Chapter 56: Unmatched, Tao Shuran’s only one.
She tilted her head slightly, and her lips brushed against his.
This scene overlapped with the scene from several years ago, and Tao Shuran's eyelashes trembled slightly.
The voice was very gentle and reminded him: "Our relationship has not progressed to this point yet."
"I'm sorry, I can't help myself."
Liang Yuanjing tilted his head. The expected answer was avoided at that moment, and his whole heart was filled with a bitter emotion.
She was still resisting his approach, avoiding him, and retreating.
Realizing this, my heart was broken again.
Tao Shuran looked at him and said softly, "It's okay, just consider it as a last time we offset each other."
Realizing what she said, Liang Yuanjing lowered his brows, and a low pressure surged over him in an instant, and even his voice seemed to be gritted.
"You want to settle grudges?"
"I don't want it."
He suddenly raised his hand and grabbed the back of her neck, and before Tao Shuran could react, he suddenly pressed down hard.
So, when the storm was about to stop, Tao Shuran kissed Liang Yuanjing in an unexpected way.
She opened her eyes wide and struggled hard with her hands on her chest.
Liang Yuanjing pinched her chin with one hand and rested the other hand lazily on her waist.
He looked relaxed, but the moment he kissed her, he immediately seized all the initiative.
He plundered the air in her mouth unscrupulously, and his tongue tip was like a surging wave, about to completely swallow up her little boat.
In this extremely predatory kiss, Tao Shuran actually began to feel Liang Yuanjing's turbulent emotions over the past five years.
She stared at him blankly, her amber pupils reflecting his obsessed and painful face.
After the kiss, Liang Yuanjing let her go.
He stretched out his hand, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his fingertips, and smiled.
"You decide how to punish me."
"But don't ignore me."
Tao Shuran's eyes sparkled. She lowered her head and searched for an extra Band-Aid in her pocket.
She said nothing and handed it to him.
Liang Yuanjing lifted his eyelids, leaned over and said, "I can't see, help me."
Although she knew that he was playing rogue, Tao Shuran just didn't have the ability to resist him.
She glanced at him and, to express her dissatisfaction, chose the most cartoonish pink kitty cat to stick on him.
The weird and cute animal stickers on Liang Yuanjing's tough and cold face give a weird feeling no matter how you look at it.
As he watched, Tao Shuran couldn't help laughing out loud.
She warned him in a non-threatening manner: "Don't do that next time."
Liang Yuanjing said "hmm".
They slowly began to walk back. The rain had completely stopped and the moisture was gradually dried up by the sun.
Tao Shuran only then remembered his own affairs and asked casually, "Does your rescue team have a fixed time every week to go to the city to purchase supplies?"
Liang Yuanjing: "What do you want?"
"If it's convenient, I can bring you a few packs of sanitary napkins." She lowered her head and said, "I'll send you the pictures and transfer the money to you later."
Liang Yuanjing was stunned for a moment, as if digesting these words.
He lowered his head and looked at Tao Shuran, and asked slowly, "Tao Shuran, are you on your period?"
For some reason, Tao Shuran saw more obvious anger on his face than ever before.
Liang Yuanjing suppressed his emotions, but finally couldn't help but pick her up.
He stepped into the icy river water alone, and this time he refused to let go no matter how she struggled.
Tao Shuran whispered to him, "Liang Yuanjing, put me down. Teacher Lin and the others are watching over there."
"No."
Liang Yuanjing raised a subtle smile at the corner of his lips and deliberately held her in his arms and weighed her twice.
The ending tone was slightly raised, and he deliberately lowered his head closer to her, his intention to tease her was obvious.
"If you keep talking, I'll kiss you."
Tao Shuran immediately covered her mouth with her hand and stared at him with her watery eyes.
Her eyes were full of anger and her chest was heaving with anger. Apart from Liang Yuanjing, there was almost no one in this world who could make her emotions so volatile.
Liang Yuanjing smiled, his unruly eyes and eyebrows were defiant, and he actually ran along the long and muddy path with her in his arms.
The wind blew the hem of his clothes and also blew open a pair of bright and shining eyes.
Tao Shuran looked up at him and admitted from the bottom of his heart that some men are still teenagers even at the age of 26.
After returning from the construction site, Tao Shuran didn't dare to look at his colleagues' eyes.
Everyone is too gossipy, and there is a big leak like Fang Qingyi.
Everything that happened between her and Liang Yuanjing from high school to college was revealed in great detail.
Even Jin Boyu teased her with a smile.
"That bouquet of silver lisianthus at the door of the restoration room was given by him, right? I heard that the girls in the archaeological team were heartbroken."
Tao Shuran's face flushed and he lowered his head in embarrassment.
She just asked Liang Yuanjing to buy some daily necessities for her, but who knew he also bought a bouquet of flowers for her.
"Flowers are hard to come by in this place." Jin Boyu handed her tools and asked, "Junior sister, what do you think?"
"Um?"
Tao Shuran was stunned when she was suddenly called out. She raised her head from her work, blinked her sour eyes, and the smile on her face became a little more bitter.
"I didn't think of anything."
"I don't want to have the possibility of sadness anymore, so I give up happiness as well."
She shrugged, pretending to be relaxed. "You get what you give. It's fair, isn't it?"
Jin Boyu didn't say anything, took off his gloves and waved at her.
Tao Shuran immediately understood and leaned over. She saw Jin Boyu's slender hands pinching out an artificial tear drop, and then dripping it into her eyes with ease.
This is the tacit understanding and habit they have developed through years of joint restoration.
With just a gesture from each other, they can immediately understand each other's meaning.
The dry eye sockets were briefly moistened, and Tao Shuran's physical discomfort was slightly relieved.
She smiled and said, "Besides, we don't deserve it at all."
As he was speaking, the little girl from the copying group next door knocked gently on the door.
The girl just joined the group this year. She is only a sophomore. She came here to intern with us during the summer vacation. She is still a little shy and came over nervously to ask them to come.
"Senior Sister Qiao said our group is coming to an end and she wanted to invite everyone to get together before returning."
"She said, 'I hope Senior Sister Tao, you will definitely honor me by coming.'"
By the end of the story, the girl was extremely nervous.
Tao Shuran smiled, took off his gloves, took an orange from the bag and handed it over.
"Got it. Ask her to send the time and place to my phone later."
Just after seeing the girl off, Tao Shuran turned around and saw Jin Boyu looking at her leisurely with his chin supported.
He asked, "Aren't you not interested in group activities?"
"Can't you see that this girl is so nervous that her voice is shaking? If I reject her, she will be nervous again when she gets home."
"That makes sense." Jin Boyu nodded, "Then I'll go too."
Tao Shuran looked at him in disbelief: "If I remember correctly, this is your first time participating in a group activity, right?"
Jin Boyu raised his eyebrows and said nothing.
"I have a feeling there's going to be something exciting tonight."
It was not until the evening that Tao Shuran understood what Jin Boyu meant by "lively".
Qiao Yanxin publicly confessed her love to a graduate student in their department.
She slammed her hand on the table, looked at the boy and said, "How about it, are you willing to be my boyfriend?"
The boy was quite shy, his face almost hidden in his sweatshirt. After a while, he slowly said, "Let me think about it."
Three seconds later, Qiao Yanxin stared at him again.
"Have you thought about it?"
The boy was famous in the school for being slow-paced. He was never in a hurry to do anything, and it seemed that he was incompatible with Qiao Yanxin's impetuous personality.
Who knew that this time he reacted so quickly and suddenly shouted "I do" loudly, which scared everyone.
After a while, there was thunderous applause and cheers.
Qiao Yanxin also said cheerfully, "I'll cover all the expenses for tonight. I'll treat you to a karaoke party later in the evening."
Tao Shuran yawned and was about to wave her hand and go back when she heard Qiao Yanxin persuade her:
"It's a rare opportunity to come here, so if you want to have fun, you should have fun to the fullest. Besides, if you want to go back now, we don't have a car to take you back."
"By the way, I also called your friend who teaches at the elementary school over for you."
Qiao Yanxin said enthusiastically, "Oh, and that first love boyfriend, I called him over for you. You must give your all tonight."
The smile on Tao Shuran's face suddenly disappeared.
She asked hesitantly, "He's coming too?"
"Yeah, I heard from the girls on the team that Liang Yuanjing is very difficult to invite and never attends girls' parties. I didn't expect him to come as soon as I asked him this time."
Qiao Yanxin realized it belatedly and responded, "He's coming for you, Ranran."
A fact that almost everyone can see.
Tao Shuran secretly bit her lower lip and sat outside the window, quietly waiting for the dinner to end.
I also received two messages from Liang Yuanjing during the journey.
Since they added each other on WeChat, he would send a couple of messages from time to time to make his presence felt.
Tao Shuran also visited his circle of friends out of admiration for him, and found that the content was indeed very rich.
Skiing, mountain climbing, and various rescue operations, his life alone is bright enough.
Liang Yuanjing: "What do you want to eat? I'll bring it to you tonight."
Tao Shuran: "I'm having hotpot with Qiao Yanxin and the others."
Liang Yuanjing: "I know."
Liang Yuanjing: "I know you're not full, would you like some chestnut cake?"
…
Tao Shuran sent a spineless message: "Eat".
After a while, Qiao Yanxin sent the latest notification in the group.
"Let's change the venue for the KTV later. There's a sponsor. I'll send you the address."
"I heard the snacks here are really good, and the drinks are top-notch too. They usually have a strict entry threshold."
Tao Shuran thought back to when she first started dating Liang Yuanjing.
The university classmates around her would go to nearby bars at night, and several times they asked her to help deal with dormitory inspections by the dormitory management.
After going there many times, she became curious about what the bar was like.
After she pestered Liang Yuanjing so many times, he had no choice but to take her to the bar run by his friend.
The atmosphere was good that day, and there was a whole row of soda drinks in front of her.
Liang Yuanjing asked her what flavor she liked as if she was coaxing a child.
Tao Shuran thought for a moment and said, "Peach."
He casually made her a glass of peach sparkling wine, which was sour and sweet, and filled her taste buds with happiness.
She asked him what the drink was called.
Liang Yuanjing pulled his lower lip: "No name."
She seemed dissatisfied with the answer at that time.
So the next second, Liang Yuanjing looked into her eyes and gave the answer.
"How about calling this cup Tao Shuran's exclusive?"
"Now that our classmate Tao has finished drinking, can you come back with me?"
Over the years, Tao Shuran has attended many drinking parties and tasted many kinds of wine, big and small.
But she never tasted anything like the peach sparkling water she had that day again.
Maybe this is what life is like, full of regrets everywhere.
When they arrived at the KTV, they were taken to a separate private room on the second floor.
The room is very big. As soon as everyone came in, they were amazed and some even took photos and checked in.
As for Tao Shuran, everything here was very familiar to her.
She walked to the bar on the first floor with ease, found a high stool to sit on, and began to look at the drink list in front of her.
Soon, her sight fixed on a certain spot.
"Please give me a glass of this peach sparkling water."
"Sorry, this cup is a custom-made one. We only display it and don't sell it."
The waiter pushed the menu in front of her and said, "You can try our special cocktail. It tastes very good."
Tao Shuran's eyelashes drooped slightly, as if to confirm a guess in her mind.
She suddenly raised her head, looked at the waiter and said, "My name is Tao Shuran."
"Please wait a moment."
Soon, the waiter brought a glass of pink sparkling water, and his well-trained voice was friendly and gentle.
"Hello, Miss Tao Shuran, this is peach sparkling water specially made for you."
Tao Shuran lowered her head and took a sip. It tasted familiar, but compared to the sourness in her memory, the sweetness seemed to be a bit stronger.
The waiter holding the tray was explaining to her.
"This recipe was later improved, and the taste is less astringent than before. It also has a name, called Girl's Heart."
She looked up and asked, "Why is it called this name?"
"Because the emotions of girlhood are so precious, the creator of this drink hopes to preserve them forever."
"By the way, Ms. Tao, may I ask which city you plan to develop in the future?"
Tao Shuran was still immersed in what she had just said when she suddenly heard a strange man ask such a question.
She looked at him warily: "What's wrong? Is there something wrong?"
The waiter smiled slowly and said, "Your choice is related to the future planning and investment direction of our bar."
“Since it’s a drink exclusively for you, it naturally has to appear in every city you’re in.”
Tao Shuran's eyelashes trembled.
Thinking back to the three years I spent studying for my master's degree at the Linchuan campus, one day I suddenly heard from my classmates that a very famous bar had opened near the school.
At that time, she was afraid of being reminded of the past by seeing the things, so she never set foot inside.
Later, one night when I was working overtime to finish my thesis, it suddenly started raining when I was walking halfway.
She was hiding from the rain under the eaves of this bar, and the waiter came out and handed her an umbrella.
It turns out that everything is destined.
Behind the scenes, he has always cared about her.
An indescribable emotion surged in his heart, and Tao Shuran sat alone at the bar for a long time.
After a while, Qiao Yanxin came over and asked her to go upstairs and sing.
She was not in the mood to sing, but she couldn't stand Fang Qingyi's constant urging.
"Our Ranran sings really well, really."
Unable to bear the booing, Tao Shuran took off his coat and slowly walked onto the stage with the microphone.
She sang Zhou Xingzhe's "Don't Be Friends in the Future".
The song was a slow one, and the atmosphere suddenly quieted down. Under the dim lights of the bar, Tao Shuran spoke quietly.
Don’t be friends anymore.
Friends can't hold hands.
I can only smile away the urge to love you.
There are some dreams that best friends can’t express.
You won't have to bear the heartache of losing you.
…
When she was secretly in love with Liang Yuanjing, Tao Shuran listened to "Mercury" one hundred and twenty-eight times.
After becoming Liang Yuanjing's girlfriend, she has listened to this song at least fifty times.
At this moment, all his emotions came to his mind, and Tao Shuran smiled bitterly and thought, it turns out that the ending of everything is already determined.
She and Liang Yuanjing can't be friends.
When she sang the last sentence, Tao Shuran lowered her head, and in a corner where no one noticed, her tears fell unrestrainedly on the screen of her mobile phone.
She raised her head and made an excuse to go to the bathroom to touch up her makeup, but the moment she turned around and pushed the door open, her eyes met with Liang Yuanjing who walked in.
At a close distance, he stood quietly outside the door and listened to the entire song.
I also saw tears in the corners of her eyes.
In the closed corridor, the wind and air became condensed. Tao Shuran raised his head and walked to the ventilation vent to look into the distance.
She thought that he still knew her fragile mood.
Liang Yuanjing slowly handed over the tissue. In his hand was the chestnut cake he had just packed, as well as some of her favorite snacks, the steaming temperature of which seemed still visible.
Tao Shuran took the tissue and gently pressed it twice on the corners of his eyes.
She smiled at him nonchalantly and offered her the entrance space.
The moment they passed each other, Liang Yuanjing took the initiative to hold her wrist.
His dark eyes stared down at her, their heat as hot as the palms holding hers.
"Can you give me another chance?"
He whispered, "A chance to never let you cry again."
Tao Shuran closed her eyes.
She heard her breathing become very irregular, and so did her heartbeat. His breath was like a vine, tightly wrapping around her.
She knew that she could never refuse Liang Yuanjing's words.
He is like a tree, and she is a seedling growing on it. One day, the tree will leave and the sunlight will pour down. The consequence of falling in love with someone is that even the air will be his scent.
Tao Shuran didn't want this feeling of being born and dying anymore.
She broke free from his hand again, looked at him in an almost calm tone and said, "But I don't want to like you anymore."
After saying this, Tao Shuran took a deep breath and felt that the hand hanging by his side was shaking.
She bit her lower lip hard, forcing herself to remain calm and not look into his dimmed eyes.
Liang Yuanjing lowered his eyes. He rarely experienced such frustrated moments. It was also at this moment that he realized that love that came too late was itself a kind of sadness.
The lighter flicked with a "pop" sound, and the indigo flame illuminated a pair of cold and decadent eyes.
Tao Shuran opened her eyes and looked at him and said word by word: "It's all over, Liang Yuanjing."
“I’ll go back after the summer project is over.”
Five years later, she returned these words to him.
"Let's—don't see each other again."
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