Ning Yuan was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "So, what do we usually do...?"
"We usually talk about being siblings in public, but in private, we've never dated normally... We'll date the way other people date, okay?"
Rong Zhaonan seemed to know what she was worried about, and answered crisply.
Ning Yuan looked at him; his cool, narrow eyes held a hint of a smile as he stared intently at her.
Seeing her look up at him, he coughed lightly and looked away indifferently: "Um... as long as you don't want to, I respect a woman's choice and will never force you."
He appeared calm, but his long neck was slightly flushed with embarrassment.
As he held her, she could feel the knuckles of his hand holding her wrist turning slightly white from tension.
The occasional cleverness of a fool, and... the occasional clumsiness of such a clever person, always unexpectedly softens people's hearts.
Ning Yuan's heart softened, and she said softly, "Okay..."
She is a cautious and selfish person emotionally, and ultimately hasn't let go. Give yourself a chance and follow your heart.
He paused for a moment after speaking, staring at her silently for quite a while.
Suddenly, he grabbed her and spun her around, his usually cool eyes filled with amusement: "No taking it back! Anyone who does is a puppy!!"
Ning Yuan couldn't help but blush, feeling dizzy and lightheaded. She reached out and punched his waist, saying, "You... Rong Zhaonan, you're spinning around again! Are you only three years old... Put me down!"
What else? — Only a puppy would go back on its word!
He's a 27-year-old man who usually acts aloof and intelligent. Doesn't he think it's incredibly stupid to say something like that, ruining his image?
This time, Rong Zhaonan didn't hold her and spin her around like he did during the New Year.
He put her down and stared at her intently.
Ning Yuan's cerebellum wasn't very developed to begin with, and she couldn't stand being spun around like that. Even though she only spun around a few times this time, she was still a little dizzy and blurted out, "What are you looking at?"
A hint of amusement flickered in Rong Zhaonan's eyes: "What's wrong with me looking at you?"
He suddenly leaned down, and Ning Yuan tensed up instantly.
But the next moment, the kiss landed on her forehead, gentle yet with a hint of restraint.
“You…” Ning Yuan was taken aback and looked up at him with her big eyes.
The two times he kissed her before, wasn't it always the same old story of him going straight in and biting her without caring whether she wanted it or not?
Rong Zhaonan's cool and handsome face was full of restraint and embarrassment. He raised his hand and pressed her head against his chest to prevent her from seeing his predicament.
He muttered, "...Don't look at me. If you want to date normally, don't you have to start with family members from the forehead?"
Ning Yuan buried her face in his military uniform, her nose brushing against the buttons on his chest: "..."
So, is he "catching up" now?
Suddenly, I felt a little soft-hearted. Boss Rong isn't always such a scoundrel.
...
Grandma Xia waited anxiously in the house: "Old man, why haven't those two children come back yet? Could they have been fighting on the way?"
Old Tang was sitting to one side, carefully rinsing each bamboo cup with boiling water using a large pot: "Ah Xia, don't worry too much, Xiao Nan is a good child..."
"What's so great about him? That kid's incredibly cunning when it comes to important matters, but utterly stupid when it comes to trivial ones. He's a grown man, and he won't listen to advice!"
"He's never been in a relationship with a girl before, and he only knows how to treat Ningning like an enemy or a teammate. Why doesn't he just sleep with the enemy or the teammate?!"
The old woman rolled her eyes at Old Tang.
Old Tang dropped the bamboo tube from his hand, his face flushing red: "What are you saying, you disrespectful old man..."
Rong Zhaonan stood silently at the door.
Should he go in or not?
Ning Yuan couldn't help but laugh as she listened to Grandma Xia's complaints.
Old Tang noticed them first and stood up: "Xiao Ning and Xiao Nan are back!"
Grandma Xia turned her head and saw them standing at the door. Although they weren't holding hands, Rong Zhaonan's shoulders and chest were pressed against Ning Yuan's back, their posture intimate.
"Grandma, do you have any midnight snacks?" Rong Zhaonan smiled, just like when he returned from working in the countryside, and greeted her as she entered the door.
Grandma Xia rolled her eyes at him: "Eating late-night snacks is bad for your stomach, you ignorant brat! You're only allowed a little bit to moisten your palate!"
Despite her cursing, Grandma Xia still went into the kitchen and, ten minutes later, brought out a bowl of braised yellow croaker noodles with pickled mustard greens, along with two small bowls and two pairs of chopsticks.
"My husband loves my pickled mustard greens and yellow croaker noodles the most. We'll have some left over tonight, so you two kids can share it!"
Ning Yuan looked at the bowl of noodles; the way it was made was different from the yellow croaker noodles usually served in state-run restaurants in Shanghai.
Grandma Xia pan-fried the boneless and tailless yellow croaker. The outer skin of the large pieces of fish meat was golden yellow, but the fish meat inside was snow white.
On top of the thick, piping hot, yellowish-white broth, there are pickled mustard greens and finely chopped bright green scallions, releasing a fresh and sweet aroma.
This wasn't leftovers at all; it was clearly noodles that Grandma Xia had prepared for them.
At the social gathering, she had already eaten a lot of fruit and snacks, and now she feels she can still eat a little more!
Seeing that the two younger ones seemed to have made up, Old Tang smiled and pushed up his glasses—
"Eat up! This yellow croaker noodle soup made by your wife has absolutely no fishy smell, it's the best!"
Rong Zhaonan divided the food into two small bowls; his bowl had more noodles, and hers had more yellow croaker.
Grandma Xia squinted her old eyes at Rong Zhaonan's behavior but said nothing.
Both of them ate with great relish. The broth was rich and flavorful, the fish was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and the aroma of pickled mustard greens and scallions blended together, bringing out the sweetness of the noodles. It was so delicious that it made their eyes squint.
Unfortunately, Grandma Xia resolutely refused to cook another bowl, so Ning Yuan took the bowl to the kitchen to wash it.
MISS Xia sat on the stool, fanning herself with a palm leaf fan while staring at Rong Zhaonan: "So, what kind of trouble are you up to now?"
Rong Zhaonan paused in his drinking, then coughed lightly: "It's nothing... we just made up."
Then, he briefly explained the agreement he had made with Ning Yuan.
Before Grandma Xia could speak, Old Tang nodded and said approvingly, "Xiao Nan did the right thing this time. Love and marriage can't be without any steps; sooner or later, we'll have to 'make up for it'."
Grandma Xia looked Rong Zhaonan up and down with some suspicion—
"Although Lu Xun said that if physical contact occurs too early, it will be difficult for the soul to connect. If physical contact occurs too early, it will be difficult to establish a deep spiritual resonance."
"But you've suddenly changed so much, are you out of your mind, or are you plotting something?"
Old Tang blushed again and frowned: "Why is an old lady like you talking about these things in front of children, without any regard for decency? Besides, Lu Xun never said anything like that..."
Grandma Xia glanced at him sideways: "Say it again..."
Old Tang lowered his head and coughed: "I must have misremembered... Zhou Shuren didn't say it, but Lu Xun did say it."
Rong Zhaonan: "..."
He put down the ceramic cup and cleared his throat: "I was too attached to appearances before. Please consider this my awakening."
Ultimately, he was unwilling to accept it. He had fallen so deeply into her trap, and she just walked away to college and found a second spring. How could things be so easy?
Giving up strategic goals casually is not in his style.
Grandma Xia squinted her old eyes. The Taoists say "attachment to appearances" refers to—
In spiritual practice, clinging to external appearances, illusions, or individual consciousness leads to a deviation from the essence.
In plain terms, it means being overly attached to things you shouldn't be, losing sight of the bigger picture while focusing on trivial matters.
Did this kid gain enlightenment from reading Taoist classics?
That doesn't make sense either. Although Taoist priests can get married, there aren't any Taoist texts that teach people how to date!
Grandma Xia snorted coldly, and casually picked up an embroidered shoe sole from the side and tapped Rong Zhaonan on the forehead—
"You're not being honest, kid. Dating isn't like going to war. You'd better get along with the girl properly. If you get carried away again, I'll whip you with the sole of my shoe to wake you up!"
Rong Zhaonan rubbed his forehead, which had been knocked red, and gave a helpless smile: "I know."
Ning Yuan lingered in the back of the kitchen for a while, listening to the "interrogation" inside until it was over before she came out.
"It's late, Ningning. Are you going to sleep here or go back to your dorm?" Old Tang gently asked his little disciple, patting Ahei's head.
Ning Yuan shook her head: "Tomorrow is the first day of military training, I'd better go back first. We need to change into military uniforms and assemble at eight o'clock in the morning."
The school gave each of them a set of military uniforms.
Grandma Xia glanced at Rong Zhaonan beside her and said, "Then let your cousin take you back. Just be careful. There are some things that a cousin shouldn't do to his cousin. If people see this, Ningning will be in trouble."
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