Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Sit on My Back
Tao Ning couldn't help laughing out loud. At first, when Xu's father called him "Juan'er", he thought it was nothing. It turned out that this "Juan'er" was not the same "Juan'er" but "Juan'er". It was hard to imagine that a man with a cold face that kept strangers away would be called "Juan'er" by his nickname.
Xu Jun looked at Tao Ning quietly.
He observed that Tao Ning was timid, yet full of curiosity and innocence about the world, much like a soft little animal curled up in its own cave. Correspondingly, he rarely smiled or expressed much emotion, only occasionally transforming into a lemon on a tree, flashing a brilliant smile.
He looked at it for a while longer and asked, "Do you like it?"
Is the question whether you like the photo or the person in the photo?
On the sofa, Tao Ning tilted her head. The man's eyes were calm, but there was something in them that Tao Ning couldn't understand. She nodded and replied, "I like it."
But the man didn't seem satisfied with the answer. His demeanor darkened, and he said something Tao Ning couldn't understand: "It's okay. It's okay if you don't understand."
He moved closer to Tao Ning, his slender hands restrainedly resting on the album, guiding Tao Ning to turn to the next page. His indifferent voice was like a gurgling stream, telling about the childhood of the person who slowly relaxed her body and gradually leaned into his arms.
"Is this in City C?"
The boy in the photo is about thirteen or fourteen years old, with an indifferent expression, and behind him are thousands of lights and a high bridge.
"Well, this is Hongyadong...want to go?"
Tao Ning nodded, her soft, slightly curly hair, accompanied by the sweet scent of lemon, entwined with each other and unconsciously touched the tense cheek above her. The veins on the back of her hand resting on the photo album were faintly visible. Xu Jun held his breath and let go of the person in his arms.
"I'll take you there later."
"Really?" The farthest place Tao Ning had ever been to was Haizhou. Before he was eighteen, he was trapped in mountains that seemed to have no end, so he was eager to see more of the outside world.
"real."
Xu Jun looked into his eyes, and his usually cold gaze ignited a spark of hope. Tao Ning stared back at him blankly. He had thought Xu Jun's style was like his mother's, but at this moment he suddenly realized that Xu Jun might be more like his father, gentle and kind.
Of course, it would be even more similar if his points were not deducted.
Xu Jun couldn't stand Tao Ning's blunt gaze, so he looked away as if nothing had happened and said indifferently, "But I need a little reward."
As expected, there is no such thing as a free lunch. Tao Ning thought about it and answered him very seriously: "I have a gold bracelet, which is worth about 70,000 yuan if sold at the current gold price, but I want to give it to my sister. I still have 10,000 yuan on me, which is my living expenses for a year, but I can pay you 1,500 yuan as a reward, because it is about 1,200 kilometers from Haizhou to City C. If we take the train..." So next, Tao Ning carefully calculated the most cost-effective travel expenses and the most suitable route.
After saying that, he raised his palm-sized face and looked at me with a bright look, as if asking for praise.
Xu Jun: “…”
For the first time, he felt helpless. This lemon was not only stupid, but also foolish. He couldn't help but tap the silly lemon's forehead with his hand. The "lemon spirit" instantly opened his eyes wide, looking even more stupid and dumb.
Xu Jun said: "All I want in return is a photo of you."
Tao Ning covered his forehead and said "Oh", suddenly remembering the photo He Niannian took of him... It should have been taken away by Zhao Jingqun along with the love letter. He searched the room but couldn't find it, but he couldn't tell Xu Jun these things.
Feeling guilty, Tao Ning looked away and said with his head down, "I...I don't have any photos."
He is the worst at lying.
The system ate sunflower seeds while watching the show: [Fool, your deception skills are becoming more and more proficient. Now you are a bad fool! You lie without hesitation!]
Tao Ning was already nervous about lying, and after hearing what the system said, she became even more nervous. A crimson flush spread from her slender neck to her ears, and she couldn't speak clearly. "You, don't talk nonsense."
Xu Jun narrowed his eyes slightly behind the gold-rimmed lenses and frowned: "Who are you talking to?"
Oh no, I was so nervous I forgot to use my 'mind' to answer the system. If it was Song Yucong, Tao Ning knew the Second Young Master was clueless and wouldn't ask questions, but the other side was also an IMO opponent. Tao Ning had come across these people before, and aside from occasional shortcomings, each one was like having multiple heads, incredibly intelligent. They could detect even the slightest aberration.
Of course, that's what Tao Ning thought too. Thinking of his medication, an idea struck him, and he stammered, "I have...a mental illness. Sometimes I talk to myself."
Xu Jun looked at him calmly.
Tao Ning: "The medicine I usually take is for my brain."
Xu Jun: "Really? But I asked the doctor, and those drugs are generally used for people with coagulation disorders."
Tao Ning: “…”
Those bottles and jars of medicine were all written in various languages. How could he know everything? No, why was Xu Jun looking at his medicine? Tao Ning realized belatedly that Xu Jun seemed to know too much about him.
Tao Ning stopped talking and lowered his head without looking at him. If someone familiar with the boy was here, they would know that his stubborn temper had come up again. He didn't say anything and lowered his head. He was extremely stubborn and refused to pay attention to anyone.
Knowing that Little Lemon was unhappy, Xu Jun naturally knew better and would not expose his lies. However, this also gave him a new understanding of Tao Ning. It turned out that this silly Lemon could lie.
It's just a lie, it's not an unforgivable mistake. Everyone has secrets. Xu Jun will respect his little lemon, but the premise is that little lemon doesn't lie to other men.
Xu Jun put away the photo album and changed the subject at the right time: "Want to go to my room? There are fitness equipment in there."
Dai Lemon was coaxed into submission with just one sentence. He raised his head, and his dim eyes instantly lit up. "Okay."
"But you have to take medicine first."
“…”
Xu Jun brought him some warm water, and like coaxing a child, he squeezed a glass of watermelon juice for Tao Ning. Finally, he fished out a few postcards from somewhere, with images of buildings like Hongya Cave and Hongen Temple in City C printed on them. "This is a reward for taking the medicine."
"oh."
Tao Ning dug out the pills from his bag. There were over ten bottles and cans, and he took dozens of pills each time. But he always finished them in two bites. If he was feeling down, he'd split them into three, and if he was feeling even worse, four. He was in a good mood today because he had a pill reward.
When he swallowed the pill, he suddenly heard the person next to him ask, "Is it bitter?" The man's tone was a little strange. At first glance, it sounded calm, no different from usual, but if you listened carefully, you could hear a hint of trembling in his voice.
Tao Ning took a sip of watermelon juice. "It's okay, but some medicines don't have sugar coatings, so they sometimes dissolve in your mouth... They're quite bitter."
The man suddenly took her hand and placed a thin postcard in her palm. It was warm. Xu Jun said, "This is a reward."
"Thanks."
"What is it?"
Tao Ning was a little embarrassed because she had just lied and said it was for brain treatment: "It's aplastic anemia. It needs a bone marrow transplant to be cured."
Xu Jun was silent for a moment. "How much does a bone marrow transplant cost?"
"The doctor said it would cost between 200,000 and 1 million. What's wrong?"
"It's okay, let's go."
Xu Jun's room was extremely clean, tidy, spacious and bright. One could tell at a glance that it was cleaned regularly at home. However, Xu Jun asked Tao Ning to stand at the door, holding a bottle of disinfectant in his hand and spraying it inside and outside before letting Tao Ning in.
There was a treadmill inside, and several wooden and steel dumbbells of varying sizes.
Xu Jun took off his clothes, folded them, put them in a plastic dust bag, and placed them on the table. His smooth muscle lines were clearly visible. He looked at Tao Ning, who was curious about the treadmill, and approached him with an indifferent expression: "I'll do some push-ups."
"good."
Taking out the yoga mat, Xu Jun placed it in front of the treadmill. Facing Tao Ning, who looked curious, he casually took off his glasses, revealing his sharp eyes. These eyes stared at the ignorant boy, like a venomous snake hunting in the grass, no longer hiding, cold but scorching. He asked, "Can you keep it for me?"
The cold glasses fell on his palm in an instant. There was no residual warmth. Tao Ning felt chilled, as if touching the scales of a cold-blooded animal. She looked over blankly. The man had an indifferent expression, only his eyes revealed a little warmth.
For some reason, Tao Ning felt that Xu Jun's eyes looked a little dangerous when he took off his glasses. She lowered her head and said "hmm".
Xu Jun's push-ups were very standard, with his strong elbows supporting the ground, his muscular back rising and falling with the movements, and his shoulders being very broad, opening and closing vigorously with the movements, giving a strong visual impact, but after he put on his clothes, nothing could be seen.
Tao Ning watched silently, wondering how long it would take him to reach this level, so that he could drive away those who bullied him with just a few punches.
Until the man doing push-ups suddenly said in a hoarse voice: "Tao Ning."
"What's wrong?"
"I lost my weight."
"Then buy another one?"
The man paused, took a deep breath, and supported himself on the ground with one hand. His whole body was as steady as an iron hoop, without the slightest tremor. Beads of salty sweat rolled down his temples. He turned his head and glanced at the bewildered Tao Ning. "What I mean is, can you be my weight-bearer?"
Tao Ning was confused: "Okay, but how should I do it?"
"Sit on my back."
Tao Ning was horrified: "What if I crush you?"
Xu Jun: “…No.”
He looks weak? Xu Jun felt the need to prove to this silly lemon that he was no mere show-off.
Tao Ning still didn't believe it: "I'm very heavy."
"Um."
"Then you dare let me sit on your back?"
Xu Juan sighed and used his other arm to support himself on the ground. "Come up."
Tao Ning leaned over, half-believing, half-doubting. A faint scent of soap greeted him. Xu Jun was very particular about cleanliness, and even his body smelled like clean soap, refreshing and pleasant. He looked at the man's muscular back and hesitated, "Then... then I'll get on top?"
"Um."
"But I'm still wearing clothes. You seem to have a mysophobia. Will you find my pants dirty?"
"No." After a moment's hesitation, Xu Jun added, "Never."
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