Chapter 49: First Kiss

The strong wind howled outside.

When Cao Xi saw the awkward atmosphere broken, she quickly spoke up, “Ah, we were just preparing to welcome you.”

Before she could finish, she suddenly realized something and quickly added, “Excuse me, please wait a moment,” leaving Li Feng and Qin Zhao alone as she ran back into the house.

Li Feng reached for the teapot on the table and was about to pour tea for Cao Xi when Qin Zhao stopped him.

Qin Zhao said, “Let me do it. After all, I’m the guest.”

Li Feng gave Qin Zhao a mocking glance. “You’re so lucky, so lucky it’s almost enviable. You’re so childish, childish enough to make people jealous.”

Qin Zhao replied, “The opportunity is there. It’s up to you to grasp it.”

Li Feng was hit by the remark and his face darkened. “The opportunity was there, but it’s gone now.”

Qin Zhao chuckled. “Seems like there really is something that you’ve missed.”

Li Feng clenched his fists, ready to retort, but just then, Cao Xi came running back with a box in her hands.

“This is a gift we brought for you from the city,” she said, “It’s something special.”

“Stop standing there like a fool, just take it.”

Li Feng was about to reach for it when Cao Xi opened the box, which was surprisingly heavy, causing him a bit of pain.

Li Feng gently lifted the box’s lid and inside, there were six delicate clay dolls.

“Do you like it? This one is…” Cao Xi pointed to a doll wearing a long robe, with a golden jade hairpin on its head.

Li Feng picked up the doll. It really did look quite lifelike. He placed it back into the box and took a good look at the others.

“How come it’s like this?”

Cao Xi awkwardly explained, “I was in a rush, didn’t have time to finish it all. I’ll make up for it next time.”

Li Feng smiled. “I really like it. It’s just that it’s missing a few things, and that’s a bit of a regret.”

Li Feng seemed to sense something was off, as he glanced at Qin Zhao while putting the dolls back into the box. His look at Qin Zhao had a mocking, yet subtle quality to it that made people uncomfortable.

The three of them went to the spicy hotpot shop, which had closed early today, with the owner preparing ingredients for the evening meal.

As soon as they arrived, they joined the cooking team, and soon the dining table was filled with dishes.

The eight of them sat around in a circle, laughing and chatting. Qin Zhao picked up a chicken leg and tried to hand it to Cao Xi, but was teased by a big, burly man.

“When it’s meal time, you’re the one who steals chicken legs from Cao Xi, but you look like the little brother who cares for his older sister. And now you’re trying to be extra nice to your mother?” The whole table burst into laughter.

Qin Zhao blushed and tried to defend himself. “What’s wrong with caring for my mother? What would a single man know about that?”

The burly man teased him further, “Who knows? I’m not married, but my brother already found a wife.”

Cao Xi turned to the man, asking, “So, have you bought a house?”

The man replied, “Yes, we’ve bought a house. It’s a farmstead outside the city. The seller was in a hurry to get the money, and we happened to meet them and bought it.”

The man beside him looked enviously. “A farmstead? Isn’t that quite expensive?”

The man, Da Yong, chuckled when asked, “Hmm, it’s quite expensive. We’ll have a proper celebration when we’re done setting up the new house.”

Chuan: “I dare say, we’ll celebrate it at our new farmstead!”

Da Yong and his family had lived in the countryside for a long time. They worked hard, burning charcoal from dawn to dusk. It had taken several attempts before they finally succeeded in buying the farmstead, and now they were happily settled there.

Da Yong turned to Cao Xi and asked, “When will we be invited to your wedding?”

The moment he asked, everyone’s eyes turned toward Cao Xi. Qin Zhao clenched his cup tightly, his gaze fixated on Cao Xi, his heartbeat quickening, more nervous than waiting for exam results.

Cao Xi glanced at Qin Zhao, smiling gently. “The exact date is still uncertain, but we’ll definitely let you know once we’ve decided.”

Hearing this, Qin Zhao’s previously tense expression suddenly turned downcast. He raised his cup to hide his emotions. As the wine almost reached his mouth, a soft voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Do we need a long time to arrange the wedding room?”

The soft question instantly shocked Qin Zhao, making his heart race with joy. His thoughts went blank.

He stared at Cao Xi, and everything around him seemed to fade away. His mind was fixated on her alone.

The words he wanted to say caught in his throat. After a long pause, he finally blurted out a single word, “Yes,” his voice sounding somewhat awkward. People around them glanced over at him.

Cao Xi noticed his reaction, and with a playful cough, she said, “Cough cough, let’s get back to the topic.” She then shot Qin Zhao a teasing glare.

By the end of the evening, everyone had had their fill of drinks. It turned out that the one who got drunk was Li Feng.

Li Feng didn’t expect it, but upon hearing the news, he learned that Qin Zhao and Cao Xi were planning to marry. He felt uncomfortable and distanced himself from the gathering. He couldn’t bring himself to congratulate the couple.

One drink after another, Li Feng kept drinking until he finally passed out on the table.

“Shui Niu, help Li Ge back to the house. It’s getting late. Let’s all head home,” Cao Xi suggested. “We can gather again next time.”

The night breeze was gentle as Qin Zhao held Cao Xi’s hand and led her back to the house. They talked along the way, and when they reached the bedroom, Qin Zhao suddenly pulled Cao Xi toward him.

“I’ve already started preparing the wedding room,” he said, his eyes burning with intensity, almost scorching Cao Xi. Without thinking, she reached up to touch his face.

“I believe you,” she whispered, standing on tiptoe to lightly kiss the corner of his lips.

Before she could pull away, she was suddenly pulled into Qin Zhao’s embrace.

Qin Zhao’s voice was hoarse, his throat working as he spoke, “You kissed me.”

“How could I not kiss you?” she whispered.

Cao Xi grinned mischievously, placing her hands on Qin Zhao’s shoulders and tiptoeing to kiss the corner of his lips again.

Qin Zhao froze, his voice caught in surprise. “Weren’t you going to kiss me?”

Before Qin Zhao could finish his sentence, Cao Xi kissed the other corner of his lips, her gaze playful.

“How about now?”

Qin Zhao was speechless for a moment, thinking, “What kind of mischievous woman is this?” His mind went blank, and he lowered his head, kissing her fiercely, unable to hold back his growing desire.

Everything became quiet again. Qin Zhao rested his forehead against Cao Xi’s, breathing heavily. Looking at her swollen lips from his kisses, a wave of regret suddenly washed over him. Gently, he touched her lips and asked, “Does it hurt?”

Cao Xi had been shy at first, not daring to meet his gaze. But when he asked, she finally felt a slight sting on her lips.

She raised her head to scold Qin Zhao but was immediately caught in his dark, passionate eyes, filled with love.

Qin Zhao was pleased by her enamored expression, and with a delicate kiss on her lips, he finally snapped back to reality.

Smiling with contentment, Qin Zhao watched as Cao Xi, flustered and embarrassed, kicked him.

“You’ve changed. You’re not my Qin Zhao anymore,” she teased, before swiftly retreating into the bedroom, throwing herself onto the bed.

She seemed like a frightened rabbit, hiding in the room and unwilling to come out.

Qin Zhao chuckled softly, wiping his lips. The kiss had felt truly wonderful.

This night was anything but peaceful. While Cao Xi hid in her room, smiling sweetly yet punching the bed in frustration, Qin Zhao lay on the bed, playing with two clay figures, making them kiss.

…

The next morning, Cao Xi woke up to find Qin Zhao already dressed neatly. She couldn’t help but ask, “Why are you all dressed up this early? Where are you going?”

“I’m preparing a gift for you,” Qin Zhao replied, setting breakfast on the table. “Let’s eat first.”

Cao Xi was puzzled. “It’s so early. Did you already go out and buy this?”

Qin Zhao smiled, “I found a way to handle it,” and with that, he cheerfully left for the yard.

Cao Xi, left behind, could only stare in silence.