NOVEL NEXT Chapter 222 Helpless
Outside the highway toll booth, Li Jing parked on the side, hands in his pockets, standing next to the car, his hair tousled by the wind.
Although the Spring Festival had passed, the cold still ravaged the city.
Ever since Li Jing got used to frequenting high-end places and stopped working outdoors, he no longer dressed so heavily in winter.
Today, he was wearing a cashmere suit jacket over a turtleneck sweater, not feeling the cold weather indoors or inside the car.
But once he got out of the car, he immediately felt the cold wind hitting his face, the chill penetrating his neck, making him involuntarily shrug his shoulders.
Earlier, he was busy packing and saying goodbye to his parents, leaving no time to check his phone.
It was only when he picked up his phone moments ago that he noticed Ge Qin had called him over a dozen times, with dozens of unread WeChat messages.
Seeing the other person's anxiety, after receiving Ge Qin's last call, Li Jing waited for her at the highway exit.
Soon, a red Volkswagen came speeding through the cold wind.
"Li Jing!"
After stopping the car, seeing the tall figure next to the blue Maserati, Ge Qin got out, wearing high heels, and joyfully rushed over.
"Didn't I say you didn't have to see me off?"
Li Jing looked at Ge Qin in her coffee-colored coat and asked in confusion, "Don't you have to work today?"
"I took the day off."
Ge Qin explained, then seemed to feel the cold outside and tightened her coat, saying, "Let's talk in the car."
As she spoke, she feared Li Jing might disagree and hurriedly added, "It'll be quick; I won't take up much of your time."
Seeing her slightly longing and pleading gaze, Li Jing nodded and followed her into the car.
"Sit in the back."
Ge Qin got into the back seat first and turned back to say, "I prepared some small gifts for you."
"Gifts?"
Li Jing was surprised. As soon as he got in the car, he saw Ge Qin handing him a delicate gift bag.
Li Jing took the gift bag and opened it, finding a Golden Lucky Bead inside a box.
He had seen this Golden Lucky Bead in the mall before. Although it wasn't large, it cost two to three thousand yuan.
"I don't have much money, so I could only buy you this. I hope you don't mind."
Ge Qin, fearing he might think her gift was cheap, said somewhat embarrassedly, "I added a wrist strap so you can wear it, or if you prefer... you can keep it in the car or at home. It's meant to symbolize good luck."
"Hmm, thank you."
Since it was a heartfelt gesture, Li Jing hesitated for a few seconds but accepted the gift box: "You really didn't need to spend money on me…"
"I know you probably won't use it, but I just…"
Before she could finish, Ge Qin immediately explained, but her voice became less and less confident: "I just wanted to put an end to this relationship…"
Upon hearing this, Li Jing's eyebrows furrowed slightly.
He realized that the other person seemed to have genuinely regarded him as her boyfriend.
Although Li Jing was somewhat averse to such actions, he decided not to say more since she hadn't caused him any trouble.
Ge Qin stole a glance at Li Jing's face and, seeing he wasn't angry, secretly breathed a sigh of relief, then took out a thermal lunch box from behind her.
"I made this meal specially at home; driving back to Tianhai would take at least a dozen hours. You can eat it on the road if you're hungry."
She hesitated a bit before adding, "If it doesn't suit your taste, just throw it away; you don't have to keep it."
Seeing her speaking with such uncertainty, Li Jing finally chuckled: "Why are you still so reserved, even after all this time we've spent together?"
"It's not being reserved…"
Ge Qin turned her face away, looking at a corner of the car, and said softly, "It's just that I can't bear to…"
After a pause filled with hesitation, she continued, "My parents arranged… a blind date for me, this afternoon."
Upon hearing this, Li Jing's expression shifted slightly, but he didn't speak.
Seeing his silence, Ge Qin bit her lower lip and continued to whisper, "During this New Year, my parents kept urging me to marry. They think I'm already quite old, that girls my age back home are mostly married, and I'm the only one without even a boyfriend."
Ge Qin looked up at Li Jing's face, trying to gauge his reaction.
But seeing his calm and indifferent expression, her last hope faded, and she forced a self-mocking smile:
"I probably can't resist my parents' pressure to marry this year. Even if I don't agree to this blind date, there will definitely be all kinds of guys introduced to me afterward.
According to my parents, I must find someone to establish a relationship with this year and get married by the end of this year or next year."
After hearing this, Li Jing remained silent, offering no opinion or comment.
Feeling the silent atmosphere in the car, Ge Qin unconsciously tightened her grip on her coat, feeling inexplicably wronged.
In the quiet car, the two sat in silence for a long time.
A moment later, Li Jing finally spoke first, calmly: "Actually…"
Upon hearing Li Jing speak, Ge Qin immediately looked up with eyes full of anticipation.
"Finding someone from a similar background to marry is a good thing."
As soon as the words fell, Ge Qin's pupils trembled, her mind feeling like it was struck by thunder.
Immediately, her nose felt tingly, and she couldn't stop her eyes from quickly turning red.
"What are you doing…"
Seeing her about to cry, Li Jing frowned, wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes, and said helplessly, "Didn't I tell you long ago that I'm not looking for a relationship? Why the fuss?"
"I know, but I can't help it…"
Ge Qin, biting her lip, tried to hold back, but large tears spilled unwillingly from her eyes, sliding down her delicate, pale face.
"Alright."
Seeing the girl who had taken such good care of him just a few days ago now in tears before him, Li Jing could only relent, apologizing: "It's my fault for getting so close to you…"
"No, it's because I like you; you can't regret this!"
Before he finished, Ge Qin interrupted earnestly, eyes red and choking: "If you even regret what we had, then what was I doing all these days for?"
"I…"
Feeling helpless, looking at the once bright and cheerful Ge Qin now a sobbing mess, Li Jing, despite his coldness, couldn't bear it.
After a moment, not knowing how to ease her emotions, Li Jing, not thinking any further, simply embraced her and kissed her.
Initially, he thought Ge Qin would resist symbolically, but to his surprise, as soon as he kissed her, her hands wrapped tightly around him, her enthusiasm seeming even more intense than his.
Soon, Ge Qin pressed him down, actively shedding her clothing, disregarding the revealing scene, tightly holding him, whispering in his ear:
"Darling, just this once more. I hope you'll always remember me."
After her words, spring's allure quickly filled the entire car.