When Yu Qian finally recovered from the dizziness caused by lack of oxygen, she realized just how ambiguous their posture was.

In the light gray room, Yu Qian was half-lying on the deep blue sofa. Her hair was disheveled, cascading messily over her shoulders, and her lips were a striking shade of red.

Her clothes had been pulled up slightly, exposing her stomach to the cool air, while a large, well-defined hand kneaded her waist continuously.

A hand?

When had her clothes been lifted?

When had Jiang Zheng placed his hand on her waist?

Feeling the hand on her waist slowly inching upward, Yu Qian hurriedly covered her chest, trying to struggle and get up.

“Hmm—”

“Don’t move.”

Jiang Zheng let out a muffled groan, half of his body pressing against hers.

He buried his head into the crook of her shoulder, inhaling her scent, and the lingering heat within him only grew stronger.

Yu Qian, trapped under Jiang Zheng, dared not move an inch. Her face burned with embarrassment as she let his hand continue roaming around her waist.

She had no idea how much time had passed before Jiang Zheng finally calmed down. He propped himself up and looked at her with a satisfied smile.

“Never thought Little Fish’s waist would be this soft and slender.”

So slender that it fit perfectly in his arms.

So soft that he wanted to leave his mark on it.

Touching it was one thing, but how dare he even make observations about it?

Yu Qian shoved Jiang Zheng away and quickly pulled her clothes down.

Jiang Zheng watched as that small patch of warm fair skin was covered again, savoring the memory of its touch.

Yu Qian felt flustered under his gaze, wishing she could escape from the scene immediately.

“I’m leaving.”

With that, she turned and walked straight toward the door.

Jiang Zheng reacted swiftly, grabbing her wrist. His voice carried a teasing hint, “It’s almost noon. Why don’t you take a nap in my room?”

The thought of the person he adored lying in his bed was enough to drive him crazy.

Yu Qian was utterly speechless at his boldness. Sleep there? Would it really be just sleeping? Or……

She covered her ears, refusing to listen to him any longer, and ran out of the Jiang family’s house without looking back.

────ρя


The exams ended quickly. Yu Qian had originally planned to rest for a couple of days before heading to Jiang City, but she couldn’t withstand Jiang Zheng’s relentless and obviously mischievous urging.

On the second day of break, the group of four boarded a plane to Jiang City once again.

Though Jiang City’s winters were warmer than those in the capital, they were still bone-chillingly cold.

Even Jiang Zheng shivered the moment he stepped off the plane.

With the weather this freezing, even Lin Niannian lost all desire to go shopping. Seeing this, Yu Qian simply hailed a taxi and took everyone straight to her house in the city.

When they arrived, Qi Yu and the others were already waiting inside.

They had a spare key to Yu Qian’s place, and the moment they heard she was coming, they rushed over.

“Qianqian!” Fang Yan threw herself at Yu Qian, giving her a big hug.

Yu Qian stumbled backward from the impact, and if not for Jiang Zheng steadying her from behind, she would have fallen.

“Qianqian, I think you’ve grown taller!” Wang Jiajia measured their heights with her hand and realized Yu Qian was now slightly taller than her. She was amazed.

“You’re right! She does seem a bit taller!”

“Let’s go inside first. I brought gifts for you all.”

Yu Qian grinned and led her friends into the house. Seeing this, Jiang Zheng and the others naturally carried their luggage inside as well.

Since Lin Niannian and the other three girls had met a few times before, they quickly hit it off, chatting away excitedly. Meanwhile, Jiang Zheng and Bai Qiming were left sitting in silence, completely ignored.

“Achoo!” Jiang Zheng sneezed from the cold.

Hearing that, Yu Qian immediately stood up from the group and walked over to him with concern. “Are you okay? Did you catch a chill?”

The cold in the South was different from what northern people were used to. And since there was no underfloor heating indoors, even though Qi Yu had turned on the air conditioner earlier, it wasn’t very effective.

Worried that Jiang Zheng might get sick, Yu Qian instinctively reached out to touch his hand.

Watching from the side, Fang Yan and Wang Jiajia’s eyes widened in shock.

“Qianqian, you guys…… are together?” Although it was phrased as a question, Fang Yan was certain that the two were dating.

She had already suspected something when they visited the capital last time.

Qi Yu, on the other hand, remained calm. Since Yu Qian had already gotten into university, there was no need to worry about distractions. Let them date if they want to.

Only Wang Jiajia looked genuinely stunned, just as shocked as Lin Niannian had been back then.

“Mhm.” Facing her three close friends, Yu Qian admitted it openly, even with a hint of pride.

In this life, she was the first one to get a boyfriend. She would never again be the one who was constantly mocked for being single.

Hearing her confirmation, Fang Yan and Wang Jiajia immediately ignited with gossip-fueled excitement. They couldn’t care less about Jiang Zheng anymore and dragged Yu Qian to the side, whispering amongst themselves.

“Qianqian, how far have you two gone? Have you…… had any deep interactions?” Fang Yan’s eyes gleamed with curiosity.

Yu Qian was speechless for a moment before answering honestly, “We’ve kissed.”

All the girls collectively sucked in a breath.

“How’s his kissing technique? What kind of kisses does he like? Have you touched his body? Does he have abs?” Fang Yan grew more and more enthusiastic, while Lin Niannian and Wang Jiajia sat beside her, their expressions filled with pure admiration, as if they had just discovered a whole new world.

Qi Yu crouched beside Yu Qian, staying silent. She only tugged at Fang Yan whenever her voice got too loud, preventing their conversation from being overheard by the two guys nearby.

What was supposed to be a normal get-together between friends had somehow turned into an R-rated gossip session, thanks to Fang Yan.

Yu Qian glanced at Lin Niannian, who was listening with wide, innocent eyes, and felt a surge of guilt.

Such a pure child…… and they had just shattered her innocence.

────ρя


That evening, Jiang Zheng treated everyone to dinner.

Fang Yan and the others showed no restraint, ordering a full table of dishes, including a big plate of crayfish.

When the crayfish arrived, Yu Qian’s mouth instantly watered. She eagerly put on gloves and started peeling.

Jiang Zheng wasn’t particularly fond of crayfish, but seeing how much she enjoyed them, he put on gloves as well and slowly began peeling for her.

Each time he finished peeling one, he would place it into Yu Qian’s bowl. Touched, she gave him a grateful look.

Jiang Zheng smirked. “If you marry me, you’ll never have to peel seafood again for the rest of your life.”

Before Yu Qian could react to his corny pickup line, Fang Yan cut in with a deadpan expression, “Qianqian, he’s basically saying that if you marry him, he’ll make sure you lose your hands.”

After speaking, Fang Yan shot Jiang Zheng a provocative look. If he dared to flaunt his relationship in front of single people, then she dared to make him crash and burn.

Yu Qian: “……”

Everyone else: “Pfft—”

Come to think of it, that interpretation wasn’t exactly wrong.

Yu Qian couldn’t help but laugh, but when she saw Jiang Zheng’s sulky expression, she quickly picked up some food and placed it in his bowl, trying to appease the ‘little princess.’