Chapter 47 A Few Good Male Beauties... How...

A new round of Werewolf began, and Yu Miao was called back to the table.

After Yu Miao left, Jiang Nuanyu's jealousy subsided slightly, and she began to care about the article again.

She didn't want Liang Qi to feel that her actions were a one-sided defense without respecting his wishes. She also wanted to explain to him the source of the photos.

Before she could explain, Liang Qi spoke first: "Want to keep playing?"

Jiang Nuanyu's heart skipped a beat, and she looked up abruptly, only to see Liang Qi's gaze fixed on the game screen in front of her.

she:"……"

When he said "play," he was obviously referring to playing games; what else could it be...?

There were two controllers on the table, one red and one blue. Liang Qi picked one up and looked at her: "How do you play?"

Jiang Nuanyu pursed her lips, put down her drink, and gestured to him from a distance, saying, "The left side is for controlling direction, and the right side..." She couldn't remember the corresponding buttons either, and vaguely said, "One for acceleration, one for chopping vegetables, and one for throwing."

Liang Qi didn't speak, but quietly looked at her for a while before suddenly asking, "Why are you sitting so far away?"

Jiang Nuanyu was taken aback.

There are three sets of sofas here. She is sitting in the set on the right, and Liang Qi is sitting in the set on the left side of the middle set. Yu Miao was originally sitting next to him, but now she is not there, leaving a large empty space between them, which looks a bit deliberate.

Liang Qi gestured to the side and said, "Come sit here."

After a brief hesitation, Jiang Nuanyu got up and moved over.

Her face felt hot, and her heart was pounding with excitement: after all, they were going to play games together, so sitting next to each other wasn't a problem. They would have to look at the screen eventually anyway.

She picked up another handle on the table, re-matched the buttons, and explained to Liang Qi, "This button is for picking up and putting down. This one is for chopping vegetables. This one is for acceleration; pressing it will make you run a little faster for a short time. This one..." As she spoke, she glanced at Liang Qi's expression.

He listened with his eyes down, looking surprisingly focused and attentive.

Thinking that he probably never plays games at all, but now he has to listen to her explain the game rules that even Yu Miao thinks are childish, Jiang Nuanyu couldn't help but purse her lips and chuckle.

She had barely chuckled, before she could even make a sound, when Liang Qi looked up at her and asked, "What are you laughing at?"

She quickly shook her head: "No."

Liang Qi raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing her, so she quickly changed the subject: "That's all, it's very simple, right?"

Liang Qi remained silent. He wasn't really that confident about playing the game.

Jiang Nuanyu said, "Shall I begin?"

Liang Qi nodded: "Okay."

Jiang Nuanyu used the controller to switch to two-player mode, where she and Liang Qi each controlled a character. This time, she didn't have to control two characters by herself.

Liang Qi mastered the game rules and techniques in just one level, and the two of them cooperated perfectly afterward, clearing the levels one after another.

Although Jiang Nuanyu agreed that the game was somewhat childish, she played it very seriously and became completely absorbed, her eyes following the rhythm of the game. The moment the controller vibrated, she panicked, wishing she could stand up and start playing.

Liang Qi, sitting next to her, leaned back on the sofa, his hands on his hips, operating the game controller. No matter what the situation was in the game, he maintained the same posture and expression.

When it came to the level where Jiang Nuanyu had failed repeatedly, she was completely focused, careful and cautious, afraid of making a mistake. This time, with Liang Qi's help, the two passed the level with a perfect score on their first attempt.

The stars on the screen lit up one by one, twinkling and shimmering.

Jiang Nuanyu happily raised the handle, turned to look at Liang Qi, her eyes shining: "Passed!"

Liang Qi nodded at her: "Mm."

Jiang Nuanyu noticed that although he was playing, he didn't seem very interested, unlike her who was so excited.

She asked, "Won't it be boring?"

Liang Qi glanced at the screen, didn't answer directly, and only said, "It's quite fun."

...Really? Jiang Nuanyu thought to herself: But your expression doesn't look like you find it funny.

She glanced at the controller in Liang Qi's hand, then at her own, and belatedly realized with a puzzled look: how did she end up playing games with Liang Qi?

She didn't start a new level and silently put the controller back on the table.

Liang Qi sat up straight and asked, "Not playing anymore?"

Jiang Nuanyu's thoughts briefly drifted off again, as if by reflex.

Hearing Liang Qi talk about whether or not to play the game felt really strange to her right now.

She made conversation by asking, "You never play games, do you?"

Liang Qi glanced at her sideways and said, "Did I play really badly?"

"No," Jiang Nuanyu hurriedly denied. "I was just asking. You're having a great time..." she said, lowering her eyelids.

It was just an objective evaluation, but she felt like her compliment was radiating pink bubbles. It was rather embarrassing.

Liang Qi didn't continue the conversation. He stared at her for a while and then said, "You came to Tangwan yesterday too?"

Jiang Nuanyu was taken aback: "How did you know?"

Liang Qi didn't say anything, just looked at her. Jiang Nuanyu then realized that her question was a bit silly—Liang Qi had just come from Zhao Nan's private room.

“Oh, Zhao Nan…” she asked herself knowingly.

Now that things have come to this, it's time to clarify why she came to Tangwan last night and about the photos.

"The photos in the article Yu Miao mentioned earlier... I got them from Shi Youning." Mentioning Shi Youning, she quickly glanced at Liang Qi.

He was looking into her eyes, his expression indifferent, making it impossible to tell whether he cared about the topic.

She continued, "The photos were posted online without your permission... Also, regarding the parts of the article about you, if you don't like those parts, I can delete the article at any time."

After listening, Liang Qi didn't say anything else, only asking, "Why do you want to do this?"

Jiang Nuanyu's eyebrows furrowed slightly, and she muttered, "I'm angry."

"What are you angry about?" Liang Qi asked.

She thought for a moment and said, "Because they're wrong."

Liang Qi nodded slightly, feigning ignorance, and asked, "What's wrong?"

Jiang Nuanyu stared intently at a point in the air and said, "Everything about you is wrong."

“About me,” Liang Qi said, his gaze slowly sweeping across her eyes, “why do you care?”

Jiang Nuanyu's gaze froze, she blinked twice, and vaguely sensed that something was amiss. She turned to look at him, but his seemingly forceful gaze completely interrupted her thoughts.

Her lips moved: "I..."

"Hmm?" he asked gently, "Why?"

“Because…” Jiang Nuanyu’s breathing became shallower as he looked at her. She looked away and found a relatively safe reason, “I don’t want you to be misunderstood.”

She lowered her head, trying to avoid the next topic, but Liang Qi pressed on: "Why—"

"Don't ask anymore..." she hurriedly interrupted him, her fingers tightly wrapped around her leg, her voice soft and almost pleading, "Don't ask me anymore... Liang Qi."

Liang Qi didn't speak. After a moment of silence, his gaze softened, and he ultimately didn't force her to face it anymore.

She said she would never say she liked him again.

He shook his head slightly. The little girl looked gentle, but she had a rather stubborn temper.

He suddenly remembered Zhao Nan saying that he was helpless against her. He had initially dismissed this statement, but given the current situation, Zhao Nan might not be wrong.

Liang Qi chose to back down and stopped pressing her for answers, but Jiang Nuanyu kept her head down, looking like a wary little quail.

He looked at her for a few seconds, then sighed silently as if in helplessness. He pinched the back of her neck and said, "I understand. I won't ask anymore."

Jiang Nuanyu felt the force coming from her neck, and her throat was almost overwhelmed by the heartache overflowing from her chest.

He let her go, but she was no longer sure if this was the outcome she wanted.

Liang Qi saw that she seemed happy and relaxed while playing the game, and was thinking of playing some other games with her to ease the tension, when the werewolf game ended on the other side, and everyone stood up, as if it was time to leave.

He glanced at his watch; it was just past ten. He then looked at Jiang Nuanyu, who was also looking towards the crowd. When he turned back, their eyes met, but she didn't give him a chance to speak, quickly looking away.

Liang Qi pursed his lips, nodded to himself, and said nothing more.

The group left the private room and headed towards the elevator lobby. Jiang Nuanyu was at the very back of the group, with Liang Qi walking beside her.

Upon reaching the elevator lobby, Yu Miao kept marveling at how she had actually "survived" to the end.

"This was the game I was least confident about; I'm the worst at playing the Seer." She looked at everyone. "You guys must not have voted for me because it's the last game and you're giving me face as the one who's treating, right?"

One of the boys said, "No way, you relied purely on skill this time."

"Really?" Yu Miao didn't realize he was being sarcastic, and a glimmer of hope appeared in her eyes.

"Of course it's fake. You actually believed it?" the boy laughed. "With your board game skills, how could you possibly win if others didn't let you win?"

Upon hearing this, Yu Miao instantly lost her composure and chased after him, hitting him once: "Go to hell!"

Upon hearing these words, Jiang Nuanyu felt a sudden jolt in her head and gripped the strap of her bag tightly.

She understood that Yu Miao meant no harm and the boy didn't mind, but those words still made her feel uneasy.

She clearly didn't have the mental fortitude to pretend those vile words and vicious curses never existed.

Liang Qi noticed her subtle stiffness, followed her gaze to Yu Miao, who was playing around with her friends, and then glanced at her expression, and roughly understood.

He barely glanced at the public comments under that article before finding them unbearable to read, not to mention that there must be even darker areas hidden beneath the surface.

Having grown accustomed to being in the sunlight, she was inevitably stung by those voices that couldn't bear the light of day.

The elevator arrived at that moment, and Jiang Nuanyu followed behind everyone to get in. Just as she took a step out, Liang Qi grabbed her elbow.

She was forced to stop, turned around, and looked at him with confusion.

Liang Qi said, "Would you like to stay a little longer?"

Jiang Nuanyu didn't speak, not understanding what he meant.

Liang Qi tilted his head towards the only door on the wall and said, "This is Zhao Nan's place. You were here yesterday too."

The two of them stood outside while their friends entered the elevator. Yu Miao called out to them, "Sister Nuanyu, Liang Qi—"

Before Jiang Nuanyu could say anything, Liang Qi spoke up: "You guys go down first." He looked at Yu Miao, nodded to her, and said, "I'll take her home."

Jiang Nuanyu was stunned for a moment, and felt her heart beat faster.

She didn't look at Liang Qi, but tacitly approved of his arrangement. She turned to Yu Miao and said, "You guys go first, bye-bye."

"Oh..." Yu Miao looked at the two of them blankly and released the elevator button.

The elevator doors closed, and the place returned to silence.

Liang Qi raised his hand and patted her head.

Jiang Nuanyu was surprised to find that he didn't seem surprised by his action. Even though he didn't say anything, she still understood the reassuring meaning behind his actions.

The grievances in her heart seemed to have finally found an outlet. How fortunate she was that when she had no one to confide in, he could see through her vulnerability and comfort her.

But soon, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her chest.

Could it be that he understands her so well because, like her, he has also personally experienced the harm caused by those invisible forms of violence?

She was only on the periphery of the incident, yet she was affected so severely. How much pressure must Liang Qi, who was at the center of the storm, be under?

A surge of grievance rose in her chest again, but this time, it wasn't just for herself.

Driven by this tender emotion, she subconsciously turned her head and chased after his hand with her face.

He casually touched her face. Her cheeks were soft and warm, while his hands were firm and strong; their skin rubbed together, warmth flowing between them, but at this moment, they could temporarily put aside any thoughts of desire.

“Liang Qi,” she looked up, her brows furrowing unconsciously, “would you be upset by those words?”

Liang Qi looked at her and shook his head slightly: "No."

"Why?"

He paused for two seconds and said, "Online comments, whether good or bad, are too far removed from reality. For the same thing or the same person, some people attack while others admire. One day they avoid them like the plague, and the next day they flock to them. There is no logic or reason to it."

"So to me, these voices are worthless and not worth the time or effort to understand. What other people think and do is their own business and has nothing to do with me. I will not take any responsibility for other people's emotions."

She gazed at him quietly, carefully experiencing the part of his world that he was revealing to her. She touched it gently with her heart and felt a sense of peace and security.

He gently tucked her hair behind her ear, smoothing her temples, and then looked intently into her eyes.

"Jiang Nuanyu." He suddenly called her name.

"Um?"

"You don't need to take any responsibility either."

Jiang Nuanyu was taken aback, blinked her swollen eyes, and nodded gently: "Yes, I understand."

He added, "You don't need to take responsibility for me."

Her nose stung again, she lowered her head, and remained silent.

His fingertips ran through her hair, touching the skin behind her ear. His fingertips were slightly cool, but his palms were warm.

Jiang Nuanyu didn't reject this kind of contact at all; in fact, she liked it a little and obediently stayed still.

"Want to go inside and play a little longer?" he said. "Or do you want to go home?"

Just as Jiang Nuanyu was wondering whether to stay or leave, Liang Qi said again, "Let's go crash Zhao Nan's party, hmm?"

He was clearly asking for her opinion, but she felt that his tone was deliberately seducing her.

She felt a tingling sensation in her heart, her face inexplicably flushed, and she lowered her eyelashes little by little.

She couldn't refuse him, she just couldn't.

Liang Qi understood that she meant she agreed, smiled slowly, and patted her head again before putting his hand down.

The two walked together toward Zhao Nan's private room. Just as they reached the door, it opened from the inside, and Shi Youning came out to meet them.

Upon seeing each other, all three paused in their tracks.

Jiang Nuanyu stole a glance at Liang Qi, but his expression didn't change at all, and she couldn't tell anything from him.

Shi Youning smiled politely at the two of them, but didn't say anything or make eye contact. She walked past them and left.

Jiang Nuanyu felt an eerie awkwardness about the scene. Thinking back, it seemed to be the first time the three of them had met.

She heard the elevator doors close behind her and started to walk forward, but Liang Qi stayed put and grabbed her wrist.

This time, he used some force, and as she turned around, she moved forward due to inertia, almost bumping into him.

She instinctively tried to back away, but Liang Qi pulled her back with force. She pressed herself against his chest and remained still.

He wouldn't let her back away, but after a few seconds, he took a half-step back himself. The distance increased slightly, and he leaned down, his face close to hers.

Jiang Nuanyu immediately held her breath and tried to shrink back, but Liang Qi put his hand on her shoulder to stop her.

He was still clutching his suit jacket in his hand, and could only hold her by the back of her neck with his wrist, almost as if he were hugging her.

Jiang Nuanyu couldn't hide now. His gaze wasn't sharp at all, yet it made her inexplicably nervous. She swallowed hard, blinking nervously.

"Jiang Nuanyu".

She said softly, "Mmm."

She loved it when he called her name. She loved hearing it and loved responding to him.

“I won’t look back,” Liang Qi said. “The past doesn’t count. It has no reference value.”

Jiang Nuanyu was stunned.

She truly didn't understand, or rather, dared not understand, his meaning, hoping he would say another word. But Liang Qi didn't. He straightened up and released her.

Before Jiang Nuanyu could react, he pulled her into the private room.

The door opened, and Zhao Nan turned his head to see Liang Qi. He said in surprise, "Why are you back again..." But when he saw Jiang Nuanyu behind him, Zhao Nan's words stopped abruptly.

Liang Qi gestured with his chin to the empty sofa set and said, "Sit here for a while."

Zhao Nan looked back and forth between the two, beaming with joy: "Sit down, sit wherever you like! You can even lie down if you want, the inner room is yours!"

Zhao Nan was used to joking, and in his excitement, he spoke a little without thinking. Liang Qi glanced at him coolly, then turned to look at Jiang Nuanyu. She had her head down, seemingly not thinking much of Zhao Nan's words.

Zhao Nan went to get the wine, and the two walked over to the sofa. Jiang Nuanyu took off her coat, folded it neatly, and placed it along with her bag in a corner of the sofa before sitting down beside it.

Liang Qi casually placed his suit jacket on her coat, then sat down to her right, past her.

His movements were so natural. Jiang Nuanyu glanced at the clothes the two of them had folded together out of the corner of her eye, feeling as if a small fist was gently pounding against her chest.

Zhao Nan poured Liang Qi a glass of whiskey, handed it to him, and then turned to ask Jiang Nuanyu, "Little Jiang, do you drink?"

Upon hearing this address, Liang Qi narrowed his eyes, looked up at Zhao Nan, and his gaze seemed to ask, "Are you alright?"

Zhao Nan received this disdain and felt inwardly wronged.

After Liang Qi gave him a cold look for his initial slightly risqué joke, he wanted to make amends and express his friendliness in a more serious manner.

Calling him by his given name would be too formal, and calling him "little sister" would be a bit frivolous. He thought about "Little Jiang" for a long time before he felt that it was suitable in every way, but who knew that this gentleman was still not satisfied.

Zhao Nan licked his lips and blinked at Liang Qi a few times, begging for mercy.

Jiang Nuanyu caught the exchange of glances between the two men, and her thoughts were all over the place, so she forgot to answer Zhao Nan's question.

Liang Qi knew she could drink, and since there were no outsiders at the venue, he didn't try to stop her. Instead, he asked, "Would you like a drink?"

Jiang Nuanyu thought for a moment, then shook her head.

Liang Qi's gaze shifted, and he said, "She doesn't want to drink; just have someone bring her a beverage." He then asked her, "Juice?"

Jiang Nuanyu nodded.

"Okay, okay, okay." Zhao Nan grinned from ear to ear at their interaction. He asked Jiang Nuanyu, "How about apple juice for Christmas Eve?"

"Can."

She had been nodding and shaking her head, but finally spoke. Zhao Nan chuckled and said, "Okay!"

After Zhao Nan left, Jiang Nuanyu looked at Liang Qi, who was taking a sip of whiskey.

Unlike his usual preference for light-colored shirts, he was dressed entirely in black today, even his tie was black, but not pure black; it was a black with a silver-gray metallic sheen.

Noticing her gaze, Liang Qi put down his glass and looked back. He pursed his lips, his Adam's apple bobbing as he slowly swallowed the wine in his mouth. Then, he suddenly curled the corners of his lips into a faint smile.

Looking at that smile, Jiang Nuanyu suddenly realized that she seemed to have been staring at him for a long time.

She was startled, quickly looked away, and futilely turned her head slightly to the other side.

She swallowed hard, her throat feeling dry.

Was she just bewitched by male beauty?

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A note from the author: