Chapter 5: Your Heartbeat Is Off

“Besides, it’s just a form of address.”

Wen Qi’s expression showed not the slightest concern.

Wei Qingxuan braced one hand against the cabinet above her head.

“Just a form of address?”

“Mhm.”

Wen Qi nodded.

“Do you want to hear it?”

She stepped forward, and in an instant the distance between them shrank until she could clearly see her own reflection in Wei Qingxuan’s eyes.

A faint scent of mint and sea salt lingered around Wen Qi, fermenting a slightly tipsy illusion in her throat.

Wei Qingxuan’s clothes were always immaculate and proper, but her earlier struggle had tugged them askew just a little.

Under the dim lights of the billiards hall, a faint flush crept up the tips of his ears, giving rise to an inappropriately tender allure.

She stared at his face, at the shadows cast by his lashes and his lightly pressed, thin lips.

That cool, indifferent visage brimming with sharp emotion always drew her in, making her want to keep exploring.

She thought that Wei Qingxuan’s face was what truly deceived people.

Suddenly realizing they were too close, Wei Qingxuan hurriedly stepped back.

Seeing how flustered he looked, a smile surfaced in Wen Qi’s eyes.

“You don’t want to hear it?”

Wei Qingxuan took a deep breath.

“Wen Qi.”

As he spoke, his gaze was fixed tightly on her lips, slightly red, small and delicate, naturally plush, as though one could sink into them with the lightest touch.

After a long moment, he finally lifted his lashes.

“Don’t toy with me.”

He said it seriously.

Otherwise, he didn’t know how long he could hold back.

“Who’s toying with you?”

She simply found it especially captivating when cracks appeared in the emotions on his cool, aloof face.

Wen Qi cleared her throat.

“I was just saying it casually.”

Realizing that Wei Qingxuan was genuinely a little angry this time, Wen Qi rarely dared to meet his eyes.

She turned and walked inside.

It had always been like this since they were young.

Wen Qi spoke to him without restraint, as if she were certain he would never overthink things, so all kinds of teasing remarks slipped out bluntly.

Or perhaps she was constantly warning him not to fall for her, repeatedly testing whether he would waver.

Wei Qingxuan lowered his eyes in thought and followed silently behind her.

Fortunately, he hid it well.

After walking a few steps, they reached a fork in the path.

Wen Qi didn’t recognize the way and had to stop and turn back to look at him.

“You lead.”

They turned right.

After walking about ten meters, the glass door was pushed open, stirring a faint rush of air.

Wen Qi stood at the entrance, her gaze following the stretch of blue flooring inside.

The billiards hall was far more spacious than she had imagined.

White lights hung at staggered heights, and more than twenty dark green tables were arranged neatly in rows.

Not far away stood a group of young people, over a dozen at a glance, both men and women.

They were all attractive and fashionably dressed, forming a striking sight just by standing there.

At the front, a man in a baseball cap held a cue and lightly tapped it against the floor.

His side profile beneath the brim was shrouded in shadow as he spoke to the group with his back to Wen Qi and Wei Qingxuan.

“I’m telling you, while I’m gone these few months, you all need to be careful…”

“Uncle Lin.”

Wei Qingxuan suddenly spoke.

The man at the front turned at the sound and, upon seeing Wei Qingxuan, strode over.

Noticing Wen Qi beside him, Lin Sen was briefly surprised but didn’t ask much, only patting Wei Qingxuan’s shoulder.

“Qingxuan, how did the college entrance exam go? Do you have confidence in going for top scorer? If I can make it back in time, maybe I’ll even get to drink your top-scorer celebration wine.”

Wei Qingxuan didn’t give specifics and only smiled.

“Uncle Lin, if that day really comes, I’ll definitely be the first to tell you.”

“Oh, right,” Lin Sen added.
“How’s your grandmother been lately? I’ve been tied up recently, and I’m flying abroad again tomorrow. I’m afraid I won’t be able to visit her.”

He had a good relationship with the elders of Wei Qingxuan’s family and usually visited each other every year.

But this year, he had divorced, his daughter had gone abroad with her mother, and just yesterday he received a call saying his daughter was sick and needed surgery.

He could only drop everything here to go see her.

This billiards hall was one of the assets Wei Qingxuan’s mother had left behind.

Lin Sen had been managing it on his behalf.

Now that something had come up, and with Wei Qingxuan having finished the exam and come of age, Lin Sen took the opportunity to hand the hall over to him, so he could focus entirely on his daughter.

He led Wei Qingxuan and Wen Qi further inside.

“Look, Uncle Lin hasn’t done too badly these past few years.”

Wei Qingxuan smiled gratefully.

“Uncle Lin, you’ve worked hard.”

Seeing how Wei Qingxuan was even quieter than a few years ago, Lin Sen briefly fell into memory before pulling himself back, sighing softly.

“It’s not hard.”

“Qingxuan,” he continued.

“Start by getting familiar with the billiards hall. Your mother left you quite a lot, but you’ve just graduated. Even though I’ve taken you along to get some experience, you mustn’t rush. Manage the billiards hall well first. Once you’ve accumulated experience, then you can take over the rest.”

His words paused as Lin Sen looked at Wen Qi, who stood quietly to the side.

Sensing his gaze, Wen Qi looked up and smiled back.

Thinking of how Wei Qingxuan had addressed him earlier, she followed suit.

“Hello, Uncle Lin.”

She was a very open and gracious girl.

Lin Sen smiled and nodded.

“Hello.”

Wen Qi, Wei Qingxuan, and Lin Sen walked over to the group.

Lin Sen spoke at the right moment.

“Qingxuan has been here many times before. You all know each other, so I’ll keep it short. Because of family matters, I’ll be leaving Zhian for a while. During this time, the billiards hall will be managed by Qingxuan. If you have any issues, you can go to him.”

He trusted Wei Qingxuan to handle things well.

He had watched this boy grow up, steady-minded and sharp.

Besides, he would only be gone for two months.

There shouldn’t be any major problems.

Thinking this, he felt more at ease.

“Uncle Lin,” a boy with a silver earring in the group asked first.

“Then this girl is…? New?”

He had already noticed Wen Qi when she stood at the door earlier.

Her shoulder and neck lines were smooth.

A pink fitted crop top revealed a slim waist that looked like it could be encircled with one hand.

The side of her washed denim pants was adorned with a silver chain that swayed with each step.

Her high ponytail revealed streaks of pink highlights, loose strands gently brushing against her delicate cheeks.

He had even heard Han Zi mutter earlier, “She’s way too pretty.”

Lin Sen looked at Wen Qi and smiled.

“Did you come to play with Qingxuan? If so, I can open a table for you.”

Wen Qi shook her head.

“I’m here looking for a job. I wanted to ask if you’re still hiring.”

Wei Qingxuan turned his head slightly.

She was here to find a job?

Then earlier at Blue Yan, that was what she wanted to ask?

If they didn’t accept her, would she go back to ask Blue Yan again?

Almost instantly, Wei Qingxuan answered decisively.

“We are.”

Lin Sen, who had been about to finish arranging things before leaving, paused for a moment, then followed along.

“We are hiring,” he said.

“It just depends on what position you want. How’s your billiards?”

Wen Qi pressed her lips together.

Back in the east side of the city, she often went to billiards halls with Xiang Weishi and the others, but she didn’t know what Lin Sen’s standards were.

“I’m average,” she replied.

Lin Sen looked a little troubled.

In that case, he’d have to think carefully.

After all, she was someone Wei Qingxuan had brought along, and Wei Qingxuan had already agreed.

Even if Lin Sen had to improvise, he would have to create a position for her.

“Then…”

“Then cashier,” Wei Qingxuan said to Lin Sen.

“The original staff don’t need to change. Just add Wen Qi.”

The moment Wen Qi heard that, she knew her job was settled.

Sure enough, it was best to follow Wei Qingxuan.

She turned to everyone and greeted them brightly.

“Hello, everyone. My name is Wen Qi. I’ll be counting on you all from now on.”

With her job secured, a major worry was lifted from Wen Qi’s mind.

On the way back, she hummed to herself, though her singing was completely drowned out by the roar of motorcycles.

The billiards hall closed early that day.

Everyone went out to eat with Lin Sen as a send-off.

Aside from Lin Sen, they were all young people, and once they got going, there was no sense of distance or hierarchy.

After just a few drinks, Wen Qi had already blended right in.

By the time they returned home, it was late.

Wen Qi hopped on one foot to the door, waiting for Wei Qingxuan to open it.

“What happened to your foot?” he asked.

“I was dancing earlier. I don’t know who stepped on it. They stepped pretty hard.”

Now her entire foot throbbed faintly with pain.

All evening, Wen Qi had been like a busy butterfly, welcome wherever she went.

When they first arrived, she had been sitting next to Wei Qingxuan.

But aside from the beginning and the very end, he hadn’t received a single extra glance from her.

Wen Qi had been having a great time with everyone.

He restrained his breath, hiding the flash of jealousy that passed through him.

“Hey,” Wen Qi rolled her eyes.

“Why didn’t you even ask how I was? Ask if I’m okay? With your personality, if you ever manage to get a girlfriend, it’ll be like the sun rising in the west or a comet crashing into Earth.”

Wei Qingxuan still didn’t speak.

He quickly opened the door and headed straight toward a room, his steps fast, almost a jog.

That speed made it seem like he was afraid of staying with her for even one more second.

Wen Qi couldn’t help but mutter another complaint.

Thankfully, her room wasn’t far from the entrance.

She moved slowly toward her room.

But after only a few steps, she was suddenly scooped up sideways.

Her heart sank hard for a moment.

Then she smelled a familiar scent.

Wen Qi relaxed and tilted her head up.

It was Wei Qingxuan’s smooth jawline.

As his Adam’s apple rolled, the veins along his neck appeared faintly beneath the skin.

A little sexy.

The curse she had been about to unleash was swallowed back shamelessly in the face of this “scenery.”

She scolded herself inwardly for being such a looks-obsessed fool.

Unable to resist, she glanced again.

Wen Qi swallowed and looked away.

“Why did you come back again? Weren’t you in a hurry to get away from me just now?”

“To get medicine.”

Wei Qingxuan set Wen Qi down on the sofa and turned on the light.

Before Wen Qi could even react, he had already taken off her shoe without the slightest hesitation.

Her foot was flushed, faintly swollen.

Wei Qingxuan frowned deeply.

His well-defined hand steadily supported her ankle.

His warm breath brushed across the top of her foot.

The heat crept upward along her bare skin.

Wen Qi moved her leg.

“Hey, how long are you planning to stare?”

Snapped out of his daze, Wei Qingxuan realized he had grabbed the wrong medicine in his haste.

“I got the wrong one. I’ll go get it again.”

The room was very quiet.

Sleepiness crept up on Wen Qi, yet she forced herself to stay awake.

She took out her phone and opened an app, pulling up her favorite goddess’s latest voice drama and listening slowly.

The female voice actor “Zhang Ye” was famous for her delicate performances and rich emotional expression.

She was Wen Qi’s best learning model, so Wen Qi subscribed to every one of her works.

A new episode had just been released today.

The male voice actor paired perfectly with Zhang Ye.

As soon as their voices sounded, Wen Qi felt instantly refreshed.

When Wei Qingxuan returned, the air conditioner hummed softly.

Wen Qi lay on the sofa with her lashes half-lowered, her fingers unconsciously rubbing the velvet upholstery.

Her phone rested on a throw pillow.

He crouched down, lifted Wen Qi’s foot again, and took an appropriate amount of ointment, gently applying it to her instep and massaging slowly.

His gaze drifted downward.

The nail polish on her toes was from the bottle he had brought last time.

It was still applied unevenly, with plenty smeared outside the edges, which she hadn’t bothered to fix.

Wen Qi loved beauty, but she had never had patience for these things, much less the ability to sit in a nail salon for hours.

Yet her feet were beautiful.

Round and soft, her skin so delicate it was nearly translucent.

Faint bluish veins could be seen winding beneath the thin surface.

The sound of swallowing was especially clear in the quiet space.

He couldn’t help but lift his hand a little higher.

“Your heartbeat is off.”

At those words, Wei Qingxuan’s heart leapt violently, nearly bursting from his chest.

Only then did he realize the sound came from her phone.

The male voice in the radio drama let out a low chuckle, ripples spreading through the silent living room.

He looked up at Wen Qi.

At the same moment, Wen Qi opened her eyes and met his suddenly burning gaze.

His hands, which had been focused on massaging her foot, stilled.

In that instant, Wei Qingxuan failed to hide his thoughts.

The undercurrent between their locked gazes was more direct than any teasing.

His lips pressed into a straight line, his eyes unfocused, while the hand gripping Wen Qi’s foot tightened unconsciously.

He really wanted to kiss her.

“All right,” Wen Qi tried to pull her foot back. “Thanks for today.”

He didn’t move the first time.

Wen Qi frowned and lowered her voice.

“I said, thank you.”

His palm suddenly emptied.

Wei Qingxuan glanced at the nail polish set nearby and reminded her again.

“I can help you apply it…”

“Help with what?”

The two voices rang out one after the other.

At the same time, the radio drama cut in abruptly.

“Mmm…”

A long, lingering kiss burst out from the drama, followed by metallic clinks mixed with the soft friction of fabric, exploding in the quiet space.

Wei Qingxuan’s breathing grew uneven as his gaze fell on Wen Qi’s profile.

Wen Qi’s eyes, however, lit up.

It was a kiss scene.

All her attention was on Zhang Ye’s voice.

She listened to every line, fully immersed in analyzing the emotional delivery.

So that was how lightly biting the teeth could be handled with such charm.

So breathy sounds could be that immersive.

Wen Qi hadn’t expected a kiss scene tonight.

For her, it was an unexpected delight, and she didn’t notice Wei Qingxuan beside her at all.

Her foot was right next to his hand.

With just one more movement, he could easily grasp it again.

With just a little force, he could even pull Wen Qi into his arms.

As he kept thinking like this…

Suddenly, at an exciting moment in the drama, Wen Qi grabbed the pillow beside her and turned onto her side.

Before her gasp could escape, her foot had already landed firmly in Wei Qingxuan’s hand.

Only then did she realize he hadn’t left yet.

But since he had just helped her apply medicine, she couldn’t very well chase him away.

She asked tactfully, “Aren’t you sleepy?”

“Not sleepy,” Wei Qingxuan said through clenched teeth.

Tense and restrained, it wasn’t very convenient for him to stand up right now.

“Oh!”

Wen Qi stopped paying attention to him and continued analyzing Zhang Ye’s handling of the scene.

The characters were arguing, and Zhang Ye’s emotions surged to a peak.

Wen Qi couldn’t bear to miss even a second.

Wei Qingxuan casually grabbed a shawl from the sofa and draped it over himself.

“Don’t hide…”

After the lingering, wet kissing sounds came echoes that made one’s ears burn.

Wen Qi gradually realized that tonight’s drama seemed to involve more than just kissing.

She subconsciously looked at Wei Qingxuan.

She found his face slightly flushed.

He probably had never heard things like this before.

Just from listening to a bit, and he’s like this?

Is it really that serious?

The ripples that had just stirred in Wen Qi’s heart were pressed back down.

She kindly comforted him.

“This kind of thing is normal. It’s just a drama. Totally normal.”

Wei Qingxuan cast a subtle glance downward.

If Wen Qi knew, she definitely wouldn’t be saying “normal.”

The two of them sat stiffly.

Wen Qi didn’t know whether she should ask him to leave or keep comforting him.

After all, his breathing was growing heavier by the second.

And under Wen Qi’s gaze, Wei Qingxuan absolutely couldn’t just walk out like this.

Wen Qi leaned over to grab the phone from the pillow to turn off the drama.

But the pillow was very close to Wei Qingxuan.

The moment she leaned in, an overwhelming fragrance engulfed him, and his breathing nearly stopped.

Her movement slowed.

Then she suddenly noticed the vein behind his ear pulsing in time with the increasingly rapid breathing in the drama, throbbing again and again.

She couldn’t help reaching out to touch behind his ear.

In an instant, redness climbed all the way to the tip of his ear.

Wen Qi was startled, her fingertips trembling.

“Wei Qingxuan, you’re really hot. I just said, this-”

Before she could finish speaking, Wei Qingxuan abruptly stood up and left without a word, moving quickly.

All that remained was his retreating figure.

At that moment, the signs of something being off with Wei Qingxuan were finally exposed.

Wen Qi’s lashes narrowed slightly.

In the bathroom, Wen Qi’s shawl fell into Wei Qingxuan’s hands.

He rubbed the silk fabric, his fingertips tracing the paths of its folds, unconsciously sketching the curves of bare feet.

Again and again.

Cicadas chirped endlessly.

Heat layered upon heat, rolling and scalding.

Steam soaked his entire body in the bathroom.

Only then was the shawl finally released, as if ravaged by a violent storm, its former elegance gone, crumpled into a ball atop the sink.