"Do you want to have dinner at home tonight?" Fang Qingru asked.
"I..." Mi Jing hesitated, thinking whether to strike while the iron is hot and bring Shen Lingxing home tonight to meet her parents, or wait a few days.
"Think it through before calling home!" Fang Qingru waited for a while, but Mi Jing still seemed indecisive. So she left those words and decisively hung up the phone.
Beep... beep...
The busy tone came from the phone. Mi Jing put it away, still pondering, unable to make up her mind.
"What's wrong?" Shen Lingxing, noticing Mi Jing's conflicted expression, asked concernedly.
"I was thinking about when to take you to meet my parents." She had been agonizing over how to tell him this. Now that he asked, Mi Jing decided to directly address it.
"I'm free tonight. Is it convenient for me to meet your parents?"
Hearing him address them as "parents" so smoothly made Mi Jing's mind go blank for an instant. How could he say it so naturally, as if calling his own parents? She couldn't help but admire his calmness and composure in the face of this role change. After silently marveling, she replied, "Yes, it's convenient. My parents are both at home."
"What do they like?"
"My dad likes experimenting with cooking, sometimes enjoys drinking and tea tasting. As for my mom, her greatest pleasure is being my dad's culinary advisor, and she enjoys calligraphy and fishing." Mi Jing summarized as succinctly as possible.
On the way, they engaged in a Q&A, with all the questions revolving around Mi Jing's family. She answered all, and Shen Lingxing listened attentively, sensing from her involuntary joy that she had a happy and harmonious family.
"Thank you for driving me back." After unbuckling her seatbelt, Mi Jing smiled and thanked Shen Lingxing.
"No need to thank me, it's my duty," Shen Lingxing also smiled at Mi Jing. His smile was warm and approachable, like sunlight in the spring breeze, exuding a comforting charm.
Mi Jing found herself momentarily distracted by Shen Lingxing's smile, staring blankly for a couple of seconds before coming back to her senses. Realizing she was mesmerized, she forced herself to act composed, said goodbye to Shen Lingxing, and promptly got out of the car.
"Jing."
As the car door closed, Han Xiujie's voice reached Mi Jing's ears. Annoyed, she rolled her eyes, wondering why he seemed to be everywhere.
Mi Jing didn't want to deal with him and walked quickly toward her car, ignoring him. But her strides were no match for Han Xiujie's. He quickly caught up and stood in her way.
"Jing, I can't forget you. Please give me another chance?" Han Xiujie looked at her with deep affection, his voice pleading.
"No, I'm married now. I can't give you any chance." Mi Jing said, smiling coldly.
"Impossible! You don't even have a boyfriend, how could you be married?" Han Xiujie had investigated; the man at the hotel that day wasn't Mi Jing's boyfriend. She hadn't dated anyone in the five years since he left.
"Honey, ran into an acquaintance?"
Before Han Xiujie finished speaking, Shen Lingxing had walked gracefully to Mi Jing's side, extended his long arm, and pulled her close, casually asking.
Mi Jing was a bit stunned. She thought he had already driven away, but not only did he stay, he came over to join the "fun."
They were now almost touching, their bodies separated only by their clothes. The sudden intimacy made Mi Jing a bit tense and uneasy. She subtly moved her shoulder to hint for Shen Lingxing to let go, but he only held her tighter, leaving her no choice but to let him hold her.
"Jing, who is he?" Han Xiujie, seeing Mi Jing being held closely by another man, felt a surge of jealousy. He stared at Shen Lingxing's hand, as if trying to burn holes through it with his gaze.
"My husband," Mi Jing replied coldly.
Han Xiujie chuckled lightly, shaking his head, "I don't believe you."
"It's true. Mi Jing is now my wife," Shen Lingxing interjected with an innocent smile, declaring his claim.
"Ha! Why should I believe you?" Han Xiujie scoffed, as if hearing the biggest joke ever.
"Believe it or not," Mi Jing said impatiently, pulling Shen Lingxing to leave.
Shen Lingxing took a few steps with Mi Jing, then suddenly stopped. Confused, Mi Jing turned around, and he pulled her into his arms, then boldly kissed her on the lips.
His kiss was gentle, leaving Mi Jing stunned, her body stiff, eyes wide open, staring at his handsome face magnified right in front of her. He had his eyes closed, looking a bit intoxicated.
In a quiet corner of the street, the warm early winter sun shone down, bathing the kissing couple in a halo. The scene was picturesque, reminiscent of a romantic drama's defining moment, heart-stirring and beautiful.
But Han Xiujie found nothing beautiful in it. Watching the woman he loved being kissed by another man was more painful than anything else, nearly driving him mad.
He wanted to rush over, to pull them apart and punch the man, but reason held him back, telling him he had no right or standing to interfere. All he could do was watch.
Han Xiujie, deeply hurt, clenched his fist and punched a nearby tree in frustration. He hated his helplessness and the fact that he had lost her, giving someone else a chance. Not wanting anyone to see his distress, he turned and walked away, dejected.
However, neither Shen Lingxing nor Mi Jing noticed Han Xiujie's anger, regret, and sadness. They were lost in the kiss, as if they were the only two people in the world.
When Shen Lingxing finally opened his eyes, Mi Jing was still dazed. Seeing her stupefied expression, he silently chuckled, let go of her lips, and whispered in her ear, "Want to continue?"
Mi Jing snapped back to reality, her reddened face filled with anger. She lowly growled, "You better have a good explanation."
"Kissing my own wife needs no explanation."
He didn't like others coveting his belongings, and his wife was definitely not to be coveted. Although he couldn't say he loved her, she was his lawful wife, so it was necessary to make sure men pestering Mi Jing understood she belonged to him. This was why Shen Lingxing kissed Mi Jing so suddenly.