hotmtlnovel Chapter 71: Be Clear
Chapter 71: Be Clear
Chapter 71: Be Clear
Jiang He returned to her room.
She closed the door, sat on the bed, and didn't hold a hand warmer. She just sat at the edge of the bed, looking out the window, lost in thought.
Caught off guard.
She had already sensed that something was off with Xu Qing. She had secretly observed him, wondering if she had misunderstood. Later, when she saw him trying to bridge the gap in information between them and genuinely helping her understand this place, she pushed those thoughts aside.
And then, he suddenly confessed today?
The reversal was too quick.
If you like someone, just like them openly. If you don't, then leave openly... it has nothing to do with gratitude.
The key was, she hadn’t even thought about these things.
Some time ago, when she felt a twinge of guilt, she had even considered sneaking away...
She didn't even know why she wanted to leave.
Thinking about it now, it seemed it was because he was her benefactor, always helping her?
At this thought, Jiang He felt a little ashamed. Having thoughts she shouldn't have toward her benefactor was just wrong.
...Wait a minute, wasn't this exactly what Xu Qing just said?
She reached up to touch the strands of hair by her ear, her expression growing serious.
So this is what felt off.
...
...
In the living room.
Xu Qing was still sitting there, his hands crossed behind his head, leaning back on the couch, staring at the ceiling.
Feelings like this, sure, you could fake them. But that wouldn't do.
He had originally planned to take things slow, waiting until she got used to everything here before considering anything else.
But why couldn’t he just keep his hands to himself?!
Jiang He had already considered sneaking away once. If he didn’t clarify things now, she’d probably figure things out and definitely run off. So he had no choice but to lay it all out for her.
Spelling everything out, whether she stayed or left, was better than letting her slowly realize his feelings and then sneak away on some dark, windy night with her little bag and long sword to wander the world.
Even if she insisted on leaving, he could at least arrange a place for her to stay. Otherwise, she’d have nowhere to go, and might end up scaling walls and sleeping on rooftops wrapped in a coat to stay warm.
Nowadays, everything was made of concrete and steel. She wouldn’t get far before starving.
So he just went for it.
He had to make Jiang He understand the difference between gratitude and affection. The two couldn’t be lumped together. If he didn't make this clear, she’d keep mixing the two up, and things would get weird.
Was he lying?
No.
Jiang He hesitated, her ears turning red. “Then... we’ll talk about it later.”
“Talk about it later?” Xu Qing’s expression turned strange.
“Talk about it later,” Jiang He affirmed with a firm nod.
“Alright, we’ll talk about it later.”
Xu Qing leaned against the doorway, not moving. Then he said, “If I ever do that thing again, you can hit me... just don’t kill me. I’m weak, so go easy. Just don’t talk about leaving...”
“I can’t hit you,” Jiang He shook her head.
“Then what was with the clenched fists earlier?”
“I was just thinking about it.”
“...”
Great, she still wanted to hit him. This girl’s go-to response was always violence.
The sound of the knife hitting the cutting board echoed. Jiang He chopped half a head of vegetables, then glanced back at Xu Qing, still standing there. “Why are you still here?”
“Watching.”
“Don’t distract me from cooking.”
“Standing here distracts you?” Xu Qing shrugged but didn’t move, continuing to lean against the door frame. He asked, “Can you tell the difference between gratitude and affection?”
“Huh?”
“When I help you and you feel grateful, that’s normal. But gratitude and affection are two different things. I’m worried you’ll mix them up.” He explained, “If you mistake gratitude for affection, it’s no different from me lying to you.”
“I don’t like you!” Jiang He’s voice was loud.
“Okay, okay, I’m just asking if you can tell the difference. No need to shout...”
Xu Qing wanted to laugh. Classic guilty conscience.
“I wasn’t shouting,” Jiang He denied. After hesitating, she asked, “How do you tell the difference?”
“Want me to teach you?”
“Okay.”
“Then promise you won’t hit me or talk about leaving. This is just a normal demonstration, to see if you like me or not.”
“I don’t like you,” Jiang He refuted, then added, “Go ahead with the demonstration.”
“Alright, don’t move. Just stay still... it’s just a test.”
Xu Qing stepped into the kitchen, stood behind her, and gently hugged her. The warmth of her sweater seeped through to him.
The faint scent of her shampoo filled his nose, and he cautiously took a whiff.
“How does it feel?”
“N-Nothing.”
Jiang He froze in front of the cutting board, flustered, her heart beating faster against her will.