Xi Quan wanted to smoke, and just as he took out a cigarette from his pocket and was about to light it, he realized that Ye Qing didn't seem to like him smoking, so he reluctantly and unwillingly put the cigarette away again.
But at that moment, he suddenly heard Ye Qing's question, and Xi Quan was so shocked that he dropped the cigarette pack in his hand.
Glancing at Xi Quan, Ye Qing bent down to pick up the cigarette pack for him and placed it on the center console in front of the car: "So nervous? Did I guess right? Even if I guessed right, it's okay. I'm not your real girlfriend, and it doesn't matter if you and Ye Shuang are really having an affair. But for now, we're still pretending to be dating. You should be careful in front of people who know about our relationship, or they'll see through it..."
Frustrated, Xi Quan turned his head and cupped Ye Qing's cheeks, watching her chatter on and on.
His sudden action startled Ye Qing, who twisted her neck, trying to free her head from his grip.
But it was all in vain!
Ye Qing craned her neck, avoiding Xi Quan's gaze. The usually eloquent Ye Qing suddenly stammered, "You...what are you going to do? Xi Quan...we're fake...don't pretend..."
Before Ye Qing could even utter the word "truly" from the phrase "truly," Xi Quan had already covered her mouth!
Staring wide-eyed at Xi Quan, who was standing right in front of her, Ye Qing was surprised and even angry. The two were so close that Ye Qing could see the stubble on Xi Quan's freshly shaved face.
After a moment of realizing what had happened, Ye Qing forcefully pushed Xi Quan away and raised her hand to hit Xi Quan's face!
But just as she was about to deliver a powerful slap to Xi Quan's face, Ye Qing heard Xi Quan's nonchalant voice: "My mother is outside, as is Ye Shuang."
Upon hearing this, Ye Qing instinctively felt that Xi Quan was trying to fool her, and she said, "I'm not that easy to fool..."
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Quan Zhen and Ye Shuang standing not far in front of the car. Ye Qing wasn't sure if they had been watching them.
So, just as the slap was about to land on Xi Quan's face, Ye Qing forcibly held back, then gently placed her hand on Xi Quan's cheek, gritting her teeth as she said, "Your mother is a jack-of-all-trades, isn't she?"
Taking the opportunity, Xi Quan placed his hand on top of Ye Qing's hand: "Whether it's a cure-all is hard to say, but it works for now. Besides, everything is reciprocal. I'm playing along with your act, so are you going to..."
"I will cooperate with you, but only if I don't sacrifice myself," Ye Qing said through gritted teeth, her voice filled with resentment.
"Oh, so you see that as a sacrifice? Wasn't my sacrifice significant? Playing boyfriend and girlfriend with you also affects my ability to date."
"You're divorced, that has an impact..."
Halfway through her sentence, Ye Qing realized that what she said was inappropriate, so she quickly swallowed the rest of her words. Also, she noticed out of the corner of her eye that Quan Zhen and Ye Shuang seemed to be looking over at her.
So Ye Qing couldn't bother settling scores with Xi Quan anymore. She turned to look at Quan Zhen and Ye Shuang not far outside the car. Although it was dark and she couldn't see Quan Zhen and Ye Shuang's expressions clearly, she could see that Ye Shuang seemed to be patting Quan Zhen's back. Was this an act to comfort Quan Zhen?
Why shouldn't Quan Zhen be angry?
If that's the case, Ye Qing thought, well, that's some relief.
Although Xi Quan's occasional actions made Ye Qing feel that she had been a bit out of her mind to ask him to act in order to spite Quan Zhen, she felt refreshed when she thought about how she had thwarted all of Quan Zhen and Ye Shuang's schemes today.
Regardless of whether Quan Zhen and Ye Shuang could see his expression, Ye Qing smiled at them—a smug smile.
Kindness is often taken advantage of, and Ye Qing will not be kind indefinitely.
As she looked away, she noticed Xi Quan beside her. Ye Qing glanced at him, gave a soft snort, and turned her head away. But as soon as she turned her head, she heard Xi Quan's cheerful voice: "Hey, haven't you ever been intimate with anyone before...?"
These words made Ye Qing instantly clench her hands on her knees, trying hard to restrain her urge to hit Xi Quan. She had been regretting that she had inappropriately mentioned his divorce, but she didn't expect that he didn't care at all and even said such a thing.
Ye Qing thought that Xi Quan's actions also confirmed his own principle, which was that one cannot be kind without principle.
Since Xi Quan himself doesn't mind some things, then it seems that Ye Qing also needs to endure them. Ye Qing slowly turned her head and said with a half-smile, "I'm not like you, I've been divorced before."
After saying that, Ye Qing didn't look at Xi Quan again and turned her head away.
She took a deep breath instinctively, her hands on her knees twisting nervously. If it weren't for the dim light, her flushed cheeks would have been clearly visible.
This was Ye Qing's first kiss, and it happened between her and her fake boyfriend!
Seeing Ye Qing turn her head away, Xi Quan stared intently at her profile, recalling the scene he had seen her in Xiaoyao Village. She was desperately trying to escape the situation where her uncle had married her off to a fool, and she hoped he could help her. Although she was anxious, she also revealed an unintentional timidity, lack of confidence, and even a bit of panic.
Now she has not only lost the so-called "rustic" look she had back then, but she has also gained more confidence.
But Xi Quan felt sorry for her because of her "petty" nature, where she would fight back fiercely if anyone bullied her.
Of course, his heartache wasn't because Ye Qing couldn't retaliate, but because, in Xi Quan's view, her excessively forceful revenge and "petty" behavior stemmed from her insecurity. She dared not show weakness, knowing that if she did, she would be bullied into the dust.
This sight of Ye Qing stirred within Xi Quan a strong desire to protect her, a desire that also made him extremely irritable.
So Xi Quan turned his head away and stopped looking at Ye Qing. He put his arm on the rolled-down car window. He was so irritable that he wanted to smoke again, but Ye Qing was still there.
Slightly clenching his fist and placing it under his chin, bored Xi Quan suddenly thought of the kiss from earlier. He unconsciously loosened his clenched fist and rubbed the corner of his lips.
Actually, his kiss on Ye Qing was a subconscious act. He didn't see Quan Zhen and Ye Shuang outside at all. It was only when he saw Ye Qing get angry that he noticed the people outside out of the corner of his eye.
Regardless of the reason, who would believe that this was also Xi Quan's first kiss after his divorce?
The sudden sound of the car door being pulled open brought Xi Quan back to his senses. He looked at Xu Xiaoyue, who had already gotten into the car, and started the car to drive away, taking Ye Qing and the others back to school.
All along the way, Xu Xiaoyue was chattering away with Ye Qing. Ye Qing and Xi Quan didn't say much. Xu Xiaoyue could tell that something was wrong with the two of them. Although Ye Qing and Xi Quan hadn't seemed to be doing well before, their behavior today was different.
So after getting off the bus at school, Xu Xiaoyue thought about asking Ye Qing, but before she could ask, she was blocked at the dormitory door by Liu Wei's fellow villager.
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