Chapter 283: She Wants to Fall in Love, Too
Chapter 283: Chapter 283: She Wants to Fall in Love, Too
Xu Jiaxin had been laughing and chatting with Su Zhaozhao, but now, with Xie Huaizheng’s arrival, she grew tense.
She didn’t know why she was so tense; she just wasn’t her cheerful, laughing self anymore.
Su Zhaozhao, on the other hand, wasn’t the least bit afraid of the frosty Xie Huaizheng. She leaned against him and even opened her mouth for him to feed her.
The sight made Xu Jiaxin’s teeth ache with envy.
’Boo-hoo, I need to have an epic romance too!’
’But if I really get together with Xu Ziyang, it’ll be a long-distance relationship. We’d probably only get to see each other during holidays.’
But Xu Jiaxin decided to take things one step at a time. It was better not to worry about things that hadn’t even happened yet.
After dinner, they started walking back. Su Zhaozhao linked arms with Xu Jiaxin and walked her to the guest house. "Get some rest!" she said.
"Yeah, don’t worry about me." Xu Jiaxin waved at Su Zhaozhao and Xie Huaizheng.
Then she watched as their figures receded into the distance.
The weather was a little chilly. Xie Huaizheng’s arm was wrapped tightly around Su Zhaozhao, and her petite frame was nestled close to his side.
’A handsome man and a beautiful woman—truly a match made in heaven.’
Xu Jiaxin was so envious of Su Zhaozhao. She wanted to fall in love too!
Just then, a cool breeze blew past, and Su Zhaozhao closed her eyes contentedly.
She’d been feeling a little hot from the alcohol, but the breeze was clearing her head.
She looked up at the man beside her and said softly, "Xie Huaizheng, look, I can handle my liquor now. I didn’t get drunk today!"
Hearing her words, Xie Huaizheng couldn’t help but let the corners of his lips twitch. He gently squeezed her cheek, and the soft, smooth feel of her skin was almost irresistible.
He couldn’t resist teasing, "Not drunk, huh? Su Zhaozhao, you don’t usually talk like this."
Hearing this, Su Zhaozhao frowned. "I’m perfectly sober!"
’Wouldn’t I know if I was drunk or not?’
’I’m not stumbling, my head isn’t spinning, and I don’t feel dizzy. In fact, I feel great.’
She reached out and grabbed Xie Huaizheng’s large hand. The man’s palm was dry and radiated a constant warmth against her.
Su Zhaozhao found it very comforting.
Xie Huaizheng, however, knew better. Su Zhaozhao was definitely not in a completely sober state.
The usual her wouldn’t speak in such a soft voice. Her tone was slow and deliberate, like a child’s, and she sounded a little breathless after just a few sentences.
And yet, she herself was completely unaware of it.
Besides, her cheeks were flushed red from the alcohol. And though she seemed sober enough, it only made her more bewitching.
’It’s a good thing I was worried and came to find her.’
Otherwise, he would have been worried for her safety if she’d gone back alone like this.
’A pretty young woman like her would have countless eyes on her. Even here on the military base, it wasn’t guaranteed to be safe.’
"Zhaozhao, promise me something, okay? Please don’t drink when you’re out from now on. If you want to drink, do it at home. I’ll drink with you."
’At home, he could keep an eye on her, and no one else would get to see what she was like when she was drunk.’
’So adorable and alluring, as dazzling as a peach blossom sprite.’
"Okay! Then you can drink with me. I used to love drinking, you know. I even had a liquor cabinet full of different kinds. My favorites were fruit wines. I’d add some ice cubes, a splash of sparkling water, and garnish it with a few mint leaves. It was so refreshing!"
Su Zhaozhao recalled how, back when she was on break with nothing to do, she would drink coffee in the morning and alcohol at night. She even learned to mix her own drinks.
She had followed online tutorials, and she had to admit, they turned out amazing.
"You used to love drinking, and you could hold your liquor? Then why can’t you drink well anymore?" Xie Huaizheng asked, frowning at her.
At his question, Su Zhaozhao fell silent.
’Of course, it’s because I transmigrated into a book! I didn’t bring my original body with me, so I had to inherit this one. Who knew the original owner would have such a low tolerance for alcohol?’
"I don’t know. I just suddenly couldn’t drink anymore," Su Zhaozhao said, her brows furrowed.
’She didn’t know when, or if, she could ever confess everything to Xie Huaizheng, or if she’d have to keep it a secret for the rest of her life.’
’After all, if Xie Huaizheng found out he was living in the world of a book, he would probably have a complete breakdown, wouldn’t he?’
’Discovering that your entire world is just a novel... no one could possibly accept that.’
’It’s better not to tell him.’
Xie Huaizheng gazed down at Su Zhaozhao. He knew she was hiding something, but if she didn’t want to talk about it, he wouldn’t force her.
In truth, Xie Huaizheng had long known that Su Zhaozhao held many secrets.
’For example, why was her knowledge of psychology so professional?’
’And her English was so advanced. Even her behavior and mannerisms didn’t quite match what Xie Huaizhen had told him about her...’
He knew something about her wasn’t quite right, but he had no proof, and so he chose to trust her.
’What could he do? He was in love with Su Zhaozhao.’
’In any case, they had plenty of time. They could take things slowly, one step at a time.’
’He just needed to be patient.’
After they got home, Xie Huaizheng even helped Su Zhaozhao take off her shoes.
Su Zhaozhao froze, stunned by his actions. In the past, she had always been the one to get home first, so he had never done something like this for her.
But today, they had returned together, and the very thoughtful Xie Huaizheng helped her out of her shoes and brought her a pair of slippers to change into.
In that moment, Su Zhaozhao suddenly felt a wave of happiness wash over her.
"Honey, you’re too good to me!" Su Zhaozhao stood on her toes, tilted her face up, and pecked him on the lips.
’She used to think relationships were too much trouble, so she mostly just shipped couples online and never really thought about dating herself.’
’But now she was discovering what it was truly like to be with someone who loved her.’
The mere thought filled Su Zhaozhao with happiness.
Seeing the way she relied on him, Xie Huaizheng couldn’t help but smile. "Zhaozhao, me too. You’re so good to me, and I’m very happy."
A relationship was about mutual support. That was the only way for it to grow stronger, rather than relying on one-sided effort.
’They would only get better and better.’
Su Zhaozhao thought.
She also told Xie Huaizheng about Wang Zhaodi. "Actually, for something like this, it shouldn’t all fall on you," Xie Huaizheng told her. "You could report it to the village chief."
"She’s one of the villagers, after all. People will help each other out if they can."
"Oh, you’re right. I think it’s best to discuss this with the village chief. We’re too far away to keep a constant eye on Wang Zhaodi’s family."
"I’ll have someone speak to him tomorrow. You just focus on making sure that girl studies hard."
"Okay." Su Zhaozhao beamed.