Liang Zhiyi heard his words, her hands pushing against his chest, her face flushed, and her heart pounding: “Pei, didn’t you say you were going to play basketball?”
“Do you think I still have the mood to play basketball now?”
“……”
Right now, he only felt that she needed to be put in her place. The boy’s hot kiss fell, sealing her lips, making it impossible for her to be mischievous anymore.
As the saying goes, never underestimate a top student’s competitiveness in any aspect. After half an hour, Liang Zhiyi finally understood what it meant to provoke a man in his domain.
When Pei Chen got assertive, she had no room to resist.
The person involved was regretful, very regretful, qaq.
Lying in his arms, Liang Zhiyi’s hands were sore, and she tearfully begged him to stop. Pei Chen bit her earlobe, his eyes dark and his voice hoarse as he asked:
“Was a few minutes enough?”
She quickly shook her head, “Not enough, not enough…”
It’s been the longest time ever!
Finally, under her soft and coy pleading, Pei Chen couldn’t help but fiercely seal her lips again.
The girl closed her eyes, her long lashes fluttering, her heart wrapped in a wave of emotions.
After a long while, the kiss ended. Pei Chen held her tightly, his voice low and raspy as he whispered into her ear:
“Zhizhi, I really like you.”
Hearing this, the girl’s heart completely melted.
After a while, Pei Chen got up to fetch some tissues to clean her up. The girl pretended to be annoyed and refused to talk to him. Thinking she was angry, he pulled her into his arms, panicked and unsure of what to do, softly coaxing her:
“I won’t be like this next time, please don’t be mad, okay?”
Liang Zhiyi looked at him, and in the end, she couldn’t suppress her laughter. She kissed him on the cheek, “Pei Chen, you really are silly.”
She smiled brightly, her eyes curving, and whispered in his ear, “You’re my boyfriend, I’m more than happy, not upset at all.”
Just thinking about how only she could see this side of him filled her heart with sweetness.
After cuddling for a while, the girl hugged him and playfully asked him how he felt just now. Pei Chen, embarrassed, didn’t want to answer, but she insisted on asking. His ears turned red, and he swallowed, leaning close to her ear, his voice very low:
“It felt so good, I thought I was going to die.”
The girl blushed, her heart racing, and let out a soft hum.
It seemed like lately, something had indeed gotten into his head.
After the commotion in the evening, both of them felt a bit hungry, so they ordered takeout. Pei Chen decided not to return to school and planned to go back with her the next day.
After finishing their takeout, the girl walked to the balcony. Outside, the neon lights had begun to glow. She placed her hands on the railing and gazed at the distant scenery. After a while, she felt a hand on her waist.
Pei Chen wrapped his arm around her and stood by her side.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked.
She smiled softly and leaned on his shoulder. “I’m kind of missing my parents. It’s been a long time since I last saw them. Studying far away from home has its downsides.”
He chuckled, “Were they very doting when you were young?”
“Yeah, my parents never favored boys over girls. In fact, sometimes they pampered me more and were stricter with my brother. Liang Tongzhou often got scolded when he misbehaved as a kid.”
Pei Chen smiled, as if recalling something, “That’s nice.”
The girl turned to face him, wrapped her arms around his waist, and softly asked, “Pei Chen, did you think of something unhappy?”
He raised his hand to gently touch the top of her head, shook his head, and forced a smile. “I just thought of my own childhood. I’m a little envious of you. Getting scolded by your parents at least means they were around.”
Hearing this, Liang Zhiyi felt a pang of sadness in her heart.
She looked up at him. “Pei Chen, do you know why you met me?”
“Hmm?”
“It’s because the heavens sent me to love you properly.”
She looked at him, her bright eyes curved with a warm smile. “Pei Chen, I know your childhood lacked a lot of love. But it’s okay, I’ll give you all my love. With me here, you won’t feel lonely anymore.”
Unfortunate people spend their whole lives healing from their childhoods.
She was willing to use herself to heal his entire life.
Pei Chen raised his hand to cradle the back of her head, pulling her tightly into his embrace, closing his slightly stinging eyes.
The night sky was as gentle as water.
The girl smiled softly, and they quietly embraced each other.
Time flew by, and their first year of college passed quickly in the midst of their busy and fulfilling schedules.
Though their relationship was sweet and loving, neither of them neglected their studies. Pei Chen continued to excel in his computer science major, while Liang Zhiyi also performed well in her own field. Together, they studied and made progress.
University life was rich with activities, and Liang Zhiyi gradually began to showcase her various talents. The girl was skilled in all aspects of the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.
During one New Year’s Eve party, Liang Zhiyi, with her long black hair and delicate eyebrows, performed a piece on the guzheng while wearing an ethereal Hanfu on stage. Her gentle and graceful performance exuded a tranquil elegance, and she became famous overnight at C University.
When Pei Chen watched from the audience, his eyes fixed on her, he was so stunned by her beauty that he couldn’t find the words to describe it.
He realized that his little girlfriend was a hundred times more remarkable than he had imagined. Back in the second year of high school, she had only spent six months at their school, and it turned out she had so many sides to her that he hadn’t noticed.
After New Year’s and the final exams, the first semester came to an end.
Once Liang Tongzhou, Ji Fei’er, and Xuan Xia were on vacation, the five of them took a flight together from the snow-covered J City back to the still-green Lincheng.
After returning to the city center from the airport, everyone went their separate ways to their homes. Pei Chen had called Pei Yongxia earlier that morning, telling him not to go to the hospital for rehabilitation today and to rest at home instead.
Pei Chen hurried back home with his luggage. When he opened the door, he was suddenly stunned by the scene inside—
The room was clean and tidy, organized down to the last detail. Some of the old furniture had been replaced with new pieces, and the previously gray walls were now covered with off-white wallpaper. The light streaming in from the windows made the space appear more open and bright.
As he turned around, he noticed that a whole row of safety handrails had been installed on the walls of the room to make his father’s daily life more convenient.
Pei Chen walked into the house, surprised by the transformation.
In the bedroom, Pei Yongxia heard the noise and wheeled himself out. When he saw Pei Chen, he smiled and said, “Son, you’re back—”
“Dad.”
Pei Chen immediately put down his backpack and walked over. It had been six months since he last came home, and now, seeing his father looking well, he felt relieved.
Pei Yongxia looked at him with a full smile on his face. “It’s good, it’s good. You don’t seem to have lost weight. I was worried you might be skimping on food and living too frugally while working part-time outside. Luckily, Zhiyi has been with you.”
“Dad, I’m doing just fine. How about you?”
“I’m doing well. I’ve always told you not to worry about me. Your mom takes great care of me, and the doctor says I’m recovering well.”
Pei Yongxia could now stand for a while with the support of the handrails. After all, he had been in a wheelchair for ten years, and rehabilitation wasn’t something that could happen overnight. Fortunately, everything was progressing in a positive direction, and he was now confident that he could stand on his own again.
Pei Chen glanced around. “Dad, the house…”
“Your mom did all this. She wanted to make my living environment more comfortable. Don’t be upset; she did it with my approval.”
Pei Yongxia explained that since he needed rehabilitation, Gong Qinxin had arranged for safety handrails to be installed around the house. Some of the old furniture was cleared out to create more space, and they added some reasonably priced new furniture. Additionally, Pei Yongxia had gotten a new motorized wheelchair, which made getting around more convenient.
“And to make it easier for me to use the bathroom, the bathroom was slightly remodeled as well.”
Pei Chen walked to the bathroom and immediately noticed that the doorway had been widened, allowing easier access for Pei Yongxia in his wheelchair. Inside, handrails and an emergency pull cord had been installed so that if anything happened in the bathroom, someone outside would be alerted immediately.
As Pei Chen took in all of this, a ripple of emotion stirred within him.
He stepped out and went to the doorway of his bedroom, where he saw that the gardenia plant on his desk, although not in bloom, was still lush and well-trimmed.
Seeing this, Pei Yongxia smiled and said, “Your mother waters that plant regularly. She knows it’s your favorite.”
Pei Chen lowered his gaze, his emotions swirling beneath the surface. After a moment, he asked quietly, “Where is she today?”
“She heard you were coming home, so she cooked lunch and left right after. She wanted us to have some father-son time. She said she’d come by tomorrow when we go to the hospital for a follow-up and talk to you about what I need to be careful of during my recovery.”
Hearing this, Pei Chen pressed his lips together, saying nothing. Pei Yongxia patted his hand and smiled, “Come on, son, let’s go eat.”
“Okay.”
During the winter break, the seven members of their beachcombing group got together for an outing. They played escape room games and murder mysteries, had a meal, and chatted, thoroughly enjoying themselves. They even planned to take another trip during the Chinese New Year, similar to their previous beachcombing adventure.
This winter was particularly cold in Lincheng, and Liang Zhiyi, who was especially sensitive to the cold, loved sleeping in during the winter and preferred staying in her room rather than going out. For the first couple of days after Pei Chen returned home, he couldn’t convince his girlfriend to come out, which left him feeling rather down.
A few days later, the girl finally agreed to go out on a date with him. Pei Chen asked her, “Why didn’t you want to see me when you got back?”
“I did want to…”
She lowered her head, burying her face in her scarf, shivering as she said, “It’s just that it’s too cold, boohoo.”
Pei Chen pulled her into his arms, wrapped her in his coat, and softly whispered in her ear, “It’s okay, I’m very warm. You don’t have to worry about being cold when you’re with me.”
Feeling the warmth of his embrace, Liang Zhiyi wrapped her arms around his waist, closing her eyes in contentment as she softly murmured, “I love Peipei the most…”
In the morning, Pei Chen accompanied her to the mall. At a boutique, the girl picked out a cream-colored scarf with an attached hood. After putting it on, she lifted her head and asked Pei Chen, “How does it look?”
Pei Chen turned and saw her neck wrapped in the fluffy scarf, her soft, fair face nestled in the hood, with two bear ears on top of her head. Her almond-shaped eyes were clear and dark, blinking up at him.
Just as Liang Zhiyi was waiting for his response, she was suddenly pulled into his arms, and he planted a kiss on her lips. His eyes darkened slightly, and his voice was low as he said:
“Don’t you know how cute you are?”
Liang Zhiyi: ?
She wanted him to comment on the hat, not on her!
Even though she knew she was cute, did he really have to keep complimenting her? She couldn’t help but giggle inwardly.
In the end, he bought the hat for her. As she sipped her milk tea, her fluffy head was patted by him once again. She puffed up in mock annoyance and glared at him, but seeing her like that only made him feel even more love for her, filling his heart completely.
The girl noticed that Pei Chen had started to smile much more often.
When she first met him, his expression was always cold and distant, and he rarely smiled. Even after sitting next to him for a long time, she had never seen him smile until that one time when he was playing with a little kitten.
It was confirmed—cats were indeed more likable than she was, qaq.
Pei Chen’s eyes had a subtle double fold, with deep eye sockets. When he didn’t smile, his gaze was cold and gave off an unapproachable vibe. But Liang Zhiyi noticed that whenever he looked at her, his eyes would curve with deep affection, making her feel healed.
As they strolled down the street, she noticed that when he smiled, a small dimple would appear on his left cheek. “Pei Chen, I just realized we’re a perfect match!”
“Hmm?”
She poked her right cheek. “I have a dimple on my right cheek, and you have one on your left. Doesn’t that make us a perfect pair?”
He looked at her silly expression and chuckled. “Yeah, it does.”
“Pei Chen, you should smile more. Seeing you smile always makes me feel better.”
Pei Chen gazed at her smiling face, his heart softening.
The reason he had begun to smile more was because of her. Her presence had brought sweetness into his once bitter and self-doubting world.