Chapter 146: Can I Kiss You?

When Qin Luo opened his eyes, he felt that his room was exceptionally bright today.

After a momentary daze, he performed two consecutive carp leaps to spring up from the bed. Well, there was no other way—the first leap had failed because the mattress was too soft, nearly causing him to roll right off the bed.

He ran barefoot to the balcony and saw that the windows were covered in a misty haze that obscured the view outside. Water droplets slid down the smooth glass surface, leaving behind strange, digital-stream-like symbols.

Swish!

Qin Luo shoved the window open, as if instantly pulling back the curtain on the stage of the entire world.

A world entirely in white!

The whiteness came so suddenly, so dazzlingly, and so overwhelmingly, as if it would blind a person's eyes.

The entire residential compound seemed to have been transformed into a jade-carved, poetic, and picturesque fairy tale world. The houses in the distance, the pavilions and rockeries across the way, the car roofs—looking as far as the eye could see, every single thing in sight was dressed in a dazzling white.

The neighborhood, which usually seemed somewhat dull and quiet, suddenly "came alive." A group of children bundled up tightly like little bears were laughing and playing in the snow, building snowmen, having snowball fights, and enjoying themselves immensely.

Qin Luo had come from the South and rarely had the opportunity to see snow scenery. Seeing other people's joy in the snow, he couldn't help but be infected by it. He wanted to experience the first snow of Beijing's winter up close.

When Qin Luo ran downstairs in his sportswear, Lin Qingyuan was standing in the living room doing stretching and kicking exercises. With the heavy goose-feather snow still falling fiercely outside, going out to the courtyard to exercise was out of the question.

Seeing Qin Luo come downstairs, Lin Qingyuan smiled and said, "It's snowing, why didn't you sleep in a little longer? Lingering in the covers in weather like this is a wonderfully comfortable thing. Look, Huanxi hasn't gotten up yet."

"I couldn't sleep, so I got up to take a look," Qin Luo said with a smile. He had always maintained good daily habits and would wake up punctually at six o'clock every morning.

"Oh, right. You're a southerner, so you probably haven't had the chance to see snow, have you? Beijing gets several snowfalls every year, and you get used to seeing them. This year's first snow has come earlier than in previous years, and it's heavier too. A timely snow promises a good harvest; it's a joyful sight," Lin Qingyuan said cheerfully. As an old Beijinger, he naturally felt proud of every blade of grass and tree in his hometown.

"I have seen snow before, just not this heavy," Qin Luo said with a smile. In the past, when his grandfather took him everywhere in search of famous doctors, he had also seen snow in the northern lands. Only back then, the snow was very light, like crushed plastic foam. Moreover, after so many years, he had almost forgotten what the snow scenery looked like back then.

Lin Qingyuan nodded. Seeing that Qin Luo was still wearing a thin set of athletic wear, he said, "The weather is turning cold. You should add a few layers of clothes. Do you have classes today? Let Huanxi take you out to buy some padded winter clothes. Beijing isn't like your Guangzhou; you simply can't survive without padded winter wear. And shouldn't you be changing out of that robe of yours?"

Qin Luo smiled and said, "I'll stick to the padded robe. The old master has rules."

"Rules? What rules? In weather this cold, not wearing padded clothes will freeze a person to death. Pay no attention to that nonsense rule. If your grandfather blames you, I'll talk to him myself," Lin Qingyuan said, glaring as if Qin Luo were his own biological grandson, caring about his health even more than Qin Luo's grandfather did.

Qin Luo shook his head and said, "Grandpa Lin, I will take off the long robe. It's just not the time yet."

"Then when will it be time?" Lin Qingyuan asked.

"When the people of China learn to wear long robes again," Qin Luo replied. "When that time comes, I'll switch to wearing suits."

Lin Qingyuan's expression stiffened, followed by a look of deep thought. After a long while, the expression on his face slowly softened. He heavily patted Qin Luo's shoulder and said, "Good. Well said. Elder Qin has a fine grandson."

Lin Huanxi got up slightly later than usual, not emerging until breakfast time. It seemed that regardless of the type of beauty, all of them shared the habit of lingering in bed.

She was wearing a thick, fleece-lined white tracksuit, with her long hair draped over her shoulders and fluffy slippers that completely enveloped her feet, giving her the casual, approachable vibe of a domestic lady of the house.

After breakfast, as Qin Luo prepared to go upstairs to change his clothes, Lin Huanxi quickened her pace and caught up with him.

"It's cold out. When I was out shopping yesterday, I bought two sets of clothes for you. Come and get them," Lin Huanxi said. She still spoke with a completely expressionless face, and even though Qin Luo tried hard to find the slightest trace of emotion on her face, he ultimately failed.

"Thank you," Qin Luo said gratefully. Things he had only just thought of, Lin Huanxi had already done for him. This proved that this woman was still very attentive. More importantly, she kept him in her heart.

No matter how carefree a woman might be, if she fell in love with a man, she would become meticulous in every detail.

Lin Huanxi led the way, with Qin Luo following closely behind to get the clothes from her room.

Lin Huanxi had narrow shoulders, a slender waist, and full hips. Even viewed from behind, she was still remarkably sexy and charming.

"Broad-chested and round-bottomed, a girl who grows up fetches a pretty penny." Without a doubt, Lin Huanxi belonged to the kind of woman who could "fetch a pretty penny."

Entering Lin Huanxi's room, she took out two wooden boxes. They were specially designed to hold long robes, which made Qin Luo look at Lin Huanxi with a renewed sense of respect.

She hadn't bought him a down jacket; instead, she had bought him a padded cotton robe.

Clearly, she understood that he would not easily change his style of dress.

Lin Huanxi unlocked the clasps of the case, took out a pitch-black padded robe from inside, and said, "Try it on and see if it fits."

Qin Luo took the garment and prepared to turn around and leave.

"Try it here. There's a mirror," Lin Huanxi said.

Try it here? Wouldn't that mean undressing in front of Lin Huanxi?

Well. Since she didn't care, he couldn't act petty either. You look at me, I look at you, courtesy demands reciprocity after all.

Qin Luo quickly stripped off his athletic wear and draped the long robe over himself.

Lin Huanxi stepped forward, meticulously fastening the cloth frogs on the robe for him.

Hair brushed lightly past; the fragrance was rich. The face close at hand possessed a heart-stopping allure.

As she did this, Lin Huanxi's expression was so focused, so earnest. On her flawless face, there rarely appeared a trace of feminine tenderness—and affection.

Qin Luo's heart was touched by this scene, much like the images that flashed through his mind when painting eyebrows.

Holding the eyebrow brush himself, gazing with deep affection at this woman who looked as though she had stepped out of a painting. Although the roles were reversed now, it still easily struck a chord in Qin Luo's heartstrings.

Traditional Chinese medicine was also an art. People who practiced art were always very sentimental and emotional. Qin Luo was a typical example.

Therefore, at this moment, Qin Luo desperately wanted to hold this woman tightly in his arms. Tightly, wishing he could squeeze her body into his own, or rather, squeeze a part of his body into hers.

How could people who loved each other deeply not want to become one? You in me, and I in you.

"Can I ask you a question?" Qin Luo said softly.

"What is it?" Lin Huanxi replied, still immersed in her task. The cloth frogs on this robe were simply too numerous.

"Can I..." Qin Luo's face flushed crimson. "Kiss you?"

Heaven knows how difficult it was for Qin Luo to ask such a question.

On the morning of Beijing's first snowfall of the year, a young virgin's very first confession of his life was born just like that.

Lin Huanxi's fingers paused, and the cloth frog she was currently fastening slipped from her hand.

In the end, she didn't raise her head to look at Qin Luo, merely picking up the cloth frog again and carefully tucking it into the button loop.

Qin Luo was dumbfounded.

Was this a yes? Or a refusal?

Even if you don't agree, at least say something, will you?

"If you don't speak, I'll take your silence as consent," Qin Luo said.

Then, Qin Luo pulled Lin Huanxi into a tight embrace around her waist. He lowered his head and kissed her moist, warm lips.

One second, two seconds, three seconds——

He even forgot about the absurd thing he had just said about "just a kiss."

**************************************

Rolls-Royce cars were known as moving castles, and this description was not exaggerated in the slightest.

Inside this specially customized Rolls-Royce limousine, Wenren Muyue sat near the window, silently admiring the snow scenery outside and the bustling masses walking through it.

Some of them wore joyful expressions, others looked sad, and most people were expressionless, hurrying along their way.

Some sat by the roadside drinking freshly prepared, steaming hot spicy soup, others held boiled ears of corn and ate with relish, while others pushed carts filled with pastries and called out to sell them. Young couples walked briskly down the street with cheerful steps, the girl squatting coquettishly on the ground, letting the boy drag her along as she slid across the snow—

This kind of life of simple, worldly joys was far, far away from her.

"What road is this?" Wenren Muyue suddenly asked.

Ma Yue, who knew her young mistress's temperament inside and out, showed not the slightest hint of surprise, as if she was always prepared to answer questions at any moment.

"This is Xuefu Road. Because there are schools all along this street, there is an exceptional amount of food sold here. The government doesn't regulate this area too strictly either," Ma Yue replied.

"---Is the Medical University around here?" Wenren Muyue asked.

"Yes. It's not far ahead," Ma Yue answered truthfully. A bad feeling welled up in her heart.

"Then----stop the car ahead," Wenren Muyue said.

"Miss, you still have a meeting to attend this morning."

"If I don't go, nothing will go wrong. Right?" Wenren Muyue's gaze remained longingly fixed out the window, not even turning her head to look at her female assistant.

"Yes," Ma Yue replied. Once an enterprise entered a stable track, the actual work required of the top executive would decrease correspondingly. She only needed to provide a general direction and set goals, and naturally, people would resolve the specific issues.

If everything was left to the boss, what did the boss hire so many employees for?

"Then do as I say," Wenren Muyue said stubbornly.