Intimacy

Chapter 04

Under the sunlight, Yu Xixi squinted her eyes against the glare, lifting her gaze to follow Qin Zheng's figure.

Northern men were often well-built, tall with long legs. Qin Zheng appeared to be over 1.88 meters tall even in his shoes. He stood erect, with a commanding presence emanating from his sturdy and sharp shoulder lines.

Yu Xixi clenched her fists tightly.

What if he had a good physique? Did that entitle him to speak to her in such a commanding tone?

If it weren't for her grandfather's sake, she would have...

Exhaling heavily, Yu Xixi's mind drifted back to the past, tracing the roots of her engagement with Qin Zheng.

Her grandfather and Qin Zheng's grandfather were comrades-in-arms when they were young. And the engagement between her and Qin Zheng ultimately stemmed from a casual remark made by her grandfather and Qin Zheng's grandfather.

Back then, when Yun City was not as developed, and pollution was not as prevalent, her family and the Qin family lived together in a large courtyard, sharing a close bond.

One day, while enjoying the sunshine in the courtyard, their grandfathers had a conversation:

"Old Yu, our relationship is so close. It would be even better if we could become family in the future."

"Becoming family? That's a simple matter. If my daughter's next child is a girl, she will marry your grandson in the future."

"Really?"

"Of course, I wouldn't go back on my word with you."

And just like that, the engagement was set in motion. When Qin's wife gave birth to a son for the fifth year, the following year, a second granddaughter was born to the Yu family, named Yu Xixi.

Her grandfather kept his word, and that casual promise became a reality.

Later on, her grandfather passed away due to illness.

Then her father's perfume business flourished, and her family bought a large house in the south of the city. The once close-knit families gradually drifted apart, and the engagement between the younger generation seemed to be the only tie left.

Before going upstairs, Yu Xixi glanced around the courtyard.

This courtyard, with its decades of history, despite occasional renovations, still couldn't hide its age. It stood like an old person amidst the torrents of time, witnessing the city's development and the country's progress, always staying true to its heart.

Yu Xixi took a deep breath.

She was too young when she moved out of the courtyard, and her memories of this place were vague. But one thought remained clear and firm in her mind:

This was a place worthy of respect, housing unforgettable people.

Before reaching the upper floors, Yu Xixi looked around the narrow staircase.

The staircase wasn't high, and the corridor wasn't spacious. Yu Xixi, who lacked exercise, started to pant after climbing to the fourth floor. She took a moment to catch her breath, then continued, propping herself up and moving forward.

As she reached the landing on the fifth floor, she caught sight of a tall figure.

Yu Xixi was startled for a moment, then focused her gaze on Qin Zheng.

He stood in the shadows with the sunlight behind him, his posture casual yet his back straight as a rod.

She tilted her head back but couldn't make out his expression clearly. Furrowing her brows, she said with unsteady breath, "What are you standing there for? It's only the fifth floor." If she remembered correctly, his grandfather lived on the sixth floor.

Qin Zheng glanced down at her from his elevated position, his tone cold and indifferent, "Waiting for you."

Yu Xixi's mouth twitched.

He waited for a few more seconds in place, seeing the girl standing still, his brows furrowed slightly. When he spoke again, his tone was noticeably stern, "Don't just stand there."

He already had a strong presence, and with a stricter tone, his words naturally carried a startling force.

Turning her head away, Yu Xixi cleared her throat and continued up the stairs.

She thought he would walk ahead, but he didn't. He stayed on the left side of the corridor, and even without looking up, she could feel his piercing gaze fixed on her.

Whether it was an illusion or not, Yu Xixi felt that his gaze was aggressive.

The narrow corridor and his towering figure made the space even smaller. With him standing at the stairwell, she would inevitably come into contact with him if she continued to climb.

Of course, Yu Xixi didn't want any contact with him. So she said calmly, "Excuse me, please move aside."

Qin Zheng assessed her, his tone tinged with interest, "Can't you pass?"

Yu Xixi glanced at him. It was a glance, not a glare. She tried to keep herself friendly and harmonious, smiling as she said, "Sorry, Chief, I'm chubby."

With a raised eyebrow, Qin Zheng stepped back after a moment, taking his time.

Only then did Yu Xixi continue up the stairs briskly, muttering under her breath, "Something's wrong with you."

Qin Zheng watched her retreating figure for a moment, then switched the hand holding his cap and followed.

Before long, the two stopped in front of a door. Qin Zheng took out the key and opened the door, ushering Yu Xixi inside.

The entrance was neatly arranged with two pairs of slippers.

Bending down to change her shoes, Yu Xixi heard someone ask, "Is Xixi here?" The voice was followed by footsteps coming from the direction of the balcony.

She turned her head;

Qin Zheng's grandfather, now elderly, approached with a cane. His once sturdy figure was slightly stooped, his wrinkled face adorned with a smile.

Yu Xixi grinned, "Grandpa Qin."

Qin Zheng nodded slightly, "Grandpa."

The old man, now in his old age, had mellowed considerably from his hot-tempered youth. He smiled and said, "Go wash your hands and get ready for lunch."

Qin Zheng's parents worked outside the city, leaving only the old man at home, along with a housekeeper who took care of his daily life.

So there were only four people at the dining table, a bit quiet.

The housekeeper quickly finished her meal and went to clean up in the kitchen.

Yu Xixi picked up a piece of braised pork and put it in her bowl, listening to the conversation between the old man and Qin Zheng.

It sounded more like a lecture than a conversation. The old man, addressing Qin Zheng, changed his previous amiability towards Yu Xixi and spoke with a frown, "You've just been transferred back to Yun City. You must take your handover work seriously."

"Yes."

"Don't make demands to the organization. If you encounter any difficulties, overcome them yourself."

"Yes."

"In a new environment, if there are problems, look for reasons within yourself first and try to avoid conflicts with others as much as possible."

"Yes."

The old man lectured sternly, and Yu Xixi glanced at Qin Zheng, noticing that he remained expressionless throughout, his answers consisting of single-syllable words like "Yes" or "Okay," without showing any signs of impatience.

She bit down on her chopsticks.

The sunlight

outside the window was fragmented, casting a golden hue over his half-cold profile.

The old man paused, his gaze assessing Qin Zheng's face.

When he returned home for the Spring Festival last year, he seemed to have lost some weight compared to then. The Special Forces were the elite of the elite, with the toughest tasks and the harshest training. Yet he had never complained of fatigue over the years.

After a long while, the old man's tone softened a bit, saying, "When are you returning to duty? Your parents will be back tomorrow."

Qin Zheng took a sip of soup, his tone indifferent, "Not sure yet, waiting for arrangements."

The old man nodded, then his gaze shifted slightly, landing on Yu Xixi. A smile appeared on his wrinkled face, "Xixi."

"Hmm?" She looked up.

Qin Zheng's grandfather smiled and said, "Qin Zheng has been away for years, with little time to spend with you. Now that he's back, you two don't have to be separated anymore."

"..."

Separated?

Yu Xixi's mouth twitched for a moment, and she turned to look at Qin Zheng. His expression was still indifferent, his eyes slightly lowered, showing no intention to explain, not even a flicker of his eyebrows.

She opened her mouth but ultimately didn't say anything, just furrowed her brows inwardly.

When they left the Qin family's house, Qin Zheng's grandfather stuffed Yu Xixi with a big bag of snacks. She felt touched and amused at the same time, thinking she was already 24 years old, yet her grandfather still treated her like a child.

Lost in thought, she suddenly felt a shadow overhead.

Looking up with the bag of snacks in her arms, she realized that clouds had obscured the sun.

For some reason, Yu Xixi suddenly remembered her dream from last night, her eyes dimming slightly.

Beside her, a black jeep came to a slow stop.

Qin Zheng held a cigarette in his hand, his face expressionless, his dark eyes glancing at her, "Get in, I'll take you home."

Yu Xixi wanted to refuse but suddenly thought of something, so the words stuck in her throat.

The car smoothly left the courtyard and soon reached the main road.

She bit her cheek, and her eyes glanced at him through the rearview mirror, intentional yet unintentional. After a while, Qin Zheng glanced at her through the rearview mirror and uttered four words, very coldly, "Speak if you have something."

Yu Xixi fell silent for a few seconds, the words she had been holding back for hours finally spilling out, "Mr. Qin, I don't like being misunderstood all the time."

He stubbed out the cigarette without saying a word.

Her expression serious, she continued in a steady voice, "You've been in Lan City all this time, and we rarely met. Maybe we both didn't take this engagement seriously. But now that you're back, if we keep dragging this on, we'll eventually be forced into marriage by them. Do we really have to wait until then to clarify things?"

Listening to her, Qin Zheng suddenly smiled.

Some people's smiles were warm, like basking in the spring breeze. Some people's smiles were cold, sending shivers down one's spine. But evidently, his smile transcended these descriptions.

It seemed like just a movement of the lips, with no hint of warmth in his eyes, eyebrows, or corners of his mouth.

Yu Xixi furrowed her brows tighter.

She looked at him through the rearview mirror, and he looked back at her. In those short few seconds, a bizarre thought popped into her mind: This man's eyes are... different.

Not the popular charming peach blossom eyes nowadays. His eye sockets were deep, his gaze even deeper, quiet and restrained.

Like an eagle.

He glanced at her for a moment, then shifted his gaze away, his tone extremely indifferent, "I understand what you mean."

Yu Xixi pondered, thinking it was good that he understood. She nodded and spoke more friendly this time, "You don't need to take me home. Just follow this road to the end, turn left for about eight hundred meters, and you can drop me off at Daxiang Temple."

Qin Zheng didn't look at her and said in a very light tone, "To burn incense?"

Yu Xixi fell silent for a moment and nodded.

In fact, she had a memorial tablet in Daxiang Temple and wanted to pay a visit. But she didn't need to explain so much to someone she barely knew.