Chapter 138: The Potency of This Kiss, This Very Kiss

Tang Yu held a sense of unknown longing for the Imperial Capital.

What kind of place was it?

She had only formed brief, fragmented impressions from the scattered remarks of her classmates and teachers. Only when she actually stepped onto this land, with the dry, scorching air rushing to meet her, did she realize those remarks didn't even account for a ten-thousandth of this city's profound depth.

She leaned against the car window, looking out as the wind tousled the stray hairs by her ears.

It was the season for the Japanese pagoda trees that lined the roads to be in full bloom. The trees were lush with pale yellow and white, their dense branches hung with clusters of dainty blossoms. As a light breeze brushed past, they swayed gently like wind chimes, shedding petals onto the bicycles and cars parked beneath them.

Unlike the faint, woody scent of camphor trees, the fragrance of the pagoda flowers was sweet.

She squinted comfortably, letting the breeze caress her face. Before long, however, the car window was rolled up.

Tang Yu turned to look at him. Bian Yang tapped the side frame with his knuckles. "Don't get too comfortable with the cold air."

"It’s summer already, it’s so hot..."

He leaned back against the seat, his tone brooks no argument. "That doesn't matter."

Tang Yu had no choice but to sit up, pouting. She didn't know the driver, nor did she know the man in the passenger seat. Both men were dressed in formal suits, looking serious and stiff, and their attitude toward Bian Yang was remarkably respectful. Clearly, this had all been arranged by him.

In truth, Tang Yu had secretly searched for "Qi Mingwan" on the internet back home. She had seen the staggering list of credentials: Dean of the Qingbei Medical School, Vice President of the Qingbei Affiliated Hospital, and so on. Below that, a related entry was the name of Bian Cheng, the CEO of the Bian Group.

In that case... Bian Yang’s background was easy to imagine.

Back when they were in school, he had been free with his money, so she had guessed his family was well-off. But she hadn't expected them to be *this* well-off. And he had never mentioned it once.

Bian Yang seemed to notice her gaze and looked at her. Tang Yu immediately averted her eyes, staring straight ahead with a look of feigned obedience.

The car slowed to a halt at the Qingbei residential compound. Tang Yu had already sent her luggage ahead via express delivery.

The buildings here were clustered together in a complex maze, and the ancient, lush trees obscured the building numbers, making it impossible for her to find her place for a long time. Bian Yang wasn't in a hurry; he just followed slowly behind her.

Many professors living there greeted him warmly, asking after his well-being, to which Bian Yang responded one by one. Tang Yu stood a short distance away, waiting for him. Once he rejoined her, she would pretend she hadn't seen anything and continue walking.

"Tang Xiaoyu, is there nothing you want to ask me?" Bian Yang was the one who couldn't hold back anymore.

Tang Yu turned around, looking bewildered. "Ask what?"

Bian Yang scrutinized her expression. Finding none of the reaction he had hoped for, he felt inexplicably stifled. With a look that hovered between a smile and a smirk, he asked, "Don't you think I'm quite famous? Everyone here knows me."

Tang Yu: "...Oh."

She walked forward. The building number directly ahead was the one she had been looking for. She hurried over, found Unit 1, and raised her foot, ready to enter.

Bian Yang reached out from behind and gently caught her wrist. "Are you not curious about me at all?"

Tang Yu thought for a moment, nodded, and then shook her head a moment later.

"What are you playing at? If you're curious, just be curious. If you're not..." He paused, then added fiercely, "No, you have to be curious about me!"

"..."

Tang Yu felt quite helpless. "I just think this is your private business. When you want to tell me, you'll tell me naturally. If you don't want to tell me, you must have your reasons."

She said softly, "I don't want to make things difficult for you."

She wanted every day she spent with Bian Yang to be relaxed and happy, just as he deserved to be.

Bian Yang rubbed his thumb gently against the girl's wrist, though his words remained sharp. "Can't you be a little stricter with me?"

A giant question mark appeared in Tang Yu’s mind.

Bian Yang scoffed. "You don't check my phone, you don't pay attention to my social circle, and you aren't interested in my family." The more he said, the angrier he got, until he finally managed to annoy himself, reaching a conclusion: "Tang Xiaoyu, you only agreed to be with me because you're after my looks, aren't you?"

"..."

Bian Yang had become increasingly unreasonable lately. On the high-speed train, even though she wasn't sleepy and was happily interacting with her seniors on Weibo, he had insisted on holding her head and forcing her to sleep on his shoulder... and now he was saying these inexplicable things.

Tang Yu puffed out her cheeks and nodded perfunctorily. "Fine, if you say so."

Bian Yang pulled her wrist and pinned her against the wall inside the entrance of the unit.

She took a soft breath as the chill of the wall hit her back, but it was quickly blocked by his palm, leaving her back pressed against the boy’s warm hand.

"No." He lowered his gaze, hunching his back to look at her without blinking. "Being after my looks is fine, but you have to be after the person, too."

Tang Yu: "..."

Bian Yang continued awkwardly, "I’m not a bad guy—good looks, good personality, great character, and a great family background. You could say I’m flawless. But if you can point out one, two, or three shortcomings, I’m quite willing to improve along with you."

"..."

Tang Yu was silent for a moment before raising her hand to touch his forehead with the back of her hand. "You don't have a fever."

Why was he spouting nonsense?

"Cut it out!" Bian Yang pushed her hand away and lifted the girl’s chin with his fingertips, forcing her to look him in the eye. "Stop joking around. Everything I said, you better listen to it."

Tang Yu swallowed hard. "Okay..."

She tentatively reached out and slowly wrapped her arms around his waist. He seemed soothed, and the look in his eyes softened.

"Then let me think about what's best to ask."

Beyond the glass door, anyone could see inside at any moment. She lowered her voice, smiling faintly. "After all, my boyfriend has so many secrets, I have to prioritize them, don't I?"

Bian Yang watched her quietly for a while, satisfied with her attitude. He gave a reluctant "hmm" before taking her hand and leading her inside.

The Dean had mailed her the keys in advance. The apartment was on the first floor—three bedrooms with a small garden outside. Tang Yu hadn't expected it to be so large. The decor was brand new, done in an overall beige tone. The living room had a massive floor-to-ceiling window that allowed sunlight to flood the room, and the closets, beds, and kitchenware were all fully equipped.

If it weren't for the white dust covers on the sofa and tables, and the weeds growing in the small garden, Tang Yu would have thought the original owners were still living there.

As she returned to the living room from the garden, she saw Bian Yang standing there, staring blankly at an oil painting on the wall.

It was a painting of a horse-riding scene. The man in the picture wore a black riding outfit, waving a whip as he galloped freely across the grasslands, his profile handsome and rugged. Behind him was a child, about four or five years old, riding a small white pony with a piece of grass in his mouth, swaying slowly along.

"Bian Yang?" she called out to him.

Bian Yang snapped out of his trance and looked down at her. "How is the house? Is it okay?"

"Yes, it’s very good." Her grandparents had trouble walking, so being on the first floor was perfect. Tang Yu looked at him. "What’s wrong?"

Bian Yang shook his head. "Nothing."

"Do you know the people in this painting?"

She looked at the painting as well.

Bian Yang said "hmm" and stopped looking at it. "The one who painted this was the mistress of this house."

She caught a trace of sadness in his tone, but when she looked at him again, Bian Yang had returned to his usual lazy, nonchalant self.

"Grandpa and Grandma have already arrived at the hospital. Should we unpack first, or go to the hospital?"

"Let's go to the hospital first. These things can be unpacked slowly later."

Tang Yu paused. "Besides, I also want to see what your mother's workplace looks like."

Bian Yang was startled. Tang Yu fidgeted with her fingers, feeling a bit awkward. "Actually... after I heard your mother's name from the principal, I tried searching for her online. I didn't expect to actually find Auntie Qi and Uncle Bian."

The entries clearly stated they were husband and wife. She tentatively checked his expression and said in a low voice, "I knew about your background a long time ago, which is why I didn't ask."

Bian Yang chuckled. "So, you weren't uninterested in me after all."

Tang Yu whispered, "If I weren't interested in you, why would I be dating you?"

"I suppose you have good taste." He raised a hand to ruffle her hair, his eyes dimming. "But it's a pity my mother won't be able to meet you."

Hearing this, Tang Yu felt a tightness in her chest, and she couldn't help but hug him.

"Bian Yang, don't be sad."

She said, "Do you know what I was thinking when I saw your mother's profile?"

Tang Yu rubbed against his chest and whispered, "I was thinking that if such a busy and incredible person like your mother could raise you to be this wonderful, imagine how amazing you would be if she were still here and could have stayed with you longer."

"In that case, how could I ever hope to catch up to such a great guy like you..."

The entries about the Bian family online spanned four or five pages, and the industries they were involved in were countless. Any child from such a privileged background would normally live exactly as they pleased.

But Bian Yang was different from them. He had none of Zhou Xunwen's arrogance, none of Meng Shirui's overbearing attitude, and he certainly didn't use power to bully others... He was a good person who had raised himself well. Anyone who met him would surely like him.

The girl's soft voice hit his heart like a July breeze.

The boy buried his face in her neck, his voice sounding raspy. "Tang Xiaoyu, you really know how to comfort people."

Tang Yu shook her head. "I'm not comforting you. A boyfriend who has good looks, a good personality, excellent character, and a perfect family background—who is so flawless that you can't pick a single fault—doesn't need comfort. But he does need a kiss right now."

The girl stood on her tiptoes and gave his cheek a light kiss.

Bian Yang lowered his eyes, staring at her serene little face, his heart turning into a puddle of mush.

What was he to do with her?

She had clearly just finished living through such dark and joyless days herself, yet she still had so much tenderness and patience to pull him out of his bad moods.

He reached out and stroked her cheek. "But one kiss isn't enough."

He bent down, leveling his gaze with hers, his pale, cool fingertips tapping his lips as a faint smile curved his mouth. "Kiss here. The medicine is stronger here."

He had come back to life.

Tang Yu felt both a pang of heartache and amusement. She pursed her lips, her heart softening. There was no one around; surely a quick kiss to make him happy wouldn't hurt...

She closed her eyes and quickly tapped her lips against his.

Just as she lowered her heels and prepared to pull away, the boy’s palm cupped the back of her head, preventing her from retreating and forcing her to deepen the kiss.

Their lips ground together for a long time, their breath tangling in confusion.

She swayed a few times, losing her footing. Bian Yang pressed his forehead against hers, breathing shallowly. The warm breaths were amplified many times over in the silence.

"Who were you trying to brush off with that? From now on, you kiss like this."

His breathing was heavy, and his thumb brushed over her glistening, swollen lips with a bit of force. "Not only do you have to use your lips, you have to use your heart."

It was as if he were teaching her, step by step, how to more easily hold him in her grasp. "Only this counts as a kiss, understand?"

Her cheeks were scorching, visibly flushed, and she seemed to have not yet regained her senses.

He couldn't help but laugh, sounding both roguish and infuriating. "Go on and digest that properly. I'll be checking next time."

*He's actually going to check...*

Tang Yu was stunned, feeling both exasperated and speechless.