“What are you doing? Murder?”
“How could I possibly murder my own husband? You’re the one who told me to lie down—I was just doing as you said.”
Qin Sheng put on an innocent little expression.
Shen Xiyan quickly glanced out the window, held his plate, and dragged Qin Sheng to sit with him in the corner, demanding an explanation: “Then what were you doing spreading your legs just now?”
“My nose got itchy when you brushed against it, it was just a reflex… Besides, they say before guys do it, they always claim ‘just a little rubbing will do,’ but after, they can’t wait to shove even walnuts in. I was checking if you’re a little pervert.”
Shen Xiyan rolled up his sleeves: “… So, what’s your conclusion?”
Qin Sheng’s expression had been entertaining enough, but when she saw Shen Xiyan roll up his sleeves, her expression grew even more dramatic.
This is the end!
She shrank her head back.
Her gaze locked firmly on Shen Xiyan’s hands, like a cat eyeing a teaser wand. But where a cat’s gaze would be full of curiosity and longing, Qin Sheng’s was wary and cautious.
“Not bad, I heard guys with big noses are really, you know, strong. I’ve got high hopes for you~~”
Realizing Shen Xiyan was only scaring her, Qin Sheng’s bravado swelled, and her gaze swept over Shen Xiyan’s lower body, her cheeks flushing even redder.
Time to be a crotch-watching cat.
“Get lost! Why are they here?”
“You’re asking me?”
“Lin Ci brought Wenwen to buy a birthday present today, they should be at the mall—that’s miles from here. Why’d they suddenly show up? Did you call them?”
Shen Xiyan guessed boldly, feeling this was just like Qin Sheng’s style.
What fun is being sweet by yourself? Show off that affection!
Look at the breakfast shop—it’s way better to show off for outsiders than just for your own people.
“Why would I call them? To be third wheels? Stop suspecting me for no reason, will you?”
Shen Xiyan stared carefully at Qin Sheng.
Qin Sheng met his gaze without a hint of fear.
“Then I must have misunderstood you, sorry! Let’s go—don’t eat anymore, let’s just grab something at the cinema.”
“What for?” Qin Sheng shook off his arm. “So what if they see? Do we have anything to hide? Are you afraid Lin Ci will misunderstand?”
Shen Xiyan nodded, rolling his eyes: “Yeah, I’m afraid Lin Ci will misunderstand.”
Qin Sheng raised her foot to kick him, her voice thick with tears: “Shen Xiyan! You bastard!”
Because the space between the sofa and chair was narrow, after Shen Xiyan dodged, Qin Sheng missed and toppled backward, falling onto the sofa and bumping the back of her head painfully.
“You only know how to bully me.” Qin Sheng curled up, hugging her chest, and began a fake sobbing of “Wuwuwu.”
She had only been pretending, but seeing Shen Xiyan not come over to comfort her, she started crying for real.
Shen Xiyan quickly pulled out some tissues and handed them to her, but she refused.
With a group of people around watching, he reached out to wipe away her tears and sighed: “So, you want me to go bully someone else?”
“Dare you?!” Qin Sheng’s voice was thick with tears.
Shen Xiyan said nothing, gently wiping away her tears, moving aside the fine hair covering her cheeks.
Her stunning, beautiful face was awash with tears, her eyes moist, a touch of grievance and fragility in her expression. Sniffling, she said, “What’s going on with you and Lin Ci, anyway? Do you…do you like her?”
Shen Xiyan was silent for a while, then pulled her up from the sofa, lowering his voice: “…Let’s go.”
“Apologize!” Qin Sheng immediately glared.
Shen Xiyan didn’t take it seriously: “Why apologize for a joke? You were the one who started…”
Qin Sheng: “Not listening, not listening, turtle chanting scriptures.”
Shen Xiyan: “…”
“If you don’t apologize, I’ll…”
“You’ll never talk to me again?”
After holding back for a long time, Qin Sheng couldn’t bring herself to say “yes,” and muttered gloomily, “I’ll just keep liking you.”
Shen Xiyan let out a long sigh.
Let her be, he thought. In this world, there really aren’t many girls who would love you so stubbornly and wholeheartedly.
You can’t beat her away, can’t scold her away, she wants nothing but you.
Headache.
Sometimes he wondered—why bother?
Maybe he should just bop Qin Sheng on the head a couple of times and turn her into a pig, or lash out with the cruelest words—
“Sorry, sorry.”
Cajoling Qin Sheng was no challenge at all.
He’d gotten used to things like this a long time ago.
Qin Sheng loved those sugar-coated words, loved hearing insincere flattery, loved all kinds of tenderness—every time, her eyes would sparkle with joy.
As expected, she was now over the moon, her eyes smiling, muttering, “That’s more like it. Next time, I won’t forgive you so easily!”
Shen Xiyan: “…”
How did I let myself be led by such a silly girl for ten years?
Feels like if I wanted, I could trick her into bed a thousand times.
Well… maybe not. Qin Sheng only pretends to be dumb in front of him.
He used to think Qin Sheng was clever only because he was the dumb one. Two clever people or two foolish people can’t fall in love—it needs to be complementary.
“Hurry up!”
Shen Xiyan reached to take her hand, clearly feeling her body stiffen for a second before she relaxed and let him lead her out.
Then Shen Xiyan let go, and Qin Sheng, in turn, grabbed his pinky with hers, voice weak: “Hey, Xiyan… Are you deliberately PUA-ing me, wearing down my bottom line?”
“Get lost, you.”
The cinema was on the second floor.
Shen Xiyan looked at the densely packed posters on the wall and asked her, “What do you want to watch? Pleasant Goat or Peppa Pig?”
Qin Sheng replied matter-of-factly, “Of course a couple’s date should be for a romance film…”
Shen Xiyan acted like he didn’t hear, talking to himself: “Sci-fi movies seem good too.”
“I! Want! To! Watch! A! Romance! Film!” Qin Sheng pinched his butt in a fit of anger.
Shen Xiyan’s face showed shock, terror, and disbelief.
Qin Sheng avoided his gaze, rubbing his pinky with her thumb as she mumbled, “Who told you to pretend not to hear me?!”
“This one, then—the one about childhood sweethearts reunited after reincarnation… Seems like it’s the only romance film showing now… Let’s see how sweet other couples are—maybe you can learn something! Don’t always make me teach you.”
“You want our lives to be like in the movies?”
Shen Xiyan mercilessly poked through her fantasy: “Movies just pick the beautiful moments to show.”
“Real life has a ton of stuff that never makes it into the movies, the boring, complicated daily grind—rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, tea—it’s not all hugs and kisses… Otherwise, why do you think people talk about the seven-year itch?”
“But lots of people grow old together!”
“Even more just ‘make do’ with each other…”
“I don’t care!”
A woman’s imagination is a wondrous thing—any tiny detail can spark a daydream.
Often, it’s this quirk that makes them so charming, even if the thoughts are naive—it doesn’t diminish their allure, but makes them even more adorable.
“You’re just not romantic at all!”
“Well, sorry about that.”
“It’s fine…I am. I’ll teach you.”
“Then I’ll go get the tickets…”
Being able to sit in the cinema peacefully for two hours—Shen Xiyan couldn’t have wished for more.
Qin Sheng raised her snow-white wrist: “I’ll go buy popcorn and cola!”
Shortly after Shen Xiyan and Qin Sheng had their tickets checked, Lin Ci and Wenwen also walked in. Wenwen pointed right at the poster: “Lin Ci-jie, have you seen this movie?”
“No…”
“It’s super popular lately, I haven’t seen it either and really want to. It’s getting great reviews.”
“Feels weird for the two of us to see a romance film together.”
“It’s no big deal, totally normal. They say childhood sweethearts are extra sweet.”
“Childhood sweethearts?”
“Yeah!”
“Then, I’ll watch with you.”
Lin Ci looked rather reluctant.
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