Unable to Fall in Love Syndrome - Chapter 29

Chapter 29 – Sunny Side Up Fairy Tale 08

Tian Jian wasn’t a normal girl. As a child, a car accident had damaged her brain, affecting her intelligence. That accident had taken her parents from her, but luckily, she had a good brother to take care of her. Life was carefree, with no worries about food or clothing.

The wealth her brother Tian Hao had left her was enough to live comfortably for two lifetimes.

Ying Shengnan could clearly tell this girl was different from others, but that didn’t hinder his fondness for her at all. He believed in fate, which was why he’d stayed single for so many years. The moment he laid eyes on Tian Jian, a thought inexplicably popped into his mind: He was done for. Completely done for. His status as a diamond bachelor was about to crumble.

As soon as Qiao Shan came downstairs, Tian Jian immediately set down her water cup and threw herself into her arms. “Shanshan, you’re finally back.”

“I’m back, I’m back. How did you come here all by yourself? You’re soaked. Come on, let’s go upstairs and change your clothes.” Qiao Shan pulled her upstairs, casually ordering Ying Shengnan, “Old Ying, my mom’s upstairs chatting with relatives. Could you please cook a bowl of noodles for Tian Jian?”

Ying Shengnan couldn’t have been happier. He rubbed his hands together and quickly darted into the kitchen.

While Qiao Shan was still downstairs, Zuo Yi took the opportunity to step upstairs into the bathroom. He unbuttoned his shirt, stripped off his clothes and pants.

He turned on the showerhead, and countless streams of water cascaded down, threading through his black hair. The water flowed down in rivulets along his dark locks, clinging to his cheeks as it trickled inch by inch downward, sliding along his neck into the hollow of his collarbone, filling it before continuing to flow lower.

The curtain of water enveloped his muscular frame tightly, coating his body in a perfect sheen.

The warm water washed away Zuo Yi’s fatigue from the day. He wiped the water from his face and opened his eyes, only then noticing the bathroom door wasn’t fully closed. The bathroom door was close to the bedroom door. Before he could walk over, he heard the outer door opening and Qiao Shan’s voice.

Qiao Shan told Tian Jian to wait at the door for a moment, then pushed open the door and called inside, “Zuo Yi, come out for a second.”

Zuo Yi thought, He’d only been in the bathroom for five minutes, and she was already telling him to get out?

Qiao Shan scanned the bedroom and didn’t see anyone. Hearing the sound of running water from the bathroom, she assumed he was showering, but glancing over, she noticed the door wasn’t shut tight and guessed he was just washing his face. So she walked over and pushed the door open. The word “Zuo” hadn’t even left her mouth when she was struck dumb, unable to say another thing.

She came face-to-face with a completely naked man. Her neck forgot how to turn, her hands forgot how to move, and her mind went blank.

Zuo Yi grabbed a bath towel and wrapped it around his lower body. He walked over, looking down at her from above, and asked calmly, “Still want to look?”

Qiao Shan quickly spun around, her bl00d rushing backward, her face burning hot like scalding oil. She’d never seen a man’s naked body before—this was the first time. She held her breath, not daring to face the person behind her, let alone speak. She wished she could vanish into thin air.

After a while, she felt the person behind her leaning in, his breath hitting the back of her ear—one puff, then another, and another.

Zuo Yi stared at her slightly red earlobes, the skin there exceptionally delicate. He couldn’t suppress the urge to lean down and kiss it.

In the end, reason won over desire. His lips stopped half a fist’s distance away, but he was reluctant to pull back.

The girl at the door, seeing Qiao Shan hadn’t come out yet, poked half her body inside. Spotting the half-naked Zuo Yi, she let out an “ah” and quickly covered her face, retreating back out.

Zuo Yi frowned, striding over to slam the door shut. He locked it, then turned around and pulled Qiao Shan’s hands away from her face.

He bent down, bringing their faces close, his gaze serious. “You planning to cover your face like that for the rest of your life? Hmm?”

Qiao Shan looked at him guiltily, pointing toward the door. “I… My little sister got drenched in the rain. Could you put on some clothes and wait outside for a bit? Let her come in and change, okay?”

“Change clothes?”

Qiao Shan nodded.

Zuo Yi was silent for a few seconds, then walked past her straight to the wardrobe. He randomly grabbed one of Qiao Shan’s outfits and shoved it into her arms. Glancing at the door, he gestured, “Go give the clothes to the person at the door. Tell her to change in another room. We need to sort out our own issues.”

Qiao Shan hugged the clothes, on the verge of tears. “I… I really didn’t mean to look just now. Seeing you puts me at a disadvantage, too, so how about we pretend nothing happened?”

Zuo Yi’s expression grew solemn. He said gravely, “Give the clothes to her.”

His tone left no room for argument.

Qiao Shan hadn’t seen him like this in a long time—radiating an intimidating aura. She mumbled an “oh,” hugged the clothes, opened the door, and handed them to Tian Jian outside. “Jianjian, go change in the downstairs bathroom.”

Tian Jian took the clothes and peeked inside the room. “Shanshan, who’s that man in the room?”

Qiao Shan rubbed her forehead, feeling a headache coming on. She said, “Never mind, I’ll go with you downstairs to change.”

She was about to head down with Tian Jian when a hand reached out from inside, grabbing her by the back collar and yanking her back in.

With a “bang,” the door slammed shut. Tian Jian stood there hugging the clothes, staring blankly at the door for a long moment.

Qiao Shan was dragged back into the room by Zuo Yi, her wrist pinched red in a circle and stinging hot.

She hissed, frowning. “Zuo Stingy, let go. You’re hurting me.”

Zuo Yi ignored her, his gaze sweeping over her face. “Today, let’s get things straight. You like me, and I’ve been pursuing you for so long. We’re both adults—no more playing pretend games. Let’s just be together.”

Qiao Shan was stunned, staring blankly for a moment before asking, “You… I… When did I ever like you? When did you ever pursue me? Zuo… Zuo Yi, be honest. You can’t just make things up. If this pretend couple thing caused a misunderstanding, I’m sorry. I thought it was beneficial for both of us.”

Zuo Yi frowned. “That day when Xiao Jia was at your door talking, I heard everything you said clearly. Want me to bring Xiao Jia here to confront you? Hmm?”

Qiao Shan’s eyes widened. “You… You really misunderstood. I was just using you as a shield to make Xiao Jia give up.”

Zuo Yi asked again, “So, all this time I’ve been chasing you—you’re going to pretend that never happened either?”

Qiao Shan felt like crying. She struggled in his grip. “Big brother, when did you ever chase me? Be honest! Have you ever said you like me? Have you sent me flowers? Have you asked me on a date, watched a movie, or had dinner with me?”

Zuo Yi stared at her face, recalling for a moment before saying, “I sent broccoli. We’ve eaten together.”

Qiao Shan was utterly speechless. She yanked her wrist free from his hand. She turned around in frustration, banging her head against the wall a few times. “Big brother, have you ever heard of someone sending broccoli to pursue a girl? Yes, we’ve eaten together, but that was as friends, understand?”

Zuo Yi watched her seriously, saying nothing more.

Qiao Shan let out a sigh of relief and turned back to ask him, “You… You don’t really like me, do you?”

Zuo Yi’s tone was firm. “I do.”

Qiao Shan let out a dry laugh. “Pursuing a girl isn’t done like this.”

She was about to continue when Zuo Yi grabbed her wrist again, interrupting her. “Enough, no more talking. That’s it for tonight. Time to sleep.” With that, he dragged her toward the bed, lifted her onto it, pulled the blanket over her, and quickly slipped under the covers himself. He reached out, scooping her into his arms and holding her tight.

The series of actions was too fast. By the time Qiao Shan reacted, she was trapped in the man’s embrace, barely able to move. This guy didn’t play by the rules. If she tore off the facade, she worried it might ruin their harmony. She poked his chest with her finger, weakly saying, “You… Let me go first. Can we talk?”

Zuo Yi held her tight with one arm and reached out with the other to flick off the bedside lamp switch. The lights went out, plunging the bedroom into darkness.

Her head was pressed against his chest. The man’s chin rested on top of her head, pinning her down so firmly she couldn’t even struggle. Afraid he might lash out in anger and hit her, she softened her voice. “Zuo Yi, this is my house. Don’t mess around. Can we talk?”

He was proud and arrogant; the woman he liked not liking him back must have left him unconvinced and unhappy.

Qiao Shan understood that, so she wanted to talk it out with him.

“No need to talk.” He paused before adding, “Don’t worry, I won’t mess around. But right now, I don’t want to talk to you.”

Qiao Shan was stunned. “Why?”

He replied, “After talking, it’ll end up like with Xiao Jia, right? Sorry, I don’t want to become a second Xiao Jia.”

Qiao Shan took a deep breath. “Could you be any more childish?”

He still showed no sign of letting go. “Then just treat me like a kid.”

“…”

Qiao Shan struggled in his arms, pushing with her hands and kicking with her feet, but he remained unmoved, holding her even tighter.

The man’s voice drifted down from above her head: “Unless you kick me to death tonight, I’m not letting go.”

Qiao Shan couldn’t take it anymore. She opened her mouth and bit down on the flesh of his chest.

It seemed like she’d bitten something off… She immediately let go. Helpless, she asked him, “Then let go, and we can discuss dating, okay?”

She swore she’d never been this patient, even when coaxing a child.

Zuo Yi finally released her, speaking almost right against her ear: “Go ahead.”

Qiao Shan finally broke free, emerging from under the covers. She turned on the light and got out of bed. Standing by the bedside, she looked at Zuo Yi and said, “Tonight, you sleep on the bed, I’ll sleep on the floor. Tomorrow, you go home to your mom.”

“…” Zuo Yi sat up and looked at her. “Are you messing with me?”

Qiao Shan pointed at him. “If you consider me a friend, don’t do what you did just now again. Otherwise, we won’t even be friends anymore.” With that, she grabbed a quilt from the wardrobe and spread it on the floor.

Zuo Yi took his pajamas from his suitcase and went into the bathroom. When he came out, he was fully dressed. He squatted down to help Qiao Shan set up the floor bed. “You sleep on the bed, I’ll sleep on the floor.”

Qiao Shan didn’t stand on ceremony with him. She said, “Okay,” jumped onto the bed, and quickly wrapped herself tightly in the blanket, afraid he might get bold again and try something improper.

The bedroom lights went out once more. Qiao Shan lay with her back to him, wide awake. Thinking about what had just happened, her heart pounded like a drum, erratic and unending.

Her body hadn’t rejected his actions earlier; deep down, it seemed like she was anticipating something. She clutched the corner of the blanket, took a deep breath, and asked him, “Um… What do you like about me?”

The person on the floor drew in a heavy breath, unsure how to answer her. So, in the dark, silent room, only their breathing could be heard.

After a moment of stagnant atmosphere, Zuo Yi finally spoke faintly: “Sorry about earlier. Let’s pretend tonight never happened. We’re even.”

Hearing his words, Qiao Shan felt a bit… disappointed. She murmured an “oh” and said nothing more.

Even in the pitch-black room, Zuo Yi still stared in her direction.

He’d been rejected—no, it wasn’t even rejection. From start to finish, it had all been his own wishful thinking.

In that instant, it felt like the world had lost its light, flowers withered, mountains collapsed, and tsunamis raged.

In that instant, it was as if his organs had been devoured by ghosts, and what lay on the floor wasn’t him, but an empty shell.

So this was what rejection felt like? Losing your soul, losing yourself. He began to miss the days when he was free and easy on his own, with no one to like.

He secretly swore to himself: If he ever felt any desire for Qiao Shan again, he’d bark like a dog three times!

Qiao Shan was starting to feel sleepy when she suddenly heard three dog barks, startling her so much she trembled, all drowsiness gone. Her first thought was, When did a dog get in here?

Right after, the bed dipped behind her, and someone slipped under her covers. The man’s arms reached under her armpits, pulling her into his embrace.

The person behind her whispered softly against the back of her ear: “Sorry, I don’t want to be rejected. Just think of me as a jerk.”

Qiao Shan: “…”