Chapter 33

Chi Xiaoman knew that she was showing a terrible attitude, but she was in such a mess that she didn’t know how to face Qiao Ning.

Qiao Ning drove with a droopy mood, taking Chi Xiaoman to a Sichuan restaurant that she had highly praised before. At the dining table, Qiao Ning looked at the happily eating Chi Xiaoman and fell into a trance, remembering the times they were inseparable and intimate. “It’s all my fault…”

He suddenly blamed himself, rubbing his eyes, “I’m sorry.”

Suddenly, the taste of the food in Chi Xiaoman’s mouth disappeared. She looked at Qiao Ning’s guilty face, feeling suffocated and confused in her heart. “I wasn’t angry at you, I just couldn’t adjust my mood…”

She knew that she and Qiao Ning had completely different personalities. One was carefree while the other was sensitive. She shouldn’t have treated him with such coldness.

When she ignored him, Chi Xiaoman didn’t feel good at all.

Qiao Ning shook his head, “I just feel happy and satisfied to be able to be with you like this, eating together, watching movies, and travelling together during holidays… I’m sorry, I won’t do that anymore. I’ll change the things you don’t like. Please don’t ignore me anymore, I beg you…”

Qiao Ning didn’t know what Chi Xiaoman was thinking, he only knew that he had been tamed by her cold demeanour, and even seeing her happy and radiant appearance again felt like a luxury.

“Don’t suddenly say such sentimental words,” Chi Xiaoman said, but still reached out to touch Qiao Ning’s face. “I hate that the most.”

Qiao Ning nodded, “As long as you’re not angry at me.”

Chi Xiaoman promised, “I’ll still get angry with you in the future, but I won’t ignore you anymore.”

After finishing their meal, the two of them held hands, bought popcorn and cola, and happily went to watch a movie.

The plot of the movie was okay, but Chi Xiaoman felt a bit uncomfortable. The second male lead and the second female lead were becoming a couple while her own childhood friend, who she had been intimate with, was sitting beside her.

When the second male lead and second female lead kissed, Chi Xiaoman unconsciously turned her head slightly and whispered, “It feels strange. There were no sparks while they knew each other for over a decade, but they suddenly fell in love. It doesn’t make sense.”

Qiao Ning kept his eyes fixed on the big screen and said, “There’s a lyric that says, ‘sometimes people can’t tell.’”

Chi Xiaoman was puzzled, “What?”

She looked at Qiao Ning, and even after watching him for many years, Chi Xiaoman found his profile becoming more distinct in the dim light.@@novelbin@@

Qiao Ning turned to look at her and slowly explained, “It’s because we grew up together from a young age that we can’t tell. With so many promises, commitments and so much sincerity and understanding, how can we distinguish between friendship and a missed chance at love…”

The voices and music in the movie continued, and Chi Xiaoman looked into Qiao Ning’s eyes. Her body stiffened, and her lips moved several times before she pretended to be casual and asked, “Why are you telling me this?”

“Because you asked me,” Qiao Ning shifted his gaze away, regretting his slip of the tongue again. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologise,” Chi Xiaoman abruptly turned her head back to look straight ahead. Her heart was beating violently, not out of excitement or anxiety, but a kind of inexplicable fear that made her restless.

“I’m going to the restroom,” Chi Xiaoman said abruptly, hurrying out of her seat and walking towards the exit of the theatre.

Qiao Ning didn’t have time to say anything. He watched as Chi Xiaoman’s figure disappeared around the corner of the cinema, and suddenly felt something was wrong and hurriedly chased after her.

When he reached the corridor, he indeed saw Chi Xiaoman holding her bag and walking towards the exit.

“Chi Xiaoman,” Qiao Ning panicked and called her, “what are you doing?”

Upon hearing his voice, Chi Xiaoman turned her head in panic and suddenly started running.

Qiao Ning caught up with her, calling her name as he chased after her, “Wait, Manman, don’t run!”

Chi Xiaoman ran to the elevator, frantically pressing the button. She didn’t know what she was doing, she just wanted to escape. The only thought in her mind was to run away. Her mind was about to become a mess, and staying with Qiao Ning would make her completely lose her sanity.

Qiao Ning’s footsteps grew closer. Chi Xiaoman didn’t even dare to look back at him. The elevator hadn’t arrived yet. Chi Xiaoman held her bag and suddenly changed direction, brushing past Qiao Ning’s side and rushing towards the escalator going down.

Qiao Ning turned back again, annoyed at himself. He clenched his fists and couldn’t help but pound on the handrail, “Slow down, you’ll get hurt and end up in the hospital. Chi Xiaoman, I haven’t…”

But as Chi Xiaoman heard his voice, she ran even faster.

Qiao Ning kept chasing after her until they reached the first floor, and then onto the sidewalk outside.

“Chi Xiaoman,” Qiao Ning frustratedly pressed his hands against his forehead.

Chi Xiaoman ignored him, and kept running. Both of them ran until they reached a sparsely populated street. Qiao Ning shouted, “Chi Xiaoman, you promised me that you would get angry with me but not ignore me!”

Chi Xiaoman abruptly stopped in her tracks, her figure rigid as she stood in place to catch her breath.

Qiao Ning slowly walked over, unable to resist embracing her from behind. His voice choked, “I’m sorry, I was only talking about the movie, not about myself. Please don’t ignore me anymore, and don’t run away, I’m begging you…”

He had never been uncertain before, he had never been so unsure. Ever since he became aware of his gender, he knew he liked her!

After several minutes passed, Chi Xiaoman slowly turned around, and she hugged Qiao Ning’s neck, burying her face in his shoulder and holding him tightly. “It’s me being emotional. Don’t apologise, Qiao Ning. Don’t apologise…”

The two of them held each other for a while, their eyes starting to get moist.

Chi Xiaoman stood up straight, and the two of them looked at each other. Perhaps it was the dim streetlight that was too ambiguous, the blurry tears that almost trapped their emotions, or perhaps it was simply because she was too beautiful in his eyes…

Qiao Ning couldn’t help but lean in, capturing her lips with his own and sucking at it gently.

Their soft lips touched and became moist from the sucking as their tongues flicked over their sensitive lips. Chi Xiaoman closed her eyes and instinctively responded to his kisses. Gradually, the kiss became deeper, their tongues intertwining. Qiao Ning’s hands supported Chi Xiaoman’s face as she made a soft moan in her throat, even biting his tongue playfully.

The streetlight cast an elongated shadow of the two immersed in the wet kiss, until a cold wind blew by, causing Chi Xiaoman to shudder and snap out of it.

She suddenly pushed Qiao Ning away, looking at him in shock, and stumbled back two steps.

Qiao Ning also looked at her in bewilderment, afraid she would fall, and took a few steps forward to support her, wanting to say, “I…”

“Ah!” Chi Xiaoman suddenly covered her face, screamed in terror, and then turned around and ran as fast as she could, faster than before. “Don’t follow me…”