Chapter 51 Indulging Your Arrogance "Why are you pointing a gun at me?"...
Xie Qingci didn't know why she suddenly made this request. The person in front of her was stunned after hearing her request and stared at her for several seconds without moving. She backed down and sat down properly, saying, "Pretend I didn't say anything."
As soon as she finished speaking, she heard the sound of the seatbelt unlocking, accompanied by the rustling sound of the strap retracting, and she fell into a warm embrace.
Her breath was suddenly filled with a calm and reassuring aura. Xie Qingci's brain was still a beat slow to react as Liang Jingzhuo hugged her.
Her already dizzy head felt even more ethereal. She buried her face in his shoulder, and, enveloped in his scent, called his name in a muffled voice, "Liang Jingzhuo."
With his voice still soft and gentle, Liang Jingzhuo patiently replied in a low voice, "Mm."
Am I pushing my luck?
Their intimate relationship always seemed very direct; they rarely used tender and affectionate gestures like holding hands or hugging. She felt that he might not like that.
Liang Jingzhuo didn't understand why she would say that, and replied, "No."
"But you rarely hug me, and you rarely hold my hand." The person in front of him tugged at his collar, as if somewhat dissatisfied. "From the beginning of a relationship, we would hug and hold hands."
He was the one who suggested that they start dating again that day, but it seemed that not much had changed. They still saw each other less and less and were still not very familiar with each other.
It was at that moment that Liang Jingzhuo realized Xie Qingci must have drunk too much.
From the moment we met, she appeared calm and composed, showing no unusual behavior except for a slightly slow reaction.
But normally she wouldn't say these things to him. He had always been the one in control of their relationship, and she had never expressed satisfaction or dissatisfaction; she mostly just cooperated and agreed.
He wasn't sure what she was thinking, and he didn't want to cross the line too much. Apart from kissing and deeper intimate contact, he could tell that she liked it, but he had no idea what else she meant.
She was too polite to him, even though he repeatedly emphasized that it wasn't necessary.
"Is that so?" He pulled the person in his arms closer to him. "Then I'll change it."
His heart was suddenly enveloped in a soft cloud. He didn't say it was because she was being too restrained and polite, and he couldn't judge whether she liked this kind of contact. He only said that he would change in the future.
After a long while, a slow, soft "Mmm" came from within her arms.
He slightly curved his lips, released her, and looked into her bright eyes through the dim light. The alcohol made her cheeks flushed.
I don’t know if things will be completely different when I wake up tomorrow, but even if they are, it doesn’t matter. He already knows, so we can take it slow.
His gaze moved from her eyes to her rosy lips. "Now I want to push my luck a little further."
Xie Qingci blinked gently, watching the mouth in front of her open and close as he slowly approached. She suddenly called out to him again, "Liang Jingzhuo."
"Um."
"I feel nauseous."
Their lips, about to touch, stopped just short of touching, and Liang Jingzhuo suddenly looked up.
-
When they were about a kilometer away from Fushun Hutong, Xie Qingci finally couldn't stand the hot and stuffy air inside the car and said she wanted to get out and walk around.
She was already feeling unwell after drinking, and the car ride made her really want to vomit. She had wanted to tell Ke Meng and Duan Siyu before they got off the car, but she hadn't taken them home yet, so she didn't want to say anything.
Liang Jingzhuo held her shoulders, his gaze probing, "Are you sure you can leave?"
He looked so dizzy that he was worried he would fall as soon as he got off the bus.
Xie Qingci felt that he looked down on her, and nodded very firmly: "Okay."
Liang Jingzhuo remained silent for a while, then finally replied, "Okay."
Before getting out of the car, he watched her put on her down jacket, gloves, hat, and other warm clothing before instructing Lu Li to stop the car, unlock the door, and let her out.
The car's heater was on full blast, and with the rising effects of the alcohol, Xie Qingci felt like she was about to boil over. After receiving permission, she immediately pushed open the car door and jumped out.
The chill of the snow suddenly swept over her, and the crisp air entered her nostrils, taking away some of the grogginess and drunkenness. She thought she was sober now.
It was nearly night, the weather was freezing cold, and there were few people on the road. Liang Jingzhuo got out of the car right after Xie Qingci and walked with her along the sidewalk toward Fushun Hutong. Lu Li drove slowly behind them with the lights on.
The silence was desolate, and the sub-zero temperatures turned their breaths into tangible white mist.
Liang Jingzhuo glanced at the person walking steadily under the streetlights and asked, "Are you cold?"
Xie Qingci was fully armed, from head to toe, with no shortage of equipment.
Hearing him speak, she pretended not to hear, pricked up her ears, and asked again, "What did you say?"
The fluffy earmuffs on their ears were exposed to the wind, and the soft, fluffy fur swayed in the breeze.
Liang Jingzhuo glanced at her, the corners of his mouth unconsciously turning up slightly. He patiently played along with her act and asked again, "Are you cold?"
Xie Qingci laughed and replied, "It's not cold."
Then, turning his head to look at the flower bed by the roadside, he suddenly squatted down, scooped up a pile of snow that had been neatly piled up from the shrubs, and looked so white and plump that it was truly tempting.
She rolled it up in her palm and shaped it into a snowball.
The snow in Jingzhao was dry and difficult to shape; she had to squeeze it several times before it began to take shape.
Liang Jingzhuo glanced at the gloves on her hands, but ultimately said nothing and let her be.
Xie Qingci held the snowball in her palm. "When I was a child, I couldn't help but want to sculpt the snow that had fallen so smoothly on the flower bed. The snow in Shanghai is wetter and easier to shape, but the snow in Beijing is not as good."
Even the snow is different depending on the region.
"Back then, I wondered what it would taste like to be so white and chubby, just like a steamed bun. I really wanted to try it, but my grandma wouldn't let me."
Hearing her say that, Liang Jingzhuo followed her gaze to look at the slightly loose snowball in her hand, then at her bright eyes. His expression froze, and he guessed what she was going to do. Just a second before she opened her mouth to take a bite, he reached out and covered her mouth.
"Hmm..." Xie Qingci's eager movements were thwarted, and she turned to look at the owner of the hand covering her mouth, her eyes filled with resentment and dissatisfaction.
Liang Jingzhuo looked at her and patiently explained, "You can't eat it, it's dirty."
Xie Qingci blinked, indicating that she understood, and asked him to let go of her hand.
He checked again, "You can't eat it."
He released her hand only after she nodded obediently and earnestly, but the moment his palm left her, the person who had been obediently nodding just a second ago bit her again without hesitation.
Fortunately, he was still worried about her current state, so he didn't completely withdraw his hand. Just a second before she was about to bite, he covered her mouth again and took the snowball from her hand.
You shouldn't have believed her.
He brushed the snow off her gloves and said seriously, "You can't eat that. If you eat anything else, we'll get on the bus."
Xie Qingci spread her fingers wide, looked at her empty palm, and could only reply dejectedly, "Okay."
Let's eat it next time then.
After agreeing, she reached out to grab some snow from the flowerbed by the roadside. Liang Jingzhuo observed her for a while, and only when he was sure that she really didn't intend to taste the snow again did he feel relieved.
"Does it never snow on Hong Kong Island?" Xie Qingci suddenly remembered this very important question as another small snowball formed.
Liang Jingzhuo nodded, "Yes."
Hong Kong Island doesn't have a winter in the strict sense, and there's absolutely no need for warm clothing; the climate is relatively mild.
As soon as he finished speaking, the person next to him looked a little disappointed, "Then there's no sense of ritual in winter."
Liang Jingzhuo then realized that she meant she would move to Hong Kong Island after they got married.
Some snow from the roadside branches fell onto her hair, and he brushed it away for her. "You're not used to it. We can live in Jingzhao forever, it doesn't have to be Hong Kong Island."
Although he may need to travel back and forth frequently, it won't have much of an impact. After this project ends, he will have a lot of free time. He will just need to take an early morning flight to Hong Kong Island every day and return to Beijing in the evening.
The person next to him suddenly laughed, and he looked at her in confusion.
"I mean, if I go to graduate school, will I no longer feel winter?"
She tilted her head slightly to look at him, her eyes shining even brighter in the dim streetlights.
He said that day that he wanted her to go to Hong Kong Island to pursue her postgraduate studies.
Liang Jingzhuo understood what she meant, his expression slightly taken aback, then he curved his lips slightly and said, "You can still come back during winter break."
Although there is no winter in the strict sense of climate, there are still holidays.
Xie Qingci withdrew her gaze and nodded, "That seems to be true."
After playing in the snow all the way, my body heat penetrated through my gloves, and my palms were already soaked with snow water. I started to feel the chill.
Liang Jingzhuo glanced at her wet hands, took off his own gloves, and then took her hands, removing the wet gloves for her and putting his own on hers.
His gloves, still warm from his body heat, covered her hands. They were a bit big, but very warm. Xie Qingci looked up at the snowflakes falling on the shoulders of his coat and called his name again: "Liang Jingzhuo".
Tonight, I was like a little broken record, just calling his name over and over again.
Liang Jingzhuo tucked the wet gloves into his palm, then adjusted her scarf, and replied, "Mm."
Xie Qingci shook the gloves on her hands. "Your hands are so big. This is the first time I've ever worn men's gloves."
They look similar, but I didn't expect them to look so different when worn compared to her gloves.
As soon as she finished speaking, the person in front of her paused slightly, looked up at her, and asked, "Your senior never put one on you?"
?
Senior? Where did this senior come from?
Xie Qingci raised her hand, her expression blank, and it took her a long time to remember who she was talking about.
She pursed her lips. "Did you hear that?"
Liang Jingzhuo responded, "Mm."
Not only did I hear it, I heard it from beginning to end.
Xie Qingci paused for a moment, glancing at his expression. So the reason she saw him with a cold face in the lobby wasn't because her phone was off and she missed his call, but because she overheard him talking about that senior from high school.
Her not-so-bright thoughts wandered around and eventually led her to an answer she didn't quite believe: "So, you're jealous?"
Before this, she thought that this word should have nothing to do with him, but judging from this eerie tone, she really couldn't think of any other possibility.
Liang Jingzhuo suddenly fell silent. He himself had never associated the word with it, but he did not deny it.
When he heard her earnestly recount her past under her friend's persistent questioning, he felt a strange sensation, not anger. He respected all of her past experiences, but he felt an uncontrollable unhappiness.
So he ultimately chose to sit in the lobby and wait for her, afraid that she would think he was petty if she found out.
Seeing that he didn't speak, Xie Qingci also remained silent for a moment. "He's really just an ordinary senior, we don't have any other interaction."
He looked down at her. "Would ordinary senior students agree to go to the same university?"
Okay, she's sure now, he's angry.
Xie Qingci was speechless for a moment. She was slow to react to things, and this time she paused for a long time before organizing her thoughts: "I originally planned to go back to Beijing to study. I was in high school in Shanghai at the time, as I told you."
"So that's your ambiguous relationship?" Liang Jingzhuo looked at her, his expression suggesting that it didn't matter, he didn't mind, as long as she admitted it.
Hsieh Ching-Tzu didn't fall for it and firmly denied it, saying, "No, there's a difference."
Liang Jingzhuo asked calmly, "What's the difference?"
Xie Qingci was stumped by the question. She stared at him for a long time before suddenly reaching out and beckoning him with her finger.
He glanced at her fingers, which were twirling in the air, and slowly leaned closer. Just as she was about to ask what the difference was, her tie was suddenly pulled, and he leaned down slightly, his lips pressing against hers with a soft, warm touch.
Like a dragonfly skimming the water, fleeting and ephemeral, he suddenly froze, his eyelids lifting slightly.
Xie Qingci loosened his tie and told him, "Ordinary senior students wouldn't do this."
The soft touch seemed to penetrate his heart. Liang Jingzhuo paused for a long time, looking at the person in front of him who was looking up at him. The person's face was as smooth as jade, and the expression was sincere and open.
He asked, "Will you regret it tomorrow?"
Such unrestrained initiative tonight.
Xie Qingci's mind was in turmoil, a faint smell of alcohol lingered in her breath, and her eyes held a dazed look. "What? Why do you regret it?"
Liang Jingzhuo decided not to argue with a little drunkard. He glanced at her hand hanging by her side, reached out and took it. "It's nothing, let's go home."
They got off the bus not far from Fushun Hutong. They walked and stopped frequently, glancing at the people around them who were playing with snow again to see if they were stealing any. They arrived quickly.
Aunt Wen had already gone to bed, but when she heard the door open, she still put on her clothes and came out to take a look.
Xie Qingci said she couldn't walk anymore halfway and refused to go back to the car, so Liang Jingzhuo had no choice but to carry her on his back.
Aunt Wen was somewhat surprised to see Liang Jingzhuo. She had heard from Xie Qingci that he hadn't been coming over recently. "You're back?"
As he spoke, he also saw the person who had fallen asleep on his back.
Liang Jingzhuo responded, then asked, "Could you please make some hangover soup? She's had a bit too much to drink."
Aunt Wen glanced at Xie Qingci, who was clinging to Liang Jingzhuo's back. As they approached, she could indeed smell the alcohol. She nodded in agreement and turned to walk into the kitchen.
Xie Qingci didn't make a fuss when she was drunk; she slept quietly. Liang Jingzhuo carried her upstairs, put her on the bed, took off her coat, and then knelt down to take off her shoes.
She probably won't be able to take a shower today.
After changing her into her pajamas, as I stood up and took off my own coat, the person lying on the bed suddenly opened her eyes.
Only a floor lamp was on in the room, casting a dim, yellowish light. Xie Qingci vaguely felt someone fiddling with her. She struggled to open her eyes and saw the person standing by the bed preparing to take off their clothes.
She paused for a moment, looked at him, then looked down at her clothes, and finally turned her gaze back to the person by the bed.
Liang Jingzhuo paused in his act of taking off his clothes, understanding the meaning in her eyes. "I'm just helping you change your clothes."
Although he did feel a guilty urge when his fingertips touched the delicate, soft skin during the process, he looked away and did not do anything inappropriate.
He wasn't that beastly to lay a hand on a young drunkard.
Xie Qingci was still dizzy and didn't say anything, just blinked at him.
He looked at her and said firmly, "If you keep looking at me like that, I don't mind confirming your suspicions."
Explanation is ineffective; threats are the only option.
As soon as the voice fell, the person on the bed immediately looked away and hid under the covers. After a long while, they finally peeked out with their eyes and asked, "Did you give me a bath?"
Liang Jingzhuo took off his coat. "No, I don't think you can wash it."
Xie Qingci said "Oh," got out of bed, and tried to get off, saying, "Then I'll go by myself."
She couldn't stand going to bed without showering.
As soon as her feet touched the ground, it felt like she was walking on cotton; she couldn't stand steadily, so she sat down on the edge of the bed.
Liang Jingzhuo glanced at her pause to recover, then heard a knock on the door behind him. It must be Aunt Wen bringing hangover soup. He turned to open the door. "Wait a moment, I'll take you to wash up after you finish the hangover soup."
Although slow to react, Xie Qingci still disapproved of the idea of bathing together and firmly refused, saying, "No."
I can't explain why, it's just a stubborn "no".
Liang Jingzhuo didn't argue with her, and opened the door to let Aunt Wen in.
Aunt Wen, carrying a bowl of hangover soup, glanced at Xie Qingci sitting by the bed and asked, "Do you need any help?"
Xie Qingci was about to say yes when the person standing by the door declined the offer first: "No need, please go and rest. Thank you for your trouble."
Aunt Wen smiled and agreed, put down the hangover soup, and turned to leave.
Liang Jingzhuo closed the door, walked over from the doorway, picked up the hangover soup, and handed it to Xie Qingci, who was sitting on the edge of the bed.
Aside from some resistance to bathing together, Xie Qingci was quite obedient, taking the cup and carefully sipping her drink.
Liang Jingzhuo knelt by the bed, watching her drink it. He took the empty cup, stood up, and asked again, "Want to take a shower?"
Having no other choice, Xie Qingci felt she couldn't complete the task of taking a bath alone, so she could only nod in agreement.
Morally, one shouldn't do anything at this time, but physiologically, it's beyond the control of thought.
Xie Qingci took off her clothes herself; she wouldn't let him help her. Her pajamas were loose and easy to take off. Watching the girl standing under the light, gradually removing her clothes, the tension she felt when helping her change them earlier surged back up.
Liang Jingzhuo glanced at the light on one side to ease the sudden stiffness in his body.
The bathing process was also somewhat agonizing. The slippery person in front of him, who was almost unsteady on his feet, would occasionally brush against him. Their milky, silky white skin was truly tempting.
He braced himself against the wall with one hand, steadying the person pressed against him, almost gritting his teeth in resignation, and took the things from her hands, quickly helping her wash.
The person in front of him looked down at him, frowned, and asked, "Are you going to kill me?"
He looked puzzled. "What?"
Why are you pointing a gun at me?
"..."
Even though he was just taking a shower, Liang Jingzhuo ended up sweating profusely. After the other person washed and dried him off, dressed him, and put him back in bed, he went back to the bathroom and showered again.
When he came out again, Xie Qingci was already asleep on the bed. He sighed, still feeling the slight chill from his recent cold shower. He waited for the warmth of the room to permeate his body before walking to the bedside, lifting the covers, and getting into bed.
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Author's Note: See you tomorrow at 8:30 PM! [Huang Xin]
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