Chapter 115: I Will Only Ask You Once (1)

Qiao Xi lowered her eyelids. After a while, she raised her head, her gaze calm and still.

“I know,” she said, meeting his eyes without flinching. “I want to give you my answer tomorrow.”

Gu Heng stared at her.

After a long silence, he finally said, “All right.”

“It’s getting a little cold. Let’s go back,” Qiao Xi said.

Hearing that, Gu Heng was about to take off his coat when she reached out and pressed down on his hand.

“Don’t. You’ll be cold riding the motorcycle.”

“It’s fine.”

“You drank tonight. I don’t want you to catch a cold.”

Gu Heng paused, then took her hand in his.

His grip was gentle, yet it warmed her hand, which had been slightly cold.

She let him hold it and said, “Let’s go back first.”

Gu Heng nodded.

Nan Zixi led Ji Niansheng along for quite some distance before he finally lost patience and turned to ask, “How much farther?”

“We’ve only been walking for less than ten minutes. With that little patience, you still expect to win a girl over?” Nan Zixi shot him a sidelong glance.

Ji Niansheng admitted that he could indeed be rather impatient at times. But this time, it was not impatience that bothered him. He suspected that Nan Zixi was playing some trick on him, though he had no idea what had made Nan Zixi dislike him.

Strictly speaking, they had not known each other before this. There should have been no past grievances between them. Could it be because of a girl?

After thinking it over, that seemed to be the only possible reason.

Was it Shan Chouqiu or Leng Xinmeng? The former might merely be a misunderstanding on Nan Zixi’s part. But if it was the latter, then bringing him to find Leng Xinmeng of his own accord was unquestionably suspicious.

Though he was thinking this, he said aloud, “I’m worried you’ll get lost and lead me the wrong way.”

“Give me a break. I’ve been to Xinmeng’s house hundreds of times. How could I possibly take a wrong turn?”

“Then how much farther is it?”

“Turn in at the intersection ahead and walk another two or three minutes. We’ll be there.”

“You’re sure?”

“What, are you scared?” Nan Zixi stared at him with a hint of childish provocation in his eyes.

“No need to provoke me. There’s nothing to be afraid of.” Ji Niansheng raised his eyebrows.

“See that you remember it.” Nan Zixi smiled and continued forward. Just after they passed an intersection, the sound of a motorcycle reached them.

He turned around and saw the motorcycle emerge from the intersection before heading in the opposite direction.

Even though the two people on it were wearing helmets, he recognized their outfits. He certainly recognized the motorcycle as well—a bike he had seen hundreds of times and ridden countless times himself.

“What’s wrong?” Ji Niansheng asked when Nan Zixi stopped and turned around.

“Nothing. I just saw a friend ride past.” Nan Zixi turned back toward him.

“That motorcycle just now?” Ji Niansheng asked. Even without turning around, he had recognized it from the sound alone.

“Exactly. As it happens, you know her too.”

“I don’t know anyone around here. It couldn’t have been Chouqiu, could it? Or was it Leng Xinmeng?”

“No…” Nan Zixi deliberately drew out the word before finally saying, “It was Qiao Xi.”

“So she’s back too.” Ji Niansheng had assumed Qiao Xi would spend the weekend on a date with Yu Fan.

“But you probably won’t be seeing her at Yingran anymore.”

Puzzled, Ji Niansheng asked, “Why not?”

“It’s simple. Wherever she transferred from, that’s where she’ll be transferring back to.” Nan Zixi grinned.

Ji Niansheng hesitated, then suddenly understood. He immediately said, “Impossible!”

“So certain? You and Qiao Xi are close?” Nan Zixi stared at him.

“We’re classmates,” Ji Niansheng said, then added, “But we hardly ever speak.”

“Qiao Xi hardly speaks to anyone,” Nan Zixi added.