Chapter 441 Reserved?

"Sis, you don't know, he picks me up from school every day... Last week I casually mentioned wanting to fly a kite, and he stayed up all night making a swallow kite, insisting on taking me to Houhai despite the snow..."

Zhang Yueran clung to her sister's arm and shook it. "As a result, I caught a cold, and he personally brewed three days' worth of traditional Chinese medicine for me..."

Nan Zhiyi listened with a smile as her younger sister shook her, causing her hair to loosen slightly.

"Yes," Nan Zhiyi gently patted the back of her hand, "Zhou Xingzhi really cares about you."

"Of course!"

Zhang Yueran raised her chin, silently comparing them in her mind: Fifth Brother would warm his sister's hands, and Zhou Xingzhi would put her hands in his coat pockets; Fifth Brother remembered his sister's favorite dishes, and Zhou Xingzhi even remembered her favorite plum blossom pattern clearly...

Hehe, she has to treat Zhou Xingzhi even better.

When they arrived at the army compound, Zhang Yueran climbed into the passenger seat after watching Nan Zhiyi and her nephew enter. Zhou Xingzhi gazed at her with eyes like a clear spring bathed in moonlight.

Seeing her beaming smile, he reached out and stroked her cheek. "You've been saying nice things about me all the way here?"

"Dream on!" Zhang Yueran poked his arm, but his cool hand grasped hers.

"Go home?" He gently rubbed her tiger's mouth with his thumb.

Zhang Yueran intertwined her fingers with his, her voice softening, "Yes, let's go home." She gently scratched his palm with her fingertips, "I'll take you home for Chinese New Year this year too, Zhou Xingzhi."

Zhou Xingzhi turned to look at her, "Okay, thank you, thank you for taking me home." His voice was deep and gentle, each word filled with tenderness.

Zhang Yueran's ears burned.

She couldn't stand Zhou Xingzhi's way of speaking; it was like a silkworm spinning silk, completely enveloping her.

The words were the most ordinary, yet he recited them with tender rhymes, making her willingly immerse herself in this sea of ​​gentleness.

As the car drove past the streetlights, light and shadow danced across his profile.

Zhang Yueran gazed at his straight nose, her eyes involuntarily sliding to the hands gripping the steering wheel. Those hands were strikingly white in the darkness, with slender fingers slightly bent, and bluish veins faintly visible beneath the thin skin, like a fine piece of mutton-fat jade suddenly brought to life.

These same hands patiently untangled her braided hair, the gentle touch of the comb teeth as they carefully brushed through her long locks. Later... later those hands stroked her back, the warmth of their palms making her tremble...

"Um... Gu Yan is going to hold his wedding in Jian'an during the Chinese New Year..."

She turned her gaze to the car window, using the darkness to hide her burning cheeks, "Mom and Dad will probably have to go back then, you..."

Zhou Xingzhi's gaze swept over her flushed earlobes, and he said knowingly, "Yes, I know. He's Minister Gu's younger brother. If it's convenient, I'll go with you to prepare the congratulatory gift."

Zhang Yueran jumped for joy: "Great! Brother Liu is the most generous, you'll definitely like him..."

Zhou Xingzhi remained silent for a long while, then said in a low voice, "Sixth Brother, you like him a lot?...You've never even called me 'brother'..."

Zhang Yueran chuckled at his wistful tone, nuzzling her head against his shoulder, her sweet voice echoing in the car: "Brother! Brother! Xingzhi Brother!"

She deliberately leaned close to his reddened earlobe, seizing the opportunity to shake his arm: "So you like listening to this? Then I'll call you 'good brother' every day from now on~"

Zhou Xingzhi's cheeks flushed slightly, and his fingers tightened slightly around the steering wheel, but he insisted on looking ahead calmly.

"Sit still, we're starting the car."

Zhang Yueran took advantage of the situation and traced his cheek with her fingertips: "Brother...you're blushing!" Suddenly, he gently grasped her wrist with his free right hand.

"If you keep causing trouble," he turned to look at her, trying to straighten his expression, "we'll go back and I'll teach you calligraphy."

These words have no deterrent effect whatsoever; they sound more like an indulgent invitation.

Zhang Yueran leaned back in her seat and laughed.

When the car stopped at the alley entrance near the courtyard, Zhou Xingzhi leaned over to unbuckle his seatbelt, and a faint scent of sandalwood mixed with the aroma of books enveloped him.

Zhang Yueran hugged his neck: "Brother, give me a kiss, just one kiss."

Zhou Xingzhi's breath hitched slightly. Gazing at her dimples that sparkled with laughter, he lowered his head and gave her a gentle peck.

Zhou Xingzhi glanced out the car window: "We'll talk about it when we get back..."

"Hmph, fine." Zhang Yueran tugged at his sleeve and quickly walked into the yard, looking impatient.

The snow on the bluestone slabs crunched softly under her feet.

Back in the warm and cozy main room, she let Zhou Xingzhi help her unbutton her coat, then suddenly exclaimed, "Ah!" "The electromagnetic experimental device I promised Xiaoman!"

Before he finished speaking, he left Zhou Xingzhi behind.

Zhou Xingzhi was used to her erratic thinking, so he silently hung up their coats and slowly went to the laboratory in the side room to find her.

Zhang Yueran skillfully used a multimeter to test the circuit. Seeing him come in, she mumbled an explanation, "I'll install it before the holiday and give it to Gu Zhao. I'll go to my sister's house later. Fifth Brother's holiday will definitely start late, so I'll have time..."

Zhou Xingzhi silently gazed at her, tucking a stray strand of her hair behind her ear, a subtle pang of sadness rising in his heart. She was always like this, so easily forgetting...

It wasn't until Zhang Yueran finally noticed his unusual silence that she looked up and met his deep gaze.

"What's wrong?"

"You were in the car just now..." Zhou Xingzhi put on a wronged expression, "We promised to kiss..."

Zhang Yueran suddenly realized what he meant and laughed as she threw herself into his arms.

The moment she tiptoed to kiss him, she heard a soft sigh escape his throat.

The kiss started gently, until she playfully bit his lower lip, at which point he suddenly cupped the back of her head and deepened the kiss.

She involuntarily leaned back, but he grabbed her waist and pulled her even tighter into his arms.

"Wait..." Zhang Yueran turned her head away, her breath unsteady, "I can't breathe..."

The second half of the sentence was swallowed up in an even deeper kiss.

Her fingers, which were gripping the other person's clothes, gradually loosened, and all she could hear in the silence of the room was the deafening sound of her own heartbeat.

She vaguely thought, "This old man is really not someone you can fool."

Even though she was always the one who initiated the teasing, in the end, Zhou Xingzhi was like a burning sandalwood incense stick, his restrained sparks turning into a raging fire that made her weak all over.

She herself was also quite weak-willed; whenever she saw him, she would want to rub against him and touch him, like a bee circling around a flower.

The two have now done almost everything except the final step.

When her mother called last time, she reminded her to be more reserved, but whenever Zhou Xingzhi looked at her with those smiling eyes, she would forget all about being reserved.

Just like now, he is gently kissing her...

"Zhou Xingzhi..." she mumbled between breaths, "How about we get married soon? Let's get our marriage certificate tomorrow..."

He paused, lowered his head and pressed his forehead against hers, "Okay, no take-backs."