Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Pinky Hook
Just then, a gong suddenly sounded, and his round eyes suddenly widened, his gaze fixed on the river like an arrow. As he was concentrating, the command from the bridge vaguely passed by. When the second gong sounded, a deafening roar suddenly erupted from the eight dragon boats, and the oars all plunged into the water, shooting out like a dragon breaking free from its bondage.
The drum beats were like thunder and rain, and the river water was boiling. With the uniform sound of the horns, the eight dragon boats rushed through the waves like arrows from a bow.
The people on both sides of the strait cheered and applauded, the sound was like the Qiantang River tide, the noise was deafening!
Lan Nongnong had already completely forgotten herself, her body unconsciously leaning towards the river, with her hands, which had been loosened at some point, cupped to her cheeks, and she cheered along with the cheers from both sides of the river.
As soon as the race began, the entire Luozi River erupted in excitement. Every year during the dragon boat race, spectators would fall into the water. Although the fences on both sides had long been reinforced, the soldiers still had to stand guard like a wall with their guns, and even the river was filled with skilled swimmers, ready to fight.
However, in such a noisy crowd, who would care about all these things? Amidst the jostle and shove, a few figures still fell into the water, but amid the deafening cheers, no one even noticed the splashes.
Qin Jingyao knew her temperament and was willing to laugh and joke with her. When there were many people, it would be chaotic, so he kept protecting her, his arms always forming a barrier. But when she let go of his hand because she was so absorbed in watching the game that she completely forgot that he was still by her side, he felt a little uncomfortable in his heart.
Now, she is so selfless that she doesn't care about her own safety.
Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he saw the guards around him being pushed closer by the excited crowd. The elegant smile on his face suddenly faded, and his feet stood firm like the roots of an ancient pine tree. He put one arm around her slender waist and brought her back. With his other hand, he gestured, and as he locked her in his arms, he leaned down and whispered in her ear, "The crowd is so huge, there might be trouble. Let's go upstairs and watch the game first."
Lan Nongnong was completely enveloped in his embrace, forming a confined space beneath the clamor. His hot breath hit her face, mingling with her still-quiet rapid breathing.
He hugged her too tightly, and she couldn't raise her head, but she could see a crowd of people like a tide in her peripheral vision.
She knew that accidents would easily occur when there were too many people, so she was about to nod, but suddenly she felt her body lighten, her vision suddenly shook, and her feet were pushed to move involuntarily. In her haste, she couldn't exert much strength, so she quickly raised her hands to hug back.
It turned out that Qin Jingyao saw that something was wrong, so he half-hugged her and broke out, his long arms like a fence protecting her. The guards hidden in the crowd surrounded her in an instant, and they forced their way through the surging crowd, breaking through a narrow path. Wherever they passed, it was like the bow of a ship breaking through the waves, and the crowd involuntarily parted to both sides.
The shore was only three hundred steps away from the restaurant we had booked, but we had to go against the flow of people, through the streets and alleys, and it took a quarter of an hour to get to the wing room.
Although the two were walking against the tide, they did not look at all embarrassed. Outside the open carved window, the deafening noise seemed to be separated by an invisible water curtain, and it was already hazy and distorted when it came in.
Lan Nongnong was thinking about the competition, so as soon as she entered the door, she pulled him to the window and looked down with her hands on the pergola.
The restaurant stands on the river bank, more than 50 meters high. From this high vantage point, you can see most of the scenery of the southern city.
The second round of eight dragon boats on the Luozi River, the grand spectacle of chasing each other was strikingly visible. Although it was not as clear and shocking as the follow-up photography in later generations, it was much more enjoyable than just watching from the shore or running after the dragon boats.
Looking down from the railing, the track was about 700 meters long. Each boat had 21 people, 20 of whom were rowers working together against the current. The leader cut through the waves and reached the finish line in less than half an hour.
Lan Nongnong failed to catch up in the first sprint, but in the second round she watched closely from beginning to end. When the red dragon boat overtook the blue boat with a slight advantage and crossed the finish line first, the gong sounded immediately, and the cheers from below were like a tsunami. She jumped up with joy, turned around and hugged and cheered with the people around her.
"Yao Jing! Yao Jing, did you see that? Hong Zhou made a comeback and overtook the opponent at the last moment. How amazing!"
"I thought Lan Zhou was going to win, but it's hard to predict the outcome until the very last moment! It was so intense, truly thrilling and truly spectacular!"
Nothing in a competitive match is more exciting than a comeback. Lan Nongnong felt a shudder rushing up her head, her whole body numb. When she let out a long breath, she leaned against him softly as if exhausted.
Qin Jingyao was already accustomed to the battlefield and the scenes of two armies fighting. The competition in front of him seemed ordinary to him. However, her excited look when watching the game and her eyes flickered attracted his attention frequently, and a smile unconsciously appeared on the corner of his lips.
Concentration, excitement, tension, joy, elation, and ecstasy, all the emotions are unrefined and unpretentious, and appear particularly eye-catching.
The gong below sounded again, and the person in his arms changed from being delicate and frail. She straightened her body and looked out the window again. Qin Jingyao tightened his arms and easily trapped the delicate woman in his arms.
He lowered his head slightly and saw the girl's cheeks flushed, her eyes sparkling. She looked back at him with a bit of confusion and doubt, and a doting smile appeared in her eyes.
"The view from here is excellent, and you can watch from a seat. If you're so engrossed in the finals, will you still have energy left to cheer?"
Lan Nongnong blinked, looked around at the tables and chairs, and then looked at the windowsill. The restaurant was built here, and its fame came from its unique view. The windowsill was level with the table, and people sitting in it had a wide view and could take in the scenery outside.
Lan Nongnong's sight suddenly lowered, and she was stunned for a moment. She lowered her eyes unconsciously and found that the person had sat down on the armchair by the window, with her pink lips curved into a beautiful arc.
She raised her head, rested her elbows lightly on the table, supported her cheeks with her palms, and smiled sweetly at the man opposite her who looked elegant and noble even when he was sitting.
I was so engrossed in it that I even forgot the noisy voices outside the window.
Qin Jingyao raised his eyes and saw her in this state. He shook his head, but the smile on his lips did not fall for a long time. The sound of water was clear, the fragrance of tea was thick, and the warm steam came to her face. Lan Nongnong subconsciously took the teacup, lowered her eyelids slightly, and sipped it carefully.
When she raised her eyes inadvertently, she found that he was sitting there, his elbows resting on the armrests, his long hands hanging naturally, his demeanor relaxed, his eyes deep, and he was looking at her with a faint smile.
"Ahem,"
Lan Nongnong choked as the tea was about to enter her throat. Before she could react, a wisp of cold fragrance suddenly approached her, and the teacup in her hand was taken away and placed aside.
The wet lips touched the silky handkerchief, and at the same time, someone stroked my back, soothing me. The movements were gentle and delicate, accompanied by a soft sigh from above my head, and a helpless smile in the voice.
"How can you be so careless?"
Lan Nongnong suddenly looked up, her pretty face flushed red, not sure if it was from choking or embarrassment. She forced herself to remain calm, eyes wide open, and turned the tables: "It's all your fault for suddenly staring at me..."
His voice gradually became quieter, but suddenly he sounded confident, "It would be strange if anyone could remain calm if someone like you, who looks like a banished immortal, were to stare at them!"
Qin Jingyao was startled when he heard this, and laughed at her twisted logic. He gently pinched the pink and hot earlobe with his fingertips, "You are making up stories."
Lan Nongnong was stunned for a moment, then she turned her head away and covered her ears with her hands, realizing that what she had just said was nothing but flattery.
In the past, I could easily come up with such teasing words, but now I was trapped between the back of the chair and my chest, and I was completely defeated.
His palm was still resting on her back, the burning warmth coming through the fabric. Raising her eyes slightly, she could see the shadows cast by his drooping eyelashes, so close she could count each one.
The pair of smiling eyes moved within a short distance, and even the breath was intertwined with the cold fragrance. Lan Nongnong was forced to look up, and her whole body was enveloped by his breath.
Her heart was beating so fast it almost jumped out of her chest, but she still had to hold on to her courage. With a red face, she patted his arm that was across her side and said, "Great!"
She puffed out her cheeks and glared at him with sparkling eyes. "You clearly had ulterior motives! You were deliberately teasing me, trying to embarrass me, and bullying me!"
It was clearly a question, but the ending tone was trembling, making it sound like a coquettish tone.
Qin Jingyao, who was subjected to her intimidating punches, suddenly laughed out loud, his chest trembling slightly, his Adam's apple rolling, his eyes full of smiles kept fixed on her.
Seeing her curled up in the chair, like a cat with its claws retracted, my heart suddenly softened and a tingling warmth spread through my blood.
With such a lovely and adorable look, it doesn't matter if she has a little temper. What's more, I even want to hold her in my arms and pamper her.
His slightly calloused fingertips gently pinched the slightly pouting lips, and he smiled indulgently, "Okay, it's all my fault. I made us choke on the strong tea. So, how do you want me to apologize so that you won't be angry?"
The lips were soft and sensitive, and the tingling sensation from being touched swept through her body like an electric shock. Lan Nongnong trembled slightly, slapped his hand, unconsciously wet her lips, and bit them lightly with her white teeth, as if to suppress the tingling.
Her eyes suddenly turned, and there seemed to be broken stars flowing in them, shimmering and shining. Her red lips curled up in a cunning arc, and her fingertips poked his arm: "In your eyes, am I so stingy?"
It's clear that she's not giving in, but her delicate nature makes people's hearts soften.
Qin Jingyao finally experienced firsthand what it meant to be spoiled and arrogant, but he was content with it, patiently coaxing her: "How could it be? We are as quiet as the moon in Lanting Pavilion, and as lively as the wind through the willow branches. Even if we occasionally get angry, it is like pearls falling on a plate, clear and moving. Such a natural charm and broad mind, how can we be judged as stingy?"
After saying this, he pretended to think and raised his chin towards the window. "Just watching the game is rather boring. If you're interested, why don't you and I guess who will be the champion today? Whoever guesses correctly can make a request to the loser. How about that?"
Lan Nongnong was so in love with him, first because of his appearance like a banished immortal, with a tall and graceful figure and a smile that could make the whole city bloom, and secondly because he was as gentle as jade, good at understanding people's hearts, and never hurt others with his arrogance.
What made her sink the most was that every word he said was like a gentle spring breeze, falling right on the softest part of her heart.
She had this intention in mind, but she didn't agree with it immediately.
"good!"
Lan Nongnong clapped her hands in delight, stretched out her right little finger, bent it, and raised her eyes to signal him. Although Qin Jingyao didn't understand, he kindly let her do what she wanted. As soon as she stretched out her little finger, it was immediately hooked by the raised little finger.
Two fingers intertwined, looking more intimate than holding ten fingers together,
He chuckled, retracted his little finger, and pressed his thumb against hers.
"It's a deal!"
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