Chapter 15: “Brother, I Don’t Want to Go Home”

Jin Zhuo stared at Qin Yingxia’s overly beautiful eyes, smiling faintly, “This meat is a little hot, it just came off the grill…”

Qin Yingxia understood, blew on it to cool it down, and tried to hand it back to him.

Halfway through, she realized the gesture was a bit too intimate, “I blew on it, do you still want to eat it?”

He lowered his brows and eyes, lowered his head and took the grilled meat she fed him, answering her with a practical action.

The key is that after Jin Zhuo finished eating, he licked his lips with a lingering taste, “…Not bad.”

Qin Yingxia’s face flushed.

•  

Although she hadn’t had any alcohol, Qin Yingxia felt like she was drunk after the meal, her face flushed red, and her legs felt weak.

She felt like she was drowning in Jin Zhuo’s gaze.

“The total is 288 yuan,” the receptionist announced the bill.

Qin Yingxia flashed her payment code, “Scan me.”

The receptionist didn’t move, her gaze sweeping over the pair of handsome people in front of her, “May I ask, are you two a couple?”

“Actually, today is our boss and boss’s wedding anniversary, couples get a 50% discount in the store… So you…”

Qin Yingxia: “We’re not…”

Although she wanted to take this opportunity to pretend to be a couple with Jin Zhuo, he might not be willing.

Jin Zhuo glanced at her sideways, then pressed down on her phone and paid first.

“Senior Jin, wasn’t I the one paying?”

“Hmm, next time.” Jin Zhuo’s voice was flat.

The two left the barbecue shop, Qin Yingxia turned her head to look at him, “Then when is next time?”

She was already looking forward to it.

Jin Zhuo’s gaze swept across her brows and eyes, and he said in a domineering way, “When I’m in a good mood.”

Qin Yingxia lowered her eyes, “Are you in a good mood today?”

Did he feel happy eating with her?

“Ah,” Jin Zhuo looked away, nonchalantly, “Not really, so I wanted to spend money.

Qin Yingxia asked softly, “You were smiling while we were eating just now…”

“I wasn’t smiling at you?” Jin Zhuo felt quite upset, Qin Yingxia’s anxious look of denial just now was quite jarring. A bit fierce.

Qin Yingxia had never seen him angry.

When she was in her first year of high school, the students around her always paid special attention to Jin Zhuo’s whereabouts.

Teenage girls would always have wild imaginations, and they would also think, like in all the idol dramas, that they could have a romantic encounter with the male lead of the school.

Jin Zhuo was that natural male protagonist, fulfilling all the fantasies of women.

One day, Qin Yingxia returned from filming outside, and the school was abuzz with the news that Jin Zhuo and a few boys had gone to teach a lesson to a few hooligans who were always loitering around the school gate.

It was said that these hooligans took advantage of the large number of people leaving school to sneakily stick their phones under the skirts of female students…

They were just caught red-handed by Jin Zhuo and his group.

The girls who witnessed the fight firsthand all said that Jin Zhuo looked angry.

Jin Zhuo usually had no temper with people, even his rejection of confessions was always the same.

Qin Yingxia couldn’t imagine what he would look like when he was angry.

But now, she seemed to have seen it clearly…

The man’s expression was extremely light, his thin lips were lightly pursed, his ink-black eyes stared at the front, just not looking at the girl beside him.

“Senior Jin, why are you unhappy then?”

Qin Yingxia replayed their interaction, it seemed like from the moment she said they weren’t a couple, Jin Zhuo’s slightly raised lips flattened.

So, what was Jin Zhuo thinking?

Did he like her a little bit too?

Jin Zhuo was stumped by her question, even he felt out of control, he casually brushed aside the topic, “…It’s not because you’re unhappy.”

“Okay.” Qin Yingxia felt like a wilted eggplant after being hit by frost.

Sure enough, she knew Jin Zhuo wouldn’t be easily swayed.

It’s okay, keep trying!

Qin Yingxia quickly cheered herself up.

On the way back, they passed by a supermarket. She tugged at Jin Zhuo’s sleeve.

Jin Zhuo turned his head and followed her gaze, “Do you need to buy anything?”

“Yeah, yeah, military training starts the day after tomorrow.”

“Okay, let’s go in and have a look.”

…

Actually, Qin Yingxia had already prepared her military training supplies, such as sunscreen, moisturizing masks, aloe vera gel, and a traditional Chinese medicine for heatstroke and indigestion, all neatly prepared.

She dragged Jin Zhuo to the supermarket, wanting to buy him the necessary items.

Jin Zhuo: “I don’t need these.”

“The temperature will be quite high during the few days of military training. You just treated me to grilled meat, so I’m preparing these for you…” Qin Yingxia put the sunscreen spray she had chosen into the shopping cart.

He smiled, “You’re quite good at giving gifts in return, little Qin junior.”

“Yeah, yeah!” Qin Yingxia was quite proud. As long as she could ensure Jin Zhuo wouldn’t get sunburned, it was all good.

Jin Zhuo pushed the shopping cart and followed behind her, watching the girl’s lively and bouncy figure, he couldn’t help but smile.

Qin Yingxia led him to the household goods section and picked out a few sanitary pads of suitable length from the shelf and threw them into the basket.

“This, it’s very useful to stick in your shoes…”

“I heard the shoes issued by the school are very hard, and it will be very painful to walk.”

He picked up the sanitary pads in the shopping cart and remembered the first time he encountered this thing in high school.

That hot summer left a deep impression on him.

He was originally supposed to go on a cycling trip around the island with his friends, but a sudden downpour blinded him, and he collided with a young girl who rushed out from a side road while cycling.

“Are you okay? Did you fall anywhere?” Jin Zhuo took off his jacket to shield her from the rain.

The girl was completely drenched by the rain, her hair stuck to her face, her eyes were swollen, like a cat that had suffered a lot of grievances, both helpless and innocent.

“…Sorry.” Her voice was pitifully small, apologizing for her sudden action, “I didn’t fall…”

Jin Zhuo picked her up, scaring her to hug his neck tightly, “It’s better to go to the hospital for a check-up, I’ll take you home first?”

“Don’t go to the hospital, don’t go home either.” The little girl clung to his clothes tightly, “…Brother, I don’t want to go home.”

Her voice was hoarse, and her eyes were swollen, she must have cried and made a fuss.

Jin Zhuo compromised, “Okay.”

He noticed her clothes were torn, “The rain is too heavy, I’ll take you to the mall to buy a clean set of clothes to change?”

The little girl looked at him pitifully and nodded lightly.

He bought her a new set of clothes, the little girl could walk, and there were no obvious injuries on her body, she should not have fallen.

However, she had only been in the fitting room for a minute before she came out blushing.

“What’s wrong, doesn’t it fit?” Jin Zhuo asked her.

She shook her head, even her snow-white neck turned red, “…I want to go to the bathroom.”

Jin Zhuo led her towards the bathroom, but she didn’t rush in, instead, she looked at him timidly, “Brother, can you help me buy…”

“Hmm?” He leaned down, getting closer, “Buy what?”

The little girl hung her head, revealing her pink neck, “That.”

Jin Zhuo understood.

Even though his own ears were also flushed, he still raised the little girl’s head in a serious manner and comforted her, “Don’t be ashamed, it’s normal.”

The little girl’s nose was sour, and she nodded obediently.

“Cough,” Jin Zhuo let go of her hand and asked softly, “What kind do you want?”