Chapter 124: Lingering Kisses and Unsettling Truths

After their time at the arcade, there were no further activities planned.

Seeing Lin Qing’s bewildered expression, Su Yao couldn’t help but smile.

She then thoughtfully arranged for a driver to take him home, ensuring no unexpected incidents occurred along the way.

Lin Qing offered no resistance, simply settling into the car for the ride home.

As the scenery blurred past the car window, Lin Qing gazed out, his emotions a tangled mess.

Now, he had fully recovered, free from the impulsive urges that had consumed him earlier.

While this wasn’t his first kiss with Su Yao, this time, he had been the one to initiate it, drawing back the curtain himself.

No matter how he considered it, he felt utterly insane!

This was Su Yao, after all!

A terrifying entity, marked by ten white skulls.

A danger he absolutely had to avoid.

He couldn’t allow himself to be swayed.

This damned affection, this cursed flutter in his heart.

‘Couldn’t it just behave itself?’

Lost in these thoughts, Lin Qing tapped his forehead against the car window, silently conducting a self-reprimand.

The conflict today could have been entirely avoided.

It was his greed that had led to the uncontrollable escalation.

Yet, if people could easily control their emotions, the world wouldn’t be plagued by so many unforeseen incidents.

At least he had the bet as an excuse, meaning he wouldn’t have to face Su Yao’s relentless pressure later.

There was still a chance to cool his own heart.

He couldn’t continue to act impulsively.

Otherwise, disaster would surely strike.

Though Lin Qing’s affection for Su Yao was steadily growing with each passing moment, indulging in present emotions without considering future dangers would lead to severe repercussions.

Things like Su Yao’s uncontrollable urge to kill, his own past, and his special abilities…

These were all incredibly difficult problems to resolve.

It was akin to walking across a rickety wooden bridge, its planks already splintered. If he persisted in moving forward, the bridge would inevitably shatter, sending him plummeting.

Beneath the bridge, venomous snakes and sharp blades lay hidden, waiting to strike.

Therefore, the best approach wasn’t to blindly forge ahead.

Instead, it was to devise a plan for falling, even before stepping onto the bridge.

Even if he couldn’t reach the other side, he could at least preserve his life.

The prerequisite was that he could resist the temptations along the way, and not be utterly captivated.

With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Lin Qing arrived home, got out of the car, and without another thought, collapsed onto his bed, ‘playing dead’ to prevent himself from replaying the impulsive scene.

He desperately needed to calm his mind.

****

Three days later, early in the morning, Lin Qing, who hadn’t slept a wink, arrived at his workplace with dark circles under his eyes. He changed into his work clothes and began picking up trash.

Having skipped work yesterday due to Liu Hong’s request, he now had to work diligently for his wages.

“Lin Qing, what did you guys do yesterday? Did Brother Liu really get together with that Xiao Yu?”

As Lin Qing continued his work, Zhou Lin, who had been collecting trash on the other side, surreptitiously glanced around before quickly scuttling over to Lin Qing.

Even as he spoke, he kept a vigilant eye on their surroundings, wary of Liu Hong’s sudden appearance.

Liu Hong, who usually enthusiastically organized their work, was unusually absent today. He had directly handed over the ‘important task’ of gathering the four of them to Zhou Lin, saying he would be a little late.

Liu Hong offered no further explanation, prompting Zhou Lin and Wang Jian to speculate. They wondered if yesterday’s date had gone exceptionally well, and if Xiao Yu had finally succumbed to the affections of the warm-hearted ‘lickspittle’ Brother Liu.

If that were the case, it would be terrible. There was something clearly off about that woman, Xiao Yu.

How could a woman of unknown origins possibly become their sister-in-law?

Even Su Yao, the untouchable ‘flower of the high peaks,’ was far superior to Xiao Yu.

They couldn’t fathom what had gotten into Brother Liu’s head, abandoning a vibrant flower for mere foxtail grass, and looking utterly delighted about it.

At this thought, a hint of dejection crossed Zhou Lin’s face. His eyes fixed on Lin Qing, hoping to hear a negative answer.

“I don’t know.”

However, Lin Qing simply shook his head, stating directly that he didn’t know.

Upon hearing this unexpected reply, Zhou Lin wasn’t sure whether to feel relieved or to continue worrying; his emotions were a complicated mix.

“I had a sudden appointment yesterday, so I didn’t go see Liu Hong.”

Lin Qing then added, offering a brief explanation.

This made Zhou Lin realize he would have to wait for Brother Liu to arrive and ask him personally what had transpired.

‘But a sudden appointment? Does Lin Qing have other friends?’

‘Who could it be?’

Lin Qing was a loner at school; apart from their small group, he rarely interacted with anyone else, except…

“Holy crap, you didn’t go see Su Yao, did you?!”

Zhou Lin suddenly thought of someone who seemed unlikely yet possible, causing him to blurt out the words, unable to control his volume.

He immediately shook his head again, convinced he was overthinking things.

Unless they had genuinely become boyfriend and girlfriend, getting Miss Su out on a date would be as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Before, when Liu Hong had liked Su Yao, he had tried every trick in the book to ask her out.

Alas, Su Yao was a veritable copper wall and iron barrier. Even with Liu Hong’s robust physique, he couldn’t break through that wall and pull her out.

Unless Su Yao herself was willing to step out, that impenetrable fortress would remain.

“You guessed right.”

Before Lin Qing could even speak, Liu Hong’s indignant voice rang out.

He was late, dressed in a vest and shorts, his disheveled appearance a stark contrast to yesterday’s suit and tie.

Liu Hong’s expression, as he looked at Lin Qing, held a hint of gloom. Lin Qing, seeing this, thought for a moment and immediately surmised that Liu Hong had witnessed him and Su Yao at the arcade.

‘So, Liu Ying saw it too?’

“Oh my god, it really was Su Yao! Lin Qing, you’re amazing!”

Upon hearing Liu Hong’s words, Zhou Lin’s eyes widened in utter shock. When he looked at Lin Qing again, he felt as if the long-haired, face-obscured Lin Qing was radiating golden light, a clear sign of his extraordinary nature.

To actually be able to get Su Yao to come out…

Truly incredible!

“Amazing, my foot! Not while I’m around; those two absolutely can’t be together!”

However, before Zhou Lin could say anything more, Liu Hong suddenly interjected.

He looked like a wicked mother-in-law tormenting her new daughter-in-law.

Zhou Lin couldn’t help but twitch his lips in exasperation, wondering if Brother Liu hadn’t already given up pursuing Su Yao.

‘Could his old feelings have rekindled?’

“That wicked woman, Su Yao, can forget about getting Lin Qing!”

Zhou Lin’s expression was undisguised, and seeing it, Liu Hong immediately spoke with indignation. What he said was a million miles from Zhou Lin’s thoughts—it was the exact opposite.

“Brother Liu, as the saying goes, it’s better to tear down ten temples than to break up one marriage… Su Yao is such a beautiful woman, the perfect girlfriend many people dream of! If Lin Qing really managed to win her over, that would be a good thing!”

“Pah! You don’t know the ins and outs of it, so just shut up! Lin Qing, come with me!”

After listening to Zhou Lin, Liu Hong simply rolled his eyes.

He then called Lin Qing aside, his expression serious and stern. Lin Qing’s unruly hair obscured his face, preventing Liu Hong from seeing his reaction, which made Liu Hong impatiently scratch his head.

However, he quickly composed himself and spoke to Lin Qing with utmost seriousness.

“Did you two… do it?”

Lin Qing heard Liu Hong’s baffling question and couldn’t help but tilt his head, unsure what he was referring to.

‘Did he perhaps see them kissing yesterday?’

The claw machine was only separated from the outside by a sheet of glass, making it quite easy for passersby to see…

They were watched, and they had kissed so passionately. Lin Qing felt his cheeks grow warm again.

Even without a mirror, he knew his face was flushed.

Pondering this, Lin Qing remained silent, simply nodding his head.

When Liu Hong saw Lin Qing nod, his expression turned utterly dumbfounded. He looked at Lin Qing with an air of profound admiration, as if witnessing the return of a hero who had conquered a demon lord.

“You two actually slept together!!!”

However, Liu Hong’s next words plunged Lin Qing into silence.

It turned out Liu Hong’s question hadn’t been about kissing at all…

“Wait, it’s not what you think. Su Yao and I just… kissed, but there was a reason for it… We made a bet while playing the claw machine, and I lost.”

Before Liu Hong could speak again, Lin Qing offered a direct and straightforward explanation.

Even the reason for the kiss was revealed at that moment.

Upon hearing Lin Qing’s explanation, Liu Hong’s heart, which had been pounding in his throat, swiftly returned to its normal rhythm. He thought to himself that it was a good thing the two of them hadn’t caused a major disaster.

Given Su Yao’s terrifying and domineering personality, if she and Lin Qing had actually ‘done it,’ Lin Qing would likely never escape her grasp for the rest of his life.

She would undoubtedly use it as leverage, forcing the poor Lin Qing to take responsibility!

“So that’s it. You scared me half to death.”

“So, how was your date with Xiao Yu yesterday?”

“How do you think it went? Even I saw you and Su Yao kissing. Xiao Yu saw it too, turned absolutely livid, and walked away. I couldn’t stop her.”

As Lin Qing inquired about yesterday’s events, a look of utter dejection settled on Liu Hong’s face. He reflected on all the preparations he had made, only for them to amount to nothing.

Upon hearing this, Lin Qing pondered for a moment, then suddenly posed a question to Liu Hong.

“Liu Hong, if someone you know suddenly appears dressed exquisitely, wearing all designer brands, in a red-light district… what exactly would they be doing?”

Lin Qing recalled Liu Ying mentioning she had seen Su Yao and him in the red-light district, and Zhou Lin secretly telling him that Xiao Yu’s clothes and bags were all designer brands, costing at least ten thousand yuan.

Due to his limited life experience, Lin Qing didn’t truly understand what Liu Ying was doing. However, gaining more insight would give him greater confidence in dealing with her later.

After all, when he had pressed Liu Ying about why she was in the red-light district previously, she had panicked.

There was definitely something fishy going on!

“Male or female?”

“Female.”

“Haha, what’s so hard to guess? She’s a ‘miss’! Look at the women standing outside these shops, soliciting customers—it’s the same thing…”

Listening to Lin Qing, Liu Hong chuckled, then deliberately pointed to a nearby spot as he explained.

However, his words abruptly ceased. He stared at a familiar back, wondering if his eyes were playing tricks on him.

From behind, why did that look so much like Xiao Yu?

📚 Also on NHV Novels

Commission to Love

BLBoys LoveModern

Read Now →
Not interested