Chapter 1669: Xie Duo Extra (5)

Xie Duo and Yuan Jianyue were in that stage where they both understood each other’s feelings, but taking things a step further wasn’t happening that fast; when they met up, it basically just meant eating together and walking the dog.

Even the employees of Xie Group had noticed that Young Master Xie was acting off.

"Our Young Master Xie has been getting off work right on the dot lately, it’s unbelievable. Doesn’t he usually stay in the office and work overtime for a bit?"

"Feels like something’s up?"

"Could he be helping someone else with their kid again?"

Xie Duo was a single man, and he’d helped Jiang Yanting look after the kids plenty of times in the past. Whenever that couple had something going on, or wanted some couple time, they’d entrust Jiangjiang and Taotao to Xie Duo.

Everyone went to ask Xie Duo’s assistant, and the assistant was just completely baffled:

All social engagements had been turned down, and there was no more overtime either. Now he was getting off work on time every day and going home, and he didn’t even know what to do with himself.

The scariest thing was, one time when he was helping Xie Duo hang up his coat, two movie ticket stubs flew out of the pocket.

A romance film that had come out around Qixi!

During that time, the two of them had indeed gone to the movies once. Xie Duo had wanted to take advantage of the dark to push their relationship a little further, but the girl kept her hands in front of her, hugging her soda and popcorn, leaving him no way to make a move.

After a while, Xie Duo had at least gotten very familiar with Yuan Jianyue’s dog.

Naisi knew the neighborhood and surrounding area like the back of its paw; it could even lead Xie Duo out for a walk, do a loop, and then bring him back to the entrance of their building.

Their progress was warm and orderly.

Until——

They ran into Jiang Jinsang and his family of three again!

**

Naisi wasn’t feeling very well, and Yuan Jianyue had to work during the day and didn’t have time to take care of it. When she took it to the pet Hospital, she left it there, and that evening Xie Duo got off work and came, as usual, to pick her up.

After Yuan Jianyue got her driver’s license, the little book just collected dust; she’d basically never touched a car, so when she came back to Beijing to work, she didn’t buy one either.

This gave Xie Duo an opening—using the excuse of giving her rides to and from work, he could freely get closer to her. Mainly, Yuan Jianyue was also giving him the chance. They both completely understood each other’s feelings by now, and were currently deepening their understanding of one another, testing the waters carefully.

They were both looking for chances that could make them a little more intimate.

Yuan Jianyue was a woman after all, so she was still more reserved, while Xie Duo was always worried that being too aggressive would scare her off.

The two of them went to the pet Hospital to pick up Naisi, and didn’t expect to bump into Jiang Jinsang’s family again.

Right then, Xie Duo felt a wave of faintness.

Beijing is so enormous, how did he just happen to run into this family of jinxes—he must have sinned in a past life.

On the way back when they parted, seeing the way he looked, Yuan Jianyue was definitely going to ask, "What’s wrong with you? You don’t look too good."

"I’m fine, maybe I’m just too tired from work."

That line from Xie Duo might fool a kid, but Yuan Jianyue wasn’t stupid.

This was already the second time they’d bumped into that family; every time, Xie Duo acted like he was facing a formidable enemy, desperate to get away. In front of friends, being straightforward and open wouldn’t be a big deal, but with the way Xie Duo was behaving, it was hard for Yuan Jianyue not to feel that maybe he...

didn’t want his friends to see them together.

A little sour feeling rose in her chest.

Originally, the two of them had agreed that after picking up the dog and going home, they’d go have dinner. When they reached the elevator, as Yuan Jianyue reached out to press the button, she said, "Since you’re so tired from work today, you should just go home early and rest."

Xie Duo: "..."

On the way back just now, he’d already sensed that her mood was a bit low.

That was after they’d seen Jiang Jinsang’s family of three; maybe his behavior had made her uncomfortable. He’d been thinking of finding a chance to talk to her about it, and hadn’t expected her to basically give him his marching orders first.

"Are you mad?" Xie Duo asked.

Yuan Jianyue just smiled. "No, didn’t you say yourself that you were too tired from work?"

"..."

Just then, maybe because it heard the mechanical sound of the elevator approaching, Naisi got very excited and started circling around Yuan Jianyue. It had stayed at the pet Hospital all day and thought it’d been abandoned—now that it was going home, of course it was hyped up.

And then something really ridiculous happened...

The leash actually wrapped around Yuan Jianyue’s waist and legs.

She frowned and was just about to turn around to escape the bind, but before she could move, a hand reached over from behind.

It came around her, slowly unwinding the section of leash that had been wrapped around her from the front.

They kept a bit of distance and weren’t actually pressed together, but he was coming in from behind her, and that unfamiliar scent, that warm breath brushed lightly past the hollow of her neck. All she could hear by her ear was his breathing, and it was like even the air at the tip of her nose was filled with the smell of his clothes.

After he’d unwound the leash, he didn’t step back, and Yuan Jianyue didn’t dare move.

They maintained that front-and-back embrace posture, their breathing growing clearer and heavier.

In the elevator’s mirrored wall, all that showed was a vague tangle of shadows, but Yuan Jianyue could feel her own heartbeat...

thudding like a drum.

Until Xie Duo’s voice sounded softly from above her head.

"Jiang Jinsang and the others have always been laughing at me—you’ve probably heard a bit. In our little group who all know each other, everyone’s already married with kids, and I’m the only one who still doesn’t even have a partner."

"In our circle, they never miss a chance to rib me. The moment they see you walking with me, they’ll definitely tease a few times. Dealing with them is honestly exhausting."

"I don’t really care, I’m just worried you’re thin-skinned and they’ll scare you off. After all..."

"It was really hard for me to finally meet someone I actually like."

The air seemed to ignite in an instant, as if it were the height of summer, or even a sauna room, the heat pressing in from all sides.

The most direct sign from Yuan Jianyue was her face flushing until it burned.

Her whole body started heating up, the searing sensation on her skin quickly turning even her breathing into waves of hot air.

But Xie Duo had already withdrawn his hand, the restraints around her vanished, yet Yuan Jianyue was still too shy to lift her head and look at him...

He said...

He liked her?

Just then the elevator arrived. As the doors opened, Naisi dashed in first, posing in place, waiting for his owner, and today Xie Duo didn’t just wait downstairs—he directly took her hand and led her into the elevator.

Yuan Jianyue still hadn’t recovered from his "I like you." Her hand was suddenly squeezed, and her heart gave a hard, jolting thump.

His hand was broad and scorching hot!

The heat in his palm felt like it was burning through her skin.

"Which floor?" Xie Duo had never been to her place before.

"Eighth."

Yuan Jianyue felt like even her voice had been singed hoarse by the heat in her body. Out of the corner of her eye she glanced at their tightly clasped hands, then sneaked a look at Xie Duo. His eyes were hidden behind his lenses; maybe he sensed her gaze, because after pressing the floor button, he turned to look at her...

Their eyes met right on cue.

Yuan Jianyue’s heartbeat suddenly grew even heavier.

His gaze was straightforward and open, yet it felt like it carried a hot breeze, slowly, slowly sweeping across her face. His eyes seemed to land on the bridge of her nose or her mouth and linger there, unmoving.

In the closed-off space, airtight and cramped, the air suddenly turned thin.

Yuan Jianyue had a feeling...

He

wanted to kiss her.

Xie Duo really did want to, but he was afraid of startling her, so he only gripped her hand, holding on tightly.

Yuan Jianyue looked away, forcing her attention onto the changing numbers of the elevator display. Right now all she could feel was how hot both of their hands were. She had no idea how Xie Duo was feeling, but anyway...

Her own heart was beating so fast it was practically about to leap out of her throat.

In the absolute silence, even her breathing felt like it’d been stripped away; instead it was the thudding heartbeat in her ears, growing louder bit by bit, "thump thump thump—" each slam more violent than the last.

She felt like her heart had stopped being able to pump blood, which was why her face was so hot.

The elevator arrived quickly. Taking the chance to rummage for her keys, Yuan Jianyue slipped her hand out of his palm. "This is my stop."

Her hand still held Xie Duo’s residual warmth. Even gripping the cold metal keys, she could feel this burning heat, like a gentle flame spreading, slowly ravaging her bit by bit.

Yuan Jianyue clenched the keys and hurried out of the elevator, going ahead to open the door. Naisi trailed behind her, tugging Xie Duo along.

She lived alone, and the place was tidied up very cozily. Xie Duo only stood at the entrance, not stepping inside.

Yuan Jianyue bent down to undo the leash. Naisi trotted into the apartment, heading straight for the water bowl. Yuan Jianyue turned her head to glance at him. "Do you want to come in and sit for a bit?"

Xie Duo didn’t answer her—instead, he asked:

"Are you still coming out to eat with me?"

Yuan Jianyue pressed her lips together. "Didn’t you say work is exhausting?"

"I thought I made myself very clear just now."

It wasn’t work that was exhausting; it was seeing Jiang Jinsang that wore him out.

...

Hand-holding is the kind of thing that, once you do it once, you do it again. The two of them had been a bit tense earlier, but now Xie Duo was already familiar enough to step right through the doorway, take her hand, and lead her back out.

Naisi was in the middle of drinking water when he suddenly heard the door slam. By the time the dog realized what had happened, the apartment only had one dog left in it!

Where did his humans go?

Xie Duo had always felt that running into Jiang Jinsang’s whole family was some kind of karmic misfortune, but tonight he and Yuan Jianyue had at least made some progress, which left him secretly satisfied.

Yet when he got home, he discovered that the entire family already knew he’d gone out to keep a girl company while she walked her dog.

Was Jiang Jinsang’s mouth made of a leaky sieve?

How did it become common knowledge in barely two hours?