Are You Allergic To Romance? - Chapter 23

Chapter 23: I Will Protect You

“Knock, knock, knock—”

The sound of knocking on the door pulled Xie Mianzhi back to reality from her recent astonishing emotions.

After calming down for a while, she stood up in the room, quickly straightened her appearance, and only when Jing Yuan knocked on the door again did she slowly open it.

“Jing Yuan…” Xie Mianzhi held the half-open door and asked softly.

Jing Yuan could tell Xie Mianzhi didn’t want her to enter the room, so she stopped at the doorway and handed the item in her hand to the other person: “This is for you.”

Xie Mianzhi pursed her lips and looked down at the tray in Jing Yuan’s hand. It was an arrangement of fruit pieces shaped like a smiling face figure.

She was a little surprised and took a few seconds before asking, “Did you make this?”

“Mmm,” Jing Yuan silently watched Xie Mianzhi’s expression. She was hesitant, wanting to gauge the other party’s mood.

“Why are you giving this to me?” Xie Mianzhi looked at the cute smiling face on the tray, clearly showing the maker’s thoughtfulness.

Jing Yuan opened her mouth. The three words ‘I want to coax you’ were swallowed back. She felt that saying so would make Miss Xie Mianzhi uncomfortable.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?” Xie Mianzhi saw that Jing Yuan remained silent. Her already tumultuous emotional state was made a bit awkward by the quiet atmosphere. Jing Yuan couldn’t have figured out what she was imagining just now, could she?

When Xie Mianzhi asked this, Jing Yuan could only rack her brains for an excuse. “I wanted to prove I’m not an ungrateful wretch. I guessed you needed this right now, Mmm.”

Xie Mianzhi listened to Jing Yuan’s awkward reply. After circling through her mind for a few seconds, she immediately grasped the meaning and tentatively asked, “Are you… coaxing me?”

Even though her intention was guessed, Jing Yuan maintained a calm facade. She was about to say, “I—”

“Alright, I know, I know. You’re definitely going to deny it, but I can accept your ‘smiling face figure’ and cross off ‘ungrateful wretch’,” Xie Mianzhi said with a smile, interrupting Jing Yuan. She knew she was being presumptuous by assuming Jing Yuan was coaxing her, but saying it this way gave them both an easy out.

Jing Yuan nodded after hearing this. Seeing Xie Mianzhi’s smile was enough for her.

“I’ll go out now. I need to see Grandma Shen off,” Jing Yuan took a step back, indicating she wouldn’t bother her.

“Grandma Shen is leaving?” Xie Mianzhi fully opened the door and followed her out.

“Mmm.”

“Then I’ll go with you.”

“Okay.” Jing Yuan finally curved her lips. Subconsciously, she took Xie Mianzhi leaving the room as a sign of her forgiveness.

**

After seeing off Grandma Shen, the interesting elderly woman, Xie Mianzhi stroked Golden Bean, who was constantly rubbing against her leg. This little creature just loved to rub on her. She squatted down, shaking its neck, and asked, “Tell me, is your little owner coaxing me?”

The only response was the comfortable purring sound from Golden Bean’s throat.

Xie Mianzhi couldn’t stop thinking about the smiling face fruit platter Jing Yuan made for her. It was so delicate she couldn’t bear to eat it. And Grandma Shen had quietly told her when she was leaving that Jing Yuan had looked very anxious when she ran inside.

(She’s not good at expressing herself.)

The old woman had told her that one line. In truth, she had also noticed that Jing Yuan wasn’t good at expressing herself, almost always responding to everything with silence.

Xie Mianzhi sighed softly. She looked at the water glasses on the courtyard table and decided to help clean up, taking them back to the kitchen.

Jing Yuan was already washing the dishes.

Xie Mianzhi glanced at the beautiful woman who was once again quiet and peaceful. It was hard to believe this person had been so articulate and sharp in rebuking her in the courtyard just moments ago.

Although she was the one who started the provocation.

And she was the one who had those strange thoughts then.

“Here, the glasses too,” Xie Mianzhi initiated the conversation, looking at Jing Yuan.

“Just put them here,” Jing Yuan glanced at them and said.

Xie Mianzhi looked down and saw dish soap foam all over Jing Yuan’s hands, asking in confusion, “Doesn’t the house have a dishwasher? Washing like this will damage your hands.”

Jing Yuan hadn’t expected Xie Mianzhi to ask this. She looked at the brand-new dishwashing equipment. She hadn’t considered the issue of damaging her hands at all. Since guests rarely came to the house, these were practically decorative.

In fact, she felt that the flow of water was a form of enjoyment for her. It would be even more soothing if her whole body were submerged in the deep sea.

“It’s fine,” Jing Yuan shook her head blankly, taking the glasses to rinse.

Xie Mianzhi was confused by the other party’s lack of concern.

She should at least wear gloves. Such beautiful hands being neglected is a real shame.

“Just now, Grandma Shen…” Xie Mianzhi considered thanking Jing Yuan for the fruit platter. Grandma Shen had told her Jing Yuan had arranged it very seriously.

After finishing the wash, Jing Yuan wiped the water from her hands and looked at the person next to her, who seemed hesitant to speak. “Grandma Shen can be exaggerated when she talks. You don’t have to mind it.” She explained, thinking Xie Mianzhi was still worried about the previous joke.

“Are you referring to the ‘lovers’ thing Grandma Shen said?” Xie Mianzhi asked.

“Mmm.”

Xie Mianzhi smiled. If someone mentioned her being matched with someone at a business gathering, it would inexplicably irritate her. She hated those people who flattered her to climb the social ladder.

However, this time, although it was the first time she had been asked if she was a lover with another woman, it was clear that Grandma Shen wasn’t trying to take advantage of her; she was simply stating her own assumption.

She didn’t feel any aversion, especially since the object of the comment was the person in front of her, the Little Savior.

Jing Yuan was a novel concept to her, unlike anyone else.

“She also said we have the look of wives, like a couple,” Xie Mianzhi looked at Jing Yuan composedly.

Jing Yuan responded, “Yes, Grandma Shen often jokes. You just don’t need to take it to heart.”

She hadn’t expected Grandma Shen to be so surprising with her words.

She couldn’t say much while the elder was present, but now that she was gone, she needed to properly explain it to Xie Mianzhi.

“Did she ever say that about you and anyone else before?” Xie Mianzhi suddenly grew alert. She straightened up, homing in on the crucial point.

Jing Yuan didn’t understand. “What?”

“I mean, did she ever say you and anyone else looked like lovers, or had the look of a couple?” Xie Mianzhi completely disregarded how poor a question this was, letting it slip out without thought.

“No, this is the first time she’s ever said that,” Jing Yuan answered honestly. She didn’t quite understand why Xie Mianzhi was suddenly so focused on this.

“Oh, I see,” Xie Mianzhi realized Jing Yuan was telling the truth, which relieved the displeasure surging up in her heart. If that Grandma Shen went around telling everyone that Jing Yuan looked like lovers with others, she would probably be furious…

Xie Mianzhi gripped the cup in her hand, her eyes narrowed in a cold gaze.

“What’s wrong?” Jing Yuan asked, confused. She saw Xie Mianzhi staring blankly, her expression fierce.

Xie Mianzhi snapped back to attention. She looked closely at the innocent-looking, demure face so close to her. With her looks and personality, Jing Yuan would probably make a wonderful wife for someone.

Pretty,

Quiet,

Gentle,

Easily controlled,

The so-called excellent “virtues” of a wife in some people’s eyes.

Though these were just superficial interpretations of Jing Yuan. Sometimes the other party’s subtle melancholy clashed with these descriptions.

Regardless, she didn’t want someone like this to have their feelings hurt by others.

Jing Yuan deserved a beautiful future.

“It’s nothing. I just think you are the most…” Xie Mianzhi looked at Jing Yuan. For a moment, she couldn’t find the right adjective to describe what she meant.

Jing Yuan turned around, looking at Xie Mianzhi with equal curiosity. “The most what?”

Xie Mianzhi pursed her lips. The most unique person was what she wanted to say.

But she felt that sounded like a confession.

So, she swallowed the words.

“The most strange person,” Xie Mianzhi thought about her wording and spoke again.

“Strange?” Jing Yuan was a little helpless. Was she a weird person in the other person’s heart?

“I don’t mean strange in a weird way. It’s just that I’ve never met your type. You’re very special. It’s a compliment—the kind that makes me want to be your friend. All in all, you’re just too innocent,” Xie Mianzhi couldn’t bring herself to say the words in her heart—that she hoped the other party would be happy and not be deceived—feeling that saying such things after only knowing each other for a few days was pure nonsense.

Jing Yuan was quite used to Xie Mianzhi’s abrupt answers. She was puzzled why the conversation had turned back to her innocence. She genuinely didn’t understand what she did that made the other party mistake her for a naive rabbit.

But being perceived as a harmless rabbit was a good thing.

At least Xie Mianzhi wouldn’t try to distance herself from her.

“Should I say ‘thank you’ then?” Jing Yuan had no choice. She was afraid the other party would call her impolite again.

This question made Xie Mianzhi laugh. She wasn’t sure how to express her thoughts, so she took an unopened tube of cream from her handbag and handed it to Jing Yuan.

“Hand cream. I only use this brand. Here,” Xie Mianzhi gave her favorite scented hand cream to Jing Yuan, hoping the other party would take good care of her cold, doll-like hands.

“I don’t need this…” Jing Yuan refused. She didn’t need these things.

Xie Mianzhi looked at Jing Yuan’s hands, which were good enough for a hand model. Some people were just so genetically gifted it was enviable.

“If I give it to you, just take it. Or do you think it’s not enough?”

“No, it’s just that I don’t usually use these things. I’m not used to the—”

Before Jing Yuan could finish, her left hand was grasped by Xie Mianzhi, making her swallow the rest of her sentence.

Xie Mianzhi didn’t speak. Instead, she opened the hand cream and personally applied some to the other person.

Jing Yuan’s hand was icy cold. Xie Mianzhi didn’t know if it was from washing dishes with cold water just now, but it felt even colder than the last time she touched it.

Like a cold-blooded animal.

Xie Mianzhi thought to herself, but her movements were very gentle.

She lightly massaged the cream into the spaces between the fingers. A faint scent of cedarwood and cyclamen diffused into the air, like sinking into the deep blue sea. The scent wasn’t overpowering, and she found it very pleasant.

“It’s my favorite scent. The Deep Sea series. Smell it and tell me what you think,” Xie Mianzhi said, signaling for Jing Yuan to smell it.

This particular line had a small market share because of its high price and niche, cool scent. Her friend used to tease her for choosing a rare scent when there were so many popular ones.

Most people weren’t keen on it; it was too cold and stark.

But she liked it, and she hoped to get Jing Yuan’s approval.

Jing Yuan had no choice but to lower her head and smell the back of her hand. It felt a little familiar. “It smells very nice.”

She actually didn’t like overly strong perfumes; they made her feel very uncomfortable.

Surprisingly, she didn’t mind this scent. She even found it comforting, like being submerged in the ocean, alone in the quiet.

“Really?” Xie Mianzhi was slightly surprised.

“Really,” Jing Yuan replied obediently again.

Feeling that her preference was the same as the person in front of her, Xie Mianzhi said, “Then I gave it to the right person. Give me your other hand, and I’ll help you.”

Seeing Jing Yuan hesitate, she grabbed the other hand without thinking, squeezed out some more cream, and applied it herself.

Jing Yuan was a little embarrassed but reluctantly accepted the kindness.

No one had ever offered to apply hand cream for her like this. No, no one had ever held her hand like this.

Jing Yuan remained stiffly in the other person’s grasp. Xie Mianzhi’s palm was very warm.

She unconsciously craved that warmth.

Jing Yuan quietly looked at Xie Mianzhi. She suddenly remembered the other party mentioning the scent series, so she asked, “Do you like the deep sea?”

“Hmm?”

“You just said this one is the Deep Sea series,” Jing Yuan actively asked.

“Oh, yes. The scent is the mysterious and distant azure deep sea. Don’t you find it appealing?” Xie Mianzhi raised her beautiful eyebrows and countered with a question.

Jing Yuan slightly curved her lips after hearing this. She hadn’t expected Xie Mianzhi to yearn for the deep sea. Most people feared the unknown abyss.

“Do you go to the beach often then?” Jing Yuan asked.

“Uh, no. Actually, my swimming skills are a little weak,” Xie Mianzhi frowned, her expression slightly embarrassed. Don’t let her rich, well-bred background fool you; she seemed capable of everything, but she was terrible in the water. She wanted to try but was afraid, likely because of a childhood experience that made her dread sinking into the water.

This little secret about her poor swimming was something she only told the person in front of her. Strangely, she knew that exposing her innermost feelings to Jing Yuan wouldn’t be used as leverage. She knew Jing Yuan wouldn’t tell anyone, but—

“You’re not allowed to laugh at me,” the proud Xie Mianzhi still emphasized, needing to save face.

Jing Yuan was startled by Xie Mianzhi’s scolding and immediately shook her head, stating she absolutely would not laugh at the other party.

Xie Mianzhi huffed softly, looking at Jing Yuan’s lowered lashes. The long lashes fluttered in the sunlight. She looked quiet, like a pure angel.

It made her want to look again and again.

She deliberately looked Jing Yuan up and down and then said with mock seriousness, “Hmm~ So how are your swimming skills? Living by the sea, you’re not a landlubber, are you?”

Landlubber?

She was completely underestimated.

Jing Yuan lifted her face, showing a subtle expression of being between tears and laughter. “Do I look like a landlubber?”

“Could it be a little savage of the deep sea, a four-wheel motor in the ocean?” Xie Mianzhi exaggeratedly teased.

The other party had actually guessed half-right. She wasn’t a ‘little savage’ but a ‘deep sea behemoth’. Unfortunately, she couldn’t admit it; it would scare Xie Mianzhi.

Jing Yuan hesitated, choosing the closest appropriate wording: “My swimming skills are decent.”

“How long does it take you to swim a hundred meters?” Xie Mianzhi was curious.

Jing Yuan shook her head. She had never timed such a trivial thing.

“I have a friend whose family is in that business. She’s a great swimmer; she can swim a hundred meters at an almost athletic level. That guy always laughs at me,” Xie Mianzhi was annoyed when she thought of her friend who always teased her about being afraid of water. She really wanted to dampen their arrogance.

“Laughs at you?” Jing Yuan asked. She didn’t want anyone to mock Xie Mianzhi about not being good at swimming.

“Because I really can’t swim well. Maybe the water and I are just incompatible. In the water, I feel like a fish on a cutting board, unable to move,” Xie Mianzhi said self-deprecatingly. A hint of sadness flashed across her expression.

Jing Yuan took in the brief moment of gloom on the other person’s face. She hesitated for a moment, then finally mustered the courage to offer, “I can teach you.”

“Hmm?” Xie Mianzhi’s eyes widened instantly.

“Teach you to swim,” Jing Yuan’s golden eyes looked at Xie Mianzhi. Seeing the other party look at her in surprise, she quickly added, “As a return gift for the hand cream.”

Xie Mianzhi was still very surprised and asked with a slight laugh, “Are you sure? Can you guarantee my safety?” She really hadn’t expected Jing Yuan to spontaneously offer to teach her to swim. It was a rare reaction from her.

Jing Yuan looked up, her gaze now filled with resolve. She looked at Xie Mianzhi and solemnly promised.

“I will stay by your side. I will protect you. I won’t let you fall into danger.”