Chapter 110: The Choice (6)

Upon reaching the upper floor, Qiao Xi ducked into the bathroom to wash her face.

Looking at herself in the mirror, she saw that her cheeks were indeed flushed deep red. After splashing them with cold water, droplets clung to her skin, tracing the contours of her face as they slid down. She stared at her reflection, observing how her expression remained quiet, even though she was still at a loss within.

While everyone was together, conversation flowed easily, but once they parted ways, what would she say to Gu Heng?

Outside, the voices of Shan Chou-Chou and Nan Zixi could already be heard. She wiped her face with a tissue and walked out, nearly colliding with Nan Zixi.

Shan Chou-Chou came sprinting toward them. "Nan Zixi, if you have any guts, stop running!"

"How can a girl be so violent? Do you think you're Xin Meng?" Nan Zixi ducked behind Qiao Xi, retorting to the furious Shan Chou-Chou.

"If Sister Xin were here, you would have been knocked flat by now." Shan Chou-Chou wasn't just angry; she was livid. Why was it that she could never win a verbal spar against him? "What exactly does Sister Xin have to deal with anyway?" She had only heard Ningyi say that Sister Xin was busy, but nothing more. If only Sister Xin were here; at least then this guy, Er Nan, wouldn't dare be so arrogant.

There was no help for it. Gu Heng never bothered to discipline Er Nan, and Qiao Xi remained silent. Only Sister Xin would find him too noisy and give him a kick or a punch.

"She has a boyfriend. Didn't you know?" Nan Zixi said.

"Is that for real? I haven't heard a thing. When did this happen? She didn't even tell me! Who is it?" Shan Chou-Chou was both surprised and intrigued. Who possessed such unique taste as to fancy Sister Xin? No, wait—Yingran liked her, she had almost forgotten. Could Ji Niansheng have made a move? But it couldn't have happened that fast, could it? Was Sister Xin really that easy to win over?

"Er Nan is lying to you. She has family matters to attend to," Duanmu Ningyi interjected.

"Hahaha!" Nan Zixi laughed, completely unbothered by his image. "You are so easy to trick!"

"You rotten Er Nan!" Shan Chou-Chou lunged to hit him. Naturally, he didn't stand still to be struck, and the two began chasing each other in a lively commotion.

Gu Heng had remained silent the entire time. His gaze did not linger on Qiao Xi intentionally, yet it rarely left her. He had been waiting—waiting for Qiao Xi to come to him, waiting for her to return to Fengyang. A full month had passed. He had forced himself to wait, to avoid pressuring her, but he had finally reached his limit. He didn't want to wait anymore.

Abruptly, he stood up, walked over, and pulled her by the hand. Qiao Xi had only just realized what was happening when she found herself being led away.

She knew she would have to face him sooner or later, and she no longer wished to hide, so she followed.

"Oh, oh! Is this a grand confession in the making?" Nan Zixi remarked as he watched them disappear, before letting out a sudden yelp. "Ow! Shan Chou-Chou, are you trying to murder your husband?"

Taking advantage of his distraction, Shan Chou-Chou had delivered a fierce kick to his leg. Seeing him in pain, she looked immensely satisfied. "Hmph, let's see if you dare mess with me again."

"You..." Nan Zixi’s face twisted in agony. That kick had been completely merciless, leaving him unable to even speak.

Duanmu Ningyi remained seated beside the spot where Gu Heng had just been. She watched as he led Qiao Xi away by the hand, only turning her gaze toward the now-empty seat once the two were out of sight.

Walking behind him, shielded by his frame from the wind, Qiao Xi felt the warmth radiating from his back. He remained silent, not saying where he was taking her, and she did not ask.