Did My Wife Break Up With Me Today? - Chapter 58

Chapter 58: “Do You Want to Hold Hands?”

Chen Kongqing’s vision was completely occupied by the bouquet of fresh flowers.

It was a cluster of greyish-blue roses—the blue didn’t look like it had been spray-painted on; it was a very unique shade, appearing calm and deep. The petals were thick with a velvet texture, their edges curling in irregular waves like sea foam. Nestled beside the carefully selected blue roses were blue stars and hyacinths in the same color palette.

The tips of the rabbit’s ears flushed red again. He lifted his gaze slightly, finally looking at the man holding the flowers.

So handsome.

The man standing before him radiated handsomeness down to his very hair follicles. He was the kind of person who was naturally good-looking but had clearly put in effort to dress up in a way that perfectly matched his temperament.

With this single glance, the rabbit almost forgot what he was going to say. He stammered for a long while: “Are… are these for me?”

As soon as he asked, he felt he was stating the obvious… just making conversation for the sake of it.

“Of course,” Xu Jingmo answered, moving the flowers a bit closer to his arms.

Only then did the rabbit reach out to take them carefully. As the roses were handed over, his fingers accidentally brushed against Xu Jingmo’s. The sensation was ordinary—a bit firm, and the fingertips weren’t particularly warm—but he felt a jolt like an electric shock. After grabbing the flowers, he pulled his hand back instantly.

“Are these… blue roses? They don’t look spray-painted,” Chen Kongqing said, burying his face in the flowers to change the subject. “Is this variety called Maltese Blue?”

There was a period when he was interested in botany and floral arrangements, so he knew some flower names. He had a preference for blue-toned roses, so the name “Maltese Blue” had stuck in his memory.

“Yes, it’s Maltese Blue, but they aren’t painted; they’re Ecuadorian roses,” Xu Jingmo said, lowering his hand. He couldn’t help but rub the fingertip that had just been touched; it felt as if a lingering sensation still remained. “I asked the florist to use grey-blue Ecuadorians. Although the color isn’t as vibrant as the spray-painted ones, I think they look better. I wasn’t sure if you’d like them.”

“I do like them. I think this blue is prettier too; the painted ones look less natural,” Chen Kongqing replied, burying his nose in the flowers and taking a deep breath.

Xu Jingmo: “Do they smell good?”

“It’s just the smell of flowers, haha.” The rabbit lifted his head, his eyes curving into crescents with his smile.

Their gazes locked once more.

As Xu Jingmo met the rabbit’s smiling eyes, that lingering sensation from his fingertips seemed to spread to the air around them, even tinting the way they looked at each other. It was a feeling hard to describe.

Chen Kongqing just felt… things were getting “sticky.” If he kept looking like this, his breathing was going to go haywire.

Suddenly, Xu Jingmo was the first to look away. “Let’s go to the car first. I’ve made a reservation at a restaurant.”

“Okay.” The rabbit quickly diverted his gaze back to the flowers and followed Xu Jingmo to the car.

Sitting in the passenger seat, the rabbit obediently held the large bouquet. Then, a thought struck him: “Have you been waiting for me downstairs the whole time? Why didn’t you send me a message?”

“I didn’t wait long. I figured you’d usually wrap up around this time, so I thought I’d wait a bit.” Xu Jingmo drove, and in his peripheral vision, there was the rabbit and the flowers.

The rabbit reached out and toyed with a petal. “What if I didn’t finish work until ten o’clock today?”

Xu Jingmo: “Then I would have waited until ten.”

Wow, wow, wow.

How was he so good with words?

The rabbit’s face heated up. For a moment, he didn’t know how to respond, so he could only stare at the roses on his lap.

Kun City had entered early spring, but the weather was still very cold. In such a chilly season, roses about to bloom felt exceptionally precious.

He lightly flicked a petal with his fingertip. “Where are we going to eat?”

“A Western restaurant. Their signature is carrot cream soup. I thought you might like it.” Xu Jingmo turned the steering wheel and, remembering something, reached out to pop open the car ashtray. “I’ve been quitting smoking lately. You can check.”

Hearing this, Chen Kongqing glanced over at the open ashtray. It was completely empty—not just of butts, but of a single speck of ash. There was no scent of tobacco in the car either.

Chen Kongqing pursed his lips and mumbled softly, “Whatever, you don’t need to show me.”

“I do.” The grip of Xu Jingmo’s hand on the steering wheel tightened slightly. “I want you to check.”

Stop, stop, stop…

Why did everything he said sound so… strange?

Chen Kongqing couldn’t help but rub his burning cheeks with his palms, deciding to stop talking.

Fortunately, after about fifteen minutes, the car stopped outside a restaurant. It was a beautiful Western restaurant—French style, perhaps? Both the lighting and the decorations were incredibly atmospheric. As soon as they were seated, a waiter arrived to pour water and hand over the menus.

Chen Kongqing rarely ate Western food and had a neutral opinion of it, but he was genuinely looking forward to the carrot cream soup.

“For the main course, would you like steak or foie gras?” Xu Jingmo looked up, asking the rabbit whose face was half-hidden behind the menu.

“Um… steak, I think.” Chen Kongqing said, his eyes already fixed on the dessert column. “I want to try this ice cream.”

The rabbit seemed to be acting spoiled—not intentionally, but in a natural way that showed through his tone and expression.

Xu Jingmo felt his heart was already coated in the maple syrup ice cream mentioned on the menu; it was so sweet his heart skipped a beat. “Okay, but the weather is a bit cold. Just taste it, don’t eat the whole thing, okay?”

“Mm-hmm,” Chen Kongqing nodded solemnly.

Despite being a French restaurant, the service wasn’t as slow as the stereotype. Basically, as soon as one plate was cleared, the next followed. The rabbit finally tasted the carrot cream soup. It had a rich, milky flavor, and the carrots were stewed so soft they melted instantly. The plating of the ice cream looked more like a work of art, making the rabbit hesitate to dig in with his spoon.

Xu Jingmo stared at the rabbit, who looked more tempting than the ice cream, and whispered, “How does it taste?”

Chen Kongqing nodded and finally decided to scoop up a corner of the ice cream. After a serious tasting, he gave a classic response: “It’s a bit too sweet.”

The restaurant was quiet, with a waiter standing not far away. Chen Kongqing felt a bit embarrassed, so he spoke in a hushed tone, feeling like he was doing something sneaky.

Xu Jingmo couldn’t help but chuckle. He didn’t think it could be that sweet. It certainly couldn’t be sweeter than the rabbit himself.

After the entire French meal, Chen Kongqing… didn’t actually feel full. Though the flavors were excellent, the portions were miserably small. Aside from the bread, almost everything was a “single bite” portion.

As they walked out of the restaurant, Chen Kongqing pressed his hand against his stomach, checking the “accounts” with his gut.

“Are you still hungry?” Xu Jingmo suddenly asked from beside him.

Chen Kongqing’s hand on his stomach froze. How… did he know? Even a tapeworm in his belly couldn’t have received the news that fast.

“Um… I’m okay.” He was a bit embarrassed to admit it, feeling like a glutton. Would it ruin his image? Wait… why did he care about his image so much?

Xu Jingmo: “The portions were a bit small. Is there anything else you want to eat?”

“Um…” Chen Kongqing looked up and immediately spotted a roadside stall selling guokui (crispy flatbread) not far away. “I… I want that.” He pointed toward the stall.

Five minutes later, a freshly baked beef guokui was in Chen Kongqing’s hand. He couldn’t wait to take a big bite of the oily edge.

“You like guokui?” Xu Jingmo didn’t buy one. He usually had no interest in dry snacks like these, but seeing the rabbit eat so enthusiastically made it look delicious.

Chen Kongqing nodded, still chewing. “There’s a really good place outside the lab building, but it gets hard to chew once it goes cold. This hot one is great.” He handed it over. “Dr. Xu, you can break off a piece and try it; it’s very fragrant.”

Xu Jingmo obediently broke off a piece. “Is this what you eat at the lab?”

“Sometimes, just to save time and fill the gap,” Chen Kongqing replied casually. “It’s really good when it’s hot.”

Xu Jingmo put the piece in his mouth. In truth, even hot, it was quite dry and a bit of a workout for the teeth. “That apartment you rented… I recall it doesn’t have a kitchen.”

Chen Kongqing: “Right. I bought a small electric pot; I can boil noodles and things.”

“Do you want to…” the man’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly, “move back?”

The two were strolling along the sidewalk. These words drifted into Chen Kongqing’s ears, making him freeze.

Move back…

But moving back now would be too strange. What would that be… living together? Other people lived together after getting engaged; would this be “living together before dating”?

Chen Kongqing chewed on the now-softened guokui and gave a tactful refusal: “No… probably not.”

Xu Jingmo nodded and didn’t say anything more. After finishing the snack, Xu Jingmo drove him back to the rental house. The alley was too narrow, so the car had to be parked outside. They walked through the alley once more, but this time under the moonlight.

“The moon is quite round today, and very bright.” Chen Kongqing tilted his head back, holding the flowers in one hand and hiding the other behind his back.

Walking close beside him, Xu Jingmo looked sideways at the rabbit’s delicate profile. “Yes, very round.”

Chen Kongqing withdrew his gaze and turned his head. He realized Xu Jingmo was staring at him, not the moon at all. “You weren’t even looking…”

He lowered the hand he had been holding behind his back to his side. In the process, the back of his hand brushed slightly against Xu Jingmo’s fingers. The rabbit realized just how close Xu Jingmo’s hand was to his own.

Or rather, how close they were to each other.

Chen Kongqing’s fingertips trembled slightly, and he licked his dry lips. Xu Jingmo’s hand also flinched back slightly, and he moved his body a centimeter or two to the side. “I’m looking now.” The man looked up toward the moon.

In reality, he wasn’t seeing anything; he only felt an itch on his ring finger where it had just been brushed.

Chen Kongqing kept his lips pursed. His gaze slowly dropped, eventually landing on Xu Jingmo’s large hand nearest to him. Hanging naturally, the veins were full, standing out clearly against his tan skin. They were thick and straight. It felt like if he pressed them, he would feel them throb.

Chen Kongqing’s Adam’s apple bobbed. Driven by some inexplicable impulse, he extended his pinky finger and hooked the back of the man’s hand. It was very, very light, and the touch lasted less than 0.01 seconds.

Xu Jingmo, who was looking up, froze completely—especially his arm. He didn’t dare move. He paused for a moment before dropping his burning gaze back down.

At that moment, Chen Kongqing asked in a very soft voice: “Do you want to hold hands…?”