"Okay, you said it yourself, give it a try, no take-backs."
He Xiu's tone was filled with barely suppressed joy, which Da Zhuang naturally noticed. He couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth as well, but he still couldn't hold back his words.
"That's not necessarily true. If you treat me badly, or if we have any unpleasant experiences in our relationship, or if we feel that we are not suitable for each other, we will still have to break up."
"No, that day will never come," He Xiu said firmly, then grasped Da Zhuang's hand.
"Believe me, we had a very pleasant time together."
Chapter 432 A Gentle Smile
Da Zhuang felt very uncomfortable when his hand was suddenly grasped. He subconsciously wanted to pull his hand back, but thinking about his current relationship with He Xiu, he could only endure it. His face was burning hot, and he suddenly didn't know what to do. He could only sit there dumbly.
Not to mention Dazhuang, even He Xiu seemed to be at a loss for words, and the two of them just sat there in silence.
After a while, the two realized that the atmosphere was strange and both wanted to speak, but they both spoke at the same time.
"you……"
"you……"
The two were taken aback, paused for a moment, and then said something else.
"You go first."
"You go first."
Dazhuang: "..."
Well, he suddenly realized that he wasn't the only one who was nervous; He Xiu's inner self was definitely not as calm as it appeared on the surface.
Thinking about this, Da Zhuang felt less nervous and even found it somewhat amusing.
They're not eighteen or nineteen-year-old kids anymore, why are they still acting so coy?
"Let me go first," Dazhuang said. "How long do you plan to stay this time?"
“I’ll stay as long as you stay,” He Xiu said without hesitation.
Da Zhuang had finally managed to calm his face down a bit, but now, upon hearing these words, his face started burning again.
"So... have you found a place to stay? I'm going to stay here with Xia Ran for the New Year, and I've already settled in at her house. It might not be convenient for you. Besides, shouldn't you be back with your family for the New Year?"
“My family will understand me. I think the most important thing right now is for me to spend time with you. As for where we live, I’ve already made plans.”
Da Zhuang, suppressing his embarrassment, asked, "Where are you going to stay? Or should I help you take your luggage there first?"
He Xiu had clearly come prepared, as he brought a small suitcase with him.
He Xiu curled the corners of his lips. "No need, it's right next door."
"Huh? Next door?"
“Yes, didn’t Gu Zheng buy the house next door? It’s perfect for me to move in. I believe he wouldn’t refuse to help with this.”
Da Zhuang was stunned for a moment, then felt a bit amused and exasperated. He thought about how fawning Gu Zheng was over Xia Ran, and figured he probably wouldn't refuse.
"Then ask him when he comes back."
"good."
Their conversation seemed to have stalled all at once, and after a long while, they looked at each other.
Dazhuang said, "How about we go for a walk? I'm quite familiar with this place."
"Okay, let's grab something to eat while we're at it, I haven't eaten yet."
"Haven't eaten anything yet? Didn't you have breakfast or lunch?"
"I haven't eaten anything, except for a latte when I woke up this morning. I couldn't eat anything because I was thinking about coming here," He Xiu said, his expression very calm, not at all like someone who hadn't eaten for two meals.
Da Zhuang was stunned when he heard this. He remembered that He Xiu had been eating fruit earlier. At that time, he thought that He Xiu was embarrassed, which was why he kept eating. He didn't expect that it was because he hadn't eaten for two meals.
He was somewhat touched, and felt a pang of heartache.
"Why didn't you say so earlier? If you had, I would have found you something to eat first."
"I haven't even resolved things with you, how could I possibly be in the mood to eat?"
"Are you stupid? Can't we talk about this after we eat? It's not like we'll miss a little bit of time."
As he spoke, Da Zhuang pulled He Xiu up and walked towards the door. He held He Xiu's hand and no longer felt shy.
He Xiu was in a great mood. "I was short a little time because I was afraid you would change your mind and run away again. Where would I find you then? Or if I had to do it all over again, I don't know if I would still have the courage to come to your door."
"I don't want to miss you, so nothing else matters in front of you."
By this time, they had reached the door. After listening to He Xiu's words, Da Zhuang remained silent for a moment, then locked the door and took He Xiu's hand, leading him forward.
"Don't be so silly next time. You need to eat and drink well first, otherwise if you have any health problems, you won't be able to come to me. Let me tell you, if you have health problems at such a young age, I won't care whether you live or die. You'll be left to fend for yourself."
Da Zhuang deliberately spoke in a fierce tone to teach He Xiu a lesson: if someone doesn't eat for two meals, even a slightly weak person will have problems.
He Xiu, the psychologist, could not possibly be unaware that Da Zhuang's words were sarcastic, but he still felt a sweet warmth in his heart.
"Okay, I'll definitely pay attention next time."
At this point, you just need to go along with what Dazhuang says.
Da Zhuang snorted and led his men into a nearby beef noodle shop.
"Xia Ran said this beef noodle shop has been open for seven or eight years. I ate here when I first met Xia Ran in my freshman year of college and came here for summer vacation with her. The taste has always been very good. By the way, do you eat spicy food?"
"Eat, mildly spicy." He Xiu had already been pushed onto a stool by Da Zhuang when he entered, while Da Zhuang went to order food and pay.
He Xiu didn't rush to pay. For Da Zhuang now, it would be better for him to spend some money, so he would feel better. Besides, they have a long future ahead of them, and eventually his money will also be Da Zhuang's money.
Da Zhuang ordered his food and sat back down at the table, facing He Xiu.
Because it was past lunchtime, there were only the two of them and the proprietress in the shop.
As Dazhuang sat down, He Xiu's gaze remained fixed on him. A hint of unease crept onto Dazhuang's face, and he said in a low voice,
"You...you shouldn't keep looking at me like that, it's weird..."
He Xiu chuckled, knowing that Da Zhuang was just shy, but didn't expose him. He simply replied with a "okay".
Dazhuang breathed a sigh of relief, then suddenly remembered something and asked again in a low voice,
"Won't you... find the food in these shops unpalatable?"
It's no wonder Da Zhuang thought that way, because He Xiu usually gives off an elite vibe. He was just too eager to get people to eat, which is why he pulled people in directly.
After listening, He Xiu raised an eyebrow. "What do you think?"
"I...I just don't know! If I knew, I wouldn't have asked you! But if you're not used to it, just bear with it. You haven't eaten in a long time, so eat something to fill your stomach first, and I'll take you to eat somewhere else next time."
Dazhuang leaned forward and deliberately lowered his voice, after all, the boss's wife was still there, and it wouldn't be good if she heard him.
He Xiu looked at Da Zhuang with tenderness in his eyes.
"Do you think I'm like Gu Zheng? That I can't get used to this kind of food?"
"So you can eat it?"
"Of course I can eat it, I eat everything." He Xiu even wanted to say that he would eat it too, but in the end he was afraid of scaring Da Zhuang, so he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
Da Zhuang breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good."
"Do you really care that much about whether I like it or not?" He Xiu couldn't help but ask.
Da Zhuang rolled his eyes subconsciously. "Of course I asked. If I didn't care, would I even be asking?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Dazhuang regretted them, and his face turned bright red. Damn it! He'd miscalculated!
Sure enough, He Xiu couldn't help but chuckle softly again.
"Don't laugh!" Da Zhuang glared at He Xiu, embarrassed and angry.
The latter coughed lightly, suppressing his laughter to avoid making Dazhuang even angrier.
However, Dazhuang was still very uncomfortable. Fortunately, the proprietress brought over their beef noodles at that moment.
The two bowls were identical, both topped with slices of beef. Da Zhuang had specially ordered an extra portion of beef slices. The only difference between the two bowls was the spiciness. He Xiu's bowl only had a little bit of chili oil, while Da Zhuang's was covered with a thick layer of red oil, which looked very appetizing.
After thanking the proprietress, Dazhuang gave Hexiu a pair of disposable chopsticks. Hexiu reached out and took them, and their fingers accidentally touched again. They were both startled, and Dazhuang blushed again.
"Cough...eat quickly, it won't taste good if it gets cold." Da Zhuang said in a low voice.
He Xiu smiled and replied, "Okay."
Just like Dazhuang said, the beef noodles tasted really good.
"How is it? Delicious, right?" Dazhuang asked He Xiu, who nodded.
"Hmm, it tastes good."
Da Zhuang's smile deepened considerably.
While Dazhuang and Hexiu were eating noodles, Xia Ran and Gu Zheng were also strolling around with their child.
They were originally shopping with Lin Ziming and his father, but the two of them said they wanted to buy some things on their own, so Xia Ran and Gu Zheng took the children shopping instead.
In fact, Xia Ran and the others knew that Lin's father and the others just wanted Xia Ran and Gu Zheng to take the children out to foster their relationship and give them some time alone.
Xia Ran held the child's hand, and Gu Zheng walked beside him. After a while, Gu Zheng couldn't help but take Xia Ran's hand in his own.
Xia Ran glanced at Gu Zheng subconsciously, but in the end, he let Gu Zheng lead him without struggling. His acquiescence made Gu Zheng breathe a sigh of relief.
"Ran, take me to the place where we first had dessert, let's go and have it again, okay?"
Gu Zheng's gentle voice rang in her ears, and Xia Ran couldn't help but glance at him again.
Xia Ran knew exactly which shop Gu Zheng was referring to. It was the first time Gu Zheng had brought the child to see him. At that time, he and the child were waiting in the dessert shop, and Gu Zheng even went behind his back to buy him the cotton candy he had been wanting to eat for a long time.
That pink cotton candy took root and sprouted in his heart from that moment on.
Xia Ran didn't expect Gu Zheng to bring it up on his own initiative.
"If you don't want to go, then..." Gu Zheng thought Xia Ran didn't want to go, so he wanted to say that she wouldn't go.
“Okay, let’s go eat there again,” Xia Ran interrupted Gu Zheng.
Gu Zheng paused for a moment, then smiled at Xia Ran.
Xia Ran was a little dazed when she saw the smile. Was this the first time Gu Zheng had smiled at her so gently?