Chapter 7
Chen Jingbai felt an unusual touch, realized what it was, staggered, and stopped abruptly. The sensation of a soft, light object touching his earlobe traveled to his fingertips.
Chen Jingbai's ring finger is numb.
Knowing it was an accident, Chen Jingbai clearly felt He He's lips brush against his ear, and he felt the warmth of He He's lips touch his cool earlobe.
After swaying, He He steadied herself, completely unaware that her lips had just brushed against something. She muttered to herself, "Ugh, this road is so hard to walk on. It almost made me fall over. It's an unforgivable road."
After He He finished rambling, she said to Chen Jingbai, "Chen Jingbai, you must come. I'm waiting for you."
After she finished speaking, she skipped and jumped to catch up with Zheng Xinxin and Sun Jiabao in front of her, completely ignoring Chen Jingbai, whose neck was stained red.
However, it was late at night, and even Chen Jingbai himself did not notice. He just watched He He happily running forward, completely unaware of what he had done.
As if possessed, Chen Jingbai reached out and touched his earlobe, where He He's lips had touched it. It was very hot.
Seeing He He's braids swinging, Chen Jingbai quickly calmed down. It was nothing, just an accident. Besides, He He herself hadn't even realized it. He didn't need to overthink it. He was busy and had many things to do. He couldn't waste time on such a trivial matter.
Chen Jingbai caught up with the three of them, but he always lagged behind, his expression calm and composed.
When the four returned to the educated youth settlement, it was just completely dark. Only the kerosene lamp was lit in the woodshed, and everyone was sitting in the dining hall outside the woodshed as usual.
Besides He He, who rushed to the girls' dormitory as soon as she returned, the other three also went into the woodshed.
After sitting in the woodshed for a while, Chen Jingbai noticed that He He hadn't come in yet. He thought for a moment, then walked out and came to the back of the house. He saw a faint figure moving around, which he recognized as He He.
Chen Jingbai called out, "He He?"
He He stopped scratching her arm, looked up, and finally saw Chen Jingbai coming over. She pouted and complained, "Why are you so slow? I've been standing here and I've been bitten by mosquitoes."
It was pitch black, with no light at all, so Chen Jingbai couldn't see what He He was saying. "Sorry, I didn't hear what you said. Could you speak a little louder?"
He He strode over, shoved the lotus flower cake into Chen Jingbai's hand, climbed onto Chen Jingbai's right shoulder, stood on tiptoe, and whispered in his ear, her cheeks puffed out in anger, "I said! You came so slowly, I've been standing here and I've been bitten by mosquitoes, it's so itchy."
After saying that, she raised her arm that was pressing on Chen Jingbai's right shoulder and waved the mosquito bite on her forearm in front of Chen Jingbai's eyes.
On her white, lotus-root-like arm, there was a very red and obvious mosquito bite.
Chen Jingbai was momentarily blinded by the white light.
He He raised her hand to support her body, but instantly lost her support and was about to fall. She cried out in surprise and then wrapped her arms around Chen Jingbai's neck.
Chen Jingbai reacted even faster. Before He He could wrap her arms around his neck, he heard her exclamation and quickly reached out his left hand to grab He He's waist.
The two were extremely close, almost touching each other's bodies, and He He's frantic breathing hit Chen Jingbai's neck.
Almost instantly after helping him up, Chen Jingbai realized where his hands were and cleared his throat: "Are you steady?"
He He realized their current predicament. The burning heat from her lower back felt like it was going to scald her, and she blushed instantly. She put her toes down and put her arm around Chen Jingbai down. "Stand, stand still."
Chen Jingbai released his arm from He He's. "I'm sorry, it happened so suddenly. I hope I haven't offended you."
"I didn't mean any offense, I was just scared to death. You're so tall, it was hard for me to talk." He He calmed down and realized it was nothing; Chen Jingbai was just trying to prevent her from falling.
Chen Jingbai: "Don't talk so close to my ear anymore. Just speak at a volume that's right in front of me, and I can hear you."
After He Heshan pulled away from Chen Jingbai's embrace, she raised her voice, so Chen Jingbai could hear her now.
He He said, "Okay."
But in my heart I was thinking, no way, I want to whisper in your ear, it'll be fun.
He He kept her voice down and circled back to the previous question: "So why did you come so late?"
Chen Jingbai: "Sorry, I forgot."
He hadn't forgotten, but he was hesitant about whether to come over.
The lotus flower cakes that he hadn't had time to pay attention to before were gradually gaining prominence in his right hand. They were lotus flower cakes that He He had promised to give him at noon that evening.
The cookies are shaped like five lotus petals. They are white on the outside and have a sweeter, reddish-brown filling mixed with brown sugar. They are very sweet and substantial. When I used to help He He with chores, she would give me lotus-shaped cookies. I would then share half of them with my sister in the evening, and that would be enough to fill me up.
He didn't help He He with chores today, so he can't accept the cake.
He He's mouth formed a small "ah," and she exclaimed, "How could you forget such an important thing!"
Chen Jingbai lowered his eyes and handed the cake out, saying, "Sorry. Take the lotus flower cake back; I didn't help you with any work today."
He He didn't reach out to take it. "Just take it. You've done a lot of work for me before. Just consider it a sign that my conscience has been cleared up."
Chen Jingbai was very stubborn: "The past is the past, the present is the present."
He He's eyes darted around, and then she had a good idea. "Can you do me another favor?"
After Chen Jingbai nodded in agreement, He He moved closer to him and, as if possessed, reached out her hand.
Chen Jingbai has a beautiful lip shape with a well-defined lip line, resembling a deep brownish-red ochre, which looks very healthy.
As soon as she got closer, He He's eyes were immediately drawn to Chen Jingbai's lips. She knew Chen Jingbai was handsome. When she first met him in the countryside, he stood silently in the crowd like a fir tree. She had never seen such a handsome man in the city.
So at first glance, she wanted to be friends with him.
But less than a month later, He He heard from the brigade leader that Chen Jingbai's family was in a difficult situation, and they were frequently searched by police officers. He had come to the countryside to avoid trouble.
He He was shocked after hearing this. She never expected that Chen Jingbai's family would be in such a situation. She immediately gave up the idea of getting to know Chen Jingbai. If she got involved with him, and something happened to his family, wouldn't that implicate her? She wouldn't allow that. Besides, who knows what kind of bad people would search her house with red armbands?
But He He had always liked Chen Jingbai's appearance. Now that she knew he would rise to become a big shot in the future, He He's suppressed feelings started to resurface.
Before Chen Jingbai could react, He He, relying on a vague feeling, gently touched Chen Jingbai's lips with her fingertip.
She thought Chen Jingbai's lips were hard, just like her.
He He's eyes sparkled, as if she had finally touched a treasure she had been longing for.
Chen Jingbai's blood seemed to freeze, and his body involuntarily recoiled. "He He, what are you doing?"
Chen Jingbai was furious. Was this the favor He He asked him to do? Did she even know the boundaries between men and women?
He He said shamelessly, "Oh, I just wanted to touch your lips, I didn't do anything else wrong, is it not allowed to touch them? I didn't even kiss you."
Chen Jingbai stared intently at He He, almost forgetting to breathe. "Are you playing me again? What's wrong with you today? You keep doing strange things." It was fine to keep your distance like that before, why did you suddenly change?
He He stepped forward, getting closer to Chen Jingbai, blinking her innocent eyes and speaking in a pure tone, "I wasn't playing with you, I just thought you were good-looking and couldn't help but touch you."
Chen Jingbai didn't believe it, not at all. He had let his guard down with He He today. She was just playing him. They had no relationship and shouldn't be so close.
Chen Jingbai's voice turned cold: "Stay away from me from now on. This isn't right for us."
He He: "What's wrong with it? I think it's great! Oh, I'm getting hungry. Dinner should be ready by now. I need to go home and eat. Remember to eat the lotus flower cakes!"
No sooner had she finished speaking than He He ran off again, leaving behind Chen Jingbai, whose forehead veins were bulging.
Chen Jingbai watched He He's retreating figure and let out a deep breath. He really couldn't do anything about He He. He could live a peaceful life in the Forward Brigade from now on.
Chen Jingbai stuffed the lotus flower cake wrapped in oil paper into his pocket. His pocket was large enough to hold the whole cake without anyone noticing.
Back in the dining hall, He He was already sitting down and playing around with Zheng Xinxin. He glanced briefly at He He, who seemed completely unaffected, took a deep breath, and sat down next to Chen Jingyi.
Chen Jingyi, as the older sister, noticed Chen Jingbai's mood and asked him using lip reading, "Jingbai, what's wrong?"
Chen Jingbai shook his head, his eyelashes half-covering his eyes.
Chen Jingyi knew her younger brother had something on his mind, but since he was all grown up, she didn't want to pry too much.
Dinner was still sweet potato porridge, but each person had an extra half a sweet potato.
There were only seven bowls of rice on the table. Chen Jingbai and Chen Jingyi were short one bowl each. They had discussed with the other educated youth that they would cook one less bowl for dinner, and the two of them would eat one bowl.
Chen Jingbai and Chen Jingyi didn't explain much, but everyone guessed that their family was struggling financially. They often saw the two siblings sending their saved food rations home, reluctant to eat so much at night, which was quite pitiful. So everyone would scoop out a little extra from their bowls.
After dinner, Chen Jingyi and Chen Jingbai walked to the big tree next to the house. Chen Jingbai took out a lotus flower cake, broke it in half and gave it to Chen Jingyi.
It was always the same; Chen Jingbai would share half of the food he got from He He with Chen Jingyi.
Chen Jingyi broke the lotus flower cake that Chen Jingbai had given him into two pieces and gave half back to Chen Jingbai. "Xiaobai, you should eat more. I'm full after eating this. You're still growing and you're a boy, so you need to eat more to feel full."
Knowing he couldn't argue with Chen Jingyi, Chen Jingbai took the lotus flower cake from Chen Jingyi's hand and stuffed it into his mouth.
His sister is the same age as him; they are twins. She says he's still young, but actually, she wants to save the food for him.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com