, his gaze falling on Yin Lian.

"Why did you come down wearing so little?"

As he spoke, he naturally stepped forward, reached out and squeezed her hand. His originally carefree expression tightened slightly. His black coat draped down in the lamplight, and his broad back almost enveloped Yin Lian in front of him. He spoke softly.

"Your hands are so cold, hurry up and go upstairs."

Although Ning Jiu didn't know Xiao Xiye well enough, she still found it quite strange to see such a flamboyant and unrestrained face with such a gentle voice.

It was close to the New Year, and the whole street was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations. Children ran by from time to time, holding sparklers, and the air was filled with the sweet aroma of roasted chestnuts.

Almost the instant Xiao Xiye and Yin Lian went upstairs, large snowflakes began to fall from the sky, and Ning Jiu was momentarily stunned.

Fine snowflakes fell on the girl's dark hair and soft cheeks, clusters of snowflakes clinging to her snow-white skin as if adorned with delicate frosting, so lively that it was hard to look away.

Ning Duyun, who was in the car, had probably drunk too much last night and was taking a nap with her eyes closed. Ning Jiu turned around to accompany her back to her apartment, but stopped in her tracks.

She looked at Qiao Bolin, who had been silent for a long time beside her. The snow light reflected on his cool and aloof face, blurring his expression.

Ning Jiu thought for a moment and then spoke up.

"Then... I'll head back now?"

"When you drive here, you see a convenience store nearby. Aren't you going to have breakfast first?"

I've been so busy with work lately that I've reduced my meals from three to two a day. In the mornings, I've been trying to stay awake by drinking coffee.

What she eats should have nothing to do with him, but hearing him say that, Ning Jiu felt a strange sense of guilt that she couldn't explain.

"I'll eat it when I get back."

"Um?"

He seemed not to have heard clearly, glanced at the situation inside the car, and casually remarked.

"Convenience stores usually have hangover remedies, right? Your aunt drank so much last night, she'll probably have a headache when she wakes up."

Qiao Bolin always managed to make even the most ordinary words sound irresistible.

Ning Jiu picked out some hangover remedies at the convenience store and headed to the checkout counter. He habitually glanced at the coffee in the freezer, hesitated for a moment, and then reached out and grabbed an iced mocha.

Although she was just starting to try coffee, she still preferred the slightly sweet kind, which suited her taste better.

As soon as her fingertips touched the cup, a colder sensation than usual rushed up her skin. She was slightly startled, and a faint feeling of heaviness came from her chest and lower abdomen, unlike her usual lightness.

Suddenly realizing something, I was stunned when someone took my mocha and replaced it with a hot caramel latte.

Qiao Bolin bent down slightly, and whether it was her imagination or not, a fleeting look of heartache crossed the man's eyes before he quickly returned to his normal expression.

Ning Jiu looked at him in confusion and heard him say.

"This mocha is leaking, drink this instead."

"Is that so?" Ning Jiu looked at him suspiciously.

Although there was some cold liquid on my fingertips, it was just water stains condensed and liquefied from the cup wall, and there were no coffee stains at all.

Faced with her questioning gaze, Qiao Bolin remained confident, lowering his body even further, his upright face showing a serious expression.

“I put it on my face when I took it,” he said seriously, pointing to a spot on his left cheek. “Isn’t it here?”

Ning Jiu looked into his sincere eyes, her fingertips touching his face, wiping away the cold water droplets. At first, it was just a light touch, but the coldness of her fingertips melted away with the soft, warm touch, and the discomfort from before was instantly dispelled.

Their breaths mingled for a fleeting moment, and a subtle lingering feeling made her unconsciously squeeze her hand, a little too hard. When she realized what she was doing, she almost hastily withdrew her hand, but she didn't expect the man to suddenly turn his head, his soft lips, with the wetness of his tongue, brushing over her fingertips. A damp, slightly itchy sensation spread from her fingertips, and Ning Jiu's mind went blank for a moment.

Was it just her imagination? Since last night, certain details of their interactions kept reminding her of their time in high school, making it difficult for her to even refuse.

"No." Her tone was more urgent than usual.

"Okay, I must have misread it."

Qiao Bolin stared at her for two seconds, the smile on his lips vanishing in an instant. When Ning Jiu looked over, she only saw him shrug, straighten up, as if nothing had happened.

But the bright red fingerprints left on her face seemed like conspicuous evidence, proclaiming what she had just done.

As the two walked out of the convenience store, Qiao Bolin suddenly grabbed Ning Jiu's wrist. His palm was burning hot. He didn't use much force; Ning Jiu could easily shake him off.

Ning Jiu felt a force and turned around, only to be met with a pair of bright, calm eyes. Her hand-waving motion stopped abruptly.

She heard him ask.

"Want to make a bet?"

"What?"

Perhaps she couldn't keep up with his train of thought, or simply didn't want to hear clearly, Ning Jiu frowned and pretended not to understand. As she turned to leave, the man gently pulled her back by hooking his little finger around her finger.

"Want to make a bet? I bet you still have feelings for me."

"......"

After a few seconds of silence, Ning Jiu didn't avoid the question this time, but simply chuckled softly.

Which side are you betting on?

"Of course, it's the opposite of you."

Too cunning.

Whichever side she chooses, it will actually play right into his hands.

“You know which side I’ll choose, Qiao Bailin.” A fleeting hint of panic in her eyes was quickly suppressed, and Ning Jiu’s tone was calm, almost cold. “I haven’t had any feelings for you for a long time; this kind of bet is meaningless—”

"If you win, I can give you everything I have."

He spoke so quickly that Ning Jiu was momentarily stunned.

As if sensing her disbelief, Qiao Bolin repeated himself.

"If you win, my fame, fortune, status, all of this are yours to do with as you please."

"What if I lose?" There's no such thing as a free lunch. She raised her beautiful eyes, observing his expression. "What do you want me to give you?"

The wind was biting cold. Qiao Bolin subtly blocked the airflow blowing towards Ning Jiu with his body, his eyes fixed on her.

"So you're agreeing?"

"I'm wondering where your confidence comes from." She still couldn't stand his habitually self-assured tone and deliberately retorted, "We don't even know when we'll see each other again, how could I possibly still be so—"

“So I’m betting, Ning Jiu,” he said. “I’ll know the answer before we meet again.”

He spoke so earnestly, as if he had laid bare all his cards, including his most vulnerable weaknesses, leaving no way out.

But how could that be? Ning Jiu still didn't believe it.

The probability of someone being able to express their feelings for him without even meeting him is incredibly small. Doesn't Qiao Bolin know how slim that probability is?

His cool, low voice carried on the wind, inexplicably making Ning Jiu's ears burn.

"By then, you will know what I want."

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

Author's Note: Isn't this kid quite innocent and pure in these two chapters?

Hehehe, don't be fooled by him. He'll be getting some serious action in the next chapter. [Sunglasses]