Chapter 223: A Cotton Candy Eating Contest
Just as Xie Huaizheng was about to speak, Su Zhaozhao spotted a cotton candy stall nearby. She immediately went over and bought a large fluff of it.
She even specifically told the vendor she’d pay extra for a bigger one.
Soon, a ball of cotton candy bigger than her head was in her hands.
Su Zhaozhao handed it to Xie Huaizheng. "Here, this is for you! Don’t be sad. Or, you can tell me whenever you’re ready. I won’t force you."
Su Zhaozhao thought that Xie Huaizheng didn’t look unwell, which meant something was weighing on his mind.
But he didn’t seem very willing to talk about it.
Even though Su Zhaozhao was dying to know, she figured if he didn’t want to say, he must have his reasons. She wouldn’t push him.
Even the closest people have secrets from each other.
Su Zhaozhao had her own secrets, so she wasn’t going to press Xie Huaizheng for his.
If Xie Huaizheng wanted to talk, he could do it in his own time.
’If he doesn’t want to,’ she thought, ’I’ll just wait for him.’
They were husband and wife, after all. The most important thing between a couple was trust.
Xie Huaizheng let out a sigh of relief when he heard her words, but he also felt a pang of guilt toward her.
’When I’m ready, I’ll tell her.’
’I’ll tell her after we get back to West State.’
He didn’t want to hide it forever. Secrets have a way of getting out.
Besides, things probably weren’t as bad as he imagined.
Xie Huaizheng leaned in toward Su Zhaozhao and took a bite of the cotton candy.
The sweet flavor melted in his mouth, making him instinctively narrow his eyes in pleasure.
It didn’t have much of a complex flavor, but even the simple sweetness tasted exceptionally good to him.
Looking at the giant ball of cotton candy, Su Zhaozhao was suddenly struck by an idea. She pulled Xie Huaizheng into a deserted alley.
Then, holding up the cotton candy, she said, "How about we have a contest to see who can eat more!"
As big as it was, the actual amount of sugar was small; it just looked large because it was so fluffy.
Hearing her words, Xie Huaizheng couldn’t help but laugh. "You can’t beat me."
’Her mouth is so small, and she always chews her food so slowly and deliberately. How could she possibly eat as fast as me?’
"Don’t underestimate me!" Su Zhaozhao said.
In truth, she wasn’t trying to win; she just wanted to cheer him up a little.
’I don’t know what he’s hiding in his heart, but he’s clearly very unhappy.’
"I’ll count down from three, and then the competition starts, okay?"
"Okay." A smile uncontrollably crept onto Xie Huaizheng’s face.
It had been a long time since he’d played such a childish game.
At that moment, they each held one side of the cotton candy.
Xie Huaizheng gazed at the girl’s pretty face hidden behind the cotton candy. Her face seemed even fairer and cuter than the confection.
’And of course,’ he thought, ’far more delicious.’
"Three."
"Two."
"One."
As Su Zhaozhao finished the countdown, she immediately started eating.
Holding back a laugh, Xie Huaizheng joined her, each eating from their side. The contest was on.
Xie Huaizheng was indeed eating fast. Su Zhaozhao felt like she had only taken two or three bites...
...when he was already in front of her.
Then, the man looked into the girl’s wide, surprised eyes, which reflected his own image.
In that instant, his mood became clearer and lighter than ever before.
"Zhaozhao, you can’t beat me."
Then he took the last bite of cotton candy, leaned toward her, and pressed his lips to hers, swallowing the sugary wisps from around her mouth.
As if that wasn’t enough, he deepened the kiss, wanting to taste more.
Of course, only he knew whether he was eating the sugar or the person.
Pinned in the corner by Xie Huaizheng, Su Zhaozhao was enveloped in his crisp, clean scent.
She realized she hadn’t smelled smoke on him for a while now.
In its place was a sharp, cool scent of pine.
It was a scent Su Zhaozhao loved.
And now, because they had just eaten cotton candy, his mouth was filled with a sweet aroma.
Su Zhaozhao grew dizzy from the kiss, pressed into the corner by Xie Huaizheng.
As for Xie Huaizheng, he felt his heart gradually settle as they kissed.
He didn’t let her go for a long time.
Leaning against his chest, Su Zhaozhao gasped for breath, looking up at the man’s calm and utterly satisfied expression.
Su Zhaozhao was genuinely envious of Xie Huaizheng’s stamina.
’If only I had his kind of stamina.’
But Su Zhaozhao knew that without putting in the same amount of exercise as him, she could never have that kind of physical endurance.
Xie Huaizheng worked so hard; she could never match his training regimen in this lifetime.
Afterward, the two of them walked around, did some shopping, and bought quite a few things.
"Since we’ll be staying at your grandparents’ house for a few more days, we should buy them some more things. Otherwise, I’ll feel bad for imposing on them," Xie Huaizheng said.
Hearing this, Su Zhaozhao immediately stared at Xie Huaizheng’s face. Unable to resist, she stood on her tiptoes, reached out, and pinched his cheek.
Xie Huaizheng took a step back, frowning at her. "Zhaozhao, you can’t pinch a man’s face."
He loved pinching Su Zhaozhao’s cheeks. He thought her skin was incredibly soft and smooth, and it felt great to the touch.
But that didn’t mean he liked being pinched himself.
The gesture was too cutesy.
Su Zhaozhao rarely pinched his face, but she had to admit, his skin was tanned to a healthy, masculine wheat color, and it wasn’t rough at all. It felt quite nice.
But that wasn’t her point. With a teasing smile, she looked askance at him. "I was just thinking, aren’t you supposed to be thick-skinned? Logically, you shouldn’t be the type to feel embarrassed, right?"
She still remembered his cold attitude when they first met, how fierce he had been with a girl like her.
Yet now, he was actually feeling embarrassed about staying a few extra days at her grandparents’ house.
Xie Huaizheng’s expression didn’t change. He took her hand and continued to browse through the department store, selecting many items.
"That’s different, of course. I can be shameless with strangers and not care what they think of me. But Zhaozhao, you’re the woman I love. Your family is my family. Naturally, I don’t want them to have a poor opinion of me."
Xie Huaizheng didn’t mention that he wasn’t even this courteous with his own family.
Su Zhaozhao looked at him and couldn’t help but curve her lips into a smile. "I know. But I don’t think you need to be so formal. Really. At this rate, I’m worried my grandparents will be the ones feeling embarrassed."
"Alright." Xie Huaizheng ruffled her hair. They bought a few more things and then headed back.
All these gifts made Li Chunhong fuss for a good while.
"When you’re visiting, just make yourselves at home. Huai Zheng, you don’t need to be so formal!" Li Chunhong sighed.
"Zhaozhao, there are so many things here. Just put them in your room. I can’t use all this. Put them with the things Jia Ming brought last time, and you two can take it all back to West State with you."