“Not holding hands?”
“Give me a reason first. Whoever makes the claim has to prove it—that’s the simplest logic.”
Qin Sheng clenched her right fist and lightly tapped her head, then playfully stuck out her tongue.
“I already said, I’m a bit directionally challenged. If I’m not careful, I’ll get lost. What if someone kidnaps me and forces me to have their babies? So pitiful~~”
“Someone that grown could still be kidnapped?” Shen Xiyan sighed. “Why don’t you just delete your account and start over? Or I could buy a dog leash and tie you up?”
“Really?!”
Qin Sheng’s eyes suddenly lit up. She gently rubbed her legs. “You’re finally going to play with me? From little piglet to little puppy?”
What kind of vicious words are those?
Where’s your dignity, Qin Sheng? Where’s your dignity?!
Damn, miscalculated.
If he dared to buy it, he dared to wear it. Next thing you know, they’d be on the news, both their reputations ruined—one unable to marry in, the other unable to marry out.
They’d just have to “make do.”
“Xiyan~~ You say it but won’t do it. Are you scared or not? I’m not afraid of losing face, so why are you?”
“Forget it! Forget it! You’re making me look like a pervert.”
So you’re not one either?
“But there are so many people on the pedestrian street. If you don’t hold my hand, I really will get lost.”
“Shen Xiyan!”
Qin Sheng, furious, pulled out her phone and pointed at the chat log. “Translate this for me—what’s this ‘ritual of dating’? Isn’t it holding hands?”
“Insisting on being stubborn, really naughty!”
While Shen Xiyan was stunned, Qin Sheng grabbed his hand.
He tried to pull away, but she held on tightly, feeling the heat of her palm—so warm, so warm.
This warmth wasn’t from the sun or fever, it was different. It was the intense flow of blood. After every foreplay, Qin Sheng’s hands were about this temperature—so hot it made one’s pupils tremble.
“Xiyan… do you know? Holding hands is the beginning of love.”
Do ordinary boys just let girls hold their hands casually?
The slow-burn romance trick really does work!
Yes, the “day” here is a noun. Don’t overthink it.
“Let’s go on our date~~ Your first time holding a girl’s hand, what are you thinking?” Qin Sheng swayed like a child.
Shen Xiyan stared at his fingers clutched tightly and rolled his eyes. “You call this ‘holding a girl’s hand’?”
“Close enough~~ Isn’t it soft? Doesn’t it feel like a warm jade, smooth and slightly cool?”
That was true.
Except for certain times in certain places, Qin Sheng’s entire body was soft, especially these hands—seemingly boneless, small and delicate, soft and tender.
You just want to hold them in your palm and squeeze.
“I’ll teach you more first times later… my softest places—I could drown you!”
Using the word “drown” was brilliant, a masterstroke.
Very vivid imagery, you can imagine floods and muddy roads. Thank the Chinese teacher for that.
Often leading Shen Xiyan in analyzing Mr. Lu Xun’s articles, a simple line like “the weather turned gloomy again” could be interpreted in seven or eight ways—“setting a desolate mood,” “reflecting the darkness of the old society.”
You wonder if Mr. Lu Xun ever really thought so much when writing?
“Let’s go… we’re taking the bus!”
“Aren’t you supposed to be shopping?”
“They haven’t opened yet, what’s the point? I’m taking you somewhere first.” Qin Sheng shyly patted him and scolded softly, “We’ve got the whole day, don’t rush, silly!”
Shen Xiyan: “…”
Although it was the weekend, many unlucky students still had makeup classes, one by one carrying their bags with hopeless expressions, as if drained dry.
Sometimes Shen Xiyan thought: Their family must be poor, or they wouldn’t need makeup classes on weekends.
But thinking deeper, the reason they don’t need makeup classes is because their grades are okay. Otherwise, Auntie would have found money to send them.
Then again—
If those with poor grades don’t want to study, then makeup classes don’t help. Isn’t that a paradox?
“Xiyan, the more time I spend with you, the more I like you.”
“Look!”
The morning sun slanted in, the bus stop shelter couldn’t block it.
Shen Xiyan instinctively stood in front of her, turning slightly, casting a shadow that also shielded her from other people’s gazes.
These were all Shen Xiyan’s subconscious actions. If Qin Sheng hadn’t pointed it out, he might not have noticed himself.
Now that he did, it was embarrassing to keep doing it, lest he send Qin Sheng the wrong signal.
But Qin Sheng didn’t mind. She was just no longer satisfied with holding hands. She affectionately linked arms with Shen Xiyan, her delicate oval face leaning tightly against him.
If he really didn’t care, would he subconsciously shield her from the sun?
Qin Sheng never cared what Shen Xiyan said with his mouth—she only cared what his body did.
The bus arrived.
Qin Sheng grabbed his wrist to get on. There was only one seat left. Both wanted the other to sit, so neither sat, and an old man behind them snatched it.
Qin Sheng couldn’t help but complain, “I told you to sit and you wouldn’t, now there’s no seat, huh?”
“I was letting you sit. Why didn’t you sit?”
Qin Sheng argued, “I was sitting while waiting for you… you ran over here, you must be more tired than me!”
“I’m a man.”
“A guy, at best.”
“Man or guy, if you don’t sit, I’m not sitting.”
“Alright, alright, wakarimashita!”
Qin Sheng traced circles on Shen Xiyan’s chest. “Being manly right now doesn’t help ~~ Can’t you teach me a lesson in bed and make me cry?”
Shen Xiyan pretended not to understand her sarcastic jab.
Since there were many people around, he found a corner, changed position so she was in front, him behind, one hand on her shoulder, the other holding the railing, blocking the crowd.
Qin Sheng lowered her head further, shoulders shrinking, the skin on her neck connecting to her little ears flushed pink.
“Xiyan… don’t forget to crash into me when the bus brakes, you can shamelessly take advantage, I taught you last time…” Qin Sheng said, bumping her shoulder into Shen Xiyan’s chest.
Her shoulder was soft, his chest hard.
Actually, it was Shen Xiyan who felt comfortable, Qin Sheng who got hurt—but she loved it anyway.
Shen Xiyan sighed softly, “Is this all part of your plan?”
Qin Sheng blinked innocently. “What plan?”
He was facing her, his chest right in front of her eyes. She looked up, their eyes met, then she lowered her head. Shen Xiyan looked out the window.
Such mischief!
The bus started moving, the crowd pressed back, and Shen Xiyan did indeed lean against her.
The feeling of him bumping into her was soft.
Being bumped into by him felt warm.
Qin Sheng hugged Shen Xiyan’s waist, whispering with a smile, “Speaking of plans, I’ll let you in on a little secret.”
“What?”
“I actually prefer black underwear, just like what you’re wearing today.”
Shen Xiyan was dumbfounded.
Zhuge Sheng!
“Also, there’s something else I think I need to tell you.” Qin Sheng bit her red lips.
“… Go ahead.”
“I’ve been chased for several days.”
Shen Xiyan frowned, voice serious. “… And?”
“By someone in the neighborhood. Every time I go out, they block me.”
“You didn’t tell them to scram?”
“I did. I even said I have a boyfriend. But they just buzzed around my ears like they didn’t understand, stubbornly trying to give me several bags.”
“Is that person mentally ill?”
“I don’t know. The bags are red and tiny. I didn’t want them, but they forced them on me. I had no choice but to accept.”
“You accepted?!!”
Shen Xiyan didn’t know how to describe his feelings.
Qin Sheng usually only had one word for people hitting on her: scram.
Not only would she not accept gifts, she wouldn’t even say a word.
But this time she actually accepted bags from that person?
What a joke. Qin Sheng wouldn’t even spare face for her own parents. If she didn’t want it, who could force her?
What was Qin Sheng’s meaning?
“Um… It even kissed me.”
“?!”
“I have pictures of it. Want to see?”
Shen Xiyan’s face darkened, not saying anything, which was tacit approval.
Qin Sheng carefully took out her phone. “Take a look… it’s right in the album.”
“Password!”
“Your birthday.”
Shen Xiyan unlocked it, opened the album, and saw a mosquito corpse.
On her snow-white skin was a blotch of blood red.
Qin Sheng turned sideways just in time to show him the little red bumps on her face, arms, and legs.
Shen Xiyan was stunned, then thought about what Qin Sheng said just now—it all somehow made perfect sense.
“Qin Sheng! You’re damn asking for it, aren’t you?”
“I really got several bumps from it…” Qin Sheng looked wronged, covering her eyes, pretending to cry.
“And from the start, I said ‘it’ as in ‘the thing with a roof radical.’ You just misheard! How can you blame me? Wuwuwu~~”
“Believe it or not, I’ll hit your head full of bumps.”
“I was just being honest. Why are you mad at me?”
“Still stubborn, huh? I’ll teach you stubbornness!”
“Ah ah ah!!”
Just then, the bus stopped. Qin Sheng giggled and jumped off.
But Shen Xiyan wasn’t about to let her off so easily.
He chased after her, his four fingers like a demon, scratching at her waist back and forth. Qin Sheng laughed, wriggling in his arms, but just couldn’t escape his grip.
“Xiyan! I… I was wrong!”
Qin Sheng screamed, her body twisting like a slippery eel, her chest trembling wildly.
Shen Xiyan ignored her protests and kept scratching.
She couldn’t hit him back. This was truly crazy!
“Xiyan… I’m sorry… hahaha… I really am… Xiyan… I don’t dare anymore… don’t hurt me, hubby! Daddy~ Daddy… no!”
Qin Sheng laughed breathlessly, her words growing more exaggerated.
When she finally admitted defeat, Shen Xiyan finally let go.
Qin Sheng wanted to hit him, but she was drained, her body soft and limp, breathing uneven, chest rising and falling rapidly.
Her cheeks flushed, hair messy, lips pouted, big eyes wetly staring at him with a pitiful look.
“You bully me… now I’m not pure anymore.”
“Don’t pretend! Where do you want to go?”
“Other couples have the boyfriends decide.”
“Then go find someone else’s boyfriend. If there’s nothing, I’m going home.”
“Hey! Hey hey!” Qin Sheng was ecstatic, clapping and jumping. “You finally admitted it’s a date, right?”
… You need me to decide.
“Let’s go! Accompany me for breakfast.”
“… I’ve already eaten.”
Qin Sheng rolled her eyes. “Isn’t that perfect?!”