Chapter 319 Progress Bar: +1
Beside the car, Xu Chi lowered his eyes, staring at the names flashing on the screen.
Tu Xiaomao loves answering the phone; every time she picks up, you can always hear her cheerful and energetic voice.
But this time, she didn't answer for a long time.
Xu Chi's expression rarely showed any signs of anxiety and frustration.
After hanging up the phone yesterday, he realized which of his words were too serious and which were too harsh.
In any case, he must have put some pressure on Tu Xiaomao.
Talking through a screen always feels more distant than talking face-to-face, so he came.
But suddenly, Tu Xiaomao's phone became unreachable.
He frowned slightly as he looked at the page, unaware of the sound of a car door gently closing across from him.
He didn't even notice the footsteps approaching him quietly.
"...Xiaochi."
When the familiar voice rang out in front of him, Xu Chi paused, looked up, and saw Tu Yao standing in front of him with a smile.
As usual, even though I was frightened by his unusual attitude yesterday, I still smiled at him.
Xu Chi suddenly felt a lump in his throat.
He was about to say something when Tu Yao suddenly looked at him and spoke first.
"sorry."
Xu Chi was slightly taken aback.
Tu Yao grinned and repeated, "Xiao Chi, I'm sorry."
"It's my fault."
“You know why I came here to grow herbs, and you know why I didn’t tell you when I encountered difficulties. Just like you knew before that I had a progress bar hidden inside me, and that I was fighting for my brothers’ luck and life. You know everything.”
But he never interfered, because he respected what kind of person she wanted to be, what decisions she made, and what responsibilities she had to take.
His only regret was her dishonesty and avoidance towards him over the past two weeks.
This deprived him of the opportunity to give her a tube of ointment.
Tu Yao reached into her pocket, handed it over, and said softly, "Is it too late for me to apologize?"
Xu Chi looked into her palm; it was a small tube of ointment.
He lowered his eyes and couldn't help but curl the corners of his lips into a smile.
...He had never argued with Tu Xiaomao before. This time could be considered a fight, but after the initial sadness, Tu Xiaomao brought him an overwhelming sweetness.
...
Inside the car, Tu Yao was lying on the passenger seat, her arm held tightly, and a layer of light green ointment had been applied to the bruises on her elbows.
She pointed to her calf: "My leg isn't injured, but there have been so many mosquitoes on the mountain lately, they've bitten me so many times."
Xu Chi lifted her other arm, his gaze sweeping over it, and unsurprisingly, there were several abrasions as well.
Tu Yao looked at him tentatively: "...Xiao Chi, if you encounter any more problems, I will tell you about them in the future."
Are you still sad?
Xu Chi held her wrist firmly, looked up, and said softly, "Tu Xiaomao."
“I am not Teacher Tu, nor your second brother or younger brother.”
He paused for a moment, then continued, "From the moment you ran into the manor four years ago, I was no longer just your friend like Cheng Sangsang, Xu Bai, Chu Yun, and Qin Lang."
"If nothing unexpected happens, we'll be lovers who spend our lives together, right?"
Tu Yao blinked, stood up from her seat, and sat up straight.
After a few seconds of silence, she nodded.
yes.
Xu Chi smiled faintly: "You used to be so busy that I didn't dare to point out the ambiguous relationship between adults."
She was afraid that this ambiguity would become a burden on her already difficult life.
"But you are braver and more determined than me. You were the one who took the initiative to make your feelings clear."
"You have to take responsibility for me."
"Similarly, I also have a responsibility to you. I even have the right to know things that you don't want Teacher Tu and Cheng Sangsang to know."
"This is a right as a lover, not a compromise made out of fear of hurting me, right?"
Tu Yao couldn't help but glance at him: "You mean there are some things I can keep from telling my brother Sangsang and the others, but I have to tell you?"
Xu Chi laughed. He figured Teacher Tu would probably be scolding him for three days and three nights.
How could he bypass his three older brothers, Tu Chaoxi, Nan Ke, and Lin Yue, to monopolize all of Tu Xiaomao's thoughts?
But he had to admit it.
"...I want a priority."
"I want the right to know when you're not going to tell anyone."
Tu Xiaomao can freely go on adventures, venture out on his own, and challenge any difficulties in this world.
But he wanted to know when Tu Xiaomao would go on his adventure, which land he would venture to alone, and what difficulties he would face.
He wanted to be that ointment that could be delivered to her anytime, anywhere.
"May I?"
In the early summer, it was sweltering everywhere, and Tu Yao could clearly see that the young man's lips were already slightly dry.
But when he spoke, the air he breathed, and the light in his eyes as he looked at her were exceptionally gentle.
Tu Yao suddenly felt like doing something.
The next second, she suddenly leaned over, cupped his face, and kissed his forehead heavily.
"...Okay, Koike."
The supercar fell silent instantly.
The smile on Xu Chi's lips froze on his face almost simultaneously, and he remained motionless.
Tu Yao blinked, thought for a moment, then leaned in again, cupped his face, and kissed him on the cheek this time.
“I said yes, Koike.”
Xu Chi: ...
Xu Chi looked away, then suddenly seemed to be released from a restraint, laughing as he buried his face in her shoulder.
"……good."
...It's really all over.
He couldn't even tell how much he actually liked Tu Yao anymore.
He couldn't even pinpoint exactly when he fell in love with Tu Yao.
He once thought it was the day Tu Yao handed him a thousand yuan for a medical check-up, but in the daily replays of his past, he realized that it was just the day he realized he had fallen for Tu Yao.
It wasn't a time when he liked to paint.
This affection existed gradually over time, deepened during the four-year separation, and reached a point where he could no longer control himself after their reunion.
Tu Yao chuckled and patted his head.
He repeated, "Only Koike is allowed."
Progress bar notification: +1
Tu Yao's hand, which was touching her head, froze for a moment.
He looked up in confusion, or perhaps disbelief.
Above his head, a blue progress bar was flashing and jumping, and the value next to it showed that it had moved forward one step.
Tu Yao: !!! !!!
"...Koike! It moved!"
She hugged him tightly and exclaimed excitedly, "The progress bar is moving!"
Just as I finished speaking, my phone rang.
Uncle Liang's hearty laughter came from the other end of the phone.
"They're alive! They're all alive!"
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