manynovel Chapter 234 I Was Counter-Taken by the Male Lead (22)
Chapter 234 I Was Counter-Taken by the Male Lead (22)
The Spring Festival Gala started playing on the TV in the living room as scheduled, and the opening dance song echoed throughout the entire living room.
Jiang Rou carefully adjusted the volume with the remote control, occasionally turning around to ask Grandma Jiang how she felt. Grandma Jiang, while making dumplings, would occasionally turn around to discuss the celebrity appearing on TV with her granddaughter.
Looking at the glamorous, elegantly dressed female celebrities on the screen, Grandma Jiang turned to look at Jiang Rou, who was focused on making dumplings, and thought to herself: Her daughter is the most beautiful even compared to these big stars.
Thinking about this, she recalled that Jiang Rou had gone to film a movie recently, and Grandma Jiang thought that her daughter was now a big star.
There were only the two of them in the Jiang family, and they didn't have the custom of staying up all night on New Year's Eve. So after cooking the dumplings, Jiang Rou quietly went out after Grandma Jiang went back to her room to sleep.
Because it's Chinese New Year, every household has put up couplets and hung lanterns at their doors, creating a festive atmosphere. It's not late yet, just past ten o'clock, and many parents are playing with their children, making it a lively scene.
When Jiang Rou came down, she saw a car not far from the door. Xie Nan was standing in front of the car, his pale skin glowing under the streetlights, his fluffy hair blowing in the night wind, revealing his perfectly smooth jawline.
Surrounded by children playing and laughing, Xie Nan stood quietly with his head down, somewhat detached from the lively surroundings.
Suddenly, as if sensing something, Xie Nan looked up and saw Jiang Rou walking towards him. His aloofness vanished instantly, and he seemed to soften.
"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting for so long."
Jiang Rou spoke somewhat embarrassedly. She had arranged to meet Xie Nan at nine o'clock, but she was a full hour late. As she spoke, Jiang Rou secretly glanced at Xie Nan.
Looking at his face, before he could even breathe a sigh of relief, his hand was taken by a pair of large hands. Xie Nan's hands were dry and warm, and it felt very comfortable to hold them.
"Don't apologize to me, waiting for you is something I do willingly."
This wasn't the first time the two had held hands; they were even used to it. But today, with Xie Nan saying those words in the cool night air, things suddenly felt different.
Jiang Rou tried to pull her hand back, but found that her hand was firmly held in place and she couldn't move. She couldn't help but look at Xie Nan.
But when she met his burning, deep eyes, Jiang Rou's ears turned red and she stopped moving.
Throughout the journey, the strange atmosphere between the two remained. Jiang Rou deliberately looked out of the car, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw her hand being held tightly by Xie Nan.
Jiang Rou chuckled inwardly; it seemed this guy had finally lost his temper.
Although they were waiting for the New Year's countdown, Xie Nan couldn't really let Jiang Rou wait in a crowded square.
He booked a private room with floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides. When he drew back the curtains, he could see the river view outside, and across the river was a bustling square.
A large screen, five or six stories high, stood prominently in the center of the square. This was the main feature of the countdown, which could be clearly seen from inside the private room.
Jiang Rou stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the river view outside with a surprised expression, her voice somewhat cheerful:
"So this is where you can see such scenes."
Before she could finish speaking, a tall figure enveloped her completely. The two were extremely close, and Jiang Rou looked at her reflection in the window, feeling as if Xie Nan was hugging her from behind.
Xie Nan lowered his head slightly, his voice tinged with amusement:
Do you like it or not?
As he spoke, Jiang Rou seemed to feel the heat on her ear and couldn't help but want to move away, but she was trapped in this space and couldn't move.
She nodded slightly in response to Xie Nan's question.
Xie Nan remained still, watching her earlobes gradually turn pink, his Adam's apple bobbing, his voice unconsciously becoming hoarse:
"If you like it, that's fine."
The heat assaulted Jiang Rou once more, even hotter than before, causing a tingling sensation down her spine. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, she turned and numbly pushed Xie Nan, but he didn't budge.
Hearing a soft laugh, Jiang Rou couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. She glared at Xie Nan, and just as she was about to speak, she saw his burning gaze again.
Jiang Rou felt that he was looking at her like she was his prey, as if he wanted to devour her whole.
Just like last time, Jiang Rou fell silent instantly. She didn't dare to look up, keeping her head down quietly. As if she had thought of something, she suddenly mustered up the courage to speak:
"Xie Nan, you can't bully me. Aunt Shen told you to treat me well."
The lights in the room were off, and in the dim environment, Xie Nan suddenly chuckled softly, his voice low and languid, carrying a slightly tingling sensation. Jiang Rou suddenly felt her legs go weak.
He suddenly leaned forward. Although Jiang Rou was already leaning against the glass, the distance between the two of them was less than two fingers, and they could feel each other's hot breath.
"My dear, how could I possibly bully you? I'm too busy spoiling you."
He deliberately lowered his voice, but Jiang Rou heard it very clearly. She instantly opened her tightly closed eyes, but the next second she wanted to look away.
Xie Nan didn't give her that chance. He could sense that the girl wasn't resistant to him, so he decided to stop torturing himself and blurted out:
"Arou, will you be my girlfriend?"
In an instant, Jiang Rou's eyes widened, her face suddenly flushed red, and she stammered:
"What did you say?"
Xie Nan felt a sudden sense of relief as he spoke, and upon hearing Jiang Rou's words, he repeated them again:
"Will you be my girlfriend?"
Jiang Rou heard it clearly this time, and because of that, her face turned even redder, as if the heat between the two of them was about to scald her.
Xie Nan suddenly stood up straight. Before Jiang Rou could even breathe a sigh of relief, she saw him kneel down on one knee. Jiang Rou was so frightened that she quickly took a step back, but he grabbed her hand.
Xie Nan's expression suddenly turned serious. He took Jiang Rou's hand and began to analyze his own feelings:
"I was initially thinking of waiting a little longer, afraid of scaring you away or that you might disagree, but now I'm not so sure about waiting anymore. I'm afraid that my hesitation will cause me to lose you completely."
Jiang Rou felt his hands trembling; his usually dry hands were now sweaty. After a moment of silence, she followed her heart and placed her hand, which was hanging by her side, on the back of his hand.
Xie Nan felt a moment of calm, and he suppressed the urge to cry, continuing:
“We do everything together, eat together, study together, take walks together. I’ve thought about what to do after this failure, but I still don’t have an answer in my mind. I can’t imagine you with other people. Just thinking about it makes my heart feel like it’s going to break.”
After analyzing his own feelings, Xie Nan looked up at Jiang Rou, his voice filled with a nervousness he himself didn't realize:
"So, Arou, would you be willing to have pity on me, your suitor, and give me a chance?"
"Ok".
A soft "hmm" came from Jiang Rou. Her shyness from before had disappeared. At this moment, she seemed to realize her own feelings through Xie Nan's confession.
She crouched down to meet Xie Nanping's gaze, and although a little shy, she bravely spoke up:
"I don't want you to be with other people either. I'm very sensitive. If you dare to..."
Before she could finish speaking, Xie Nan pulled her into his arms, and then she heard him say:
No, never.
Jiang Rou simply nodded, secretly thinking that she wouldn't give him that chance.
The room was still dimly lit, with two figures visible in front of the French windows. Jiang Rou was being held tightly in Xie Nan's arms.