HLnovel Chapter 140 Xiaotong's Birthday
Chapter 140 Xiaotong's Birthday
Ji Xiaotong's birthday has arrived, and apart from Zhang Liangjun and Qu Xiaoxiao, no one else knows when her birthday is.
In the afternoon, Zhang Liangjun arrived at Ji Xiaotong's house with a box to celebrate her birthday. He rang the doorbell—a knocking doorbell that hadn't broken all these years!
The door opened quickly, and Ji Xiaotong opened it with a look of delight on her face, "Liangjun!"
Looking at the girl who had been with him for over eight years, Zhang Liangjun felt a pang of emotion; time really flies. He handed the diamond necklace to Ji Xiaotong, saying, "Happy birthday!"
"I'm thirty-one years old now, and I'm becoming more and more unhappy!" Ji Xiaotong joked, smiling as she accepted the necklace box.
Zhang Liangjun was also very familiar with Ji Xiaotong's home. Although he didn't have a key, he would come over often. He sat on the sofa, turned on the TV, and acted casually, as if he were in his own home.
Just then, a short boy came running down from upstairs, shouting, "Teacher Zhang is here!"
"Xiaoxiao, you're not getting any younger, calm down and learn to be more mature from your sister Xiaotong!" As soon as Zhang Liangjun saw Qu Xiaoxiao, he reflexively started his PUA mode.
Qu Xiaoxiao immediately became obedient and sat down on the sofa in a ladylike posture.
Zhang Liangjun was very satisfied; Qu Xiaoxiao was becoming more and more obedient. He looked at Ji Xiaotong, who was peeling an apple, and said, "Didn't you invite them to come along? It's more fun with more people!"
Ji Xiaotong shook her head and smiled, "I don't want so many people to know that I've grown another year older!" Ji Xiaotong cut the peeled apple into many small pieces, put them on a plate, and handed Zhang Liangjun a fruit fork.
Zhang Liangjun picked up an apple with a fork, put it in his mouth, and said, "You have a really good eye; only the apples you buy are the best."
Ji Xiaotong smiled slightly, encouraged, and began to peel another apple.
After sitting for only a short while, Ji Xiaotong took Qu Xiaoxiao to cook. Since everything was probably already prepared, Zhang Liangjun felt the cooking time was too short, and then Ji Xiaotong came to call him to eat.
Upon arriving at the restaurant, Ji Xiaotong lit the candles and turned off the lights.
Although the scene was quite nice, the addition of Qu Xiaoxiao made the whole atmosphere a little different from what I had imagined.
Ignoring the atmosphere, Zhang Liangjun began to appreciate the candlelight dinner prepared by Ji Xiaotong.
"It looks so appetizing! Xiaotong, your cooking skills are getting better and better!" Zhang Liangjun gave Ji Xiaotong a thumbs up.
Qu Xiaoxiao stretched out her hand and pointed Zhang Liangjun's thumb at herself, "Teacher Zhang, I made all these dishes! Today is Sister Xiaotong's birthday, how can we let her be the head chef again?"
Zhang Liangjun wasn't disappointed either, "Xiaoxiao did a great job! This really exceeded my expectations!"
"Come and try Xiaoxiao's cooking! She's been with me and has learned how to make a lot of dishes! She can basically cook all kinds of home-style dishes." Ji Xiaotong picked up a piece of braised pork and put it on Zhang Liangjun's plate.
Zhang Liangjun found it strange that a candlelight dinner should consist of Chinese food, instead of Western food and red wine, which would seem more normal.
The reason is that Ji Xiaotong thought Zhang Liangjun liked Chinese food but didn't like Western food, which is why she made such a strange and unappetizing dish.
But it doesn't matter, this isn't the first time the three of them have messed around like this.
Halfway through the meal, Qu Xiaoxiao received a phone call. "Hey, Kong Kong! What? You guys are fighting? Don't panic, I'll get a lawyer to handle things right away!"
With a thud, Qu Xiaoxiao hung up the phone and stood up. "Teacher Zhang, Sister Xiaotong, I have something urgent to attend to, I'll be going now!"
Just as he reached the door, he turned back and gave Ji Xiaotong a thumbs-up.
Zhang Liangjun understood that the phone call Qu Xiaoxiao had just received was not actually a result of anything going wrong; it was just a pre-set alarm. With his hearing, he could clearly hear the contents of Qu Xiaoxiao's call.
The atmosphere finally returned to normal, and Zhang Liangjun's obsessive-compulsive disorder eased slightly. He lowered his head and continued eating.
After finishing her meal, Ji Xiaotong tidied up a bit, then went to the living room, turned on the stereo, and walked over to Zhang Liangjun. "Liangjun, can you dance with me?"
"Of course! I'll agree to whatever you say today!" Zhang Liangjun stood up and took Ji Xiaotong's hand. Ji Xiaotong's hand was soft, but icy cold. Zhang Liangjun rubbed it for her, but could only warm the surface.
The melodious music began to play softly, flowing like a gentle stream. To the accompaniment of this beautiful melody, the two gracefully began to dance a magnificent and captivating waltz.
Ji Xiaotong wore a snow-white dress, her slender figure appearing even more graceful as the skirt swayed. Her eyes, bright as stars and brimming with autumn water, moved with practiced ease. Each step and turn was like a dancing sprite, full of elegance and dynamism. Her arms swayed gently, like a breeze rippling across a lake; her waist twisted, like a supple willow branch swaying in the wind, captivating all who beheld her.
Zhang Liangjun's steps were steady and powerful, a stark contrast to Ji Xiaotong's movements, yet perfectly synchronized. When Ji Xiaotong spun, he reached out precisely to catch her; when they shifted positions, he followed swiftly without hesitation. Their coordination was flawless, as if they had practiced countless times. And indeed, they had practiced many times!
To the rhythm of the music, they spun rapidly, their skirts billowing, creating a beautiful white whirlwind; at other times, they moved slowly, their bodies pressed close, feeling each other's breath and heartbeat. In that moment, the whole world seemed to quiet down, leaving only the two of them, immersed in this romantic dance. The surrounding lights gradually dimmed, leaving only the radiance emanating from them to illuminate this small space.
As the song ended, Ji Xiaotong remained nestled against Zhang Liangjun, not leaving. Instead, she opened her arms and hugged Zhang Liangjun tightly, pressing her face against his chest. "Liangjun, I want a child!"
Zhang Liangjun was about to speak when Ji Xiaotong stopped him, "I know something's on your mind! Every time you look at me, I can feel that the way you look at me is different from how you look at others! I feel like you're looking at someone else!"
Ji Xiaotong covered Zhang Liangjun's mouth again, preventing him from pulling away. "However, I don't care! I just want you to love me, even if it's just on the surface!"
Zhang Liangjun exerted a little force, breaking free from Ji Xiaotong's grasp. "I've already forgotten her! Xiaotong, it took me eight years to forget her! You're right, I did love someone, and that person looks a lot like you. Back then, it was because you looked like her that I went to such lengths to help you, to deal with Qu Lianjie, and to help you find clues about your father. But at that time, I hadn't forgotten her! Over the years, I've also known your feelings, and you even said that I didn't need to take responsibility. I know that the fortune teller was just an excuse you made up. But Xiaotong, forgetting someone takes time, especially when you two look so alike!"
"Who is she? Where is she?" Ji Xiaotong looked up and asked the question she most wanted to ask.
Zhang Liangjun's gaze was profound, as if he could see through the void. "She is no longer in this world!"