Chapter 686 A Light Bulb’s Self-Awareness
She, a young lady, was already striving to improve herself as she was afraid that others would gossip that she was incompatible with Brother Zhai if they were to get married in the future. She was fearful that others would say that she was with Brother Zhai for his family background.
As a man, one would certainly have the same and stronger thoughts about it.
Qiao Nan was now more curious about whether Zhai Sheng and the Zhai family were aware that Zhai Hua was in a relationship, and who her partner was.
“Same. I don’t understand what Sister Zhai Hua is trying to do as well.” Shi Qing shook her head badly. The situation of Sister Zhai Hua’s partner was not better than that of Qiao Nan. In fact, it was worse.
Qiao Nan was, after all, a student with outstanding grades. She had a bright future with various possibilities ahead of her. However, that boyfriend of Sister Zhai Hua was only an ordinary soldier in the army. He was not even a platoon leader. His personal qualities were also very different from Sister Zhai Hua’s.
If Brother Zhai could not even be together with Qiao Nan, then Sister Zhai Hua and that soldier could forget about their relationship.
“Right, do you intend to tell your dad about the school rewarding you with a house?”
“No, I don’t really feel like telling him,” Qiao Nan sighed and said selfishly.
“Afraid that Uncle Qiao can’t keep the secret?”
“Yes, actually, it’s not just my dad. Qiao Zijin and my mom too. My dad is too honest in front of them and the two of them are too scheming in front of him. It may add on to my dad’s woes if I tell him.” Qiao Zijin understood each of her family members very well. Everyone had a problem and she could not entirely blame this on her father.
“If you don’t tell Uncle Qiao, will you be able to settle the title deed?” This was an issue too.
“Not difficult.” Toward this, Qiao Nan was confident. “My identity card is with me. If I request for the family register, my dad will definitely hand it to me. Even if I don’t tell him, I’ll be able to find it.”
Previously, when they moved out of the quad, her father had taken the family register with him.
“Then, do you intend to take it yourself?”
“No, I’ll ask my dad,” Qiao Nan said after some consideration. “It’s better that way.”
“Alright.” Shi Qing nodded. If they were to tell Uncle Qiao about this matter, they were afraid that Uncle Qiao would feel burdened and eventually be cajoled by others and let the cat out of the bag. This would create more trouble for Qiao Nan. If she did not say a word about it, Qiao Nan would feel uneasy as well.
Hence, Qiao Nan would directly ask Uncle Qiao for the family register and give him some hints. As to how much Uncle Qiao could make out of it, that would be up to him.
Everyone belonged to the same family, yet they had to consider to this extent when doing things. Shi Qing felt disheartened thinking about it.
Nevertheless, at the thought of her own family situation, Shi Qing felt that her Shi family was not any better than the Qiao family.
When Qiao Nan and Shi Qing arrived home, they saw a man standing as straight as a poplar tree and as tall and sturdy as a pine tree at the entrance. He exuded a strict and formal aura in that camouflaged soldier uniform of
his.
“Brother Zhai?” At the sight of Brother Zhai, Qiao Nan was pleasantly surprised.
“Where did you go?” Zhai Sheng took off his cap. That hair surrounding the rim of his cap was drenched in sweat. His originally tanned skin looked even darker under the sunshine. In cliché terms, Zhai Sheng had turned darker.
“I went to school.” Qiao Nan opened the door and let Zhai Sheng in.
At the sight of Zhai Sheng, Shi Qing shriveled her lips unhappily. However, she did not have the courage to follow them into the house. She went back to her own house instead.
Shi Qing very much wanted to follow them. After all, she enjoyed the company of Qiao Nan and it was not because of Brother Zhai.
However, from her past experience, Shi Qing understood a principle. It did not matter if she was a light bulb to anyone else, regardless of how bright she was. However, she should not be a light bulb between Brother Zhai and Qiao Nan because Brother Zhai knew how to teach people a lesson.
Qiao Nan was amused when she saw that Shi Qing did not follow them into the house. Shi Qing only behaved in this way when Zhai Sheng was around. “Brother Zhai, what’s wrong with Shi Qing and you? Each time you come, Shi Qing will leave on her own accord.”
Shi Qing was not someone so abiding. Having been used to Shi Qing following her around, Qiao Nan was now a little not used to having her ‘tail’, Shi Qing, missing.
Zhai Sheng seemed as if he was back in his own house. He took off his soldier cap and conveniently removed his jacket. He then slumped on the sofa and revealed his upper body that was in a singlet, revealing the firm muscles on his wide shoulders and strong arms that were as thick as Qiao Nan’s thighs.
Zhai Sheng had just been sitting for a while, and the house of the Qiao family, which was not considered small, seemed to have been filled with that domineering aura of Zhai Sheng. It made one feel as though they were suffocating
“Wipe your sweat.” Qiao Nan was holding a wrung towel in one hand and a cup of warm water in another. That gentle and affectionate demeanor displayed when she was taking care of Zhai Sheng was akin to that of a wife.
Zhai Sheng reached out and pulled Qiao Nan so that she would sit beside him. He then took over the towel and wiped away the beads of sweat on his hair. Thereafter, he turned his face to lean toward Qiao Nan. Qiao Nan pursed her lips. She then tilted the cup of water toward Zhai Sheng’s mouth and the water naturally went in.
The two had been together for less than two years but their total time spent together was not more than two months. Nevertheless, the atmosphere between the two seemed as though they had been a married couple for many years. There were familiarity and chemistry.
“Brother Zhai, you’re really…” After Zhai Sheng finished his water, Qiao Nan felt embarrassed and said, “Drink by yourself after you finish wiping off the sweat.”
It was always the same. Why was it that each time Brother Zhai came to her house, his hands seemed to be temporarily handicapped?
It was fine when no one was around. Once, Shi Qing was present. As Zhai Sheng had been used to being fed, he tilted his head for Qiao Nan to feed him.
Qiao Nan had lifted the cup of water, but when she realized that Shi Qing was just behind her, she was stunned and just stuffed the cup into Zhai Sheng’s hand to let him take the drink himself.
It was also since that time that, whenever Zhai Sheng appeared, Shi Qing would abidingly leave and disappear.
But even if that was so, Qiao Nan was still not quite used to it. Why was it that when they were together, Brother Zhai was not used to using his own hands to feed himself?
“Thirsty.” Could not wait.
“…” Qiao Nan did not believe that he was terribly thirsty.
Zhai Sheng laughed gently and looked at Qiao Nan teasingly. ‘Still not feeding me?’
Qiao Nan was angry. So, she was the one at fault?
Although she was angry, Qiao Nan took over the towel that Zhai Sheng had just used. She went to wring it another time for Zhai Sheng to wipe himself again. After the heat from Zhai Sheng’s face seemed to have reduced, she then sat down without any further movement.
After wiping, the heat in his body dissipated much. That gentle frown of Zhai Sheng had also relaxed. “Aren’t you afraid of feeling warm? Why did you go to school without any apparent reason?”
Besides Shi Qing, only Zhai Sheng, who was not often in Ping Cheng, knew clearly about the ailments that Qiao Nan suffered from during summer.
“Principal Meng told me he’s giving this house to me. He’s bringing me to settle the transfer of ownership tomorrow. Hence, I made a trip to school.” Qiao Nan did not intend to keep this from Zhai Sheng at all. She told Zhai Sheng everything.