The dinner went on for a long time. They both hadn't had such an opportunity in a long time. Even if they didn't speak much, they were contented with sitting together and seemed a little reluctant to end this dinner treat. However, the curtain of night had already fallen outside, so Jiang Xiu had to get up and pay the bill.
Jiang Xiu and Cheng Lingran walked along the streets of the Imperial Capital. As Cheng Lingran's body was nice and cool, Jiang Xiu walked close to her while she was on guard against this little lecher. He pointed towards the sky as an act then said, "The moon is very bright today."
Cheng Lingran couldn't help but laugh, "Mhm!"
It was a very corny and amateurish line.
Jiang Xiu bumped into Cheng Lingran lightly, hoping to seize the chance to pull her hand but it brushed past hers. Cheng Lingran felt her heart skip a beat and laughed at him, "You're still small."
This actually gave a reason to Jiang Xiu to reach out and pull her palm with his. His palm felt warm to Cheng Lingran and caused her face to heat up. Jiang Xiu said, "Let me be small."
Cheng Lingran felt it was both funny and extremely embarrassing, "Don't you have shame? You have grown up so big and are still trying to act cute."
"What's there not to do between us?" Jiang Xiu replied.
"Your face had become thicker too…" Cheng Lingran commented yet she allowed him to pull her lily-white hand and lead her along. She advised him, "Take care of yourself in the desert and don't try to show off. Don't participate in anything which is dangerous. Got it?"
Her tone was the same she used to warn him in their childhood.
"Mhm!"
He still remembered the time when he was in Dongzhou. Cheng Lingran used to bring him gifts, and she would warn him to be careful each time before she left. He used to feel impatient for her arrival every time, but never expected she would stop coming one day.
Jiang Xiu felt there was a reason for it as it didn't make sense for it to happen so suddenly. According to her personality, even if she were busy studying, she would still greet him at the very least.
Her pretty face looked alluring under the glow of the neon lamps during the night. When she took notice of Jiang Xiu's passionate gaze, she asked, "What? Are there flowers on my face?"
"Or have I changed? Am I not as pretty as before?"
The both of them hadn't had such genuine close contact for several years already.
Jiang Xiu gave a glittering, sunny smile to her, "Even if you're a dung beetle, you are the most beautiful dung beetle in my eyes."
Cheng Lingran slammed her fists onto his shoulder in a fit, "You are a dung beetle. You are a 100% genuine dung beetle and that too one which has just come alive."
"Don't try to run!"
Cheng Lingran looked at Jiang Xiu chase after her but as she ran with quite a difficulty due to her high-heeled shoes. She quickly hid in a corner and screamed out.
"Don't grab me…"
Whenever she came to Dongzhou to find Jiang Xiu, they would both go to the mountain to have fun. Every time she got caught by Jiang Xiu, he would tickle her. This was Cheng Lingran's Achilles' heel. As they had been husband and wife in the previous timeline, he knew all her weak points.
Only, these weren't the mountains but instead the road, "Sis, can you not shout?"
Jiang Xiu hadn't even begun but Cheng Lingran was already at her limit due to laughing, "I'll shout."
"If you shout, the police will arrive. I'm not familiar with the people of the Imperial Capital. The police will arrest me and book me as a rogue. Wouldn't that be a great injustice to me?"
Cheng Lingran laughed even harder, "That would serve you right. After all, you are a perverted dung beetle."
"Aaaaahhhhh!"
Jiang Xiu fiddled with his hands and tickled her lower ribs.
A black car stood on the road of the route they were on. Wang Xintong was seated inside the car and looked at Jiang Xiu and Cheng Lingran from there, her beautiful eyes revealing astonishment and frustration.
She was puzzled by her own actions. She didn't know why she had followed after them, but she knew she didn't do it for that Cheng Lingran who was unfamiliar to her.
Cheng Lingran felt her belly hurt from the laughing, "Don't you know you broke the rules? According to the rules, I won't protect you from now on."
"You protect me? Tell me who's the disloyal one?"
Cheng Lingran rushed to reply, "You. It was totally you… I'm the one who sacrifices every time you are in danger. If you get bullied by anyone in the university later, use my name."
"Use your name, huh? Would it work?"
Cheng Lingran continued solemnly, "What's with that 'huh'? It'll definitely work. Believe me. Come sword or fire…" She stopped talking all of a sudden and shrunk back.
Jiang Xiu felt puzzled about why she stopped. He took a look back and saw a wild dog stand there with its tongue spread out. Its eyes looked very spooky under the dusky street lamp.
Jiang Xiu felt Cheng Lingran hide behind him and pulled his clothes with force while shivering all over.
Jiang Xiu gave her a friendly reminder, "Your opportunity to shine has come."
Cheng Lingran refused to come out and even pushed Jiang Xiu towards the front. The intent was clear. Save thyself before saving others.
"Completely disloyal…" Jiang Xiu commented.
"Only this time. Ughh… It won't bite us, right?"
"It'll definitely bite if the legs are slender."
Cheng Lingran almost fumbled in fear as her legs were pretty slender. She didn't believe him but knew it would be quite tragic if the dog did bite her.
She became even more disloyal and used Jiang Xiu as a meat shield.
"Sis, can you bear me getting bitten?"
"At this point, Sis will have to clench her teeth and bear it… Aaahhhhhhhh." She leaped into Jiang Xiu's back when she saw that dog move suddenly.
"Run, Little Xiu, quick…"
Jiang Xiu had become a shrimp.
As for the wild dog, it ran away.
"That was a close call!"
After entering the subway, Jiang Xiu kept gazing at Cheng Lingran who hadn't raised her head till now. She wasn't lowering her head due to shame but rather to resist laughing.
"Indeed disloyal!"
Jiang Xiu criticized her in a stern voice. She couldn't help but laugh out loud and then lower head again in a guilty manner.
Both of them got down near the university.
Cheng Lingran waved goodbye to him then pointed towards the cell phone in her hand with a solemn face, "If someone bullies you, remember to use Sis's name…"
She laughed once again after that then made her escape.
Jiang Xiu's face turned colors from anger.
After returning to the dorm, he found that the other brutes were all missing. Such was university life, full of freedom to have as much fun as you want, especially in the first year. Students take off to the skies like birds just released from cages.
When he was about to enter, the boy from the door next to his came over, "Jiang Xiu, Professor Xu is looking for you."
"For what?"
"Might be related to the ancient desert city. He asked you to come to the department."
The time was still early as a few individual study classes were still going on. Jiang Xiu exited the dorm and went over to the department. A pretty expensive Ferrari stood outside the building right now.
He could hear the sounds of people chatting even before he entered. It seemed like there were many people inside.
Jiang Xiu went inside, "Professor Xu, you were looking for me?"
Professor Xu looked at Jiang Xiu and spoke to the handsome boy beside him, "He's Jiang Xiu!"
"Jiang Xiu, this is Jin Xi of the Golden Brocade Group."
Jin Xiu sized him up and down, "So you're Jiang Xiu? Your name isn't on our list, so there's no need to come this time. You can wait for next time."
Qiu Yinru stood beside him, looking at Jiang Xiu with a provocative gaze.
Jiang Xiu asked, "Do you have the final say on that?"
Jin Xi's face turned grim, "I'm funding this project. Tell me, do I have the final say or not?"
"I only know that my name is on the list. If I don't come, the university administration won't approve this exploration project. At worst, no one will go."
These words made the professor as well as the experts gathered here worried.
This was a chance they had been waiting for a lifetime.
Jin Xi's face turned colder, "Our exploration team doesn't need trash. What can you do even if you follow us? Can you disarm traps or fight off bandits? You might as well be the same as a camel. You should know how to behave."
"Though I can't do anything, one thing won't change. If I'm unable to go, you can't go as well."
Qiu Yinru was pretty angry. She really disliked this arrogant guy.
Professor Xu tried to mediate, "Why don't we let him come with us? One more won't hurt us… We can't cancel the project after preparing for so long just because we don't want to take him with us." The professor was worried that the project would be halted.
"Alright. Since Professor Xu has said it, we have no problems with it as well." He walked over towards Jiang Xiu and whispered, "Brat, you are indeed courting death. Look how you'll suffer on the way."
He even had two bodyguards with him who appeared to be from the military.
"Just wait for it…"
Professor Xu announced to everyone, "Start preparing as we'll be setting off tomorrow…"