Chapter 206: 114, love... you
Tang Yanqing also saw someone walking over, but it was too late.
Tang Yanqing quickly held Shi Nian’s waist in place with both hands, whispering in her ear, "Looking for a book."
"Hmm?"
Shi Nian was momentarily stunned, but soon caught on, quickly composing herself as she randomly pulled out a book from the shelf, bowing her head to feign serious reading.
Behind them, he stretched his arms high above, pretending to reach for books on the upper shelf.
To a passerby’s view, even if they looked over, they would only think the two were reaching for books, hence the close proximity.
The two seemed to be reading but were actually discreetly glancing to the side. The boy walked to the entrance, only giving them a casual glance before expressionlessly walking straight past.
Both quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Tang Yanqing lowered his arm.
The protrusion slid down Shi Nian’s curve again...
Both quietly gasped, their hearts pounding uncontrollably.
However...
The crisis just averted suddenly heightened again as the boy walked into the aisle just a row away, standing diagonally opposite Shi Nian!
Although the books on the shelf were densely packed, their varying heights created gaps. As he picked a book, his gaze seemed to drift over...
Shi Nian was too nervous to move.
And Tang Yanqing, to continue concealing the awkward stance, kept repeating the motion: raising his arm to take a book, flipping through it roughly, returning it, then taking another...thus he slid along her curve upward then downward again.
Shi Nian used the book to cover her face, her mind blank, as a popular Chinese song online inexplicably slipped through her ears:
"Rubbing, rubbing...like the devil’s pace."
Their "devil’s pace" was too numerous to count, only understanding that both connection and their hearts had long ignited inexplicable flames.
The troublesome boy patiently picked a book, finally satisfied and turning to leave.
Tang Yanqing couldn’t hold back anymore, leaning forward, crudely propping the bookshelf with his arm, inching closer to her, urgently whispering "Sorry" in her ear.
Then...
She felt as if being roasted by burning coals, his tremors incessantly reverberating.
In pain, he lowly sang in her ear.
Shi Nian tightly clutched the book, standing as straight as possible...yet still feeling as if experiencing together a—
Devil’s dance.
After a while, he exhaustedly stood up, deeply inhaling as he went to unzip.
The change in size increased their distance, allowing him to carefully retrieve G from her O.
Shi Nian hugged the book, afraid to look back. He awkwardly adjusted his pants, raspy saying, "I...will go back first."
"Oh." Shi Nian dared not turn, still clutching the book tightly, her palms sweaty.
He turned towards the passage, while she quickly turned, softly calling, "Professor!"
"Yes?" He turned to look, a hint of surprise flooding his eyes.
She guessed what he misunderstood...
She quickly lowered her head, "Um, my laptop bag is at my seat. Please leave the laptop, take the bag."
Otherwise, with his appearance, fearing all soaked, how could he walk out of the library?
He understood, glancing back with a smile.
In that moment, the ceiling lights seemed to collectively cascade down, all landing on his excessively handsome face. As he raised his eyebrows and smiled, it felt like countless stars shining together.
Each side of his chiseled long bangs held tiny beads of sweat, showing his earlier—exhaustion and joy.
His red lips rose, full of—satisfaction and sweetness.
Shi Nian instantly felt flustered, as if the scene quickly shifted, not a library but a cozy room. Within a shallow golden sunrise halo, she opened her eyes, locking gaze with that man...
She let out a soft gasp, quickly lowering her head.
He went crazy because of the zipper accident; but could she also go crazy with him?
He stood at the corridor entrance, enduring the wetness in his pants, his eyes fixed on the blush on her face and—the involuntary tightening of her body.
Full of love, it was like a tsunami out of control, suddenly coming from the sky, engulfing him fiercely.
The young girl in front of him, he really wanted to hold her in his arms. Did she know?
He took a deep breath, realizing he had frightened her earlier, held onto the bookshelf, trying to widen the distance between his legs, then raised his left hand to brush his sweat-soaked hair, hoping he could look a bit more handsome.
Then he smiled softly, and said gently, "...Well, I’ll leave then?"
Shi Nian clenched the book tightly, dared not look up, just nodded vigorously, "Bye~"
But he couldn’t just leave without the final look she gave him. So he brushed his hair again to look more handsome, then said again, "So, am I really leaving now?"
Shi Nian noticed the subtle difference between the two sentences, could only bite her lip helplessly, suppressing a smile that almost broke out. Blushing, she looked at him, nodded seriously, "Goodbye, professor~"
Yet at the moment she spoke, he suddenly puckered his lips at her—silently mouthing two words:
Love,
You.
Shi Nian was caught off guard and froze; he blushed like a big boy, his eyes twinkling, then turned his head and ran away.
Shi Nian peered through the gaps in the books, watching him run out of the reading room like a big kid, catching her breath after a long time. Unconsciously, a smile emerged on her face.
.
There weren’t many clothes in the school dormitory, so he simply took a taxi home.
After changing clothes, he received calls from a few old friends.
"Yanqing, at least join us for a drink tonight?"
Tang Yanqing thought for a moment, called Jia Tianzi to go to school to accompany Shi Nian, and then drove off to the nightclub himself.
They were childhood friends, all from Asian aristocratic families, with connections spanning generations. Later, as Tang Yanqing joined the police force, he gradually had less contact with them.
Tang Yanqing walked in, and the group welcomed him early, pouring drinks as soon as he sat down. Tang Yanqing covered his cup, "I have police work tonight, no drinking."
Luo Xiansheng, who hosted tonight’s gathering, swirled his glass, squinted at Tang Yanqing under dim lights, "No, you’ve got something good today. You couldn’t hold it in anymore and answered my call, coming here to enjoy."
Tang Yanqing chuckled silently, also admiring this.
He usually separates personal and professional life clearly, regardless of how he was as a detective in the police station during the day or how good he was at behavioral analysis in university; once off duty, in his personal life circle, he quickly reverted to his true self. He wouldn’t easily use professional methods to analyze relatives and friends, respecting them, and allowing himself to rest.
But he didn’t expect his friends were no ordinary people, they accurately revealed his thoughts.
He straightforwardly nodded, "Yes, I’m happy. Even though I can’t drink with you, watching you drink makes me happy too."
"Oh, what’s up, tell us," Luo Xiansheng, already a bit tipsy, with slightly red eyelids, leaned closer to Tang Yanqing’s shoulder, "Four years, seems like four years without hearing anything happy from you."
All his friends nodded.
For four years, whenever they organized events, they hesitated to invite him, afraid to see him alone in a corner, hiding himself in darkness.
As if he had become another person.
But no matter who asked, he wouldn’t say; when pressed, he would leave. Only a few times when drunk, caught by questions, he stared foolishly at them, laughed foolishly, said, "I’m not qualified to be happy, don’t you know? I should stay in darkness, suffer in hell, to atone for my sins."
Everyone was shocked, wondering if the police work was affecting him.
But tonight, he came full of life, eyes as bright as stars, telling everyone: he was happy.
Others dared not speak lightly, but Luo Xiansheng, boldly, pressed on, "What good thing happened? Let me think, could it be... lost your virginity?"
"Nonsense..." the young men cursed, "What are you talking about, how many times do you think Yanqing’s been through that?"
Luo Xiansheng squinted drunkenly at the group.
They didn’t know, but he did. Those guys thought that given Tang Yanqing’s status and his reckless past, how could he possibly still be a virgin?
Luo Xiansheng hugged Tang Yanqing’s shoulder, "Ignore them. Just tell me, is that the good thing?"
Tang Yanqing burst into laughter, slowly saying, "You could say that..."; he leaned in drunk to Luo Xiansheng’s ear, "I made love tonight..."