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Sheng Xiao wasn’t looking at Mu Qiqi’s eyes. However, his warm palms were covering her smaller hands.
Mu Qiqi said nothing. Afraid of shattering that moment of bliss, she could only lower her head awkwardly to look somewhere else.
Xiaoxiao was holding her hand! Xiaoxiao was holding her hand!
Sheng Xiao did not say a word either, and the two of them hence stayed still for over a dozen minutes—he eventually released her hands when someone came by and asked them to move their car.
Mu Qiqi was naturally sad that her hands were suddenly empty, but she still could feel his warmth…
As they drove off, Sheng Xiao asked, “Are you warm now?”
“Huh? Oh, yes,” Mu Qiqi quickly answered. “Much warmer…”
“Well, where should we go now?”
She asked that because there were few who didn’t know him, and he frequently caught everyone’s attention wherever he went.
Word would eventually spread everywhere else if he brought her to some public place, and as such, he could only take her to the beach.
Where it was absolutely freezing.
When Sheng Xiao saw her cheeks that were red and stiff from the cold, he could only bring her home. Still, that puzzled Mu Qiqi.
“Are we going home, Xiaoxiao?”
He stopped the car inside the little mansion’s garden, and simply stayed silent beside Mu Qiqi without answering her.
It left her even more confused with his behavior tonight.
“Xiaoxiao, are you alright?”
Who is Sheng Xiao?
The great Crown Prince of Huang Yao who could make a killing out of nowhere in commerce.
And yet, he was completely uncomfortable right now, in front of a young lady.
After all, his emotions were always tangled when it came to Mu Qiqi.
He wanted to claim that little thing without regard for anything, and yet was worried that he would burden her. He was fine with everything, be it to kneel or fight, whereas Mu Qiqi’s everyday life was basically running on thin ice.
That was because she was only eighteen now, and things were yet to be settled with the Mu family. She would definitely not have peace should a protesting troop from the Sheng family be added to the mix.
He felt very restrained by that.
Sheng Xiao admitted defeat after going twenty-six years not knowing what restraint even was, suddenly feeling as if he had a weakness for Mu Qiqi!
Mu Qiqi was a little scared when she saw his gloomy face. Did she make him unhappy somehow?
“Xiaoxiao?”
Once again, Sheng Xiao did not answer. Instead, he drew a box from his glove compartment and threw it at her, his attitude reverting to his usual demonic prince form.
“For you.”
“What?” Mu Qiqi opened the box to find a white mobile phone—it was the latest and best model there was. “A phone?”
“A replacement for that outdated thing you can only text with.” Sheng Xiao said demandingly. “I’ve saved my number in it.”
Mu Qiqi nodded and held it in her arms. “Okay, Xiaoxiao.”
“Go back. Your aunt would come looking for you.” Sheng Xiao said, even as he reminded himself to keep calm, and that he had to hold back even if he would rather hang around longer with her.
Mu Qiqi nodded. She was a little disappointed, but she listened to him.
She had really assumed that Sheng Xiao would bring her to do something bad. Even if she clearly knew that he wouldn’t, she was a little hopeful.
As she opened the car door and turned to leave, she suddenly turned back.
“Xiaoxiao…” She said. “I know I would sound pretentious, but I have to say it…there’s a new me because of you, so thank you for giving me a second life.”
“Yeah, whatever.” Sheng Xiao replied impatiently.
Mu Qiqi smiled, and gingerly started to lean towards Sheng Xiao’s shoulder…
He started to push her head away by reflex, but in the end, he didn’t really push her away.
Completely satisfied, Mu Qiqi stayed for some time before finally saying, “Good night, Xiaoxiao.”
“Yeah.” Sheng Xiao replied coolly, breaking away from her, driving off.
Did Mu Qiqi actually know that it was an interaction between lovers?
She certainly did not, nor had she any experience in love.
All she wanted to do was be close to Sheng Xiao.
Just a little closer.
She was really satisfied with her coming-of-age night.
Watching as Sheng Xiao’s car disappeared into the distance, Mu Qiqi sneaked into her room and wrote everything into her diary. For safety reasons, she did not write anyone’s name in it, only ever using ‘he’ or ‘she’.
Once she remembered that Sheng Xiao had held her hand, she jumped into her bed, her feet kicking it violently.
Hence, her feelings towards him became ever more deeply rooted after each passing exchange.
All she had to do was to prevent her aunt from knowing, or she feared that she wouldn’t be allowed to like him anymore.
***
When Sheng Xiao reached home, he splashed his head with as much cold water as he could.
After all, he realized that he wasn’t Sheng Xiao, who was always free-spirited and self-indulgent.
Why? Why would he develop such unusual feelings towards a young doll?
He could feast his eyes on beautiful women of every measurement, and it was not as if he had no carnal knowledge. So why would he be so immeasurably excited just by holding the little thing’s hand?
Was that what it meant to like someone?
But that little thing was obviously still so…little.
To calm himself, Sheng Xiao stood directly beneath the showerhead and soaked himself in cold water.
It seemed that he really wanted to understand what his feelings towards Mu Qiqi really were.
***
On the next day, Mu Qiqi went to school as usual while all of Jianchuan was wrapped in the atmosphere of Christmas.
She found that Mu Tangxue had taken a sick day, but everyone was well aware of the reason behind it.
But why? She was never going to escape what happened the previous day even if she took a day or two off.
Why hide when it had already taken place?
Qian Qian then let Mu Qiqi see the photograph she had in her phone. “I’m dying! Hahaha…”
Mu Qiqi laughed as well. She did not expect Mu Tangxue to be photogenic even in that pose.
However, their jovial time did not last long. Mu Qiqi was soon called to the staff room.
She was unsure of the reason until she saw Papa Mu there.
She promptly froze.
He was the one she feared and hated the most in the Mu family, and now they were seeing each other once again after five months.
“Qiqi, your father has something to tell you personally.”
Mu Qiqi’s palm was already sweating. The pressure Papa Mu exerted upon her was great, and despite her having Sheng Xiao’s support, she felt tangled inside when she remembered how he had punished her before.
“May I know why you’ve asked for me, Uncle Mu?”
“You’re not even calling me daddy now?” Papa Mu seethed coldly at once. “Mu Qiqi, aren’t you supposed to be happy and content? Even after transferring schools, you’re still hurting your kind sister!”
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