Chapter 367 - 12 Out of 10 Points Wrong

“Mmm…”

By the time they walked from the elevator to the master bedroom, the two were already lost in a passionate kiss.

Compared to her shyness and inexperience in the van that night, Lin Qingge, spurred on by the alcohol, was now much more proactive.

Her slender, delicate hands undid the buttons of Gu Heng’s pajamas one by one before she ripped the garment off and tossed it to the floor.

Overcome with passion, they tangled together endlessly.

“Hah…”

After a long while, the two finally parted, breathless from kissing.

“Have you missed me over the past half-month?”

No matter how level-headed Lin Qingge usually was, at this moment, she was like most other girls, desperately needing the nourishment of love to soothe her anxious and conflicted heart.

“I didn’t dare to~”

Gu Heng replied softly, his eyes full of mirth.

“Why not? What’s there to be afraid of?”

“It’s not like I’m some kind of monster.”

Gu Heng’s playful teasing made Lin Qingge huff, and the rosy flush from the alcohol on her fair cheeks was gradually replaced by a seductive blush, making her look even more alluring.

“Because whenever I thought of you…”

The smile in Gu Heng’s eyes deepened. “My mind would be filled with nothing but mosaic blurs.”

Mosaic blurs?

Lin Qingge froze for a second before quickly realizing what Gu Heng meant.

“You…”

“Can’t you think of me doing something else?~”

Lin Qingge chided him, her expression bashful.

“Think about it. We’ve met so many times, but wasn’t that night in the van the only time we were truly alone together?”

Gu Heng feigned sincerity as he argued sophistically, “If I were to think about you, I could only think about the time we were alone. Your roommates were there on all the other occasions. I was afraid I’d start thinking about the wrong person~”

Hearing Gu Heng’s scummy words, Lin Qingge couldn’t help but let her hand slip downward and give him a little squeeze.

“The wrong person? Who?”

“Yiyi or Tangtang?”

Lin Qingge said, a hint of jealousy in her voice.

‘I miss Yaoyao…’

Gu Heng muttered in his head.

“Guess~”

Gu Heng didn’t answer at all.

“Compared to Yiyi, am I the one who’s made the most progress?”

In Lin Qingge’s eyes, the only woman in their dorm she considered a rival was Liu Nanyi. Su Tang was a minor threat at best, but she had already been left far behind compared to her and Liu Nanyi.

As for Feng Yao, Lin Qingge didn’t even think she was in the running. However, she never would have imagined that this very same Feng Yao, the one she thought wasn’t even at the table, had secretly overtaken them on the curve in a private hot spring at Changbai Mountain, leaving both her and Liu Nanyi far behind.

“Compared to Yiyi, you are indeed the fastest.”

Gu Heng’s answer was remarkably direct because, compared to Liu Nanyi, she really was the fastest.

Even if Lin Qingge found out later that Feng Yao had overtaken her, Gu Heng could still argue with complete confidence: ‘You never asked about her!’

“Then you have to think about me more from now on~”

“At least more than you think about Yiyi~”

Lin Qingge’s gentle squeeze subtly turned into a stroking motion, and her voice became even more coquettish.

In front of the camera and countless viewers, she was a vibrant, pure, and beautiful girl, like an elf from the forest, who inspired affection and warmth just by looking at her. Yet here, in front of Gu Heng, she was like this. The stark contrast between her public and private persona was truly irresistible to him.

“Alright~”

“Whatever you say~”

It cost him nothing to say a few sweet words, so Gu Heng naturally wasn’t stingy. After all, she was a pure and innocent girl in the prime of her youth. Her willingness to give him her most precious gift was likely a decision she had pondered for a long time.

“Then why don’t you ask if I’ve missed you?”

Lin Qingge’s eyes curved into crescents as she turned the question back to Gu Heng.

“Do I even need to ask?”

Gu Heng pulled out his well-defined right hand and showed it to her, a half-smile on his face. “Isn’t it already obvious?”

“Ah~”

Mortified, Lin Qingge immediately pushed Gu Heng’s hand back down.

“I just…”

“I just missed you a lot~”

Lin Qingge said coquettishly.

As the two were entwined, the Spring Festival Gala playing on the projector behind them began its final countdown to midnight.

“When countless homes are lit, songs of joy rise from every shore!”

“The spring wind travels for miles on end, unveiling new beauty across the realm!”

“The seasons turn, and a new chapter dawns bright!”

“Dear viewers, the first spring breeze of the 2024 Lunar New Year is blowing our way. Are you all ready?”

“Let’s get ready to welcome this beautiful spring together!”

“The countdown begins!”

“Ten!”

“Nine!”

…

Hearing the sounds from the projector, Gu Heng glanced back over his shoulder, and Lin Qingge sat up a little straighter.

Outside the window, the fireworks and firecrackers that had been quieting down erupted once more with full force.

Gu Heng’s residence, Yu Cui Garden, was located in Beichun’s affluent district. The families living here were all at least well-off, and they didn’t hesitate to spend money on fireworks for the emotional payoff.

In an instant, countless brilliant fireworks bloomed across the dark night sky.

Coincidentally, Gu Heng’s mountaintop villa was situated at a high elevation, offering what was likely the best viewing spot in the entire area.

“Three!”

“Two!”

“One!”

“DONG—!”

“DONG—!”

“DONG—!”

As the midnight bells chimed, all the hosts and performers on the grand stage of the Spring Festival Gala wished the entire nation a Happy New Year, and the festive atmosphere instantly reached its peak.

“Qingge, Happy New Year!”

“Gu Heng, Happy New Year!”

The moment the bells rang, Gu Heng and Lin Qingge wished each other a Happy New Year at the same time.

The next second, they were kissing again.

However, just as they were getting into it and about to get down to business, Gu Heng’s phone suddenly vibrated and rang.

Gu Heng glanced at the screen. It was a video call from Xu Mo.

“Uh…”

“I have to take this call.”

If it had been Jiang Ruan or Luo Xiwen calling, Gu Heng would have just let it ring. They were both relatively mature young women; if he didn’t pick up the first time, they most likely wouldn’t call a second time.

But Xu Mo was different. She was much more naive than Jiang Ruan and Luo Xiwen. If he didn’t answer her first video call, she would likely call a second and even a third time, because in her simple, pure mind, her first New Year’s greeting had to be for Gu Heng.

“An older woman?”

Lin Qingge tilted her head to peek at the caller ID and asked tentatively.

“A younger girl~”

Gu Heng rolled off Lin Qingge and picked up his phone.

“Younger than me?”

Lin Qingge looked slightly surprised.

“Yes.”

“Don’t make a sound.”

With that, Gu Heng answered the video call.

“Brother Gu Heng~”

“Happy New Year~”

“I wish Brother Gu Heng a smooth and prosperous new year, good health, great success, peace throughout the seasons, and for all your wishes to come true~”

“Hee hee…”

“And you have to love me forever~”

As soon as the call connected, Xu Mo’s voice, as crisp and clear as a lark’s song, came through the speaker, along with her pure and stunningly beautiful face.

She was wearing a thick white sweater, her jet-black hair tied into two braids, giving her an aura of clean, simple purity.

Lying beside him, Lin Qingge listened to Xu Mo’s cheerful, clear voice. When she heard that last line, she felt a little sour inside.

‘Brother Gu Heng…’

‘She sure knows how to act cute.’

Lin Qingge secretly pouted. It was one thing not to have Gu Heng’s undivided attention on a normal day, but tonight was the big night, her first time ever, and she still had to share his affection with another woman. How could she possibly be happy about that?

“Are you feeling better now?”

Xu Mo asked with concern.

“Much better.”

Gu Heng replied with a smile.

“Brother~”

“Spending New Year’s by yourself, do you feel lonely?”

Xu Mo said, sounding a little guilty. “If my mom wasn’t also by herself, I would have definitely stayed in Beichun to keep you company.”

“It’s fine.”

“I’m used to it.”

As Gu Heng spoke, he switched to the rear camera and panned it around the room. “See? I can watch the Gala from under the covers. It’s quite cozy.”

At that moment, Lin Qingge, who was under the covers, heard that Gu Heng had switched to the rear camera and instantly froze. But then, to her surprise, the hand resting on her head began to press down gently, urging her on.

‘You villain~’

‘So this is his kink~’

Lin Qingge had originally intended to use this moment to get a little revenge on Xu Mo for competing for his affection, but she hadn’t expected to accidentally trigger one of Gu Heng’s little fetishes.

She bared her pearly teeth and gave a light bite, but to her surprise, Gu Heng pushed right in, causing her eyes to well up immediately.

On the call, Gu Heng finished showing Xu Mo the room.

“You should sleep early.”

Gu Heng said softly to Xu Mo. “The firecrackers will definitely be going off early tomorrow morning and waking you up. Don’t stay up too late.”

“Okay~”

“You sleep early too, Brother~”

After speaking, Xu Mo’s face reddened slightly as she blew a kiss at the camera.

The two exchanged a few more sweet nothings before finally hanging up.

“DING—”

With one hand, Gu Heng sent two last messages to Jiang Ruan. He then locked his phone, tossed it aside, and pounced on Lin Qingge again. Soon, the entire bedroom suite was filled with seductive sounds.

…

In Bai City, after seeing her second aunt’s and third uncle’s families off with her parents, Jiang Ruan slipped into the bathroom to wash up.

By the time she finished her skincare routine and came out of the bathroom, her parents and grandparents were all asleep. She quietly returned to her room and lay down.

She picked up her phone and lit up the screen. The first thing she saw were the messages Gu Heng had sent her.

Gu Heng: I love you~

Gu Heng: I love you so, so much~

These were the exact same messages she had sent to Gu Heng earlier that evening, but now he had sent them back to her.

With a sweet feeling in her heart, Jiang Ruan lay on the small bed she hadn’t slept in for two years and slowly closed her eyes. But just as she was about to drift off to sleep, something Gu Heng had said to her that night suddenly flashed through her mind.

…

‘Usually, it’s only when a woman feels guilty, after she’s done something to betray her partner, that she’ll suddenly send messages like ‘I love you’.’

…

Wait!

Something was very, very wrong!

Jiang Ruan shot up in bed.

Her beautiful eyes widened, and she bit down on her lip.

“That bastard!”

“He’s definitely up to no good!”