Chapter 74
"That's what happened. I woke up with a boyfriend."
Inside the Huaqing Gate Taoist temple, Rong Jing sat across from Aqiu. His fair face wrinkled, and he didn't care what Aqiu's expression was at the moment. He said to himself, "Although I don't mind having another boyfriend, I always feel something is a little weird."
Aqiu: "I think something is strange too."
Rong Jing's eyes lit up slightly, and he asked hopefully, "What's weird?"
Aqiu: "It feels sour."
He is a single guy, why should he stay here to listen to the daily love life of Rong Jing and Xie Changshi?
Ah Qiu looked at Rong Jing and said seriously, "You know, our Taoist temple is full of single dogs. I suggest that the dog food be distributed evenly to each single dog's dog bowl."
Uncle Changhe, who thought he was in good health, passed by the two of them while chewing an apple and said in a low voice, "I don't like dog food. Give my share to Yuan Jing."
Yuan Jing said expressionlessly: "I can't stand hearing other people's affections. Give it to Hengyi."
Hengyi smiled shyly at Rongjing, but his eyes were bright: "I love to listen!"
Rong Jing: “…”
But he doesn't want to talk about it now.
I always feel that these guys from Huaqingmen are not reliable at all.
Coincidentally, Huai Wenmin, who was very quick, sent a new message to Rong Jing. Rong Jing looked down and found that the other party had already asked someone to design several patterns for bracelets, brooches and cufflinks, and wanted Rong Jing to choose one. Rong Jing, who had been fooled early in the morning, stared at those exquisite design drawings and couldn't help but mutter in his heart -
It’s really a good thing for that bad guy Xie Changshi.
Then choose carefully.
But to be honest, the vision and aesthetic taste of the Huai family's official designer are really good, and he likes every pattern and mirror.
As Qiu stood up and passed by him, he caught sight of this scene out of the corner of his eye and immediately suggested, "That's easy. The stone is so big anyway, can't we just do it all?"
That makes a lot of sense.
Rong Jing decisively followed Aqiu's advice and told Huai Wenmin about his plan. After receiving Huai Wenmin's affirmative response, he whispered, "Xie Changshi has found a treasure."
…
Aqiu wanted to communicate with his fellow disciples in the Taoist temple, and Rong Jing didn't intend to disturb him, so he went back to the hotel with a heavy sigh.
Xie Changshi, who had finished his work, turned around and saw Rong Jing. He waved at him and called out, "Boyfriend."
Rong Jing: "...Don't keep reminding me of how you tricked me. It makes me feel stupid and not smart at all."
Xie Changshi couldn't help laughing when he heard this. He saw resentment in the depths of Rong Jing's dark eyes, and knew that he was still brooding over the fact that he had been tricked into becoming his boyfriend in his sleep.
"Okay, boyfriend." He continued, and immediately received an even more resentful look from Rong Jing.
Worried that Rong Jing would really get angry, Xie Changshi stopped teasing him and asked, "What do you want to eat for lunch today? I'll make arrangements for the afternoon."
What are Xie Changshi’s arrangements for the afternoon?
Rong Jing, whose curiosity was instantly piqued, was still complaining when she couldn't help but move closer to Xie Changshi and asked him curiously, "What are the plans? Aren't you working this afternoon?"
"If you're not working, do you want to go to an amusement park? There's a very famous amusement park at the junction of Yanhe and Fenping. It's a rare opportunity to come here, so why don't we go and have a look?"
Twelve years ago, Rong Jing loved amusement parks.
But they didn't have much money back then, and Rong Jing wouldn't have begged Xie Changshi to go to the Tingyang City amusement park, no matter how much she liked it. However, they were lucky: that year, the amusement park was celebrating its anniversary, and the management was handing out flyers at the entrance, advertising the recruitment of temporary workers. Xie Changshi and Lu Yunji secretly took the flyers, put on heavy doll costumes, and spent the day selling balloons.
Rong Jing can still clearly recall the day when Xie Changshi took off his hood and his black hair was soaked with sweat.
His heart felt as if something had gently stepped on it, a soft, aching sensation. Then, facing Xie Changshi's inquiring gaze, a smile appeared on his fair face, and he said, "Okay, okay."
"Then wait until after dinner. I heard there will be a beautiful fireworks show in the evening."
"Then I have to charge my phone fully so I can take lots of photos and post them on WeChat Moments."
Rong Jing happily took his phone to charge and didn't even want to care about lunch.
Xie Changshi didn't bother him and directly picked a Western-style restaurant that looked and tasted good according to Rong Jing's taste. Around noon, the two arrived at the restaurant on time. After lunch, they went to the amusement park together.
The amusement park, located at the junction of the two cities, covers a vast area and is known as the most famous and most diverse amusement park in Cangyun. However, since it is a weekday, the park is not crowded and does not seem crowded.
Rong Jing was holding an ice cream cone in his hand, and a balloon ribbon was tied to the hood of his sweatshirt. Rong Jing couldn't help but reach out and tug at it, then asked suspiciously, "There are so few people here today, could he get lost?"
"No." Xie Changshi reached out and touched the balloon. The balloon shook, and he also answered why Rong Jing bought this thing. "It's cute."
Rong Jing: “…”
So childish.
But... Rong Jing looked up at the rabbit balloon floating above her head. It was chubby and really cute.
He finished the ice cream cone in one bite and pulled Xie Changshi to the roller coaster project site.
"I've read some travel guides online, and they say the roller coaster here is super thrilling, but might make you a little dizzy. How about I put a talisman on you first?" Rong Jing still had her backpack with her. She reached inside and pulled out a stack of talismans. "One that prevents dizziness, and one that causes you to get dizzy directly. Which one do you prefer?"
The corner of Xie Changshi's eye twitched slightly.
He could understand the anti-dizziness thing, but what about the direct dizziness thing?
He chose the former.
So Rong Jing held the talisman paper in his hand, and flexibly reached into the man's outer clothes with his palm, and with a snap, he pressed it against Xie Changshi's back through the thin cloth.
He then stuck another one on himself.
When she went to the amusement park with Xie Changshi and Lu Yunji, they were both working part-time jobs. Although Rong Jing had free time, the Tingyang amusement park was a bit of a rip-off. Many of the fun rides required money, so Rong Jing only rode the free carousel and spent the entire day there. As for the thrilling rides like the roller coaster and pirate ship, she could only envy them.
This is his first time, so he must be prepared.
After getting on the car and choosing a seat, the car started. Rong Jing took a deep breath and subconsciously held Xie Changshi's hand with his fingers.
When he reached the top, he felt his heart pounding and suddenly said to Xie Changshi, "What should I do? I'm so nervous, I feel like my heart is going to—ah!"
call out.
The roller coaster dropped at a breakneck speed, and Rong Jing's screams drifted through the air. But after a moment of panic, it was replaced by amusement. He winked excitedly at Xie Changshi, the wind blowing through his soft hair, revealing a face filled with joy.
Xie Changshi couldn't help laughing when he saw him like this.
The roller coaster circled twice on the track before it finally stopped. Thanks to Rong Jing's talisman paper, the two of them got off the car the same way they got on. Compared with the young couples next to them who had weak legs, pale faces and lingering fear, Rong Jing and Xie Changshi seemed to be walking out of flat ground.
"Let me check out the other attractions." The young man, completely unaware that his fingers were being held by Xie Changshi, struggled to hold his phone in one hand and opened the guide to the amusement park. Then, his eyes lit up, "Netizens said there's an event at the haunted house here. If you can get out of their haunted house without making a sound, you'll get a gift."
Xie Changshi held his forehead with his hand.
I never expected that Rong Jing would be interested in haunted houses.
You've seen too many real ghosts and find them boring, so you're planning to tease a fake ghost, right?
As they stood at the entrance of the haunted house, waiting to enter, Rong Jing and Xie Changshi saw a couple standing in front of them, seemingly only in their twenties. The shorter one hugged the taller one's arm, frowning and nervously saying, "I'm not going in vertically and coming out horizontally, am I?"
The taller one was silent for a few seconds, then hesitated and said, "Compared to that, I think it's more likely that I'll come out sideways."
"How is that possible! You are usually so brave, are you afraid of haunted houses?"
"I'm not afraid, but there's a high chance something unexpected will happen."
He didn't elaborate on the specific accident. Just as a new round of haunted house experiences began, the door slowly opened towards the group. The staff members guarding the outside all wore the same smile, which seemed a bit meaningful and malicious, but they still said politely, "You may go in. Please pay attention to your personal safety. If you have any questions, please feel free to press the alarm."
Rong Jing looked at the small button in the palm of his hand. This was what the staff called the alarm bell.
He had read netizens' comments on this haunted house. It was said that walking into it was no different from stepping into the underworld. The fake ghosts inside were quite real. People with weak hearts could be easily frightened to death, and people with healthy hearts could easily be frightened into having a heart attack.
However, he is not that timid.
When the door behind them closed, Rong Jing whispered to Xie Changshi, "Just follow me later. I'll protect you in everything."
The voices were quiet, but with the three couples occupying a small space, Xie Changshi heard them clearly, as did the others. The shorter boy turned his head and, upon seeing Xie Changshi's height and appearance, was slightly taken aback. He muttered to himself, "How can such a tall guy still need the protection of a handsome guy next to him? Is he the kind of guy who's all show but no substance? If that's the case, then what's the point of having such a face?"
Xie Changshi, who felt the other person's gaze: "..."
Mr. Xie's expression remained unchanged, as if he didn't notice anything was wrong at all. After Rong Jing said that, he even took the initiative to stand behind Rong Jing, a smile on his face, and said, "Okay, then you have to protect me."
Rong Jing straightened his back and said, "Of course I will tell you. As long as I am still alive, you will not die."
Xie Changshi thought this was a bit exaggerated.
At that moment, the lights in the haunted house suddenly went out, and darkness immediately descended. The short boy in the lead groped along the path, followed by the others. Soon, they could hear the whirring of wind, and the temperature around them began to drop rapidly.
Rong Jing subconsciously raised his eyes and saw a little devil lying on the lamppost above his head, rubbing his hands together, ready to play a trick on these humans who came to him on their own initiative.
As a result, when he lowered his head, his eyes met Rong Jing's.
The smile on the kid's face froze.
What the hell? Why is there a Taoist priest here?
Are they here to catch it?
The little ghost's expression changed, and he muttered to himself that he was just a guest ghost in the haunted house. Although he was a real ghost, he had been working as a ghost for so long and had never really scared anyone. So he shouldn't have committed any crime, right?
Feeling suspicious, it couldn't help but shrink back. Fortunately, the Taoist priest only glanced at it and continued to explore the haunted house excitedly.
Looking at Rong Jing's cheerful back, the little ghost vaguely realized that the other party didn't seem to have any intention of catching it, so he continued to work. After Rong Jing withdrew his gaze, he whispered his discovery in Xie Changshi's ear. Before he finished speaking, he heard a scream from the front, followed by a muffled groan.
Rong Jing looked carefully and saw that the short boy clenched his fist, and his fist was full of wind, and smashed towards the source of the strange sound with a bang.
But what followed was that familiar voice: "Baby, you hit me."
The short boy: “…”
Rong Jing: “…”
He seemed to understand what the tall boy said at the door of the haunted house: "Compared to others, it is more likely that I will come out sideways."
Five minutes later, Rong Jing and Xie Changshi walked out of the exit of the haunted house unharmed. The tall boy covered his eyes, and the short boy supported him carefully, his eyes full of guilt.
The tall boy said: "It's okay, I came out standing."
The short boy: “…”
Rong Jing couldn't help but burst out laughing.
The laughter reached the ears of the short boy, making his face flush red and looking quite flustered.
Xie Changshi rubbed Rong Jing's head and led him to the staff. Throughout the entire haunted house, they were the only two who had persevered without a word, and naturally, they were given gifts. The staff's eyes darted back and forth between Rong Jing and Xie Changshi in amazement, and as they pulled out the gifts, they said to them, "You two are so brave! In our haunted house, it's rare for one or two people to win a prize in a month."
Rong Jing smiled and said thank you.
Then he opened the gift.
What he saw was a cardboard box. He placed it in Xie Changshi's arms and carefully tore off the tape. In the blink of an eye, a hand popped out from inside, and in its palm was a little devil. The little devil flapped its wings and shouted in a steady, mechanical voice, "I am a ghost, I am a ghost, I am a ghost."
Rong Jing: “…”
When people are speechless, they will really smile for no apparent reason.
The short boy was initially envious of Rong Jing for getting the prize, but now that he saw the prize's true appearance, his mouth twitched, and all he could say was, "What a special prize."
My mentality suddenly calmed down.
Rong Jing: “…”
He sealed the box with the tape again, trying not to see it, and then said solemnly to Xie Changshi, "This is for you."
Xie Changshi raised his eyebrows slightly, but he didn't feel disgusted. Instead, he accepted the gift from his boyfriend very naturally.
It's a bit ugly.
But the little gifts Rong Jing gave him were all quite ugly, like the doll that was said to look very similar to him.
The doll is still placed by his bed.
…
There was plenty of time in the afternoon, so Rong Jing and Xie Changshi tried almost all the activities they could.
Darkness gradually fell, and the entire amusement park was hung with various lights. The light scattered in all directions, casting long shadows of people, and there was an inexplicable feeling of peace and tranquility.
Rong Jing was taken by Xie Changshi to ride the Ferris wheel. When he got off the Ferris wheel, he occupied a great position and only had to wait for the fireworks show in five minutes.
"Wow, we meet again." The short boy was standing opposite Rong Jing and the other man, waving at them enthusiastically. Rong Jing also waved back at him with a smile on his face.
Seeing that the fireworks show is about to begin, many tourists are gathering here.
Bang.
As the giant clock pointed to the number eight, the first burst of fireworks shot straight into the sky, exploding into a beautiful flame in the dark night sky. Rong Jing looked up at the fireworks blankly, and suddenly said to Xie Changshi, "Do you still remember that I bought a lot of fireworks during the Chinese New Year?"
How could Xie Changshi not remember?
Pre-dawn upright 4
But it wasn't really a lot. Rong Jing bought a bunch of fairy wands for ten yuan, and he'd earned that ten yuan on a whim by picking up bottles. After buying the fairy wands, he gave him half, and when Lu Yunji came to the door, he felt bad and gave him one, which made Lu Yunji so angry that he screamed and accused Rong Jing of hypocrisy.
That night seemed similar to tonight. The sky was very dark, there were no stars, only a full moon that was occasionally covered by dark clouds.
But the fireworks are very bright.
It illuminated the stars hidden in Rong Jing's eyes and the smile on the corners of his lips.
Xie Changshi suddenly realized that Rong Jing had been different to him since a long time ago.
The fireworks show never stopped, and countless beautiful patterns appeared in the sky until the last moment, when the last bunch of fireworks shot up into the sky and turned into a beautiful smiling face when it exploded in the air.
The shorter boy exclaimed, "It looks like the handsome guy across the street!"
The voice was drowned out by countless exclamations, but Rong Jing seemed to have heard it. He suddenly looked up, fixed his eyes on the face that was quickly blown away by the wind, and then turned to look at Xie Changshi.
Xie Changshi was staring at him. The man's brows were lowered and his eyes were deep, but there was a tenderness in them that was more affectionate than the night.
"Is that me?"
"Are they similar?" Xie Changshi asked him with a smile, and finally received a strong nod from the young man, "Very similar."
"Then...A Jing, are you willing to give me a chance?"
Rong Jing was stunned.
Until this moment, he had never understood what was wrong with the feeling he complained to Qiu about in the morning.
Now he understood.
His fair face became even more beautiful under the light, and he complained quietly: "I thought you wouldn't confess."
Xie Changshi laughed and couldn't help but reach out to rub his head, saying, "If I don't confess, you'll probably remember it for the rest of your life. When you're in the coffin, you'll open it and curse me for tricking you into being registered in my household registration book."
Um……
Although, Xie Changshi really understands him well.
He holds a grudge.
Rong Jing touched his face, feeling a little embarrassed. He opened his mouth to speak, but heard Xie Changshi continue, "Sometimes I dream about the day I first met you, but I made a choice that was completely different from reality."
He never liked children, so when he saw the crying girl in the mirror, he felt annoyed and turned away.
The crying became softer, and when he looked back again, the alley was empty, with nothing left.
He didn't take it seriously and continued walking towards home.
It was not until a long, long time later, so long that he stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window of the Xie family's high-rise building and looked at the splendor of Yancheng, thinking that he seemed to have accidentally lost something very important.
But what is it?
He didn't know, he only knew that when he realized this, his heart seemed to be pulled hard by someone, and the pain was so severe that he couldn't breathe.
Then, the day breaks and the dream ends.
He thought of Rong Jing sleeping in the next room, and his wildly beating heart gradually calmed down.
He looked into the mirror and whispered, "You will never know how grateful I am that evening that one of my few kindnesses dominated my consciousness."
The tenderness in Xie Changshi's eyes almost overflowed when he looked into Rongjing's eyebrows.
The man's palm brushed through Rong Jing's short hair and asked, "So, A Jing, are you willing to give me a chance, so that I can look back one day and be thankful that I held your hand at this moment."
Rong Jing raised her head to look into Xie Changshi's eyes, and after a long glance, she said, "Xie Changshi, you're so corny."
Then she took the initiative to stretch out her arms and put them around the man's waist. Her face flushed and she smiled as she said, "Then when you look back in the future, remember that it was me who held you."
…
It was already late when they returned to the hotel from the amusement park. Rong Jing had a boyfriend, and even her back showed her happiness.
He went on the forum, which he hadn't visited for a long time, and announced the news.
The familiar netizen opened his mouth with the decisive comment: That’s great, we are finally going to bed.
Rong Jing: “…”
He shouldn't have downloaded the app again.
There is no color other than yellow in the netizen's mouth.
He took a shower and lay down beside Xie Changshi, who was leaning on the bed with a laptop on his knees to deal with some urgent matters. Rong Jing touched his arm and asked him when he looked over, "Aqiu is going back to Yancheng tomorrow. Are we going back with him?"
"Do you still want to stay here and play?"
Rong Jing shook his head: "I want to go home."
In the past two days, people have been asking him on WeChat when his studio on Changhua Street will open. He said that many people come here every day, but leave with regret when they see the sign "Boss is not at home" on the door.
Besides, he is here, he has bought the local specialties, been to the amusement park, and even has a boyfriend, so it seems that nothing can attract his interest anymore.
Upon hearing this, Xie Changshi said directly: "Then go home."
Rong Jing replied with a "yes," and as she rolled over to his side with the quilt wrapped around her, she added, "I'll go visit Xiaoxiao tomorrow morning, and then we'll leave in the afternoon, go back to Yancheng for dinner, and then go home. What do you think?"
"no problem."
"Then I'm going to sleep." Rong Jing put down the phone and was about to close his eyes when he caught a glimpse of Xie Changshi looking at him from the corner of his eye. So he looked over and asked, "What's the matter?"
Xie Changshi pointed at his face and asked, "No goodnight kiss?"
Rong Jing looked at his face, bit her lip, and felt a little embarrassed.
But Xie Changshi had already put down his laptop, adjusted his sitting position, and was waiting for a goodnight kiss to come to him.
Rong Jing could only prop himself up and move closer. The second after soft lips touched her cheek, the world spun around her. Xie Changshi's smiling voice reached her ears, "A kiss on the cheek doesn't count."
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