Chapter 32: Pinching Her Cheeks

The moment his palm touched the softness of the girl’s lips and cheeks, and her warm breath brushed against his skin, Chi Xiao’s rationality suddenly returned. A jolt of electricity seemed to run through his heart, spreading a tingling sensation throughout his body.

He was slightly bent over, his face lowered, less than fifteen centimeters away from Ming Can.

To be honest, for a brief moment, he had thought about using something else to silence her crimson, incessantly moving lips.

Fortunately, his rationality hadn’t completely abandoned him. If he had actually done that, he would have been utterly doomed. Ming Can would never allow him to stay by her side again. Even if Miaomiao needed him, it wouldn’t matter. He would be kicked out, stripped of everything, and never allowed back.

After being suddenly silenced, Ming Can stood frozen in place, stunned.

Her beautiful almond-shaped eyes widened in shock and anger. Yet, an inexplicable sense of nervousness and panic caused her heart to skip a beat, and she found herself reflexively questioning—

Was I talking too much or being too aggressive?

No, that wasn’t it. She hadn’t been a chatterbox before. She didn’t act this way with others. It was all because of him. He was the one acting like an Antarctic glacier, indifferent and unresponsive, which had driven her to the point of frustration, making her want to drown him in a flood of words.

It was all his fault.

Chi Xiao’s gaze, looking down from above, could capture every subtle change on Ming Can’s face. He saw a fleeting moment of confusion in her eyes, followed by an even fiercer glare. Her proud, beautiful, and lively face was now trapped under his palm, the edges of her soft, elastic skin slightly bulging from the pressure, like a ball of fluffy cotton.

In that moment, the pent-up frustration in Chi Xiao’s heart suddenly eased a little, and the corner of his lips lifted almost imperceptibly.

She’s too cute. I don’t really want to let go.

Since he had already crossed the line, why not go a step further?

All of this happened in an instant. Before Chi Xiao removed his hand from her face, his long, pale fingers suddenly pressed down with a bit of force, unexpectedly sinking into the sides of Ming Can’s cheeks, turning her face into the shape of a pufferfish. Her crimson, moist lips puckered forward, making a soft “pop” as they slightly parted.

Ming Can: ?!!

Was her face made of dough, letting him play around like that?

In the next moment, before Chi Xiao’s hand could fully retreat, Ming Can’s fiery temper could no longer be contained. Like a little lion whose fur had been ruffled, she opened her mouth wide and bit down hard on Chi Xiao’s hand.

“Hiss—”

The sound of a sharp inhale reached her ears. Satisfied, Ming Can released her bite, wiped the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand, and nimbly hopped back a step, sneering, “Serves you right!”

On the back of Chi Xiao’s right hand, near the base of his thumb, there was now a deep set of teeth marks, almost breaking the skin.

She had bitten down hard.

He shook his hand. More than the pain, what left a deeper impression was the sensation of her warm, soft tongue brushing against his palm when she bit him.

Chi Xiao tried his best to suppress the curve of his lips, maintaining a calm expression as he said in an apologetic tone, “I’ve been pinching Miaomiao’s cheeks a lot lately. You look so much like him, and I accidentally lost control.”

Ming Can: ?

“If you can’t come up with a good excuse, don’t bother,” Ming Can said, almost laughing in exasperation.

Glancing at the increasingly red teeth marks on his hand, stark against his pale skin, Ming Can averted her gaze. Her tone softened slightly. “Fine, you pinched me, and I bit you. We’re even. But why did you cover my mouth in the first place?”

The air grew quiet for a moment as Chi Xiao didn’t answer immediately.

He lowered his gaze, his long lashes casting shadows, his pale lips pressing together lightly before he replied in a calm voice, “I’m sorry. I’ve been in a bad mood today.”

Ming Can hadn’t expected him to drop his usual icy, infuriating demeanor so suddenly and apologize outright. His voice was low and soothing, like the quiet flow of deep water, extinguishing most of the anger she had been building up. She didn’t know where to direct her frustration anymore.

“You…” Ming Can’s voice unconsciously softened. “What’s got you in such a bad mood all of a sudden?”

Chi Xiao looked down at her, the corner of his lips tugging slightly in what seemed like self-mockery.

None of what he was thinking could be shared with her.

In the present, Ming Can’s interactions with her male friends were entirely innocent, with no overstepping boundaries. Even if there were, he had no right to interfere with her relationships. They were merely colleagues sharing the responsibility of raising a child. If he tried to meddle in her personal life, it would be overstepping and would undoubtedly annoy her.

As for the future, that was even more off-limits. He would never discuss her future with her, letting her know that over a decade later, she would still maintain a close friendship with a certain Mr. Chen, even inviting him into her home to dine with her and Miaomiao. Regarding this, Chi Xiao would need to find an opportunity to talk to Miaomiao and make sure he kept his mouth shut, not mentioning it to Ming Can.

Even if, in the future, he was unfortunate enough to have “grass growing on his head” (a metaphor for being cheated on)—Chi Xiao had been suppressing his emotions all this time, and only now managed to adjust his mindset a little. He reminded himself that what happened in another timeline didn’t necessarily apply here. Miaomiao’s arrival had already disrupted everything, and the future was no longer following its original path. So, even if the other version of him had been betrayed, it didn’t mean this version of him would suffer the same fate. As long as he worked hard, perhaps the future could be changed.

Seeing Chi Xiao furrow his brows in thought without saying a word, Ming Can grew impatient and said coolly, “You’ve been acting really strange today.”

Chi Xiao snapped out of his thoughts and looked at the girl in front of him—young, vibrant, and radiant, belonging solely to the present.

He tried his best not to think about the future. His amber eyes were clear and cold, and he offered a faint, almost teasing smile as he found an excuse for his unusual behavior today. “Actually, you were right earlier.”

Ming Can: “About what?”

Chi Xiao: “I do have a grudge against Chen Yixiao.”

Ming Can was stunned. She had thought he was just making things up earlier, but could this really be the reason for his bad mood today?

Ming Can: “What’s the grudge about?”

Chi Xiao: “It’s between him and me.”

Meaning it had nothing to do with her.

Ming Can remembered that Chi Xiao and Chen Yixiao had known each other for a long time. The last time they met, it was like two kings refusing to acknowledge each other. Maybe there really was some hidden past conflict between them.

Ming Can rolled her eyes and suppressed her curiosity. “Fine, don’t tell me. I’m not that interested anyway.”

Chi Xiao: “Okay.”

Ming Can: “Let me remind you again. If you have a grudge against him, you should direct your anger at him, not take it out on innocent people. I just happened to walk out with him.”

Chi Xiao sighed helplessly. “I’m not taking it out on you. I just didn’t feel like talking earlier.”

Ming Can: “Not wanting to talk is taking it out on me. I’m just that sensitive.”

She said it with such confidence, even though it made little sense, that Chi Xiao didn’t know how to respond.

They stood outside in the biting cold, and another gust of wind swept past. Chi Xiao subtly shifted to block the wind from hitting Ming Can.

She didn’t seem cold, her cheeks flushed with a warm pink hue. Chi Xiao couldn’t help but recall the feeling of pinching her cheek earlier, and a sudden impulse surged within him. He took a deep breath of the cold air and casually said to Ming Can, “Then, from now on, don’t walk with him.”

His voice was light, the tail end of his words immediately carried away by the wind.

As expected, Ming Can’s eyes sharpened, her tone icy. “What I do is none of your business.”

Chi Xiao: “Alright.”

Because of the height difference, Ming Can had to tilt her head up to look at Chi Xiao. Her gaze followed the upward curve of his lashes, landing on his face. She noticed the dark strands of his hair being tousled by the cold wind, his tall and upright figure standing like a wall in front of her, blocking the wind from reaching her.

Ming Can’s voice suddenly softened, as if realizing her earlier response had been too harsh. She mumbled, “Uh… anyway, I get your situation now.”

After saying that, she turned around, combing her wind-tousled hair in the reflection of the car window and adjusting her coat, fidgeting with small gestures. Finally, she opened the car door and gently woke the sleeping little beast in the safety seat.

Miaomiao groggily climbed out of the car, holding Chi Xiao’s hand with his left and Ming Can’s with his right, as they walked into the building and took the elevator upstairs.

“Yawn…” He opened his mouth wide, letting out a comfortable yawn, then turned to look at his parents. He felt the atmosphere between them had done a complete 180, suddenly becoming very harmonious, though with a hint of awkwardness. From downstairs to upstairs, and even after entering the house, no one said a word.

Once home, Ming Can went to the bathroom to brush her teeth. When she came out, she found the first aid kit, took out some disinfectant, and tossed it to Chi Xiao, ordering, “Clean your hand.”

Chi Xiao: “It’s fine. It’s not dirty, and the skin isn’t broken.”

“Of course my mouth isn’t dirty.” At this point, she seemed to suddenly feel a bit embarrassed and coughed lightly before continuing, “I’m just worried you might accidentally break the skin later and blame me if it gets infected.”

Chi Xiao couldn’t help but laugh. He picked up the disinfectant she had thrown at him and obediently cleaned the bite marks on his hand.

Ming Can sat on the couch diagonally across from him, like a proper boss, repeating the tasks he needed to handle over the next few days, with the main focus being their trip to Yunshan Ski Resort the day after tomorrow.

“The day after tomorrow…” Chi Xiao seemed to recall something and suddenly asked, “January 28th?”

Ming Can: “Yeah.”

Chi Xiao’s expression shifted subtly, and Ming Can was puzzled. “What’s wrong with the 28th?”

The man, who had been leaning back on the couch, suddenly sat up straight, his elbows resting on his knees. Hesitantly, he said in a low voice, “I just remembered that on the 28th and 29th, my three roommates happen to be at Yunshan Ski Resort too. We might run into them.”

Ming Can was stunned. “What a coincidence? That ski resort isn’t even that famous.”

Chi Xiao rubbed his temples. “A couple of days ago, they… helped me with something, so I gave each of them a three-day, two-night luxury trip to Yunshan Ski Resort, from the 27th to the 29th. The hotel is in the same resort we’re staying at.”

Ming Can: …

This really wasn’t his fault. He had given the tickets to his roommates first, and Ming Can had signed Miaomiao up for the class later. They hadn’t communicated at all, and now their plans had collided.

It was already winter break, the perfect time for skiing, and every ski class was fully booked. The class the day after tomorrow had excellent facilities, a good reputation, and a skilled instructor. Ming Can had only managed to snag a spot because someone else canceled. If she gave it up now, she wasn’t sure if she could find another children’s ski class that met her standards.

Changing the timing wasn’t easy either. Ming Can wasn’t like Chi Xiao, who seemed to have all the time in the world. After the ski trip, she had violin practice, a concert to attend, a startup competition to prepare for, and Miaomiao had other extracurricular activities lined up. After that, it would be Chinese New Year…

Miaomiao sat on a small stool nearby, playing on his tablet while listening to his parents talk.

Hearing this, he looked up, his voice tinged with disappointment. “Are we not going skiing?”

Ming Can felt a headache coming on. She really wanted to go without Chi Xiao, just her and Miaomiao. But skiing wasn’t like other sports. For a young woman to take a small child to the snowy mountains for two days—it wasn’t that Ming Can lacked confidence, but she genuinely couldn’t handle it alone.

The room fell silent for a moment before Chi Xiao sighed and said in a low voice, “The ski resort is huge. We might not even run into them.”

Ming Can was used to sticking to her plans once they were set. She didn’t want to cancel the trip either. While she didn’t like the idea of being seen with Chi Xiao while taking care of Miaomiao, if it was just a brief encounter, it probably wouldn’t lead to any serious consequences.

She grunted in acknowledgment, then heard Chi Xiao add, “If we do run into them accidentally, we’ll stick to the same story as before. You’re Miaomiao’s cousin. His parents are abroad and have entrusted him to your family. You’re responsible for taking him around.”

Hearing this, Ming Can couldn’t help but feel a little amused.

What Chi Xiao was saying was exactly the story she had used to deceive him when she first brought Miaomiao around.

“Okay,” Ming Can said, holding back a laugh. “But what about you? You’ll be with us.”

“Me?” Chi Xiao blinked, turning to look at her. His voice was low and clear. “I’m pursuing you. Wherever you go, I’ll follow.”