jdhmnovel Chapter 195 Are you trying to strangle me?
Chapter 195 Are you trying to strangle me?
……
Huo Yunting had a dream.
In his dream, he came to a gray, small county town. The leaden sky hung low, as if it might collapse the mottled cement buildings at any moment.
The city was unusually quiet. He walked aimlessly along the cracked asphalt road, the wild grass growing tenaciously in the cracks scraping against his trouser legs.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, his gaze was suddenly drawn to an unusual movement—two small figures were vaguely standing in front of a small grocery store with its iron gate tightly closed at the street corner.
One was tall and the other short, both around seven or eight years old.
Their faces remained blurred, as if shrouded in a flowing mist, and even their voices seemed to come from underwater, muffled and distant.
Huo Yunting subconsciously wanted to get closer, but found his steps became unusually heavy. The distance was so close, yet it felt like an infinitely stretched film reel, forever out of reach.
The ground beneath his feet suddenly trembled, and a pitch-black crack, like a gaping maw, instantly swallowed him up.
……
Huo Yunting suddenly opened his eyes, his heart pounding violently in his chest, making his eardrums buzz.
Every detail in the dream carried a chilling sense of familiarity, and he was inexplicably certain that everything in the dream had happened before, yet he couldn't remember it at all.
Three years of psychotherapy was like a slow, agonizing process, gradually stripping away his memories from before the age of ten.
Ironically, the shadows that should have been forgotten lingered, while those ordinary yet precious everyday memories were completely forgotten.
"Um……"
Xie Qing, who was fast asleep, suddenly turned over and let out a soft groan. Strands of her hair brushed against Huo Yunting's arm, bringing a slight tickle.
Huo Yunting's thoughts returned, and in the dim morning light, he quietly gazed at his lover's sleeping profile, listening to the other's even breathing. His previously troubled heart strangely calmed down.
He didn't want to think about it anymore, and like a young animal seeking protection, he gently pressed his forehead against Xie Qing's warm chest, his arms unconsciously tightening, as if he would only feel at ease if he could meld the person in front of him into his very bones.
As a result, without paying attention—
"Cough cough..."
Xie coughed twice.
Huo Yunting immediately said, "Qingqing, you're awake?!"
"Let go of me first."
Xie Qing patted Huo Yunting's arm, which felt like an iron clamp, and took two deep breaths with difficulty. "Tingting... are you trying to strangle me?"
Who could understand the suffocating feeling of suddenly being unable to breathe when he was sleeping soundly?
Huo Yunting released his arms, lowered his eyes and apologized, "I'm sorry, Qingqing, I didn't mean to."
Xie Qing propped herself up on the mattress and sat up, her chest still rising and falling slightly.
He casually brushed his messy hair back and looked at Huo Yunting, "Why are you hugging me so tightly?"
Her voice was still hoarse from just waking up, "Did you have a nightmare?"
The question was asked casually, yet it hit the bullseye like an arrow.
Huo Yunting's eyelashes trembled slightly, and he nodded with his lips pursed.
"Here." Xie Qing's voice was as soft as if she were coaxing a child, and she opened her arms. "Hold me gently this time."
The words had barely left her lips when Huo Yunting lunged at her, knocking her backward. She couldn't help but chuckle, "I'm not going to run away, what's the rush?"
The two embraced quietly. After a moment, Xie rubbed his eyes and asked, "What time is it?"
"Half past five."
Huo Yunting's voice came from the crook of his neck, his warm breath brushing against his skin, "Want to sleep a little longer?"
"No."
Xie Qing shook her head, turned her head, and saw that the faint light leaking through the gap in the curtains had been tinged with a light orange. "At this time, the sun is about to rise over the sea. Shall we go watch it?"
Huo Yunting nodded, "Go."
……
After a night's voyage, the cruise ship entered the inland sea.
As dawn broke, the two walked side by side onto the deck. On the distant horizon, a crimson sun quietly peeked out, like a shy maiden half-concealing her rosy cheeks.
Huo Yunting stood quietly beside Xie Qing. The sea breeze brushed past, lifting the stray hairs on his forehead. His black gem-like eyes reflected the endless glow of the sunset, as if the sun itself had been captured in them.
As if sensing something, she tilted her head slightly, just in time to catch Xie Qing's little action of secretly taking a picture with her phone.
"Qingqing, are you taking a picture of me?"
"Yes."
Xie Qing readily admitted it, tapping the screen twice with her fingertips to show him the photo she had just taken.
He tilted his head and smiled, "Because you were really handsome just now."
Huo Yunting's ears suddenly turned red, as if dyed by the morning glow. Xie Qing continued to tease him, "What do you think... how about I set this photo as my screensaver?"
Huo Yunting's lips involuntarily curved into a small smile, which he then deliberately suppressed, feigning composure as he said, "Whatever."
Xie Qing couldn't help but laugh so hard she bent over, seeing his insincere expression.
She cupped Huo Yunting's face in her hands, her eyes brimming with laughter, "Tingting, how can you be so adorable!"
Huo Yunting: Still blushing??*??*
*
As the cruise ship gradually docked, Huo Yunting had already arranged the rest of the itinerary.
After disembarking, Xie Qing was immediately taken on a day-long birthday trip – horseback riding at a private horse farm, watching a play, and stargazing at the Yunxiu Mountain Observatory in the evening… a truly colorful experience.
On the way back, Xie Qing was exhausted and fell asleep on Huo Yunting's shoulder.
After returning to Yunlan, he fell asleep the moment his head hit the bed.
……
Xie Qing's birthday celebration was so high-profile that it was known throughout the entire internet.
The line during the fireworks show, "Harbor Colonia, congratulations to Mr. Xie Qing on his birthday," turned many die-hard fans into die-hard "dragonfly" fans.
After all, a simple online search will reveal that this port project, worth hundreds of millions, was contracted and constructed by the Huo Group.
In the "Like a Dream" production crew, Jiang Lingling, an unofficial member, cupped her face in her hands and looked at Xie Qing with a doting auntie smile, "Hehehe... I never expected this..."
"You and President Huo are truly amazing! You've been keeping quiet until you make a big splash! This is incredible!"
Hearing the strange laughter coming from the side every now and then, Xie Qing rubbed her forehead and reminded her, "Tone it down, your mouth is practically stretched to the back of your head."
Jiang Lingling glanced at Xie Qing, her voice slightly coquettish, "No way~ I clearly have cherry lips."
Xie Qing: "..."
After this interruption, Jiang Lingling finally remembered her business, bent down and took out a carefully wrapped small gift box from under the small table next to her, "Here, this is your birthday present."
"You weren't here yesterday, so I'll make up for it today."
As Xie Qing's long eyelashes trembled slightly, a warm feeling welled up in her eyes. "Thank you."
Jiang Lingling waved her hand, "Hehe, you're welcome."
Yesterday and today, Xie Qing received many gifts, some from fans and some from friends in the industry, all of which were sent to Zhaixing Entertainment.
Among them were gifts from his two adoptive parents—a set of emerald jewelry and a property deed for a villa in the city.
Xie Qing had long ago blocked their phone numbers, and they were never on her WeChat friend list.
Unable to contact their son, Xie's parents could only send their belated sentiments to Xie Qing's company, as if that could make up for something.
However, after learning from Xiang Yiting and finding out who sent the items, Xie Qing put them up for sale online and donated all the money to the welfare home.