Chapter 77: Seized; Simplified Edition Imminent

Coming out of the shop, Cao Sheng accompanied Huang Qingya to get her bicycle, but as a night breeze blew past, he saw Huang Qingya, her face flushed red, swaying unsteadily as if she might be blown over by this light wind; he instinctively reached out and supported her back.

"Sister, are you alright? You seem drunk. How about finding a place to rest for a while?"

Before entering this restaurant, he had called her Sister Huang; after finishing the meal, because they had gotten along so well, at her request, his address for her had changed to Sister.

Huang Qingya waved her hand to refuse. "It's nothing! I'm not drunk! This is nothing at all; with such a little alcohol, I couldn't possibly get drunk..."

Before her words ended, she pushed away his supporting arm and walked toward the bicycle, seemingly trying to prove she wasn't drunk and could still ride a bicycle!

It was just...

Facts proved that stubbornness was useless.

She had only walked two steps forward when her body swayed and she stumbled sideways.

Fortunately, Cao Sheng was quick-eyed and quick-handed; he rushed forward immediately and caught her in his arms. This embrace was solid, and at that moment, his heartbeat accelerated a bit.

"I'm fine, you don't need to support me..."

Holding onto Cao Sheng's arm with both hands, Huang Qingya, who was barely standing steady, was still being stubborn.

She even tried to push away Cao Sheng's arm that was holding her.

There is a saying: viewing a beauty under the moon, the more you look, the more beautiful she becomes.

Especially when holding her tightly and looking?

At this moment, Cao Sheng felt Huang Qingya was so beautiful; her face resembled a silver plate, like a classical beauty. Although her beautiful hair was simply clipped behind her head with a single butterfly hairpin, a true beauty originally needed no excessive adornment. Under her gold-rimmed glasses, her hazy drunken eyes, slightly parted red lips, and skin clearly one or two shades whiter than most women's possessed a faint luster...

A beauty like jade...

These four words flashed through his mind, and then the three words "peach" flashed through his mind again.

Although the moonlight tonight was not bright, the lights of this old street had the effect of moonlight.

"Sister, stop pretending. Let me support you to find a place to rest, shall we?"

Cao Sheng loosened his hands and changed to supporting one of her arms.

Huang Qingya swayed again and hurriedly held onto him, only then avoiding a fall; this was related to the high heels she was wearing tonight.

Only at this moment did she finally seem to realize she was truly drunk.

She nodded, one hand actively resting on his shoulder, her chin also resting on his shoulder, and she breathed alcohol fumes into his ear, saying, "Th-then, let's find a place to re-rest for a while."

Cao Sheng hummed in agreement, one hand supporting her arm, the other supporting her waist, and they walked step by step toward the entrance of the old street.

Because outside the old street, there were benches by the roadside and also hotels.

As for whether to take her to sit on a roadside bench for a while, or to go to a hotel?

Supporting her as they walked, he asked, "Sister, if you return a bit later, won't your brother-in-law get angry?"

This was his probe.

It was also his moral bottom line.

Although his heart was already wandering with desire, if she were already married and had a husband, he would then dispel the romantic thoughts in his heart.

He did not want to destroy someone else's family.

"Brother-in-law? Which brother-in-law? I-I'm not married yet! Where is there any, any brother-in-law?"

Huang Qingya answered intermittently, her eyes hazy.

Thus, after walking out of the old street, Cao Sheng hailed a taxi and took her to his courtyard on the other side of the river.

He supported her into the main hall and helped her sit on the sofa.

Then he brewed two cups of Mao Feng.

He handed one cup to Huang Qingya.

Huang Qingya, her eyes hazy, took the glass teacup and brought it to her lips to drink...

"Don't! Wait a moment! It's hot..."

"Ouch..."

Before Cao Sheng's words ended, Huang Qingya let out a startled cry from the burn, becoming instantly much more sober, constantly pursing her lips.

Cao Sheng took the teacup from her hand and placed it on the coffee table.

Seeing she had become much more sober, the hesitation in his heart was mostly gone.

Because the suspicion of taking advantage of her vulnerable state was gone.

His right hand reached out and held her left hand resting on her lap; Huang Qingya was slightly surprised, turned her face to look, her eyes somewhat puzzled.

Cao Sheng shifted closer to her side, his other hand reaching behind her head to support her head, while his own face moved closer bit by bit.

At this moment, she could turn her face away, or push him away.

This was the time he gave her to choose.

But...

Huang Qingya did not turn her face away, nor did she push him away; she only grew redder in the face, her breathing gradually becoming rapid. When their faces were close to within only ten-plus centimeters, Cao Sheng saw she still had not turned her face away nor pushed him away; he finally stopped suppressing himself and suddenly kissed her red lips.

Huang Qingya made a sound, her hands instinctively pressing against his chest, but she did not push him away with force; not only did she not push him away, but after a moment, she actively embraced him.

What more was there to say?

Cao Sheng had no more reservations in his heart; only one strong thought remained in his heart.

Perhaps the red wine tonight had stimulated her.

Perhaps she was inherently stubborn and unwilling to lose.

In a small hole in the corner of the courtyard, a mouse cautiously poked its head out, but was frightened by Huang Qingya's sudden scream and immediately shrank back into the hole.

After it finally gathered the courage to tremulously poke its head out of the hole again, it was frightened back into the hole by the sudden sound of a glass cup shattering coming from the main hall.

After a good while, this mouse poked its head out of the hole for the third time; just as it had crawled out halfway, a sudden sound of sofa legs scraping sharply on the floor tiles came from inside the room; thus, this pitiful mouse was frightened back into the hole again and dared not come out for half a day.

After getting drunk, breaking out in a sweat will make one much more sober.

When the moon reached its zenith, Huang Qingya, drenched in sweat, was fully awake on the sofa in the main hall. She lay lazily on Cao Sheng's chest, chuckled softly, and said, "You're quite bold! Not like a young man your age."

Cao Sheng, resting with his eyes closed, replied lazily, "It's because your charm is too great; I can't be blamed."

Huang Qingya laughed. "I'm not blaming you. Actually, do you know? The first time I saw you, I already liked you a bit. You say your charm is great, but I think yours is quite great too—so handsome and so talented. If I hadn't felt I wasn't good enough for you, I might have pursued you long ago."

"Really?"

Cao Sheng kept his eyes closed.

Huang Qingya said, "Mm. What? With so many girls at your school, not one has pursued you?"

Cao Sheng didn't answer but asked instead, "You really aren't married yet?"

Huang Qingya replied, "Is there any doubt about that? What? Is it incredible that I'm not married yet?"

Cao Sheng opened his eyes, looked at her face, and said, "You're so beautiful, and your figure is so good; there must be many people who want to marry you."

Huang Qingya wore a self-mocking expression. "Yes! Indeed, many people have pursued me, but not one is someone I like. I don't want to settle. Heh, your age probably can't understand my choice, right?"

Cao Sheng smiled faintly.

What was there for him not to understand?

Before his rebirth, after buying a house and a car, his conditions were already not bad; if he truly wanted to marry, he could certainly have found a spouse.

But he also didn't want to settle.

Not everyone can persuade themselves to marry someone they have no feelings for.

Late at night.

After taking a shower at Cao Sheng's place,

she left quite freely, without asking Cao Sheng whether the two of them now counted as boyfriend and girlfriend.

Cao Sheng didn't bring it up either.

……

In the days that followed, Huang Qingya occasionally came to Cao Sheng's place to find him. Every time the two met, they acted tough and spoke little; after entering the door, often before two sentences were spoken, they embraced and started kissing.

Only after they were fully satisfied would they chat about each other's recent circumstances, or discuss Cao Sheng's works.

Time thus entered October.

The day before entering October, Cao Sheng received an email from Wang Jing.

"Cao Sheng, Changjiang Literature and Art has confirmed that your 'I Wish to Become an Immortal' will be released on October 10. They plan to emulate the operation of Huacheng Publishing House before and prepare to hold several book-signing events for you for promotion, so you may need to request a few days of leave in advance.

By the way, this time they did a first print run of 200,000 copies; this should be related to the fact that our Rongshu Xia has already helped pre-sell more than 80,000 copies.

Finally, congratulations! — Wang Jing"