Chapter 143: Good Morning
After taking a shower, Xu Qing erged feeling no trace of sleepiness. Dressed in loose pajamas, he sat on the couch and picked up the book Jiang He had been halfway through reading, How to Win Friends and Influence People.
This book by Dale Carnegie was a classic. Back in university, one of his roommates had also bought a copy, though it was barely read and mostly served as a makeshift lid for instant noodle bowls. Xu Qing himself had never read it. The title alone had led him to dismiss it as another one of those flashy self-help books with titles like Three Phrases Every Man Should Know or Don’t Lose as a Woman Because of Low Emotional Intelligence. If Jiang He hadn’t purchased it, Xu Qing probably would never have reconsidered his judgnt.
Relationships between people are subtle and complex. A glance, a word—these could all ripple out and impact those around you. The book offered insights into self-awareness and self-improvent, showing readers how to understand themselves and how to better coexist with others. Skimming through its pages, Xu Qing was surprised to find it quite insightful. While it didn’t seem particularly useful to him, he thought it could be highly beneficial for Jiang He if she could delve into it.
Self-awareness, as the book suggested, involved recognizing that one is not particularly special, rely one of the multitudes. Nothing revolves solely around an individual; everything has its cause and effect. Pursuing one’s goals in a proper way was essential.
Understanding others, on the other hand, ant realizing that nobody else is particularly special either. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, and individual differences abound. There was no need to insist on everyone sharing one’s perspective, even when others were obviously wrong.
Good or bad, selfish or wise, foolish or intelligent—if it didn’t significantly concern oneself, there was no need to correct others. Good people had their reasons; so did bad ones. Understanding these reasons allowed for a broader perspective. Maybe Jiang He could beco a sharp and insightful heroine by adopting this mindset.
Xu Qing put the book back in its place, thought for a mont, then retrieved an old bookmark from his room and placed it inside. He didn’t want Jiang He to keep folding page corners or leaving it ssily on the table.
The light under Jiang He’s door was still on; she hadn’t gone to bed yet. Xu Qing tidied up the cups on the table to prevent Winter lon, the cat, from knocking them over during the night. After checking everything again, he switched off the living room light and returned to his bed.
The long night stretched on, but sleep was elusive.
Xu Qing’s mind wandered, conjuring up blank flashes of white. He hadn’t seen anything, yet vivid images seed to erge from nowhere. The human brain was a strange thing. Frustrated, he shut his eyes and forced himself to sleep.
anwhile, in the storeroom, Jiang He had not yet lain down. She was holding a long pair of socks, studying them intently.
Xu Qing had bought these socks months ago while helping her pick out shoes, but she had left them untouched in her room. The shoe boxes, containing a pair of white sneakers and black flats with modest heels, were still in the corner. She had tried them on but hadn’t officially worn them.
The stockings felt slippery and soft to the touch. Jiang He thought of the won she had seen on the streets wearing such things. Hesitating, she glanced at the door, listening carefully. It seed Xu Qing was already asleep.
Since he was asleep…
She bit her lip as if she were doing sothing illicit, sneaking to confirm the door was locked before scurrying back to her bed. She sat down and raised her feet, sliding them into the stockings.
Clothes were ant to be worn, but exposing her legs like this felt far too risqué. People would surely stare if she wore them outside. Deciding it was best to test them privately under the blanket, she resolved not to let Xu Qing see either—just in case he turned out to have a thing for worn stockings. That would be disastrous.
The stockings were tricky to put on, so she refrained from tugging too hard and instead grabbed her charging phone to search for instructions. As it turned out, her thod was incorrect. The right way was to roll the stockings down, slide a foot in, and then gradually pull them up for a snug fit. It was much easier this way.
After finally getting both stockings on, Jiang He looked at her legs, letting her nightgown fall down, then lifting it again, then back down. Curling her toes a couple of tis, she tentatively touched her legs.
Smooth and silky—just as she had imagined.
Now she understood why Xu Qing had been so insistent about her wearing these.
They did feel very comfortable.
She glanced at the high heels in the corner, hesitated for a mont, but ultimately decided against them. Turning off the light, she climbed into bed, rubbing her feet together under the blanket. The silky texture was almost too pleasant.
It felt a bit warm.
Maybe skipping the blanket was better after all.
At dawn, a sliver of pale light appeared on the horizon. The sun had yet to rise, but Xu Qing was already on the balcony.
“What are you doing?”
Jiang He’s voice startled him, and he turned around abruptly.
“You’re up so early?!” Xu Qing tried to hide the clothes in his hands.
“It’s already light out.”
Jiang He, fully dressed, stood with her hands behind her back, looking off into the distance before her gaze returned to Xu Qing. Suspiciously, she asked, “What are you washing?”
“Nothing much, just socks and stuff.” Xu Qing maintained a calm facade. “Do you need anything washed? I can do it together.”
“No, I’ll wash my things later myself.”
“Alright then.”
“…”
“…”
After a mont of silence, Xu Qing couldn’t help but ask, “Are you just going to stand there?”
“Oh…”
Jiang He gave him a strange look, sensing sothing was off. Washing socks wasn’t sothing to be secretive about, was it?
She turned to leave, fiddling with the damp bundle in her hands. A thought struck her: Xu Qing seed to be acting just like her. She had gotten up early to secretly wash her stockings too.
Could it be…
“What are you looking at?” Xu Qing noticed her turning back after taking a few steps and once again hid his hands behind his back.
“Nothing.”
“I feel like you’ve got the wrong idea again.”
“No, I haven’t,” Jiang He said hastily, quickly retreating without looking back. “I don’t know anything!”
“…”
Xu Qing frowned. Sothing didn’t feel right, but he was still preoccupied with his laundry. Grabbing so detergent, he scrubbed vigorously.
Jiang He’s posture training really worked wonders…
By the ti he finished hanging up his clothes, the sky had brightened further, though the sun had yet to rise. In the bathroom, Jiang He, hands still damp, had finished washing her stockings and was getting ready to brush her teeth and wash her face. Xu Qing joined her, squeezing toothpaste onto his brush. The sink was just large enough for them to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in front of the mirror.
Living together ant constantly crossing paths. When you liked soone, even being in the sa room wasn’t enough. You wanted to be as close as possible.
“Good morning, my lady knight.”
Xu Qing grinned into the mirror, holding his toothbrush and cup.
“Good morning, my… my… Xu Qing,” Jiang He stamred.
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