【Chen Zixi×you】I really didn’t have any unreasonable thoughts at the beginning 2
You continue to try to please Chen Zixi earnestly according to your own ideas.
Serving tea and water is just entry-level work, and running errands to buy cakes and fruits is also routine operation. Sometimes you can't find an inn in a deserted village, so you might as well do it yourself and hunt wild game to cook for him.
That's not all, but there were times when Chen Zixi's clothes got dirty, and you were quick and enthusiastic to clean them. Chen Zixi even wondered if you'd rush over to patch up his clothes if they got ripped. Luckily, you two didn't encounter any danger along the way, at most dealing with a few bandits, so your clothes were still intact.
Chen Zixi refused several times but to no avail, so he had no choice but to let you go.
A few days passed like this, and unlike you who were full of confidence and thought you were about to succeed, Chen Zixi felt increasingly frustrated.
He finally couldn't help it. Since we were in town, he decided to pay for you to go to the best tavern in town and treat you to a nice meal and drinks. He vaguely remembered Jiang Yan saying that you could hold your liquor well, that you wouldn't act crazy when you were drunk, but you would be more talkative... so he could wait until you were drunk to ask you what exactly that meant.
You didn't understand his purpose. Having spent days camped out in the open and not having had such a good meal, you couldn't help but eat and drink more. The wine here was sweet and strong, and you happened to be with a big brother like Chen Zixi, who shared the same taste, so you drank far more than you had planned.
After secretly observing you and finding that you were just dazed but still conscious, Chen Zixi began to ask, "Young lady, why have you been so thoughtful and considerate to me these days?"
"Of course I want to make you happy, Brother Zixi!" You said without hesitation, and then asked him eagerly: "By the way, Brother Zixi, are you happy now?"
Unexpectedly, this was such a simple answer. Chen Zixi couldn't help but laugh: "Happy, but why do you want me to be happy?"
He couldn't help but wonder, was it out of gratitude? Even though you called him brother, maybe you still regarded him as an elder like Jiang Yan?
You cupped your hands around your face, sizing up Chen Zixi. Admittedly, he was truly handsome, a peerless beauty on par with Uncle Jiang. However, Uncle Jiang was your adoptive father and elder brother, so you didn't dare covet him. And Chen Zixi...
He is different from Uncle Jiang.
You've been away from home for so long, and you've never met anyone who compares to him. He possesses the gentleness of a Qingxi disciple, yet possesses the heroic spirit of a Tianquan disciple, and possesses an indescribable, elusive aura. Compared to him, any other sect disciple you've met pales in comparison. Spend enough time with him, and it's hard to even catch your eye.
And now, he is gazing at you with a smile, his eyes are soft and gentle, and contain some encouragement, which makes you think of the wine that is not enviable, which is clear but mellow.
You instantly forgot what he was asking and just stared at him and nodded: "Yes, Brother Zixi, you look really good when you smile like this. I like seeing you so happy."
"So, why do you like to see me happy?" Chen Zixi didn't get an answer, so he asked again patiently without getting impatient.
This time you came to your senses. Under the influence of alcohol, you answered without thinking: "I have to make Brother Zixi forget my past self... I have to appear in front of you in my best form."
Chen Zixi understood a little bit. You felt that you had lost face in front of him a few days ago. He felt a little disappointed. He smiled and comforted you: "Didn't I tell you that I don't care about these things..."
You glared at him plaintively, "You don't care, but I do!"
Chen Zixi thinks you’re even cuter, but he doesn’t show it on his face. He continues to ask, “So, you’ve been trying to cheer me up these past few days so that I can forget about that day—”
"Ahhh, Brother Zixi, please stop talking!" You were really scared of losing face in front of him, and even more afraid that he would bring it up and make you lose face again. Without time to think, you stood up and rushed over to cover his mouth.
Chen Zixi was stunned. His first thought was: Jiang Yan, you're lying! Didn't you just say you "talked too much"? How could this be completely different from what he imagined?
Your attention was elsewhere. This wasn't the first time you'd approached Chen Zixi, but before that, you'd been too busy patting his clothes. This time, you noticed that even amidst the aroma of food and wine on the table, he had a scent. It wasn't the usual sweet, smoky scent, but a faint, medicinal one.
You’ve learned some medical prescriptions on your own, so you know that some Chinese herbs smell really good, like cloves and peony bark… You were lost in thought as you recalled them, muttering, “Brother Zixi, you smell so good…”
The temperature beneath your palm seemed to be rising. Chen Zixi stepped back, finally escaping your clutches. He looked at you with a smile, his face slightly red. "You, you, if you were any stronger, I'd be suffocated."
"Impossible!" You denied firmly. "I didn't use any force! How could I have been so cruel to Brother Zixi, such a handsome guy!"
Chen Zixi smiled, his hands moving non-stop as he poured you a cup of warm water and pushed it in front of you: "Okay, I understand, drink some water."
You deny it again: "No, no more drinking, I need to go pee!" You've drunk too much and now all you want to do is go to the toilet.
Chen Zixi called the waiter to lead the way for you. Seeing you stand up and follow him with heavy steps, he knew that you must have been really drunk, so he followed you worriedly.
After finishing your piss, you splash some cold water on your face, feeling a bit more alert. Slowly exiting the restroom, you find Chen Zixi standing in the shade of a nearby tree. Tall and striking, he stands like a slender bamboo, drawing glances from passersby.
You suddenly felt a subtle sense of dissatisfaction, as if someone was coveting your things, and you rushed over and shouted, "Brother Zixi!"
Chen Zixi looked at you sideways and said with a smile, "Don't run, take your time, I'll be waiting for you here."
This unwavering acceptance, coupled with the autumn evening breeze blowing past your ears, made the alcohol that had retreated from your face return. You didn't know what was going on in your mind, but you rushed over and took his arm.
His movements stopped, he lowered his head to look at your expression, seeing that your face was slightly red but your eyes were particularly bright, he couldn't help but sigh softly in his heart, and didn't struggle to break free from you. He followed your strength and pulled you back.
"Let's go back to the inn. I'll make you some sobering soup..." Chen Zixi carried you on his arm and walked much slower, and he had to pay attention to you so that you wouldn't be tripped by anything.
"It doesn't taste good. I don't want to drink it." Chen Zixi's indulgence made you ruthless even when you refused, shaking your head like a rattle. "I sober up quickly. I'll be fine after a good night's sleep."
"You have to drink some, or you'll have a headache tomorrow morning." Chen Zixi softened his voice to comfort you. "Don't worry, it's my special recipe, it's not bad... Do you like the sweet and sour taste?"
Sweet and sour… You nodded, “I like it.”
"Then I'll take you back to your room and prepare the herbs." Chen Zixi breathed a sigh of relief when he saw you agreed.
But he relaxed too early, and you shook your head again: "I don't want to go back alone, I want to go with you."
Chen Zixi glanced at your feet hesitantly, his steps slowing down, but at least he wasn't wobbling. Although he knew he should persuade you to go back, after a brief moment of hesitation, he agreed and offered, "It's unsafe for you to hold onto me like this. Let me support you."
Without much thought, you obediently put your hand down and let him put his arm around your waist and continue walking forward.
When we arrived at the pharmacy, Chen Zixi helped you sit down first before going to buy medicine from the shopkeeper.
The female owner of the drugstore laughed at what she saw and teased him, "Sir, there's no need to be so worried about your wife. We're doing a legitimate business here and we guarantee she won't be in any danger."
...Wife? This word suddenly popped up and bounced in his mind for a few seconds. Chen Zixi didn't refute it for some reason, but simply urged, "Boil the medicine together... Please hurry."
Just like Jiang Yan said, you really aren't that noisy. He sat quietly on the stool, his eyes even starting to bleary, looking like he was about to fall asleep.
Chen Zixi had no choice but to coax you into talking to him, lest you actually fall asleep and miss out on the hangover soup: "It's not even dark yet, it's a bit early to go to bed now. Be good and don't sleep yet."
You rubbed your eyes, remembering what the shopkeeper had just said, and suddenly asked him, "Brother Zixi, do you have a family?"
This sentence is actually a common one, but it sounds inappropriate when placed here. Chen Zixi could even feel that the female shopkeeper who had been so friendly just now was secretly glaring at him, as if he was a heartless man who had a family and was still flirting with other women.
Chen Zixi immediately said, "No, you know I'm always wandering around, how can I have a family?"
You nodded, but then you were a little skeptical. “But you’re so pretty, rich, and gentle… Who was so blind not to marry you?”
"..." Chen Zixi paused and smiled, "I don't know what other people think, but I haven't considered this before."
You spoke quickly and asked subconsciously: "Have you considered it now?"
Chen Zixi was stunned. He instinctively turned his head and saw that the female shopkeeper was indeed pretending to pack medicinal herbs and eavesdropping with her ears perked up.
He was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "I'm... just thinking about it."
You hummed, unable to control your mouth, and heard yourself say, "Then remember to consider me."
Silence, silence was the medicine shop tonight. In this suffocating silence, Chen Zixi seemed to have a vision of Jiang Yan standing before him with a sword in hand, looking menacing. He swallowed hard, and it took him a long time to find his voice: "...Okay."
There seemed to be a suppressed laugh coming from the female shopkeeper behind him, but Chen Zixi had no time to care about it because you suddenly stood up and handed him a bamboo stick.
He took it confused and saw your name engraved on the bamboo stick, as well as a strange symbol that looked like... a wine jar?
"Here, Brother Zixi, this is my number plate. With this number plate, I can queue first at your place." You instructed him.
Chen Zixi: “…”
It took him a long time to come back to his senses. He suppressed his laughter and stuffed your bamboo stick into his arms, not forgetting to ask: "But why are you carrying this?"
You casually explained, "There are risks involved in venturing into the martial arts world. If I get into trouble, I can use this to get someone to Buxianxian to come and rescue me."
Chen Zixi nodded thoughtfully: "Then you really won't be able to use it in the future."
What does that mean? You blinked in confusion.
"If you are in trouble in the future, I will naturally come to save you. You don't have to go to Buxianxian to ask for help." Chen Zixi looked at you and said.
You hear something beating rapidly beneath your chest. You slowly give him a sweet smile: "Okay, Brother Zixi is the best."
Your memory of what happened next that night isn't so clear, but you still remember clearly that Chen Zixi woke you up from your drowsiness and brought you some warm hangover soup.
It tastes great, just like he said, sour, sweet, and fragrant. You finish it in one gulp, smacking your lips, feeling the sweetness and sourness permeate your heart, so you ask him, "Brother Zixi, what did you add? It's really delicious."
Chen Zixi sat beside you, watching you. He took the bowl and smiled slightly, "I added extra dried tangerine peel. I thought you might like it."
You do like it. You nodded vigorously: "I love it!"
As soon as he finished speaking, you saw that his eyes became clearer, like the stars in a summer night.
A little beautiful, and a little fragrant.
He looked really good-looking, and he had that sweet and sour smell of tangerine peel, which felt... kind of delicious.
An inexplicable impulse suddenly surged in your heart, and you leaned closer to look at him carefully, looking at his bright and gentle black eyes, the curly hair on his forehead, and his dignified yet handsome face.
He seemed surprised by your action, but he didn't move, just looked at you quietly with a smile.
You tried your best but couldn't overcome the thought in your head. You leaned closer and kissed him on the cheek.
Chen Zixi said, "You are drunk." He gently tapped your forehead, as if to hint at waking you up through this action.
You covered your forehead, a little unconvinced: "I am drunk, but I am conscious!"
Chen Zixi laughed: "You wouldn't normally do something like this, but you were just drunk. Don't do something you'll regret."
You shrugged it off: "I won't regret it. I just wanted to kiss you, so I did it."
Chen Zixi looked at you for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Then why do you want to do this?"
He asked so bluntly that you realized it later and felt a little embarrassed. You scratched your cheek before answering, "Because... because you are so beautiful and smell so good, I just can't help it."
Chen Zixi shook his head, opened the folding fan in his hand with a "swish" sound, and shook it: "This is not what I need to hear, and this is probably not what you want to say."
The cool breeze brought you back to your senses, but you were a little confused: "Not this? What is that?"
Chen Zixi smiled and said, "I'll wait until you're sober tomorrow and think it through, then tell me. If you haven't thought it through, I'll pretend it never happened."
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