Chapter 14
He didn't want to let go again; he had to get it.
Cheng Jiamo saved all six of He Qingzhao's phone numbers on her phone, and labeled his private number as "He Yi" and the other five as He Er, He San, He Si, He Wu, and He Liu.
The text message she received, which sounded like a scam or a wrong number, didn't belong to any of the six numbers; it was from an unknown number.
Normally, she wouldn't care at all and would just delete it.
But for some reason today, when she looked at this strange text message, she didn't delete it immediately; instead, she felt an urge to reply.
But in the end, she didn't reply; instead, she called He Qingzhao.
The phone on the coffee table rang, but He Qingzhao didn't answer. He held the timer between two fingers, leaned back lazily on the sofa, and listened to the heartbeat-like ticking, as if waiting for something.
One minute, two minutes, two and a half minutes...
With almost three minutes gone and the other phone beside her still not ringing, He Qingzhao gave a self-deprecating smile, loosened her grip, and the timer fell to the ground.
The moment he put down the timer, the phone next to his leg rang.
After ringing for more than ten seconds, he suppressed his indescribable excitement, picked up his phone, and answered the call.
"Hello." Cheng Jiamo's soft and pleasant voice came from the phone.
He Qingzhao didn't speak, but clenched his teeth and his Adam's apple bobbed rapidly.
Cheng Jiamo gripped her phone and nervously swallowed.
She tried calling He Qingzhao's personal number, but couldn't get through. She then called his work number, but his assistant answered and said that he doesn't answer any work calls outside of work hours. He only has his personal phone with him, and his work phones are handled by his assistant and secretary.
In that instant, she had a very absurd idea.
She felt that the person who sent her the strange text message might be He Qingzhao, so she dialed the number as if possessed.
"Hello, may I ask who you are...?" she asked politely but cautiously, "Are you He Qingzhao?"
The call was connected, but no one spoke.
Cheng Jiaming's heart was racing. She looked at her phone and asked, "He Qingzhao, is that you?"
Still, no one spoke.
Cheng Jiamo has confirmed that it is He Qingzhao.
"He Qingzhao!" she asked anxiously, "He Qingzhao, what's wrong? Where are you now?"
He Qingzhao spoke, his deep voice tinged with weariness: "Are you so sure it's me?"
Upon hearing his voice, Cheng Jiamo's nose suddenly stung, and her voice choked as she said, "I'm not sure. I don't know if this number is yours, but I really don't know how to find you. I called you, but you didn't answer. I called your work number, but your assistant answered and said he couldn't reach you either. Just then, I received two very strange text messages. I don't know why, but I have a feeling that they might be from you."
“What if it wasn’t me?” He Qingzhao asked.
His tone was actually very calm and indifferent, revealing no emotion.
However, Cheng Jiamo keenly sensed that he was in a bad mood, as if he was trying his best to suppress something.
She felt a tightness in her chest and was very upset. She said in a soft voice, "If not, then I can only apologize to them for bothering you."
He Qingzhao was amused by her sincerity: "Then are you still looking?"
He was like the painted skin in a ghost story; in front of the public, he was a human being, the upright and honorable eldest son of the He family, but in front of her, he unscrupulously peeled off that skin, revealing his true nature.
Cheng Jiaming, however, knew nothing of this and said earnestly, "I want to find you, I really want to find you, but I can't find you at all. He Qingzhao, I have no ability to find you, I can only wait for you to appear, wait for you to come. If you don't appear, if you don't come, I have no way to see you."
"So pitiful?"
He Qingzhao's tone was indifferent, carrying a sense of world-weariness born from a life of experience.
Cheng Jiamo sensed that he was in a bad mood, but she didn't know how to comfort him, so she could only try to coax him in her own clumsy way.
"He Qingzhao, don't be sad."
He Qingzhao didn't speak, but just swallowed hard and tightened his grip on the phone.
Cheng Jiamo continued softly, "He Qingzhao, don't be sad. Your sadness makes me sad too."
Towards the end, her voice trembled with a hint of tears.
He Qingzhao clenched his teeth and remained silent, a bitter feeling he had never experienced before, so intense that it was almost unbearable, surging within him.
Seeing that he remained silent, Cheng Jiamo sniffed, forcibly holding back her tears, and asked, "He Qingzhao, have you found your cat?"
He Qingzhao spoke in a low, hoarse voice: "Found it."
Just as Cheng Jiamo was about to congratulate him, she heard him say, "That cat is calling me."
Cheng Jiamo: "..."
After realizing what had happened, she snorted angrily.
"How could you do this? I was so worried about you, and you just tease me."
He Qingzhao chuckled softly, his voice low and husky: "Good boy, say it to me."
"No." Cheng Jiamo pouted and said in a wronged tone, "He Qingzhao, I waited for you all afternoon, and now I'm hungry and sad."
He Qingzhao apologized politely: "I'm sorry, it was my fault. I'll have someone send you food right away."
"No." Cheng Jiamo pouted at him, "I don't want to eat alone, He Qingzhao, I want to see you."
He Qingzhao leaned back on the sofa, pressed his tongue against the roof of his mouth, and chuckled in a deep voice: "Okay, I'll be right there."
The orange cat jumped onto him, but he grabbed it by the scruff of its neck and tossed it aside.
He stood up, brushed the cat fur off his trousers, and said in a nonchalant tone, "Someone has replaced you."
-
Outside the window, tall buildings stand side by side, and the shimmering lake reflects the bustling lights of countless homes.
As Cheng Jiamo gazed at it for a long time, the light and shadow before her eyes blurred into mist.
Through the hazy, misty light, she seemed to see He Qingzhao standing under the Bodhi tree, worshipping Buddha.
That scene is forever etched in her heart, becoming a beautiful painting.
It wasn't until this moment that she suddenly realized what was happening.
She didn't fall in love with He Qingzhao as a person, but rather with the beautiful and hazy feeling He Qingzhao brought her that summer when she was sixteen, or rather, the motivation that pulled her out of the ruins.
On a summer evening as the hot season was drawing to a close, the setting sun painted half the sky red.
An elegant young nobleman in a white suit stood aloof and dignified under the Bodhi tree, facing the incense-filled main hall to pay homage to the Buddha.
The setting sun gilded his body, making him appear as if Buddha had appeared in the world.
That scene was so beautiful that she viewed He Qingzhao with an eight-hundred-fold thicker filter, knowing he was in danger, she still flew into the fire like a moth.
Suddenly the door was pushed open, snapping her out of her reverie. She turned around abruptly, saw He Qingzhao, jumped off the sofa, and ran barefoot to him.
"He Qingzhao".
She reached out and timidly tugged at his sleeve, looking up at him with her eyes sparkling in the lamplight, as if they were filled with stars.
He Qingzhao gently touched her face: "What do you want to eat?"
Cheng Jiamo smiled and said, "Anything is fine with me, I'm not picky about food."
He Qingzhao praised her: "She's so well-behaved, not spoiled at all."
Cheng Jiamo pouted: "I'm not some rich heiress, why am I being so coy?"
She has no right to be pampered; she should be grateful if she can even get enough to eat.
Looking at her soft and delicate appearance, He Qingzhao felt a tingling, itchy sensation in his heart, making his throat dry and parched, and he wanted to kiss her.
Cheng Jiamo felt flustered under his gaze and pursed her lips as she backed away.
However, as soon as she moved, He Qingzhao immediately grabbed her waist and hugged her.
"He, He Qingzhao." She was a little scared.
He Qingzhao held her waist and pressed her against his chest, slowly lowered his head, and restrained himself to kiss her on the corner of her lips, then pulled away immediately.
He could only touch her lightly, not daring to go any deeper, afraid that he would be controlled by desire, lose his reason and demand more, and also afraid of scaring her.
This time, he didn't want to let go again; he was determined to get it, no matter the cost.
Cheng Jiamo felt her entire mouth was numb, both hot and tingly.
She pursed her lips, her cheeks flushed as she looked at him.
He Qingzhao stroked her face, his thumb gently rubbing the corner of her lips, and said in a hoarse voice, "I came to see you. The cat is lost. How will you compensate me, hmm?"
Cheng Jiamo stared wide-eyed in surprise: "Huh? Did your cat come to see me because I lost it?"
He Qingzhao replied without any hesitation, "Yes."
Cheng Jiamo whispered, "But you weren't here when you texted me."
He Qingzhao said in a serious tone, "I was looking for Cat when you called me and insisted that I come to see you. When I came to see you, Cat was lost."
Cheng Jiamo: "..."
She felt that He Qingzhao was talking nonsense, but she had no evidence.
"Then, what should we do?" She could only helplessly accept the blame that He Qingzhao had placed on her.
He Qingzhao curled the corners of his lips: "I'll forgive you if you call me that once."
Cheng Jiamo pouted angrily, closed her eyes, and meowed.
A soft, gentle meow from a cat was like a powerful aphrodisiac.
He Qingzhao narrowed his eyes, his sharp, sexy Adam's apple bobbing rapidly.
He suddenly lowered his head, pinched her chin, and bit her pink lips, rubbing them together as he breathed heavily.
Cheng Jiamo shuddered as he bit her, but dared not open her eyes.
She dared not look at him now, nor did she want to, for fear that seeing him would shatter her perfect image of him.
That summer when she was sixteen, the golden Bodhi tree and the handsome, refined man were a picture in her heart, and also the motivation that inspired her to persevere through adversity.
She didn't want to tear the painting to pieces, nor did she want to extinguish the light in her heart.
He Qingzhao kissed her lips deeply, his voice hoarse, and said, "Open your eyes and look at me."
Cheng Jiamo kept her eyes tightly closed, her long, thick eyelashes trembling like a quivering little brush.
He Qingzhao turned his head and bit her fair and soft face, then moved to kiss her trembling eyes, making her tremble uncontrollably before she reluctantly withdrew.
Seeing that she still had her eyes closed, He Qingzhao grabbed her chin forcefully and said in a forceful tone, "Open your eyes."
Cheng Jiamo slowly opened her eyes, looked into his cool gaze, and breathed a sigh of relief.
Thankfully, he didn't look like he was about to devour her.
She was afraid that seeing him like that would extinguish the light in her heart.
Her feelings towards He Qingzhao were complicated.
On the one hand, she felt grateful to him and wanted to repay his kindness.
So when she sensed that he was in a bad mood, she would comfort him, coax him, and try to make him happy.
She could feel his intense desire for her, as if he wanted to destroy her, and she was afraid.
Actually, she didn't dislike him. When he kissed her, she didn't feel disgusted, but she was afraid.
"He Qingzhao." She tilted her head up and looked at him gently. "I don't dislike him, I'm just a little scared."
As if afraid he wouldn't believe her, she added, "When you kissed me, I didn't dislike it, I was just a little scared."
He Qingzhao was touched by her sincerity and pleased by her unreserved honesty. He smiled and patted her head to comfort her, "Good girl, don't be afraid."
Cheng Jiamo nodded vigorously: "Mmm."
He Qingzhao added, "I promise you, I won't do anything to frighten you for now."
Cheng Jiamo immediately grasped the key word—"temporarily," meaning that she would still do things that frighten her later.
He Qingzhao saw right through her thoughts and smiled gently, "Of course." He put his arm around her waist and pinched her soft waist. "Don't be afraid, I will help you overcome your fear and fall in love with that feeling."
Cheng Jiamo reached out and hugged his waist: "He Qingzhao, you're so good to me."
He Qingzhao chuckled: "Don't give me the 'friend card' at a time like this."
Cheng Jiamo rolled her face against his chest: "I mean it, you're really good to me. You saved me and helped me. Even if I'm scared, I wouldn't refuse you if you wanted something. But you didn't do that. You can consider my feelings, and I'm very touched."
He Qingzhao discovered that this girl was very good at winning people's hearts, or rather, she unknowingly attacked his heart time and time again with her sincerity.
Whether intentional or unintentional, she had already shattered the high walls he had built around his heart.
He sighed helplessly and sat down on the sofa with her in his arms.
"Would you like to eat out, or stay inside?"
Cheng Jiamo sat on his lap, close to his hard, broad chest, and could clearly feel the intense heat emanating from his body.
She shifted uncomfortably: "Let's... let's just stay inside."
He Qingzhao's arms were tense as he pulled her closer to his chest, his voice slightly hoarse: "Don't move."
Cheng Jiamo didn't feel his reaction at first, but she did when he hugged her tightly and pressed her into his arms.
Her cheeks flushed red, and she stood stiffly, not daring to move.
The doorbell rang, and He Qingzhao put her down and stood up to open the door.
The waiter pushed the food cart in and placed the dinner on the table.
He Qingzhao said to her, "Wash your hands and eat."
Cheng Jiamo washed her hands and sat down in the dining chair. Looking at the exquisite and delicious four dishes and soup, she smiled and said, "You had it prepared long ago, so why did you ask me earlier?"
He Qingzhao looked up at her: "What are you asking?"
Cheng Jiamo said, "You're asking me whether to eat out or stay indoors?"
He Qingzhao smiled and replied, "I had dinner prepared on my way here. There are both Chinese and Western dishes. Asking where you would like to eat is not just a formality. If you want to go out, I will go with you. If you don't want to go out, I will have it delivered to your room."
Cheng Jiamo felt embarrassed by his words, bit the tip of her chopsticks, and said softly, "I'm sorry, I misunderstood you."
He Qingzhao stood behind her, embracing her with his arms wrapped around her body, his palms resting on the table, and turned his face to look at her.
"You've wronged me, and an apology is all you're going to say?"
As Cheng Jiamo looked at his face so close to hers, her heart raced, her breathing quickened, and she took a deep breath.
"Then, what do you want to do?"
He Qingzhao lowered his head and bit her fair neck.
His voice was low and husky: "I want to bite you, will you let me, hmm?"
Cheng Jiamo shrank back timidly: "Didn't you already bite me?"
He bit her neck.
He Qingzhao chuckled softly, kissed her neck, and said in a deeper, hoarse voice, "Not here."
Cheng Jiamo asked, bewildered, "Then, where is that?"
[Author's Note]
There will be another chapter tonight. I probably won't be able to finish today's 10,000-word update, so I'll make up for it tomorrow.
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