Chapter 78: A Kiss

Chapter 78: A Kiss

When their eyes met from afar, Chi Xiao saw the embarrassed expression on her face, her gaze darting nervously towards Sheng Nanzhou and Guan Lingsi, growing more anxious with each glance.

Guessing what she was worried about, Chi Xiao still walked slowly to her, stopped, and quietly looked at her.

He didn't need his girlfriend to hand him water or wipe his sweat to show off in front of others. At this moment, all he needed was for her to say something casually, so he could introduce her as his girlfriend to his teammates naturally.

But he never expected her to lean in and kiss him directly.

The soft touch of her lips on his cheek made Chi Xiao's mind momentarily blank. The heat and noise around them seemed to be blown away by a sudden gust of wind, leaving him staring at her with a look of surprise in the quiet space.

Moments later, the raucous cheers pulled Chi Xiao back to reality.

"Damn—!"

"What's going on? Can someone tell me what's happening?"

"Are you blind? Brother Xiao is no longer single! Otherwise, would someone just randomly pull him over and kiss him?"

"Unbelievable, Brother Xiao actually has a girlfriend? I can almost hear the hearts breaking on the ground..."

"That girl isn't from our school, right? She's so beautiful; I would have heard of her if she were."

...

Ming Can's heels touched the ground again, her hand still lightly gripping Chi Xiao's jersey. When he looked down at her, her dark, clear eyes met his frankly, with a mix of nervousness and shyness, but she smiled triumphantly like a victorious general.

The teammates swarmed over, slinging their arms around Chi Xiao, pushing and shoving him, gossiping endlessly.

Ming Can took a step back, and Chi Xiao led this group of sweaty wild men away to avoid bumping into her.

"Yeah, my girlfriend... we've been together for not long... from B University."

Chi Xiao was unusually talkative today. His face remained cold and expressionless, his ears slightly red, which could be attributed to the post-game rush of blood. But his teammates, who knew him well, could see that he was holding back a smile. If there weren't so many people watching, his lips would probably be curled up to the sky.

Many people came to chat with Ming Can, addressing her as "sister-in-law." Ming Can responded politely, though at home she often teased Chi Xiao, but here she gave him face.

However, being new to such a situation and with Chi Xiao being the well-known high-and-mighty flower of A University, the attention was overwhelming. Ming Can couldn't handle it and cast a pleading glance at Chi Xiao, hoping to leave early.

"Alright, let's go somewhere else."

Chi Xiao rudely pushed the people crowding around Ming Can away.

Ming Can, sweating from the heat, asked Guan Lingsi for some tissues, using one herself and giving the rest to Chi Xiao.

Chi Xiao: "I'll just rinse off in the restroom. Wait for me here."

Ming Can turned to look around the court but couldn't find any bottled water. She said to Chi Xiao, "It's too hot here. I'll wait for you outside."

Chi Xiao: "Okay."

They parted ways. Ming Can bid farewell to Guan Lingsi and the others, hurriedly leaving the basketball court and running into the small supermarket across the street. Not knowing whether Chi Xiao preferred ice-cold or room-temperature water, she bought both.

The sun had set, and dusk enveloped the sky, the temperature dropping significantly compared to the afternoon. Ming Can stood at the entrance of the basketball court, her sleeves wrapped around her, looking up at the flock of crows flying across the smoky purple sky.

After a while, footsteps approached.

Ming Can turned her head, meeting familiar amber eyes. In the quiet place without anyone cheering, the memory of her bold move on the basketball court made her feel nervous, leaving her unsure of what to say. She silently pulled two bottles of water from her backpack and handed them to him.

Chi Xiao stared at them for a moment before taking the ice-cold bottle.

Actually, he had brought his own water and had already drunk some on the way there.

"The car is parked over there," Chi Xiao nodded toward the southeast, "not far."

"Oh, let's go then."

As the sky grew darker, the distant clouds gradually thinned, and there were few pedestrians on the campus path. Chi Xiao held the cold bottle of water, unscrewed the cap, and took a casual sip.

Ming Can noticed he hadn't drunk much, possibly feeling the chill from the cold wind on his sweaty body, making the water too cold.

Chi Xiao only wore a windbreaker over his basketball jersey, leaving it open, allowing the cold wind to flutter the fabric.

His face still had traces of water, his damp hair messy and half-drooping, half-standing, indicating he had rinsed his head slightly.

Ming Can walked a bit closer to him, sniffing, but didn't smell any sweat.

Only a faint mint scent, warmed by his body heat.

Chi Xiao lowered his gaze to see her hair swirl, subtly moving closer.

Even after rinsing his face several times with cold water, washing away the sweat, the burning sensation on his cheeks and the soft touch of her lips lingered.

Thinking about being kissed in public, it still felt incredibly surreal.

There were too many people then, and almost immediately after she kissed him, the cheers started, leaving him no chance to respond.

Even if he had the chance, he wouldn't have known what to do, as his face and hands were dirty, and he didn't dare touch her.

Walking along the campus path, their arms brushed lightly against each other, their fingers intertwining briefly before reaching the car.

Chi Xiao released her hand to open the door for Ming Can.

It was quite cold outside, and Ming Can eagerly sat in the back seat, about to close the door when a tall, dark figure squeezed in beside her, forcing her to move over. She glared at him, "What are you doing?"

Chi Xiao didn't speak, starting the car and turning on the heater.

The back seat of the GLS was originally spacious and luxurious, but with a child seat installed, it felt cramped with two adults.

Warm air blew in, but the temperature inside the car hadn't risen yet. When Ming Can's mouth was covered, her body couldn't help but tremble twice.

She didn't resist; she only felt that kissing here made her heart race unusually, as if it were pounding against her eardrums. Her hearing suddenly became extremely acute, almost able to hear the sound of passersby outside through the car door, and even the distant laughter and noise from the basketball court seemed to constantly seep into her ears like an auditory hallucination.

After their lips met, the temperature in the car soared instantly, more effective than the strongest heater.

Ming Can had always been afraid of the cold and dressed warmly even in early spring. At this moment, her thick clothes felt like shackles and fuel. She couldn't help but push Chi Xiao away and start taking off her coat, but he suddenly moved her from the middle to the right and began fiddling with the child seat.

"What are you doing?"

"Taking it out temporarily."

Ming Can widened her eyes: "It's not necessary, we can just squeeze together."

If they hugged and kissed, they wouldn't need much space. In a pinch, she could sit on his lap, which she had done a few times before.

"Squeezing is tiring," Chi Xiao said nonchalantly, "I'll put it back later."

He moved swiftly, quickly removing the child seat from the left side and placing it in the front.

They continued to kiss, still pressed against each other, without using the freed-up space.

Ming Can held Chi Xiao's damp hair, occasionally opening her eyes slightly, anxiously looking out the car window. She remembered parking in a secluded spot where people rarely passed by, but at this moment, she seemed to see shadows moving past, and the contours of his knuckles pressing into her sweater, tracing sharp paths as his palm exerted considerable force, feeling every inch of her.

Chi Xiao was still wearing his coat, and sweat trickled down his face along his sharp features.

When Ming Can kissed his chin, she tasted the sweat, which wasn't unpleasant, and asked him, her voice trembling as if her heart were in his hand: "Aren't you hot?"

Her arms hung over his shoulders, and her fidgeting had already loosened his windbreaker. She then reached inside his collar and grabbed his blue jersey, the team uniform issued by the department, made of ordinary material. The player's name initials, printed with heat, felt rough under her fingertips as she traced the seven letters of his name one by one.

"I haven't showered," Chi Xiao still remembered how dirty he felt after playing basketball. He had dropped out of the dormitory this semester, clearing out all his belongings, and wished he could have gone back to take a shower before meeting her.

Thinking of something, Chi Xiao suddenly pinched her roughly, causing her to let out a sharp cry. In the next instant, she pounced at him with wide, angry eyes, trying to bite him, but he withdrew his hand and pressed her shoulders, saying, "How about you don't kiss me anymore?"

Ming Can: "What do you mean?"

Chi Xiao pushed her away a bit more, as if he found himself too dirty to even want to kiss her. He bent down to pick up the ice water bottle that had fallen by his feet, unscrewed the cap, and drank it.

Ming Can leaned against the seat, catching her breath. While he wasn't paying attention, she carefully slipped her hand into her sweater to find the strap that had fallen somewhere.

Just as her fingertips hooked it, before she could pull it up, Chi Xiao put down the mineral water bottle and turned to seal her lips again.

His lips, chilled by the ice water, felt like ice cubes grinding against her warm, soft lips when they touched. Ming Can couldn't help but press her lips to his and let out a "hiss." The moment her teeth relaxed, he invaded her mouth, his tongue also icy, carrying a chill that mingled with the warmth of her tongue, causing Ming Can to shiver uncontrollably but also feeling incredibly refreshed.

His fingers were also cold, continuing their previous task, not very gently.

Soon, Chi Xiao released her. Ming Can was now a bit unsteady, leaning against the seat, her lips bright red, and she whispered, "Didn't you say I shouldn't kiss you?"

Chi Xiao didn't answer, instead asking her, "Do you feel good?"

His eyes became extremely deep in the dim light, like pure black, with a flush on his cheeks and a smile that was both thrilling and a bit rebellious as he looked down at her.

"Alright," Ming Can pursed her lips, not wanting to be led by him, "But you haven't answered my question yet."

In this situation, for Ming Can to say "alright" probably meant she felt very good.

Chi Xiao repeated his reason: "I'm dirty, so you shouldn't kiss me."

Ming Can kicked him: "Then get out."

Unexpectedly, as soon as her toes touched him, her ankle was caught and lifted onto the seat.

Chi Xiao supported himself on the seat and leaned in to peck her again: "Don't kiss me, just let me kiss you."

"To make you feel better," his eyes seemed to hide a wild beast. He finally took off his coat, revealing his lean, well-built frame, and then lowered himself to a place Ming Can couldn't reach.

Seeing him drink the ice water again, Ming Can was alarmed: "What are you doing!"

"Don't move," Chi Xiao caught her slender ankle, his low voice sounding like a warning, "If the car shakes, it won't be easy to explain."