Chapter 43 It's me who wants to hold your hand
The Maybach drove smoothly on the street.
The raised partition blocked the view between the front and rear seats, creating a private and quiet rear seat where you could almost hear your own heartbeat.
From the moment she boarded the bus, Qu He kept looking out the window.
The scenery changed, but her expression remained calm, as if she hadn't yet recovered from her emotions.
But only she knew what she was screaming inside.
What did she just do?
Did he call Zhuang Bieyan's name in front of everyone?
She even held his hand as they got into the car?
Qu He didn't even have the courage to think about what had just happened again; she couldn't forget the driver's wide eyes when she got on the bus.
When a person's emotions reach a critical point, they will subconsciously seek a safe haven, and just now she used Zhuang Bieyan as a place to put her emotions.
When her adrenaline was at its peak, her brain made actions without thinking, simply acting on instinct.
Qu He curled her fingers, her fingertips brushing against Zhuang Bieyan's palm.
Their hands are still clasped together. Qu He has tried to pull away several times, but Zhuang Bieyan seems not to notice.
Using the reflection from the glass window, Qu He secretly glanced at Zhuang Bieyan, who showed no sign of anything amiss, as if he wasn't the one being pulled by the hand and rushed out of the banquet hall.
Why isn't this person reacting at all?
Just as she was thinking this, Qu He suddenly felt her palm being gently squeezed.
"Quhe."
Zhuang Bieyan called her name softly, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet carriage.
Qu He subconsciously turned her head and met his smiling eyes.
"Um?"
"Where to?" he asked.
Qu He was stunned for a moment, then followed his gaze to the window.
Only then did I realize that the Maybach seemed to have driven around this road several times already, and even the leaves on the roadside trees looked familiar.
“If you want to keep going around in circles, that’s fine too,” Zhuang Bieyan said teasingly, his gaze falling on her slightly stunned face. “You’ll just have to go refuel first.”
"...Anything is fine."
Qu He turned her head back, her ears almost burning.
She hurriedly rolled down the car window, hoping the wind would cool her burning cheeks.
But the wind in June is really hot!
The wind carried the heat and the scorching smell of the asphalt road, causing beads of sweat to appear on her nose.
"It's a bit hot."
She chuckled awkwardly as she rolled up the car window.
The implication is, it's so hot, let go of my hand right now!!!
Zhuang Bieyan simply hummed in agreement, reached out and turned up the air conditioner's fan speed, but his hand remained firmly in the same position as before.
The air seemed to freeze; all Qu He could hear was the whooshing sound of the air conditioner and her own increasingly loud heartbeat.
Qu He couldn't hold back any longer and decided to speak, but just then, the force in her hand suddenly loosened.
She turned her head, and the hand he had pulled back was now typing rapidly on the phone screen.
Seeing her look over, Zhuang Bieyan raised an eyebrow and glanced at her empty hand: "We'll hold hands later, I need to take care of some things now."
The air was quiet.
"I didn't say I wanted to hold your hand." Qu He's voice was a little sharp, and she lowered her head, no longer looking at him.
What's wrong with this person? Doesn't he think before he speaks?
Zhuang Bieyan chuckled softly, then quickly put away his phone. "Who was staring at my hand for so long just now?"
"It couldn't have been that long," Qu He retorted, but then immediately realized her mistake and denied it, "I didn't! I didn't look!"
"Oh. Then I must have misread it." Zhuang Bieyan's smile deepened. "Actually, it was I who wanted to hold your hand."
Qu He suddenly looked up.
Their eyes met unexpectedly.
He just looked at her, his expression frank and open, yet with a hint of seriousness.
A strange thought flashed through her mind, but before she could grasp it, she blurted out in a panic, "Zhuang Bieyan! Don't talk nonsense."
She was stunned when she finished speaking.
He was called by his full name...
Her ears were burning hot, and she quickly turned to look out the window, only to hear a low laugh coming from beside her.
Suddenly, something was shoved into her hand, and Qu He instinctively flinched.
Looking down, I saw the USB drive that he had just taken.
“A testament to courage.” His voice was soft.
Qu He instantly understood what he meant.
She was referring to what she had been holding back in the banquet hall earlier. Her face flushed even more, and she snapped back, "After all, not everyone is like President Zhuang, who can speak eloquently in interviews and always handle things with composure."
"Is it no longer called Zhuang Bieyan?" He leaned closer to her, instantly closing the distance between them, and the scent of cedar trees emanating from him instantly enveloped her.
"I thought you were already used to calling me that."
"I..."
Qu He instinctively retorted, but Zhuang Bieyan didn't give her any chance and continued to press her for an answer.
"You've seen my interview?" His smile deepened.
Qu He: ...? ?
Is this the key point?
She glared at him.
When did Zhuang Bieyan become so cunning?
She felt like a butterfly under a cat's paw.
Zhuang Bieyan stopped teasing her, the playfulness in his eyes gradually faded, and he said seriously, "I have already had someone take care of the video surveillance issue."
Qu He was taken aback.
So he was checking his phone just now to deal with this?
When she went backstage to play the video, she knew it had definitely been captured on camera. But at that moment, she didn't care about that; she just wanted Qian Zhaoye to experience what it felt like to be talked about behind his back.
She just didn't expect that Zhuang Bieyan would even think of this and help her solve the problem.
"Thank you," she said softly, a mix of emotions welling up inside her.
Zhuang Bieyan: "Actually, no."
Qu He was stunned.
He looked into her eyes, his earnestness making her uneasy: "I haven't always been so composed."
Is he explaining what she just said?
Zhuang Bieyan said in a low voice, "I also encounter problems that I can't solve."
Qu He was speechless for a moment, feeling as if something had tickled her heart, making her feel itchy.
She felt the thin veil in the car lift slightly because of his words.
Just then, the Maybach slowly came to a stop.
Zhuang Bieyan leaned back in his chair, his tone returning to its usual calm, "We've arrived."
Qu He turned her head and froze the moment she saw what was outside the window.
As far as the eye can see, there is a large lawn and a fountain in the courtyard. It is more like an estate than a villa.
"Where is this?" she asked.
"My home."
Qu He suddenly turned to look at him: "Your home?"
Zhuangzhai?
Two servants came out of the house and opened the car door for her. Zhuang Bieyan led her inside.
"I promised, I'd take you to pick bayberries." He spoke naturally, as if he were talking about something perfectly normal.
Who agreed?
She never agreed!
I implore Heaven, to distinguish between the loyal and the treacherous!
She refused right away!
Just as Qu He was about to say something to refuse, she heard a familiar child's voice from not far away, "Sister Qu! You really came!"
Little Zhuangxi came skipping over, wearing a small straw hat on her head and a sun-protective shirt with a strawberry bear pattern.
Behind her was a "masked hero," whose off-white sun protection mask covered most of his face, revealing only a pair of bright eyes.
"Sister Qu, this is my beautiful mom!" Xiao Zhuangxi grabbed her hand and pulled her forward.
The "masked hero" removed his mask, revealing a bright and beautiful face.
Her eyebrows and eyes were somewhat similar to Zhuang Bieyan's, both having long, narrow eyes, but the beauty mark under her eye added a touch of charm to her.
"Hello, I'm Zhuang Liuyue." The woman smiled and extended her hand. "Thank you for what happened at the market last time."
Qu He quickly returned the handshake: "You're too kind."
"You should thank me." Zhuang Liuyue smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "I didn't have time to prepare today, how about I treat you to shopping next time?"
"No need, no need," Qu He quickly waved her hand, "You've already asked President Zhuang to treat me to dinner."
Zhuang Liuyue raised an eyebrow and gave Zhuang Bieyan a meaningful look. "Eat?"
She drawled out an "oh," a slight smile playing on her lips.
Zhuang Bieyan remained expressionless: "Let's go in first."
Xiao Zhuangxi couldn't wait any longer. As soon as he finished speaking, he pulled Qu He inside, chattering away nonstop.
"Sister Qu, look! Our bayberries are ripe! Uncle said he would bring you here to pick bayberries, but I didn't believe him. I didn't expect him to actually do it!"
Qu He paused in her steps.
So when he said "I've decided" in the car, he had already planned to bring her here?
Cunning!
Behind him, Zhuang Liuyue crossed her arms and looked at her younger brother. "When did I ask you to treat me to a meal?"
Her words were full of teasing.
"It's my duty as an uncle," Zhuang Bieyan replied seriously, calmly walking inside.
"cut."
Zhuang Liuyue scoffed and chased after him.
Qu He was pulled inside by Zhuang Xi, and no one knew where the little girl got such strength.
She was wearing a long skirt today, so picking bayberries was out of the question, and even walking a few steps quickly was difficult. Just now, the hem of her skirt had gotten tangled in the wind several times, almost causing her to trip.
Zhuang Xi held her hand and chattered, "Sister Qu, it's a good thing you came today, otherwise Hua Hua would have eaten all the bayberries."
Who is Hua Hua?
"Huahua is a little bird. It comes to eat bayberries every day, and we can't get rid of it no matter what we do."
Qu He was amused by her and almost twisted her ankle.
Just as she tripped over her skirt again, a pair of hands steadily caught her arms.
"careful."
Zhuang Liuyue appeared beside her without her noticing. "This dress is very pretty, but it's not suitable for picking bayberries."
Qu He's smile seemed somewhat forced.
"Come with me." Zhuang Liuyue naturally took her hand and led her up to the second floor.
She took an outfit from the closet; the tags were still on.
"Here, change into this outfit. I bought it recently because I wanted to work out," she said, handing the clothes to Qu He. "It's a pity I've never worn it."
Qu He accepted the gift and expressed her gratitude.
After she changed her clothes and came out, Zhuang Liuyue sat on the sofa and looked at her phone.
Hearing the noise, she looked up, her eyes lit up, and the beauty mark under her eye lifted slightly with a smile. "Teacher Qu looks really good in this outfit."
She gave her a hazy blue tracksuit, which fit Qu He perfectly, highlighting her waistline and making her skin look even whiter.
Zhuang Liuyue rested her chin on her hand and joked, "You look like a recent college graduate."
Qu He smiled shyly, "You can just call me Qu He."
"Okay, then we're friends from now on, so don't be so polite with me."
Qu He nodded, "Okay, Sister Liuyue."
The two siblings said almost the same thing.
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