"What do you want now?" Hua Rong asked, turning toward him.
Xu Lingwei stepped forward, the automatic doors of the mall sliding shut behind him. "Your wallet," he said casually, holding it out.
Hua Rong froze. Her eyes darted to the wallet in his hand, and she instantly shut her own eyes in sheer embarrassment. Of course.
He had to return her wallet. After all that shouting at him inside the store, it turned out she was the one who almost walked off without her own things. Great. Just great.
Muttering under her breath, she snatched it from him and stuffed it into her bag. Meanwhile, Xu Lingwei smirked before turning around and walking back toward the entrance. She watched him go, eager to put this mortifying moment behind her—until a loud argument erupted.
"I'm not taking you with me!" A gruff voice shouted from nearby.
"Why, Uncle?! Then how am I supposed to get back?" Xu Lingwei protested.
"I don't care. Figure it out. I'll come back tomorrow!"
Hua Rong turned, curiosity piqued, and saw Xu Lingwei standing next to an older man—his uncle—who was already getting onto his motorbike, looking completely unconcerned.
"Where am I supposed to stay until tomorrow?!" Xu Lingwei asked in frustration.
His uncle shrugged. "Go stay with your girlfriend." He then turned to glance at Hua Rong, as if she were the most obvious option.
Hua Rong's mouth fell open. Excuse me?!
"She's not my girlfriend!" Xu Lingwei immediately shot back, his voice rising.
His uncle shrugged. "Could've fooled me. The way she yelled at you earlier, I thought she was your wife."
He let out a dismissive chuckle. "Well, whatever. Not my problem."
With that, he revved his bike, completely unbothered. "Still not taking you with me."
Hua Rong stood a few steps away, too stunned to react, watching the ridiculous scene unfold. What kind of family dynamic is this?
Xu Lingwei groaned, rubbing his temples. "Uncle, come on!"
His uncle blinked lazily before giving him a two-finger salute. "See ya, kid." And just like that, he sped off, leaving behind a very irritated Xu Lingwei.
Hua Rong, still standing far away, let out a short laugh before turning to walk off.
Not her problem.
At least, that's what she told herself.
Hua Rong heard footsteps behind her.
She quickened her pace.
The footsteps grew louder.
She gritted her teeth, determined to ignore them, but before she could take another step, Xu Lingwei suddenly stepped in front of her, blocking her path.
"Move," she said in a cold voice, effortlessly sidestepping him.
But just as she passed him, his voice rang out from behind her.
"Didn't you say… if I was being pressured, I should come to you?"
Hua Rong froze.
She blinked, her mind catching up to his words before she slowly turned around.
Xu Lingwei stood there, his gaze lowered as if hesitating. Then, after a moment, he lifted his head and looked at her directly.
"I'm being pressured."
His voice was steady, but there was something in his expression—a quiet weight behind those words—that made Hua Rong pause.
.....
Hua Rong set down her bags and glanced at Xu Lingwei as he stepped inside. Without looking at him, she gestured toward the floor near the low dining table. "Sit there."
She wasn't sure why she had brought him home, but for some reason, she hadn't been able to refuse. With a quiet sigh, she slipped off her shrug, setting it aside before heading to the kitchen. Moments later, she returned with a glass of water and sat across from him.
Xu Lingwei took the glass from her, his fingers brushing against the cool surface. His dark hair parted slightly in the middle, and framed his face, and as he lifted the glass to drink, his Adam's apple moved with each swallow. The dim light of the room cast subtle shadows on his sharp jawline.
"Where's your mother?" he asked, setting the glass down.
"Abroad. Something related to her work," Hua Rong replied casually.
There was a brief silence before she leaned forward, resting her elbow on the table. "Well? Speak."
He raised an eyebrow. "About what?"
"Didn't you say you're being pressured?" she reminded him, watching him closely
He exhaled, stretching his legs slightly as he leaned back on his hands. "Yeah, but I never said I came here to talk about it." His lips curled into a smirk as his gaze met hers. "I just wanted to be with you."
Hua Rong let out a short, incredulous laugh. "First, you claim you hold a grudge against me, and now you say you want to be with me? Are you even sure about your feelings?" Her voice was teasing, but there was an underlying challenge in her eyes.
The smirk faded slightly, replaced by something more solemn. "Yes, I hold a grudge against you," he admitted, his voice lower, more controlled. His dark eyes flickered with something unreadable. "For leaving me."
Her breath hitched.
"And now," he continued, his voice steady, "I'm not letting you go."
A strange heat crept up her spine, but she ignored it, quickly rising to her feet.
"Where are you going?" Xu Lingwei asked, his gaze following her every move.
"Somewhere that isn't here," she shot back, brushing past him. "You can stay if you want."
He scoffed. "What? I'm your guest, and you're not even offering me a luch?"
She paused mid-step, turning slightly. "Lunch?"
"Yeah, I'm hungry." He stretched lazily before his lips twitched into a smirk. His next words came slow, deliberate—almost a whisper. "Should I eat you instead?"
A jolt of heat shot straight to Hua Rong's face. She could feel the blood rushing through her body, her skin prickling as the words sunk in. For a split second, her brain completely short-circuited.
And then—
Smack!
Xu Lingwei barely had time to react before a folded newspaper hit him square on the shoulder.
"Jerk!" Hua Rong hissed, flustered beyond belief, before storming toward the kitchen in an attempt to cool her burning face.
Behind her, Xu Lingwei rubbed his arm where she had hit him, an amused chuckle escaping his lips.