Chapter 63

The kiss came too suddenly, and Qin Qingzhuo’s mind went blank for a moment.

Perhaps “peck” would be a more accurate description than “kiss.”

First, there was a light touch, then a gentle nibble on his lower lip.

Accompanied by the warm breath, slightly minty, it was straightforward yet tinged with a hint of innocence, cautious yet assertive.

It didn’t linger for too long. Jiang Ji looked into Qin Qingzhuo’s eyes and said softly, “I have inspiration now.”

He saw that Qin Qingzhuo’s lower lip was slightly moist, shimmering with a faint sheen of water.

Suddenly, a desire for control surged in his heart—a desire to leave more of his mark on Qin Qingzhuo.

He leaned in again and gently nibbled on the moistened spot.

Following the scorching confession, this kiss left Qin Qingzhuo even more unsure of how to react.

His heart pounded loudly, almost drowning out the sound of the rain hitting the car. It made it even harder for him to organize his thoughts.

When he snapped out of it, Jiang Ji had already picked up the guitar leaning against the car door and reached for the umbrella placed on the front passenger seat. “I’m going out to write songs,” he said and then pushed open the car door, unfurling the umbrella as he stepped outside.

As soon as the door opened, the overwhelming sound of rain poured in, unabated. The downpour completely drowned out Qin Qingzhuo’s question of “Where are you going?”

With his tall stature and long legs, Jiang Ji quickly walked quite a distance. His view was obstructed by the dense curtain of rain, and Qin Qingzhuo could barely make out which direction he was heading. He took out his phone and dialed Jiang Ji’s number, which was promptly answered.

“In such heavy rain,” Qin Qingzhuo said, “why don’t you write in the car?”

“I think you should have some time to yourself,” Jiang Ji’s voice sounded clear and gentle amidst the noisy rain.

Qin Qingzhuo hesitated, realizing that Jiang Ji had a point. After the confession and the kiss just now, being in the cramped car with Jiang Ji would indeed make him feel uncomfortable.

Realizing that Jiang Ji was considering him, Qin Qingzhuo couldn’t help but soften his tone. “Where are you going to write? It’s pouring outside. Let me take you to a nearby hotel.”

“Get a room?” Jiang Ji’s voice took on a teasing tone.

“…” Really can’t let your guard down ah…

Jiang Ji chuckled, seemingly pleased with Qin Qingzhuo’s reaction.

But the teasing tone quickly vanished, replaced by a more gentle one. “Don’t worry, I’ll find a place. You wait for me in the car.”

After hanging up the phone, Qin Qingzhuo leaned back in his seat and looked out the window.

Jiang Ji’s figure was completely out of sight now. Would he be able to find a shelter from the rain?

Qin Qingzhuo hoped the rain would lessen, so Jiang Ji wouldn’t get drenched.

Over the years, Qin Qingzhuo had actually encountered several pursuers, some subtle, some direct, some beating around the bush, and some straightforward.

But they all had one thing in common: the confession of adults allowed room for a turnaround even after rejection, and it never revealed one’s feelings until they were certain.

In the end, people were selfish. No matter how much they liked someone, they had to consider their own well-being first.

But Jiang Ji was different. This young man laid bare his heart from the start, leaving the decision entirely up to you.

Qin Qingzhuo felt he should be straightforward. He should have given an answer when Jiang Ji bluntly asked, “Do you like me?”

But at that moment, he couldn’t come up with a definite answer.

Like or not like, the answer boiled down to these two options, but neither seemed quite appropriate.

Of course, he could beat around the bush and say, “Of course, I like you. You’re so talented in music.” Qin Qingzhuo had dealt with so many cunning reporters and had easily brushed off a sincere young boy before, so what difficulty was there now?

But for some reason, when Jiang Ji looked at him with such intensity, he couldn’t bring himself to play this little trick.

How did it come to this? Qin Qingzhuo sighed. Clearly, he felt his heart skip a beat when their eyes met. So why couldn’t he even say the word “like”?

Qin Qingzhuo remembered he wasn’t like this before. Four years ago, when he got together with Ji Chi, it was just a fleeting moment of infatuation after witnessing Ji Chi’s various efforts for him.

He couldn’t remember what he was thinking back then. Maybe he wasn’t thinking at all. He just felt that since he had feelings, they should be together.

In his youthful infatuation, he only thought about being with the person he liked.

But now, when Qin Qingzhuo experienced infatuation, he thought about Ji Chi’s photos of infidelity, the embarrassing moments of being nearly found dead while drunk, the exhaustion of cleaning up the mess after moving out, and the effort to maintain a dignified appearance when seeing Ji Chi again.

Thinking about Ji Chi still made him feel uncomfortable, not the kind of discomfort from unresolved feelings, but the feeling of being stabbed by the closest person. Even though the knife was pulled out, it left a deep wound that seemed to have healed on the surface but still ached faintly on rainy days.

Perhaps Cheng Yun was right. In love, don’t be sincere. Be like an impervious blade, the most carefree and dignified posture.

It would be best to just be a pastime for each other, without making each other the center of life. Come together if it works, separate if it doesn’t, easy for both parties.

But now, Qin Qingzhuo couldn’t treat Jiang Ji, who held a sincere heart, as just a pastime.

It was too heavy, and he had to think carefully before reaching out.

Otherwise, he shouldn’t reach out at all, or else he would become the villain who shattered a sincere heart.

After much contemplation without reaching a clear conclusion, he fell asleep in a daze, thinking of Ji Chi before sleep, and thus dreamed of Ji Chi.

He dreamt of lying in a hospital bed and waking up to see Ji Chi by his side. Ji Chi’s eyes were bloodshot, and tears welled up in his eyes as they met.

Then Ji Chi hastily wiped away his tears, pressed the call button, and stood up, saying he was going to the bathroom to smoke. Qin Qingzhuo lay on the hospital bed, listening to Ji Chi’s suppressed sobbing coming from the adjacent bathroom.

Qin Qingzhuo struggled to get up from the bed and walked to the bathroom to comfort him. He pushed open the door, only to be met with the sight of Ji Chi and Yuan Yu embracing each other naked, whispering sweet words. He suddenly felt cold all over, opened his mouth, but couldn’t say a word.

At that moment, the car door opened. Qin Qingzhuo was lightly asleep and woke up abruptly from his dream.

He felt Jiang Ji coming in from outside, sitting next to him, with damp moisture on his body.

He didn’t open his eyes, pretending to still be asleep.

The rain outside had stopped at some point. Every subtle sound could be heard clearly. He heard Jiang Ji gently placing the guitar against the car door and then rustling as he took off his own coat.

With the warmth of the cotton coat covering him, the cold feeling from his dream seemed to dissipate a bit.

Originally intending to keep pretending to sleep, for some reason, Qin Qingzhuo opened his eyes and looked at him through the darkness. His throat was a bit hoarse. “Is the song finished?”

Jiang Ji responded with a “Hmm.” “Still awake?”

“Awake.” Qin Qingzhuo sat up slightly. “Do you want me to take a look?”

“No need,” Jiang Ji said, pulling the coat back up for him. “We’ll win this one.”

“You’re so confident…” Qin Qingzhuo chuckled softly.

“Yeah, the inspiration is very effective.”

The night was dark, and although he couldn’t see the other clearly, he could see those eyes looking at him, very bright.

“…Go to sleep, it’s very late already.” He closed his eyes and felt Jiang Ji staring at him for a while again.

“Qin Qingzhuo.” Jiang Ji called his name softly.

Qin Qingzhuo didn’t open his eyes but responded with a “Hmm?”

“May you have…” Jiang Ji’s voice was very low, and Qin Qingzhuo didn’t hear it clearly, but he didn’t ask.

May you have what? He couldn’t help but guess, as if it was… may you have a good sleep?

It sounded like a lyric. What kind of song was this?

Actually, sleeping in the car wasn’t very comfortable, but unexpectedly, falling asleep this time was very smooth.

Before falling into sleep, Qin Qingzhuo heard the rain starting again outside. This time, it wasn’t heavy, just a drizzle, a very peaceful rain, which made one feel tranquil inside.

He didn’t have any more chaotic dreams, only dreaming of Jiang Ji, holding his hand and running towards the headlights.

In the dream, he heard the heartbeat mixed with footsteps and hurried breaths, beating clearly and palpably, one after another.