Seeing that Chen Yuanxing seemed to be serious, Xiao Qiqi began to believe him. In truth, his computer skills far surpassed hers. Any game software or even hardware, once in his hands, could be easily set up and run by him. In Xiao Qiqi's eyes, someone who could master all the functions of an Excel or Word document in an hour was a computer expert. He not only could do that, but he even had hacking potential; she had personally witnessed him hacking a small website that supposedly angered him. She was quite frightened at the time, but he was overjoyed, rolling around on the bed laughing so hard he could hardly breathe.
Xiao Qiqi felt a glimmer of hope and tugged at Chen Yuanxing's arm, "Can you really learn it?"
"Sister, what's so difficult about this? It's just that you're always fiddling with the computer and you don't know anything, you're as dumb as a big bear. Anyway, I'm smarter than you, so just watch me."
Xiao Qiqi nodded excitedly, grinning, "Chen Yuanxing, thank you."
Seeing her smile, elegant as a lily, Chen Yuanxing was stunned again, his heart skipping a beat. Before Xiao Qiqi noticed, he quickly averted his eyes. Lately, he was finding it increasingly difficult to control himself. Xiao Qiqi's personality was completely different from when he carried her to the hospital a year ago. Back then, she was heartbreakingly sorrowful, but now? She was still heartbreaking, yet possessed confidence, strength, tolerance, and resilience. Her occasional radiant smile, as beautiful as a delicate flower, was always captivating. The vibrancy and allure of this young woman were far more alluring than her previous fragility. Sometimes, in the middle of the night, listening to the woman's faint breathing and smelling her unique fragrance, Chen Yuanxing's blood would surge uncontrollably, and he would repeatedly and awkwardly get up and rush to the bathroom. It was agonizing, yet he couldn't bear to leave. He had been staying here for a month, and he had become even more enamored with this kind of life.
I want to see her bright smile, her pouting red lips when she's angry, her wandering dark eyes when she's lonely, enjoy her unique scent, be intoxicated by her occasional tenderness, fall in love with her cooking, get used to her clear voice, and even smell the faint scent of 520 on her fingertips.
The thick smell of smoke woke Chen Yuanxing up. He habitually looked into the bed, but it was empty. He knew without looking that Xiao Qiqi must be hiding on the balcony smoking. Chen Yuanxing felt a little annoyed.
"Xiao Qiqi, why aren't you sleeping? What are you smoking?" Chen Yuanxing opened the balcony door, pulled the cigarette from Xiao Qiqi's fingertips, and stubbed it out in the ashtray.
Xiao Qiqi smiled sheepishly: "Did the smell wake you up again?"
Chen Yuanxing frowned, "Why would a girl learn to smoke!"
Xiao Qiqi remained silent, sitting on the floor looking out the French windows at the night scene. The dim yellow lights and the occasional car whizzing by, along with the motionless leaves, seemed to be dead silent in the sweltering summer heat. "...Today is July 1st."
Chen Yuanxing yawned. "Yeah, I know."
"It's been a year." Xiao Qiqi murmured, trying to keep her eyes wide open so that the tear in the corner of her eye wouldn't fall. July 1st was a day worth commemorating.
Chen Yuanxing then came to his senses and looked at Xiao Qiqi. Her beautiful face, which was trying her best to endure the pain, had lost its brightness and instead showed the despair and helplessness of the dark night. "...Xiao Qiqi."
"I'm fine, I'm just a little heartbroken." Xiao Qiqi forced a smile and looked up at Chen Yuanxing, "...Could you lend me your shoulder?"
Chen Yuanxing sat down next to her, gently pulled her close to his shoulder, and said, "Qiqi, it's all over now, don't be sad, okay?"
"Okay." Xiao Qiqi's voice was thick with tears, which were already falling uncontrollably onto Chen Yuanxing's shoulder. "...But I can't forget, I can't forget this day, I can't forget...him, Chen Yuanxing, what should I do?"
Chen Yuanxing's heart sank little by little with her sorrowful voice, "You have to forget, even if you can't, because you have a new life now, the pain is in the past, he's gone. Now, at least you still have... me, no, from now on, you'll always have me." Chen Yuanxing said involuntarily, his arm around Xiao Qiqi's waist.
Xiao Qiqi's body trembled, and she abruptly lifted her head from Chen Yuanxing's embrace, staring blankly at Chen Yuanxing's face so close to hers. A single tear still clung to the corner of her eye. Chen Yuanxing's words came out naturally as he reached out and wiped away the tear from her eye with his finger. "Silly Xiao Qiqi, don't cry anymore. Don't you know that every time you cry, it breaks my heart?"
“…No.” Xiao Qiqi finally realized their ambiguous relationship and tried to stand up, but Chen Yuanxing’s strong arm held her tightly. “Let go of me.”
"I won't let go," Chen Yuanxing replied stubbornly, his phoenix eyes gleaming like cold stars in the night. "Xiao Qiqi, do you really want to live in the shadow of the past? Don't you want to start a new life?"
Xiao Qiqi shook her head, her heart in turmoil. "I want to live in the past, I don't want a new life, what can you do about it? What's it to you?" She pinched Chen Yuanxing's arm, and Chen Yuanxing let go in pain. Xiao Qiqi fled into the house in a disheveled state and slammed the balcony door shut.
Chen Yuanxing felt a suffocating tightness in his chest, as if his heart was completely filled with sorrow. He picked up a cigarette from the ground, took it out, and slowly lit it. 520—what did it taste like? He had never smoked before, nor had he ever tasted 520. He didn't know what his current feelings were. He only knew that when he thought of this woman at school, his heart was filled with a mix of joy, anger, heartache, and longing; he only knew that when he learned he was leaving the country to study abroad, his first thought was that he would never see this violent, tearful woman again; he only knew that after leaving school in a sorry state, his first thought was to seek refuge with this woman; he only knew how much he longed to see her every smile and gesture every day; he only knew that seeing her cry and grieve made his heart ache; he only knew that the person he longed to hug in his dreams wasn't actually the big, clumsy bear…
Chen Yuanxing was quickly choked by the smoke, his eyes and nose stinging. He rushed into the bathroom in a disheveled state, coughing for a while before washing his face and returning to his room. There, he found Xiao Qiqi sitting on the bed, hugging a large teddy bear and staring at him blankly. Chen Yuanxing forced a smile and said, "Xiao Qiqi, are you pretending to be a ghost? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"...You smoked?" Xiao Qiqi felt a little guilty. Seeing him smoking on the balcony and hearing him choke on his cigarette, she actually felt a pang of pity.
"Hmm, this is really hard to extract."
"Then don't smoke."
"Then why do you still smoke?"
"I'm used to it."
"Once you get used to it, you'll love the taste. I think I'll get used to it too." Chen Yuanxing lay back on the bed, put his hands on his head as a pillow, looked at the ceiling, and a smile unconsciously appeared on his lips.
Looking at his familiar smile in the darkness, Xiao Qiqi felt a little flustered and quickly lay down with her back to him, saying, "Let's go to sleep."
"Hmm." Chen Yuanxing continued to stare at the ceiling.
Quiet, they could clearly hear each other's breathing.
Xiao Qiqi spoke again, "Chen Yuanxing, you can actually go home now, right?"
"I don't know, maybe..." Chen Yuanxing hesitated for a moment, "I've gotten used to it too."
"What have you gotten used to?"
"I can smell your scent at night." Chen Yuanxing put down his hand, sat up sideways, and leaned over to look at Xiao Qiqi. "Xiao Qiqi, I've gotten used to your presence, so... it's addictive."
Xiao Qiqi closed her eyes and remained silent for a long time, "...Chen Yuanxing, I am not worthy."
"Don't talk like that, sister." Chen Yuanxing suddenly rested his head against Xiao Qiqi's neck. "It hurts me to hear that."
Xiao Qiqi felt his warm breath lingering on her neck, the tingling sensation making her afraid to move. She listened to his deep voice continuing to whisper, "Qiqi, don't be afraid, okay?"
Okay? Xiao Qiqi didn't know what fear was.
"You should leave tomorrow."
“No.” He refused decisively. “...I still need to teach you how to read blueprints tomorrow.”
"I've almost got it. If I don't understand something, I can ask my colleagues. You... should go do your own thing now."
"Yes, I'm working. I'm helping Lao Zhou develop games and maintain websites, really." Chen Yuanxing still rested his head on Xiao Qiqi's neck, his voice low and slow, just like every night when he would tell Xiao Qiqi about those cheesy plots he hated, even with a deliberate seduction.
Xiao Qiqi was very nervous and dared not move at all. For the first time, she felt the pressure brought by this warm male body. "...No, you know what I mean."
"I don't know, and I don't want to know your childish and ridiculous ideas." Chen Yuanxing slowly placed his hand on Xiao Qiqi's waist. "Sister, I'm sleepy."
"Let go." Xiao Qiqi tried to pry his hands off, but they only clung to her slender waist like an octopus. "Don't move, be good." Xiao Qiqi's heart raced. He... was speaking to her in such a tone? In her panic and anger, she heard the even breathing of the person behind her. He really had fallen asleep.
25. Negotiation
Xiao Qiqi angrily tore up the useless blueprints, sat down in a chair, panting. Work and life were both going so badly. She felt a little embarrassed when she woke up that morning, while Chen Yuanxing acted as if nothing had happened, wearing his workout clothes to go for a run, and came back with soy milk and steamed buns, cheerfully inviting her to eat.
Just then, Xiao Qiqi received a call from Jiang Yilan. "Qiqi, tomorrow is Saturday, Lao Zhao and I are coming to your house as guests."
"Visiting?" Xiao Qiqi was a little flustered. She had already rejected Jiang Yilan several times in the month that Chen Yuanxing had been here. If Jiang Yilan, with her big mouth, met Chen Yuanxing, who knew what she would do? Maybe her mother would call immediately. "Oh dear, I have to work overtime tomorrow." Xiao Qiqi used the same excuse, pretending to be innocent.
"You're working overtime again?" Jiang Yilan was clearly dissatisfied. "Why is your job so tiring? How can you keep working overtime? I called your aunt today, and she asked about you. She was worried that you were working too hard and asked me to check on you more often."
"Oh, Lanzi, you can only tell me this. Don't mention to my mom that I'm always working overtime." Xiao Qiqi quickly told Jiang Yilan. If her parents knew how hard she was working outside, they would definitely feel sorry for her.
"I know, you don't even understand such a small thing?" Jiang Yilan laughed exaggeratedly. "By the way, can you read blueprints? I was going to come over tomorrow and teach you."
"I know, I know," Xiao Qiqi quickly replied. "I can learn by asking my colleagues more questions. You don't need to teach me on purpose."
After chatting with Jiang Yilan for a few more minutes, Xiao Qiqi hung up the phone and breathed a sigh of relief. She absolutely couldn't let Jiang Yilan know that Chen Yuanxing was staying at her place, otherwise she would be in deep trouble no matter what.
After get off work, Xiao Qiqi arranged the foreman's tasks for the evening, quickly packed her things, and went home. It seemed she had to get Chen Yuanxing out; otherwise, things were too dangerous. Even if it meant a public falling out, it was better than this ambiguous situation.
Xiao Qiqi, preoccupied with her own thoughts, pushed open the door with the heart of a warrior, determined to have a long talk with Chen Yuanxing. However, the scene before her left her dumbfounded, and she instantly forgot what she was supposed to do. "You...you guys, basket, Lao Zhao?"
When Jiang Yilan saw her come in, she jumped up, her super short denim skirt revealing a large section of her smooth thighs. She winked at her and said in a drawn-out tone, "Oh, isn't this our beautiful Xiao? Why aren't you working overtime? You're back so early?"
Chen Yuanxing put down the teapot he was brewing and ran over, smiling as he said, "Qiqi, you're back! I've brewed some tea, the color is just right, come and have a cup to cool off."
Xiao Qiqi was immediately speechless with anger, pointing at Jiang Yilan, "Why did you all come here?"
Jiang Yilan glanced at Chen Yuanxing, pulled Xiao Qiqi into the room, mysteriously closed the door, and crossed her arms, grinning mischievously at Xiao Qiqi: "Why am I here? If I hadn't come, I wouldn't have known that the beautiful Xiao Qiqi was hiding such a stunningly handsome man. I was wondering why you'd been hesitant and making excuses about being busy every time I called you this past month." Jiang Yilan shook her head, pointing to Chen Yuanxing's T-shirt scattered on the bed, "Tsk tsk, Xiao Qiqi, I really didn't expect you to be so reserved. You're usually so sly, but suddenly you pulled this move. What, am I still your friend of over ten years? You kept this kind of thing from me?"
Xiao Qiqi smiled wryly, "Jiang Yilan, it's really, really not what you think."
"What else can I think?" Jiang Yilan said somewhat resentfully. "Hey, you really don't consider me a friend anymore. If I hadn't been thinking that you would be working overtime again tomorrow, I would have checked on you after get off work today to see if you were back, and I would still be in the dark."
"I'm not hiding it from you." Xiao Qiqi sighed, realizing that explaining it to Jiang Yilan at this point would only make things worse. "I'll explain later."
"Hmph, I'm not listening." Jiang Yilan was still angry about Xiao Qiqi's concealment. "The handsome guy has already admitted it, what are you afraid to admit? Still trying to explain!"
Just then, Chen Yuanxing pushed open the door and poked his head in, smiling as he said, "Qiqi, I've prepared the dishes. Do you want to cook?"
Xiao Qiqi was already annoyed, so she grabbed a cushion from the sofa and threw it at him. It was all his fault. It seemed that he played a significant role in this misunderstanding. Chen Yuanxing chuckled and hugged the cushion to his chest. "Hehe, Yilan, Qiqi is just like that. Don't laugh at me."
Xiao Qiqi was furious, but Chen Yuanxing quickly grabbed the cushion, closed the door, and ran away.
Jiang Yilan giggled and shook Xiao Qiqi's arm. "To be honest, Qiqi, where did you hook up with this handsome guy? Not only is he good-looking, but he also has such a good temper. Ugh, when our Lao Zhao sits next to him, he looks like an ugly duckling. Sigh, why am I so unlucky?"
After being disturbed like this, Xiao Qiqi knew that she couldn't explain herself no matter how hard she tried, so she could only open the door and say sullenly, "I'm going to cook. If you want to nag, go find your husband, Lao Zhao."
Upon entering the living room, she saw Chen Yuanxing and Zhao Xi chatting happily, discussing a game with great enthusiasm. Their handsome faces were even more bright and clear with excitement. When Xiao Qiqi looked at him, he quickly offered an even more alluring smile. Xiao Qiqi couldn't help but glare at him before going to the kitchen to prepare dinner.
Jiang Yilan followed in, winking and saying, "Qiqi, you two are so close now? You said you weren't, but you dare to exchange glances in front of us."
Xiao Qiqi groaned, "Big sister, I was just glaring at him, okay? When did it become flirting?"
Jiang Yilan looked up with longing and sighed, "Sigh, why am I not lucky enough to meet such a handsome and considerate man?"
"Where is the thoughtfulness?" Xiao Qiqi poured water again to wash the vegetables. "You can't even wash the vegetables properly."
"Alright, stop being picky. He's a grown man who goes to the market to buy groceries for you every day and even comes back to wash them for you. That's already pretty good."
"Old Zhao cooks for you every day, so why don't you ever praise him?"
"He's just being a nag, he's useless." When a woman is finding fault, she's always right.
"Oh my, according to you, Chen Yuanxing is even more useless, isn't he?" Xiao Qiqi was unknowingly led astray by Jiang Yilan without realizing it. "He stays at home all day playing games or watching TV."
"Tch, stop talking nonsense. They're just too lazy to move, but when they get moving, they're way better than any of us. Tell me, who explains your blueprints to you every day?"
Xiao Qiqi was breathless. "He's such a chatterbox. Why would he say something like that?"
"It wasn't someone else who said it, it was me who asked. We came in and saw him drawing construction drawings, so we asked." Jiang Yilan recalled Chen Yuanxing's nonchalant expression just now, as if it were his duty to do things for Xiao Qiqi, and she was completely smitten. "What a wonderful man."
"You're already smitten after just one meeting?" Xiao Qiqi nudged Jiang Yilan, who was infatuated. "If you like him, you can have him."
"I can't afford that," Jiang Yilan sighed, utterly frustrated. "I'd rather hang out with my old Zhao."
After dinner, Xiao Qiqi couldn't stand Jiang Yilan's chatter and teasing any longer, so she urged them to leave. Jiang Yilan wanted to pull Xiao Qiqi aside and interrogate her about her relationship with Chen Yuanxing, but the sensible Lao Zhao pulled her away. When only Xiao Qiqi and Chen Yuanxing were left in the room, Chen Yuanxing sneaked into the bedroom, saying, "I'll continue drawing."
"No need." Xiao Qiqi followed him inside and closed the door. "Let's talk."
"I won't talk about it, I won't speak, I won't listen." Chen Yuanxing decisively put on his headphones and stared intently at the computer screen.
Seeing his childish behavior, Xiao Qiqi couldn't help but smile, walked over, and pulled off his headphones. "Why do you always act like a little kid?"
"Hehe, Qiqi, if you're not angry and don't kick me out, anything is fine. Whether it's a child or a man, all I want is... as long as I can see you every day." After taking the first step, Chen Yuanxing felt it wasn't so difficult anymore. It turned out that liking someone wasn't that hard, nor was it that hard to express it.
Xiao Qiqi sat down on the sofa, looked into Chen Yuanxing's eyes, and said very seriously, "Chen Yuanxing, how long have we known each other?"
“A year, huh?” Chen Yuanxing put his hands on his lap, a roguish smile playing on his lips. “Xiao Qiqi, you think you can get rid of me? No way.” He winked slyly. “Didn’t you hear your phone ringing?”
Xiao Qiqi reluctantly reached for her phone, only to see it was a call from home. A bad feeling immediately washed over her. In her haste to get Jiang Yilan out, she had forgotten to tell her to shut her mouth. Xiao Qiqi gave Chen Yuanxing a cryptic glare before going to the balcony to answer the call. Sitting cross-legged on the marble balcony, Xiao Qiqi struggled to answer her mother's vague questions, but her mother's last words made it impossible for her to pretend otherwise: "Qiqi, it's not that I'm nagging, but as a girl, since you're already... living with someone, next time you come back, bring them to see us." Xiao Qiqi choked with anger, almost unable to breathe, stammering as she answered her mother before slamming down the phone and rushing to Chen Yuanxing.
Seeing her unfriendly expression, Chen Yuanxing jumped back in fright, saying, "I'll go open the door, someone's here."
Xiao Qiqi had no choice but to call Jiang Yilan, that big mouth.
It was Zhang Xiaoyi who was unlocking the door. Chen Yuanxing looked at Zhang Xiaoyi with a smile and said, "Xiaoyi, you're back." But his eyes secretly glanced at Xiao Qiqi, who was on the phone with Jiang Yilan.
Zhang Xiaoyi is now very familiar with Chen Yuanxing, but she is busy with work and often comes home late. She is also a fan of Korean dramas, and she can talk endlessly about soap operas with Chen Yuanxing.