CHAPTER 78: CHAPTER 78: I’M MUCH LUCKIER THAN HIM

Lying in bed until eleven o’clock, Qin Guanglin could no longer stay still and clambered up to squeeze into He Fang’s bed.

"What are you doing?"

"Just cuddling for a bit."

Qin Guanglin shamelessly burrowed into the blankets to hold He Fang, who couldn’t push him away.

Too lazy to move, He Fang closed her eyes and warned him, "Just for a little while."

"Just for a little while."

"In half an hour, we’re going to buy food." She glanced at her watch and set a time.

"Okay."

Qin Guanglin agreed and closed his eyes; the He Fang in her pajamas felt even more comfortable to hold than before, soft like...he didn’t know what, but it was very comfortable.

After holding her for a while, he propped himself up. "Can I give your shoulders a squeeze?"

"Give me a back massage." He Fang turned over and lay down on the bed. "But gently."

"Is this okay?" He sat beside her, tapping gently a few times, asking about the pressure.

"A bit harder."

"Like this?"

"Mm...comfy." He Fang hummed contentedly. "Just like that."

Qin Guanglin sat up straight and started to massage earnestly, feeling happy as he listened to her comfortable humming. "I’ve been promoted again; I guess I should be called the Imperial Back Massage Guard now, right?"

Liking someone always made you want to do something for them, and naturally, there was a sense of happiness as long as she was happy.

"You’re my boyfriend." He Fang, eyes still closed, enjoyed Qin Guanglin’s massage service, her voice becoming sweet. "I love you."

"If you like me, I’ll give you a massage every day."

"You said it."

"I said it."

"I’ll remember that."

After massaging for over ten minutes, just as Qin Guanglin was about to squeeze her shoulders, she stopped him, sitting up and saying, "Let’s go eat."

"Wasn’t I supposed to go buy it?"

"I don’t want to lie down anymore; I want to go out for a walk and see what good food there is."

He Fang climbed out of bed, ran her fingers through her hair, then leaned in and pecked Qin Guanglin on the cheek. "Thank you, Classmate Qin."

"Come here and do it again." Qin Guanglin turned his face and moved forward with the other side.

When someone kisses your left cheek, you must turn the right cheek for them to kiss too.

"Mua～" He Fang exaggeratedly kissed him a big one. "Is that enough?"

Qin Guanglin, seizing the opportunity, sat up in bed and tilted his face toward her. "And here too."

"You haven’t even brushed your teeth yet; hurry up and wash up." He Fang pushed his face away, turning around to find clothes in the trunk for going out.

"Oh." Qin Guanglin, a bit disappointed, got up from the bed. "Then I’ll wash first."

"Go on."

He Fang, flipping through clothes, suddenly started laughing, turned back to look at him, "Do you want to kiss now?"

"Wait for me to brush my teeth first." Qin Guanglin, holding clothes, walked into the bathroom, needing to wash up first.

"Tsk." He Fang scoffed. "It’ll be gone after you brush your teeth."

Qin Guanglin in the bathroom didn’t hear her; he quickly finished washing up and changed clothes, waiting for He Fang to get ready so he could cozy up for a bit before they went to eat.

"It’s gone." He Fang pushed his face away and walked out the door. "Hurry up, let’s eat."

Women are so fickle.

Qin Guanglin looked back to make sure the air conditioner was off and his wallet and phone were with him before following out the door.

Lying in bed only made them more tired, but after wandering around a bit, both of them were mostly reinvigorated, with the soreness in their bodies also much alleviated. They strolled aimlessly along the street, looking at the shops on either side, unsure of what to eat.

"Barbecue?" Qin Guanglin asked as he saw a barbecue restaurant ahead.

"Who eats barbecue in the middle of the day?" He Fang dismissed his suggestion and turned her head to look in another direction, "How about a cold noodle dish?"

"It’s not nutritious."

Qin Guanglin felt that wouldn’t be filling enough; after a tiring day yesterday, today they should eat something good to replenish their energy, "How about a bone soup?"

"That’s almost like hot pot, didn’t we just have that the day before yesterday?" He Fang glanced at the sign and rejected it, turning her head to look around, "What about stir-fried dishes?"

"That works."

Qin Guanglin nodded in agreement, and finally, they were in accord—both loved stir-fried dishes.

Hand in hand, they walked into a home-style Sichuan restaurant up ahead and took a seat. He Fang ordered two vegetarian dishes, and Qin Guanglin took the menu to add two meat dishes, then after some deliberation, he ordered a soup. Four dishes and one soup, and the meal was complete.

"Spicy snails with roasted peppers, spicy chicken, you sure?" He Fang looked at the menu and asked him.

"I’ve got to start getting used to it," Qin Guanglin chuckled. It was just about getting accustomed to spicy food; with some practice, he’d handle it.

He had been planning to meet his future father-in-law, and this was part of his preparation. Otherwise, when he went to He Fang’s home, as she said, where a passion for spicy food was a family trait, what would he do—eat or not eat? Even if he forced himself, he certainly wouldn’t be full.

He had looked it up online; one must eat heartily when dining at the in-laws’. It would be too pretentious to nibble half a bowl and claim to be full.

He Fang glanced at him, "Is this really necessary?"

"It’s because you took such a goofy photo. I have to make up for it somehow," Qin Guanglin justified with confidence, focusing on the details that decide the outcome—it might not earn him extra points, but at least it wouldn’t cost him any.

"You’re just naturally goofy," He Fang said, pressing her lips together in a smile. The two really were in sync.

Whether it was him or her, both had always been preparing for their life together, in the past and now.

He truly took marriage seriously, wishing he could prepare everything in advance, not even neglecting the matter of taste preferences—he didn’t want any slip-ups.

Qin Guanglin sipped his tea, taking in the surroundings of the restaurant—it was quite decent, with moderate prices. However, the business didn’t seem to be doing very well; besides them, there were only three tables of other guests, and the place seemed rather empty and quiet. The two waiters had little to do and after serving the tea and taking the order, stood by the bar chatting softly.

It must be a problem with the taste; who knows if the dishes aren’t good.

"I’m out of beans, and you’re not even trying to help me win." He Fang took out her phone wanting to play a game for a bit, but quickly ran out of her daily allowance.

"We’ll see when we get back," Qin Guanglin brushed off, busy accompanying her—who would want to play that broken game?

"Fine, since you already owe me so much."

He Fang turned off the game and started scrolling through photos, carefully selecting and uploading some to her online space.

"This song sounds familiar," Qin Guanglin hummed along with the music playing in the restaurant, tilting his head in thought, "Seems like I’ve seen it somewhere."

"Really?"

He Fang listened closely for a few moments and nodded, "It does sound familiar."

"Lost in dreams, how many months, awakening how many years..." She recited a few lines and then remembered, looking up at him, "We learned it at school."

"Really?" Qin Guanglin hardly remembered when he had seen it.

"Yeah," He Fang nodded affirmatively, "I just read it in a textbook recently, adapted from ’The Midnight Songs on the Jade Terrace’."

"Ah, right, that’s the one," Qin Guanglin realized, nodding and chanting, "I searched for him in the crowd thousands of times; when I turned back suddenly, he was there where the lights were dim."

"He was there where the lights were dim," He Fang repeated the last line, a gentle smile curling her lips, "I’m luckier than that singer."

"Hmm?" Qin Guanglin didn’t understand what she meant, "What about that singer?"

"Listen," she pointed towards the speakers near the bar.

"I searched for you a thousand times, another year of ups and downs, but you were never there where the lights were dim..."

Qin Guanglin laughed, "You’ve been looking for me for a long time?"

"What do you think?" He Fang’s eyes sparkled, her face full of mirth.

In dreams, I searched for him a thousand times; when suddenly turning back, he was there where the lights were dim.

No one understood that feeling better than her.