But they had only separated not long in the afternoon, and it hadn't been long since then. What could have happened to make Zhou Jinglan so nervous and worried?
“Okay, I promise you. Can we talk now?” Qiao Xinruo said.
She saw that Zhou Jinglan was covered in sweat and his fists were clenched tightly with nervousness.
"In the afternoon, after we parted ways, I received a notification from the military saying that there was something I needed to do and I had to go back immediately. It wasn't until I got back that I found out..."
Before he could finish a sentence, Zhou Jinglan started stammering again.
This time, Qiao Xinruo didn't urge him, but waited quietly to hear what he had to say.
"Yes, Leng Yinghong has gone to find the troops!"
"She went to my boss and complained that I had a relationship with her and demanded that I take responsibility for her, but I didn't!" Zhou Jinglan frantically raised his hand and swore, "I, Zhou Jinglan, swear to God that I have never had any relationship with Leng Yinghong. If I have lied to Qiao Xinruo in the slightest, may I die a horrible death!"
Qiao Xinruo kept a straight face, her expression blank.
"continue."
"Huh?" Zhou Jinglan was stunned.
"What 'ah'? Keep going. She went to your boss, and then what?" Qiao Xinruo asked.
"Then I exposed her on the spot!"
Zhou Jinglan then recounted how he tricked Leng Yinghong, lured her into revealing herself, and at the same time proved his innocence, repeatedly emphasizing his own purity at the end.
"So I proved that I really didn't have a relationship with her. She slandered and spread rumors about soldiers, and the leaders ordered her to be sent to a military court, so I came back." Zhou Jinglan didn't dare to look Qiao Xinruo in the eye while speaking, and only dared to steal a glance after he finished speaking, only to find that she had no expression.
"That's it, that's it." Zhou Jinglan almost picked at his fingers until they were raw; he had never been so embarrassed in his life.
"Now that your innocence has been proven, why are you coming to me now? Just to repeat it to me?" Qiao Xinruo retorted.
It's not a big deal, and it's already been resolved. Why would Zhou Jinglan come looking for us so late at night?
"I'm not repeating myself, it's because I'm worried that rumors might reach your ears."
Since things had come to this point, Zhou Jinglan felt no longer embarrassed.
“In the military, nothing can really be kept secret. Besides, someone has already heard about this today. I’m afraid that if you hear it from someone else, it will cause misunderstandings and affect our relationship… Anyway, I have to tell you tonight so that you can know it from me. I don’t want you to hear it from someone else, otherwise I won’t be able to sleep at all tonight!”
"I know that coming here so late is bothering you a lot, I'm sorry, but I really couldn't help it, I just wanted to explain things to you as soon as possible."
"Xinruo, can you please not be angry with me about this?"
“She vandalized our place when we went to the park during the day, and then she pulled this stunt, but I promise she will never bother us again!”
Qiao Xinruo could tell that Zhou Jinglan was very nervous and very serious.
He was particularly worried that she would misunderstand and that this matter would affect the progress of their current relationship, which could be seen from his expression and stiff body language.
In fact, Qiao Xinruo is not the kind of person who is swayed by gossip at all. She has a brain for thinking, not just for decoration.
Regardless of the circumstances, Qiao Xinruo admired and even liked Zhou Jinglan's attitude and problem-solving methods.
Qiao Xinruo thought Zhou Jinglan was very well-behaved. He took the initiative to report such a big thing, especially since it was so late at night.
We could have discussed it tomorrow.
But perhaps this is what they call being blinded by one's own involvement.
It was precisely because Zhou Jinglan cared so much that he was nervous and wanted to resolve the issue immediately, leaving no room for misunderstanding.
Qiao Xinruo was very satisfied.
"Heh." She couldn't help but laugh.
Zhou Jinglan was stunned at first, unsure whether Qiao Xinruo's smile meant she was happy or unhappy. He was a little unsure, so he stared at her blankly.
His reaction made Qiao Xinruo think he was even cuter; he really was a very obedient puppy!
It wasn't until Zhou Jinglan saw Qiao Xinruo's smile widen that he finally realized she wasn't unhappy.
"You're not angry, are you?" Zhou Jinglan unconsciously laughed along with Qiao Xinruo, but his smile had a touch of natural silliness, and he scratched his head blankly.
"Didn't you explain everything clearly? Why am I still angry?" Qiao Xinruo said.
"That's good, that's good..." Zhou Jinglan could finally relax, heaven knows how long he had been worried.
"It's such a small matter, you could have told me tomorrow. Was it really necessary to make this trip so late at night?" Qiao Xinruo asked back, feeling a little sorry for Zhou Jinglan as he looked so sweaty.
"I think it's better to make things clear as soon as possible so I can feel at ease," Zhou Jinglan explained. Perhaps because he was too relaxed, or perhaps because Qiao Xinruo's smile was too beautiful, he was a little unaware of what he was doing, and some words just slipped out.
"Xinruo, you look so beautiful when you smile," he said.
Qiao Xinruo: "..."
Zhou Jinglan's sudden remark caught Qiao Xinru off guard, leaving her momentarily at a loss for words.
Unexpectedly, this guy usually seems quite honest, but when it really matters, he doesn't let us down. He also knows how to praise people in a way that makes them feel comfortable and happy, without sounding fake or unnatural.
Qiao Xinruo had to admit that her feelings for Zhou Jinglan had grown even stronger.
"So you mean I'm not pretty when I'm not smiling?" Qiao Xinruo asked deliberately, wanting to see Zhou Jinglan look flustered, anxious, and unable to explain himself.
As expected, Zhou Jinglan did not disappoint her.
"No, I didn't! That's not what I meant! You look good even when you're not smiling! You... you look good no matter what, whether you smile or not, whether you have any expression or not," Zhou Jinglan said. He could feel his ears burning, but he could guarantee that every word he said came from the bottom of his heart.
"Oh." Qiao Xinruo remained outwardly calm, but inwardly she was overjoyed.
From childhood to adulthood, she has never lacked praise from others. She has heard all kinds of nice words, but she doesn't really care. However, it is precisely Zhou Jinglan's silly remarks that can hit her heart and make her feel quite happy.
It was getting late, so Qiao Xinruo told Zhou Jinglan to go back to the army first.
“Be careful on the road. If you encounter something similar again, don’t rush over. I’m not the kind of person who believes everything I hear. I’ll give you a chance to explain,” Qiao Xinruo said.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
