Chapter 192: Just give it a try |
Chapter 192: Just give it a try
The living room was quiet, with only the voices from the movie filling the air. The screen flickered, interweaving light and dialogue, while everything else remained still, as if nothing had happened.
It was pitch dark—indeed, nothing was happening.
Halfway through the movie, Xu Qing suddenly let out a heavy sigh.
Jiang He froze for a moment, her eyes fixed on the screen, fully immersed in the film.
Hearing Xu Qing shift around and leave the couch, she discreetly turned her head, watching his retreating figure with wide, blinking eyes. A delayed sense of panic crept in.
What the hell was she doing just now…?
Before long, Xu Qing returned and sat back down. He gently pulled Jiang He’s legs onto his lap and started massaging her calves with a soft touch.
Neither of them spoke.
“I…”
“Shut up.”
Alright then. Xu Qing kept his mouth shut, obediently sat back down, minimized the movie window, and glanced at Jiang He curled up on the couch. After organizing his thoughts, he opened a Word document.
It was just helping out a little—no big deal. Right, no big deal.
Xu Qing tried to convince himself.
He swore, at first, he really wanted to refuse…
Making a lady knight do something like that—it just didn’t seem right. It really shouldn’t be.
“Why aren’t you writing?”
Jiang He noticed his hands had been resting on the keyboard for a while without moving.
She knew Xu Qing was preparing to write a review—she also liked watching him type away at rapid speed, churning out long passages. It had become a habit. Every time they watched a movie together, Xu Qing would write a review, and before bed, Jiang He would reread it on her phone, reliving the movie before drifting off to sleep.
“I can’t write.” Xu Qing admitted.
“You didn’t actually watch it?”
“No, I’ve seen it several times.”
Even after multiple viewings, the latter half still held his attention. But when it came to writing a review, he just didn’t know where to start.
It wasn’t that there was nothing to write—there was too much to write. Every little detail could be expanded into a deep dive, making it difficult to even begin.
After a moment’s thought, Xu Qing simply closed Word. Forget it.
“This doesn’t seem to make money,” Jiang He commented, idly hooking his pajama hem with her toes. Xu Qing had changed into pajamas halfway through the movie.
“It’s not that this doesn’t make money. It’s that I haven’t made money from it yet.”
“Haven’t you been writing for a long time?”
“Just because you’ve been doing something for a long time doesn’t mean you’ll make money from it. If it were that easy, wouldn’t everyone be doing it?”
Xu Qing pinched her toes lightly, then got up to grab some iron rings and pliers, continuing to craft a small iron basket for Jiang He.
The base was done—he just needed to attach the sides and add a handle.
Jiang He nestled into the couch, watching him. In the quiet night, a pleasant, slightly tipsy warmth lingered in the air.
The clock ticked away, second by second. Winter Melon lazily nuzzled into her lap.
“You mentioned something before… about human needs or something,” Jiang He muttered, rubbing Winter Melon’s head, seizing the chance to divert the conversation.
“Yeah. People have needs—it’s determined by biology. It’s normal between a couple.” Xu Qing nodded quickly, afraid she’d get the wrong idea again. He already had enough “pervert” labels hanging over his head.
After a pause, he added, “Pure and innocent.”
“……”
Jiang He was speechless.
Pure and innocent?
No matter how she heard it, it sounded like Xu Qing was mocking her. She clutched Winter Melon tightly and twisted her toes hard against Xu Qing’s waist.
“Hiss—”
Xu Qing inhaled sharply and pulled her legs into his arms. “You’re getting more modern.”
“Hmph.”
“Do you want me to help you too…” Xu Qing’s brain short-circuited as he held her foot.
Jiang He’s eyebrows shot up.
“I don’t need it!”
“It’s really normal, you don’t have to feel embarrassed—”
The instant he sensed a murderous aura, Xu Qing wisely shut his mouth.
Decision made—he would make up for today’s missed sword and fist training later.
“Figured out why you’re making money yet?” he asked.
“A little. That thing you said about emotional appeal—I looked it up. This game now is completely different from how it was years ago. The characters look the same, but everything else has changed. And the way you taught me to press that button—it really resonates with people. Oh, and the ugly wings too…”
“You’re pretty amazing.”
“Uh… actually, I asked someone.” Jiang He lowered her head in embarrassment.
“Who?” Xu Qing was surprised—another teacher?
“That Yogurt Girl. She added me on WeChat. She’s got really long, beautiful hair…” Jiang He gestured with her hands. The hair was indeed very long. “I saw it in her Moments.”
“Oh.” Xu Qing thought for a moment but didn’t ask further. It was normal to make friends after being here for a while.
“What she said makes sense, but it’s best to think for yourself too.” He idly spun an iron ring in his hand. “We’re in a highly commercialized era. Almost any problem can be solved by someone else. Whether it’s eating, transportation, or shopping—as long as you pay, everything is taken care of. That makes the world feel simple. But in reality, it’s incredibly complex.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Just like in your game, your success isn’t due to one single factor. It’s a combination of many things—your stance training, Zhong Kui, your techniques. If you lacked any one of those, you might not have built up an audience early on. It’s all part of a calculated inevitability… But that’s getting a bit deep. I just want you to think more.”
Xu Qing twirled his pliers. “I didn’t let you help me before because repetitive work without growth is meaningless. Whatever you do, you need to analyze and improve. That’s how you get better. Otherwise, if you just keep using the same template and grinding in the arena every day, it’s dumb.”
“Understood, Teacher Xu.”
Jiang He puffed her cheeks. This guy just wanted her to study.
“I’ll study hard.”
“The point of studying is to enhance your ability to process information and think critically.” Xu Qing chuckled.
“A person who’s educated and one who isn’t have very different mental lives. Some people hear ‘The blue awaits the rain, and I await you,’ while you hear ‘Thunder crashes, the sky collapses, the earth sinks, and the purple-gold hammer strikes—’”
To keep his Kaiyuan-era girlfriend from going astray, Xu Qing rambled on, fulfilling his unfulfilled dream of becoming a teacher.
As the night deepened, the clock inched toward eleven. They sat on the couch, whispering. Jiang He yawned, leaned over to kiss Xu Qing’s cheek, then got up to go to bed.
"You should move the fan into your room—it’s hot in there," she reminded him from the doorway.
"Can’t we share the AC? I can sleep on the floor."
"You…" Jiang He hesitated. The thought of them sleeping under the same roof was… dangerous. She quickly shook her head. "That’d be no different from a wedding chamber!"
"A wedding chamber is for doing things couples like. I’d be doing nothing."
Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t. He wouldn’t win in a fight, and he wouldn’t be able to hold her down.
Jiang He was like a little bull, full of energy.
"You planned this all along?" Jiang He suddenly realized why Xu Qing had insisted on switching rooms earlier.
"What plan? I’m just a kind-hearted boyfriend. What evil thoughts could I possibly have?"
"Then let’s switch back."
"Forget it. I’ll stick to the storeroom and my fan."
Xu Qing refused to swap back. At worst, he’d just shower more often.
Once Jiang He, now in her pajamas, returned to her room for the night, Xu Qing stood up, stretched his arms and legs, and made up for his missed sword and fist training. He worked up a good sweat before heading to the bathroom for a shower, making sure to be in bed by midnight.
Exerting some pent-up energy made for a great night’s sleep.
Midnight.
Jiang He had felt sleepy before, but now she was wide awake, her legs and feet still warm from earlier, as if they were still resting in Xu Qing’s lap.
Once might’ve been accidental, but twice? There was no excuse for that.
What kind of ridiculous, improper nonsense was she learning…?
Thinking back on the past year, Jiang He lay in the dark, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought.
After a long while, she suddenly sat up, tidied her clothes, and, moving stealthily, crept into the living room. She pressed her ear against the storeroom door, listening for a moment. Once she confirmed Xu Qing was asleep, she carefully turned the doorknob and slipped inside.
The electric fan hummed softly on a chair, blowing directly at Xu Qing.
It wasn’t even the dead of night yet, but the room was already stuffy. Jiang He sat by the bed, hesitated, then reached out to touch his forehead—slightly damp with sweat.
Air conditioning truly was a marvelous invention…
She sighed in admiration, then glanced at Xu Qing under the faint glow of light. His thin blanket was tossed aside, and he lay sprawled out in all directions.
Xu Qing suddenly scratched his face in his sleep, then his hand flopped down—right onto Jiang He. He twitched, startled awake, then groped around the bedside. Finding nothing, he sat up and scanned the dimly lit room. Seeing nothing unusual, he flopped back down, pulled the blanket over his stomach, and went back to sleep.
On the floor beside the bed, Jiang He had flattened herself like a ghost.
Once Xu Qing settled down, she silently rose, cast him a long look, and ghosted her way out of the room.
The next morning.
Xu Qing had no memory of waking up in the middle of the night. He got up full of energy, practiced his fist techniques, and only finished an entire set by the time Jiang He finally emerged, looking groggy and sluggish. She didn’t even bother training with her sword, heading straight to wash up and start making breakfast.
"Didn’t sleep well last night?" Xu Qing eyed her curiously, completely oblivious.
"Slept just fine."
"Then why don’t you look as lively as me?"
"Get out and let me make congee in peace!" Jiang He shooed him away with the pressure cooker lid.
"This fist technique really strengthens the body. I wake up every day feeling like I could punch a cow to death. You should train with me instead of practicing swordplay."
Xu Qing swung his sword a couple of times in the living room, then suddenly reconsidered. "Actually, forget it. You’re already top-tier. It doesn’t even matter whether you train or not."
"No, one mustn’t become lazy. What if I end up going back one day?"
Xu Qing glanced at her loose-fitting pajamas. "If you go back, can I strip you out of those pajamas first?"
"You wanna try?"
"...Can I?"
Xu Qing put his sword away, tiptoed to the kitchen doorway, and cautiously poked her shoulder with his finger.
Jiang He gave him a blank stare, then suddenly yawned, making Xu Qing jump in surprise.
"Never mind. My mental prep isn’t there yet. Let’s save this joke for tonight."
"Hmph."
Breakfast was millet porridge—good for digestion—paired with crispy pickled vegetables. Jiang He ate two big bowls before feeling satisfied.
She considered going back to her bedroom for a nap, but then she remembered how she had once mocked Xu Qing as useless for sleeping till noon when she first arrived. She decided against it.
She didn’t want to be useless. Didn’t want to be like Winter Melon, just eating and sleeping all day.
"I’m heading out," she announced after getting dressed, jingling her keys and slinging her little bear backpack over her shoulder.
"Wait, I’m heading out too. If I don’t message you on WeChat, I probably won’t be back for lunch."
"Got it!"
Jiang He checked her phone to make sure it was in her bag before stepping out. The morning sun wasn’t too harsh yet. At the main gate, she tapped her electronic key card and gave Uncle Zhao a polite smile before heading to the bus stop.
Uncle Zhao wasn’t just a security guard—she had figured that out long ago. When she had visited Xu Qing’s parents’ home, the guards there barely acknowledged people, and Xu Qing didn’t even glance at them. They were strangers.
Near noon.
Xu Qing was dressed and ready, catching a ride to the hospital. He picked up an extra-large serving of congee and a few vegetable buns, carrying them up to the fifth floor.
Qin Maocai wasn’t that old, but he wasn’t exactly young either. It wasn’t easy for him to get around, so Xu Qing brought food over for Qin Hao.
"Food again?" Qin Hao glanced at the buns, clearly not hungry.
"What do you mean ‘again’? You eat once and you’re done for life?"
"It’s not that… it’s just that Wang Zi got up super late today and only brought me food around ten."
"Then let it sit for a bit. Eat later."
Xu Qing pulled back the blanket. The bandages on Qin Hao’s abdomen had been changed—no longer seeping blood, looking much better.
"This should make the news. Off-duty officer runs into criminals, charges in with a heart full of justice, nearly sacrifices himself, only to be saved by a good Samaritan—what a perfect feel-good story, spreading positive energy."
"No idea. My coworkers came by this morning and told me to rest up."
Qin Hao looked thrilled despite his injury—it was like a dream come true.
Running into an emergency while out and about, jumping in to uphold justice—this had been his childhood fantasy. Now he could officially cross it off his bucket list.
Breaking up fights, catching stray cats and dogs—none of that compared to this. A minor injury was nothing as long as the person he had protected was unharmed.
"This orange is super sweet. That girl from yesterday brought it over."
"Oh? Can you even eat oranges?"
"Just a small bite won’t hurt."
"Can you stop grinning like an idiot? Who was this girl? Why do you look so smitten?"
"Smitten? What nonsense. Just a convenience store clerk near the internet café. She got off work and got targeted on her way home…"
Qin Hao, full of energy, shifted positions, winced at the pain, then grinned proudly as he continued his tale.
Xu Qing frowned.
"If we’re talking about heroics, I was the one who saved the day, wasn’t I? I saved both of you."
"……"
Qin Hao stopped grinning.