Chapter 71 "Could it be that you've actually been plotting against me all along..."

Almost at the same moment Su Cheng put down the bouquet of sunflowers in her hand, Jiang Muzhou opened his arms and, without the slightest hesitation, embraced her tightly.

His tall figure drew near, casting a gentle shadow that enveloped her entirely.

His unique aura swept over everything.

The refreshing mint blends with the deep cedar, creating a soothing and comforting flavor.

My heart suddenly raced, almost bursting out of my chest.

Su Cheng held her breath, her curled fingers quietly loosening, and awkwardly wrapped around his lean waist.

Her burning cheeks pressed against his firm chest, and the body heat emanating from beneath the fabric seemed even hotter than hers.

His shoulders were broad, and his embrace was warm, as if a small world had been specially created for her.

She couldn't help but rub against it, like a kitten that had finally found its home.

The fatigue accumulated over the days and the unspoken grievances seemed to finally find an outlet, silently melting away in the comforting embrace.

My mood went through a rollercoaster ride in one day, but finally settled down and returned to calm.

At this moment, all the pent-up emotions, along with all the unspoken bitterness and awkwardness of the past seven years, were soothed in this embrace.

She stumbled upon that old photo by chance, like finding a lottery ticket by accident. She went to claim the prize with great joy, only to find that someone else had already beaten her to it.

Although I kept comforting myself with "It's okay, it was never meant to be mine," the disappointment was still real and piercing my heart.

When she returned home disappointed, the owner of the lottery ticket appeared out of nowhere. He not only fulfilled all her expectations, but also told her with a smile that he had specially saved the lottery ticket for her many years ago.

Unbeknownst to him, he had been waiting for seven years.

She waited for seven years, completely unaware of what was happening.

The best reward, wrapped in all love, will descend upon you.

She could clearly feel the strength coming from his arm; the force was undeniably solid, yet he deliberately restrained it, only daring to lightly touch her back.

Su Cheng closed her eyes, turned her head slightly, and buried herself deeper into his embrace, feeling the resonance in his chest that was in sync with hers.

That heart is beating for her.

The smooth black hair brushed against Jiang Muzhou's neck, bringing a slightly itchy sensation.

He couldn't see her face, only the faint, sweet citrus scent of her hair lingered around him, silently seeping into his breath.

He lowered his eyes, a restrained emotion surging deep within his dark pupils.

The corners of her eyes were tinged with scarlet.

With his arms hanging in the air, he dared not exert any force, as if if he tightened even slightly, this fragile embrace would burst like a soap bubble.

Like someone who has been trekking through the desert for too long and finally finds an oasis, besides a vague joy, there is more of an almost frightening disbelief.

A tremendous struggle pounded within my chest, almost breaking free of the cage of reason.

The question lingering on his lips but which he ultimately dared not ask was repeatedly tearing at his nerves.

Did she succeed in confessing her feelings yesterday?

If we succeed, then what does this hug mean?

If he fails... then could he, in such a despicable manner, secretly rejoice and take advantage of the situation?

But the moment she hugged him back, all her worries suddenly became irrelevant.

The warmth in his arms was so real that it instantly overwhelmed all his chaotic thoughts.

From the day he decided to return to Linhai, everything was premeditated.

He went to great lengths to move next door to her, trying every means to awaken the memories deep within her, so that she could gradually get used to his presence in her life again.

Just when he thought everything was going according to plan, she once again quietly withdrew from his world, turning off her phone and refusing to reply to his messages.

Everything was fine the day before.

Until he heard the news from Cheng Muye that made him feel like he had fallen into an ice cellar: she was going to confess her feelings.

For a fleeting moment, he naively fantasized that he might be the one she was confessing her feelings to.

But when I contacted her again, she was proposing to terminate the cooperation.

All his carefully planned approach became meaningless in an instant.

At that moment, he leaned against the wall, feeling as if all his strength had been drained away.

He thought he was really going to lose her forever this time.

It was at that moment that he made the decision to go all in.

It may be out of step with the times, or it may end without a trace, but that doesn't matter anymore.

All his worries vanished; all he wanted was for her to know his feelings, nothing more.

Reason and restraint seemed ineffective at this moment; he simply wanted to follow his heart.

Jiang Muzhou lowered his head, burying his face in her fragrant hair, greedily inhaling her scent that belonged only to her.

He took the initiative to approach her.

If this attraction is destined to be a mistake, he is willing to bear the consequences alone.

Finally surrendering to his own heart, he tightened his arms and hugged her even tighter, as if he wanted to meld her into his very bones.

In his arms was his whole world, which he had lost and then regained.

Reason and sense of propriety have long since crumbled.

He didn't know if what he was doing was right or wrong, but he had already lost control of himself.

He just wanted time to slow down, to let this embrace last a little longer.

Ideally, this moment could be frozen in time, so that he could hold her like this forever.

"Su Su." A voice, hoarse from being suppressed, landed on her head.

Su Cheng didn't look up, but simply gave a soft "hmm," her voice gentle and soft, like it was coated with a layer of icing sugar.

She could clearly feel the slight vibration of his chest as he spoke; that tingling sensation traveled from their close bodies to the depths of her heart, stirring up ripples in her heart.

Does my affection bother you?

His warm, moist breath landed on her sensitive earlobe.

The person who had been lingering in his arms trembled slightly and looked up in confusion.

My gaze met his burning and honest eyes.

Instead of the expected joy, it reflected a sadness bordering on disappointment.

Su Cheng then belatedly realized that she had not yet given him a clear and definite answer.

Her nose wrinkled slightly, and her bright almond-shaped eyes widened, eager to express her feelings, "Of course not, I'm very... cough cough... cough cough..."

Before she could finish speaking, a violent cough interrupted her.

She hurriedly covered her throat with her hand. She had been trying to suppress the tickling sensation in her throat, afraid that he would realize she was sick. But when he asked her so unexpectedly, she coughed excitedly.

"I'll go get some hot water." Jiang Muzhou frowned, a deep sense of heartache and self-reproach flashing in his eyes.

Watching him turn and walk towards the kitchen, Su Cheng scratched her itchy throat uncomfortably and followed him step by step like a little tail.

She didn't want his figure to fade from her sight for even a moment, and just wanted to follow his instincts.

Deep in her heart lay an unspeakable fear, a fear that, like those recurring dreams, the moment he disappeared from her sight, her beautiful dream would be shattered, leaving only the cold reality.

Her gaze shifted and landed on the dining table, which she had deliberately ignored earlier.

The birthday cake she had abandoned at her doorstep now sits quietly in the center of the table.

Surprised, a sense of guilt welled up from the bottom of my heart.

My fingernail scratched my palm, leaving a few shallow crescent-shaped marks.

Su Cheng looked at his tall, straight back and took a deep breath. "Happy birthday."

"Although I'm late, I still want to say that this is a day worth celebrating. Because of you, this world has a different meaning."

Jiang Muzhou's hand holding the glass suddenly jerked.

Hot water splashed out and burned the back of his hand.

His eyelids twitched twice, his eyes filled with doubt.

He turned around, half of his face disappearing into the shadows of the kitchen. "This cake, is it for me?"

“Yes.” Su Cheng lowered her gaze, twisting the hem of her knitted cardigan between her fingers, her voice growing softer and softer, “I originally wanted to make it myself, but they all said it tasted terrible…”

"So, the person you're going to confess to is me?"

On the back of Jiang Muzhou's hand, the area that had just been scalded by hot water was even more noticeably red.

That splash of red spread uncontrollably, running up her arms to her neck, and finally even her earlobes were completely smothered, tinged with a shy blush.

"You, how could you..." Su Cheng's question was cut short as she swallowed it.

She blinked, then it took her a beat to realize that Lin Yang had let something slip in the back seat of Cheng Muye's car.

She gave a couple of awkward, dry laughs, her watery eyes glancing at him uneasily as she tentatively asked in a low voice, "You said before that it could be considered that you were pursuing me, does that still count?"

Jiang Muzhou picked up the glass, added some cold water, tested the temperature with the back of his hand against the glass to make sure it wouldn't burn his mouth, and then steadily handed the glass to her.

"As long as you're willing, it will always count." His eyebrows curved gently, and his usually aloof peach blossom eyes were now only reflecting her, rippling with a clear smile, as if the ice and snow were just beginning to melt.

Su Cheng picked up the cup and sipped it slowly.

The warm water slid down my throat, releasing a slightly sweet sensation that relieved the dryness and itchiness.

“However…” Jiang Muzhou’s lips curled into a helpless smile as he raised his hand to rub his temples, “Yesterday wasn’t my birthday.”

"Huh?" Su Cheng's eyes widened suddenly, her hand holding the cup trembled slightly, and the water almost spilled. "But I clearly remember that you said October 7th."

"When did I say that?" Jiang Muzhou took a step forward, the warm yellow light gently outlining his features, his pale pink lips slightly parted beneath his high nose.

"In the past four years, I have never mentioned my birthday to anyone." There was a faint smile hidden in his deep voice.

Su Cheng's toes were gently pressed against his shoe.

Her breath hitched, and she instinctively tried to back away, but her back was already pressed against the cool wall, leaving her nowhere to retreat.

Her eyes, which had previously been somewhat dim, suddenly brightened, like shining stars in the boundless night sky, drawing people in.

Jiang Muzhou leaned closer, and the distance between the two suddenly shortened.

A large shadow fell over her, and a warm breath almost brushed against her cheek. "Could it be that you've been plotting against me all along?"

"So what if I am?" Su Cheng raised her chin slightly, puffed out her cheeks, and argued defiantly, "You're so good-looking, are you saying others can't even covet you?"

Her almond-shaped eyes blinked rapidly, her slightly red nose wrinkled gently, and two alluring blushes rose on her fair cheeks.

They were so close that her long eyelashes brushed against the tip of his nose, causing a slight tickling sensation.

Despite feeling guilty, it insists on putting on a proud facade, just like a haughty Ragdoll cat.

Seeing her chapped and red nose, Jiang Muzhou's heart softened, and he took a half step back, unable to bear teasing her any longer.

"I've only been gone a few days and you've already gotten sick." He sighed helplessly, reached out and took her slightly cool fingertips in his hand, and led her to the dining table to sit down.

He turned around, opened the refrigerator, and took out two plump pears. "He must not have eaten on time again."

When he looked back at her, there was a gentle smile in his eyes. "I felt a little uncomfortable when I hugged you just now."

Remembering their intimate contact earlier, Su Cheng lowered her head shyly, trying to change the subject: "So, when is your real birthday?"

"April 7th." Jiang Muzhou turned on the tap to wash the pears.

The days I originally didn't want to mention to anyone have taken on meaning for the first time because of her concern and remembrance.

"Jiang, you don't happen to have trouble distinguishing between retroflex and alveolar consonants, do you?" Su Cheng's nasal voice complained from behind. "I clearly heard you say 'October 7th'."

Jiang Muzhou peeled and chopped the pears, recalling the whole story, and replied with a light laugh, "Back then, I don't know who found out my birthday and even sent me a gift, so I just made up a date to get by."

He raised an eyebrow slightly, "I didn't expect someone to be eavesdropping so intently and still remember it now."

"Who was eavesdropping!" Su Cheng's cheeks burned uncontrollably. "That was clearly overheard openly in the hallway."

Su Cheng pouted, retorting defiantly, "Jiang, is this how you pursue someone?"

Jiang Muzhou poured the chopped pear pieces into the pot, added two pieces of rock sugar, and simmered it over low heat.

He walked up to Su Cheng, knelt down, and looked up into her bright eyes.

"Then teach me, how should I pursue her?"

Author's Note: Zhou: How do I pursue my wife? Urgent! Waiting online!