[44] She needs desensitization therapy, and it would be best if she could learn from the enemy to defeat him.
The journey from the bar to the apartment took seven or eight minutes. The young couple, who had just confirmed their feelings for each other, had other intentions. Taking advantage of the muddy road caused by rain and snow and the fact that several street lights were broken, they deliberately dragged their feet and walked for nearly twice as long. Liang Zhiyao had just replied, "Okay, let's walk back," when Tan Xu grabbed her hand the next second. Their fingers intertwined, her hand was tightly held in his palm, and the scorching temperature carried a certain sense of confirmation. Only then did she realize that the meaning and expression of "walking together" were very different from every time before, and her heart began to beat faster. "But coming to the point... why did you leave school so late today?" Tan Xu turned his head and asked her, "The school buses have all run out at this time. It's a bit dangerous to walk home alone." Liang Zhiyao admitted embarrassedly, "I went to the library in the evening, the one we used to sit in." Tan Xu was surprised: "Come to find me?" "Well... I didn't wait for him. It was almost the end of the semester and there were still a lot of people in the library. It was hard to find a seat." He couldn't help but want to laugh. He tried to suppress the corners of his mouth, but failed. Suddenly, he felt that his behavior tonight was stupid. He said helplessly: "I've been there every night since Thanksgiving, but I didn't go today. I just missed it." She smiled and said, "Anyway, we met in the end." He suddenly had a bad idea and asked again: "What if I was in the library? Are you going to stop me and confess your love to me like you did just now?" "Well, actually, I haven't thought about it yet..." Liang Zhiyao said guiltily, "What I did just now was an impulse, and I may not be able to do it again. If I saw you in the library, I might be scared. After all, I haven't contacted you for several days. Maybe you are disappointed in me." She felt very lucky and happy. As fate would have it, it was Tan Xu's jealous question that broke the ice tonight, giving her the confidence to bravely confess her love for him. "People aren't machines; feelings don't change so quickly," he said helplessly. "You're looking for a job? If this one doesn't work, just move on to the next one." "But you seemed so calm when you confessed," Liang Zhiyao glanced at him. "I was so nervous just now." "Really? But now I realize that when you like someone, you're always worried about the consequences. No one can truly be so relaxed," Tan Xu thought back. "Did I look so calm then? I was probably just faking it." Liang Zhiyao laughed. The road was wet, and they walked slowly, hand in hand, enjoying their imitations...
The journey from the bar to the apartment took seven or eight minutes. The young couple, having just confirmed their feelings for each other, had other intentions. Taking advantage of the muddy road caused by rain and snow and the fact that several streetlights were broken, they deliberately dragged their feet, effectively taking nearly twice as long.
Liang Zhiyao had just answered "Okay, let's go back" when his hand was held by Tan Xu the next second.
Their fingers were intertwined, and her hand was held tightly in his palm. The hot temperature carried a certain sense of confirmation.
Only then did she realize that the meaning and expression of "walking together" were very different from every time before, and her heart began to beat faster again.
"But speaking of which...why did you leave school so late today?" Tan Xu turned his head and asked her, "The school buses are gone at this time. It's a bit dangerous to walk home alone."
Liang Zhiyao admitted sheepishly, "I went to the library in the evening, the one where we used to sit."
Tan Xu looked surprised: "Come to find me?"
"Hmm... I didn't make it. It was almost the end of the semester and the library was super crowded, so it was hard to find a seat."
He couldn't help wanting to laugh, and tried to suppress the corners of his mouth, but failed. He suddenly felt that his behavior tonight was very stupid, and said helplessly: "I was there every night after Thanksgiving, but I didn't go today. I just missed it."
She laughed and said, "Anyway, we met in the end."
He suddenly had a malicious thought and asked again, "What if I'm in the library? Are you going to stop me and confess your love to me like you did just now?"
"Well, actually, I haven't thought about it yet..." Liang Zhiyao said guiltily, "What I did just now was a spur-of-the-moment performance. I might not be able to do it again. If I saw you in the library, I might be scared. After all, I haven't contacted you for several days. Maybe you've already been disappointed in me."
She felt very lucky and happy. As if by some strange coincidence, it was Tan Xu who broke the deadlock tonight with that jealous question, which gave her the confidence to express her love for him with extraordinary courage.
"People aren't machines; their minds don't change so quickly," he said helplessly. "You're looking for a job? If this one doesn't work out, just move on to the next one."
"But you seemed so calm when you confessed your feelings." Liang Zhiyao glanced at him, "I was so nervous just now."
"Really? But now I realize that as long as you like someone, you will definitely worry about gains and losses. No one can really handle it with ease." Tan Xu recalled, "Did I look calm at that time? I was probably pretending."
Liang Zhiyao was amused.
The road was wet, and they walked slowly hand in hand, happily playing the childish game of imitating each other's pace.
"Oh, actually, I have a question," she said. "Did you ask Liu Siyan to tell me about the scholarship application?"
He didn't expect the topic to change so quickly, and his expression froze: "...obvious?"
"Why don't you just tell me directly instead of beating around the bush?" she laughed. "They even had to wait until the very end during the Q&A session just to tell me this."
Tan Xu teased her, "This kind of thing should be used wisely. For example, if you reject me after considering it for a few days, I'll find a suitable opportunity to let you know without leaving any trace. I'll create an image of someone who is deeply affectionate and silently giving, and then use some moral blackmail. Maybe I can finally trick you into winning my heart."
Liang Zhiyao didn't realize he was joking, and felt a chill down his spine: "Really? Are you so scheming and using so many tricks?"
"That's fake," he said, feeling he didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He thought she really didn't know how to tease him, so he said seriously, "Besides you saying no contact, I also don't want to put pressure on you, and I don't want you to change your mind because of this."
He also has his own pride and just wants her to choose to accept him because of her true love, rather than being moved by it.
What Liang Zhiyao was thinking was, how could there be such a lovely person in the world.
"Hey... Tan Xu, I'm really touched. No, I kind of admire you." She said with a smile, "I felt that my hesitation before was quite hurtful. At this time, you surprisingly didn't have any negative emotions and even took the time to study those things. In fact, you are a very kind and good person, right? A very selfless kind person."
Tan Xu raised his eyebrows and asked, "Aren't you just giving out the nice guy card?"
"Of course not, I'm complimenting you." She added, "It's normal to compliment... your boyfriend, right?"
The word "boyfriend" tickled Tan Xu's heart. He hadn't expected Liang Zhiyao to be in a relationship like this. Although shy, she would still express herself frankly, catching him off guard and making his heart beat like a teenager.
After realizing what was happening, he felt he couldn't afford to be at a disadvantage. He coughed twice and said, "I'm not selfless. I have my own selfish motives."
"What selfish motive?"
"When I first met you, I often felt that there was a strange sense of disconnection in you," he recalled. "You clearly have a confident and energetic side, but sometimes you tend to be timid and withdrawn. Now that I think about it, it might have something to do with what you've been going through over the past six months. Perhaps when people are trapped by the pressure of survival, they easily become restrained and anxious, becoming unrecognizable as themselves."
"So I don't want to miss any chance to change this predicament and return you to myself." After saying this, Tan Xu looked at her steadily, "It seems a bit inappropriate to ask this question now... But, is there any chance that you would consider letting me help you?"
Liang Zhiyao was a little surprised.
"I'm sorry, I know this isn't a good time," he said helplessly. "But it's hard to watch someone you like suffer and be indifferent. I'm an ordinary person, so it's normal for me to have such vulgar thoughts."
Liang Zhiyao didn't want to bring the topic up to that point. He felt it was a bit strange to talk about such a heavy topic right after confirming their relationship, so he glanced at him and said, "No—do you really think you're a domineering CEO?"
"For now, I'm just a domineering intern who gets ordered around every day," he said seriously, "but the future is promising. Maybe in a few years I'll be able to ring the bell."
After the joke, she evaded his suggestion by saying, "I'm not at the end of my rope yet. I'll talk about it when I really can't hold on any longer."
In fact, she knew in her heart that even if that day really came, Tan Xu would not be the person she wanted to ask for help.
If possible, Liang Zhiyao didn't want anything else to happen between them, especially since neither of them was independent yet. Human nature couldn't withstand too many tests, so if they were lucky enough to have a long future together, she hoped their relationship would remain pure.
Maybe it's a bit ridiculous to think about the future for so long on the first day of dating, but she is the kind of person who will carefully consider a matter and once she decides, she will go all out to carry it out. If the purpose is just to accompany her for a short time, why bother taking this step after such a long struggle?
Seeing the atmosphere was a bit heavy, Liang Zhiyao smiled and said, "Didn't you say that? I might be much more powerful than I thought. So let's take it one step at a time."
He finally sighed and said, "I guessed this result, so I checked the past cases of scholarships."
"I know," she smiled at him, "but it sounds like it's all for my own good. What does that have to do with the 'selfishness' you mentioned? I still don't understand."
"That's a very philosophical question," Tan Xu said, raising an eyebrow. "Did you know that existential anxiety can affect people's willingness to fall in love?"
"That's true." If she was facing suspension from school tomorrow, she would definitely not be in the mood for romance.
"That's why I said I had selfish motives," Tan Xu said jokingly. "The scholarship is another attempt, but the principle is the same. If you want to indulge in romance, you have to solve practical problems first. After all, what's the saying..."
He suddenly stopped, pulled Liang Zhiyao into his arms, lowered his head and chuckled in her ear: "...When you are well fed and warm, you will think about sex, right?"
“…”
Liang Zhiyao's composure failed him instantly, and his face, which had finally returned to normal, turned red again.
After holding it in for a long time, she angrily asked, "How on earth do you manage to start a flirtation with such a serious topic at any time?!"
It seemed like every time she thought he was a bit reliable, he'd instantly revert to his playboy self. Remembering his past reputation as a "playboy in finance," she said bitterly, "He's truly a scumbag, a scoundrel, and... a pervert!"
"How can I be older?" Tan Xu pretended to be dumb. "I'm only a year or two older than you."
No matter how slow I walked, I finally finished the half-mile journey. The outline of the apartment building was faintly visible in the rain and snow.
They walked for too long in the bad weather, and both of them looked disheveled. The fine snowflakes fell on their heads, looking like young people with white hair, which was a bit funny.
The two of them got on the elevator and tacitly pressed the button for the third floor. When the elevator dinged, they walked out together.
"So, this is the end of the day?"
When they were about to reach the door of room 306, Liang Zhiyao suddenly woke up from his dream and said in surprise.
Everything that just happened seemed too unreal. It was clear that just a few hours ago, the two were still hesitating because of timidity or loss, but at night, it seemed as if they had suddenly answered the passcode correctly, unlocking a new chapter like a dream.
But for the time unit of "one day", the dream moment started a little late. I was just wrapped in that dizzying sense of satisfaction for a moment, and before I had time to recover and digest the emotions, the pause button was pressed. I really felt a little unsatisfied.
Tan Xu was probably a little addicted to teasing her. He couldn't help laughing when he heard her say this: "If I didn't know you well, I would think you were hinting at me. Why, you don't want to end it like this, you want to come upstairs and sit with me?"
“…”
Liang Zhiyao knew he was doing it on purpose. This guy was a first-rate flirter, she had seen it a long time ago, but she just couldn't match his flirting skills and would blush every time. She felt that she needed desensitization therapy, and it would be best if she could "learn from the barbarians to defeat them." When would she learn how to flirt back and scare him?
But now, after pretending to glance at Tan Xu with disgust, she still hesitated and was reluctant to enter.
At a moment like this when a relationship is just confirmed, generally speaking, shouldn't there be a hug or something before parting?
But she couldn't bring herself to ask, so she lingered at the door, acting extremely stupidly.
Tan Xu admitted that he had a bit of a bad taste.
He originally wanted to look at Liang Zhiyao's hesitant and angry expression for a few more times, but in the end he couldn't bear to delay deliberately. He quickly opened his arms, held her in his arms, and bent down to kiss her.
This time the tone was one of cherishing and comforting, their breaths intertwined, tender and lingering, as if to review once again the feeling of finally confirming that they liked each other, and then to say goodbye with peace of mind.
——But it was soon interrupted by the sudden sound of the door opening.
Ye Xin was wearing a facial mask and was about to go out to take out the trash. The moment she opened the door, she was startled by a man and a woman who were leaning against the wall outside her house and making love. She subconsciously said "Oops sorry" and finally realized that they were not strangers.
"Oh my god... Don't worry! I'll be gone in a second!" She quickly ran to the Trash Room ten meters away, dealt with the two bags in her hands, and then slipped back in like the wind. Before closing the door, she said with a smile, "You guys keep going! I promise to go back to the bedroom right away and not eavesdrop."
"Hmm..." Tan Xu suppressed a smile and asked Liang Zhiyao: "Are you still going?"
She shook her head repeatedly: "Ahem, no way..."
So they said good night to each other, and only after watching Tan Xu's back disappear at the end of the corridor did Liang Zhiyao open the door and enter the house to be interrogated.
Perhaps there were too many complaints to count on her fingers. Ye Xin went through them one by one, like reading out a list of charges: "Tsk tsk, this is a culmination. Do you want me to help you think about what embarrassing things you've said... No ambiguity? No feelings for him? You don't even talk to financial hunks?"
She retorted guiltily: "You should have said the last sentence, I didn't say it."
"Avoiding the important point! Talking about something else!" Ye Xin sighed, "Human nature is truly fragrant."
"It smells really good actually... There's nothing wrong with it," she said with a smile. "At least it means I've figured out some things I hadn't figured out before."
"Hmph," the other party remained noncommittal, then curiously asked, "So how did you figure it out?"
Liang Zhiyao thought for a moment and said, "This is a bit complicated... To sum it up, someone told me today that courage is the most important thing. So I'd rather try and fail, even if I mess up, than have regrets in the future."
Ye Xin looked at her for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed. "You know, I was just about to tell you one of those classic lines best friends say when they're no longer single, like 'Dear, you must be happy,' something really clichéd and sentimental."
"Then why didn't you say anything?"
"Now I feel that statement is too narrow-minded and doesn't suit us," she said with a laugh. "It should be changed to, 'Life only has 30,000 days, so be happy every day!'"
Author's Note
Reversible light path
author
08-17
As for teasing and counter-teasing, Xiao Liang still has a long way to go -w- I know what everyone wants to see, and I also want to let Tan Gou have his fun talking first.
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