Chapter 142 - 61: Hard and Cold, How Am I Supposed to Sleep?
The final decision rested with his mother. If she really wanted to, she could kick out not just Aunt Zhang, but even his father.
Under the moonlight, Jie Jingchen’s bewitching face was obscured and indistinct. His amber eyes gazed deeply at Qin Mei, a complex meaning flickering within them. He pursed his lips but said nothing.
Qin Mei dropped the subject as well. Every family had its own troubles, and the Jie Family’s were especially difficult.
"Jie Jingchen, where did you go? Why were you outside the black market?" Qin Mei asked.
"I was looking for Gao Hai. He lives near the black market," Jie Jingchen replied.
"Gao Hai? The guy Mom dragged away?" Qin Mei had heard Mrs. Xie call the man Xiao Gao.
"Mhm," Jie Jingchen nodded. "He’s a comrade-in-arms of mine, home on leave to visit family."
"Oh." Qin Mei let out a soft sound. ’So he was just looking for his comrade-in-arms. He could have just said so instead of letting my imagination run wild.’
’Recalling how she’d suspected Jie Jingchen was off to see a mistress, she felt a pang of guilt and couldn’t quite meet his eyes. But under the circumstances, with him not being home, it was only natural for her mind to wander. So, it wasn’t her fault for having a dirty mind.’
After walking for what felt like an eternity, Qin Mei couldn’t go on any longer and sat down on a large boulder to rest.
"Jie Jingchen, I can’t walk anymore. Let’s rest for a bit before we go on." Qin Mei patted the boulder, gesturing for Jie Jingchen to come sit.
Jie Jingchen glanced at the night sky, then walked over to Qin Mei and sat beside her. "Our pace is already slow, and we keep stopping. We’re moving at a snail’s pace. At this rate, we probably won’t even make it home by dawn."
"What does it matter? It’s not like either of us has to work," Qin Mei said nonchalantly.
"You’re the one who doesn’t have to work," Jie Jingchen corrected her. He had a job; he was just at home recovering from an injury. Once he was better, he had to go back to the machinery factory.
"Yes, yes, yes, you have a job, and I don’t. The one with the job is the boss man. Oh, you poor, hardworking man," Qin Mei drawled, putting heavy emphasis on the last sentence.
Hearing her sarcastic words, the corner of Jie Jingchen’s eye twitched. His gaze darkened, and he pressed his thin lips together, ignoring her.
Qin Mei lightly pounded her aching legs and flexed her feet a few times. ’Walking this much is pure torture.’
"You’re out of shape and lack exercise," Jie Jingchen said. "Once my injury heals, I’ll take you out to train for an hour every day. I guarantee you’ll be fit and strong in a month."
Qin Mei’s pounding fists paused. She shot him a sidelong glance before resuming. "Thanks, but no thanks. I don’t have an athletic bone in my body, and I hate exercise. Don’t waste your precious time on me."
"We don’t have to wait for my injury to heal. We’ll start tomorrow," Jie Jingchen said, ignoring her protests. A complete training regimen was already forming in his mind.
Qin Mei wanted to curse. ’Was my refusal not obvious enough? Forget it. He’s nuts, and I’m not going to be nuts right along with him.’
"Jie Jingchen, I’m tired and sleepy. I want to go to sleep," Qin Mei said with a yawn. "I can’t... I can’t stay awake... let me just lean on you and sleep for a bit."
Before Jie Jingchen could even react, Qin Mei’s head tilted to the side, and she leaned against his shoulder, closing her eyes and instantly "falling asleep."
"Qin Mei," Jie Jingchen called out. All he heard in reply was the sound of her steady breathing. He poked her cheek with his finger. "Qin Mei, you can’t sleep here. You’ll get sick."
But you can never wake a person who is only pretending to be asleep. Qin Mei had initially been faking it, but somewhere along the way, she had actually drifted off.
Sleeping against his shoulder wasn’t comfortable, so Qin Mei slid down, using Jie Jingchen’s lap as a pillow. But the stone was too hard and cold, and she curled up, shivering.
Jie Jingchen stared at her, speechless. His amber eyes held a deep glimmer that mirrored the night sky. He took off his jacket and draped it over her. But a stone was no bed, and a jacket was no quilt; her drowsiness couldn’t overcome the biting cold.
"It’s hard and cold. How the hell am I supposed to sleep?" Qin Mei shot up, shoving the jacket back at Jie Jingchen. "Why’d you take off your jacket in this cold? Are you trying to catch a cold?"
"You fell asleep just like that, and I couldn’t wake you. I saw you were cold and was worried you’d get sick, so I gave you my jacket. Forget being grateful, you’re actually blaming me?" Jie Jingchen thought Qin Mei was completely unappreciative. Her reaction made no sense. ’Logically, she should be moved by the gesture and throw herself into my arms.’
"What are you rambling about? Hurry up and put it on. I’m not taking care of you if you get sick." Qin Mei glared at him. ’Listen to him, acting like he’s the only one who can talk.’
Qin Mei roughly rubbed her cheeks, then slapped them a few times and blinked hard. Feeling more awake, she hopped off the boulder with a SWISH, stretched her arms, and twisted her waist to loosen up. "Jie Jingchen, let’s get going. I want to go home and sleep."
Jie Jingchen put his jacket back on. ’She’s the one who’s been dawdling this whole time. If she weren’t with me, I’d almost be home by now.’