Chi Cheng vehemently denied it, saying nonchalantly, "It was just a coincidence."
Shi Ling recalled the time a few days ago when her key broke. She had just returned home when Chi Cheng came back from outside, pretending not to care at all that her lock was broken.
He wasn't dressed like he was going out to play that day, and he didn't bring his sports bag.
There weren't many internet cafes to go to in a place like England, and she was so preoccupied with the key issue that she didn't even think about why he was coming back so late.
And it was completely unexpected that he, who seemed indifferent to her, would actually do something like secretly escorting her.
Shi Ling couldn't help but find it amusing. She curled her lips into a smile and said, "If you don't admit it, I'm leaving."
Chi Cheng replied nonchalantly, "Whatever."
Shi Ling leaned forward; he wasn't standing straight, so she was almost at eye level with him.
She leaned close to his ear and said in a suggestive tone, "You'll regret this."
The smell of smoke mixed with a familiar, long-unseen fragrance stimulated Chi Cheng's brain.
After Shi Ling finished speaking, she waited a few seconds before stepping back.
My wrist was grabbed.
She had no intention of leaving in the first place, but Chi Cheng gently nudged her back into his arms.
His eyes still held anger and unease as he looked at her.
Chi Cheng, who is usually so concerned about his reputation, has really been humiliated by her today.
In the past, he would have been awkward and unwilling to back down for a long time.
This time, after being ignored by Shi Ling for several months, it was the first time he had seen her show any sign of reconciliation, so he accepted the embarrassment.
However, Chi Cheng was annoyed, so he just hooked her wrist and didn't do anything else.
His voice was a little hoarse, "Does it have to be like this to be satisfied?"
The fact that Chi Cheng could say such a thing already implies an admission.
Shi Ling asked him, "How did you know when I was leaving?"
She had been in the library for so many days, but she hadn't seen him anywhere in the vicinity.
After a long pause, Chi Cheng spoke up, "The coffee shop on the second floor."
Shi Ling understood; she always studied on the first floor, and the second-floor coffee shop did indeed offer a panoramic view of the area on the first floor.
However, the two had even deleted each other on WeChat, and he relied on glancing at her every now and then to see when she would leave the museum. Shi Ling couldn't help but curl her lips into a smile when she thought about it.
She suppressed a laugh in her voice, "Are you worried I'll run into that exhibitionist?"
Chi Cheng squinted and exhaled a smoke ring.
The tone was unfriendly: "You knew you'd be going home so late?"
Clearly, Chi Cheng had been cooped up in the library for over a week with her and was feeling quite stifled.
Shi Ling said something conciliatory, "Weren't you the one who came along?"
Chi Cheng still gave a disgruntled, almost mocking laugh.
Shi Ling knew he was still too proud to admit it, so she didn't take his attitude to heart.
Shi Ling recalled the day Chi Cheng misunderstood her and Xu Yiting. She wasn't sure how much Fang Ze had explained to Chi Cheng, or if she had spoken up herself.
“Chi Cheng, we got caught in the rain that day. I was making ginger soup in the kitchen while he was taking a shower.”
Chi Cheng could not help but ask Fang Ze for clarification, but he was truly heartbroken and too embarrassed to admit it, since he had said he would not bother her again.
Chi Cheng scoffed, "That pretty boy?"
Shi Ling didn't expose who was more like a gigolo, him or Xu Yiting.
They both opened the window and spoke, with Shi Ling not hiding anything, "He was my high school classmate, and we have nothing between us."
Chi Cheng's expression tightened, and he was unwilling to talk about it. "I know."
It's unclear whether they learned it from Shi Ling's explanation or from Fang Ze beforehand.
Shi Ling remembered and questioned him, "You know you didn't even look at me that day in the subway station."
Chi Cheng let out another sneer.
He held a cigarette in one hand and gripped Shi Ling's wrist with the other.
He loosened Shi Ling's wrist and raised his hand.
Roll up your sleeves and hold them in front of her.
There was nothing on her wrist.
Shi Ling was a little confused about what she was supposed to see.
Chi Cheng ruffled her hair this time, "I haven't even talked to you yet? My new Monica Vinader just got squeezed out."
Shi Ling then realized he was referring to the bracelet, the one she had seen him wearing a few days ago.
Shi Ling looked up at him, somewhat surprised, "You're the one who pulled me?"
Chi Cheng got angry when he saw her heartless look.
"Who else could it be but me?"
Shi Ling responded with an "oh".
Chi Cheng didn't say anything more. After finishing one cigarette, he put another one in his mouth and lit it with one hand using a lighter.
In the dim light, the glow of the lighter made his features appear even more refined, giving him a sharp and handsome look.
The stubble on his chin, having grown all day by night, was clearly visible.
Chi Cheng was still a little uncomfortable. Even though she took the initiative to stay and they talked about a few things, he was still not in the mood to coax her in a low voice or do anything affectionate.
The cigarette he was holding was already lit.
Chi Cheng remained leaning against the streetlight, looking languidly as he met her gaze.
"Honey, what are you thinking now?"
Chi Cheng's demeanor was just like his hunter self in the past—confident yet lazy, just waiting for his prey to come to him.
He had long since lost the awkwardness he felt earlier, frantically searching for the alarm and being caught caring for her by Shi Ling.
In fact, since Chi Cheng arrived in England, he has almost always been outmaneuvered by Shi Ling.
The more he looked at Shi Ling, the more she disliked his attitude.
This time, perhaps because Shi Ling's attitude softened, he didn't lose his composure as he had the previous times, and regained some of his former calm and unhurried demeanor.
Even with such a perfect opportunity on a dark, deserted path, he was unwilling to use his hormones to conquer her.
He drew out his question, "Hmm?"
He lowered his head to smoke, waiting casually for Shi Ling's reply.
Chapter 37 The Postman
You are a thousand piles of snow, I am a long street.
They fear that once the sun rises, they will fall apart.
----"postman"
Upon hearing this, Shi Ling turned her head to look at him. The streetlights along the way were dimming intermittently, and even under the dark streetlights, the outline of his profile was still clearly defined, with a straight nose and delicate eyebrows and eyes.
Shi Ling had always known that Chi Cheng's handsome features were not only due to his flamboyant style and temperament, but also because he attracted a constant stream of beautiful women around him.
On this dimly lit path, Chi Cheng held a cigarette between his fingers, half-smoking it and resting it on his chin. The dim red glow of the cigarette tip illuminated his features, making him even more charming, giving him the illusion of a handsome Hong Kong man from the last century.
However, when she spoke, she still said, "I haven't decided yet."
That's the truth. She was really surprised to find Chi Cheng secretly escorting her tonight.
She originally thought that Chi Cheng had been provoked by her, and that he had been treating her coldly for some time now.
He was caught red-handed, and not only he was embarrassed, but Shi Ling was as well.
Shi Ling is actually most unable to accept unspoken kindness from others.
When Song Licheng was pursuing her, Yi Yi described it as "boiling a frog in lukewarm water."
For some reason, the way Chi Cheng does these kinds of things gives people a sense of condescension.
Chi Cheng didn't react to her words.
Perhaps it was expected, or perhaps he genuinely wasn't in the mood for anything romantic today.
When the cigarette in Shi Ling's hand had burned out.
Chi Cheng watched her extinguish her cigarette, and the two remained silent for a long time.
It seems that once the talks broke down, there was nothing more to say.
At this time of year, it's actually quite chilly at night.
Especially on such a narrow path, nestled at the foot of a small hill, with grass and trees on both sides, the dampness accumulated throughout the day is further amplified by a thin mist at night, making it even colder.
They were initially startled and anxious by the alarm, but now that they've calmed down and been waiting for a while, they feel a chill in the air.
Chi Cheng's tone betrayed a hint of displeasure, "Aren't you going back yet?"
He no longer had the patience to ask her questions slowly and deliberately. Shi Ling knew that he was in a bad mood tonight, and was also upset about losing face. For Chi Cheng, there was never a time when he would lower himself to look back.
It means she should go back first.
Shi Ling took two steps, and her footsteps were particularly clear on the rough, uneven path.
The voice stopped abruptly. She turned around, a smirk playing on her lips, and asked him, "Aren't you afraid I'll actually encounter an exhibitionist?"
Chi Cheng didn't care. He casually threw the cigarette butt in his hand on the ground and crushed it.
"With that alarm you just made, I couldn't even get up. What are you worried about? What could an exhibitionist do to you?"
Shi Ling understood the lewd meaning in his words and glanced at his lower body.