Chapter 131: Heart Skip a Beat
Probably afraid that the medicated plaster would not stick properly, Nan Zhe even pressed the edge of the plaster carefully a few times.
Every time he pressed it, a numbing electric current would surge up her spine, causing her heart to skip a beat.
This feeling was very strange yet familiar.
It was just like that year on the field. When their hands accidentally touched each other, their hearts skipped a few seconds.
She could not help but gasp.
His hand suddenly stopped behind her. “Does it hurt?”
“..A little. ”
She stammered, her voice muffled in the pillow.
Nan Zhe softened his grip and quickly pasted a second one on her. “Remember to avoid getting it wet when you shower at night.”
“Okay.”
“See if this works tonight. If it still hurts badly, I’ll bring you to Jiang City to see the Chinese medicine physician tomorrow.”
She opened her mouth, wanting to refuse, but agreed in the end.
After a while of silence, she felt a little bored, so she wanted to go down. “Has the delivery arrived?”
“Not yet. You don’t have to go downstairs yet.”
Nan Zhe was still massaging her back. “Be careful in the future. You’re so young, but you’re not as healthy as my grandmother.”
Qi Yan argued with him for a while before suddenly saying, “Didn’t I buy you a new lighter? Why are you still keeping this broken one?”
“Who said it’s broken?” He was stubborn. “It still works.’
” This was the first time she knew that Nan Zhe was nostalgic.
“By the way, I dreamed of your previous birthday.”
“Oh.” She did not have to spell it out. He knew she was talking about the birthday she’d given him the lighter.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing much. ”
“I just suddenly remembered that I seemed to have promised you that I wouldn’t let you take the initiative to express goodwill in the future.”
“So, haven’t you forgotten anyway?
“No, I didn’t. After I came back, I wanted to take the initiative to look for you. By some strange stroke of luck, you called me out again. I’ll remember it this time and pay you back next time.”
“How have you been in the north these past few years?” “It’s alright,” Qi Yan said.
“Where are your parents? Are they still in the north?”
“They’re divorced.” Qi Yan lay on the pillow. She did not hide anything when he asked. “They divorced the year we moved to the north.”
“My father was jailed for bribery. Didn’t you hear?” she asked.
Nan Zhe’s hand paused. He recalled carefully and shook his head. “No.”
“Damn.” Qi Yan sighed. “After he got caught, my mother took me to the north.”
“He was very unlucky. My father was framed by someone else.”
It was precisely because they were afraid of affecting her that their parents decided to get a divorce. Then, her mother brought her to the north to live in a
new environment.
“Then now…
Nan Zhe wanted to say something but hesitated.
“He got released two years ago. After he came out, he went to the north to look for us. He’s doing well now.”
“My parents are still in the north, but they haven’t remarried.”
“No wonder you left in such a hurry.”
Back then, they were still young and did not make friends as they did now. No one stopped to consider the other party’s family and interests.
At that time, everyone was extremely innocent.
He had never asked Qi Yan what her family did, but she was usually very tight on money. Her clothes were standard for ordinary families, and her family lived in an old house. The environment was average, shabby, and small.
He did not expect Qi Yan’s father to be an official. It did not sound like he was a small fry.
Previously, he really could not tell.
“Is everything okay at home now?”
“It’s pretty good. After moving to the north, my mother has been working and making a living as usual. It’s just that there’s one less person in the family. Now, the family’s financial situation is a little more relaxed. I can also pay for some of the expenses.”
“Don’t your parents want to come back?”
“Yes. They were very against me coming back here previously. I have some savings now. If I save up more, I can probably buy a house in the north in about six months. I can’t let them keep staying in rental property. They want to settle down there.”
“Which city?”
“It’s a small town in the northeast. You won’t know it even if I tell you.”
“How’s the north?”
“It’s about the same as here. I integrated very quickly, but the curriculum is different. It was a little difficult to learn at first, but I got used to it.”
“Did you attend college there as well?”
“No. I went to the capital to attend university.”
The two of them chatted for a long time. Nan Zhe was basically the one asking and Qi Yan was the one answering.
Nan Zhe’s tone was neither fast nor slow as if he was asking casually. His hands did not stop moving as he kept massaging her back.
Qi Yan did not move the entire time. She lay on the pillow and tilted her head to the side. She looked at the small table lamp not far away and spoke tirelessly.
Compared to the previous conversations at the dining table, the two of them seemed to be more harmonious this time. They were unguarded and did not have any inhibitions. It was like old friends sitting together and chatting.
Qi Yan preferred the current atmosphere.
Soon, there was a knock on the door. Someone said that the delivery had arrived.
Nan Zhe came back to his senses. “Wait here. I’ll bring some up for you.” Qi Yan shook her head and refused. “I’m much better now. Let’s go down and eat together.”
She held her back and slowly got up from the bed.
Her room was small, and she could reach the door in two or three steps.
Nan Zhe followed behind her and closed the door for her.
When she was going down the stairs, Nan Zhe suddenly called out to her.
Qi Yan exclaimed and turned around.
This time, it was somewhat similar to what she remembered, but it was also different.
He stood at a high place and stared at her. She stood two steps away from him and raised her head slightly to look at him.
“Do you like Jiang City or the north?”
Qi Yan was a little confused. She did not understand why he suddenly asked such a random question.
However, seeing the stubbornness in his eyes, she felt that there was no reason not to answer.
She was impartial about both places. “They’re all good places.”
“You can only choose one.” Before she could speak, he added, “Where would you prefer to settle down in the future?”
Before Nan Zhe mentioned the latter condition, Qi Yan already leaned toward Jiang City a little more.
She could even answer without hesitation.
However, when she heard his additional condition, she hesitated for a moment before saying, “North.”
Her parents were there.
Although she wanted to stay in her first hometown, her parents clearly did not want to come back here, so she could only accommodate them.
Nan Zhe stared at her for a long time. “Are you planning to stay by your parents’ side forever?”
“No.” Qi Yan shook her head. “If I can find someone suitable, I have to get married. It’s just that my parents don’t want me to marry far away, so I probably have to find a man in the north in the future.”
Nan Zhe, “.
After saying that, she felt that this topic was still far from her. She said, “However, I don’t have any plans now. I’ll think about it when I earn enough money and can retire early..”