Hearing the man’s straightforward words, she finally realized that his repeated attempts to make her take off her mask today were all for this purpose.
And to think she had believed he simply wanted her to drink something!
This guy was intentionally setting her up!
She poked his chest with her fingertip, let out a soft hum, and with a playful smile said, “Classmate Pei, I didn’t know your thoughts were so impure.”
Liang Zhiyi looked up into his dark, ink-like eyes, her lips curved into a smile, and her gaze was alluring. “Pei Chen, is this still the same you? Before, when I kissed your ear, you blushed so hard. But now that we’re dating, you’ve become so naughty, always thinking about taking advantage of me.”
Pei Chen was teased so much that his ears grew even hotter.
He didn’t know what was happening to him.
In the past, he couldn’t understand the intimacy between couples. It wasn’t until he was with the girl that he realized wanting to be closer to her emotionally was something his rational mind couldn’t control. It was even harder than a college entrance exam.
Thinking she was truly unhappy, he pressed his thin lips together and spoke in a low, hoarse voice:
“Sorry, I’ll control it.”
Hearing this, the girl couldn’t help but laugh.
How could this guy be so clueless?
She stood on her tiptoes, raised her hand to hook it around his neck, and pressed her body against his. Instinctively, Pei Chen lifted his hand, wrapped it around her waist, and pulled her into his embrace.
During military training, he had noticed how slender her waist was.
For a moment, he had even fantasized about what it would feel like to hold it in his hands.
Now, her slim waist was locked in his grasp, soft and delicate to the touch, accompanied by the sweet fragrance of gardenias wafting from the girl. A numbing sensation spread from his palms, igniting a fiery heat that spread through his chest.
Standing on her tiptoes, the girl’s teasing breath brushed against his ear. “If you want to kiss me, you can just say so. No need to control yourself.”
The man met her gaze, his eyes deep. “What about now?”
Sure enough, this guy just wanted to push his luck. She smiled softly and murmured, “But I’m sick. What if I pass it to you?”
Her head was gently cupped by him, and in a low, sultry voice, he whispered, “We can try.”
Her heartbeat quickened as her gaze lowered again, focusing on Pei Chen’s handsome face. He bent down and once again claimed her breath.
This felt like a real kiss.
His kiss was gentle and inexperienced, yet it carried a strong sense of possessiveness.
The girl’s heart trembled, her eyes fluttered closed, and in the midst of their entwined breaths, she felt the full force of his love, her heart completely wrapped in sweetness.
The evening breeze stirred ripples on the river’s surface.
People passed by around them.
Pei Chen kissed her for a long time.
The sweetness of young love is not something easily satisfied, especially since she was his only desire, and now he had finally fulfilled his wish of being with her.
After a while, the girl let out a soft whimper, and Pei Chen paused slightly, only to hear her voice, full of grievance, “My nose is stuffed; I can barely breathe…”
A smile spread in Pei Chen’s eyes. He gently rubbed her head, suppressing the urge to continue, and asked softly, “Is that better now?”
She pouted, “Of course, it’s much better now.”
Seeing that he still seemed eager to kiss her, she had originally thought that he, being a bookworm, wouldn’t be so enthusiastic about this sort of thing. She hadn’t expected such a strong contrast after they started dating.
She kissed his chin, her eyes curving into a smile as she coaxed him, “Let’s wait until my cold is over, then we can kiss more.”
“Okay.”
She muttered, “I’m thirsty.”
Then she added, “It’s all because of you.”
“…”
Pei Chen’s face grew slightly warm.
“Have some drink.”
He took the hot drink from her hand, inserted a straw, and handed it back to her. She took a few sips and then offered it to him. “Want some?”
Pei Chen held her hand and took a few sips, meeting her gaze, which was full of laughter.
The air was filled with the taste of sweetness.
“Pei Chen, let’s keep walking.”
The two of them continued their stroll, admiring the riverside scenery and watching the elderly folks energetically dancing in the square. They wandered by the riverside for about two hours.
When they finally left the riverside, it was past nine in the evening. Liang Zhiyi suddenly mentioned that she was a bit hungry. Pei Chen asked what she wanted to eat, and she suddenly thought of a place. “How about we go to the noodle shop?!”
She realized that she and Pei Chen hadn’t been to a noodle shop together yet.
The boy agreed; he also wanted to go thank the old couple who owned the shop.
On the way to the noodle shop, they passed a fruit store. The two picked out some fruit, intending to give it to the old couple later.
When they reached the entrance of the noodle shop, Liang Zhiyi noticed an old man carrying a bunch of candied hawthorns. Her eyes lit up, and she said she wanted to buy some, telling Pei Chen to go into the noodle shop first and that she would join him after she bought them.
The little glutton quickly ran off, and the boy entered the noodle shop alone. There were no other customers, and the elderly couple was busy rolling out dough. When they saw him, they smiled:
“Pei, it’s been over a month since we last saw you.”
Pei Chen greeted them, saying, “I just finished the college entrance exam two weeks ago, so I have some free time now.”
“How did it go? How do you feel about the exam?”
The boy smiled faintly, “I should be able to get into the school I want.”
“That’s great! We knew you were a top student, so there shouldn’t be any problem. I’ll go ahead and put the noodles in the pot.”
Aunt Lin headed to the kitchen, and a moment later, Liang Zhiyi entered the shop, having finished buying the candied hawthorns.
The elderly couple was surprised to see her. “Oh, Liang—”
The girl greeted them happily, “Uncle Lin, Aunt Lin, it’s been a while! I missed you both…”
Aunt Lin smiled, “Liang, are you back in Lincheng now?”
“Yes, I came back after finishing the college entrance exam.”
Aunt Lin looked at Pei Chen, who was sitting nearby, and her smile grew even wider. “Are you two here together?”
“Hmm?”
The lady pointed at Pei Chen, “You and Pei Chen?”
Liang Zhiyi turned her head in surprise and met Pei Chen’s gaze. She was stunned for a moment, then casually said after a few seconds, “What a coincidence, you’re here too.”
Pei Chen: ?
The girl turned back to the elderly couple, raised her lips in a smile, and explained, “Aunt Lin, we didn’t come here together.”
The couple was shocked, not expecting that they weren’t together. The atmosphere suddenly became a bit awkward. “It’s alright, um, Liang, take a look at what you’d like to eat…”
“Pig trotters noodle soup, please.”
“Sure.”
She then sat at a different table, keeping some distance from Pei Chen. The elderly couple glanced at both of them, sighed, and finally, Aunt Lin nudged her husband, and they both went into the kitchen.
Liang Zhiyi bit into her candied hawthorns. Pei Chen, sitting diagonally in front of her, turned his head and looked over, his face filled with helplessness, silently asking her:
**[What are you up to now?]**
The girl’s eyes curved mischievously, and she made a secretive gesture to him to keep quiet.
“…”
His girlfriend definitely lived up to her experience as a movie actress.
After a while, the couple came out, each carrying a bowl of noodles. The husband placed the bowl in front of Pei Chen and asked him privately, “Pei, what’s going on between you and Liang? Are you two not together yet?”
Pei Chen shook his head, smiling as he explained, “Uncle Lin, don’t take it seriously. We’re already together; she’s just teasing you.”
On the other side, Aunt Lin brought the noodles to Liang Zhiyi and asked her, “Liang, are you not with Pei Chen yet? What’s going on with you two now?”
The girl lowered her eyes and said, “We haven’t made up. It’s over between me and him.”
“This…”
The elderly couple returned to the kitchen, and the lady looked regretful, “How did things between Liang and Pei Chen turn out like this…”
The old man chuckled and patted her hand, “Liang was just teasing you.”
“Hmm?”
“Pei just told me…”
Outside, Liang Zhiyi continued eating her noodles, still immersed in the satisfaction of her flawless acting, her eyes curved into crescent moons with a smile.
After a while, the elderly couple came out to her. The lady sighed and gently urged her:
“Liang, you should forgive Pei. It was his fault before, but come with me, and I’ll scold him for you.”
Liang Zhiyi secretly smiled as she was led to Pei Chen’s table. The man looked at Pei Chen and scolded, “Pei, how could you treat Liang so poorly? Such a good girl, and you didn’t know how to cherish her. Do you realize your mistake?”
Pei Chen met the old man’s gaze, cleared his throat, and said, “Yes, it was my fault.”
The girl secretly laughed in her heart.
She hadn’t expected him to play along with her!
“Liang, don’t stay mad at Pei. You both clearly like each other; it would be such a shame to miss out.”
The girl shook her head, pretending to be heartbroken, “Uncle Lin, Aunt Lin, I’ve already come to terms with it. There’s no need to persuade me. Pei Chen and I just aren’t meant to be…”
As she was speaking, she noticed the elderly couple smiling, and suddenly she was confused. She glanced at Pei Chen, who was also looking at her, his lips curved up, as if he was enjoying her little performance.
She froze for a couple of seconds before realizing what was happening. With a huff, she laughed and exclaimed:
“Pei Chen! You betrayed me!”
She had thought her acting was foolproof, but it turned out she was the one who had been fooled by everyone.
The joke was on her, indeed.
The old man laughed heartily, “Pei told us everything earlier. Liang, at first, we believed you. You really had us worried.”
Liang Zhiyi smiled sweetly and apologized to them, “I just wanted to surprise you, but who knew Pei Chen would be so honest.”
“Well, it certainly was a surprise. Uncle Lin and I have been thinking about you two constantly.”
Pei Chen thanked the couple, explaining that it was their story and Uncle Lin’s words that had finally made him see his own heart clearly.
Aunt Lin chuckled, “Well, if we’ve brought you two together, I guess we can call ourselves matchmakers, even if just halfway.”
After chatting for a while, the elderly couple went back to work. Liang Zhiyi moved her bowl of noodles to Pei Chen’s table, sat beside him, and glared at him, “You! You just sat there watching me act earlier.”
The boy smiled and wrapped his arm around her, his voice low, “Who told you to make such a fuss? How could you be so cheeky and then complain?”
She huffed and buried her head in her noodles.
Pei Chen glanced at her, noticing how the light softened her profile. He thought back to the times he came here alone, and a warmth spread through his heart.
Now, she was finally by his side again, and they hadn’t missed their chance.
After finishing their noodles, the two went to pay the bill. After paying, they handed the fruits they bought earlier to the elderly couple. The couple was deeply touched and, unable to refuse, accepted the gift with grateful smiles.
Aunt Lin looked at Pei Chen and said, “Pei, you have to cherish Liang.”
Pei Chen smiled, “I will.”
Liang Zhiyi looked up and met his gaze, smiling as well.
Finally, the two of them left the noodle shop hand in hand, walking under the rows of streetlights, as if they were continuing to carry warmth and love forward.
When Liang Zhiyi got home, she asked her mother if she could help arrange a medical check-up for Pei Chen’s father. Zhong Xinrou knew about the situation and agreed, saying she could arrange it as soon as her training was finished in a few days.
Liang Zhiyi shared this news with Pei Chen, who asked her to convey his thanks. Pei Yongxia was also very grateful for the help from Liang Zhiyi’s family. The girl reassured them that it was no trouble at all and told them to just wait for the arrangements.
A few days later, in late June, the college entrance exam results were released.
Liang Zhiyi’s scores were among the top in the province, securing her a spot at C University. To everyone’s surprise, Pei Chen achieved the highest score in the entire province.
This news shocked the entire school. It had been five or six years since the school had produced a provincial top scorer, and now Pei Chen’s success brought pride not just to the school but to all of Lincheng.
When Liang Zhiyi called Pei Chen to congratulate him, she was genuinely happy for him. “I knew it! My boyfriend is the best!”