C15 Xiaona Revealed Her Thoughts

"What's on your mind? Do you really think I'm that type of guy? Sure, I might fancy Widow Zhang, but I don't have the nerve to pursue her!"

Shen Yong explained, "This scent on me? It's from a medicinal solution!"

"What kind of medicine?" inquired Lee Xiaona.

"Head back to your room for now, I'll fill you in later," Shen Yong told her as he escorted her to his doorway.

With no choice, Lee Xiaona reluctantly returned to her room. Shen Yong stowed the sprayer, washed his hands, and then followed her inside. To his surprise, he found Lee Xiaona sitting cross-legged on his bed, her feet bare.

"Xiaona! You've made yourself comfortable on my bed so quickly? Aren't you worried I might pin you down, and something might happen?" Shen Yong asked, his voice tinged with embarrassment.

It had been years since Shen Yong and Lee Xiaona, once inseparable childhood friends, had spent time together. Their closeness dated back to their days of compulsory education, seven or eight years ago. After Shen Yong left for boarding school in the county town, their meetings dwindled to brief encounters during school breaks.

And since Shen Yong started university, they hadn't seen each other for five or six years. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, they say, and on this quiet night, with two young adults alone in a room, the air was ripe with possibility.

"What are you planning? You're all talk and no action! Here I am on your bed—what do you think you can do about it?" Lee Xiaona challenged him, her tone a mix of defiance and coquetry.

"Alright, alright! No harm done! You're on the bed, so I guess I'll just sit over here. I'm not about to take advantage of the situation," Shen Yong said, reigning in his impulses and settling into a chair by the desk, deliberately avoiding looking at Lee Xiaona.

"Spill it, Shen Yong. Where's that fragrance on you coming from? Out causing trouble with some young lady in the middle of the night, were you? Come clean!" Lee Xiaona demanded.

"No, it's nothing like that! It's the scent of this medicine," Shen Yong insisted, pulling out the small vial of Early Ripened Spiritual Liquid.

Curious, Lee Xiaona took the vial, sniffed the contents—undeniably fragrant—and couldn't resist dipping her finger in for a taste, bringing it to her lips with a flick of her tongue.

"Mmm! It's sweet! What is this, some kind of medicine? It tastes amazing!"

Lee Xiaona exclaimed.

Shen Yong snatched the small bottle away, his face a picture of astonishment, "Have you lost your mind? Eating medicine without even knowing what it is?"

"Cough, cough, cough!"

Lee Xiaona suddenly broke into a severe coughing fit.

"Xiaona, are you okay?"

Shen Yong asked, his voice laced with concern.

"Bleh!"

Lee Xiaona spat a thick glob of phlegm onto the ground and cleared her throat. "Wow! It worked! My throat's been bothering me for days! I've tried so many medicines, but nothing helped! Who knew that just a lick of your medicine would do the trick? What brand of cough syrup is this?"

"Whew! You gave me quite the scare! I'm just glad you're fine," Shen Yong breathed a sigh of relief. "This isn't any cough syrup! But as long as you're okay, let's not worry about the details."

"Oh, okay! Then come sit on the bed with me," Lee Xiaona suggested. "I have so much to tell you, and even more to ask! How about we chat through the night?"

"Sure," Shen Yong agreed, taking a seat at the edge of the bed, maintaining a cautious distance from Lee Xiaona.

"Come a little closer! What harm could a girl like me possibly intend?" Lee Xiaona chided.

Shen Yong edged closer, yet remained wary.

He was no saint; he was a man of passion and desire.

Shen Yong had no clue what Lee Xiaona was plotting.

Did she really think he was so clueless?

But Shen Yong harbored a deep-seated devotion for Su Yaner, a commitment he wasn't willing to compromise.

"For now, I can't think of anything to say. You go ahead with your stories! When something comes to mind, I'll chime in," Shen Yong offered.

"Okay! All the girls in our dorm had multiple boyfriends during college! I'm the only one who's been single all along. I'm so jealous of them having boyfriends to share meals with, go to class with, travel with! They even get adorable little gifts made just for them. It all seems so wonderful!"

Lee Xiaona's voice was tinged with jealousy as she spoke.

"Why don't you find a boyfriend then? You're so beautiful now; surely there are boys lining up for you!"

Shen Yong remarked.

"I have no interest in dating those boys! There's only one person I like, and it's not any of them!"

Lee Xiaona's gaze was filled with longing as she looked at Shen Yong.

"Have you fallen for some wealthy heir? You should just confess to him! Your dad really hopes you'll marry into a big city!"

Shen Yong suggested.

"It's not like that! Mr. Shen Yong, can't you tell who I have feelings for?"

"I have no idea!"

"Psh! You're such a fool! A big fool!"

Frustrated, Lee Xiaona clenched her fists and gave Shen Yong a light punch on the shoulder. "Mr. Shen Yong, I'm curious about what you've been up to in college. Have you been dating anyone?"

It was then that Shen Yong sensed that Lee Xiaona was gearing up to confess her feelings to him.

How could he not know that she had feelings for him?

But Shen Yong had always seen Lee Xiaona as nothing more than a sister, without any romantic inclinations.

Moreover, Su Yaner's abrupt departure was a wound that still ached in Shen Yong's heart, throbbing painfully at the slightest touch.

"Xiaona, let's talk about something else, okay? I'm not in the mood to discuss romantic matters," Shen Yong said, his tone icy.

"No way! I really want to know!"

Lee Xiaona whined playfully, "Mr. Shen Yong, with your good looks and smarts, girls must be drawn to you! Back in school, I was always there to fend off your admirers. But in college, without me to shield you, did you end up like those fickle playboys, juggling several girls at once?"

"Not at all! I'm just a poor kid from the backwoods; who would give me a second glance?"

Shen Yong thought to himself with a touch of irritation, "I only spent a year in college before enlisting and ended up feeding pigs in the military! Surrounded by pigs all day, I didn't even catch a glimpse of a girl, let alone 'step on several boats.'"

"Hmph! That sounds more like it. A guy who's clueless about what girls want wouldn't be popular with them. There's only one girl who's liked you since childhood, and you've always been so indifferent to her!" Lee Xiaona said, pouting.

"Xiaona, let's switch gears and talk about something else, okay? Let's drop the romance talk."

Shen Yong was desperately trying to steer away from the uncomfortable subject.

"No way! I'm laying it all out today! The one I'm into is far away, yet so close!"

Lee Xiaona suddenly grabbed Shen Yong's hand and blurted out, "Mr. Shen Yong, do you have feelings for me? Would you be my boyfriend? But you should know, if you're my boyfriend, we're not going to do anything beyond holding hands! And if you ever want a kiss, you'll need to get my consent first!"

Shen Yong was utterly at a loss for words!

Lee Xiaona was determined to pierce through the pretense tonight!

Despite Shen Yong's deep-seated fixations, in that instant, his heart was thrown into disarray by Lee Xiaona's candid confession!