Chapter 59 The Calm "Mu Tingyu," he said in a hoarse voice. "You..."
Xing Ze had lived for twenty-eight years, and this was the first time he had ever been slapped in the face.
The girl was fearless, as if she knew in her sleep that she was in an extremely safe embrace and would not be blamed no matter how much she made a fuss, so she did not hold back, and her voice sounded particularly crisp in the quiet room.
After a while, Xing Ze reached out and touched the spot where he had been hit, his gaze somewhat strange.
That amount of force wasn't too much for him, and she hadn't really swung her hand all the way at him; she had just slapped him.
"......"
The girl's hands were soft, and when she patted his face, they still carried the warmth and fragrance of the blankets.
He looked down at her for a long time, then slowly took her hand and placed it back on his face.
Then he pinched her slender, delicate fingertips and gently rubbed them.
The girl felt warm and cozy from his body heat, her body was exceptionally soft, and he held her lovingly for a while.
After finally letting go of the tension in his heart, drowsiness quickly overwhelmed him. He watched for a while longer, then reluctantly closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
But he forgot that it was almost time for Miss Xing to get up as well.
Half an hour later, he was awakened by a noise coming from the table.
He left his phone there after sending the message, and now the screen is lit up, persistently vibrating.
The person on the other end of the phone was very persistent, automatically hanging up one call only to keep calling again, ringing for more than ten minutes in a row.
He is a light sleeper and can't stand the slightest noise. He tried to ignore it and continue sleeping, but he couldn't stand the constant buzzing.
"......."
He opened his eyes irritably, his gaze heavy with sleepiness, and his entire demeanor plummeted to its lowest point.
The girl in his arms was still sleeping peacefully. He carefully pulled his arm out, got out of bed to get his phone, and then went out and closed the door.
He took a deep breath and answered the phone: "What?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than a spirited female voice came through the phone: "What time is it? Are you still sleeping?"
"........"
He glanced at his phone.
6:48.
"......."
He suppressed his frustration and said, "I just fell asleep half an hour ago."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, then Xing En's surprised voice came through: "Oh ho?"
In Hangzhou, a thousand miles away, the morning sun shines brightly. She sits at a French-style dining table, her makeup exquisite, legs crossed, elegantly using a fork to pick at the scrambled eggs on the porcelain plate, and says kindly in the tone of someone who has been through it all: "Young man, you must practice moderation."
"......."
Xing Ze rubbed his temples: "I'm going back to sleep, stop hitting me."
"Wait, wait, wait!" Xing En finally remembered the purpose of his dozen or so phone calls and quickly put down his fork to stop him.
"...Um, what did you mean by saying in WeChat that you wanted to 'chat' with the old man?"
Xing Ze fell silent.
Xing En paused for a few seconds, then her voice became serious: "Is it what I think it means?"
Xing Ze gave a faint "hmm".
“........” Xing En took a deep breath on the other end of the phone, and was about to speak when she was interrupted.
"Does it have to be now? Let's talk about it after I wake up."
Xing Ze looked very sleepy. He was always grumpy when he woke up, and his battery was almost depleted at this moment.
Xing En struggled on, unwilling to give up: "Wait, don't hang up yet, I..."
"I've turned it off."
After saying that, the person on the other end seemed too sleepy to say another word and hung up the phone with a beep.
“.......
Xing En put down his phone, calmly picked up his fork, and popped a bite of scrambled egg into his mouth. After chewing for a while, he suddenly muttered, "Damn..."
"Has the sun risen in the west...?"
She stood up abruptly, took a few steps into the sunroom, and looked out the window.
"No."
She murmured in disbelief, "What's going on...?"
After hanging up the phone, Xing Ze muted his phone and finally lay down to continue sleeping.
The wind and rain outside the window had not stopped, but the sound was not as loud as last night. Every household was hiding in their own homes, waiting for the typhoon to end, and no one came to disturb him anymore.
During this time, Mu Tingyu complained that he was too hot and tried to pull his arm to the other side, but he grabbed her with his eyes closed. Later, she probably realized that she couldn't break free, so she stopped moving.
So he held her securely and slept soundly for six hours.
The feeling of letting go is wonderful. I feel tired but relaxed, like holding the moon and hanging it in the clouds. It feels soft, but also brings a strange sense of unease.
"......."
He was awakened by a wet sensation after an unknown amount of time.
His morning grumpiness kicked in at the opportune moment. He frowned, lay motionless, and prepared to calm down before opening his eyes again.
But when he realized where the feeling was coming from, he was instantly jolted awake.
He sat up abruptly and looked over, involuntarily gasping for breath.
Hearing the noise, the little rascal slowly raised his head and gave him a nonchalant smile.
Her lips were rosy and glistening with moisture.
Seeing his incredulous expression, she even lowered her head again and affectionately rubbed her fair cheek against it, as if she loved it very much.
"........"
The colors are strikingly contrasting, creating a top-notch visual impact.
Then, with a smug look in the corner of her beautifully shaped eye, she opened her mouth.
Xing Ze grabbed her shoulder, stopping her movement.
"Shepherd's Whisper—"
He was very sleepy, and spoke in a hoarse voice, word by word.
"—You're finished."
-
It was already lunchtime, and I could have gotten up and gone downstairs, but the door remained closed until 2 p.m.
Mu Tingyu became too complacent and paid a heavy price, eventually begging for mercy in tears.
Xing Ze easily pinched her chin, forcing her to open her mouth: "Now you know fear?"
His voice was husky and incredibly sexy: "—Tell me yourself, shouldn't you be punished for being so greedy?"
Mu Tingyu sobbed, unable to utter a single word.
Later, I had to hug his neck and mumble "I like you" countless times before he reluctantly let me go.
It was already 2:30 when we finally got to eat.
Xing Ze quickly made noodles and served them on the table. He simply added loofah, dried shrimp, and sliced mushrooms. The noodles were light and refreshing, but the flavor was very delicious. A sip of the hot soup made my stomach feel comfortable.
Mu Tingyu was starving. She devoured the soup in a flash, only uttering her first words after drinking the last drop: "Delicious."
Xing Ze chuckled and lightly flicked her forehead.
The little rascal never learns from a beating. No matter how badly she's tormented in bed, as long as she's eaten and in a good mood, she'll smile at people and seem to have no temper at all.
But only he knew how much she loved to tickle people.
After finishing his meal, he tidied up and then called Xing En.
Xing En's voice on the other end was more serious than ever before. She told him to think it over carefully and not to make such a hasty decision.
"Did you want to come back because of Xiaotingyu?"
Under the eaves of Xingze Station, the rain continued incessantly, drizzling down like a curtain of water. The ground in front of the door was soaked into a dark color, and the weeds and vegetation along the road were covered with water droplets, washed clean and lush.
He hummed in response to the sound of the rain.
“I’m not questioning your relationship,” Xing En stated beforehand, “I just want to remind you that relationships aren’t as simple as you think. It’s fine that your relationship is good now, but what about the future? Have you thought about that?”
“Aze, I can understand why you’ve always been at odds with Dad, or why you don’t want to go home. But I’m surprised you’re telling me you want to talk to him. Honestly, I thought you’d stay in your little house forever.”
Xing En's voice was calmer than ever before, even carrying a hint of seriousness.
“You can come back for Xiaotingyu now, but what if you two break up later? Will you still go back then? It won’t be as simple as me making a phone call and stamping your documents then.”
“I haven’t told Dad yet, you can think about it some more. You know, once you open your mouth, there’s no going back.”
Xing Ze said calmly, "I've made up my mind."
"......."
Xing En stood before the floor-to-ceiling window of the high-rise building, looking down at the bustling traffic below, and after a long while, she finally spoke: "Actually, you could have done it yourself..."
Xing Ze knew what she wanted to say and replied, "We have to face it eventually."
"...Do you understand listening language?"
"......."
Xing Ze paused for a moment, then said, "She doesn't need to know."
Xing En patiently advised him, "Are you really sure? Don't force yourself. I know that incident from back then hasn't gotten over you, and Dad has been putting pressure on you..."
"Sister," he called out to stop her.
Xing En knew what he meant.
"...Since you've made up your mind," she chuckled, "then let's leave it at that. I'll talk to Dad. As for having a chat, I think it's more appropriate to talk about it in person when you're back. What do you think?"
Xing Ze leaned against the door: "...Hmm."
When will you be back?
"Her teaching stint ends next month."
Xing En thought for a moment and then made up his mind: "Okay, what about the house?"
"Just leave it there."
"Great, you've thought it all out." Xing En picked up her phone and sat back down in the leather chair, crossing her legs. "You've always had a lot of ideas, and I won't stop you. Just one thing, you need to be clear about what you're doing."
Her tone was somewhat meaningful, and she tapped the receiver with her sharp fingernails, reminding him, "Relationships are subject to change."
“…” Xing Ze slowly spoke, “You should also settle down.”
Xing En intended to give him advice, but unexpectedly he was lectured first.
She sensed the displeasure in Xing Ze's tone and said, half-laughing and half-crying, "...You brat, you believe in love, but I don't. When I was flirting with young boys, you were still playing in the sand."
No sooner had he finished speaking than there was a knock on the door.
Xing En casually propped his head up and put the phone aside: "Come in."
"Director Xing." The secretary pushed open the door and came in. "Someone at the front desk is looking for you."
"Many people are looking for me," Xing En scoffed.
The secretary, sensing the dissatisfaction in her tone, quickly explained, "It's that student who came to the company to see you before."
"The one you brought into the office before."
"........"
Xing En was silent for a few seconds, then waved his hand: "I won't see him. Let him go."
"Okay." The secretary withdrew skillfully.
"Alright, that's all for now." Xing En flipped through the documents spread out in his hand and said into the phone, "Let me know in advance when you get back, and bring Xiao Tingyu over for a meal."
Xing Ze hummed in response, then asked through the receiver, "Is this Zhang Xin?"
“”
Xing En accidentally scratched a faint mark on the paper with her fingernail and clicked her tongue: "Why bring him up? There are plenty of students, why must it be him?"
Before anyone could answer, she tapped the screen with her finger: "So many questions, okay, I'm busy, hanging up."
"........"
Xing Ze was overwhelmed by the smell of gunpowder, but he habitually put his phone, which had automatically turned off, into his pocket.
They managed to find me even without giving me their contact information; that's quite persistent.
Back in the kitchen, Mu Tingyu was sitting at the dining table playing on her phone.
Xing Ze had seen her reply to messages before, and he didn't know how she had so many messages in her WeChat list, a stark contrast to his own. Not only were there tons of group chat messages, but private messages were also pouring in.
He walked over and patted her head. She looked up and asked, "Want to call Sister En?"
He hummed in agreement.
"What did you say? Why have you been talking for so long?"
Xing Ze looked at her bright eyes and smiled, "Didn't you want me to go with you?"
Mu Tingyu exclaimed "Wow!" and smiled, her eyes crinkling: "You told her?"
Before anyone could answer, she tossed her phone aside, wrapped her legs around his calves, and looked up at him, saying, "Hug me."
She's being clingy again; she wouldn't let me hold her a couple of days ago.
Xing Ze picked her up, his tone carrying a hint of pleasure: "Tell her she invited you to dinner."
"Okay." Mu Tingyu's tone was sweet as she leaned in to kiss him. "You really agree to come with me?"
They embraced each other intimately, their two restless hearts pressed tightly together, as if they were on the same wavelength.
"Otherwise what?" Xing Ze pressed his forehead against hers, his tone gentle. "Would I let you get away?"
"How could that be?" Mu Tingyu's eyes crinkled into a smile. "By the way, where do you live?"
"Hangzhou".
"Huh?" Mu Tingyu exclaimed in surprise, "What a coincidence? My art studio is also located in Hangzhou."
"Wow!" She suddenly became happy and rubbed her neck against Xing Ze's neck enthusiastically, like a kitten showing its belly. "Then we don't have to be in a long-distance relationship anymore, that's great! I was worried about you for so long."
"Didn't you want to travel the world?"
"Huh?" she exclaimed. "How did you know?"
Xing Ze didn't speak, he just stared at her.
"Come with me." Mu Tingyu leaned in and kissed the corner of his lips, chuckling, "Let's fly away together as a couple."
She really knew how to coax people. Xing Ze wanted to be serious, but he was still charmed by the promise of "a life of happiness together" and a smile appeared in his eyes: "You're not broke anymore, and you're still going on a trip?"
"Oh right." Mu Tingyu suddenly looked utterly dejected and clung to him. "I need to go back and immerse myself in painting. I have clients waiting for my work..."
Xing Ze patted her back reassuringly and hugged her quietly for a while before suddenly asking, "...Has your aunt been looking for you lately?"
Mu Tingyu paused for a moment: "No, she stopped after I gave her the money. But I don't have her WeChat either, I usually just call her."
Xing Ze lowered his eyes and hummed in agreement.
"Let's go upstairs," Mu Tingyu said, swinging his legs between hers as she directed him.
After she stopped hiding from people, her words became incredibly sweet, making you want to cherish her.
Xing Ze patted her bottom lightly: "Didn't you say you were going to go upstairs by yourself?"
"You didn't take my cane off for me, how am I supposed to walk?" Mu Tingyu accused.
"Didn't you walk without your crutches last night?" Xing Ze's voice was cold. "I haven't settled accounts with you yet."
"You're bringing up old grievances again!" Mu Tingyu preemptively leaned in and kissed him, using this method to shut him up.
She kissed him, her body moving restlessly. After a while, Xing Ze hissed and pinched her as a warning, "That's enough."
Forced to stop her lewd behavior, Mu Tingyu couldn't help but think of the brand-new, unopened little box on the bedside table.
She was also quite puzzled. He didn't seem incapable at all, so why was he unwilling to see things through to the end...?
While he was thinking, Xing Ze reached out and touched the gauze on her ankle, asking, "Does your foot hurt?"
"It doesn't hurt, it just a little sore."
"Okay," Xing Ze said. "Keep using it for the next few days. I'll take you to the hospital after the typhoon passes. If you're feeling better, you won't need the ointment anymore."
Mu Tingyu also disliked the sticky feeling of the ointment, so she smiled happily and said, "Okay."
Xing Ze kissed her, reached for her phone, turned off the light, and carried her upstairs.
-
The rain drizzled for several days before stopping, and the weather cleared up and got warmer.
The villagers began busily working to salvage the crops washed away by the rain, clear the water from their doors, and get back to their work. Taking advantage of the clear weather, Xing Ze borrowed a car from Jiang Yu and took Mu Tingyu to the hospital.
The doctor examined the ankle and said the recovery was going well, but it was best to continue using crutches until a full month had passed before trying to walk. After that, it's up to the ankle to heal itself; ointments and gauze will be used depending on the patient's needs, and keeping it in place is more effective than a hundred ointments.
The patient, of course, said no to the ointment. The ointment was a sticky, black blob that had to be melted before it could be applied, and it always left his feet dirty and uncomfortable.
Xing Ze saw that the doctor didn't have any strict requirements, so he let her have her way.
After returning from the hospital, she resumed her daily routine of being picked up and dropped off at school by Xing Ze.
Ever since she got angry last time, Xing Ze has stopped clinging to her. After dropping her off, he goes home to tidy up his things and then picks her up again at mealtime.
To be honest, it had been a very long time since she had experienced the feeling of being picked up from school. Her childhood memories were already very vague, and it was even more impossible for her to experience this after living with other people.
Although this feeling came too late, and my identity changed from student to teacher, it's still very good.
In the past few days, she has also heard Xing Ze talk about his previous job and where he lived, as well as Xing En's story of starting from scratch.
After hearing this, she couldn't help but feel a deep respect and said several times that Sister En was a role model for us all.
Actually, she had seen Wang Jiale's respectful and reserved manner towards her, and knew that Xing En's identity must be extraordinary, but the female president of a top construction company in Hangzhou... was still a bit too much.
She's married into a wealthy family.
Xing Ze, who was sitting next to her in front of the computer, heard her say this and chuckled as he flicked her forehead. His glasses gleamed warmly under the bedside lamp.
Mu Tingyu only recently discovered that he wears glasses, but he never wears them except when he is in front of the computer.
The glasses were the kind of frameless, square lenses typical of tech guys, with metallic silver frames. They didn't look out of place on his face at all; instead, they gave him a cool, sophisticated yet slightly roguish look, making her drool. She reached out to touch them, but was slapped away.
She pouted, looking aggrieved, and shrank back under the covers.
The frequency was a bit high a while ago, and her back ached for a long time. After Xing Ze found out, he rarely did it to her anymore. When she had class the next day, no matter how much she messed around, he would just press her down to sleep. At most, he would cover her with a quilt and talk to her. Over time, she gradually forgot about the box in her bedside table.
The days passed by peacefully, and soon it was almost time to finish her teaching stint. Her legs were almost able to walk normally again.
Although she was supposed to rest for a full month, she still didn't like the feeling of using crutches. Now that her ankles no longer ached when she stepped on the ground, she naturally tried to walk. She called it rehabilitation, and Xing Ze, seeing that she had been using crutches so obediently for so long, let her be.
These past two days, Xing Ze has been tidying up the house, stuffing everything that can be put into the cabinets to prevent dust from settling in, and then cleaning the house from top to bottom.
Mu Tingyu was ordered to stay put, so she followed him around like a little tail, no matter where he was cleaning.
There was no air conditioning in the building, so he was wearing a white tank top. His muscles were firm and bulging, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. He was sweating a little, and he looked very sexy.
Mu Tingyu was itching to draw, and demanded that he be her model when they got back. She had never drawn a body that made her so eager to paint it.
As soon as she finished speaking, she was caught. Xing Ze asked her dangerously what other body types she had drawn. She chuckled and was about to try to get away with it by acting cute when she felt her pocket vibrate.
He took out his phone and saw that it was Jiang Chu calling.
She rarely calls herself, usually sending text messages instead. It's probably something urgent; she figured it was time to submit her manuscript.
Mu Tingyu gave a sly smile, waved her phone at Xing Ze, broke free from his clutches under his helpless gaze, and ran to the door to answer the call.
"Hey~ Chu Bao~~ Did you miss me? What's the matter that you called me in such a hurry~~"
She was in a good mood and spoke sweetly.
"Listen...listen to me," Jiang Chu's voice trembled strangely on the other end of the phone, "Have you been online these past few days?"
"Hmm?" Mu Tingyu asked in confusion, "I've been a bit busy with classes lately and haven't been looking at my phone much. What's wrong?"
"..." Jiang Chu took a deep breath. "Take a look at our Weibo account."
"We" refers to the art studio. Their studio has a fairly good reputation and a decent number of followers on Weibo. They usually post pictures of their paintings or interact with others, and then it's used by clients to contact them via private messages. It's generally run by Jiang Chu, and she doesn't pay much attention to these things.
What's wrong with Weibo?
Mu Tingyu opened the Big Eyes app, switched accounts, and logged into "Manye Art Studio," a place she hadn't visited in a long time.
In an instant, countless messages flooded in.
She subconsciously thought that the art studio had become popular or something, so she opened the message list. The mentions and comments were overflowing, and private messages kept pouring in.
When she saw the contents of the private message, she froze on the spot.
"Listen..." Jiang Chu's trembling voice came at the same time, "Your...your aunt is right next to me, she wants to talk to you..."
Before she could finish speaking, it was as if someone had snatched the phone away, and a sharp female voice suddenly rang out.
"Mu Tingyu—!"
"You think you're all grown up now, huh! How dare you not answer my calls!"
She felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar in an instant.
-----------------------
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