Everything happened too fast. Ji Xiao was caught off guard, a sudden sharp pain on his lips.
The sensation of warmth and moisture touched and left in an instant. His hawk-like eyes widened in shock, his entire body stiffening.
“One, two, three, four…”
Su Nuannuan clung tightly to his neck, pecking at his lips like a chick pecking at grains, counting as she kissed.
By the time she reached six, Ji Xiao snapped back to reality. He pushed her away abruptly, covering his mouth as he retreated in shock and anger, a flush spreading from his neck all the way to the top of his head.
“Su Nuannuan, have you lost your mind!”
Su Nuannuan wiped her lips disdainfully. “Ugh, it’s prickly. Ji Xiao, can’t you shave properly?”
[Congratulations, Host, you have gained 600 Luck Points.]
Ji Xiao let out an angry laugh. He was the one who got kissed against his will, and now he was the one being criticized.
Furious, he stepped into the car, slamming the door shut, his tall frame leaning toward the passenger seat.
A strong arm blocked Su Nuannuan’s path, his large hand gripping her shoulder and pulling her close.
His thin lips parted slightly as he spoke, his warm breath carrying the pleasant scent of soap pods toward her. Their lips were now mere inches apart.
“Su Nuannuan, who gave you the nerve to do that? Do you think I really wouldn’t dare to do anything to you?”
It was too close. Su Nuannuan frowned slightly, turning her head to avoid the intensity of his presence. “If you don’t want me to act recklessly, then take me back. Otherwise, I’ll do it again.”
Twenty kisses a day, and she’d be done in four days.
“You…” Ji Xiao was speechless, a vein throbbing at his temple, murderous intent gathering in his eyes.
After a long moment, he suddenly chuckled softly, releasing her and leaning back into his seat.
Irritated, he undid the collar button of his uniform, took out a cigarette, and placed it between his lips.
With a click, the lighter sparked to life. He took a deep drag, exhaling a smoke ring.
His slender fingers rested on the car window, his posture lazy and arrogant. “Hah, I underestimated you. To go back and see Ji Chuan, you’ll stop at nothing.”
He flicked the ash off his cigarette, his hawk-like eyes narrowing. “Give up on that idea. Before we leave, I won’t let you see him.”
Su Nuannuan gave him a strange look. Was that what he thought?
Well, that saved her from having to come up with an excuse.
Once the cigarette burned out, Ji Xiao flicked the butt away, suppressing the unfamiliar flutter in his heart, and silently started the engine.
The car headed toward the city bank.
Inside the car, silence reigned. No one spoke, and the atmosphere was awkward.
Su Nuannuan quietly calculated the next opportunity to succeed.
She had already raised Ji Xiao’s guard. Trying to kiss him again would be as difficult as climbing to the sky.
Unless…
A faint smile curled her crimson lips, a glint flashing in her eyes beneath her heavy bangs.
For some reason, Ji Xiao felt a chill run down his spine. With a cold expression, he parked the car in front of the bank and stepped out.
“I’m going to withdraw money. Lock the doors and change your clothes as quickly as possible.”
Without another glance at her, he strode into the bank.
[The System senses the Host’s strong desire to survive and has issued a new task: Stay overnight in Ji Xiao’s room tonight and spend the night with him. Success will reward 20 Physique Points. Failure will result in a ten-second Level 3 electric shock!]
Stay overnight?
[How is that even possible?] Su Nuannuan was stunned.
This was the 1970s. For a man and a woman to share a room at an inn, they needed a marriage certificate.
She and Ji Xiao weren’t even blood-related siblings. How could they share a room?
[The Host can use medication.]
[System, are you trying to make sure I die faster?]
Outside, the sun blazed fiercely. Inside the car, the smell of gasoline filled the air, the stifling heat making her restless.
She locked the doors from the inside, opened the bag to take a look, and couldn’t help but twitch her lips.
A bright red floral maxi dress… with puffed sleeves and a large lapel…
“Indeed, never trust a straight man’s taste in fashion.”
With her current sallow complexion, wearing red was like putting a red flower on a lump of coal—it only made the darkness stand out more vividly.
Lifting the red dress aside, she found several sets of clothes neatly folded underneath: a blue bulaji dress, a yellow two-piece-style maxi dress, as well as a common white shirt and work pants.
She took out a white shirt and a pair of dark blue work pants, then, after a moment’s thought, pulled out the decorative belt from the waist of the dress.
Bending over, she climbed from the passenger seat to the back, drew the curtains, and, shielded by the seats, quickly changed.
Her dry, yellowish hair was also let down. Using her fingers as a comb, she began braiding from the roots, skillfully weaving the sky-blue belt into her hair.
Soon, a fluffy, off-shoulder braid was finished.
After all this effort, Su Nuannuan was drenched in sweat, and the tightly closed car felt even more stifling.
Glancing outside, she saw a large poplar tree not far away, with a few scattered elderly women enjoying the shade beneath it.
Su Nuannuan wiped the sweat from her forehead, hesitated for a moment, then pushed the car door open and stepped out.
She had no idea how long Ji Xiao would take to come out, and she couldn’t just stay in the car and risk heatstroke. Fortunately, there weren’t many people around, so she could tolerate it.
In this drab era, the striking sky-blue color was exceedingly rare.
The slender young girl, dressed in clean and tidy attire, stood gracefully under the shade of the tree, drawing quite a few glances.
“Oh my, whose daughter is this? She really knows how to dress up. This outfit matches so beautifully,” one of the elderly women teased with a smile.
Someone nearby chuckled kindly, “The young lady is shy. Don’t scare her.”
“What’s the big deal? It’s just a few words. It won’t cost her a piece of flesh. Dressing up so nicely is meant to be seen, after all,” the woman said, putting down the half-finished shoe sole she was working on and walking over to Su Nuannuan. She examined her hair curiously and asked admiringly, “Girl, how did you braid your hair? It looks so lovely. Could you teach me?”
The approach of a stranger made Su Nuannuan uncomfortable. She frowned, her fingers gripping the seam of her pants tightly. “I just did it casually.”
With that, she turned and walked to the other side, her attitude cold and distant.
The woman curled her lip. “Hmph, what’s there to be proud of? It’s just a braid. If you don’t want to teach me, I won’t learn anyway. Dressed so flashily, who knows what she’s up to.”
The woman beside her whispered a warning, “Alright, stop talking. That girl came out of a jeep. We can’t afford to offend her.”
The woman’s curses stuck in her throat. With a sour expression, she picked up her winnowing basket. “What bad luck. Pah! Capitalist young ladies like her should be sent down to the countryside. She’s just a fish that slipped through the net.”
Su Nuannuan lowered her head, silently watching the ants on the ground.
Ji Xiao arrived just in time to hear the last remark. He saw the young girl standing alone under the tree, head bowed, her white shirt tucked into her pants and sleeves rolled up to her wrists, making her appear even more frail and thin.
Her slender waist was like a weeping willow by the roadside. The wind tousled the stray hairs at her temples, and her downcast eyes made her look like a little kitten that had been bullied—pitiful and helpless.
A surge of anger suddenly rose in his heart. He strode over to her side, his tall and imposing figure casting a shadow over her. His sharp, hawk-like eyes coldly fixed on the grumbling woman, then fell on her sleeve.
“Wearing gold and silver—you’re the one with capitalist tendencies. What’s your name, and where do you live?”
Dressed in his military uniform, his stern expression was intimidating.
The woman’s heart skipped a beat. Her face turned pale as she covered her wrist, her voice trembling like plucked cotton.
“I… I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”
Damn it all, this wretched little brat—could his eyes see right through her? How did he know she was wearing a gold bracelet?
The crackdown was strict these days. If word got out, her family could be raided and she could be sent down for re-education.
The old woman trembled in fear, clutching her winnowing basket tightly as she turned to hurry away.