Chapter 24 "You've never been different from them..."
Looking up, I met those eyes that seemed to be smiling but weren't. The brown pupils were even paler in the sunlight, and looking into them made me feel slightly dizzy.
Xiao Che gently helped her sit up, looking at the peony in her hand. A playful smile played on his lips. He deliberately slowed his tone, leaned close to her ear, and teased, "Your Highness, you were all like this today... arguing with someone and almost falling, just for this?"
Yan Jiarou's face flushed, and she quickly hid the peony behind her back. Her eyelashes trembled, and she hurriedly closed her eyes, turning her face away as if burying her head in the sand, saying, "Nothing like that! It was just...it was just..."
Why? He never said it out loud.
“Since it’s not…” Xiao Che straightened up, a teasing smile appearing on his lips. With his palm facing up and his fingers hooking upwards, he said to her in his usual lazy tone, “Then return it.”
Yan Jiarou was stunned for a moment: "Return?"
Her first thought was, why should I? Why should I give him the hairpin that I risked everything to get?
But then she thought again, and realized that this was indeed his hairpin. It was one thing for the girls to keep it privately, but now that the true owner of the peony was right in front of her, and he had thrown it, it seemed there was no reason not to give it to him since he had asked for it.
Moreover, since she had previously said "nothing happened," she was denying that she had lost her composure because of the flowers. If she didn't give them to her now, wouldn't that confirm that she was lying?
Young girls are too shy to do such a thing.
Besides... she looked up at Xiao Che, her clear black and white eyes darting around, and then she had other plans in mind.
—It turns out that the reason for stealing the peony was to obtain an item that was imbued with Xiao Che's aura without having to come into contact with him. But now that Xiao Che himself is right in front of them, since they have already seen him, they might as well ask him for something directly.
What do you want?
Actually, she had considered sending Yingxue to ask him for another box of medicinal cream, but firstly, Yingxue said that the medicine was very precious and that even Xiao Che probably didn't have any left, so she couldn't use that excuse. Secondly, she was too embarrassed to ask Xiao Che for the medicinal cream herself.
But now that she has run into Xiao Che in person and has already lost face in front of him once, she might as well just give up and do whatever she wants.
Otherwise, not only would she lose the peony, but she also wouldn't get any other items that were tainted by Xiao Che's aura. It would be a real shame for her to make such a fool of herself today!
She hadn't thought it through yet. If he said he didn't have any, she would pester him for other ointments, anything that went through his hands.
What young girl doesn't love beauty? It's not surprising that she would beg her mortal enemy for scar-removing cream.
She was feeling smug about the idea she had come up with on the spur of the moment when Xiao Che's voice suddenly came from above her head, but it wasn't addressed to her: "What, do you all seem to have a refined taste for sightseeing near Taiye Pond today?"
His palms itched slightly. He glanced down and saw that the little girl had angrily thrown the peony into his palm.
The flower stem has no thorns; when rubbed against the palm of the hand, it causes a slight itch.
Xiao Che glanced down at the peony lying in his palm, a slight smile playing on his lips.
When he looked up at the ladies from noble families again, the smile on his lips had vanished.
Xiao Che's face remained expressionless. He lifted his eyelids and said indifferently, "If you like peonies, you shouldn't have come here. The peonies near Chenxiang Pavilion are in full bloom. Don't you know that?"
The noble ladies exchanged glances, blushing, and said in unison, "Your Highness, we were ignorant."
Xiao Che raised an eyebrow and said calmly, "It's alright, you know now. It's a pity there's only one flower right now. If you all want it, it will be a bit difficult."
As she spoke, her gaze swept over everyone, a slight smile playing on her lips. Wherever her gaze fell, the young ladies from prominent families quickly lowered their heads, as if they dared not meet her eyes, their faces flushing even more.
Yan Jiarou was slightly taken aback.
In her memory, Xiao Che had always been indifferent and aloof towards the young ladies of noble families. He would never say more than one word, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that he was as cold as ice. Why did he suddenly change his attitude today?
A mortal enemy is a mortal enemy.
Yan Jiarou felt that Xiao Che seemed particularly annoying today!
She just couldn't stand his attitude. He knew they liked him, yet he was still so...so shameless!
He gave a soft snort, turned his head and muttered under his breath, "Male vixen."
If Xiao Che's actions at this point could only be considered a lack of self-respect, then his subsequent behavior was clearly blatant seduction!
His gaze swept around for a moment before finally settling on Wang Ruoying.
He seemed to scrutinize her for a moment, then his lips curled up and he suddenly smiled.
That smile was like ice breaking and spring snow melting, and the surrounding sky brightened up.
In that dazzling smile, he handed her the peony in his hand, raising his eyebrows slightly: "Miss Wang, your beautiful and charming appearance today is quite a match for the peony. Why not present this flower to the beauty?"
Wang Ruoying was clearly not expected that Xiao Che would suddenly show her kindness, and even give her flowers in front of everyone. She was a little dizzy and just stared at him blankly.
Xiao Che concealed a hint of impatience that flashed in his eyes, and still asked her with a smile, "Miss Wang?"
Wang Ruoying then came to her senses, blushing, she lowered her head and tremblingly reached out to accept the flowers: "Thank you... thank you, Your Highness."
Xiao Che's unexpected act of gifting flowers made the faces of the remaining people quite unpleasant.
Of course, Yan Jiarou looked the worst among them.
She took several deep breaths to suppress the anger raging within her, lest it suddenly erupt and cause her to lose her composure and embarrass herself in front of everyone.
Very well, that explains why Xiao Che is the person she hates the most. He truly deserves to be her nemesis; he knows exactly how to annoy her.
Of all people to give flowers to, why did he have to give them to Wang Ruoying? Didn't he see that she deliberately caused trouble and almost made her fall?
No, he saw it, that's why he did it on purpose! He was deliberately trying to provoke her. Very well, very well, he truly deserves to be her mortal enemy!
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She felt that if she stayed there any longer, even for a moment, she would explode with anger at any time.
She didn't even remember asking Xiao Che what kind of medicine he wanted. She turned around and left. Whether he was sweet with Wang Ruoying or Li Ruoying was none of her business. Out of sight, out of mind!
——
Having walked out of Taiye Pond, he intended to return to Chenghuan Palace. Halfway there, a figure slowly emerged from the path beside him. The figure was tall and slender, with unhurried steps, as if he had been waiting there for a long time.
Looking up, she saw a nonchalant smile on his face, scrutinizing her with a half-smile. Who else could it be but Xiao Che?
Yan Jiarou glared at him but ignored him and continued walking forward with her head down. When she passed by him, he suddenly moved half a step to the side, blocking her way.
Yan Jiarou didn't look up, but whispered two words: "Get out of here."
Xiao Che was taken aback.
A moment later, he smiled, his eyes filled with amusement: "Are you angry?"
Yan Jiarou looked up and gave him a cold look: "Didn't you hear me tell you to get out of here?"
Xiao Che seemed somewhat surprised. He leaned down slightly to look at her, still smiling, and said, "Why are you so angry?"
The little girl already had plump cheeks, and now, with her puffed-up cheeks, she looked even more adorable.
Perhaps she was really angry, her cheeks flushed, and her clear black and white eyes also shimmered with a watery luster.
Even when she's angry, she has a captivating charm.
This only fueled his desire to tease her.
“But Imperial Sister,” he said with a half-smile, “is this how you speak to your Third Imperial Brother?”
Yan Jiarou looked up to meet his gaze, her tone still sharp: "Yes, are you satisfied!"
After she finished speaking, she was about to walk past him, but he grabbed her arm as she passed by.
"Why are you so angry? Is it because I gave the peony to Wang Ruoying?"
He shouldn't have brought it up, because once he did, Yan Jiarou couldn't hold back any longer. Tears welled up in her eyes several times before finally falling: "Yes! It's because of this! Your Highness, you know the answer already, is that really meaningful?"
"So you liked her? I never knew. Third brother, you kept it a secret so well."
"If you like her and want to give her flowers, you can just send them from afar. Why send them in front of me after I've been bullied by her? What, do you hate me that much? Even at a time like this, you don't forget to get revenge on me? Well, you're quite the perfect nemesis."
Xiao Che frowned, finally abandoning his joking expression: "Who told you I like her?"
Yan Jiarou was taken aback, and hastily wiped away the tears on her face: "Oh, you don't like her."
She lowered her head and pondered for a moment, then seemed to get even angrier as she looked up at him: "You don't even like her, yet you still send her flowers, just to annoy me? Your Highness, when it comes to the ability to annoy people, if you're second, no one dares to claim first place."
Xiao Che gazed at her, his Adam's apple bobbing, and his voice softened involuntarily: "I gave her the peony because she deliberately caused trouble and almost made you fall."
"So you're giving her peonies as a reward, is that it?!" Yan Jiarou's chest heaved with anger. "She almost made me fall, and you were happy to see that happen, so you gave her peonies as a reward, right? To reward her for going against me and helping you get revenge? Or were you doing it on purpose to provoke me?"
She laughed in exasperation: "Your Highness, you have quite the methods."
Xiao Che frowned slightly: "You think of me that way?"
"Ha, is there even a need to think about it? It's already right in front of me!"
Xiao Che still had his brows furrowed, and there was a hint of headache in his eyes. He stared at her for a moment, but then suddenly smiled. Just as he was about to say something, his earlobe twitched very slightly.
The Lanling people are born different from ordinary people, including having exceptionally sensitive hearing.
He glanced at her, raised an eyebrow slightly, and chuckled, "Fine, since you only believe what you see, then I'll let you see for yourself why I did this."
After saying that, he grabbed her wrist, turned around, and led her through another path.
Hidden among the flowers and trees, Yan Jiarou was led forward by him.
She watched him holding her hand.
The summer heat was intense, and his palms were pressed tightly against his wrists, where skin touched, a slight sweat seeped out, creating a damp and sticky, burning sensation.
Perhaps it was because the sun was high and she had walked for a while, but Yan Jiarou felt a little out of breath.
A strange restlessness arose within me, like a precursor to an illness, but it quickly subsided like the tide.
Perhaps it's because the time for the disease to develop hasn't come yet.
Or perhaps...
Yan Jiarou looked up at Xiao Che's tall back and subconsciously swallowed—or perhaps, the medicine was right in front of her.
For her, such close contact with Xiao Che was like a therapeutic comfort.
Although she was currently angry with Xiao Che and could only describe her feelings towards him as "utterly detestable," her body seemed to have gained its own consciousness, completely against her will, and began to greedily absorb his unique scent and warmth.
In the summer heat, the sun shone brightly, and her fair forehead and nose were covered in sweat, her snow-white cheeks were flushed red... The sun was so strong that she felt a little dizzy.
Yan Jiarou swallowed hard and closed her eyes.
She tried her best to convince herself that she was just using Xiao Che as a medicine, and suppressed the strange feeling that was growing in her heart.
So what if her body likes him? It's not her intention. She's just sick and using Xiao Che to cure her illness.
Thinking this way, she felt quite at ease and no longer felt inexplicably guilty... or perhaps she felt a certain guilt towards Xiao Jue because of this—she had no other feelings for Xiao Che.
The reason she obediently let him hold her wrist without resisting was simply because she was sick and had no other choice.
She was forced into it! Otherwise, she wouldn't want to have any contact with Xiao Che at all; she hated him the most!
On the bright side, though, she had physical contact with Xiao Che today, and his scent lingered on her. After this experience, she should be able to hold out for a few days without having an attack.
So, by that logic, she wasn't entirely at a disadvantage. Just as she was lost in thought, a woman's voice suddenly came from the side: "Miss, I saw it clearly just now. It was obviously that Miss Huo who deliberately tripped you, causing you to fall. The other young ladies also saw it, but none of them would testify for you... They've gone too far!"
Yan Jiarou was startled by what she heard and quickly looked up in the direction of the voice. She saw Wang Ruoying standing under a green pine tree, her hair disheveled, with a hairpin hanging precariously at the end of her hair. Her bright red dress, which had once been dazzling, was now covered in mud and filthy, making her look extremely disheveled.
The woman who spoke just now was her personal maid, Mu Jin.
Wang Ruoying brushed the mud off her body and snorted coldly, "They're just jealous that I received flowers personally from the Third Prince. You've been with me for so long, haven't you seen their true colors yet? They're all equally jealous. If they don't have it, others naturally can't have it either."
“Since I’m pregnant, they’re unhappy and naturally they’re taking it out on me.” As she said this, although her tone was filled with resentment, her eyebrows were raised and her expression revealed a secret joy and smugness: “Well, it’s no wonder they’re jealous. It’s only human nature. I’m in a good mood today, so I won’t bother with them.”
As she spoke, she seemed to remember something, and frowned, sighing, "It's just a pity about the peony His Highness gave me..."
When Huo Chu tripped her, not only did the other noble ladies not help her, but they also took the opportunity to push and shove her in anger. In the chaos, the peony in her hand was snatched away by someone and thrown to the ground.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the flower fall to the ground, be crushed by someone's cloud-patterned brocade shoes, and then kicked away.
I wonder where they ended up being kicked to in the end.
After the other noble ladies left one by one, she had searched for them, but couldn't find them for a while. Now, after tidying up her clothes, she was still unwilling to give up and instructed Mu Jin to search carefully with her before leaving.
Not far away, Xiao Che and Yan Jiarou, hiding behind the artificial hill, witnessed everything.
Yan Jiarou gradually realized that Xiao Che's gift of peonies to Wang Ruoying seemed to be intentional.
He knew that these young ladies from noble families were always outwardly friendly but inwardly at odds, always comparing themselves to each other, and extremely jealous. So he deliberately gave Wang Ruoying that peony that everyone wanted, making her the target of everyone's envy. In this way, without them having to do anything themselves, she would get the retribution she deserved.
What a clever tactic of using someone else to do the dirty work.
Wang Ruoying was clearly being schemed against, yet she was still filled with joy. Her foolishness was so pitiful that even she couldn't help but feel sorry for her.
— Xiao Che's methods of revenge are truly ruthless.
She had a vague feeling that Xiao Che's behavior today was somewhat unusual.
On a sudden impulse, she turned to look at him. He was tall, and she had to tilt her head slightly to look at him. She gazed at his profile, noting his high nose, prominent brow bone, and narrow jawline—his bone structure was so perfect that there wasn't a single flaw.
The sunlight fell on him, casting a pale golden halo around his features and blurring his sharp jawline. The dazzling sunlight, if stared at for too long, would cause a slight dizziness.
In this slight dizziness, she vaguely thought—why did he help her vent her anger? Didn't he always hate her and oppose her?
Seemingly noticing her gaze, Xiao Che suddenly turned his face. Their eyes met, and he raised an eyebrow, a lazy smile playing on his lips: "Looking at me?"
He leaned down slightly, getting even closer to her, his smile deepening: "What are you looking at, hmm?"
Yan Jiarou was caught red-handed. Her ears burned, and she glared at him, saying irritably, "Isn't it okay that you're ugly?" She snorted and deliberately said, "You're horribly ugly."
Others might get angry at being called ugly, but Xiao Che just smiled and looked at her, as if he didn't care at all.
That's true, how could he possibly be angry?
Only those whose sore spots have been touched get angry.
Such insults, when used on him, are so absurd that they only make people laugh, so how could they possibly make him angry?
Perhaps it only highlights her boredom and incompetence—her incompetent tantrums.
Thinking about it this way, I actually got angry with myself.
She angrily turned her head away and ignored him.
Xiao Che chuckled, his smile playful and teasing, yet tinged with a hint of helplessness: "Your Highness has quite the temper. You were the one who insulted me, and I wasn't even angry, but you're getting angry. What kind of logic is that?"
"That's my reasoning!" Yan Jiarou glared at him, then realized she had spoken too loudly. She quickly turned to look at Wang Ruoying and the others, feeling guilty. Fortunately, they were focused on finding the lost peony and hadn't noticed what was going on. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a good thing if they had discovered that she was eavesdropping on them.
When he turned to look at Xiao Che again, his voice was much softer: "What do you have to be angry about!"
Xiao Che looked at her, a half-smile on his face.
He gazed at her, a playful smile playing on his lips, and suddenly said, "You've been staring at me the whole time, is there something you want to ask me?"
Yan Jiarou was taken aback.
Xiao Che glanced at her, his pale pupils carrying a deep, dark light, as if they could see right through her: "You want to ask me why I helped you get revenge, don't you?"
"I..." Yan Jiarou was somewhat surprised. She hadn't expected Xiao Che to be able to see through her thoughts. She originally didn't want to pay attention, but she couldn't suppress her curiosity. She coughed and said hesitantly, "Why...why?"
Xiao Che curved his lips into a smile, which had a captivating quality: "Because, you are nominally my imperial sister. As an older brother, how can I allow outsiders to bully my sister? Imperial sister, don't you agree?"
Yan Jiarou was dizzy and confused, and for a moment she was misled by him. She thought that he meant that although they often disagreed, he still regarded her as a younger sister and that there was a brother-sister relationship between them that outsiders could not compare to.
She found his words somewhat comforting, and pressed down her upturned lips. It was rare for her to feel that Xiao Che still had some conscience left. Just as she was about to say something, she looked up and met his gaze. His eyebrows lifted slightly, and a wicked smile appeared on his lips.
He leaned closer and whispered in her ear, "My royal sister, naturally only I can bully her."
Yan Jiarou was taken aback, and when she came to her senses, she was furious. She pretended to stomp on his boots: "I knew you were a bad person. You can't say a single nice word!"
He wasn't annoyed by her stomping on his boots. He crossed his arms, merely lifting his eyelids to watch her frolic. Only when she truly went too far would he raise a hand to stop her: "Alright, if you want to pinch or twist me, just do it on your arm... It'll leave marks on your face and cause unnecessary trouble..."
He raised an eyebrow, a half-smile on his face: "Your Highness, you wouldn't want me to be unable to answer when Father asks where the marks on my face came from, would you?"
"Besides..." He leaned forward slightly, his long, slender fingers tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. His Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice deepened, becoming unusually husky, enveloping the two of them in that small space: "If you cause me to be disfigured, and no woman is willing to marry me, how will you compensate me?"
Xiao Che's breath brushed against her ear, making Yan Jiarou's cheeks slightly flush. She felt that the distance between them was too close. She turned her face away and said irritably, "Then I'll compensate you with a little sow."
Even though Xiao Che had anticipated that Yan Jiarou wouldn't say anything nice, he couldn't help but laugh at her: "Little sow?"
He slowly suppressed his smile, looked at her and said, "But I don't like pigs." After a slight pause, he added meaningfully, "I miss you more. Give me a little rabbit instead."
"How could that be?" Yan Jiarou refused without even thinking. She wouldn't even joke about it; everyone knew she loved rabbits. What little girl wouldn't like rabbits? Besides, she'd been saved by a rabbit when she was little—
She was squatting on the ground teasing the rabbit when, unexpectedly, a venomous snake was slithering along the tree trunk behind her, slowly flicking its tongue at her. It seemed that if she was any later, it would attack her. At that moment, the rabbit on the ground seemed to sense something. It was munching on vegetable leaves, but suddenly stopped moving. The next moment, it took off running. Seeing the rabbit run away, Xiao Jiarou naturally followed, thus narrowly escaping a disaster.
Her zodiac sign is Rabbit, and her childhood nickname was Little Rabbit.
So how could she not like the little rabbit? Even if Xiao Che joked about the little rabbit, it wouldn't do. She glared at him and was about to argue with him again when Xiao Che suddenly put a finger under his lips, signaling Yan Jiarou to be quiet.
Yan Jiarou was taken aback, then realized that they had made a bit too much noise, which had attracted Wang Ruoying and the others to turn around and look. Fortunately, they kept quiet in time, and Wang Ruoying and Mu Jin were so focused on finding the peony that they didn't pay much attention and were not discovered.
Wang Ruoying was bent over, her head bowed, fiddling with the grass, trying to find the peony.
Finally, behind a clump of alfalfa, I found the peony that had been crushed beyond recognition. Its once vibrant petals had long since fallen, and the few remaining petals were tattered and hung precariously on the stem, looking dull and broken, almost completely trampled.
This peony, trampled and crushed, is almost unrecognizable as it once was.
Wang Ruoying exclaimed in surprise, carefully cradling it in her arms as if it were a precious treasure.
After finding the flower, she left contentedly with the hibiscus.
Xiao Che watched her retreating figure silently, then suddenly curled his lips and asked her, "Do you think she looks like a dog?"
Yan Jiarou thought she had misheard: "What?"
When she looked up at Xiao Che, she found that he had already put away the playful expression he had shown earlier. Although there was still a smile on his lips, it was full of mockery and cold sneer.
Her expression was indifferent and aloof as she said, "Doesn't it seem like a dog? Only a dog would pick up things that others have thrown away. She went to pick up the peony I threw away at the flower-adorned ceremony. Doesn't that seem like a dog?"
"Or rather, she's worse than a dog. Even a dog wouldn't want something rotten, but she'd pick up trampled peonies. Isn't that even worse than a dog?" Yan Jiarou looked incredulous. Although Xiao Che's words seemed to make some sense at first glance, she subconsciously felt that it was a fallacy. Besides, no matter how bad Wang Ruoying was, she was still a young girl. How could he compare her to a dog?
"How...how could you say that? She didn't mind because she really liked that peony..."
"Disdain?" Xiao Che turned his head, a flash of malice in his eyes. He closed his eyes. "So that peony should be grateful to her?"
"You think she really likes that peony that much? Believe it or not, if I gave that peony to someone else, I'm afraid it would be trampled and crushed, and she would definitely get her share."
Yan Jiarou was stunned for a moment, opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.
Because she realized that what Xiao Che said was true.
For these young ladies from aristocratic families, what they obtained was naturally extremely precious, but if they couldn't get it, they would try every means to make others unable to get it either, so that they could feel better.
Did they truly like peonies? Of course not. It was only because they were peonies thrown during Xiao Che's flower-adorning ceremony that they believed obtaining one would bring good fortune or a happy ending with Xiao Che.
But do they truly love Xiao Che...?
She lowered her eyelids, her eyelashes trembling slightly, and she couldn't help but feel lost.
Suddenly, Xiao Che's voice came from above—
"And you, if you also wanted that peony, but I refused to give it to you, would you take your anger out on it?"
"Me?" Yan Jiarou looked up and met his gaze, blinked, and subconsciously replied, "Of course not. I hate you. What does that have to do with that peony?"
Besides, that peony was, in a way, her medicine. Why would she want to ruin her medicine?
Upon hearing this, Xiao Che exclaimed "Oh?" and said with a half-smile, "You dislike me, but like my flowers?"
He leaned closer to her, his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over her face with a playful look: "Haven't you always liked peonies the most? When did you start to prefer peonies?"
Yan Jiarou was forced to retreat repeatedly, her back pressed against the artificial hill. With nowhere left to go, she was forced to look up at him and say, "I..."
Her cheeks gradually turned pink.
How is she supposed to answer that? She can't exactly say it's for medical treatment... that's why...
Wait, how did he know she used to like peonies?
She frowned as she looked at him, her gaze questioning.
Xiao Che raised an eyebrow, saying dismissively, "Why do you think I'm here? It's just that I'm standing on this high platform with a panoramic view, and I saw someone acting out of character this year, not going to the Crown Prince's Ziyun Pavilion to pick peonies, but instead coming to Taiye Pavilion..."
"I don't know what kind of bad thing they were planning to do. I was just curious, so I followed them to see what was going on. Who knew I would just happen to witness that scene—you know what happened after that."
Upon hearing this, Yan Jiarou instinctively retorted, "I didn't mean to do anything bad, I just wanted your hairpin!"
Once the words were out of her mouth, she belatedly realized what she had said. She wanted to bite off her own tongue, but she also felt that someone with her personality was not capable of lying and could only say things that were half true and half false in order to avoid making a big mistake and making people not believe her at all.
She could never say what she wanted his hairpin for, but she could say the purpose of going to Taiye Pavilion; otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to come up with any plausible reason.
As for why she wanted him... Didn't he think she wanted to do bad things? Then she could just go along with it and say some nonsense like she hated him and wanted to ruin his marriage. Since he wanted to hear that, he would probably believe her if she said it.
Although she had already thought it through and roughly prepared her thoughts, lying was not something she was good at, so she couldn't help feeling a little nervous.
Unexpectedly, Xiao Che did not ask her the reason. The air was silent for a moment, and the surrounding air seemed to freeze.
He swallowed hard, then asked, "You... want my hairpin?"
Yan Jiarou raised her head in a daze, and under his gaze, she finally forced herself to nod.
However, at the moment of nodding, she suddenly remembered Xiao Che's indifferent and mocking attitude towards Wang Ruoying, saying that she would pick up the things he lost like a dog... But if she was a dog, then wouldn't she, who was behaving no different from her, also become a dog?
Xiao Che always loved to tease her verbally and never let her off the hook. She was certain he wouldn't let this opportunity pass and would definitely use it to ridicule her. So she decided to strike first, raising her chin and closing her eyes, saying:
"Xiao Che, are you feeling smug? Now that I've admitted it, you...you can call me a dog too, right? This time I'm just unlucky, you got the upper hand verbally...but don't let me catch you doing anything wrong next time!"
Xiao Che was taken aback, his handsome eyebrows curving upwards, a genuine smile rising from the bottom of his heart: "What dog? Who said you're a dog?"
"You are clearly a rabbit."
As she spoke, her eyebrows twitched slightly, as if she had suddenly realized something, and a smile appeared on her lips: "You mean, about Wang Ruoying?"
Seeing her head drooping and her nodding reluctantly, I found it even more amusing: "Who told you to compare yourself to them?"
He raised his eyebrows slightly, his tone still teasing, and leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Yan Jiarou, how can you be so stupid?"
Yan Jiarou looked up in a daze. The two were already very close, and before she knew it, her earlobe brushed against his lips.
I can't tell which one is hotter.
Her jade-like earlobes, however, appeared even more rosy and alluring.
His breath brushed against her neck, burning hot, and wherever it touched, it spread like wildfire, instantly turning her fair skin crimson.
“You’ve never been different from them.”
Xiao Che said, "They wanted my hairpin, and they could only pick it up like a dog, but you are different."
His voice was low and husky, and his whispers to her sounded like lovers' murmurs: "If you want it, you can just ask me for it."
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