Chapter 22: Stickiness makes it hard to tell whether it hurts or feels good.
After the first monthly exam, Lao Qin rearranged the order according to the rankings of the previous two exams. The people around Ning Jiu remained almost unchanged, the only change being that Chen Poyao in the back row was replaced by the class monitor Qi Ruiheng.
Taking into account Chen Poyao's height, after switching Chen Poyao and Qi Ruiheng's seats, Lao Qin also switched Chen Poyao and Qiao Bolin's seats. Chen Poyao sat in the second to last row, and Qiao Bolin sat in the row behind her.
After the last class, Ning Jiu had almost finished her homework. She stuffed two sets of mock exam papers for Chinese and English into her schoolbag. When she turned to look at Gao Hexin, she saw Gao Hexin looking at something on Li Mingyuan's desk with a mischievous grin.
Ning Jiu slung her backpack over her shoulder and glanced at the letter Gao Hexin was staring at intently. It was a thank-you letter for the dance club's cultural festival. The last line, written in elegant handwriting, read, "Thank you to all the students who have supported the dance club all this time." The last signature was Song Yunhe.
"I knew it! This guy's been grinning from ear to ear since he came back at noon. Turns out he received a handwritten letter from the goddess."
Gao Hexin had a knowing look on her face, her eyes fixed on the letter on the table. She didn't notice that at the end of the corridor not far away, a gaze that seemed to want to tear her apart was staring intently at her, a chilling murderous aura emanating from it.
"Ahhh, Gao Hexin, how did you translate that?!"
Li Mingyuan had just returned from the restroom when he caught a glimpse of a scene that made his vision go black. He rushed over and shoved the letter back onto his desk.
"You dare touch my table! Who gave you permission to rummage through it?!"
Gao Hexin crossed his arms: "The letter fell out on its own, okay? Besides, given what you were like at noon, it's hard to say there wasn't something going on."
"What do you know!" Li Mingyuan was so angry that he stammered, but his ears were already burning. "This letter is limited! Each person in the dance club can only write a maximum of five! I treated Ni Xuan to three meals to get this one from her!"
Three meals?
“Soup and dessert included,” Li Mingyuan gritted his teeth, “and I also have to promise to help her with her physics homework.”
"Wait, why Ni Xuan?" Gao Hexin noticed the slip-up. "Didn't you two always have a bad relationship?"
“It’s a long story,” Li Mingyuan said, leaning closer after confirming that Ni Xuan had left, “because she wanted the letter I had.”
"Whose letter is that originally in your hand?" Gao Hexin's interest was piqued.
"The newly appointed vice president of the dance club, his name is Wen Yi."
Ning Jiu looked up at him, and Gao Hexin seemed to remember this person as well, letting out a long "oh".
“I remember him. He’s the junior from Class 7 of the first year of high school, right? He’s quite handsome.” She added, worried that Ning Jiu might not recognize him. “It was the day we went out that we saw the boy walking with Ke Shini at the school gate.”
"You know Ke Shini too?"
A sweet, gentle female voice suddenly interrupted, startling Li Mingyuan and Gao Hexin.
Li Mingyuan: "Damn Dong Yi, when did you get here?"
"Just as you were talking about Wen Yi," Dong Yi said with a smile, "I have the latest gossip about Qiao Bolin, Wen Yi, and that young lady from Linjiang International. Do you want to hear it?"
It's one thing to gossip about other schools and other classes, but why drag Qiao Bolin into it?
Gao Hexin said he wasn't interested, but his hands were still resting obediently on the table: "These three people can be connected? Is this melon guaranteed to be ripe?"
"Whether it's safe or not, we'll only know after we hear it," Dong Yi shrugged. "Have you guys been browsing the school forum lately? There's a post where someone said they ran into Wen Yi and Miss Ke having dinner together alone at that upscale restaurant in the city center."
The words "alone" and "dinner" together inevitably evoke a sense of intrigue and speculation.
Li Mingyuan interjected, "What does that have to do with Berlin?"
"There's another scoop under the same post, saying that Ke Shini and Qiao Bolin went to the same elementary and middle schools in Beijing. Qiao Bolin transferred to Jiangcheng not long before she transferred too, isn't that a coincidence?" Dong Yi's eyes gleamed with gossip. "Don't you think she transferred here for Qiao Bolin? Now that she's seen Wen Yi, she's fallen for someone else..."
Just as they were getting to the crucial point, a piece of the surrounding figure suddenly disappeared.
Li Mingyuan and Gao Hexin were listening intently when they both looked at Ning Jiu, who was backing away.
The latter's eyes still had a slight redness from yawning, and her eyelashes trembled slightly, lazily concealing a hint of drowsiness.
"Excuse me, you guys continue," Ning Jiu said, bouncing her backpack, which was quite heavy. "I didn't sleep well at noon today, and I'm a little too tired to stay awake. I'll go home and get some sleep first."
After saying goodbye to the three, Ning Jiu walked out of the classroom and stretched.
Although the matter between Wen Yi and Ke Shini was somewhat unexpected, in the end, she had never really understood Wen Yi.
Ning Jiu now only hopes that the rumor is true, so that Wen Yi will no longer waste his time scheming against her.
A guy in a relationship should focus his attention on his partner.
The thought that the troublesome matter she had been worrying about since the start of the semester had been resolved automatically made Ning Jiu's steps lighter as she walked out of the school gate.
Since that day when she talked to Yuan Liangjing, Ning Jiu has continued to live in the small room on the second floor of Liangjing Dessert Shop, while Ning Xuan rents a room by himself.
In the past few days, Ning Xuan has also started to try to find a suitable job in Jiangcheng. His bartending skills have always been excellent, so it is not difficult for him to find a job in a bar in Jiangcheng. However, he has become much more cautious and disciplined, subconsciously avoiding bars and similar places.
Although Ning Jiu doesn't particularly like that kind of place now, she really doesn't understand why adults can completely reject a place and avoid it at all costs because of a person or an experience.
In Ning Jiu's view at seventeen, people are people, and things are things; emotions and reason should be judged separately.
She had also shared her views on this topic with Yuan Liangjing, but Yuan Liangjing held a different opinion, believing that she was not old enough yet.
"Sweet wine, you'll understand when you meet the right person," he said. "Some people are just meant to influence your entire life."
lifetime.
This term seems too distant for Ningjiu today.
Thinking like this, my thoughts drifted off course again.
As dusk slowly descends over the city's edge, the setting sun, like a shattered golden persimmon, is blended into the afterglow by the clouds and half-buried in the silhouette of skyscrapers.
Ning Jiu strolled toward the bus stop, but just before she arrived, she abruptly turned and walked in the other direction.
As I approached, I didn't forget to open WeChat and accept the new friend request.
After buying a few dog toys and a small brown blanket at a pet store near the shopping district, Ning Jiu walked towards Qiao Bolin's neighborhood based on her memory, holding a small yellow plastic duck in her hand, and even humming a song in a good mood.
The community requires a key card to enter, and the tall, handsome young man was already waiting at the door. When he saw her coming, he naturally pressed the door lock for her.
As soon as Ning Jiu saw him, she looked around and asked, "Where's Xiao Bai?"
When Qiao Bolin saw her, a smile appeared on his lips: "Xiao Bo is at the dog park, where there are staff members taking care of him. I'll take you to see him."
Last time, during a heavy rainstorm, I followed the crowd upstairs without really looking around. This time, the weather was clear and sunny, and as I walked along, I realized that the community facilities were surprisingly complete.
Not only are there small parks specially designed for pets, but also a circular jogging track, elevated gardens and children's playgrounds. The buildings are arranged in a staggered manner, and even the lampposts are planted with ornamental grasses and seasonal flowers.
As soon as Ning Jiu entered the residential area, Qiao Bolin took the things from her hands. She was busy observing the surrounding environment, while Qiao Bolin was carefully examining the toys and blankets she had bought.
Qiao Bailin: "Xiao Bailin already has a blanket."
“Then I’ll take mine!” Ning Jiu said without thinking. “I spent a lot of money this time and picked the best pets in the store. Xiao Bai will definitely like mine more.”
“Yes, I know.” Qiao Bolin didn’t refute, his tone carrying a smile, “Because I bought the same one, exactly the same.”
"......"
Upon arriving at the dog park, Xiao Bai, who had been quietly nestled in the arms of a staff member, immediately wagged its tail as soon as it saw Qiao Bolin and Ning Jiu, as if it wanted to pounce on them the next second.
Compared to a few weeks ago, it is much better now. Its fur is clean and soft, its body is much rounder and stronger, and even the injury to its right eye has almost healed.
Ning Jiu thought that after so many days, Xiao Bai would have almost forgotten about her, but unexpectedly, it broke free from the staff's arms and pounced towards her.
Its tiny paws left a series of shallow marks on the grass, its ears were pressed back by the wind, and after it pounced at her feet, it tried to climb onto her legs, its wet nose rubbing against her fingertips, its bright eyes staring at Ning Jiu.
She bent down to touch it, and as soon as her fingertips touched its soft fur, Xiao Bai immediately buried its head in her palm, gently rubbed against her, and let out a satisfied hum.
It felt like a lump of cream had suddenly melted in my chest, spreading silently and imperceptibly.
I heard Qiao Bolin's joke in my ear.
"It definitely likes you more; I've never seen it so affectionate towards me before."
Ning Jiu stroked the little Border Collie's head and didn't deny it after hearing it.
Raising an eyebrow, he turned around and took the little yellow duck from Qiao Bolin's palm, gently waving it in front of Xiao Bolin's eyes.
When Xiao Bai saw the shiny plastic toys, he was immediately attracted. He tentatively raised his front paws, then seized the opportunity to pounce and bite the yellow duck's bottom.
Ning Jiu was amused by Xiao Bai's actions, laughing so hard that tears almost came out. Her beautiful shoulder and neck lines shone in the sunset. Just as she was about to fall backward, she was stopped by Xiao Bai's bulging forearm.
She was taken aback, only then realizing how close she was to Qiao Bolin.
Xiao Bai was having a great time playing in the corner with a little duck in his mouth. Ning Jiu keenly sensed the increasingly subtle atmosphere and changed the subject.
"Actually, Xiao Bai used to have a little boy he was raising..."
“I know,” Qiao Bailin said. “His parents live in the neighborhood next door. Because his sister is severely allergic to dog hair, they have always forbidden him from having a dog. I never thought he would secretly adopt a stray dog.”
She hadn't expected Qiao Bolin to investigate so thoroughly.
"Then he is now—"
“We’ve discussed it, and he can come and see Xiao Bai if he has time.”
Ning Jiu finally relaxed, her nerves loosened, and her tone became more casual.
"By the way, what about your childhood friend? Is he okay with having a dog at home?"
"He went back."
Qiao Bailin answered faster than she expected.
The air seemed to freeze for a moment. Ning Jiu felt the forearm pressing against her back hadn't moved away, and the smooth, undulating muscle lines burned her senses inch by inch.
It was that familiar, silent yet extremely aggressive sense of control again, like being silently coiled by a snake.
"Since you came in, you seem to have spent more time looking at the flowers and plants than I have." His tone was one of simple doubt, tinged with just the right amount of displeasure. "Now that Xiao Bai has already seen them, let's not talk about anyone else—"
Qiao Bolin crouched down slightly, his clear black eyes meeting hers without any concealment, his gaze calm.
He said.
"Let's talk about what's between us."
So, as punishment for me—
Ningjiu, are you messing with me?
What Qiao Bolin said to her yesterday suddenly popped into Ning Jiu's mind. She neither said yes nor no, but quickly walked a few steps to catch up and hugged Xiao Bairuan softly in her arms.
"You can tell the food has been really good these past few days," she said, struggling to support Xiao Bai's bottom as the little guy obediently rested his head on her shoulder. "He's gotten so much heavier."
Qiao Bolin offered to carry him, but Ning Jiu glanced back at the pile of dog toys and blankets already in his arms and felt too embarrassed to trouble him any further.
On the way back to their apartment building, the two remained silent. When they reached the corner, Ning Jiu couldn't hold back any longer, stopped, and turned around.
The boy was still walking behind when the two bumped into each other unexpectedly. The strong heat of his chest pressed against her slender forearm, and Xiao Bai, who was dozing off in Ning Jiu's arms, hummed softly.
Qiao Bolin took a few steps back as if nothing had happened.
"What's wrong?"
Ning Jiu narrowed her eyes slightly and took a step forward, following his retreating movement.
Sometimes she really admired Qiao Bolin's ability to recover in an instant and act as if nothing had happened.
"The word you used yesterday," she asked, "does it mean the same thing I understand it to be?"
There are many ways to play.
She suddenly couldn't tell whether what Qiao Bolin said that day was a joke to get closer to her or some kind of subtle test.
Ning Jiu had been quite blunt, but Qiao Bolin remained surprisingly calm.
"I haven't defined that word, so everything is based on your understanding."
He answered her very seriously.
"You can't cross the line, because that's not fair to you. Apart from that, you can do whatever you want with everything else, it's up to you."
He completely handed over the initiative to Ning Jiu.
Ning Jiu smiled and said, "Any form is fine?"
"Yes, any form is fine."
Her clear eyes met Qiao Bolin's gaze, and for a moment she had the illusion that he had seen right through her.
Was it because he was certain that she wouldn't do anything truly outrageous, nor would she use him as a bargaining chip for attention?
They really trust her.
Suddenly remembering something, the girl chuckled softly, her voice gentle.
"Okay, you said it yourself."
-
On the last day before the National Day holiday, the classroom, which had been quiet for a week, finally came alive again. The moment the bell rang for the end of the last get out of class, the students, who had been a little tired, suddenly became lively like flames that had been ignited.
Gao Hexin exclaimed that it was finally over. Li Mingyuan was still waiting for Qi Ruiheng to pack up his things and go to Yinbinglou to play games together after school. A group of people were crowded at the classroom door, and the corridor was also packed with people.
Ning Jiu capped her pen, tidied her desk, and heard Tan Xinxin on the podium call out a few names to go up and correct their test papers.
"Damn it, no way, I got caught." Gao Hexin heard his name called and gave Ning Jiu an apologetic look. "Sorry, Sweet Wine, you go first. I think I'll have to wait a while."
Ning Jiu gave her a sympathetic look. Gao Hexin walked to the podium with a bitter face. Her back looked like a small animal that had been temporarily pulled back to reality. She was flipping through the test paper while explaining something to Tan Xinxin.
The National Day holiday coincides with the time when Wuhan truly enters the cool autumn season.
The sunlight was no longer so intense; the light filtered through the long corridor between the teaching buildings, the shade of the trees became sparse, and the sycamore leaves turned pale yellow. They were swept by the wind and fell gently onto the cement ground like letters, making a barely audible sound.
A breeze blew in from the windows and corridors, carrying a slightly cool scent that brushed against her cheeks. Ning Jiu stepped out of the classroom, checked that no one was around, turned at the stairwell, and headed upstairs.
Stepping onto the fifth floor, the view becomes higher, and from the corridor, you can see several boys playing ball on the playground, kicking up dry dust as they run.
She turned her head and looked towards the psychology classroom at the end of the corridor.
As usual, heavy curtains hung in front of the window, completely obscuring the view inside the classroom, making it impossible for people outside to see what was happening inside.
She walked slowly to the classroom door, paused for three seconds, knocked, and then opened the door.
Unlike before, a small lamp was left on in the corner of the classroom, or rather—
There's one more person.
The boy's back remained straight even when he bent over to write, a habit clearly cultivated from a young age.
Her three-dimensional and refined features were clearly defined by the light and shadow under the small lamp. Her long and thick eyelashes cast a small shadow on her eyelids. Her eyebrows and eyes were thick and her nose was straight. She was stunning enough to catch the eye even from a distance.
Because Ning Jiu had spoken a few words with Gao Hexin, Qiao Bolin had already been there for ten minutes when she arrived, and was working on his English test paper for the National Day holiday.
Hearing the noise, he put down his pen and looked toward Ning Jiu's location.
"You've arrived."
Ning Jiu didn't understand.
In such a dimly lit and enclosed space, with only a man and a woman alone, how could he speak to her as casually as if they were in a classroom?
Her initial trepidation eased considerably thanks to Qiao Bolin's reaction. She softly hummed in agreement and pulled out the chair next to him.
Are you sure there are no security cameras here?
“I told you before,” Qiao Bailin turned his head to continue working on his coding problems, “because of the recent renovations, the cameras haven’t been installed yet.”
Ning Jiu looked around and saw the same polystyrene sofa and small table as always in the psychology classroom, with the only difference being two hard chairs and a desk lamp.
It's obvious that Qiao Bailin's familiarity with this place goes far beyond simply attending a psychology class once a week.
Seemingly sensing Ning Jiu's confusion, he naturally explained to her.
“My mom and Luo Ziwei’s sister are colleagues. When Teacher Luo is busy or not at school, I will come over to help pack things and so on.”
Ning Jiu suddenly realized: "So you have the key to the psychology classroom."
"Um."
She narrowed her eyes.
"So, even though Sister Ziwei trusts you so much, you still use the psychology classroom as our 'secret base'."
Qiao Bolin fell silent.
The only sound in the air was the rustling of a pen tip across the paper.
Regardless, Qiao Bolin did this because of her, so isn't it a bit unreasonable of her to say that?
Just as Ning Jiu was deeply reflecting and preparing to apologize, she felt the sound of pens disappear beside her and her head being gently patted.
“Well,” he admitted matter-of-factly, “so, Ning Jiu, can you tell me what secret things we’re going to do at the ‘secret base’?”
Such a muddled environment, such a close distance, such a rare opportunity.
Of course it is—
Ning Jiu looked at Qiao Bolin with a smile and beckoned to him with her finger.
The other person readily turned around, lowered their head, and turned to the side, appearing to be all ears.
Ning Jiu brought her wine close to his ear, and the fruity aroma instantly filled the air. Her hot breath brushed against his earlobe, sending a shiver of pleasure through him.
"Of course I want to—"
She spoke those two words slowly and clearly.
“Supplement, study.”
Supplement, practice.
Qiao Bolin mimicked her tone, his beautiful lips parted, and he uttered those two syllables.
"Hmm." She nodded in agreement.
With Ning Jiu's affirmation, a smile appeared in his eyes, spreading out in circles of soft light under the lamplight, so gentle it was almost unreal.
Ning Jiu was actually burned by his gaze.
She turned around in a slight panic, took out the pile of test papers from her schoolbag, and placed them on the table.
“It’s easy to get distracted sitting next to you in class, but school’s over now, so why not ask the top student?” She deftly spread out her error notebook, pushing the circled questions toward Qiao Bolin. “Quickly help me look at these Chinese and English questions I got wrong. Sister Tan just explained them too quickly, I didn’t understand them…”
The two spent nearly an hour reviewing all the questions Ning Jiu had gotten wrong that she hadn't understood over the past week.
After discussing with Qiao Bolin, Ning Jiu had to admit that there was a reason why people called Qiao Bolin a genius.
His explanations were concise and to the point, always hitting the nail on the head. There were a few reading comprehension questions that she had struggled with for two days, but he simply mentioned two angles, and her thinking became clear instantly.
As he lowered his head to explain the problem, some stray hairs fell down, obscuring the corners of his eyes, and the lamplight outlined his lips in a cold, white curve.
He habitually tilts his head slightly, revealing quiet eyebrows and eyes, with clearly defined wrist bones and long, slender fingers, and holds the pen with neither too light nor too heavy a touch on the wrong questions.
Of course, there are exceptions sometimes, like right now—
"Ningjiu, stay focused."
He paused mid-sentence, deliberately tapping the back of her hand with the end of his pen, signaling her to look away from his face.
"There are only two questions left. Once we finish explaining them, we'll be done."
Ning Jiu looked away and refocused her attention on the question.
She had a genuine question: "Are you so adept at solving any problem because you've practiced so much that it's become a conditioned reflex?"
“This factor does have an impact, but not much,” Qiao Bolin said after explaining the problem, assuming Ning Jiu was going back. He then began packing up his stationery and test papers. “No matter how well you practice, you can only solve 85% of the problems. The rest depends on your daily accumulation and the correct indoctrination of problem-solving strategies.”
He zipped up his backpack: "Accumulating knowledge may take some time to show results, but you can adjust your problem-solving approach very quickly. Besides, your approach isn't flawed, it's just incomplete."
In just over an hour, Qiao Bolin had already figured out her problem-solving approach.
Ning Jiu was speechless for a moment after hearing his words. Seeing that he was about to leave, she subconsciously reached out and grabbed his wrist.
"Wait a moment."
She felt the warmth on her skin and, meeting Qiao Bolin's gaze, smiled innocently at him.
"Tutoring is over, but today's games haven't even started yet."
Her words seemed to gently stir the previously calm air.
Neither of them backed down; the chairs were separated by only a narrow gap. Ning Jiu rested her chin on one hand, her gaze slowly sweeping over Qiao Bolin's expression, like a feather gently falling, imperceptibly brushing against his calm brows and eyes.
“Since this is a psychology classroom, let’s play some psychology games,” she said with great interest. “How about we test the theory of emotion?”
There are many theories about emotion in psychology. Among the four classic and representative theories of emotion, the most conflicting are the James-Lange theory of emotion and Lazarus' cognitive appraisal theory. The former emphasizes the primitive physiological response of the senses, while the latter emphasizes the moderating role of cognitive interpretation.
“I’ve always been quite interested in this question. James always says that emotions are triggered by physiological reactions, such as—”
She released her grip on Qiao Bolin's wrist, her fingers intentionally or unintentionally brushing against his fair forearm, feeling the throbbing heat of the young man's veins, moving upwards until her cool fingertips touched the protruding bone in his neck.
Qiao Bolin just watched her quietly, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly, and her fingertips moved as if pulled.
A subtle silence spread between the two of them like ripples on water.
a long time.
The girl's soft laughter broke the silence.
“Your ears are red,” she said calmly and composedly. “That’s a physiological reaction.”
Ning Jiu tilted her head slightly, and a few strands of hair from her sideburns stuck to her fair and soft cheeks with her movement. Her upturned eyes caught the scattered light in the room as she lazily and unabashedly met his deep gaze.
“But Lazarus has a different view,” she said, changing the subject. “He believes that people can have emotional or physiological reactions only if there are specific cognitive conditions.”
The most classic example is that when a person is touched, blushing is often not due to a direct physiological reaction, but rather because they first realize "I like you," which then triggers the corresponding physiological changes.
Ning Jiu's fingers did not retreat; instead, they intensified their attack, using the sharpest edge of her fingertips to lift slightly upwards. The skin around her Adam's apple was scratched by her nails, leaving a small dent. A muffled groan came from Qiao Bolin's ear, indistinguishable between pain and pleasure.
Immediately afterwards, the boy's chest began to rise and fall slightly, and even the corners of his eyes turned an unnatural red. Just as she was about to pull away, her wrist was suddenly grabbed, and her fingertips were forced to rub against that burning flesh.
"According to the latter theory, all the physiological reactions you are experiencing now are not directly caused by my touching you."
Ning Jiu felt the irresistible force on her wrist, chuckled, and lowered her head slightly. As she leaned forward, a section of her collarbone was inadvertently revealed, and her shoulder slid forward slightly, as if she might fall into his arms at any moment.
The girl's slightly sweet scent spread in the air, intertwining with their hot breaths, like downy feathers brushing against the sensitive nerves behind their ears, then seeping into the blood vessels under their skin, boiling and burning.
“Joe Bolin, why are you reacting so strongly?” she asked, emphasizing each word. “Is it because you like me touching you like this?”
-----------------------
Author's Note: Lazarus's Theory of Emotion
External stimulus → cognitive appraisal → emotional + physiological response
Only after recognizing "I like you treating me this way" will a corresponding physiological or emotional response occur (such as blushing, body stiffness, erection, etc.).
-
This is just a little psychological information for young people; it mainly focuses on playful interactions between couples, gradually progressing from simple to complex...
Warning: A chaotic scene is coming in the next chapter! [Sunglasses]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
