Chapter 141: Chapter 122: It’s Fondness

The pink electric scooter was parked in front of the “Youu Come to Play” arcade.

It was now past eleven at night, and there were hardly any people outside the campus, with most of the shops already closed for the day. “Youu Come to Play” was no exception.

The normal business hours for this claw machine arcade were until 10 pm, but in the last few days, because business had been too good, they had often been closing at half-past ten.

Right now, not only was the glass door of the shop shut, but the outermost roller shutter was also pulled down, sealing everything tightly.

Shen Qingning sat on her scooter, surely having heard what Cheng Zhu had said.

She, already slightly tipsy, found it hard to think straight.

He saw me without closing his eyes when he had just parked the car!?

Hmm, she had overestimated Cheng Zhu’s limit; he knew all along that she hadn’t closed her eyes and would occasionally check on her vacant, daydreaming expression in the rearview mirror.

He thought she was quite cute.

But the funny thing about people is that they are strange.

When Cheng Zhu called her out blatantly, her first reaction was not to open her eyes but to close them even tighter!

That’s right, the kind of forceful eye closing that wrinkles the corners of the eyes and furrows the brows.

It was clear she was somewhat at a loss.

This made the hands wrapped around Cheng Zhu’s waist squeeze even harder.

Cheng Zhu couldn’t help but let out a laugh, the kind that’s heavy on the nose as if the nose was laughing along.

—Teasing her was indeed so much fun!

Shen Qingning, listening to his laughter, felt an inexplicable burst of anger.

Just when she was about to give up and throw a tantrum, Cheng Zhu gently patted the back of her hand, pretending as if nothing had happened, and said, “Wake up, we’re here, wake up.”

He was even going along with the act!

That would make Shen Qingning opening her eyes at this moment a bit awkward. But not opening them, pretending to continue sleeping, would be even more embarrassing!

Cheng Zhu wasn’t handing her a way out at all, he was just too addicted to playing.

Like a cool girl seated aloft in the clouds.

He was determined to pull her down today!

Outside “Youu Come to Play,” he finally called it quits and asked, “When did you wake up, just now?”

He provided her with the lightest option after calling her out.

“Yeah, just woke up… right when you parked… woke up,” Shen Qingning slowly opened her eyes and lied in a faint voice.

She had originally wanted to stubbornly claim she was feigning sleep so he wouldn’t misunderstand, but in the end, she never voiced the excuse she made up.

“Get off the bike, we’re here,” said Cheng Zhu.

She let go of Cheng Zhu’s hands, and he distinctly felt the warmth and softness from his back disappear.

“Don’t say though, after she’s had a drink, her body feels strangely hot!” he inwardly commented.

And it seemed like it had quite a bounce…

Shen Qingning slowly got off the bike, looking around in surprise, not expecting Cheng Zhu to bring her here.

After parking the bike, Cheng Zhu gave her a look.

Her cheeks were flushed with a drunkard’s rouge, spreading across her fair skin. Her eyes held a touch of drunken haze, and her hair, tousled by the wind, was slightly disheveled.

The dim streetlight shone on her, casting a surreal beauty.

Once a person starts looking good, it seems as if the night and the streetlights become very understanding.

After a glance, Cheng Zhu then squatted down and started unlocking the shutter with his keys, followed by the glass door.

After turning on all the lights in the shop, Cheng Zhu stood by the door and waved at her, “Hurry in, quick.”

Shen Qingning walked quickly into the shop, puzzled, then saw Cheng Zhu sticking his head out and looking around.

Ensuring nobody was around, he, like a hostess of a questionable establishment, expertly pulled down all of the shutters, completely cutting off from the outside world.

Besides, the shop had neon lights, adding a touch of enchantment with their varied colors.

A young man and a young woman, alone together in one room.

Well, it’s a completely closed space now, and in some sense…a “secret room,” perhaps?

“What are you doing, pulling down the shutter?” Shen Qingning sobered up halfway on the spot.

“Classmate, you wouldn’t want people to know about us being alone in the shop, right?” Cheng Zhu started playing with words.

Too bad this gag wasn’t popular back in 2014.

Shen Qingning and Cheng Zhu were already subject to romantic rumors, and now it was nearly midnight; of course, she didn’t want people to know.

But that’s enough to close the shop!?

Cheng Zhu ignored her and walked over to the coin exchange machine, using his BOSS card to take out coins.

Shen Qingning watched his every move, slightly baffled.

She thought Cheng Zhu had come all this way because there was something in the shop he had to deal with, but instead, he started getting coins as soon as he walked in.

She wasn’t in the mood for grabbing plush toys at the moment.

Little did she know that after getting the Game Coins, Cheng Zhu brought her to two dance machines.

“Last time we went to the arcade, remember? The time when my little sister Little Youzi was there too,” Cheng Zhu suddenly began to recount the past.

“That day, your brother told me that you used to love playing the dance machine when you were younger, the kind that you played crazily, but you stopped as you got a little older.”

“Jiang Wanzhou also mentioned that he kind of remembered,” he said, turning his head towards Shen Qingning.

He had silently noted this at the time.

“They’re making stuff up,” she internally scolded the two. It was inappropriate to casually talk about childhood stories.

To get back at Shen Minglang, she even retorted, “That’s because I’ve been dancing since I was little. Sometimes my mom would take us to play, and he always had more fun than I did despite having no dance training. He danced hilariously.”

But she was also surprised that Cheng Zhu remembered these details.

“Oh, is that so,” Cheng Zhu’s response was dismissive.

He couldn’t care less about how his uncle danced.

He then started to insert coins into one of the dance machines.

“Wanna play?” he asked.

“No.”

“There you go, what’s so shameful about dancing?”

“Then you do one first.”

“No need for that, let’s just both go.” He began to insert coins into both machines at once.

“Which one should we dance to? I only know ‘Happy Worship.’ ” He didn’t even ask her if she wanted to dance, just started choosing songs for both dance machines.

“I can’t dance.”

“Should I change the song then?”

“No, I mean…”

“Oh, so ‘Happy Worship’ it is.”

Shen Qingning: “…”

Do my family members understand? I just drank a little bit of alcohol, and I have to endure this torture?

I’m really not a child anymore; I’m not interested at all.

But when the music started, when Cheng Zhu stepped onto the right-side dance machine, it was like something in her DNA moved.

Sometimes music has a magical power, just like when you hear some background music from “The Legend of Sword and Fairy,” no offense, but I feel like I’m already flying on a sword.

Cheng Zhu didn’t bother with her, just started hopping around on the right-side machine all by himself.

How did he dance, you ask…

—No technique, all passion!

If this was a nightclub, Cheng Zhu would be great at raving, wrapping his arms around girls’ slim waists and perky butts, dancing wildly and looking quite dashing.

Damn it, let the Moutai-drinking, nightclub-loving Wang Jia’er come and challenge me!

But when it comes to dance machines, he’d only played them a few times during the era when non-mainstream culture was all the rage.

“[Those who have forgotten their names follow me, now let’s worship happiness!]” The music echoed in the closed space.

“[Put down your burdens and follow me, spread the word and establish an era of happiness!]”

Wow! The lyrics are quite fitting!

“It’s mocking you, carrying such a heavy burden!” Cheng Zhu pulled her up with a yank.

Where did this naughty sister come from? First, you tell me to dance, I damn well dance and then you won’t.

Drinking so much and still so uptight! Really precious!

He had seen many women acting so prim and proper on normal days, but after a bit of alcohol, they’d go wild.

Damn tsundere indeed lives up to the name.

“What’s wrong with dancing? See how Zhang Qiqi danced in front of hundreds during the military training,” Cheng Zhu said.

“That’s her!” Shen Qingning inexplicably glared at him, but without moving her upper body, she began stepping on the arrows of the dance pad with her long, straight legs.

Just that was enough to bewilder an ordinary person watching her hips and legs move!

Who could resist the dance of a leggy beauty?

“You’re just going to move your legs, huh? Believe it or not, I’ll make you dance ‘Nirvana’ next?” Cheng Zhu inwardly complained.

But he didn’t want to dance “Nirvana” himself…

As they danced, Shen Qingning actually started to get into it.

“Shen Qingning, you must be crazy tonight,” she cursed herself inwardly, thinking it must be the alcohol that made her a bit reckless.

When the song ended, Cheng Zhu asked, “Another one?”

“No more,” Shen Qingning said, breathing slightly hard, waving her hand.

She was actually getting into it.

Since she got on the electric bike, she had been venting the day’s frustrations, and just now, through “Happy Worship,” she was still venting.

She could feel Cheng Zhu’s comforting intentions and also feel her own…indulgence?

Once she started, she wouldn’t mind going for a second or third song.

But her body wouldn’t allow it; after drinking and then being exposed to the wind and dancing, she felt somewhat in a daze.

“I’m feeling very dizzy,” said Shen Qingning, frowning, not in good shape.

“How about some other day?” Cheng Zhu still laughed nearby, not the least bit distressed.

It’s not like he poured the drinks down her throat.

Shen Qingning ignored him.

“Let’s go then, I’ll open the door; you just wait, okay!”

Cheng Zhu had Shen Qingning use her phone to turn on the flashlight first, then he turned off the power in “Youu Come to Play,” pulled up the shutter, and inspected the surroundings outside. The two seemed as if they were having a secret affair, acting all furtive, like thieves with guilty consciences.

Seeing nobody around, he waved to Shen Qingning, then locked up the shop door, and sat on the little electric scooter, signaling her to get on too.

Then the pink electric scooter left the campus street swiftly.

Shen Qingning sat on the bike, maintaining a certain distance from Cheng Zhu, just like she did when they had first left the bar, only lightly holding on to the corner of his shirt, secretly observing him.

She saw Cheng Zhu looking around like a thief, observing the nearby conditions, and suddenly said, “You seem to be really afraid of spreading rumors with me?”

“You’re too popular in school; it wouldn’t be good for people to think you like me. Some might even be afraid to date me,” Cheng Zhu began to spin a tale as if he were the one deeply troubled.

Shen Qingning pursed her lips, biting her lower lip lightly with her upper teeth, several times wanting to respond but then stopping herself, and eventually, she lowered her head slightly and said nothing.

The ride was silent, and Cheng Zhu, who already knew her home address, followed the phone’s navigation prompts.

After about two or three minutes, he said, “Why aren’t you saying anything, are you feeling unwell again?”

“Um, I’m still a bit dizzy,” Shen Qingning replied.

“Then close your eyes for a bit.” It felt like history was repeating.

But this time, Shen Qingning seemed to truly fall asleep and did so quickly.

Naturally, as happened before, the two of them ended up close together.

The night breeze brushed by, and her eyes were closed.

The moon was beautiful that night, and the wind was gentle.

Shen Qingning’s shared apartment with Lin Lu was only a six-minute electric scooter ride from the school.

Cheng Zhu arrived downstairs after a short while.

So, it only took about three to four minutes from when Shen Qingning closed her eyes until they reached the destination.

He didn’t immediately wake Shen Qingning, just let her lie there on him.

Below the dim streetlight, the shadows of the scooter and the two stretched out.

After about a minute or so, he suddenly felt someone tugging fiercely on the corner of his clothing and then clutching it tightly, maintaining this pulling gesture.

This tsundere girl seemed to still linger on the previous stage of their conversation. Her face pressed against Cheng Zhu’s back, fingers clutching his shirt, half-open eyes looking toward the shadows of the two and the scooter on the ground, she said:

“Cheng Zhu, I… I don’t like you.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com