After The Honest Person Was Discovered For Simultaneously Pursuing Three People - Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Brother Jingqun

The chirping of insects and birds outside never stopped, and neither did the image of the young man in Zhao Jingqun’s mind. There he was, head bowed, pouting, smiling, and more.

One minute passed, then two, then half an hour, an hour, two hours…

Finally, Zhao Jingqun cursed under his breath, deciding there was no way he was going to sleep tonight.

Just as he was about to go outside for a cigarette to calm down, the person next to him suddenly moved. He immediately closed his eyes, feigning sleep, trying to ignore his growing agitation.

A little later, with a rustle of fabric, a familiar lemon scent wafted to his nose. Zhao Jingqun’s heart began to beat furiously, matching the scent’s intensity.

… What was this simpleton trying to do?

The sweet scent became so overwhelming that he felt like he couldn’t breathe. Just as he was about to suffocate, the blanket beside him was suddenly lifted, and a warm, soft body slipped in.

For a moment, Zhao Jingqun wanted to jump up, but he forced himself to stay still.

When he felt the warm, soft body getting closer and closer, about to press against him, he finally couldn’t help but hold his breath.

Finally, Zhao Jingqun opened his eyes. In the dim moonlight, he saw the face that had haunted his dreams all night.

The young man’s small face was exquisite, as if sculpted by a goddess. His features were like a painting, with bright eyes and fair skin. His long, butterfly-like eyelashes fluttered slightly.

Up close, the young man’s hair was a dark brown and naturally wavy. Asleep, he looked like an otherworldly doll.

He was beautiful and pretty beyond words.

Zhao Jingqun’s heart pounded. His gaze traced the young man’s beautiful eyebrows down to his delicate, high-bridged nose… and finally to the tip of his tongue, which was slightly exposed as he slept with his mouth ajar.

The tip of his tongue was pink and moist, like the tip of a strawberry, ready to release its thick juices if bitten gently. What would it be like to lick a little deeper?

Zhao Jingqun’s breathing grew heavy from his own unsettling thoughts. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then woke up the unsuspecting young man beside him.

“Wake up, Tao Ning,” he said in a low, husky voice.

Tao Ning was already fast asleep. The system had woken him up earlier, making him a little cranky, but he groggily moved over to complete his task and then fell back asleep. Now he was being woken up again.

He pouted his full, red lips in annoyance, unconsciously reached out, patted the person beside him, and mumbled, “Stop it…”

A single, gentle pat from the young man was enough to make Zhao Jingqun feel like he had been burned. He shot up in bed, composed himself, and quietly cursed again.

Helpless, he tiptoed out of the room and headed toward the bathhouse.

From the middle of the night until morning, the sound of cold water rinsing could be heard several times from the backyard, causing the chickens and ducks in the coop to stir restlessly.

…

The next morning, Tao Ning woke up with a yawn. The bruises on his knees were darker, but he was back in his own bed, which made him feel a little confused.

He remembered groggily crawling into Zhao Jingqun’s bed last night. Why was he back in his own bed?

Tao Ning asked the system: System, last night… Even in his mind, he felt shy, Did I, did I get into his bed?

A moment later, the system’s sleepy voice responded: Yeah, you did. Huh, how did you get back to your own bed? I remember waking you up before I went to sleep.

Hearing this, Tao Ning’s attention shifted, and he asked dazedly: Do you systems need to sleep too?

The system was indignant: [We are artificial intelligence… ahem, I didn’t expect you to be such a simpleton. You haven’t even started working, and you’re already trying to make employees work 996 hours. No, you’re making me work all night, which is even worse than 996!]

Hmph! I’m not talking to you!

Tao Ning: “…”

He apologized quietly: “I’m sorry, don’t be mad…”

Before he could finish, a cold voice came from behind him, “Tao Ning, it’s time to eat.” The use of his full name seemed to indicate that the speaker was in a bad mood.

Tao Ning turned around and met a pair of dark, tired-looking eyes.

Their gazes met for just a few seconds before Zhao Jingqun looked away.

The man’s eyes seemed to linger on the bruises on Tao Ning’s knees for a few seconds, or maybe it was just his imagination.

Before Tao Ning could get a clear look, Zhao Jingqun turned and left, leaving him standing there confused. Why did it feel like… he hated him even more?

What was he going to do? Tao Ning felt a little frustrated. He should have forced himself to stay awake and get into his bed last night.

But the thought that the man would be eating and sleeping under the same roof for a few more days, and that he would have another chance tonight, made Tao Ning feel at ease again.

He clenched his fists on the way to the dining room, secretly vowing that he would successfully get into his bed tonight and hope that Zhao Jingqun wouldn’t hate him.

He slowly made his way to the table, only to find that Zhao Jingqun wasn’t there.

Tao Yuan served meat and vegetables to Tao Ning and Xiao Meng, saying, “That boy, Jingqun, got up so early. People from the city are so clean, they take a bath with cold water early in the morning, sigh… Is it normal for people from the city to like cold water baths? And on top of bathing, the boy didn’t eat breakfast and went out to do who knows what. When I asked, he just said he had something to do…”

Tao Ning listened to Tao Yuan’s rambling while eating, thinking, so he had something to do.

Tao Yuan changed the subject. “Oh, by the way, Ning Ning, I put the medicine in your room. Remember to put it on later. If it hurts too much, don’t go out like a silly goose, you hear?”

Tao Ning nodded. It didn’t hurt as much today as it did yesterday. It should get better in a few days after he applied the medicine.

It was still early, and the village secretary hadn’t come to find him yet, which meant he didn’t need to go look for Zhao Jingqun and the others. So, after he finished eating, Tao Ning helped with the dishes before going back to his room to apply the medicine.

Xiao Meng lay by his bed, watching the purple bruises on the young man’s knees. Her nose sniffled with worry, and she blew on the wound, her soft voice saying, “Puff puff, Uncle doesn’t hurt! Puff puff puff.”

Tao Ning was amused by Xiao Meng’s innocent and cute actions. The light of the early morning sun shone softly into the room, lifting the morning mist from the mountains. A misty breeze lifted the hair from his forehead, and a smile appeared on his face.

Xiao Meng stared at him, her bright eyes shining. “Uncle, you’re so pretty!”

Tao Ning threw the cotton swab into the trash and stroked her soft hair, saying with a smile, “Pretty is a compliment for your sister. You should say Uncle is very handsome.”

Xiao Meng said “Oh” as if she didn’t quite understand, then smiled sweetly. “Then Mommy and Uncle are the prettiest people in the world!”

Tao Ning smiled again, thought for a few seconds, and then said, “Xiao Meng, you can’t… um…”

He was trying to figure out how to talk to Xiao Meng about Zhao Jingqun. After a moment, he said, “The older brother who came yesterday, you should call him Brother Jingqun. He’s a guest, and you can’t be rude to guests, okay?”

Xiao Meng learned how to say it: “Brother Jingqun?”

Tao Ning curved his eyes into a smile. “Yes, Brother Jingqun.”

The young man’s voice was soft and gentle, like a spring rain in April falling on a lemon tree. When his soft lips spoke the words “Brother Jingqun,” the rain came down, pattering.

Pitter, patter.

The raindrops fell into the ears of the person outside the door.

Zhao Jingqun was still covered in morning dew, a black plastic bag containing ointment and clothes in his hand. He slowly and clearly heard his heart pounding violently, its rhythm now in sync with the sound of the falling spring rain.”

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