Chapter 39 Princess Carry

The man gently stroked Jiang Xia's cheek with his fingertips. The wind on the mountain was still a bit strong, making Jiang Xia's face pale and bloodless.

He quietly lowered his eyes to look at the ground, not daring to look at himself. His pale lips pursed slightly, and his eyelashes trembled slightly.

This gesture looks like a silent act of coquetry.

If Jiang Xia and Wu Zhou fall in love in the future, will he also act coquettishly towards Wu Zhou like this? Or will he remain silent and obediently wait for someone to touch him, just like he is now?

Zhan Lintian's eyes darkened slightly, his fingertips still pressed against Jiang Xia's cheek, and for a moment he forgot to let go.

In the past, when we talked on the phone, Jiang Xia always did the same thing, never interrupting, but just listening quietly through the receiver.

Zhan Lintian hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped. How could nothing be wrong?

If Wu Ming hadn't been dating Xie Xingzhang, and if he had confessed to Jiang Xia a little over a month earlier... Wu Zhou would now only be considered a mistress.

Jiang Xia and Wu Ming's relationship has spanned not just one or two years, but fourteen years. From their early, more "awakened" teenage years to their current maturity, they have consulted each other on almost every crucial life decision.

Wu Ming refused to study abroad for Jiang Xia's sake, and Jiang Xia left her hometown for Mengcheng for Wu Ming's sake...

Jiang Xia's eyes were almost overflowing with sadness, but she forced a smile and said she was fine...

Zhan Lintian felt sorry for him, so he forgot to let go of his hand.

Jiang Xia pursed her lips.

Mr. Zhan is a very nice person, but he seems to have no concept of "social distancing" and always recklessly exceeds the comfortable distance.

Now, the two are so close that they can even smell each other's breath when they breathe.

After a moment's thought, Jiang Xia chose to understand: this might be related to the fact that he had spent many years abroad.

He was too enthusiastic... Jiang Xia touched the band-aid on his forehead and thought to himself that he had only bumped his head and didn't need a band-aid.

As time passed, the atmosphere grew increasingly tense.

He looked up and asked, "Mr. Zhan, where are we going?"

Zhan Lintian withdrew his hand, put one hand in his pocket, and turned to look at him: "Want to go kayaking? Can you?"

Jiang Xia shook his head: "I couldn't get a kayaking class in college."

Zhan Lintian understood after a moment's thought.

Jiang Xia comes from an ordinary background, and the only way he could get involved in kayaking was probably by taking an elective course in college.

Zhan Lintian led him forward, his tone relaxed: "It's very simple, I'll teach you."

He suddenly changed the subject and asked, "But I'm not very good at it either. I haven't swum in years. Can you swim?"

Jiang Xia paused for a moment, then answered softly, "No, I don't know either."

Although his hometown, Duliang, and Mengcheng are both areas with well-developed water systems, Duliang is remote and economically underdeveloped. When he was studying, there were basically no indoor swimming pools in the area, and the school repeatedly prohibited swimming in the wild.

Therefore, his impression of swimming was "dangerous", "terrifying", and untouchable.

Upon arriving in Montreal, I discovered that most schools here have gymnasiums and swimming pools, encouraging students to learn to swim and strive to discover their swimming talents...

He couldn't answer either of Zhan Lintian's two questions, and the feeling of having his veil of shame lifted without his knowledge was not pleasant.

He knew that President Zhan was just asking casually, but that feeling stemmed from his own embarrassment and inferiority complex, and had nothing to do with anyone else.

Zhan Lintian didn't seem to care, saying only, "If you can't swim, would you dare to go into the water wearing a life jacket? This is land invested in by acquaintances, and some projects are not yet open to the public. They invited me to experience it last time, but I felt it wouldn't be fun to come alone."

Jiang Xia nodded.

Zhan Lintian raised an eyebrow, his voice tinged with amusement: "It's fortunate you were willing to come."

Zhan Lintian said that on purpose. He was the one who took the time to keep Jiang Xia company because he saw that she was in a bad mood, but in his words, it became Jiang Xia helping him.

He chuckled and followed in President Zhan's footsteps.

Since they weren't very good at paddling in the gorge, the two of them chose a double kayak.

Zhan Lintian had him sit in the front, while he himself controlled the direction and deployed the main force from behind.

Following his instructions, Jiang Xia gently paddled the kayak forward, even giving it a push-back sensation.

Jiang Xia swayed and quickly turned around to see the muscles on President Zhan's arm. He wondered if it had been a long time since he had sculpted.

Zhan Lintian asked, "What's wrong?"

"nothing."

Jiang Xia quickly got the hang of it and rowed hard to reduce the pressure on Zhan Lintian.

The scenery on both banks receded, and brown-red fallen leaves drifted onto the water. Their small boat made a path through the water, gently pushing aside the fallen leaves.

Jiang Xia felt inexplicably sad.

Such a beautiful scene, but time will pass quickly. Perhaps in the blink of an eye, I will be in Duliang ten years from now, reminiscing about Mengcheng today, when I rowed a boat with my friends on the mountain.

Even memories can become blurred.

Everything will become blurred: the flowing water, the leaves, and Zhan Lintian behind them.

Just like the books he read, reading the stories of the authors when they were young, and reading the essays of the authors when they were old, a long fifty or sixty years are condensed into a short piece of text.

Just like how he sometimes feels that his junior high school days are still yesterday.

How come it's already been fourteen years?

Jiang Xia turned around. Zhan Lintian's facial features were seven parts rugged and three parts unruly, and his deep-set eyes gave his eyes a touch of deep affection.

He was wearing a black linen shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, and his figure appeared and disappeared intermittently as he paddled the oar from side to side.

Years later, how will I remember all of this, and how will I write about Zhan Lintian?

Jiang Xia said, "Mr. Zhan, would you mind if I included you in my writing in the future?"

Zhan Lintian slowed down his paddling and asked, "I don't mind, but aren't you going to take a good look?"

Jiang Xia looked at him with a puzzled expression.

Zhan Lintian said, "Perhaps I will move you even more in the future."

Jiang Xia stared at him. Was there going to be a "later"? He quickly came to his senses, turned forward, and gently rowed, his voice rising slightly: "Then I'll write it all in."

Once the kayaks reach the finish line, they can't go any further because the water drop is too great, so a net is set up to block the way.

The two went ashore and walked along the tree-lined path, crunching the red leaves on the ground.

Zhan Lintian, with his sharp eyes, noticed a glimpse of yellow peeking out of his pocket and asked, "What's in your pocket?"

Jiang Xia pulled out some ginkgo leaves from his pocket: "I thought they were very pretty, so I picked some up. I thought it would be beautiful if they fell down in a flurry."

Unfortunately, the ginkgo tree at the wedding venue had already been shaken by workers beforehand, and only a few leaves occasionally fell.

Zhan Lintian repeated, "In a flurry?"

Jiang Xia took a few quick steps forward, then suddenly raised his hand and threw all the ginkgo leaves in his hand into the air.

Ginkgo leaves swirled and drifted in the air, some brushing against Jiang Xia's cheek. He turned to look at Zhan Lintian.

Her voice was slightly cheerful as she chuckled, "Just like this."

The leaves, like falling golden petals, drifted down from the sky, and the river gorge stood amidst the beautiful scenery, its surface reflecting the golden hues of autumn.

Looking at the scene before him, and at the smiling Jiang Xia, Zhan Lintian said, word by word, "It is indeed very beautiful..."

Jiang Xia looked up, her face beaming with a smile, and said gently, "Right?"

The man in front of him looked at his face, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly, his voice a little lower and hoarse than before: "Beautiful."

Jiang Xia turned around with his hands behind his back and walked forward with light steps. President Zhan followed behind him, watching him at a leisurely pace.

The two remained silent, the only sounds being the crunch of shoes on fallen leaves and the wind whistling through the maple forest. Yet, Jiang Xia felt no embarrassment.

His mood improved, and before he knew it, it was evening.

Zhan Lintian took him out to eat. During the meal, he handed him a glass of tequila mixed by the restaurant and asked him to take a small sip to warm himself up.

If Jiang Xia has been drinking, he cannot drive under the influence of alcohol.

Therefore, Zhan Lintian had already arranged for a driver to help drive it back.

Jiang Xia himself rode in his car and was driven home by him.

The restaurant wasn't close to Jiangxia's house; it was already a journey of more than an hour, and then there was traffic congestion on the way.

Jiang Xia was sitting upright in the passenger seat. The car's heater and the effects of the alcohol made him fall asleep without realizing it.

While waiting at the traffic light, Zhan Lintian looked at Jiang Xia's profile. The other man was breathing lightly, with thick eyelashes drooping and moist lips slightly pursed. He looked like a carefree young man when he was asleep.

Zhan Lintian gently draped his coat over him from the car. When they arrived at his apartment building, the man groggily woke up.

When Jiang Xia woke up, he moved his arms and found them sore and swollen. He then realized that he was experiencing the aftereffects of rowing during the day.

He was exhausted and sleepy, still feeling the effects of the alcohol, and his eyelids were barely open. All he wanted to do was collapse into bed and sleep soundly all night; he had absolutely no energy left to think about Wu Ming.

He got out of the car, said goodbye hastily and vaguely, and staggered upstairs.

Zhan Lintian stopped the car and didn't start it. Seeing this, he was worried that Jiang Xia might fall asleep in the stairwell, so he quickly got out of the car and followed her.

Jiang Xia could no longer distinguish east from west, north from south, his vision was blurry, and he climbed up the stairs while holding onto the wall, wanting nothing more than to fall asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

But when he looked up, Wu Zhou was standing right in front of his own door, and he suddenly became much more awake.

Jiang Xia greeted them first, trying hard to overcome his drunkenness; his voice was a little unsteady.

"Mr. Wu."

Jiang Xia, fearing he was looking for Wu Ming, quickly changed the subject: "I just got home. Wu Ming shouldn't be here. I don't know where he is..."

Wu Zhou said frankly, "I came here to find you. I'm waiting for you."

Jiangxia Leng remained in place.

The man walked in, saw that Jiang Xia seemed to be in good condition, and repeated, "I've been waiting for you."

Jiang Xia staggered, his body swayed, and he barely managed to stand by leaning against the wall.

Wu Zhou pulled him into his arms without any hesitation, bent down and tilted his head, trying to ask, "You're a little drunk. Zhan Lintian fed you some wine."

Jiang Xia's mouth moved faster than her brain: "I didn't..."

He was quick with his hands, and taking advantage of Wu Zhou's questioning, he reached out and unlocked the door in the dim light of the corridor, thinking he could slip inside.

The next moment, his body was suspended in mid-air, and Wu Zhou directly picked him up horizontally. Jiang Xia quickly grabbed his tie to steady him.

The two gazed at each other silently at close range, their gaze so intimate it felt like a long, drawn-out kiss.

.

A note from the author:

The reason why President Wu and President Zhan are not very hostile to each other is that neither of them has ever risen to a higher position. If Wu Ming had made his move a few days earlier, neither of them would have had the right to get close to Jiangxia.

[Eating melon seeds]