Chapter 22.2
The disappointment on Ling Jiayi's face flashed by briefly.
Seeing that Xiang Qingwei was about to leave, he swiftly blocked her path, snatched the unopened water bottle from her hand, and shoved the half-drunk water back into her hand. "Won't you promise me, please?"
Xiang Qingwei picked up the water and walked around him.
Ling Jiayi followed close behind. "Won't you promise me, Xiang Qingwei..."
Xiang Qingwei's hand was already wrapped around the door handle, ready to pull it open.
Yet Ling Jiayi pressed his hand against the door, stopping it from opening.
"I'm not letting you leave until you promise me."
Xiang Qingwei froze, realizing that she seemed to have been... soundly smushed against the wall by Ling Jiayi.
Ling Jiayi, however, hadn't noticed anything unusual. He even pressed his other hand against the wall on Xiang Qingwei's other side, then leaned down, bringing his perfect face—one that couldn't have possibly contained any flaws—to hover mere inches from Xiang Qingwei's. "Won't you promise me, please? Sister Weiwei? Hm?"
The words he spoke were like hot breaths splashing onto Xiang Qingwei's ear, while his body pressed firmly against her, though he didn't quite touch her back. Yet he was close enough that he could easily reach out and do so at any moment; Xiang Qingwei's entire back stiffened, her scalp prickling with a strange feeling.
"Please step away."
"No, I know you'll run if I let go, so unless you promise me."
"Fine." Xiang Qingwei forced herself to remain calm. "I'll have Xiao Dong accompany you."
Ling Jiayi also realized at this moment the suggestive position they were in. They were so close that it was as if Xiang Qingwei had been resting in his embrace; the faint scent of her hair drifted toward him, and he swallowed, voice low as he said, "No, I want you to come with me."
"Don't get ahead of yourself," Xiang Qingwei said, frowning.
Ling Jiayi stole a whiff of her fragrance, momentarily entranced. "I'm not. I just want you to come with me. How would two men going to see a giant panda together look?"
"...Then I'll have Xiao Mei accompany you."
"No, I want you." Ling Jiayi's tone was determined, yet his words softened. "It's been so long since we've gone out together. Come with me, please? Just this once, and I'll listen to anything you say after, all right?" As he spoke, he couldn't help but gently brush his lips against the hair by her ear, feeling his heart throb with each word.
Xiang Qingwei's back was toward him, but she felt as if he were getting closer and closer, like a heat source drawing near. He pressed so close that his exhalations brushed against her cheek, numbing the side of her face.
Xiang Qingwei swallowed. "All right, I'll go with you. Can I go now?"
Ling Jiayi's eyes lit up, and without thinking, he suddenly pressed a kiss to her cheek.
As his lips met hers, both froze as if they had been struck by lightning.
Ling Jiayi quickly withdrew, taking two steps back, his face flushed. "I-I'm sorry," he stammered anxiously, "I didn't mean to... Don't get the wrong idea."
After a moment of stiffness, Xiang Qingwei calmed herself, then turned to look at Ling Jiayi, feigning nonchalance. "You're already twenty-one; stop acting like a child. All right, go back to sleep. I'm leaving now." With that, she opened the door and walked out into the corridor, returning to her room on the other side.
The door closed behind her.
She exhaled, then placed the back of her hand against her burning face. What was wrong with her? Was she still blushing and panting after a simple peck on the cheek from Ling Jiayi?
The young man had yet to turn twenty-one, and Xiang Qingwei saw him as an immature little brother. Even though his face often stunned her, she never felt any romantic interest in him, not even a little.
Yet today, his actions had left her red-faced and breathless.
In the end, Xiang Qingwei chalked it up to the fact that she hadn't been in a relationship for far too long.
In the room opposite, Ling Jiayi, cheeks still red, rolled around on his bed with a pillow in his arms. After ten or so revolutions, he finally stopped, his infuriatingly handsome face carrying a silly smile that could melt icebergs.
He couldn't help but relive the moment he'd pressed his lips to Xiang Qingwei's cheek, recalling her pretend calmness and her flushed cheeks. His eyes glistening, he let out a delighted sigh as he buried his face in the pillow, then kicked his long legs about until the bed became a mess.
That night, Xiang Qingwei had fully recovered her usual self.
Ling Jiayi shot furtive glances at Xiang Qingwei, who was smiling as she texted on her phone, growing increasingly displeased. "Who's sending you messages?"
"A friend," Xiang Qingwei answered without looking up, amused by the emoji Zhan Lun had sent her.
When are you free to eat at that restaurant we were talking about last time?
Attached was an emoji of a pitiful boy.
Xiang Qingwei's lips curled up slightly.
I'm currently on a business trip in D City.
Zhan Lun replied instantly.
D City—did you go to see the pandas?!
I'm planning on going tomorrow.
Me too! Zhan Lun said with an emoji of a sad boy*.* I love pandas, but I've never seen real ones before.
Ling Jiayi put his chopsticks down, face sullen. "I'm full."
Xiang Qingwei finally looked up at him. "How come you only ate a little?"
"I'm not hungry," Ling Jiayi said.
Both Xiao Dong and Xiao Mei dared not interrupt, eating in silence.
Xiang Qingwei placed her phone back into her purse, remembering that he had bled from the nose yesterday, and asked, concerned, "Are you feeling okay?"
My heart isn't feeling okay! Ling Jiayi thought to himself.
"No, I'm just not hungry."
"Then order something else if you're hungry later," Xiang Qingwei said, turning back to his own meal.
Ling Jiayi pressed his lips together, picked up his chopsticks, and jabbed at the rice left in his bowl, treating it as Xiang Qingwei.
"Jiayi and I are going to see the pandas tomorrow. Do you want to come?" Xiang Qingwei suddenly asked.
Ling Jiayi's eyes widened. He glanced at Xiang Qingwei, then quickly turned to Xiao Dong and Xiao Mei.
Xiao Dong immediately looked at Ling Jiayi upon hearing Xiang Qingwei's words, catching on to what he meant as soon as he saw Ling Jiayi's eyes.
Unfortunately, Xiao Mei, who had her attention elsewhere, exclaimed in excitement, "Really? I want to go!"
Xiao Dong desperately wanted to cover Xiao Mei's mouth with his hands: No, she doesn't.
Instead, he cleared his throat twice and said, "Um, Xiao Mei, why don't you come with me to the hospital? I've been feeling a little off lately, and since we have tomorrow off, I thought I'd go check myself out."
As expected, Xiao Mei looked concerned. "Ah? What's wrong with Xiao Dong?"
Xiang Qingwei also turned to look at him with concern.
Ling Jiayi joined in, asking, "Are you okay? Is it serious? Xiao Mei, then you should go with Xiao Dong to the hospital tomorrow."
Xiao Mei nodded eagerly. "Okay."
Ling Jiayi sighed in relief.
The next morning, Xiang Qingwei was startled awake by a continuous knocking at her door. Squinting, she picked up her phone to check the time: 6:30 A.M.
Her vision darkened as she considered ignoring the knocking, hoping the noise would cease, but it continued relentlessly. With a curse, she pulled herself out of bed, put on her underwear, threw on the camisole draped over the back of her chair, and tied on a belt before stomping to the door.
As expected, Ling Jiayi stood outside, dressed in a crisp blue-and-white striped shirt and black baseball cap.
Xiang Qingwei grumbled, "It's only six o'clock—what's wrong with you?"
Ling Jiayi gazed at Xiang Qingwei's slightly swollen eyes and sullen face, finding her adorable despite her obvious irritation.
Her eyelids were puffy from lack of sleep, and her hair was a bit messy, but these features somehow enhanced her cuteness in his eyes.
"I've looked up some travel tips! Today's Sunday, so there'll be a lot of people; we should go early so we don't have to line up!" Ling Jiayi pushed past Xiang Qingwei into her room. "I've already booked a cab for seven o'clock last night, so you better hurry up and get ready!"
Xiang Qingwei stared at him in surprise.
Ling Jiayi sat on the bed, eyes sparkling as he stared at her, clearly seeking her praise. "So? Don't you feel that I'm super reliable?"
Xiang Qingwei scoffed, regretting ever agreeing to let him stay last night. She turned and closed the door, then entered the bathroom, clothes in hand, as if she had lost all will to live.
She glanced at her slightly swollen face in the mirror, exhaled heavily, and resigned herself to her fate. Her hair was tied up, and her head lowered as she washed her face.
Meanwhile, Ling Jiayi lay down on the bed, savoring the lingering warmth from Xiang Qingwei's presence. He buried his face in her pillow, which was filled with the scent of her hair, and nuzzled into it before taking a deep breath, filling his chest with Xiang Qingwei's scent. Feeling like a lovesick fool, his handsome face flushed red.
Once Xiang Qingwei finished washing her face, she carefully applied her skincare products, slathered on a thick layer of sunscreen, and lightly filled in her eyebrows before applying a thin layer of lip gloss. Her eyelids were slightly swollen, but she didn't bother with that either.
Instead, she brushed her hair and tied it into a low ponytail, then changed into a new outfit.
As she stepped out of the bathroom, Ling Jiayi was sitting obediently by the bed waiting for her.
Xiang Qingwei slipped on her shoes and picked up her purse. "Ready, let's go."
"So soon?!" Ling Jiayi looked at Xiang Qingwei in surprise; it hadn't even been ten minutes.
"Let's go get breakfast downstairs, we have just enough time." Xiang Qingwei walked out of the room.
Ling Jiayi hurried after her.
The two ate a quick meal at the restaurant downstairs.
"Did you bring your sunglasses and mask?" Xiang Qingwei asked.
"I did."
As soon as they walked out of the restaurant, Ling Jiayi pulled out his sunglasses and put them on.
The DD driver arrived promptly at the hotel entrance and drove them toward the panda base.
"You two are tourists, aren't you?" The driver spoke in a heavy local accent.
"Yep!" Ling Jiayi was in quite a good mood today, so he decided to chat with the driver, a rare occurrence.
The two chatted throughout the whole trip while Xiang Qingwei slept soundly in the back seat.
When Ling Jiayi woke her up, she realized she had been sleeping on his shoulder the whole trip.
They bought tickets and got on the sightseeing bus up the mountain. By now, there were quite a number of people around, and they had to wait a few minutes to get on the bus.
It was too hot outside, so wearing a mask would have been quite conspicuous. Besides, with his hat pulled down low and sunglasses covering most of his face, it would be difficult to recognize him anyway, so Xiang Qingwei didn't make Ling Jiayi wear a hat.
As the two rode the shuttle up the mountain, the refreshing cool breeze brushed against their faces, filling their lungs with the invigorating scent of fresh mountain air. Xiang Qingwei felt her mood automatically lifting, her lips curling into a smile.
Ling Jiayi noticed the smile and couldn't help but also turn up the corners of his mouth.
They waited in line for a few minutes at the entrance before they were allowed in.
The last time Xiang Qingwei had seen a giant panda was five or six years ago, and that too had been at a zoo. There had only been two pandas, separated by quite a distance, so this was the first time she'd been able to get so close to so many pandas at once.
No one could resist the allure of these round and fluffy creatures, and Xiang Qingwei was no exception. Despite her initial reluctance to have her picture taken, she found herself taking out her phone to snap photos nonstop.
The surrounding tourists also let out excited shrieks at the adorable sight.
Meanwhile, Ling Jiayi held his phone, but instead of taking pictures of the pandas, he was secretly taking photos of Xiang Qingwei.
Realizing she was being sneakyly photographed, Xiang Qingwei felt a little self-conscious and reached out to cover his lens. "No more photos. I'm not even wearing makeup." And my eyes are probably still swollen.
Ling Jiayi dodged her with a smile, then teased, "You don't look much different with makeup on."
Xiang Qingwei chased after him, fuming.
Ling Jiayi laughed and patted her as he ran backward, still laughing.
Not only did they see the giant pandas, but they also visited the baby pandas that had been born not long ago.
The baby pandas were kept in an incubator, a tiny and fuzzy ball of fur with a light gray coat. Xiang Qingwei had never seen such a young panda before; he pressed his hands against the glass, staring at it in fascination.
Time flew by, and two hours passed in the blink of an eye.
More and more people began to fill the space.
Having seen enough of the pandas and taken plenty of photos, Ling Jiayi dragged Xiang Qingwei into a souvenir shop filled with panda merchandise.
Ling Jiayi held up everything he saw, trying to make Xiang Qingwei try them on, and even shrieking in delight like he'd never seen anything so cute before.
"Wow! Panda hats! Xiang Qingwei, try one on!"
"Don't move, I'll take a photo for you—wait, I should get one too so we can take a selfie together, 1, 2, 3, cheese—but don't take it off! It's so cute! It suits you perfectly! Get one!"
"Xiang Qingwei, check out this panda backpack! Let's get one!"
"There are also crystal balls with pandas inside! Hey, they can even be engraved! Get one!"
"Xiang Qingwei, come here, quick! Look at this, a panda T-shirt! Let's buy one for each of us! What size do you wear?"
By the time they left the shop, Ling Jiayi had a delivery slip in his pocket. The store offered a delivery service, so they could buy the items, pay, and have it shipped directly to their home without having to worry about carrying the items themselves.
Ling Jiayi spent over two thousand yuan in this little shop. When they exited, he had a panda hair accessory clipped onto his baseball cap, a panda plushie in his arms, and had forcibly stuffed another one into Xiang Qingwei's arms.
Xiang Qingwei hadn't expect this detour and hadn't brought her flats, so she was wearing heels. After walking for over three hours, her feet were already sore.
The two sat down on a bench beneath a tree.
"Are you thirsty? I'll buy you some water."
Ling Jiayi then walked toward the water vending machine with his panda plushie.
Xiang Qingwei took off her shoes and tucked them beneath the bench, placing her bare feet on the cool stone flooring as she rested under the tree, waiting for Ling Jiayi to return.
He took quite a while, perhaps because he had to line up. While she waited, a familiar voice suddenly called out amidst the crowd of pedestrians passing by.
"Weiwei!"
Xiang Qingwei looked up toward the source of the voice, stunned, and gasped, "Zhan Lun?"
Under the sunlight, Zhan Lun, with his brown hair, waved at her. His bright white teeth peeked from his handsome face as he grinned brilliantly.
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The entire book has been translated, with a total of 414K words and more than 1,200 pages.
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