Jingxia Rose

Chapter 105: Xiao Guxing Confesses His Love
That food street is near the southeast side entrance. You can walk from the main entrance and take a shortcut; it only takes about ten minutes to get there.

I could have driven there, but it was rush hour and the school anniversary celebrations were ending, so the roads were really congested.

Perhaps because of the school anniversary celebration, there were quite a few people on this food street. The two walked for another six or seven minutes before arriving at the hot pot restaurant that Xiao Guxing had mentioned.

On the second floor.

The environment wasn't as refined as those upscale restaurants, but it was clean.

Most people were browsing downstairs; although there were many people inside, a few tables were empty.

The two successfully took their seats and ordered food.

The dishes were served quickly. Xiao Guxing used the serving chopsticks to swirl a few slices of meat into her sesame sauce bowl. "Try it and see if it's good. I haven't been here for so many years, I don't even know if the owner has changed."

Ji Xuan had never been to this restaurant before, but after eating there, he found the food quite delicious, so he nodded and said, "It's good, very tasty."

If Professor Tan hadn't been so busy today, I should have had dinner with him tonight.

But she simply couldn't find the time, so she had to reschedule for another day.

When the two finished eating and came out of the store, it was just past seven o'clock. It was still early, but the cold wind was much more biting than during the day, and it stung their faces slightly.

"I was stupid. I didn't go to the parking lot once when I came. I had a scarf in my car."

Xiao Guxing sighed.

Ji Xian chuckled, "It's alright, we'll walk back, it's only a ten-minute walk, we'll warm up soon. The temperature dropped even more sharply today than yesterday."

"Yes, the weather forecast says it might snow in the early morning, and the next few days will also see light to moderate snow."

The streets were still bustling. Ji Xuan asked, "When are you going back to Moscow?"

The branch office in Beijing has firmly established itself in the past year or two, and its business has gradually expanded, so Xiao Guxing no longer needs to be there to oversee things.

He spends most of his time in Moscow.

“The project in Moscow hasn’t started yet, so there’s no rush,” Xiao Guxing said helplessly. “Even if I wanted to go now, I couldn’t.”

"what happened?"

“My mother-in-law has almost recovered, and the doctor said she could go home and rest slowly, but she refused to be discharged from the hospital before the Lunar New Year and was being stubborn with me.”

Seeing the questioning look in her eyes, Xiao Guxing said, "She said she knows her own body well, and who knows, one day she might just close her eyes and kick the bucket and be gone."

"At this age, aren't you afraid that this saying is unlucky? You don't avoid it at all."

Xiao Guxing shook his head. "But the old lady retorted that she was practically half-buried in the ground, so why would she care about this? Now she just wants to see him get married, his career is taking off, and he's almost 30. He should be thinking about his wife, kids, and a warm bed. She insisted that I agree to go on a blind date before she would leave the hospital."

Ji Xian raised his eyebrows. "That's a good thing. It's only right that the elderly worry about their children and grandchildren."

She asked curiously, "Did you see her? What was she like? Was she pretty? Which family's daughter was she from?"

Seeing her gossiping so enthusiastically, Xiao Guxing paused, his heart instantly filled with a sudden surge of bitterness.

He pondered for a moment, gave a wry smile, and looked at her, saying, "I told him that I have someone I like, and only then did she agree to be discharged from the hospital and let me take her back to meet him."

Ji Xuan was stunned, his heartbeat suddenly stopped for a moment, and he could feel the burning gaze in his eyes when he said those words. He immediately realized something.

This feeling came suddenly, yet it was overwhelming.

Having known him for so long and worked with him for so long, this is the first time I've felt a sudden sense of bewilderment and surprise.

Even if she wanted to hide it now, it was too late, and an unnatural expression appeared on her face.

I can't even say anything joking anymore.

Perhaps she once had a slight feeling for him, but in the end, it was completely broken by those rumors and gossip.

So much so that it eventually disappeared completely over time.

Xiao Guxing knew she understood, and smiled. "Don't feel pressured. Just think of it as... giving me a chance to show my best." Ji Xian moved her lips, but before she could speak, Xiao Guxing interrupted, "Don't refuse me yet, I'm afraid I'll cry right now."

It also carried a hint of a joke.

He knew it wasn't a good time, but after spending the whole day together, he couldn't hold back any longer.

I want to tell her that I want to be with her and that I want to hold her hand legitimately.

He felt quite useless, because he had liked her since college, but missed out on her because of his indecisiveness.

But now it seems that if you fall behind even slightly, you'll never catch up in your lifetime.

But deep down, she still hoped that she would agree.

Although he felt comfortable around her, he knew that to her, he was just a friend.

In her words and actions, she never revealed intimacy or ambiguity, and when it was necessary to maintain distance, she would never overstep her bounds.

It's like there's a clear and distinct boundary between the two of them, like the Chu River and the Han border.

Ji Xian pursed her lips. Although she was gentle, she was decisive and resolute in her dealings and did not want to give Xiao Guxing any hope.

But she can't speak now.

His subtle hints caught her off guard, and her mind seemed to freeze.

I don't know how to face his sudden declaration of affection.

He hid it so well, for so long. Ji Xian, who has always been thoughtful and sensitive, only now realizes his feelings for her.

This indirectly proves a highly controversial topic online.

Can pure friendship truly exist between men and women?

"Let's go, stop standing here like an idiot in the wind."

Ji Xian made a "hmm" sound and stepped forward.

Upon arriving at the parking lot, the two got into the car. The previous peaceful and natural atmosphere was gone, replaced by awkwardness and solemnity.

Neither of them spoke.

They remained silent all the way to the outside of her residential complex. Ji Xuan took a deep breath, unbuckled her seatbelt, and was about to thank him when Xiao Guxing turned to look at her.

"Ah-Xian, I really hope you can think about this carefully."

Ji Xian was in a state of utter confusion. "You...I...have always considered you a friend..."

“I know,” Xiao Guxing said softly. “So, you can now put aside the filter of friendship and look at me, and also take the opportunity to see if I’m qualified to be your boyfriend.”

Ji Xian licked his slightly dry lips, wanting to say something, but when he met his sincere, expectant, and affectionate eyes, the words that were on the tip of his tongue circled around and he swallowed them back.

Without saying anything, he pushed open the car door and got out.

Once this unspoken understanding is broken, it will be very difficult for the two of them to return to the harmonious and natural atmosphere they had before.

Moreover, she also works for his company.

These jumbled thoughts came from all directions, and all she wanted to do was calm down and clear her head.

As I passed the security room, the security guard on duty that day happened to be the same honest-looking guy. He greeted me with a smile, "Miss Ji, you're back now?"

Ji Xuan gave a faint "hmm" and didn't intend to continue the conversation.

"Your boyfriend came in the evening, thinking you were at home."

Ji Xuan stopped in her tracks after hearing the security guard behind her say that, slowly turned around, and asked in confusion, "Boyfriend?"