Chapter 632: Confusion (39)
Gan Youmeng said she was going on an adventure, but in reality, she was going on a picnic. The address she sent to Nan Xiangzhu was a tourist attraction, a famous mountain in the area, with a flower-viewing park nearby.
She had made an appointment with Nan Xiangzhu to go in the afternoon.
So Qiao Xi and Nan Xiangzhu arrived here at about the same time, but they did not find Gan Youmeng.
Nan Xiangzhu looked around.
Today was a weekday, so there were very few people around. But after searching around, he still found nothing.
Qiao Xi was always playing with her cell phone, following him closely, watching him running around like a headless fly.
"Maybe mountain climbing."
After the two of them came out of the flower viewing park, Qiao Xi put away her phone and said this. "We've searched everywhere we can. The only place left is the hillside over there."
After walking down the hillside, there is an open lush green plain.
Further ahead is a dense green forest with a beautiful view. In the middle of the green forest is a starry sky hotel where tourists can stay overnight. Depending on the room you choose, you can also see different starry skies.
It seems quite romantic.
"Let's go." Nan Xiangzhu went over there without any hesitation. Qiao Xi sighed slightly, but chose to follow without saying a word.
Nan Xiangzhu was full of anxiety and just wanted to find Gan Youmeng.
Qiao Xi followed him leisurely as if she were really on a trip, and from time to time she looked at the surrounding scenery. There was no verbal communication between the two of them as they walked through the path into the woods.
The trees are lush, dense and flourishing, not too close together.
Perhaps because so many people came here, a small path naturally formed on the ground, leading to the depths. The air around me was filled with the fresh scent of trees and the delicate fragrance of blooming flowers.
Maple leaves dyed red by autumn fall.
This deep and secluded forest path has long been paved with red gold, and yellow or dark orange maple leaves are scattered here. Every time you step on it, you can hear a rustling sound that accompanies the rhythm of your footsteps.
In this leisurely and peaceful atmosphere.
This kind of sound is like a romantic tune given by nature, which is very pleasant to the ear.
Qiao Xi was in a leisurely mood, enjoying the scenery slowly.
Nan Xiangzhu, who had been walking quickly ahead of him, seemed to slow down his pace for some unknown reason, until his pace matched Qiao Xi's and they were side by side.
Perhaps she also noticed that he slowed down his pace.
Qiao Xi felt a little strange and looked at him in surprise. She also took the initiative to speak and broke the silence.
"Just go at your own pace. There's no need to match me. I can keep up anyway."
The first thing that came out of his mouth was such a depressing thing.
Nan Xiangzhu wanted to be a gentleman for once, so considering Qiao Xi was a girl, he matched his pace. After all, they had walked a long way, and he suddenly wondered if Qiao Xi, a girl, would feel tired.
Neither of them took a break on the way.
He was so anxious that he just wanted to find Gan Youmeng, and ignored Qiao Xi's feelings.
Until now, I inadvertently noticed the beautiful scenery in front of me.
Nan Xiangzhu also calmed down a bit, not as anxious as before. That's why he slowed down a bit and cooperated with Qiao Xi. Who knew that this person would be so ungrateful and say such words as soon as he opened his mouth.
Doesn't this make his actions redundant?
A subtle sense of imbalance arose in his heart again, and Nan Xiangzhu's expression became a little unnatural at this time. He couldn't tell what he was feeling, but he just felt a little awkward that his intentions were discovered in this way.
He is a thin-skinned person.
Maybe he is a little conceited, and rarely lowers himself to take care of others, but the other party doesn't appreciate it at all.
"I'm just tired from walking."
Nan Xiangzhu shifted his gaze away from Qiao Xi and said this in a somewhat stiff tone.
"Then let's take a break."
Qiao Xi saw his unnatural expression, but did not expose him. Instead, she smiled and pointed naturally to a shade of tree in front.
There are also piles of fallen maple leaves over there.
Because of the angle, the shade of the trees blocks the afternoon sun, so it should be cooler.
Nan Xiangzhu didn't know what to say when he saw her natural look, but he was the one who said he was tired, and now he didn't know how to refute it.
So he could only remain silent and walk over with Qiao Xi to sit down.
The two of them were not too far apart, but not too close either. The hands beside them seemed ready to be grasped by either of them. But neither of them had any intention of doing so, simply gazing silently at the azure sky.
Nan Xiangzhu didn't discover it until now.
It turned out that he and Qiao Xi had very little to talk about.
Once they calmed down, I didn't know what they were talking about. Thinking back, every time they met before, it seemed that either he was looking for an argument with Qiao Xi, or he was hostile to Qiao Xi.
Or they are talking about other people's affairs.
After all, it seemed like he really didn't know anything about Qiao Xi.
I've seen her vulnerable appearance occasionally.
But at that time, Nan Xiangzhu met Gan Youmeng who had betrayed him, and he left Qiao Xi alone. At that time, he was furious and did not think too much, leaving the girl alone there.
Obviously at that time...
It was he who grabbed Qiao Xi's wrist.
In the end, he left the other person behind, and the topic at that time could not be continued. It was Yu Zhi who recommended the two to meet because they had other things to talk about, and his mentality had changed.
What made Qiao Xi angry at that time...
Just like that, it was like a thorn was left, stuck there, and it seemed to freeze the relationship between the two people.
Perhaps this was just Nan Xiangzhu's one-sided opinion. He didn't know what Qiao Xi thought of him.
Is it still the same as before?
She said he was being indiscriminate and had caused her a lot of trouble. By the way, Qiao Xi had also said that in her eyes it was harassment, and she had asked him to think before taking any action.
The impression left was so bad.
At that time, he wanted to pull Qiao Xi to explain, but what happened next was too unexpected. It has been delayed until now, and he met Qiao Xi again.
Qiao Xi's attitude towards him was lukewarm.
Nan Xiangzhu never found a chance to speak.
Could this be a good time to bring this up? Nan Xiangzhu rarely interacted with others, so he rarely had the time to read their expressions. But he had a vague feeling that now might be the time.
Silence flowed between the two.
Nan Xiangzhu couldn't help but glance at the girl beside him out of the corner of his eye, and saw Qiao Xi staring at the blue sky in a daze, wondering what she was thinking about.
Although the two are an engaged couple on the surface.
But Nan Xiangzhu knew better than anyone that they were not even friends, and he had said in front of Qiao Xi that they wanted to take advantage of each other, so that Qiao Xi would contact him.
It must be very disgusting, right?
To be tied to someone she didn't like, and this person was the one who had harassed her before. No wonder she kept silent, and only kept minimal communication between them.
As long as no one speaks, the silence will continue.
I don't know why, but being in such an atmosphere makes me feel suffocated and want to escape, but it's mostly out of a sense of guilt towards Qiao Xi.
I was thinking about these things in my mind.
Not knowing what drove him, Nan Xiangzhu still spoke hesitantly.
"You... don't you hate me?"
When the words fell, even he was slightly stunned. He had not wanted to talk about such a heavy topic, but the meaning of the question was not what he wanted.
Nan Xiangzhu was a little upset.
At this point, all that's left is the annoyance and regret of asking.
When Qiao Xi heard him ask this, she was a little surprised. The girl turned around and looked at him, then nodded without hesitation.
"Yes."
Qiao Xi answered with a very serious and solemn expression and a very formal tone.
Under normal circumstances, this serious look might make people laugh.
But Nan Xiangzhu couldn't laugh at all now.
He was a thin-skinned and sensitive person. Although he asked the question himself, he was mentally prepared.
But after hearing Qiao Xi admit it in person, he still felt a little disappointed.
Rather...
It was just a huge blow.
"I-I know this..."
Nan Xiangzhu changed the subject a little abruptly. He looked away and for some reason felt that Qiao Xi's gaze was a little sharp, and this kind of gaze made him want to avoid Qiao Xi even more.
A feeling of shame came over me.
He is a rather proud person and has only heard praises since he was a child. Even if someone dislikes him, it is mostly out of jealousy.
And for those who are not as good as you.
Nan Xiangzhu naturally smiled and passed it off, showing great grace. He certainly didn't care about those who were not as good as him.
It would be better to say that he simply didn't take it seriously.
Among people of the same level, everyone was polite and friendly to him. The elders who had met him all said that he had a promising future and had such a status at such a young age.
His peers who met him were all amazed.
No one has ever been able to say so directly to his face that they don't like him. Even if there are people who are unhappy with him, due to his status, they will still greet him with a smile on the surface.
Someone like Qiao Xi...
She is the only one who goes beyond disliking someone and directly hates him, and she admits it frankly.
"Qiao Xi, I..."
Nan Xiangzhu opened his lips and was about to say something, but the girl seemed not to hear him. She stood up and stretched, then interrupted him with a smile.
"Okay, we should get going too. It would be great if we could find it sooner."
She had no intention of continuing the conversation.
Is he saying there's no need to ask? Or is it simply because there's only exploitation between the two of them, and even this false identity is just a way to exploit each other and maintain superficial peace?
Nan Xiangzhu was silent.
Qiao Xi didn't wait for him, but walked straight forward, and he could only follow Qiao Xi's footsteps.
Neither of them spoke again.
As we were about to pass through the woods, the sun had already set. The sky gradually darkened, and the cold night wind began to sweep in strands of chill, gradually seeping into our skin.
Gan Youmeng could not be found.
Could it be that when the girl said something happened suddenly, she really couldn't come because of something?
Nan Xiangzhu thought about it this way and felt that maybe he shouldn't have doubted Gan Youmeng, but since he had been betrayed before, it would be difficult for him to fully trust the other person again.
"Let's find a place to stay."
Recovering his thoughts, Nan Xiangzhu said to Qiao Xi beside him.
If they walked out from here, it would probably take them until midnight to reach their original destination, which was too long.
and.
They didn't carry anything with them, only a bottle of water. They had been walking around all afternoon, and regardless of whether he could hold on, Qiao Xi, a girl, would definitely get hungry.
It’s better to turn back and go to the starry sky hotel in the forest.
"I'm fine with anything. You arrange it." Qiao Xi had no objection. Since she came here, whether she was looking for Gan Youmeng or resting, she followed Nan Xiangzhu's arrangements.
Never complained of being tired.
She has never complained. Sometimes her presence is so low that people even ignore her.
But she was indeed here, and Nan Xiangzhu couldn't help but pay attention to her movements.
The sun sets in the west.
There was not even a trace of dusk left. The only sound in the dense forest was the rustling of their footsteps. The night wind was howling and becoming stronger. Nan Xiangzhu also noticed that Qiao Xi was always lagging behind him for a distance.
"that……"
At this moment, he suddenly stopped and turned to look at Qiao Xi, who was a few steps behind him.
Looking back.
The girl looked dazed, her pupils were unfocused, her eyes were as beautiful as glass but empty, and she looked at nowhere. She looked dazed, like a doll without a soul.
Are you distracted?
Nan Xiangzhu was suddenly startled by Qiao Xi's appearance. He didn't care about anything else and walked to the girl in a few steps, grabbing Qiao Xi's wrist anxiously.
"Hey! A-Are you okay?"
Nan Xiangzhu's voice sounded a little flustered.
However, when he grabbed Qiao Xi's wrist, he accidentally touched the girl's fingers. The coldness that seemed to penetrate deep into his bones made his body tremble violently.
Qiao Xi's hands are so cold.
Nan Xiangzhu was really panicked now, and didn't care whether he was overstepping the boundaries. He grabbed Qiao Xi's hand and held it tightly.
"……ah?"
The girl whose hand he suddenly held seemed to come to her senses at this moment. Her dazed and dull pupils gradually lit up and became as lively as usual.
Although still looking puzzled, Qiao Xi seemed to have come to his senses.
Nan Xiangzhu interrupted her irritably.
"Ah, what? Stop talking nonsense. We're almost at the hotel. Hang on a little longer!"
Hearing the man's anxious tone, Qiao Xi was stunned. What happened? Why did Nan Xiangzhu suddenly hold her?
Oh, right.
Before, she felt that it was a waste of time to keep her attention here to accompany Nan Xiangzhu.
Therefore, Qiao Xi's consciousness escaped back into the space, just like she had controlled her substitute to deal with those things before. After giving the order to continue following Nan Xiangzhu, she returned to the system space to study her own body.
Her body was immersed in an instrument.
According to the Little White Cat System, in addition to her physical functions, her spirit has completely stabilized at the SSS level, which means she has fully recovered, but she still needs to be observed for a period of time.
After Qiao Xi's consciousness returned to the space.
When she opened her eyes, she saw light green liquid bubbling around her. She also realized that she was connected to some equipment, with hoses connected to her limbs and back, and she was wearing something like an oxygen mask.
Because I can't move freely yet.
So after her consciousness returned to the system space, she still temporarily used her spare body to move around and observe the numerical changes of her original body.
Naturally, she didn't pay much attention to what was happening outside.
That is just now.
The little white cat system suddenly found her and said, "There's no time to explain, go back quickly!"
Everything went dark.
Then, Qiao Xi was thrown back, regaining control of the body she had ordered to follow Nan Xiangzhu. Then, before she could figure out what was going on, she looked down and found Nan Xiangzhu pulling her.
The body temperature of this kind of body is automatically regulated according to human.
It was still hot when she came out in the afternoon, and she hadn't dressed too hard to begin with. After being in the cold wind for so long, Qiao Xi felt dizzy and cold and stiff all over when she returned.
Only the hand of Nan Xiangzhu, who was holding her, had any warmth.
Qiao Xi blinked blankly and muttered softly, "It's so warm..."
Nan Xiangzhu, who was already much closer to her, naturally did not miss her voice. When he heard the girl's muttering that sounded like a sigh, Nan Xiangzhu's face became even more irritated and his whole body became uncomfortable.
"Are you stupid? You didn't tell me you were cold."
Unlike his usual calm self, Nan Xiangzhu's words were filled with undisguised ridicule, and he clearly didn't want to face Qiao Xi with such a harsh attitude.
but……
He didn't know how to get along with this woman who only hated him, nor was he sure what attitude to adopt.
When I came to my senses.
All that came out of my mouth were hurtful words.
Nan Xiangzhu felt a moment of annoyance after he finished speaking, but it was quickly overwhelmed by other emotions. Forget it, Qiao Xi hated him anyway, so there was no need for him to pretend to be gentle with this woman.
Just taking advantage of it.
If this woman falls ill and is unable to help, and needs him to take care of her, then she will be a burden.
Nan Xiangzhu found a reason to convince himself, and this behavior was explained.
He was still daydreaming.
Qiao Xi, who was being led forward by him forcefully, lowered her head.
"It's no use even if I tell you."
It was impossible to tell what emotion was in the girl's words. She seemed more indifferent, and more like she was objectively stating the facts.
In fact, Nan Xiangzhu also fell silent.
really.
Even if Qiao Xi had told him that she felt cold before, Nan Xiangzhu probably wouldn't have taken it seriously, after all, he didn't feel that cold.
I just happened to see Qiao Xi like that.
I found that the girl's mental state was not very good.
That was why he was a little anxious. He was more worried that Qiao Xi would suddenly fall ill. In that case, even if he didn't want to admit it, it would be his responsibility.
Nan Xiangzhu didn't say anything.
But he still led her towards the center of the forest until light gradually appeared within their sight.
As the distance gets closer.
The light became more and more obvious. In the distance, I could see the center of the dark forest was brightly lit. As the distance got closer, I saw that it was a hotel standing in an open area in the center of the forest.
There are lush trees all around.
It's like it's enveloping the hotel, enclosing it. Looking up at the sky, without the shadows of the trees blocking the view, the stars become even more magnificent and beautiful as night falls, like crystals dotting the horizon.
Brilliant and dazzling.
Entering the hotel under the starry sky, they were quickly greeted by the enthusiastic receptionist and checked in.
Because it was a weekday, there were few customers.
So without making an appointment in advance, Nan Xiangzhu successfully booked two rooms, one for him and one for Qiao Xi.
“The dining area is on the third floor.”
While introducing them, the front desk clerk handed them the room cards.
"I hope you two can reconcile soon and have a wonderful night."
The receptionist looked at them with a smile.
Perhaps he mistook Qiao Xi and Nan Xiangzhu for a quarrelsome couple. That's right, Nan Xiangzhu looked a bit annoyed, and Qiao Xi, expressionless and lost in thought, staring down at the floor.
What's more, the two of them were holding hands.
In the eyes of outsiders, no matter how you look at it, it looks like a young couple who had a quarrel and didn't want to stay together, so they booked two rooms.
Qiao Xi didn't react much to such words.
He just took his room card silently.
However, when Nan Xiangzhu heard the joking words from the receptionist, his expression suddenly turned ugly and he seemed a little unnatural.
It seemed as if he hadn't realized until this moment that such an action was too intimate.
But before he could speak.
Qiao Xi pulled her hand out of his palm. Then, the girl holding her room card walked to the elevator alone and waited to go upstairs.
This series of smooth movements.
He was completely ignored.
Nan Xiangzhu felt inexplicably angry at Qiao Xi's nonchalant look. He knew that she hated him, but at least he cared about and took care of Qiao Xi. Why did this woman have such an attitude?
It's really rude not to even say thank you.
The warmth of the cold little hand that remained in his palm had gradually cooled down when Qiao Xi pulled herself out. But Nan Xiangzhu's palm still remembered the touch of holding her soft little hand.
He walked to the elevator with a gloomy face and waited with Qiao Xi.
But he couldn't help but clench his fists, as if he wanted to retain the touch, which made him feel a little annoyed.
"You didn't say anything?"
As the elevator got closer, Nan Xiangzhu suppressed his displeasure and a bit of strange anger, and turned to look at Qiao Xi who had already started playing with her phone.
"Don't worry, the money is transferred to you."
He only heard the girl's faint voice, and she didn't even have time to look up at him.
This sentence made Nan Xiangzhu speechless.
This wasn't what he wanted to say, nor was he asking Qiao Xi for money. But... at this moment, he didn't know what he wanted to say.
It's a bit sudden.
Nan Xiangzhu suddenly didn't quite understand what he wanted to do. Maybe he wanted to hear thank you from Qiao Xi?
However, Qiao Xi had already transferred the money to him, and even a little more.
Maybe... this is her way of expressing gratitude?
Nan Xiangzhu was confused for a moment, not knowing how to respond to her words. The two of them got on the elevator with different feelings.
Qiao Xi directly pressed the floor where her room was located.
Nan Xiangzhu pressed the third floor, and his eyelids twitched when he noticed that the girl's choice was different from his.
"Aren't you going to eat?"
Qiao Xi glanced at him and said, "I'm not hungry yet, and I don't want to go with you."
She had rejection written all over her.
Nan Xiangzhu's brows furrowed even more tightly, and he was obviously unhappy. The atmosphere between the two of them instantly dropped to freezing point.
With a "ding" sound.
The elevator stopped on the third floor and the door slowly opened.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
