Chapter 57 Her soft lips pressed against his…
Jiang Muzhou slept lightly.
The afternoon sun shone through the gaps in the curtains, falling on his tightly closed eyelids and casting a warm orange glow.
He slowly opened his eyes, his thick eyelashes casting a light shadow on his cheeks.
His dark eyes still held a hint of weariness, but he was now completely awake.
My thoughts drifted involuntarily to Huiju Mall.
He reached for his phone, switched to his alternate account, and entered a group chat named [See Mu Yichengzhou Say (999)].
Several photos from the event popped up in the latest news.
Many fans came to participate in the adoption event, and several of them happily took photos in front of the backdrop while holding the kittens they had adopted.
He scrolled down to a group photo.
The girl held the cross-eyed orange tabby cat "Lili" in her arms and stood affectionately next to Su Cheng.
[Next to a cute face is an even cuter face]
Three of you are adorable.
In the photo, Su Cheng is wearing a light beige knit sweater, the thin fabric outlining her slender figure. Her skin is as white as jade, a small dimple is sunken in her right cheek, her almond-shaped eyes are slightly curved, and her eyes seem to sparkle with starlight.
Her black hair was loosely tied up, and as she tilted her head, the ends of her hair gently fell to one side.
Jiang Muzhou recalled that night on Qixi Festival, when Su Cheng's hair tie snapped, and she had to gather her hair, which was originally tied up, behind her neck.
But the summer nights are sweltering, and her fine strands of hair quickly become sticky with sweat to her skin. What's even more troublesome is that when she eats, if she bends her head down even slightly, a few strands of hair will fall onto the rim of her bowl, almost getting some soup on them.
He found out after checking that it was because her hair was thick and smooth, and ordinary hair ties were always easy to come loose or break.
Later, during a visit to a mother-of-pearl inlay workshop, the master craftsman showed him a traditional hairpin that could not only securely hold the hair in place but also prevent damage to the hair strands.
The mother-of-pearl shimmers with iridescent light, its ever-changing brilliance mirroring her own gentle nature, yet possessing a unique and inner radiance.
Yuanbao, lying lazily beside the pillow, rolled over, stretched out its little paws, and stretched out its whole body, spreading out like a soft pancake.
Her pink little nose twitched slightly, and her eyes were narrowed into slits; she could sleep even more than him.
He turned the ingot around and carefully lifted its fluffy tail.
The index finger is held vertically against the base of the tail like a hairpin, while the other hand gently circles the downy fur, clumsily trying to comb it like a hair bun.
The soft cat tail was clumsily wrapped and coiled in his hands, and just as it was coiled into a crooked bun shape, the cat tail "whooshed" away from his palm.
Yuanbao turned his head and gave his father a disdainful look, but as if he could see through his father's helplessness, he reluctantly came back and nudged his hand with his head.
Jiang Muzhou rubbed the fluffy little head and remembered a saying he had once heard: raising a pet is actually raising the younger version of yourself.
He used to buy Yuanbao the best cat food and the most expensive toys, and he would cuddle and kiss it whenever he had free time, wishing he could give it all the love in the world. But this backfired, and he spoiled Yuanbao so much that it developed separation anxiety.
It wasn't until then that he realized that his doting on Yuanbao was not just out of pity for this life connected to her, but more like using a symbolic substitution to make up for the lack in his heart and fill the void of his childhood that longed to be loved but was always disappointed.
The forgotten phone vibrated slightly, and the screen lit up with an unfamiliar number.
Jiang Muzhou frowned and hung up the phone.
Unexpectedly, the other party persisted and called again.
Just as he was about to click to block, a text message suddenly popped up:
[Su Cheng is with me.]
-
The black Land Rover sped along the asphalt road, finally coming to a sudden stop at the side entrance of the Huiju Mall.
Zhang Xiwen's words echoed in Jiang Muzhou's mind.
"You might not believe it, but it seems she got drunk from drinking milk tea."
Following the location sent by Zhang Xiwen, he walked through the landscaped garden outside the mall and arrived at the door of an exquisitely decorated milk tea shop.
A prominent signboard and poster stand at the entrance of the store.
"[Drunken Moon Listening to Fragrance - Limited Edition Drink] Osmanthus Oolong Milk Foam. This product contains alcohol, with an alcohol concentration of <2% VOL. It is not recommended for people with alcohol allergies, pregnant women, drivers, and minors."
Through the glass window of the milk tea shop, Jiang Muzhou immediately spotted the figure in the milk coffee color.
Su Cheng was slumped limply on the table, while Zhang Xiwen was sitting opposite her, leisurely manicuring her nails.
"You got there in ten minutes, a fifteen-minute drive?" Zhang Xiwen looked up and teased. "You're definitely going to get a speeding ticket."
The black windbreaker accentuated his sharp features, with his thin eyebrows, high nose bridge, and a touch of arrogance.
Several young girls in line couldn't help but keep turning around.
"She really does stand out wherever she goes," Zhang Xiwen scoffed.
Jiang Muzhou pulled out the chair next to Su Cheng.
The young girl was very drunk; her fair cheeks were flushed, and even her lips were a bit more vibrant than usual.
His voice was deep and hoarse, "What do you want with her?"
"That's strange, it's the first time I've seen someone so nervous." Zhang Xiwen stroked the diamond ring on her ring finger, a smile playing on her lips. "What else could it be? Trying to steal someone else's girlfriend."
Jiang Muzhou frowned. "Does President Liao know?"
He was referring to Zhang Xiwen's fiancé, Liao Wenchang, the heir to Xingye Film and Television Group.
"Tch, do I have to report to him to sign a short video blogger?" Zhang Xiwen rolled her eyes at him and tapped the table with her fingertips. "I just saw that Su Cheng's account data was good and wanted to talk to her about signing a contract, but she said this after less than three sentences."
She narrowed her eyes, then leaned forward, observing his reaction with great interest. "Jiang Muzhou, you don't think I'm using her to ask you out, hoping to rekindle our old flame, do you?"
Jiang Muzhou leaned back slightly, pressing his back against the chair back to avoid the overwhelming scent of perfume.
He glanced at Su Cheng out of the corner of his eye, his expression cold. "Watch your words."
"Don't worry, I couldn't warm you up even after three years of high school, so I've already come to terms with it." Zhang Xiwen casually swirled her milk tea cup, as if telling a joke, "Only little girls would fall for your kind of thing. What adult would be willing to throw their heart into a bottomless pit like yours? When it comes to dating, you still need to find someone who can provide emotional value."
The black cuff brushed against Su Cheng's burning earlobe. Jiang Muzhou held her shoulder with one hand and supported her arm with the other, pulling her up.
His warm breath brushed against her earlobe, and his voice softened, a departure from his previous coldness. "Can we walk?"
Su Cheng lifted her eyelids, groggily propped herself up, her dark almond-shaped eyes veiled in a thin mist.
She seemed to understand and tried to nod in response, but the action caused her to lose her balance completely, and she fell softly into his arms like a ball of cotton.
"Showing off." The man's Adam's apple bobbed slightly. He shook his head with a helpless smile and simply bent down to pick her up in a princess carry.
A burning forehead pressed against the crook of his neck, a few strands of hair brushed against his Adam's apple, and the arms wrapped around his knees tightened noticeably.
"Just a friendly reminder, these days everyone's into being straightforward." Zhang Xiwen held her empty milk tea cup, watching the two figures disappear into the distance, and raised an eyebrow with a light laugh. "Su Cheng said you're just ordinary friends."
As the glass door opened and closed, the wind chimes jingled softly.
Jiang Muzhou carried the person into the light and shadow, a slight smile playing on his lips. "It won't be like that for long."
He carefully shoved the person into the passenger seat, straightened the restless legs by supporting the knees, and fastened the seatbelt with a click.
He went around to the other side to get in the car and found that her head was nodding like a chick pecking at rice, so he simply reclined the seat a little so that she could lie down more comfortably.
It was a rare treat; it didn't cry or make a fuss, just blinked a few times in a daze, and then curled up and fell asleep.
On the way back, Jiang Muzhou drove very slowly, afraid of waking his neighbor.
When he arrived at the underground parking garage, he was just about to get out of the car when he suddenly felt his clothes being grabbed.
He turned his head to look, and saw Su Cheng mumbling something indistinctly.
"What?" He leaned closer, one hand on the side of the chair.
She only responded with the sound of even breathing.
He chuckled softly and was about to step back when he heard her drunken murmur, "Jiang Muzhou... I won't betray you..."
"I'll follow you wherever you are..."
He paused, turned his head, and his warm breath gently brushed against the tip of her nose.
Her eyes were closed, her thick eyelashes trembled gently, her cheeks were flushed with a peachy blush, and even the tip of her nose was tinged with a light pink, like a sleeping ragdoll cat.
Breathes mingled in the cramped space.
The fresh scent of citrus intertwines with a hint of mint.
He reached out and brushed away the strands of hair that were about to touch her lips, his deep black eyes so tender they seemed to overflow with tears.
I really hope she wasn't just talking about work.
He watched her quietly for ten minutes before getting out of the car and walking around to the passenger side.
After unbuckling her seatbelt, she slumped softly into his arms, and through her thin knitted sweater, he could clearly feel her burning body temperature.
Last time he held her like this, he was carrying her high heels; this time, he was carrying her shoulder bag.
Warm, moist breath brushed against his neck, and the scent of citrus mixed with the aroma of wine enveloped him, causing his throat to tighten involuntarily.
The elevator doors opened, and Jiang Muzhou helped her to her feet, then held her swaying wrist and unlocked the door with his fingerprint.
Decepticon squatted beside the shoe cabinet in the entryway, his tail tip patting the ground intermittently, seemingly used to the frequent visits of this uninvited guest recently.
Jiang Muzhou helped Su Cheng lie down on the sofa, then turned around and went back to his own home to get some hangover medicine. He also wet a towel with warm water, wrung it out, and brought it back.
When he pushed the door open again, there was only a dent on the sofa.
He paused for a second, his gaze sweeping across the living room. Su Cheng had somehow climbed onto the closed litter box of the Tyrant Cat, and was sitting cross-legged on the top cover, using the litter scoop as a microphone, shaking her head and singing at the top of her lungs.
He silently retracted his previous assessment of her as having "good drinking manners".
Jiang Muzhou placed the hangover medicine and a damp towel on the coffee table, then reached out to support the swaying Su Cheng.
Although she was slender, he dared not exert any force on her because of the plastic material on the edge of the litter box. He could only support her elbows with his palms so that she could slowly get up with the help of the support.
Su Cheng slowly straightened up, her thick eyelashes fluttering, her dark eyes staring straight at him.
Jiang Muzhou tried to gently pry open her fingers that were gripping the litter scoop, but the person who had been so obedient just moments before suddenly changed her expression.
Su Cheng puffed out her cheeks and accused, "You vixen! You're trying to steal my things again!"
Jiang Muzhou had no idea what she was up to, and was both amused and exasperated. Luckily, she hadn't made such a scene outside, otherwise it probably wouldn't have been so easy to bring her back.
He gently ruffled her messy hair like he was soothing a cat, saying, "Okay, okay, I won't take it from you."
But Su Cheng clearly had no intention of letting him off easily. "I already said, next time you'll pay the price."
She tiptoed closer, her breath carrying a faint scent of alcohol.
Her soft lips pressed against his Adam's apple.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
