Chapter 121: Chapter 120: Sleeping in Each Other’s Arms
Jiang Si said, "An animal that can eat wintersweet flowers should be easy to breed and raise. Maybe we could even tame it for a mount."
Jiang Linhai frowned. "That creature is far too alert, and it’s as fast as lightning. We’d need a massive trap to catch it, which won’t be easy. Besides, wild animals are nearly impossible to tame unless you get them as babies."
Jiang Si nodded. "It was just a thought. We don’t even know what it is yet."
Compared to the transport trucks that could break down at any moment due to extreme weather, the moose were the mode of transportation she had envied most in her past life.
But envy was all she could do. Only superpower users had moose.
And her purpose had been no different from a moose’s—perhaps she was even less important, because she could carry back so little.
Without realizing it, Jiang Si’s longing for a moose had been plain to see. After everyone else had left, Qin Shen asked her, "Do you want one?"
He sounded as if he would get her a moose the moment she nodded.
Catching a moose would be a piece of cake with Qin Shen’s abilities, but raising one was also a lot of trouble. They only operated in the immediate area and had no need to travel far. If the truck couldn’t reach a place, they could just walk. Jiang Si smiled and shook her head. "No, that’s too much effort. It’s better to just raise more chickens and ducks."
"Mm."
Suddenly, Shen Baoying called out to her, "Sisi, come here for a second."
Jiang Si felt a little awkward, but before leaving, she said to Qin Shen, "I’ll be right back to find you."
"Alright."
He didn’t seem awkward at all. Jiang Si, however, scurried into Shen Baoying and Jiang Linhai’s room in a frantic hurry.
The moment she entered, Shen Baoying’s expression changed. She asked with utmost seriousness, "Did you tell Qin Shen about your dimensional space?"
In this frozen wasteland, where could they have possibly found a transport truck that wasn’t frozen solid?
It was one thing for Lu Zhifeng and Niu Niu to gloss over it, but how could someone as smart as Qin Shen not have noticed something was amiss?
Seeing his unsurprised expression, the whole Jiang family grew worried. They feared that Jiang Si, having just started to date Qin Shen, had already become so love-struck that she’d laid all her cards on the table.
Although they trusted Qin Shen, the dimensional space was a life-or-death secret and a true test of character. She should have waited much longer before even considering telling him.
Seeing she couldn’t hide it, Jiang Si had no choice but to confess. "He found out a long time ago but just never said anything. You don’t need to worry so much."
Shen Baoying’s eyes shot open. "When did he find out?"
Jiang Si couldn’t very well say he’d figured it out as soon as he moved in next door, so she fudged the details. "He just accidentally saw me taking something out one time. But he’s never once tried to probe me about it."
’If I told them Qin Shen is the White Tiger, they’d probably have a hard time accepting us being together.’
Shen Baoying and Jiang Linhai exchanged a look of dismay. After a long moment, Jiang Linhai finally said in a grave, earnest tone, "Since he already knows and has kept it to himself, you still need to be careful, understand?"
Qin Shen was a good man, but he wasn’t more important to them than their daughter. As long as even the slightest risk existed, they couldn’t be completely at ease.
This was the purest form of a parent’s love for their child.
Jiang Si nodded. "Mm, I know. Don’t worry."
Shen Baoying then grew worried about Lu Zhifeng and Niu Niu. "If they find out in the future, they’ll be angry, won’t they?"
Jiang Linhai shook his head. "Why do we have to tell them something like this? It’s not like we’ve mistreated them. Put yourself in his shoes. Niu Niu has a superpower; do you think Lu Zhifeng would be quick to tell us? Of course not. As a father himself, he’ll definitely understand our position."
That set Shen Baoying’s mind at ease. "Mm."
Shen Baoying then said a few more words to Jiang Si. "Well, it’s probably for the best that Qin Shen knows. It means he’ll know to cherish and protect you even more. You two seem to have been getting along well these past couple of days." She then gave Jiang Linhai a secretive smile. "I wonder if we’ll be planning a wedding for them next year."
’Just a moment ago, she was worried Qin Shen was a threat, and in the blink of an eye, she’s hoping we get married soon.’
Jiang Si couldn’t help but blush. "What wedding? It’s way too early for that." ’Nothing is set in stone yet; my observation period has only just begun.’
Jiang Linhai chimed in, "Exactly. We should wait at least two more years before talking about that."
Shen Baoying shot back, "We got married after only eight months!"
Jiang Linhai frowned. "How can you compare him to me!"
As Shen Baoying and Jiang Linhai began to argue, Jiang Si seized the opportunity to slip away.
Jiang Si stood at Qin Shen’s door. Her hand paused mid-air as she was about to knock, thinking that he might have heard every single word of that conversation.
’Qin Shen isn’t bored enough to eavesdrop all the time, right?’
Suddenly, the door swung open.
Qin Shen had already changed into his pajamas, revealing a sliver of his fair collarbone. He looked at her, his eyes deep. "Are you coming in?"
’Uh... this feels like some kind of invitation.’
Jiang Si bit the bullet and entered the room, feeling a little lost. Looking at Qin Shen, he didn’t seem to be in a state where he needed her to be close.
She stood awkwardly by the bed, not sure what to say. Sensing her discomfort, Qin Shen asked, "Want to watch a movie?"
’Uh... in this room?’
’It looks like we’d have to lie on the bed...’
Jiang Si wasn’t sure how she ended up nodding. Qin Shen took her hand, and they sat on the bed. As the light from the movie flickered, she could see a subtle exhaustion on Qin Shen’s cool, handsome profile.
Thinking of how he had saved Jiang Linhai from the brink of death, Jiang Si hesitated for a moment before saying, "If you’re tired, just go to sleep."
Qin Shen looked at her. His gaze lingered for what felt like a long time. Just as she was starting to feel nervous that she’d said the wrong thing, he spoke.
"Mm. I’ll walk you back?"
Jiang Si’s expression froze for a second. Seeing that he still didn’t look well, she shook her head.
The two of them were silent, their eyes meeting for a few seconds. In that shared gaze, they both understood what the other meant.
So... they might as well lie down together.
At first, a clear line was drawn between them, with enough space for another person in the middle.
After Jiang Si lay down, Qin Shen quietly drew near. He gently, tentatively, wrapped an arm around her waist. His voice was faint with exhaustion as he asked, "Can I hold you?"
’They were trying to date now, so it wasn’t out of the question...’
Jiang Si gave a demure nod. The sensation of the arm around her waist tightening ever so slightly sent a jolt through her entire being.
She felt a little warm and shifted instinctively, only to be suddenly pulled into Qin Shen’s arms.
Qin Shen’s exquisite features were inches from her face. Jiang Si held her breath, her eyes fixed on the straight bridge of his nose. After a moment, she whispered, "Are you still in pain?"
With his eyes closed, Qin Shen let out a soft "mm."
Jiang Si felt a pang of guilt and wrapped her arms around him in return. "Is this any better?"
Her head was lowered, so she missed the faint smile that touched the corners of Qin Shen’s lips. "Mm. Thank you."
"You don’t have to thank me."
Jiang Si threw the same words back at him.
"Alright," he said.
The movie played on and on until it finally ended. A hand reached out from under the covers and switched it off.
All that remained was the sound of their soft breathing as they slept in each other’s arms.
