Chapter 43: He Doesn’t Want to Talk to Anyone Right Now
Sunlight, green plants, birdsong ringing through the air.
Standing against the light, Qiao Nan looked like someone on a stage just as the curtains were slowly rising. Mu Xiangxiang couldn’t clearly see his expression, but the instant their gazes seemed to meet, she forgot how to breathe.
It felt as though time had been struck by a pause button.
In those frozen seconds, she suddenly lost control of her body. Her limbs seemed to gain a will of their own. By the time she regained her senses—She was already airborne.
Qiao Nan was knocked back two steps by the little cannonball that leapt into his arms, and his first instinct was to raise his hands to catch her.
A fresh scent mixed with cool wind rushed into his nose. Qiao Nan recognized it immediately—it was the Qiao family body wash he had used for many days. Strange though, he’d never thought the fragrance was anything special before. But today it smelled extraordinarily delicate.
Sweet, shy, like flower buds about to bloom in spring.
One foot stepping down from the curb, he recalled the completely unguarded expression on Mu Xiangxiang’s face when she had thrown herself at him beneath the sunlight. Unable to stop himself, the corners of his lips curled upward slightly as he adjusted her weight higher in his arms. “Hey,” he asked softly, “were you scared?”
Strong arms circled beneath her thighs, warmth continuously spreading from every place they touched. As he spoke, he tilted his head slightly, and his lips accidentally brushed against her earlobe a few times. Immediately afterward, warm breath carrying the scent of mint mouthwash spilled across the back of her neck. Mu Xiangxiang’s scalp tingled.
Her racing heartbeat refused to calm, and she finally realized what she had done.
She had literally jumped into Qiao Nan’s arms. And now her legs were wrapped around his lean waist.
Holding her breath, Mu Xiangxiang clutched the collar at his back tightly. Embarrassment crept over her, and she began struggling to get down. “W-wait, put me down first...”
The girl’s slim, soft body twisted restlessly in his arms. Her cool fingers occasionally brushed the skin of his neck. Qiao Nan caught sight of the ear that had turned pink within mere seconds. Under the blazing sunlight, he could even see the fine soft fuzz along the edge of it. Below that, all the way down her neck, a pulse beat faintly beneath her pale translucent skin. Suddenly tightening his arms, he turned and pressed Mu Xiangxiang’s back against the pillar outside the apartment building entrance, his entire body pinning close against hers. “Don’t move!”
Mu Xiangxiang was trapped by him, her feet kicking helplessly while her hands braced against his shoulders. “Qiao Nan...?”
His breathing had become rougher. Pressing the tip of his nose against that bluish vein at her neck, he could clearly feel its warmth and pulse as he moved. Then suddenly, he opened his mouth and bit it lightly.
“Ah!” Mu Xiangxiang’s shoulders trembled, and she froze in shock. “...What are you doing?”
“...My teeth itch.” Without lifting his head, Qiao Nan buried his face directly into the warm hollow of her neck. “Don’t move, don’t move! I just switched back, and I’m a little emotional. Let me hold you for a while.”
Feeling his long breaths against her neck, Mu Xiangxiang blushed so hard it felt as though her blood vessels might burst at any moment. Her feet dangled above the ground. Her back pressed against the cool ceramic tiles of the pillar. Her hands gripped the fabric on Qiao Nan’s shoulders. Clearly, if she struggled a little harder, she could break free from this position.
Yet somehow, guided by the strange atmosphere surrounding them, she only relaxed her rigid body slightly instead.
All she could smell was the scent drifting from his clothes.
In truth, Mu Xiangxiang had already been surrounded by this scent for quite some time. She was familiar with every single thing belonging to Qiao Nan. She slept in his bedroom. Entered his walk-in closet. Used his shampoo and body wash. Even shaved with his shaving foam. Yet even while using his body to shower or use the bathroom, she had never felt this nervous before. Now, however, she became vividly aware of how much power this body possessed—He could race wildly across an entire basketball court with the ball. Could casually steer a car one-handed through mountain roads. Could handle group fights with ease. And now, with nothing more than two arms, he could effortlessly imprison her in place.
All of his charm and strength seemed to flow back into place alongside the return of his soul. Quietly, Mu Xiangxiang rested her chin against his shoulder without making a sound, letting her accelerated heartbeat continue wildly inside her chest.
At this hour, the residential complex was very quiet. Hardly anyone passed through.
The collar of her home clothes wasn’t high, and during the struggle, part of her neck and shoulder had slipped exposed. Qiao Nan buried his face there and rubbed against her lightly. Only then did his breathing finally begin calming down. “What happened on your side?”
“Hm?” The touch against her neck made Mu Xiangxiang shrink back slightly. She forced herself to organize her thoughts clearly. “Well... I woke up this morning and found myself asleep at the desk. Same as the last time we switched. My body didn’t feel anything unusual.”
Qiao Nan asked, “Anything else?”
Mu Xiangxiang recalled something. “If I had to say... does having a dream count?”
“A dream?” Qiao Nan froze instantly. He pulled his head out of her neck. “You dreamed too?”
Fuck. The moment he asked, Qiao Nan felt his face heat up slightly. He still remembered the ambiguous dream from the night before. He’d woken up hard as a rock that morning. He was used to having no shame, but he truly hadn’t expected Mu Xiangxiang to fantasize about him in her dreams too.
Then he heard her say in surprise: “So you had a dream too?”
And immediately afterward she began analyzing it seriously. “Then maybe it really does have something to do with dreaming. Last night I dreamed about a lot of my past experiences. I even dreamed about the little boy we saved at Chengxi Park. Remember how he called me ‘big sister’ at the hospital? In the dream he called me that too, and thanked me. Do you think it could have something to do with him?”
Qiao Nan: “...”
Mu Xiangxiang came back to herself from her thoughts. “Right, what did you dream about?”
Qiao Nan: “...”
Mu Xiangxiang blinked. “Hm?”
Qiao Nan coughed awkwardly, feeling a little guilty. Unable to face those clear eyes, he buried his head back into her neck. “...I forgot. Probably something similar to yours.”
Mu Xiangxiang looked a little disappointed and was about to press further when Qiao Nan hurriedly changed the subject. “Right, I haven’t asked you yet—what happened to my house? Why’s it become like that?”
Mu Xiangxiang let out a small “ah.” “Become like what?”
“Like some urban-rural mashup.” Qiao Nan sounded deeply displeased. “Who put all that random junk in the living room?”
Mu Xiangxiang thought back. “Your dad said the house felt too cold and empty, so he wanted to make it livelier.”
Qiao Nan went quiet for a while. Then suddenly he laughed awkwardly. “...Seriously... what the fuck is wrong with them? How often do they even stay there usually? They barely spend two days a year at home. And you actually helped buy all that random crap? Your taste seriously sucks.”
Mu Xiangxiang froze. “No, I didn’t buy any of it. Your dad, your brother, and your stepmom have been bringing things home themselves after work every day lately.”
Qiao Nan: “...”
He lifted his head and stared at her. Mu Xiangxiang’s confusion looked completely natural. After staring for a long while, a trace of bewilderment finally appeared in his eyes. “Lately?”
He hesitated slightly. “They’ve... been coming home every day after work recently?”
Mu Xiangxiang didn’t understand his reaction at all. “Yeah. Ever since I first met them at your house, none of them have left.”
She paused, then looked a bit flustered. “Um... I thought that was normal. Nobody protested when they brought the stuff back, and they even helped your dad choose which photos to hang on the wall. Later, I just forgot to tell you...”
Thinking about it now, she suddenly felt she really had been too careless. Guilt welled up inside her. “If you don’t like it—”
She had meant to say that if Qiao Nan disliked it, he could talk things through properly with his family. But before she could finish, the sharp look in his eyes suddenly wavered. For some reason, he lowered his head against her shoulder and began laughing quietly.
Mu Xiangxiang had no idea why, but given their current position, she felt too embarrassed to ask. Now that they’d returned to serious conversation, her muddled brain had gradually cleared again. Looking around, worried someone in the neighborhood might see the overly intimate way they were holding each other, she cautiously reached up and nudged the head resting on her shoulder. “Hey, put me down already. Haven’t you been holding me long enough? Aren’t I heavy?”
Qiao Nan laughed even harder. Then Mu Xiangxiang panicked again as her entire body was suddenly bounced upward slightly in his arms. As she dropped back down, she met Qiao Nan’s amber eyes looking up at her from below, amusement flickering within them. “Say that again?” he drawled lazily. “Little girl, with your weight? I could throw you into the sky if I wanted.”
Mu Xiangxiang let out a startled cry as she looked straight into those amber eyes. The burning heat of Qiao Nan’s palms seeped through the fabric of her pants against her skin, leaving her entire body weak and trembling.
She opened her mouth but couldn’t say a word, staring blankly at him. Then she noticed Qiao Nan’s gaze slowly becoming meaningful, drifting downward from their locked eye contact to her lips.
His eyes darkened slightly.
“Hey... you...” His husky voice seemed to fade in and out. “Lower your head a little...”
Mu Xiangxiang felt certain she must have been bewitched. Otherwise, why would she really obey that voice and slowly lower her head?
The air began turning thick and sticky. Their gazes wandered repeatedly between each other’s eyes and lips. Clutching tightly at Qiao Nan’s shoulders, she could hear the pounding of her own heartbeat beside her ears. She could also feel the large hands supporting her thighs tightening little by little.
Time slowed to an almost unbearable crawl. Their noses gradually brushed together.
Then, in the very next second, loud laughter suddenly rang out from the direction of the apartment entrance. Before Mu Xiangxiang could even react, Father Mu’s booming voice sounded first: “Thanks for the hard work, thanks for the hard work!”
Their souls nearly left their bodies—
The security door beeped open. Surrounded by several exhausted movers, Father Mu walked out through the entrance. Something caught the corner of his eye, and he turned his head— Just in time to see two blurry afterimages disappear at lightning speed.
Huh? That figure in brown clothes looked suspiciously like his daughter, and the tall young man in gray whose side profile flashed past also looked strangely familiar.
Father Mu craned his neck toward the corner where the figures had vanished, but they had escaped too quickly, disappearing around the bend in the blink of an eye.
Only then did he finally remember why that profile looked so familiar. It really resembled that kindhearted young man who had carried him home from the neighborhood entrance some time ago.
What a pity, though. He hadn’t seen that nice young man ever since. The guy didn’t seem to live in the complex, which left Father Mu with no chance to repay him. Originally, he’d even thought such a good young man might become friends with his son and daughter.
But… Heh heh. Thinking of that now made him laugh a little.
His usually gentle-tempered daughter had apparently become shy after that incident and had even declared that if they met again, she’d “kill” the poor guy.
In that case, maybe it was actually best they didn’t meet.
The loud voices of the movers interrupted his thoughts. “Boss, if there’s any problem using the fridge, just give us a call!”
Father Mu snapped back to reality and smiled warmly while pulling out the cigarettes his son had refused earlier. “Thanks for the hard work, thanks for the hard work. Here, have a smoke to wake yourselves up—”
**
Behind a corner of the apartment building, hidden in a shaded area untouched by sunlight, two panicked young people cautiously pulled their heads back after peeking around the edge and simultaneously let out huge sighs of relief.
Mu Xiangxiang’s face had gone pale. Even after a long moment, her breathing refused to steady. Her fingertips trembled nervously. Just now, they had almost—
She hardly dared imagine her father seeing her wrapped in Qiao Nan’s arms. Her father, who since elementary school had repeatedly lectured her never to fall in love early...
Looking up at Qiao Nan, she found him equally shaken. During their escape, his hand gripping her arm had become sweaty. Then, noticing her gaze, his expression stiffened.
Fuck...
Why the hell did I run?!
What’s scary about that skinny old man?!
It was just a kiss! Could he even beat you in a fight? Was it really enough to scare you into nearly pissing yourself?
Qiao Nan tilted his head toward the sky and questioned his life choices. Meanwhile, Mu Xiangxiang quietly smoothed the wrinkled fabric on her pants where he’d grabbed her earlier and avoided meeting his eyes. Then she heard a classic curse muttered above her head.
The arm that had been pinning her in place finally loosened. The skin no longer wrapped in Qiao Nan’s warmth immediately turned cool. When she looked up again, her heartbeat had finally slowed somewhat. She saw Qiao Nan irritably rake a hand through his hair—the same hand that had grabbed her while they ran—before lowering his gaze toward her.
His eyes had turned sharp again. “What kind of look is that?”
Mu Xiangxiang: “...”
A hand reached out and pinched her chin, lifting it slightly. “Continue?”
How could they possibly continue now?! Blushing furiously, Mu Xiangxiang tried turning her head away, but the two fingers gripping her chin were unbelievably strong. Left with no choice, she pushed weakly against him instead. “Stop fooling around. Aren’t your bare feet cold?”
Qiao Nan, whose foot was currently planted in the damp muddy ground the neighborhood gardeners had just watered: “...”
Defeated, he sighed and let go of her.
Mu Xiangxiang worried he’d catch a cold. “Should I go find you a pair of shoes?”
Instead, he lightly tugged her nose. “No need. I’ll go buy some myself later.”
“Then I—” Before she could finish, one hand grabbed the collar of her home clothes and pulled it upward slightly. “Enough. You don’t need to worry about me. Hurry back inside already. Are you stupid? You ran out without even putting on a jacket.”
His lowered voice still carried traces of that earlier huskiness. Just like before, when it sounded right beside her ear. Mu Xiangxiang tried stopping him from taking off his coat to drape over her shoulders. “Wait, Qiao Nan, you’re not wearing—”
Suddenly, he chuckled softly.
Leaning close to her ear, Qiao Nan effortlessly blocked her attempt to refuse. After speaking, he rubbed her head once, left the coat behind, and turned to leave.
Mu Xiangxiang stood there blankly clutching the jacket that still carried his body warmth. Then her face instantly turned scarlet.
Qiao Nan had said: “Be good. Go back early. Next time, if we get the chance, your brother here will take you street racing.”
Street racing...
Did he mean that literally?
****
Qiao Nan completely ignored the strange looks from passersby as he went to buy himself a pair of shoes. At this point, he genuinely felt his recent life had become utterly ridiculous.
Especially after remembering the bizarre state of his home… He deliberately lingered outside until the sun had already begun setting before finally dragging himself reluctantly back toward his residential complex. After stepping out of the elevator, he stared at his front door for a very long time, a voice thundering clearly inside his heart—
You absolutely do not want to go back.
You are not looking forward to this at all.
You’re only here because you’re hungry and want something to eat!
Only after convincing himself of that did he recover the dignity of a proper school tyrant. Calmly stepping forward, he entered the password and opened the door.
A wave of floral fragrance rushed toward him.
It came from the vase overflowing with fresh flowers atop the shoe cabinet.
Qiao Nan silently entered and changed his shoes, pretending none of the morning’s chaos had ever happened. His gaze swept across the interior decorations already ruined beyond all taste by his father and the others, but he said nothing and headed straight for the stairs like always.
Just before stepping onto them, several lit incense sticks beneath his mother’s photograph entered his line of sight. His footsteps paused.
Turning his head, he looked at them for a moment. He still wasn’t quite used to the atmosphere inside the house. But clearly, the reason for that discomfort wasn’t negative.
That brief hesitation allowed Luo Meisheng, who had just emerged from the hallway corner, to notice him. Qiao Nan shot her a cold glance, only to see that Luo Meisheng—who usually did everything possible to minimize her presence in front of him—froze briefly before actually smiling.
“Nannan.” After calling out to him, she raised her head toward the second floor and shouted: “Old Qiao! Nannan’s home!”
Qiao Nan still wasn’t accustomed to her calm, friendly attitude. Before he even had time to frown, however, the sound of a door opening upstairs interrupted the irritation forming inside him. A terrible premonition instantly rose in his heart. And sure enough, the next second, his father appeared rapidly at the top of the staircase.
Qiao Yuanshan: “Nannan’s back?”
Qiao Nan: “...”
He wasn’t used to such domestic greetings. Frowning slightly, he didn’t know how to respond. Things weren’t supposed to feel like this.
His father quickly approached, worry shining in his eyes. “You brat, you ran so fast this morning your brother and I together couldn’t even stop you. It’s just taking medicine for being sick, what’s the big deal? Let Dad see if you still have a fever.”
A rough hand reached toward him. Qiao Nan gripped the stair railing uncomfortably. He wanted to dodge away, but after remembering what Mu Xiangxiang had told him—that ever since returning after the New Year, his father and brother had stayed home every day, personally hauling decorations and furniture into the house—his right foot simply refused to step backward.
Forcing himself to stay where he was, he stiffly allowed his father to feel his forehead.
That’s more like it, much more obedient!
Qiao Yuanshan, meanwhile, didn’t think his reaction was strange at all. During this period, his younger son had always been quiet and withdrawn like this. In fact, his sudden temper tantrum this morning had frightened him far more because it resembled his old behavior.
A few seconds later, he nodded in relief. “You’re fine. The fever’s probably gone. Go back to your room and do your homework first. In a bit, let Auntie Luo make you some Banlangen herbal medicine.”
As he spoke, he rolled up his sleeves. “Alright, you’re home now. Your brother should be back soon, too. If you’re not feeling well today, Dad’ll cook soup for you himself.”
From the corner of his eye, Luo Meisheng immediately shot him a conflicted look, clearly wanting to say something. Qiao Nan still hadn’t recovered from his stiff state and ignored her. “...Whatever.”
He then watched his father raise his eyebrows enthusiastically and stride toward the kitchen, while Luo Meisheng hurried after him with a pale expression. “Old Qiao, Old Qiao, maybe we should just hire a few chefs to come over—”
What’s wrong with them?
Qiao Nan didn’t think deeply about it. He went straight back to his room to wash his face. Afterward, though, he found himself unable to do anything. From inside a book tucked in his bedside drawer, he pulled out a photograph and stood by the window blankly watching the setting sun.
Until Luo Meisheng knocked on the door, breaking the silence.
Qiao Nan still didn’t like her. But for some reason, perhaps because her attitude toward him now was so natural and ordinary, he found himself unable to lose his temper at her for no reason like before.
Or perhaps... he simply didn’t want to break the peace this family currently had—a peace he hadn’t seen in a very long time.
Even after sitting down at the dinner table, he remained unusually quiet, completely unlike his normal personality. It was already past six o’clock, and his older brother still hadn’t returned. The first floor of the Qiao house glowed brightly under the lights. From the dining room, the entire illuminated living room could be seen clearly.
Mu Xiangxiang had said all these things in the house had been personally brought home day after day by Qiao Yuanshan, Qiao Rui, and Luo Meisheng.
The photo wall replacing the famous paintings truly had zero sense of style. There were even Chinese knot decorations hanging on the TV wall. Just one glance made it obvious these were Qiao Yuanshan’s tastes. Even with a fortune worth millions, middle-aged men still couldn’t escape the aesthetics ingrained into them since childhood.
But honestly, in Qiao Nan’s opinion, the hardest things in the room to accept weren’t the bizarre photo wall or the Chinese knots. It was the huge pile of colorful throw pillows on the living room sofa, along with the giant carpet on the floor whose fur looked even longer than his own hair.
Soft, fluffy, squishy things like these belonged in girls’ rooms like Mu Xiangxiang’s. Putting them in the guest area would seriously damage the masculine dignity of the Qiao household if visitors saw them.
Way too girly. Definitely Luo Meisheng’s doing.
The only things in the house with acceptable taste were probably the flower vases. Every blossom arranged inside looked vibrant and fresh, and the color combinations were perfectly balanced, fitting the house’s overall style surprisingly well.
Compared to the Chinese knots and fluffy rugs, these arrangements were obviously on a completely different level. Eliminating two suspects left only one conclusion— They had to be the work of that person who, although his relationship with her had been bad these past few years, had always been calm and rational since childhood...
“What’s wrong?” The moment Qiao Yuanshan emerged from the kitchen and saw his son zoning out, he froze briefly before quickly walking over with a pot of soup and setting it on the table. Following Qiao Nan’s gaze, he looked toward the flower vase by the entrance.
“What’s so interesting about the vase?” Qiao Yuanshan looked baffled. “Your Auntie Luo’s the only one in the house who likes fussing over stuff like that.”
As he spoke, he turned back toward the kitchen. Left sitting there, Qiao Nan blinked blankly. “...Huh?”
The next second, the door creaked open. The handsome face Qiao Nan had just been thinking about appeared beyond the entrance.
While changing his shoes, Qiao Rui looked up and immediately spotted his younger brother sitting at the dining table. He paused briefly, then after finishing changing shoes, stepped backward into the room and coolly called toward the doorway: “Bring it in. Lay it from the staircase all the way to the dining area.”
Before Qiao Nan could react, several workers in uniforms carried a huge box through the front door. Setting the box down with cheerful acknowledgements, they unpacked it and pulled out package after package—
Pink ones… Beige ones… Wool rugs?
Qiao Nan: “...”
Father Qiao let out an impressed sound as he emerged from the kitchen wiping his hands on his apron. “You bought more carpets?”
The workers hurried upstairs carrying the rugs and immediately began laying them out. In moments, the Qiao family’s dark red flooring disappeared beneath a sea of fluffy softness. Without changing expression, Qiao Rui replied: “Yeah. The floors are too cold and slippery. Nannan already fell this morning wearing slippers. Rugs will make it warmer in winter.”
Father Qiao nodded approvingly. Luo Meisheng, meanwhile, looked pained. “Th-this carpet... the style, the color... doesn’t it clash with the wallpaper and staircase railings?”
Qiao Rui remained calm. “How could it?”
After examining things for a moment, Father Qiao also nodded. “I think it looks fine.”
Luo Meisheng: “...”
Qiao Nan: “...”
After a long silence, Qiao Nan finally couldn’t hold back anymore and stood up. “Hey...”
All three people in the room turned toward him simultaneously. He hesitated briefly before pointing toward the fat, round cushions piled on the living room sofa. “...Those pillows... who bought them?”
The three of them paused. Meeting the simultaneous looks from his father and stepmother, Qiao Rui answered calmly: “Didn’t you see them when I brought them home?”
Qiao Nan slowly drew in a deep breath. Then he silently withdrew his gaze, sat back down quietly, and turned his head away. From this moment onward— He did not want to talk to anyone.
-----------------
Author’s Note:
Qiao Yuanshan [confident smile]: “I have amazing taste, and I can cook too. I’m awesome!”
Qiao Rui [confident smile]: “Hmph.”
Luo Meisheng [questioning herself]: “...”
Mu Xiangxiang [dizzy and overwhelmed]: “Street racing street racing street racing...”
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