Psst! We're moving!
Despite his words, Bo Ying always felt that He Jingxiu treated her not much differently than he treated He Bomei.
She narrowed her eyes, her chin still being held and scratched by him.
He Jingxiu looked at her current expression, his lips curving upwards, “Comfortable?”
“...”
Bo Ying paused, then silently said, “It’s alright.”
But this way, it made her really seem like a little dog being petted by its owner.
Thinking of this, Bo Ying’s expression became somewhat subtle.
He Jingxiu saw it in her eyes and knew what she was thinking.
He gently curved his lips, asking softly, “Are you going to stay a bit longer, or go eat?”
“...Eat.”
Bo Ying looked at the glaring sun, her weariness increasing slightly, “Are we going up the mountain after eating?”
They weren’t at the summit yet, but halfway up the mountain. Bo Ying had heard people say before that there were two particularly good restaurants halfway up, with pleasant scenery and excellent food in all aspects.
Overall, there were no flaws. If she had to nitpick, it would be that it was too remote and far, suitable for a short trip to dine.
He Jingxiu “mhm-ed,” and opened the car door for her.
“Yes, and buy some things along the way.”
Bo Ying glanced at him, “Buy what? Things for tonight?”
As she spoke, she suddenly paused, “Is there a supermarket halfway up the mountain?”
He Jingxiu nodded, “Yes.”
The restaurant halfway up the mountain required advance reservations. When Bo Ying and He Jingxiu smoothly entered, she belatedly realized that He Jingxiu bringing her out to play wasn’t a sudden whim, but a long-planned scheme.
Thinking this, she eyed He Jingxiu several times.
As she was looking, she was caught off guard by his grip.
“What are you looking at?” Bo Ying preempted him.
He Jingxiu wasn’t angry about being turned on like this; his expression was calm as he said, “Looking at my girlfriend.”
“...”
In terms of thick-skinnedness and directness, Bo Ying was now defeated; she couldn’t compare to He Jingxiu.
She didn’t know when, but He Jingxiu had stopped being reserved and had become a straightforward person.
Bo Ying’s heart secretly rejoiced, a hidden delight.
Because this side of He Jingxiu was something only she could see and feel.
Compared to high school, he had changed a lot.
“He Jingxiu,” Bo Ying looked at him.
He Jingxiu lowered his eyes, “Hmm?”
Bo Ying leaned against his side, soft as if boneless, and softly said, “How about we go back to our school during Christmas?”
He Jingxiu was slightly stunned, and asked with a smile, “Why wait until Christmas?”
“Because the next two months will be very busy. Even if we have time to go back, it won’t have the same atmosphere as Christmas,” Bo Ying analyzed seriously.
Of course, she didn’t mention the most important reason.
Christmas held a different kind of memory for her and He Jingxiu. She wanted to relive that old dream, to feel his real presence by her side.
He Jingxiu had no objection. He had originally planned to take her back in two weeks, but if she wanted Christmas, then postponing it for now was fine.
He stared at Bo Ying for a moment, then whispered, “Whenever you want, I’ll be with you.”
Bo Ying’s eyes curved in a smile, responding to his promise.
To avoid being disturbed, He Jingxiu booked a private room for their meal.
Bo Ying was too lazy to order, leaving everything to him.
Anyway, no matter who ordered, he would choose her favorite foods.
The restaurant’s food was indeed excellent. The dishes were exquisite, and though the portions were small, they were delicious.
Bo Ying couldn’t help but eat until she was full.
“When we reach the summit, there probably won’t be anything this delicious, right?”
He Jingxiu patted her head, “If you want to eat, we can come down.”
“No need, eating something else at the summit is fine too.”
Leaving the restaurant, they went to a small supermarket nearby.
After buying some daily necessities they would need at the summit, they continued on their way.
He Jingxiu’s car couldn’t really drive all the way to the top, so they still had to walk a bit.
He Jingxiu was fine, carrying things with ease, but Bo Ying was struggling.
She wasn’t someone who enjoyed exercise. She was usually lazy, preferring to lie down rather than sit, and sit rather than stand, hardly exercising at all.
Walking the dog recently was the only exercise she did.
“I can’t walk anymore.”
Bo Ying, pulled by He Jingxiu, made a sour face, “So tired.”
He Jingxiu looked back, then suddenly said, “Your stamina...”
Before he could finish speaking, Bo Ying glared at him, “What’s wrong with my stamina?”
“Too weak,” He Jingxiu wasn’t afraid of making her angry and directly commented, “Exercise more when we go back.”
“...”
Bo Ying choked, glared at him, and grumbled, “If you force me to exercise, you’ll lose a cute and beautiful girlfriend, you know that?”
He Jingxiu froze.
He laughed wryly, looking down at her, “That serious?”
“Yes,” Bo Ying said righteously, “You should think carefully whether you want to tell me to exercise again.”
He Jingxiu pondered for a moment, then asked, “Then, if we switch perspectives, if I make you exercise, will I get a cute, beautiful, strong, and healthy girlfriend?”
Bo Ying was stunned. She blinked, unable to believe what she had just heard.
“He Jingxiu!” she shouted exasperatedly, “How can you switch perspectives like that?”
He Jingxiu held her hand, his lips curving upwards, “I’ll lead the way.”
Bo Ying was unwilling but had no choice.
She could only rely on the man in front of her now.
________________________________________
Whether it was He Jingxiu’s immense strength or Bo Ying’s recently improved stamina, they leisurely walked for over half an hour and finally reached the summit.
As soon as they arrived at the summit, Bo Ying exclaimed in awe.
Everywhere her eyes landed, there were beautiful sights.
In the distance, there were maple leaves that hadn’t fully turned red yet, and the ground was covered with fallen leaves. On the other side, there were ginkgo trees and other towering trees she didn’t recognize.
Branches hung low, bent over, drooping downwards.
The leaves were green, yellow, and red, with some mixed in, like half-baked cheese, with red tips but roots that hadn’t caught up yet.
Bo Ying’s eyes sparkled, and she couldn’t help but exclaim, “So beautiful.”
This was even more beautiful than the scenic photos she had seen on Weibo. Many sights couldn’t be captured by a camera and needed to be experienced with the eyes.
He Jingxiu saw her happy expression, his sword-like eyebrows slightly raised.
He walked to Bo Ying’s side and draped a jacket over her shoulder.
“The wind is strong at the summit, and it will be cold tonight,” He Jingxiu looked at her, “Put on the jacket.”
Bo Ying looked down and saw it was the trench coat he had taken out of the car earlier.
She pulled it tighter, looked up at him, “Aren’t you cold?”
“No.”
He Jingxiu gestured, “You can look around first. I’ll have someone bring the tent over.”
He had arranged it before coming. Instead of staying at a guesthouse or hotel on Maple Leaf Mountain, they would camp outdoors.
Every autumn, many people came to Maple Leaf Mountain for camping, so their actions were not at all strange.
There was even a legend on Maple Leaf Mountain that if you came here and didn’t experience camping, it was equivalent to coming for nothing.
Soon, someone brought their tent over.
Bo Ying glanced at it, then blinked slightly, looking at He Jingxiu, “A double tent?”
He Jingxiu nodded.
Bo Ying squatted beside it, then after a moment of silence, asked, “Only one?”
“...”
He Jingxiu then turned to look at her, his pupils dark and bright, staring straight at her, “You don’t want to stay with me?”
Bo Ying choked slightly, somewhat unable to bear his gaze.
She uncomfortably licked her lips, turned her gaze away, and mumbled, “You didn’t tell me beforehand either.”
He Jingxiu: “My fault.”
He said earnestly, “If I ask now, is it still too late?”
Bo Ying suspected he was doing it on purpose. She snorted lightly, “It’s too late, and there are no more tents anyway.”
“There are,” He Jingxiu looked at her, “Do you want one?”
With the choice in her own hands, Bo Ying felt conflicted instead.
She glared at He Jingxiu, complaining in a teasing tone, “You’re just doing this on purpose.”
Knowing full well that she couldn’t refuse him.
Seeing her troubled expression, He Jingxiu suddenly dropped a sentence, “Don’t worry.”
Bo Ying froze, then suddenly realized.
She hadn’t thought deeply about it at all, merely wanting to catch a flaw in his behavior.
But now, with his hint, she was so embarrassed she didn’t know what year it was.
Her face flushed, her lips moved up and down, and after a long time, she finally squeezed out, “...I didn’t mean that.”
She wasn’t worried that He Jingxiu would do something to her if they stayed in the same tent.
She wasn’t very afraid of that.
They had been dating for so long; sometimes when Bo Ying wanted to take things further, he would instead hold back and control himself.
Several times, Bo Ying was actually willing. But she was also a little afraid of pain, so she would instinctively dodge when he kissed or touched her. But she definitely had no unwilling thoughts.
After she spoke, He Jingxiu suddenly turned to stare at her.
His gaze was as deep as the sea, churning turbulently.
Bo Ying met his gaze, unable to bear it, wanting to turn away. Before she could, He Jingxiu leaned over and pulled her into his embrace.
He raised a hand and gently pinched her waist, his voice low and husky, “On purpose?”
“...”
Bo Ying felt very wronged.
She inhaled the scent of the man on him, somewhat infatuated.
After a moment of quiet, Bo Ying defended herself, “Of course not. I didn’t know you were bringing me here to camp before.”
He Jingxiu heard her words and couldn’t help but pinch the skin around her waist through her clothes.
His palm was burning hot, passing through her thin clothing to her, making her body instantly tense and her legs weak.
Bo Ying’s face was hot, and she awkwardly buried her face in his chest, “CEO He.”
She took a deep breath, rubbing against his chest to remind him, “It’s broad daylight, mind the public.”
He Jingxiu took a deep breath and hugged her even tighter.
After a few more minutes, the man finally let her go and asked her to help him set up the tent.
Bo Ying was flushed, listening to his instructions distractedly.
She did whatever he told her to do, her brain having stopped thinking.
He Jingxiu was very skilled, and with Bo Ying’s help, they quickly set up the tent.
Looking at the fully set up double tent, Bo Ying blinked slightly, then remembered to ask, “How are you so proficient?”
He Jingxiu: “I’ve set them up before.”
“Ah...” Bo Ying was stunned, staring at him intently, and softly asked, “Was it during university?”
He Jingxiu looked at her, ruffled her hair, and explained, “I went traveling after my college entrance exams, and I camped. I also did in university.”
The year he graduated from high school was also his most relaxed time.
He Jingxiu traveled to many places, sometimes alone, and sometimes with Pei Yan and Luo Xiao.
They were all under twenty back then, and they played very wildly.
Although He Jingxiu’s personality was cold and he was more composed than his peers, he also had an adventurous side when he was with friends.
He vaguely remembered that he, Pei Yan, and Luo Xiao once traversed an adventurous forest in the middle of the night, and once took a road trip, driving from day to night without stopping, just to reach a certain place.
Bo Ying listened, not saying a word.
He Jingxiu turned his head, stared at her for a moment, and asked, “How about you?”
“Me what?”
He Jingxiu smiled, his voice gentle, “Tell me tonight, what did you do after graduation?”
Bo Ying: “High school?”
He Jingxiu thought for a moment, “Let’s start from the summer vacation of your second year of high school.”
They had separated during the summer vacation of Bo Ying’s second year of high school. After that, he didn’t participate in her life for several years. He wanted to hear her talk about those years he hadn’t spent with her.
Whether it was about her studies or her life, big things or small things, He Jingxiu wanted to hear her tell him personally.
Bo Ying met his gaze for a moment, then lowered her head and said, “There’s nothing much to say about mine, just some boring daily routines.”
“Hmm?” He Jingxiu raised an eyebrow.
Bo Ying’s eyes flickered, looking at him, “You go first.”
He Jingxiu chuckled, nodded, and said, “Okay, what do you want to know?”
Bo Ying watched him from the side, took the water he offered and took a sip. After thinking for a while, she finally asked, “Were there any very beautiful university classmates?”
He Jingxiu: “...”
He was silent for a moment, then said uncertainly, “I guess so.”
“I guess so?” Bo Ying widened her eyes at him, “Is there anything you don’t know?”
He Jingxiu looked at her with a sincere expression, earnestly saying, “I didn’t pay much attention.”
He said, “I had just been hurt by a certain little troublemaker back then, so I kept my distance from girls.”