Chapter 190 You Kissed Me, I Have to Take Responsibility
However, seeing the earnest yet slightly coaxing expression on his face, her slight awkwardness vanished instantly, and a smile unconsciously returned to her face as she looked at him with bright eyes.
Xie Yunze looked at her smiling, crescent-shaped eyes, as if he had made up his mind.
He seemed to have completely forgotten about being kissed, but now he carefully and proactively steered the conversation back, his voice low but every word crystal clear.
"Ah Li, you kissed me."
He paused, his gaze locking onto her eyes, his tone sounding exceptionally serious, even a bit self-righteously aggrieved, "You have to take responsibility for me."
"ah?"
Xu Zhili was so shocked by these words that she was completely stunned, her eyes widening slightly.
Fortunately, she had just swallowed the steamed bun in her mouth, otherwise she would have choked violently.
She held the steamed bun in mid-air, unsure whether to bite it or put it down. She felt her cheeks suddenly burning hot, and her heart was pounding wildly like a rabbit.
Is this where we're going to talk about taking responsibility?
It's all my fault for acting impulsively just now... How did he end up taking advantage of the situation?
Seeing her hesitation, Xie Yunze's eyes quickly flashed with a barely perceptible hint of tension.
He moved a little closer, and the distance between them shortened again.
He deliberately softened his tone, his deep voice seemed to have a hook in it, and his eyes were particularly focused.
It even carried a perfectly appropriate, pitiful connotation.
“Sister,” he called out in a low, magnetic voice, with a hint of probing, “don’t you want to take responsibility?”
Xu Zhili's heart skipped a beat when he suddenly called her "sister," as if she had been gently tickled by a feather, a tingling sensation shooting from her ear to the back of her neck.
She held the warm steamed bun between her fingers, unconsciously tightening her grip, her fingertips sinking slightly into the soft dough.
Her heart pounded like a drum, her eyes darted around, avoiding his gaze. After a long pause, she managed to utter a weak, barely audible rebuttal: "Who...who doesn't want to take responsibility..."
Before she could finish speaking, she was so embarrassed that her cheeks turned bright red, and even her fair neck was tinged with pink.
Xie Yunze looked at her bright red ears and evasive eyes, and the smile in his eyes could no longer be hidden, spreading out in strands.
He deliberately leaned forward again, following her gaze, and asked in a low voice, his tone clearly teasing.
"Oh? So, does that mean... you want to take responsibility?"
Xu Zhili felt even more uncomfortable when he called her "sister" right afterward, and her heart was pounding so fast it was almost out of control.
She was filled with shame and anger, and shoved the steamed bun in her hand into his arms as if to shut him up. She turned around and tried to hide in the house, her voice filled with panic.
"What nonsense are you talking about... Here's your steamed bun back."
However, her wrist was gently grasped by a warm and strong hand.
His palms, calloused from years of gun-handling training, felt rough to the touch, yet were unusually warm.
The force wasn't strong, it could even be described as gentle, yet it carried an undeniable firmness that made it impossible for her to break free easily.
"Ah Li!"
His voice deepened, the joking tone of his earlier remarks vanished, and he became exceptionally serious.
The moonlight, like water, flowed quietly over his straight shoulders and sharply defined profile, making his deep eyes shine brightly, clearly reflecting her somewhat helpless expression.
"I'm not joking."
He spoke each word clearly and solemnly, as if making some important promise: "If you are willing, all my days from now on, whether they are stormy or peaceful, uneventful or successful, will be under your control."
The night breeze was gentle, rustling softly through the leaves of the pear trees in the corner of the courtyard, as if holding its breath and waiting for her response.
His warm palm still gently encircled her wrist, the warmth penetrating her skin and burning into her panicked heart.
Wait a minute, why is she so timid?
Xu Zhili silently cursed herself inwardly. It was just talking about taking responsibility with her legitimate partner; it was perfectly legitimate, so what was there to be afraid of?
Being coy and hesitant is not her style.
Having struggled through the apocalypse and witnessed countless life-and-death struggles, my heart had hardened like a tempered stone, making it difficult to be swayed.
But ever since arriving in this era, he has met Xie Yunze, who appears cold and hard on the outside but is actually clumsy and gentle on the inside.
And then there's her beloved younger brother, Xu Zhian, who depends on her and trusts her wholeheartedly—that cold-hearted man.
How did I gradually soften up, become more easily aroused, more easily shy, and more easily feel warmth?
It's probably because there's someone truly on your mind, someone you want to hold onto tightly and care about. This feeling is both unfamiliar and endearing.
Xu Zhili took a deep breath, as if inhaling the coolness of the night and her courage into her lungs.
She looked up and stared at Xie Yunze, who was focused and nervous, trying to make her tone sound calm and frank, even with a touch of her own unique arrogance.
"Alright, Xie Yunze, you said it yourself. From now on, you belong to me, Xu Zhili, and I will naturally take responsibility for you."
She raised her chin slightly, her eyes sparkling, "I, Xu Zhili, always keep my word."
When Xie Yunze heard her affirmative answer, his eyes lit up suddenly, like the most dazzling fireworks exploding in the night sky. All his tension and anxiety were instantly replaced by immense joy.
He almost couldn't wait to reply, his tone filled with barely concealed excitement, as if afraid she might change her mind at any moment.
"Then tomorrow, Ali, I'll take you to meet my parents."
He paused, then quickly added, his voice filled with a coaxing urgency.
“My mother has been talking about meeting you for a long time. She said that if she meets you, she will definitely make her best braised pork for you. It’s fatty but not greasy, tender and flavorful. I’m sure you’ll like it.”
Seeing the almost overflowing light and undisguised joy in his eyes, Xu Zhili's feigned composure completely melted into a real warmth, gently touching her heart.
She smiled and nodded solemnly: "Okay, I was just thinking I should give Aunt and Uncle a proper visit."
Once the words were out, the initial awkwardness and shyness caused by the sudden topic of "responsibility" dissipated, leaving only a sense of relief that everything had settled and a faint anticipation for tomorrow.
The atmosphere was perfect, and ambiguity was brewing.
Xu Zhili noticed that it was getting late, so she waved the half-eaten steamed bun in her hand and told her to leave.
"Xie Yunce, I've finished eating, you should go back now. Tomorrow... just come pick me up early tomorrow."
Xie Yunze looked at her, his eyes filled with an intense reluctance. His feet seemed to be rooted to the spot, and his lips moved as if he wanted to find an excuse to stay a little longer.
"Ah Li, I..."
"Go back quickly!"
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