Chapter 32 Pinching Cheeks

Chapter 32 Pinching Cheeks

The palm of his hand touched the soft lips and cheeks of the girl, and the warmth of her breath brushed against his skin. At this moment, Chi Xiao's rationality suddenly returned, as if an electric current surged through his heart, sending tingles throughout his body.

He was slightly bent over, his face lowered, and the distance between him and Ming Can was less than fifteen centimeters.

To be honest, for a moment just now, he had thought about using something else to silence her red, chattering mouth.

Fortunately, his rationality hadn't completely abandoned him. If he had really done that, he would have been doomed, and Ming Can would never allow him to stay by her side again. Even if Miaomiao needed him, she would kick him out, leaving him with nothing.

After Ming Can was suddenly covered by his hand, she froze in place, incredulous.

Her beautiful almond eyes were wide open, filled with shock and anger. However, a sudden surge of nervousness made her heart skip a beat, causing her to inexplicably reflect on herself—

Was I talking too much and too harshly?

No, I wasn't usually a chatterbox. I don't treat others like this; it's all because of him. He acts like an Antarctic glacier, barely acknowledging me, which makes me so frustrated that I want to drown him in words.

It's all his fault.

From his vantage point above, Chi Xiao could see every subtle change on Ming Can's face. He saw a fleeting moment of confusion in her eyes before she glared at him with renewed intensity. Her proud, beautiful, and expressive face was being rudely covered by his palm. The edges of his hand pressed into her soft, elastic skin, making it bulge slightly like a fluffy cotton ball.

In this instant, the pent-up frustration in Chi Xiao's heart eased somewhat, and the corners of his lips lifted almost imperceptibly.

She was too cute; he didn't want to let go.

Since he had already gone too far, he might as well pinch her one more time.

All of this happened in a split second. Before removing his hand from her face, his slender, fair fingers suddenly exerted some force, pressing into both sides of Ming Can's cheeks, turning her face into a puffed-up shape, with her bright, moist lips protruding forward, slightly parting with a pop.

Ming Can: ?!!

Was her face made of dough, to be played with like this?

Without waiting for Chi Xiao's hand to fully leave, Ming Can's temper flared up uncontrollably. Like a little lion with its fur ruffled, she opened her mouth and bit down hard on Chi Xiao's hand.

"Ouch—"

Hearing the sharp intake of breath, Ming Can released her bite with satisfaction, wiped her lips with the back of her hand, and leaped backward with agility. "Serves you right!"

A deep set of teeth marks appeared on the base of Chi Xiao's right hand, nearly breaking the skin.

She bit hard.

He shook his hand, but the sensation of her wet, soft tongue licking his palm when she bit down was more memorable than the pain.

Chi Xiao tried to suppress the curve of his lips, maintaining a calm demeanor. In an apologetic tone, he said, "I've been pinching Miaomiao's face a lot lately. You look quite similar to him, so I couldn't help myself."

Ming Can: ?

"If you can't come up with a good excuse, don't bother," Ming Can said, almost laughing in exasperation.

Seeing the deep red marks on his hand, which stood out starkly against his pale skin, Ming Can looked away, her tone slightly softer. "Fine, I let you pinch me, and I bit you back. Why did you cover my mouth?"

After her words, the air fell silent for a moment, and Chi Xiao didn't answer immediately.

He lowered his gaze, his eyelashes drooping, and his pale lips pursed lightly before he spoke softly, "Sorry. I'm not in a great mood today."

Ming Can didn't expect him to break his usual icy facade and apologize so readily. His voice was clear and low, like still water, extinguishing most of her lingering anger, leaving her unsure where to direct it.

"You..." Ming Can's voice softened involuntarily, "What's wrong? Why are you in a bad mood?"

Chi Xiao looked at her, his lips subtly curling in self-mockery.

None of what he was thinking could be shared with her.

For now, Ming Can interacted with her male friends in a purely platonic manner, without any inappropriate behavior. Even if there were, he had no right to interfere with her relationships with other men. They were merely colleagues sharing the responsibility of raising a child. Any interference in her private life would be overstepping, likely causing her annoyance.

As for the future, it was even less worth mentioning. He wouldn't discuss her future with her, revealing that they maintained a close friendship years later, even inviting him into her home to dine with her and Miaomiao. Chi Xiao needed to find a way to talk to Miaomiao about keeping this a secret.

Even if his future self had a green hat—Chi Xiao had suppressed his thoughts for a while until now, reminding himself that it was another timeline. Miaomiao's arrival had disrupted everything here, changing the course of events. Therefore, the green hat in another timeline didn't mean he would have one here. With effort, the future could be changed.

Seeing Chi Xiao frown and lost in thought, Ming Can grew impatient. She said coolly, "You're acting really strange today."

Chi Xiao snapped back to reality, looking at the young, vibrant, and radiant girl before him, who belonged only to the present.

He tried not to think about the future, his amber eyes clear and cold, smiling faintly as he found an excuse for his unusual behavior. "Actually, you were right earlier."

Ming Can: "About what?"

Chi Xiao: "I have a grudge against Chen Yixiao."

Ming Can was taken aback. She had assumed he was joking, but could it be true, explaining his poor mood today?

Ming Can: "What kind of grudge?"

Chi Xiao: "Something between him and me."

Meaning it had nothing to do with her.

She remembered that Chi Xiao and Chen Yixiao had known each other for a long time, and their last meeting had been tense. Perhaps there was indeed some unresolved conflict.

Ming Can rolled her eyes, suppressing her curiosity. "If you don't want to say, fine. I'm not that interested anyway."

Chi Xiao: "Hmm."

Ming Can: "Just remember, if you have a grudge with him, show it to him, not to innocent people. I was just walking with him by chance."

Chi Xiao sighed helplessly: "I wasn't taking it out on anyone. I just didn't feel like talking."

Ming Can: "Not wanting to talk is just transferring anger. I'm just that sensitive."

She was righteous and forceful, leaving Chi Xiao at a loss for words.

They stood outside in the biting cold, as another gust of wind blew by. Chi Xiao slightly turned his body, blocking the wind from reaching Ming Can.

She seemed not to be cold, her cheeks flushed with a warm, light pink. Chi Xiao couldn't help but recall the feeling of pinching her face earlier, an impulse surged within him. He took a deep breath of the cold air and casually said to Ming Can, "Then in the future, don't walk with him anymore."

His voice was faint, the last note immediately scattered by the wind.

Sure enough, Ming Can's eyes sharpened, her tone carrying a hint of chilliness: "My business is none of your concern."

Chi Xiao: "Alright."

Due to their height difference, Ming Can always had to look up when facing Chi Xiao. Her gaze followed the upward curve of her eyelashes, landing on his face, noticing his jet-black hair being blown by the cold wind. His tall and sturdy figure stood like a wall in front of her, shielding her from the harsh wind.

Ming Can's voice softened abruptly, as if she felt her previous reply was too abrupt. She mumbled, "Uh... Anyway, now I know about your situation."

With that, she turned around, combed her wind-tousled hair by the car window, adjusted her coat, and made several small gestures. Finally, she opened the car door and reached in to wake the sleepy little beast in the safety seat.

Miaomiao climbed out of the car dazedly, holding Chi Xiao's hand with his left and Ming Can's with his right, walking into the building and taking the elevator upstairs.

"Yawn..." He yawned widely, feeling comfortable, and turned to look at his parents beside him. The atmosphere between them had done a 180-degree turn, suddenly becoming very harmonious, yet tinged with a hint of awkwardness. From downstairs to upstairs, and even entering the house, no one spoke.

Back home, Ming Can went to the bathroom to brush her teeth. Upon returning, she found the medicine box, took out some disinfectant, and tossed it to Chi Xiao, ordering him: "Disinfect your hands."

Chi Xiao: "It's fine, they're not dirty, there's no break in the skin."

"My mouth is certainly not dirty." At this point, she seemed to suddenly feel embarrassed, coughed lightly twice, and continued, "I'm just worried you might accidentally scrape your skin and get an infection, which would then be blamed on me."

Chi Xiao couldn't help but chuckle, picking up what she had thrown and obediently disinfecting the tooth marks on his hand.

Ming Can sat on a sofa diagonally opposite him, acting like a serious leader, repeating the tasks he needed to handle over the next few days, emphasizing the trip to Yunshan Ski Resort the day after tomorrow.

"The day after tomorrow..." Chi Xiao suddenly asked, "January 28th?"

Ming Can: "Yes."

Chi Xiao's expression changed inexplicably, and Ming Can was puzzled: "What's so special about the 28th?"

The man who had been leaning back on the sofa suddenly straightened up, his body slightly bent, elbows resting on his knees. Hesitantly, he whispered to Ming Can, "I suddenly remembered that my three roommates will also be at the Yunshan Ski Resort on the 28th and 29th. We might run into each other."

Ming Can was taken aback: "Such a coincidence? That ski resort isn't even famous?"

Chi Xiao rubbed his temples: "A couple of days ago, they... helped me with something, so I gave each of them a ticket for a luxurious two-night stay at the Yunshan Ski Resort, from the 27th to the 29th. The hotel happens to be in the same resort where we'll be staying."

Ming Can: ...

This wasn't his fault; he had given the tickets to his roommates before Ming Can signed Miaomiao up for the class. They hadn't communicated, and the timing coincidentally overlapped.

Now that winter vacation had begun, it was the perfect time for skiing, and every class was fully booked. The class the day after tomorrow had excellent conditions and a great reputation, with skilled instructors. Ming Can had managed to secure a spot by chance, and if she canceled, she wouldn't know if she could find another satisfactory children's skiing course.

Changing the schedule was also difficult. Unlike Chi Xiao, who was always available, Ming Can had a tight schedule. After skiing, she had to practice the piano, attend concerts, participate in entrepreneurship competitions, and Miaomiao had other classes scheduled. Plus, the New Year was approaching...

Miaomiao sat on a small stool nearby, playing with his tablet while listening to his parents' conversation.

Hearing this, he looked up with a lost expression: "We're not going skiing anymore?"

Ming Can felt a headache coming on. She really wanted to go without Chi Xiao, just her and Miaomiao. But skiing was different from other sports; she couldn't manage a little boy alone on the snowy mountain. It wasn't that she underestimated herself; she genuinely couldn't handle it alone.

The atmosphere fell silent for a moment, and Chi Xiao sighed softly, saying, "The ski resort is huge; we might not even run into them."

Ming Can was used to sticking to her plans and didn't want to cancel the trip the day after tomorrow. Although she didn't want others to see her with Chi Xiao and Miaomiao, a brief encounter shouldn't cause any serious issues.

She responded with a muted "Hmm," and then heard Chi Xiao say, "If we do run into them, we'll stick to the previous story: you're Miaomiao's cousin, his parents are abroad, and they entrusted him to your care. You're responsible for taking him places."

Ming Can couldn't help but want to laugh at this.

The story Chi Xiao mentioned was exactly what she had used to deceive him when she was hanging out with Miaomiao.

"Hmm." Ming Can held back her laughter and asked, "What about you? You're with us."

"I." Chi Xiao blinked, turning to look at her, his voice low and clear, "I'm chasing you. Wherever you go, I follow."