Date? Let’s Try It

Li Xingqing had gotten the answer she wanted, and she didn’t care that Xi Zhen was speaking to her like she was coaxing a three-year-old. She drew her hand back and stopped distracting Xi Zhen while she drove.

If you ignored the fact that Song Xunqing had suddenly shown up tonight, it had actually been a rare good night.

Li Xingqing had been busy at school for several days in a row. Now that she’d finally had a little breathing room, and the person she loved was by her side, she naturally didn’t want to go back to campus.

But if she didn’t go back, she couldn’t exactly take Xi Zhen home, either. So she could only stay close to Xi Zhen and stall for time.

“Is Bai Mo busy?” Li Xingqing asked suddenly after they’d walked for a while.

“Hm?” Xi Zhen seemed caught off guard. She paused for a second, then quickly brushed it off. “It’s fine. He’s on leave for a while.”

Is that so? Li Xingqing nodded and ignored the odd note in Xi Zhen’s voice.

“Do you have time later?” Xi Zhen reached over and caught Li Xingqing’s hand, their fingers interlocking; the warmth in their palms passed back and forth through their joined hands.

“Yes. Why?”

“I want to take you out to play. Will my good girl do me this favor?” Xi Zhen squeezed her hand and gave it a little shake.

Play? Go where? Of course there was no problem. Li Xingqing had already agreed in her heart, but on the surface she still had to keep up the image of a student who worked to support herself.

“Where are we going? I...”

“Not far. It’s a resort I’ve been to before, and I have a friend there too, so I can get a very good rate.” Xi Zhen was thoughtful and hit right where Li Xingqing was tempted.

“Then thank you, Sister.”

“You’re welcome.” Xi Zhen let out a light laugh and tightened her hold on Li Xingqing’s hand, as if sharing her happiness. “Then in two days, I’ll come pick you up?”

“Drive there?”

“Yeah. What, do you feel bad for me?”

Actually, a little. Li Xingqing had already started thinking about how to let Xi Zhen know, casually and without making it obvious, that she’d already gotten her driver’s license.

But she still looked obedient and well-behaved on the surface. “Yeah, I do feel bad for you, Sister. Then should you get some rest early tonight?”

“All right, all right. You’re already starting to act like a little housekeeper.” Xi Zhen didn’t take it seriously at first, until Li Xingqing pulled her into her arms. Even then, she was still teasing. “What is it, little housekeeper?”

“Nothing. I missed you. I wanted to see you.” Li Xingqing kissed her, lips and teeth tangling together inseparably.

She could almost feel the faint tremor of Xi Zhen’s eyelashes brushing against her. She sucked gently, her hand moving of its own accord to Xi Zhen’s waist.

That slender waist barely fit in her hand. The tautness there seemed to show that Xi Zhen was not as calm as she usually appeared.

Li Xingqing smiled to herself and lifted her head to look Xi Zhen in the eyes.

Those slightly brown eyes looked a little dazed now, but they were also adorable beyond belief. Li Xingqing reached out and stroked Xi Zhen’s face, then took her hand and gave it a light shake.

“Then I’ll wait for Sister to pick me up. Good night. Sweet dreams.”

She took a few steps back, quickly putting two or three meters between them. Xi Zhen came back to herself, strode after her, and grabbed her again, pulling her into her arms.

“Being naughty?” Xi Zhen’s threatening tone was wrapped in endless tenderness; it sounded less like a reprimand than indulgence.

“As long as Sister likes it.” Li Xingqing nuzzled against her ear, and at last she truly prepared to say goodbye.

Xi Zhen stood where she was and watched her go into the school. Only when her figure was almost out of sight did she get back in the car and make a phone call.

Though the night was deep, the call was answered quickly. On the other end came a teasing voice. “Producer Xi calling me so late. What can I do for you?”

“In two days, I’m taking a friend to your resort. Reserve a place for me in advance.”

“A friend? Who is it? Do I know her?” Catching the scent of gossip, Jiang Shang immediately perked up.

“My girlfriend. You don’t know her.” Xi Zhen admitted it outright, and there was even a trace of pride in her voice.

Jiang Shang had known Xi Zhen for a long time, and he also knew about her and Song Xunqing from before. Back when things had ended so badly, he had thought Xi Zhen would close her heart for good; he hadn’t expected to hear that she was dating from Xi Zhen’s own mouth one day.

“Then I’d better make sure everything’s arranged properly. Though... should that be one room or two? What a difficult question.”

“Enough. Stop messing around. Thanks.”

“Got it. You really have no idea how the sour smell of romance is practically pouring out of your tone right now.” Jiang Shang knew at a glance that she’d been on a date and silently grumbled to himself.

Just as Li Xingqing entered the school, before she’d even made it around the next corner, her phone rang. She took it out and glanced at the screen; the smile that had just been tugging at the corners of her mouth flattened into a straight line.

The two flashing characters on the screen blinked in front of her eyes. Li Xingqing took a deep breath and answered.

“Xingqing? It’s so late. Why aren’t you asleep yet?”

“I just came out of the library and was about to head back.” From the very first sentence, it was already a lie.

“Then make sure you get some rest, too. Mom’s been feeling pretty good lately; maybe in a while I’ll be able to come back and see you.”

That really was... not very good.

“Mom...”

“Right, and if you don’t have anything going on next, you should help out with your dad’s company too. You can’t just let that little bitch’s son get ahead, can you?” The person on the other end of the line was obviously growing excited. “Xingqing, I know you don’t like it, but Mom only has you.”

There it was again, as if Li Xingqing would die tomorrow if she refused her.

Li Xingqing, who had grown up listening to words like these from Yin Yi, frowned even more deeply. Just as she was about to say something, she was cut off outright.

“I told you back then that whatever you liked, that thing of yours, was completely useless. It’s fine as a hobby, but you absolutely can’t really go down that road.”

On the other end, Yin Yi started nagging again. Li Xingqing suddenly felt a little tired, and even the good mood she’d had before was completely ruined.

To be honest, Yin Yi did love her very much, and she really was pitiful. But was Li Xingqing supposed to become the sacrifice for her miserable life?

Back then, Yin Yi had married Li Xingqing’s father full of joy, only to be repaid with ruthless betrayal. Li Xingqing’s father’s illegitimate son was even about the same age as Li Xingqing.

Yin Yi knew nothing about any of this and was still bewitched by the image Li father presented as a considerate husband. But no matter how beautiful the act was, it was still fake. After it was discovered that Yin Yi could no longer have children because of a problem during childbirth, Li father’s mask was finally ripped off with brutal cruelty.

The year Li Xingqing turned fifteen, she came home with the first-prize certificate she had just won in a competition for her work, only to find her half-brother, Li Ji, in the house. Yin Yi collapsed on the spot and fell seriously ill; she has been living in a convalescent hospital ever since. It was also from that moment that Li Xingqing realized her father was no different from the men she had always known who kept countless women outside.

The originally happy little family fell apart; Li Xingqing’s certificate was quickly buried under Yin Yi’s anxiety.

Li father’s meaning was very clear. Yin Yi could no longer have children, but he had to have a son who could inherit the family fortune. Still, thinking of their years of marriage, he wouldn’t divorce her; Yin Yi only had to acknowledge Li Ji. Of course, Li Xingqing would always be his daughter. Tigers don’t eat their cubs; Li father wouldn’t treat Li Xingqing any differently from before.

But Li Xingqing knew everything was already different. Yin Yi had been a rich wife for nearly twenty years; after one sudden illness, the only person she could rely on in the end was her daughter, Li Xingqing. Because she refused to accept it, she forced Li Xingqing to fight for her, to fight Li Ji for it.

Yin Yi didn’t care what her daughter actually liked. Taking the company back from Li Ji had become her lifelong obsession. It didn’t matter that she herself knew nothing about running a company; it didn’t matter that she already had countless family funds to spend.

Yin Yi seemed to think she’d said everything she needed to say and hung up. Li Xingqing walked alone down the road and suddenly felt that being alive was kind of meaningless. She hated her father for betraying her mother like that, for so cruelly destroying their happy little home.

Her phone rang again. Li Xingqing thought it was still Yin Yi and pretended not to hear it.

But the other party seemed to have unbelievable persistence, calling once, then twice, until Li Xingqing could no longer keep pretending to be deaf.

“What?” Her tone was a little sharp, making Xi Zhen on the other end of the line freeze for a rare moment. She’d just been fine a moment ago; what was going on? Xi Zhen’s voice inevitably turned serious. “Where are you? Have you gotten back to the dorm?”

Realizing how she’d just sounded, Li Xingqing swallowed and tried to speak, but before she could find the right tone, she heard Xi Zhen continue, “What is it? Did something happen and upset you just now?”

It felt like something had scorched her heart. The mask Li Xingqing had been trying to hold up could no longer stay in place. When she spoke again, her voice was already choked with tears. “I... I’m sorry.”

“Good girl, you don’t need to apologize. Can you stay with me for the next two days?” Xi Zhen didn’t try to comfort her over the phone; she simply asked for Li Xingqing’s wishes. Seeing no response from the other end, Xi Zhen went on, “No one’s home at my place. If you want to come, I’m still where I was just now.”

“You... you’re still not gone?”

“If I didn’t get a message saying my good girl arrived safely, how could I leave in peace?” Xi Zhen made a joke, but it had to be said; it really did soothe Li Xingqing’s awful mood from moments ago in an instant.

“Then, Sister, can you wait for me a little?”

“No rush. Even if you wait until tomorrow night, that’s fine.” Xi Zhen smiled and didn’t hang up, but the other end of the line fell silent.

??? What was wrong with this kid? She’d suddenly disappeared again. Xi Zhen rubbed her forehead and suddenly realized there really was quite a generation gap between her and Li Xingqing.

Fortunately, Li Xingqing didn’t make Xi Zhen wait long. A little later, a figure running from afar came into view.

Xi Zhen immediately got out of the car and stood beside it, waving at Li Xingqing.

By evening in City A in October, there was already a hint of chill in the air, but Li Xingqing was covered in sweat from running, her cheeks faintly flushed.

She threw herself into Xi Zhen’s arms, breathing in the clean, faintly cool scent of Xi Zhen’s perfume. She had never said it before, but she really liked Xi Zhen’s perfume. She had liked it from the very first time they met.

“All right, why are you in such a hurry? I’m not going to run away.” Xi Zhen rubbed the fluffy head resting on her shoulder. Li Xingqing was taller than her, but at this moment she was still like a child, as if she wanted to bury herself completely in Xi Zhen’s body.

“Don’t run.” The answer was unreasonable and a little awkward, but Xi Zhen saw through the grievance underneath it. She didn’t want to get to the bottom of it, so she simply let Li Xingqing hold her.

“Then do you want to stay with me?”

What answered Xi Zhen’s question was not Li Xingqing’s words, but the arms around her waist tightening little by little.