Cheng Qiaobei felt that what seed like a stressful eting dinner ended in laughter and amicability between the two won.
Even at the end, Ding Yuan seed reluctant to part, pulling Chen Ningxi in for exchanging WeChat and insisting she visit often.
After bidding farewell to Ding Yuan, Cheng Qiaobei drove back to the hotel. The two planned to rest for a night before returning to Danjiang the next day.
The hotel corridor was quiet at night, with only the shadows of the two of them.
Chen Ningxi swiped her key card to open the door, sensing that the person behind her hadn’t moved. She turned back to see Cheng Qiaobei standing there.
Was he planning to sleep in the sa room as her?
If he dared to try, she’d slap him.
Both spoke almost simultaneously.
Chen Ningxi, "You..."
Cheng Qiaobei, "Thank you."
"Ah..." Chen Ningxi awkwardly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "Auntie is actually pretty nice. You should talk to her more and show her more care in the future."
The two of them talked more tonight than he had in years.
Cheng Qiaobei reflected on himself, saying, "Okay, I’ll work on it."
The atmosphere suddenly beca serious. Chen Ningxi said, "I’m not criticizing you, nor do I bla you. I talk to my dad for barely a few sentences before we start arguing, I honestly don’t know why."
To comfort him, she even revealed a side of herself she preferred kept hidden. Cheng Qiaobei pinched her cheek, his brow softening into a gentle smile. He gazed at her for a long mont and said, "I want to kiss you."
Chen Ningxi: "..."
He was tall, his slender fingers cool at the tips, gently resting on her cheek. She felt a shadow fall over her, and the next second, she closed her eyes, stood on tiptoe, and tilted her chin slightly, her heartbeat rapidly accelerating.
Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump...
A rustling sound filled the air, shallow breaths brushed against her cheek, but the anticipated touch on her lips did not arrive. Instead, a tender kiss landed on her brow.
"!" Chen Ningxi opened her eyes in confusion, her gaze serene, as calm as the moonlit night.
Cheng Qiaobei rubbed her lip with his thumb, saying in a low voice, "Here... next ti, okay?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he watched Chen Ningxi escape back into her room and close the door, a pleased hum escaping his nose.
"Heh..."
Chen Ningxi leaned against the door, her breathing rapid and her face burning hot. She pressed the back of her hand to her face and then went to the bathroom to look in the mirror. Her face was as red as a baboon’s backside.
He definitely did that on purpose, making her misinterpret the situation, trying to embarrass her deliberately.
"Cheng! Qiaobei!" Chen Ningxi gritted her teeth in anger and stomped her foot, "I’m so mad!"
Cheng Qiaobei returned to his room and saw a ssage from Ding Yuan.
Ti Fades, "Call when Ning Xi isn’t around."
Cheng Qiaobei had a rough idea of what it might be about.
He hung his jacket on the rack, sat on the edge of the bed, dialed Ding Yuan’s number, and waited for it to almost go to voicemail before she’d usually answer. But today, she answered instantly.
Despite their brief spell of peace, Cheng Qiaobei hadn’t forgotten the past, and he asked, "What’s up?"
Hearing his voice still cold as before, Ding Yuan seed accustod to it, leaning against the couch where she’d placed the gift Chen Ningxi had given her.
"Does Ning Xi know about your dad and ? She doesn’t look at you differently, does she?"
Cheng Qiaobei replied, "No."
"Hmm..." Ding Yuan exhaled deeply, "How about her family? Do they know about our family... situation?"
Cheng Qiaobei said, "They know."
"You said it? Are you out of your mind?" Ding Yuan complained to Cheng Qiaobei, "If you tell them everything, would they still let Ning Xi be with you?"
"Bla ?" Cheng Qiaobei retorted, "Wasn’t this situation caused by you? If you’d considered your children’s feelings, you wouldn’t have ended up this way."
"Cheng Qiaobei, I am your mother!" Ding Yuan’s anger flared, her hand trembling as she clutched the phone. She pressed down her fury and said, "Qiaobei, so things aren’t as simple as you think, black and white. Grown-up matters aren’t your concern,"
She felt a pain in her heart, clutching her chest. "You be good to Ning Xi, even if it ans preparing a bigger bride price for her. Her parents must like you. Don’t put on such a grim face; they don’t owe you anything. With such a good daughter, they aren’t worried about her finding a suitor.
Visit them often, lend a helping hand now and then, make sure they rember you fondly.
Are you using protection with her?"
"!" Cheng Qiaobei hadn’t expected that question at all.
He rested his hand on his forehead, sighing, "Ugh..."
"Why are you sighing?" Ding Yuan asked, "Are you or aren’t you?"
Cheng Qiaobei licked his dry lips, "Stop asking."
"If not, then don’t use protection anymore. If it cos to a point of no return, whether they are willing or not isn’t the issue, we would be happy." Ding Yuan knew such words were unreasonable, "I’m not giving you bad advice; it’s just that she’s such a wonderful girl. If you miss out, there won’t be another. As for those previous two, do I need to say more? Even if your mom has a peculiar temper, I’m a good judge of character, except for your dad.
Let’s not talk about him, it annoys .
We wouldn’t shortchange Ning Xi, whatever other daughters-in-law have, we will too, and even double."
"Mom, mom, stop, you’re thinking way too far ahead, we just started dating." Cheng Qiaobei was getting agitated.
Hearing that, Ding Yuan understood.
"Son, you haven’t even won her over yet?"
Cheng Qiaobei: "..."
He bit his lower lip, frowned, and held the phone to his ear, "Do you have anything else?"
Just one step away from hanging up directly.
Ding Yuan chuckled, teasing, "Heh heh... Turns out you’re doing a solo act? Wow, you’re much worse off than your dad was back then. He only took a week to win over. Over the years, he’s taught you all his business tricks, except how he got , ha ha ha... oh wow... ha ha ha..."
Cheng Qiaobei found it particularly grating and hung up the call instantly.
Ding Yuan heard the busy tone, "Tch, soone’s angry."
She sent Cheng Qiaobei a WeChat ssage.
Ti Fades, "Good won don’t mind persistent guys. My son is so handso, there’s no woman not craving you. Be proactive."
Ti Fades, "Good luck, son."
Cheng Qiaobei clenched his phone, gritting his teeth, "Great, really great, absolutely fantastic, where else in the world does a mom teach her son to chase won?"
He tossed the phone aside, angrily heading for the shower.
Standing in the steamy shower stall, the warm water cascaded from overhead, reflecting the bare outline of a man on the glass door. Water flowed down his solid back and over his curves. In his mind, the image of just having kissed her appeared.
She had her eyes closed, her long lashes casting a soft shadow under her eyes. Her lips were moist, and if he wanted, he could have captured that tender blossom. But he knew Chen Ningxi wasn’t ready, he couldn’t do that, he had to let her willingly give herself to him.
Wiping away the water on his face, he looked down through the veil of water, "Damn..." he cursed, turning the valve to cold water.
So won are flowers, so are moons. So are like water, so like poison.
His was the wind.
Unseen, untouchable.
Making you love but unable to have, leaving you yearning endlessly.
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