Muchuan and Xiang Wan - Chapter 174
Chapter 174: Handing Out Sweets
The journey was not that long, but Xiang Wan seemed to have slept for a long time.
In actual fact, although she did not have a heavy workload, her work was mentally demanding and draining. She had been persevering as well, and now that she dozed off, she would need more time before she could wake up.
When the car stopped, Tang Yuanchu turned back with an awkward look. “Captain Bai, I’ll go up first.”
Bai Muchuan lowered his head and took a look at Xiang Wan. “Alright.”
Pushing the door open, Tang Yuanchu, who had been fed with a lot of dog food, quickly left as though he was fleeing.
The two of them stayed inside the car quietly.
Bai Muchuan set his phone to silent mode and placed it at a spot within his sight. Later on, he did not move anymore even though his arm felt numb.
About a few minutes later, Tang Yuanchu called up.
Bai Muchuan picked up the call in a soft tone, “Hello.”
“Captain Bai,” said Tang Yuanchu, “Ma Suying has just finished inhaling some oxygen and is sleeping now. The doctor said she’s not in a good condition and sleeping is the best way to get well. It would be best to let her sleep in peace. I’ll be waiting here. You both can take your time to come up.”
Well, he was really considerate.
Bai Muchuan pursed his lips. “Are her family members there?”
Tang Yuanchu: “Her sister’s here.”
Bai Muchuan gave Tang Yuanchu some instructions and hung up the phone. He hugged Xiang Wan and closed his eyes.
…
There was a slight opening in the window where the cool breeze could enter, and when it brushed on their faces, it felt a little ticklish. It felt neither hot nor cold, which was very comfortable.
Xiang Wan had a good sleep. When she woke up, she felt numb and sore. There was something hard on her head, and she felt a little uncomfortable…
She was shocked. She opened her eyes, blinked and looked up slowly.
She saw Bai Muchuan’s well-defined chin, closed eyes, and his slightly furrowed brows… He was sleeping and was hugging her; he used his body as a safe and warm mattress for her and held her by the waist. His grip was firm—he had exquisite looking features and an innocent look…
Xiang Wan’s heart skipped a beat…
She looked at him quietly and did not move as well.
She was afraid of waking him up as she knew he was a light sleeper.
Time seeped away slowly like the sand in the hourglass…
It was quiet, secure, and peaceful.
In the carpark, there would be people passing by occasionally and would sneak a peek at times.
Xiang Wan knew that the people outside could not see them at all. But the feeling of depending and comforting each other sort of publicly was unsettling for her…
It was a small step in their behavior, but a major step emotionally.
She and Bai Muchuan was napping closely together—in a car. That was something she had never experienced before.
It felt like… in just an instant, they seemed to have reached eternity.
As she thought about all these, her mind started to get entangled in a hemp and started to feel that his body temperature seemed to have increased and still going up… Her spine felt numb and couldn’t help giving a shudder.
“You’re cold?” Bai Muchuan’s sudden words made Xiang Wan startled.
“You’re awake?” Xiang Wan noticed his gaze and looked up at him. Her gaze fell into his whirlpool-like eyes, and she suddenly felt a little awkward. “I thought you’re asleep…”
“Is that why you stare at me without qualms?” The corners of Bai Muchuan’s lips curved in a rather arrogant manner.
Xiang Wan struggled to sit up straight and pretended to be calm. “What are you babbling about? Hmph! How can someone who’s snoring in his sleep know that I’m looking at him?”
“I don’t snore when I sleep.” Bai Muchuan moved his arm that was sore and numb. “Tsk… My arm’s going to get crippled and you don’t even show your gratitude toward me. How could you?”
“…”
He flicked his arm again and again. The action was not exaggerated by itself, but Xiang Wan knew he was putting on a show.
With that, she pulled his arm over and rubbed it with her might. “I’m so moved!”
“Ah!” The sore and numb arm got “tortured” by Xiang Wan where Bai Muchuan gave her a glare. “You’re little heartless thing, you return kindness with ingratitude.”
“I’m just helping you…”
“Alright, you’re a good person. Come, I’ll give you a kiss to show my sincerity.” Bai Muchuan got nearer and showed a warm smile that in just a second, it made Xiang Wan fell into a world of flowers, colorful and bright…
Xiang Wan stared at his handsome face, dazed and unable to say a word for a long time.
The two of them just stared at each other quietly, like a scene from those sweet idol dramas where both male and female leads gazed into each other’s eyes for a long time. Xiang Wan suddenly put her hands around Bai Muchuan’s neck, pulled him to her, and kissed him on the cheek…
“Smack!”
That was sure a loud kiss.
The atmosphere felt light-hearted.
And their moods seemed to brighten up.
“Hur!” Detective Bai seemed to be very pleased. He took his mobile phone for a look, then looked at the weather outside the window. “Let’s go out for a walk?”
After sleeping for so long, both of them were now energized.
Xiang Wan nodded her head and suddenly thought of their online celebrity Detective Tang.
“Where’s Tang Yuanchu?” she asked.
“He’s at the hospital.” Bai Muchuan only gave a simple explanation. “There’s nothing to do even if we go up now. Let’s walk around the area.”
“Okay!” Xiang Wan felt elated inside. Somehow, she was glad with this arrangement.
They had known each other for months, but their lives seemed to only revolve around one thing—handling cases.
Their time was completely occupied by their work. Even if they were talking to each other, they would be talking about those complicated cases most of the time.
They had too little private time that their current state was totally unlike those young couples in love at all…
When Bai Muchuan got down from the car, he opened the door for her and held out his hand like a gentleman. Xiang Wan was filled with happiness. At that moment, she behaved like a young girl who fell in love for the first time. Her heart was beating so furiously as though it was about to jump out of her chest.
They left the car park holding hands.
Xiang Wan was not used to such intimacy.
“What are you thinking about?” Bai Muchuan looked over teasingly. “Focus!”
“Eh?” Xiang Wan laughed at his remark. “Focus on what?”
“Focus on holding hands!” Bai Muchuan said calmly, “You didn’t notice my palms are clammy?”
“…” He’s right.
If he had not told her, she really wouldn’t notice that. Xiang Wan was puzzled. “You’re feeling hot?”
“Yeah.” Bai Muchuan lifted his head and looked around their surroundings. When he saw there was no one in sight, he pulled her to him and put a hand round her waist. “It’s already October,” he cleared his throat and said as a matter-of-factly, “why is the weather still so hot?!”
Pffft! Xiang Wan laughed. “Young man, are you’re having a fever?”
Bai Muchuan squeezed her waist and chuckled. “Young lady, since you know about it, do you have any way to help me?”
“Of course!” Xiang Wan looked toward the busy commercial streets ahead without hesitation. “Let’s get some ice-cream?”
“You want to eat?” Bai Muchuan felt amused.
“Yes,” Xiang Wan answered honestly.
Actually, she seldom ate cold food from young. At first, it was because her mom disallowed her from eating that—she said that girls should eat less cold food as it was bad for their health and could have difficulties having children later on in life… Gradually, it had become a habit, and she hardly ate anything that was cold.
Nevertheless, she really liked the idea of eating ice-cream together with her boyfriend.
Such scenes would often appear in those idol dramas:
A long street where people come and go.
There were lively children running and playing about, playing with bubbles along the street. Under the bright sunlight, the colorful rainbow-like bubbles danced about in the air…
She held her boyfriend’s hand to buy ice-cream, enjoying the sweetness of life and love.
Nothing could be more romantic than this…
“Vanilla, macadamia, blueberry, chocolate… What flavor do you want?”
Bai Muchuan’s question brought Xiang Wan out of her fantasy. “Ah?” Her cheeks were as red as cherry blossoms.
“Urgh, I’m fine with all of them…”
“Which flavor do you usually eat?” Bai Muchuan looked at her from the corner of his eye.
“I…” Xiang Wan bit her lower lip as she admitted in embarrassment. “I’ve never eaten any of these flavors…”
Bai Muchuan’s eyes turned darker.
He said to the retail assistant, “I’ll have a cup of each flavor. Pack them up nicely.”
“…”
The retail assistant’s expression betrayed her inner thoughts.
It felt like a mixture of feelings: envy, admiration, joy and a strong feeling of scrutiny.
Xiang Wan felt burned by her glance, as though she was a kept woman of a wealthy young master…
“No need. Just one cup of any flavor will do…”
“Shut up!” Bai Muchuan glanced at her earnestly. “You’ve never eaten them before. If you want, I can let you have them all.”
“… Bai Muchuan.” Xiang Wan was bashful and moved at the same time. At one moment, she felt like an idiot as she was unable to rebuke him. She could only pull his hand. “It’s expensive.”
Haagen-Dazs ice cream was really expensive.
But why would Young Master Bai bother about the price? Under his girlfriend’s worried and nervous expression, he was enjoying the satisfaction of being a man.
“Silly girl!” He held her hand to assure her and felt her cold fingertips. He took a deep look at her but did not say anything. When both of them walked out of the ice-cream store with a pile of ice cream, he laughed lazily. “If my girlfriend is worried about the price of the ice-cream when she wants to eat them, then I, Bai Muchuan, is a failure!”
“…” The sweet, cold ice cream seemed to spread throughout her limbs. Xiang Wan felt that she had never tasted such sweetness in her life.
“Is it nice?” Bai Muchuan looked at her dotingly as if he was looking at a little girl who got her wish came true.
“It’s so nice!” Xiang Wan nodded her head honestly, blinked and licked her lips. She took another bite longingly and puffed a light sigh. “Besides being too expensive… there’s nothing to complain about.”
“…”
Bai Muchuan was unsure whether to laugh or to cry.
Seeing how she had said it in a serious manner, he calmed down and had a serious expression as well.
“In this world, if money can buy you happiness, that’s considered lucky… Do you understand that, Little Xiang Wan?”
He touched the tip of her nose.
“…” That felt itchy and Xiang Wan couldn’t resist letting out a laughter.
“Yes, Young Master Bai!” She pointed at the tall buildings along the street. “I actually took a liking to an apartment over there,” she said jokingly, “why don’t you get me one as well?”
“Sure!” Bai Muchuan had a half-smile, his eyes were curved and incredibly bright. “When we’re free, we can go pick out a suite.”
“…” What the?!
So the sentence that she just said was not a fallacy?
These rich, young eligible men were easy to deceive, naive, silly, and adorable? They would just gift a woman an apartment just like this?
Cough! Cough! Xiang Wan almost got choked by the ice-cream and stared at him with her eyes wide-opened.
“Are you serious? How can you just give a woman an apartment like this? You’re not afraid your parents will kill you when they found out about it?”
Subconsciously, she had thought no matter how wealthy Bai Muchuan was, the money must have been from his parents. She had based on a few points to come to that conclusion. Firstly, although he lived comfortably with his current pay, that sum would not be too high for him to be able to afford an apartment in the commercial area. Secondly, his age was still too young to be able to amass a fortune for him to spend money like that. If he did not depend on his parents, how would he be able to offer to give an apartment for a woman? Furthermore, that whole lot of expensive ice-cream, for any other ordinary guy, he would most probably be still considering to get a cup for every flavor…
Bai Muchuan, however, saw her skepticism and gave a sneer.
It was really very cold and chilly. That tone was so cold as though an ice cone pierced into her heart.
“What kind of person did you think I am? Hm?”
“…” Xiang Wan was awkward. “I’m just joking.”
“Just be rest assured, I can feed my own woman.” Bai Muchuan grunted a laugh as if he had forgiven her for the joke earlier. He pulled her over intimately and walked slowly with her. “You don’t need to have any pressure spending my money. Every cent is earned by myself using legitimate means.”
“…”
“That mansion in Jin City, the one you’ve stayed before, I bought it with my own money.”
“…”
“Once you’ve thought things through, we’ll move back to the mansion.”
“…”
Xiang Wan’s ears felt a little warm.
His words really sounded attractive, yet at the same time, they made her felt guilty.
After all, they just started out dating and had not reached such a state. She was worried that if they took things too fast, they might trip…
In addition, she was very curious—after all, Bai Muchuan was only two years older than her—how did he earn so much money by himself?
…
