"Ever since I cut my hair, you haven't done anything intimate with me." Chu Yi opened her eyes, and seemed somewhat hurt.
"I clip my hair up now. It doesn't look as good as before, but the difference isn't too big."
"Just bear with it for a while, and it will grow longer in time."
"..."
Qiao Anchen was speechless for a moment. His chest felt heavy and sore, as if something was blocking it, making it hard for him to breathe.
He looked at the stubborn girl with her face tilted up in front of him, and suddenly reached out and took the hair clip off Chu Yi's head.
Her short hair cascaded down, clinging to both sides of her face. Qiao Anchen reached out and tidied her bangs, restoring Chu Yi's hair to its original state.
He leaned down, captured her lips with his, kissed them a few times, and then slowly explored further. His hands naturally supported her waist.
Qiao Anchen's kiss was deep and gentle, and Chu Yi was a little overwhelmed. Her heart was beating too fast, and an unknown emotion spread from that spot to every part of her body along with the flow of her blood.
My body felt weak and my hands and feet trembled slightly.
Finally, Qiao Anchen released her, pressed his lips to her cheek, tilted his face to look at her, his eyes were dark and bright, and had a moist scent after the tide.
"Chu Yi, no matter what your hair or appearance is, you are still you, and that won't change." He paused, looking helpless, and explained in a low voice.
"I just... feel a little guilty."
"Huh?" Chu Yi opened his eyes, completely confused.
“Too small…” Qiao Anchen hesitated for a moment before finally managing to say, “Don’t you think… you look a little too young? If we go out together, people will misunderstand us.”
"..." Chu Yi had never expected this to be the reason. This was probably the difference in thinking between men and women.
She remained silent for a while before finally managing to utter a sentence.
"Then...can you try to overcome it?"
Chu Yi tentatively looked up and asked, but Qiao Anchen pursed his lips, his face full of helplessness.
“I am overcoming it.”
After they finished communicating, the air suddenly became quiet. Chu Yi felt a little embarrassed for a moment. She lowered her head and didn't dare to look at Qiao Anchen because of her behavior.
After a few agonizing seconds, just as Chu Yi was about to say she was going to sleep, Qiao Anchen suddenly leaned down and hugged her tightly, like holding a child, placing her entirely on his lap.
The warm, humid air brushed against his face as Qiao Anchen lowered his head to kiss him, a soft sigh escaping his lips.
"Alright. Now, let me get over it properly."
49. Chapter 49
That's what they said. When it came to the final step, Chu Yi lay on her back on the bed, and Qiao Anchen stared at her for a few seconds. He sighed, raised his hand, and turned off the light.
The room went dark in an instant, and Chu Yi could only see a blurry figure. Qiao Anchen leaned down and kissed her again, followed by a muffled groan.
Their breathing changed. Chu Yi felt Qiao Anchen's fingers slip through her hair, following her short hair to her neck, then lifting her head and kissing her.
His lips and tongue craved and yearned for Chu Yi's voice, which he swallowed whole. Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, but the cool breeze from the balcony cleared his throbbing head.
In the darkness where nothing could be seen, it seemed as if I was half-asleep and half-awake.
After it was over, Chu Yi lay in his arms. Qiao Anchen turned on the light. Chu Yi had no strength, but she still smiled with her eyes closed.
"Burying one's ears while stealing a bell."
"Well, it's better than nothing." Qiao Anchen picked her up and got out of bed to go to the bathroom.
After taking a shower and wrapping himself in a towel, Qiao Anchen stood in front of the mirror and dried Chu Yi's hair.
Her legs were still a little weak, so she wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned against him dependently.
Her hair was blow-dried, smooth and fluffy, with neat, wispy bangs framing her forehead, making her eyes appear especially large. Looking at him under the light, they seemed to hold stars.
It also looks like a child.
Qiao Anchen put away the hairdryer and then ruffled her hair. "All done."
Chu Yi didn't move, but simply raised her face and rubbed her pointed chin against his collarbone, silently showing affection, the meaning of which was self-evident.
Qiao Anchen felt helpless, but still indulgently bent down and carried the person to the room.
Chu Yi nestled in his arms, her hands obediently wrapped around his neck.
"Mr. Qiao, let me ask you, how are you feeling right now?" Chu Yi couldn't understand his thought process. Even with the lights off, the two of them weren't doing much better.
Qiao Anchen didn't say anything, but simply put her on the bed, covered her with the blanket, stared at Chu Yi with only her little head sticking out, and lowered his voice helplessly.
"It's like raising a daughter."
Chu Yi couldn't help but laugh.
Actually, clipping your hair up with a hair clip looks pretty bad.
Chu Yi didn't want to wrong herself anymore, so she decided to make things difficult for Qiao Anchen.
So, Mr. Qiao had just pushed open the door after getting off work and hadn't even stood up properly when he saw Chu Yi rushing towards him, sporting a cute short haircut, standing on tiptoe and kissing him on the lips.
"Does Mr. Qiao still feel guilty today?" she asked, feigning sweetness. Qiao Anchen was both amused and exasperated. He untied his tie with one hand and pressed his other hand against her waist, giving her a good kiss.
“A little less.” His lips were a vibrant, watery red, and he raised the corner of his eye slightly, answering in a low, ambiguous voice. Chu Yi stared at the man in front of her whose demeanor had suddenly changed, and swallowed loudly.
"You...you're possessed, aren't you?" Chu Yi stared wide-eyed in disbelief. Qiao Anchen smiled and flicked her forehead with his finger.
"Be good and stop making a fuss."
After Qiao Anchen finished speaking, he let go of her, changed his shoes, and walked towards the kitchen. Chu Yi stood there watching his back, her expression slightly blank, her heart pounding.
Waaaaah, she just can't resist Qiao Anchen like this!
During the meal, Chu Yi kept secretly observing Qiao Anchen, wondering what was wrong. Qiao Anchen noticed her and immediately looked up, catching her furtive gaze.
"What are you doing?" he asked casually, picking up some food from his bowl. Chu Yi lowered his head and ate his rice, his tone guilty.
"You've changed."
"Um?"
"They've become more mature and experienced."
“Probably…” Qiao Anchen paused with his chopsticks, looked up and thought for a moment, then slowly said, “You’ve shrunk.”
"?"
"So I can only grow up."
"..."
With the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday approaching, Qiao Anchen has become busy with work, trying to finish all his tasks before the holiday. Naturally, he spent his latest weekend working overtime.
Since they rarely had time in the evening, the two of them went for a walk in the leisure square near their neighborhood and watched a group of elderly women dancing to catchy music.
The night was cool. Qiao Anchen and Chu Yi walked hand in hand along the lakeside path. Water lilies were planted in the water, but they were almost past their blooming season, with only a couple of flowers in bloom.
The pale purple petals, delicate and beautiful, trembled slightly in the night breeze.
"This flower is quite pretty," Chu Yi said casually. Qiao Anchen turned his head to look at it and nodded.
"good."
The liveliest place was the center of the square, where there were some sports and entertainment facilities. Most of the people there were elderly people and children exercising and playing. Chu Yi found an empty spot and pulled Qiao Anchen over with her.
The bright yellow horizontal railing has two swing-like footrests underneath, which move back and forth when a person steps on them and applies a little force.
Chu Yi rested his hands on the horizontal bar, swinging his legs rhythmically, and seemed to be having a lot of fun.
Qiao Anchen watched from the side and thought it was a bit childish, but he couldn't help but feel a little restless, so he stood on the footstool next to Chu Yi.
The two men moved in the same way, with their hands on the railing, looking ahead, and swinging their legs back and forth, engaging in the kind of pastime that bored citizens do.
"I loved playing this when I was little," Chu Yi said. "I would always pester my mom to take me downstairs to play, and I made a lot of friends there."
"Have you played this before?" Chu Yi suddenly turned to look at him and asked. Qiao Anchen shook his head.
"No."
"...Impossible." Chu Yi was very surprised. This kind of thing is almost a must-have in every residential building, and it's also available in most nearby public places.
"Yeah, I lived at my grandma's house when I was little. She would pick me up from school as soon as I got home." I heard Qiao Anchen mention this before. It seemed that his parents were busy at the time, so he spent most of his childhood there.
"So what do you play with every day?" Chu Yi suddenly became curious about what Qiao Anchen was like when he was a child. She could already picture a quiet little boy, reading a book every day.
"Back then, I really enjoyed playing marbles with the kids downstairs, but my grandma was worried about taking care of me alone, so she would usually lock me inside the house when she went out, leaving me to read books or watch TV by myself."
Qiao Anchen spoke calmly, showing no other emotion whatsoever. Chu Yi stared at him blankly, not knowing why, but her heart ached, and so did her nose and eyes.
She quickly lowered her head, realizing that her emotions had become extremely fragile lately.
"No wonder." Chu Yi raised his face and joked deliberately.
"You have now become a pillar of the nation, while I have become a heartbreaker who poisons the hearts of young girls."
Qiao Anchen smiled at her, his eyes gleaming with a gentle tenderness under the neon lights of the night.
Feeling that it was about time, the two prepared to go back. Their home was just around the bustling square. Qiao Anchen led Chu Yi forward, and suddenly, as they passed a spot, they saw a girl selling flowers next to the steps.
The basket in front of her contained roses, daisies, carnations, and some other unidentified flowers. Although they weren't very fresh, their variety and colors made them look quite beautiful together.
What made Qiao Anchen stop in his tracks were the few blue water lilies beside him.
The flower girl quickly noticed his gaze and immediately stood up to greet him.
“Sir, would you like to buy a flower to give to…” She glanced at Chu Yi beside her. Just then, Chu Yi replied to a text message and let go of Qiao Anchen’s hand.
The girl paused for a moment, then quickly and enthusiastically replied, "You can give it to your sister."
“Little girls love flowers, especially someone as cute as her, she must be very happy.”
Qiao Anchen: "..."
He didn't explain anything, but simply pointed to the water lilies in the corner and asked, "How much are these?"
"The original price is ten yuan, but I'll give you a discount. Three tubes will be twenty-five yuan."
"Would you sell it for twenty?" Chu Yi asked from the side. The girl didn't hesitate and immediately agreed.
"Alright, I'm almost closing up shop too, so I'll give you a discount."