C41 The past Is like Smoke
C41 The past Is like Smoke
Jian Yun was having the time of her life. As her vision blurred and brightened all around her, she mewled, rubbing her face against his chest like a little stray kitten. Soon enough, the pale sheets greeted her back, and she snuggled under the warm comforter. He was about to sit up and take off her coat, but she immediately wrapped her arms around his neck. "Please don't leave," she murmured under her breath, pulling him back. Huo Liancheng suddenly fell onto the cushions from the sudden force, and their lips coincidentally brushed against each other.
Just then, the faint taste of orchids and wine greeted his lips. When he looked up, he was met with Jian Yun's glassy eyes, and it was as if the entire world had stopped spinning. Gone were all his thoughts as he gazed up at her, feeling as if his body was being uncharacteristically drawn to the woman on top of him.
However, Jian Yun didn't seem to realize what had happened. Narrowing her eyes, she slowly darted her tongue across her lips, catching the taste of cool menthol. There was something about that soft and cool feeling that made her very comfortable, and it was something that she didn't mind doing again.
Not being able to take any more of her teasing, he reached out and pressed the back of her head, bringing her back to his lips. The two shamelessly made out on the bed that the woman who had just stumbled into the bedroom had gone unnoticed.
From Luo Yanyan's point of view, it was as if Jian Yun was the one initiating the kiss.
Embarrassed, she sprinted out into the room. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and her hands were becoming clammy. Suddenly, Luo Yanyan felt a weird taste running down her throat, and when she glanced at the mirror next to her, she saw that she was clenching the hard surface of her toothbrush so hard that she had already swallowed all the foam. Eyes wide in panic, she rushed back into the bathroom to rinse herself, wishing desperately that the image she had just seen could also be washed out by the flowing tap water.
Inside the room, Huo Liancheng had other plans. He turned around and pressed her under his body, feeling her warm skin brush up against his. The kiss back in the car had him addicted to her taste, and the moment their lips met once again, he wasn't willing to let her go.
For the first time in six years, Jian Yun was drunk. As she found herself sinking in the mattress, she squinted her eyes only to see a shadow of a man on top of her. His dark gaze was the only thing in her mind as she kissed right back, cooperating with him.
Soon enough, everything faded all around him. All he could see was the beautiful figure brushing up against his leg.
Suddenly, Jian Yun wasn't in the bedroom anymore. The cool breeze had been turned into hot humid air as she found herself standing on the roadside. Broken branches and stray leaves lay across the pavements, and she blinked. This was the summer when she had graduated from Senior High, the same summer when she had gotten angry with him. Immediately, her surroundings had changed, and soon enough, she was already transported inside a classroom.
The college entrance examination results were out, and Jian Yun was sitting at the back end of the room, biting the back of her pen. Her score was more than a hundred points above the average mark, and she was known as the top scholar for Humanities in their city. She stared at the blackboard, distracted amidst the loud chatter echoing around her. There were several prestigious schools offering her scholarships every now and then, but her parents still hadn't come to an agreement.
Her father wanted her to study in Beijing, while her mother wanted her to apply for a slot at Qinghu University–her alma mater.
Jian Yun wanted to apply for Qinghu University as well since...
"Babe, have you decided on which university you'll be applying for?" She snapped out of her thoughts and looked up. There, in front of her, stood a handsome boy in his varsity jacket. He leaned against her desk, looking at her expectantly. The strands of his hair fell to his face, blocking his bright eyes, but it seemed to have highlighted his handsomeness even more.
When he spotted two universities in her paper, he frowned, looking disgruntled. "What's so good about Beijing? It's cold and smoggy, and the price of housing is by far the most expensive I've ever seen!" Rolling his eyes, he exasperatedly threw his hands up in the air as if to illustrate his point. "Besides, Qinghu's language department is definitely on par with the one in Beijing."
"When did you become an expert?" A mischievous spark flashed in her eyes, and she smirked. "I still don't want to study at Qinghu!"
"But Beijing is so far away from Qing!" The young man complained, pouting. He looked like a child who had just been told that he couldn't get any more Christmas Presents for the day. "I still have to sit on a high-speed train for three hours just so I could see you. It's not fair!"
Besides the two of them, there were still a few of their classmates gathered together in groups of twos and threes as they discussed their respective picks. When Xu Haiyang had yelled out, most of their classmates glanced in their direction causing her to bow her head in embarrassment. "Lower your voice!" She hissed. "Besides, why would you even ride a train to see me?"
"But babe, you told me that after you take the entrance exams, you'll be my girlfriend!" Xu Haiyang deliberately lowered his voice. A dash of nervousness appeared in his features, as he shifted closer to her.
"I never said that!" Her face turned bright red.
"Fine, you didn't!" Xu Haiyang was unable to shift his gaze from the teen in front of him. She was still seventeen-years-old, yet even then, there was a spout of maturity in her eyes that had drawn him towards her. He reached out for her small hand, slowing his pace. "I've been waiting for you for six years–ever since you just entered high school. Do you really not feel anything for me?"
She pulled back her hand. "There are so many girls who like you. Why should I join them?"
"But I don't like any of them. I like you!" Xu Haiyang twisted his wrist nervously. A part of him was afraid that if Jian Yun was heading to the city, she might fall in love with some other college boy.
Although she was elated, she didn't show it.
Xu Haiyang was a year older than her, and he was also regarded as Boshan's top student. Ever since her first day six years ago, he had already claimed he had feelings for her and had promised that she was the only woman in his life. Jian Yun had been young then–some might even say, inexperienced about these types of things, but that still didn't stop him from pursuing her.
Not only was he handsome and smart, but he also played basketball. From his junior year to senior year, he was also the president of the student council. Almost half of the female student population had declared him as their crush.
In the beginning, Jian Yun didn't like him. In fact, she didn't even want to speak to him. When Xu Haiyang noticed this, he was careful with his movements, nervous that she'd find fault with him and hate him even more.
She actually started liking him back when they were at their spring outing–a trip to the mountain heights that was organized by their school. When she had sprained her ankle, he had patiently carried her all the way back to their cabins. Jian Yun still remembered the smell of raspberries and dew as she laid against his back, moved by his actions.
However, Mrs. Jian had always been strict with her, forbidding her from dating. "You should focus on your studies!" She had snapped whenever her daughter would bring it up, so Jian Yun had told Xu Haiyang to wait till their college entrance exams.
As the years went by, Xu Haiyang was finally admitted to Qinghu University, and Jian Yun was promoted to her third year. He had only taken a break from school to return to Boshan and visit her. In her heart, she had actually wanted to take the Language major under Qing University if ever she was accepted.
"Babe, why don't you just fill out the form?" When Xu Haiyang saw that she didn't make a sound, a part of him thought that it's because she didn't want to come to Qing City with him. His eyebrows had furrowed even more as he leaned against her chair, waiting for her to reply.
Jian Yun giggled. Wanting to tell him that she was trading him, she heard someone call out for her, "Jian Yun, our advisor's looking for you. He wants you to go to his office."
"Don't do anything. I'll be back." After warning him, she left.
However, when Jian Yun had returned from her office and was about to fill in her application form, she discovered that her paper had been tampered with. The university name was already filled out–Qinghu University. The moment she saw the handwriting, her vision had gone red. Xu Haiyang had filled it out for her!
"It's you!" She glared at him, clenching her fists.
"I–Babe! Please don't get angry, I–I was wrong." He hurriedly apologized, not knowing what to do.
Not saying a word, Jian Yun packed up her things and hurried out of the classroom.
She had wanted to attend Qinghu University, that was for sure, and she wasn't angry that he had written the name of the university. What she was angry about was that Xu Haiyang didn't even consult with her, or even tried to convince her otherwise, he simply acted on her behalf for his own selfish reasons. Perhaps she should've known by then that their relationship wasn't meant to be.