Chapter Nine, Chasing the Wind (02)

It's acceptable, but the chest looks a bit small

Xu Tang looked straight at him, fearless and unyielding, shaking her head firmly, "Zhou Xian, I do not wish to be your girlfriend, nor do I want to be your woman"

Fang raised his hand and slapped the person on the head, saying, "Sister-in-law, can you casually drink with other men?"

Our lives are different, and we cannot play together

What message should I send? Xu Tang's heart raced like a drum, and the half bottle of beer she had consumed seemed to surge into her mind, causing her thoughts to become increasingly sluggish amidst the heated breaths surrounding her

Xu Tang had just witnessed the disparity in strength between the two individuals and immediately dared not to move

Zhou Xian opened two bottles of beer, handed her one, and pushed the plate towards her. Xu Tang was also unreserved, took a skewer, took a bite, and then drank a large gulp of beer

Then how about I follow you in order, is that alright?

Xu Tang was momentarily stunned, his heart stirred by Zhou Xian's words, leaving him unsettled for a long time

Fang Ju awkwardly smiled and said, "I didn't see anything, continue on, Xian Ge, continue!" Saying this, he fled into the house like the wind, and casually pulled down the rolling shutter.

Xu Tang felt both shy and indignant, "Zhou Xian, can you be a little more serious!"

My mother does not approve of my father training me this way, but my father says, "A girl who can drink is equipped with a valuable skill." She turned to Zhou Xuan and said, "A sober person can pretend to be drunk, but a drunk person cannot pretend to be sober."

She found it difficult to describe the tumultuous emotions of the moment, akin to a kite soaring higher and higher in the clouds, free yet completely out of control, about to plummet from a great height at any moment

Xu Tang, however, seemed to be unconcerned, drinking and speaking, "He fed me wine with chopsticks when I was ten months old, and I started drinking with him at fourteen. At first, I would get completely drunk after just one cup. After three years of drinking, on my birthday last year, I finally managed to get him drunk. " She paused for a moment and added, "That was also the last time I accompanied him for a drink"

Inside, people were arguing loudly and drinking excitedly. Zhou Xian glanced over and suddenly strode over, kicking the coffee table down. The wine bottles and plates on it toppled over, shattering instantly, with leftover food and drinks spilling all over the floor

Xu Tang stood up, clutching his shirt as he looked at Zhou Xian, "May I sleep on your living room sofa for one night? My relatives at home must have already gone to bed"

He placed the beer bottle down with one hand, took out his phone from his pants pocket, and handed it to Xu Tang, saying, "Send a text message."

Zhou Xian looked at her and said

My younger brother can also drink

Zhou Xian's breath, reeking of alcohol, sprayed onto her face, while the large hand gripping the back of her head pressed forward again, leaving only a thin line between it and Xu Tang's nose

Xu Tang ultimately did not sleep on the sofa; Fang Ju arranged a room for her. The room's window faced the undulating mountains of Lushan County, where the mountains were silent and relatively uncommunicative. She could not fall asleep and sat on the windowsill, feeling the breeze, her mind wandering to her first kiss, with emotions rising and falling.

When setting up a stall, I encountered Zhou Xian, and it felt as though there were countless words I wanted to say to him. However, at that moment of meeting, I found myself at a loss for where to begin. Xu Tang drank her wine and gradually fell silent.

"Who said that?" Zhou Xianshen extended a finger to gently caress Xu Tang's swollen lips, which had been kissed. "We can communicate, interact," he paused for a moment, chuckling softly, "and we can also mate"

Xu Tang was completely unprepared, her smile instantly froze on her face as she looked at Zhou Xian's approaching features. Her breath momentarily halted, her voice trembling slightly, "Zhou Xian, you have a girlfriend"

Xu Tang felt completely weak, and in the end, she could only tightly grasp the collar of Zhou Xian, preventing herself from sliding down

Pocket of the pants, right side

Seeing that there was no longer any worry of being disturbed, Zhou Xian simply took Xu Tang and sat her on his lap. Xu Tang struggled to get down, but Zhou Xian held her tightly, "Try moving again?"

Xu Tang raised the bottle towards Zhou Xian, who paused for a moment before clinking the bottle with hers

Xu Tang shook her head, and before she had a chance to speak, someone stepped forward and handed her a bottle of beer, "Sister-in-law, I heard you have a good tolerance for alcohol, so please do us the honor of drinking a bit with us!"

Zhou Xian chuckled and said, "You see, isn't the communication quite good?"

Zhou Xian pinched her waist with both hands, "My hands are occupied."

"Xian Ge..." Suddenly, a sound of footsteps came from behind. Xu Tang was so frightened that she hurriedly pushed Zhou Xian away, wanting to retreat, but her head was firmly pressed into Zhou Xian's embrace.

Xu Tang : `` ... ... ''

Xu Tang stared at the report on the phone screen, her brows furrowed and her lips pressed into a thin line

Xu Tang was completely taken aback, merely watching the beer bottle make its rounds in her hand, leaving behind a cold, damp residue. Zhou Xuan carried a plate of lamb and two bottles of wine, saying to her, "Let's go outside"

Xu Tang had long witnessed Zhou Xian's shameless side, but those previous instances were merely the tip of the iceberg compared to what is now revealed

Xu Tang looked up at him and asked, "Do you like me?"

Xu Tang stood up from his legs, lowered his head, and silently returned to his previous position, finishing the remaining half bottle of beer in one gulp. The liquid was still somewhat cool, leaving a bitter sensation at the back of his throat

The person repeatedly said "yes," and snatched the wine bottle from Xu Tang's hand, saying, "Sister-in-law, I am sorry!"

Xu Tang had no choice but to comply.

You take it yourself

Zhou Xian paused for a moment, reaching out with the hand that was holding Xu Tang to retrieve the phone that had fallen to the side. He opened the album, flipped to a photo, and turned the screen towards Xu Tang. "Your father fell from the scaffolding while working; the investigation revealed that a rebar was loose, with no signs of human manipulation." Zhou Xian paused again, "At that time, the safety officer at the construction site was someone from Uncle Zheng."

Xu Tang extended his hand, reached into Zhou Xian's pants pocket, took out a cigarette case and a lighter, drew one out from inside, and handed it to Zhou Xian's lips

It is uncertain whether it is after reaching adulthood that one begins to perceive the complexities of love and sorrow in the world, but for Xu Tang, who has just turned eighteen, in addition to the courage to move forward, there arises another kind of sadness—choosing to follow a person like Zhou Xian on the path of enlightenment, is it not akin to seeking fish in a tree?

"Coercion is also a form of communication." Zhou Xianteng freed one hand to smoke, while the other hand continued to grip her waist

Zhou Xian also came out of the restroom and, seeing Xu Tang's expression was dazed, quietly asked: "Are you unhappy?"

Zhou Xian remained silent, holding a cigarette and furrowing his brows as he looked at her, a subtle yet unspoken air of severity lingering between his brows

After a while, Zhou Xian suddenly asked her, "Is your phone out of credit?"

"It's nothing." Zhou Xian's tone was calm.

Zhou's gaze narrowed

Zhou Xian's gaze immediately swept over, "What are you laughing at?"

Xu Tang shook his head quickly, "It's nothing."

Zhou Xian glanced at her, then suddenly got up and walked into the room. After a moment, he came out with a black shirt and tossed it onto her, saying, "Cover your legs."

Are you not afraid that I have ulterior motives for approaching you

Xu Tang did not understand why he suddenly brought this up, and was taken aback for a moment, "No."

Under the dim light of the door, her face, pale and unadorned, was uplifted, and the stubbornness in her brows and eyes softened with a smile, exuding a gentle warmth. Zhou Xuan's gaze slightly narrowed as he suddenly reached out to press down on Xu Tang's head, gently guiding her towards himself.

Xu Tang: "... ... hot"

Zhou Xian glanced at her without saying a word and walked straight towards the door, pulling up the rolling shutter.

As they were speaking, one person pulled Fang up and said, "Come on, old Fang, let's play rock-paper-scissors!"

Zhou Xian inadvertently loosened his grip on her hand, remaining silent for several seconds, still smiling, but the smile gradually turned cold. "Xu Haitang, this has become rather uninteresting."

Xu Tang raised his chin, smiling with a hint of pride, "Far inferior to me."

This is coercion

Before the words were finished, they were silenced by Zhou Xian's fierce kiss.

"You don't have to be my girlfriend," Zhou Xian fixed his gaze on her moving lips, "just be my woman"

You have known this for quite some time now

At that time... I'm sorry, my mother has such a personality, please do not take it to heart

Zhou Xian let out a low grunt, and after a while, asked again: "Who did you learn to drink with?"

Zhou Xian looked at her, remaining silent

Xu Tang retorted: "Then why don't you let Fang Ju call me and go to my place to take the clothes back?"

Xu Tang bit her lip and said, "Can I be your woman now, and can I be your woman for a lifetime?"

I am quite serious, " Zhou Xian lifted her up a bit, " Please help me get a cigarette. "

Everyone immediately fell silent, too frightened to even breathe. It was not until Wang Xuan went upstairs that Fang Ju said, "Let's disperse, let's go to sleep," and only then did they gradually leave in small groups.

I don't feel hot even when wearing long pants, so why are you feeling hot

Zhou Xian did not speak

Xu Tang had a thought flash through her mind, finding it amusing, and she let out a soft laugh.

Send to Zhang Xue, I have broken up with her

Xu Tang's voice still trembled slightly, "No."

She turned her head and glanced at Zhou Xian's arm, "Have you recovered from your injury?"

Zhou Xian signaled Xu Tang to help him light it up

Xu Tang was speechless, "... ... where?"

Who among you has a good tolerance for alcohol

Then why don't you call Fang Ju and have him return my clothes

Xu Tang was too lazy to argue with him and silently placed the shirt over her legs

The word "woman" seemed to explode like gunpowder in Xu Tang's mind, and her ears instantly burned with heat, "Then..."

A light was turned on outside, illuminating the steps and the concrete ground ahead. As Xu Tang just sat down, she felt a mosquito bite her leg and quickly slapped her leg with a "smack".

Zhou Xian let out a sound of "hm"

Xu Haitang, is it possible?

"You want to use me to inquire about Zheng Shu's news," Zhou Xian put away his phone and fixed his gaze on Xu Tang, "Xu Haitang, I am allowing you to use me." After a brief pause, he added, "Whatever your purpose may be, as long as you become my woman."

Why?" Zhou Xian stared at her

Xu Tang's face flushed, "... ... Zhou Xian, you have no shame."

Zhou Xian's large hand moved from the back of her head to her slender waist, gripping it tightly and pulling her forward with force. Their bodies pressed closely together, transforming this kiss into a completely fierce act of plunder

However, after a moment, she spoke softly: "I will only ask you one question"

Xu Tang's breathing involuntarily slowed down, yet she still made an effort to maintain her composure, "I do not wish to be your girlfriend"

She recalled a phrase she had seen before in Boss Zhao's bookstore while reading: If love is merely a momentary pleasure rather than a lasting purity, it is better to proudly refuse it from the very beginning.

My father

It was as if the heavens and the earth were turned upside down, and all things transformed into boiling magma, her taut nerves burned to the point of breaking. The oppressive atmosphere surrounded her like an impenetrable net, completely binding her.

Zhou Xian silently finished the cigarette in his hand, the anger on his face gradually dissipating. He stood up, brushed off the dust from his clothes, and said calmly: "I will take you back."